What qualities would you like to see in the next school superintendent?

As the search continues for a replacement for Arlene Ackerman, the School District of Philadelphia is holding a meeting tonight at West Philadelphia High School to get community input on the search. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and is sponsored by the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Penn Project for Civic Engagement.

Tonight’s meeting is the first of three this week across the city dealing with the superintendent search. Meetings will also be held Wednesday at Strawberry Mansion High School and Thursday at Edison High School.

Five people were arrested yesterday in connection with an LSD distribution operation run out of a house on the 4800 block of Florence Street.

Those arrested include 31-year-old Joshua Dassay, who lives in the home, Wesley Crawford, 34, of Ardmore, and 33-year-old Raphael Zappala, who lives on 50th Street.

Police say they found about 9,500 hits of acid and $10,000 in cash at the Florence Street residence. The District Attorney’s office, which called the operation a “million dollar drug ring,” says the LSD ring was distributing on the Drexel University campus and an investigation began when a Drexel University student, who was arrested on unrelated drug and weapons charges in Montgomery County on Jan. 18, tipped off police to the ring. The student allowed detectives to record drug transactions over the telephone. Those conversations led to the arrest of another Drexel University student, who was allegedly a lower level supplier. That student also cooperated with police. Neither students’ names have been released.

“It is sad that this was taking place on a campus of higher learning, but I hope that the actions of a few do not tarnish the image of educational excellence that we associate with Drexel University,” said District Attorney Seth Williams.

The DA’s Office said the alleged dealers were making between $5,000 and $15,000 a week selling the LSD for $10 to $30 a hit.

Dassay, Crawford and Zappala both face felony possession charges. Charges also include “criminal use of a communication facility,” also a felony, for allegedly using a telephone for drug transactions, and endangering the life of a child. An infant was found inside the Florence Street home at the time of the raid. The DA’s Office said Dassay was wanted for crimes in nine other states.

Crawford is being held on $500,000 bail. Zappala’s bail is $250,000. Bail information was not available for Dassay.

A 59-year-old man died today when he slipped under a SEPTA bus at 49th and Woodland, philly.com is reporting. The 59-year-old man was reportedly pinned under the 12 bus and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Spruce Hill Community Association distributed a letter to the dozens of parents waiting in line yesterday to register their children for kindergarten next year calling on “the community” to “make itself heard.” The letter also restates the association’s stance that every child living within the school’s catchment boundaries has a right to attend Penn Alexander.

The letter begins:

“No one should have to line up in the cold for nearly 24 hours to register their child for kindergarten.”

A full copy of the letter is below.

Kindergarten registration began for schools across the District this morning, including at the Henry C. Lea School, which has received a lot of attention in recent months thanks to the work of the West Philly Coalition of Neighborhood Schools.

Pas Letter

The infamous line for kindergarten registration at the Penn Alexander School began at about 9 a.m. this morning, 24 hours before registration actually begins.

By 10:30 a.m. the line had already swollen to about 70 people. Those in line, some of whom were wrapped in sleeping bags, had begun to devise a plan to provide some relief – maybe two hours on, two hours off – from the freezing temperatures. There are currently three kindergarten classes at the school.

The line has started very early in recent years, including the night before registration last year. This year’s line, however, is unprecedented. Kindergarten registration across the district begins tomorrow morning.

If your Friday plans include a bottle of wine or spirits and your usual spot is the Wine and Spirits store near 41st and Market, you’re going to have to shop elsewhere.

The store closed permanently late last week. The owner of the building reportedly no longer wants to lease to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). The PLCB is shopping around for another site in the area.

This also means that the store near 49th and Baltimore will have even longer lines.