Summer 2016
Cedar Park Neighbors Newsletter President’s Message: West Philly Truly is the Best Philly J.J. Tizou Photography
By David Hincher, CPN President pring is usually a busy time of year S in the neighborhood, especially so for Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN). Our annual membership meeting and board election took place on April 18th at the Calvary Community Center, which was packed with a lightning round of guest speakers touching upon a variety of neighborhood issues, activities, and developments. Thanks to your votes of confidence, I am proud to continue serving as CPN President, and I welcome seven new at-large board members, two returning at-large board members and those serving as board officers. See page 2 for more details about the speakers and election results.
Gretchen Elise and CPN President David Hincher wowed crowds at the Live Jazz concert.
Our annual Gary Bronson Scholarship Fundraiser was held at Saint Francis de Sales on Sunday, June 5th. This event was organized by our new board member, Franchon “Frenchie” Pryor, who did a fantastic job bringing it all together. We had live music from Mister Mann’s Jam Band, catered food donated by Sweet Potato, cupcakes from Pound Cake Heaven donated by board member JJ Tiziou, and beer donated from our local brew pub, Dock Street Brewery. It was a great opportunity to meet fellow community members and past scholarship recipients. See page 3 for more about how this scholarship helps local youth pursue their dreams.
FOX 29 News Good Day Philadelphia – “Driven to West Philly” was broadcast live from Cedar Park on Friday, June 3rd. It was a wet morning, but that did not deter neighbors from coming out to show their neighborhood pride. There was live music from DJs and musicians including the West Philadelphia Orchestra and Gretchen Elise. Hair Vyce brought a salon chair to the park. School pride was on display from West Philadelphia High School’s drum corps and cheerleaders. Soulful, singing students from Lea Elementary School were led by Lea parent and musician Aja Graydon Dantzler from Kindred The Family Soul. Local vendors such as VIX Emporium, Redcap’s Corner Gaming Emporium, West Phillie Produce, and many, many more shared their wares. Thank you to all the community members that helped make this happen. West Philly truly is the best Philly.
Live Jazz Fridays in Cedar Park kicked off on June 10th with Progressive Moment. This series on Friday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. will run through July 29th. Scholarship recipients for the 2016-17 academic year will be announced at the last concert on July 29th. Hundreds of neighbors gathered every Friday evening last year, and Cedar Park was bursting at the seams. We aim to match the success this year and have a wonderful lineup of musicians. We greatly appreciate the financial support of the sponsors making the series possible. The schedule and sponsors are listed on the back page of this newsletter.
Bob Kelly of FOX 29 News gave Frenchie Pryor of Hair Vyce some air time during Good Day Philadelphia’s “Driven to West Philly” broadcast.
Cedar Park Neighbors 56th Annual Meeting
speakers and electing our new board of directors. Welcome to seven new at-large board members: Al Airone, Mike Farrell, Jo Ann Fishburn, Rhone Fraser, Franchon Pryor, Kelly Ryan and David Wengert, and returning at-large board members Lisa Johanningsmeier and Ryan Spak.
A great group of neighborhood leaders was elected to serve Cedar Park, including an executive committee comprised of David Hincher (President), Suzanne Banning Anderson (First Vice President), Renee McBride Williams (Second Vice President), Tori Bourret (Secretary), and Amara Rockar (Treasurer). We look forward to a great upcoming year. Speakers at the meeting included:
Jeff Wicklund, Enterprise Center CDC, with an update on the Common Table and the Culinary Center at 48th & Spruce.
Akeem Dixon, 52nd Street Commercial Corridor Manager, discussing recent developments to West Philly’s Main Street.
Nate Hommel, University City District, on coming improvements to Cedar Park and the 40th Street SEPTA Portal.
Kittson O’Neill, Shakespeare in Clark Park, previewing this summer’s presentation of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Gay Carducci, Baltimore Avenue Business Association, reminding us that shoping locally creates jobs in Cedar Park.
Abby Sullivan, Philadelphia Water Department, on new streetscape improvements coming soon in our neighborhood.
Julie Scott with an update on the beautiful new Lea Elementary School playground project.
