News Roundup July 15, 2016

Breakthrough Philadelphia helps students go to college

When Derrick McLean was in 6th grade at A.B. Day Elementary School in Mount Airy, his mind wasn’t focused on whether he would ever attend college.

But that changed one day when a someone came to his school to talk about a special program being offered to the students. Sure, it would require him to give up part of his summer and one day a week after school. But the idea appealed to him. Read more.

Philadelphians react to an emotional 72 hours in America

Emotions ranged between despair, resignation, fear and consternation for many Philadelphians over the police–involved shootings in Minnesota of Philander Castille and Alton Sterling in Louisiana and the sniper attack in Dallas which left five officers dead and several others wounded. Read more.

How Bartram’s Garden is using its historic mission for new work on the Schuylkill

Look at Southwest Philadelphia’s remote 45-acre National Historic Landmark Bartram’s Garden, planted along the lower banks of the Schuylkill River and long viewed as distant and inaccessible to its neighbors. For the past few years, the Bartram’s Garden Association (BGA) has been trying to change that, by following its founding.

“When John Bartram established the farm, his orientation was entirely toward the river,” said Maitreyi Roy, BGA’s executive director. “The river was his highway.” Read more.

Catching a Wave… in a Park

Philadelphia nonprofits are catching a wave. Tidal forces like the Civic Commons project and city-wide efforts to create or revitalize community-based civic assets like parks, monuments, trails and libraries are already encouraging more social and economic integration. Like-minded organizations such as Bartram’s Garden, Smith Memorial Playground, Please Touch Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo are harnessing this newfound energy to re-examine the role Philadelphia’s venerable institutions play in impacting social good. And the results are triggering a sea change. Read more.

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News Roundup July 1, 2016

What locations need more bike racks? Help UCD bring additional bike parking

University City District (UCD) is planning to install more bike racks in the area and needs help identifying places that need bike parking or additional bike racks. Currently, UCD is accepting photos showing overcrowded or out-of-repair bike parking or bikes locked to trees, railings, etc. along commercial corridors and at other neighborhood destinations in University City. Read more.

SEPTA Trolley tunnel to close for 9-day maintenance in July

The annual trolley tunnel maintenance project, SEPTA Trolley Tunnel Blitz, is scheduled for next month and will take nine days to complete. The tunnel will close at 10 p.m. on Friday, July 8 and will re-open for trolley service at 4 a.m. on Monday, July 18, 2016. Read more.

20,000 Domestic Workers Are About to Get Fair Wages. How’d They Do That?

Myrla Baldonado left the Philippines and settled in the suburbs of Chicago in 2006. She found work caring for the elderly and ill, whom she fed, bathed, clothed, and gave medication. Working in the privacy of her patients’ homes, Baldonado sometimes experienced verbal abuse from their families. Her occasional 90-hour workweeks meant starting at dawn and arriving home late at night. Baldonado’s employer, an elder care agency, also misdeclared her as an independent contractor, forcing her to pay additional taxes. Read more.

Smooth jazz the soundtrack of fundraising in Cobbs Creek

The Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Community Education Center, 63rd and Catharine streets in West Philadelphia, held its first Jazz on the Creek fundraiser where local residents enjoyed the sounds of smooth jazz performed by the Sonny Keaton Quartet last Saturday. Read more.

DNC volunteers sow garden in West Philly with hopes of lasting bounty

A new community garden is growing on a former parking lot in West Philadelphia, thanks to a generous donation and a whole lot of sweat equity.

The 1-acre plot sits behind the Karabots Pediatric Care Center at 48th and Market streets, footsteps from the subway. It's considered the centerpiece volunteer project for the Democratic National Convention, which will be in town July 25-28. Read more.

Scholarship for the common good: Professor Gordon-Nembhard inducted into Co-op Hall of Fame

Professor Jessica Gordon-Nembhard has been a scholar of cooperative economics for some time, but she was nonetheless surprised when the National Cooperative Business Association made the decision to induct her into its prestigious Co-op Hall of Fame. Read more.

