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"West Philadelphia"

Milkcrate Cafe vandalized but still open

Posted on 01 March 2024 by WestPhillyLocal.com

Milkcrate Café, the vinyl record boutique and café that opened at 45th and Baltimore less than six months ago, was vandalized early Thursday morning. Several windows were smashed “sometime around 3:30 a.m.,” according to an Instagram post by Milkcrate owner Adam Porter (see below), and there is no information as of today on who did it and why.

Despite the vandalism, the shop will stay open for business. “Unfortunately, there will be boards up for 2-3 weeks until the new windows are in,” reads the post. Adam also thanked everyone who have supported his business these past two days in the aftermath:

“As disheartening and sad as it may seem…I found joy and comfort from all of our neighbors coming by and showing support… It’s a wonderful vibey shop and I’m super proud of it. West Philadelphia is an amazing vibrant, unique, super rad neighborhood that’s unlike anywhere else in the city. To say I’m proud to be here & part of this community is an understatement.”

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Fran Byers, community organizer and Friends of Clark Park founding member, passes away

Posted on 01 March 2024 by WestPhillyLocal.com

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Fran Byers at a Clark Park re-opening event in 2012 (Archive Photo – West Philly Local).

We are sad to report that long-term Spruce Hill resident and community organizer, Fran Byers, 83, passed away this week. During almost all of her life in Spruce Hill, Fran was involved with local community organizations and neighborhood groups. She was a founding member of Friends of Clark Park.

“Fran… lived one block away from the park, and was an active member in many neighborhood groups, but her dedication to Clark Park knew no bounds,” reads a post dedicated to Fran’s passing on the Friends of Clark Park website.

“Fran had served as president many times and was still active at the time of her death. A threat to remove the internationally famous Dickens statue from removal triggered the original drive by Fran and fellow activists to create Friends of Clark Park; decades later, she still proudly served the cake at Dickens Birthday Party.”

For years, Fran headed many activities at Clark Park, like Bark in the Park, the Veterans Day celebration and Christmas caroling. She was also involved with St. Francis De Sales Church and the Calvary Center.

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Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures awards grants to many West Philly artists, organizations

Posted on 28 February 2024 by WestPhillyLocal.com

Over $1 million worth of grants has been recently awarded to Greater Philadelphia’s BIPOC creative community through Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures Program. Ten of the 39 grants are going to West Philly based artists and art organizations: Arts Without Boundaries, jaamil olawale kosoko, Linda Fernandez, One Art Community Center, Selina Morales, Sherman Fleming, Tania Isaac, Theatre in the X, Val Gay, and Xenia Matthews.

Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures grants are administered in flat amounts of $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000 and will fund new performances, exhibitions, films, community-engaged public art, and help strengthen long-term organizational success. Here are some of the projects that these grants will support.

Arts Without Boundaries will utilize their grant to create a community theater program in West Philadelphia for children ages 6 to 13.

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Our Closet in Your Neighborhood distributes free food and clothing at weekly pop-up events

Posted on 27 February 2024 by WestPhillyLocal.com

Our Closet in Your Neighborhood (OCIYN) is a mobile basic needs program providing food and clothing at weekly pop-up events across the city of Philadelphia. Every month, the program partners with the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral (19 S. 38th St.) to host a pop-up event where they distribute food, clothing as well as an opportunity to speak to a qualified social worker about possible services or benefits.

The next event is scheduled for this Thursday, Feb. 29, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Check out the flyer below for more details. More information about the program is available here. To download OCIYN’s events flyer for March 2024, click here.

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Philadelphia Historical Commission to consider Spruce Hill for historic district designation, to hold public meetings

Posted on 22 February 2024 by WestPhillyLocal.com

Proposed Historic District designation area in Spruce Hill (image courtesy of SHCA).

The Philadelphia Historical Commission, the City’s preservation agency, is calling for public meetings to consider the proposal to designate a part of the Spruce Hill neighborhood as a historic district. The agency will hold two public meetings, on April 17 and May 10, when property owners and other interested parties are invited to comment on the proposed district. Both meetings will be on Zoom.

The proposed historic district consists of 572 properties and the boundaries are shown on the map above. The map also shows parts of Spruce Hill already designated as Historic Districts and properties included in the Registrar of Historic Places.

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New rail cars coming to Market-Frankford Line thanks to federal grant

Posted on 19 February 2024 by WestPhillyLocal.com

SEPTA is expected to receive $317,160,000 in infrastructure funding to purchase approximately 200 new rail cars on the Market-Frankford Line, according to a recent joint announcement by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), U.S. Representatives Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2), Dwight Evans (D-PA-3), and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5), and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Pennsylvania delegation in Congress has consistently fought for federal funding for SEPTA to improve accessibility, promote sustainability and reduce emissions. This investment is thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

“A few weeks ago, I led a letter to the Department of Transportation on the urgent need to support SEPTA. Today, I am thrilled to join with my colleagues and announce DOT’s $317 million investment to support new cars on the Market-Frankford Line,” Fetterman said.

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