Top 5 stories of the week in Northwest Philly

Here’s a look at what you may have missed in Northwest Philly this week.

1. Community members speak out for a chance to save historic Germantown YWCA building

On Thursday night, a large crowd of concerned locals filled the nave of the First 
United Methodist Church of Germantown (FUMCOG) for the chance to speak up about the old YWCA building that borders Vernon Park. The building faces demolition after a call for development proposals fell flat. Here’s the full story.

2. In a league of his own, Penn Charter freshman swimmer dreams of the Olympics

Fifteen-year-old Penn Charter freshman Reece Whitley already has a stack of national age-group records. This summer, he qualified for the junior national team, a collection of the country’s best 18-and-under swimmers, who, like Whitley, have gold medal aspirations. Here’s the full story on the swimmer.

3. Former Philly ironworkers boss Joseph Dougherty guilty

A federal jury found former Philadelphia Ironworkers Local 401 boss Joseph Dougherty guilty of a racketeering conspiracy, multiple counts of arson and extortion. Dougherty, 73,  faces a minimum of 15 years in prison where he was taken after the verdict was announced late Tuesday afternoon. Here’s the story.

4. Northwest Philly couple seeks to fund Mt. Airy cafe dream with pop-up shop

Pedestrians strolling through Mt. Airy’s downtown may have recently noticed an eclectic new tenant occupying 7122 Germantown Ave. A pop-up shop today, the S.O.N. A.R.T. Gallery and Gift Shop aims to eventually morph into a vegan eatery. Check out the full story here.

5. Family and friends remember slain Northwest Philadelphia man

On Saturday, family, friends and community members held a vigil at the location where, two weeks earlier, their beloved father, son, friend and neighbor Bernard Ray, 39, was killed. Here’s a full look at the vigil.