The 19-year-old man who pleaded guilty in April to a highly publicized sexual assault last fall and was scheduled to be sentenced last Friday has changed his mind.

During his sentencing hearing, Kareem Drayton rescinded his guilty plea and fired his attorney, according to court records. Drayton negotiated a guilty plea in April to the sexual assault at gunpoint of a 32-year-old teacher last September near 48th and Springfield and other robbery and weapons charges. Drayton told the court that he wants a trial.

A trial would require locating several witnesses and complainants in the case.

“(He) wants to roll the dice,” said a source familiar with the case.

Drayton’s next court date is August 16.

Bill “Ready” Cash traveled far and wide during a baseball career that included stops at baseball diamonds all over North and South America and the Caribbean. But he called Southwest Philly home.

Cash’s career, which included a lengthy stint with the Negro National League’s Philadelphia Stars (another West Philly institution), is chronicled by Cash himself along with West Philly journalist and baseball fan Al Hunter Jr. in the book Thou Shalt Not Steal: The Baseball Life and Times of a Rifle-Armed Negro League Catcher. Hunter will discuss Cash’s life and read from the book at Bindlestiff Books (4530 Baltimore Ave.) on Thursday, July 19 at 8 p.m. (after the Dollar Stroll).

Hunter, who spent 17 years at the Philadelphia Daily News writing about music and later as a member of the editorial board, spent hours interviewing Cash for the book.

Cash reportedly got his nickname after being benched during a game when he told his manager, “When I put on the uniform, I’m ready to play.” His career took him all over the United States, to Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. At the age of 33 he signed with the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball in 1952, but he never made it to the major league roster. Cash believed that he may have been blackballed after he accidentally clipped a white umpire during the 1946 season. Like many black ball players of his generation, baseball historians say Cash would likely have been a star in the majors had he gotten the chance earlier in his career.

Cash, who attended Overbrook High School, died last September at the age of 92.

A reader alerted us to some car vandalism incidents that recently took place in the area around Malcolm X. Park. Chris T. writes that two nights ago his car along with at least two other cars between 50th and 51st were “marked with black spray paint, keyed, and/or had corrosive substances poured through the rubber of the side windows.”

Chris says that he has lived on that block for a year and this is the first time he personally encountered vandalism to this extent. It looks like the cars were chosen randomly – they were not parked in a row nor were they on the same side of the street.

“I know it’s no tire-slashing and thankfully mine was not broken into, but crimes of opportunity like these are really troubling,” Chris wrote. His neighbor’s car had a window smashed out and was presumably broken into a few days ago between the 50th and 51st block of Osage Ave.

Someone left this small gift to the neighborhood in a bush near The Restaurant School on Walnut Street.

Do you live or own a business in Cedar Park? If so, your feedback is needed to help shape the future of this quickly changing neighborhood. The Cedar Park Neighbors community association has developed “The Future of Cedar Park” survey which will help them gather useful information as the Philadelphia City Planning Commission had asked community organizations to provide input on its new plan for Southwest Philadelphia and University City.

Although, it’s an exciting time for the neighborhood, with many new residents moving to Cedar Park and new businesses opening, there are also issues generated by this change, including affordability, land use, education, parking and others. This survey will help CPN figure out how to “best represent the interests of all neighbors.”

The survey can be found here. In addition to the online survey, a print version is being distributed through block captains, so feel free to pass this information along to your neighbors who do not have internet access.

As a reminder, here are the Cedar Park boundaries: Larchwood Avenue to Kingsessing Avenue and 46th Street to 52nd Street (see map below). For more information, visit www.cedarparkneighbors.org.

Reader Ashutosh found this cat near 41st and Spruce Streets. Here’s what he writes:

“We have recently found a black and white female cat on 41st and Spruce Street. She has come to our apartment and stayed there last night. Today the whole day she stayed out in the backyards of villas between 42nd and Spruce and 42nd and Locust, but this evening we again let her inside our apartment. She is a very friendly cat, and appears to know this area.”

Ashutosh would like to locate the cat’s owner or find a home for her. If you have any information about her owner or want to help, please call 215 222 0599.