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With the wind picking up, plastic bags, cigarette butts and bottles peppered the 3000 block of South 17th Street this week no matter how hard the residents tried to stop the tide.
"You almost have to clean it every day," clean block captain Mark DiSilvestro, of 17th and Pollock streets, said. "The weather continues to blow it all over the place, but we will continue to clean it up."
The neighborhood placed in the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee’s Clean Block Contest in late October, besting more than 30 other participants to come in second and win $700.
Although it only took a few days for the debris to build up again as fall winds and rains pounded the area, the block looked cleaner than most — and even better than before it was recognized by the committee in late September.
The City organization encourages residents to clean up trash in their area and registered the block’s group 10 years ago when DiSilvestro wanted to make a positive change in the neighborhood he has resided in his whole life. Fewer than five people came out that first day and some didn’t even get onboard when signs were posted to move cars from streets for sweeping days.
"Now when I post those signs, everyone moves their cars," he said.
After one of this summer’s sweeping days, district committee officer Stephanie Robinson invited the neighbors to take part in the annual contest, where judges evaluated a participating, theme-decorated block on organization, cleanliness, improvements and participation. Prizes ranged from $150 to $1,000 and are used to expand or maintain block-improvement activities.
Robinson, who oversees the 1st, 3rd and 4th districts, said seeing the well-organized effort and the ensuing results made it stick out from the other 33 contestants.
"The fact that their block was clean shows that they were looking out for each other," Robinson said.
DiSilvestro spent hours trying to recruit as many people as possible to help for the contest by stuffing flyers under windshield wipers and going door-to-door. More than 50 residents organized a sports theme by hanging Phillies shirts, Sixers and Flyers jerseys and newspaper clippings in their windows. Flags and banners decorated stoops, while some repainted their railings to make everything look new.
Joanne Donnelly, a resident who has been keeping the block clean for the five years she’s been living there, decorated with plenty of Phillies gear, including a giant foam finger on her railing.
"It was a really nice idea to get the neighbors together," Donnelly said of the contest. "I think people are starting to become more conscious of what our outside looks like."
The community also revamped the street itself. After the committee gave them rollers, brushes and paint, neighbors touched-up crosswalk lines at the intersection of 17th and Pollock. Afterwards, something uglier and unexpected marred the block.
Just two days before judges were to come by Sept. 29, DiSilvestro found graffiti on a basement door and a wall on the corner of 17th and Pollock. The neighbors quickly got busy scrubbing the scars off with a solvent, while others painted the wall the next day.
"It came off by the grace of God," assistant block captain Denise Barattini, a neighbor of 11 years who will take over as block captain when DiSilvestro moves to 15th and Bigler streets next year, said.
About 40 judges and Sunray, the committee’s mascot, came by to see and hear the sports music and national anthem blared out of amps, while rally towels, roasted peanuts, hot dogs, hamburgers and Cracker Jacks were dished out.
Neighbor Vincent Varallo, who works at Varallo Brothers Bakery Inc., 1639 S. 10th St., brought in more than 100 cannolis and a black-and-orange frosted sheet cake for 80 stamped with the Flyers logo. With a Stanley Cup replica outside the home he has resided in for the past decade, the baker said he has been rooting for the hockey team since age 9.
"I bleed black and orange," he said simply.
First place and $1,000 went to the 2500 block of East Gordon Street in Kensington. Apart from sweeping up trash, planting flowers and decorating homes, the residents vigilantly watched and videotaped drug deals going down in their neighborhood. The winners said the dealers now are somewhere else.
DiSilvestro was inspired and wants to set up a small Town Watch to fight vandalism like the graffiti discovered a few months back.
"We want to keep an eye out for those things, to keep it under control before it gets out of hand," he said.
With the $700 winnings, community members still are not sure how to spend it. Some want to refurbish the 3-foot St. Anthony statue on �17th, others want to install a bench in front of it. Some think a block party to celebrate is the way to go.
"It’s all up in the air right now," DiSilvestro said. "The bottom line is that everyone agrees."
Either way, the most important aspect was more people than ever — with about 20 neighbors volunteering — took part in the block’s win, even cleaning the whole area three times over the summer. Each session usually takes about six hours.
"To see how clean it was and how clean it could be, it really gets people to sweep outside their house," DiSilvestro said.
Laura Sabey spends her off-hours raking leaves for her older neighbors when she’s not studying. The 14-year-old has been a junior block caption for two years.
"I like helping my neighbors because they’re all really nice," Sabey said. "When I was younger, they would give me plenty of gifts and Christmas cards."
NEWSBRIEFS
Extend a hand
City Year is seeking ages 17 to 24 to give a year of full-time service as tutors, mentors and role models for students. Corps members receive an education award of $5,350, a weekly stipend, health benefits, a phone and more.
Apply at www.cityyear.org by Nov. 30.
For more information, e-mail philadelphiarecruitment@cityyear.org or call 267-386-7035.
911 for the 941
Connie’s Ric-Rac, 1132 S. Ninth St., will host a fundraiser for The 941 Theater Crew 8 p.m. Nov. 28. The group, based in Northern Liberties, has been fundraising to re-open the 941 Theater, which hosts movie screenings, music, theater performances, art shows and more, at 941 N. Front St.
For $10, patrons will see a Jam Band Showcase with Bodega and DJs Saturday night.
For more information, visit www.941 theater.com.
Bowled over
The Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St., is inviting more than 40 artists from every imaginable medium to transform white ceramic bowls into works of art for its Battle of the Bowls fundraiser. Pieces will be sold to the highest bidders, with proceeds going to Alliance exhibitions and programs.
The auction is 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1 with a $200 admission for the auction, reception and dinner and $100 without dinner.
For more information, call 215-545-4302 or visit www.philartalliance.org.
On the Web
The annual Turkey Run was held Nov. 21, starting at City Hall and ending at the Wachovia Center, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue. All runners brought a turkey to participate.
A tree-planting with East Passyunk Crossing, Lower Moyamensing, Newbold South and Passyunk Square civic associations and Newbold Neighbors Association also was held Nov. 21 at Columbus Square Park, 12th and Wharton streets, DiSilvestro Playground, 15th and Morris streets, and South Philadelphia High School, Broad and Snyder Avenue.
To see video of each event, visit www.southphillyreview.com/video.php.
