UPDATE (3:00 p.m.): All public schools, early childhood and after school programs will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 22, the School District of Philadelphia announced this afternoon.

All School District of Philadelphia schools and early childhood programs had early dismissal today (Tuesday, Jan 21) due to the severe weather forecast. Students were dismissed at 12:30 p.m.

Weather people are predicting between 7 inches and a foot of snow from this thing. The snow keeps falling and the temperatures are expected to drop below 10 overnight.

A train carrying crude oil and sand derailed overnight on a bridge across the Schuylkill River near Penn Park, according to various reports. The incident happened around 1 a.m., Philly.com reports. The train was traveling from Chicago to Philadelphia. Seven freight cars derailed. It’s not currently known what caused the derailment. No leaks from the derailed cars have been reported.

West Philly Local reader Algernong Allen sent over this photo he took this morning.

The Inside of Zed’s Last Minute Gift Shop at 4501 Baltimore Avenue. Owner Pam Williams said she cut the space in half and will sublease the empty space to Adja Hair Braiding. (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

We’ve all been there. A holiday, a birthday or some special occasion and we’re not only sans a gift, but we can’t seem to find a good place to pick one up at the last minute. And there we’re left, empty-handed.

That’s where Zed’s Last Minute Gift Shop comes in. Opened a few weeks ago, the new gift boutique, which replaced Rebel’s Closet at 4501 Baltimore Avenue, offers an eclectic mix of vintage and modern pieces that run the gauntlet of affordability. From artisan housewares and children’s items to handcrafted jewelry and trinkets, patrons can purchase a pop-top glass water bottle for around $5 or pick up an oversized mirror with a carved wooden frame for $300, depending on your gift-buying needs.

And you can guarantee that what you buy is unique. As part of Zed’s business philosophy, owner Pam Williams said that her shop will never carry the same item twice. According to Williams, once a particular item is sold out, like a cutting board or wine carafe, visitors shouldn’t expect to see that exact design or brand back in stock. Instead, Williams told West Philly Local, she will replace the product with a similar piece from a different company to “avoid repetition.”

Williams is still building inventory, though, and is looking for helpful input from the community she’s lived in for over 25 years. (At the moment, Zed’s only carries national and regional brands, but she’s open to looking at portfolios from local designers with a stationery line.) “We’re going a little slow. We had a soft opening because we want to know what the consumer wants. We don’t want to buy a lot of something that [people didn’t ask for],” said Williams, former owner of Cafe Pier One—what is now Atiya Ola’s Spirit First Foods. “Like our sign says outside, come in and take a look because we want to know what you think.”

She continued: “You don’t necessarily have to buy. Just take a look and tell us what you’re looking for, and if we don’t have it, we’ll see what we can do.”

Zed’s Last Minute Gift Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

–Annamarya Scaccia

Fatima Rahman / Photo via Philly Police Blog.

A 21-year-old female of Bangladeshi descent, Fatima Rahman, has been missing since January 2 from the 4300 block of Chestnut Street, according to police. Rahman was last seen by her family members inside her residence at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 2. Rahman left her residence without her cell phone or jacket.

Rahman is described as 5’1”, 120lbs, thin build. She has brown eyes, olive skin, and shoulder length black hair. She was last seen wearing a blue head scarf, red sweater and blue jeans. Rahman has been known to frequent the areas of 43rd and Walnut Streets, as well as 34th and Race Streets.

Police said that Rahman suffers from schizophrenia and that she left her house without medication. Without her medication, she can become “increasingly paranoid and will avoid contact with people.”

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Fatima Rahman is asked to contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or dial 911.

The West Philadelphia neighborhoods of Mantua, Mill Creek, Powelton Village, Belmont and Parkside have never been short on hope, dreams and promise. But they have often been short on funding.

That will very likely change now that these areas have been declared a federally designated “promise zone,” which makes them more likely to get future federal funding. About half of the zone’s approximately 35,000 residents live in poverty. The zone runs from Girard Avenue south to Sansom Street and 48th Street east to the Schuylkill River.

Here are some reactions on Twitter to the announcement last week:

We’ve always believed that our community had #promise! Excited for the potential the #promisezone funds will bring! http://t.co/UaMxXLDRAz

— PEC (@PECCaresPhilly) January 10, 2014

Pres @BarackObama at the #PromiseZone designation announcement. Phila is proud to receive this award. pic.twitter.com/pZBnL7DvFm — Michael A. Nutter (@Michael_Nutter) January 9, 2014

Hope the #promisezone activities in #phl include voter education. Voting -> Power -> Economic Power http://t.co/SO3rR1gSGn — Stephanie Singer (@sfsinger) January 10, 2014

Obama Designates Philadelphia as A Promise Zone, Drexel Will Play a Key Role in the Education Effort http://t.co/gGoKTOLhYV #Drexel

— Drexel U. News (@DrexelNews) January 10, 2014

The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Jeff Gammage wrote a lengthy story published today that includes reactions from many of the players involved. They include grassroots organizations like the Mantua Civic Association and major nearby institutions like Drexel University. Wilford Shamlin III has a story in today’s Philadelphia Tribune on Drexel’s work with schools in the area.

The key strategies in the area include (from the White House website):

• Putting people back to work through skills training and adult education; classes on small business development to support entrepreneurs; loans and technical assistance for small resident-owned businesses; and the development of a supermarket providing both jobs and access to healthy food.

• Improving high-quality education to prepare children for careers, in partnership with Drexel University and the William Penn Foundation, through increasing data-driven instruction that informs teacher professional development; developing school cultures that are conducive to teaching and learning; mentoring middle and high school youth with focus on college access and readiness; and increasing parent engagement.

• Preventing and reducing crime in order to attract new residents and long-term investments, through strategies such as focused deterrence, hot spots policing, and foot patrol. 

These neighborhoods have heard “promises” before. University City High School, for example, was renamed “University City Promise Academy” during the 2010-2011 school year. Two years later it was closed. So as the dust settles from the announcement we look forward to bringing you future posts on actual projects and how to get involved with them.

Many neighbors have started looking for ways to get rid of their Christmas trees, so here are a few options.

UPDATE (1/4/14): Electronics recycling has been postponed until Saturday, Jan. 11. Christmas tree recycling is still on for January 4. For those who want their tree to be turned into something useful instead of adding to the landfill, there are some recycling options available. On Saturday, Jan. 4, bring your tree along with used and unwanted electronics to a Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling event at Clark Park (43rd & Chester). This annual event is organized by UC Green, University City District and eForce Recycling. A $10 donation is being asked for each tree to cover expenses of turning it into wood chips. Also, a $20 charge will be asked for recycling certain type TVs and monitors (check the event’s Facebook page for more info). The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you want to keep your tree a little longer, please note that the city will launch its Christmas Tree Recycling program on Monday, Jan. 6, according to an announcement posted by the Streets Department. The program will run through Saturday, Jan. 18. During this time, residents may drop off their trees for recycling at any of the following Streets Department Sanitation Convenience Centers Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

3033 South 63rd Street
Domino Lane and Umbria Street
State Road and Ashburner Street

Christmas trees brought to these sites will be used for composting or mulch. Before dropping off your tree, make sure it’s untied and free of all decorations and ornaments, plastic bags or wrappings. More information can be found here.

Finally, trees left at the curb will be picked up on regular trash collection days and will not be recycled.

(Photo courtesy of the University City District)