Briefs: October 5th, 2021

John Primerano, who will perform on Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Kelly Center in Havertown.

Concert on Oct. 23

John Primerano will perform The Soundtrack of Your Life on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Kelly Center, 4 E. Eagle Road, in Havertown.

Primerano will perform popular songs from the 1940s through the ‘80s.

For tickets, go to https://kellycenter.ticketleap.com/john-primeranothe-soundtrack-of-your-life/.

25th Street Transportation Safety Study is open

The 25th Street Transportation Safety Study team is looking for ways to improve traffic and road conditions along 25th Street. The study covers the area from Washington Avenue to Passyunk Avenue. The study is partnering with nearby residents and businesses to propose short- and long-term safety improvements for the corridor. There will be multiple opportunities for neighbors to share their thoughts and experiences throughout the year-long study, starting with a safety survey, which can be found at www.phila2035.org/25thstreet.

Theatre Exile presents Extreme Home Makeover

Starting Oct. 28, Extreme Home Makeover by Makasha Copeland paints a human portrait of a contemporary Tejano family willing to go to the extreme for a spot on the popular, rags-to-riches TV show of the same name.

Following the Vega family who must fight to make their video application stand out, this earnest satire explores family dynamics in the face of financial hardship. Extreme Home Makeover is a beautifully complex, bold, funny, and hopeful story about a family striving for the American dream and begs the question – in a world where so many receive so little, how much do miracles cost?

The show runs through Nov. 21 at Theatre Exile at 1340 S. 13th St. Visit https://theatreexile.org/shows/extreme-home-makeover/ or call 215-218-4022.

Questioning Carbon opens at Da Vinci Art Alliance

The Da Vinci Art Alliance at 704 Catharine St. will open an exhibition by Andrea Krupp called Questioning Carbon. 

The exhibition documents an ongoing process of creative inquiry and learning, mapping the investigative pathways that began in 2019 when Krupp began researching Pennsylvania Anthracite coal. 

The opening reception will be held on Oct. 10. The show will be on view at DVAA gallery hours through its installment.

Columbus Day closing

PennDOT announced that all driver license and photo centers will be closed Saturday, Oct. 9, through Monday, Oct. 11, in observance of Columbus Day. 

Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.

Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling.

Donate food at AHCU

American Heritage Credit Union invites the community to take part in its Spirit of Giving Food Drive. All nonperishable food donations will be given out to various food pantries and food banks throughout the community to help families in need this holiday season.

The donations will be collected through Nov. 27 at all American Heritage branch locations. Nonperishable goods such as soups, canned meat and vegetables, rice and pasta are at a higher demand this time of year.

Dougherty, Henon trial underway

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced the start of the trial for electricians union boss John Dougherty and City Councilman Bobby Henon.

Jury selection began and ended Monday in what is expected to be a month-long trial in Courtroom 12-B of the federal courthouse at 6th and Market streets. Twelve jurors and six alternates heard opening statements Tuesday.

The government alleges that the defendants were engaged in a scheme in which Henon received a salary, benefits and other items of value from Dougherty, paid for with union funds. In exchange, Henon allegedly used his position to serve Dougherty’s interests within city government.

Dougherty and Henon deny such a scheme.

Doo Wop Festival at FOP

The Doo Wop Festival will take place on Sunday, Oct. 10, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, 11630 Caroline Road.

There will be an indoor dance party, vocal groups and oldies radio disc jockeys.

The event is rain or shine.

Tickets cost $25 and include food, soda and draft beer. They are available at the FOP front desk, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All proceeds benefit the FOP survivors fund.

Call 215-629-3602.

March in Thanksgiving parade

Groups of any kind are invited to participate in the 44th Mayfair-Holmesburg Thanksgiving Parade, which will take place on Sunday, Nov. 21, at noon on Frankford Avenue.

Groups are welcome to create their own family-friendly floats.

