By Diane Prokop

Times Staff Writer

Holmesburg Civic Association president Fred Moore was happy to tell civic members at their meeting earlier this month that the Samuel C. Willits manuscript was available for purchase.

The 120-year-old handwritten manuscript, A History of Lower Dublin Academy: A Biographical and Historical Sketch of Thomas Holme and His Times and Other Historical Matters Pertaining to the School and the Neighborhood, had been transcribed by Center for Northeast Philadelphia History volunteers and edited by Moore over the summer.

Holmesburg was considered part of Lower Dublin Township before it was incorporated into the city of Philadelphia in 1854.

The Friends of Lower Dublin Academy published the manuscript. Its proceeds will go toward the restoration and preservation of the Lower Dublin Academy schoolhouse, whose stone walls stand open to the elements at Academy and Willits roads.

Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner Louis Giorla was on hand at the meeting to give folks an update on a Torresdale Avenue building with massive stone walls - Holmesburg Prison.

Giorla had attended the civic group's June meeting and discussed plans the city is considering that would increase the use of Holmesburg Prison at 8215 Torresdale Ave. by housing 600 prisoners there.

At that time, he told members that there are 100 to 120 low-custody inmates - for example, those sentenced to weekends for driving under the influence - housed in four trailers on the site.

At this month's civic meeting, Giorla told them the prison population had decreased from 9,400 to 9,266 since June and that for the time being, there weren't any overflow prisoners there.

Other parts of Holmesburg are used for the city Community Life Improvement Program, or CLIP, which spruces up local neighborhoods; film productions; and as a training academy for correctional officers.

Although the population is down and the city's budget situation has stalled any movement on the project, the city still intends to move forward to house low-custody inmates at Holmesburg and demolish the antiquated House of Correction, which was built in 1874 and renovated in 1927.

According to Giorla, the demolition and building would be done in sections, with prisoners being moved out of sections to be demolished and back into the new space.

In other business, Republican District Attorney candidate Michael Untermeyer paid a visit to the organization touting his plan to put more ankle bracelets on non-violent offenders rather than put them on a crowded cell block. He also discussed a plan to have bail bondsman back bail instead of the city.

"The (Philadelphia) bail system is owed in excess of $1 billion," Untermeyer said.

Representatives from City Year were also on hand to tell civic members about its Young Heroes program, a Saturday leadership and community service program.

A program of the AmeriCorps National Service Network, City Year Greater Philadelphia corps members work in some Philadelphia high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. They offer in-class support to students and teachers, provide tutoring, mentoring and counseling, and run after-school programs.

The Young Heroes program will offer 125 middle school students the opportunity to learn about issues and make a difference in their community by painting murals, cleaning playgrounds, visiting nursing homes and feeding the homeless.

For more information, call 267-205-3470 or visit www.cityyear.org

Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com