News Roundup June 24, 2016

Viewing and funeral for Akyra Murray set for this Friday

A viewing for Akyra Murray, the 18-year-old West Philadelphia woman killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fl. on June 12, will take place Friday, June 24, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Monumental Baptist Church located at 50th and Locust Streets. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. at the church and burial will be at Mount Peace Cemetery. Read more.

ReAnimator Coffee coming to Garden Court Plaza retail space

We are starting to learn a little more about the retail that will be moving into the ground floor of the Garden Court Plaza apartment building at 47th and Pine. An official from Post Brothers, the real estate developer that acquired the building last year and announced their plans to court new retail businesses, said last night that ReAnimator Coffee, which has current locations in Fishtown and Kensington, has agreed to take one of the spots. Read more.

If you’re not engaged with poverty at some level, ‘You’re privileged’

Poverty can’t be solved through charity or policy. It has to be guided by the communities that are impacted by it.

Community organizing was a solution Councilwoman Helen Gym proposed at a recent Young Involved Philadelphia panel on poverty and inequality in the city, where poverty rates are as high as 26.3 percent. Read more.

This activist wants to take an HIV test with you

Philadelphia sees between 600 and 700 new cases of HIV/AIDS per year and is home to over 20,000 people living with the virus. They’re sobering statistics that demand action. Andrea Walker is obliging. Read more.

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News Roundup June 17, 2016

Soda tax passes; Philadelphia is first big city in nation to enact one

Looking to raise millions for a bold expansion of early childhood education, Philadelphia City Council on Thursday approved a 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened and diet beverages, the first such tax imposed in a major U.S. city.

The 13-4 vote put to bed months of speculation and at-times-bitter negotiations, but also ensured that the national spotlight will stay turned on Philadelphia for months, if not years. Read more.

Confederate flag taken down at Pa. Capitol

A Confederate flag that had been hanging inside the Capitol as part of a historical exhibit was taken down Wednesday after objections from a state representative from Philadelphia, officials said.

Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown (D., Phila.) initially took the flag down herself late Tuesday and turned it in to House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny), who gave it to Capitol police, legislative officials said. Read more.

Cooperation emerges when groups are small and memories are long, study finds

The tragedy of the commons, a concept described by ecologist Garrett Hardin, paints a grim view of human nature. The theory goes that, if a resource is shared, individuals will act in their own self-interest, but against the interest of the group, by depleting that resource.

Yet examples of cooperation and sharing abound in nature, from human societies down to single-celled bacteria. Read more.

The Philadelphia and Knight foundations are funding a youth news team during the DNC

A new partnership between the School District, media partners and some big-name funders will aim to elevate student voices during the Democratic National Convention next month.

Middle and high schoolers will have the opportunity to join a youth news team covering the DNC and develop their own written, audio and visual stories while learning journalism skills from media professionals. Read more.

Tony’s Barber Shop building on Baltimore Ave. for sale

The building at 4529 Baltimore Avenue that used to host Tony’s “Just For Men” Barber Shop has recently been listed for sale for $415,000. The 1,760 square feet property includes a ground-floor commercial space, a partially finished basement, and two apartments (a large two-bedroom with a deck and a studio on the ground floor behind the commercial space). It is zoned CMX-2 (Commercial/Commercial Mixed-Use). Read more.

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Save the date: Member Appreciation Weekend June 24 - 26

Save the date for our first Member Appreciation Weekend from Friday, June 24 - Sunday, June 26!

Stock up because Mariposa members will receive an additional 5% off of their total purchase all weekend long.

Not a member yet? No problem! Join Mariposa today and start saving.

News Roundup: June 10, 2016

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Philly’s Underground Dirt Bike Community Exposed In New Documentary

Illegal ATVs and dirt bikes have long been a problem on Philadelphia Streets. A new documentary pulls back the curtain on the city’s underground dirt bike community through a local legend.

“They are real people with a real passion,” says LaMar McPherson, “There are no outlets, schools are closing down, you go past playgrounds there are hoops with no rims.” Read more.

