Below is some information and holiday schedules for SEPTA and city services and hours for some local shops, cafes and restaurants. If you want to add your business hours, please do so in the comments below.

Happy New Year everyone!

SEPTA

Dec. 24, 26, 29, 30, 31: City buses and trolleys will operate on a special modified weekday schedule.

Dec. 24: Regional Rail will operate on a special Christmas Eve Midday schedule.

Dec. 25: All SEPTA vehicles will operate on a Sunday/Holiday schedule. All-night Train service will be available beginning Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Regular Owl Bus Service will resume Friday at 12:01 a.m. Regional Rail will operate on a special schedule.

Jan. 1: All vehicles will operate on a Sunday/Holiday schedule.

Post Offices/Mail Delivery

Post Offices will be open on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, but will close early (most of them at noon). Mail will be delivered on these days. Post Offices will be closed and there will be no mail delivery on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Trash/Recycling Collection

There will be no trash and recycling pick-up on Thursday, Dec. 25 and Thursday, Jan. 1, and collections for the rest of the week will be delayed a day. Philadelphia Streets Department is reminding residents to recycle their holiday gift materials and party supplies.

Stores, restaurants, coffee shops

Cafe Renata (43rd and Locust)

Dec. 23: Open until 4 p.m.
Dec. 24 & 25: Closed
Dec. 31, Jan. 1: Open regular hours

Coffee Market (45th and Pine)

Dec. 24: 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Dec. 25: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Dec. 31: Open until 2 p.m.
Jan. 1: Open until 3 p.m.

CVS Pharmacy (43rd and Locust)

Dec. 25: Store: Open 24 hours; Pharmacy: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Honest Tom’s Taco Shop (261 S. 44th St)

Dec. 24, 25, 26: Closed
Dec. 31, Jan. 1, Jan. 2: Closed

Mariposa Food Co-op (4824 Baltimore Ave)

Dec. 24: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Dec. 25: Closed
Dec. 26, 30, Jan. 1: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Milk and Honey Market (45th and Baltimore)

Dec. 24: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Dec. 25: Closed
Dec. 26: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Dec. 31: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Jan. 1 : Closed

PA Wine and Spirits Shops

Dec. 24: Open until 6 p.m.
Dec. 25: Closed
Dec. 31: Open until 8 p.m.
Jan. 1: Closed

Supreme Food Market (43rd and Walnut)

Dec. 24: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Dec. 25: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Dec. 31: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Jan. 1: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

The Fresh Grocer

Open 24 hours

VIX Emporium (50th and Baltimore)

Dec. 24: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Dec. 25, 26: Closed
Jan. 1: Closed

If you’re planning to recycle your Christmas tree, here’s some useful information on how and where you can do it.

There will be some additional Christmas tree recycling opportunities next month. As always, the Philadelphia Streets Department will be accepting trees at its Sanitation Convenience Centers. The annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program will run from Monday, Jan. 5 through Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. Please note that the closest Sanitation Convenience Center is in Southwest Philly (3033 South 63rd St). It’s open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

In addition to the sanitation centers, there will be other drop-off locations throughout the city where you can bring your tree for recycling on Saturdays (Jan. 10 and Jan. 17), from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The following drop-off locations will be open in West and Southwest Philadelphia (click here for more locations):

• 54th and Woodbine
• 66th and Haverford
• 43rd and Powelton
• 72nd and Buist

Finally, UC Green and University City District will be hosting a tree recycling event at Clark Park (43rd and Chester) on Saturday, Jan. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We’ll post more information about this event when it becomes available.

Before recycling your tree please make sure it’s free of all decorations and ornaments and untied.

Trees left curbside will be picked up as trash and will not be recycled.

No recycling for this tree.

An off-duty police officer shot and killed a dog that attacked his dog on Saturday evening, according to police. Police say the man was walking his Pekingese on Pine Street near 46th when a large, off-leash dog charged and attacked them. Police say it was a Cane Corso breed dog.

The incident happened shortly after 7 p.m. As the man was trying to separate the dogs the unleashed dog bit his hand, according to a police report. He then fired five shots from his off-duty weapon. One of the shots struck and killed the dog.

The unleashed dog’s owner, an 86-year-old man, was on the scene, too, according to police. Police say they’re investigating the incident.

Dr. Helen Giles-Gee (photo via usciences.edu).

The University of the Sciences announced today that the school’s president, Helen Giles-Gee, will step down at the end of the year.

“As this year comes to a close, I continue to be proud of the many contributions made by the faculty, staff, and students at USciences and believe that the university moves strongly forward,” Giles-Gee said in a statement. “At this time and after serious reflection, I have decided to leave University of the Sciences. I am honored to have served as president and will hold this University dear in my heart.”

Her resignation becomes effective on Dec. 31.

Giles-Gee is USciences’ first female and first African American president. She came to USciences from Keene State College in New Hampshire where she served as president from 2005 through 2012. She earned a bachelor of arts in psychobiology, a master of science in science education, and a Ph.D. in measurement, evaluation, and techniques of experimental research from the University of Pennsylvania.

USciences board of trustees chairman Marvin Samson will serve as interim president.

Here are some news briefs from around West Philadelphia.

VA Hospital to be renamed

Photo via philadelphia.va.gov.

The Philadelphia’s Veterans Administration Hospital (3900 Woodland Ave) will be renamed in memory of Michael J. Crescenz, a Philadelphian who served in the Vietnam War. He was 19 when he was killed in action. President Obama signed a bill, sponsored by Rep. Chaka Fattah and Sen. Pat Toomey, to rename the hospital last week.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (12/20/2014): PhillyFireNews.com is reporting that a firefighter responding to Friday’s fire at 4730 Pine St sustained burns and required medical treatment. No injuries were reported among the building’s residents. The fire reportedly started in a first floor apartment of the four-story building and spread to the second floor. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

(10:55 p.m.): A GoFundMe page has been set up to help a couple displaced by the fire. Kristie and Mark’s apartment was destroyed and they lost all of their belongings in the fire, according to information posted on the page. They are currently staying with family.

If you know of any other people displaced by the fire please let us know (editor@westphillylocal.com).

The Red Paw Relief Team again did a great job providing emergency assistance to pets:

We are on-scene w/@PhillyFireDept assisting w/several pets displaced by an apt bldg fire at 46th & Pine in #philly pic.twitter.com/xu60FcteQy

— Red Paw Relief Team (@RedPawRelief) December 19, 2014

(1:10 p.m.): Several residents have been evacuated. The streets in the two-block radius around the fire are closed.

@RedCrossPhilly responding to an apartment fire on the 4700 blk of pine st with @RedPawRelief — Meara Lebovitz (@MearaL) December 19, 2014

(12:59 p.m.): Fire crews are at the scene and the fire has been taken under control. The fire began on the second floor in an apartment facing Pine Street.

West Philly Local readers are reporting that a fire broke out at The Westover apartment building at 4730 Pine St (across from the Garden Court Eatery), shortly after 12 p.m.. We’re trying to get more information. Stay tuned. Twitter Photo by @AtomicChristine: