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!

The Minor Threats with their State Championship trophies.

About a month and a half ago we wrote about a local chess club, The Minor Threats, comprised of 2nd-6th graders from four schools in West and Southwest Philly. The kids and their coach, Jason Bui, have been facing the challenge of  raising $5,000 this spring to travel to and compete at the state and national chess championships.

The club was able to raise enough money to make it to the state championships in Carlisle, Penn., in March and did great there! The team picked up a total of seven trophies (three team trophies and four individual ones). More donations are needed for the team’s expenses at the SuperNationals in Nashville, Tenn., next month (about $2,500), but, luckily, a potential donor has offered to match all of the donations that go to the club’s GoFundMe project this week up to $1,000. This is a great opportunity to help the young players and make their dream of competing at the national level come true.

To donate, please follow this link: www.gofundme.com/Minor-Threats-Chess-Club

A late-night robbery spree this week led to two arrests, according to police. Three robberies – at 46th and Chester, 45th and Larchwood, and 42nd and Osage – happened within 15-20 minutes from one another, beginning around 11:55 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12 and going into early Wednesday. The Osage and Larchwood Avenue robberies were at a gunpoint, said Joseph Murray of the Southwest Detectives (@PPDJoeMurray).

That same night, the 18th district police arrested two suspects they believe were involved in these incidents. One of the arrested men is suspected in the Chester and Osage Avenue robberies.

Here’s a chance to learn a lot about the quality soil – especially if you plan to grow something in it. The Soil Kitchen will be open in Clark Park this Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m. Urban soil is often full of contaminants like mercury, cadmium and lead, so if you want to have it tested and see if it’s safe to use, bring a plastic bag of dried and homogenized soil (with as few stones as possible). The University of Pennsylvania Department of Earth and Environmental Science’s mobile lab will be on site to do the soil testing. The results will be provided for free and can be location-anonymous. You can also learn strategies for dealing with gardening on contaminated soil at this event.

NOTE: if it rains tomorrow, the event will be held at the lobby of Hill College House at the University of Pennsylvania (3333 Walnut St).

For more information visit the Soil Kitchen 2013 website. And here are soil sampling instructions… in comic strip form:

Mariposa celebrates a year in its new home next week.

Our friends over at Mariposa Food Co-op have had a fantastic year since they moved to their new location at 4824 Baltimore Ave last spring and to mark the first anniversary of the move the store is planning a full week of celebration that begins this Saturday, March 16 (March 17 is the actual anniversary).

Here are some things that the store is planning and inviting residents to check out:

– In-store product sampling and special sales all week

– PARTY on Sunday, March 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be food, entertainment, raffles, and fundraising for a food justice and anti-racism library.

– Mariposa is also recruiting new members. If you are a member, each time you refer a new member your name will be entered in a drawing at the anniversary party on Sunday. Prizes include gift baskets, food and health and beauty products.

The inside of the new Mariposa location back when was all still just an idea.

It has already been a year since Mariposa opened at the new location. Here’s a quick look at how it got there:

• When it was all just a dream.
• A peak inside before renovations began.
• Mayor Michael Nutter stops by to celebrate before the renovations officially get under way.
• A video that gives sneak peak inside the store in March, a couple of days before the grand opening.

The new Cedar Park Cafe location at 2035 N. 63rd St. (Photo from Yelp)

We have some good news and bad news for those of you who enjoyed a hearty, all-day breakfast at the Cedar Park Cafe on the 4900 block of Baltimore Avenue, which was heavily damaged in the Christmas Eve fire that destroyed Elena’s Soul. The bad news for Cedar Park residents and others nearby is that the cafe has relocated to north 63rd Street near the Overbrook train station. The good news is that it might come back.

The roof collapsed at the cafe’s Baltimore Avenue location when a wall fell on it as crews demolished what was left of the adjacent Elena’s Soul building. The cafe’s owners hope to return to Baltimore Avenue later this year.

Rimedio at 45th and Spruce streets. What kind of place might make it here?

Café Renata (Facebook page) on the 4300 block of Locust opens for brunch this weekend. But the Spruce Hill neighborhood is apparently losing a brunch spot as Rimedio, the Northern Italian brunch and dinner joint, has closed. A notice is posted on the restaurant’s front door at 45th and Spruce claiming that it is several months behind in rent.

Rimedio’s apparent departure (their website is offline too) has sparked some conversation about what kind of business might succeed at the 45th and Spruce location, where two businesses have opened and closed since the original Rx restaurant, which had a lengthy spell of success, changed owners in 2010.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about what kind of place might succeed there.