Posted on 14 July 2015 by WestPhillyLocal.com
A great weekend is in store for local jazz fans, with a couple of awesome (and free!) events happening in the area. Plus, there will be a free classical jazz concert at a local library on Monday. More details are below.
• The annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz and Arts Fest is returning to Powelton Village on Saturday, July 18. The fest is an all-day fun for the whole family, featuring internationally renowned performers, vendors, food trucks, and children’s activities. The event, organized by People’s Emergency Center and the Producers’ Guild, celebrates the rich history of jazz and the arts in Philadelphia. The lineup includes a wide variety of both international and Philly jazz musicians, including Sonny Fortune, Charlene Holloway Band, Glenn Bryan & Friends, Kimpedro Nu Gruv, and more.
The festival will be held from noon to 7 p.m. at Saunders Park (39th and Powelton Ave). For more information, visit: www.lancasteravejazzfest.com.
• The weekly Summer Jazz series will be held on Friday night in Cedar Park (49th and Baltimore), starting at 6 p.m. This week features Dahi Divine and Friends.
• Charlie X will present a free classical jazz concert at Walnut St West Library (40th and Walnut) on Monday, July 20. This event starts at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will also be served. The event is sponsored by the Library Friends. You can hear Charlie X at charliex.org.
Posted on 14 July 2015 by Mike Lyons

Vickson Korlewala in the office of his company, Empower Liberia. Photo by Charles Mostoller/Metro
Metro reporter Sam Newhouse contacted us this morning to share his story about Liberian immigrant Vickson Korlewala, 58, a chemist and entrepreneur who lives near 55th and Market and who was wrongly arrested last year on robbery charges.
Korlewala and his wife Lorpu spent weeks in jail until charges were finally dropped. Both were arrested based on surveillance footage that shows a man who is clearly not Korlewala. He opens up to Newhouse about the experience.
“When I realized that it was not a joke, that I was in jail, it was the most fearful thing that ever happened to me in my life. Because it was wrong,” Korlewala said. “I’ve never been arrested in my life. I could see my whole future just went blank.”
Read the rest of Newhouse’s story here.
Posted on 13 July 2015 by WestPhillyLocal.com
You may have seen them cropping up around the neighborhood — Little Free Libraries are tiny libraries installed on posts outside homes or organizations where community members can “take a book, leave a book,” and they are often just the size of large birdhouses.

A Little Free Library is being installed in front of Samuel Huey school (Facebook photo).
The West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), which works systematically to reopen closed school libraries in West Philly and around the city (95 percent of Philly public schools lack a functioning school library), is also using the Little Free Library model to get books into the hands of children over the summer and in the evenings.
New research suggests that having books in the home is the single most important factor in future literacy, more important even than the educational attainment or income of parents.
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2014, WePAC organized a build day that produced 11 Little Free Libraries. But only two have been installed so far — one in front of Samuel Huey school, and one inside Y-HEP, a health clinic at 15th and Locust that is part of Philadelphia FIGHT. In addition to allowing the tiny library to be installed on their property, host sites make sure the libraries stay in good condition and re-stock them with books if borrowers neglect to return.
But WePac has nine other libraries still awaiting homes. “The challenge is to find locations where someone can commit to maintaining the library for the long haul,” says Mica Navarro Lopez, WePAC’s Deputy Executive Director.
WePAC is actively seeking sites where the remaining nine libraries will be cared for by a responsible steward—this might be a school, a community organization, or private individual who lives within their service area. If you or your organization is interested in becoming a host site to a WePAC Little Free Library, get in touch with them by filling out their contact form at http://wepac.org/contact-us/.
– Emma Eisenberg
Posted on 11 July 2015 by WestPhillyLocal.com
A small, white dog (a poodle/Maltese mix), went missing this morning when her owner was visiting a friend in the area. She was last seen near 49th and Warrington. The dog answers to Hazel, but may be scared. A “big reward” is offered to the person who finds her. Please call 215-262-2057 with information.

Posted on 10 July 2015 by WestPhillyLocal.com
University City Dining Days, a popular annual event helping drive traffic to local restaurants during slow summer months, will return on Thursday, July 16 and you can make your reservations now. This event is a great chance for those who like to eat out, but can’t always afford it, or want to check out some new restaurants in the area. As always, the event is based on the concept “3 course, 3 prices” – a pre-fixe three-course dinner special for $15, $25 or $35.
Thirty three restaurants, including craft beer bars, cozy BYOB’s, celebrity chef and ethnic restaurants, are participating in this year’s Dining Days. Six restaurants are participating in the event for the first time: 48th Street Grille, Hai Street Kitchen & Company, St. Declan’s Well, Wahoo’s Tacos and More, William Street Common, and Zavino University City.
See the full list of participating restaurants, menus and prices at www.ucdiningdays.com. Please note that prices are for dinner only and do not include tax, gratuity or alcohol. Reservations should be made directly through the participating restaurant.
The event runs through July 26.
Posted on 10 July 2015 by WestPhillyLocal.com
Replacement of deteriorating 41st Street Bridge, which connects Mantua Avenue and Poplar Street, will begin on Sunday, July 12, the Philadelphia Streets Department has announced. The bridge will be demolished and removed within three months. The new bridge, a two-span continuous structure with architectural concrete parapets and fencing, is expected to be open by December 2016. The proposed roadway will include two travel lanes with wide shoulders and sidewalks, new street lighting, signing, line striping, ADA curb ramps, and enhanced safety features, such as the realignment of the Mantua Avenue and 41st Street intersection.
Demolition and construction activities will be carried during overnight hours – 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. – on Sunday through Thursday.
This work is part of the $10.8M contract with Loftus Construction, and is being funded using 80 percent federal and 20 percent state dollars.
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