Photo from Philadelphia LISC blog.

A great neighborhood beautification project is underway in Mantua. Initiated by local residents and supported by community leaders and organizations, the Mantua Greenway project is an effort to transform an overgrown and littered strip of land on Mantua Avenue, adjacent to the Amtrak railway, into a green space, reports the Philadelphia LISC blog.

Lifetime Mantua resident Bessie Washington, who lives across the street from the lot, started a small garden there in 2011 in memory of her mother. The planting of the first few flowers and plants has blossomed into a grassroots cooperation, resulting in a large neighborhood revitalization campaign to create a green space and build a walking and biking trail. Thanks to support from the Philadelphia LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), the project also received funding.

“In 2013, the William Penn Foundation provided $200,000 for concept design and early stage planning, and this past October the neighborhood was awarded $150,000 by the state for design, engineering, and partial construction of the greenway. The path will eventually connect to the city’s Schuylkill Trail system, and will boast trees, murals and art installations,” according to the LISC blog post on the project.

Read more about this and other Mantua revitalization efforts here.

25-year-old Ashjakia Washington and 69-year-old Otero Guillermo, who were reported missing last week from their homes in West Philadelphia, have been found and are in good condition, according to police. Washington, from the 5500 block of Chancellor Street, went missing on Jan. 22 and Guillermo went missing from his residence on the 4800 block of Pine Street.

Washington had been reported missing before – in April 2014, according to police.

Here’s a chance to better understand an African immigrant’s experience in West Philly. Asali Solomon will talk about her coming-of-age (in West Philadelphia) novel Disgruntled at the book launch event this Tuesday (Feb. 3) at the Penn Book Center (130 S. 34th St.).

Called a “masterful writer” in a recent review of Disgruntled by the Los Angeles Times (great review), Solomon invites readers into the journey of protagonist Kenya Curtis as she navigates childhood in West Philadelphia. We meet Kenya as a fourth grader at Henry C. Lea School where she tries to fit in but is confronted with her and her family’s Afrocentric identity and we follow her through adolescence and onto a private school in the suburbs as she continues to try to figure out her place in the larger scheme of things.

Disgruntled is partly autobiographical. Solomon, an English professor at Haverford College, was born and raised in West Philadelphia. She is also the author of the short story collection Get Down.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. with a reception, followed by Solomon’s talk starting at 7:00 p.m.

In an effort to improve teacher selection process, the School District of Philadelphia has launched a new online teacher application portal. Approximately 400 teacher vacancies are expected for the 2015-16 school year. “Our revamped selection process is designed to attract highly qualified and committed teachers to The School District of Philadelphia,” Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite said in a statement.

“We hope new-to-teaching and experienced educat[ors] will join our efforts to make all schools great,” Hite said.

In addition to the online application, the teacher selection process now includes a phone interview and other online activity, both administered centrally, before candidates are presented to principals for site selection.

The hiring timeline has been shortened compared to previous years. Qualified candidates will know within four to six weeks if they are eligible for site selection.

The School District is particularly seeking to hire individuals with experience in secondary math (grades 5-12), secondary science (grades 5-12), special education, art, music, and upper elementary (grades 5-6). Approximately 9,000 teachers currently work for the District. The District’s starting salary for teachers with no experience is $45,360.

The application is available through the Employment section and Office of Talent webpage on the District website (www.philasd.org).

Teacher candidates may contact recruitment@philasd.org for more information.

Here’s this week’s menu for local public schools (Monday, Feb. 2 through Friday, Feb. 6). If your school uses a Satellite menu, click here.

Come back every Sunday evening for the coming week’s menu.

BREAKFAST (K-12)

A variety of three cereals will be offered daily and served with a yogurt parfait or a mini loaf.

Monday

Choose 1: Chicken Sausage, Egg & Cheese on English Muffin or Cinnamon Granola Round
Choose 1: Raisins or Fresh Pear
Variety of Milk

Tuesday

Choose 1: Mini French Toast or Cream Cheese Filled Pretzel
Choose 1: Pear Cup or Fresh Apple
Variety of Milk  Continue Reading