Two important community events are scheduled for this month at the University of the Sciences, one to meet District Attorney candidates and the other to learn more about gerrymandering in Pennsylvania.

On Thursday, April 13, the 27th Ward Democratic Executive Committee will host a DA Candidates’ Night at USciences, and this is a great chance to meet the Democratic candidates running for the District Attorney office before the May 16 primary election: Judge Teresa Carr Deni, Tariq El-Shabazz (former Deputy District Attorney), Joe Khan (former ADA, former Federal Prosecutor), Lawrence Krasner (Civil Rights Attorney), Rich Negrin (former managing director), Michael Untermeyer (former Assistant District Attorney), and Jack O’Neill (former Assistant District Attorney). Residents are welcome to ask questions and bring their concerns. The meeting will be held at Rosenberger Hall, located in Clark Park near 43rd and Woodland, beginning at 7 p.m.

On Thursday, April 27, residents can learn more about gerrymandering and how Pennsylvania is one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. Fair Districts PA will present “How to Make Your Vote Count: Ending Gerrymandering in PA.” The event, which is being organized especially for West Philadelphians, will feature an FDPA speaker who will explain how partisan gerrymandering in Pennsylvania shapes election outcomes before the first vote is even cast, and what voters can do to ensure that state legislative and congressional district maps are drawn fairly.

This event will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. at Griffith Hall C, 600 S. 43rd St. (see map here).

Cedar Park residents and all interested individuals are invited to a community meeting on Tuesday, March 21 to hear a proposal of a pop-up (temporary) beer garden on the 5100 block of Pentridge Street. The meeting is organized by Cedar Park Neighbors.

The beer garden is being proposed at 5112-5120 Pentridge St. (see map), the area that currently includes a few empty lots. A search of the BRT database revealed the owner of the property as Fatty Tuna LLC. The meeting is an opportunity to meet with the owner, see the plans of what they would like to do and voice your opinion on this issue.

The meeting will be held at the Calvary Center (4740 Baltimore Ave.), beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Those who would like to comment but cannot attend the meeting are welcome to send their comments to CPN: zoning@cedarparkneighbors.org.

On Monday, March 13 at 1 p.m., Councilman Curtis Jones and the Philadelphia City Council Public Safety Committee will host a hearing on body-worn cameras in room 400 of City Hall (1401 John F Kennedy Blvd).

Upturn, a technology company that helps citizens understand law and policy, recently compiled a report card of body camera policies all over the country. According to their report, Philadelphia body cam policy allows officers to review footage before filing a statement; potentially limits the deletion of unflagged footage; doesn’t allow those filing police misconduct reports to view footage; and doesn’t cover the use of biometric technologies (like facial recognition) to identify individuals in footage. Additionally, there is room for improvement regarding footage tampering and unauthorized access because the policy doesn’t indicate if footage is audited or logged.  Continue Reading

Do you live in Cedar Park and want to get more involved with the neighborhood? Here’s a great chance. The Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN), the recognized community organization for the Cedar Park neighborhood, is currently seeking new board members to serve the community for the next two years beginning in June 2017. The following message was recently posted on the CPN website:

“Are you a renter, homeowner or business owner? Are you a long-time resident or a recent transplant? People of color, women, men, trans and gender non-conforming people, queer people, people with disabilities, elders and young people are encouraged to run. If you live or work in Cedar Park and are dedicated to improving our community, please participate in your neighborhood board!”  Continue Reading

The Walnut Hill Community Association will hold a public zoning meeting on Tuesday, March 7, to discuss a few development projects proposed in the area.

Developers have requested zoning variance for construction of a four-story, nine-unit apartment building at 4622-24 Sansom St. The building will include a roof deck with a pilot house and a covered porch (see rendering image). The building’s height is requested at 38 feet.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of USciences.

University of the Sciences students will be at Clark Park Farmers’ Market every Saturday through March 11 to talk about some important health-related issues with community members.

A group of USciences pharmacy students are volunteering to staff a table during the market hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise awareness about the importance of prescription medication adherence as part of the Script Your Future campaign.

Students and faculty members will be available to talk to residents about why it is important to take medications properly and discuss the risks of medication nonadherence. The team will also work with individuals to determine the best way to prevent dangerous interactions with prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.

Students are encouraging residents to “Take the Pledge” to take medications properly. For more information, find USciences Script Your Future on Facebook or read about the campaign on their website.