Top 5 stories of the week in Northwest Philadelphia

Here are the top five stories you may have missed this week:

1. Residents of two East Falls blocks face $450K bill for alley-wall repairs

Some residents of Penn Street and Midvale Avenue in East Falls recently learned that they’re financially obligated to repair a deteriorating retaining wall that runs along their alley and backyards. The price tag for repairs reaches as high as $450,000. Alan Jaffe was at a meeting between residents and city officials last week.

2. Underground creek possible cause of flooding at Andorra library

Free Library of Philadelphia officials said they believe an underground creek is responsible for the flooding of the Andorra branch basement and the subsequent May 23 building closure. It has since reopened. Check here for meeting coverage from Olivia Jane Winters.

3. Philadelphia youth poet laureate looks to ‘give a voice to young people’

Soledad Alfaro-Allah says she wants to bring a voice to people silenced throughout the city during her time as the city’s second youth poet laureate. Starting last week, Alfaro-Allah will be mentored by the Philadelphia’s poet laureate Frank Sherlock until her term ends in May 2015. Click here for Neema Roshania’s profile of Alfaro-Allah and audio of her reciting her poem “For Us.”

4. Two Germantown Ave. blocks beautified via neighborhood Streetscape Project

Two community organizations brought seven tree pits and more than a dozen planters to a two-block span of Germantown Avenue as part of their Lower Germantown Streetscape Project. Check out Bas Slabbers’ photo gallery of the project.

5. Nascent economic-development coalition talks job creation in Northwest Philly

The upstart Northwest Leadership Collaborative held its first meeting on Monday to discuss plans to foster job growth and economic development in Northwest Philadelphia. Members of the collaborative said they plan to host similar events around the area to introduce the effort. Check here for the full article by Aaron Moselle.