Funeral services will be held Saturday for Paul Brooks, a community leader in West Philadelphia who started the Clark Park Youth Soccer League, was a past president of the Friends of Clark Park and fought for legal justice for low-income Philadelphians as an attorney with Community Legal Services.
Brooks died Feb. 5 of complications from thyroid cancer, the diagnosis of which he had kept secret from most friends for years. He was 52.
The funeral will take place at the Iron Gate Theater (37th and Chestnut) beginning at 10 a.m. The burial will follow at the Woodlands Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Paul Brooks Youth Soccer Scholarship Fund. Please make checks payable to “Friends of Clark Park” with “Paul Brooks Soccer Fund” on the memo line. They can be dropped off or sent to:
Paul Brooks Soccer Fund, c/o Frank Innes, 4522 Regent Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143-3723.
There are always unscheduled small events at Clark Park. (Photo by Mike Lyons)
The Friends of Clark Park has released a tentative list of large events for this spring, summer and fall. The events still need to go through the permitting process of the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Because of the ongoing construction at the “A” park, all of the large events this year will take place in the “B” or “C” parks below Chester Avenue.
One recent fixture on the summer park calendar, the annual music festival Best Fest, will not take place this year.
The Friends of Clark Park has recommended that no large events take place in Park A this season.
Here is the tentative schedule:
April 16/23: Uhuru Flea Market
May 7: Spruce Hill May Fair
May 14: Uhuru Flea Market
June 28: Uhuru Flea Market
June 25: Summer Solstice Festival
July 23: Uhuru Flea Market
August 20: Uhuru Flea Market
September 10: Woodland Avenue Reunion
September 17: Fall Equinox Festival
September 17: Uhuru Flea Market
(These two events will coordinate space-sharing)
September 24: Youth Soccer Fall Season
October 15: Uhuru Flea Market
The Freinds of Clark Park has a new website. Brian Siano said in an e-mail today that the new site is designed to be more of a community discussion site than the old site. The site also offers the ability to share content on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.
This week’s weather will try to convince us that spring is right around the corner. OK, we’ll take the bait, and remind folks that registration for youth sports leagues is upon us. Here’s a quick rundown of a few popular ones:
• Clark Park Youth Soccer
The registration deadline is March 1. The season runs March 19 through May 21. The cost of registration is $42 for one child, which includes membership in the Friends of Clark Park. Additional kiddos in the same family are cheaper. All the forms you need to make it happen are here.
Each 90-minute Saturday session includes instruction and a game. The league is open to kids 5-11.
• Fairmount Sports Association baseball and softball
Many kids from neighborhood play softball and baseball across the river in the Fairmount Sports Association youth leagues off Ben Franklin Parkway. T-Ball typically involves age groups (boys and girls) starting at 4-6 years old. Girls softball begins at the rookie level with league play for ages 6-10 years of age. There is also a junior–senior level league for ages 11-16 years of age.
Boy’s baseball begins at the Rookie level (7-9), Junior or Pony League (10-12) and Senior league (13-16). Travel teams will be made up upon coaches and players availability.
You’ve already missed the early bird registration for this one, so it will cost you an extra $10 to register now. Online registration is available here. Walk-in registration is also available at the FSA building near the fields every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and Tuesday/Thursday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Taney Youth baseball and softball
This league headquartered in South Philadelphia is also a popular one for neighborhood kids. The league plays its games on a number of fields in Center City. Opening day is April 9. Early bird registration is closed for this one too. But be quick because there is a cap on the number of players that will be allowed to register. The league is trying to get everyone to register online here. The registration fee is $90 for the first child and $80 for each additional child. The league is open to kids ages 3-15.
While many of us were slogging through the snow a lot of folks were over at Clark Park having fun. If you know people in the pictures, leave a comment below. We’re trying to put names to faces. Send us your storm photos and we’ll try to get them up on the site – editor – at – westphillylocal.com .
Here are a few things plucked from a full slate of weekend activities on the left bank. If we missed something that you are dying to tell us about, write editor – at – westphillylocal.com.
Friday, January 21
• Taxing Carbon: The Simple Solution to the Climate Crisis • Tabernacle United Church • 3700 Chestnut St. • 7 p.m.
Charles Komanoff, a widely known for his work as an energy-policy analyst, transport economist and environmental activist in New York City will talk.
Saturday, January 22
• Clark Park Farmer’s Market • Don’t forget that it’s open in the winter too • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
African Cultures Day • Penn Museum • 3260 South Street • 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. • Free with museum donation ($10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for kids)
Sonic Liberation Front is an afro-futuristic creative music ensemble. Its members are a who’s who of Philly’s finest genre-bending improvisers, composers and folkloric musicians (and sometimes dancers). Bobby Zankel leads an innovative jazz outfit. The Boston Phoenix wrote that Zankel “deserves any Talent Deserving Wider Recognition Award that the Jazz Press might offer.”
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