West Philly Local has already reported about public and parochial school closings this Wednesday due to the continuing snowstorm. Here’s what else local authorities want you to know:

– Regular Tuesday garbage and recycling collections have been cancelled. If your regular pick-up day is Tuesday please hold your trash until next week.

– With the current snowfall projections, the City expects to treat and plow all residential streets within 48 to 72 hours after the snow ends. All property owners are required to clear a path of at least three feet in front of their property within 6 hours of the snow event ending, including curb cuts.

– If you observe a homeless person(s) in need of assistance please contact the Project Home Outreach Hotline (215-232-1984). During the call, please provide the address, location and description of the person in need.

Mayor Michael Nutter declared a “snow emergency” at about 3 p.m. today, meaning parked vehicles must be moved off “snow emergency routes” as soon as possible so they can be plowed.

Several major streets in West Philly will be affected, including Chestnut Street, Walnut Street and Woodland Avenue. If your vehicle remains on one of these streets it will be ticketed and towed. If your car is towed, call 215-686-SNOW to find out where they took it. If you have to move your car, city officials are asking you to move it as far from a corner as possible to allow the plows room to turn.

So far most bus, train and trolley routes are still running, but may have delays. Go to SEPTA.ORG for info. Also, public and parochial schools are closed tomorrow.

See the full list of snow emergency routes citywide here.

In West Philly, snow emergency routes include:

• Chestnut Street from Cobbs Creek Parkway to 20th Street
• Walnut Street from Broad Street to Cobbs Creek Parkway
• Woodland Avenue from Cobbs Creek Parkway to University Avenue
• 34th Street from University Avenue to Grays Ferry Avenue
• 38th Street from Walnut to University Avenue
• 63rd Street from City Avenue to Walnut Street
• University Avenue from 38th Street to 34th Street
• Island Avenue from Woodland Avenue to Enterprise Avenue
• Cobbs Creek Parkway from Walnut Street to Woodland Avenue
• Schuylkill Avenue from Market Street to Walnut Street

UPDATE (3:00 p.m.): All public schools, early childhood and after school programs will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, the School District of Philadelphia announced this afternoon.

All School District of Philadelphia schools and early childhood programs had early dismissal today (Tuesday, Jan 21) due to the severe weather forecast. Students were dismissed at 12:30 p.m.

Weather people are predicting between 7 inches and a foot of snow from this thing. The snow keeps falling and the temperatures are expected to drop below 10 overnight.

BEFORE: The bedroom of the home on the 4900 block of Osage Avenue.

After a year of work, a West Philadelphia family was able to successfully clean, rehabilitate, and sell their home on the 4900 block of Osage Avenue with the help of Project Rehab, making it the eighth project completed since the University City District program launched in 2011.

Established in partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s License and Inspections, Project Rehab guides owners of degraded real estate through the process of rehabilitation, providing assistance in obtaining financing, construction contracts and, if needed, real estate contacts. In the last three years, the free UCD program has helped generate $4.3 million in financing to rehab properties that have gone through its process, and is currently working on about 24 in-need estates, said Ryan Spak, Project Rehab’s project manager.

“Project Rehab functions freely for the owner of the property. We are a completely free program for owners of distressed real estate. It will guide them to the process of rehabilitation,” Spak told West Philly Local. “We have helped multiple owners to obtain financing so they can accomplish their goal.”

AFTER: The living room of the home on the 4900 block of Osage Avenue (Photos courtesy of Ryan Spak)

As part of the program, Project Rehab actively seeks out vacant properties in the area that are in some state of disrepair and are “not being a part of our community the way it’s supposed to be,” Spak said. In the case of the Osage Avenue home, after marking the property as a possible project, Project Rehab contacted the owners in December 2012, and worked with them over the last year to clean out their home, which was overflowing with debris and suffering from structural problems due to water damage.

While the family initially wanted to rehab their home, they decided it wasn’t financially viable, said Spak. Instead, they chose to sell their property in order to rectify their debt, and worked with Project Rehab to find an affordable contractor to clean it out before placing it on the market. According to Spak, Project Rehab provided the family five options for real estate agents to choose from, with the caveat that whoever does buy the property must be able to afford to rehabilitate it completely. Within three days being on the market, he said, the Osage Avenue home received eight offers, with a bid of $50,000 over the asking price winning out.

While Project Rehab actively canvasses the neighborhood for distressed properties to help, it is also looking for owners of distressed properties to reach out and use the assistance it provides. As Spak said, “The advice is free. There is absolutely no reason why they should feel like they have no way to turn.”

If you have questions about Project Rehab, please contact UCD at 215-243-0555 or email Ryan Spak at: ryan@universitycity.org.

–Annamarya Scaccia

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is approaching and we have we compiled a list of events and service opportunities in our area on Monday, Jan. 20. We hope you can find an hour or two to participate in some of the events or projects listed below. If you know of more events or service opportunities, please post them in the comments. Also, go to http://www.mlkdayofservice.org/ to find more volunteer projects in your area.

