On Thursday, July 27, community members will gather for a remembrance event for West Philly community activist and green space advocate Winnie Harris. They will walk in her name and will pass out leaflets to “bring her killers to justice.” The event is organized by the Philadelphia Police 16th District and begins at 6 p.m. at 300 Holly St. See the flyer below for more details and if you want to participate in this event.

Almost six months have passed since Harris, 65, was found shot to death in her home on the 300 block of North Holly Street in West Powelton where she had lived for 40 years. In May, police released a flyer asking for the public’s assistance to identify two persons of interest in the investigation of the killing, which happened on February 3rd, 2017, but so far no arrests have been made.  Continue Reading

Chef Jezabel Careaga, a native of Argentina whose Jezabel’s Café at 26th and Pine has been named one of Philly’s best “under-the-radar breakfast places,” is bringing her empanadas, alfajores, specially made mate tea and coffee to an intimate storefront near 45th and Walnut.

Jezabel Careaga, chef-owner of Jezabel’s.

Jezabel’s Studio will open tomorrow, July 12, at 208 S. 45th St. At only 400 square feet, Jezabel’s Studio will definitely not be a place to park with your laptop. But Careaga is making the most of the space, which includes a small indoor sitting area (there are a couple of seats on the sidewalk too).

Offerings will include a variety of her signature empanadas (yes, they have a vegan option) as well as alfajores, Argentine shortbread cookies that are filled with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut shavings.  Continue Reading

This photo portrait of Omar was made by well-known West Philly photographer Kyle Cassidy.

The news has spread very fast – Omar, a controversial, but undoubtedly iconic Spruce Hill individual, has passed away. Although we couldn’t confirm the details, he reportedly died suddenly last week in Long Beach Island, N.J.

A vigil for Omar was held Thursday night at 45th and Locust (photo by Kyle Cassidy).

Many folks who knew him gathered at 45th and Locust Thursday night for a vigil (see more photos below).

Omar was known by many as simultaneously a neighborhood eccentric, dangerous aggressor (sometimes violently so) and idiosyncratic barfly. He showed up in the Spruce Hill neighborhood in the early 2000s, sometimes disappearing for weeks at a time to “the burbs” (his words).

Omar made some people in the neighborhood angry by his erratic and often aggressive behavior (especially toward young women), but he was “a staple of the neighborhood,” as one neighbor put it.  Continue Reading

Police have released a flyer asking for the public’s assistance in identifying two individuals sought in the ongoing investigation of the murder of West Philly community activist Winnie Harris. Harris, 65, was found shot to death in her home on the 300 block of North Holly Street on Feb. 3, 2017. According to the flyer, Harris was killed in the early morning hours of Feb. 2.

The first person of interest is described as a black male, average height, muscular build, with bushy hair and a receding hairline. The second person of interest is described as a black male of average build. He possibly has facial hair on his chin. The flyer can be viewed and downloaded here.  Continue Reading

Boujie Babes owner Jennell Moody inside her new salon (Photo courtesy of Boujie Babes).

There’s a new type of hair salon opening on Thursday, May 11 and it’s not your typical beauty parlor. Owner Jennell Moody, 34, wants to focus on developing young minds as well.

Moody grew up in a single parent household in North Philly, a part of the city where she was born and raised. Her mother worked long hours to support her family, but Moody wishes she had more resources to work early on in her life. This is why she decided to instill a social mission into her business, starting with a mentoring program for girls between nine and 14 years of age to learn about personal hygiene, healthy body image, self-esteem and “the look for less.” Meet her newest business endeavor: Boujie Babes salon, located at 4329 Lancaster Ave in the Mill Creek neighborhood.  Continue Reading

In the current political climate and the rise of the alt-right movement, Islamophobia is growing more widespread. A number of public education efforts have surfaced, but there’s one particular effort that aims to nip Islamophobia in the bud while children are still in school. Meet Melanie Bartlett, a parent who heads the education committee at the West Philly Coalition Against Islamophobia (Facebook page). Bartlett is spearheading the “Kids Books That Fight Islamophobia” campaign, which has one simple mission: to get more books featuring Muslim kids into elementary school class libraries. Currently, the campaign is seeking out funding through their GoFundMe page and has already raised over $3,600 of its $5,000 goal.

Bartlett was driven by creating a better world for her daughter, who is being raised Muslim.  Continue Reading