My Father

One day I decided to Google my Father to see if there were any references to him. I had my doubts since he had died in 1977 but I was hopefull that I would find a good nugget and I was EXCITED
to find out about his service in the Second World War.
My father served in the Pacfic in WWII. In 1945 he was on the USS FRANCIS M. ROBINSON which was a destroyer escort.
The crew of the USS Robinson rescued a crew from a British ship
called the REGENT LION . Here is a 1st person account about my Father's role in the rescue of the HMS Regent Lion.
"On 17 February 1945, the Francis M. Robinson was on their fourth of five convoy escorts to the North African ports. As the eastbound convoy passed through the Straits of Gilbraltar (map below), two merchant ships exploded, having been torpedoed by U-300 (details of U-300 below). One of the torpedoes, possibly acoustic, passed directly under the Robinson"
“We went alongside the torpedoed tanker, which was awash at the stern, and got pumps and hoses aboard to keep her afloat. It was a hairy maneuver in a choppy sea. We put fenders over to avoid sparks from the two ships rubbing each other and igniting her cargo of aviation gasoline. We could see fumes rising in the air. When Charlie Krull got his damage control party aboard, the tanker captain came aft, offered Charlie a cigar, and lit both of them with all the fumes rising around us! I was horrified, but the captain was just trying to show Charlie his appreciation for our saving his ship.”
This was way cool to find this. I am glad I can put it out on this page.He was a good man
I wish he was here to see himself on the Web .

UC Pet Tenders

I also run a pet Sitting Service in West Philly called UC Pet Tenders. We have been in service for 4 years. We offer Cell Phone service 215 990 6254
or mkrull@earthlink.net
Need someone to watch your pet while you are away?
Call UC Pet Tenders:
215-990-6254
Walking, feeding during lunch, vacations, or late evenings.
Mkrull@earthlink.net
Experienced!!! References provided

http://philadelphia.zami.com/PetTenders

GoodBye Summer

Summer is ending and so it goes.

The Phillies

The Phillies are like a psycho-drama. You give them up for dead and they rise up just to let you down. Its real hard not to be cynical about them and wait for them to fail. I think Sports Writer Stephen A. Smith sums this up in today's Sunday Inquirer.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/12736716.htm

"First there was a three-run homer by Chase Utley that pulled the Phillies to within one run of tying the game. Then came a towering two-run shot by David Bell, sparking pandemonium in the visitors' dugout at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and, undoubtedly, many households throughout Philadelphia and its suburbs. And if Friday night's comeback by the Phillies left you exhilarated, cherish the moment and hold onto it for dear life. It's the Phillies, folks! It's not like these opportunities come along too often."


I saw the Eagles post-game show and they(incuding Ole Gov Rendell) begging Philly sports fans to support them to a playoff berth. They were PLEEDING!!!!

I bring you back to Sportswriter Steven A. Smith who hits the preverbal nail on the head:

"The Phillies remain competitive, yet excruciatingly inconsistent. They tease you into believing a postseason berth is forthcoming up until they break your heart. Time and again, they shrug, while everything from their body language to their facial expressions screams, "So what!" to a fan base that clearly deserves better."

I think this so true. A friend of mine who is a true basball fan who has been to all-star games with his Granmother and been to Yankee Stadum and Fenway to see the Word Series has lost his enthusiam. He waiting for the disappointment and the dammed ho-hum attitude of Phillies Management. Take it away Stephen A!!! "

But what have they done to ingratiate themselves with their fan base? To talk to the heart of Philadelphia? To genuinely let the fans know that the pain those fans feel is shared by the underachievers they've relentlessly supported for the last eight seasons and counting? Mr. Ed Wade, please feel free to answer that question. Larry Bowa is not around anymore to entertain inquiring minds"

Then and Now

Carolyne Chandler-Krull



Then and Now

I’ve returned from taking too much out of loud, cramped streets,
bricked over waterways, and closed up possibilities.

To recover here where there are spaces between
that even when pried open and whispered into remain quiet.

Now there is a widower along the roadside
sitting with his loss all day and from now on,
his overused baskets, weathered farm stand and
too many melons left ungathered in the field.

Down the road a fishing boat pulled out for sale is set on a ramp;
Alone far from shore, age and experience painted over with white.

If the old trawler, out on the bay, was to dip into and over pristine crests of cold,
once again reveling in its hull’s rugged protection;
and I captained, protected behind the glass wrappings, perched above the deck,
not wishing through months, Friday by Friday, just facing Tuesday and Thursday.

Other vessels are lined up and down floating docks, pilings sunk deep;
buoyant out in the oppressive low marsh smell.

