John B. Kelly Pool (Photo from Kelly Pool’s Facebook page).

Here’s some great summer news: The 2014 pool season in Philadelphia officially opens today, which means that dozens of public pools and spray grounds will begin welcoming visitors across the city (though it looks like many of them will start opening on June 23, 24). Overall, 69 pools and nine spray grounds will be open this summer, according to an announcement by Philadelphia Parks and Rec. Public pool hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Apart from recreational swimming, Philadelphia Parks and Rec will also offer youth swimming lessons at several public pools. It’s always a good idea to call your neighborhood recreation center before heading to the pool since there their hours of operation may change or some special activities may be scheduled.

Here’s again the list of pools and spray grounds located in West Philadelphia and vicinity.  Please let your neighbors know about your experience with these facilities in the comments below.

Pools

Baker Recreation Facility (Map)
5431-43 Lansdowne Ave.
Phone: 215-685-0261

Cobbs Creek Recreation Facility (Map)
280 Cobbs Creek Parkway
Phone: 215-685-1983

John B. Kelly Pool (Facebook page) – Opens June 23
4231 North Concourse Drive (Fairmount Park, by Please Touch Museum)
Phone: 215-685-0174

Kingsessing Recreation Center (Map)
4901 Kingsessing Avenue
Phone: 215-685-2694

Lee Cultural Center Recreation Facility (Map)
4328 Haverford Avenue
Phone: 215-685-7655

Mill Creek Recreation Facility (Map)
743-81 N. 48th Street
Phone: 215-685-0260

Myers Recreation Center (Map)
5800 Chester Avenue
Phone: 215-685-2698

O’Connor Pool (Website, Map) – Opens June 24
2601 South Street
Phone: 215-685-6593

Sayre Morris Recreation Center (Map)
5835 Spruce Street
Phone: 215-685-1993

Shepard Recreation Facility (Map)
5700 Haverford Avenue
Phone: 215-685-1992

Tustin Recreation Facility (Map)
5901-29 W. Columbia Avenue
Phone: 215-685-0258

39th & Olive Playground – Mantua (Map)
39th & Olive Streets

Spray Grounds

48th & Woodland Playground (Map)
1414 S 47th Street
Phone: 215-685-2692
Hours: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Mon-Sat, closed on Sunday.

Make Music Philly (MMP), the annual one-day only festival that features free music performances all across the city, will be back on Saturday, June 21. A bunch of music gigs, for kids and adults alike, are scheduled in our area as well, including at Clark Park, Penn Museum, Morris Park and more (see the list of added venues and performances below).

Also, check out the mobile venue Autographs & Aerosols (A&A), a converted U-Haul truck that uses its open-ended door lift as a stage. A&A will host performances in Cedar Park (49th and Baltimore).

Autographs & Aerosols (Mobile Venue, 49th and Baltimore)

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Salamander Sunset (Hip-Hop, Indie-Rock, Jazz)
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – The Philly Gathering All-Star Rap Group (Hip-Hop)

Clark Park Music and Arts Festival (43rd and Chester)

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Rock to the Future (Kids, Rock, Other)
12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Lazy Susan (Rock)
1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. – Lover’s League (Blues, Folk)
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – On The Cooling Board (Blues, Rock, Soul)
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – Family Vacation (Indie-Rock)
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Commonwealth Choir (Indie-Rock)
4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – Brian Fitzy (Pop, Rock)
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – City Rain (Electronic, Pop)

Morris Park (6601 Woodcrest Road)

1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Bluesberry Blues Jamm (Blues)

Parent Infant Center (42nd and Locust)

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – The Larks (Other)
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Brooks Wilson (Kids)
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Scott Weidman (Blues, World)
11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Katie Foley (Folk, Rock)
11:45 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. – Brooks Wilson and the Troll Spit String Band (Americana/Bluegrass)
12:15 p.m – 12:30 p.m. – Barbara Gettes (Folk)

Penn Museum (3260 South St)

Update (6/21/14): Unfortunately, this concert has been cancelled: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Bear Cave Tower (Folk, Indie-Folk, Other)

Click to enlarge. (Courtesy of UCD)

As we reported last week, one of the most popular local events of the year, the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, returns this Thursday and brings $1 specials from over 30 local businesses. There will be only one Dollar Stroll this year, so get ready for huge crowds in the area.

The stroll will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. along Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 51st streets. Check out the map for more information on the participants and their offers.

Just a reminder that there also will be a book sale to benefit the Kingsessing Library branch during the stroll. The sale will be held at three locations – 4740 Baltimore Ave, 50th and Baltimore (near VIX Emporium) and 45th and Baltimore (near Milk & Honey).

