Iris Marie Bloom, a well-known West Philly activist and director of the environmental group Protecting Our Waters, is one of the organizers of an anti-fracking protest which will take place tomorrow, Sept. 7, from noon to 2 p.m. in Center City. The protest will include a rally in front of the Pennsylvania Convention Center and march which will follow until 3 p.m.

Another West Philly resident, Beth Nixon of Spiral Q Puppet Theater Ramshackle Enterprises, will also join the action as one of the performers at the rally.

One of the speakers at the tomorrow’s rally is Josh Fox, director of Oscar-nominated documentary Gasland.

For more information on the protest visit this page.

The school year has begun and many parents are looking for afterschool and weekend activities for their children. We have come across a couple of flyers – one is an afterschool art program (we gave them a ring and learned that it’s a new program run by artist Rachel Louis) and the other is a weekend music program by Intercultural Family Services, Inc. We’ll be adding more such information as it comes. If you know of more afterschool programs for kids in the area email us at: editor [at] westphillylocal.com or leave a comment.

West Philly’s newest bike shop, a branch of the Glenside-based Keswick Cycle, opened this weekend just in time for the return of students to the area. The shop occupies about half of the first floor in the building that formerly housed the Strikes Bowling Lounge at 4040 Locust St. Workers were still moving in bikes and other merchandise Saturday afternoon, but customers were invited in to have a look around.

Update (Sept. 4): The dog was spotted and later found by his owners at his old apartment!

This pooch (Theo) went missing last night (Sept. 2) near 46th and Woodland. He was last seen on Baltimore and 46th St. He is one year old and is a shih tzu/poodle/bischon frise.

He has a blue collar with only a rabies tag on it (the name tag broke off). He is shy and skiddish towards strangers (he ran away from a few people when they tried to catch him).

A cash reward is offered to anyone who finds him or leads his owner to find him. The owner’s name is Jessica and her contact number is 570-313-3847.

Registration is open for the fall session of All Around This World, the kids music program based on international songs, movement and drumming.

The program’s director, Jay Sand, is a well-known West Philly musician and music teacher. Three times a year – in the fall, winter and spring – he offers interactive weekly music classes “All Around This World” for infants to 8-year-olds and their families. Each class is dedicated to a particular region of the world and music from that region.

The fall session begins right after Labor Day, on September 7. The West Philly classes (classes are also offered in Fairmount Park and Center City) are going to explore West Asia and the Middle East. Classes take place near 44th and Pine on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings (check the full schedule here). There is also a special class for babies only at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Discounts, scholarships, free trial classes and sliding scale tuition plans are available.

For more information about the classes and to register go here or contact Jay Sand at: jay [at] allaroundthisworld.com, 215-913-2679.

Starting from tomorrow, Sept. 2, West Philly’s Curio Theatre Company begins a series of free performances of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies in the Clark Park bowl. The shows are scheduled for Sept. 2, 7, 8, & 9 (7 p.m. starting time) and are included in the 2011 Philly Fringe-Live Arts Festival program.

What’s cool about these shows is that along with Curio’s young professional actors playing the main characters, a group of children, the theatre’s school students, is included in the cast. The kids act as the younger boys, or “Littluns,” in the play.

One of the idea’s behind staging Lord of the Flies in the outdoor environment such as Clark Park was the use of natural light. So the show begins just before the sunset and as the events unfold the light will change from the descending sun shining upon the boys to darkness.

Sounds like it will be an event you don’t want to miss, so bring your lounge chairs, snacks and enjoy this classic story.