Do you live in Cedar Park and want to get more involved with the neighborhood? Here’s a great chance. The Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN), the recognized community organization for the Cedar Park neighborhood, is currently seeking new board members to serve the community for the next two years beginning in June 2017. The following message was recently posted on the CPN website:

“Are you a renter, homeowner or business owner? Are you a long-time resident or a recent transplant? People of color, women, men, trans and gender non-conforming people, queer people, people with disabilities, elders and young people are encouraged to run. If you live or work in Cedar Park and are dedicated to improving our community, please participate in your neighborhood board!”  Continue Reading

The Walnut Hill Community Association will hold a public zoning meeting on Tuesday, March 7, to discuss a few development projects proposed in the area.

Developers have requested zoning variance for construction of a four-story, nine-unit apartment building at 4622-24 Sansom St. The building will include a roof deck with a pilot house and a covered porch (see rendering image). The building’s height is requested at 38 feet.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of USciences.

University of the Sciences students will be at Clark Park Farmers’ Market every Saturday through March 11 to talk about some important health-related issues with community members.

A group of USciences pharmacy students are volunteering to staff a table during the market hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise awareness about the importance of prescription medication adherence as part of the Script Your Future campaign.

Students and faculty members will be available to talk to residents about why it is important to take medications properly and discuss the risks of medication nonadherence. The team will also work with individuals to determine the best way to prevent dangerous interactions with prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.

Students are encouraging residents to “Take the Pledge” to take medications properly. For more information, find USciences Script Your Future on Facebook or read about the campaign on their website.

Reza Aslan

Internationally renowned Iranian-American writer and religious scholar Reza Aslan will address racism and discrimination against Muslim people in America during a talk on Thursday, Feb. 23. The talk is part of the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences’ Levin Family Dean’s public forum, “Fear Inc.: Confronting Islamophobia in America,” which will be held at the Penn Museum.

The forum is free and open to the public.

Since West Philadelphia is home to thousands of Muslims people, this forum is a great opportunity to learn more about this religion and misconceptions about it, in order to understand better our Muslim neighbors.  Continue Reading

A West Philadelphia Community Rally and Strike took place this afternoon in solidarity with the nationwide general strike. West Philly residents, adults and children alike, and many business owners gathered at noon in Clark Park to protest the current administration and to celebrate the diversity in the city.

Some photos from the rally and from around the neighborhood are below, courtesy of Hanbit’s Contemplative Imaging. For more photos, go to Hanbit’s Facebook page.

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Neighbors now have a chance to get more involved with Kingsessing Recreation Center (5001 Kingsessing Ave.). A new official program within the center, Friends of Kingsessing, has recently been formed and their first official service event is being planned for next week.

The program is seeking volunteers to come out on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help paint the front offices and basement, along with a few light maintenance tasks around the building.

Future events will be held on a monthly basis (no-commitment is needed), dates TBA, and future projects will be based on the input from and skills of the volunteers who participate.

“The Advisory Council, the Rec center, and the community would be very grateful if you can make it to this event, as volunteers truly make this facility function,” reads a message on the group’s Facebook page. “Pass the word around and invite your friends to come too, the more help, the better!”

Neighbors interested participating in the event can RSVP to Will Tung at: tungwill@gmail.com or through Facebook. Coffee, water and snacks will be provided!