Scholarship Corner by Laurie Friedman, CPN Scholarship Committee

This article originally ran in the November 2011 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Want to receive the newsletter delivered to your doorstep (or directly to your email inbox)?  Join CPN today at http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/join-cpn-donate/cpn-membership-form/  Since 1989, Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN) has raised money and given modest scholarships to support students from the neighborhood in their pursuit of higher education.  Unlike many restricted scholarships, Cedar Park’s scholarship offers students funds to pay for any and all school-related expenses, which could be anything from tuition and books, to something as simple as transportation to and from school.

As the Fall semester is in full swing and nearing an end, it is never too early to begin thinking about our next round of CPN Scholarships! While scholarship applications are not due until June 1, 2013, we want to remind everyone to please spread the word to neighbors who are attending a post secondary school.  To be eligible, applicants must live in Cedar Park’s boundaries and be accepted to college or a vocational school.  Applications will be available on the CPN website in January.  Questions can be sent to scholarships@cedarparkneighbors.org or you can call us at 267-531-4147.

We also want to ask everyone to please mark April 7, 2013 on your calendars for our annual scholarship fundraiser at Dock Street.  If you have any items you would be willing to donate for our silent auction, please let us know. As always, we appreciate your support!

Membership by Marcus Presley, Membership Chair

This article originally ran in the November 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Want to receive the newsletter delivered to your doorstep (or directly to your email inbox)?  Join CPN today at http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/join-cpn-donate/cpn-membership-form/  Hello there, neighbors! We're in the middle of a really exciting time for the Cedar Park neighborhood, with new businesses and restaurants popping up every month and an intensive neighborhood planning process underway. During this time, we are happy to be welcoming almost 50 new members to Cedar Park Neighbors who we met through our table at the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, and we would like to take the opportunity of our annual full neighborhood newsletter to encourage even more of you to join!

In addition to receiving a quarterly copy of this informative newsletter, joining will give you an opportunity to contribute to the community in many different ways. CPN runs a number of programs such as a food basket drive for the holiday's, a scholarship program for youth and a committee to improve our neighborhood schools. Additionally, being a part of the CPN is a great way to be involved in some important decisions about the future of our Cedar Park. CPN's Zoning Committee is constantly 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. We also have an exciting opportunity through the Philadelphia 2035 city planning process to talk about the future of Cedar Park.  Becoming a member will keep you better informed about the process, including how to lend you voice through community meetings and surveys.

The more residents join CPN, the more we will be able to represent the interests of the community, so please take the opportunity to join by visiting our website at http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/ or emailing us at contact@cedarparkneighbors.org to request a membership form. Also, if you are a current member, please remember to renew your subscription before it expires in December. Thanks again to all our recent members, and looking forward to seeing you all on the neighborhood!

Membership dues, along with other fundraising activities, are critical to support the valuable work being done by CPN.

With your help, CPN will continue to:

• Deliver news through our website, Facebook, email blasts and newsletter
• Introduce you to your neighbors and local restaurants at Meet and Greet events
• Award scholarships to high school graduates and continuing college students and support our scholarship recipients.
• Host the summer jazz series
• Spread the word about local zoning issues
• Provide representation before the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Liquor Control Board
• Support and promote small businesses
• Deliver holiday food baskets to neighbors
• Solicit community input on important neighborhood planning issues
• Fund Block Improvement Grants
• Keep you informed about local schools and daycare centers
• Support schools in our area
• Represent CPN members at community meetings
• Maintain the Park for our enjoyment
• Provide support and resources to local block leaders

So you can see that your membership goes a long way!

If you know a new homeowner or renter on your block, send their name and address to membership@cedarparkneighbors.org.  New neighborhood residents will receive a free CPN membership for one year.

To save trees and cut down on costs, email membership@cedarparkneighbors.org if you would like to receive an email copy instead of a hard copy of the newsletter.

Important Membership Reminder:  All memberships end 12/31, including those registered during one of this year’s Baltimore Avenue Dollar Strolls.  Please check your mailing label to verify your expiration year if you paid multiple years in advance.

Cedar Park Holiday Basket Outreach by Victoria Iannotta, Holiday Basket Co-Chair

This article originally ran in the November 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Want to receive the newsletter delivered to your doorstep (or directly to your email inbox)?  Join CPN today at http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/join-cpn-donate/cpn-membership-form/  As is usually the case this time of year, I find it hard to accept the unpleasant reality that summer will not make a dramatic October comeback and it’s really time to unpack the winter clothes.  The leaves are falling all around us and in the blink of an eye, the holidays will be here.   Once I get past the shock of all of that, I remember that each autumn also brings with it the opportunity to work on a very rewarding project.

