Philadelphia Dreaming

“It’s not very big but it’s very important,” says David O’Donnell, surveying the site of his proposed Mary Street Park. | Joseph G Brin

If all goes as planned, a triangular sliver of public green space at League Street and Washington Avenue will officially become Mary Street Park. This is the current rescue mission of David O’Donnell. The professional tailor and ardent Queen Village neighborhood activist is indefatigable, with an impressive track record of creating successful pocket parks. But it hardly comes easy.

Although the turf in question is small enough to be almost symbolic and what’s being salvaged so simple to the naked eye, people sometimes get in the way with their egos and eccentricities, But O’Donnell is a masterful actor who begs, cajoles, and will chastise on cue. He wields a lumbering bureaucratic process like a gardener troweling a delicate, pretty flower into fresh, damp soil.

“Queen Village is becoming overdeveloped. You have to grab land while you can,” says O’Donnell, who is engaged in a full court press to do just that. His hard-won playbook may inspire other Philadelphians to accomplish similar ecological and political sleights of hand. The outpost he now champions has been lovingly tended by neighbors over the years, a miniature island of green at the noisy confluence of Washington, League (formerly known as Mary Street), and Front Streets. The little pocket park is currently the tip of the triangular footprint of Distinctive Elements Kitchen Design at 113 Washington Avenue, and could potentially be sold for development. The kitchen remodeling center itself has a fine picture window view of the salutary garden. “It’s the last Queen Village land save,” cautions O’Donnell.

O’Donnell is experienced at the how-to of city pocket parks. He gestures towards Moyamensing Point Park, a derelict patch of land at the intersection of Christian Street and Moyamensing Avenue that was once a barren blacktop. The reclaimed space now features carefully designed plantings, curved granite curbing, and public seating and lighting–a model of successful land transformation.

What It Takes

O’Donnell figures Mary Street Park will take about two years–from neighborhood leafletting, to negotiating the challenges of City Hall, to collaboration with landscape designers, to watering the thirsty plants once all is said and done.

“If I give you money will you stop calling me?” O’Donnell laughs. For a year he badgered the owner of a nearby Wawa for funds to help build Moyamensing Point Park. O’Donnell’s career was in selling custom suits by appointment to executives, so he is no stranger to cheery sales persistence. The owner finally relented to O’Donnell’s entreaties for funds. That was just one donation along the path to a lush, green civic park.

O’Donnell promoted a thorough, incremental approach to neighborhood transformation with new tree plantings, hazardous traffic light removal and then Moyamensing Point Park, pictured here in the background. | Photo: Joseph G Brin

O’Donnell’s vision for Moyamensing Park started with tree plantings in the surrounding area. “There wasn’t one tree around here,” he recalls. Then he campaigned for the removal of traffic lights at the intersection of Moyamensing Avenue, Christian Street, and 2nd Street. Cars would race to beat the red lights and careen into sidewalk trees. O’Donnell has had four trees destroyed in front of his historic Christian Street residence. The hazard dropped precipitously when the traffic lights were replaced by stop signs.

O’Donnell built a pleasing, safer backdrop even before the finely-detailed granite curbed park itself was initiated. It is now capped by the “World Famous Sculpture,” a would-be Calder mobile made of rusty, painted metal that O’Donnell scavenged from the trash. He is amused that the sculpture, not nailed down, has been known to curiously shift locations within the park. O’Donnell next created nearby Beck Park, which started with the removal of large, thorny bushes, revealing new potential for a small, unpromising patch of land.

Here the Queen Village resident shares his playbook for what it takes to create a neighborhood park from scratch.

Step One: Leafletting

It begins humbly with the dropping of leaflets in doorways. “Making things right makes me happy,” says O’Donnell, undeterred when encountering a grumpy resistor to permanently secured green space. He initially had a low response rate that was insufficient to prove interest in Mary Street Garden. He now has six volunteers for the site. O’Donnell discovered that the City owns the land at 100-106 League Street, which is labeled an empty lot, and that he could acquire it for a dollar from the Neighborhood Garden Trust to hold in perpetuity.

A 1790 city ordinance banned wooden residences such as these remaining ones on League St. adjacent to the proposed Mary Street Park. Door to door leafletting was the first step towards garnering support for the neighborhood project | Photo: Joseph G Brin

He appealed to Councilman Mark Squilla’s office with photos and a letter of intent. A staffer steered him to the Garden Trust’s website. He met with their director at the future park. As he puts it, “The goal is first to get it off the rolls so it’s ours forever. Then go for funding.”

