UC Green volunteers at The Woodlands.

UC Green, a nonprofit organization that with the help of volunteers (over 2,000 people annually) plants trees and cleans and maintains public gardens and open spaces in West Philly neighborhoods, is celebrating 15 years of service to the community this month. To mark the anniversary, UC Green will hold a cocktail reception and a fundraiser, called “The Harvest Moon Social,” on Thursday, Sept. 26 at the Hamilton Mansion in Woodlands cemetery (40th & Woodland). The food will be served by Harvest Restaurant which specializes in a high quality, farm fresh menu with ingredients supplied by local farmers. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased through Facebook.

UC Green’s mission is to empower volunteer environmental stewardship in West Philly communities through partnerships and education. Their programs include the summer pruning club of active volunteers that have pruned street trees for 10 years, which greatly increased their chances of survival in tough urban environments. In addition, the UC Green Corps of local, underserved youth has just completed its seventh year of service. Their latest project was the renewal of street trees and pits on 40th and Market Streets.

For more information about UC Green and its work, visit: http://www.ucgreen.org/

Contact sheet of “Everyone is Photogenic” Test Run / Photos by JJ Tiziou.

Stand in line at your local pharmacy and you’ll see the message loud and clear: your beauty is only worth the skin you’re in. It’s a message displayed between the lines of bright and bold typography—insistent typeface meant to catch your attention.

The messages we receive about how beauty’s defined—and what defines it—are a daily part of our lives. The way we regard ourselves is evidence of that.

But for West Philly photographer Jacques-Jean “JJ” Tiziou, there’s another epistle that should be shared—one that, if held with the same earnestness as it envisages, could dismantle superficial beauty standards.

That message? “Everyone is photogenic.”  Continue Reading

West Philly resident Katy and her husband Dave heard a meowing coming from under the hood of a car in the CVS parking lot. They flagged down a CVS employee and asked, “Do you know whose car this is; there’s a kitten stuck in the engine!” It turns out it was his car!

One hour and one random good Samaritan with a jack later, they pulled this little guy safely out of the engine block. Whew! Katy is holding little Fonzy, who looks like he’s not quite certain that he didn’t lose one of his 9 lives in that scary experience.

Fonzy is too young to be adopted just now, so he’ll be fostered by a Project MEOW volunteer until he is ready for all of his vet work. Then he will be available for adoption. If you want to adopt Fonzy, you can apply now by emailing: info@projectmeow.org.

As of 4:30 p.m. 46th Street between Pine and Spruce streets was closed to traffic due to a fallen tree. It is still unclear what caused the tree to fall. One fireman said: “We don’t know what the hell happened.”

Thanks to neighbor Nadia Adawi for the first photo.

UPDATE (9 p.m.): The tree was removed around 7 p.m., according to some neighbors who live on that block.

Here’s a recap of what’s happening in the hoods this weekend, Thursday, Sept 12 – Sunday, Sept 15. Do you know of more events and want to share them with your neighbors? Please add them in the comments below or submit them for the Events Calendar.

Click to enlarge.

Thursday

• Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll – Along Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 51st Streets. 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Come to Baltimore Avenue rain or shine to enjoy $1 deals from over 30 local businesses. There will also be music, entertainment and activities for the little ones. Read more about this event here. Also, check out the flyer.
• Weed Dating – Mill Creek Farm, 49th & Brown. 6:30 p.m. The Mill Creek Farm is hosting a mixer/fundraiser on Thursday called “weed dating”! Admission: $12. More info here.

Friday

• 2013 Fringe Arts Festival continues with three performances of the musical “Jennifer the Unspecial: Time Travel, Love Potions, and 8th Grade” staged in Penn Museum’s Sphinx Gallery (3260 South St): Friday at 7:00 pm, Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. Admission: $15. More info on this and other Fringe Arts events and performances, click here.
• LOOK. SEE. HEAR: the glass works of 2012-2013 resident artist Celestine Wilson Hughes. Opening reception – AIR Gallery, 4007 Chestnut St., 1st Floor, 6 – 9 p.m. This is the final exhibition of work by a 2012-2013 resident artist. General public, friends, family, supporters, and past residents are welcome. http://40streetair.blogspot.com/
  
• Patriciu Mateescu: Unbearable Craziness of Onions. Opening reception – Art on the Avenue Gallery, 3808 Lancaster Ave. 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. This is a solo ceramic sculpture and drawing exhibition, featuring the most recent works of this noteworthy international artist. The event is part of the Second Fridays on Lancaster Avenue (Facebook page) series. The exhibit runs from September 14 to October 5. http://www.artonave.org/
• Free movie in Clark Park, 43rd & Chester. 7:30 p.m. 5 Broken Windows, shown by Philadelphia International Action Center concludes its summer film series. It’s a documentary about a Palestinian videographer who starts documenting Israeli land grabs around his village. Continue Reading

The problems are continuing for the Watusi II at 45th and Locust and its owner Noel Karasanyi. The bar’s commercial activities license has been revoked for “serious tax violations,” according to a sign affixed to the building dated Sept. 11.

The business owes about $37,000 in back taxes, according to the Revenue Department website. The closing of Watusi II follows The closing of the Watusi Lounge at 46th and Walnut earlier this month due to an expired food license. Both bars are owned by Karasanyi, who has a Yeadon address listed on tax and real estate documents. Karasanyi also owns the Third World Lounge at 49th and Baltimore.

All three establishments have received complaints about late night noise and fights. Three people were shot near the Watusi Lounge on Aug. 30 and the Third World Lounge got some brief citywide publicity for its second-floor “pee pipe” that drained onto the sidewalk along 49th Street.

The Watusi II was briefly closed and put up for sale in 2012, but later taken off the market and reopened. The cease operations sign at the Watusi II lists its name as “Spider Kelly’s,” which is the name of the establishment before it was sold in 1988. It still retains that business name in city records.