Due to sleet expected in the area throughout Monday night and early Tuesday morning, all public schools will open Tuesday, Feb. 12 on a two-hour delay, according to an announcement by the School District of Philadelphia. All buses will also begin their morning routes two hours later than their normal time.

Parents and caregivers are asked to be patient as some yellow bus routes may experience moderate to significant delays Tuesday morning due to road conditions. Families can also visit the Bus Status Page on the School District website to see if there are additional delays for their child’s bus route.  Schools will dismiss students in the afternoon on their normal schedules.

All District-operated early childhood programs will also open on a two-hour delay. After-school activities, including athletic programs and professional development sessions set for Tuesday, will continue as scheduled.

             

Jamie Gauthier, a Garden Court resident and the former head of the Fairmount Park Conservancy, has announced that she will mount a primary campaign against Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, whose family has controlled the 3rd District seat since the 1970s.

Gauthier is a former president of the Garden Court Community Association, was born in the district and returned as an adult to get a master’s degree at Penn and raise her children here. She served as executive director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy from October 2017 until yesterday when she stepped down to announce her candidacy. She previously served as head of the Sustainable Business Network, a non-profit started in West Philly that helps small businesses balance profitability with social and environmental responsibility. Gauthier has a master’s degree in city planning from Penn.  Continue Reading

If you’re looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve and/or New Year’s Day, check out events below, plus some useful information on SEPTA service during these days.

There will be two New Year’s Eve fireworks shows on the Delaware River waterfront – at 6 p.m. and midnight. There are several locations where you can watch the show, including Penn’s Landing, Race Street Pier, and more. For more details, go here.

SEPTA will have enhanced New Year’s Eve service on Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines on New Year’s Eve:  Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Marathon returns this weekend, with two main events, the Dietz & Watson Half Marathon and 25th annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Marathon being held on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The city has announced road closures and other restrictions ahead of the event that brings thousands of people to the streets.

Streets will be closed in many parts of the city this weekend. Delays can be expected. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes, avoid areas along the race course, and allow for extra driving time. Due to increased security in the Parkway area, parking and traffic regulations will be strictly enforced. Street closures are implemented on a rolling basis and will occur as runners go by.  Continue Reading

Don’t forget to head to the polls this Tuesday, Nov. 6 to vote in the midterm elections. All registered voters in Pennsylvania can participate in the election and will be able to choose their candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, State Senate (even-numbered districts), and the State House of Representatives.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Click here to find your polling place.

Here are races of interest for West Philly residents:  Continue Reading

This fall, residents can again participate in the City’s Leaf Recycling program, which begins Monday, Nov. 5. The program is provided by the Streets Department and helps the City keep leaves out of the landfill. Here’s how you can participate in the program, which will run until Saturday, Dec. 15:

Bagged leaf drop-off will be offered city-wide on Saturdays (with the exception of Nov. 24) at 23 designated locations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the duration of the program. Bagged leaves set out for pickup will be collected as trash. Leaf drop-off locations in West Philadelphia are the following:  Continue Reading