West Philly Local readers are reporting that several “bandit signs” were recently nailed onto trees and utility poles on the 4800 block of Larchwood and, possibly, on other blocks. Here’s what someone who lives on the block wrote us:

“I walked outside this morning and saw this poster nailed into a tree [see photo; we have blurred the phone number on the sign]. Looking down the block there was one on every tree and pole down both sides of the street. We can’t get them out as they are reinforced with nails made by God… Do you know if there is anything we can do about it except for call and tell this electrician off?”

Yes, signs like this one are illegal in Philadelphia, and you can report them to the Streets Department or call 311 (or tweet to @philly311). The signs on the 4800 block of Larchwood have already been reported, and the Streets Department said they’re investigating. One way that the city has dealt with illegal signs has been using a robo-call system.  Continue Reading

A masked man robbed the Chipotle Mexican Grill at 3925 Walnut St. last night, police said.

The suspect was described as a white male wearing a black mask and police have confirmed that he is the same person responsible for a string of gunpoint robberies at Green Line Cafes within the past two weeks.

The Chipotle robbery took place at about 10:30 p.m.. The restaurant closes at 10 p.m.

Stand by for updates.

(h/t The Daily Pennsylvanian)

Have you tried our Classifieds section yet? If you find Craigslist too overwhelming, give West Philly Local classifieds a try. Recently we modified this section to better fit your needs and budgets, with more options available. It’s still free for personal ads, and we ask that businesses choose one of the paid listing options. If you have questions, email us at: classifieds@westphillylocal.com

Post your Classified ad today and reach thousands of local residents weekly.

Neighborhood Bike Works’ Earn-a-Bike Education Cause has been selected as one of 100 finalists in the Cause an Effect program on Facebook and has a chance to win one of the $25,000 grants being awarded by State Farm through the program. From April 27 through May 17, any Facebook user can vote up to 10 times per day for Earn-a-Bike Education on the State Farm Facebook page.

The 40 Causes that receive the most votes will be announced on May 22, and a $25,000 grant will be awarded to the winners.

Neighborhood Bike Works has been headquartered in the basement of St. Mary’s Church on 40th and Locust for the past 13 years. The organization seeks to increase opportunities for urban youth in underserved neighborhoods in greater Philadelphia by offering educational, recreational, and career-building opportunities through bicycling. Neighborhood Bike Works also promotes cycling as a healthy, affordable, environment-friendly form of transportation.

If funded, “Earn-a-Bike Education” would allow Neighborhood Bike Works to offer five 8-week after-school Earn-a-Bike classes in the area, providing a total of 60 youth with free, enriching programming.

Here are some more details on how you can recycle your Christmas tree.

Option 1:  From Tuesday, Jan. 3 through Saturday, Jan. 14 West Philly residents can drop off their tree at the Sanitation Convenience Center located at 3033 S. 63rd Street. The center is open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Christmas trees brought to the site should be free of all decorations and ornaments, untied and free of plastic bags or wrappings. For more information call (215) 685-4290, 01.

Option 2:  You can bring your tree to Bartram’s Garden (54th St. and Lindbergh Blvd.) on Saturday, Jan. 7 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. during Christmas Tree-Cycling & Coat Drive. Your tree will be recycled into wood chips. $5 donation requested. All decorations must be removed. No early drop-offs, please. Also, gently used coats will be collected for donation to Feel The Warmth.

Option 3:  Also on Saturday (Jan 7) UC Green will set up a Christmas tree collection station at Clark Park (43rd & Chester). Bring your tree along with a $5 donation between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The collected trees will be recycled into wood chips for Farm 51 and the Holly Street garden. Also at the same time and place, UC District is collecting used electronics for recycling, so if you have anything with a plug you want to dispose of, please bring it in.

Have you read this? Business consultant Gene Marks has written an essay on forbes.com, “If I was a Poor Black Kid,” which has been all over the blogosphere since it was published Monday morning. It’s kind of a “pull yourselves up by the bootstraps” speech about how technology can serve as the great leveler for those unfortunate enough to be born poor and black in Philadelphia (specifically West Philly). At first we ignored it as some ill-informed blogger trolling for page views. But it has elicited so much response that we felt we needed to share it.

Here’s a line from the essay:

“My kids are no smarter than similar kids their age from the inner city.  My kids have it much easier than their counterparts from West Philadelphia.  The world is not fair to those kids mainly because they had the misfortune of being born two miles away into a more difficult part of the world and with a skin color that makes realizing the opportunities that the President spoke about that much harder.  This is a fact.  In 2011.”

And another on what it takes to succeed:

“It takes brains.  It takes hard work.  It takes a little luck.  And a little help from others.  It takes the ability and the know-how to use the resources that are available.  Like technology.  As a person who sells and has worked with technology all my life I also know this.”

His analysis is simplistic and the reaction to his piece has been swift and often unforgiving.

One notable response is on the Angry Black Lady Chronicles:

“… The next time you want to opine about life as a poor black kid, just stop. You know nothing of growing up black. You know nothing of growing up poor. You know nothing of the systemic problems in education that result in many black kids, poor or otherwise, being left behind. It’s not a matter of just ‘trying super hard and really wanting to succeed.’ Your assumptions are faulty, and frankly, you sound like a jackass.  A well-meaning jackass, perhaps, but a jackass all the same.”

Thoughts?