Some of the naming opportunities in the Greening Lea project. Click to enlarge.

Want to make a positive, indelible mark on the neighborhood? The West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools has a way to become an important part of big undertaking. Its Greening Lea Project is offering naming opportunities for various parts of the evolving playground at the Henry Lea School.

The school’s playground was expanded last summer and a landscaped perimeter was added to part of the playground in 2012. Now coalition has its sights set on some bigger projects, including the addition of a new green stormwater infrastructure, brick pavers, large shade trees and rain gardens. New hoops will be added to the basketball court and seating will be added to the playground. The changes could make the Lea Playground a prime public recreation spot in the neighborhood.

If they can raise the money.  Continue Reading

Mary Pitts-Devine (from Linked In)

Mary Pitts-Devine, a 46-year-old West Philadelphia woman, is beating the odds. She was shot eight times by her male neighbor earlier this month. The shooting happened on March 8 at a three-story twin home near 46th and Spruce Streets, where Pitts-Devine and her attacker, 53-year-old Steven Outlaw, lived.

Since the shooting, Pitts-Devine – a LaSalle grad, entrepreneur, social worker and cancer survivor –  has undergone several surgeries and will need many more. To offset the gigantic medical costs, her family started a fund in her name on GoFundMe.com.

Here’s what her brother, Eric Christopher, wrote on GoFundMe:

Mary Pitts-Devine with her brother Eric Christopher (from GoFundMe.com)

“Words can’t describe how I feel about my amazing sister Mary R Pitts. On Sunday, March 8, this wonderful woman of God was on her way to church when she was shot by a deranged gunman over 10 times! Eight bullets wounded her body. Two bullets struck her in the head one in the brain and one through the eye… Since March 8, Mary has gone through several operations to restore her body. She is making remarkable progress. Her road to recovery will be tedious and will include more extensive surgeries, substantial physical therapy, and professional counseling.”

Everyone who wants to contribute to the Mary R. Pitts-Devine fund and stay updated on the progress of her recovery, visit: www.gofundme.com/pg3s58

Cafe Renata owners, Yasser Aiq and Kate Steenstra, at the cafe (archive photo, West Philly Local).

As many of you know, an overnight fire destroyed Café Renata at 43rd and Locust and injured a neighbor last Thursday. Café Renata co-owners, Kate Steenstra and Yasser Aiq, are safe, but heartbroken over the fire and are still assessing the damage. A lot of support has poured in to them from the community members, which Katie and Yasser are very grateful for.

“Our neighbors and friends have been so supportive of us during all of this and we are so grateful for their encouragement and hugs. We are lucky to be part of such a loving community,” Katie wrote in an email.

While it is still unknown when the popular Spruce Hill coffee and brunch shop will reopen here’s some encouraging news from Katie:

“After taking a few days of reflection Yasser and I would like to tell our friends and customers that we are so encouraged by their support and love the past few days. Without them, Renata would never have been the vibrant café it was. We are looking forward to your continued support during our rebuilding efforts. We will be back!”

If you would like to support Katie and Yasser, visit Cafe Renata’s Facebook page and leave a message. We’re also sharing information about a fundraiser for Café Renata this Thursday, March 19, at The Bar(n) (49th and Catharine) in Cedar Park. The Barn and Wyndridge Farms are teaming up for the Café Renata Tap Takeover Fundraiser where Wyndridge Farms brew will be hooked up to all four of The Barn’s taps. Admission fee is $10 at the door, but guests will get their first brew for free. All drafts will be $3. All of the door and draft proceeds will go to the owners of Café Renata. The event will take place from 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. Check The Barn’s Facebook page for updates.

Vacant lots in some parts of Philly are suddenly a hot commodity, meaning that the makeshift community gardens that residents have tended, sometimes for years, are disappearing. One that is in a fight for its life right now is the garden adjacent to the Ahimsa House on the 5000 block of Cedar Avenue.

Photo from the Ahimsa House’s Facebook page.

The property at 5005 Cedar was vacant until earlier this year, when a developer snatched it up just before it was to go up for sheriff’s sale. The likely buyer in that sale would have been Meg Ferrigno, who runs the Ahimsa House next door at 5007 Cedar, a community space focused on environmental sustainability and community mindfulness. A couple of years back the Ahimsa House began cultivating vegetables on the vacant lot and started a program to help students at nearby Samuel B. Huey School learn how to grow food.

“My neighbors helped shovel over a ton of compost mix onto the lot so we can grow organic veggies and fruits and have the space be 100 percent lead-free,” said Ferrigno in an e-mail. “The garden provides food for anyone who wants it and it provides a point of human-nature connection for our neighborhood. Everyone can plant, compost and harvest and we simply keep track of what is where on the chalkboard on the side of the house.”

As the owner of an adjacent property, Ferrigno had been advised to request that the property be put up for sheriff’s sale. The last owner died in the 80s, she said. But just before the sale a developer bought the property, brought the taxes up to date and then sold it to another developer for $62,000. That developer is willing to sell it to Ferrigno, but for no a dime under $80,000.

So now the fundraising has begun. Ahimsa House raised nearly $5,000 in a recent Indiegogo campaign. Now they have a GoFundMe campaign, which you can find here.

Once the garden is purchased back, Ferrigno plans to place it into a land trust. You can talk to Ferrigno about the garden by e-mailing ahimsahousephilly@gmail.com or calling 215-488-7772.

– Mike Lyons

UPDATE (12:05 p.m.): The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Aubrey Whelan is reporting that two viewings will be held for Officer Wilson. The first will be held at the Francis Funeral Home at 5201 Whitby Avenue from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday. Another viewing is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Palestra on Penn’s campus (235 S. 33rd St.) followed by a funeral service at 10:30 a.m.

State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, and Neighbors of Cobbs Creek will host a candlelight vigil for slain Philadelphia Police Officer Robert Wilson III, who was raised and lived in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia. The vigil will take place on Thursday, March 12 at the basketball court on 61st Street and Baltimore Avenue, beginning at 7 p.m.

Wilson served in the 22nd Police District in North Philadelphia and was murdered last Thursday while making a security check at a Lehigh Avenue business.

The Philadelphia Police Department and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 have established a GoFundMe page for Wilson’s family. Click here if you would like to contribute.

Members of the Minor Threats Chess Club.

The Minor Threats chess club whose members are West Philly schoolkids in grades 3 through 8, is preparing again this year for a series of important competitions. Coach Jason Bui is planning to take his pupils, about 15 kids, to the following events happening in the next few of months: PA State Scholastic Chess Championships in Lancaster, Pa., the High School National Championships in Columbus, Ohio, the Junior High National Championships in Louisville, and the Elementary National Championships in Nashville.

“These trips make a huge difference in these kids lives. They experience so many “firsts” in life through chess. They learn so much about themselves and the world though chess,” Jason says.

This year, Minor Threats will be partnering with the Paul Robeson Chess Club and probably a few other teams on these trips. “We hope to take about 30/40 kids to each tournament. I’m trying to take more kids to more tournaments than ever before,” Jason said. However, most of the families Jason works with can not afford the cost of attending these trips. “Without the help of the community we will not be able to go,” he said.

Thanks to community support, in 2013 Jason was able to take 10 kids to the State Championships and eight kids to SuperNationals in Nashville, TN. In 2014, 14 kids were able to travel to the State Championships, 10 kids went to Junior High Nationals in Atlanta, GA, and six kids went to Elementary Nationals in Dallas, TX.

If you would like to help these young chess players again, please follow this link to the club’s fundraising page on GoFundMe.com.