Step Two: Form a Committee and Give Your Project a Good Name

There is undeniable strength in numbers. Consensus building and energetic volunteerism are key ingredients in the development of a new park. Then there are numerous meetings and a to-do list of tasks to be laid out. Mary Street Park’s first meeting at Shot Tower Recreation Center yielded a wish list for a new flag pole, new railroad ties to retain raised earth, a bench, lighting, water sourcing, tree removal, and more indigenous plantings.

“It’s all in the name,” as the expression goes. Taking the earlier street name of Mary Street rather than the current League Street was a nod to the long history of the area. O’Donnell has also been thinking that the initial project label of “Mary Street Garden” should instead be “Mary Street Park,” more substantial for funding purposes. These subtleties are important both to inspire support and to add depth and meaning to the whole endeavor.

Step Three: Raise Money

“Because we have to raise money for these quality of life things, we need everybody’s contributions,” says O’Donnell. Sometimes he’ll raise the money for an architect or landscape designer before he has adequate funds for actual implementation. But it is important to propel the effort with determination and enthusiasm. Patience for the long game staves off discouragement that tanks many a great idea. O’Donnell’s triumph with Moyamensing Point Park began as a concept in 2003. Its groundbreaking was in 2011.

Step Four: Get it Done

Chat people up, work connections, promote volunteerism, engage professional design and construction services, call in favors, nudge politicians–do whatever it takes to bring a pocket park to fruition, says O’Donnell. It can take years of hard work, but, in the end, he says the effort is worth it and can be a lot of fun.

Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse, a survey of fans across the NFL powered by SurveyMonkey. Each week, we send 32 polls to 100+ plugged in fans from each team. Eagles fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.

Let’s take stock of the NFC East heading into NFL Week 5 based on SB Nation’s latest FanPulse numbers.

WASHINGTON (2-1)

It was a good bye week for Washington as they advanced to first in the division thanks to Philadelphia’s loss.

The majority of Washington fans now see their team as division favorites, though some still think it could be the Eagles.

Washington’s optimism will be put to the test this week after they’re set to fact the Saints in New Orleans. Hogs Haven readers have their favorite team as four-point favorites. Saints fans, meanwhile, think it’s their team that should be favored by eight points.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-2)

For the first time all season, the Eagles saw a big dip in fan confidence this week. It was the third biggest drop among all 32 NFL teams, in fact. Not surprising given the way Philly blew a 17-3 lead in a loss to the Titans.

Despite the loss, Eagles fans still see their team as strong division favorites.

FanPulse results show Eagles fans are expecting a win by an average of three points this week. Vikings fans are expecting Minnesota to lose by an average of one point. Daily Norseman’s confidence rating is down to 33%.

FANPULSE TRACKER

Week 1: BGN FanPulse predicts Eagles win by 4, Eagles win by 6

Week 2: BGN FanPulse predicts Eagles win by 9, Eagles lose by 6

Week 3: BGN FanPulse predicts Eagles win by 9, Eagles win by 4

Week 4: BGN FanPulse predicts Eagles win by 9, Eagles lose by 3

BGN FanPulse season record: 2-2

DALLAS COWBOYS (2-2)

Cowboys fans aren’t feeling awesome after watching Dallas barely beat the Lions but they’re not feeling quite AS bad as they were at this time last week.

Despite their 29% confidence rating, a number of Dallas fans see the Cowboys and Eagles neck-and-neck as division favorites.

Cowboys fans expect Dallas to win by an average of four points this week. Texans fans have a low confidence rate at only 21% but Houston fans still expect a two-point win over the Cowboys.

NEW YORK GIANTS (1-3)

Giants fans foolishly thought their season was back on track after New York defeated Houston in Week 3. That optimism is gone after seeing the Giants lose to the Saints.

At least Giants fans are now being realistic about their chances in the NFC East. Big Blue View’s FanPulse results have the Eagles favored in the division.

Giants fans expect New York to drop to 1-4 in a six-point loss to Carolina this weekend. Panthers fans are expecting a big 10-point win.

...

Reminder: If you want to participate in BGN’s polling, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.

Despite dealing with injuries, the Philadelphia Eagles are not expected to add a wide receiver before their Week 3 contest against the Indianapolis Colts, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane.

Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson announced on Monday that veteran wideout Mike Wallace is out indefinitely after suffering a fractured fibula during Week 2.

Not only are the Eagles without Wallace, but former Pro Bowler Alshon Jeffery has missed the first two weeks of the 2018 season as he continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. When asked on Friday when he might make his season debut, he made it clear that he's "not a doctor."

"Just takin' my time, day by day," Jeffery said, per Les Bowen of the Inquirer. "Each day I'm getting better."

