Come April 2017, Acme may replace Fresh Grocer at 40th and Walnut. Fresh Grocer, which is affiliated with ShopRite, “did not renew their lease in a timely fashion,” according to a statement released on Monday by the University of Pennsylvania. The statement also said that Penn identified a new operator for this location, which is reportedly Acme.

Fresh Grocer employees and customers have been distributing flyers asking passersby to support Fresh Grocer.

Employees of ShopRite’s Fresh Grocer at 40th & Walnut Streets are petitioning customers to lobby Penn to not change the store’s ownership: pic.twitter.com/XS1R7CTjFl

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald) December 24, 2016

Signed by The Burns Family (Patrick J. Burns is Fresh Grocer’s president and CEO), the flyer urges customers to contact Penn’s executive vice president Craig Carnaroli by phone and email, join the movement to save the store on Facebook, and use a #SavePennFroGro hashtag on social media.

The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s staff writer Jason Nark spoke to Fresh Grocer customers and asked their opinion about the store’s possible closing. Read his report here.

Here is information on holiday hours and closings for assorted local cafes and stores. We’ll update the post as more information becomes available (let us know about your business at: editor@westphillylocal.com or via Twitter @westphillylocal).

Stores:

Mariposa Food Co-op (49th and Baltimore)

Dec. 24: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Dec. 25: Closed
Jan. 1: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.  Continue Reading

Seven schools and many families living in the federally-designated Promise Zone will benefit from a $30 million, multi-year grant to a consortium led by Drexel University. Drexel President John Fry, Mayor Jim Kenney, Superintendent Dr. William Hite, community members and area elected officials gathered at Morton McMichael Elementary School on Wednesday to announce that the community has won the 2016 Promise Neighborhoods Program Implementation Grant Competition.

The grant provides up to $30 million over five years. The $6 million award that was announced yesterday provides the first year of funding. Some $76 million in matching funds have also been secured from the City and area non-profits, including the William Penn and Lenfest Foundations.

The grant will provide “enrichment” for families living in the Promise Neighborhood, which mirrors the boundaries of the Promise Zone and stretches from the Schuylkill River to 48th Street, and from Girard Avenue to Sansom Street (see map). The grant will also support the following schools: Belmont Charter (K-4); Locke Elementary (K-8); Morton McMichael Elementary (K-8); Martha Washington Elementary (K-8); Samuel Powel Elementary (K-4); SLA Middle School (5-8) and West Philadelphia High School (9-12), according to a Drexel statement.  Continue Reading

A deadly shooting took place in West Philadelphia late Tuesday when a man was shot multiple times while sitting in a parked car near 51st and Market, according to police. The shooting happened shortly after 1 a.m. on Dec. 21. Police say an unidentified male opened the passenger side door of a black 2015 Toyota Camry and shot the driver, a man in his 20’s or 30’s, multiple times in the head at close range.

Chief Inspector Scott Small told CBS Philly that the victim was shot at least five times with a semi-automatic weapon. Police believe this was a targeted shooting. The investigation continues.

Photo courtesy of Kol Tzedek.

West Philly’s reconstructionist synagogue, Kol Tzedek, located at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore), is hosting holiday services on Saturday, Dec. 24 and inviting community members to join them. Two holiday events will be held – a sufganiyot (fried doughnut) party and a Joint Service of Light with the Calvary Methodist Church and West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, both on the first night of Hannukah/Christmas Eve.

The Sufganiyot Party to celebrate the first night of Hannukah will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. This event will be followed by a potluck from 6-7 p.m. for those who are staying for the Joint Service of Light. Please bring a dish to share and reusable plates.

The Joint Service of Light will be held from 7 – 8 p.m.

For more information, visit the Kol Tzedek website.

A West Philly opossum named Gary was recently featured on local NBC News dressed in his holiday finest.

We got curious and asked West Philly resident Katy DiSanto how she ended up adopting Gary.

“He was orphaned along with his litter during the heat wave back in August; sadly only he and one of his sisters survived,” she wrote. “Their eyes weren’t open yet and they had no fur.”

“They had to be bottle fed for a couple weeks, and then I took over feeding him formula until he could eat “regular food.” His sister went with a lady who does educational things, and the licensed rescue who was caring for him secured the proper paperwork … so he could come live with us.”  Continue Reading