The Cedar Park Neighbors community organization will hold its annual meeting tonight, from 7 – 9 p.m. at Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore). All neighbors are welcome. The annual meeting is a great introduction to the organization, its work and accomplishments over the last year and plans for the coming year. You can also meet candidates for the CPN Board of Directors (more information about the candidates is available here). Voting for CPN Board Members will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The meeting will also include a conversation with the two local candidates for the state representative – James Roebuck (the incumbent) and Algernong Allen. The talk will be moderated by Cedar Park resident Bill Hangley Jr., a journalist with The Philadelphia Public School Notebook.

An informal meet and greet will follow the meeting.

Note: The meeting will take place at Calvary Center Sanctuary (please enter through the doors on the second floor).

We’re starting to be convinced that Spring has sprung in the hood. Throw a #westphillylocal on your Instagram photos to get them on the site (in the right hand column). Happy holidays y’all!

The Easter weekend is approaching fast so many parents are looking for egg hunt opportunities in the neighborhood. Here are a few possibilities. If you know of more egg hunts please let us know at: editor@westphillylocal.com

Saturday, April 19

Clark Park (43rd & Chester), 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Kids ages 1 – 8 are invited for an Easter Egg Hunt and some Easter fun at Clark Park from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The event will take place rain or shine! Along with the hunt, there will be some crafts and raffle prizes at the end (see the flyer for more information).

Walnut Street West Library (40th & Walnut), 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Children ages 5 years and under are invited for an egg hunt from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.. An egg hunt for kids ages 6-12 will be 1:00-3:00 p.m..

Woodland Presbyterian Church, 42nd and Pine Sts (42nd Street lawn), 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.

There will be two egg hunts: for kids under 5 years – 1:00 p.m.; for 5 and up – 1:15 p.m.
The event will include face painting, balloon animals, and crafts. For more information, visit: www.woodlandpres.net

NEW: Malcolm X Park (52nd & Pine), 2 – 5 p.m.

Friends to Elect Algernong Allen is hosting an Egg Hunt for kids and a Voter Registration Rally for adults at Malcolm X Park on Saturday, from 2 – 5 p.m.

Sunday, April 20

St. Mary’s Church at Penn (Locust Walk near 40th)

St. Mary’s Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt will start at 12:45 p.m. All families and children are welcome. The event is sponsored by the St. Mary’s Church School. BYOB (Bring Your Own Basket!)

Click to enlarge.

As West Philly Local has reported before, coworking is picking up steam in Philadelphia, providing freelancers, remote workers, and independent contractors an opportunity to trade in the four walls of their home for interaction with like-minded professionals.

Well, it seems The Enterprise Center (4548 Market Street) is tapping into the trend by launching its own coworking and entrepreneurial development platform, the Venture Acceleration Center. The program, opening next month in Enterprise’s Market Street headquarters, will offer business coaching, resource learning sessions, and peer-support meetings, as well as make available a coworking space fitted with free wifi, workstations, conference and event space, and video conferencing.

“The Venture Acceleration Center will offer a totally unique experience for member-businesses that is both structured and flexible,” Iola Harper, The Enterprise Center’s senior director, said in a press release. “We want businesses to grow and create jobs in the community and we are here to provide the all of the support needed.”

To introduce the Venture Acceleration Center to the community, the Enterprise Center is holding an information session at its Market Street office next Saturday, April 26th from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event, titled “Start-Up Stampede” is open to all Philadelphia entrepreneurs looking for guidance and support in accelerating their business growth. Light refreshments will be served.

While Start-up Stampede is open to all business professionals, membership into the Venture Acceleration Center is only open to early-stage businesses in operation for six months and in the construction, beauty, hair, fashion and food industries.

Readers can register for the information session here. It is a $5.00 fee through today, and $10.00 fee thereafter.

-Annamarya Scaccia

Map courtesy of UCD (click to enlarge).

Unfortunately, the number of burglaries in the University City area continues to grow, according to the latest monthly crime update distributed by University City District. Over 30 burglaries were committed in March, which is twice as many as in February and, by far, the largest number of burglaries in the past year. UCD is asking residents to be vigilant and use extra caution (for tips on how to prevent a burglary at your residence, click here).

A number of these burglary incidents seem to have been related to a recent arrest, according to UCD. We’re trying to get more information about that.

Overall, 64 serious crimes were committed within the University City District boundaries last month (see map).

As burglaries remain a concern in the area, the 18th District Police Department is inviting residents to a crime prevention event this Friday (April 18), where the discussion will focus specifically on burglaries. The event will take place from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Rite Aid parking lot located at 57th and Chestnut Streets.

The event will also spread awareness and encourage participation in the following programs designed to combat property-related crimes: Operation I.D., B.O.N.D. (Business Owner Notification Decal), S.A.V.E. (Stolen Auto Verification Effort), and VIN Etching (Vehicle Identification Number Engraving). If you are unable to attend tomorrow’s event, please contact cleanandsafe@universitycity.org for additional information on these programs. Some more details are also available here.

There’s also a monthly community meeting with police tonight, at 6 pm at Calvary Center (48th & Baltimore). As usual, Lt. Brian McBride and Sgt. Ron Washington of the University City Division of the 18th Police District will hear your concerns and discuss current crime and neighborhood issues. Such meetings happen every third Thursday of the month and all community members are welcome.

Although we’re seeing a little setback with the weather, here’s some great news: University City District began re-installing “parklets” (outdoor seating platforms), throughout the neighborhood. Yesterday, the UCD installed two of them – one by the Green Line Cafe on Baltimore Ave and another one by Little Baby’s Ice Cream in Cedar Park:

Today UCD crews installed 43rd St. (@GreenLineCafe) & 49th St.(@LittleBabysIC) Parklets! Enjoy them #UCDPARKLETS pic.twitter.com/QhGG7K4Hhd

— University City (@ucdphl) April 14, 2014

Overall, five parklets will be installed in the neighborhood, all near trendy local shops, cafes and restaurants (though, like parks, they are public spaces so you don’t have to buy anything to sit in them):

Parklet by Fu-Wah Market on S. 47th St. (archived photo).

• 4040 Locust St (hosted by Ramen Bar)
• 261 S. 44th St (hosted by Honest Tom’s Tacos and Lil’ Pop Shop)
• 4239 Baltimore Ave (hosted by Green Line Cafe)
• 810 S. 47th St (hosted by Fu-Wah Market)
• 4903 Catharine St (hosted by Little Baby’s Ice Cream and Hibiscus Cafe)

The city’s first parklet was installed on 43rd Street near Green Line Cafe in the summer of 2011. Parklets, which are a wood and metal platform with tables, chairs and planter boxes, usually pop up in April and remain through October or until the cold weather sets in. Although enjoyed by many, parklets have also received some criticism, since they take up parking spots, which are hard to find in our area.