Announcing the 2019 Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship Recipients!

Left: a few of the 2019 recipients! Right: early Cedar Park Neighbors scholarship recipients and committee members, including Gary Bronson, far right.

Left: a few of the 2019 recipients! Right: early Cedar Park Neighbors scholarship recipients and committee members, including Gary Bronson, far right.

On Friday, July 12th, Cedar Park Neighbors and its Scholarship Committee announced this year’s THIRTEEN Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship recipients during Cedar Park Jazz intermission at 50th and Baltimore, and celebrated the committee’s THIRTIETH YEAR anniversary.

Past scholarship recipient now local attorney, Simon Haileab served as the Master of Ceremonies and was joined by CPN President Renee McBride-Williams, Scholarship Committee Chair Whitney Martinko, and State Representative James Roebuck in awarding nearly $10,000 in scholarships and congratulating each of the students.

  • Lydia Anderson: Lydia will be a sophomore at Temple majoring in Anthropology. This past year, she worked at Samuel Paley Library and made new friends in her dorm by joining a Dungeons and Dragons players club.

  • Keturah BahtT’om: Keturah recently graduated from Palumbo Academy and will be attending Hofstra University to major in Chinese Studies. She has been involved with the University of the Arts Saturday School and is interning at the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia.

  • Rosa Boyd: Rosa recently graduate from Mastery Charter High School with high honors and will be attending Temple University to major in mechanical engineering. She volunteers at the Academy of Natural Sciences and Mighty Writers.

  • Déanna Clarke-Campbell: Déanna will be a junior at Boston University and is pursuing a career in international relations and law. She has taught English at a Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center and spent the spring semester abroad at the National University of Singapore.

  • Camille Coleman: Camille will be a junior at Temple University. A former camp teen leader at the local Camp Sojourner Girls' Leadership Camp, she is spending her summer as a counselor at the Girl Scouts' Camp Wasiu II in the Tahoe National Forest.

  • Amaja Hayes: Amaja recently graduated from Science Leadership Academy at Beeber and will be a freshman at Temple University. For her school's capstone project, she shadowed local business owner Franchon Pryor at her salon, Hair Vyce Studio.

  • Ariel Hayes: Ariel recently graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls and will attend Temple University’s College of Public Health in pursuit of her goal of becoming a physician. She developed her interest in obstetrics in the Penn Academy for Reproductive Science and also played varsity basketball for her high school team.

  • Kayla Lewis: Kayla will be a junior at Widener University majoring in Sociology and Social Research. She was a resident assistant in the campus dorms and joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She enjoyed developing closer relationships with her professors over the course of last year.

  • Nathan Little: Nathan will graduate next spring from Montgomery County Community College with a degree in Physical Therapy. He has volunteered with serving meals at Tenth Presbyterian Church and is looking forward to continuing his education at Temple University.

  • Robin Siddall: Robin will be a senior at Wellesley College, and is majoring in Mathematics. Also interested in design and print culture, she made an interactive teaching presentation on "The Enduring Art of Book Making" at her school's Ruhlman Conference celebrating student achievement.

  • Nzinga Suluki-Bey: Nzinga recently graduated from Science Leadership Academy and will attend Guilford College as the recipient of the J. Floyd Moore Scholarship. She has developed her interest in writing through Mighty Writers and the Acel Moore program at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and she plans to major in Business Administration with Marketing and Communications.

  • Vaughn Waldron: Vaughn recently graduated from Lasalle College High School where he participated in a variety of service projects from the island of St. Lucia to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. He will attend Loyola University-Maryland and major in Biology.

  • Sasha Widman: Sasha is a junior majoring in music performance at the Community College of Philadelphia. Last year, she developed her voice performance in chamber ensembles and hopes to pursue a career in music therapy.

Cedar Park Neighbors is extremely proud of these active and dynamic students and their accomplishments. Please join us in congratulating these young members of our Cedar Park community, and wishing them the best in their studies.

These scholarships are made possible through the generous support of the donors to the Gary Bronson Memorial College Scholarship Fundraiser.  

Sustaining Neighbor Sponsor

Fleming Family Fund

Benefactor Neighbor Sponsors

Fred Wolfe Jr.

Philadelphia Federal Credit Union

Patron Neighbor Sponsors

Amara Rockar & Mustapha Berkshan

Baltimore Avenue Business Association

Darryl Bundrige

David Wengert

Duwayne Terry & Julia Katz Terry

Loco Pez West Philly

Melani Lamond, Realtor at City Block Team with Compass

Phil & Jocelyn Scribano

We thank those sponsors and all who contributed to making CPN's THIRTIETH year of scholarships a success! Special thanks to our in-kind contributors, DJ Anthony Porter, Dock Street Brewery for helping defray fundraiser food costs, Clarkville for covering the scholars’ Winter Social, and Fred Martin Wolfe (husband of Gary) for hosting a get-together for the recipients and committee following the presentation. Attendees of the presentation generously donated to the scholarship fund through the orange bucket collection in amounts ranging from $0.25 to $50!