For the last 18 years, the Cedar Park Neighbors Holiday Basket outreach has collaborated with churches and non-profit organizations in our community to identify those for whom the gift of a Christmas holiday meal would be welcome.  It has become a long standing tradition that Joanne Pham and I have been honored to continue. Thanks solely to donations from so many local residents and businesses, last year we were able to provide food baskets to 660 people. That number represents an increase of 80 people over the previous year.

We would like to express our deep appreciation to all of the Cedar Park residents who have contributed in the past to this initiative as well as local area business who have demonstrated outstanding support for our community, and also ask if you can support us again this year.

Please consider your neighbors in need by supporting the Holiday Basket outreach again this year. A donation of $36.00 will allow you to sponsor two deserving families this holiday season, although any amount is most welcome.

If you know of deserving families in the Cedar Park area (46th to 52nd, Larchwood to Kingsessing), please give their names, addresses and the number of people in each family to one of our participating organizations. This information can be found on the donation form included in this edition of the newsletter.

To our local vendors - your donations are especially needed. Please give generously to support your community.

Volunteers are most welcome to help us pack and distribute the baskets on December 22, 2012 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Renewal Presbyterian Church located on the corner of 47^th and Cedar.

Donations can be sent, with or without a form, to:

Cedar Park Neighbors, Holiday Baskets

Calvary Community Center

4740 Baltimore Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19143

Or make a donation on-line by clicking here.

Thank you so very much for your support.

President’s Message by Michael Froehlich

This article originally ran in the November 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Want to receive the newsletter delivered to your doorstep (or directly to your email inbox)?  Join CPN today at http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/join-cpn-donate/cpn-membership-form/  In October, the neighbors who share the St. Bernard Community Garden learned that their garden was threatened.  They were about to lose their garden due to foreclosure.  They quickly organized and, with the help of Councilwoman Blackwell, saved their garden.

After a horrific crime one night at 48^th Street and Springfield, neighbors came together to organize a neighborhood watch group to look out for each other.  They organized porch hops and monthly potlucks and frequently attended the court hearings to ensure that the voice of the immediate neighbors was heard.  This month, they celebrate their one year anniversary working together.

Earlier this year, when Mariposa Food Co-op, which has been in Cedar Park since 1971, was looking to grow, they turned to their members.   Members loaned the Co-op thousands of dollars and, on March 17, the Co-op opened in the old Belmont Trust Company building.  Today, close to 1500 people belong to Mariposa.

These three examples are not alone.  It seems like Cedar Park has always been a neighborhood where community members come together to improve their block, their neighborhood, and their city.  Cedar Park Neighbors, which celebrated its 51^st anniversary this year, is happy to support neighbors helping neighbors.

This fall, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission will be developing a new plan for the “University/Southwest” District that includes Cedar Park.  (It also includes the neighborhoods of Powelton Village, University City, Saunders Park, West Powelton, Spruce Hill, Walnut Hill, Garden Court, Cedar Park, West Shore, and Kingsessing.)  This plan will be used by the City to help develop a new zoning map and determine where public resources, such as libraries and playgrounds, should be devoted.  To inform this plan, Cedar Park Neighbors just finished surveying 500 community members about what they like about Cedar Park and where they want our neighborhood to go in the future.  We’ll be releasing results of this survey soon.

For more information about the district planning process, check out phila2035.org.  For more information about our survey, visit our website at cedarparkneighbors.org or our Facebook page.

There’s always something good happening in Cedar Park.

September 2012 newsletter is out!

View it here as a online flip book coutesy of issuu.com [issuu width=420 height=272 backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120924185813-1c6a967ac1de4c77b95eab26481c87d0 name=1209_cpn_web username=cedarparkneighbors tag=cedar%20park unit=px v=2]

Back archives of past newsletters available here.

The DIRT FACTORY Is Open For Business

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter. Didn't receive a newsletter? Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. The Dirt Factory, a project of the University City District, is a new community composting facility located at 4308 Market Street and is open for drop-off from 5-6pm every Wednesday. The Mission of the Dirt Factory is to:

• Keep fallen leaves out of the waste stream, and in University City;
• Provide a location for the University City community to sustainably dispose of its food scraps and other organic waste
• Generate high quality organic compost to be used in University City gardens

The Dirt factory features the high capacity Earth Tub Compost System that will produce compost year round from neighborhood organic waste. The Dirt Factory is also a community education center, featuring residential scale composting facilities, where community members can learn more about composting at home, and gardening using compost.

Drop-Off Leaves: UCD collects bagged leaves and wood chips from the neighborhood for processing at The Dirt Factory. Do you have bagged leaves or wood chips? To arrange pickup, contact: compost@universitycity.org Food scraps and other organic material: The Pedal Co-op collects compostable material from University City residents and businesses, with drop-off at The Dirt Factory. To find out more about this service, which is available for a low monthly fee, contact the Pedal Co-Op at 507-581-4421 or 507-581-4421. You can also drop off up to 5 gallons of organic food waste per week at The Dirt Factory. The facility is open for drop-off from 5-6pm every Wednesday, but please check this page to confirm those hours before dropping off. For a list of materials that are accepted for composting, please visit http://pedalcoop.org/compost. Pick-up Contact compost@universitycity.org if you are interested in obtaining finished compost from The Dirt Factory. UCD will contact you when material becomes available.

Hours: The Dirt Factory is open during scheduled drop-off times, and for educational and community events. Currently, the scheduled drop-off time is 5-6pm every Wednesday. Changes will be posted on the UCD webpage link: http://universitycity.org/dirt-factory

Upcoming Events: This season, the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners will present a series of seven workshops related to composting and gardening. All workshops are free, and will feature raffles, and other giveaways. Check out upcoming workshops at the link above. Saturday, October 6, 10:00 AM: Extending the Growing Season If you love eating home grown vegetables, learn how your garden can keep producing fresh food well into the fall, and even throughout the winter! Master Gardner Lauren McEewen will discuss inexpensive tools, such as reusing plastic soda bottles and old vinyl windows, as well as the more advanced techniques that will keep your vegetable garden going all year long.

Calling All Block Leaders!

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter. Didn't receive a newsletter? Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. Whether you are a registered block captain with the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee or if you are the main person who gathers the block for meetings, block parties or cleanups or if you are just interested in getting more involved with your block, we need you! Contact us at contact@cedarparkneighbors.org and in the subject line reference “block leader”. We will be sure to make contact and tell you what we have in store for block leaders. Come on, get involved!

FALL 2012 HOMEOWNER WORKSHOPS AT THE WOODLANDS

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Didn't receive a newsletter?  Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia is pleased to announce the next in our ongoing series of workshops for owners, and aspiring owners, of historic homes. Attendees will have a great opportunity to learn about the best practices for the restoration and maintenance of older and historic homes. Workshops are FREE and open to the public, but reservations are required.

To reserve a space, or for more information, please contact:

Melissa Jest, Neighborhood Preservation Program Coordinator

215-546-1146 x6; melissa@preservationalliance.com.

SPONSORED BY:  Sherwin Williams, The Mark Group, Danner Windows, and Limeworks US in collaboration with: The Woodlands and Roxborough Development Corporation

“HANDS ON” Demonstration Workshops at the Woodlands, 40^th St. andWoodland Avenue

Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet the conservation staff of the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust who will present these popular demonstration workshops!

Masonry and Pointing - Wednesday, September 19, at 6:30 PM

Historic Wood Windows -        Wednesday, September 26, at 6:30 PM

Plaster -                                   Wednesday, October 3, at 6:30 PM

Roofing -                                  Wednesday, October 10, at 6:30 PM

In Memoriam – Rosa Basley Thomas

This post originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Didn't receive a newsletter?  Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. As our newsletter is going to press Cedar Park Neighbors was saddened to learn of the recent death of Rosa Basley Thomas, a long time member and community leader from the 5000 block of Walton Avenue. Rosa died at Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital on Friday, August 3, 2012 after a brief period of illness.

Rosa Basley was born in Macon, Georgia on December 4, 1941 and was one of 10 children. Her family moved to Philadelphia when Rosa was four years old. She graduated in 1960 from West Philadelphia High School and, shortly after graduation, enlisted into the United States Air Force from which she received an honorable discharge. She married Freddie Thomas, Jr. in 1961 and was blessed with a daughter, Lisa Michelle. In 1964, Rosa enrolled into Drexel University’s Engineering Night School Program and in 1966 joined the Philadelphia School Board as an accountant and later worked in their engineering department as an Administrative Assistant. She worked for the School Board for more than 20 years.

In addition to work, Rosa had many other passions. She was an accomplished clothing designer, with a large following who sought her out to design and make wedding and prom gowns, dresses, suits and coats and other items for special occasions. An avid gardener, Rosa not only cared for her own garden but encouraged other beautification activities among her neighbors.

Rosa was a resident of the 5000 block of Walton Avenue for 35+ years. She was an energetic advocate for her block and served as Block Captain for over 20 years and was considered the “go to” person and the party person. As a Block Captain she coordinated block meetings, clean-ups, parties, tree planting and other greening projects. Because of her effective block leadership she was the keynote speaker at CPN’s 2005 Block Leaders Conference. She was always interested to do her part to see our community move forward in a positive way. Rosa also served as a member of the CPN Board of Directors from 2007 – 2009. We have lost a wonderful neighbor who inspired and encouraged many with her hopeful spirit and enduring commitment to community building.

Cedar Park Neighbors extends our heartfelt sympathies to Rosa’s family in this time of sorrow and loss.