West Philadelphia Orchestra to Kick Off Summer Nights Concert Series; Special Offer for West Philly Residents

It’s hard to imagine summer in the city without outdoor music. A popular outdoor concert series, Summer Nights at the Penn Museum, kicks off on Wednesday, June 15, with a performance by well-known brass band West Philadelphia Orchestra. We’re excited to let you know about a special admission deal for West Philly residents. Those who will print out and bring this post to the museum on June 15 (or show it on your cell phone), will be able attend the concert for only $5 (regular admission is $10). Please note that this offer is only valid for the first concert in the series, which will take place every Wednesday through Sept. 2. Read more.

Michael Farrell Named as Next Principal for Penn Alexander School

On June 1, the School District of Philadelphia announced the appointment of Michael Farrell as the next principal of the Penn Alexander School (PAS), a partnership school with Penn’s Graduate School of Education. A native of West Philadelphia, Farrell currently serves as the founding principal of Thomas Elementary School, a Mastery Charter School located in South Philadelphia. Prior to his work at Mastery, Farrell worked at the Science Leadership Academy. He began his career as a special education teacher at Philadelphia’s Independence Charter School. Read more.

News Roundup June 3, 2016

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Youma: From Economist, to Server, to Manager, to Owner

When I walked into Youma (Facebook page), a new African restaurant at 4519 Baltimore Ave., I was glad to finally get to spend some time with owner Youma Ba. When I met with her, she was covering for a server who was out sick. It was somewhat of a homecoming for Youma, since this very location was where she got her start as a server in Philly back in 2001, when it was known as La Calebasse. She left there to open Kilimanjaro on Walnut St. Read more.

Plans to Move Police Headquarters to 46th and Market in Question

Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration is rethinking the much publicized move of the police headquarters to 46th and Market, despite the start of $250 million in renovations and plans for an art installation and possibly even a new Police Athletic League branch. Read more.

At Technically Media, We Use ‘They’ as a Singular Pronoun. Here’s Why

When it comes to questions of grammar, we at Technically Media refer to the AP Stylebook, aka “the journalist’s bible” — except when we don’t.

The team behind Generocity and Technical.ly uses a house style that takes a few liberties with that classic set of style, grammar and usage rules for newsrooms and academic journals. For instance, cofounder has no hyphen, and for years we’ve lowercased “internet” (though that’s finally becoming standard with the newest edition of the AP Stylebook on June 1). Read more.

SEPTA Launches Reconstruction of Key Transit Hub in West Philadelphia

SEPTA gathered with local elected officials and neighborhood leaders on Monday, May 23, 2016 to break ground on the long-needed overhaul of a transit hub in West Philadelphia. Read more.

The $1 Billion Bet on Gentrifying Black Philadelphia’s Downtown Mall

Wallace Wyche is tending shop in a ghost town. The three-block-long shopping mall where he works in the heart of Philadelphia is empty, cleared out for a massive renovation. At one end, where his Verizon store is situated, a few stragglers hang on: a leather goods shop, a perfume shop, a GameStop. A lone police officer sits at a security station, clearly bored out of his mind, and looks over the empty expanse. There used to be two cops stationed here, but the second was taken off the desk. Read more.

News Roundup: May 18, 2016

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Taiwanese Dessert Shop Coming to 40th and Ludlow

When walking down South 40th Street over the weekend, we noticed a new sign in the window next door to The Green Line Cafe. A Taiwanese dessert shop is in the works for 32 S. 40th St., the storefront formerly occupied by Dr. Wyatt’s University Herbs. Read more.

Museum Showcases the Vibrant Creativity of Africa

The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s latest offering, “Creative Africa,” features five exhibitions that showcase a broad spectrum of the arts from across the African continent. The centerpiece is “Look Again: Contemporary Perspectives on African Art,” on display through Dec. 4, is a major exhibition drawn from the collection of the Penn Museum. It examines the rich artistic heritage of West and Central Africa, and is designed to acquaint visitors with the diverse styles and functions of African art. Read more.

Today Marks 31 Years Since Philadelphia Police Bombed Its Own Residents

The militarization of American police departments, on display during the Ferguson protests, has roots in numerous strategies for "dealing" with Black activist movements in the '60s and '70s. Few events symbolize the results of this warlike behavior more clearly—and scarily—than when, 31 years to this day, police bombed a West Philadelphia rowhouse occupied by the Black radical, back-to-nature group MOVE. Read more.

