Demolition crews have begun tearing down the 40th Street Methodist Episcopal Church to make room for retail space. The two-story Romanesque-style church has stood at the corner of 40th and Sansom for 136 years. The construction of the new space, which will host Dunkin Donuts, Zesto Pizza and a couple of other retailers, is expected to be completed by April 2014.

(Photo by West Philly Local reader Karl Munkelwitz.)

Editor’s Note: Go West! Craft Fest is this Sunday, Dec. 15, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at The Rotunda and not Saturday as it was originally reported in this post. Also, we have received a note from Play On, Philly! that their holiday concert has been postponed until after the New Year. We will keep you posted on a new date.

There are a lot of things happening in West Philly this weekend and we hope that the cold weather won’t deter you from checking out local holiday shopping events, music, films, theater, Christmas caroling, and other fun stuff. Our Events Roundup is below. For more events or if you want to submit an event, go to our Events Calendar. Also, don’t forget about ongoing events, like Holiday Craft Show and Sale at UC Arts League, and other holiday shopping and giving opportunities. If you need a Christmas tree, check out this post.

Friday, December 13

All day – The Gold Standard Cafe (48th & Baltimore) is donating one third of their total proceeds to Kingsessing library. Your donation will go to serve the library’s reading and educational needs.

5-10 pm – Neighbors are invited to get together to celebrate the season at The Cedar Works‘ first Holiday Party and Sale. 14 artists who call The Cedar Works home will be selling their works for holiday gifting.

5-10 pm – This Friday is a special holiday Second Friday on Lancaster Avenue, with festivities spanning from 34th Street all the way up to 41st. Enjoy great music, fine food, and good vibes.

8 pm – Gender Comedy: A Less Stupid Twelfth Night Gay Fantasia opens at Curio Theatre (48th & Baltimore).

Saturday, December 14

2 pm – International House Philadelphia (37th & Chestnut) invites families for its Family Matinee program, featuring a special holiday screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas. The film is a Halloween-Christmas hybrid and audience favorite. Tickets are $5; free for IHP members.

2-5 pm – Neighbors are invited to build their own gift baskets at Milk & Honey Market (45th & Baltimore). Create unique and inspired gift baskets filled with local products and thoughtfully selected books and goods and also enjoy free hot cocoa!

3 pm – University Lutheran Church (3637 Chestnut St) presents harpsichordist Marcia Kravis with her solo program, Dr. John Bull and Company: Music from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book.

3:30 pm – Stop by Penn Museum (3260 South St) for “Unwrapping the Mummy: Hollywood Fantasies, Egyptian Realities,” a presentation by Dr. Stuart Tyson Smith, Chair of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Smith explores some modern myths about mummies, and the fascinating insights that can be gained from studying the “equipment” buried with mummies for the afterlife.

Sunday, December 15

All day – Enjoy delicious organic and locally made popsicles at Lil’ Pop Shop before it closes until February 1, 2014.

11 am – 5 pm – The winter edition of Go West! Craft Fest is finally here. VIX Emporium boutique and As the Crow Flies & Co. online are teaming up to bring over 40 vendors – local artists, craftspeople and designers – to The Rotunda (40th & Walnut). While shopping, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy frozen treats from Weckerly’s Ice Cream and vegetarian-friendly fare from Black Orchid Foods.

5 pm – The Friends of Clark Park invite you to come raise your voice with your neighbors in singing traditional Christmas carols around the Community Christmas tree (Clark Park “B”, near 45th & Regent). Refreshments will be served afterwards. This one always seems to work out much better after an Eagles win, so go Birds. For more info call 215-222-2255.

Editor’s Note: We’re proud to present the sixth in a series of vignettes of local block captains drawn from Them That Do, a multimedia documentary project and community blog by West Philly-based award-winning photographer Lori Waselchuk. Go to Them That Do for more information, updates and additional photos.

Lisa Barkley / Photo: Lori Waselchuk.

Lisa Barkley shows me the view of her fruit tree orchard from the window of her bright yellow kitchen.

“We have apple trees, pear trees, plum trees, cherry trees, peach, apricot and nectarine trees,” Barkley says. She sounds surprised by the bounty she helped create. “A grapevine – we have Concord grapes out there. Wow!”

