July 2006

Brian Siano, Editor Jonathan Snyder, Publisher

Friends of Clark Park PO Box 31908, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Telephone 215-552-8186 web: http://www.clarkpark.info

Bulletin Board: http://www.clarkpark.blogspot.comEmail: Friends@clarkpark.info

Shakespeare in the Park… in August! Elizabethan farce and Sir Toby Belch : at last, we’re officially Civilized. Local theater artists Tom Reing, Maria Moeller,

Marla Burkholder, Whitney Estrin, and many others will be presenting four nights of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The production will be in the south end of the Bowl, on August 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, starting at 7 p.m.

Yep, it’s free. But even though this is a dandy chance for all of us to become groundlings, “Shakespeare in Clark Park” is also looking for sponsors for the show, with sponsorships available at $100, $250, $500 and $1000 levels.

More information about the production and its sponsorships will be posted soon to our website. But, if you have any questions, please email shakespeareinclarkpark@gmail.com, or telephone Whitney Estrin at 215-806-5512.

FoCP Summer Membership Meeting by Jonathan Snyder

On Thursday, July 19, 2006 the FoCP will hold our quarterly Membership meeting. Weather permitting, the meeting will be held on the side hill by the shed near 45th and Regent Streets. If the weather turns bad, the meeting will be held at USP.

There will be updates from the planning committee regarding the new basketball court, the Park A redesign, and more. "Star Volunteer Awards" will be given to recognize FoCP members who have made special efforts to advance and support the park. The business of the meeting will start promptly at 7:30. However, we are hoping to have the Shakespeare in the Park actors provide a sneak preview of Twelfth Night at 7:00 pm, so come on out early.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Partying the Park into Shape Reorganized, Reenergized Spring Fundraiser Is a Hit

By Tony West Thanks to strong support from 'FOCP' members,

this year's 'Party for the Park' reached its goal again.

The fundraiser netted $48,000, the strongest result in a few years ― enough to cover the Expanded Maintenance Program, with some left over for capital improvements to the park.

Once again, Moon Site Maintenance will seed, fertilize and mow the greensward and provide supplemental trash removal so that Clark Park remains clean through October 2006.

This year’s theme was The Year of the Child. The pavilion in front of Griffith Hall on 43rd St. was bedecked with bright pictures of the park made by pupils at Penn Alexander School. The cocktail party was lively and relaxed. A sprightly bluegrass band entertained the crowd. Real live children wove through the throng of 200 adults, most of whom partied with adult abandon! University City’s high and mighty cheerily rubbed elbows with more than a few park-loving hoi polloi who happened to scrape together a few bucks for their park.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell honored the park with her presence. District Attorney Lynne Abraham and State Representative Jim Roebuck dropped in as

Clark Park Calendar of Events Farmers’ Market every Saturday

10am to 1pm July 7: Movies in the Park

9 pm: Way Out West July 19, 2006: FoCP General Membership Meeting Saturday, July 22, 2006: Summer Festival

University of Pennsylvania Center for Community Partnerships

August 3, 4, 5 and 6: Shakespeare in the Park Twelfth Night, 7 p.m. The Bowl

August 4: Movies in the Park 8:30 pm: The Gold Rush

August 8, 2006: FoCP Board Meeting September 9, 2006: Woodland Avenue Reunion September 16, 2006: Clark Park Music and Arts Festival September 23, 2006: Clark Park Youth Soccer Begins

See http://www.clarkpark.info for additional events and date or time changes

Friends of Clark Park ▪ Summer 2006 ▪ Page 2

well. Thanks go to all of you who enjoyed the party ―

and quite a bash it was, too ― or who just donated or bought tickets.

Particular thanks go to those who worked on the Sponsorship Committee, which recruited several new sponsors, boosting its total by 30% to $28,000. Molly Roth, FoCP director and our Fundraising Committee chair, jointly co-chaired the Party Sponsorship Committee this year with Drexel staffer Rita LaRue. Ably aiding Roth was FoCP Member Andrew Wheeler, who spearheaded the drive to seek out new sponsors for the Party.

Roth, who lives on Baltimore Ave., is development director for OIC International. Wheeler, a resident of Farragut St., is an executive recruiter with an aptitude for volunteer service as a class agent for Bowdoin College. Buoyed by their success this year, the pair has vowed further gains in 2007.

Thanks also are due all of you who contributed goods or services to the Silent Auction, as well as those of you who helped staff it. It collected more than $7,000 this year, an 80% gain over two years.

