A new mural was unveiled on Monday at 40th and Chestnut, a result of a year-long collaboration between the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS). The mural art project, titled Building Brotherhood: Engaging Males of Color, was designed to inspire males of color to build supportive relationships with one another as a mechanism for coping with – and overcoming – the hardships they face in society, often in regards to accessing education, jobs, and behavioral health services.

Building Brotherhood is the 27th mural created under the Porch Light program, an ongoing collaboration between the Mural Arts Program and DBHIDS. Porch Light public art projects, which focus specifically on mental health, are an expression of community resilience and a vehicle of personal and community healing. A new virtual tour of the Porch Light murals can be found here: www.porchlightvirtualtour.org.

UPDATE: The zebras are in custody. According to reports, one was captured in Lower Merion.

Zebras in custody. They are already sporting old-timey prisoner getup ahead of trial and sentencing. Have faith, fellas.

— Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) November 15, 2015

@DavidLeePreston @wbender99 @PhillyDailyNews Both Zebras are now in custody! pic.twitter.com/dpcMIAxUBV — Joe Kaczmarek (@joekaczmarek) November 15, 2015

nice work by @PhillyPolice #phillyZebras in custody- pic.twitter.com/TyvwCbhPmy

— PhillyFireNews.com (@PhillyFireNews) November 15, 2015

Police are in pursuit of a couple of zebras that escaped from a circus near 52nd Street and Parkside Avenue Sunday afternoon. The zebras slipped out of the circus at about 2 p.m., according to police. Motorists and pedestrians have photographed and videoed the zebras running through the parking lot near the Shoprite center near 52nd and Jefferson. The zebras escaped from the Universoul Circus, which is set up near the Mann Music Center. Last week the circus made headlines when a trapeze artist bounced out of a safety net and into the crowd. He was hospitalized.

Here are some sightings:

. @PhillyPolice in pursuit of escaped zebras #phillyzebras pic.twitter.com/BMaFFJkegD — PhillyFireNews.com (@PhillyFireNews) November 15, 2015

                                Click to enlarge

The University City District has released its monthly crime update, which provides statistics on serious crimes in the area, such as aggravated assaults, robberies (armed and not armed), and burglaries. In October, 39 robberies, aggravated assaults and residential burglaries were reported in the area, and nine arrests were made in these cases, according to the report.

The report shows a sharp increase in residential burglaries – from five in July to over 20 per month in the period from August to October. This is also higher than in the fall of 2012-2014 when from 10 to 15 burglaries were reported monthly. The map shows an increase in burglaries in the western edge of the district.

Some good news is that after last month’s arrest of a suspect in connection with a string of burglaries in Powelton Village, crime numbers have fallen dramatically in that area.

Here are also useful tips from UCD on protecting your porch or residence:  Continue Reading

We’re sad to report that Mary Pitts-Devine, the woman who survived a violent assault in March when she was shot eight times by her neighbor at her residence near 46th and Spruce, passed away on Tuesday.

Pitts-Devine, 47, had undergone multiple surgeries since the attack, the most recent less than a month ago. She died from complications related to her injuries and preexisting medical conditions, according to a report by Philly.com who spoke to Pitts-Devine’s brother Eric Pitts. Pitts-Devine, a LaSalle grad, entrepreneur, social worker, and writer, was also a breast cancer and kidney transplant survivor.

“Mary has passed. May she rest in peace. Thank you for all your support and prayers. She will no longer be in pain. A true soldier,” Pitts wrote on the online fundraising page he had set up for his sister back in March.

According to information posted on the page, Pitts-Devine’s homegoing service, “Celebration for Mary R. Pitts,” will be this Friday, Nov. 13 at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 3500 Baring Street. Viewing is at 5 p.m.

The burial will be on Saturday morning, Nov. 14, at 10 a.m. at Merion Memorial Park, 59 Rock Hill Rd, Bala Cynwyd.

Matt Pestronk of Post Brothers speaking at the annual Spruce Hill Community Association meeting. (Photo West Philly Local)

Matt Pestronk did something at last night’s annual Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) member meeting that property developers rarely do anymore in the neighborhood. He voluntarily showed up and answered questions from residents about the reasons his company, Post Brothers, plans to spend some $250 million on apartment buildings, including the newly purchased Garden Court Plaza building at 47th and Pine.

Pestronk, who owns the company with his brother Michael, took questions ranging from whether they would allow pets in their buildings (an emphatic “yes” on that one) to whether Post Brothers would convert any rental units into condos and put them up for sale (probably not).

The company has acquired several buildings in recent years including: 4311 Spruce Street; The Netherlands at 4300 Chestnut; Chester Plaza at Farragut and Chester; Chester Hall at 4205 Chester; Hamilton Court at 3800 Chestnut; and Garden Court Plaza. Altogether, they have accrued about 550 units.  Continue Reading

The Soapbox has been operating in this row house since 2011 (photo from phillysoapbox.org)

There are some exciting developments at The Soapbox, West Philly’s own community print shop and zine library. The studio, which has been operating in a row house on the 700 block of S. 51st Street (pictured right) since 2011, will be moving soon to a new, 4,500-square-foot space in the newly renovated Frank Furness-designed church at 4700 Kingsessing.

As you may know, the old church building was saved from demolition last year and was being converted into commercial space, which will also house schools (more information about this is coming soon).

A lease was signed for the basement of the Parish House, a high-ceilinged space with four-foot windows at ceiling level, according to The Soapbox president and co-founder Mary Tasillo. The new studio will be fully equipped with historic and contemporary printing equipment, the city’s largest independent zine library, and expanded community programming.

“The Soapbox team is incredibly excited by the potential presented in this move… Our vision for The Soapbox can fully come to fruition in the new, larger space: The Soapbox Community Print Shop and Zine Library will be a space where many people can feel a sense of ownership and investment,” Tasillo says. “Above all, we are excited about this move because this enables The Soapbox to continue our mission-driven work by offering a more accessible and more usable space to our community.”  Continue Reading