Anyone interested in marching in the parade can call Lisa Greco at 215-624-6667 or Donny Smith at 267-538-4668, or email info@thanksgivingparade.org

Designer Bag Bingo on Oct. 22

Holy Name of Jesus Church will host Designer Bag Bingo on Oct. 22, at its hall, 701 E. Gaul St.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Bingo starts at 7.

Tickets cost $35. They are available in the back of the church after Mass or in the rectory office, which is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Pizza, hot dogs, water, beer and soda will be for sale. Guests can bring their own snacks.

Proceeds benefit Holy Name. 

Home runs for the homeless

Bethesda Project will host its second annual Home Run 5K as a weekend-long virtual fundraising race from Oct. 7-10, to support its 16 shelters and residences for homeless people.

The Home Run 5K is a 3.1-mile race that individuals can walk, run or bike a course of their choice while simultaneously raising awareness and funds for Bethesda Project’s shelters and programs. Throughout the weekend, racers will track their times while completing the 5K and record their times on the race page for the chance to win prizes, including fastest time, best race photo and most funds raised.

Kicking off the race weekend will be a Home Run 5K Happy Hour on Oct. 7, from 5-7 p.m. at Triple Bottom Brewery, 915 Spring Garden St.

All individuals, even if they will not be racing, are invited to attend. Race participants will receive a drink ticket, which is included in their registration.

New to the race this year is the option to run (and fundraise) as teams. Racers who select to join a team will receive $5 off their registration and should email info@bethesdaproject.org for a team code.

Individuals can register for the race until Oct. 10, at www.bethesdaproject.org/homerun5k. Registration includes a Happy Hour drink ticket, racer’s bib and race bag. The first 50 registered individuals receive a race T-shirt. All racers have a $200 (minimum) fundraising goal that provides two weeks of shelter and housing.

New exhibit at revolution museum

The Museum of the American Revolution, 3rd and Chestnut streets, will host an upcoming exhibition, Liberty: Don Troiani’s Paintings of the Revolutionary War, that will feature more than 45 original paintings by artist Don Troiani. The exhibition will run from Oct. 16 to Sept. 5, 2022.

The exhibition will also include artifacts that inspired or appear in his paintings and illuminate the story of each scene. The 40 objects on display will include weapons, military equipment, textiles and manuscripts.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Masks are required for all visitors ages 5 and up, regardless of vaccination status. The 5,000-square-foot exhibition will be located in the museum’s first-floor Patriots Gallery.

The exhibition is included with regular museum admission. Tickets can be purchased at www.amrevmuseum.org, by calling 215-253-6731 or at the front desk. Museum tickets are $21 for adults ($19 online); $18 for seniors, students and active or retired military; and $13 for children ages 6 and up. Children ages 5 and under are free. All tickets are valid for two consecutive days. Group tickets for parties of 15 or more are available for a reduced price by calling 267-579-3623. Memberships are also available online or by calling 215-454-2030.

Activities at Academy of Natural Sciences

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, is hosting several current and upcoming exhibits.

Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs goes through Jan. 17, 2022.

Paleo Playdate dates are Wednesdays, Oct. 6, Oct. 13, Oct. 20, Oct. 27, Nov. 3 and Nov. 10, from 10:15 to 11 a.m. The event is geared to preschool children, who will listen to science story time and take part in activities and crafts. For more information and to register, go to https://bit.ly/38yjJAr.

Junior Scientist Workshop: When Did Dinos Rule the World? is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/3hg646b.

Paleopalooza is set for Oct. 16-24, online or in person. There will be workshops, digital drawing classes and fossil exploration stations.

Junior Scientist Workshop: How Do Trees Get Ready for Winter? will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/3DB9IRz.

Invisible World of Water runs from Nov. 13 to April 17, 2022.

Visit ansp.org.

Business group backs Brobson

The National Federation of Independent Business political action committee endorsed Commonwealth Court Judge Kevin Brobson for election to the state Supreme Court.

