Entertainer Connie Stevens will be the grand marshal of the 45th Annual Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade on Oct. 13. Council President Anna C. Verna and state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo will co-chair the event. The parade will be televised live by WPVI-Channel 6 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Cavalier Severino Verna Jr., who marks his 45th year as the official parade marshal, will lead off the march from Broad and Reed streets at 12:15 p.m. The parade will proceed south on Broad Street to Oregon Avenue and Marconi Plaza, where an Italian festival will be held. The festival features ethnic cuisine and entertainment from the various regions of Italy.
Tech access for disabled and elderly
There is a new way for people with disabilities and older Pennsylvanians to get help to live on their own and participate in community activities. The Pennylvania Assistive Technology Foundation helps people to purchase the equipment they need through affordable loans.
The foundation works with United Bank of Philadelphia, which makes loans of $500 to $25,000. Residents may choose to use this loan program if government programs or private insurance do not provide the types of equipment they need, or if they are ineligible for funds.
For more information, call 888-744-1938 (voice), 877-693-7271 (TTY) or e-mail patf@amexcenters.com.
Irish history preserved in mural
A mural celebrating the history of early 20th-century South Philadelphia was recently completed at 138 Moore St.
The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program sponsored the project, which depicts "The Neck," a settlement of Irish immigrants who lived where the Walt Whitman Bridge now stands. The area remained intact until the 1940s.
Artist Paige Hamrick enlisted the help of 27 girls ages 10-14 from the EOM Center to complete the 20-foot-high-by-60-foot-wide painting. The project was completed as part of the Mural Arts Program’s summer art course for local teenagers.
–compiled by Jared Byrd
