Jamie Gauthier, a Garden Court resident and the former head of the Fairmount Park Conservancy, has announced that she will mount a primary campaign against Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, whose family has controlled the 3rd District seat since the 1970s.

Gauthier is a former president of the Garden Court Community Association, was born in the district and returned as an adult to get a master’s degree at Penn and raise her children here. She served as executive director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy from October 2017 until yesterday when she stepped down to announce her candidacy. She previously served as head of the Sustainable Business Network, a non-profit started in West Philly that helps small businesses balance profitability with social and environmental responsibility. Gauthier has a master’s degree in city planning from Penn.  Continue Reading

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell has scheduled another community meeting about the future of the former Provident Insurance Co. building at 46th and Market. The previous meeting discussing the proposed sale of the property to local developer Iron Stone Real Estate Partners took place last month, after which Blackwell halted a vote on the sale in City Council. The previous community meeting called for more transparency in the sale process.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 6 – 8 p.m. at West Philadelphia High School (49th and Chestnut).

The Walnut Hill Community Association also held a community meeting about the proposed development of the property earlier this month. Read more about it here.

A few days after he was handpicked to run for the vacant 190th state District seat, West Philly native Darryl Thomas has withdrawn from the race following a Philadelphia Inquirer article questioning his place of residence and voting record.

Within 48 hours, Movita Johnson-Harrell, who runs the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Victims Services office, was unofficially named the new Democratic nominee for the special election on March 12. She announced the nomination on her social media late Sunday.  Continue Reading

Right in the middle of the cold season, a new urgent care center has opened in the University City District area. “vybe urgent care,” an independent operator of urgent care centers in greater Philadelphia, has opened its newest location at 3550 Market St.

“We believe the diversity of West Philadelphia is one of its greatest strengths, and we look forward to serving the diverse healthcare needs of this community,” vybe urgent care President Peter Hotz said in a statement.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (Monday, Jan. 28, 2019): Darryl Thomas stepped down over the weekend. Democratic leaders appointed Movita Johnson-Harrell as the nominee for the March 12 special election.

Democratic ward leaders have selected Darryl Thomas, a Howard University graduate and the owner of Philly Cuts barbershop on Chestnut near 44th, to stand in a special election in March to fill the 190th state House District seat left vacant when former Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown resigned in December.

Thomas has long been vocal on community issues, including zoning, and ran in the Democratic primary for the seat in 2016, losing to Brown.

“I’m not a politician, even though I’m running for office. I’m a social activist,” Thomas, a West Philly native, told West Philly Local during the campaign. Continue Reading

West Philly artists are invited to The Rotunda (40th and Walnut) for a couple of events this month – a planning meeting for a community arts project, and a tax workshop.

The community arts project, “When I am the Princess,” will take place on Saturday, March 9 when artists will have the opportunity to read, sing, perform, dance, show and/or exhibit at The Rotunda. The first planning meeting for the project will be this Saturday, Jan. 26, 2:00-3:30 p.m. (the second meeting is on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2:00-3:30 p.m.).  Continue Reading