Letters to the Editor

Northeast residents discuss the importance of kids being active, inconsiderate drivers and Northeast Regional Library.

Kids should be active

I recently had the pleasure of joining my friend and colleague, City Councilman Bobby Henon, for the annual Philly Play Summer Challenge. Philly Play, started by Councilman Henon in 2013 to combat the high rate of childhood obesity in the city, provides safe, fun camp experiences for children.

The Philly Play Summer Challenge brought together campers from nearly 60 recreation centers from across the city for a big finale in which 1,600 participating kids demonstrated the skills and athletic moves they acquired over the six-week summer program.

The main event was a fun and challenging obstacle course. Various city government offices participated in the event, including the Department of Parks & Recreation, the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Fire Department.

My office provided some of the 120 volunteers who make Philly Play go. The Summer Challenge was an enormous success, as evidenced by the smiling faces of so many city kids. In addition to a small army of volunteers, Philly Play includes 75 staff members and a combined total of over 48,000 hours of heart rate-elevating playtime each summer.

The program is dedicated to ensuring that every child gets 60 minutes of heart rate-elevating play every day. This goal is accomplished by providing structured, active play and recreation programming in city rec centers.

According to the Philadelphia Department of Health, city kids are sedentary for more than 60 percent of their day. We can improve the overall health and well-being of Philadelphia’s children if we get them off of the couch, out of the house, and engaged in at least 60 minutes of heart rate-elevating, active play every single day. Philly Play has shown us the way.

Al Taubenberger

City Councilman

Inconsiderate drivers

This is something I never saw while living in Denver. To drivers in Philadelphia, please remember the rules of driving. When you’re at a traffic light and it turns from red to green, a green light means you should go and not sit there for three minutes or more.

Please put your devices down and go so that others behind you can go as well.

Angela Rose Parker

Bustleton

NE Regional needs TLC

The other day, I went to Northeast Regional Library and it was closed yet again for repairs. This is becoming the new normal. When you go to the library, hoping it’s open, it’s like playing the lottery.

The library is open now. It had already been closed for nearly a month this summer for air conditioning repairs. It was closed for weeks last winter for a broken pipe. The library is an old and tired lady — poor lighting, old furniture. Even its big meeting room is right out of the 1960s. You might expect to find Barney Fife doing security and Aunt Bee at the librarian’s desk.

Do our city leaders appreciate this is the most active branch of the entire 50-plus libraries in the system? It’s a vital hub for services to seniors, the poor, immigrants — even those seeking passports.

Many educational, health and employment programs have been postponed or canceled due to the erratic library schedule. Not a good message to our business community. Imagine how demoralizing all this is to the employees who work there.

Please, city fathers, Northeast Regional Library is on life support. Please put more than Band-Aids onto this valuable facility, and let’s bring it back to good health.

Richard Iaconelli

Rhawnhurst