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.”

Michael Diberardinis, Philadelphia's commissioner of parks and recreation, explains the importance of revitalizing Port Richmond's waterfront.

Michael Diberardinis, commissioner of the Department of Parks & Recreation, was on hand to talk about his enthusiasm for Pulaski Park and for the waterfront in general. He said he feels creating better access to the river will open up new opportunities for residents and attract more people to the area.

“Opening up the river is important to keep the neighborhood strong,” Diberardinis told The Spirit. “It’s a great amenity, a great resource and makes the quality of life better.”

Throughout the meeting, all of the presenters emphasized the same key points: creating a greenway along the Delaware River in order to beautify the area, make it safer and enhance the overall quality of the neighborhood.

Sarah Thorp of DRCC itemized the elements of the current greenway project – an 11-mile stretch along the river from Allegheny Avenue to Bristol, Bucks Co. Among the features are a riverfront trail, benches, lighting, ecological restoration and parks. Also on the list are green connector streets – roads that run perpendicular to the river, which people can use for access – and signs along the greenway explaining the history of the area.

Residents were excited about the greenway project, but were particularly concerned about Pulaski Park, where past revitalization efforts have failed.

“Pulaski was totally forgotten about until about 10 years ago,” said Barbara McCabe of the Department of Recreation. “There is a renewed interest by the Parks Department because the community stepped up.”

McCabe and others have plans to deter what she calls the ‘negative elements’ of the park, like vandalism and light drug use, and she said the first priority in the Pulaski project is safety. As a step in the right direction, a new railing was recently installed that looks nicer than the old one, but is also kid-friendly and easy for fishermen to use. The railing was a large part of a $200,000 project, the first phase of the waterfront plans.

Attendees at the waterfront meeting had several questions and expressed their excitement for the project.

Leslie Schuster of Philadelphia Green said the more community involvement there is with Pulaski Park, the easier it will be to make the plans a reality. Among considerations for the second phase of the project are security cameras and an enhanced entrance to Pulaski Park.

“I hope it comes true,” said Port Richmond resident Lisa O’Malley. “I remember other plans that were vandalized.”

O’Malley is just one of many who expressed her hopefulness for Pulaski Park. As exciting as the plans sound, it was not too long ago that trees in the park were thrown into the river after being recently planted.

Michael Duffy has lived in Port Richmond for most of his life, and he said it’s nice to see the community putting effort into the community, especially since he recently renovated his 100-year-old home.

“It’s interesting to see so many people get together and revitalize the neighborhood,” Duffy said. “Rebuilding and cleaning up is important.”

The $2.7 million plan for the waterfront is expected to take about two years to complete. Design for the second phase will be ready in the next few months, and the construction could take up to a year. In the meantime, community leaders are encouraging residents to get involved. Thorp said even the smallest of contributions will help.

“If you can’t get involved with Friends of Pulaski Park,” she told the attendees,” then just go to the park. Encourage others to go. The more who use it, the better it is for everyone.”

If all goes as planned, there will be more people using the park. The design for the waterfront greenway includes a 12-foot wide trial with 3-foot shoulders, with plenty of room for bikers, runners, dog walkers and children to share.

The meeting brought together lifelong Port Richmond residents, newcomers and community organizations with a common goal: enhance the Delaware Waterfront so Port Richmond can meet its fullest potential, and revitalize Pulaski Park to make it a friendly neighborhood destination instead of a forgotten piece of land.

“Pulaski is the Rocky Balboa of Port Richmond,” said Patty-Pat Kozlowski, a Port Richmond resident and staff writer to The Spirit. We’ve been knocked down, she told the attendees, but we’re not out.

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

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.

“The community needs to do its part in crime prevention,” the 24-year veteran of the department said. The captain is taking serious steps to unite community members and police officers.

Castro is in the early stages of setting up a hotline for the district, which will allow people to anonymously report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. The hotline will be effective for people who need to make complaints about their neighbors, and for combating drug activity. It won’t be for emergency calls, but for more persistent problems. This way, officers in the district can investigate the complaints and work toward eliminating the problems.

Among these problems, the captain said, are warrants.

There are a “significant number of warrants in the 24th District,” he said. “I’m going to make a serious effort to track them down.”

Part of that effort is in the form of community meetings, where residents can voice their concerns and get a better idea of what’s going on in their neighborhoods.

As the Community Relations Officer, “I handle day-to-day complaints and organize and conduct community meetings,” said Officer Tina Willis, who works closely with the captain. Willis attends every community meeting and brings a district map with her, so people can learn which areas see the most criminal activity.

In order for community members to get better acquainted with the district, they first have to know each other. Many of the district’s residents don’t speak English, which can create neighborhood barriers. Castro is determined not to let this interfere with his plans to help the community.

“I have a responsibility to reach out to all ethnicities,” the captain said.

Captain Castro's team: officers Maureen Burns, Sharon Jonas and Tina Willis

Two other officers work alongside Castro to make that extra effort to help the community. Crime Prevention Officer Sharon Jonas will reach out to people through the local media, helping The Spirit publish a weekly neighborhood crime report to keep neighbors in the know. Victim Assistant Officer Maureen Burns helps crime victims get back on their feet emotionally and financially. Along with Captain Castro, Officers Willis, Jonas and Burns are protecting the 24th District.

Community protection isn’t the only thing on Castro’s mind. With the recent deaths of Officer John Pawlowski, Sgt. Timothy Simpson and Sgt. Stephen Liczbinsk fresh on everyone’s minds and hearts, the captain needs to protect his officers, too.

“I have a lot of confidence in cops of the 24th District,” he proudly said of his officers.

Castro said he is not concerned that the recent violence against the police force will put his cops on edge. He’s not worried about knee-jerk, reactions, he said, because officers know how to handle themselves.

Although the captain expects complaints against cops to go up with increased law enforcement, he hopes police officers’ presence in the community will comfort residents and eventually lead to more respect for the police department. But the captain knows it’s an uphill battle.

“I know there are police officers who may be too aggressive,” he said with regret. But Castro will hold them accountable for their actions, and believes that as his officers continue to act professionally, community members will be encouraged to work with the district to prevent crime. It’s things like that, the captain said, which boost officers’ morale.

Castro said he is excited about working closely with the community, and he believes the weekly crime report is a big step in crime prevention.

Burns agrees. “This is something we really needed to do in the district,” she told The Spirit. Burns said she’s enjoyed working the captain so far, and appreciates his fresh ideas, which she thinks will reduce crime in the district.

Captain Castro sees beyond that. He hopes his efforts won’t just reduce crime, but improve the quality of life in the district.