Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is rapidly approaching, and there are many opportunities to volunteer and celebrate starting this weekend. An hour or two of your time is all it takes to make a difference on this special day. If you know of any opportunities or events not mentioned on this list please take the opportunity to share in the comments below. And go to www.mlkdayofservice.org to find more events in your area.

MLK Day of Service at Bartram’s Garden

54th and Lindbergh Blvd.

Jan. 19, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Your volunteering will make a difference at Bartram’s Garden, where you will be inspired by the Garden. You will also get a free T Shirt and Lunch!

To register email tgreenberg@bartramsgarden.org

“What’s in your mind? What’s in your hands?”

Organized by the Philadelphia Community of Leaders

Harambee Charter School – 640 N. 66th Street

Bartram High School – 2401 S. 67th Street

Jan. 19, from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

At these two locations you will find an organized community celebration with open discussion and teach-in, an opportunity to learn about the role people young and old play in creating awareness to social justice and consciousness raising. Everyone will be invited to learn about the legacy of activism by Dr. King. There will then be an opportunity to speak out about the agenda for increasing activism in 2015 as well as recognizing those who have been consistent in their efforts in our collective advancement and forward progress.  Continue Reading

The Leeway Foundation, which supports women and trans artists who create art for social change, has announced their newest grantees to receive a $15,000 Leeway Transformation Award. Three out of nine award recipients are long-term West Philadelphia residents: Annie Mok, Debora Kodish, and Ezra Berkley Nepon. The award celebrates their long-term commitment to art, the work they’ve been doing in the community, and their tremendous impact. The Leeway Foundation provided some more information about these wonderful artists and their work:

Annie Mok (Literary Arts and Visual Arts): Annie is a comic book creator who seeks to affirm the lives and experiences of trans women and survivors. Through her fictional and memoir-based comics, she aims to agitate, engage and encourage inquiry. Annie works to inspire personal and artistic confidence by breaking down feelings of isolation within her community. In her art, Annie explores themes of trans women’s identity, long-term effects of sexual abuse and disability stemming from mental illness. Annie creates space and prioritizes artists and readers who identify as trans female, disabled, queer, and/or people of color.  Continue Reading

Girl Scout pop-up cookie shop at Lil’ Pop Shop. January, 2014. (Photo by Amy Kwasnicki)

It’s Girl Scout cookie time again! The cookie sale season starts Thursday, Jan. 15, and local Girl Scout troops, Junior troop 91143, Brownie 93273, and Daisy 91569, are passing along information on their cookie table locations and schedule (see below). Cookies will be on sale from Jan. 15 to Jan. 25. All the classics are $4 a box, plus gluten-free Trios (peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate) will be offered for $5.

Orders of 12 boxes or more can also be delivered (please contact Amy at kwaszilla@gmail.com; cash only).

Eastern Mountain Sports
3401 Chestnut Street

Thursday, Jan. 15 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 16 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 17 2:30-5:00 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 22 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 23 4:00-6:00 p.m.  Continue Reading

A still from police video below.

Police are looking for a serial robber who targets Rite Aids and other commercial locations around West Philly.

Police say 49-year-old Cartel Wright (also known as “Kevin Jones”) of the 5900 block of Upland Street is a suspect in at least nine armed robberies dating back to September. Wright allegedly robbed the same Rite Aid on the 5000 block of City Avenue three times between late September and late December. He is also wanted for robbing another Rite Aid on the 5200 block of Baltimore Avenue in mid December and the McDonald’s at 52nd and Chestnut on Monday, Jan. 12.  Continue Reading

Here’s a roundup of some development projects going on in West Philly neighborhoods.

West Philadelphia Earthship

The Earthship is being built from recycled materials. (Photo from West Philadelphia Earthship IndieGoGo page).

A vacant lot at 675 N. 41st Street will soon become the location for the first ever urban Earthship, a completely sustainable building built from recycled materials, Generocity.org reports. The idea of an urban Earthship was proposed by Rashida Ali-Campbell, founder of Yeadon-based nonprofit Love, Loving, Love, Inc., and the lot owner, Thomas L. Miller, liked it so much that he donated the lot to the cause.

The West Philadelphia Earthship will house a Philadelphia branch of Love, Loving, Love, Inc., which specializes in holistic health education. The organization is planning to offer healthy-living workshops and other free community activities in their new Earthship office, according to Generocity.org.

The foundation of the Earthship has already been laid, and the main construction is planned to start in February. It will take about six weeks to complete, but it depends on how successful the fundraising campaign for the project is. To support the West Philadelphia Earthship, go to this IndieGoGo page. For more information about this project, read Generosity.org’s article here.  Continue Reading

Paul Steinke (photo from Linked In)

West Philly resident Paul Steinke, the former general manager of the Reading Terminal Market, will officially announce tomorrow that he will run for City Council.

Steinke’s announcement that he will run for an at-large Democratic seat in the May 19 primary was expected after he stepped down as general manager at the Terminal Market in early December. The announcement is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Field House, a sports bar adjacent to the Market.

The former finance director of the Center City District and the first executive director of the University City District, Steinke, 49, has overseen a 30 percent increase in visitors and $4 million in renovation and expansion of the Market in the 13 years he has overseen operations there, according to a statement from his campaign. Steinke is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University.

Steinke hopes to be the first openly gay person elected to citywide office. He lives in the Spruce Hill neighborhood with David Ade, his partner of nearly 20 years.

All 17 City Council seats are up for election in November – 10 district seats and seven at-large seats.

– Mike Lyons