Photo courtesy of Bartram’s Garden.

As we first reported last fall, the Bartram’s Mile project plan in Southwest Philadelphia is currently being drawn up. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Bartram’s Garden, and the Schuylkill River Development Corporation are creating the plan and they are asking for your input in two public meetings over the next few days, including one tonight (Wednesday).

The Mile is proposed as a 1.1 mile extension of the Schuylkill River Trail and adjacent neighborhood park space that will run from the Grays Ferry Bridge to 58th Street along the river. Public input has been sought throughout the first phase of the project and now that the next phase of design has begun, the project stakeholders want to invite you to give your input once again.

Design drawings were made in early 2013 to show early ideas based off the last round of public input. They can be found by clicking on this link and going to the “Phase I Conceptual Design Results.” The planners have updated these ideas and are now holding two civic feedback sessions where they will present the concepts and ask residents for their thoughts and opinions.

Here is more information about the meetings:

Wednesday, July 24
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Bartram Village Community Room
5404 Gibson Drive
Same entrance off Lindbergh as Bartram’s Garden, then bear right instead of left

Monday, July 29
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Bartram’s Garden
5400 Lindbergh Boulevard
Coach House

Dinner will be provided at both meetings. Staff will be divided up into various tables/stations to respond to specific questions. Please RSVP by writing to: praxis@design.upenn.edu or calling 215-573-8720.

Public help is sought in locating 63-year-old Robert Jean-Louis (pictured) who has been missing since 8 a.m. Tuesday (July 23) morning. He was last seen on 50th street between Warrington and Springfield. He is approximately 150lb, 6’2”. He has dementia and currently does not have any ID on him. He is wearing a white striped button down shirt, navy blue khaki pants, black dress shoes, and has olive green carry-on luggage. He speaks Creole.

Please call his family at 267-808-4714 or 215-910-9415 with any information. Police have been notified too so you can call them if you see him.

UPDATE: (7/24/13): The cat has been found and returned to his owner.

An elderly orange and white tabby cat has been missing since July 19. He was last seen near 45th and Osage. See the flyer below for more information. If you’ve seen him please call 267-386-5558.

Community members who would like to contribute a few dollars to defray the funeral costs for 7-year-old Jabriel O’Connor, the boy who died Saturday after being found unconscious in a Cobbs Creek pool, are asked to stop by Cafe Renata (4305 Locust St) this afternoon and tomorrow morning.

West Philly Local will set up a table outside the cafe to accept cash contributions that will be passed along to Jabriel’s mother, Aisha Watson, who lives at an emergency shelter for homeless families run by the program Families Forward Philadelphia near the corner of Walnut and Melville Streets in the Spruce Hill section of West Philly.

Gloria Guard, who runs Families Forward, said Aisha is “hanging there.”

“She is in the process of making arrangements,” Guard said. “I think she would really appreciate it. Be sure to write down that you are neighbors.”

Collections will be taken from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Any contribution would help. There will also be a card to sign and you can pass along your own note to Aisha if you like. If it’s raining, the table will be inside.

All of the money collected will go directly to help with Aisha’s expenses.

West Philly Local reader Alexandra reports that two bikes were stolen from her porch on the 5000 block of Cedar Ave on Friday night (between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.). She wanted to alert West Philly residents about it and hopes they will be on the lookout for the bikes.

“I am hoping that people will bring their fancy bikes inside and not leave them on porches like we did,” she wrote in an email. A police report was filed about these missing bikes – if someone sees them they can call the police, or call Alex directly at 301 502 4820.

Here’s the description of the bikes:

– A handmade mountain bike – metallic orange paint, a little dinged up. Women’s small-medium sized frame. Large black bike seat, new-ish tires. This bike has lots of sentimental value to its owner because her brother made it for her from scratch.

– One year-old KHS 2011 Urban Xcape medium frame women’s bike. Black. There was no bike seat because it had recently been stolen off the bike at another location.

Architect Cecil Baker discusses a proposed building plan for 4224 Baltimore Avenue at the previous community meeting on June 18, 2013. (Photo by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local)

The third and final community meeting on the widely publicized and discussed residential development project at 4224 Baltimore Avenue is scheduled for this Wednesday, July 24. Residents are invited to meet with the development team from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the International House (37th and Chestnut, 2nd floor).

Architectural plans based on input from the previous sessions will be unveiled and residents will get a chance to learn about next steps in the development process. A couple of different designs were discussed during the last meeting. The land owners have provisional permission to build a 92-unit residential building on the site, which is across the street from Clark Park. Community input could help shape the project’s final design, which could include underground parking and ground-floor commercial space.

Community members were asked to provide their input on the project website and in a series of public meetings. Wednesday’s meeting is another opportunity to view and comment on the project.