If you are still confused about the new Actual Value Initiative (AVI) legislation that comes into effect next year and want to know how it will impact your property taxes, come to the Victory Christian Center Church located at 5220 Whitby Avenue this Thursday (May 2) to a meeting hosted by Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. The meeting is scheduled from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

At Thursday’s meeting, homeowners can receive updates on proposed relief measures and learn how to apply for programs that can help reduce property taxes.

Recently, an ordinance was introduced in City Council that would extend the deadline for property owners to apply for the Homestead Exemption, which could help save hundreds of dollars in savings per household after the AVI is implemented in Tax Year 2014 – from July 31, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2013. This exemption is one of the reliefs that owner-occupants are eligible for. According to the Council’s analysis, properties that qualify for the Homestead Exemption are in areas with high concentrations of low-income, elderly, and non-English speaking residents.

Less than two weeks are left before the Indiegogo fundraising campaign for A Man Full of Trouble, writer/director Michael Johnston’s dark comedy about a suicidal Alexander Hamilton reenactor, comes to a close, and it’s under $300 shy of $7,000.

Money raised for the West Philly-based indie short (view trailer below), which serves as Johnston’s thesis project for Temple’s MFA program, will fund the bulk of production costs, including equipment and location rentals, and costume fabrication by Regalia Costumes, said A Man Full of Trouble’s producer, David Leith Fraser. The total budget, which ranges from $12,000 to $14,000 depending on the final Indiegogo amount, is also funded by a $4,500 Temple University Grant, and a $500 Allied Pixel gift certificate Johnston received with his 2013 Media Film Festival’s Allied Pixel Silver Award for his previous film, Irina. A Man Full Trouble is slated for completion this fall.

A Founding Father and one-half of one of the first sex scandals in American politics, Alexander Hamilton makes for mysterious and complicated anti-hero. A Man Full of Trouble explores his inexplicable life through the eyes of Nick Crane (the aforementioned suicidal reenactor), who is “fighting to keep Hamilton’s voice relevant in Philadelphia, a city dominated by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington.” And in the midst of this battle, Nick unknowingly reenacts Hamilton’s affair with Maria Reynolds through his relationship with fellow reenactor, Isabella.

“Michael is fascinated with Philadelphia’s history and architecture. He wanted to write something that was specific to the city. Hamilton’s affair with Maria Reynolds, which took place in Philly, and Hamilton’s tragic end provided the perfect back-story for creating the film’s dark-comedic tone,” Fraser told West Philly Local. “The film examines one man’s conflict and the ending of the film will elicit different responses from different people. If I had to choose one, I would say the film asks that we study and preserve our history.”

The majority of the project will be filmed at The Woodlands Historic Mansion, Cemetery and Landscape, which was originally purchased in 1735 as a 250-acre swathe on the Schuylkill River’s west bank (today, the estate, overseen by The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation, consists of 53 acres nestled between S. University Ave and 41^st Street south of Woodland Avenue.) Other filming locations include Independence Hall, the Second Bank of the United States, and Society Hill.

According to Fraser, money allocated for filming on the cemetery grounds will go towards restoration efforts on the Mansion. The premiere party for A Man Full of Trouble will also be held at The Woodlands, planned for some time in late fall, and double as a fundraiser for the historic landmark.

– Annamarya Scaccia

Indiegogo: A Man Full of Trouble from Michael Johnston on Vimeo.

Here’s some exciting news: Clark Park is hosting two big events in May – the annual Spruce Hill’s May Fair on Saturday, May 11 and Clark Park Party on May 18. Both events will be packed with fun activities for adults and children alike, music, food and vendors. We’ll let you know more about the details a little later, but for now here are a couple important messages from the event organizers.

Vendors at Spruce Hill May Fair. (Archive photo)

Mark Wagenveld of the Spruce Hill Community Association, who coordinates vendors at the May Fair, sent a note that there are still some slots available for vendors. Especially welcome are artists and crafts persons from West Philadelphia who are making unusual things. Also, groups that want to promote their cause, and businesses, especially unusual start-ups. Tables are $35 for those selling, $25 for non-profits. SHCA provides a table and chair for the day. The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Interested persons or businesses should e-mail Mark by May 1 at: ma.wa@verizon.net

Michael Munson of The Thrive Fitness and Wellness, who’s in charge of field day events this year during the Clark Park Party, is seeking volunteers for the following  events and activities:  the 3 legged race, potato sack races, some fun fitness games, exercises and much more including face painting. Ideas and suggestions are welcome, too. If anyone has kids who would like to join in the fun (young or old) please let Michael know. Also needed: face paint, potato sacks, a rope for tug-o- war and maybe more. If you would like to volunteer, donate or for more information, please email Michael at: thrivefitnessandwellness@gmail.com

One of the Fresh Food Hub’s staff members, Mecca, showing off some brussel sprouts. (Courtesy of West Philadelphia Fresh Food Hub)

West Philadelphia Fresh Food Hub, a non-profit mobile market dedicated to improving nutritional education and access to affordable healthy, locally-grown food, will return to Powelton Village for its second season starting April 30.

