A quick scan of the vote totals at precincts in West Philly make it clear that this decidedly not Trump country. Another indication is a few things dropped off this week at Manakeesh, the Lebanese restaurant and bakery at 45th and Walnut.

Manakeesh posted pictures on its Facebook page yesterday of flowers and notes dropped off since Tuesday’s election. In response to the pictures of swastikas and hateful graffiti being passed around, we think it’s appropriate to show expressions of love and solidarity.  Continue Reading

Surveillance video shows the suspect entering the lobby of the Inn at Penn (from the Philly Police Blog).

Police are looking for a woman who they say placed a device on an ATM at the Inn at Penn at 36th and Sansom and skimmed credit card numbers.

The device, which is designed to look just like the slot through which you slide a card, was fit over the machine’s slot on Oct. 8 in the lobby ATM and was able to intercept debit and credit card numbers, police said. The device was discovered after three days.  Continue Reading

A reminder to vote posted near The Woodlands on Woodland Avenue.

In case you hadn’t heard, today is election day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Registered voters who are in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Check on your voter registration status here and find your polling place here.

Other than the presidency, the seats on this year’s ballot include (from the non-partisan Committee of Seventy):

• One of PA’s two seats in the U.S. Senate

• All 18 PA seats in the U.S. House of Representatives
James Roebuck (D) is running unopposed in the 188th District and Vanessa Lowery Brown (D) is running opposed in the 190th.  Continue Reading

Community members are invited to attend the big annual meeting of the Spruce Hill Community Association on Nov. 15 at the Penn Alexander School (43rd and Locust).

Penn Alexander’s new principal, Michael Farrell, will address the meeting, which will be held in the school’s cafeteria. Farrel took over from founding principal Sheila Sydnor this fall. Read more about him here.

SHCA board members will also present the association’s activities over the year during the meeting and hold elections for a new board. Eric Santoro, SHCA’s current president, is running unopposed for a second one-year term. Election will also be held for four other officer positions and 10 board posts. Biographical information for those running will be available at the meeting.

Light snacks and refreshments will be served beginning at 7 p.m., and the meeting will start at 7:30 p.m.

Membership in SHCA is open to everyone. Dues are $20 per year.

Lots of little ghouls and goblins were on the prowl last night for the annual Spruce Hill Halloween Parade. Donald Trump was also there (no doubt to make sure there was no fraudulent trick-or-treating) for the party on Little Osage Ave.

Here are some more photos and a video.

  
Continue Reading

The lot at 4224 Baltimore Ave.

After years of planning and community meeting after community meeting, people are starting to wonder if the grand residential building proposed for the corner of 43rd and Baltimore will ever get built.

Residents look over plans during a community meeting on 4224 Baltimore Ave. in September 2014 (Photo by West Philly Local).

“I’ve given up going to the Farmers’ Market on Saturdays because I’m tired of people asking me what the problem is,” Barry Grossbach, the chair of Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee said at a recent meeting.

In case you had forgotten, construction on a 132-unit residential building at 4224 Baltimore Ave. complete with a full-service restaurant overlooking Clark Park was supposed to begin this summer. Delays on construction projects in the city are not that uncommon, so observers of the process waited. Soil samples were taken, more engineering studies were ordered, construction plans were submitted and re-submitted. But nothing has happened at the large, empty lot at 43rd and Baltimore.  Continue Reading