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).

Officials have revealed more details on the recently discovered water and soil contamination along the banks of the Schuylkill River in the area adjacent to Bartram’s Garden and Bartram’s Mile Trail in Southwest Philly.

The initial report on potential toxic chemical contamination as a result of a leak from a now closed industrial facility was released last month by City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, but now authorities have confirmed that the area had been contaminated with excessive levels of toxins like hexavalent chromium, arsenic, and lead. The information was presented at Wednesday’s virtual town hall meeting hosted by State Rep Regina Young and Senator Anthony Williams (read more about this here).

While authorities have been working to remediate the contamination, the affected section of the trail has been closed and riverfront and trail activities at Bartram’s Garden have been cancelled since mid-July. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Philadelphia Water Department, there is no threat to the public at this time, but boating, fishing and biking at Bartram’s will remain suspended until further notice.

As monitoring of the site continues, both the officials and Bartram’s staff hope that the trail will reopen soon and riverfront activities will resume. For now, please follow updates related to the contamination from Bartram’s here. Also, follow their Facebook page for updates on their programs and activities.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (center) celebrating the reopening of the upgraded 48th and Woodland sprayground with local families. (Photo by Wendi Wu)

Here’s some great news for West Philly and Southwest Philly youth and their families who have been battling the heat. The 48th & Woodland sprayground has reopened after some new renovations and upgrades. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Tuesday.

The playground site at 48th and Woodland was updated with new water play equipment that is tied to the theme of learning. One of the main goals of this renovation project was to create a sprayground where children can combine learning and fun. Other new amenities include a shade structure and new seating (see more photos below).

The project was a $700,000 investment by the City in this important local community space.

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Philadelphia outdoor public pools have started reopening for the summer. Pool hours vary based on available staffing, but all open pools offer public swim from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily, according to the Philadelphia Parks & Rec. Additional public swim hours vary by site.

Here’s the opening schedule for West Philadelphia based pools. More pools are expected to open in the following few weeks. We’ll update this list when we have more information. This week’s full opening schedule is available here. Also, check with your neighborhood pool for more information here.

Week of July 1

Tuesday, July 2

• Tustin Pool – 5901-29 W. Columbia Ave., 19151.

Week of June 24

Thursday, June 27

• Butch Ellis Pool (39th & Olive) – 700 N. 39th St., 19104
• Lee Pool – 4328 Haverford Ave., 19104

Week of June 17

Tuesday, June 18

• Christy Pool – 728 S. 55th St., 19143

Friday, June 21

• Shepard Pool – 5700 Haverford Ave., 19131

Note: Kelly Pool (4231 Lansdowne Dr.) was expected to reopen on Monday but experienced a technical issue. It is now expected to open later in the week of June 17.

After a break, a popular recreation program for kids, the Clark Park Youth Soccer League, is returning this spring. The program, run by the Friends of Clark Park, kicks off April 20 in the Clark Park “Bowl” and children in Kindergarten – 5th Grade are welcome to join. Sessions will be held every Saturday morning through June 8.

A pre-K clinic for kids ages 4-5 will also be held this spring with sessions scheduled for every other Saturday.

Registration is open now through April 10.

Registration fee for this program is $20 for one child and $10 for each additional child in the same family. Non-member families are also required to pay a Friends of Clark Park membership fee, starting at $25 for families registering one child. Financial “Soccership” assistance is available.

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Photos by Tony West

One hundred Philadelphia young chess players packed the St. Joseph’s University Athletic Recreation Center at 45th St. and Woodland Ave. this weekend, Jan. 27-28, seeking mates  – lots of them  – but all above board. A chess board, to be precise.

The 16th annual PECO/ASAP Checkmate Violence Chess Marathon drew youths K-12 for two full days of competition and awards. Rated players tested themselves through five long rounds over both days; non-rated players tackled five shorter rounds on Saturday. Coaches and parents from some of ASAP’s 150 chess clubs (one of the largest lineups in the country) came along for pregame prep work but once the tournament began all adults were shooed out.

ASAP presented a STEM Fair featuring organizations throughout Philadelphia that provide after school and summer opportunities in STEM.

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