What a difference a year has made for West Philadelphia Catholic High School. The school, located at 45th and Chestnut, was supposed to have closed last year, one of many victims of school closures and consolidation undertaken by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. But it was saved and officials there announced on Monday that the school received a $1 million donation, the largest single donation in its 96-year history.

Pledged by an unnamed donor, the money will help fund a five-year plan focused on issues such as enrollment and technology. West Catholic’s president, Brother Richard Kestler, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the gift will also bolster the school’s plan to become financially self-sufficient by 2015.

The school will also get a new name – from now on it will be called “West Catholic Preparatory High School, located in University City.”

Enrollment figures are on the rise as well. The school had about 250 students last year. This year it will add a freshmen class of 145, three times bigger than last year’s class and the largest since the 2007-2008 school year.

Penn Museum is bringing back its family-friendly “Summer Wonder” series, with the first program this Wednesday, July 3, when families with children are invited to celebrate the Native American culture and learn traditional Native American dance with the Native Nations Dance Theater.

The “Summer Wonder” programs will run weekly on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. through August 21, 2013 and will feature a great lineup of performances and demonstrations, including stories about ancient Greek mythology, a marionette theater, an exploration of medieval music and instruments, contemporary and ancient African and African American tales, songs and games, and more.

All “Summer Wonder” programs are free with Penn Museum admission. For more information and the full program schedule, please visit Penn Museum’s website and also check our Events Calendar for upcoming programs.

 
A small tan and white dog, possibly a Papillon/Sheltie mix, was found on Monday, July 1, running on 44th and Spruce. The dog is a young male, weighing about 12 pounds. If this is your dog or if you know his owner, please email dogonspruce@yahoo.com.

UPDATE (7/3/13): The dog has been reunited with his owner.

Photo by Randi Fair.

Laura, a friendly female calico cat (black, white, & orange with a white chest) has been missing from the 4700 block of Baltimore Avenue since the weekend of June 22. She liked to hang out on the porches of 4729 and 4731 and many neighbors know her well as she often approached them and greeted them with her meow.

If you have any information about Laura please call Norma at 215-727-4271.

Beginning Monday, July 1, SEPTA’s fares are going up. The new price plan includes the first increase to the cash fare since 2001, from $2 to $2.25. The discounted single trip fare (token) will be $1.80. Transfers will remain $1.

As you may already know, SEPTA is working on the New Payment Technology (NPT) program, which will come into effect next year. NPT will eliminate tokens and introduce a SEPTA-branded card that will be available for purchase at all transit stations. In anticipation of the program SEPTA is also simplifying fares by eliminating extrafare zone charges on dozens of transit routes and consolidating zones on Regional Rail. In addition, gender stickers will be eliminated on all passes for transit and Regional Rail. The gender sticker system was highly criticized for its discrimination against transgender passengers.

The cash fare will go up to $2.50 in 2014 when the switch to NPT is complete. The next scheduled fare increase will be in July 2016.

For more information about the fare changes, including a breakdown of all fares and related modifications that will go into effect July 1, visit this special section on SEPTA’s website.

Photo: Annamarya Scaccia/West Philly Local

After years of uneven and stalled construction, the eyesore of a site at 4809 Chester Avenue was recently put up for sale and it’s going for a whopping $549,000.

The three-story residential project has a long and sordid history. The nearly 5,000 sq-ft lot, which was bought empty by Antonie Gardiner’s company Bizness as Usual Inc. in 2004, received 15 code violations since 2007—all of which were resolved, according to a March 13 Philadelphia Inquirer article. The piece also reports that, from 2003 forward, Gardiner owed $5,324 in delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest, and has set up a payment arrangement on the property with a city collection agency. And that’s not all—the Southwest Cedar Park site is allegedly one of Gardiner’s 58 delinquent properties, states The Inquirer.

The unfinished Chester Avenue project is being sold as-is by the owner, according to an online listing by Fred R. Levine Real Estate, the agent on the property. The post catalogs the building as a three-story single-family detached home with six bedrooms, four full and two partial bathrooms, a garage, parking space, basement, electric heat, and a brick exterior.

When West Philly Local visited the site on Wednesday, the unsecured property was still overwhelmed by a muddy and uneven front yard, cut through by equipment tracks and peppered with murky puddles, debris, and litter. The entryway is also boarded up by two sections of large wood planks, with a small “SALE” plaque by Fred R. Levine Real Estate tacked to the right side.

-Annamarya Scaccia