Amen Brown (Photo from pahouse.com).

Amen Brown, a first-term lawmaker representing Philadelphia’s 190th Legislative District, which includes several West Philly neighborhoods, joined Attorney General Josh Shapiro this week to announce an historic agreement with the state’s largest gun show promoter, Eagle Arms, to ban sales of “ghost gun” kits at its shows. Brown reached out to the Eagle Arms owner and explained the devastation these kits were doing to the West Philadelphia communities he represents and communities across the city and the state.

“Ghost guns,” also known as “80 percent receivers,” are partially manufactured firearms that can be fairly easily fashioned into working guns. They typically have no commercial serial numbers. Nearly 250 ghost guns were recovered in Philadelphia last year. Continue Reading

The University of the Sciences (USciences), one of the city’s neighborhood mass COVID vaccination sites, will hold two walk-up vaccine clinics next month – on April 13 and April 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to today’s announcement by the Philadelphia Department of Health. The clinics will be held at USciences’ Athletic/Recreation Center (ARC), 730 S. 43rd St.

All city-run mass vaccine clinics are open to Philadelphia residents only. Residents who meet the Philadelphia Phase 1a and 1b criteria are currently eligible to get vaccinated. Continue Reading

Artist’s rendering of Phase 2 of Wade Flats at 53rd and Whitby.

Residents got a closer look at a proposed 53-unit “equitable and inclusionary” apartment complex near 53rd and Baltimore set to begin construction later this month.

The local real estate developer Spak Group hosted the first of monthly info sessions with residents related to WADE Flats, which will be built along a vacant stretch of parcels at 5300-5310 Whitby Ave. – a couple of blocks south of Baltimore Ave. in Southwest Philly. Continue Reading

After a year in the COVID pandemic, which has paused some of its arts projects and events, Curio Theatre is ready to present to the community something quite extraordinary (and also safe for the audience and staff). Beginning this Friday, March 19 and through Sunday, April 18, the West Philly theatre company will present A Symphony for Saint-Georges, a massive installation celebrating the life and career of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the famed violinist, composer and fencer whose story has been buried by history.

The piece involves no live actors – A Symphony for Saint-Georges is a multi-disciplinary installation featuring five environments created by sculpture, music, projections, video and set design. Curio artists have been working for months independently on this ambitious experiment to highlight the life of an artist who rose from slavery. Born in Guadeloupe to an enslaved mother and a wealthy plantation-owner father, Joseph Bologne was once described as “the most accomplished man in France.” As a champion fencer, esteemed violinist, father, and composer, Bologne is said to have inspired musicians like Mozart. However, even he was not immune to the realities of racism. Continue Reading

Starting this Wednesday, the FEMA-operated mass COVID vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center will begin accepting walk-up patients in addition to those who have made appointments. The site will accept walk-ups from eligible Philadelphia residents (Phases 1A and 1B) who live in 22 most under-vaccinated zip codes, including the following zip codes in West and Southwest Philadelphia:

19104, 19131, 19139, 19142, 19143, 19151, 19153

The FEMA vaccination site opened on March 3rd and is scheduled to operate through April 30th. The site, which is currently administering the Pfizer vaccine, has reported many unused doses at the end of each day of operation, mostly due to cancelled appointments made by people who don’t live in the city. The goal of the walk-up clinic is to make the vaccine more accessible to Philadelphians. Continue Reading

The School District of Philadelphia has announced today that 35 more schools can re-open for in-person learning starting next Monday, March 22, according to the agreement with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT). The following school buildings have been approved for re-opening:

Bache-Martin School
Clara Barton School
James G. Blaine School
Bridesburg School
George W. Childs School
James Dobson School
Paul L. Dunbar School Continue Reading