Clean Block Competition, October 2001: 2100 block of Catharine Street

Block captain Joanie Miles, center, with neighbors Margaret Bontz and John Sangstrom. The flag, painted with exterior theatrical paint on muslin, covers a mulched vacant lot ready to be planted next spring. Flag conception and design by Bontz and Sangstrom (click on image for enlargement)

In just three weeks this block, under the direction of its energetic block captain...

• painted more than 30 house fronts, including several cleaned-and-sealed abandoned properties (some paint provided by MAB, 21 & South)
• cleared a vacant lot, mulched, and beautified with a painted American Flag designed by a block resident and executed by several other residents
• trained a drill team and created T-shirt uniforms for 25 children
• organized a welcoming event for the judging committee October 25, 2001

Block captain Joanie Miles explained that she has been working with her drill team, Joanie's Angels, for two years. Two months ago her neighbors asked her to become block captain. When she made contact with Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee clean block officer Bill Stern, just three weeks before the judging, he encouraged her to enter the clean block contest.

The sixteen photos shown below were taken during the Philadelphia More Beautiful judging tour October 25.

Block captain Joanie Miles, left, explains how her block carried out its improvements while Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee's Bill Stern and Ann Jefferson look on.	Drill team waits to begin its routine.
A series of drill team photos...
Block residents and Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee judges
Joanie and her angels.	Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee's Ann Jefferson (left) and Bill Stern present BlockCaptain Joanie Miles with a clean block street sign.

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South Philadelphia Block Association