Although the receiving corps is depleted, Philadelphia's passing attack should receive a nice boost now that Carson Wentz, who tore his ACL last December, was cleared to start in Week 3. 

In the meantime, the Eagles will have to rely on Nelson Agholor and tight end Zach Ertz to move the football through the air. Second-year receiver Corey Clement and veteran Kamar Aiken will also likely see more targets with Jeffery and Wallace sidelined.

Even with the injuries, the defending champs believe they have enough playmakers to help Wentz put up points on the scoreboard.

Heavy storms ahead

As of October, local rain totals are already well above the city’s annual average of 42 inches, making heavy storms a frequent experience for Philadelphians in 2018. Many climate change models show a wetter future for our region, giving the implementation of innovative solutions added urgency.

For those unfamiliar with green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) as a tool for stormwater management, Green City, Clean Waters is very much what it sounds like: a greener city means cleaner waterways. By incorporating more green spaces into urban landscapes that would otherwise prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground, Philadelphia is achieving major reductions in the two largest sources of pollution hampering local water quality—excess stormwater runoff carrying urban contaminants, and sewer overflows caused by an overwhelmed system.

These landscaped green systems, such as rain gardens and planted curb extensions that enhance pedestrian safety, are managing tens of millions of gallons of stormwater every time the city gets heavy rain, and the program is surpassing benchmarks established by state and federal regulators.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

How Joe Flacco trade influences Eagles’ options with Nick Foles - ESPN
The market for Foles seems small based on this exercise, and it would shrink further if he had to be acquired via trade. The Jaguars appear to be the most likely landing spot. The Eagles have plenty of incentive to work out a tag-and-trade. They not only would get value in return -- the Ravens are expected to receive a midround pick in return for Flacco, which seems reasonable -- but also would ensure Foles doesn’t end up in the NFC East. Jacksonville makes sense for both sides. What the Jags have to weigh is whether they should agree to a trade to guarantee they get their guy, or bet Foles shakes loose in free agency and pursue him aggressively there.

Offseason Evaluations: LT Jason Peters - BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles have decisions to make at almost every position at the roster this offseason. Whether related to the cap or the draft, starters or depth pieces, these players and the possible avenues of their future with the Eagles requires some good tape study, roster management, and foresight. That’s what we hope to model here. Starting us off: Eagles’ future Hall of Fame LT Jason Peters.

Many of the posted 2019 NFL Super Bowl odds make little sense - PhillyVoice
The Eagles at 20/1. The Eagles were truly a dominant team in 2017, and hey, they won it all. In 2018, they made it to the divisional round despite an absurd number of injuries. In the 2019 preseason Super Bowl odds, they’re behind the 4-12 49ers and tied with the 6-9-1 Packers? What?!?

OT Jordan Mailata: How Does He Factor Into ‘19 Plans? - PE.com
Is that enough to advance Mailata into the equation along the offensive line in 2019? A team that values excellence up front, the Eagles have some delicate questions that need definitive answers as they rebuild around quarterback Carson Wentz. Is Jason Peters, at age 37 and with a hefty contract, coming back for another year as a starter at left tackle? Where does Halapoulivaati Vaitai fit into the projections? What is a realistic timetable for Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Brooks as he recovers from an Achilles tendon injury suffered in January? Those are just a few of the questions. The Eagles want to be great, not just very good, up front. They want to be deep and strong and athletic and powerful and build chemistry and continuity as they get Wentz back into his flow. Mailata is part of the plan, no doubt about it. It’s just that we don’t know the timeline of that plan. It’s hard to imagine that Mailata would go from a no-game-action rookie season to a starter protecting the franchise quarterback’s blind side in one year, but who knows? The Eagles understand that they are dealing with an athletic freak here.

Draft History: Grades and stats for every first- and second-round pick since 2015 NFC East edition - PFF
Nelson Agholor: Things looked bleak for Agholor over the first two years of his career, where he combined to drop 11 catchable passes and earn an overall grade of just 55.0 across the 2536 snaps in that span. However, he turned it all around in Year 3 thanks to a move to the slot and has averaged 1.59 yards per slot route run from the slot ever since, the ninth-best mark among receivers over the last two seasons.

Should soon-to-be free agent Jordan Hicks be judged by how he played with the Eagles or the time he missed? - Inquirer
This is why Hicks is one of the offseason’s most intriguing questions for the Eagles. When he’s on the field, he’s one of their top defensive contributors. And he’s been productive in both a 4-3 defense and a 3-4 defense, so he’s versatile enough to transition to different schemes. But a reputation can be tough to overcome, and he must convince teams to consider what they see on the field more than the time he’s off it. “It can be tough to shake, and it’s something I’ve battled since I came into the league,” Hicks said. “The more I focus on it, I think the more of a waste of time it is. Because at the end of the day, injuries are going to happen. The injury I had, the only way to avoid it was not to be playing hard. So when you get injured like that, what can you do? …Now, I understand the other side of it where people are saying it’s every year. But the more I focus on it, the more of a waste of time it is.”

