The girl scout cookie season is here! Starting Thursday, Jan. 17, local girl scout troops (Junior 91143, Brownie 93273, and Daisy 91569) will be selling cookies Monday through Friday, 4-6 p.m. for a couple of weeks (or until they run out) at the following locations:

• 34th & Walnut
• Locust Street between 43rd and 42nd (between Penn Alexander School and the Parent Infant Center)

Boxes are $4 each, except $5 for gluten-free cookies. Large amounts can be delivered. Please email: ucalgirlscouts@gmail.com if you have questions and to place your order.

Cedar Park residents are welcome to stop by VIX Emporium (50th and Baltimore), which will also be selling girl scouts cookies beginning this Thursday. Check out the store hours here.

In the past few years, girl scout cookies were also available for sale at The Fresh Grocer at 40th and Walnut. We’ll keep you posted about more locations.

Unemployed West Philly residents are invited to participate in a job training program with University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative.

The nationally-recognized program is partnering with Brightview Landscapes to offer positions as landscape crew members. Goal-oriented and motivated individuals who have experience working in landscaping, labor, outdoor work, and related fields are welcome to apply for the program.

Program participants will receive a generous, performance-based stipend and an opportunity to interview for open positions in the area. Over 90 percent of program graduates find employment.  Continue Reading

Two armed robberies have been reported in the University City area in the past few days, according to a crime alert issued by University City District’s Division of Public Safety. One robbery took place around 7:40 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 4 on the 4600 block of Ludlow, and the second occurred on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 9:30 p.m. on Farragut near Walnut Street. In both cases, iPhones were taken from pedestrians walking at night.

Both UCD Public Safety Ambassadors and Philadelphia Police will have an increased presence in the area, according to the report.  Continue Reading

Bowsers is available for adoption.

Project MEOW, the West Philly-based cat rescue organization, has many cats and kittens available for adoption.

This month’s spotlight cat is Bowsers, a rambunctious black kitty with a big personality. Bowsers entered Project Meow’s world voluntarily, when he followed one of our volunteers home one night in September. Because of the sheer volume of cats in need of being spayed and neutered, Project MEOW TNRs (Trap-Neuter-Return) many of the strays they find, and releases them back to where found.

He was not happy in his trap while we initially took care of him and had his vet work done, but since he has been with his foster mom, he has put on weight and his coat has become healthy and sleek, and he’s much happier.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (1/9/2019): Xavier has been found safe, according to police.

(1/8/2019): Police are asking for the public’s assistance to locate a missing endangered person. Xavier Brower, 14, was last seen on Friday, Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. on the 5000 block of Ludlow Street.

He is six foot one, 185 pounds, has brown eyes and black hair. He was wearing black sweatpants, a black t-shirt, and a coat.

Anyone with any information on Xavier’s whereabouts is asked to contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or 911.

The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) monthly board meeting will be held this Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Spruce Hill Center (257 S. 45th Street). All community members are invited and welcome to attend.

The guest speaker at this month’s meeting is Nicole Ozdemir from the City Planning Commission. She will join SHCA members to talk about the city’s efforts regarding affordable housing. This will be an informational discussion to educate and update the board on the city’s mixed-income affordable housing bill and related initiatives. Regular committee reports will follow.

Affordable housing is becoming a big problem for Philadelphia, especially in gentrifying neighborhoods like Spruce Hill.

It was reported last month that Mission First Housing Group, one of the largest providers of affordable housing in the city, decided to move ahead with their plans to sell the Arvilla apartment building on the 4500 block of Osage Avenue and elicited protests from neighbors.