University City District was once again, as it has been from the beginning, the indispensable key to the Party’s success. With the substantial powers of an agency like this – with paid fulltime staff, office and warehouse space, and financial management for a flow-through of $60,000 and hundreds of individual transactions – such a fundraising project could be neither planned nor carried out. UCD’s new Executive Director Lewis Wendell unmistakably reenergized this project, now in its sixth year. Real kudos goes to UCD staffer Lori Klein Brennan, who chaired the Party Committee and agonized over countless nagging details from December to June to pull it all off.

Thanks once again for making such a nice park possible. Now go play in it! Enjoy the summer, when the sweetest fun in the park takes place, day after day.

2006 Festival Season Report FoCP taks initiative in addressing Large Events in park

By Tony West The park festival season is in full swing. Not only is

this the busiest year we’ve ever had in Clark, Park, but we’ve beefed up our state of readiness to deal with it.

In April, at the urging of Barbara McCabe at the Department of Recreation, the FoCP posted an expanded set of Large Event guidelines on its website

Reveling is easier when you have someone to lean on! FoCP directors and officers at Party for the Park included (from left)

Nate Turner, Linda Amsterdam, Treasurer Bill Moriarty, Secretary Brian Siano, President Jonathan Snyder, Margie Politzer and Darryl Stovall.

FoCP Director Molly Roth (shown holding her assistant Claudia)

and Member Andrew Wheeler helped to punch up corporate sponsorships for Party for the Park-- the chief reason the affair

made dramatic gains.

Friends of Clark Park ▪ Summer 2006 ▪ Page 3

for organizers to study. (Go look at it!) Tony West added material (with Barb’s approval), and Jonathan Snyder wrote a cover letter of welcome and advice for organizers. This packet is give to all who apply for Rec permits for large events in the Park.

The Uhuru folks are trying an experimental monthly flea market in the "A" Park for 7 months. They are cooperative members of FoCP and have worked to keep their event within guidelines. The Planning Committee invited them to attend a meeting and we introduced them to issues of longterm site planning. So far, though, we have gotten few complaints from planners or other users about this event. Uhuru did notice a dropoff in June after Penn let out.

The Spruce Hill May Fair went off without a hitch as usual, except that it rained. There is a historic "changing of the guard" here, as Ed Halligan takes over from veteran organizer Bob Behr.

The CPMAC Solstice Festival on June 17th was well attended and was even more hitchless in execution. (It didn’t rain.) Once again there is new blood: Erin Engelstad and the "Best Fest" gals merged forces with the old Music & Arts hands to produce this festival. They are diligent supporters of FoCP and ran the show in a sweet and collaborative spirit.

Youth Soccer Closes Out Spring 2006 By Michael Jones

On Saturday May 29th another spring season of Clark Park Youth Soccer closed with a hoagie picnic and distribution of photos and souvenir trophies. More than 150 children placed onto nine teams this spring. We think that’s the largest enrollment ever! Many of the teams finished the season with the adult versus kids soccer match, and don’t you know the kids won again!

The team names chosen by the kids reflect the enchanted world that they inhabit; Blue Dragons, Red Dragons, Golden Eagles, Shark Attack, Lava, Red Chameleons, Red Maniacs, and Yellow Suns

Mad props go out to the many volunteer coaches, organizers, parents, and kids that made this season fun for us all. Melanie Bartlett led a superb coach organizing effort. She was again able to line up 2 or more coaches per team. Coaches are: Adam Goldman, Anthony Ukaha, Catherine Darin, Christopher Dalbey, Erik Johnson, Greta Lynn, Sara Grimaldi, John Hanson, Jennifer Rumain, Matt Rumain, Jeremy Landis, Jon Hoffman, Joseph Vilus, Laila Goldberg, , Martin Franklin, Mary Anne Lucey, Matt Miller, Merrill Clampet-Lundquist, Mischa Zhuraw, Mustapha Brown-Bella, Patrick Walsh, Paul Brooks, Rich Olaya,

Steve Deluca, Susan Meeker, Susy Jones, Timothy Colman, Timothy Kelliher, Victoria Bowman, and Ward McCray. Nice work all!

Thanks to those who made a great picnic for the kids, coaches and families, among them were Princess Foster, Denise Lewis, Sonya and San Harrison, Leah Ayers, and Lori Burns-Simms. Princess Foster recruited the picnic volunteers and was a great leader in many aspects of the program throughout the season. All did a wonderful job. We loved it and hope that you’ll be back in the fall. I think that the weather is nicer then.

