Here’s a short roundup of some recent news from around West Philadelphia.

Christina Regusters.

• A West Philadelphia woman, Christina Regusters, was found guilty on Friday of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl in January, 2013. The verdict was reached by the jury of seven women and five men after several days of testimony, which included some harrowing details. The victim, now 7, also testified at the trial and is credited by the team of investigators for leading them to her kidnapper. The little girl required a surgery after being sexually assaulted. Regusters, 21, faces up to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15.

• University City Science Center opened a 13-story, 330,000-square-foot, $100 million, office building at 3737 Market Street on Friday. Eight floors of the building are occupied by University of Pennsylvania’s Health System patient care. Other tenants include: Spark Therapeutics (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia gene therapy spinoff), Good Shepherd Penn Partners, and Corner Bakery on the ground floor (opens in winter). Technical.ly has some more details here.

• The building at 40th and Ludlow, which until recently housed a pet store, is for sale, Naked Philly reports. The 3-story, approximately 4,300 sq. foot commercial-type property at 27-29 S. 40th St is currently listed for sale for $879K. The pet store that the building housed, Tradewinds Aquarium and Pet Center, closed in the Spring after decades of operation.

Here are breakfast and lunch menus for Monday, Sept 15 through Friday, Sept 19. If your school uses a Satellite menu, click here. Come back every Sunday evening for the coming week’s menu.

BREAKFAST (K-12)

A variety of three cereals is offered daily and served with a yogurt parfait or a mini loaf.

Monday

Chicken Sausage, Egg & Cheese on English Muffin
Cheese Stick & Graham Crackers (2 pk)
Choose 1: Apple Juice or Fresh Fruit
Variety of Milk

Tuesday

Breakfast Burrito
Cinni Mini Swirls
Choose 1: Peach Cup or Fresh Fruit
Variety of Milk

Wednesday

Egg & Cheese on Wheat Bread
Sliced Breads: Banana or Zucchini
Choose 1: Orange Juice or Fresh Fruit
Variety of Milk

Thursday

Cinnamon Granola Round
Yogurt & Graham Crackers (2 pk)
Choose 1: Pineapple Cup or Fresh Fruit
Variety of Milk

Friday

Turkey Ham, Egg and Cheese on Bagel
Crunch Mania
Choose 1: Apple Juice or Fresh Fruit
Variety of Milk Continue Reading

UPDATE (9/13/2014): Due to rain forecasted on Saturday, Go West! Craft Fest has been postponed until Sunday, Sept 14.

This Saturday, Sept. 13 Sunday, Sept 14, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., VIX Emporium presents the Fall edition of the popular Go West! Craft Fest, bringing over 100 local craftspeople and artisans to the beautiful Woodlands. The vendors will be offering some of the best handmade stuff, including cards and stationery, ceramics, hand-knit items, clothing, jewelry, body and hair products, toys, and more (see the full list of the vendors and their products here).

As always, the fest also features live music, children’s activities, and food from local restaurants and food trucks (don’t forget to bring your picnic blanket). Food will be served by Aksum, Taco Angeleno, the Satellite Cafe and Black Orchid Vegetarian, and dessert by Lil’ Pop Shop and Weckerly’s Ice Cream. Free children’s craft activities will be provided by the University City Arts League and the Philly Free School.

(Updated) And here’s the music lineup that includes performances and entertainment for kids and adults alike:

12 p.m.: The Green Tambourine – children’s musical instruction
1 p.m.: Julian Root (with Liana Moskowitz and Ian Sigler) – traditional roots/bluegrass/Americana
2 p.m.: Silverton – uncompromisingly positive folk rock
3 p.m.: All Around This World – international children’s music with Jay Sand
4 p.m.: Shakey Lyman – blues legend

Brian Eckinrode will be performing random acts of juggling throughout the day.

The Craft Fest guests are also invited to take a guided tour of the Woodlands grounds that begins at the Woodlands table (near the main entrance) at 12 and 2 p.m. Also at the Woodlands table, volunteers will be collecting books for All Hallow’s Read, a children’s “book hunt” that will take place at the Woodlands on October 26. Donate any children’s books with a fall or Halloween theme, and kids can hunt for free books at the October event.

A couple of important notes: No vehicles will be admitted to the grounds from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. during the event. The rain date is Sunday, Sept. 14. The organizers will announce Saturday morning if they plan to reschedule the event (we’ll post an update, too, in this case).

