West Philly Strike and Rally flyer.

In an effort to provide an opportunity for West Philly residents and businesses to protest the decisions by the current administration and to show solidarity with the general strike that is taking place across the country, a West Philadelphia Community Strike and Rally is being planned for Friday, Feb. 17.

Neighbors and businesses in West Philly will be gathering for a rally in Clark Park from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. the rally that will include interactive work by Theater of the Oppressed, puppets from Spiral Q, and a speaker from local activist organization West Philly Forward Together. Participating local businesses will be closing their doors from 12 – 2:00 p.m., if not for the entire day, according to event organizers, local activists Thomas Morello and Jessica St. Jacobs.

“Another aspect of this event’s purpose is in the location, as travel to Center City presents a barrier to some members of our community and does not highlight and empower our specific neighborhood as such,” Morello wrote in an e-mail.  Continue Reading

Here’s a chance for West Philly community members who want to beautify their neighborhood to get some financial help. Greensgrow Farms, which recently opened a larger and more permanent West Philly location at 5123 Baltimore Ave., is offering small grants to individuals or organizations in the area for projects that will:

• Improve neighborhood public spaces;
• Beautify the community;
• Nurture a shared sense of neighborhood identity and community pride

The grants are being offered as part of Mary’s Community Fund, a legacy project to continue the life and work of Mary Seton Corboy, the founder of Greensgrow and a supporter of a greener Philadelphia.

Each applicant group must represent a specific neighborhood or organization and may request up to $1000 in direct grant support towards the project budget. Applications are due on March 11, 2017. Grantees will be announced at Greensgrow’s 20th Anniversary Opening Event on March 25.

The application form as well as more information about eligibility, funding guidelines, and project ideas can be found here.

Roxanne/Roxie, a light brown pit mix, has been missing since February 3rd. She was last seen around 55th and Chestnut and may be in the area or University City. Her family misses her and is offering a reward for her safe return.

Please contact Sheena if you see her – 215.490.6650.

SEPTA is expanding its Key Fare program to more transit locations. Starting Thursday, Feb. 9, customers can get a new Key Card at 69th Street Transportation Center with the purchase of a Weekly/Monthly Transpass, Convenience Pass, or when they load funds to a Travel Wallet.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 13, and continuing throughout February and early March, Fare Kiosks will be activated at all Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Line stations, and all major bus loops. Key Cards will be available with the purchase of Weekly and Monthly TransPasses, and then reloadable for all passes and the Travel Wallet.

Fare Kiosks will be activated on the Market-Frankford Line in West Philly on the following dates:

• Thursday, Feb. 16: 30th St., 34th St., 40th St., 46th St.
• Friday, Feb. 17: 52nd St., 56th St., 60th St., 63rd St.  Continue Reading

Funeral services for beloved West Philly community activist and acting executive director of UC Green, Winnie Harris, who was found shot to death in her Powelton home last Friday, will take place Monday, Feb. 13.

The funeral will be at the Christ Community Church of Philadelphia (4017 Chestnut St.), beginning at 10 a.m. A closed casket Memorial Hour will begin at 9 a.m. Burial will be at the West Laurel Hill Cemetery, 215 Belmont Avenue, in Bala Cynwyd, followed by a reception for family and friends.

A number of community organizations where Harris, a longtime Powelton resident and green space advocate, has been involved with posted their messages grieving her tragic death.  Continue Reading

The School Reform Commission on Wednesday approved a new charter school to be located in the Parkside neighborhood in West Philadelphia. KIPP Parkside is scheduled to open during the 2019-2020 academic year with grades K-4.

The school’s opening was one of the stipulations the SRC placed on the approval. The school’s application proposed opening in the 2018-2019 school year. The SRC also limited the school to grades K-4, adding that it could expand to the proposed K-8 if it performed well.

KIPP Parkside garnered unanimous approval from the SRC, which denied the applications of two other schools – the Friendship Whittier Charter School in the West Allegheny neighborhood and the Deep Roots Charter School in Harrowgate. Only three proposals made it through the full process this year. The evaluation reports for all three proposed schools are available here.

About a third of Philadelphia’s approximately 130,000 public school students attend charter schools, second only to Detroit among big cities.