Cedar Park Welcomes Seeds Gallery

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter. Didn't receive a newsletter? Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. By Monica Allison, CPN Vice President

Saturday August 11, 2012 marked the fruition of a dream. The Seeds Gallery located at 5011 Baltimore Ave opened its doors with four artists featured. The opening exhibit featured works by Charles Barbin, Artist/Public Murals Designer, Robert Brahin, Documentary Photographer, Russell Brodie, West Philly artist and Jeremy Fahringer, West Philly artist. Upon my arrival, I was happy to see families both inside and outside of the Gallery. The Gallery was inviting and relaxed. The food was good as well as the choices of wines. The mission of the Seeds Gallery is to create a networking forum for local artists and to help seed them into the community. The aim is to seed local artists by helping to create exposure for their work, develop their business skills and present their work to clients. They will help foster relationships between artists and their client base and assist with transactions.

The Seeds Gallery is not a traditional gallery; but you need to go and check it out. The Seeds Gallery intends to not only have showings of local artists, but they are also working to educate artists in business practices.

The Cedar Park area is full of unsigned, but noteworthy artists who could take advantage of the offerings of The Seeds Gallery and its staff. We are excited to have them in our community. For more information regarding The Seeds Gallery, contact: Nori James, Executive Director, Seeds Gallery 267.289.2705 artists@seedsgallery.com

Cedar Park Zoning News

This post originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter. Didn't receive a newsletter? Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. Maureen Tate, CPN Zoning Committee

The CPN Zoning Committee took a brief respite in August after a very active year and to rest up for what will surely be another. The new City of Philadelphia Zoning Code went into effect on August 22. While the new code will resolve much confusion and ambiguity in the old code, the new code will likely present initial challenges as all parties make adjustments to new processes. The new code calls for the establishment of Registered Community Organizations (RCO’s) to represent community concerns before the ZBA. RCO’s were required to meet particular criteria and make a formal application to the Philadelphia Planning Commission. CPN met the criteria and was approved as an RCO to represent our community on zoning matters within our established boundaries.

The following issues have been considered by the CPN Zoning Committee in recent months.

• 4925 Pentridge St. --  An application to convert a large former industrial building into individual studio/workshop spaces was granted by the ZBA. CPN entered a letter of support.
• 5027 Baltimore Ave. -- Application for a take-out certificate for proposed gourmet hot dog/sandwich business with 4 dwelling units in an existing structure was granted by the ZBA. CPN entered a letter of no objection.
• 4907 Catharine --  An application for a take-out certificate for a counter service vegetarian café with smoothie bar was granted by the ZBA. CPN filed a letter of no objection.
• 5114 Hazel Ave -- A hearing before the ZBA on an application for a conversion from single family to a triplex was scheduled for July 18. Following notice of objection by many neighbors and a letter of objection by Cedar Park Neighbors, the applicant sought and was granted a continuance until September 19 at 5:00 pm. CPN is seeking to clarify the applicant’s intent and will attend the continuance hearing.
• 5016 Walton --  An application for legalization of a two family dwelling was granted by the ZBA. CPN filed a letter of no objection.
• 5103 Pentridge St.  --  CPN received notice of intent regarding an application for a use permit for a banquet hall that will also serve as meeting facility for girls mentoring program. There is no hearing scheduled at this time. The Zoning Committee will work with neighbors to schedule a meeting so the applicant can present about the proposed use to local residents.

Note: The CPN Zoning Committee generally meets the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7pm. (Sept. meeting will be held Wed., 9/19) If you have questions about any of these issues or are a CPN member interested in serving on the committee please contact the committee at: contact@cedarparkneighbors.org

Proposed Pedestrian Plaza 48th & Baltimore Delayed Due to Trolley Track Repairs

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter. Didn't receive a newsletter? Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. In spring of this year, the University City District received the go ahead on a proposal for safety improvements to the intersection of 48th and Baltimore. The improvements benefit from funds and services provided by the University District and the Pedestrian Plaza Program sponsored by the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities that seeks to reclaim concrete for communities by transforming excess street capacity into new public spaces for the benefit of pedestrians.

Neighbors in the immediate vicinity were consulted and meetings were held to review preliminary designs. Everyone agreed on the need to introduce traffic calming strategies and safer pedestrian crossings in a redesign of this busy, confusing, and dangerous intersection. The new design will be implemented on a pilot basis and will include repainting of the street in order to demarcate areas available to pedestrians but off limit to cars. Barriers and planters will be installed to protect pedestrians and alert cars to the new traffic configuration. The project will go through a period of observation and evaluation that will allow for adjustment before any permanent improvements will take effect.

The project, originally slated for implementation in June, has been temporarily delayed to allow for completion of the trolley track repairs underway on Baltimore Ave. Residents can look forward to safer crossings when the project commences in spring, 2013.

Beautiful and Bountiful Gardens of Cedar Park

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Didn't receive a newsletter?  Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. by Andrea Saylor, CPN member and newsletter reporter

Summer provides a beautiful opportunity to observe one of Cedar Park’s great resources: gardens. Usually grown on once-vacant lots, often tended by groups who collaborate or individuals who share their crops with the community, gardens create green spaces and provide fresh food. Here’s a sample of some of Cedar Park’s gardens.

Warrington Community Garden, 47th & Warrington

The Warrington Community Garden began 40 years ago, on a large vacant area that once held a factory that burned down. The gardeners didn’t own the land, and their efforts were threatened in the early 1990’s when developers expressed interest in the lot. With porch sales, donations from neighbors, and a private lender who helped them with a mortgage, the gardeners raised enough money to buy the land. The Neighborhood Gardens Association, a Philadelphia land trust, holds titles to 29 community gardens in the city, including Warrington, and now the garden can’t be sold to developers.

Nearly 65 gardeners build and decorate plots here, often in unique ways- notice the Cambodian theme on one plot the next time you walk down Warrington. Gardeners contribute annual fees based on plot size, participate in workdays to keep common areas tidy, and attend a harvest dinner together in October. There is a waitlist for plots. The garden also dedicates space to the City Harvest program, a partnership between the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and others, including 45 city gardens. PHS donates seedlings, grown at other locations, and volunteer gardeners plant them, tend them from spring to fall and harvest and donate the crops. Warrington Community Garden’s City Harvest crops go to the food pantry at the nearby Paradise Emmanuel Tabernacle, where 30 families benefit from the food donations. So far this year, the garden has donated over 600 pounds of fresh vegetables. Carol Bowers and Mary Wallman, who run the City Harvest plot at Warrington, say that other gardeners often donate some of their personal produce, too.

Garden at 50th and Baltimore Last fall, Vanessa Jerolmack began a private garden on a Baltimore Avenue lot she’d purchased with her husband. The land borders their back yard on Catherine Street, and the garden’s first full season started this summer, thanks to a PHS grant. Vanessa joined the City Harvest Grower’s Alliance, part of the City Harvest program that supports individual gardeners. PHS provided soil, hay, manure, raised boxes, and seeds, and in return, Vanessa sells her produce to neighbors at an affordable price. You can find her at Chester and 51st on Thursdays from 4:30 to 7:30, at the farm stand called Farm 51, another City Harvest grant recipient.

St. Bernard Community Garden This community garden has 47 plots and is over 15 years old. Near 49th Street and adjacent the train tracks, the garden sits, often unnoticed, several feet above street level. Gardeners can tend up to three plots per household, pay annual dues of $15, attend workdays, and water their plants with water donated from a next-door neighbor. They have access to a shared tool shed, compost pile, and a shared plot of herbs and berries. Community members began the garden after the house there burned down and the lot stood vacant. The garden has formed a task force to explore how the Neighborhood Garden Association might help them purchase the land. Individuals on the waiting list can expect to get a plot in about two years.

GO WEST! Craft Fest on Sept 29

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Didn't receive a newsletter?  Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. GO WEST! Craft Fest features over 50 of the Philly region's most inventive vendors of original arts & crafts, plus live music, food and family-friendly fun. It's all at the Woodlands in West Philly, 40th & Woodland (across from the main trolley portal) on Saturday, September 29 (rain date September 30).

Find a multitude of local wares handmade with care: original artworks, cards, prints, hand-constructed and upcycled clothing, screenprinted tees, ceramics, home goods, jewelry, accessories, cozy knitwear, natural bath & body products, candles, toys, edibles and more. Keep your holiday shopping list in mind, as a handmade gift is not only unique and special, but also supports local, independent small business.

There's live entertainment too! Four amazing acts will perform for your diversion.

Noon: Perseverance Jazz Band, swinging NOLA-style standards 1pm: the Citywide Specials, authentic bluegrass that's finger-pickin' good 2pm: Jay Sand of "All Around This World" engaging world music for kids and their families 3pm: Tinycircus, aerial flights of fancy presented by Tangle Movement Arts

There's also a handful of food vendors for your physical nourishment, including Black Orchid's vegan specialties and West Philly's own award-winning Lil' Pop Shop for dessert! We are looking to accept one or two more food trucks or vendors for lunch/brunch main courses, preferably those that emphasize local, sustainable and responsibly sourced ingredients, presented in a skillful and original way.

The Fest's location, the Woodlands Cemetery, Mansion & Historic Landscape, is one of West Philly's sweetest spots. A true urban oasis, its 54 wooded acres are home to an 18th century neoclassical mansion (open for tours), a community garden, historically significant trees and an apiary, as well as over 30,000 eternal Philadelphians since 1840. The Fest will be near the main entrance, just inside the fence along Woodland Avenue.

Proudly presented by VIX Emporium and As The Crow Flies & Co.

