Spruce Hill and Powelton Village residents have a chance this Sunday, Dec. 18 to show their Christmas carol singing prowess and help light and decorate community trees.

Friends of Clark Park will be hosting the annual Christmas Caroling in the park. The event begins at 5 p.m. at the Community Christmas Tree atop the maintenance house, near 45th and Regent Streets. This wonderful, longstanding event draws many neighbors each year as a hushed winter night falls. Everyone is welcome to come sing traditional Christmas favorites by candlelight with your neighbors, and then enjoy hot cider and cookies.

Also on Sunday, a tree lighting celebration will take place in Powelton, at 3750 Lancaster Avenue (United Bank building). Neighbors are invited to help light the tree and make decorations and memories together. This event will take place from 5 – 7:30 p.m.

Artwork by Laura Murdoch.

Need some holiday gifts with some Philly flavor? The annual Go West! Craft Fest holiday edition is this Sunday, Dec. 18 at The Rotunda (near 40th and Walnut) and will feature more than 100 artisan vendors selling handcrafted, locally made items.

Everything from hand-knitted winter clothing to locally made preserves to handmade toys will be available at The Rotunda. This thing has gotten so big over the years that it has now expanded into The Rotunda’s amazing Sanctuary space.

The Go West! Craft Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and here is a list of vendors.

People’s Emergency Center (PEC) and the Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council (ICPIC) this week launched Westphillyhistory.com, a website that includes an interactive map which pinpoints sites of historic significance in the area ranging from the Lenape Indian settlements in the 1600s to Malcolm X and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960’s – up to the present day.

Visitors to the site can take a virtual tour, filter events by categories such as arts and culture or social movements, or walk through history using the timeline.

“West Philadelphia has often attracted national and international attention for its prominent role in our nation’s history. These neighborhoods west of the Schuylkill River have a rich cultural identity unique to the city of Philadelphia, making it a place of significance within a ‘city of firsts’,” reads a statement on the website.  Continue Reading

A fire broke out early Wednesday afternoon underground, reportedly after a gas leak, near 49th and Windsor and caused evacuations of nearby homes, according to neighbor and media reports. The fire was seen coming out of a manhole and reaching as high as six feet. Firefighters responded to the scene, and shuttle buses replaced trolleys due to the fire.

UPDATE: Two SEPTA workers were hospitalized with 1st and 2nd degree burns following the fire, according to reports.

SEPTA and PGW were doing some work in the area this morning, according to neighbor reports, but it’s not clear whether the fire was caused by this. The Philadelphia Fire Department is investigating the cause of the gas leak.

Hope everyone is staying warm today! #WhyILovePhilly pic.twitter.com/qkAUeZ06qY

— Phila. Bikes (@philabikes) December 14, 2016

Just saw the fire a block and a half from my house. Looks and smells like a @PECOconnect gas leak. @WestPhillyLocal @KYWNewsradio https://t.co/0b8aSgePKo

— Kate Garchinsky (@katesnowbird) December 14, 2016

Community members are invited to St. Francis de Sales Church (47th and Springfield) for a candlelight Christmas concert under the dome this Wednesday (Dec. 14). The church’s choir will preview pieces from their annual Midnight Mass carol service, and their lineup this year will showcase pieces by Vaughan-Williams, Victoria, Franck, Garau and others, as well as feature a carol sing-along.

The concert is free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged. All proceeds go toward restoration projects in the church building, which dates to 1907.

“Since the departure of the old pastor, there are a number of cultural and community events that SFDS is looking to relaunch,” writes SFDS sexton Michael Nevadomski. “Most of them are pretty Catholic, but we’re looking to start doing more regular concerts, the first of which is a candlelight Christmas concert by our very talented choir and organist on December 14.”  Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Historical Commission’s committee on historic designation will consider several West Philly properties, including two churches, during a Dec. 14 meeting. The owners of one West Philly property, on the 4000 block of Chestnut Street, is asking for its designation to be rescinded.

Designation means that a property would be placed on the Register of Historic Places and the Historical Commission would serve as the regulatory body for the property. Every alteration that requires a building permit would go before the commission.

The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at 1515 Arch St., Room 18-029.

Here are the properties. Click on the link to see a PDF of the application.  Continue Reading