Winter 2015
Cedar Park Neighbors Newsletter President’s Message: ’Tis the Season... by David Hincher he holidays are approaching, and it’s T a busy time for everyone. Traveling to be with family far or near, preparing holiday meals, making gift wish lists, winterizing your home, breaking out winter coats… the list goes on and on. It is also a time that many of us think about charity and supporting friends, neighbors, and those who need a boost. Every December, Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN) organizes holiday baskets of food for more than 75 families, with the assistance of numerous neighbors and community members. You can find more information on the program and how you can support or volunteer your time on page 3. It is a wonderful way to give back to the community and support those less fortunate. Our community is vibrant, energetic, supportive and empathetic, which is what makes it such a wonderful place in which to live. During my family’s 10 years in Philadelphia, I have found so often that this community resonates like a large extended family, through both peaks and valleys — honoring achievement, celebrating milestones, and supporting one another during times of loss. CPN’s purpose is to advocate for and promote the general welfare of the Cedar Park. In addition to the welfare of our neighbors, CPN’s mission is to foster
collaboration among all persons living and working in Cedar Park, to promote community development, to provide a forum for communication and community education, and to respond to neighborhood concerns. Fulfilling this broad mission requires open dialogue and engagement between CPN and the individuals who live in Cedar Park. We need your engagement and participation to collectively move our community forward, and we will continue to advocate for you proactively.
David Hincher, CPN President
’Tis the Season of Membership Renewal This annual newsletter issue is one way that CPN communicates to the broader community, as it is distributed to all households in Cedar Park. We are happy to be welcoming new members, as well as renewing members who have been with CPN for one, ten, or forty years! In addition to receiving a quarterly copy of this newsletter, joining will give you an opportunity to contribute to the community in many different ways. CPN runs many programs, such as a food basket drive for the holidays, a scholarship program for youth, a committee to improve our neighborhood schools, and a summer jazz series.
Inside:
Read more about Love Your Park Day on page 4.
Additionally, being a part of CPN is a great way to be involved in important decisions about the future of Cedar Park. CPN’s Zoning Committee is constantly continued on page 6
Bring Yourself and your Friends to CPN’s First Community Dinner Cabaret by J.J. Tiziou his winter/spring, CPN will be hosting a series of special community dinners/ cabarets beginning on January 15, 2016.
T
These informal meals will be free and open to all, providing an opportunity for us to meet neighbors. CPN is known for bringing the community together in the summertime through our Live Jazz Fridays in Cedar Park; through this initiative, we’ll be able to do this in the colder months as well.
We hope you’ll join us for some or all of these special events, and invite your friends to join you in dining with the community. A simple, healthy dinner will be provided, and you are welcome to bring your favorite dish to share, too! Ask questions, find help with community concerns, promote community services that you offer and opportunities that you know about. Let’s help one another plug into all of the resources of Cedar Park.
Mark Your Calendar Friday, January 15th 6-8 p.m. People’s Baptist Church 5039 Baltimore Avenue
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Holiday Food Basket Drive by Michelle Lewis and Beverly Rouse nce again, CPN, in cooperation with O area churches and other nonprofit organizations, will prepare and distribute
Holiday Basket Donation Form
food baskets to those in need during the holiday season.
Cedar Park Neighbors, Holiday Baskets Calvary Community Center 4740 Baltimore Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19143
In 2014, we were able to reach 140 families (more than 600 people). As a continuation of this successful event, we need your financial help and support. Please consider a suggested donation in the amount of $36. Support at this amount will help us feed two families and foster our commitment to “neighbors helping neighbors.� We will be packing and distributing the baskets on Saturday December 19th, 2015 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Renewal Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of 47th Street and Cedar Avenue. All volunteers are most welcome! Please feel free to contact us at mlewis1071@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Please clip and return this form to:
Holiday Basket Donation Amount:
l $36
l other amount $ _________ Please make checks payable to: Cedar Park Neighbors/Holiday Baskets. Name Address City, State, Zip Phone
We thank you in advance for your support!
