City of Philadelphia - File #: 160882

• File #: 160882
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 10/6/2016
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 10/6/2016
• Title: Honoring East Mt. Airy Neighbors on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Green, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Parker, Councilmember Taubenberger, Councilmember Domb, Councilmember Gym, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember O'Neill

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
10/6/2016	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass
10/6/2016	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED

Title
Honoring East Mt. Airy Neighbors on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.

Body
WHEREAS, Founded in January 1966, East Mt. Airy Neighbors ("EMAN") has a 50 year history of working to "make a good community better"; and

WHEREAS, Within two weeks of its founding, EMAN had 200 members and two strong committees, one on conditions in the schools, the other fighting real estate solicitation, also known as blockbusting, which in six months' time had collected information on illegal real estate practices, with a program devoted to exploring and promoting racial understanding to be added shortly thereafter; and

WHEREAS, In May 1968, a relationship was forged with the newly-arrived Northwest Mental Health Center and the first "Community Day" was organized at Pleasant Playground, an event that evolved into the annual Mt. Airy Day; and

WHEREAS, Presaging the various fields in which it has obtained victories for the community in the decades since, its first year saw EMAN win a zoning battle against a large apartment project proposed for Gowen and Germantown Avenues, initiate discussions with the mayor about a revision of the area's zoning, work to secure funds to renovate the tennis court with Fairmount Park to sponsor lessons, create tutoring programs in conjunction with the School District, and arrange for community recreation at Roosevelt Junior High School; and

WHEREAS, EMAN established the Together Blocks program and helped organize 100 neighborhood blocks and, working through existing City programs, helped ensure that many of these blocks received home improvement materials including paint, other home supplies, and street trees; and

WHEREAS, EMAN has been a critical partner in the creation of civic groups like Philadelphia Council of Neighborhood Organizations, Germantown Avenue Coordinating Committee, Mt. Airy Village Development Corporation (now Mt. Airy USA), Mt. Airy Learning Tree, and Northwest Leadership Council, often in cooperation with...