Cedar Park Neighbors Scholarship Fund

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter. Didn't receive a newsletter? Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. By Laurie Friedman, Scholarship Chair

The CPN Scholarship Committee was proud to present scholarship awards of $1000 this year to each of the recipients named below. We recognize these students for their hard work and success in high school, their service to the community, and their continued commitment to furthering their education at the post-secondary level. We truly appreciate the support of all our neighbors and local businesses who contributed to supporting our youth!

Since 1989, Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN) has raised money and given modest scholarships to support students from the neighborhood in their pursuit of higher education. Unlike many restricted scholarships, Cedar Park’s scholarship offers students funds to pay for any and all school-related expenses, which could be anything from tuition and books, to something as simple as transportation to and from school.

Congratulations to the following Cedar Park Scholars!

Sara Ghebremariam is a graduate of West Catholic High School and will be graduating in December from the University of Pennsylvania where she is majoring in Psychology.

Dung Nguyen graduated from West Catholic High School and is headed into her senior year atTempleUniversity where she majors in Pharmacy.

Antionette Trt graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls and is starting her senior year at Hampton University where she majors in Political Science.

Hanh Nguyen graduated from West Catholic High School and will begin her junior year at Temple University in the Fall where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Nursing degree.

Zachary Spence graduated from George Washington Carver High School for Engineering & Science and is heading into his junior year at the Howard University School of Engineering.

Briana Lane graduated from West Philadelphia High School and is heading into her sophomore year at Widener University. She is majoring in Psychology.

Dear Cedar Park Neighbors:

First off, I would like to thank you for selecting me as this year’s recipient of the Cedar Park Neighbors Scholarship. As tuition continues to increase, the scholarship is greatly needed. This academic year was successful! I had a number of accomplishments, one becoming a member of the 1867 Howard University traveling basketball team. Not only do I have a passion for the game, but it keeps me focused in all things I do. I have learned in college that time management is crucial. From balancing practices, game days, and my studies I have developed a skill that has proved to be effective. This semester I received all A’s and a C, my best performance thus far. I received a C in my Differential Equations course. It was challenging but with my dedication and the help of my professors and colleagues I received an overall score of a 78. In all, I finished my semester with a 3.5 GPA and made the Dean’s List.

This summer I am back in Philadelphia continuing my internship at the NAVY Yard. My role as an intern gives me hands on experience as a computer engineer and allows me to obtain valuable knowledge outside of the classroom setting. I have been given the task to help develop a simulator for the Navy’s submarine ships. The simulator is composed of two tanks which transfer water between themselves and a reservoir. My responsibility is to construct a computer program that will control the simulator and allow users to conduct preferred functions. I am excited to see my final results at the end of the summer.

Once again I would like thank the Cedar Park Scholarship Fund for selecting me as a recipient of this scholarship!

Best Regards,

Zachary Spence

Membership Update: Greetings From Our New CPN Membership Chair

This post originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter. Didn't receive a newsletter? Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. Hello All!

I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself as the new chair of CPN's Membership Committee! I am very happy to be taking on the job, and as a relative newcomer to the neighborhood I'm looking forward too getting to know even more of you. I also want to thank Laurie Friedman for her fantastic leadership while chairing the committee over the last several years!

Over the next year, the board of CPN will be making a big push to increase membership so that we can better serve the community. Between the long term city planning work being done through the Philadelphia 2035 project, the new changes to the city's zoning code as well as the general increase in real estate activity in our community, we have a unique opportunity to come together to shape the future of our vibrant neighborhood. CPN is consistently looked to as a voice for the residents of Cedar Park, and as such we believe that it's critical to increase both our numbers as well as the overall engagement of our members so that we can truly represent our community.

Our new table at the Baltimore Ave Dollar Stroll (where you can procure a membership for only one dollar!) has gone a long way towards helping us achieve this goal, and we have added 45 new members over the last month through this outreach! It's been a lot of fun to get to connect with so many new members in this way, and we are working to continue to be an even greater presence in the community over the next year.

For those new members who are receiving this newsletter for the first time, welcome, and thank you for your commitment! We encourage you (and older members alike!) to take some time to look over the CPN committee's and see how you might want to become even more involved in the organization.

Thanks again for the opportunity to serve our neighborhood in this way, and please email the membership committee at membership@cedarparkneighbors.org with any questions, concerns, thoughts or ideas that you have in terms of getting even more involved with CPN.

Warm regards, Marcus Presley

How Can We Get a Trash Can For Our Block?

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Didn't receive a newsletter?  Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. Many residents, interested in taking on the litter challenge, have asked about how to get a trash can for their block.  There is more to this than meets the eye so we have asked experienced Block Captain, Beth Ellerby, of the 4900 Block of Larchwood Ave. to answer this question and share their block’s wisdom on the matter.

 Block Captain, Beth Ellerby, responds:

The process for obtaining trash baskets for our block was actually quite easy.  We have been an active block association and a member of the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee since 1995.  We participate in all of their clean-ups and were able to apply through their Adopt a Basket Program.  During our monthly meeting and before applying for the baskets, we discussed how many baskets we wanted and where would be the best placement for these baskets.  We also discussed how the cans would be emptied and the care of the area around the cans.

