Two great local community resources, Scribe Video Center and KEYSPOT, are hosting open houses on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

KEYSPOT, a project by the Freedom Rings Partnership that has over 70 centers with computer labs, free internet access and training throughout Philadelphia, has recently opened a new location in West Philly – at Drexel University’s Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships. This Tuesday, community members are invited for an evening of mingling and refreshments at an open house at this location. There will be opportunities to:

• Learn about free computer access, education, and job preparation resources
• Participate in a Q&A session with KEYSPOT staff and clients
• Enter a raffle to win a netbook computer
• Discover how these KEYSPOTs are helping put Philadelphia’s job-seekers to work

The open house will be held from 4 to 7 p.m.. Dornsife Center is located at 3509 Spring Garden Street. The event is free and open to the public.

Scribe Video Center (4212 Chestnut St) will host an open house on Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m.. It’s a great networking opportunity for emerging and experienced video makers. You can also learn about membership, workshops and programs at the center, tour the facilities, and check out the equipment! Light refreshments will be served.

Founded in 1982, Scribe Video Center provides training in all aspects of film, video and audio production by offering classes and workshops. It also hosts a wide variety of programs and event series, including Community Visions, the Producers’ Forum, Muslim Voices of Philadelphia, Street Movies!, and more.

Some great news was announced over the weekend: Two city blocks west of the Schuylkill and their captains were selected as the winners of the 2014 Clean Block Contest organized by the Streets Department’s Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee (PBMC). The 700 block of Markoe Street (Block Captain Ms. Audrey Darien) and the 6000 block of Trinity Street (Block Captain Ms. Marsha Wall) each won 1st place in the competition and will receive $1,000.

Some 22 blocks participated in this year’s contest and were judged for efforts of block residents, their cleanliness, beautification efforts, and property improvements.

The winners were announced on Saturday evening at the Annual Clean Block Awards Banquet. The top four winners will be awarded $300 for 4th place, $500 for 3rd place, $700 for 2nd place, with the top prize being $1,000. The remaining blocks each receive $150. The prize money is to be used for future block cleaning and beatification projects.

Saturday, Oct 25

Locust Moon Comics Festival

If comics is your thing (or might be your thing or was your thing or is your partner’s thing) get yourself over to The Rotunda on Saturday for the third annual Locust Moon Comics Festival. This thing will include some fine independent cartoonists and creators, including: Paul Pope (Battling Boy), Bill Sienkiewicz (Elektra: Assassin), Dean Haspiel (The Alcoholic), Mark Schultz (Xenozoic Tales), Denis Kitchen (The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen) and Farel Dalrymple (The Wrenchies), as well as local stars like Box Brown (Andre the Giant: Life and Legend), Dave Bullock (Justice League: The New Frontier), and J.G. Jones (Wanted).

The festival will include workshops, panels and discussion on the art, history and business of comics.

Several artists will debut new work at the festival, including the Locust Moon work Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream – a kickstarter funded Winsor McKay Tribute.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Entrance is by optional donation. No advanced tickets are needed. Kids 13 and under are admitted free. Here is a schedule.  Continue Reading

Spruce Hill residents have a chance to learn more about proposals for new apartment buildings, business applications and other development in their neighborhood on Monday, Oct. 27 during a Spruce Hill zoning meeting. The meeting, which will take place at the Spruce Hill Center at 257 S. 45th Street, is organized by the Spruce Hill Community Association and is open to all interested neighbors and residents.

Included on the agenda is the replacement for the Best House Pizza at 4301 Baltimore Ave., which is proposed to include upstairs dining. As we reported earlier this month, the Best House Pizza closed its doors at 43rd and Baltimore after eight years of operation and Local 44 owners were in the process of signing the lease with plans to open a new establishment in that location in Spring 2015. A source from the Spruce Hill Community Association said earlier that the organization was waiting to see if the new owners would request any zoning variances, which would trigger a public hearing on the project. As the process is obviously underway, stay tuned for more updates.

Here are other items on the agenda. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.:

• Legalization of a boarding house status at 4011 Baltimore Avenue
• Application for multi-family dwelling at 217 S. 42nd Street
• Construction of an apartment dwelling at 4100-02 Ludlow Street

Many thanks to all who already submitted photos of their carved creations for West Philly Local‘s 2014 Pumpkin Carving Contest. Here’s a reminder that we’re accepting contest entries until 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31. After that there will be Readers’ Choice voting and all the winners will be announced on November 3. Please read more information on how to enter the contest here.

We would like to thank this year’s sponsors, all local businesses and organizations, who are providing prizes: Cafe Renata, Curio Theatre, Honest Tom’s Taco Shop, International House Philadelphia, Lil’ Pop Shop, Mariposa Food Co-op, Penn Museum, NEW! Rx The Farmacy, Sabrina’s Cafe, and VIX Emporium.

NOTE: Some readers put photos of their jack-o’-lanterns on Instagram and linked them to our site (hashtag #westphillylocal). Please make sure to also email them to: contest@westphillylocal.com with your name, address and age (if you’re entering the Kids’ category). Thank you! We’re looking forward to more submissions.

The firm overseeing development of a prime piece of real estate at 4224 Baltimore Ave. – across from Clark Park – has announced that it will take its chances with the zoning process and will go ahead with plans to build a 132-unit residential complex.

“[U3 Advisors] will comply with every regulation of the zoning variance process and we look forward to meeting with area RCOs, community groups and interested neighbors,” said Tom Lussenhop, the firm’s senior vice president.

Lussenhop said the firm will file an application with the Zoning Board of Adjustment soon.

There was some doubt that the firm would go ahead with its plans after news surfaced that appeals to City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell for an ordinance that would allow them to sidestep the sometimes tumultuous zoning process were rejected. The parcel’s owner, Clarkmore LLC, already has permission to build a small residential building that would have no commercial amenities and very limited parking. But the plans for the 132-unit building, which grew out of a series of community meetings, include underground parking and commercial space. That plan requires zoning changes for the parcel.

A series of public hearings will be scheduled once the zoning change request is filed, including a community meeting with the Spruce Hill Community Association planning committee.

“Spruce Hill will follow its traditional process of dealing with this zoning application once a filing has been processed,” said the planning committee’s head Barry Grossbach.

(See all our posts on 4224 Baltimore here).