Douglas Witmer and Daniel Thut opened their first coffee shop in January 2003. (Photo courtesy Green Line Cafe).

The popular business The Green Line Cafe is celebrating its 10th year of “coffee, culture, and conversation from West Philly.” Congratulations to the owners, Douglas Witmer and Daniel Thut, staff and all the fans and lovers of Green Line’s brewed products and friendly atmosphere.

To mark the anniversary The Green Line is inviting neighbors and friends to a party this Friday, Feb. 15 from 4-8 p.m. at its flagship location at the corner of 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue. There will be free coffee and birthday cake (while supplies last), door prizes, and a slide show of the history of the The Green Line. You can also help decorate a giant birthday card. For more information about this event, please contact Douglas Witmer: greenline@greenlinecafe.com

Throughout 2013, The Green Line is inviting their patrons to add photos and memories and interact with the web-based anniversary projects on Instagram and www.greenlinecafe.com.

The Green Line Cafe was established in 2003 when brothers-in-law Witmer and Thut opened their first shop at the corner of 43rd and Baltimore on a cold January morning. Since then the cafe has added a few other locations in the area and expanded to Center City last year.

Currently, the Green Line is “growing inward” – the guys are renovating their original basement to include a walk-in refrigerator so that they can supply the city with more of its famous cold-brewed iced coffee this summer.

Because of the heavy snowfall expected in our area this weekend, the inaugural 30th Street Craft Market has been postponed for two weeks and will take place on Saturday, Feb. 23 (see new flyer below). Read more about this event here.

This Thursday, Feb. 7, is the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and State Sen. Anthony H. Williams, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., is hosting a special HIV/AIDS information event at Kingsessing Recreation Center (4901 Kingsessing Ave.), beginning at 5 p.m.

Confidential testing will be offered during the event and free pizza will be served to participants.

According to city health statistics, nearly seven in 10 new HIV/AIDS infections are contracted by African Americans and the 19143 zip code is one of the hardest hit by HIV/AIDS in the city.

“Knowledge is power, so come out and empower yourself,” said Williams. “Get the information you need about HIV/AIDS. Get tested – it’s free. And bring a friend. You just might save a life – yours.”

For more details about the event, please contact Desaree Jones at 215-492-2980.

In response to community member requests following last week’s fire that left a neighbor seriously injured, the Philadelphia Fire Department is offering a free fire safety and prevention workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The workshop will be held in the chapel of Calvary Center (48th and Baltimore) from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and will be led by Deputy Fire Chief Derrick Sawyer.

The following issues will be covered at the workshop:

– reviewing the fire-prevention checklist for your residence;
– how to plan for the worst;
– what is a good escape route if front and back doors are not available;
– how to escape with a young child or the elderly resident from the 2nd or 3rd floor;
– what kind of equipment might a family reasonably have on hand (and where) in case of a fire emergency.

Chief Sawyer will also answer your questions.
 

This is an exciting week for local kids, teens and adults who love theatre and are interested in acting, with a few new educational programs and events launching in the area. Here are the details:

New Drama/Acting Classes

The Community Arts program at the Woodland Presbyterian Church located at 401 S. 42nd Street is starting an eight-week (Feb. 7 – March 27) drama class on Thursday afternoons, 4:00-5:00 p.m. and children ages 5-14 are welcome to participate. Kids will play drama games, learn acting techniques and perform in a culminating production. A donation of $20/participant is suggested to help cover program costs. To register or for more details, please contact Carol Shih at carol.shih@woodlandpres.net.

Theatre and Me, LLC (Facebook page), a new company providing training and development for kids, teens and adults in the performing and creative arts, i.e. theatre, dance, voice, etc., is holding an Open House/Information Session about their upcoming classes on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2:30-3:30 p.m., at Dreaming Tree Music (4721 Pine St.). For more information, contact Marcus Siler at theatreandmewithmarcus@gmail.com.

New Kids Show at Curio

Curio Theatre has prepared an exciting new show for kids: Hansel and Gretel, the beloved fairy-tale by The Grimm Brothers was adapted for the stage by Rosemary Fox and will run on Saturdays at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9, 16, 23 and March 2. Tickets ($10) are available here.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day …  local library branches are holding two events, both on Wednesday, Feb. 6, that might help those who are looking for that special someone or those who just want to socialize.

If you’re looking for love this Valentine’s Day and want to meet a book-loving better half, the Walnut Street West Library (40th & Walnut) is presenting a free speed dating event for single adults ages 25-35, at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring a book they love, hate, or want to talk about as an ice-breaker. All applicants will remain anonymous, with identities revealed via email only after a mutual match is made. Registration is required. Please email Dan Ryan (ryand@freelibrary.org) with any questions. Here is a Facebook page for this event. As far as we know this event is aimed at straight people.

For those who are curious about online dating but don’t know where to start the Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Library (52nd & Sansom) is hosting a free Online Dating 101 seminar. The seminar is taught by anthropologist and online dating expert Kat Richter who will cover the following topics: Selecting the best online dating service to achieve your goals, writing a winning profile, learning how to stay safe and sane. The seminar begins at 6:00 p.m. For more information call 215-685-7433.