Donation Amount
If you are interested in donating bulk items, please contact Michelle Lewis at mlewis1071@gmail.com.
Clip and return
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CPN Newsletter
Zoning Committee Update by Shawn Markovich CPN Zoning Committee he Zoning Committee continues to T address cases and hold community meetings on a host of issues. We would like to invite new members to join the committee. It’s a great way to be involved in community issues and work productively with your neighbors as part of a collaborative team. Our monthly meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month. If you are interested in working with the Zoning Committee, please contact CPN. Our next meeting will be held on December 16th at 7 p.m. in the CPN office at the Calvary Center.
Recent activity: 4630 Chester and 4815 Baltimore
The same owner of both properties is seeking a variance to increase the number of units through legalization of basement units. A hearing for 4630 Chester, to go from three to four units, was held on July 28th. In light of mixed community feedback and its review of the application, CPN submitted a letter deferring to the judgment of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA). The decision was delayed, pending the submission of additional documents by the applicant. We are awaiting notice on this issue. A hearing before the ZBA regarding 4815 Baltimore was scheduled for October 27th. After review of the application and neighbor input, CPN submitted a letter of objection indicating
that the increase from six to seven units, in legalizing a basement unit, was unwarranted density in light of the size of the building and number of units in nearby properties. The applicant did not appear and we were informed of a request for continuance. No date has been set yet. 5030 Cedar Avenue
The owner originally sought to build a new building with two units, a parking garage and driveway and a reduced side yard. The lot is currently zoned RSA-3; a single family attached home. In response to input from block residents and the CPN Zoning Committee, the applicant submitted a revised plan at a community meeting held September 16th. The revision indicated plans for a two-family dwelling with a porch. The garage, driveway and curb cut had been eliminated from the plan. After a review of the new plans and neighbors’ input, CPN submitted a letter of no objection. The hearing before the ZBA took place on October 6th, and the board granted approval. 4837 Walton
The applicant sought a variance to convert a single-family house to multifamily. After the community meeting in which residents told the applicant that they were against the multifamily, the applicant decided to withdraw the application. CPN sent a letter to the ZBA informing them that the applicant intended to withdraw and that CPN objected to multifamily, should the application be reinstated.
CPN Board President David Hincher 1st Vice-President Suzanne Banning Anderson 2nd Vice-President
Renee McBride Williams Treasurer Amara Rockar Secretary
Far McKon Directors
Alon Abramson Robert Arters Sean Dorn Ivana Dussell Margaret Ferrigno Michael Froehlich Reverend Eric Goode Lisa Johanningsmeier Michelle Lewis Shawn Markovich Ryan Spak Mavil Spence JJ Tiziou Pat Warner
Winter 2015
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Showing Love: Volunteers Fall Hard for Cedar Park by Maureen Tate he annual citywide Love Your Park T fall service event took place on Saturday, November 14th. Cedar Park definitely felt the love. The day was colder than expected but the work kept us busy and warm. Winds were especially challenging since one of our primary goals for the day was to rake leaves. By the end of the morning we had gathered approximately 40 bags of leaves, which were collected by Streets Department trucks for processing into compost. We look forward to seeing some of that black gold back in our park next spring. In addition to raking, we put the gardens to bed for the winter and planted some spring bulbs and ground covers. Cedar Park benefited by a great volunteer turnout. In addition to local residents and park lovers, we had an extra boost from 11 students of the Drexel University School of Public Health. We could not have made as much progress without them, and we are especially grateful for their interest and support. Also showing love for Cedar Park were local
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residents Monica Allison, Melissa Christie, Trina Dow, Matt and Jasper Jakubowski, Peggy Kovich, Holman Massey, John Phillips, Elliot Stern, Veronica Suber and Maureen Tate. We thank our neighbor Mary Wallman for providing ground cover plantings and Michael Froehlich and the Tool Library for providing additional rakes. Now our busy gardeners are looking forward to a little hibernation. See you in the spring! If you are interested in getting involved in keeping Cedar Park clean and green, please contact CPN for further information.