As West Philly Local recently reported, the Henry C. Lea Elementary School playground at 47th and Spruce was undergoing reconstruction, with a new set being transferred from the shuttered Alexander Wilson school. The installation work finished up yesterday and the playground will reopen on Monday, Sept. 15, according to a tweet by the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools.

Source: @WPCNS.

September is here, which means kids go back to school, but also some local kids’ recreational and after-school programs resume. Here’s a reminder of two great youth soccer programs in the area for those families who are looking for sports or recreational activities for their children this Fall.

Clark Park Youth Soccer League (updated)

Photo courtesy of Clark Park Youth Soccer League.

Update (9/11/2014): Registration for the Fall season of Clark Park Youth Soccer is now open. Click here to register online. The program is also seeking volunteer coaches. If you know a little bit about the game and like running and having fun with kids, email: clarkparksoccer@yahoo.com

9/2/2014: The Clark Park Youth Soccer League (CPYSL) is a program of Friends of Clark Park (FOCP) designed for kids ages 5-11. The Fall season of the program starts on Saturday, Sept. 27 and goes on until Nov. 22. Soccer instruction and games (90-minute sessions) are offered every Saturday in the Clark Park bowl at 45th and Chester. Mornings (10:30 a.m. – Noon): ages 5-6.5 and ages 6.5-7. Afternoons (Noon-1:30 p.m.): ages 8-9 and ages 10-11. This is a low-cost program. The fees include a $20 seasonal (fall or spring) fee for the first child and $10 for each additional child and a $20/year FOCP family membership fee if you have one child enrolling in the program ($25 for families with two or more kids in the program).

Please note that CPYSL is a volunteer-run program and relies on the help from parents and other adults. Adults are invited to assist with coaching or to help with the administrative work.

Visit this page for more information and to download registration forms.

Soccer Shots at Cedar Park

Soccer Shots is a positive introduction to soccer for toddlers and preschool aged children (ages 2-4). The program has opened registration for the fall season in West Philadelphia. The fall season starts on Saturday, Sept. 6 and ends on November 8. Soccer Shots focuses on the skills and lessons of the game by offering non-competitive classes. Each child learns the fundamentals of the game through skill instruction, fun games, and creative play. Classes are offered on Saturdays, from 9 – 11 a.m. (30-40 minutes of soccer instruction) at Cedar Park (50th and Baltimore). Spots are still available for some sessions. The fee is $120 per child and you can register online (click here to register).

Soccer Shots also has programs in eight other areas of the city and you can search for all of their programs on their website at www.soccershots.org/philadelphia.

If you have any questions, please contact Soccer Shots at: philly [at] soccershots.org or 267-630-1557.

Good news for those home and business owners who didn’t manage to get a free tree for their yard during Philadelphia Parks and Recreation’s TreePhilly Spring Tree Giveaway campaign. Registration for the Fall 2014 TreePhilly Yard Tree Giveaways is now open and interested property owners are welcome to sign up through September 30.

Residents can register to pick up their free yard tree at one of four giveaway events across the city in October (in Southwest, South, Northeast and Northwest Philadelphia; see below). TreePhilly is also excited to announce a new option that will allow registrants to select their desired tree species upon registration. If you would like to get a yard tree but are not sure what species to pick, TreePhilly recommends logging on to TreeHarmony.org. There you can take a quiz to get matched with your SoulTree.

Registration is strongly encouraged for this program, but walk-ups will be welcomed at the end of each event while supplies last. Recipients will also receive a planting and care demonstration provided by tree experts, free mulch, and educational materials.

Go here to register.

Here are the four locations, including dates and times, where you can pick up your tree (residents with limited mobility can apply for free tree delivery and planting; contact Erica Smith Fichman at 215-683-0217):

• Saturday, Oct 11, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Pennypack Environmental Center (8600 Verree Rd)
• Sunday, Oct 12, 1 – 3 p.m., Connell Park (6401 Elmwood Ave)
• Saturday, Oct 18, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Gorgas Park (6300 Ridge Ave)
• Sunday, Oct 19, 12 – 2 p.m., Columbus Square (1200 Wharton Street)

Please note that this program only provides trees for private property yards (front, back, and side yards). If you want a street tree for your property or for the whole block, check out this page.

For more information, visit: http://treephilly.org/