Staff Blog
Ask a Man-About-Town: Answers from a SW Philly block captain, Day 1
On Friday, we told you about David Adams, a 72-year-old block captain from Southwest Philly who'll be responding to readers' questions about his job. Here are the first two Q&As — there will be plenty more where that came from, so be sure to check out the Clog throughout the week to see if your questions made it! (In fact, if you still want to ask Adams something, leave your question in the comments or e-mail it to holly.otterbein@citypaper.net.)
Q: As a longtime Southwest Philadelphia resident, what do you feel is the biggest misconception people have about the area? — posted by Drew
A: The biggest misconception about Southwest Philly is that there are no good things about the area. According to the 12th District, which polices the area, there are over 80,000 people in Southwest Philly. It is only logical to assume that the vast majority of them are good, decent folks who lead ordinary lives. We have libraries, parks, recreation centers, supermarkets, shopping districts, diverse population, neighborhood newspapers, political involvement and WPEB 88.1 FM, our community radio station.
I am a transition person and I have seen things change from the 1950s to 2010 and while the international flavor of the area has grown, there is still neighborhood cohesion and a positive community growth.
Q: I know not all blocks have block captains. So why do they matter? — posted by Kirk
A: It's true that all block are not organized and are not represented by a block captain, but they are still a part of the neighborhood and the positive things that block representation brings also benefits the unorganized blocks. When we have our block captain meetings, we attract political interest because of our collective group representation. We develop political contacts and we know how to get a response from the politicians.
Anyone can organize a block and be represented — it is also a stepping stone for young, politically minded folks who want to become more involved in local and city government. Philadelphia is truly a city of neighborhoods and block organization gives the community a strong and effective voice. Every block counts because we are all neighbors and block representation benefits us all.
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