Thank you volunteers, for showing love for your park!
Year End News from the Calvary Center by Richard Kirk here is much for the whole community T to celebrate at Calvary Center this holiday season. Construction has finally started on the Calvary Center elevator. A new groundlevel entrance will be constructed just to the right of the tower, where wheelchairs can enter the building without having to negotiate ANY inclines or declines. Thus the need for unsightly ramps on the side of the building is eliminated. From an entrance vestibule, the elevator will take visitors up to the main floor or down to the lower level. This will allow wheelchair access to all areas of the building except the auditorium balconies and the two board rooms on the upper level! Elevation installation has been a long time coming, an unaddressed need for all the building user groups since the inception of the center. Members of the building user groups are thrilled that Linford Martin, member of West Philadelphia Mennonite Foundation, is acting as contractor for the project. Linford is a Cedar Park resident who is respected for what he has accomplished in the neighborhood with the development of the Firehouse and Cedar Works. Timelines indicate that the project will be completed by spring 2016. In order to create a safer and more comfortable entrance vestibule, the footprint of the elevator was moved further into the interior, which required taking space from the black box theatre. This necessitated a redesign of the theater space, but since the Children’s Community School has moved to new larger quarters, the entire lower level area behind the gymnasium/fellowship hall has been redesigned. It will be reconstructed immediately after the completion of the elevator project. This redesign will work much better with the building’s heating system, allowing for improved circulation of heat in the interior of the lower level. Beyond that, Calvary Center is finally at the point where restoration of the most important works of art in the building, the three-story Tiffany windows and stained glass dome in the main auditorium, can be started. Hopefully, these stained glass masterpieces will be restored in 2016
The location for the new ground-level entrance at Calvary Center where wheelchairs will be able to enter without negotiating ramps.
Imagine what this Tiffany glass window will look like when it has been restored and illuminated at night!
and lit properly at night. This will elevate the corner of 48th and Baltimore to its rightful place as one of the most beautifully preserved Victorian crossroads in all Philadelphia, something to take people’s breath away when they drive by! Imagine what a little well-focused lighting could do on warm summer nights at that corner, or imagine it all tastefully decorated for the Christmas season! Also, a team from Calvary Methodist, West Philly Mennonite, and Kol Tzedek has been formed to work on plans for making the old Victorian hulk of a building GREEN! The group is led by Tim Emmett-Rardin, member of Calvary United Methodist Congregation (UMC) and neighborhood resident. The group has been preparing for an energy audit of the Calvary building and Curio House (the parsonage). The goal is to serve as a role model in greening old structures and to do our part to combat global warming, not to mention save some money! Everyone is invited to join their neighbors for the annual Christmas jazz concert on Sunday, December 20th. Led by Greg Scott, Calvary UMC’s genius music director, featuring the big band sound of the Big Push, this will be a real holiday treat, as all of you who have been coming for years know! All proceeds go directly to charity right here in the neighborhood. Winter 2015
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’Tis the Season... continued from page 1
getting zoning requests for exciting and potentially controversial projects, and we want to make sure that we are incorporating even more neighbors into these decisions. Becoming a member will keep you better informed about the process, including how to lend your voice through community meetings and surveys.
With your help, CPN will continue to:
The more members that CPN has, the better we will be able to represent the interests of the community, so please take the opportunity to join by filling out the form on the next page, by visiting our website at www.cedarparkneighbors.org or emailing your questions to us at contact@cedarparkneighbors.org.
• Host summer Friday Night Jazz series
If you are a current member, please renew your subscription before it expires in December.
• Support and promote local small businesses
Thanks again to all of our new members who have recently joined. We look forward to seeing you in the neighborhood! Membership dues, along with other fundraising activities, are critical to support the valuable work being done by CPN.
