Here’s a sampling of New Year’s Eve parties, concerts and special events taking place in the neighborhood. If you know of other events please drop them in the comments.

• New Year’s Eve with Philly Bloco • World Cafe Live • 3025 Walnut Street • 10:30 p.m. (doors 9:30 p.m.) • Tickets: $30

Philly Bloco’s 20+ members bring their raucous mash-up of Samba, Funk and Reggae for a very special New Year’s Eve dance party.

• New Year’s Eve Yoga and Mochi • Studio 34 • 4522 Baltimore Ave. • 8 – 10 p.m. • Suggested donation $5 – $15

Wring out your body before you ring in the New Year with this special 2-hour all-levels hatha yoga practice. Class includes brief meditation, pranayama (breathing), seated and standing poses, plus special sequences for reflecting on the past year while looking forward to the future. After practice, enjoy hot tea and mochi (sweet Japanese rice cakes) in the warmth of Studio 34′s community lounge.

• Beth Hart – New Year’s Eve concert • The Blockley • 38th & Chestnut • 7 p.m. (doors 5 p.m.) • Tickets: $135

The concert includes: Admission to Show; Dinner Buffet – 7 – 9 p.m.; Top Shelf Open Bar – 7 p.m. – 1 a.m.; Beth’s new CD with Joe Bonamassa, “Don’t Explain”; Beth Hart event shirt; Midnight Champagne Toast.

• Gojjo (www.gojjos.com) • 4540 Baltimore Ave • 11 p.m.-2 a.m. • No cover

Champagne is on the house.

• New Deck Tavern (www.newdecktavern.com) • 3408 Sansom Street • 10 p.m. • No cover

Specials: $2 Coors Light Pints, $3 Coors Light bottles and $5 Flavored Martini’s. DJ starts at 10 p.m.

• Slainte Pub (www.slaintephilly.com) • 3000 Market Street • 10 p.m. • No cover

DJ @ 10 p.m. Free Flare & Noisemakers. $2 Miller Lite Pints & Firework Shots 10 p.m.-close.

A few weeks ago we wrote about an amazing rescue of a starved cat (since named “Clark Kent” in honor of where he was found and his heroic survival) in Clark Park by one of our neighbors. Today we learned that another cat was abandoned in the park and this time it took a group effort to save him.

Reportedly the cat was taken to the park by some women and dumped there yesterday morning. The neighbors who saw that tried to plea with the women to take the cat back. It didn’t work. The poor animal was very frightened and climbed atop one of the tallest trees in the park, where he stayed all day yesterday and all night, crying.

This morning some neighbors observed the scene when a landscaping worker put a ladder on top of his truck and was trying to reach the cat, while the University Of Sciences security and other neighbors gathered around and cheered loudly for this effort. Some folks held blankets to catch the cat in case of a fall.

Fortunately, everything ended well. The worker was able to grab the cat who later was taken to South Philly for foster care. The woman who temporarily adopted the rescued feline came here after she learned about it from a City Kitties Facebook announcement.

Note: We’d like to thank Valerie Ross, Naomi Segal, Barry Grossbach, and Linda Lee for reporting this story on the UCNeighbors listserv.

This week trash and recycling collections will be delayed one day, as the Philadelphia Streets Department reports on its Facebook page. Those whose trash pickup day is Monday should set out their trash and recycling containers tonight. By the way, did you know that you can now recycle carton containers? So don’t forget to put your milk, juice, eggnog, wine, soup and other carton containers together with other recyclables from now on.

Holidays are not over yet for many, but we would like to give you a heads up on Christmas tree recycling opportunities in the neighborhood. The Philadelphia Streets Department will open three locations (closest is on S. 63rd Street) in the city for Christmas tree recycling from January 3 – 14. We’ll post more information on that early next week. You can also check the Streets Dept.’s website for details.

If you want a closer location and don’t mind keeping your tree a little longer you can bring it to Clark Park (43rd & Chester) on January 7 between 10 a.m and 4 p.m. UC Green is organizing this event and we’ll provide more information on it next week.

Check out holiday schedules at assorted neighborhood stores, cafes and restaurants below. If you know of others please drop them in the comments.

CVS Pharmacy (43rd & Locust)
Saturday & Sunday – Store open 24 hours, pharmacy closes at 5 p.m.

Dock Street Brewery (50th & Baltimore)
Saturday – 12-9 p.m.
Sunday – closed

Four Worlds Bakery (4634 Woodland Ave.)
Saturday – closes at 2 p.m.
Sunday & Monday – closed

Fu-Wah (810 S. 47th St.)
Saturday & Sunday – closes at 9 p.m.

Green Line Cafe
Saturday – Baltimore Ave and Locust Street close at 2 p.m.; Powelton Village closed
Sunday – All shops are closed
Monday – Baltimore Ave and Locust Street close at 6 p.m.; Powelton Village closed
Tuesday – Powelton Village closed

Local 44 (44th & Spruce)
Saturday & Sunday – closed

Mariposa Food Co-op (4726 Baltimore Ave.)
Saturday – 12-7 p.m.
Sunday – closed
Monday-Friday (Dec. 26-30) – closes at 7 p.m.

Milk & Honey Market (4435 Baltimore Ave.)
Saturday – closes at 4 p.m.
Sunday – closed

Supreme (43rd & Walnut)
Saturday – 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday – 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

The Fresh Grocer (40th & Walnut)
Saturday & Sunday – open 24 hours

 
Clark Park at about 4 p.m. yesterday looked and sounded as usual. Kids playing after school; their parents nearby chatting. People walking their dogs or reading the paper. Then things changed for a few minutes when a large red-tailed hawk swooped down, grabbed a squirrel and perched about 20 feet off the ground near the older kids’ playground. The hawk sat on a branch with the squirrel dangling from its talons as people gathered underneath the tree to get a better look – the parents of younger children looking a little nervous. The hawk, one of many that call Philadelphia home, lingered for 20 minutes or so before taking his dinner to a more secluded location.

Think it’s impossible to shop and dance at the same time? Think again. Tomorrow (Dec. 23) you’ll get a chance to do last-minute holiday shopping at VIX Emporium and cut a rug at the Independent Rock school next door with The Last of the Red-Hot Lovers led by IR director and Stinking Lizaveta band member Yanni Papadopoulos (pictured).

The dance show is free and features a full band playing lively swing jazz. Refreshments will be available for a modest donation. The show will run from 6 – 9 p.m.

VIX will be open until 9 for your last-minute gift needs. Also Friday night, don’t miss a presentation of a new “West Philly” graphic, the fourth so far to celebrate this awesome neighborhood. To bring it to life, VIX enlisted the help of local artist Justin Turkus. Justin, who is a tattoo artist and the author and illustrator of picture book “Earth is a Wonderful Place to Be” (available at VIX), will be there to debut his new design. Handprinted notecards and stickers of the new image will be available starting from tomorrow, and totes, t-shirts and hoodies will arrive in the new year.

On December 24 VIX will be open from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed December 25 and 26).