Some of you may have noticed a new pharmacy next to recently opened Café Renata and just across the street from CVS near 43rd and Locust. So here’s the scoop – Aspire Rx, a smal independent pharmacy, has relocated to Locust from 45th Street.

OK, at first this seems like a really bad idea – small, independent pharmacy moves across the street from giant pharmacy/store. Folks on some local West Philly list-servs thought the idea seemed so bad that it must be some kind of front for something else.

It’s not. Aspire’s owner, Hetal Chudasama, said Aspire offers things that CVS doesn’t, such as compounding services, lower prices and serious customer care. They also offer free delivery, pet medications and some adult vaccines. She moved Aspire from 45th Street to Locust to the former location of a small Asian grocery to take advantage of the ample foot traffic.

By the way, Chudasama, a resident of West Philadelphia for eight years, knows what she’s talking about when it comes to her big box neighbor. After graduating from the University of the Science’s Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, she worked at – where else – CVS.

Aspire is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 9-3 and Saturday 10-3. It’s closed Sundays.

Earlier this week we posted an announcement from a reader, Nati, who was looking for the owners of a dog that had bitten him while he was riding his bike. Nati was trying to prevent a painful series of rabies shots and, fortunately, the dog owner stepped forward after the publication.

Here’s another, disturbing account of a dog attack that happened yesterday at The Woodlands Cemetery. Reader Krissy Kim reported that while on a walk with her dog at the cemetery another, off-leash dog approached them, attacked and bit her dog. Here’s what Krissy wrote in an email:

“Yesterday, Thursday 2/28, my husband and I were walking our dog on leash at Woodlands Cemetery. Another dog off leash approached her, they greeted each other appropriately (the owner was still about 50 yards away) when all of the sudden the dog attacked our dog, my husband had to pull him off and body block him during his second lunge for our dog. The dog bit her on the back of the neck and didn’t let go until my husband again pulled him off. At this point the owner was there and did nothing but say, “relax there is no blood”. He then proceeded to get in his car with his dog and drive away. After they left and we checked our dog, he indeed took a small chunk out of her neck (see photo). The vet visit with her antibiotics cost $75.”

According to the cemetery rules, dog walking is allowed, but all dogs have to be on a leash.

Krissy is urging the dog owner to come forward and take responsibility for what his dog did. Krissy says that she has information on this person’s car and license plate number. She described the attacking dog as a medium (40 pound) brindle mixed breed.

She adds, “On  the heels of the “biker being bitten” story hopefully this will continue to be an example of how we all need to step up and be responsible pet owners for the sake of our community.”

Krissy can be reached by email: krissykp@gmail.com

Editor’s Note: We would appreciate any comments except for those blaming certain dog breeds instead of irresponsible owners.

A man died on the second floor of the rowhome at 1257 S. 46th St. overnight.

A neighbor was killed and two others were injured in a house fire overnight on the 1200 block of S. 46th Street. The fire broke out around midnight and was put out about 20 minutes later. The victim, a man in his 30s, was found on the second floor and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men who were at the house when the fire started were able to escape.

We spoke to a next-door neighbor this morning who said that the attached row home at 1257 S. 46th is a boarding house that includes five units. The woman said she had some damage in her ceiling where firemen broke through to ensure the fire didn’t spread to adjacent buildings.

Apparently, the house was in pretty bad condition, with portable oil and electric heaters in use and no working smoke alarms, Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers told NBC10.

A West Philly resident, Nati Passow, was bitten by a dog last night while he was biking down Larchwood Avenue between 44th and 45th Streets. He is looking for the dog’s owner to see if the dog was up to date on all of his shots, in order to avoid a series of rabies shots. Here’s what Nati wrote us in an email:

On Saturday night around 9:45 I was biking down Larchwood between 45th and 44th. A woman was walking her dog and the dog ran at me. She called after him (that’s how I know the name), but Clyde proceeded to bite my leg. It’s not too bad of a bite, but it broke skin, so I went to HUP, and because I didn’t know the dog, they started me on the rabies vaccine. I’d really prefer not to have to get the remaining 3 doses, and they said that if I track down the owners and learn that Clyde has gotten all of his shots, I’m good to go.

If you know someone in the area with a dog named Clyde, please put them in touch with me. It was a very quick interaction, but I believe Clyde was a big dog, slender build, with a lighter colored coat.

If you know anyone in the neighborhood who has a dog named Clyde that fits the provided description, please email Nati as soon as possible at npassow@gmail.com, as he will need to return to HUP in three days for the next dose.

Greene Street Consignment had a Grand Opening on Valentine’s Day.

Greene Street Consignment has opened a location in the University City area, at 3734 Spruce Street. The shop had a Grand Opening last week, on Valentine’s Day. This is the 9th location for the boutique-style shop that offers women’s and men’s recycled and new clothing, shoes and accessories (the 10th location will open in Soho, NYC in March).

A Greene Street representative said that the new shop is primarily aimed at students, faculty, tourists and parents in University City. According to Lynne Mastrilli, the owner, “there’s something about the perfect storm of everything about the college experience that works well with our business.”

Mariposa‘s Food Justice and Anti-Racism Working Group (FJAR) is building a library and seeking donations of books, zines and articles relating to food justice, organizing, pedagogy, gentrification, racism, and anti-oppression. Donations of cookbooks and primers about the food system and nutrition for both youth and adults are also welcome.

If you have books you’d like to donate, please drop them off in the store (4824 Baltimore Ave) or contact Mariposa for a pick-up by emailing: mariposa.fjar.library@gmail.com.

The library is expected to open this spring and materials will be available (during designated times) for borrowing by both staff and members.