• Deliver news through our website, Facebook, email blasts and newsletter • Award scholarships to high school graduates and continuing college students • Support our scholarship recipients • Solicit community input on important neighborhood planning issues • Spread the word about local zoning issues • Provide representation before the ZBA and Liquor Control Board • Deliver holiday food baskets to neighbors • Keep you informed about local businesses • Represent CPN members at community meetings • Maintain the Park for our enjoyment • Provide support and resources for block leaders
Enterprise Center CDC Opens New Neighborhood Advisory Committee Office by Jesse Blitzstein he Enterprise Center Community T Development Corporation now operates a Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) office to help West Philadelphia residents solve problems and get connected to city resources and services. The city government and other communitybased organizations offer lots of programs that can help residents address critical needs, but often residents are unfamiliar with the programs and how they work. Did you know, for example, that some homeowners in Philadelphia may qualify for grants or low-interest loans to make much-needed home repairs? The NAC manager can help residents navigate these resources and get pointed in the right direction. The NAC program is funded by the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Housing and Community Development. In addition to working directly with residents, the NAC office will collaborate with CPN and other nearby community organizations to ensure that West Philadelphia neighborhoods Page 6
CPN Newsletter
continue to be strong, safe, attractive, and inclusive places for people to live. For more information, visit The Enterprise Center in person at 4548 Market Street on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., or online at theenterprisecenter.com. To ask questions or receive assistance, you can also contact NAC Manager Jesse Blitzstein directly at 215-895-4075 or jblitzstein@theenterprisecenter.com.
Support CPN Business Members! A-1 Floor Refinishing African Cultural Center of PA Aksum Curio Theatre Company Dock Street Beer East Smithfield Healthcare Fresh Deli The Gables B&B The Gold Standard Cafe Mariposa Food Coop Parallel Design Phila Federal Credit Union
Prudential Fox & Roach Safdan Partners LLC Salt and Pepper Deli St. Francis de Sales Satellite Cafe Sims Giles and Associates Talking Heads Urban & Bye Realtors VIX Emporium Wake Up Yoga West Westside Community Day Care Wine and Spirit Store
Cedar Park Neighbors Membership Application/Renewal l New Member
Name
l Multi-year (max. 3 years)
Address
l Renewal
l l l l l
# of years_____ $10 Individual $15 Household (2 persons or more) $ 7 Senior/Student/Unemployed $30 Business $40 Sponsor (one free CPN t-shirt!)
Phone Email
Additional contribution: (Write $ amount)
_____ Holiday baskets _____ Scholarships _____ Jazz Series _____ Park _____ Other, specify _________________________ CPN t-shirt: (Write $ amount if not Sponsor and circle size)
_____ Short Sleeve Adult S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL,4XL, 5XL, 6XL ($15) _____ Short Sleeve Kids S, M, L, XL ($15) _____ Long Sleeve Adult S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL ($20)
l Yes, I would like to receive an email notice with
a link to the current newsletter on the CPN website (and do not deliver a paper copy to my home). Email Website Phone
membership@cedarparkneighbors.org www.cedarparkneighbors.org 267-BALT-AVE or 267-225-8283
Return form with check to: Cedar Park Neighbors Calvary Community Center 4740 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19143
_________TOTAL ENCLOSED
Check your areas of interest for potential participation: l Block Organizing: Maintain list of Block Leaders, organize forums, l l l l l l l l l l
Review block grant applications and help awardees implement projects etc. Board of Directors: CPN leadership and decision-making body. Cedar Park Garden Tenders: Plant and maintain gardens at Cedar Park. Education Committee: Interaction with local schools and parents on issues. Fundraising: Special events, grant writing. Holiday Baskets: Coordinate and assist distribution to needy Cedar Park families. Membership/Newsletter Committee: Promote membership to residents and businesses, Writing, publishing, photography and distribution of newsletter. Development Impact Task Force: Monitor, evaluate, and influence commercial and residential development. Scholarship Committee: Raise funds, promote program, and select awardees. Website: Technical support, maintenance, updating info/pictures etc. Zoning Committee: Monitor & communicate issues to residents; represent Cedar Park before Zoning Board of Adjustment. Cedar Park Neighbors is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. All contributions are fully tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.
