A cat has been missing for about 2 weeks in vicinity of 48th & Warrington. He is pudgy, all black, shorthair, sorry no pics available.
If you see him or catch him, call 267-974-3529.

West Philly resident John Salmon is putting together a series of free weekly, weekend ukulele workshops at his home (46th and Hazel) for kids 8-14. The first meeting will be this Sunday.

John writes:

“It’s a very fun and relatively easy instrument, and a great way to expose children to the joy of making music.”

Each child will need a ukulele. John said he will have some for sale ($25-$45), but also asks parents to consult with him before buying one as “the difference between a usable instrument and a piece of junk is not always obvious.”

John has committed to eight classes and then says he will assess how it’s going before proceeding with more classes.

For more information see John’s blog post here. E-mail him at sugarinthegourd.com — at — gmail.com.

To provide a little inspiration, here’s Jason Castro from American Idol a couple of years ago singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and playing ukulele, a performance inspired by  Israel “IZ” Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole’s version:

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 University City Review has a story about Brooks here.

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.

If you’re hankering for a flower-related activity and you don’t feel like making the trek to Center City, Bartram’s Garden (54th and Lindbergh) might have what you’re looking for.

The Garden grounds and shop will be open for tours this week from today to March 13 to coincide with the Philadelphia International Flower Show. While you are there you can pick up some heirloom seeds at the Garden shop. Tours are available until 4 p.m.

Click here for more information.

WPVI ran a story yesterday about the gospel concert fundraiser at the Monumental Baptist Church (4948 Locust St.). The concert was held in cooperation with the Walnut Hill Community Association, which has raised some $5,000 for fire victims, according to the story. That includes a $1,000 donation from Mayor Michael Nutter, who was on hand for yesterday’s concert.

Here’s the video:

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