Want to contribute to the fund?

Alternatively, you may write a check to “Cedar Park Neighbors” memo line “Scholarships Committee” and mail to 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143."

July Twilight Gardening at Cedar Park

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On Wednesday, July 17th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., join Cedar Park Neighbors and our Parks Committee while we tend to some garden chores at Cedar Park at 49th and Baltimore!

We will continue developing the sitting wall gardens with more perennials and do some light weeding. Twilight gardening will happen as planned unless it is actively raining.

No experience necessary. Tools and gloves will be provided. All are welcome. Any age and level of experience.

Help us keep our park clean and green! Join us! Let us know you can help at parks@cedarparkneighbors.org

Transit Survey Results Presentation

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On Monday, July 15th at 7:00 p.m., please join Cedar Park Neighbors and its Transit Committee for a presentation on the results of our recent Transit Survey at the Calvary Community Center located at 48th and Baltimore Avenue (please use the small side door on Baltimore Avenue to the left of the WPMF sign - meeting in the 2nd floor Upper Board Room).

Earlier this year, the Transit Committee created and distributed a local transit survey to solicit direct feedback from our residents on what they want to focus on for transit improvements. The presentation will feature a summary of the survey results as well as an overview of the Transit Committee’s goals as determined by the survey feedback. The Transit Committee aims to represent the community's wants and needs as we advocate to make our neighborhood easier to use, for people that live, work, or visit the area.

Can’t make it but want to get involved? Email the Transit Committee at transit@cedarparkneighbors.org.

Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship Presentations

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On Friday, July 12th, please join Cedar Park Neighbors and our Scholarship Committee as we present the 2019-2020 Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship awards. Weather-permitting, the event will take place during intermission at approximately 7:00 p.m. at Cedar Park Jazz 2019 (Fridays June & July!) at 50th and Baltimore.

Established in 1989, the mission of the Cedar Park Neighbors Scholarship Committee is to recognize and encourage young adults living in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia who are committed to pursuing higher education and provide them with both mentorship and financial support to help them be successful in their post-secondary endeavors.

CPN renamed this the Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship in 2015 in honor of our visionary neighbor and friend, who founded this scholarship 30 years ago.

The 2019-2020 application cycle is now closed with the committee receiving its largest applicant pool to date! To help fund as many of these students possible, please consider donating to the fund by June 30th!

Online donations: https://www.memberplanet.com/campaign/cedarparkneighbors/scholarship

Alternatively, you may write a check to “Cedar Park Neighbors” memo line “Scholarships Committee” and mail to 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143."

Photos: Spring Into Biking 2019

On Saturday, May 18th, the Cedar Park Neighbors Transit Committee held its first ever Spring into Biking event at the pedestrian triangle at 50th and Baltimore! Neighbors were able to stop by and get their bike freshened up courtesy of Firehouse Bicycles, learn more about cycling in the city, or just chat with the Transit Committee! Want to get involved? Email the Transit Committee at transit@cedarparkneighbors.org.

June Cleanup at Cedar Park

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On Saturday, June 8th from 10:00 a.m. to Noon, join Cedar Park Neighbors and our Parks Committee in a cleanup at Cedar Park at 49th and Baltimore!

It's time to ready the gardens for the busy Summmer season! We need community volunteers to help keep our park clean and safe. The cleanup will happen as planned unless it is actively raining.

No experience necessary. Tools will be provided. All are welcome. Any age and level of experience

Help us keep our park clean and green! Join us! Let us know you can help at parks@cedarparkneighbors.org

2019 Cedar Park Jazz Series Lineup

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Cedar Park Jazz

Every Friday, June + July, 6 to 8 PM

 

Get ready! 

The 19th annual Cedar Park Jazz series returns this summer! Join Cedar Park Neighbors every Friday night in from 6 to 8 PM in Cedar Park through June and July for music, dancing, and community. Celebrate West Philly's incredible musical talent with an amazing lineup: 

June 7: RICH TUCKER & THE UNIVERSAL MUSIC KONCEPT
June 14: WEEZ THE PEOPLE COLLECTIVE 
June 21: RAYBURN WRIGHT’S JASZ LAB
June 28: FIRESTORM
July 5: CLEF CLUB YOUTH ENSEMBLE
July 12: BOBBY ZANKEL & THE WONDERFUL SOUND SIX + Intermission: CPN Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship Award Presentation
July 19: DR. KETCHUP 
July 26: NAZIR EBO & FRIENDS
Rain Date (if needed): August 2

Bring your lawn chair, cooler, and dancing shoes!
Family-friendly event. 
FREE and OPEN to ALL

Presented by Cedar Park Neighbors' Jazz Committee.

MANY THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS: 

GOLD