Friday, December 26, 2014

Happy Kwanzaa



From Wiki:
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States and also celebrated in the Western African diaspora in other nations of the Americas. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga, and was first celebrated in 1966–67.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Merry Christmas



Reminder: Thursday trash pickup will happen on Friday.
Local Store Hours


Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
South Square Market
7am - 5pm
Closed
CVS Store
8am - 10pm
10am - 8pm
CVS Pharmacy
8am - 6pm
10am - 6pm
Walgreens Store
7am - midnight
7am - midnight
Walgreens Pharmacy
8am - 10pm
Closed



Friday, December 19, 2014

CCRA Newsletter



WHAT'S NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Community MTG for New School in Center City
CCRA Begins Zoning Remapping Project
CCRA EVENTS
Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character
CCRA NEWS
Holiday Office Closure
Holiday Trash Collection Notice
CCRA Merchant Member Discount Program
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS AND EVENTS:
Laura Ancona, "The Human Condition"
Annual Beethoven's Birthday Concert
Christmas Village Returns to Love Park
Treecycling
Tree Tenders Winter Basic Traiining
Ice Skating at the New Dilworth Park

  
       
OUR SPONSORS
   
 





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WHAT'S NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
CROSSTOWN CATCHMENT CHARTER SCHL DISCUSSION: SAT 12/20 11AM JEFF U. ALUMNI HALL 10TH & LOC.
Sponsors of a proposed K- 12 charter school which would  primarily target students from the Vine to Pine zip codes (19102, 03, 06 and 07) will present their plans tomorrow at Jefferson's Solis Cohen Auditorium on the south side of Locust betw. 10th & 11th streets (click here to view flyer).  The charter applicant, MaST (click here to visit site) operates a K -12 school  on Byberry Road in the Northeast which was rated  86 on  the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education School Performance ranking, a result which  compares favorably  both to neighborhood schools such as Greenfield (72), Mc Call (83)  and Meredith (78) and to nearby charters such as Independence  and Russell Byers (both at 74).  Most Charters (including Byers, Independence and MaST's Byberry Rd. school) select their student body by a lottery. Students at these charter schools reside in  communities spread throughout the City. Consequently, traditional charters are less likely to nurture  the neighborhood networking fostered by successful  catchment based schools such as Greenfield. The  MaST proposal  gives priority to applicants from zips 19102, 03, 06 and 07 (Vine to Pine). If  slots remain, then seats are available  to students from surrounding communities, so that the next backup  catchment area is comprised of zips to the north (19130 - Fairmount, Spring Garden, Franklintown and 19123 -  Old City, Northern Liberties) and to the south (19146 - Graduate Hospital and Point Breeze and 19147 - Queen Village, Bella Vista, Italian Market). In addition to providing the novelty of a  catchment based charter option, MaST's  K-12 format would provide the downtown area its only catchment based high school
CCRA BEGINS ZONING REMAPPING PROJECT ON SOUTH STREET
The  new Zoning Code  eliminated approximately half of the zoning categories  created under the repealed Code. As a stop gap measure, the zoning map was revised by converting the former code classifications into their 2012 counterparts with the idea that each neighborhood would conduct a detailed remapping exercise to fine tune community zoning.   A CCRA taskforce has commenced meeting every two weeks to review the zoning map in our neighborhood, JFK to South Street, Broad Street to the Schuylkill River, an area which contains close to a thousand individually zoned properties. To make the task manageable, the taskforce has decided to divide the community into sections.  Once the committee has analyzed the current zoning classifications and the on- street structures of each section, public meetings will be convened to solicit  community input.  The  first focus will be the north side of South street from Broad to the Schuylkill River because the Planning Commission and South of South Neighborhood Association (SOSNA) have already commenced working on the south side of South Street.  Once the South Street task is completed, the taskforce will turn to a more ambitious project, a review of the zoning  from JFK south to Locust, an area containing a variety of high density zoning classifications.  The Association is particularly interested in reviewing the JFK to Locust map with members of condominium/coop boards in the northern portion of the neighborhood. 
 CCRA EVENTS
Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character, thurs. 1/8, 7-9pm, trinity center for urban life, 22nd and spruce sts.
This lively lecture and interactive discussion, sponsored by CCRA and Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse, is relevant to all ages.  Hear about concepts crucial to success and how to incorporate into  your child's life as well as your own. Presented by David Meketon, award winning educator and research liaison with Angela Duckworth at the University of Pennsylvania. Refreshments donated byTrader Joe's.
CCRA NEWS
HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURE
CCRA office will close on Wed., 12/24, at 3 PM and will reopen on Mon. 1/5 at 9AM.

We wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.
HOLIDAY TRASH COLLECTION NOTICE
For those who have trash collection on Thursday 12/25 and 1/1, your garbage will be collected on Friday, 12/26 and 1/2. 
CCRA MERCHANT MEMBERS DISCOUNT PROGRAM
Support our local merchants and save money too. These local merchants will provide a discount (described here) to any member who shows a current CCRA membership card (Di Bruno Bros. has its own CCRA card) and personal identification.

Dom's Shoe Repair, 203 S. 20th St (215-972-0098)
Eye Candy Vision, 218 S. 20th St (215-568-3937)
Koresh Dance Company, 2002 Rittenhouse Sq St. (267-687-1769)
PhotoLounge 1909 Chestnut Street (267-322-6651)
Twenty-Two Gallery, 236 S. 22nd St, (215-772-1911)
Rim's Dry Cleaners & Tailors,2203 South St. (215-546-1889)
Rittenhouse Hardware, 2001 Pine St. (215-735-6311)
Rittenhouse Pet Supply, 135 S. 20th St (215-569-2555)
Computer Troubleshooters ,108 S. 20th St. (215-825-2101)
Di Bruno Bros., 1730 Chestnut St. and the Market at the Comcast Center (215-665-9220) 
Uber - Limo service Uber provides $20 off a first ride, Good for new users only. Members use code CCRA14. 
Philly Foodworks - Use the code "CCRA" when signing up for home delivery and receive a $20 discount on delivery charges.
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS AND EVENTS
Laura Ancona, "The Human Condition" thru SUN., 1/4, Twenty-Two Gallery, 236 S. 22nd St
"The Human Condition" is a collection of figurative paintings and drawings that present a subtle critique of the conditions of life. For better or worse, circumstance and fortune are the architects of one's fate. By portraying individuals along the continuum of society--from celebrities to those barely able to survive--these works evoke themes of identity, equality, loneliness, struggle and most of all, tolerance.   
BEETHOVEN'S BIRTHDAY CONCERT, SUN, 12/21 5:30PM, TRIN.  URBAN LIFE CTR, 22ND & SPRUCE
Liebesfreud Concert to benefit WinterShelter. Tickets are $10 for general, $50 for Patrons. for more information, click here.
CHRISTMAS VILLAGE LOVE PARK THRU SUN, 12/28. CCRA DISCOUNT

Christmas Village in Philadelphia brings the holiday atmosphere of a traditional German Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt) to Love Park on JFK Blvd. between 15th & 16th streets.

CCRA members can show a valid membership card and receive discounts.  Choose from a  German bratwurst or schnitzel served on a warm roll (Brötchen); both feature a hearty complimentary side of delicious German sauerkraut. For more information visit the official website: www.philachristmas.com.
TREECYCLING, SAT, 1/10, 10AM-4PM, MARKWARD PLAYGROUND, TANEY AND PINE ST.
Friends of Schuylkill River Park will be collecting Naked X'mas Trees.  $5 minimum suggested donations.  No early birds, late comers, no tinsels, ornaments -- NAKED Trees Only.

If you need help, delivering your trees, please email
Tree Tenders Winter Basic Training, Sat, 1/24 and 1/31, 8:30am-1pm, PHS Town Hall, 100 N. 20th St, 1st Fl.
During two Saturday sessions, learn the basics of tree planting and care including Tree Biology, identification, stresses, planting, pruning and root care, and how to use these skills in home landscape and in helping to restore the tree canopy in your neighborhood and the region. Fee: $25.00. Register at https://www.pennhort.net/treetenders
ICE SKATING AT THE NEW DILWORTH PARK, NOW THRU SAT., 2/22, CITY HALL
The Rothman Ice Rink at Dilworth Park in front of City Hall is open 7 days a week. Costs are $3 for kids 10 & younger, $4 for adults, and $8 for skate rental. For hours and a list of special events, click here.