A 2-year-old female Shih Tzu went missing in Mantua (35th/36th St. and Fairmount Ave.) on August 21. See the flyer for more information.

Great news for the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools! The organization has achieved official non-profit status (501(c)3), which will allow it to apply for grants only available to registered non-profits and accept tax-deductible donations.

Here’s part of a statement from the WPCNS board: “Donations help [WPCNS] ensure that our neighborhood schools have the supplies they need, a full range of arts and music instruction, more after-school enrichment programs, and play areas that encourage activity while being environmentally friendly.”

The organization can now also submit grant applications to foundations in support of these initiatives. To read more about WPCNS initiatives and to donate, please visit their homepage. The website was recently redesigned and updated with lots of useful information, including School Catchment Finder.

The 2012/2013 school year is right around the corner as city schools prepare to welcome students back on Friday, Sept. 7. West Philly’s Samuel Powel Elementary located in the Powelton Village section was featured yesterday on local ABC Evening News. The news crew visited the school and interviewed some teachers and staff. See the video below.

Here are a few stories from around West Philadelphia in the past week or so. Thanks to all the contributors who sent us information.

• Child Sexually Assaulted in Belmont. Police are searching for two men who sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl on Saturday night (Aug. 25, 8:34 p.m.) in the Belmont area of West Philly. The men accosted the girl when she was reportedly walking home from a nearby block party, took her to the rear of an abandoned building near Cambridge and 41st Street and raped. The men are described between 20 and 30 years old. Read more about the ongoing investigation here. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Special Victims Unit at 215-685-3251.
• Mantua Community Group Suing Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. A local community group, Mantua Community Planners, is suing Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and the City of Philadelphia for kicking them out of the recreation center at 34th and Haverford. The suit claims that Blackwell locked the group out of the building that they had occupied for 45 years, removed their desks and office equipment and destroyed historical records of MCP’s work within the community. In addition to that, Blackwell allegedly struck a supporter of the group with her car’s side-view mirror and drove away. Blackwell denies both claims. Blackwell, the group alleges, is “selling out the community to the highest bidder and her political supporters.” To read more about the lawsuit, click here.
• First Round Capital Moves to West Philadelphia. First Round Capital, one of the nation’s top early-stage venture capital firms, is planning to move its headquarters to West Philly. The company, with current headquarters in West Conshohocken, has set sights on the building at 4040 Locust Street, the former Urban Outfitters store location. It is planned to initially employ about 10 people in the West Philly office and also to host five startup companies including Technically Philly, Uber Philadelphia, and Curalate, according to an article in the Area Development magazine. In addition, 24 entrepreneurs will be invited to develop their concepts and there will be space to host educational and community events.

Bikram Yoga instructors Jill Holden, Schuyler Ferguson and Ammie Ferguson.

A Bikram Yoga studio is opening this Wednesday (Aug. 29) at 42nd and Chestnut and offering free classes through Tuesday, September 4. The brand new 5,000-square-foot studio space was built this year as a second level of the one-story building housing West Philadelphia Locksmith Co. The studio includes a 1,500-square-foot yoga room and space for a planned juice bar and organic foods store.

Bikram Yoga is the original form of “hot” yoga practiced in a heated room, so the studio has a custom built heating system, allowing it to maintain a 105-degree temperature and 40 percent humidity for every class. Although conditions like that may seem daunting, we hear that Bikram is the world’s fastest growing form of yoga. People of all ages and skill levels are welcome in the studio, local residents and students alike. A staff of eight Bikram certified instructors with extensive training and in-class experience will guide you through classes.

For more information on classes at Bikram Yoga University City, visit their homepage bikramyogaucp.com or Facebook page.

Tobey is a medium (14 lbs), short haired black cat with yellow eyes and may or may not be wearing a black collar with white skulls and crossbones. May run if approached. Last seen: August 24, at 10 a.m. at 47th St. and Warrington (very close to Baltimore).

If you spot Tobey, call day or night: Ryan (215) 817-4286 or Maureen (603) 315-1884.