Photo by West Philly Local reader Jazmin Idakaar.

It’s scorching in Philadelphia and many residents are looking for ways to cool off. Unfortunately, some ways of cooling off can be costly. An illegally opened fire hydrant caused a water outage on Tuesday, July 16 near 52nd and Locust Streets. The break disrupted water service for some fifty properties in the area for 11 hours (11:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.). and then took hours of clean-up. West Philly Local readers reported lots of water coming out of spots along the street at 52nd & Locust after the break.

“When you open a hydrant illegally, you run the risk of bodily harm, possibly death, property damage and situations like this, where you have a water main break and people on the block with no water,” John DiGiulio of the Philadelphia Water Department told ABC.

The sign on the front door of Saad’s Halal at 45th and Walnut is a familiar site this time of year.

Ramadan is here so that means a few good eating spots will be closed or have seriously reduced hours for the next few weeks.

Saad’s Halal at 45th and Walnut closed July 8 and will remain closed until August 12. Saad’s also has that special brown paper on its windows that usually means some sort of renovation is going on inside. We’ll see.

Manakeesh, across the street from Saad’s at 45th and Walnut, will be open 7:30 p.m. to midnight until August 9. Sweets to go only will be served from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Manakeesh staff will begin taking orders for meals at 8:15 and will begin serving food at sunset – around 8:30 p.m. Special meals will be offered on Friday and Saturday.

Kabobeesh, the terrific Pakastani joint at 42nd and Chestnut, appears to be keeping regular hours (Monday though Sunday, noon to 11 p.m.) as it did last year. Last year they offered free iftar (the evening meal during Ramadan) for those fasting during the holiday.

Malcolm X Park will be the place to be this Saturday as the first annual Park Jam takes over the green space at 51st and Pine.

Billed as a “community dance party,” Park Jam (Facebook page) will feature dj sets by Danophonic Dan (Facebook page) and Friends and a live set from the West Philly-based band HighKick (Facebook page), which will offer a quirky mix of tunes from good old-fashioned throw downs (think The Allman Brothers or Phish) to a lovely rendition of the Paul McCartney tune “Another Day” (do,do,do,do,do,do) to, perhaps, a short ode to tacos.

Park Jam will also feature the usual assortment of West Philly festival fare like food trucks, a moon bounce, face painting, artisans selling cool stuff and, importantly, a “generous dance floor.”

The fun runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Garden Court Community Association is sponsoring this jawn.

Until next Monday, July 15, local nonprofit organizations with a strong community-centric focus are encouraged to apply for a $10,000 grant provided by West Philly-based Vineyard Community Church (VCC). Last year VCC developed “Building It Together,” a capital campaign to renovate a building at 123 S. 51st Street into a worship space and community center. Ten percent of the proceeds was set aside to fund a new capital grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to “support new capital-intensive, community-centric philanthropic endeavors in Philadelphia and around the world.”

To be eligible for the grant, your organization doesn’t have to be faith-based and doesn’t have to be located in West Philadelphia, but organizations that meet either of these criteria will receive preference for funding. Funding is to be used for capital projects only, and is not eligible for operating and maintenance activities. Eligible activities include labor for construction, purchase of equipment, materials, and supplies.

For more information on eligibility, evaluation criteria and how to apply, please visit: http://www.vineyardwestphilly.org/serve/bit-capital-grant/. Deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on July 15, 2013. All applications should be emailed to: erik.johanson@gmail.com.

Click to enlarge.

Clark Park Summer Film Series is back again this summer, bringing free outdoor movies to the area on Friday nights. This Friday, “The Inconvenient Truth Behind ‘Waiting for Superman‘” is playing at 8 p.m. The film counters the position taken by the Davis Guggenheim 2010 documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman’.”

Everyone is welcome to watch the film at the park (45th & Regent) and discuss it afterwards. And don’t forget to bring your blankets, chairs and snacks.

Clark Park Film Series is co-sponsored by Philadelphia International Action Center (Facebook page). For more information on tonight’s showing, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Editor’s Note: The previous version if this post incorrectly announced Davis Guggenheim’s film “Waiting for ‘Superman'” screening tonight.

Have you ever dreamed of fixing an old boat and sailing it around the world? A group of young people led by hacker/anarchist/sailor Moxie Marlinspike did just that: they traveled to Florida, bought a junked boat, fixed it up and sailed it around the Bahamas, capturing their experience on a camcorder bought and later returned to Best Buy. This ultimate adventure movie, titled Hold Fast, is screening Thursday night (June 27), beginning at 7 p.m., at Cedar Works (4919 Pentridge St.) and everyone is invited, including families with children.

The film screening is a fundraiser for West Philly-based group AIDS Policy Project comprised of longtime activists pushing for a cure for AIDS for everyone who needs one. At Thursday’s event, the group members will be selling delicious snacks, raffling off boat trips and other nautical stuff, and “telling stories of maritime calamity and fun,” according to Executive Director and West Philly neighbor Kate Krauss. If you like, you can bring your maritime disaster story to share. If you bring your kids they can play on a big, fenced-in patio and still watch the movie through the glass wall.

Tickets are $10 to $20 on a sliding scale and can be purchased online or at the door. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the AIDS Policy Project website.