This week’s dog is Ginger, a female pit bull/terrier mix. She’s tan brindle with distinctive white markings, approximately 15 months old. Ginger has been living with West Philly resident Kathleen since late May, when she found her wandering in the street. Kathleen has had her spayed and microchipped, and she’s healthy and current on all her shots.

Ginger is a very affectionate, energetic and smart dog, and is excellent with small children. Unfortunately, however, she hasn’t integrated well with the four cats who were already part of the family; she isn’t dangerously aggressive with them (no growling or snapping) but overly persistent in wanting to play with them while they – being cats – want to be left alone. She needs more training and attention than Kathleen is able to give her.

The right home for her would be with an owner who doesn’t have other animals, but could put the time into training her; she’s a wonderful dog, but her current family is just not the right family for her. If you think Ginger might be the right dog for you, please email Kathleen and tell her a bit about yourself. Here’s Kathleen’s email address: khturner32 [at] gmail.com
 

Studio 34 (4522 Baltimore Ave.) is presenting a new yoga class series for children ages 4-12 beginning Oct. 17. Led by instructor Lily Cavanagh the six-week series will feature breathing exercises, games, poses and relaxation. Younger kids will also be introduced to communication skills in a fun-filled environment. Older kids will learn how to maintain balance in both their minds and bodies and how to boost their self-esteem through engaging in group and partner activities.

Classes are once a week, on Mondays, 3:45-4:30 (ages 4-6) and 4:45-5:30 (ages 7-12). The six-week series costs $60 and there will be a free trial class on Monday, Oct. 10. For more information and to enroll go here.

The Penn Bookstore (3601 Walnut St.) has a bunch of interesting authors coming in over the next couple of weeks, including Nicholas Sparks and Philadelphia Inquirer mob correspondent George Anastasia.

Here is a rundown:

• October 13 – Julie Hersh, author of Struck by Living: From Depression to Hope, 6 p.m.

• October 15 – Nicholas Sparks signing his newest book The Best of Me, 2 – 4 p.m.

• October 17 – Poetry Readings by the 34th Street Poets.

• October 20 – Former Penn faculty member Elijah Anderson will discuss his book The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life.

• October 25 – Stephen Tow will discuss The Strangest Tribe: How a Group of Seattle Rock Bands Invented Grunge.

• October 27 – The Inquirer’s George Anastasia and sports radio talk show host Glen Macnow will discuss The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies.

Should Philadelphia have an elected school board? Should the school district’s governing body be appointed locally? Here’s a chance to have your voice heard.

These issues will be discussed when parents, students, educators and community members meet at a public forum on education governance on Tuesday, Oct. 11 in Center City.

Entitled “Governing the School District of Philadelphia: Do We Have the Right Model?,” the forum is open to the public and will be moderated by recently retired Daily News columnist Elmer Smith. Panelists will include Maurice Jones, a parent from the Henry C. Lea School (47th and Locust streets), who has helped spearhead improvements at the school over the last several months. The West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools is a co-sponsor of the event.

The forum will run from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The United Way Building (1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Lobby 2). The first part will include a panel discussion and Q and A and the second part, which begins at 7 p.m., includes breakout groups to identify community concerns and priorities. Refreshments will be served during the breakouts.

You can get free tickets by going here.

A 47-year-old woman was killed early this morning in a vehicle accident at the intersection of 51st and Locust streets, according to reports.

The accident occurred at about 2:15 a.m. and involved two cars. The unidentified woman was the passenger in a minivan that struck another car, an SUV. The male driver of the minivan and a man and a woman in the SUV were seriously injured in the accident, according to ABC News and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The minivan reportedly struck the SUV first and the impact was so great that the SUV flipped on the roof of a third, parked car. Rescue crews had to pry open the vehicles to extract all the passengers.

Both cars reportedly ran stop signs at the 4-way-stop at 51st and Locust.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Philadelphia office will move from its Center City location at 16th and Callowhill to West Philly by the end of 2012.

The new office will be located in 2.0 University Place, a new University Place Associates LLC’s five-story building at 30 N. 41st St. where it will occupy the first three floors (53,000 of the 97,000 square-foot space). The 15-year, $26 million lease was negotiated by building leasing and the US General Services Administration reps. The building is currently under construction.

University Place Associates founder Tom Leonard told The Philadelphia Inquirer, “they looked at what was available in Center City, didn’t like it, and broadened their (search) to West Philadelphia.”

“This will be a much nicer facility,” he added.

Located at the foot of the University City Science Center, the building will feature an extensive green roof with a 20,000-sf rooftop park, high-efficiency HVAC systems, open floor plans with 90 percent natural daylight, ‘gray water’ recycling systems that utilize rainwater to operate restrooms, onsite bicycle racks, changing rooms, and car sharing facilities among other things.