West Philadelphia: Libraries “Plant A Seed” That Brings Success And Literacy For West Philly Children
Out of the 339 schools within the Philadelphia School District, only eight have full-time paid certified librarians. Louis Lozzi, a Philadelphia native and teacher said that the lack of library funding in the school system has been an issue since he began his teaching career 15 years ago. “I’m used to being in schools without […]
Walnut Hill: Community Rebuilds Park From The Ground Up
Community members in Walnut Hill gathered in a collaborative effort with the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation and the Enterprise Center to rebuild the Walnut Hill Park creating a safe and relaxing space for children and families. An ongoing project since 2007, Walnut Hill Community Association and the Enterprise Center Partnerships Manager Lorna Peterson, went […]
Walnut Hill: Community Association Encourages Residents to Stand Up and Be Heard by Voting
Walnut Hill Community Association President Horrace Patterson believes that the primary election and November general election could impact the community significantly. As president of the association for the past four years, Patterson finds that drugs, crime, cleanliness, schools, abandoned buildings and vacant lots are plaguing the community. “In my opinion, Mayor Nutter hasn’t done anything directly […]
Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill: Local Bands Gear Up for Clark Park Fest
Since 1970, the Clark Park Music and Arts Festival has been a summer staple in the West Philadelphia area, attracting local musical acts, artists and vendors. This year’s festival is at the end of the month, but preparations have been underway since late March. “There’s a number of different attractions we have,” said Joshua Craft, owner […]
Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill: Armed Robbers And Increase in Crime Spur Community Safety Efforts
On the evening of March 12, a resident of the West Philadelphia community was robbed at gunpoint at the intersection of 46th and Hazel streets. Detective Joseph Murray, one of the West Philadelphia community’s main sources for information on crime, released a statement on Twitter about the robbery, stating that the suspect was wearing a gray hoodie and […]
Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill: Five Community Leaders You Need to Know
One of the most immediately distinct things about Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill are the many communities that these areas contain. Whether they are drawn together by religion, proximity or shared cultural backgrounds, the people in these communities are the lifeblood of the area. The five people below are community leaders whose actions help to […]
Walnut Hill: Local Hardware Store is Century Old Staple
When most people think of a hardware they immediately think of the big national chains Home Depot or Lowe’s. Yet, for many in Walnut Hill, their hardware store is not a national chain. The Monarch hardware store, located at 4502 Walnut Street, has been a community staple since 1929. While this store originally opened in 1904, the […]
Walnut Hill: Painting of Paul Robeson Unveiled
Sixteen years have passed since Philadelphia artist Vaughn Stubb began painting “A Life: Paul Robeson.” The painting was created piece by piece and slowly put together like a puzzle. Stubb is a multidisciplinary artist who studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia after serving in the military during the Vietnam War. He […]
Walnut Hill: Caregarden Stands Out In Child Care
The two dozen letters squeezed on the paperboard sign delivered a message louder than the 10 syllables intended. The grand opening of a new childcare center on 46th Street near Market Street in Walnut Hill was marked with a set of bubble letters, filled in with washable marker. The sign promoted that the center was […]
Walnut Hill: Park Advocates Ask City to Show Them the Money
Broken tree branches, cracked sidewalks, cluttered paths. These issues should be routine maintenance. But with the uncertainty of proper funding to the Parks and Recreation Department, these problems could continue to increase and spiral out of control. On April 17, members of the Friends of Clark Park joined with 250 enraged citizens inside City Council […]