Many neighbors have started looking for ways to get rid of their Christmas trees, so here are a few options.

UPDATE (1/4/14): Electronics recycling has been postponed until Saturday, Jan. 11. Christmas tree recycling is still on for January 4. For those who want their tree to be turned into something useful instead of adding to the landfill, there are some recycling options available. On Saturday, Jan. 4, bring your tree along with used and unwanted electronics to a Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling event at Clark Park (43rd & Chester). This annual event is organized by UC Green, University City District and eForce Recycling. A $10 donation is being asked for each tree to cover expenses of turning it into wood chips. Also, a $20 charge will be asked for recycling certain type TVs and monitors (check the event’s Facebook page for more info). The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you want to keep your tree a little longer, please note that the city will launch its Christmas Tree Recycling program on Monday, Jan. 6, according to an announcement posted by the Streets Department. The program will run through Saturday, Jan. 18. During this time, residents may drop off their trees for recycling at any of the following Streets Department Sanitation Convenience Centers Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

3033 South 63rd Street
Domino Lane and Umbria Street
State Road and Ashburner Street

Christmas trees brought to these sites will be used for composting or mulch. Before dropping off your tree, make sure it’s untied and free of all decorations and ornaments, plastic bags or wrappings. More information can be found here.

Finally, trees left at the curb will be picked up on regular trash collection days and will not be recycled.

(Photo courtesy of the University City District)

Good news for locals missing Philadelphia Community Acupuncture: come early January, PCA’s Sarah Lefkowich, who left the West Philly clinic before it closed its doors in October after six years of service, will open West Philly Community Acupuncture at 4636 Woodland Avenue, in the same building that hosts Four Worlds Bakery.

The new acupuncture clinic, which is a member of the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA), will offer treatments on a $15 – $35 sliding scale, with no first time appointment fee. In celebration of its grand opening, though, treatments at the clinic—based on the community acupuncture model—is running a $10 per treatment promotion for the month of January.

Once opened, West Philly Community Acupuncture’s hours of operation will be Tuesday and Thursday, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The clinic will be closed Sundays and Mondays; however, according to the website, it will open on those days “when you demand it!”

–Annamarya Scaccia

The Blockley, a popular music venue located at 38th and Ludlow, will close its doors at the end of this month, its owners revealed on Facebook last night. The venue, which has had brushes with the law over serving underage patrons, lost its liquor license “without much notice,” the post read. The license has to be moved out of the building by the end of the year.

The last performances at the venue are currently scheduled for December 27 and 28 and all 2014 performances have been canceled, according to the Facebook post. The Blockley staff also told Philadelphia Magazine that they’re working on a big farewell concert.

The venue opened in 2009 and has hosted numerous music performances since. The place was particularly popular among college students and was shut down temporarily for allegedly serving minors.

The Blockley’s location, which includes an intimate stage and dance floor, has long been a staple of live music in Philadelphia. When it was the Chestnut Cabaret, the venue was a frequent stop for up-and-coming acts in the 80s and 90s, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Pogues, Phish, Sonic Youth, The Roches, Soul Asylum, The Meat Puppets; local acts such as Schoolly D and the Dead Milkmen; and established favorites like John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Parliament and Blue Oyster Cult.

It is still unclear what will happen to the property after The Blockley leaves.

(Photo via theblockley.com)

Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local

When West Philly Local profiled Rebels Closet in May, it seemed as if the excitement around the project was contagious. The street wear—meets—counterculture clothing store that took over True Planet Vintage Boutique’s former home at 4501 Baltimore Ave was going to breathe fresh air into the neighborhood—and tap into the West Philly underground not only through major brands like Mighty Healthy and G.E.E.K (Good Energy = Quals Kreation) Clothing Inc., but through in-store events like spoken word nights and a rolling art gallery.

Over the few months since its soft opening, though, Rebels Closet’s doors were rarely open during its stated operating hours, and—at least twice from what we observed—the store was completely emptied of any product or display, only to return a few days later. There was some hope that maybe it was just growing pains, as all businesses have their ebbs and flows, but that hope was soon dashed. As of about two weeks ago, Rebels Closet has been added to 4501 Baltimore Avenue’s “Previous Tenants” list. Around that time, a large group of people began gutting the corner store, carrying mounds and mounds of trash bags out of its doors. Drapes and brown paper material now cover its windows—a “Coming Soon” sign alerting that Zed’s Last Minute Gift Shop will make 45th Street and Baltimore Avenue its new home.

West Philly Local reached out to Takiya Lipscomb, manager of Rebels Closet, to find out what had happened to the clothing store, but she has yet to return our request for comment. As for Zed’s, we’ll update you with more information once we get in touch with the owners.

–Annamarya Scaccia

The family of the 7-year-old West Philly boy who drowned this summer in a municipal pool is suing the City of Philadelphia and Families Forward Philadelphia, the agency in charge of the boy during a field trip to the pool.

Ja’Briel O’Connor died two days after he was pulled from the swimming pool at the Cobbs Creek Recreation Center (210 S. 63rd St.) on July 18. Lifeguards performed CPR on the boy and he was taken to Children’s Hospital. Ja’Briel lived with his family at a shelter for homeless families near the corner of Walnut and Melville streets run by Families Forward.

Four lifeguards were reportedly on duty at the pool when the drowning occurred, according to reports. Some 25 children were part of the summer camp group at the pool. Supervisors included four camp counselors and four lifeguards, according to reports.

The attorney for Ja’Briel’s family, Andrew Stern, told NBC Philadelphia that the boy’s death was a result of “clear inexcusable negligence.” The lawsuit, which was filed yesterday, also states that the family has attempted to settle the matter out of court, but to no avail. The suit also claims that the counselors were told before the trip to the school that Ja’briel could not swim.

Soon after his death, several neighbors rallied around Ja’Briel’s mother, Aisha Watson, and contributed money to offset funeral expenses and other costs.

A fire in an electrical box below the westbound platform at the 46th Street El Station caused a temporary Market-Frankford line service interruption this afternoon, according to SEPTA’s spokesperson Andrew Busch. The fire was reported around 3:50 p.m. and was quickly contained by responding fire crews. No injuries were reported.

During the train service interruption, shuttle buses transported passengers between 52nd and 40th Streets. The train service was resumed around 4:40 p.m.