Public hearings on proposed charter schools in West Philly are set for Dec. 11 at the School District of Philadelphia’s headquarters at 440 N. Broad St.

The School District of Philadelphia received over a dozen applications from charter schools interested in opening new schools in West Philadelphia. The next step in the application process is the presentation and review of the applications at public hearings, which have been scheduled to start next Thursday.

The hearings will include a 15-minute presentation by the applicant followed by public comments, according to The Notebook. A second round of hearings will reportedly begin in January and will include evaluations from the District.

Here’s the list of the applicants, the zip codes where schools are proposed, and the schedule of the public meetings:  Continue Reading

UPDATE (11/30/2014, 5:15 p.m.): Kalis Adams, a 14-year-old boy who went missing from his home at 62nd and Carpenter on Friday, has been found and is in good condition, according to police.

Kalis Adams 14yrs old, located safe & in good condition. Thank you for the assistance in finding this young man. pic.twitter.com/4cEvq515GY

— Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) November 30, 2014

Kalis Adams (Photo from Philly Police Blog)

(11/29/2014): Police are asking for the public’s help locating a 14-year-old boy, Kalis Adams. Kalis was last seen at his residence on the 6200 block of Carpenter Street at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 28.

Kalis is described as 4’10”, 93 lbs, with a thin build, brown eyes, dark brown complexion, and black short hair. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue sweatpants, and blue/black Nike sneakers.

Kalis is autistic and also has ADHD. He is known to frequent the YMCA at 51st and Chestnut.

Anyone with information on Kalis’ whereabouts is asked to contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 / 3184 or call 911.

This piece of street art appeared over the weekend on the vacant building at 46th and Spruce, which used to be a popular spot for paste-up artists. The building is in the process of being sold to a non-profit for low-income housing and so earlier graffiti was removed. Hopefully this will stay up a while.

UPDATE (5 p.m.): Police confirmed that the man found on the street in the Cedar Park section this morning was shot to death. Police say the shooting likely happened between 6 and 6:30 a.m.

Earlier: A man was found dead this morning on the sidewalk along the 5100 block of Webster Street with a possible gunshot wound to the neck.

Police say the African American male was between 50 and 60 years old. No other details are available at this time as the investigation continues.

Stuff the turkey, mash the potatoes, pour the gravy and sleep in because Black Friday is not the time to shop this holiday season. Instead, spend some holiday savings during Small Business Saturday! Buying local and supporting local business is a great way to give the community a boost.

West Philly is home to many great bookstores, including Bindlestiff Books (4530 Baltimore Ave), and Penn Book Center (130 S. 34th St), which is holding an Indies First event on Saturday, Nov. 29. Local authors are volunteering for a campaign spearheaded by Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian) to support independent bookstores. Authors Anna Badkhen, Joan DeJean and Ken Kalfus will be helping all attendees pick out the perfect holiday reads for family and friends. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to get advice from extraordinary authors.

From left to right: Anna Badkhen, Joan DeJean, and Ken Kalfus. (Photo courtesy Penn Book Center)

Badkhen, a West Philly based writer, is recommending “Citizen,” Claudia Rankins’ new book-length poem on racism and how our government deals with it as a way to sort through the recent events in Ferguson, Mo.

So, remember to attend Penn Book Center’s Indies First Small Business Saturday event on November 29th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and as part of the Small Business Saturday package Penn Book Center will be offering a two for one Holiday Sale on titles from the Everyman’s Library and a selection of cookbooks! Mulled wine, hot cider, and holiday treats will be served as well.

– Andrew Foronda

EDITOR’S NOTE: Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to kick off your holiday shopping and support local businesses. Many of them will have special events and offers on Nov. 29, including businesses like Baltimore Pet Shoppe, VIX Emporium and others. Please check this page for more information.

Snow is falling in Philadelphia and we hope that everyone who is traveling today for Thanksgiving has a safe trip. Those who will be celebrating the holiday here will probably find the information below useful. Happy Thanksgiving!

City offices will be closed this Thursday and public schools will be closed Thursday and Friday. Libraries will close on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and will remain closed on Thursday. There will be no trash and recycling collection on Thursday. Post offices will also be closed and there will be no mail delivery on Thursday. And here’s information on Thanksgiving SEPTA service and hours for some local stores, cafes and restaurants. Please note that most restaurants will be closed on Thursday but will reopen on Friday (some will be serving special brunch on Friday!).

SEPTA
Thursday – Buses, trolleys, regional rail operate on Sunday schedule. Market-Frankford & Broad Street Line service will operate on a special schedule. All night train service will be available beginning Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Regular Owl Bus service will resume Friday at 12:01 a.m.

Friday – Many SEPTA Bus and Trolley Routes will operate on a modified weekday schedule. Specific route service information is available on printed timetables and at www.septa.org  Continue Reading