The seven candidates running for District Attorney are scheduled to attend a forum in West Parkside on Thursday (March 16) from 9-11 a.m.

Candidates Teresa Carr Deni, Tariq El-Shabazz, Beth Grossman, Joe Khan, Lawrence Krasner, Rich Negrin, and Michael Untermeyer will discuss issues ranging from mass incarceration to police oversight at the Philadelphia Business and Technology Center (5070 Parkside Ave). The Business Association of West Parkside is sponsoring the forum.

Craig Ey, Editor-in-Chief of the Philadelphia Business Journal, will moderate the forum. This will be the first official event with all seven candidates present. Attendees will also have the chance to ask specific questions.  Continue Reading

University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) continues offering job training and employment opportunities to West Philly residents. Now through March 24, WPSI is recruiting for a training program with Green City Works, University City District’s in-house landscaping operation.

WPSI is seeking applicants who possess a high school diploma or GED, are currently unemployed, and live in the West Philadelphia zip codes of 19104, 19131, 19139, 19143, or 19151. WPSI is seeking applicants with a track record of excellence in landscaping or related fields.

In addition to learning the skills needed to successfully connect to employment, program graduates are guaranteed an interview with the employer and receive a performance-based stipend during the training.

Interested applicants can visit www.westphiladelphiaskill.org to learn more about the program and submit an application, available under “Opportunities for Job Seekers.” Applications are also available here. Paper applications are available at First District Plaza, Suite 206 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The application deadline is March 24 at 5 p.m.

UPDATE (3/14/17, 1:20 p.m.): The snow emergency was lifted at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, and parking is again allowed on snow emergency routes.

Due to the anticipated winter storm a snow emergency will be in effect in Philadelphia beginning at 9 p.m. this evening, which means all the vehicles parked along streets designated as snow emergency routes should be moved. Enforcement, with ticketing and towing, will begin at midnight. Cars left on snow emergency routes will be moved to other parking spots to assist in snow plowing operations. If your car is moved, call 215-686-SNOW to find it (don’t call 911).

Here you can find more information about snow emergency routes and here is a map.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority has announced that they will not be enforcing meters or time limits on residential blocks during the snow emergency.

All trash and recycling collections will be suspended for Tuesday, March 14. If your collection day is Tuesday please hold your trash until the next week.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (3/17/17): Great news: Gabriel is back home after being trapped in a humane trap provided by West Philly-based all-volunteer cat rescue organization Project MEOW.

Owners are looking for their large grey cat, Gabriel, that escaped from his home at 54th and Cedar last night, March 12. He is a large grey cat with a big head, grey collar, and pink tag.

Starting Monday, March 13, SEPTA customers can fully transition to paying for their rides with a Key Card (just tap and go!). SEPTA is expanding the Travel Wallet feature to Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line and major bus loop fare kiosks, and riders will be able to purchase a Key Card at fair kiosks and load it with money starting on the following dates at the following Market-Frankford Line stations in West Philly (Note: SEPTA Key Cards and Travel Wallet are already available at 69th Street Transportation Center and 1234 Market Street fare kiosks):

Tuesday, March 14

– 30th Street
– 34th Street

Wednesday, March 15

– 40th Street
– 52nd Street  Continue Reading

On Monday, March 13 at 1 p.m., Councilman Curtis Jones and the Philadelphia City Council Public Safety Committee will host a hearing on body-worn cameras in room 400 of City Hall (1401 John F Kennedy Blvd).

Upturn, a technology company that helps citizens understand law and policy, recently compiled a report card of body camera policies all over the country. According to their report, Philadelphia body cam policy allows officers to review footage before filing a statement; potentially limits the deletion of unflagged footage; doesn’t allow those filing police misconduct reports to view footage; and doesn’t cover the use of biometric technologies (like facial recognition) to identify individuals in footage. Additionally, there is room for improvement regarding footage tampering and unauthorized access because the policy doesn’t indicate if footage is audited or logged.  Continue Reading