A neighbor is looking for her cat that went missing two days ago:

“Male Snow Shoe Siamese cat, light grey and white with a half mustache and bright blue eyes…. Goes by the name of Luchie. Kind of a big guy and missing some teeth, very food motivated. Friendly but can also be shy, likes to hide in boxes and small spaces and meows a lot, a very distinct meow. Reward if found. Please call 203 273 5300. Last seen between Warrington and Springfield on 50th St.”

Neighborhood Foods, West Philadelphia’s first urban farm-based CSA, is accepting members for the 2012 season.

Members of the Neighborhood Foods CSA will receive weekly shares of vegetables from West Philly gardens and fruit from farms in the greater Philadelphia area. The 22-week CSA runs from mid-May to October, and offers add-on options of locally-produced seasonal jam, local honey, and bread from Four Worlds Bakery.

All profits from this CSA are re-invested into the Haddington and Walnut Hill neighborhoods where the produce is grown, supporting urban employment and youth leadership development.

To become a member, fill out the application form here.

Pick up sites in West Philly are:

– Walnut Hill Community Farm at 46th & Market Streets, Friday afternoon
– Four Worlds Bakery at 47th & Woodland Streets, Friday evening or Saturday morning

The Neighborhood Foods CSA is a collaboration between West Philadelphia nonprofits Urban Tree Connection and Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation.

Named after the New York-based avant-garde film society started in 1947 and inspired by Maya Deren’s Greenwich Village exhibition of experimental films, Cinema 16 is a new series of film experiences based at the International House that “seeks to confirm the relevance of the historic avantgarde by pairing it with contemporary sound.” For its opening night event this Friday, Feb. 17 artist and curator Molly Surno has commissioned musicians as varied as the internationally recognized pop rock band Yeah Yeah Yeah’s to the locally Brooklyn favorite krautrock group FORMA to create original music that will accompany a series of historic short, experimental films to create a mixed media performance that “remove film from the conventional big screen theater.”

This edition of Cinema 16 at IHP will explore themes of perversity, flesh, and the female form. The films are:

Asparagus
dir. Suzan Pitt, US, 1979, 16mm, 18 mins, color

Kusama’s Self Obliteration
dir. Jud Yalkut, US, 1967, 16mm, 24 mins, color

Lusting Hours (excerpt)
dir. John and Lem Amero, US, 1967, 10 mins, b/w

8:00 p.m. International House Philadelphia (3701 Chestnut Street). $9 general admission, $7 students & seniors.  For more information or if you want to buy tickets online, go here.

Pre-registration is now open for the Sweet Charity Spin Day workshop, a special 3-hour workshop on dropspindling which will be held at The A-Space on Saturday, March 24, from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

In this workshop, you can learn how to spin your own yarn, which can be a fun and economical hobby. The workshop is presented by Jessica Suiter, Fiber Specialist at Hearthwise Spindles. Jessica will discuss basic spinning terminology and techniques, giving instruction to the group as a whole and individual instruction as needed. Fiber and spindles will be provided to each attendee for practice, and spindles, fiber and other materials will be available for purchase afterward. Locally-sourced Alpaca fiber from Abenaki Acres Alpaca Farm will be used for spinning, but synthetic fiber will also be available for strict vegans or those with allergies.

Cost of attendance includes a spindle to use during the workshop, fiber to practice with, and refreshments.

– Pay $28 if you pre-register by 2/19
– Pay $32 if you pre-register from 2/20 to 3/23
– $35 at the door

Registration fees can be paid by cash, check, money order or credit card during Sunday meetups, or checks & money orders can be mailed to Jazmin directly. Please email jazmin.idakaar [at] gmail.com with any questions or for the mailing address.

NOTE: All cancellations must be made 72 hours before workshop starts for a full refund. Cancellations less than 72 hours before the workshop will result in a partial refund, and cancellations the day of will result in no refund.

Spindles, Alpaca fiber, natural dyes and books will be available for purchase after the instruction portion of the workshop. Spindles used during the workshop will be available for purchase at a special discounted rate for attendees. All spindles and wood-based products from Hearthwise Spindles are from non-endangered tree species.

Space is limited to 11 spinners, so pre-registration is recommended. And here’s the event’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/events/244294465649148/

The Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement, a non-profit organization helping Philadelphia youth discover the power of their voices through spoken word and literary expression, is bringing its 2nd Annual Dream Big Arts Festival‘s main program to West Philadelphia this Saturday and Sunday. The event actually kicks off a day earlier (Fri, Feb. 17) at the Franklin Institute. The West Philly part will take place at the new West Philadelphia High School building (49th & Chestnut) and will include poetry workshops, oratorical and spelling bee competitions, Youth Night Poetry Slam/Open Mic, and an MC Battle.

Black Thought from the legendary hip-hop band, The Roots, will be one of the judges at the Poetry Slam. This year the festival celebrates literacy, activism, and peace. It will culminate on Monday, Feb. 20, with a community service project.

For more information on the schedule, to register or to purchase tickets ($7-$15 youth; $12-$25 adult), visit the festival’s homepage. The Friday Kickoff event at the Franklin Institute (222 N. 20th Street), with Mayor Michael Nutter in attendance, will be held from 4 – 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

A community meeting is scheduled for tonight to discuss the proposal to turn the former Apple Storage building near 52nd and Baltimore, which is now vacant, into residential apartments.

The private equity investment firm Iron Stone, which has developed high-end apartments elsewhere in the city, proposes to convert the commercial building into 112 loft-style apartments. The plan also includes 2,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and 92 parking spaces in the rear of the building.

Members of the community group Cedar Park Neighbors and the Baltimore Avenue Business Association support the plan as a way to spur development along the Baltimore Avenue commercial corridor. Some concerns have been voiced about the affordability of the apartments and possible property tax increases resulting from the project.

The plan still needs zoning approval to switch the building’s designation from commercial to residential. Discussion of that zoning variance will be the focus of tonight’s meeting, which is being held at the Arnett A.M.E. Church at 815 S. 53rd Street (near Whitby Ave.) starting at 7 p.m. Among those scheduled to be in attendance tonight is a representative of the Office of Property Assessment, who will address concerns about increased property taxes.