Our block captain had to write a letter to Philadelphia More Beautiful requesting the necessary paperwork and contract to apply for the baskets.  Once the paperwork was received, it was filled out and the homeowners whose property the cans were being place at, had to sign the contract accepting the responsibility of the can on their property.  They were delivered within two weeks.

We tried several different ways of scheduling the empting of the cans and have come up with monthly rotations as the best solution.  Knowing you have a particular month cuts down on the confusion. We schedule two people each month, one for each can.  We soon realized that we wanted the dome for each can. Without the dome the cans filled up with rain, sleet, snow or ice causing the bags to be very heavy for lifting out as well as messy.  We also bought chains and locks for the cans to secure them to the poles.

We are very pleased with having the cans and have seen a big decrease in the trash that was being discarded by people walk down our block.

Note:  The Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee is a project of the Philadelphia Streets Department.  To learn more, contact PMBC call:  215-685-3981.

President’s Message

This post--with pictures!--originally ran in the September 2012 Cedar Park Neighbors newsletter.  Didn't receive a newsletter?  Consider becoming a member of Cedar Park Neighbors by clicking here. By Michael Froehlich

You know what my favorite part of the week is in Cedar Park during the summer?

Saturday mornings.

Everyone is out on their porches and sidewalks.  They’re sitting at the tables outside the Gold Standard or Satellite or Atiya Ola’s.  It’s elbow-to-elbow at the counter at Cedar Park Café.  Children are starting to filter into Cedar Park playground.  Neighbors are streaming down Baltimore Avenue towards the Clark Park farmer’s market, stopping to talk with one another along the way.

It’s just one of the wonderful things I like about my neighborhood and why I’m excited about serving as the President of Cedar Park Neighbors.

We hope that you were able to come out and enjoy Friday night jazz inCedarParkthis summer.  I’d like to give an enormous thank you to Algernon of Elena’s Soul for organizing the series.  It certainly would not have happened without Algernon—and your donations in the red buckets during the show!  (And speaking of Elena’s, have you heard that their house-made veggie burger is back on the menu?  Go try it.  It’s the best veggie burger in West Philly.)

Hopefully, SEPTA’s track replacement project didn’t inconvenience you too much this summer.  SEPTA came out to our June board meeting to talk about their project.  They’re done replacing the section of track in Cedar Park.  The whole project should be done by mid-September.  At that point, they’ll be removing their trailers from Baltimoreand 49^th Street.  And we’ll all be riding the trolley once again.

Have you had a chance to drop into the new Seeds Gallery at5011 Baltimore Avenue (owned by the inimitable Saba, proprietor of Aksum on Baltimore Ave) or Starr’s Boutique at 5015 Baltimore?  They’ve got some beautiful art and clothing.  You need to take a look if you haven’t yet.  And speaking of new businesses, we’re excited that Milan Marvelous has moved The Marvelous Records and Music shop to Cedar Park.  Need some new records?  Check ‘em out.

Finally, I wanted to thank the 48^th Street Neighbors Group for the fun Porch Hops that they sponsored this summer.  The 48^th Street Neighbors group was formed after a tragic crime inCedarPark last fall.  They realized that looking out for your neighbors (and your neighborhood) starts with getting to know each other a little bit more.  So on two Saturdays this summer, a dozen neighbors held mini-open houses on their porches and invited everyone to drop by.  My family and I had a great time at the first one in June.  (Sadly, we were out of town for the second one!)

I want to acknowledge Monica Allison one more time for the extraordinary work that she did during the last four years as president of Cedar Park Neighbors.  There’s no way that I will ever match her energy and skill at bringing people together to improve Cedar Park.  But I’ll give it my best shot.  And if you have any thoughts on things Cedar Park Neighbors should be doing to improve your part of the neighborhood, please let me know.  You can reach us at 267-531-4147 or by email at contact@cedarparkneighbors.org.

I’m looking forward to being President, because… There’s always something good happening in Cedar Park.

Volunteer To Give Rides To Cancer Patients

This post originally published in the June 2012 edition of the Cedar Park Neighbors Newsletter.One of the greatest challenges cancer patients face is getting transportation to and from their daily hospital treatments. Now YOU can help! PHILLY PATIENT RIDE – a collaboration of the American Cancer Society and Philly Car Share – provides free rides to patients who may have no other way of getting to their life-saving appointments. Volunteer drivers (who use Philly Car Share cars at no cost) are needed for daytime hours – Monday through Friday, between 7 am and 6 pm. Volunteers must be at least 21 years old, have a valid driver’s license and safe driving record, and attend a brief training orientation. Drivers may volunteer as little or as often as they wish. For a rewarding experience, give the “gift of a lift” for a few hours a month or week and make a big difference in the life of a cancer patient.   More information/ sign up: Contact Jamie.McCann@cancer.org or at (215) 895-5359.

