Zora checking out a playground in Manyunk. (Photo from ZoraPlays.com).

Last April we wrote about a West Philly girl, Zora, and her dad Michael Froehlich’s awesome project, Zora Plays (“Zora plays and we all get a lesson on West Philly playgrounds“). Michael and his daughter, now 3, visited 31 West Philly playgrounds every day last January and documented them all – they made playground equipment photos, sketches and maps and posted them on their website (zoraplays.com).

We have to admit that we haven’t followed this project for a while and were amazed to learn that Zora has recently completed her West Philly playground quest and even started venturing outside of the area. As of today, Zora and Michael have visited and documented 89 playgrounds in West Philly and beyond (here’s a direct link to the map of the playgrounds).

What can we say? Keep playing, Zora!

Blackout in Cedar Park. (Photo by Amara Rockar)

Some neighbors in the Cedar Park neighborhood have been struggling to get some of the lights back on in the park. Several street lamps in the park have been dark for a few months. A request to 311 to repair the lights was submitted by neighbor Ryan Briggs on December 17, 2012 but was closed on January 1 when the Streets Department reported that “the light was found burning.” However, the request had been submitted to repair at least three lights and residents are reporting that now all but one of the park lamps are out, which presents a significant safety hazard.

Ryan wrote us and said that 311 now says it’s a Parks and Rec problem.

Another Cedar Park resident, Amara Rockar, also tried to submit an online maintenance request, including photos of the dysfunctional lights. She says that 311 is now telling her via Twitter to submit a new request under a different coding, which, she says, “seems pretty useless if citizens don’t know the exact correct coding for a particular situation.” Calling 311 is also not very effective since you don’t have a paper trail.

So while the struggle between the city and the residents is going on the problem remains unsolved and residents near the park are getting frustrated.

The 311 website is here.

UPDATE: We have received a response from 311 on Twitter:

@westphillylocal Just spoke with mgmt in @PhilaParkandRec. Requests have been received and lights in Cedar Park have been queued for repair.

— Philly311 (@philly311) January 10, 2013

UPDATE 2 (Friday, Jan. 11): We are happy to report that all but one lights in the park were back on last night (see photo below tweeted by Amara Rockar).

Love Your Park Day at Barkan Park, 50th & Spruce, took place on Saturday, Nov. 17, with 25 volunteers, including five AKA sorority sisters (above) from Penn and Drexel who heard about the event through West Philly Local. Neighborhood volunteers planted two new dogwood trees and nearly 550 spring bulbs, as well as raked leaves and cleaned up debris from Hurricane Sandy to prepare the park for the winter ahead.

Many thanks to Mark Mendenhall/Garden Court Community Association for submitting this information.

Join local community groups this Saturday (Nov. 17) for Love Your Park Day and help prep neighborhood parks for the winter. Here’s how and where you can help:

• Clark Park (43rd and Chester) – Friends of Clark Park will be raking leaves, spreading mulch, weeding, and picking up trash. Meet at the green and white shed on 45th St. between Chester and Woodland Aves. at 9:00 a.m., or just stop by when you can. RSVP here.
• Malcolm X Park (51st and Pine) – Friends of Malcolm X Park (Facebook page) will be doing some cleaning, bulb-planting, and leaf-raking in the park. Tools and refreshments provided. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information contact Greg Cojulun at 215-748-5329.
• Barkan Park (50th and Spruce) – Barkan Park cleanup is scheduled between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. For more information contact Mark Mendenhall at 215-476-2983.

If you know of other clean-ups, please let us know in the comments.

This Saturday (Oct. 20), join your neighbors and friends for the annual late fall Community Cleanup. Residents are encouraged to step outside their homes, offices, or schools and pick up leaves and trash. You can also help clean up your nearby park, or empty lot.

University City District will be organizing a few focused efforts throughout the neighborhood and can assist anyone interested in participating by providing trash bags, brooms, work gloves, and trash pickup.

To sign up for the cleanup, please contact UCD at cleanandsafe@universitycity.org or 215-243-0555.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to engage with the environment and the history of one of the nation’s oldest botanical gardens. Data Garden’s bio-interactive art and music festival, The Switched-On Garden, returns to Bartram’s Garden on Sunday. From 2 to 8:30 p.m. head to Bartram’s and connect with it through live music, performance and sculpture that blurs the distinction between biological and digital worlds. This is a free event and everyone is welcome. Here’s a full line-up:

Live Performances

 
KING BRITT (Album Release Concert)
Philadelphia producer, composer, performer and curator of electronic music will explore sound design, noise and ambient.

SPACESHIP ALOHA (EP Release Concert)
Philadelphia producer/composer/percussionist Christopher Sean Powell (Man Man/Need New Body) teams up with Data Garden to bring you the maiden voyage of Spaceship Aloha.

ALLEN CRAWFORD with LAURA BAIRD, DINO LIONETTI (of Cheap Dinosaurs) and GRETCHEN LOHSE
A sonic essay inspired by Bartram’s Garden

COSMIC MORNING
Renowned visualist and educator Don Miller presents a special light show that revisits the roots of modern VJ culture.

DJ RYAN TODD
International crate digger and electronic music producer Ryan Todd will provide natural grooves. Continue Reading