Black Dragon Takeout has opened at 5260 Rodman St. (Black Dragon Takeout Instagram photo)

UPDATE (8/30/2024): Due to the overwhelming support for their grand opening on Thursday, Black Dragon Takeout will be closed on Friday, Aug. 30 to “regroup” and “stock up for more fantastic meals.” The restaurant will reopen on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Noon. Follow their Instagram page for updates (@blackdragontakeout).

If you’d like to try Chinese food with an innovative twist, check out Black Dragon Takeout, a “Black American Chinese” restaurant that has just opened on South 53rd Street near Cedar Avenue (5260 Rodman St). The restaurant, led by chef and community activist Kurt Evans, offers a fusion of Asian and soul food with some American/Philly staples, including such unconventional Chinese restaurant menu items as Collard Green and Cheesesteak Egg Rolls, Mac & Cheese and Jerk Chicken Dumplings, Oxtail Lo Mein, Sweet Potato Sour Chicken, and more.

The concept for the restaurant was born after Evans saw a “troubling trend” of many local Chinese takeout restaurants closing down in recent years, especially in Black communities where many residents had relied on them for quickly served hot meals. While seeing this opportunity, Evans also wanted to “innovate and bring something new to the table,” according to the Black Dragon website.

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You may have seen the road work and digging on 51st to 54th and Cedar to Walnut Streets in recent months. The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) wants to talk about it. The PWD will hold a community meeting on Monday, Aug. 26 to tell West Philly residents about its new green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) projects planned for the area.

These projects are part of “Green City, Clean Waters,” the City’s 25-year plan to reduce the volume of stormwater entering Philadelphia’s combined sewer system, which covers about 60 percent of the city and often overflows during wet weather. The citywide project, which is expected to be completed by 2036, will help make local waterways cleaner and neighborhoods greener.

The meeting will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Library (52nd and Sansom).

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Photos by Shannon Collins Photography (@shannoncollinsphoto)

Many people visit the beautiful historic Woodlands cemetery every day – nature lovers, runners, dog walkers and others. And some folks may not realize that The Woodlands is an active cemetery and non-profit organization. After seeing an uptick in visitors with the return of students in the recent days, the Woodlands administration has posted on social media a reminder of their rules and safety guidelines, which we are sharing on our website:

“Welcome back, students! Now is a beautiful time to visit The Woodlands and a great opportunity to remind our visitors about the rules and safety guidelines that help keep these 54 acres open daily to the public. First and foremost: please remember that The Woodlands is an active cemetery and nonprofit. Treat the site with reverence and respect.

• Do not climb, sit, or lean on headstones—they are heavy and historic.

• Dogs must be on a leash (and the person walking the dog must be holding onto the leash) at all times with no exceptions.  Owners are required to pick up after their dogs.

• Biking is allowed on paved roads only. Do not bike on the dirt running path.

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Here’s some great news for local community members and visitors to Bartram’s Garden. After being cancelled since mid-July due to a report of chemical contamination on a portion of the Bartram Mile Trail, the Free Fishing program is set to resume at Bartram’s on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 5-8 p.m.

The popular program is resuming following independent test results that indicate very low levels of hexavalent chromium, a toxin, outside the affected areas of the Trail. All fishing equipment “has been properly cleaned,” according to a statement by Bartram’s, and the team is ready to “invite folks back to the Dock for fishing.”

And there’s more good news: Bartram’s is also extending the fishing season through the end of September “to make up for the lost time.”

While fishing is resuming this week, free boating is still on hold while all boating equipment goes through a cleaning process. Bartram’s team hopes to announce the reopening soon. Free biking programs also remain on pause until further notice. The impacted portion of the Trail will remain closed until the contamination is removed from the landscape.

By the way, check out the 2024 Southwest Fish-Off, which will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15. For more information and updates, visit www.bartramsgarden.org or follow Bartram’s on social media (@bartramsgarden).

Penn has announced its annual Spruce Street closures to accommodate students moving to campus to start the school year. Portions of the street will be closed to vehicular traffic, including bicycles, every day from Monday, Aug. 19 through Friday, Aug. 23 with the exception of Thursday, Aug. 22. Here are more details:

Monday, Aug. 19 and Tuesday, Aug. 20

Spruce Street closed between 34th and 38th Streets from 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 21

Spruce Street closed between 34th and 38th Streets from 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 23

Spruce Street closed between 38th and 40th Streets from 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

SEPTA buses will be rerouted during the closures. Please visit the SEPTA website for more information on detours.

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative is partnering with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) for a new Navy Yard Skills Initiative program, which will train Philadelphia residents for permanent, full-time, union careers with the Philadelphia division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

The Management Assistant program seeks to connect Philadelphians with experience in office management for federal careers earning $26/hour. Recruitment for the program kicked off on Tuesday, Aug. 13 and job seekers will be able to submit applications until Friday, Aug. 23 at 5 p.m.. To apply, candidates must be a resident of Philadelphia county, commit to the full training schedule, possess a high school diploma or GED, and have previous experience using Microsoft Office Suite in an office setting. For additional information and to apply for the program, please visit: www.navyyard.org/skills.

The program is the second partnership between the Skills Initiative and Naval Surface Warfare Center, building on the success of the 2023 Industrial Trades Program. The Naval Surface Warfare Center facility at The Navy Yard employs about 2,800 people.

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