Check out what’s happening in the CPN Scholarship Corner! by Laura McHugh, CPN Scholarship Committee

This post originally published in the June 2012 edition of the Cedar Park Neighbors Newsletter. This year’s annual scholarship fundraiser on Sunday, March 25 at Dock Street Brewery was once again a rousing success!  With nearly 100 people in attendance and thousands of dollars raised, CPN would like to offer a special thanks to Rosemarie and her team atDock Street, as well as all of the businesses and neighbors that continue to support this annual event through ticket sales and/or auction donations year after year.  Please check out our full list of supporters!

Supporting CPN Scholarship Committee events, like our annualDock Streetfundraiser above, is critical to raising scholarship funds for students like Hahn Nguyen, a freshman atTempleUniversity, and one of our current CPN scholarship recipients.  Below, Hahn reflects on what the CPN scholarship has meant to her this first year:

“The famous Sir Isaac Newton once said, ‘If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.’  This saying perfectly describes how grateful I feel towards the assistance and help I’ve received from Cedar Park Neighbors and their generous scholarship.  This year, I began to embark on my college journey.  Before I even started, I was very stressed about how to pay for college, seeing as paying for high school was already difficult.  I made my choice to go to Temple in part because of its cheaper tuition compared to many other colleges and my decision was finalized when I got accepted into their new Bachelor in Science Nursing program.  Nursing, specifically neonatal nursing, has been my passion and dream job.  However, not only did I have to stress about paying for tuition and books, I was also required to buy nursing/medical supplies and uniforms for the program.  I felt overwhelmed by the prices of the medical supplies, most of them being over a hundred dollars and more.  But with the help of my Cedar Park Neighbors scholarship, I was able to pay for my Nursing books and some of the supplies such as the stethoscope, scrubs, and sphygmomanometer.  I was always worried that my financial issues would prevent me from living my dream fully, but with this scholarship I have been able to begin my first steps into making my dream become reality.

            I have now finished my first year of college and survived the first year of Temple University’s nursing program.  Although it has been a very difficult, stressful, and time consuming experience, I have enjoyed every minute of it.  Through the first year of the program, I have learned to take patient’s blood pressure and interacted with senior citizens and children at various field work placements in the community.  My passion for nursing has been further ignited and I can’t wait to start my clinicals next semester.  I would like to once again thank everyone involved in the Cedar Park Neighbors scholarship committee for helping me be able to live these wonderful experiences I’ve had this past year at Temple University.”

Sincerely,

Hahn Nguyen

If you have not already, it is not too late to support scholarships for Hahn and others in 2012-2013!  You can make a donation through the CPN website or by sending a check to CPN marked “Scholarship”.

More information about the Scholarship Program can be found at www.cedarparkneighbors.org.

Questions?  Please call CPN at 267-531-4147 or email scholarships@cedarparkneighbors.org.

Many thanks to our Scholarship Fundraiser Business Supporters…

 Aksum

AnnenbergCenterfor the Performing Arts

Atiya Ola's Spirit First Foods

Atlantic Medical Specialty

Baltimore AvePet Shoppe

BartramGardens

Bed Bath & Beyond

Boost Market

DBA Little Home Repairs

DesiVillage

Dock Street Brewery

East SmithfieldHealthcare

Eastern State Penitentiary

Elena's Showcase Lounge

Firehouse Bicycles

Gold Standard

Green Line Café

Harvard Children's Academy

House of Our Own Books

Lee's Deli

Liz Campion

LongwoodGardens

Morris Arboretum of theUniversityofPennsylvania

NationalConstitutionCenter

New Deal Lumber and Millwork Company

Nigerian African Grocery

PhiladelphiaFederal Credit Union

PhiladelphiaMuseumof Art

PhiladelphiaSuzukiPianoAcademy

Studio 34

Sunray Drugs

Talking Headz

Tom Davis Pharmacy

Tool Library ofPhiladelphia

VientianeCafé

VietnamCafé

Vix Emporium

Wake Up Yoga

Wayne's Garage

West Philadelphia Locksmith Company

WoodlandBuildingSupply

and to these individual donors!!

Diane Bezella

Darryl Bundridge

Dr. Gerard Davis

Kitakiya Dennis

James Donley

Bruce Dorpalen

Agnes Dumas

Johanna Fine

Claudia Hamilton

Emily Hirshorn

Hillary Kane

George Karpyn

Richard Keiser

Peggy and Todd Kovich

Judyann McCarthy

Dr. Alice Moyer

Amy Myers

Representative James Roebuck

Lola Rooney

Beverly Rouse

Jen Smith

Maureen Tate and Gerald McHugh

Senator Anthony Williams

Nancy Wygant

Mary Yee