May Fair 2023

May Fair is just a few days away! Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, we have some amazing raffle items to give away this year! Get your tickets below or stop by the Spruce Hill booth this Saturday to purchase. You can select from one of five baskets, and you can see what they look like here!

Music

We also have three fantastic musical acts queued up for the event! Here’s the schedule:

Vendors

We have more than 60 amazing vendors offering a range of crafted goods, services and more. You can find the full list of vendors here.

Raffle Tickets

To enter the raffle, drop by our booth at Clark Park to purchase tickets on the day of the event. Tickets are $5 for a book of 6 tickets, or $1 per ticket.

If you’d like to make a general contribution to SHCA, you can do so on our membership page. Thank you in advance for your support, and we’ll see you in Clark Park on May 13!

Spruce Hill Historic District Nomination

SHCA is exploring local historic district nomination. Check out FAQs here.

Thank you!

SEPTA Forward’s Bus Revolution

SEPTA Forward’s Bus Revolution project is focused on delivering an easier to use, more convenient and more reliable bus network informed by its riders. Get involved by sharing feedback throughout the project and help us continue to drive SEPTA forward. Here is a link to the latest SEPTA bus rout designs.
SEPTA Forward: Bus Revolution

Bike Safety Tips

Where is trash left on Penn’s Move Out Day?

When Penn students move out certain blocks are left with a lot of trash, discarded furniture, etc. Help target the location(s) or blocks that have an annual problem with excessive amounts of trash, discarded furniture etc. left on sidewalks during student moveout and suggest solutions in this short survey:
https://forms.gle/u84k5Yp8xwaQSDHz7 

2023 Monthly Board Meetings

Our Board meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm, at the Spruce Hill Center at 257 S. 45th Street 
After years of being remote due to the pandemic, we are excited to return to live face-to-face meetings but with the following COVID-19 precautions:  

  • Only Board members and guest speakers will be allowed to attend in person, 
  • Community members will be invited to attend virtually via Zoom

The Zoom link and agenda have been emailed to our Google group.

Jan 10 New Board Member Training at 6:45. Friends of Clark Park Master Plan  
Feb 14 Cancelled to avoid Valentine’s Day 
Feb 7 Jeanette Brugger, Philly, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator
Potential new bike lanes and repaving on Walnut St.  
Mar 14 The University of Pennsylvania Department of Public Safety:
    Vice President, Kathleen Shields Anderson
    Chief Gary Williams
    Officer Nikol Taylor
Apr 11 TBA
May 9 TBA
Jun 12 TBA
Sep 12 TBA
Oct 10 TBA
Nov 14 TBA

Trolley Modernization Survey

Want to learn more about Trolley Modernization and share your input? Take SEPTA’s survey: tinyurl.com/trolleymodsurvey
Trolley Modernization improvements will include updated facilities, signals, & stations. Want to learn more about how we will be making service faster & more reliable? Visit: https://planning.septa.org/projects/trolley-modernization/about/

May Fair Vendor Invitation 

Dear Friend of Spruce Hill:

After two long years, we are delighted to announce that the May Fair will return to Clark Park! We invite you to participate in the 64th Annual Spruce Hill Community Association May Fair, to be held on Saturday **May 7th, 2022**, 12-6PM in Clark Park, 43rd & Chester Avenue. We are inviting vendors, local artisans, community groups and organizations seeking to do outreach and promotion to be part of the SHCA May Fair. 

Space is limited and priority will be given to local community organizations and artisans. Vendor fees are set affordably low (all $40 or less for the day), reflecting our mission to connect the neighborhood with local groups and artisans. No second-hand goods or commercial products please – this is a day to showcase works that local artisans have produced themselves. 

Please note that we are unable to accept vendor applications from businesses/organizations that plan to sell prepared food or beverage items at tables due to Health Department regulations in relation to our permitting process for the Fair. Food vendors with a free-standing and separately permitted truck/cart may still be able to participate. If you have a truck/cart, please contact Terry Mond ([email protected]) who can discuss this further with you.

To submit an application, prospective vendors are invited to request a table online by SUN MAY 1st- follow this link


We provide a 6-foot table, table covering and chair in a 10-foot space for the day. We assign locations and will give notice regarding exact location by e-mail a few days before the event. Guidelines: No displays on the ground. No products that compete with raffle. No recorded music or generators.

Applications will be reviewed in the order received and if you are selected to participate, you will
receive e-mail notification along with instructions for online payment submission. If selected, please plan to arrive after 10:30AM to give us time to set up. Look for parking in lots around USciences and Woodland Avenue. NO vehicles in the park under any circumstances.  

Our policy is to work around any threatening showers if at all possible and hold the event as planned. However, in the event of significant rain, we will have to cancel the event and if you choose, you will be given a refund of 50% of the vendor fee. You may also elect to donate the remainder of the vendor fee. We cannot provide a full refund as we are an all volunteer non-profit community organization and will have already outlaid money for May Fair expenses including table rental deposits. If we need to cancel, you will be notified as soon as the decision is made so you can plan accordingly.

If you have questions, please e-mail Monica Calkins: [email protected]

Hope to see you at the Fair!

Monica Calkins, SHCA Executive and May Fair Planning Committees

www.sprucehillca.org

Safety Tips from the 18th District Zoom Meeting

Last Friday, Cpt. Gillespie from the 18th police district held a community meeting by Zoom to discuss the recent uptick in gun-involved crimes in Spruce Hill and neighboring areas.  For those of you unable to attend that meeting, Cpt. McCoy from Penn Police and UPenn’s Division of Public Safety has shared the tips below on how to stay safe:

  • Consider doorbell cameras & motion lighting
  • Cut bushes surrounding property (eliminating hiding spots)
  • Leave porch lights on
  • Request that city lights in your area be repaired (Contact 311 or the 18th District)
  • Don’t sit idle in vehicles for extended periods
  • When you can avoid it, don’t walk alone:
    • UPenn Walking Escorts: 215-898-WALK(9255)
    • UCD Walking Escorts: 215-387-3942
  • If an incident occurs, prepare for questions the police will ask:
    • What happened
    • Description of the perpetrator
      • Male/female, complexion, clothing, hair style, height, weight
    • Which way did the perpetrator go
      • Were they in a car or on foot
    • What items did they take
  • For more information or to share concerns, 18th district Community Relations Officers:

Sincerely,

Richard Moore, SHCA

Neighborhood Preservation Toolkit 2018

This toolkit is a resource for individuals and organizations throughout Philadelphia. It recognizes the importance of sustaining the city’s older buildings and sites — with a broad definition of what makes something “historic.” From grassroots to the government, community members have the power to preserve and revitalize the older places that matter in the city of neighborhoods. This toolkit is based on the knowledge and input of community members from across Philadelphia, inspired by conversations about how current public policies affect or harm the character of their neighborhood. This toolkit can be used by anyone in your community: homeowners, renters, business owners, developers, and neighbors of all ages and education levels.
Neighborhood Preservation Toolkit 2018