Barkley lives in the same 2-bedroom unit in the Haddington Homes public housing project at 55th Street and Vine where she was born. As a child, she played games on Pearl Street. As a young woman, she was the secretary for the Haddington tenant council and in 1999 she was voted the block captain.

From her home, she has watched her community evolve. “There were never flowers, no plants, just trees and some shrubbery here and there,” she remembers. “But it was clean. The adults really took ownership of where they lived.“

But as time went on, the community seemed to lose that sense of collective responsibility. The children lost safe play areas. The local cleaning business was torn down. The city blocked off Pearl Street, creating a dark, abandoned space. Haddington’s parking lot became a staging ground for stolen cars.

“Public housing is transient, so people move in for a while and move out. As a block captain, I want to see the neighborhood be neighbors again.”

Through Barkley’s leadership and with planning and material help from Urban Tree Connection and Mission Philadelphia (Facebook page), the Haddington residents have transformed the parking lots and Pearl Street into a playground, community gardens, and an orchard.

Barkley has reserved the orchard for the adults who live at Haddington. She encourages them to plant their own vegetable plots or use the orchard as a place of refuge.

“Gardening is a natural de-stresser, right? When I plant a seed in the ground and nurture a little sprout, the feeling I get inside – it’s fulfillment. “

The orchard feeds Barkley’s imagination and passions. She inspires others as well. On a sunny Saturday morning in September, eight women attended Barkley’s class on juicing, which she held in the orchard. The women laughed as they placed copious chunks of pineapple, grapes, pears, and spinach into the juicer. They teased each other during the tastings.

The orchard brings beauty into Haddington Homes, and beauty is Barkley’s highest priority. “I want to embrace life now and do all the beautiful things and live the beautiful way that I envision.”

–Lori Waselchuk

As temperatures outside drop, many older West Philly houses can feel drafty and cold inside while your energy bills skyrocket. Air sealing and insulation alone can save up to 25 percent on these costs, but not everyone can afford this type of work on their house. We learned that The Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (Keystone HELP) is a special program designed to help homeowners improve the comfort of their homes and save money through energy efficiency upgrades.

Homeowners can qualify for a 0.99 percent interest loan of up to $15,000 to finance the upgrades. As a first step for loan qualification, a home energy audit must be completed that assesses a home’s durability, energy efficiency, and health and safety. Other qualifying improvements include heating and cooling system replacements, hot water heater replacement, windows and doors. The pre-qualification loan application can be completed on Keystone HELP’s Web site, http://www.keystonehelp.com/, and you can search for a local contractor by clicking the “Find A Contractor” button.

Also, click here for quick tips for energy efficiency.

A fire in an electrical box below the westbound platform at the 46th Street El Station caused a temporary Market-Frankford line service interruption this afternoon, according to SEPTA’s spokesperson Andrew Busch. The fire was reported around 3:50 p.m. and was quickly contained by responding fire crews. No injuries were reported.

During the train service interruption, shuttle buses transported passengers between 52nd and 40th Streets. The train service was resumed around 4:40 p.m.

The Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia shelter is jam-packed once again and there are many dogs and cats in need of permanent or foster homes. This week’s adoptable dog is Monty, likely suffering from “black dog syndrome” and being overlooked because of it. Monty is an amazing boy patiently waiting for his forever home.

Monty is just a young, medium sized pup of 6 to 12 months. He was recently surrendered to the shelter when his owner could no longer afford to care for him. He is the perfect gentleman, he takes treats very gently, plays very gently, and even knows “sit”!

He would do great in a home with kids. He loves a good game of fetch and doesn’t mind when you take the ball away from him to throw again. He is mellow and just goes with the flow. He loves treats and is eager to learn, so training shouldn’t be a problem! He also walks like a gem on the leash.

He loves to play with other dogs but is happy to just hang out and chill by them too. He would make a great walking or running buddy and you can’t resist his cute little face! Don’t worry, he also gives tons of kisses too. He is the whole package and would love to be in a home sharing all of his love with you for the holidays.

He will be neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations prior to going home with you! Come meet this wonderful boy and have a lifelong best friend.

If you have questions about Monty or if you want to come in and meet him, email: Always8bball@aol.com or otherwise feel free to stop in at ACCT. Hours are Monday-Friday 1pm-8pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm at 111 W. Hunting Park Ave, Philadelphia.