Call Councilman Jones & Mayor Kenney
Help send a message, thousands strong, to the decision makers.
There are in life very few times when spending ten minutes a day, every day, can make the kind of difference that will change the course of history, echo down the generations. If the ultimate community in Philadelphia spends the next few months remaining on the sideline, Council-Person Curtis Jones and his people will get the support he needs to build a football stadium on Edgely. It will be the end of our way of life. Yet we have a chance to make our voices heard in a way that cannot be discounted, not by Curtis Jones, and not by his fellow council members. All politicians count contacts on important issues.
The goal, starting now, is to make 1,000 contacts with Council Person Jones and Mayor Kenney every week, from now until this thing is over. The strongest call will always be to Curtis Jones if you live in his district, however , even if you live in another district, even if you live outside of Philadelphia entirely, your membership in PADA gives you the right and opportunity to call. The ringing phone, and the voice proudly proclaiming that you are a PADA member, spend time and money in Jones’ district, and care deeply about this issue, will resonate, and your voice will be heard.
Below is a script, and also a list of key talking points. When you call, feel free to discuss whichever talking points call to you. If you have another point to make, send it, we are gathering key points to discuss. If you live in Jones’ district, make that your first point, let them know you are his constituent. Then hit whatever point you want, and then email me to let me know, we are tracking our activities.
GAME ON
Call Curtis Jones Jr, District 4
Pick up the phone and give his office a ring. You'll either get an answering machine or an aid who will take a message. They'll never argue with you or press you for details.
215-686-3416 or (215) 686-3417
Call Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney
Now call Mayor Kenney's office. You'll either get an answering machine or an aid who will take a message.
(215) 686-2181
Suggested script
Use this as your guide, but make it come from the heart. Talk about what resonates most with you. See more talking points farther down for more ideas. Be polite and courteous, even if you're angry.
"Hi my name is _______ and (if you live in ones district give your address and name) I’m calling to express my strong disapproval with the plan being spearheaded by councilman Jones to turn Edgely field into a turf football stadium.
*Insert a small personal attachment to Edgely/PADA Ex:*
(As a member of PADA (Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance) for the past 8 years, I see Edgely as my home. In fact, Edgely Field is the number one reason I moved to the Philadelphia area, right along District 4.)
You can end the call here. But if you feel like elaborating, pick an additional talking point below, or simply add:
Our community is devastated by the plan to build a stadium on top of our home. There are so many places in the vicinity that need rebuilding, that need the care and attention we have shown Edgely. If you want to build a football stadium and track, build it in one of the other identified locations that do not cast out the thousands of current users. I urge [Councilman Jones / Mayor Kenney] to use Rebuild funds to fix something that is broken which will create new spaces for people, rather than replacing our many fields with one, and destroying our community in the process.
Additional Talking Points
Pick a talking point that resonates with you.
- Diversity
- Edgely is already home to a truly diverse and inclusive community. Over 10,000 ultimate frisbee players have called Edgely home, of ages 5-65 and coming from all corners of Philadelphia. Our volunteers have cultivated and used the fields for three generations, and have spent thousands of hours promoting youth and community engagement. Our DEI initiatives introduce kids from city schools to the sport, and we partner with national organizations to run clinics for young girls. Using Rebuild funds to build a football stadium on top of Edgely’s grass fields would destroy our community.
- Green Space
- Edgely is one of the larger green spaces used year round in the city. Philadelphia, like many cities, struggles to balance the need for green space and continued development. Taking an oasis like Edgely and turning it into concrete and artificial turf stadium will destroy valued green space that is used by many people in a variety of ways that should be preserved not destroyed.
- Need for more fields
- Philadelphia desperately needs to increase its recreational capacity and this plan actively decreases it. Edgely is one huge beautiful grass field surrounded by cultivated forest. The area is used over 100,000 times a year by a diverse group of amateur athletes participating in cricket, ultimate frisbee, cycling, disc golf, golf, hiking, and lacrosse. The four fields set to be eliminated are host to approximately 500 ultimate frisbee games per year: 350 during summer leagues, 100 games during adult spring leagues, 50 in youth tournaments throughout the calendar year. The proposed stadium would have a negative impact on all of these athletes in terms of usable space for their sport.
- Youth Programming
- Edgely plays a critical role in PADA’s expansive and diverse youth programming. PADA currently brings in over one thousand youths to play ultimate frisbee at Edgely each year, and financially supports local individuals and teams such as SLA - Beeber, PADA is a grassroots non profit that uses funds from its members (which are primarily earned through adult programming also held at Edgely) to subsidize these programs, making them affordable to all youth who want to participate. PADA’s efforts have brought local youths to camp for the first time as well as put them on planes to national tournaments. The loss of Edgely will end these programs destroy these opportunities for youth.
- Edgely is home to many
- Edgely is home to multiple gender-diverse sports including: disc golf, Ultimate Frisbee, golf, and mountain biking. Displacing those athletes to make space for the largely male-dominated sport of football goes against the Rebuild mission of diversity. Rebuild seeks to include women in the industrial design of their projects, but what about the women athletes who are affected by them?
- Sense Of Place
- Edgely creates a sense of place. It brings people into the community and gives them a reason to stay in Philadelphia or to live here in District 4, close to Edgely. Destroying this community space could uproot people who have built their lives around being with their people at Edgely and leave them in search of a suburban locale or new city that can offer a strong Ultimate presence.
- There are more suitable locations
- Stadiums for youth sports belong in or adjacent to neighborhoods. Look at the new Super Sites in south Philadelphia and Germantown or Brady Field near Temple. They are all in well-lit areas and have multiple bus routes going right past them. Edgely, by contrast, is not convenient for kids to access via public transportation; kids going home at night would have to walk ¼ mile down a poorly lit road alongside the woods just to get the nearest bus route. There are no nearby schools. Foot traffic will be minimal as there are no residential or commercial areas in the vicinity. Belmont Avenue is a notoriously unsafe road for both pedestrians and cyclists.
Let us know how your call went
Upcoming Events
Community Day 2022
We'll be celebrating the community we've built at Edgely with a day filled with ultimate scrimmages, refreshments, and PADA's annual Hall of Fame Ceremony. 1-3:30: Pick up games & Preserve Edgely updates 3:30: Hall of fame induction 4:00: Barbecue.
Town Hall
The Preserve Edgely committee has been hard at work and wants to keep you up to date with their efforts. Please join us for an update meeting on Wednesday October 27, 6PM. The meeting will start with updates and divide out into breakout discussions. To RSVP, please register in advance.
Letter Writing Campaign
There are in life very few times when spending ten minutes a day, every day, can make the kind of difference that will change the course of history, echo down the generations. The goal, starting now, is to make 1,000 contacts with city council members every week,
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