Many thanks go to Jim Cummings who again arranged for trophies for the children. Nice work Jim.

Kathleen Turner coordinated the photos having to do battle with several cancellations due to rain. Thanks for the nice work Kathleen.

Many thanks to our sponsors Northeast Physicians Associates, Spruce Hill Community Association, the Campion-Motyka Family, O'Donnell Real Estate, Calvary Center for Culture and Community, Reading Terminal Market, Margaret K. Brooks, SOOP Inc. (Rx), Charles R. Larson (U.S. Navy), Keith Miller (Warrington Community Garden), Vincent Goffredo Plumbing, Dr. Vivianne Nachmias, and the University of Pennsylvania Department of Public Safety.

About Our Youth Soccer Program Clark Park Youth Soccer League (CPYSL), a

program of Friends of Clark Park, provides soccer instruction and intramural games for girls and boys from age 8 to 11on Saturdays at Clark Park. CPYSL emphasizes enjoying the game of soccer while learning soccer skills, in a “low-stress” atmosphere. Every child plays every week. Fall season is September 23rd - November 18th. Call the voice mailbox for details or to volunteer as a coach organizer or offer support in any fashion. See you in the fall.

Friends of Clark Park ▪ Summer 2006 ▪ Page 4

Major Donors Keep Clark Park Going Generous Giving Keeps It Green

By Tony West Without community support, we wouldn't enjoy the

park we now have. The Friends of Clark Park are extremely grateful to the many members who have volunteered for advanced levels of support. Their contributions make so much possible! Thank you, everybody.

Patrons (2006 level $50) Bettie Bowers Paul Brooks, J. Halbert & Family Frances Byers Jonathan Cass & Jacquelyn A. Caidad Eleanor and Nicholas Cernansky Angela & Paul Coghlan Lisa Dustin & Hannah Hanson Kevin Fisher & Katy Dowdell G. Newton Funderburg Scott & Nancy Geryk Mary Goldman Mike Hardy & Barry Grossbach Jan & Marja Hoek Frank Innes & Mary Brewster Andrea Kirsh and Andrew Morrogh Melani Lamond & Brian Ratigan Deidre Martin, African People’s Solidarity

Committee Jacqueline McCrea & Brian Yachyshen Felicia Mercer Joe and Betty Moloznik Susan Pierce Bob Prischak & David Acker Libby Rosof & Murray Dubin Pamela Seida & Debra Kimmelman Joseph J. Shapiro Phoebe & George Shinn Darryl Stovall & Azalea LaLlave Joan Wells Mary Goldman Adam Goldman Janet Lewis & Andrew Cole

Sponsors (2006 level $90) David Ade and Paul Steinke Carol Dubie Erin Engelstad, Philly Best Fest Rudy & Kate Fuller Margaret Kasschau and Don Gillis Joe & Vanessa Lowry Cynthia Roberts and Dan Biddle

Tom & Whitney Van Dean Mark Wagenveld Lynn and Reuben Wetherbee Harry Wilkinson

Benefactors (2006 level $150) Diane Gallagher Barbara Hirshkowitz Ann Johnson and Andy Leonard James Matthew Lane and Angela Di Maria Chris & Grace O'Donnell, O'Donnell Real Estate Anthony West and Diane Cloutier

And for our first Lifetime Membership… Liz Campion.

FoCP Board Elections to be held in October Energetic Officers Sought

By Fran Byers This has been one of the busiest years in Clark

Park’s history. Our park has hosted more events this year than in any other previous. In addition to the long-time traditions of the Woodland Avenue Reunion, the Clark Park Music and Arts festivals, and the May Fair, we hosted the Philadelphia African-American Heritage Festival, the Mantis School Spring Fling, movies, the Uhuru Committee’s Flea Markets, Youth Soccer, and no end of smaller events.

We’ve planted record numbers of trees. We’ve started on a plan to redesign and rebuild the whole North Park over the next couple of years. We’re getting the basketball court rebuilt.

These events and initiatives happened because the FoCP Board has been pretty active: coordinating schedules, urging care of the park, and most of all, tolerating lengthy meetings about these events.

In October 2006, the Friends of Clark Park will hold its annual elections for officers and directors. Four officers will be chosen for one-year terms: a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Six persons will also be elected to two-year terms on the 12-member Board of Directors.

