The first zoning approval meeting for the proposed apartment complex at 4224 Baltimore Avenue, which was scheduled for Monday, March 3, has been cancelled due to severe weather forecast, Spruce Hill Zoning Chair Barry Grossbach announced via e-mail. A winter storm watch is in effect for Philadelphia from Sunday evening through Monday afternoon, according to Accuweather.com.

“We do not want to hold a meeting that people might have difficulty traveling to and incurring unnecessary risks in the process. This project is sufficiently important to our neighborhood that it should be scheduled free of nature’s complications,” Grossbach writes.

The meeting should be rescheduled within the next couple of weeks. We’ll post details as soon as we have them.

Here’s a list of kindergarten open houses scheduled at local elementary schools in March. The list has been compiled by the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools. Date correction: The kindergarten open house at Penn Alexander School will take place on March 4 (not March 3).

A. D. Harrington School
5300-34 Baltimore Ave., 19143
(215) 471-2914
www.philasd.org/schools/harrington
Open House: March 4, 9:00-9:54 a.m.
Note: Please come to main building (address above)

Alain Locke School
4550 Haverford Ave., 19139
(215) 823-8202
http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/l/locke
Open House: March 4, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

B. B. Comegys School
5100 Greenway Ave., 19143
(215) 727-2162
Open House: March 4, Call the school for exact time

Henry C. Lea School
4700 Locust St., 19139
(215) 471-2915
http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/l/lea
Open House: March 4, 8:45 – 10:00 a.m.

Martha Washington Academics
766 N. 44th St., 19104
(215) 823-8203
www.philasd.org/schools/marthawashington
Open House: March 4, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Morton McMichael School
3543 Fairmount Ave., 19104
(215) 823-8272
http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/m/mcmichael
Open House: March 4, Call the school for exact time

Penn Alexander School
4209 Spruce St., 19104
(215) 823-5465
www.philasd.org/schools/pennalexander
Open House: March 3 March 4, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Samuel B. Huey School
5200 Pine St., 19143
(215) 471-2901
Facebook page
Open House: Participation unconfirmed, call the school

Samuel Powel School
301 N. 36th St., 19104
(215) 823-8201
www.philasd.org/schools/powel
Open House: March 4, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape people are an active tribe from Southern New Jersey, where they hold state recognition. Hear stories of their challenges and successes as they preserve their culture in Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now. (Photos courtesy Penn Museum)

The goal of a new, large exhibition opening at the Penn Museum (3260 South Street) on Saturday, March 1 is to help us leave preconceptions about Native Americans behind. “Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now” is a rich and highly interactive show that features a wide range of contemporary Native North Americans – artists, activists, journalists, scholars, and community leaders. They speak out in video and in audio, sharing stories, poetry, and short essays on issues that matter to them today: identity, political sovereignty, religious freedom and sacred places, language, celebrations, art, and cultural continuity.

Besides a central introductory video, touch screen towers and multimedia stations are placed throughout the gallery, allowing visitors to encounter Native American perspectives on key themes.

The exhibition will have on display over 250 Native American objects—ranging from 11,000-year-old Clovis projectile points to contemporary art, which will help to tell the stories of Native American peoples today, their aspirations, histories, art, concerns, and continuing cultural traditions.

The exhibition opening will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will include Native American music and dance, presentations by Native American community leaders from around the country, as well as arts, crafts, workshops and children’s activities—all free with Museum admission.

For more information, visit this page.

West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution is hosting a roundtable discussion series titled “Philly, Your Voices, Our City” geared toward “Millennials” (20-34 year-olds). The event will take place Saturday, March 8, at Landmark Americana (on the St. Joe’s campus at 2481 N. 54th St), starting at 11:30 a.m. Younger residents are welcome to join the discussion on the city’s growth, what Philly can improve on, neighborhoods, housing options, and other topics. This is a great opportunity to voice your opinion on some of the most important aspects of city living. Also, enjoy free lunch!

To register, call 215-452-0100 or email: juliana@wpfsi.com

Local teens are taking part in Avenue Q School Edition. (Photo courtesy Project Arts)

Here’s a chance to support a new local high school musical project and help make a change in the lives of some talented teens who are facing cuts in their school music programs.

West Philly Local has already written about “Avenue Q School Edition,” an after-school program and show currently being put on at The Rotunda by Project Arts. The project has finally reached the costly production stage, which includes the construction of an intricate set, puppet rental costs, mic rentals, and the hiring of a great crew of teachers and workshop leaders, according to Rich Wexler, Project Arts executive director.

“We have improvisation classes, a history of puppetry workshop, puppetry manipulation workshops, vocal and acting coaching, and diversity training for our cast. This process gives our teens the tools to excel in our production. But we need help to provide our teens with all the necessary tools we need to make this production successful,” Rich wrote in an e-mail.

Rich and the teens and teachers involved in the project are reaching out to fellow West Philadelphians with the following request:

“If you believe in our work, please give whatever you can. Our last production (Rent School Edition) really had a great impact on the lives of our cast. In our own way, we changed some of their lives. We worked harder this year to do outreach to youth that did not have any access to theater programs or productions, as well as casting a very diverse cast.”

Project Arts was able to get $10,000 in grants for this show through a partnership with The Rotunda and their goal is to produce two to three productions a year with children and teens. They still need to raise about $3,500 to pay for all of the production costs.

If you would like to support this project please go to this Indiegogo page to make a donation:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/project-art-s-avenue-q-school-edition-fundraiser

And here’s information on the upcoming “Avenue Q School Edition” shows:

Dates: March 21st – 30th (7 shows )
Times: 3pm, 7pm, 8pm (various nights)
Venue: The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street
Cost:  $10-15
Tickets on sale here: http://projectartsavenueqschooledition.bpt.me

Archived photo/Joel DeGrands.

This afternoon, some West Philly Local readers reported to us that there was no water service around S. 45th and Baltimore/Springfield. We contacted Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) for details but found out that no one had reported the problem to them yet. When there’s a disruption in water service, please make sure to call Water Emergency Hotline at: 215-685-6300 and provide your exact address so that PWD can dispatch their crew, PWD spokesperson Laura Copeland told West Philly Local.

Since this is the season of water main breaks and frozen pipes PWD would appreciate if residents let them know without delay if there’s a problem with water.

By the way, the water service at 45th and Baltimore was restored at around 3 p.m.