Re: [UC] Spruce Hill Garden Club?

[Krfapt]

Neil Lifset forwarded a message to the list from Pat Gillespie saying, in part, "Anyone can volunteer to help tend this and other gardens in University City, and help is needed.� Please call the Spruce Hill Community Association at
215-349-7825 and leave your name and phone number if you want to volunteer
&/or receive membership information.� A member of the garden club will get
back to you."

This, and her comments about renaming the organization and taking on projects in addition to the garden at 44th & Locust, answer the immediate question -- although perhaps some kind of announcement or article in The University City Review and posters in neighborhood business establishments would extend the information to segments of the community not, er, enlightened to the point of subscribing to this Listserv.

Since there apparently is an active club at some level, I certainly don't want to usurp its prerogatives, and don't have the time to volunteer to help with the work, so I'm withdrawing my earlier commitment to bring up the matter at the Spruce Hill Community Association Board meeting (all are welcome and can participate -- I'm not a Board member, having ruin last year and lost) on April 8.

Anyway, reliable sources have spilled the beans about Republican Mayoral Candidate Sam Katz being scheduled to make a presentation at that meeting. This being the case, there wouldn't be much time left over for a proper discussion of other issues anyway.

The city of Philadelphia is at a real crossroads now because the serious budget deficit. We know, in general, how Mayor Street plans to cope with it. Does candidate Katz have a better idea? In the past, Mr Katz has placed emphasis on revitalizing the tax base, not by raising taxes but by stemming the exodus of people from the City and proactively encouraging job growth -- both entrepreneurial and by creating a favorable atmosphere for established companies. This meeting can prove to be a good opportunity not only to hear what this candidate (who came close to winning last time and is neck-and-neck at present in the polls) has to say, but to tell him what we think. University City in General and Spruce Hill in particular are full of just the people Katz wants to stay and work here. Students, young professionals, new immigrants, folks just starting families, etc. I sincerely hope we have a packed house because we need to know what someone who may be the next mayor thinks, and he needs to know what we think.

Al Krigman

PS: I mentioned this to someone in person, who said "C'mon, the renters in your neighborhood don't vote, why would they want to go and interact with a candidate?" Interestingly, the last General Election was my first as a Judge of Elections (not as august an office as it may sound) for a district that includes a reasonable part of Spruce Hill between Spruce & Walnut, 43rd & 45th and has some owner-occupants and many renters. We had a large turnout of renters who seemed to come from all slices of the renter community. So there is a strong incentive for attendance among this group.