Photo courtesy ThePennRelays.com

The nation’s oldest and largest track and field event, the Penn Relays, kicks off tomorrow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field (233 S. 33rd St.) and there are a couple things West Philadelphia residents should know about the event.

First, traffic near Franklin Field will increase significantly as a result of the Relays, which run through Saturday. Penn security officials said 33rd Street from Walnut to South will be closed for about an hour on Saturday, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Those planning to attend the event, which attracts some 15,000 athletes ranging from high school students to Olympians, should expect much tighter security than in the past due to the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon. Security will be tight at every entrance to Franklin Field and everyone will be checked with metal detectors. Bomb-sniffing dogs and bomb disposal teams will also be on hand.

Here are the rules:

• Backpacks and large bags (gym bags etc.) will not be permitted into Franklin Field or the Relay Carnival Village.

• Participants (athletes, coaches, team medical personnel) will be permitted to bring in backpacks. These bags will be thoroughly checked and will only be allowed in via the designated participant entrances.

• All bags containing food must be smaller than 12x12x6 (inches) and in clear plastic bags. Sealed plastic water bottles and cardboard juice boxes are permitted inside the clear plastic bags.

• Coolers, glass bottles and cans will not be permitted.

For more info, including ticket information and schedule of events, go to the Penn Relays website.

Today is the mail-in deadline for registering to vote in the May 21 primary. You can check your registration status online here. If you know you are registered, no reason to do it again unless you moved, changed your name or your party affiliation. Your registration must be postmarked by today to be eligible.

The local offices that will be decided this year include: District Attorney, City Controller, Judge of Court of Common Pleas, Judge of Philadelphia Municipal Court (3 vacancies), Judge of Traffic Court (3 vacancies), Inspector of Elections.

Statewide offices include the Judge of the Superior Court.

The most notable local race will be for City Controller, where incumbent Alan Butkovitz faces non-profit exec Brett Mandel and attorney Mark Zecca for the Democratic nomination. Current District Attorney Seth Williams is running unopposed for the party nomination.

– Mike Lyons

Little Baby’s Ice Cream is already developing a flair for the dramatic. The artisan ice cream maker announced last-minute that it will open its anticipated Cedar Park location at 4903 Catharine St. at 2 p.m. tomorrow in what will be a busy Saturday in the neighborhood.

Here’s who will be at Little Baby’s:

Play on Philly Youth Orchestra
Sky Sisters Face Painting
Urban Nutrition Initiative’s
Rebel Granola Bars
Yumtown USA Food Truck
Art in the Age Spirits
Philly Roller Girls

The shop will be open until 11 p.m. tomorrow and “every day thereafter,” according to an e-mail.

While you’re on the 4900 block of Catharine, you might want to cross Baltimore Avenue to The Marvelous! for National Record Store Day. The day includes special music releases and, sometimes, live performances at record shops around the country. Here’s what The Marvelous is bringing in for the day (all on vinyl):

Scientist “Scientific Dub” 3×10″ on color vinyl
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, “Animal X” 7″
Rough Guide to Psychedelic Brazil
Aloha, “Here Comes Everyone”
Tame Impala debut EP
Cut Copy, “Bright Like Neon Love”
Can’s “Ege Bamyasi” played by Stephen Malkmus & Friends
Rough Guide to African Disco
Nick Drake comp
Brian Eno / Nicolas Jaar / Grizzly Bear
Grateful Dead, “Rare Cuts & Oddities 1966”
Trashmen, “Mean Woman Blues b/w Big Boss Man 7”
Notorious B.I.G., “Ready to Die” ltd. ed. white vinyl

This, of course, is in addition to the Go West! Craft Fest (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and the Uhuru Flea Market (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at Clark Park.

West Philly Runners are joining running clubs around the city tomorrow (Thursday, Apr. 18) for a run to honor those impacted by the tragedy in Boston.

Anyone interested in joining the run should meet at the West Philly Runners usual starting spot at 45th and Locust at 7 p.m. The run will proceed to City Hall where runners from different clubs around the city will meet up and run for a little while together.

Runners who do not typically run as part of a group are also encouraged to join in and invite friends who might be interested.

The run is “meant to be a show of strength and unity for our community,” according to the West Philly Runners website.
 

The state has finally signed a lease and now the “premium” Wine and Spirits Shop proposed for the strip mall at 43rd and Chestnut that sparked some controversy in the Spruce Hill neighborhood last year is about three months away from opening.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) approved the project last June, but many residents began wondering if the 5,000-square-foot shop would ever become a reality. Barry Grossbach, who heads up zoning for the Spruce Hill Community Association, said renovation has begun on the end units – formerly a check cashing spot and Risque, an adult video store (pictured) – and will take about 45 days. State officials say it will take another 45 days to get the store stocked and ready to open.

Several residents who live near the proposed location, including Muslim residents from the nearby Masjid al-Jamia mosque, opposed the store. Their opposition was met with support from scores of other residents, which made for a contentious ZBA hearing last summer.

The Wine and Spirits Store at 4301 Chestnut St. will be a a “premium collection” store similar to the ones near 12th and Chestnut and 19th and Chestnut, which feature a broader selection of products than other stores and do not sell small package items such as pints and half pints. This will be the first premium store in West Philadelphia.

The new location will take some pressure off the store near 50th and Baltimore, where lines have swelled since the closing of the shop near 41st and Market in January 2012.

– Mike Lyons

Philly 311, the pretty awesome city service that will help you get information and help from City Hall, is hosting a Twitter chat on Thursday as part of its Neighborhood Liaison program.

Here’s how it works: Deputy Mayor/Managing Director Rich Negrin (@RichNegrin) and Deputy Managing Director Rosetta Carrington Lue (@Rosettalue) will be on Twitter to field questions, concerns and share ideas about how the city government can help empower neighborhoods. The hashtag for the chat is #Philly311NLP.

Specifically, the chat will address six questions:

• How do you define a “community hero”?
• How can city government empower community heroes?
• What can neighborhoods do to keep their communities safe and clean?
• The Philly311 Mobile App now translates to 16 different languages. How could this help unify neighborhoods?
• How can the city’s youth be inspired to keep their communities safe and clean?
• How should the city government communicate its services to Philadelphians without access to technology?

The Neighborhood Liaison Program is designed to connect Philly311 and City Hall to neighborhood organizations by creating a network of volunteer liaisons who can relay community concerns about everything from a pothole to a blighted property.