A judge on Monday sentenced the 19-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to robbery charges stemming from a gunpoint mugging and rape last year near 48th and Springfield to 6-12 years in prison.

Tyshanek Presley was also sentenced to 10 years probation. During the sentencing an assistant district attorney read a letter from residents who live near where the crime took place that detailed the impact on the victims and the community (see the letter below). About a half-dozen residents were in the courtroom for the sentencing, along with about 20 members of Presley’s family.

Community members showing up in courtrooms is still rare in Philadelphia, where fear of retribution has made many city residents reluctant to get involved in criminal proceedings. Town watch groups may help change that.

Earlier this month members of the West Frankford Town Watch were in court during the sentencing of a man convicted of straw purchasing guns, one of which was recovered at the scene of a shooting. The judge in that case issued a strong sentence despite the defendant not having any previous criminal record. Continue Reading

Seeds Gallery Grand Opening on August 11, 2012. (Photo by Jaap Veneman)

Tucked away near the corner of 50th and Baltimore is the new Seeds Gallery, which promotes artists from right here in West Philly. The gallery is small but spirited, containing work at last Saturday’s grand opening from artists and photographers including Charles Barbin, Bob Bruhin, Russell Brodie, and Jeremy Fahringer.

The gallery provides an atmosphere like your friend’s living room. It’s casual, the artists are friendly and are willing to discuss their work. The gallery is small, but intimate, allowing for you to appreciate all of the work without being overwhelmed by too much of it. All in all it’s a charming place to support local artists.

There will be a public open house on August 25 from 6-9 p.m. and another on September 16 from 4-8 p.m. The closing exhibit will be on September 29, 6-9 p.m. Don’t miss your chance to see these wonderful artists before they’re gone.

– Kelly Lawler

The Penn Alexander School last year warned parents hoping to register their children that there were “no guarantees” that spots would be available, even if they lived in the school’s much publicized “catchment.” This year, that warning became a reality for many parents. Not a single parent this year was able to get their child enrolled in grades 1-4, even those who waited in line for more than 24 hours.

Instead the parents were placed on a waiting list that includes students who were unable to secure a spot last year. Enrollment in Penn Alexander classes is capped lower than most other District schools as part of an agreement with the University of Pennsylvania, which subsidizes the school.

The School District of Philadelphia confirmed that the list includes students from last year who were unable to get a spot last year. A large number of parents in line last year were able to enroll their students, but not this year. Continue Reading

The second of three Dollar Strolls this summer is hitting Baltimore Avenue this Thursday (5:30-8:30 p.m.), bringing $1 deals from restaurants, shops and other local businesses. Check out what’s cooking (and brewing) on Baltimore during the August stroll. Also, don’t forget about live music and street performances along the Avenue, from 42nd to 50th Streets.

This is a reminder that PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) is offering free spay and neuter surgeries to low-income residents of the following zip codes: 19143, 19145, and 19146. This offer is only valid until November. Residents can call 215-298-9680 or email: clinic@phillypaws.org to make an appointment. The spay or neuter surgery is completely free with an ACCESS card, or any other form showing low-income. See the flyer below for more information.

The purpose of this post is not so much to reveal the name of the neighbor whose life tragically ended last Monday after he jumped from his fourth floor apartment window, but to honor his memory.

Thomas Meyer, a Philosophy professor at Temple University and Penn graduate, will be greatly missed by his friends. One of them is Michelle Wallhagen who met Tom at grad school. This is what she wrote about Tom and their friendship:

Within five minutes of meeting Tom Meyer, I knew I’d never meet someone like him again. We were both starting graduate school in philosophy. Tom’s commitment to the importance of philosophizing as a way of life was immediately striking. It lent a magnetic intensity to everything he did.

Students were enchanted by him. He fulfilled their expectations of what a “real” philosopher should be like, with his brooding manner and eccentric mannerisms. And he sought to reveal to them the heart of philosophy–that the seemingly simplest questions are crucial to understanding the world and one’s place in it.

Too often brilliance and integrity do not go hand in hand, but in Tom’s case they did. When my heart was broken, when breast cancer came calling, he didn’t try to fix my pain, he walked through it with me.

He played a central role in the happiest day of my life as the minister (internet ordained) at my wedding. He was perfect for the part, earning the nickname “The Jedi” by my fiancee’s friends.

I will miss Tom’s droll humor, his sudden flashes of insight, his eccentricities, his philosophical brilliance, his vulnerability, his loyalty. But most of all, I will miss his ability to listen. He knew how to genuinely listen–not simply waiting for his turn to speak, but seeking to understand another human being’s experience of life.