UPDATE: A neighbor has notified us to say that Adon Everett’s family is having trouble getting an insurance company to honor his policy. A former EMT, he recently moved to the neighborhood to be close to family members, according to a GoFundMe page that was set up to raise money for funeral costs. More details on Mr. Everett’s background are there.

Earlier: Police have identified the man whose body was found two weeks ago on the sidewalk along the 5100 block of Webster Street. His name is Adon Everett. He was 55 and was from the 5200 block of Chancellor Street.

It was determined that the cause of death was stabbing, according to police. No arrests have been made so far.

Mr. Everett’s body was found in the early morning of November 30 with a wound to his neck, which was initially thought to be a gunshot.

Over the past few weeks Cedar Park residents have been donating money for holiday food baskets for their neighbors in need. Now it’s time to give away those baskets put together by volunteers at Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN). The annual CPN Holiday basket packing and distributing event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 20 at the Renewal Presbyterian Church (47th and Cedar), from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., and more volunteer help is needed to make this event a success.

Also, volunteers who are comfortable lifting heavy items are sought to help with unloading poultry at 8:00 a.m. (meet at the church). If you have some free time this Saturday and would like to help out at the event please contact Michelle Smith-Lewis at: mlewis1071[at]gmail.com

UPDATE (12/16/2014): Here’s the agenda for tonight’s meeting:

• Enrollment
• Support of K-12 education
• Ongoing Engagement activities
• Campus Master Planning
• Call for university – community collaboration ideas

(12/15/2014): University of the Sciences (USciences) is reaching out to the local community by hosting a regular public meeting every three months. In a message circulated via email, USciences president Dr. Helen Giles-Gee writes that “as a member of our community, University of the Sciences recognizes that it’s important that we communicate with each other and share information.”

At the quarterly meetings, university leadership will provide updates on new and ongoing projects and “will seek your feedback on ways in which we may work together for the betterment of our community.”

The first community meeting will take place this Tuesday (Dec. 16) at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the McNeil Science and Technology Center (43rd and Woodland, see map here). Light refreshments will also be served.

It’s not clear whether the meeting will include information and discussion of the university’s recent purchase of the former Wilson Elementary School building at 46th and Woodland, which it plans to convert into student housing (read more here).

There will be a bunch of festive events this Saturday and Sunday, including some great local holiday shopping opportunities and Christmas caroling at Clark Park. Plus Santa will make a stop at a local bar, so bring your camera! For more upcoming events, visit our Events Calendar.

Go West! Holiday Craft Fest at The Rotunda (40th and Walnut)

Over 50 local craftspeople will present their work at this year’s holiday edition of the popular Go West! Craft Fest. The event will be held on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Rotunda (40th and Walnut). Stop by to check out beautiful handmade items like jewelry, ceramics, warm knitted accessories, prints, stationery, soap, candles, home accents, children’s items, and more (here is the full list of the vendors). If the weather is clear, vendors will be indoors and out. There will also be sweet treats by West Philly’s Weckerly’s Ice Cream and the Lil’ Pop Shop.

UPDATE: The fest organizers sent a note that Walnut street will be closed to traffic on Sunday due to construction work across the street from The Rotunda. The street will be open to pedestrians, but no cars will be allowed on Walnut between 40th and 41st streets between 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

40th Street AIR Holiday Art Sale (4007 Chestnut St)

Work by West Philly artists in the 2014-2015 40th Street Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program – Althea Baird, TenBroeck Cripps, Brujo de La Mancha, Aislinn Pentecost-Farren and Lorna Williams – will be featured at this weekend’s 40th Street AIR Holiday Sale. The sale will take place on Saturday and Sunday, from 12 – 6 p.m. at the AIRSPACE Gallery at 4007 Chestnut Street (1st floor). Many guest artists will also take part in the event, including AIR alumni.  Continue Reading

Great news for West Philly artist James Dupree and his supporters: After two years of fighting the authorities to save his 8,646-square-foot art studio near 36th and Haverford from being destroyed to build a supermarket, the artist announced victory yesterday.

We won. We are getting the deed back. Thank you to everyone who supported us. #JamesDupree will have a public comment coming soon. Victory!

— dupree studios (@SaveDupree) December 11, 2014

James Dupree (Photos from SaveDupreeStudios.org)

Dupree purchased an auto repair shop at 3617-21 Haverford Ave in 2005 and turned it into a sprawling art space, known as Dupree Studios, but the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority seized and condemned the property along with other properties in a two-block area in December 2012 as part of efforts to revitalize the Mantua neighborhood. Since then 64-year-old Dupree has been fighting the plans of turning the lot into a grocery store with a parking lot through legal appeals and public campaigns. The PRA has finally ended the proceedings to condemn the property, which includes art studios, classrooms, and even three “quirky” apartments.

Police say a 55-year-old man has confessed to robbing and assaulting a 38-year-old woman near 41st and Pine Streets Thursday evening. The man was apprehended around 6:40 p.m. by plainclothes officers. Police say he approached the victim from behind while she was walking alone, struck her in the back of the head with a bicycle U-lock and demanded her bag. He then started dragging the woman down the street and took her bag and cell phone, when two plainclothes police officers who were nearby observed the assault and arrested the attacker. Police were on a high alert in the last few days due to the recent attacks.

Police say he is also a suspect in other assaults on women in the area over the last five days, including an attempted robbery near 41st and Sansom on Saturday and two indecent assaults on female students late Thursday morning near Drexel’s campus. Police are also checking if this person is linked to a sexual assault and robbery of a 23-year-old female, which took place on Monday night near 47th and Chestnut.

The victim of the Thursday evening attack sustained lacerations to the back of her head and was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where she received stitches.

Police say the man they apprehended has 25 prior arrests.

The suspect does not appear to be linked to the rape of a Drexel University student, which took place early Wednesday morning in her off-campus apartment near 34th and Spring Garden Streets. The investigation continues.