Street Movies!, a series of free outdoor short movie screenings and live performances organized by Scribe Video Center (4212 Chestnut St.), are happening this month in communities all around Philadelphia. The films, including animation, documentary, and experimental, focus on environmental justice, healthy foods, new immigrants and urban green spaces.

This Saturday, August 6, Street Movies! will be in West Philly. Four films will be screened in Clark Park’s Bowl (45th & Kingsessing) starting at 7:30 p.m. The film presentation is hosted by the Jubilee School and the Green Guerillas, who will power the screening with their biodiesel waste and vegetable oil-powered bus the “Grease Guzzler.”

Philly-based hip hop artist Alwatan Kwele, who is originally from Tanzania, will open the evening.

There will be another screening in West Philly hosted by Mill Creek Community Partnership on August 27. Stay tuned for more information about that event.

Here are synopses of the films (from the Scribe site):

The Future of Our History
by Jubilee School
K-6 students of Jubilee spend two years studying W.E.B. Du Bois, making a pilgrimage to Great Barrington, MA, where they visit the graves of Du Bois’ wife and young son. (2011, 15 min)

Pumzi
by Wanuri Kahiu
35 years after “The Water War” has ruined earth’s surface, a young woman defies the governing council of her indoor community, escapes to the outside to plant a growing seedling. (Kenya, 2009, 21 min). Philadelphia Premiere.

Green Grease Guzzlers
by Green Guerrillas Youth Media Tech Collective (in person)
A story about alternative and sustainable transportation, this excerpt showcases Green Guerrillas ona move, making their collective’s transportation more “eco-friendly” with the conversion of a 1990 Ford Econoline diesel bus into a lean and green biodiesel/waste veggie oil machine. (2010, 30 min). Philadelphia Premiere.

Save the Future
by Jenny Deller (in-person)
A young girl re-imagines her life as a PSA, blurring the lines between her family troubles and environmental catastrophe. Save the Future is a companion short to her feature “Future Weather” about global warming. The whole production was environmentally conscious. (2009, 3 min)
 

Today is the last day to register for kindergarten at the Henry C. Lea School (47th and Locust) until registration for the entire school begins on Aug. 22.

The West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools has all the you need to get your youngster into the school, which has managed to skirt many of the problems associated with budget cuts through grassroots community efforts. The school has retained its art teacher and will have a fully staffed library thanks to a grant by the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children and volunteers from the neighborhood. It is also bolstering its music program.

If you have been near the corner of 45th and Chestnut recently, you may have noticed the large, blank, west-facing apartment building wall and thought something wasn’t quite right. That’s because the large mural of Paul Robeson, which greeted eastbound travelers on Chestnut, is gone.

But worry not; the famous actor and All-American athlete and son of a former slave who lived his later years in his sister’s row home at 4949 Walnut St. shall return. A new Robeson mural is being created as you read this.

The original mural, painted by Peter Pagast in 1999 and removed in February, is being replaced with one by Ernel Martinez, who painted the Malcolm X. mural at Ridge Avenue and W. Susquehanna Avenue.

Amy Johnston from the City’s Mural Arts Program said the mural will be back up some time next month.

“The mural is being repainted on parachute cloth in the artist’s studio,” she said.

The Robeson and Malcolm X murals are part of the African American Iconic Images collection, which also includes portraits of Jackie Robinson, Women of Jazz and Malcolm X, among others, and historical scenes of African American life and community.

This Saturday, August 6, Cedar Park (50th and Baltimore) is turning 100 years old and neighbors are invited to celebrate at the Centennial Fair.

There will be live music, vendors, children’s activities and even a parade. Here’s the full schedule of events and activities.

Activities
1 p.m. – Cedar Park Scholarship Presentation
1:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Children’s Activities including ring toss, potato sack race, moonbounce, face painting and games – 1:15-4:00 p.m.
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Terrarium Make and Take Activity – 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Entertainment
Noon – DJ Jamar starts
1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. – Rosemary Fiki Band
1:50 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Gretchen Elise
2:40 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. – Independent Rock School

The parade will take place at 4:30-5 p.m. Neighbors (and pets) of all ages are welcome to strut their stuff. Drums, fancy hats and parade attire are highly recommended.

Lastly, the final Cedar Park jazz concert of the season will run from 6-8 p.m.

While at the fair don’t forget to pick up a copy of the Cedar Park Neighbors Anniversary Brochure which includes historical pictures and stories of the neighborhood through the years.

Update (August 11): The cat has been found and returned to her owner.

A very friendly indoor-outdoor dark tortoiseshell cat has been missing from 43rd & Pine/Osage since Monday. No collar or microchip.

She’s petite, about 2 yrs old, and fixed. She has a condition with her right eye (as you can see from the photo) that needs to be dealt with. If you’ve seen her (or are able to capture her) please contact Lia at 215-559-4648, or email: lml3 [at] verizon.net (neighbor).

If you live within a few blocks of 43rd & Pine/Osage please check your yard, alley, under the porch, in the basement, garage, etc. She may be injured and hiding.

A group of West Philly youths have decided: If the people can’t get to fresh fruits and vegetables, they’re going to get the fresh fruits and vegetables to the people.

Starting tomorrow the Youth Urban Mobile Market (YUMM) will begin delivering fresh produce from 52nd to 60th Streets in a bicycle-driven cart. The cart will launch on Friday at the first ever Youth Growers Market at Malcolm X. Park (51st and Pine Streets) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  The YUMM cart will pedal the neighborhoods four times weekly, helping relieve the dearth of fresh food in many parts of West Philly.

The cart and tomorrow’s market are staffed by young folks from the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative, which is part of the University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Students from a number of area schools are involved, including: Martin Luther King High School’s “Seeds for Learning;” Saul High School’s “Henry Got Crops;” the School of the Future; Pepper Middle School; the Philadelphia Urban Food and Fitness Alliance; Earth Keepers; and Walnut Hill Farm.

If things go as planned a lot more people in Philadelphia will see mobile fruit and vegetable carts around the city. The YUMM cart is the first of the City’s “Healthy Carts” program. Twenty carts are planned to begin operating in low-income neighborhoods in 2011-2012 as part of the “Food Fit Philly” program.

For more information on the YUMM cart or the youth growers program, write Lan Dinh at: landinh89 [at] gmail.com.