UPDATE: The meeting will take place on Zoom due to boiler issues in the church. Register here.

The Friends of Malcolm X Park, in cooperation with other local organizations and groups, is kicking off a series of community meetings focused on potential neighborhood issues related to ICE for the area from Baltimore Avenue to Market Street and 48th to 54th Streets.

The first meeting will take place Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. at Cookman Beloved Community Baptist Church (51st and Spruce).

Meetings will be dedicated to general community concerns. The Saturday meeting will also launch a conversation about “how to protect our neighborhoods from likely future ICE and DHS aggression,” according to the organizers.

Other organizations co-sponsoring the meeting include: Blackwell Culture Alliance Inc., Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia, and Cookman Beloved and Holy Apostles and the Mediator churches.

UPDATE: The community meeting has been postponed until Thursday, March 5 (see more details below).

Community members are invited to provide feedback on the 52nd Street Commercial Corridor Improvement Project as the city continues working on the conceptual design. Launched in 2024, the project aims to bring improvements to the portion of the street between Arch and Pine, which would make the corridor “safer, cleaner and greener” for all.

The proposed plan includes traffic calming measures, transit and streetscape improvements, and improved curbside parking and loading.

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Firefighters working near 52nd and Pine streets on Saturday morning. (Photo by West Philly Local)

Firefighters responded to two serious fires in West Philadelphia that occurred overnight within half a mile distance from one another.

One fire was reported around 3 a.m. in a building located near 52nd and Delancey. No injuries were reported.

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Mayor Cherelle Parker has declared a snow emergency in the city beginning Saturday, Jan. 24 at 9 p.m., due to the upcoming winter storm. This means that all vehicles parked on Snow Emergency Routes should be relocated before the snow emergency begins. Any remaining vehicles will be ticketed and relocated.

Snow Emergency Routes are marked with signs posted along the route. You can also find the Snow Emergency route map and list here.

All Philadelphia School District schools will be closed on Monday, Jan. 25 due to the storm.

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Soapbox artists at work (Instagram photo)

Here are some more details on The Soapbox’s moving plans announced in December. The West Philly-based community print-making studio and zine library has announced that it’s moving this spring from 47th and Kingsessing to 4542 Baltimore Ave.

After operating at 47th and Kingsessing Avenue for the past seven years, The Soapbox is moving into a larger and more accessible location at 4542 Baltimore Ave, according to a recent announcement. The Soapbox will be able to “more than double” the number of independent artist studios it offers and expand its programming in the new space. It will also be able to create more studio space for letterpress, screen print, risograph, and other book and paper arts.

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Here are some Martin Luther King Day of Service events and volunteer opportunities in West Philadelphia. If you’re hosting an event please feel free to add it in the comments section. More events and volunteer opportunities can be found on the MLK Day of Service website.

Friday, Jan. 16:

11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Hope PHL MLK Day Kick-off & Sneaker Drive

4017 Lancaster Avenue

Join Hope PHL’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) for a day of support, resources and community empowerment in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. In partnership with Black Men Run (BMR), Hope PHL’s NAC will also host a Sneaker Drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Please donate new or gently worn sneakers.

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