Police are investigating robberies of two 7-Eleven stores and an attempted robbery of another 7/11 store in the area – at 42nd and Walnut Streets, 58th Street and Whitby Avenue, and 73rd Street and Elmwood Avenue. Police are still looking for the suspects.

The robbery spree started right after midnight at the 58th and Whitby store when a man walked in the store, pointed a long silver revolver at the clerks and demanded money. Both clerks were able to run into secured rooms at the store and the suspect fled without taking anything.

The store at 42nd and Walnut Streets was robbed about 15 minutes later, at approximately 12:15 a.m. by a person whose description matches the first attempted robbery. In this case the suspect also pointed the gun at the clerks, then went behind the counter, pulled out the entire register drawer and fled from the store with approximately $2,000.

The third robbery took place at about 1:30 a.m. at the 7-Eleven store located at 73rd Street and Elmwood Avenue. This time there were two suspects, one of whom was armed with a large silver handgun. The robbers removed cash from the registers (about $320), some scratch off tickets, the clerk’s phone, and also robbed one of the store customers (took his phone and car keys).

No injuries were reported.

The suspect with a gun is described as African American male, dark complexion, 6’2” to 6’4”, slight facial hair, 20 to 25yrs, thin to medium build. He was wearing a dark gray hooded sweat jacket, an orange brimmed baseball cap and dark blue jeans.

This dog was found near 50th and Hazel on Saturday night. If you have any information, please contact Pauline at 267-761-7872 or 215-430-2620.

If your child is entering Philadelphia School District Kindergarten this fall and needs some extra help getting ready for the first day of school, here’s a program that can help. Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Library (52nd & Sansom) is hosting Ready, Set, Kindergarten, an interactive program for parents and children, tomorrow, June 26, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Families will play educational games and will learn about important skills for Kindergarten. Families will also leave with fun, educational giveaways.

Ready, Set, Kindergarten is a new initiative started in partnership with The School District of Philadelphia, LEARN, The Free Library of Philadelphia and Please Touch Museum.

To register, please contact: Betsy Vassallo, 267-350-2863, learn@ccisnephila.com. See the flyer for more information.

A neighbor found these two dogs loose near 47th and Baltimore. Please email shildebrand@mac.com if you have any information about these dogs or think you know where they belong.

Reader Tina sent us these beautiful photos of hydrangeas near 42nd and Pine. Thanks Tina!

Have you recently taken a great/interesting/unusual neighborhood photo? Send it to us at: editor@westphillylocal.com. Please don’t forget to include your name and your photo’s title/description.

Click here to see other photos submitted by our readers.

The 2012 season of the annual 40th Street Summer Series, the free outdoor concert series in West Philly, starts tomorrow, June 23. Slavic Soul Party (pictured below) will bring a mash-up of Balkan and Gypsy sounds to the green space behind the Walnut Street Free Library at 40th and Walnut Streets, beginning at 6 p.m.

The series of concerts is scheduled for the fourth Saturdays in June to September. Other performers in this series include internationally-renowned ensembles Sun Ra Arkestra, Adventuredrum, and the Warriors of the Wonderful Sound with Odean Pope and Dave Liebman. Look for more information on the upcoming performances on our Happenings page.

Complimentary (first come, first served) Rita’s Water Ice will be given out during the performances. Also, for the June and July Summer Series events, Tsirkus Fotografika (“Photographic Circus”) will bring their antique mobile portrait studio and offer free photos to the concert audience.

The series is presented by University of Pennsylvania, University City District (UCD), and The Rotunda. For more information, visit this page.