Do you have other ideas for Melrose Park? Then send them along! –

Contact: caryl.levin@verizon.net

ADAPTIVE RE-USE OF OPEN SPACE

• Technical assistance to prepare us for the post-petroleum age

• Providing input to the Township concerning the economic development of the East Cheltenham Avenue Commercial District and the cooperative Special Services District in cooperation with Philadelphia – both to stimulate business and clean up the Avenue at the same time

• Work with the new Community Development Corporation to minimize increases in residential taxes

ART and CULTURE

• Have cultural and art attractions, with funded sculpture competitions with Tyler, Arcadia and Temple

• Provide additional playground equipment for the park on Asbury

• Develop beautiful public art works for the neighborhood, such as sculptures and tile works. An example: the beautiful tiled pillars at Elkins Park Library.

• Arrange for a large mural to be painted on the large brick wall at the Myers Elementary School playground. Idea: a scene of children playing, flowers, and other upbeat themes.

• A foreign film festival in Melrose Park may be possible. This could be at Gratz College, or at the Merlin Theater in Jenkintown.  It would be an extension of the Neighborhood Film Festival. EP neighbor Laura Fattal has been working on this.

BEAUTIFICATION

• Elevate the level and ambitions of the Town for plantings in public spaces in our neighborhood, including maintenance of new gateway zones

• Build a picnic area between Coventry and Mill Run along a wooded walkway.

• New benches

• Plant hundreds of trees

• Beautify Traffic islands on Cheltenham Avenue - These are ugly and maintained by no governmental body. Bala Cynwyd and Philadelphia have established a plan for taking responsibility for the appearance of City Avenue - why not Cheltenham Avenue? Note that Mike Swavola has been working to secure funding through an RFP available for this kind of work. Do same to center traffic islands on Old York Road from Cheltenham Avenue to Ashbourne Road.

• Refurbish or replace existing signs announcing entry to Melrose Park

• Shielding the glaring exterior high pressure sodium lights on Coventry House

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• Establish a neighborhood coffeehouse with live music/performances; a Melrose Park Hall for meetings and dances

• Develop neighborhood input on types of businesses we'd like to see in the neighborhood

• Establishing a business directory of Melrose Park businesses on our web page

• Develop Melrose Park train station into a lively place - perhaps a deli or coffee shop.

CLEAN-UPS

• Have regular Town clean-ups of trash-littered areas

• Organize neighborhood clean-ups, possibly combined with plantings.

• Coordinate with teenage volunteers in an organization called STRIVE to participate, especially if plantings are also involved.

• Encourage neighbors not to leave their trash cans on porches, which are unsightly.

COMMUNICATION

We need to explore mailings, and whether lists are available, or mailings on which we could piggyback to all neighbors. Get email addresses from as many Melrose Parkers as we can.

DOG WASTE

In some areas, neighbors are allowing their dogs to defecate on sidewalks, on other neighbors' properties, etc. We need to find a way to approach neighbors who are not bagging or otherwise collecting this waste, and convince them to act more responsibly.

EDUCATION

Continue to work with the schools in and around Melrose Park.

ENVIRONMENT

• Continued pressure on the Philadelphia Water Department to eliminate toxins from the water

• Assuring that the pollution is eliminated. We need regular reporting on the testing done, and progress if any. Also, confirm a schedule of the remaining work to be done. Money has been allocated for clean-up on the Philadelphia side.

• After the stream is no longer hazardous to humans, organize or get the Township to fund a clean up of debris.

• Have plantings, and a nature walk alongside Mill Creek

• Fight Light pollution - Decrease light pollution in the neighborhood, preventing people from seeing the stars. This can be achieved with shielded bulbs and fixtures. Note that this will not decrease lighting available at street level

• Tookany Creek - Polluted near Ogontz Park, and no doubt elsewhere as well. Acknowledge the problem; obtain funds to clean it up

HISTORY

• Research and publish the history of Melrose Park, and of Cheltenham Township. Coordinate with Township. Publish on web and/or in print. Ask Cheltenham High School teachers to suggest these types of projects to students / convert projects for posting on the Web.

• Research and publish a history of the Melrose Park Improvement Association.

• Sponsor a history project at the schools on these topics.

MULTI-CULTURAL / MULTI-RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES

• Try to encourage even more interactions among black, white, and Korean neighbors

• Invite more African Americans and Koreans to our meetings

• Involve the religious organizations in our organization

• Go to Korean market or restaurants to show local support.

Township development and improvement

• Maintain a presence on the Township’s Economic Development Task Force, Especially relating to the East Cheltenham Avenue Business District

NEIGHBORHOOD TOGETHERNESS

• Provide an opportunity, as we do, for neighbors to get to know one another.

• Hold a snow sculpture contest to be held on snowy day like today up in the field at Melrose Park (park)

• Provide information on how to form a block association or sponsor a block party or town watch.

OTHER

• Sponsor a contest for art students to imagine and draw what Melrose Park could be

• Research and publish relevant information about aspects of Melrose Park life, such as comparative statistics on: health, education, income, crime, and other subjects.

• Add statistics to the Township web site

PUBLIC RELATIONS / POSITIVE ATTITUDE / HOME VALUES

• Home values relate to a positive perception of the neighborhood.

• Encourage a positive approach in all we do, even if dealing with problems.

• Attract new residents, especially home buyers, to the neighborhood.

• See if the township (Nancy Gibson) issues news releases on positive developments. Learn what are some recent examples, and where newspaper publication or other media pickup occurred.

• Publish statistics on Township life on the Town web site.

SAFETY

• Add a sidewalk, curb and storm drain along Coventry

• Repair or replacement of existing damaged benches A van service for elderly and handicapped people «

• Fund increased speeding patrols near 5^th and Cheltenham to arrest speeders.

• The Town has a Parking and Traffic Advisory Commission, with which we should coordinate.

• Stop speeding on: Woodlawn Avenue, Mill Road, and Cheltenham Avenue

• Eliminate the 15-mph speed restriction at Gratz College on Old York Road, where no students ever cross. (Needless restrictions decrease respect for the necessary ones!)

• Change the direction of traffic on Crest.

• Additional 4-way stop signs were requested at Spring and Mill, Union and Mountain, Woodlawn and Windsor.

• Stop the speeding at Coventry in the morning.

• Traffic flow at Valley and Cheltenham should be reversed. – Valley and Crest is a major school bus stop.

• ACCOMPLISHMENT! NEIGHBOR Cindy Taubman was successful in arranging for an additional one-way sign to be installed at High School Road and Montgomery Avenue. The danger was that cars were coming the wrong way on High School towards Montgomery—they did not see the one sign that was there. She spoke to the Police Department’s Highway Safety sub-department to do this.

• ACCOMPLISHMENT! Hedges were cut at a dangerous intersection of Mountain and Union, thanks to MPNA participation and Commissioner Swavola’s efforts.

• ACCOMPLISHMENT! Albert Fried-Cassorla was instrumental in getting trees planted along the Mill Road embankment.