Shannon McDonald

A Philadelphia journalist

Groups come together for Port Richmond’s waterfront

Port Richmond resident Michael Duffy looks at images of his neighborhood's waterfront history.

Port Richmond resident Michael Duffy looks at images of his neighborhood's waterfront history.

This article ran on Page 2 of the May 6, 2009 edition of The Fishtown Spirit, where I work as a writer and copy editor.

“Pulaski Park is a little piece of the Delaware Waterfront,” said Joy Lawrence of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society at last week’s meeting about plans for the area. “It’s a hidden gem, and we want to talk about our vision for the future.”

Lawrence set the tone for last Wednesday’s meeting at Our Lady of Port Richmond, where residents of the riverwards came to find out what’s in store for Pulaski Park and the rest of the Delaware Waterfront.

Residents of all ages came to hear plans from several groups involved in the project. Present were representatives from the New Kensington Community Development Corp., Delaware River City Corp., the Department of Recreation and Philadelphia Green. The representatives took turns presenting a slideshow, which outlined the waterfront’s current progress and plans for the near future.

“Our main goal is to introduce the plan for Pulaski Park,” Sandy Salzman of the NKCDC told The Spirit. “It’s a w

onderful little park. A lot of people aren’t aware it’s there.”
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May 6, 2009 Posted by Shannon McDonald | Fishtown Spirit | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

24th Police District gets new captain

Shannon McDonald | March 11 | Fishtown Spirit

This article ran on Page 7 in the March 11 issue of The Fishtown Spirit, where I work as a writer and copy editor.

Captain Daniel Castro is the new leader of the 24th District

Captain Daniel Castro is the new leader of the 24th District

An old marketing campaign for the Fraternal Order of Police featured a poster depicting a wounded police officer in front his squad car. “You wouldn’t do it for a million bucks,” the poster read, “but we do it for a whole lot less,”

Two decades and several slain police officers later, Captain Daniel Castro of the 24th District knows that statement is truer than ever. With just three weeks at the 24th under his belt, Castro is vowing to do all he can to bring the communities together and make them safer for the residents and the officers who patrol them.

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March 11, 2009 Posted by Shannon McDonald | Fishtown Spirit | , , , , , , | Leave a Comment