Broncos and Ravens Get a Major Piece of Offseason Business Done Early with Joe Flacco Trade - Sports Illustrated
As for Nick Foles, his situation is more complicated. The Eagles have until March 5 to decide on hitting him with the franchise tag. That gives them three weeks to find a suitor willing to deal for him with the $25 million (or so) tag attached, find out whether Foles is willing to go to and/or explore a long-term deal with that team, and do it without breaking the rules on the tag that say it’s not there to facilitate trades. Eagles czar Howie Roseman is great at this kind of thing, of course. But this one won’t be easy, particularly when Foles may be motivated to see whether the division rival Giants (with his old OC Pat Shurmur) or Redskins would be interested. Maybe a deal with someone like Jacksonville, and another old OC of Foles’s (John DeFilippo), gets done. Maybe the Eagles decide just to let Foles walk and collect the 2020 comp pick (which would probably be a third-rounder) instead.

Nick Foles ‘probably’ interested in Giants, Eagles return ‘unlikely’ though not impossible - NJ.com
Multiple people with knowledge of Foles’ thinking, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told NJ Advance Media that it’s “unlikely” he returns to the Eagles as Carson Wentz’s backup for 2019. Though, if Foles doesn’t find the starting job he’s seeking on the open market, that could change. One team Foles is expected to keep tabs on: the New York Giants. Foles would “probably” be interested in joining the Eagles’ NFC East rival, one person with knowledge of Foles’ thinking said, if the Giants ultimately decide to move on from Eli Manning.

The cap implications of acquiring Case Keenum, Nick Foles - Big Blue View
Are those figures too steep for a Giants team that right now needs to address Landon Collins’ contract and add more offensive line help, a free safety and a few complementary pieces on defense? They might very well be unless the Giants are planning a massive salary cap purge, one that while cleaning out some dead weight would also likely create some holes that don’t necessarily need to be created. But if nothing else, the question becomes whether Keenum and/or Foles are better options than Eli Manning. If the Giants are going to move on from Manning before his $5 million roster bonus is due, they would probably benefit more in the long-term if they instead focus on reducing Manning’s 2019 cap number and drafting his potential successor.

NFL Draft Analytics for WR - Rotoworld
The mission of this column is to find what parts of an NFL prospect’s profile that actually matter. Does a wide receiver’s college receiving yards per game matter to overall success? What about just for his NFL YPT? Has the 40-yard dash been correlated to NFL PPR fantasy points? The list goes on and on, but this column will answer a lot of those questions.

Joe Flacco’s trade to the Broncos will have a ripple effect for these 11 NFL teams - SB Nation
It already seemed like Nick Foles would end up as the replacement for Blake Bortles, who will likely be jettisoned soon. There’s reportedly been a lot of mutual interest between Foles and the Jaguars. It looks even likelier now. Flacco is scratched off the Jaguars’ list of quarterback candidates, and Denver is removed from the list of possible destinations for Foles. The Jaguars need a long-term solution at quarterback and could use the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to address the position. So the wild card here is that Keenum may be an attractive option as a bridge starter while a rookie is preparing for the job. Keenum would presumably be much cheaper than Foles. Still, it’d be an upset at this point if Foles didn’t wind up in Jacksonville.

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Scene Setter

The 76ers (31-17) will look to even their season series against the San Antonio Spurs (27-21) Wednesday at The Center.

The Sixers are 8-3 thus far in a challenging month of January, and along the way, have become a top-five team in points, rebounds, and assists per game (the only other team with such status is the Milwaukee Bucks).

In each of their last four games, the Sixers have outrebounded and out-assisted their opponent. But Brett Brown thinks the team’s defensive improvements have been even more significant.

“I think, without a doubt, there have been big strides,” Brown said. “Most importantly, the group spirit is excellent. There really is a tightness emerging amongst our team, and that, maybe, is the foundation of everything.”

In yet another game with a playoff-like atmosphere Monday night at The Center, the Sixers shone against the Rockets and reigning MVP James Harden. Joel Embiid recorded 32 points, 14 boards, and three blocks in 27 minutes of play. Landry Shamet contributed 18 points off the bench.

The team is now 20-5 at The Center, and tied for the second-most home wins in the NBA. With a four-game road trip on the horizon, T.J. McConnell reflected on the support the Sixers have received in South Philadelphia.

