The annual Cedar Park Neighbors’ general meeting and Board elections will take place tonight (April 17) at Calvary Center (48th and Baltimore). The meeting will also feature guest speakers who will talk about tenant and renter’s rights and tax relief programs for homeowners.

Board elections will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the general program beginning at 7:00 p.m. More information on board candidates is available in the CPN Spring Newsletter.

Here’s also some information on two upcoming community events in Cedar Park.  Continue Reading

Longtime West Philly resident Jeff Lutzner pitches “Pentridge Station,” a playground/park/beer garden proposed for a vacant lot on the 5100 block of Pentridge Street (Photo by West Philly Local).

A longtime West Philly resident is gambling that people will want to travel down a troubled street that is lined with abandoned cars, empty buildings and a quasi-legal automotive shop that sometimes hosts raucous outdoor parties during which shots have been fired to visit his kid-friendly, pop-up beer garden.

It sounds risky, but several people who attended last night’s Cedar Park Neighbors zoning committee meeting to discuss the proposed seasonal beer garden in an abandoned lot on the 5100 block of Pentridge Street said they will support it. Jeff Lutzner, a longtime resident and block captain on the 4900 block of Cedar Avenue, owns the lot and hopes that the beer garden/playground might bring some much-needed attention to the block.

“We really want it to be a place where families could convene,” Lutzner told the 30 or so people gathered at the meeting.  Continue Reading

Cedar Park residents and all interested individuals are invited to a community meeting on Tuesday, March 21 to hear a proposal of a pop-up (temporary) beer garden on the 5100 block of Pentridge Street. The meeting is organized by Cedar Park Neighbors.

The beer garden is being proposed at 5112-5120 Pentridge St. (see map), the area that currently includes a few empty lots. A search of the BRT database revealed the owner of the property as Fatty Tuna LLC. The meeting is an opportunity to meet with the owner, see the plans of what they would like to do and voice your opinion on this issue.

The meeting will be held at the Calvary Center (4740 Baltimore Ave.), beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Those who would like to comment but cannot attend the meeting are welcome to send their comments to CPN: zoning@cedarparkneighbors.org.

Do you live in Cedar Park and want to get more involved with the neighborhood? Here’s a great chance. The Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN), the recognized community organization for the Cedar Park neighborhood, is currently seeking new board members to serve the community for the next two years beginning in June 2017. The following message was recently posted on the CPN website:

“Are you a renter, homeowner or business owner? Are you a long-time resident or a recent transplant? People of color, women, men, trans and gender non-conforming people, queer people, people with disabilities, elders and young people are encouraged to run. If you live or work in Cedar Park and are dedicated to improving our community, please participate in your neighborhood board!”  Continue Reading

Cedar Park Neighbors, in cooperation with area churches and other nonprofit organizations, will prepare and distribute food baskets for those in need during the holiday season. To make this event a success, CPN is currently holding their annual Holiday Basket Drive. Suggested donation is $36, which will help feed two families.

In 2015, thanks to neighbors’ support, CPN were able to reach 130 families (over 550 people).

Click here for more information and to donate.

The baskets will be packed and distributed on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Renewal Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of 47th and Cedar Ave, and volunteers are welcome to help out. Please contact Michelle Lewis at mlewis1071@gmail.com to sign up or if you are interested in donating bulk items.

Gretchen Elise during her June 10, 2015 Cedar Park Jazz performance (Photo © Jacques-Jean Tiziou / www.jjtiziou.net)

Gretchen Elise is a woman about town. You might recognize her from her performances at local community events or from her 9-to-5 as Director of Development at St. Mary’s Nursery School. You can catch her at the Cedar Park Jazz series on June 17 with her five piece band, with DM Hotep (David Middleton), the guitarist from Sun Ra Arkestra, along with The Authentic, Naeemah Maddox, Anam Owili-Egar, Brandon Kerakowski, Rick Martino and Luke Walker.

Gretchen performs during Make Music Philly Day at Arch St. Meeting House in June, 2014 (Photo by Ella Gahnt)

Growing up in Swarthmore, Gretchen has been playing music since she was a kid. She joined chorus, bell choir and took piano lessons. She wrote a song and sent it to her idol and former Olympic gymnast, Nadia Comaneci.

As a part of her creative process, Gretchen mentioned the need to integrate all aspects of her life, which makes the Cedar Park music series the perfect way to tie all aspects of her identity together.

Gretchen has worked on writing a song for the Cedar Park show with her 7-year-old daughter, who might even make a guest appearance.

“For me it makes sense to integrate my identity as an artist, as an educator, as a community member and as a mother,” she said. “I’m happiest when all of these things are integrated, which is why I think Cedar Park is the ultimate gig. It’s in my community, with my family, in a setting where there’s a park next door where my kids and other kids can play.”

Cedar Park Jazz Series is held every Friday through July 29, from 6 – 8 p.m. (weather permitting).

– Rana Fayez