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Archive | December, 2016

Holiday services at Kol Tzedek

December 21, 2016

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Photo courtesy of Kol Tzedek.

West Philly’s reconstructionist synagogue, Kol Tzedek, located at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore), is hosting holiday services on Saturday, Dec. 24 and inviting community members to join them. Two holiday events will be held – a sufganiyot (fried doughnut) party and a Joint Service of Light with the Calvary Methodist Church and West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, both on the first night of Hannukah/Christmas Eve.

The Sufganiyot Party to celebrate the first night of Hannukah will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. This event will be followed by a potluck from 6-7 p.m. for those who are staying for the Joint Service of Light. Please bring a dish to share and reusable plates.

The Joint Service of Light will be held from 7 – 8 p.m.

For more information, visit the Kol Tzedek website.

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West Philly pet opossum, Gary, gets his 15 minutes

December 19, 2016

garyopossumA West Philly opossum named Gary was recently featured on local NBC News dressed in his holiday finest.

We got curious and asked West Philly resident Katy DiSanto how she ended up adopting Gary.

“He was orphaned along with his litter during the heat wave back in August; sadly only he and one of his sisters survived,” she wrote. “Their eyes weren’t open yet and they had no fur.”

“They had to be bottle fed for a couple weeks, and then I took over feeding him formula until he could eat “regular food.” His sister went with a lady who does educational things, and the licensed rescue who was caring for him secured the proper paperwork … so he could come live with us.”  Continue Reading

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Neighborhood holiday celebrations this Sunday

December 17, 2016

Spruce Hill and Powelton Village residents have a chance this Sunday, Dec. 18 to show their Christmas carol singing prowess and help light and decorate community trees.

clarkparksunriseFriends of Clark Park will be hosting the annual Christmas Caroling in the park. The event begins at 5 p.m. at the Community Christmas Tree atop the maintenance house, near 45th and Regent Streets. This wonderful, longstanding event draws many neighbors each year as a hushed winter night falls. Everyone is welcome to come sing traditional Christmas favorites by candlelight with your neighbors, and then enjoy hot cider and cookies.

Also on Sunday, a tree lighting celebration will take place in Powelton, at 3750 Lancaster Avenue (United Bank building). Neighbors are invited to help light the tree and make decorations and memories together. This event will take place from 5 – 7:30 p.m.

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Gifts galore: Go West!, the holiday edition this Sunday

December 16, 2016

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Artwork by Laura Murdoch.

Need some holiday gifts with some Philly flavor? The annual Go West! Craft Fest holiday edition is this Sunday, Dec. 18 at The Rotunda (near 40th and Walnut) and will feature more than 100 artisan vendors selling handcrafted, locally made items.

Everything from hand-knitted winter clothing to locally made preserves to handmade toys will be available at The Rotunda. This thing has gotten so big over the years that it has now expanded into The Rotunda’s amazing Sanctuary space.

The Go West! Craft Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and here is a list of vendors.

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Clickable, mapped history of West Philly live online

December 15, 2016

historysitePeople’s Emergency Center (PEC) and the Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council (ICPIC) this week launched Westphillyhistory.com, a website that includes an interactive map which pinpoints sites of historic significance in the area ranging from the Lenape Indian settlements in the 1600s to Malcolm X and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960’s – up to the present day.

Visitors to the site can take a virtual tour, filter events by categories such as arts and culture or social movements, or walk through history using the timeline.

“West Philadelphia has often attracted national and international attention for its prominent role in our nation’s history. These neighborhoods west of the Schuylkill River have a rich cultural identity unique to the city of Philadelphia, making it a place of significance within a ‘city of firsts’,” reads a statement on the website.  Continue Reading

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Two people hospitalized after manhole fire near 49th and Windsor (updated)

December 14, 2016

A fire broke out early Wednesday afternoon underground, reportedly after a gas leak, near 49th and Windsor and caused evacuations of nearby homes, according to neighbor and media reports. The fire was seen coming out of a manhole and reaching as high as six feet. Firefighters responded to the scene, and shuttle buses replaced trolleys due to the fire.

UPDATE: Two SEPTA workers were hospitalized with 1st and 2nd degree burns following the fire, according to reports.

SEPTA and PGW were doing some work in the area this morning, according to neighbor reports, but it’s not clear whether the fire was caused by this. The Philadelphia Fire Department is investigating the cause of the gas leak.

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