“[The fans] are behind us always,” McConnell said. “I can’t say enough good things about them. But they make our home court a really tough place to play, and that’s why we’re pretty damn good at home.”

Wednesday’s contest marks the first return of Marco Belinelli as a Spur. He played 28 games with the Sixers last season.

The Spurs took the first meeting of the season between these two teams, 123-96, on Dec. 23 in San Antonio. In that contest, JJ Redick and Ben Simmons led the Sixers with 16 points apiece.

Opponent Outlook

The Spurs are 4-4 over their last eight contests. In his first season as a Spur, DeMar DeRozan leads the team in scoring (21.4 ppg) and assists (6.4 apg). In the December meeting between these teams, Rudy Gay scored 21 points, while DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge each recorded 20.

Follow Along

• Audio: 97.5 FM The Fanatic / Sixers Radio Network

• Video: ESPN / NBC Sports Philadelphia / NBC Sports MyTeams app

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LANSDOWNE, Pa. (CBS) — Zakiyyah McKelven is no stranger to odd cake requests. She’s made cakes that look like cameras, pianos and even a full Chick-fil-A meal.

But a recent wedding cake might take the cake for weirdest — and riskiest — says McKelven. That’s right, it’s Gritty.

McKelven, the owner of Kia’s Cakes & Cafe in Lansdowne, was recently commissioned to create a three-tier wedding cake for Catherine Coll and Michael Bair, but the groom had one strange request: To McKelven’s delight, he wanted a Gritty cake.

“It was added onto the couple’s order a week before the wedding,” she said. “They came in and asked if it would be too much trouble to add it — they’d already ordered a traditional wedding cake. I thought the idea was hilarious and it’s always so refreshing when a couple is willing to have fun with their wedding day.”

Gritty Makes Another Unbelievable Entrance

The cake took just under a half-hour to make, according to McKelven. It’s a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream filling and vanilla frosting.

To McKelven’s surprise, photos of the cake have gone viral.

“I’m still in shock,” she said of the viral reaction to the cake. “We’d joked (the couple and I) about posting the pictures and how much the guests at the wedding would enjoy it but I had no idea it would get this much notice.”

And now everyone wants a cake of their favorite mascot.

“Yes, we are making Gritty cupcakes at the bakery all this week,” McKelven said. “We’ve also been getting lots of inquiries about Gritty cakes for birthdays and the upcoming holidays.”

But it’s not just customers that love Gritty. McKelven says the cake ranks at the top of her list of her favorite cakes she’s ever done.

“I have some designs that are still near and dear to my heart, but as far as cakes that were just fun to do, Gritty is right up there,” she said. “With the orders coming in, I feel I’ll be able to really explore getting just the right amount of crazy to shine through his eyes.”

The Flyers unveiled their crazy-eyed mascot in late September. In the weeks since, Gritty has become a viral sensation, a meme and even a favorite among protesters.

Demonstrators Use Flyers’ Mascot Gritty To Protest President Trump’s Philadelphia Appearance

Even outside of Philadelphia, Gritty is an internet celebrity. He transcends sports. He’s silly and lovable, but most of all, he’s someone people of all walks of life can connect with, believes McKelven.

“I’m not into sports at all, but I think that’s why I like Gritty so much,” she said. “Without knowing about teams or scores, I knew about him because he’s someone I could connect with and a way to be part of something I normally wouldn’t.

“I live in Delco now but I grew up in Philly,” she continued. “I love all things silly, offbeat, daring and risky. So, for me, Gritty represents stepping off the beaten path and appealing to the side of all of us that wants to show up in sweats and house shoes and wild out like nobody’s looking. Plus, I just think he’s brilliant.”

Sean Payton regrets allowing Malcolm Jenkins to leave the New Orleans Saints for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jenkins – now a member of NFL champions the Eagles – was a big part of New Orleans' Super Bowl run in 2010.

The Saints selected Jenkins with the 14th pick in the 2009 draft and the safety played five seasons for New Orleans before joining Philadelphia in 2014.

Ahead of Sunday's showdown between the Saints and Eagles, New Orleans head coach Payton is still asking himself what happened.

"He was probably one of the most important parts to our Super Bowl run," Payton said. "And that was only his rookie season.

"He's one of my guys, and I mean that. Probably one of the bigger mistakes that we've made, and you have to ask yourself 'how did that happen?' Letting him out of the building certainly wasn't a smart decision."

Jenkins is a two-time Pro Bowl player and added a second Super Bowl with Philadelphia last season. His Eagles will face the Saints in the NFC divisional round in New Orleans this weekend.