University City District‘s program, West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), is seeking West Philly residents for security jobs in the area. Training will be provided. Here are more details.

WPSI’s Connect to Success training program, which connects West Philadelphians with the region’s premier employers, is partnering with Allied Barton Security Services and will train and prepare security professionals for work on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus. The next session for the program starts in November. In June, all graduates of this program received job offers from Allied Barton, according to a WPSI press release.

The Connect to Success program offers:

• 5 weeks of training and preferential candidate status with Allied Barton Security Services
• Performance-based stipends awarded for successful classroom performance
• Professional development and work-readiness skill-building
• Financial education and more

If you meet the criteria listed below, you’re welcome to apply for the program:

• Unemployed
• A resident of West Philadelphia – as defined by zip codes 19104, 19131, 19139, 19143, 19151
• A high school graduate or possess a GED
• Able to commit to at least 30 hours of weekly training beginning November 10, 2014
• Experienced in security, customer service, military, or hospitality (preferred)

Interested individuals can complete an online application here or download and print the program application (WPSI Application – Fall 2014_pdf) and then mail/fax it to WPSI. Application deadline is Friday, Oct. 24. There will be an information session about the program on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 3730 Walnut Street (Huntsman Hall, Room 240). Please RSVP by calling 1-888-291-5404. For more information about WPSI, visit their website. You can also check out their Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.

UPDATE: Best House’s liquor license is being transferred to the owners of Local 44. The new establishment’s name will be Clarkville Beer and it’s coming in Spring 2015, according to its Twitter account. Local 44 owners are unable to shed more light on it yet as they’re still in the process of signing the lease. We’ll update when we have more information.

The Best House Pizza at 43rd and Baltimore has closed and a new restaurant/bar will open in that spot under new owners.

We don’t have many details on the change, but a source from the Spruce Hill Community Association said that the organization is waiting to see if the new owners will request any zoning variances, which would trigger a public hearing on the project.

The previous owners took over in 2006 and changed the name of the pizzeria from The Wurst House to The Best House.

The third annual All Hallow’s Read book hunt and swap will take place on Sunday, Oct. 26 at the Woodlands cemetery (40th and Woodland). The idea of All Hallow’s Read comes from English writer Neil Gaiman, author of books as Stardust, Coraline and The Sandman, to name a few, suggested that during Halloween people should give each other spooky books.

The Friends of Walnut St West Library are one of the sponsors of this year’s event and currently accepting book donations. If you have any scary books, fall books, or books about monsters, harvest or pumpkins you would like to donate, please bring them to the library located at 40th and Walnut (there is a book drop off box).

All Hallow’s Read 2014 will be held on Oct 26 from 12 – 4 p.m. and everyone is invited to find books hidden around the cemetery and then read them together with other book hunters. You can also bring your own books and swap them for other books available at the event.

More information about All Hallow’s Read at the Woodlands can be found here.

The International Walk and Bike to School Day, which stresses the importance of safer routes for walking and biking and physical activity among children, is set for October 8. Fourteen Philadelphia schools will be joining schools around the country and the world to celebrate it, among them three West Philly schools: Henry C. Lea (4700 Locust St), Samuel Powel (301 N 36th St), and John Barry (5900 Race St).

Walk and Bike to School events also emphasize pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community. Safe Routes Philly, a program of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, is helping plan, promote, and coordinate events at schools across Philadelphia. SRP has also provided “I Walked To School Today” stickers and/or Clif bars for participating children at all registered schools.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell will visit Lea Elementary on Wednesday morning to participate in the Walk and Bike to School Day celebration.

Police are investigating a shooting outside of Cousin Danny’s Exotic Haven & Lounge at 52nd and Delancey, which left one person dead and two wounded. The shooting happened shortly after midnight on Sunday. One of the victims, a 25-year-old man, was shot multiple times and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He died of his wounds several hours later. The second victim, a 47-year-old man, was shot in both legs and was listed in stable condition on Sunday. The man told police that he was walking on the 5200 block of Delancey when he heard the gunshots and was struck twice. He was able to walk after being shot and flagged down police nearby.

The third victim, a 24-year-old man, was found at Mercy Hospital where he walked after being shot once in his right leg.

Currently, the details of what led to the shooting are not available as the investigation continues.

Here are some more details on Saturday’s incident in Cedar Park when a pedestrian was hit by a car. Police say a 25-year-old woman was hit at about 6:20 p.m. at the intersection of 48th and Cedar and taken to the hospital (no word on her condition yet). A 74-year-old female driver who struck the young woman remained on the scene, according to police.

Two more incidents happened over the weekend, both on Friday morning. A pedestrian was struck by a box truck near 45th and Baltimore and taken to the hospital (no word on this person’s condition) and a bicyclist was hit by a car on the South Street Bridge and had minor injuries, according to witnesses.

Some West Philly Local readers took to social media to discuss intersections where two of the incidents took place.

“The intersections of Cedar and both 47th and 48th are dangerous. Cars fly down Cedar to beat the trolley on Balt[imore] and 48th is treated like a highway. Anyone have any ideas on making this safer?” posted one of them on West Philly Local‘s Facebook page.

“The 45th & Baltimore intersection is also dangerous because vehicles exiting the A-Plus onto Baltimore feel they can either (1) go with the green light along with the cars going north on 45th AND/OR (2) make a short right turn onto Baltimore, light color of no significance. I’ve witnessed at least 4 incidents out my window,” wrote another reader.