Clark Park Youth Soccer, a recreational program for children ages 5 to 11 is returning this Spring and registration is now open. The season will start on March 23 and go on through May 18. More information about the program and registration forms are available on the Friends of Clark Park website.

The program is also seeking volunteer coaches. You don’t need serious soccer skills or coaching experience in order to apply. What’s important is some basic knowledge of the game and enthusiasm for working with kids. If you’d like to volunteer or have questions, please email clarkparksoccer@yahoo.com.

A screenshot from CaptnFog’s Youtube channel.

A highly entertaining Saturday tradition at Clark Park will be put on hold indefinitely. The weekly Capture the Flag game at the park, which has delighted and puzzled park visitors for a decade, has been suspended.

The company that runs the game and supplies foam swords, knives and bow and arrows –  Epic Adventurez – will host the game at other locations in the city. The company has used the Clark Park gathering to help recruit participants for its larger events, annual summer camps and to keep its community of players active in the fall and winter months. But participation has been declining and the company is losing money on the swords and other weapons it supplies to players for a $5 donation, said Epic Adventurez Robert Bedford in an e-mail.

The game drew as many as 80 people in its early years, but Bedford said the game hasn’t drawn that many players in “quite some time.”

Bedford said he hopes Capture the Flag (CTF) will return this spring. He writes: “We do not think this will be the end of Clark Park CTF, we hope we can reorganize, and eventually resupply in order to provide the equipment necessary to encourage the level of play we desire.”

For those in the neighborhood who can’t go a weekend without it, there will be Capture the Flag games at Allens Lane Art Center in Mt. Airy on Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Bedford said he’s also looking to establish a game on Saturdays in Morris Park, near 66th and Sherwood, in the Overbrook neighborhood.

The annual Christmas tree recycling initiative by UC Green received a great response from the community this year. Residents brought more than 400 Christmas trees to Clark Park on January 5, the University City District reports. Residents also donated money to UC Green, which turned the collected trees into wood chips that will be used in the neighborhood’s community gardens. On the same day, eForce Compliance collected nearly 11,000 pounds of used electronics from local residents, which will also be recycled or disposed of in an environmentally-safe manner.

One of other ways to help UC Green, a local non-profit that works on community greening projects, is to buy their firewood, all local and all split by volunteers, currently available at Mariposa Food Co-op (49th & Baltimore).

Photo courtesy UCD.

Happy New Year, everyone! Now many of you will start thinking about what to do with your Christmas tree. Of course, you can just take it outside on your trash pick-up day and it will be collected by the city. But, if you want to get rid of your tree in a more eco-friendly way, here are some options.

– Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Day – Saturday, Jan. 5

Bring your tree to Clark Park (43rd & Chester) on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it will be turned into wood chips instead of landfill. The mulch produced from the recycled trees will be used in neighborhood parks and gardens. Suggested donation is $10 per tree which will go to support UC Green and its neighborhood greening efforts. For more information, please contact Sue MacQueen at 215-573-4684 or suemacqueen@ucgreen.org.

You can also drop off your used household electronics, including computers and anything else with a plug! This is a great opportunity to safely dispose of any potentially harmful materials. For more information, contact Seth Budick at 215-243-0555 or seth@universitycity.org. 

– If you want to keep your tree a little longer please keep in mind that the Streets Department starts accepting trees for composting and mulching beginning Monday, Jan. 7. You can drop off your tree at one of sanitation convenience centers through Saturday, Jan. 19. The Southwest Philadelphia Sanitation Convenience Center is located at 3033 S. 63rd St., near Passyunk Ave. For more information call 215-685-4290 or visit this page.

The Clark Park Farmers’ Market (43rd & Baltimore) will be open on Wednesday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to cater to your Thanksgiving shopping needs. Expect the following farms and products:

Quaff Meadows: Fresh vegetables and pre-order turkeys
Big Sky Bakery: Pre-order apple and pumpkin pies and fresh breads
Homestead Garden: Fresh vegetables and herbs
Frecon Farm: Fresh fruit and apple cider
Primordia: Mushrooms
Eden Garden: Pre-order cider and apples

Source: University City District

Join local community groups this Saturday (Nov. 17) for Love Your Park Day and help prep neighborhood parks for the winter. Here’s how and where you can help:

• Clark Park (43rd and Chester) – Friends of Clark Park will be raking leaves, spreading mulch, weeding, and picking up trash. Meet at the green and white shed on 45th St. between Chester and Woodland Aves. at 9:00 a.m., or just stop by when you can. RSVP here.
• Malcolm X Park (51st and Pine) – Friends of Malcolm X Park (Facebook page) will be doing some cleaning, bulb-planting, and leaf-raking in the park. Tools and refreshments provided. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information contact Greg Cojulun at 215-748-5329.
• Barkan Park (50th and Spruce) – Barkan Park cleanup is scheduled between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. For more information contact Mark Mendenhall at 215-476-2983.

If you know of other clean-ups, please let us know in the comments.