Ryan Kuck, Greensgrow West, talking about this summer’s expansion plans.
edar Park Neighbors held its 56th C annual meeting on Monday, April 18th, featuring a variety of neighborhood
CEDAR PARK NEIGHBORS 2016-2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
LEFT TO RIGHT: Amara Rockar (Treasurer), Mike Farrell, David Hincher (President), Ivana Dussell, Renee McBride Williams (Second Vice President), Michelle Lewis, Franchon Pryor, Rhone Fraser, Suzanne Banning Anderson (First Vice President), Al Airone, Alon Abrahmson, Tori Bourret (Secretary), David Wengert, Ryan Spak, JJ Tiziou, and Michael Froehlich. NOT PICTURED: Jo Ann Fishburn, Rev. Eric Goode, Lisa Johanningsmeir, Shawn Markovich, Mavil Spence, Saba Tedia, Kelly Ryan.
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CPN Newsletter
Successful 2016 Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser he Gary Bronson Memorial T Scholarship Fund is named in honor of our visionary neighbor who founded
Gary Bronson
the CPN Scholarship Committee in 1988. This scholarship fund supports young adults living in Cedar Park who are committed to pursuing higher education through both mentorship and financial support. Although the fundraiser event happens once a year, the fundraising continues year-round. To make a tax-deductible contribution, go to: www.tinyurl.com/gn28tky.
Donors Ellie Cernansky & Melani Lamond
April Coleman, event organizer Aja Graydon Dantzler, Tiffany Banks, and event organizer Franchon Pryor
Donors Joel Steiker & Lori Ginzburg
Scholarship recipient Ruby Anderson & donor Kelvyn Anderson
WORDS FROM THE WISE: A CEDAR PARK SCHOLAR SPEAKS Hi Everyone, First of all, thank you all so much for allowing myself and my fellow scholars to be able to receive this amazing scholarship. It has allowed me to do things that honestly I would be quite hesitant on doing otherwise. For example, I would definitely try much harder to not buy books and to avoid spending money on Scholarship recipient tutors. However, this year, in an effort to Andrew Kulasegram-Wilson further enhance my learning experience, I will be looking to find some affordable student tutors that can devote their time to helping me really learn the material to a degree that would enable me to get that 4.0 term that I always wanted.
Scholarship recipient Abdoul Dia.
Academically, I am doing well for an engineering major at Drexel University. I am continuing to make a positive impact on my GPA and work towards my goal of a cumulative 3.0 GPA in a major that is incredibly challenging. In addition to this, I am continuously looking to better myself and my community by giving back to another organization that has helped
me grow tremendously as not only a leader, but also as a servant. The National Society of Black Engineers is this organization. It has given me the skills I needed to do things like stand up in front of a crowd of people and give them a speech or pep talk. They have provided me with a network that runs far and wide. For instance, I am trying to spend my third and final co-op (six month internship) experience at either Raytheon or John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and, after informing the professional members in the organization of my interest, they immediately offered me their business cards and the chance to speak directly with people who work in the departments where I would like to work. Overall, I am very excited for this upcoming year, and I simply cannot wait to see what happens next! Once again, thank you so much for sharing with me this scholarship and for making me feel even closer to all of you in the community. Thanks,
Andrew Kulasegram-Wilson Summer 2016
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CPN Newsletter
Power to the Park! ur outdoor season in Cedar Park O began on May 26th with a productive Power Corps PHL work day. We are very grateful for their heavy lifting with weeding, pruning, composting, and mulching! Love Your Park Service Day followed on May 7th. Thanks to Cedar Park Neighbor volunteers Holman Massey, Peggy Kovich, Helene Brennan, Jerry McHugh, Elliot Stern, Tina Dow, and Maureen Tate, many flats of annual and perennial plants were added to the park gardens. Heavy rains cancelled the annual Love Your Park Picnic in the Park on May 13th. We hope for better weather next year, but in the meantime, feel free to take your own picnic to the park. Friday Night Jazz is already underway, and we hope to
Power Corps PHL members are ready to mulch!
see many neighbors continuing to enjoy our park throughout the summer months.
Focus on Financial Empowerment he Enterprise Center Community T Development Corporation (CDC) hosts its next community service briefing on Tuesday, June 21st, 6 p.m. at 4548 Market Street. The meeting will focus on financial empowerment! Guests from Clarifi, Drexel University, and Comcast will share details about free financial counseling, financial literacy education, a matched savings account program, and affordable home internet access. Come learn and take information and resources back to your community and neighbors. If you or someone you know needs assistance addressing issues in the home or connecting to resources in the community, The Enterprise Center CDC’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) office is here to help. It can connect you to resources for home repair financing, first-time home-
buyer programs, or property tax issues, and it can help you solve problems related to trash and nuisance, crime and safety, health insurance enrollment, and more. For assistance contact NAC Manager Jesse Blitzstein at 215-895-4075 or jblitzstein@theenterprisecenter.com. The Enterprise Center CDC’s West Philly Foods Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is finally underway, and new members are still being accepted at prorated costs! CSA members receive a weekly box of fresh produce from local farms. West Philly Foods members can also sign up to get artisanal food products like bread and cheese from local food businesses. To sign up, contact West Philly Foods Manager Carly Freedman at cfreedman@theenterprisecenter.com or 215-895-4057.