8:00 a.m.-1 p.m. – Girard College (2101 South College Ave) – Philadelphia Futures will host free college readiness workshops for middle and high school students and parents. The five different workshops will be geared toward the various stages of the college-going process, and will be led by the Philadelphia Futures staff. Students and parents are encouraged to capitalize on their day off of school and work and participate in a workshop that will help to put them (or their child) on the path to college. The workshops are open to all Philadelphia residents. You can reserve your workshop seat by signing-up at www.mlkdaycollegeworkshops.eventbrite.com.

9:00 a.m. – Various Day of Service opportunities are available through Repair the World Philadelphia. Sign up until midnight on Friday, Jan. 17 to take part in such projects as beautification and cleanup of the Martha Washington School (766 N. 44th St) or building mobile libraries to be placed in various public locations around West Philadelphia. For more information and to sign up, go here.

9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – MLK Day of Service at Bartram’s Garden (54th Street and Lindbergh Blvd) – Volunteers are needed to clear brush, vines, and invasive species to open up the wooded trail, which runs along the adjacent stretch of the Schuylkill River, for pedestrians. Lunch and a free t-shirt will be provided for volunteers (while supplies last.) To pre-register, email: tgreenberg@bartramsgarden.org

10:00 a.m. – Bible Way Baptist Church (52nd & Master) hosts a Commemorative Worship Celebration. The service will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. and conclude around noon. As part of the celebration, the MLK Community Service Award will be presented to previously chosen individuals who have served in this community to ensure a better life.

10:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. – Join community activist Rev. Paul “Earthquake” Moore for the Annual MLK Day of Service. The day will kickoff at 10:00 a.m. with restoration and clean-up at New Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, 7001 Woodland Ave. At 3:30 p.m. there will be a re-enactment march starting at 65th St. & Woodland Ave. After the march, Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have A Dream speech will be recited by Rev. Paul “Earthquake” Moore at New Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. Assistance is needed with the re-enactment march. Visit http://paulearthquakemoore.com/ for more information.

11:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Martin Luther King Sharing the Heritage Celebration at the African American Museum (AAMP), 701 Arch Street. Free admission. Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, donate food for the ChAAMPs Against Hunger Philabundance Food Drive, engage in hands-on service projects, explore exhibits, watch great performances and more! For more information, click here. Hip Hop Fundamentals will also be performing their show “Civil Rights Movements: The power of youth engagement through the eyes of Dr. King.” They will begin the family-friendly show at noon.

All day – More than 250 students, staff and volunteers from YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, an innovative alternative education program offering a second chance for former high school dropouts, ages 18-21, will repaint classrooms, hallways and community spaces at Thomas G. Morton Elementary School in Southwest Philadelphia (2501 S. 63rd Street) to honor the life, legacy, and service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Morton Elementary, a K-5 school that serves 800 students, has not been repainted in several years. Volunteers from YouthBuild Philly will spend the morning of January 20 painting engaging and meaningful murals throughout the school to make the space a brighter and friendlier learning environment. The mural project will give special attention to the classrooms that house special education and autism support programs.

The Inside of Zed’s Last Minute Gift Shop at 4501 Baltimore Avenue. Owner Pam Williams said she cut the space in half and will sublease the empty space to Adja Hair Braiding. (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

We’ve all been there. A holiday, a birthday or some special occasion and we’re not only sans a gift, but we can’t seem to find a good place to pick one up at the last minute. And there we’re left, empty-handed.

That’s where Zed’s Last Minute Gift Shop comes in. Opened a few weeks ago, the new gift boutique, which replaced Rebel’s Closet at 4501 Baltimore Avenue, offers an eclectic mix of vintage and modern pieces that run the gauntlet of affordability. From artisan housewares and children’s items to handcrafted jewelry and trinkets, patrons can purchase a pop-top glass water bottle for around $5 or pick up an oversized mirror with a carved wooden frame for $300, depending on your gift-buying needs.

And you can guarantee that what you buy is unique. As part of Zed’s business philosophy, owner Pam Williams said that her shop will never carry the same item twice. According to Williams, once a particular item is sold out, like a cutting board or wine carafe, visitors shouldn’t expect to see that exact design or brand back in stock. Instead, Williams told West Philly Local, she will replace the product with a similar piece from a different company to “avoid repetition.”

Williams is still building inventory, though, and is looking for helpful input from the community she’s lived in for over 25 years. (At the moment, Zed’s only carries national and regional brands, but she’s open to looking at portfolios from local designers with a stationery line.) “We’re going a little slow. We had a soft opening because we want to know what the consumer wants. We don’t want to buy a lot of something that [people didn’t ask for],” said Williams, former owner of Cafe Pier One—what is now Atiya Ola’s Spirit First Foods. “Like our sign says outside, come in and take a look because we want to know what you think.”

She continued: “You don’t necessarily have to buy. Just take a look and tell us what you’re looking for, and if we don’t have it, we’ll see what we can do.”

Zed’s Last Minute Gift Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

–Annamarya Scaccia