Power was out for many near 50th and Spruce this morning after a transformer blew and caught on fire. Firefighters switched off power in the area to extinguish the fire. A reader, Marino Pagan, sent in this short video of the fire shot across Barkan Park.

We dig this song and newly released video, “Walk It Off,” by West Philly’s indie hip hop artist and emcee Sterling Duns (Facebook page). A part of the vid was filmed on Hazel Avenue, according to the musician.

Sterling Duns describes himself as an instrumentalist, poet, hip-hop artist, comedy improviser, and astronaut enthusiast!

UPDATE (1/3/14): Police have released surveillance video of the suspect and are asking for public’s assistance in identifying him. On the video, a medium built male wearing dark clothing, possibly a jacket, can be seen picking up a brick from a nearby dumpster and smashing the front door at Fiesta Pizza (45th and Baltimore). Then, the suspect can be seen riding a bike near the Mill Creek Tavern at 42nd and Chester and then breaking in and burglarizing it.

If you have any information about these crimes or the suspect, please contact the Southwest Detectives Division at 215-686-3183/3184. You can also submit a tip by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477) or text a tip to PPD TIP or 773847.

1/2/14: Police are searching for a person who has been breaking into local businesses through smashed doors or windows and burglarizing them. Three more incidents have been reported since West Philly Local‘s post about the Green Line Cafe burglary on December 23. The Mill Creek Tavern, located at 42nd and Chester Ave, and Best House Pizza at 43rd and Baltimore were burglarized shortly after 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to police. The front window was also smashed and a register was stolen at Fiesta Pizza, located at 4518 Baltimore Ave, on Christmas Day.

Two businesses, Rx The Farmacy and Cafe Saigon, were burglarized in a similar manner in August, 2013. The burglary pattern is very similar in all the cases, with the perpetrator using a brick to smash windows and stealing registers or cash from them, according to police.

There are few details on the suspect. Police are working on the release of surveillance video and describe the suspect as a black male dressed in black and riding a bike. The burglar usually hits between 3 and 5:30 a.m. 

“What they might now see is not always what it was.”

This statement, in its simplicity, carries weight. It’s as somber as it is matter-of-fact—a wistful acknowledgment that the blight that now dots the Mill Creek neighborhood is not the contour that defines it or the future it’s nurturing.

This statement is also at the heart of The Mill Creek Documentary: Past, Present, and Future, a new film by the Mill Creek Community Partnership (MCCP) and Eli Lu Productions exploring and honoring the three prongs of Mill Creek’s history (view trailer below). It’s a provoking documentary that encapsulates shifting images and heavy interviews with hopeful poignancy—refusing to accept the systematic and social issues that devastated the streets north of Market as permanent.

This Friday, Dec. 20, MCCP and Eli Lu Productions will screen The Mill Creek Documentary for Mill Creek residents—and those beyond the West Philly community—at St. Ignatius Nursing Home, 4401 Haverford Avenue. The premiere screening event will open with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by the showing at 6 p.m., and a panel discussion immediately after.

The documentary was made possible by funding and support through the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. It is also a project of MCCP’s Fine Art Through Our Eyes Community Arts Initiative.

For more information, contact info@mccponline.org or call 267-288-3255.

–Annamarya Scaccia

We can’t get enough of Philly Thriller. The popular local community dance project has grown since its introduction in 2009 and this year included 34 dancers and a long waitlist of those who wanted to be part of the project, according to its founder Rashida Holmes. If you missed Philly Thriller perform this Halloween check out the video below shot by Rich Wexler of Project Arts. Rich also spoke to Rashida about her project and chatted with some Philly Thriller dancers. Enjoy!

Filmmaker and West Philly resident Angelo Leotta has recently made a film about Philadelphia. The film, which is a time lapse short, also features some scenes in West Philly. There’s something mesmerizing about it that makes you watch it again and again. Nice work, Angelo, and thanks for sharing it!

Time Lapse: Philadelphia from Angelo Leotta on Vimeo.