This retreat, to a former mill town, linked to other fishing villages that spread out along the river,
has not been complete, the drive back and forth to the city connects now and then,
the pull of distances that sets me apart with expanses of highway,
is overtaken by the reflected light, on dimpled water.

Community Garden

This is a sketch of a proposed Community at the City Parking lot on Spruce Street between

49th Street and St Bernard. Maybe someone can succeed where I could not. It is an eyesore that the community can and should create to be a benefit for all but most of all for the kids!! Lets not wait another 10 years. This idea is just one but I am sure there are others :)

Agenda for discussion with Reverend Jenkins of Beulah Baptist Church
Re: Proposal for community garden
Tuesday April 9, 2002

The Friends of Barkan Park would like to put forth for consideration turning approximately one third of the parking lot next to the park into a community garden (100 feet along St. Bernard Street and 50 feet along Spruce Street. The total size will be 100x300 feet. A fence with a locked gate would enclose the garden. Only members would have access. A children’s garden area would be made available to Beulah and Monumental Baptist Churches as well as Montessori and First Years child care centers.

1. We believe that a community garden will sharply reduce nuisance and illegal
activities in and around Barkan Park and the parking lot.
A. Increased safety in the area will enhance the community at large
B. Other area community gardens have attracted responsible people who become spare eyes and ears for the community
2. Community Gardens provide healthy outside recreation for the elderly and
for parents who are home with young children
A. The community garden would be a place for educational, supervised children’s activities

3. We see a community garden as a place to build friendships and reward volunteerism.
4. We think there are pluses such as the removal of wind-blown litter and addition of gardening ambassadors in our neighborhood
5. Our goal is to see a greater diversity in the age of people who are more comfortable in the park
Gardening brings many benefits to individuals, families and neighborhoods.


As one child wrote:

“ I think that we should have this community garden around the neighborhood because we need something to do around here that is fun. I like nice things in our area then the bad things. So if you can help us, we would be thankful for the support.”

The plan for West Philadelphia speaks about the parking lot. It was published June 1994.

The Plan for West Philadelphia is a guide for future growth and development; an essential information resource for communities and citizens that will be used by decision-makers involved in neighborhood revitalization and economic development.
The Plan for West Philadelphia is presented by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. The original hardcopy version, available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, was first published in June, 1994.
For additional information about the Plan for West Philadelphia, contact:
PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING COMMISSION17th Floor, 1515 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 686-4607, FAX: (215) 686-2939 or

http://www.penn-partners.org/wp/plan/

"As another publicly-owned community facility, the adjacent parking lot is part of the node at this location. The lot is seldom used by shoppers, but it is used on Saturdays for a flea market and on Sunday by a nearby church. The parking lot is surrounded by a four foot masonry wall which obstructs vision just enough to create another popular spot for nighttime loitering. This wall should be removed by the City and replaced with a fence that simulates the appearance of wrought iron. The church should be encouraged to take over responsibility for maintenance and landscaping. "

Crusin Route 55

This the road that I drive 30 miles of my 50 mile commute from Millville NJ to Philly.
Its a fun road to cruse at 75 miles per hour but beware of the State Police. Its easy on the eyes without lots of billboards .Here is a little history about this road
http://www.phillyroads.com/roads/NJ-55/

Email Conversation

An email at work
A new Opiate of the Masses...

-----Original Message-----From: Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 4:34 PMTo: MSubject: RE:

see ya later…

-----Original Message-----From: Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 4:33 PMTo: Subject: RE:

Okay that’ll work

-----Original Message-----From: , Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 4:31 PMTo: MSubject: RE:

I’ll come to you…

-----Original Message-----From: M Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 4:24 PMTo: Subject: RE:

Okay, are you going to come thru, or do you want me to stop thru

-----Original Message-----From: Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 4:21 PMTo: , Shawn MSubject: RE:

I’ll be home around 9…..

-----Original Message-----From: , Shawn M Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 4:17 PMTo: Subject: RE:

I will be home at about 6. what your schedule looking like

-----Original Message-----From: Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 4:14 PMTo: Subject:

What’s up for later?