Winter 2015
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CPN Newsletter
Buy Art! Make Art! New Seasonal Programs at University City Arts League by Zoe Cohen he University City Arts League, your T neighborhood art center, is coming up on its 50th anniversary year! Located in a lovely Victorian twin at 4226 Spruce Street, UCAL offers art programs for all ages. The Afterschool Arts Program and Summer Arts Camp provide a multi-arts approach for grades K-8. The Adult and Family programs offer creative opportunities in visual arts and crafts. Based on the results of a recent survey, two new classes for adults, one in knitting and crochet and one in sewing, will start in January. Childcare for ages 3 and up during the Monday and Thursday night classes will also be offered!
street-art interventions you may have seen around the neighborhood. In this workshop, participants will work together to create assemblages of found objects that will be installed on two street signposts. Participants are invited to bring a handful of found plastic, metal, or glass objects. Part of a new series of artist-led workshops, it has a sliding scale cost of $5-25. Come early or stay afterwards to browse the Craft Sale and pick up some handmade items!
The annual Craft Sale runs from December 4th through 20th. It is open Monday thru Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. The Craft Sale features 30 local artists selling lovely hand-crafted gifts in a range of prices. There will be an opening reception with refreshments on Friday, December 4th from 6 to 8 p.m. and a closing reception with refreshments on Sunday, December 20th from 4 to 6 p.m.
The FREE Open Art Room is also new. This is a weekly event on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m., through December 15th. Open Art Room provides space and time for community members to make their own creative projects in our lovely art classroom. Basic materials and supplies art available for use, and you can also bring your own. Open Art Room is facilitated by Alissa Walsh, who is available to provide advice and guidance, and can also offer ideas for projects as desired.
On Saturday, December 5th, from 2 to 4 p.m., stop in for an exciting art workshop led by neighborhood artist Amy Orr! Amy is the artist behind the decorated signpost
To register or for more information, please visit www.ucartsleague.org, or call 215-382-7811. See you in the studios!
Help Amy Orr assemble and install two more decorated street signposts at a workshop on December 5th.
EAT Café Philadelphia’s First Pay-What-You-Can Restaurant to Open in February 2016 by Callie Perrone n February 2016, the EAT (Everyone Iwhat-you-can at the Table) Café, a non-profit, paycommunity café, is scheduled to open its doors at 3820 Lancaster Avenue. EAT Café will be Philadelphia’s first pay-what-you-can restaurant. Everyone has a right to healthy, hearty, dignified, and accessible food. Food insecurity will be addressed by providing nutritious, high-quality, sustainable meals to all who walk through the doors of this community-based café. EAT Café will engage the community through events, educational opportunities, good food, and fellowship, with the goal of becoming a hub of community activity and solidarity in an open-hearted environment.
Using a unique pay-what-you-can financial model, EAT will offer suggested prices, and guests will choose how much to pay based on what they feel they can afford. Guests can pay the suggested price, pay more, pay less, or pay nothing at all. Everyone is welcome at the table! EAT Café is a collaboration between Drexel’s Center for Hunger-Free Communities, Drexel’s Center for Hospitality and Sports Management, the Vetri Foundation, and the West Philadelphia community. Learn more about EAT Café at www.eatcafe.org or follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @theeatcafe. We look forward to seeing you at our Café in a few months. Winter 2015
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New Owners, Many More Years of Delicious Food and Good Company by Michael Froehlich oseph Oh and his wife, Alice Park, were Jbeen looking to buy their own cafe. They had part-owners of a Japanese restaurant
in North Philadelphia, but were ready for something new. As they turned onto Baltimore Avenue and drove into Cedar Park, they fell in love with the beautiful homes and eclectic neighborhood.
