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04/27/2002 Tabor Rd. (Ed Goppelt)

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• Parks News

In April of this year, my girlfriend and I explored the area South of Tabor Rd. My girlfriend liked the wild, unkempt quality of this part of the park. Neither one of us felt safe here. There was trash everywhere, the creek was filled with the hulks of abandoned cars and large groups of teens had stationed themselves at various points along the trail. Tacony volunteer Maurer says most of what happens here are "crimes of opportunity, lunch money type stuff" though he admits to being mugged once himself in this area.

I'd like to thank Mark Focht, NLREEP director and Fred Maurer of Friends of Tacony Creek for their help in preparing this piece. These two men would seem to agree on nothing at all (see See Maurer v. NLREEP), with one exception: they both care deeply about our parks. Focht took time out of his day to review and comment on these photos for which I am profoundly grateful.

Note: NLREEP Director Mark Focht's comments are printed in red.

Note: for the sake of those with slow Internet connections, pictures are displayed at their smallest possible size. To enlarge the photos, simply click on the size controls under any photo.

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Underbelly of Tabor Rd. Bridge
2002/04/27

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Shopping Cart by the Bridge
2002/04/27

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A Park Bench for Ghosts
2002/04/27

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2002/04/27

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2002/04/27

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Vegetation Grows Out of Abandoned Car
2002/04/27 Fairmount Park Commission, either through staff, contractors or other city agencies regularly remove abandoned cars from the park system. In this particular spot, I don't believe this car or the next image are on park property. M.F.

As far as I can tell, Focht is incorrect: this area South of Tabor Road clearly belongs to the park, at least on my ADC road map.

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2002/04/27

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2002/04/27 To me it looks like there are least two car hulks--and perhaps more--resting on this hill side: a red car and a blue one.

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Tacony Creek Park Sign
2002/04/27 One gets the feeling that it's been a while since Fairmount Park maintenance men have visited.

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Brokendown Backstop
2002/04/27 This abandoned backstop is to be removed this fall as part of a replanting project. M.F.

Maurer objects to the removal of the backstop, saying that it could be fixed up and used again, rather than turned into a meadow. Which raises the question: Is NLREEP, with its focus on restoring natural habitat, neglecting public uses such as baseball fields?

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An Abandoned Airconditioner Awaits Pick Up
2002/04/27 During my tour of Tacony Creek, I saw a dumped airconditioner, microwave and a sofa set--almost enough to furnish a small apartment. NLREEP has installed guide rail in order to discourage dumping, but you'd think people would know better than to dump their cast off appliances in a space that belongs to all of us..