Summer 2016
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Meet the Board Game Renaissance Man: An interview with Redcap’s Corner’s Benn Roe
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By Michael Froehlich n May, I had a chance to interview Benn Roe, the co-owner with Adam Friedman of Redcap’s Corner at 4812 Baltimore and a resident of Walnut Hill. Benn is also the president of the Baltimore Avenue Business Association. Q: Tell me the story of how you opened Redcap’s Corner. A: The original location was actually at 41st and Locust at a video store. We were there for about two years and then we moved over to 36th and Lancaster and then just this past September, we moved that store to 38th and Lancaster. We opened the Baltimore Avenue location in August 2014, so we’ve been here for almost two years. Q: I remember going to the Video Library video store. Did you come out of it? A: That was a great video store. They sold the store to an employee who wanted to own a comic book shop, so he made room for comic books. We had been thinking about opening a game and comic book shop in West Philly. I walked in and said to the owner, “I was planning on opening a game and comic book store right down the street, but games are really our focus. We’ll stay away from comics if you stay away from games.” And on the spot, we shook hands. A few month months later, we were ready to open and looking for a space, and he agreed to sublet space to us. Q: I remember that. Overnight, it seemed like there were a crazy number of people playing games there. A: Eventually, he gave us more and more space until he moved all of his comics to his South Philly store and we took over the whole store. Q: I remember walking past the 40th Street store and thinking, “Where are these gamers coming from?” It was a culture that I didn’t know existed. How did you know that it existed? A: I’ve been involved with games my whole life. I started playing Magic in fifth grade. I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and there was a little game shop in the mall that just had walls upon walls of these little pewter miniatures. I would go into that store and spend hours pouring Page 6
CPN Newsletter
Redcap’s Corner is located at 4812 Baltimore. For more information, including hours, a up-to-date schedule of group gaming events, and more, visit their website at: www.redcapscorner.com.
over these tiny lead figures and wondering how I could be involved in that. When Magic: the Gathering came out, my mom said, “Oh look, it’s a card game that you get to collect!” And I said, “I’m in! Let’s do this.” Within a few months, everyone in my grade was playing Magic. I got introduced to gaming pretty early on due to Magic. I owned a lot of Dungeon and Dragons books but never found anyone to play that with until much later. Q: What does your mom tell her friends that you do? A: My mom loves board games. She’s proud to tell her friends that I run a board game store. After we opened the store, I introduced her to a legion of new games and now she cannot stop playing Catan and Carcassonne and other games. Q: I’ve bought a couple of games here for my friends or my daughter and they have all been the family board games. What percentage of your customers buy family games and what percent buy Magic and other games like that? A: At this location, it’s primarily board games. Magic is a small percentage here. We excel at the geekier stuff at our other location, but this location is set up to be more family and community oriented. Our board games are equal parts intuitive, easy-to-learn family board games and the geekier board games. For every copy of Catan, I sell a copy of Battlestar Galactica or Dead of Winter. Q: Do you think we’re in the Golden Age of board games? continued on page 7
Living Locally: Meet More Baltimore Avenue Business Owners! ould you like to meet your neighbors who are local business owners? Of course you would. This issue’s interviewee, Benn Roe, CPN board member Franchon “Frenchie” Pryor, and many more local business owners, would like to meet you, too. The Baltimore Avenue Business Association (BABA), hosts a Meet & Greet quarterly, and the next one will be held on Monday, August 1st at Frenchie’s salon, the Hair Vyce Studio. If you attended the CPN scholarship fundraiser, then you know Frenchie can throw one heck of a party! Join us and get ready
BABA Meet & Greet Monday, August 1st 5-7 p.m. Hair Vyce Studio 4828 Baltimore Avenue www.babawestphilly.org
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to share good company, good food, good drink and good music produced locally. BABA’s message is to Keep it Local. If you shop in the neighborhood, you keep your earned income circulating locally and help to create jobs in the neighborhood.
