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February 2021 Newsletter

We may be doing it mostly virtually, but EPX is still hard at work serving our South Philadelphia Community in a number of ways. Here is just a sample of the ways members of our civic are currently serving our neighborhood. We invite you to spread the word, tell your neighbors, and get involved. 

EPX Public Art Projects:

We have two opportunities to help improve the creative cache of our neighborhood. EPX would like to apply for a Mural Arts Grant to bring a new mural to our streets, and we are looking for your ideas for both locations and themes. Please reach out to muralideas@epcrossing.org with any suggestions you may have, or to join the team bringing more public art to EPX. 

Of our current EPX public art there are two which are in need upkeep and repair. One is the “River to River” mosaic in front of Trumark Financial at Passyunk and Broad, and the other is the 4 part mural “Passyunk Passageways” at 13th & Mifflin. We are looking for volunteers to help us keep our art in good repair. Again, you can express your interest by emailing muralideas@epcrossing.org.

Image result for mural 13th and mifflin

EPX Beautification:

If you are interested increasing tree coverage in South Philly, EPX has several upcoming opportunities. For those with a back yard, Mifflin Sq. & Lo Mo will be hosting a FREE Yard tree give away April 24th. For our Spring Tree Planting we currently will be planting 12 trees for applicants who have been approved. Look for information from EPX on volunteering for planting of these tress. If you are interested in a street tree of your own, PHS is accepting applications now for the fall planting. You can complete the application here to get a tree through our tree tenders with a much shorter wait.

Typically EPX does two street clean ups per year, with the Spring cleanup happening in April, although a date has not yet been set, we are also looking into doing a pop-up cleaning before. If you are interested in using EPX tools to clean your block, please reach out to us to coordinate the materials loan. 

Also, there is one plot available in the EPX Community Garden – please reach out to beautification@epcrossing.org if you are interested. 

January 9 EPX co-hosted with Passyunk Square Civic & Friends of Columbus Square our annual Tree Recycling Event. Thanks to all our volunteers and the donations of participants, 553 trees were mulched, keeping them out of landfills and raising $1,100 to pay for the shredding services provide by Bartlet with the proceeds being split between the civics. Look for this even next year, both to participate and to volunteer. 

EPCC News:

The East Passyunk Community Recreation Center is one month away from breaking ground on their spray ground project which hopes to be completed and open to the public by May. This has been a long dreamed about project for EPCC, the only public green space in our boundaries, to provide a place for neighborhood kids to cool off in the hot months. With current safety concerns the grounds will be open to the public as soon as the pod of children using EPCC as a remote learning site return to school or the summer camps open.

To support EPCC and the services that they provide to the community, please consider participating in the EPCC Advisory Council Online Art Fundraiser beginning tomorrow, Monday 2/8/2021 at bid.marlinart.com. As EPCCAC was unable to hold their annual in-person fundraiser, online campaigns are their only source of funding. Register and get your bids in early and or participate in the live online auction Friday the 12th. You do not need to attend the live auction to win. All items will be delivered to the community center for pickup for those who live in the Philadelphia area.

Neighborhood Survey:

The Inquirer and Green Philly are working on a public information project to share tools that make our neighborhood better. Please take a moment to complete this survey to let them know your feedback so they can find ways to help.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeF4QyTtu4u6dAyGfh7GzslJf8imnarINjc7Ekh3ZRwzikpSg/viewform

Vote by Mail:

Pennsylvanians can now vote by mail, but the process isn’t as easy as one-and-done. You need to renew annually, and some election officials worried about possible voter confusion. If you voted by mail in 2020 and signed up to be an “annual mail-in voter” then you’ll automatically receive a new application in the mail which will be mailed shortly. The application is not the ballot for the May 18th primary, which you will receive later.

If you did not previously register, you can also sign up online to receive a mail ballot by May 11th. To be eligible to vote, you must register by May 3rd, which you can also do online.

Jackson School Renaming:

With the support of the District, Jackson has made the decision to change their name to one that will better reflect the values of the school and the diverse students and families they serve. The renaming process consists of five phases: 1) School Name Request Submission, 2) Name Request Review, 3) Community Engagement and Name Proposal, 4) Superintendent Review and 5) Board Approval. The request for a name change has been approved through the District and they are now seeking to more deeply engage and garner feedback from our larger school community. You can read the full statement here. and if you are interested in joining the school naming committee you can complete this form. 

February General Membership Meeting Recap:

Our February 2021 General Membership Meeting featured guest speaker Councilmember Mark Squilla, who updated us on the city’s Covid response and answered questions. His office can be contacted directly at Mark.squilla@phila.gov or at (215) 686-3458.

You can view the recorded meeting on our website. To sign in as having “attended” the meeting  please complete this form tinyurl.com/epxfeb21. Attendance at three (3) EPX General Membership Meetings in a previous 12-month period is required to be eligible to participate in our annual EPX Board nominations and election processes, as well as for potential items up for vote to the membership at general membership meetings. You can also read the meeting minutes here. 

The next EPX General Meeting will be Monday, March 1st at 7PM held via zoom, and we will be hosting “breakout rooms” so community members can learn more about specific EPX initiatives such as the community, spring tree planting, and spring clean-up. Please reach out to contact@epcrossing.org if you have anything you would like us to address at this breakout meeting. 

Upcoming Virtual Meeting & Distanced Events:

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