It Takes a Village

Philly Turned Yellow and Volunteers Wanted Green

This spring, we sheltered in place for 68 days. When Philly moved from phase red to yellow, only 15 days of spring remained. The great outdoors beckoned—and doing something outside with neighbors and friends inspired volunteers to tackle clean and green projects in Queen Village.

After all, community service is often the easiest, fastest and best way to meet new neighbors, catch up with friends, and do something good for the neighborhood. Here’s just three of the many good deeds done to improve our community.

Front Street Rose Garden grows green thumbs and more

On Saturday mornings all summer long, both experienced and budding gardeners volunteered to prune, weed, rake, and plant flowers at Front Street Rose Garden along with garden leader Maria Frizelle-Roberts. Caring for the four rose beds along Front Street between Christian Street and Washington Avenue is often described by volunteers as a labor of love.

Unmasking the Friends behind Moyamensing Point

Kudos to Friends of Moyamensing Point for being socially distanced while cleaning and greening one of our most charming parks. Indeed, socially distanced is the antithesis of this fun-loving group of volunteers who regularly tend the Point. The Friends group met regularly throughout the summer to tend to the garden.

Friends of Moyamensing Point may be best known as the organizers of December’s annual Toys for Tots drive and Festivus celebration featuring Santa on a firetruck and carolers.

Queen Village volunteers who gardened this summer included Dennis Doyle, Cassidy Ferrara-Pacetti, Maria Frizelle-Roberts, Sanja Martic, Rachel Mele, Sarah McDonald, Sara McDonough, David O’Donnell, Dan Rosenzweig, Kathy Schneider, and Sung Whang.

Investigative journalists of the Crier unmasked the names of Moyamensing Point’s volunteers (from left to right) as Matt Koger, PatBigley, Maureen Weir, Tim Graham, Agi Czapka, Laura Burt and Craig Thomas. Also unmasked (yet unseen) is the volunteer group’s photographer, John Weir.

Bucking tradition, Weccacoe’s spring cleanup happened in June. The day Philly’s stay-at-home order ended, phase red changed to yellow, playgrounds reopened, and Friends of Weccacoe volunteer Kevin Parker organized the playground’s first cleanup of the year. Four days later, two dozen mask-wearing volunteers sawed fallen branches, swept leaves, shoveled trash, and filled dozens of yard bags.

The playground’s first cleanup of the year typically happens in March—but this has not been a typical year. No matter, because the weather was perfect; neighbors met, mixed, and mingled; the playground was cleaned; and, equally important, volunteers had fun. ■

QVNA Haiku

Pocket Park gardens

Grow more beautiful because

Neighbors tend with love.

Friends of Weccacoe volunteers made even more friends during its June clean sweep of the playground, thanks to John Amadio, Caleb Benjamin, Karina Benjamin, Kimiko Benjamin, Rei Benjamin, Alejandra Borenstein,Conrad Bower, Megan Bower, Winston Bramwell, Maurice Coleman, Annie Edwards, Lilli Flink, Nikki Hagedorn, Dick Hoffman, Juliette Kang, Susan Kellogg, Gavin Koski, Colin McEllhenney, Alicia Mucci, Kevin Montmiry, Donna Pancari, Kevin Parker, Ariel Platt, Rory Phalon, Carol Purfield, Deanna Salpietra, Imali Sirisha, Alin Spearman, Brett Spearman, Khem Spearman, Shahn Spearman, and Michelle Weir.

Philadelphia Gardens, Inc. URBAN GARDEN DESIGN + INSTALLATION CONTAINERGARDENS TONI ANN FLANIGAN 215.951.9193 WWW.PHILADELPHIAGARDENS.COM

Patrick Carr’s Legacy of Lilies

More than 200 cannas gifted to Queen Villagers.

Former Queen Village resident, Patrick Columbus Boulevard in Queen Village in 2015 and immediately committed to making his corner of the neighborhood clean and safe. Chalie regularly clears debris and trash left in and around the Queen Street Tunnel between Front and Swanson Streets. He keeps QVNA updated with before-and-after pictures and has developed relationships with QVNA partners the Interstate Land Management Corporation and South Street Headhouse District. On his own time, Chalie is also looking into options for improving the tunnel’s appearance with mural refurbishing and lighting improvements.

