The miserable wet and cold did all it could to dampen the spirits of the Philly Tree Tenders as they attempted last weekend to spread green around Port Richmond. The spreading of cheerful green on Earth Day was not easy, but despite the elements the task at hand was taken and completed.
“We’re all volunteers, you can’t just change the date and hope to do it again, it has to be done now or never,” said Sue Pringle, the director of University City Green.
Pringle, along with her team of five tree tenders, planted six trees around Port Richmond on… Read the full story »

Friendly smiles, shades of pink, a hot plate and gift baskets were all factors in the Ladies of Port Richmond annual kick-off breakfast. The Port Richmond community eagerly walked into St. Adalberts School Hall on 3236 Edgemont St. ready for eat.
“Its incredible to come to an event like this to see everyone contributing to fighting this terrible disease,” said Dr. Edith P. Mitchell of Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. “We at Jefferson and the Kimmel Cancer Center appreciate all of the work and fellowship you do.”
Hospital physicians from Nazareth, Jefferson and Holy Redeemer Hospital gave… Read the full story »

A new 92,000-square-foot Wal-Mart will officially open its doors today at the Aramingo Crossings Shopping Center at 2200 Wheatsheaf Lane, bringing an estimated 300 jobs to the area.
To welcome the new employees a preview ceremony was held yesterday evening, complete with entertainment by the local Polish American String Band and presentations by local politicians.
Councilman Mark Squilla from the 1st District was among the members welcoming the opening of the store.
“We want people to find a job, be able to buy a house and to send their kids to school within the community,” Squilla said.
The impact the store hopes… Read the full story »

Some of the Occupy Philly protestors, many of them homeless, have set up tents in Port Richmond after being evicted from outside of City Hall.
Some of them have set up their tents underneath the I-95 overpass along Richmond Street. Most of them arrived at the location on Sunday night, when the eviction notice was set for Dilworth Plaza.
“We came here Sunday night. First we were over there, across the street, but they made us move. So we came here,” said Maryanne Omelchuk, a woman from the group camping out under I-95.
The group of homeless people currently staying… Read the full story »

Port Richmond senior Eileen Woods said she and her girlfriends were excited to hear about future senior housing at Nativity because it was their former grade school. She said it would be nice to go back and return to her roots.
“Sure, it’d be great for a bunch of us to live in a house by the beach,” Woods said. “But realistically, we’re talking about Nativity. It’d be nice to share a space where we can all take care of each other.”
Catholic Health Care Services (CHCS) is working towards the conversion of the former parish school at Nativity of… Read the full story »

Due to limited housing for the seniors in the neighborhood, many opt for housing opportunities in neighboring areas such as Fishtown, Bridesburg or Kensington to better serve their needs. Some senior residents of Port Richmond have moved to the Neumann Senior Housing (formerly St. Mary’s Hospital) at 1601 E. Palmer St. and others have settled into private rental homes. Oftentimes, seniors struggle to get around in these two or three-story homes. The remaining seniors live with their sons or daughters who take care of them because they have no other safe havens to turn to.
“Where do seniors go?” said… Read the full story »

Jean’s Crafts has been in the neighborhood for more than 25 years. The local craft store has stood at its current location, at 2363 E. Allegheny Ave., for 12 years and serves residents of Port Richmond, Fishtown and Kensington.
Jennifer Vranizan, a Port Richmond resident, runs the store with another woman and said the customers that come in looking for crafts are oftentimes regular shoppers.
Vranizan said the most popular items in the store are the homemade bows. The multi-colored bows were first made in commemoration of Desert Storm in the 1990s.
“People come all over to get bows,” Vranizan said. “There’s even a… Read the full story »

Patty-Pat Kozlowski’s family used to live in Venango. Her father, grandmother and great-aunt grew up in a neighborhood that no longer exists. Into the mid-20th century, the Kozlowskis had farmland near the river. There was a football field where the Venango Bears used to play. Pictures from Kozlowski’s father’s childhood show houses that were bought up by the city and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, torn down and turned into Interstate 95.
“Without a doubt, I-95 is what created the barrier between Port Richmond and the river,” said Emily Cooperman, a historian from University of Pennsylvania who is consulting with… Read the full story »

Saturday afternoons during the summer at the baseball field of Samuel Recreation Center have been the same for generations. Many families with young sons in the community come out to see their kids compete against other neighborhood teams in Little League games.
The Tigers team has some motivation to play hard when they look at the mural painted on the side of the rec center depicting three Port Richmond natives who made it to the minor and major leagues. Vince “Lefty” Gohl of the Philadelphia Athletics, Thomas Bonk of the Boston Red Sox and Ed “Marko” Markowski of the Washington… Read the full story »

 
Founded in 1933 by Joseph Jankowski, the Polish American String Band has been entertaining audiences, both young and old, for decades with its traditional, powerful polka sound. Headquartered on the corner of East Westmoreland and Salmon streets, the band upholds the Slavic heritage of its members in the predominately Polish neighborhood of Port Richmond.
Membership in the band was once restricted to those of Slavic decent or origin living in the neighborhood. In time, the membership policy changed and the band opened its doors to a diversity of people. Although the membership is no longer exclusively Polish, the band’s… Read the full story »