Isgro's bakery on 10th and Christian St. had the best banana, strawberry, chocolate mouse cake - my wife and I got one for father's day - it was a huge hit!

How about other bakeries, closer to Third and Queen?
Just curious...

Thanks!

K

Im the prez of Bella Vista's civic assoc (which includes most of the italian market) and though we live in a great neighborhood with 5 parks, a rec center, retaurants, galleries and the like---trash has been a major issue for us...primarily because City Hall refuses to give us trash cans along or commercial corridors and they refuse to give us a sanitation officer who will issue violations.

SO.....the civic group in Bella Vista hired teams of sidewalk sweepers and trash haulers..and they're removed 500 bags of litter and weeds in about a month's time so far.

And we've also hung decorative banners, planted a few dozen trees, installed information kiosks, started to hold special events and concerts and take our neighbors on monthly trips to the jersey shore....all without a special service district or "BID" , which raises taxes on real estate.


So, that's why we in Bella Vista have decided to give our neighbors much of the services you'd find in a place with a service district--without burdening the middle class merchants and property owners who desperately need every dime just to keep it going.

We have committees that deal with immigrant issues (we recently worked with the south philly review to get them to post the once-omitted vietnamese and mexican restaurants in their Bella Vista dining guide free lsitings); we have a philanthropy committee that delivers about 60 turkeys with all the trimmings to Bella Vistans of modest means...we do an annual toys for Bella Vista tots, we launched the city-wide reasons tostay summits about population loss, we fought for more protection and police presence for south street's mardi gras (though we have preferred a full-fledged mardi gras at festival pier that everyone could enjoy!); we have a new planning committee working to develop an urban plan for the neighborhood so we fight reckless development; we have a newsletter; a website (bvuca.org); we're working to bring another charter school to the community and we do what we can to drive seniors to the new TARGET or to the big SUERFRESH from time to time.

Yes, we have a holiday festival, a holiday house decorating contest, a tree lighting, menorah lighting, a flea market to fund tree planting, a huge spring FESTA and the annual reception that has been the place where Ed Rendell led a konga line and many other notable events took place!

In fact, this year's event is Oct 6th at the Fleisher ARt memorial...and the the whole city is invited as usual---20 bucks at the door for open bar, food buffet and music.

And we do it all on a shoestring.

Instead of relying on a BID, we get our funds the old fashion way--grants, gifts, donations, bake sales---and so far, so good. Bella Vista, including the Italian Market north of Washington, is ALOT cleaner, greener and livable than it was just 4 weeks ago.

And we'll keep on keepin on.

Ciao,
Vern Anastasio

PS...trash day is Thursday and I like to refer to Queen Village as Bella Vista East (i'm kidding)

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Reform is on the way......

Vern, can we get litter baskets placed at strategic corners in Bella Vista to reduce litter (litter baskets with special covers that prevent household trash bags from illegally being placed inside)?

How about more stringent enforcement of sanitation laws, like no dumping, placing trash out at the correct day/time, not dumping household trash into litter recepticals?

Thanks!

__________________

11/28-12/31: MACY'S LIGHT SHOW (10AM-8PM EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR) AND DICKENS VILLAGE (10AM-7PM)
BEST VIEWING TIMES AFTER 4PM

Thanks Vern for your post and the trash day update (fortunately, I figured that out weeks ago though). I certainly have little spare time these days but maybe once every other month or something, I'd like to pitch in to help the community ventures. Where can I find out about meeting times of the Bella Vista Civic organization?

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

I have a feeling you're not going to get much of a reply back. The post had a spammish feel to it. Plus I doubt most pols wants to take part in a true public forum where, *gasp*, the masses can get their grubby paws on them. You should have seen how ugly it got when Chris Martin IV tried to participate in the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum.

When did everyone become such J@#kOffs?

A couple of months ago, after a question in the BV section was posted regarding BV civic assocations, I mentioned it to Vern and suggested he check Phillyblog ....since he is the head of BVUCA.... he comes on and answers some questions and everyone starts trying to kick him in the nuts?

I am actively going out of my way to promote PB to people that actually get stuff done in our community.

Is anyone else out there promoting PhillyBlog in the hopes that it can be become an even better resource?

Arch and downtown....If you ever drive some new users to PB let me know so that I can jump all over them and chase them away.

-UC

Well, UC, it was Vern who broke etiquette by posting the SAME form letter in half a dozen threads. C'mon, a "Queen Village is incredible" thread? If anyone, you're the one who constantly "kick people in the nuts" and we're talking regulars, not only newcomers. So take a pill or f off.

arch,

I kick no one in the nuts...before their time.

As for etiquette don't we normally point new people in the right direction before lacing up our boots.

You and downtown are so quick to assume that there is some policital agenda that you didn't even give the guy a heads up about etiquette before attacking his post.

-UC