“On behalf of all NFIB members and small business owners across Pennsylvania, we look forward to supporting Judge Brobson throughout his candidacy,” said NFIB state director Greg Moreland. “As a current member of the Commonwealth Court, Judge Brobson has shown his ability to fairly interpret the law as intended by its writers. Judge Brobson is a thoughtful, intelligent and experienced jurist who will serve the commonwealth exceptionally.”

Brobson, a Republican, faces Democrat Maria McLaughlin, a Superior Court judge.

Library exhibition explores the New Deal

The Free Library of Philadelphia welcomes all to explore how people came together in the wake of the Great Depression in a new exhibition, For the Greatest Number: The New Deal Revisited. The exhibition opened in the third-floor gallery of the Parkway Central Library at 1901 Vine St. and offers a look at the art and objects funded by the New Deal.

Objects on view in the gallery include artwork, books, maps, models, musical instruments, photographs and interactive features, from across the Parkway Central Library’s vast research departments and special collections. Find more information on programs and objects at freelibrary.org/greatestnumber.

It will be available to visit in person through Feb. 4, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Hall of Fame ceremony at Rivers

The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame will hold an induction ceremony and dinner reception on Thursday, Nov. 4, at 5:30 p.m. at Rivers Casino’s Event Center, 1001 N. Delaware Ave.

The class consists of Bill Bradley (football), Bonnie Rosen (lacrosse), Charles “Kid” Keinath (football/basketball), Dallas Green (baseball), Gary Smith (Legacy of Excellence), Jim Katcavage (football), Larry Foust (basketball), Lew Tendler (boxing), Mark Recchi (hockey), Mike Teti (rowing), Olga Dorfner (swimming), Richard Hamilton (basketball), Seth Joyner (football), Yolanda Laney (basketball), “Zack” Clayton (basketball and boxing) and the 1947 Basketball Association of America-champion Philadelphia Warriors.

The emcee will be Joe DeCamara, of WIP.

The evening will also include a fundraising auction and an exhibit featuring Philadelphia sports memorabilia.

For tickets or more information, call 215-254-5049, Ext. 3 or visit https://www.philadelphiasportshalloffame.org/registration/.

Bus Revolution seeks public input

Throughout September and October, SEPTA will host a series of in-person pop-up events and virtual meetings on Bus Revolution, the Authority’s comprehensive redesign of the bus network. Bus Revolution is a key initiative of SEPTA Forward, SEPTA’s Strategic Plan, and the Authority’s efforts to revamp its service and better connect people across the region.​ 

SEPTA’s stop in South Philly will be on Nov. 7 at Marconi Plaza at Broad Street and Oregon Avenue from 2-5 p.m.

The outreach series will be an opportunity to share some preliminary project findings, engage in educational conversations, inform participants of the October launch of a public survey, and to introduce a series of transit trade-offs. SEPTA will use the results of all this engagement and analysis to inform changes to the bus network. This is the first of multiple public participation phases of the Bus Revolution project, which started in 2021 and will result in implementation of a new bus network in 2023. Each Bus Revolution in-person pop-up event will be held outside and staffed by SEPTA and project team members who will engage in conversations with riders. COVID-19 precautions will be taken throughout the pop-ups.

For more information, visit https://SEPTAbusRevolution.com.

Celebrate St. Gabe’s 125th

St. Gabriel will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Grays Ferry parish on Sunday, Oct. 24.

The day starts with a Mass at noon at the church, 2917 Dickinson St. That will be followed by a reception and dinner at 3 p.m. at the Crystal Tea Room, 100 E. Penn Square.

Tickets are $100 each and include beer, wine, dinner and dancing. For more information, call the rectory at 215-463-4060 or email rectory@stgabes.org.

Golf outing to benefit autism school

The 25th annual AJ Foundation Golf 4 Autism will take place on Monday, Oct. 18, at Makefield Highlands Golf Club, 1418 Woodside Road, Yardley.

Proceeds benefit the Comprehensive Learning Center, a private school for individuals with autism opened by the AJ Foundation.

