A Two-Day Drive For Lives event is planned in South Philly this weekend.
Community activist and former South Philly resident Abdul Chestnut is hosting what he’s calling a Two-Day Drive For Lives event this weekend.
A "Back-to-School Peace Party" will take place tomorrow at Sacks Playground, Fourth Street and Washington Avenue. "Operation Bloodhound" takes place Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the same location with volunteers distributing fliers on several area missing people, including Richard Petrone and girlfriend Danielle Imbo, and Grays Ferry resident Taneke Daniels.
The "Back-to-School Peace Party" includes a fashion show, concert, job fair and blood drive. The job fair, hosted by Better Days, will be held at the Marion Anderson Rec Center, 17th and Catherine streets, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
At 3 p.m., the event moves to Sacks Playground with Power 99’s Golden Girl spinning tunes.
An hour-long dedication to LaToyia Figueroa and her unborn daughter Nyla is 5 to 6 p.m. The body of the missing pregnant Southwest woman was found in a Chester field last month.
Chestnut would not reveal details about the dedication.
"Come on now. I’m not going to let the cat of out of the bag. It’s more like a celebration of her whole life and tipping my hat to her father," he said.
Chestnut said he admired the way Melvin Figueroa, during his time of sorrow and pain, did not forget about the other missing women in the city and often named them in his many TV appearances.
The family of one of those women, 27-year-old Daniels, will attend the "Back-to-School Peace Party," Chestnut said. Daniels, the mother of three young boys, was last seen May 12, 2005, leaving her mother Gail Daniels’ Grays Ferry home.
In addition, a collection will be taken for books, crayons, games, backpacks and other school supplies.
Ebony Smith, the 10-year-old North Philly girl who was shot in the head over a snowball fight last winter, is the featured model in the event’s fashion show. Models age 5 to 25 will don duds courtesy of the Philly Native Clothing Co. The show is part of the concert from 6 to 9 p.m.
"We’re trying to get kids in an anti-violence frame of mind so they can have some good, safe fun. Statistics show most altercations happen in October as they try to get adjusted," Chestnut said.
Clean Block contest begins
The Department of Streets kicks off its 2005 Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee’s Clean Block Contest Sept. 27. The 39 selected blocks were chosen from about 6,300.
Judges will visit the 2700 block of South Smedley Street in the First Police District beginning Sept. 29 at 2:15 p.m. At 2:45 p.m., the judges will move to the 300 block of Pemberton Street. Oct. 6 at 2:15 p.m., judges will finish up with the 2600 block of South Hicks Street. �
In the Fourth Police District, judging will take place at 3 p.m. on the 900 block of Johnston Street.
In the 17th Police District, judging will take place Sept. 28 at 2:15 p.m. on the 1200 block of South 24th Street. Oct. 6, judges will arrive at 1:30 p.m. on the 1600 block of South Marston Street.
For more information, contact the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee at 215-685-3981.
Web site launched
The Philadelphia Office of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation has launched a new Web site to assist developers, nonprofit organizations and residents in identifying housing and housing-related programs.
The Web site, www.phila.gov/ohnp, allows developers to obtain city requirements for building new housing, renovating existing housing and restoring historical properties. It outlines the city’s land acquisition and disposition processes along with the application and approval procedures for licenses, permits and zoning. Information on federal, state and city tax credits and tax abatements is also available.
Residents can find information on home ownership and home repair programs, special-needs and public housing, vacant houses and lot acquisition. Also, they can find contact numbers for landlord/tenant problems, senior citizen programs and information on predatory lending.
Included on the Web site is a list of housing developments currently under way, federal income guidelines for specific programs, available requests for proposals and legal notices, along with a frequently asked questions section for homeowners and nonprofit organizations.
