Kara, a black Lab mix with white nose and white chest, has been missing since Dec. 3, 2012, from 36th and Lancaster Ave. He was last seen running down Spring Garden St. He weighs about 50 lbs., not neutered, and has all his shots. He is shy around strangers, barks, but does not bite.

Kara had a red collar, red leash, and a tag with his name when he went missing. By now he may have lost them.

If you see him or know where he is, please call his heartbroken owners immediately, any time. Phone: 215 510 1704. A reward is offered to anyone finding him.

West Philly is home to many activists and activist groups and even hosts the Philadelphia chapter of the International Action Center which is celebrating 20th anniversary. All these years the IAC has been at the center of the fight for people’s rights and against injustice and now invites friends and neighbors to mark “20 years of solidarity and struggle” with them and to plan for the future.

The celebration will be held on Sunday, Jan. 6 at Calvary Church (48th and Baltimore) from 5 – 8 p.m. and will include food, music, raffle, cultural performances, and lively discussion featuring the following guests and performers: Spoken Word Artist Julia Lopez; Author and Poet Susie Abulhawa; Singer Kevin Price; Poet Tracy Gibson; Special remarks from Sara Flounders, National Coordinator of the IAC and Teresa Gutierrez from the May 1 Immigrant Rights Coalition.

Admission fee is $10 – $25. To reserve tickets call 215-724-1618 or email: phillyiac@gmail.com.
 

Brutus is an adult male pit bull mix weighing 34 pounds. He was found as a stray and it is quite obvious that he must have been on his own for a while as he is too skinny and suffers from a bit of hair loss. The rough streets of Philly however have not changed Brutus’ sweet nature. He is a really cool dude who likes to hang out by your side, sniff his surroundings and check out everything that is going on. He also likes to play from time to time and but is more focused on his human friends. While he is not particularly clingy, Brutus always looks to you when you have him out, seeks eye contact and stays close by your side. And he obviously enjoys getting his ear scratched.

It’s hard to tell whether he was trained to walk nicely on a leash at some point in his life but it’s super easy to handle him. Even when he starts to pull, he picks up quickly when you let him know that he needs to walk slower. Brutus met a couple of dogs while at the shelter and did well during his meets. So far, his life on the streets was lonely, and while at the shelter he at least has a roof over his head and two meals a day, he is looking for a home where he can get lots of love and give you even more love in return.

So what are you waiting for? Come meet Brutus beefcake today! Please make sure to have your landlord’s permission to own a dog like Brutus when you come to meet him. Also, please bring your family and resident dogs with you so we can make sure he is a good match for everyone.
If you cannot adopt Brutus but would like to help him find his forever family, fostering is a great option! You save not only Brutus but also another dog who can move into his cage at the shelter.

Brutus lives at:

Animal Care & Control Team (ACCT)
111 W. Hunting Park Avenue in Philadelphia

Adoption hours are Mon-Fri 1-8 pm and Sat-Sun 10am-5pm — year round — 365!

Foster hours are 9-6 pm every day.

To check the status of an animal, call 267-385-3800 or email acctpetfinder@gmail.com.

International House Philadelphia kicks off the nationally touring film series, ‘L.A. Rebellion: Creating a New Black Cinema’ this Saturday. The series comprises 12 programs of feature and short films that will be shown at IHP’s Ibrahim Theater (3701 Chestnut St) from Jan. 5-26.

The term “L.A. Rebellion” refers to a group of African and African-American student artists at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television who from the late 1960s to the late 1980s  created a unique cinematic landscape, as part of an ‘Ethno-Communications’ initiative. Over the course of two decades students arrived, mentored one another, and passed the torch to the next group.

It is a carefully curated film exhibition that “offers a true window on the legacies of Black communities.”

The film showing at IHP is co-sponsored by Scribe Video Center. For information on film listings and screening schedules, visit: www.ihousephilly.org/events.

A car fire stopped traffic near 40th and Walnut streets this afternoon. A reader, James, took these photos shortly before 3 p.m. after the fire had been put out. James said that several streets were closed due to the incident. We’re trying to get more information on what happened and if anyone was injured.

Photos by James Buckley.

As the Philadelphia City Planning Commission continues working on a new District Plan for West Philly neighborhoods as part of the Philadelphia 2035 plan, area community associations are asking residents to provide input on how they envision their neighborhood in the future. This Saturday (Jan. 5), Garden Court Community Association is holding a meeting for Garden Court residents (45th St. to 52nd St., Locust St. to Cedar Ave) where the University City Southwest 2035 plan will be reviewed. The meeting will be held from 12-2 p.m. at 4725 Chestnut (Community College of Philadelphia) and lunch will be served.

Here’s the GCCA announcement:

GCCA will be asking for residents’ input on the following two topics:

1. Five Redevelopment Areas for University City Southwest

The Philadelphia Planning Commission has identified five areas to target for redevelopment in University City Southwest:

40th Street Station Area
46th and Market Streets
Baltimore Avenue (west of 50th)
Woodland Avenue
Lower Schuylkill Development Site

2. Garden Court Neighborhood

As surrounding areas develop, what do residents hope will stay the same about Garden Court? Let GCCA know what features give the neighborhood its character and what you would like to preserve and what you would like to improve.

Please RSVP to GCCA Zoning Chair Mariya Khandros at: mariya.khandros@gmail.com.

FYI, the 2nd public meeting on the University Southwest District Plan will take place Wednesday, Jan. 23 at Kingsessing Recreation Center. More information is coming soon.