SEPTA has announced proposed fare changes, including the elimination of the 50-cent fare discount for Key card and contactless media users, which means that they will have to pay the full amount of $2.50 per ride.

SEPTA officials say that the transit authority is facing a $240 million budget deficit after runnning out of COVID funding and getting less state funding than expected.

The $2.50 fare is the same as a single fare cost of a Quick Trip ticket, which can be purchased at SEPTA kiosks with cash. Transfers would remain free and SEPTA is not expected to raise the cost of daily, weekly and monthly passes. The last fare increase was adopted in 2017.

SEPTA will hold two public hearings on October 16, at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., where the proposed fare adjustments will be presented.

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Kilimandjaro Restaurant is set to reopen on the 4300 block of Chestnut St.

UPDATE (9/3/2024): Kilimandjaro’s grand opening at 4301 Chestnut St. is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. Visit the restaurant’s Facebook page for updates (@kilimandjarorestaurant).

Here’s some great news for lovers of West African cuisine. The popular Senegalese restaurant Kilimandjaro is set to reopen soon on the same block of Chestnut Street but in a new building. The restaurant will reopen at 4301 Chestnut St., on the ground floor of a new, recently completed apartment building.

Kilimandjaro owner Youma Ba (right) meeting with Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, at Youma Restaurant. (Facebook photo)

Kilimandjaro, owned and operated by Youma Ba, a Senegalese-born businesswoman, operated on the 4300 block of Chestnut since 2005 but closed in early 2022 because the strip mall where it was located was being demolished to make room for the new apartment building.

Kilimandjaro will reopen next door to the recently opened urban discount supermarket, University City Grocery Outlet.

Youma Ba also owns Youma Restaurant on the 4500 block of Baltimore Avenue.

Stay tuned for more details on the reopening. You can also visit Kilimandjaro’s Facebook page for updates.

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).