Barkan Park

Barkan Park has a rich history in West Philadelphia.The park was named in hounor of Ben Barken who was the founder of the Garden Court Comunity Association. Barkan and the Community Assiocation were intramental in preventing the area from being populated by gas stations. The park was once a tennis court. When Ben Barkan died in the early 1970's, it was agreed that the park should be named after him.The Friends of Barkan Park was founded in March of 2000

Barkan Park . It forms a retangale bordered by Spruce St, 50th Street and St. Bernard St. It currently has play equipment on the eastern side of the park that borders St. Bernard Street. The playarea has 5 benches that surround the play area in a semi circle. On this side of the park are two entrence ways in the park. In the center of the park is a small hill that rises several feet. At the western end of the park are two small gardens created by the friends of Barkan Park. The first along 50th Street is a herb garden. We call it the Healing Garden. At the corner of Spruce and 50th Streets is another garden. There are two entrences to the park at the western end of the park The paths make a circle around the perameter of the hill. It is referred as a passive use park since a majority of the park use is used for relaxation.

Our first projects involved pruning of some of the trees and improving the basic appearence of the park. We painted the wooden benches, painted over the graffietti, and removed rubbbish. Also we worked with the city's recreation department to improve the lighting around the park. We received a grant from the city's free paint program for the paint and supplies.

The friends of Barkan Park then enbarked on an abitious project of increasing profile and name recognition of Barkan Park. Our group found that many people in the surounding neighborhood did not know the name nor though much of the park. The first part of this project was the replacement of the old wooden benches with bright colorful new red benches with matching blue recepticals. We were inspired by the work done in Malcolm X park. We had new benches installed with "Barkan Park" spelled out on back of the benches. Both the benches and the recepticals matched the red and blue of the play equipment. Following this, the Friends of Barkan Park came to the consensis that banners along Spruce Street would also increase name recognition and brighten up the area as well. The group worked with a local company called Parellel Design to come up with the design of the banners. The company did not charge for its consulting nor services. The company worked with the manufacture and the UCD to apply for ciiy permets. The result can seen along Spruce Street between 49th and 50th Streets. Just this past year, we made major turf improvements to combat errosion.

To accomplish these projects took the combined efforts of our park group as well as members of the community. The Garden Court Communitiy Assoication has provided monies and ongoing support for our projects. The Walnut Hill Community Association also provided monies for the improvements . The UCD has helped with clean-ups and is currently providing cleaning. The Pennsylvania Horticultual Society Philadelpha Green program has been the biggest catelyst for change in our park. Though its Parks Revitalizatoin Project, PHS has afforded park groups such ours and Malcom X begin and continue the improvements. These improvements affect the neighborhood at large. People respect the park and the neighborhood around it since the park looks cared for. PHS has provided thousands of dollers and staff expertise to the Friends of Barkan Park. They have made suggestions and given material to accomplich our tasks. They have allowed the group and the community to decide what it wants, never being overbering

We have created a master plan. We have found that this plan is fluid and changes are made to meet conditions. These conditions can range to financial to imput from different members of the community. The recreation department and the PHS also have suggested various changes to the master plan. In other words it is not set in stone. The basic plan is to expand the gardens, improve and expand the playarea and place fencing in the paramenter of the park

Our challenges can be summed up to three items: Fundraising, increasing active membership/leadership and maintance of the park. These all tie in togather. The challenge to increase membership has been daunting. We find that the same people do all the work it takes to advocate for the park. This has caused periods in which our group when there are no activities nor outreach. Park groups with active retirees show more consistant activity and outreach. Due to the problem of increasing membership, the enenry for consistanct fundraising has been lacking. This is our biggest challenge and one in which little progress has been seen. Maintance of the park is a challenge as well. The gardens need to be watered during summer dry spells and weeded. Also keeping the park clean and drug-free calls for vigilent efforts that if not kept up will get us back to square one.
Despite these challenges, the Friends of Barkan Park are hopful for the future of our neighborhood park.
We recieved over $100,000 to install new playground equipment, repave the pathways, remove dead and dying trees and to improve the lighting in the park. We the members of the Friends of Barkan Park want to thank Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell in sucuring funding
for these improvements which were just completed this Summer 2005

Here is a good image of the Beatles. It reminds me of the Revolver cover. Its the
most creative Beatles Album

49th and Locust

We lived at 49th and Locust for 12 years. I was the block captain for 2 years and
had a real fun block party in 2002

Thursday nite in Millville

Its a nice cool nite and I have the sound of a band practicing in my ears.Not sure what elese to say but its pretty cool and quiet right now. Thats June cooling off in the tub. We have a nice house in Downtown Millville. Millville has enbarked on an arts districtto revitalize the downtown area. See for yourself at http://www.glasstownartsdistrict.com/We moved here almost 2 years ago from West Philly or University Cityas its called http://www.universitycitydistrict.org/home/index.cfmBelow are 2 of the same picture of our backyard. I ment to give only onebut can not figure how to delete one.I commute on NJ Route 55 to Philly...hence the name of my blog.Good nite for now