Posted on 14 January 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com
A 21-year-old female of Bangladeshi descent, Fatima Rahman, has been missing since January 2 from the 4300 block of Chestnut Street, according to police. Rahman was last seen by her family members inside her residence at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 2. Rahman left her residence without her cell phone or jacket.
Rahman is described as 5’1”, 120lbs, thin build. She has brown eyes, olive skin, and shoulder length black hair. She was last seen wearing a blue head scarf, red sweater and blue jeans. Rahman has been known to frequent the areas of 43rd and Walnut Streets, as well as 34th and Race Streets.
Police said that Rahman suffers from schizophrenia and that she left her house without medication. Without her medication, she can become “increasingly paranoid and will avoid contact with people.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Fatima Rahman is asked to contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or dial 911.
Posted on 13 January 2014 by Mike Lyons
Here’s a heads up for parents looking for school registration information for next year at two neighborhood schools.
The registration lottery period for the Penn Alexander School (43rd & Locust) begins next Tuesday, Jan. 21, and runs through Friday, Feb. 28, according to the School District of Philadelphia. The registration is open to students who live within the school’s catchment area. Proof of residence will be required for registration. Applications can be submitted at the school between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The lottery will be conducted on March 5 and parents will be notified by letter during the week of March 10.
Kindergarten enrollment at the Henry C. Lea School (47th & Locust) also begins on Jan. 21. The Lea School will host an open house on Thursday, Jan. 16 from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. The open house will start in the school’s auditorium (the entrance is through the small playground on Locust Street). If you are interested in Lea but don’t live in the catchment the deadline for the voluntary transfer process is this Friday, Jan. 17. Get more information here.
Posted on 13 January 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com
The West Philadelphia neighborhoods of Mantua, Mill Creek, Powelton Village, Belmont and Parkside have never been short on hope, dreams and promise. But they have often been short on funding.
That will very likely change now that these areas have been declared a federally designated “promise zone,” which makes them more likely to get future federal funding. About half of the zone’s approximately 35,000 residents live in poverty. The zone runs from Girard Avenue south to Sansom Street and 48th Street east to the Schuylkill River.
Here are some reactions on Twitter to the announcement last week:
The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Jeff Gammage wrote a lengthy story published today that includes reactions from many of the players involved. They include grassroots organizations like the Mantua Civic Association and major nearby institutions like Drexel University. Wilford Shamlin III has a story in today’s Philadelphia Tribune on Drexel’s work with schools in the area.
The key strategies in the area include (from the White House website):
- Putting people back to work through skills training and adult education; classes on small business development to support entrepreneurs; loans and technical assistance for small resident-owned businesses; and the development of a supermarket providing both jobs and access to healthy food.
- Improving high-quality education to prepare children for careers, in partnership with Drexel University and the William Penn Foundation, through increasing data-driven instruction that informs teacher professional development; developing school cultures that are conducive to teaching and learning; mentoring middle and high school youth with focus on college access and readiness; and increasing parent engagement.
- Preventing and reducing crime in order to attract new residents and long-term investments, through strategies such as focused deterrence, hot spots policing, and foot patrol.
These neighborhoods have heard “promises” before. University City High School, for example, was renamed “University City Promise Academy” during the 2010-2011 school year. Two years later it was closed. So as the dust settles from the announcement we look forward to bringing you future posts on actual projects and how to get involved with them.
Posted on 10 January 2014 by Annamarya Scaccia
Pound Cake Heaven’s Now Open sign at 5029 Baltimore Avenue (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)
Fans of pound cake and other baked deliciousness rejoice: Yeadon’s Pound Cake Heaven has made West Philly its new home.
The fledgling business, which opened two years ago, established its second location at 5029 Baltimore Avenue in November, although it hit a few rough patches due to the weather, owner and baker Pam Thornton told West Philly Local. Much like her flagship store, Pound Cake on Baltimore will offer Thornton’s signature variety of pound cake flavors, as well as pies, cobblers, layered cakes, sugar free desserts, cupcakes, and other sweets.
In addition to wanting to expand her business, Thornton told West Philly Local that she had chosen the Baltimore Avenue spot because she recognized an unmet need on the developing corridor. With its arrival, Pound Cake on Baltimore Avenue has become the only full-service dessert bakery on the strip east of 52nd Street, offering cakes for every occasion—from birthdays to weddings and family gatherings.
As a grand opening incentive, West Philly Local readers who print out this article and bring it to Baltimore Avenue location will receive a free cupcake with their Pound Cake Heaven purchase.
Pound Cake on Baltimore Avenue is opened 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, according to Thornton and a worker at the Baltimore Avenue location. For the summer, Tuesday through Saturday closing hours will extend to 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., Thornton said.
So tell us readers, have you been able to check out Pound Cake’s new location? What do you think of the digs and baked goods?
–Annamarya Scaccia
Posted on 10 January 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com
Here are a few happenings this weekend we wanted to bring your attention to. For more events or to submit an event, go to our Events Calendar. And be careful out there – try to avoid slippery sidewalks!
– Beginning this Friday, International House Philadelphia (37th & Chestnut) presents Free to Love: The Cinema of the Sexual Revolution. This is a groundbreaking series made possible with the support by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. The series will run through February 15. Here’s this weekend’s program (ADULT CONTENT): Friday, Jan. 10, 7 p.m. – I am Curious (Yellow); Sweden, 1967, 121 min. Saturday, Jan. 11, 5 p.m. – Pink Narcissus; US, 1971, 71 min. 7 p.m. – In the Realm of the Senses; Japan, 1976, 109 min. 10 p.m. – Deep Throat; US, 1972, 61 min. For more information and tickets ($9 general admission; free for IHP members) click here.
– Here’s a reminder that the Electronics Recycling Day, which was supposed to take place last Saturday in Clark Park, has been moved to this Saturday, Jan. 11. Bring your old phones, computers and other electronic devices and gadgets to Clark Park at 43rd and Chester from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Electronics recycling is free of charge, with the exception of $20 charge for recycling cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs and monitors.
– Biunity‘s annual chocolate themed bake sale and fundraiser Death Bi Chocolate will take place at the A-Space (4722 Baltimore Ave) on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2-5 p.m. The event supports the only organization for bisexuals in Philadelphia and raises funds for appearances at pride events throughout the year, such as Philly Pride and OutFest. You can donate a chocolate baked good and enjoy the chocolates available at the sale, or just come and play board games with some friendly people.
Posted on 10 January 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com
Photo courtesy UCD.
Spring is not that far away and the University City District has started thinking about what mobile food vendors they should invite for their Spring-Summer food truck/vending program at The Porch, a popular public space by the 30th Street Station. As West Philly Local recently reported, some of the city’s best mobile vendors have been serving food on The Porch, including this winter (check the January-March 2014 food truck schedule here). And now, there is a possibility for new vendors to offer their gourmet food or desserts to The Porch visitors.
The Spring program starts in April and here’s some information from the UCD website:
University City District is issuing this request to secure mobile food vendors that provide unique, high-quality and sustainable food options that fit the highly mobile and urban environment of The Porch. Selected vendors will be asked to vend once a week for one month. For spring 2014 (beginning April 1), we are expanding our vending days to include lunch service (11:30am to 2:30pm) Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and breakfast service (7:30am to 2pm) Tuesdays and Thursdays…
Application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31. For forms and more information, click here.
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