Most of us have seen the Lebanese bakery and cafe take shape for the past several months at the old bank building on the southeast corner of 45th and Walnut. It appears the wait will be over on Monday. We don’t have a lot of details yet, but the Manakeesh is scheduled to open at 6 a.m. lunchtime (1 or 2 we’re told) on Jan. 17.

A “manakeesh” is a Lebanese flatbread sandwich and is the featured food item on the menu. There will be 14 kinds of manakeesh, both vegetarian and meat (halal, of course). A variety of soups, coffees and sweets (baklava!) are also on the menu.

Here is the full menu.

Here is a flyer posted at City Kitties about two cats missing from the Windermere Court Apartment complex following the fire. These cats were presumably on the lower floors and hopefully survived.  Keep an eye for these two.

Cool photo from Clark Park at sunrise this morning. This is from the Clark Park twitter feed @clarkpark. The slopes, at least as we define them in West Philly, are indeed open. Schools are not.

Clark Park at sunrise on Wednesday. (Photo from @clarkpark. See the original here.)

Trash collection and snow removal

The City of Philadelphia announced that trash and recycling collection will be suspended tomorrow in anticipation of the heavy snow tonight. Folks who have Wednesday pick-up should put their stuff out for Thursday pick-up. The rest of the week will be on a one-day delay. There will also be no rear driveway collection. If you normally place it in a rear driveway, place it on the curb instead.

Also, there’s the new shoveling law that requires clearing at least a 36-inch path on sidewalks within six hours of the end of the storm. Doubt anyone will be measuring, but just sayin’.

Schools

Philadelphia public schools are closed Wednesday. The School Reform Commission meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. has also been canceled. The Parent Infant Center is open.

At least three or four surviving cats have been pulled from apartments devastated by fire yesterday at Windermere Court Apartments. The feline aid organization City Kitties is offering help to pet owners whose cats survived the fire. The West Philadelphia-based organization has established an emergency fund for boarding, pet sitting, follow-up veterinary care, food, litter, carriers, and other basic needs.

For those affected by the fire, a form is available here to apply for funds. That same link provides a Pay Pal button for those who want to donate to the fund.

They write:

“We will not be able to write checks directly to victims, but will be able to purchase supplies for you, reimburse expenses, or pay vendors directly (veterinarians, boarding facilities, etc) up to a specific amount.”

Many residents were able to take their pets with them when they evacuated, but don’t have a place for them now. The PSPCA is housing many of those and the vet hospital at Penn is providing free medical care.

There are a number of ways people in the neighborhood can help out the victims of yesterday’s fire at the Windermere Court Apartment complex at 48th and Walnut Streets.

The Salvation Army center in West Philadelphia at 5501 Market St. is accepting a variety of donations, including clothing and linens. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Although the main entrance is on Market Street, it is easier to access from the back on Arch Street, where the door to the storage facility is located.

Here is an interview with Natasha Rush of the Salvation Army:

The Red Cross Philly, which is operating the shelter at the Locke School at 4550 Haverford Avenue is asking donors not to bring cash donations or clothing to the shelter. The best way to donate to the Red Cross, which is providing emergency supplies and spending money for the victims as well as connecting them to counseling and other types of services, is to donate on the website.

Here is an interview with Dave Schrader with the Red Cross: