From back row left to right: Aetna Gallagher, Ken Opdenaker, Maria Konstantinidis, Brandon Pierce, Rachel Gluck and CJ Keller (Photo by JR Blackwell)

The Curio Theatre Company will stage a play opening this Friday that should resonate deeply in our ever-connected, hyper-talkative social media saturated world, a place where everyone talks but few communicate.

The Bald Soprano, the first work by Romanian playwright Eugène Ionesco, makes us laugh at all of this absurd small talk run amok. Originally set in the London home of the fictional couple The Smiths, who are having their friends, The Martins, over for dinner, the play has been updated to include – through clever screen projections –  all of that online gibberish that we all know too well. The play’s script stays true to the original set in the 1950s, but works in modern takes on the non-sequitur.

“Every day we are trapped in the web (pardon the pun) and we argue, sell, cajole, entertain and most of all, cross our wires on the internet,” said director Charlotte Northeast. “This show has pieces of that layered in to illustrate that whether we are speaking in the 1950’s or today, we haven’t mastered this whole talking and REALLY communicating thing.”  Continue Reading

Two charter operators are interested in taking over the Samuel B. Huey School at 5200 Pine St., and a committee that includes parents of current students will spend the next month or so figuring out which one they think will work best.

Image source: Google Street View.

The School District of Philadelphia announced yesterday that the Global Leadership Academy Charter School and SABIS Educational Systems are interested in Huey, one of three public schools that will be converted into charters next year as part of the District’s “Renaissance Charter School Initiative.” The others are Jay Cooke Elementary and John Wister Elementary, both in North Philly. All three were designated as “low-performing” schools.

Global Leadership Academy currently operates a K-8 school at 4600 West Girard Ave. that includes about 700 students. SABIS is a Minnesota-based, for-profit company that operates 12 charter schools across the country.

An advisory committee for each school includes District employees, two external stakeholders and, for the first time, five parents or guardians of current students, which a District spokesman said will be “the foundation” of each committee. Their job is to “solicit feedback from other families about the strengths and weaknesses of current school programming as well as wants and needs from turnaround partners,” according to a District statement.  Continue Reading

Centennial Village, the mixed-use rental project that the city hopes will replace blight and help revitalize a section of West Parkside, has broken ground. Mayor Michael Nutter joined community members and neighborhood organizations at the Centennial Village groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday. The project will transform 52nd Street between Columbia and Parkside Avenues, and some areas nearby.

When completed, Centennial Village will have 52 units of affordable housing available for seniors and people with disabilities. The project also includes an apartment building with 30 new units. It will also rehabilitate eight single-family homes and one duplex. The project also includes 7,633 square feet of commercial space.

“Centennial Village is a key project for the revitalization of Parkside,” Nutter said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The project eliminates blight and improves quality of life for residents. This impacts levels of crime, property values, and community pride.”  Continue Reading

Here’s a chance to participate in an important neighborhood planning process. Residents are invited to an open house on Wednesday, Dec. 2 to provide feedback on the draft Action Plan for the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. The open house will be held at People’s Emergency Center Community Room (325 North 39th Street). Participants are welcome to come anytime between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. to review key aspects of the Action Plan, and provide feedback.

At the open house, you can learn about:

• Strategies to help residents in economic development, education, health and wellness, housing, and public safety.
• The planning process that helped develop the Promise Zone Action Plan.
• Opportunities for ongoing public involvement.

Your feedback can help guide important work in the neighborhoods, designated by President Barack Obama as the Promise Zone, and in some adjacent areas, including Belmont, East Parkside, Mantua, Mill Creek, Powelton Village, Saunders Park, Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill.

You can register for the meeting here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/promise-zone-community-meeting-tickets-19431205258

Here’s a list of places and holiday bazaars that sell Christmas trees and wreaths in West Philly and vicinity. If you want to make your own holiday wreath, there will be a free holiday wreath and centerpiece workshop this Saturday, at Walnut Street West Library, co-sponsored by the University City Garden Club (see flier below for more information).

Christmas Trees

Curtis and his crew are back in Cedar Park, selling trees at the triangle across from Dock Street at 50th and Baltimore. The bazaar is open daily from about 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

You can also check 52nd and Spruce and 39th and Lancaster.

Holiday wreaths, greens, decorations

UPDATE: The Workshop School is again offering Jawnaments and other ornaments for your Christmas tree. Last year, they sold out pretty quickly.

• Curtis and Co., 50th and Baltimore

• Greensgrow West, 4912 Baltimore Avenue. Greensgrow West Customer Appreciation and BLAST Shopping Day is on Saturday, Dec. 5, 12-5 p.m. 10% off select greens, wreaths, and winter decorations, plus complimentary tea, cocoa and cookies.

• Bartram’s Garden Holiday Greens Sale: Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., 5400 Lindbergh Blvd. Shop for decorated and undecorated wreaths, centerpieces, fresh evergreens and more.

Continue Reading

Every year, the Cedar Park Neighbors community association packs and distributes holiday food baskets for neighborhood families in need. The annual event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 19, and Cedar Park Neighbors needs your help. The baskets will be packed between 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. at Renewal Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of 47th and Cedar Ave. A few strong hands are also needed to assist with unloading the poultry truck at 7:30 a.m. Please email Michelle Lewis at mlewis1071-at-gmail.com if you are available to help out.

To donate to the food drive, click here or send payment to: Cedar Park Neighbors Holiday Baskets, Calvary Community Center, 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143. Please make checks payable to “Cedar Park Neighbors.” A suggested donation of $36.00 will help feed two families.

If you are interested in donating bulk items or if you have questions, please also contact Michelle Lewis (mlewis1071-at-gmail.com).  Continue Reading