Spruce Hill Provisions, a small local grocery/general store located near 46th and Baltimore, is closing its doors after less than four years in business. The store, “selling local products wherever possible,” from produce to baked goods to flowers and gifts, opened in 2021 at 4529 Baltimore Avenue.

The last day of operation will be March 31. The owner, Elizabeth Planet, who lives in the neighborhood, has decided to dedicate all her time to nonprofit work.

“Given everything that’s going on at the federal level at the moment, I have decided to devote myself fully to my nonprofit/social impact work,” she posted on Spruce Hill Provision’s Instagram page. “It has been a joy to serve the community we live in and love since 2021, and I’m sorry I can no longer keep it going.”

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In an effort to make pedestrian crossings safer, the Streets Department has begun installing “pedestrian refuge islands” along Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia. The construction work began this week.

A pedestrian refuge island is a concrete raised median at crosswalks that serves as pedestrian refuge on wide roadways (see image). They often separate traffic lanes and are used on wide roadways. This safety feature reduces crossing distances and provides refuge for pedestrians to be able to cross the road in stages.

The project on Chestnut Street includes the removal of the existing plastic delineator posts and construction of concrete pedestrian refuge islands in the bicycle lane buffer areas.

The pedestrian islands will be installed at multiple intersections from 43rd Street to 62nd Street:

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West Philly residents have a chance to meet and hear from two Democratic candidates ahead of the May 20 primary election at a District Attorney Candidates Forum at West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, 123 S. 51st St., on Tuesday, March 11, at 5 p.m.

The candidates participating in the forum are:

• The incumbent Larry Krasner who is once again running for District Attorney.

• Patrick Dugan, a former Philadelphia judge.

The forum is organized by the 46th Ward Democrats. Please go here to RSVP.

On May 20, a primary is being held to elect the District Attorney, judges, controller and Judge of Elections. See the full slate here. Because Philadelphia is heavily Democratic, elections in this city are really decided in the primary.

The Walnut Hill Community Playground renovation project is moving forward thanks to a recently secured $75,000 grant.

The Walnut Hill Community Association, in collaboration with the University City District, is now gathering community input that will help them understand what parts of the playground’s improvement are most important for users. The association has released an online survey which takes a few minutes to complete. Here is the link.

The Walnut Hill Community Association is still trying to raise more funding and understanding who the playground users are and how they use the playground can help them do that. There are several voluntary questions about the playground usage in the survey. Please answer as much of that information as you are comfortable with sharing. The only required questions are about the park improvements.’

If you have any questions about this survey, please email Morgan Rogers Burns at morgan@universitycity.org.

More information about the $75,000 grant and the playground renovation efforts is available here.

Drexel University’s Manufacturing Career Accelerator Program is back for the 2025 season. This free 6-week boot camp style program focuses on a Good Manufacturing Practice curriculum and necessary certifications.

Recruiting is now open for the 2025 Spring session, which kicks off April 28. The program will run Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

To participate in the program, you must be a Philadelphia resident, be 18+ years of age and have a high school diploma or GED.

The program is specifically interested in recruiting West Philadelphia residents. In MCAP, participants work with program instructors and staff to develop even more professional skills and learn how to apply them in the workplace. The program helps professionals who have recently become unemployed or are working part-time with low wages and seeking a new career opportunity.

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Community members are invited to take part in a free CPR training session, which will be held this Saturday, March 1, at the Walnut Street West Free Library of Philadelphia branch, located at 40th and Walnut. This is a hands-on, non-certification training provided by The Mobile CPR Project Philadelphia, a partnership between Independence Blue Cross and the University of Pennsylvania.

To register for the workshop, please fill out a form at this link or use the QR code in the flyer below: