At 5801 Germantown Avenue is the restored Parker Hall, a functional USO for black soldiers and their families in the 1940’s. In currently houses Aces Museum, which not only serves as a museum, but also as a veterans service organization.

The Northwest Soapbox spoke with Jeanette Walker and Renee Workman about Aces Museum and the services the museum provides.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

On Saturday, March 23 the congregants of several local churches erected a memorial to all those murdered by guns in 2012. The installation in Vernon Park along Germantown avenue features a t-shirt for each victim emblazoned with their name, age and date of death. There were two hundred eighty-eight gun murders in Philadelphia last year.

The Northwest Soapbox spoke to the organizers of the installation, a volunteer and the mother of one of those memorialized. The installation in Germantown will be up for two weeks. To learn more about the installation and the organization that created it visit Heedinggodscall.org.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

The Earned Sick Days Bill recently passed City Council with a 11-6 vote for the measure, but a two-thirds majority, or 12 votes, will be needed to override another expected veto from Mayor Nutter.

Janet Filante, Executive Director of Cooperative Development, Inc. (CCDI) speaks with The Northwest Soapbox about why the bill is an important workers rights and public health issue.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

This week, Anna Bohl-Fabian, Programs Administrator for BuildaBridge talks to Northwest Soapbox about how the BuildaBridge Community provides arts-integrated intervention and education to children and families in underserved communities.

Information about BuildaBridge and it's efforts, programs and how you can get involved can be found at the BuildaBridge website.
http://www.buildabridge.org

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

On February 10th, the Germantown Artists Roundtable held it's first networking party at the temporary offices of Flying Kite Magazine.

It was a chance for visual, literary, or performing artists, business and organizations connected to the arts to gather, share ideas and celebrate with area artists and arts patrons.

This week, we hear from various attendees at the event talking about the networking party and the energy the artist community is bringing to Germantown.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

What should an elementary school yard look like? Can it be a place for play and positive experiences? Should there be gardens to grow vegetables while being environmentally conscious enough to prevent storm run-off? The members of Hansberry Garden and Nature Center along with John B. Kelly School think so. Hansberry Garden member Dennis Barnebey steps on the soapbox this week to talk about their project to green Kelly School.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

This week, the Northwest Soapbox talks with Angela Miles and YahNé Baker from Friends of Vernon Park about the organizations efforts in promoting, maintaining and bringing the community back into the park.

To find out more about Friends of Vernon Park, Visit their website at http://friendsofvernonpark.org/

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

UPDATE: The Germantown Special Services District Steering Committee has moved its 2nd Public Meeting from 2/4 to Thursday 2/21, 6:30 at the Flying Horse, 5534-46 Pulaski Ave

Germantown's main commercial corridors are going to look a lot cleaner starting this summer. A new Special Services District is being created to clean, maintain and beautify the grounds within it's boundaries. Denis Murphy from the city's Commerce Department and Marcus von Heppinstall of the SSD's Steering Committee step on the Soapbox to explain what is happening.

To learn more about the SSD's work and track their progress visit them online here: http://germantownssd.wix.com/germantownssd

Take the survey they created by clicking here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MW5XQ2N

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

Settlement Music School is offering it's first ever Adult Rock Band class at it's South Philadelphia (416 Queen Street) and Germantown (6128 Germantown Avenue) Branches. The ten week program kicks off the week of January 14. We spoke to Germantown branch director Eric Anderson and instructor Ed Wise about the program. Ed also plays a little bass for us.

For over 100 years the Settlement Music School has offered community arts programs for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to explore music in a their own personal way. Anyone can sign up from lessons from absolute beginners to accomplished musicians. For more information about the Adult Rock School and othe classes visit this page.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

The Philadelphia School District released a list last week of schools they plan to close. Germantown High School was on this list. The NW Soapbox visited some of the businesses surrounding the high school to get reactions to the news. While most felt the nearly 100 year old school should be saved few would send their own children there today. They feared closing the school would create many problems from inflated class sizes to neighborhood-based violence. Our final interview was with a senior at Germantown High.

Do you have thoughts on what should happen to Germantown High? What should be done to prevent it's closure and turn it around? If it does close what do you think should be done with the property? We'd love to get your opinion. You can reach us at soapbox@gtownradio.com.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

The iMPeRFeCT Gallery is a not-for-profit alternative art space dedicated to the voice of the artist. We are an international, community based exhibition space on The Maplewood Mall in Germantown, Philadelphia.  Gallery founder, Renny Molenaar talks about his space and a vision for the Maplewood Mall's future.

Al Ciment, second generation owner of Maplewood Nutrition, is this week's guest on the soapbox. Opened in 1963 by Al's parents Maplewood Nutrition has seen dramatic changes on what was originally Maplewood Avenue. This through street was transformed into Maplewood Mall a decade later. Al spoke to us about the Mall/Avenue's golden age, tough times and what has kept the family business in the same location for almost 50 years.

To see several images comparing Maplewood Avenue (then) to Maplewood Mall (now) visit this page: http://www.gtownradio.com/content/view/3189/141/.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

G-town Radio kicks off its 2nd Annual Fund Drive this week. Founder and Station Manager, Jim Bear steps onto the soapbox to explain how the community radio station plays a role in Germantown and the surrounding Northwest neighborhoods.

To make a donation to G-town Radio visit the 'Donate' page of our website: http://www.gtownradio.com/donate.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

For over 10 years Covenant House PA (http://covenanthousepa.org/) has been serving runaways and youth in crisis from their location in Germantown. Executive Director Cordella Hill steps onto the soapbox to explain their mission, creating a safe environment and getting CEO's to sleep out in the cold.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

Where can you turn when you don't feel comfortable filing a complaint with police? What if your property was damaged by law enforcement issuing a warrant? Did you know there is a citizen run organization called the Police Advisory Commission (PAC) that can handle these questions and more? Kelvyn Anderson, Interim Executive Director of the PAC, stepped on this week's soapbox to talk about the role of the PAC as an independent investigative body. They even have a role in the recent viral videos of police assaulting civilians (http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/01/us/pennsylvania-officer-incident-video/index.html).

To contact the Police Advisory Commission you can call them at 215-685-0891 or visit them online here: http://phila.gov/pac.

The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.