I am the Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee. I welcome input from our members as we begin to look for candidates to fill the posts that keep FoCP active and effective. If you think you might like to serve as an officer or director in some capacity -- or if you would like to nominate somebody that you think would make a great activist -- please get in touch with me and I’ll be happy to take your nomination and answer your questions. My phone number is (215) 222-2255.

Friends of Clark Park ▪ Summer 2006 ▪ Page 5

Like the flag at Iwo Jima—Clark Park Music and Arts festival coordinator Erin

Engelstad, Ann Dixon and Jessica Hoffman raise a symbol of new life in the park.

Members Rally to Plant Trees By Tony West

Under the leadership of Director Chris Leswing, our Tree Committee chair, Friends of Clark Park poured body and soul into the Middle Park in April to plant the next generation of trees. Scores of amateur foresters turned out on different Saturdays to get thirty sturdy young trees into the ground.

We planted 30 new, 3"-3.5" caliper trees this spring: 1 magnolia, 2 honeylocusts, 3 sweetgums, 5 swamp white oaks, 19 London plane trees.

The trees had been paid for by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and University City District grants. But the love and sweat came from you Friends (and your friends).

Lew Mellman, Andy Cole and Joe Shapiro were indispensable as usual. Green, leafy thanks go out also to:

Alina Badus, Amanda Benner, Linda Blythe, Tony Bracali, Frank Chance, Angie Coghlan, Susan Danielson, Ann Dixon, Erin Engelstad, Lee Garner, Nancy Geryk, Matt Grubel; Frank Innes, Emily & Mark Jenson, Ann Johnson, Lauren Leatherbarrow, Andy Leonard, Sam Long, Leland & Peter Mayne, Sheila Mayne, Nate Regnier-Lange, Linda Rigney-Trinidad; Anya & Kian Shah, Joe Shapiro, Brian Siano, Jonathan Snyder, Kate Stover, Joany Trinidad, Tim Weaver, Tony West, Tim Wood, Sr. & Lydia & Tim, Jr.

Larry Motyka brought the Boy Scouts Troop 152, sponsored by St. Francis de Sales: Nick Halbert-Brooks, Savone Hayes, Ethan Leatherbarrow, Peter Mayne, Michael Motyka and Kazuo Uyehara (aka “Batman”).

John Fenton of UCD brought community service volunteers and a score of other community West Philadelphians pitched in to help as well.

Noted neighborhood landscape designer and planter Lauren Leatherbarrow shows a team of volunteers the proper way to seat a young tree in its hole.

Friends of Clark Park ▪ Summer 2006 ▪ Page 6

Anya and Kian Shah were proud to help spread the mulch

around a newly planted tree.

Kate Stover takes a pickaxe to a tree site.

Lydia Wood displays a shard of 19th century (est.) pottery found by her mother, archeologist Kate Stover, as they dug a tree pit at

the lip of the Bowl beside the older playground.

Kaz Uyehara (l) and Mark Jenson claw away the compacted earth

beside the shed.

Before flying home to China and Taiwan later that day, Drs. Deng Baochen (l) and Wu Hsin-Lin wanted to leave a lasting token in Clark Park for the happy year they lived in

University City.

Friends of Clark Park ▪ Summer 2006 ▪ Page 7

Clark Park Festival: Going Strong for 35 Years

Bright and sunny weather greeted the 35th annual (est.) Clark Park Music and Arts Summer Solstice Festival on June 17th This year, the CPMAC teamed up with the Best Fest to deliver nine hours of music, crafts, face painting and theater to celebrate our community. Along with Nice Weather, the Festival reinaugurated one of its finest traditions: terrific posters and T-shirt designs.

Performers included Demigourgos, Tickley Feather and the Electric Bills, Lion Tamer, Pony Pants, Johnny Corndawg, the Effluvians, Voices of Africa, U.F., Beth Nixon, the Citywide Specials, Wise Blood, the Extraordinaires, Drums Like Machine Guns, Grandchildren, Doom Spiral, Order, the Ultra Dolphins, Phunky Man, Make a Rising, and the American Society of Capoiera and Arts from Brazil.

Summertime at the Clark Park Farmer’s Market

Friends of Clark Park ▪ Summer 2006 ▪ Page 8

Life in Clark Park

With the return of warm weather, drummers

gather along the benches of the Dickens circle to

blend rhythms and explore each other’s souls.

Friends of Clark Park PO Box 31908 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104 In This Issue: Shakespeare in the Park, Youth Soccer, Large Events, Upcoming Elections, and Many Fine Illustrations.