Neighbors rally to fight crime in Strawberry Mansion, River Wards | Seal the Divine Lorraine | OCF and Point Breeze | SEPTA cops strike | fund the Free Library

On Tuesday 100 Strawberry Mansion residents rallied against effects of violence and blight on their neighborhood, marching from 33rd and Diamond to Strawberry Mansion High, reports Philly Confidential. Sheriff Jewell Williams asked the crowd, “How come our neighborhoods look the way they look?”

And over in Fishtown, Port Richmond, East Kensington, and Olde Richmond neighbors have formed River Wards Crime Watch in response to a rash of violence in the last year, including the death of Shane Kelly. The watch is comprised of civic groups throughout the 26th Police District’s PSA3. The Naked City caught up with organizer Drew Brecher who says the group is starting small with efforts like phone trees and is planning surprise “nights out.” Brecher said, “It’s kind of vulnerable to be out there fighting crime. But knowing that there are hundreds of other people in the neighborhood who care makes it easier to feel supported in that mission.”

Keep the Divine Lorraine sealed up or she’ll surely burn again. Hidden City Daily describes the easy ways into the building and argues that the city should do more to ensure that the building stays sealed up lest a worse fire seal the Divine Lorraine’s fate. For the love of North Broad, seal her up!

The Daily News discovers Ori Feibush’s Point Breeze development dramas.

SEPTA’s Transit Police are on strike as of 2pm Wednesday. The Inquirer reports the transit cops have been working without a contract for nearly a year. Sticking points for the Fraternal Order of Transit Police revolve around a small pay increase and pension benefits. Philadelphia Police will add police presence at stations during peak times during the strike.

A Daily News editorial calls for the city (and citizens) to find ways to bolster the Free Library’s budget, connecting the library’s services to the city’s struggles with education and unemployment. A recent Fels study found that the value created by the library’s programs exceeds its shrinking budget. “After all, the more we feed our libraries, the fewer out-of-work hungry people we’ll have to feed.”

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