Meet…Benn Roe, continued from page 6 A: Definitely there’s been a huge board game renaissance. This is the best time there has been to be playing board games. We opened our store in February 2009, right at the peak of the recession, and expanded three times in the first year we were open. I think it’s because board games are so inexpensive for the amount of replay value that they have. Compare a $40 board game to taking your family to the movies which costs more and lasts an hour and a half. It’s just much cheaper fun. Q: What’s your current favorite game? A: Citadels is really hard for me to get away from. You can play it with between two and eight players, and every round your turn happens in a different order. It’s elegantly constructed, and it makes for interesting strategies of play. I also like Smash Up quite a lot. Smash Up is a game where there are eight different factions: wizards, ninjas, pirates, dinosaurs, robots, aliens, zombies, and tricksters. Every player takes two of them and shuffles them together and has that as their deck so you could have Robot-Dinosaurs or Ninja-Wizards and everyone is competing with this zany combination of factions. Q: How do you choose which games to stock? A: I do a lot of research, and I talk to customers. If they’ve heard of a game and are excited about it, it’s so contagious. I get excited about a game when a customer is excited and pass that enthusiasm on to other customers. Q: Can you tell us a little bit more about the group gaming nights that Redcap’s
CPN president David Hincher, his daughter, and her friend played a hand of Sushi Go! with Benn Roe and his associate Garrett in Cedar Park.
hosts downstairs? A: We have a regular weekly calendar, but we also do special events that are one-off or monthly events. At the moment, we’re doing a Magic Draft on Monday nights. On Wednesdays, we’re doing Dungeons and Dragons. Thursdays are our LGBTQIA night, and that is incredibly popular. We do Friday Night Magic which is the most popular prescribed Magic program. Saturday afternoon, we do Pokemon. Saturday evenings, we do other collectible card games because we have a big community of Vanguard players and Buddyfight players. And on Sunday afternoons, we have an open board game event. I like that we have more board game events here. At our other store, we have Magic events almost every night. Q: Well, thanks for being here. I especially like your store because I can buy games for my seven-year-old daughter. Do you have any kids? A: I have a nine-week-old daughter, Illyana. She was named, in part, after one of my favorite X-Men characters. Summer 2016
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CPN Newsletter
By Dorothy Miller ith the summer heat and humidity W setting in, it’s hard to imagine a more relaxing way to spend your Saturday than… boating on West Philly’s very own waterfront? Yes, we have a waterfront, and it’s time to get to know it better. The hard work and vision of dedicated staff at Bartram’s Garden, volunteers, community partnerships, and grant funding from the William Penn Foundation have made exploring the waterfront a reality for all Philadelphians. The location of Bartram’s Garden, several hundred feet from the Schuylkill River banks, serves as a testament to the historical importance that the waterfront and rivers have had in shaping Philadelphia. Over the centuries, community perceptions of the rivers have changed as industry took over as the primary focus of the river. Even now, the commercial structures — both abandoned and in operation — that line the banks of Schuylkill don’t do much to bolster its image as a nature center. However, the Schuylkill has come a long way, and public boating is just one of the fantastic ways to explore this river and better understand our connection to the waterways that surround our city. Cedar Park resident Danielle Redden works at Bartram’s Gardens and oversees the boathouse program. Crediting her family’s four generations of Southwest Philadelphia roots with drawing her to the water, she says, “I’ve been boating on the Schuylkill in Southwest Philly since I was 20, and living in Cedar Park for over 16 years.” For Bartram’s Garden, strengthening their presence on the Schuylkill makes sense. “The riverfront is literally our front yard” says Redden. And with the expansion of the Schuylkill River Trail connecting Center City with West Philly, that front yard is going to be getting a lot busier. Simultaneously, the mission of the boating program remains community-focused through a number of unique partnerships. “Building that personal connection with the river — you really see how recreation can be a path toward stewardship” notes Redden. And building that connection can start early. This summer, kids attending the City of Philadelphia Department of Recreation summer camps will get a
chance to visit the boathouse throughout the summer. Volunteers do the vast majority of the work in overseeing and organizing the boating. A creative quid pro quo arrangement means that volunteers who already own boats may store them at the boat house in exchange for allowing access to those boats during the boating session. The rowboats used by the boathouse were built by high school and middle school students in Southwest Philadelphia schools through the Philadelphia Water Borne Program (philadelphiawaterborne.org/wordpress1/). In addition to building and decorating the boats, the students participate in a boat launch, see their boats become part of the Bartram’s fleet, and have the opportunity to use those boats to explore the Schuylkill. According to Redden, the best part of the boating program is opening up the possibilities of the river for people who have lived near it their whole lives. “We see people coming in who live a few blocks away — at first nervous because they believe it is dirty or dangerous — and then you see them come back after spending time on the river with this total look of joy and serenity.” To experience the joy and serenity in person, visit Bartram’s Garden at 54th and Lindbergh Ave, easily accessible by the 36 trolley, bike, or car. Bartram’s Garden is open dawn to dusk, the Welcome Center operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with public boating on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Public boating is cancelled in the event of thunderstorms and CSO overflows, which occur after heavy rain when bacteria in the river rises to an unsafe level (check river status here: www.phillyrivercast.org). While you don’t need to bring anything todo the boating, sunscreen and drinking water on hot days will definitely make your experience more pleasant. If you are interested in volunteering with the boathouse, please contact Danielle Redden (dredden@bartramsgarden.org) or through the Bartram’s Garden Community Boathouse Facebook page.