It does take a village, and Chalie takes that to heart with dedication of his time and pride in Queen Village. ■ Carr loved canna lilies. A self-taught organic gardener, Pat grew hundreds of cannas—the summer-blooming lily that grows from a bulb to a six-foot flower in a few short months. More than 200 of Pat’s towering flower bulbs were given to QVNA to share with neighbors. The gift came from Pat’s wife, Maria Kefalas, in memory of her husband who passed in April.

The canna lily bulbs were shared with Queen Village neighbors in May as part of QVNA’s #FreeFlowersR4U program, in which the cana lilies and 300 additional flowering perennials were given away free to residents.

A sociology scholar, Pat loved talking to kids in the streets of Philadelphia to gain real-world insight to fuel his writing. A Philadelphia Inquirer article article about Pat and his life’s many contributions is at

A Clean Sweep for Queen Street

Charles Craige “Chalie” moved to

https://bit.ly/PatrickCarr-Inquirer2020. ■

Although he manages all the ins and outs of the Queen Street tunnel, volunteer Chalie Craige loves running the streets of Philadelphia.

What’s Up On Our Canopy?

Fingers crossed that both spring and fall 2020 trees will be planted in November.

As of this writing, curbside tree planting will be scheduled for a Saturday in November. On the same date eleven trees, originally slated for planting in April, will also be planted.

This means that if you’d like to plant trees and have fun with new friends, please let us know at QVNA.org/volunteer.

Also in November, we’ll release the application for spring 2021 curbside tree planting. If you want QVNA to email you an application when it’s available, let us know at QVNA.org/trees.

Stay safe, stay strong, and stay tuned for more information about tree topics in November. ■

10 Census Questions

The answers will shape the next 10 years

The Census counts everyone living in the U.S., and the results determine electoral districts and inform decisions about federal funding for vital projects—hospitals, fire departments, school lunch programs, highways, and other critical services.

The 2020 Census asks only ten

questions. There is no citizenship question. Read the questions at https://bit.ly/ Census 10-questions.

Your answers are used only to produce statistics. By law, the Census Bureau cannot publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or anySo what’s the difference between a mail-in and an absentee ballot? The answer lies in why you’re asking.

Any qualified voter may request a mailin ballot—no reason required. Just ask!

Absentee ballots are for those who can’t make it to the polls (the disabled and anyone out of town on election day).

Register to vote:

Register at votespa.com by October 19.

Apply for a mail-in ballot:

• Apply by October 27, 5:00 p.m. • You must have a valid PA driver’s license or photo I.D. one in your home. Read more at https:// bit.ly/CensusDataProtection.

In one simple act, you can help shape

It’s estimated that a 1% undercount of Pennsylvania’s population would result in a loss of $3.9 billion in federal funding— including $500 million in Philadelphia— over the next 10 years. In addition, Pennsylvania would likely lose at least one congressional seat with a 1% undercount.

It’s in the Mail

November 3 is the General Election. How are you voting?

Pennsylvanians can vote in person or by absentee or mail-in ballot.

our future. Visit 2020census.gov. ■

Apply early to receive your ballot before the election.

Apply at votespa.com or call 1-877-VotesPA (877-3772)

Vote November 3:

• By mail: Mailed ballots MUST be received by the Board of Elections by November 3, 8:00 p.m. Voters are urged to postmark ballots at least two weeks before the election. • By hand delivery: to the dedicated drop-off box at City Hall. (Other locations are listed at philadelphiavotes. com.)

In person: between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. To find your polling place, visit http://bit.ly/QV-vote-here ■

Philadelphia City Commissioners installed a mail-in ballot dropbox at City Hall, located between the Octavius Catto statue and the south entrance. Dropbox artist: Adam Crawford. Photo: Kimberly Paynter / WHYY