Joseph and Alice became the new owners of the Gold Standard Cafe after long-time owners and neighborhood fixtures Roger Harman and Vincent Whittacre decided that the time had come to pass the torch. I stopped in to talk to Joseph recently about his plans. Joseph assured me that my favorite dish, the barbecue seitan, would remain on the menu. But he also encouraged me to try the popular Gold Standard Burger and the many varieties of quiche (which he admitted was his personal favorite.) CPN warmly welcomes Joseph and Alice. We look forward to many more years of delicious meals at the Gold Standard.
parallel Find our online. BeyondTheLibertyBell.org Parallel-Design.com SusieMeissner.com
BABA Logo! Websites Banners Brochures This Newsletter!
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Another tradition which will continue at The Gold Standard Cafe is hanging works by local artists in the dining room. Dora Ficher, an artist from Argentina who works with bright encaustic colors, will hang her show from December 7th to January 30th. The opening reception will be on Monday, December 7th, from 5 to 7 p.m. Please come, have some wine and cheese, and enjoy the art and the artist.
design
designs
215-476-4040
Gold Standard Art Exhibit Opening Dora Ficher December 7th, 5-7 p.m.
New Co-owners Joseph Oh and Alice Park with Chef Juwan Dill together in the kitchen.
Winter 2015
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c/o Calvary Community Center 4740 Baltimore Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19143
CPN Mission Statement: Cedar Park Neighbors is an association of diverse households and businesses based in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the association shall be to foster collaboration among all persons living and working in the Cedar Park neighborhood, to promote community development, to provide a forum for communication and community education, to respond to neighborhood concerns and to advocate for and promote the general welfare of the Cedar Park community. Newsletter Editors Judy Lamirand, Michael Froehlich Newsletter Design Judy Lamirand, Parallel Design To Contact Cedar Park Neighbors or submit Newsletter items: contact@cedarparkneighbors.org www.cedarparkneighbors.org 267-BALT-AVE (267-225-8283)
Please Join CPN at our Annual Leadership Brunch for Pancakes! Saturday, December 5th, 10 a.m. to noon. Ahisma House Philly, 5007 Cedar Avenue ome make some friends, eat some C pancakes and gain and share resources among neighbors. You do not need to be the block captain or own a home here, you can bring your kids, your friends and your love for this place. We welcome everyone who has any interest in being more involved with the neighborhood.
Invite friends...but do RSVP so we make enough pancakes! We will also have fruit, bagels, and juices for all to enjoy.
Mark Your Calendar Saturday, December 5
RSVP to Meg Ferrigno by leaving a message at 215-488-7772 or emailing skyflowers0@gmail.com. We are also looking for organizations to share resources, so please do offer your skills and connections, just contact Meg!
Free pancakes from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Baltimore/Lancaster Avenue Shoppers’ Trolley: It’s a BLAST! Saturday, December 5th, noon to 5 p.m. Baltimore Avenue and Lancaster Avenue fter your pancake brunch, trot on over to Baltimore Avenue for an afternoon of shopping. The Baltimore Avenue Business Association (BABA) and the Lancaster Avenue 21st Century Business Association (LA21) are co-sponsoring a holiday shopping day, complete with free trolley shuttle service between Baltimore Avenue and Lancaster Avenue. The shuttle service is called the Baltimore/
A
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Lancaster Avenue Shoppers’ Trolley (BLAST). There will be several trolley stops on each Avenue, and the shuttle service will run continuously for the five-hour period. Participating businesses are offering everything from free coffee, cocoa, cookies and eggnog to 5%, 10% and 15% discounts on gifts such as toys, games, jewelry, handcrafted clothing, cards and housewares, pet treats and foodie items. For more information visit babawestphilly.org.
Seasonal Shopping Specials and Free Trolley Shuttle from 12 to 5 p.m.