Also this Thursday, families are invited to stop by the Clark Park Farmers’ Market at 43rd and Baltimore for a free family activity. The Food Trust will be hosting Paul Smith of Tune Up Philly and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (Facebook page) at the market from 3 to 7 p.m. He’ll be doing interactive demonstrations on how to create musical instruments out of carrots! Every Thursday throughout June and July, Tune Up Philly will be at the market looking to grow their Vegetable Orchestra. This is the first week for this engaging musical experience which also nurtures awareness about healthy and local foods.

For an example of carrot instruments in action, here is a cool video of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra making instruments and playing them.

The Food Trust is planning many events at the Clark Park Thursday farmers’ market this summer in an “attempt to revitalize the market and make it a fun destination for families on Thursday afternoons,” according to Food Trust Market Director Lisa Kelly. “We’re bringing in a few new vendors and food trucks as well as planning several free events over the course of the market season,” Kelly told West Philly Local by e-mail. Stay tuned for more details and also regularly check our Events Calendar.

Elissa Sklaroff meeting a young lady named Chloe.

If you have been to Clark Park recently and paid attention to its bulletin board kiosks, you probably noticed clusters of photographs stapled to them. Over the past year, neighbors Elissa Sklaroff and James Klasen have been documenting events at Clark Park capturing images of the diverse people “who bring the magical park to life.” Now they found a great way to share the photos with their “models” and the rest of the community.

We asked Elissa and James to tell us more about their project.

“We are gradually affixing our photos to bulletin board kiosks in the park hopefully creating a “photo garden” for all to enjoy,” Elissa wrote in an email. “This is our thank you to Clark Park and the wonderful people who gather there.”

James and Elissa are not professional photographers; actually, both of them are mental health professionals. In addition, they are music partners and sing as a duo at a coffeehouse in the Fairmount neighborhood where Elissa runs a Sunday music showcase.

“In good weather, we frequently visit Clark Park to rehearse our music,” writes Elissa. “We have met so many wonderful people and have been enchanted by the rich colors and the textures of their diversity. We felt the magic of the park so strongly and differently each time we visited, that we were compelled to do something to document this. We are ardent non-professional photographers drawn to the urban experience.”

James Klasen stapling a photo to Clark Park’s bulletin board kiosk.

At the end of the summer, Elissa and James intend to install a collage of all the photos they posted. The collage will be installed in several parts of the park. Elissa says that there are so many images they would like to post. In addition to the bulletin boards, they also would like to use metal poles in the park, but they’re still waiting for permission to do that (when they tried to post photos on metal poles, they were taken down). In the meantime, everyone is welcome to check out and enjoy the images on bulletin boards.

James and Elissa also encourage neighbors’ comments and hope all their “models” will be surprised and happy to see themselves.

(Photos courtesy of Elissa Sklaroff and James Klasen)

Little WePAC library installation in progress. (Photo by Sarah Elizabeth)

The West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), a nonprofit that works on reopening and restaffing libraries at local schools, is inviting neighbors to the launch of their first mini library outside of Samuel B Huey Elementary at 52nd and Pine Streets. WePAC will be bringing students out to get books and eat water ice from 1-3 p.m. today and hope that more community members could make it!

The former Transition To Independent Living Center building at the corner of S. 46th and Spruce streets. (photo West Philly Local)

Since being gutted in a fire three years ago, the former Transition to Independent Living Center at 4534-36 Spruce Street has become an eyesore for the community. Despite local street artists turning it into an open canvas, no signs of demolition or renovation have occurred at the derelict corner building—at least, not until recently.

According to neighbor reports, the owners of 4534-36 Spruce Street recently replaced the building’s windows after the city slapped them with a blight violation. One West Philly Local reader even reported that workers she spoke with at the site confirmed they were installing new windows because “the owner had been collecting fines from the city as a result of the boarded-up windows” and that they are planning to renovate the building—although no one knows why or for what.

The north facing wall of the building is covered with street art.

“The property is now a blight on the neighborhood, collecting graffiti and a truly amazing collection of discarded chewing gum,” the reader, known as Mary, wrote in a comment on our site. “It’s been years since the fire and they have had sufficient time to settle any insurance issues and make a decision about the building’s future.”

As West Philly Local reported late last year, a search of the Department of Licenses and Inspection database shows that the owners were issued with both window and license violations on October 3, 2013, and were ordered to secure windows with “windows that have frames and glazing.” (The original violation, which was sent to court, was updated on January 16, 2014 to reflect the owners compliance with property license requirements). On May 29, the owners were cited with another two blight violations, one for the vacant property and one for the windows it recently replaced—that case remains open.

West Philly Local reached out to the owners, but they did not return our request for comment. We’ll keep you updated when we receive new information.

–Annamarya Scaccia