Friends of Wissahickon Oppose Ropes Course

In a statement, the Friends of the Wissahickon oppose the proposed ropes course to be built near the intersection of Henry and Wigard avenues.

Creek Cleanup Needs Volunteers

Friends of the Wissahickon need volunteers for its April 27 creek cleanup.

Friends of the Wissahickon Could See Grant Money

The charity is in the running among thousands of other local charities to win, at most, a $250,000 grant from Chase.

The Friends of the Wissahickon are trying to win grant awards through the Chase Community Giving program. The program was established in 2009 as a way to help support local charities that use less than $10 million in annual operating expenses. This year, Chase customers and employees nominated each 501(c) (3) public charity participating in the voting round back in June and July. The Freinds of the Wissahickon work to "preserve the natural beauty and wildness of the Wissahickon Valley and stimulate public interest therein," according to the group's voting page. Voting opened on Sept. 6 and ends on Sept. 19 at 11:59 p.m. The 196 charities with the most votes will share a total of $5 million in grant money. The charity with the most votes …

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Has the Devil's Pool Trash Situation Been Improved? Signs Point to Yes

The Friends of the Wissahickon report on the issue.

There is significantly less trash at Devil's Pool now than there had been earlier in the summer, according to the Friends of the Wissahickon. The organization, which has been working with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) this summer, has been attempting to educate people on leaving trash there and on issues surrounding swimming in the popular destination. Swimming in the Wissahickon Creek is illegal, but many do it anyway, particularly in the Devil's Pool area. The SCA crew has reported they are finding approximately 95 percent of litter at the area left in bags. That's an improvement over previous years. Police have also often been patrolling the area and issuing citations to people who litter or swim. Park rangers from the city…

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Police Talk Wissahickon Enforcement, Give Out Citations

The citations mostly concern violations near Devil's Pool.

Police have been issuing a variety of warnings to Wissahickon Valley Park visitors who have been swimming and littering in the area around Devil's Pool. Swimming in the creek is illegal, even though many people do it during the summer. The area is also often a haven for littering. The Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) uses money in its budget to pay for off-duty officers to patrol the area to ensure that doesn't happen. It did the same last summer. Officers issued 92 warnings on July 8 (and another 70-plus on July 14) to park users in the area between Valley Green and Devil’s Pool for littering and swimming, among other things. Sgt. Mike Vassallo of the 5th Police District said officers aren't trying to keep people out of the park. “We just…

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scubandyrides

11:46 am on Monday, August 6, 2012

I have recently re-discovered Fairmount Park with my kids and have been screaming about how awesome it is to go there and swim. I went to college in Philly and used the park heavily for biking and hiking and relaxing with nature. I now live in south Jersey and I yearn for this environment more than ever. All we have over here is flat and sandy. So after a few of the best days of my summer …   more ›

Police Continue Presence at Wissahickon This Weekend

Ninety-two warnings issued the first weekend of patrol.

For the second consecutive weekend, Philadelphia Police from the 5th District will heavily patrol Wissahickon Valley Park. Targeting Devil’s Pool and Valley Green Inn last weekend, police issued 92 warnings, the Friends of the Wissahickon said.  In a news release, Sgt. Mike Vassallo said police will enforce all park rules by issuing citations for violators. Park Rangers from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation will also patrol the area to inform and educate park users on park rules and regulations, the FOW said. "Both groups have initiated this effort to combat a variety of problems that afflict the area each summer, including illegal parking, swimming, diving, and littering, and violations of open container laws and the City-wide leash law …

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Police to Monitor Activity at Devil's Pool in Wissahickon

Police to increase Valley Green activity Sunday.

Due to increased littering and illegal parking, swimming and diving, the Philadelphia Police Department will increase its presence at Devil's Pool and Valley Green Inn in the Wissahickon Valley Park July 8. In a news release from the Friends of the Wissahickon, 5th District Sgt. Mike Vassallo said law enforcement would step up patrols Sunday, and continue its presence throughout the summer.  The 5th and 14th Districts, in addition to Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Park Rangers, will maintain an increased lookout in those areas, which fall victim to quality of life issues, such as trash, open containers, and animal violations—in addition to illegal swimming. "We will be enforcing all park rules and regulations, as well as city-wide laws," …

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What Should Be Done About the Wissahickon's Break-in Issues?

Vote in our poll and let us know.

Peter Hawser was probably being a little bit sarcastic when he commented on an article over the weekend about thefts at Kitchens Lane in the Wissahickon, but he definitely made a point. Three out of the four cars had something worth stealing. Gee, I wonder what we could do to help prevent this? What possible strategies might we explore to prevent thieves from stalking our parks and parking lots? Please, please, we need to hear from our community thought leaders to guide us. Help us figure this out! It's true. Community meetings are often called when there is a string of thefts, but Hawser's point (I think) is that people shouldn't leave valuables in their cars. There were four break-ins in one day at that spot, and others have said they've…

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Two Thefts in Wissahickon Over the Past Couple Weeks

Credit cards were stolen from cars.

There have been two thefts reported by police in the Wissahickon Valley Park—one bigger than the other—over the past two weeks. Here's what happened: There were also a couple of break-ins during the Wissahickon Wanderers trail series last month. Friends of the Wissahickon Executive Director Maura McCarthy told the Wanderers—a local running group—that break-ins generally increase in the park over the summer. Here are some tips from the Friends:

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