EFCC announces 2011 grant recipients

The East Falls Community Council has announced the recipients of $5,000 in individual grants to be awarded to local businesses and organizations in East Falls this year.

The grants cover costs associated with anything from a club’s bingo machine to a program that provides assistance to local victims of crime.

Saskia Caporellie from the EFCC Grant Committee made the announcement at Monday night’s EFCC meeting at the First Presbyterian Church on Midvale Avenue.

Here are the approved grants broken down individually:

The East Falls Historical Society received the $200 it requested for speech recognition software that would be used to transcribe oral interviews.

The Rock Garden received $400 for a dog waste bag dispenser, as well as a year’s supply of baggies.

The East Falls Senior Citizens group received $300 to replace the club’s bingo machine. The money raised from bingo nights go towards events and trips for the group.

East Falls Town Watch received $800 of the $1,144 requested to cover operating funds and costs associated with laminating posters.

The East Falls Tree Tenders received $600 to teach classes on tree identification to students in East Falls.

The Council awarded $1,400 to Northwest Victims Services, a group that provides assistance to the victims of crimes.

Phil Apparel, a clothing shop on Conrad Street, received $300 out of the $1,000 they had requested to move their collection of costumes, making it possible to display them during the Fall Festival.

The entire $1,000 requested by the Physicians for Social Responsibility was awarded for the “Peaceful Posse” program to work with at-risk youth at Abbotsford Homes.

The committee awarded the full $800 out of next year’s budget to the Friends of McMichael Park in order for the group to host its 4th annual Shakespeare in the Park event. 

The source of funding 

The funding comes from events held in East Falls such as last weekend’s Chili Cook-off, the annual Fall Festival and the Flea Market, which will be held June 18 at McMichael Park this year.

Some grant money also came from the Philadelphia Activities Fund, a city grant awarded to the East Falls Community Council to support arts and culture in the community.

Inn Yard Park playground update

Jennifer Arnoldi, of the Friends of Inn Yard Park, explained at the meeting that she was in talks with the Department of Parks and Recreation and Game Time, a playground construction company, in regards to design plans. 

The first design was rejected by the Friends of Inn Yard Park because it didn’t meet the group’s aesthetic expectations. 

“We want a cool, interesting looking playground,” Arnoldi said.

In the next few weeks, she will continue talks with the city and Game Time to figure out what equipment will be provided. 

Some members expressed concerns about the trees that would need to be removed or relocated to accommodate the construction, but Arnoldi assured everyone that new trees would be planted and only two trees would need to be moved. 

She expects to present the design at the next EFCC meeting in May.