As a community organization participant in every “University City Saturday” held by the University City Promotions Group, I must admit that I do not remember discussion with regard to forming the UCCC at that time.
I am not saying that is not the case, just perhaps I was not privy to the discussion.
Also allow me to clarify that some people in the UCCC felt left out because they supported the UCCC of which the SHCA was a “founding member” as you have stated, and felt the final decision on catchment area weighed heavily in Spruce Hill’s favor.
It might have been people felt that the SHCA stood to benefit inordinately from increased property values (as you stated the fears of people at that time proved to be unfounded). Perhaps they felt that after the area was established in Spruce Hill’s favor, that the SHCA was reluctant to rally for change of the catchment area and you can correct me if I am in error here, SHCA withdrew as a member of the UCCC over this issue. Their concerns had no bearing on what happened at The Woodlands, and I apologize if I implied it did.
As for the Woodlands issue, it seemed to me that after the UCHS was removed from there in the spring 1996 and the UCCC was formed in January of 1997 that the momentum behind the formation of the group was somehow related. The University City Promotions Group had ceased to hold University City Saturdays after the Penn Mortgage Program began in 1995 or thereabouts. The last one I remember was in April of 1994.
The UC New School was forced to move from their site to make way for the Penn-assisted school. Many people saw the school as a viable alternative to the neighborhood schools.
Now here is where I am not entirely certain as to why it closed. Did the UC New School formerly receive some sort of assistance from Penn (besides the use of the land)? Is that why it could not sustained?
I remember people tried very hard to save it . The date of its closing is important here for I believe the Penn-assisted school became a hope for many of the groups in the UCCC, who looked forward sending their children there and not just SHCA parents. If anyone knows exactly when the New School closed I’d appreciate the information.
There was also the issue of children in UC who were bused to the Powel School. Some parents feared that those who lived in the catchment area who attended Powel, would abandon those who did not. People feared the exodus of those who would attend the Penn-assisted school instead would alter dramatically the racial and socio-economic status at Powel. For some, the feeling of being left out after lending their support behind the Penn-assisted school was genuine.
So from 1996 when the UCHS had to leave The Woodlands, until the limited opening of the Penn-Alexander School in 2001 (for K-1 students) many things happened.
If I am still in error in the timeline or anything else, feel free to correct me either publicly or privately.
Wilma
On 6/29/04 12:46 PM, "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I want to comment on some misinformation about the Alexander School, contained in Wilma's email below. But I hope that we can then move on to more current topics, since this one is a fait accompli. The school is built; it appears to be doing a good job in educating its students; it did help raise awareness about the needs of other local schools, as Sharrieff points out. Hopefully, now, all those who have concerns about local schools will work on the changes coming for West Phila. HS. The Alexander school did NOT, as it had been earlier feared by many, make the excluded areas of our neighborhood unpopular with homebuyers. As someone said at one of the School Board hearings, the problem is NOT the Alexander School; the problem is that the School District doesn't have enough money TO MAKE THE OTHER SCHOOLS AS GOOD.
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Spruce Hill Community Assn. didn't <<lobby heavily to start the UCCC.>> It was started by the ad hoc University City Promotions Group, as I believe I wrote on this list not too long ago. (SHCA was, however, a founding member of UCCC.) UCPG realized, when holding a party for new homebuyers and inviting local organizations' presidents to welcome the newcomers, that the local presidents often didn't know one another and rarely worked together, though the areas they represented were only blocks apart. UCPG believed that the presidents would be able to work better for all of University City if they shared resources, ideas, strength and clout - and when the idea was presented to the presidents, they agreed. The UCCC was formed in January of 1997.
The founding of UCCC is not at all related to the Woodlands Cemetery's decision, in late 1996, to close to the public, including asking the University City Historical Society to move its office out. I am quite certain of this; I was president of UCHS at the time and a member of UCPG. UCCC didn't take a stand on that issue; it was already decided by the time UCCC came into existence. So, I see no reason UCCC members would have felt <<bamboozled>> to find themselves outside the catchment area's boundaries based on anything to do with the Woodlands. (The UCCC, on behalf of member organizations Friends of the Walnut West Library and UCHS, DID take a stand on the closing/moving/possible tear-down of the historic public library at 40th & Walnut - and ultimately, that location was preserved and the building's restoration is just about completed.)
The UC New School was not closed <<to rally support for the future Penn-Assisted School by which these community groups hoped to benefit.>> UCNS made plans to move to another location, and had much local support, but in the end, not enough financial wherewithal to continue.
The community groups didn't <<hope to benefit>> from the new public school; they merely hoped that local children in their communities would be able to attend it.
Melani Lamond
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In a message dated 6/28/04 9:07:06 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Despite the vehement efforts of the some people in UC to change the catchment area, the SDP (School District of Philadelphia) wanted this to be a true neighborhood school (according to guidelines and in collaboration with the U of Pa.
This eventually weighed in SHCA’s favor) and therefore negated the need (perhaps for SHCA at that point) for a united UC front such as the UCCC.
Since SHCA, lobbied heavily to start the UCCC, after the Woodlands Cemetery forced the UCHS to move out, several of the other community group members of the UCCC who were not included in the area designated for the future Penn-Alexander School claimed they had felt bamboozled (rightly or wrongly).
Also, the closing and dissolution of the much revered and beloved UC New School (to rally support for the future Penn-Assisted School by which these community groups hoped to benefit) added to that feeling.
