Forty volunteers with the Friends of Pennypack Park cleaned and removed more than 40 bags of trash from a section of the park in the Holme Circle area on Aug. 25.
The territory included the north side of Holme Avenue from the rear of the Nazareth Hospital property to Axe Factory Road, as well as the south side of Holme Avenue from the Northeast Community Center to Winchester Avenue, as well as the public ball field behind the hospital and nearby walking paths.
The One Brick Philly organization supplied many of the volunteers, while representatives from the city’s Community Life Improvement Program and “weekender” city prison inmates also helped out.
One Brick Philly volunteers included Barb Patrizzi, Patty Guiliano, Jennifer Bullow, Carolyn Moatz, Tracey Smith, Gena Dolson, Jessica Celenza, Timothy Raines, Nancy Hecker, Dan DiGregorio and Ashley Scott. FOPP volunteers included Jim Smyth, Joyce Ferrero, Bill Henderson, Kevin Sweetra, Florence Brodman, Jim Ryan, Norma Rudolph, Mary Jane Roberts, Pat Harvey, Andrew Puzdrak, Linda Davies, Sondra Greenberg, Bob McMunn, Jim Stewart, Roland Williams, George Scholl, Louise Kopena, Denise Eiler, Anne Costello, Hal Phillips and Nance Kerns.
The CLIP staff members were Joe Marcelewski and Jian Liu, while student volunteers included Central High’s Thomas Eiler, West Chester East High’s Yashwanth Ayai and Savavana Khumavan.
The debris removed from the park included two bags of recyclable cans, four tires, a blanket, a card table, part of a folding chair, part of a lawn chair, part of a metal fence, a scooter, a bead necklace, toy handcuffs, a torn boot, a pocketbook, PVC pipe, an air horn, a road construction barrel, an iron bar, a cigarette lighter and a sign promoting a “Trash and Junk Removal” service.
The next FOPP cleanup event will be this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will meet at Pennypack on the Delaware, where the Pennypack Creek meets the Delaware River. The entrance is on State Road near Rhawn Street, just south of the Philadelphia Prison System complex. A sign for the Riverview Nursing Home marks the entrance.
Volunteers should wear long pants and comfortable shoes with closed toes, suitable for hiking in the park. The FOPP will supply gloves, grabbing tools and refreshments. In case of threatening weather, call 215–934-PARK. ••
