Folks who’ve strolled through Clark Park’s north circle on Sunday are probably wondering why people were whipping and rolling around shiny orbs. Well, we have your answer: they’re playing pétanque.

Every Sunday, players from West Philly to as far as Harrisburg gather to try their hand at the French sport of “boules” (or “balls”) as members of the new Philadelphia Pétanque Meetup group, the first of its kind in the city. Originated in 1900s, pétanque (pronounced ‘pay-tonk’) is a teamed game in which players toss metal globes in hopes of landing it as close to the “cochonnet”—a smaller wooden ball—as possible. According to Bill Craig, one of the Meetup’s organizers, pétanque is a “growing phenomenon” at the park, with the group sometimes drawing nearly 20-30 athletes a game.

“Pétanque is a game that appeals to men and women, old and young, all races and ethnic backgrounds, [and] professional backgrounds,” said the 43-year-old architect who launched the Meetup with West Philly residents Delphine Dahan and Matt Pagett in December. “The game is a bridge of sorts that links a very wide variety of people who would otherwise probably not interact with each other.”

Photos by Annamarya Scaccia/West Philly Local

When West Philly Local stopped by Clark Park on May 26 to check out the game, we found a diverse clutch of 12 pétanque players sectioned into three games laughing and engaging in light-hearted repartee while focused keenly on their next move. The social banter—meets—competitive spirit is due in large part to the sport’s pace and close proximity, said Craig, allowing a “nice sense of friendship and community” to form.

“I haven’t really been able to pinpoint why, but pétanque has a beguiling ability to relieve stress and allow one to relax,” he said. “It seems to be the perfect combination of cerebral and physical, not excessively taxing in either way but sufficiently engaging and demanding to be consistently stimulating and enjoyable.”

According to Craig, the organizers hope to establish an official Philadelphia pétanque club in the near future, joining other large metropolises like New York, Austin and Portland—all of which have clubs listed as members of Federation of Pétanque U.S.A, the game’s official governing body. There are also plans in the works to host a weekend-long local pétanque tournament in the fall, said Craig.

Philadelphia Pétanque meets every Sunday at 11 a.m. in Clark Park’s north circle, and every Wednesday or Thursday evening at 6 p.m. on University of Pennsylvania’s campus at 40^th and Walnut Streets. To join or RSVP for a game, visit https://www.philadelphiapetanque.com/.

– Annamarya Scaccia

Photo from West Philly Food Swap’s Facebook page.

If you’re a good cook/canner/baker or grow your own food read on. On Sunday, June 9, 2-4 p.m., the Chester Avenue Community Garden (4715 Chester Ave) and local produce buyers for Reading Terminal Market’s farm food stands Alexandra Jones and Jessica Bickis are hosting West Philly’s first Food Swap.

Here’s how it works: Bring your own creations, such as jars of jam, tubs of hummus, loaves of bread, bunches of herbs, or eggs from the chicken coop to share with others. The only rules are that items must be homemade or homegrown and should be individually portioned or packaged. Participants lay out their items on tables or blankets, and everyone browses the items and signs up on a “swap card” with an offer of what they want to trade and for what items brought by others.

The event is free and spots are limited so interested swappers are asked to RSVP at foodswapwestphilly@gmail.com.

To learn more about this event please check the West Philly Food Swap’s Facebook page. You can also check out these food swapping tips from a local food fermentation expert and swapper.

When was the last time you played at recess? The Philadelphia branch of Playworks, a non-profit organization that promotes play and physical activity at schools, is inviting local residents to rekindle the joy of play and lunchtime recess at Philly Recess Day, a free community event happening on Tuesday, June 4, from 12-12:30 p.m. The event draws awareness to the benefits of physical activity by offering adults all over Philadelphia the “chance to experience the joy of participating in their very own recess.”

Playworks will host games at The Porch at 30th Street Station and other locations in the city, but everyone is encouraged to participate in the event by having your own recess fun wherever you are (work, school, etc). If you need a reminder of what games you can play at your recess, download a free game book on the Playworks website.

Happy Recess Day!

Photo by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local

A 2-alarm fire this morning at an abandoned five-story apartment building at 4726 Chestnut Street prompted evacuation of people from an adjacent building. The fire broke out shortly after 6 a.m. and was under control around 7 a.m. The fire started on the first floor of the building. No one was injured, according to Deputy Fire Chief James Bonner.

The building is part of a row of attached apartment buildings along the south side of the block. Nine people were evacuated from the building at 4724 Chestnut and the building at 4728 Chestnut, also abandoned, sustained heavy damage.

Please note that Route 21 bus is currently on detour due to the fire. For more information, go to Septa’s website.

Update: The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania (2221 Chestnut St.) is helping all nine people (five families altogether) displaced by the fire. The families will be given meals, a place to stay, and full casework services, all for free, according to Red Cross spokesperson Dave Schrader. If you would like to help, you can donate money to the disaster relief fund at redcrossphilly.org or to the local Red Cross House endowment fund by calling 215 405 8801.

Last Friday, May 24, we reported about a robbery at Forman Mills at 48th and Market that happened that afternoon. There were four masked, armed suspects in that robbery. Today, police released information and surveillance photos and videos linking this robbery and group of robbers to a series of robberies (six so far) at various commercial properties in the city, dating back to April 19. The suspects in these robberies are still at large and police are asking for public’s assistance in identifying them.

Robbery at Little Caesar’s Pizza. (Photo via Philly Police Blog)

A few of the robberies were in West Philadelphia, including robberies at Little Caesar’s Pizza located at 5901 Lancaster Avenue on May 15 and at the Dollar General Store, 801 North 48th Street, on May 22.

For more information about the robberies, description of the suspects and surveillance videos, go to Philly Police Blog.

If you have any information about the robberies in West Philadelphia you are asked to contact the Southwest Police Detectives at 215-686-3183/3184.

Here’s a good chance to support the University City Arts League (UCAL). Their annual auction and dinner, “Spring Fling,” is this Saturday (June 1), 6-10 p.m. This year, the event is being held at the Hall of Flags, Houston Hall, University of Pennsylvania (3421 Spruce Street) and tickets are still available. The auction raises funds for children’s arts programs, summer camp scholarships and other programs and operational expenses. Tickets are $65 for one or $120 for two and you get access to silent and live auctions, open bar, dinner and live music.

The evening will be divided into two segments: a silent auction from 6 to 7:30 p.m. where an estimated 150 items and gift certificates will be available for bidding and a live auction, beginning at 8 p.m. The auctions include items from a cabin in Vermont to oriental rugs to an iPad to dinner at some of the city’s most popular restaurants.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.regonline.com/ucal. For more information, visit http://ucartsleague.org/