Park opening

WE ALL KNOW that too many in the city consider the streets their wastebasket, or worse, their personal spittoons. Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler acknowledged that the city is a dump during last week's sustainability forum, and also pointed out that short dumping - people dumping appliances and major garbage - is also a problem.

It's bad enough on our streets, but this same behavior also mars what should be the pristine acreage of the city's Fairmount Park system. And yet, the problem of dumping and litter has hounded the parks for a long time, one of many problems exacerbated by lack of funding.

Citizens have a unique opportunity to be part of the solution. A newly formed commission will take the oversight of the parks out of the hands of a few secretly selected and put it in the hands of advocates, experts and concerned citizens as part of a realignment that merges the parks and Recreation Department.

The deadline to apply for one of nine spots on the new commission is March 9; find the application and information at www.phila.gov. This is a transformative time for the city, and for its parks. This is a great chance to be part of that transformation. *