At the Fresh Food Hub, West Philly residents will be able to purchase locally-grown and seasonal organic fruits and vegetables, as well as conventional produce, milk, local free range eggs, bread, healthy snacks, and fruit salad. Developed in collaboration between Preston’s Paradise and Greensgrow Farms, the market will operate between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at its regular 37th Street and Lancaster Avenue location and will travel to three local senior centers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. It accepts cash, credit cards, EBT/SNAP, and FMNP senior coupons.

“Local and organic foods are crucial components to a sustainable food system,” said Julia Dougherty, food access coordinator for the AmeriCorps VISTA program at Drexel University, one of the Fresh Food Hub’s partners, “but it is most important for the Fresh Food Hub to increase overall fruit and vegetable consumption in its target neighborhoods to ensure that the customers’ basic nutritional needs are being met.”

The market will also serve as the pickup location for three CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs: Greensgrow CSA, which offers locally-grown vegetables, fruit, dairy, protein, and specialty items such as beer, honey, and pierogi; Neighborhood Foods CSA, which is focused on urban-grown produce, and offers local fruit, value-added products, honey, and flowers; and Greensgrow’s LIFE Box CSA, a low-cost option only available to customers receiving SNAP benefits.

“Traditionally, the large up-front deposits required by most CSAs prohibit low-income shoppers from enjoying the benefits of joining a CSA,” said Dougherty, whose role is to support the Fresh Food Hub through community outreach and partnership efforts. When enrolled in a CSA, clients pay dues at the start of the farming season in order to receive a weekly or bi-weekly box of local harvest. “But there are farms and organizations—such as Greensgrow and Greener Partners in Media/Collegeville—which are working to remove that financial barrier because they recognize the importance of incorporating educational components in food access work.”

According to Dougherty, profits from the Fresh Food Hub will go towards educational programming in the neighborhood, including cooking classes, nutrition education, and garden demonstrations at Drexel’s recently established Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, located on 35th and Spring Garden Streets.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/WPFoodHub.

Here is the complete 2013 Fresh Food Hub schedule as of this point:

Tuesdays – Fridays
2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
37th and Lancaster (regular location)

Wednesdays
11 a.m.
Sunshine Senior Center
58th Street and Walnut Street

Thursdays
11 a.m.
St. Ignatius Senior Homes
44th Street and Fairmount Avenue

Fridays
11 a.m.
West Philadelphia Senior Community Center
41st Street and Poplar Street

Saturdays
Available to travel to special events in the community

– Annamarya Scaccia

The firm behind the proposed residential housing project at 43rd and Baltimore will soon begin to seek community input, including the launch of a forum-like website, according to a letter from the chair of the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee.

We first reported on the 92-unit residential complex proposed for the vacant lot at the corner of 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue, across from Clark Park, a month ago. Since publishing the story, a lively discussion on what this development would mean for West Philly took off, with a number of residents emailing concerns to Barry Grossbach, chair of the Spruce Hill Zoning Committee. Grossbach recently addressed those questions in a statement released by the Spruce Hill Community Association.

“Here is what we know. The property owners sought, and were given, a ‘conditional’ zoning permit subject to design committee approval by City Planning,” writes Grossbach. “The site, currently zoned Rm1 under the new code, does not require any parking as part of any multifamily development. This is particularly important to understand given the emails insisting that Spruce Hill not allow this lack of parking to stand. The plans submitted by the owners meet the requirements of the code under Rm1 zoning, and lamenting the lack of parking will not address those concerns in a meaningful way. A ‘conditional’ permit is good for one year, and the clock does not start ticking on any time schedule until the owners seek to change ‘conditional’ to ‘permanent.’”

According to Grossbach’s statement, before seeking that change, the property owner, Clarkmore LP, controlled by Thylan Associates, has enlisted the help of U3 Ventures, a local real estate advisory and development firm, to engage the community in fostering alternative design plans. The process, writes Grossbach, will include a series of insightful roundtables with residents, and the creation of 4224Baltimore.com (which is not yet up and running), a website dedicated to the project news and information. The plan is for the website to feature an online discussion forum moderated by “Spruce Hill community members” where residents can express qualms about issues ranging from “building size to parking concerns,” according to Grossbach’s letter. The development team will not edit the forum’s content, but will participate in the discussion.

The development group will also have a table at the Spruce Hill Community Association May Fair on May 11.

“Many of us in Spruce Hill have looked at 43rd and Baltimore with a mixture of apprehension and hope over these ‘vacant’ years—expecting that something would surface as a development scheme and praying silently that we would not only survive it but applaud it,” writes Grossbach. “We have a unique opportunity here…We have the chance to think big and bold and, hopefully, find that sweet spot in shaping development for a site that both community members and property owners applaud without reservation.”

– Annamarya Scaccia

The primary elections are on May 21 and here’s an opportunity to meet a candidate for Judge of Common Pleas. Timika Lane, who is a West Philadelphia local and chief legal counsel to State Senator and Democratic Whip Anthony H. Williams, will be at the University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, April 24 for a meet-and-greet.

Timika is an advocate for people of color, women, children and low-income communities (her campaign video is available here) and has experience serving as an attorney in the Philadelphia court system (see another video here).

The event, which will be held at the LGBT Center at Penn (3907 Spruce St) beginning at 5:30 p.m., is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome to bring their questions and discuss local issues. You can RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/326682774121772/