The cost is $200 for one or two rounds of golf, and includes continental breakfast, lunch, cocktail reception and dinner. Refreshments will be served on the course.

There will be awards, contests and a silent auction.

Non-golfers can attend the cocktail reception and dinner for $75. Sponsorships are available. 

Visit www.ajfgolf4autism.org.

Opening meeting for Sisterhood

The Sisterhood of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, 9768 Verree Road, will be holding its annual opening meeting on Zoom on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m.

The program will feature special guest speaker Louis Schmidt, author of The Untold Story of How The Stories Were Told. Schmidt worked as an interviewer for Steven Spielberg for the Shoah Project. The cost for this event is $18 per person. For the meeting link or more information, call 215-677-1600.

Candidates favor term limits

U.S. Term Limits praises 2022 U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Baumlin for signing the pledge for an amendment to term limit Congress. Previously, candidates John DeBellis, Jeff Bartos and Larry E. Johnson signed the pledge.

The U.S. Term Limits amendment pledge is provided to every announced candidate for federal office. It reads, “I pledge that as a member of Congress, I will cosponsor and vote for the U.S. Term Limits amendment of three (3) House terms and two (2) Senate terms and no longer limit.” The U.S. Term Limits constitutional amendment has been introduced in both the U.S. Senate by Sen. Ted Cruz and the U.S. House by Rep. Ralph Norman.

The term limits amendment resolutions would require a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate, and ratification by 38 states, in order to become part of the U.S. Constitution.

Nashville-Memphis trip

Polish American Cultural Center Happy Travelers are organizing a seven-day trip to Nashville and Memphis from Oct. 10-16.

The trip will consist of two nights in Gaylords Opryland, tickets to the Grand Ole Opry, Elvis experience in Graceland with a tour of his mansion and guided tours of Nashville and Memphis.

Call Theresa Romanowski at 215-813-2780 or 215-922-1700. 

Visit Academy of Natural Sciences

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, is offering a photographic exploration of the impact of flooding on communities around the world due to climate events through Oct. 17.

Gideon Mendel: Drowning World is a portrayal of the human condition within the context of climate change. The exhibition features 37 color photographs, a found-object display and a video that is the culmination of 10 years of work by award-winning photographer Gideon Mendel.

The images depict some of the poorest and some of the wealthiest communities in the world, including in the U.S., all exposed to the floodwater that envelops them. Mendel works in stills and video.

For more information, visit ansp.org.

Kimmel reopening this month

The Kimmel Cultural Campus is announcing the return of live Broadway programming to Philadelphia in the fall.

Here is the schedule through next summer: Hamilton (Oct. 20 to Nov. 28, Academy of Music); Rain – A Tribute to The Beatles (Oct. 29-31, Merriam Theater); Anastasia (Nov. 23-28, Merriam Theater); Stomp (Dec. 28 to Jan. 2, Merriam Theater); Pretty Woman: The Musical (Jan. 4-16, Academy of Music); Hadestown (Feb. 9-20, Academy of Music); Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (Feb. 22-27, Academy of Music); Rent: 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour (March 4-6, Merriam Theater); Oklahoma! (March 8-20, Forrest Theatre); Waitress (March 29 to April 3, Academy of Music); Hairspray (May 16-22, Merriam Theater); To Kill A Mockingbird (July 12-24, Academy of Music); and Dear Evan Hansen (Aug. 16-28, Forrest Theatre).

For more information, call 215-893-1955 or visit kimmelcenter.org.

Upcoming bus trip, cruise

The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is sponsoring a bus trip to the Mt. Hope Estate’s holiday dinner theater in Manheim, Lancaster County, on Nov. 29. Cost is $115.

The group is sponsoring a cruise to Charleston and Bermuda, June 2-12, 2022, on the Celebrity Summit, sailing from Cape Liberty, in North Jersey. Rates range from $1,577 to $2,387 per person, double occupancy.

Call 215-788-9408 for information and reservations.