Teaching West Philly 4th Graders the Art of Protest with March Against Gun Violence

My mother flew in because I was in the hospital. She shouldn’t pick up and fly in from Trinidad, but she will and tickets were cheap. She’s the 4-foot-something rasta woman who Tony Sopranos our family. She flew to New York and made it to Philly on her own, even though legally she can’t see. How’s that for the queen of mothers? Isis, anyone? Read more.

News Roundup May 6

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Ice cream meets space in a project by Little Baby’s and The Workshop School

Little Baby’s Ice Cream is big on wild, outsized ideas. “Generally,” says CEO Pete Angevine. “They stay as that, just ideas.”

So it was with some surprise that Angevine found a group of local high schoolers willing to take on what may be his most outsized of all ice cream-related ideas: Sending a pint of Little Baby’s where no pint has ever dared to go—into space. Read more.

The Enterprise Center Helps Minority Businesses Get Over Their Startup Slump

For 25 years, The Enterprise Center in West Philly has launched hundreds of minority and woman-owned businesses all over the city and beyond, helping to create thousands of new jobs in Philadelphia. But a few years ago, the folks who run TEC realized something: They were successful at helping to launch businesses, but a few years in, many of their entrepreneurs were still in hustle and struggle mode, lacking the resources and big picture skills needed to grow, hire new staff, become pillars of their community and reliable employers. Read more.

At May Day Rally, Child Care Becomes a Radical Act

For a hundred or so activists who crowded into tents to escape the rain Sunday afternoon, the May Day U.S.A. March, Rally and Family Celebration at Clark Park in West Philadelphia was a chance to speak out on issues from the Verizon workers' strike to the perils of gentrification to the need for a $15 minimum wage. Read more.

Following the Footsteps of African-American Worker Cooperatives

New York City has invested more than $1 million to boost the number of worker cooperatives in the last couple years. Of a plan to do something similar in Rochester, New York, Mayor Lovely Warren recently said, “We liked the ability to improve neighborhoods by actively having employees build co-ops in a neighborhood that’s challenged, where people could actually walk to and from work, building wealth and keeping the money in the neighborhood.” Now Philadelphia’s getting a program that will promote the equity potential of the employee-owner model — and it’s taking a cue from African-American co-op history. Read more.

News Roundup: April 29, 2016

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2016 Primary Election Results; How Some Sections of West Philadelphia Voted

The 2016 Pennsylvania Primary Election results are in, and here are some local results and a breakdown by wards on the vote for presidential candidates. Overall, West Philadelphia’s Democratic voters supported Hillary Clinton, except for the 27th Ward where Bernie Sanders came out on top. Read more.

Philly Expands Bike-Share Program After a Booming First Year

Indego, the city's bike-sharing system, celebrated its first birthday on Thursday. And as with any good birthday party, there were a lot of presents - from 24 new docking stations to 300 new bikes and a new way for low-income residents to pay to use the system.

Mayor Kenney led the celebrations on a sun-splashed Race Street Pier, one of the locations to get a new docking station. Read more.

New Lancaster Avenue Café Aims to Feed Everyone At the Table with Pay-What-You-Can Pricing

About 40 percent of food in the United States is never eaten, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. It’s tough to point fingers when there is no one to blame. We’ve all bought meat or produce that has gone bad before we have gotten around to preparing it. The EAT (Everyone At the Table) Café, a nonprofit subsidiary of the Center for Hunger-free Communities at Drexel University, aims to approach food resources a little differently to reduce waste and make access to healthy food more affordable with a pay-what-you-can price structure. Read more.

Socialize the Banks

These days observers worry about banks — European institutions like Germany’s Deutsche Bank, France’s Societé Generale, and Italy’s Monte di Pascoale, not to mention the zombie banks that populate the austerity-ridden eurozone periphery in Greece, Portugal, and Spain. These big banks are widely seen as global capitalism’s next weak link, capable of causing massive financial instability if they go bust. Read more.