Gilbert K. Elisa Photography
Splash into Summer with Public Boating at Bartram’s Garden
Public boating 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays at Bartram’s Garden Community Boathouse
CPN Board Officers David Hincher, President Suzanne Banning Anderson, 1st Vice President Renee McBride Williams, 2nd Vice President Amara Rockar, Treasurer Tori Bourret, Secretary Directors Al Airone Alon Abrahmson Ivana Dussell Mike Farrell Jo Ann Fishburn Rhone Fraser Michael Froehlich Rev. Eric Goode Lisa Johanningsmeir Michelle Lewis Shawn Markovich Franchon Pryor Kelly Ryan Ryan Spak Mavil Spence Saba Tedla JJ Tiziou David Wengert
Summer 2016
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Cedar Park Neighbors Membership Application/Renewal ● New Member
Name
● $10 Individual
● $15 Household (2 persons or more)
Address
● $30 Business
Phone
● Renewal
● $ 7 Senior/Student/Unemployed ● $40 Sponsor (one 1/8 page ad)
Additional contribution: (Write $ amount)
_____ Holiday baskets _____ Scholarships _____ Jazz Series _____ Park _____ Other, specify _________________________
Email ● 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
Check your areas of interest for potential participation: ● Board of Directors: CPN leadership and decision-making body.
● Zoning Committee: Monitor & communicate issues to residents;
represent Cedar Park before Zoning Board of Adjustment.
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
● Scholarship Committee: Raise funds, promote program, and select awardees. ● Membership/Communications: Promote membership to residents ● ● ● ● ● ●
and businesses, write, publish and distribute newsletter, maintain website. Jazz: Promote program, raise funds, organize events, choose musicians. Cedar Park Garden Tenders: Plant and maintain gardens at Cedar Park. Holiday Baskets: Coordinate and assist distribution to needy Cedar Park families. Development Impact Task Force: Monitor, evaluate, and influence commercial and residential development. Block Organizing: Maintain list of Block Leaders, organize forums, Review block grant applications and help awardees implement projects etc. Fundraising: Special events, grant writing. Cedar Park Neighbors is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. All contributions are fully tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.
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 O’Donnell Real Estate 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
Summer 2016
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c/o Calvary Community Center 4740 Baltimore Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19143 This issue sponsored and printed by: ABBI PRINT, 321 S. 60th Street, 215-471-8801, www.abbiprint.com
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 Michael Froelich, Judy Lamirand, Dorothy Miller Newsletter Design Judy Lamirand, Robin Siddall, Parallel Design To Contact Cedar Park Neighbors or submit Newsletter items: contact@cedarparkneighbors.org www.cedarparkneighbors.org 267-BALT-AVE (267-225-8283)
Toe-tapping Time: Cedar Park Jazz is Back
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By Renee McBride Williams, Chair, Jazz Committee ive Jazz Fridays in Cedar Park is back. L For our diverse community, this year’s theme is World Music. Let’s hope the
Jazz
weather smiles on our hand-clapping and toe-tapping. Here’s the schedule: June 10 June 17 June 24 July 1 July 8 July 15 July 22 July 29
Progressive Movement Gretchen Elise & Friends Jazz Lab Project Rich Tucker & Friends Dendê Macêdo, Brazilian Artist Bobby Zankel & The Warriors of the Wonderful Sound IV The Philadelphia Clef Club Youth Ensemble The Philadelphia Clef Club Tribute 49th & to Donald “Chappy” Washington
in Cedar Park Baltimore
Thanks to our sponsors, Fairmount Park Fridays Conservancy, Holly Mack-Ward & Company Real Estate, Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, 6-8 p.m. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Dock Street Brewery, VIX Emporium, UC Review, and the Baltimore Avenue Business Association.
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