Today is Small Business Saturday. I know, I know it sounds cheesy, but it represents something profoundly important. One of the most basic ways to show your commitment to your neighborhood is to shop at local businesses. Many local businesses rely on the holiday season to get by.

Why shop local? Your money stays here. Local businesses contribute to more local causes. Our friends and neighbors have invested their lives in these businesses. The public benefits outweigh the public costs. More practically, you can avoid the long lines of the big stores and you don’t even have to get in your car.

Here are some special opportunities to show your support for a local business today.

Baltimore Pet Shoppe (45th & Baltimore) – 3-year-anniversary sale, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Refreshments for people and pets as well as tons of awesome 3 year deals.

Earth Cup Coffee (45th & Pine) – a special running for Gift Certificate Special. Buy $10 Gift certificate for $9, $20 for 18. $30 for $27, $40 for $36 and $50 for $45.

Cafe Rue 52 (52nd & Larchwood) – Just Cookies will hold a tasting event for Small Business Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

VIX Emporium (50th & Baltimore) – Open an extra hour today, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (also 12 – 4 p.m. tomorrow). Get a free tote with a purchase of $50.09 or more. Warm cider for all!

We came across this little guy while walking north on 46th Street near the intersection with Hazel at about 11:45 a.m. today. He’s small – about the size of your hand – and he has some blood on his nose. He was very scared, was clinging to our shoes and crawled up into our hands. A dead adult squirrel was lying nearby, which we assume was a relative of his.

We left him there because we weren’t sure how our pets would react. If anyone has any ideas about what to do with an orphaned squirrel can probably find him on the east side of 46th Street. He’s not shy and will walk right up to you.

A beautiful new planting bed was recently installed in the Lea Elementary School playground along Spruce Street near 47th. Sixty volunteers came out over three days to dig, till, move soil, and plant to create the 1,400-square-foot bed with trees, shrubs, and bulbs.

This project was the first phase of the recently completed Lea Schoolyard Master Plan, a vision for a vibrant, active, fun, ecological, educational, green schoolyard and community space at 47th and Spruce. The Master Plan is the product of the collaboration between Greening Lea – a group of parents, students, teachers, neighbors, and stakeholders – and the Community Design Collaborative.

Collaborative volunteers will soon announce a date when they will be presenting their master plan to the entire community. Stay tuned for more information.

A group of volunteers helped install a new planting bed in the Lea Elementary playground at 47th and Spruce.

There were about 40 people in line outside of the liquor store at 49th and Baltimore at around 6 p.m. The store closes at 9 p.m. All PA Wine & Spirits stores will be closed tomorrow.

If you are planning to spend the rest of the week here in the ‘hood, check out the Thanksgiving weekend hours at some local stores/cafes/restaurants. We’ll be updating this list as more businesses send us their schedules. If you want your business to be included in the list, please email us at: editor@westphillylocal.com or post your hours in the comments.

Aksum Cafe (4630 Baltimore Ave)

Thursday: Closed
Friday-Sunday: Regular hours (Brunch: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Dinner: 5 – 11 p.m.)

CVS Pharmacy (43rd & Locust)

Thursday: Store: open 24 hours, Pharmacy: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Dock Street Brewery (50th & Baltimore)

Thursday: Closed
Friday & Saturday: 12 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Earth Cup (45th & Pine)

Thursday & Friday: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Elena’s Soul (4912 Baltimore Ave)

Thursday: Closed

Four Worlds Bakery (4634 Woodland Ave)

Thursday: 8 a.m. – noon.

Fu-Wah (47th & Baltimore)

Thursday: 9 a.m. – between 3-5 p.m.

Green Line Cafe

Wednesday: Baltimore Ave, Locust Street and Powelton Village close at 4 p.m.; Green Line at PennVet open normal hours (till 3 p.m.)
Thursday and Friday: – All shops are closed
Saturday: Baltimore Avenue 8 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.; Locust Street 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Powelton Village 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sunday: Baltimore Avenue and Locust Street 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Powelton Village 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Mariposa Food Co-op (4824 Baltimore Ave)

Thursday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Milk & Honey Market (45th & Baltimore)

Wednesday: 7 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Thursday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The Fresh Grocer (40th & Walnut)

Thursday: open 24 hours

The Gold Standard Cafe (48th & Baltimore)

Thursday: Closed
Friday & Saturday: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Serving brunch all three days (including black Friday) from 9:30 a.m. til 2 p.m.

VIX Emporium (5009 Baltimore Ave)

Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday: Closed
Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (open 1 hour earlier)
Sunday: 12 – 4 p.m.

Teddy bears and candles remain near the spot where Zykia Sanders was killed early Saturday. (Photo by Mike Lyons)

Police are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who murdered 22-year-old student Zykia Sanders early Saturday morning at the West Park Apartments near 44th and Market streets.

Sanders was leaving a party with a small group of people at a high-rise building when two people in a four-door sedan fired at the crowd. A bullet struck Sanders in the back as she ran from the shooter.

Police believe Sanders, who lived at West Park with her grandmother, was not the intended target of the shooting. She was a student at The University of Phoenix and planned to graduate in June.

Police are urging anyone with information to call  215-686-3334 or 3335.

Zykia Sanders.