KYL/D announces 25th anniversary home season
Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers announced its 25th anniversary home season, KyLin’s Garden – A Space For Tending, Sharing & Imagination, at the Mandell Theater, 3220 Chestnut St., on March 10 and 11.
This concert advances Lin’s vision of cultivating the next generation of dance-makers by including two world premieres: Shrill by Evalina Wally Carbonell and Dragon by Weiwei Ma in a shared program of six diverse works, which were inspired by a sculpture at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey by Taiwanese artist Yuyu Yang.
Carbonell’s creation, Shrill, explores human yearning through a vivid kaleidoscope of the senses, deconstructing the shrill sound of isolation and heartbreak. Ma’s work, Dragon, taps into the sculpture’s expression of symbols from Chinese philosophy – integrating contemporary dance with Chinese cultural concepts.
Patrons can view the sculpture that informed the world premiere works on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. at Grounds for Sculpture along with conversation with Carbonell and Ma.
Showtimes are March 10 at 7:30 p.m. and March 11 at 2:30 (Q&A to follow) and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $75 (includes Saturday evening reception), $45, $35, $25 (students) with a $5 rate for Drexel University students. Livestream tickets available for 7:30 p.m. show, $45. Reservations at kyld.org/2023.
New nonprofit names board
The newly formed nonprofit organization Latinos Educando Juntos has named new board members.
One of the new board members is Samantha Rodriguez, who owns two early learning centers in South Philadelphia named Children’s Playhouse and has a consulting business called Innovative Educational Consulting Services.
“My entire mission for 20 years has been to provide equitable practices, respect diversity, have equitable and inclusive services. The focus on diversity in the past couple years was the opportunity to raise our voices even further for the Latin communities,” she said.
LEJ provides educational advancement with English as a second language coursework, completion of GEDs, certificates for Child Development Associates and further college educational opportunities. There is workforce development, job readiness leadership and curriculum development, along with assistance with childcare funding applications and diapers from the Philadelphia Diaper Bank.
Learn more at www.latinoseducandojuntos.org. ••
Black History Month at the art museum
The Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, will celebrate Black History Month with free admission on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be programs and activities highlighting black artists and the work of local community organizations. Offerings include family art creations, interactive storytelling and activity-based tours.
In addition, there will be self-guided tours featuring works by black artists beginning Feb. 16. ••
Working Families Party backing Gym
Democratic mayoral candidate Helen Gym was endorsed by the Working Families Party.
“Helen Gym is the mayor Philadelphia needs,” said Working Families Councilwoman Kendra Brooks. “I met Helen first as a mom fighting for our kid’s schools. When privatizers tried to close schools in black and brown communities, Helen took them on and won. As a councilmember, she won historic protections for renters, fair schedules for hourly workers, and put Philadelphia’s youth first. It was a joy to organize with her as a mom and movement leader then and an honor to work alongside her as a Council colleague over the last four years. Helen gets things done for working families. She will do the same as mayor, and we’re excited to support her.”
Brook and Nicolas O’Rourke are running as the Working Families Party candidates for Council at large.
Rhynhart’s public safety plan
Democratic mayoral candidate Rebecca Rhynhart announced her plans for addressing public safety, in particular the city’s high rates of gun violence.
“In our city, we have had three years of close to or above 500 homicides. This is double the rate of homicides that we had less than 10 years ago. This is unacceptable,” Rhynhart said.
Rhynhart’s strategies to improve public safety and reduce gun violence in Philadelphia include the following:
• Rhynhart will immediately sign an executive order activating the emergency operations center to tackle gun violence, with a specific focus on the 14 ZIP codes out of 40 experiencing the highest levels of gun violence.
• The Rhynhart administration will implement intervention strategies with a track record of success in other cities that reach the people most at risk of shooting or being shot and offer them a way out of the lifestyle with mentorship, therapy, job training and employment, working with anti-violence leaders who have been successful in the community.
• As mayor, Rhynhart will bring together the police, district attorney and courts to review illegal firearm cases and ensure all these entities are working together to prosecute those responsible.
• Make a course correction to the 2016 executive order on disorderly conduct so that police may arrest individuals to prevent escalations that may lead to violence.
• Mayor Rhynhart will move officers from desk work to patrol so that there are more officers available, implement community-first policing and address disparity in 911 response time by neighborhood.
• The Rhynhart administration will invest in neighborhoods that have experienced “historical disinvestment” to improve schools, provide localized job training and create pathways to good jobs with family-sustaining wages.
“Every resident of Philadelphia deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood and all of us deserve the peace of mind that our loved ones will come home safe at night. That’s why as mayor, public safety will be my No. 1 priority.” Rhynhart said.
The entire plan is at rebeccaforphiladelphia.com/public-safety. ••
Street supporting Rhynhart
Former Mayor John Street has endorsed Democratic mayoral candidate Rebecca Rhynhart.
“I am so honored to have Mayor Street’s endorsement. During his time as mayor, he wasn’t afraid to tackle the issues head-on,” Rhynhart said. “His political career in our city is unmatched. Mayor Street was never afraid to stand up for what was right and push against the status quo. He took action to improve the quality of life for Philadelphians and he showed he truly cared about all of our neighborhoods.”
“I am endorsing Rebecca Rhynhart for mayor because she is the most qualified non-incumbent to ever run for the office and the best candidate in this race to lead our city,” Street said. “Rebecca cares about Philadelphia and I know that she will give all of our neighborhoods and residents the care they deserve. She is a fighter who tirelessly pushes for what is right.“
Teamsters 53 endorses Jeff Brown
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Joint Council 53, a council of 29 unions representing 60,000 members from the Philadelphia area, announced it is supporting Democrat Jeff Brown’s campaign for mayor. Joint Council 53 pointed to Brown’s history of supporting labor and creating jobs in neighborhoods across the city.
“Jeff Brown has been a friend and supporter of unions across the city for many years,” said Bill Hamilton, president of Teamsters Joint Council 53. “While others have done a lot of talking, Jeff has been working hard to bring and keep jobs in at-risk communities across the city. Throughout the many years that we have worked together, Jeff has shown the type of integrity, management expertise and commitment to our communities that make him the most qualified candidate. That’s why we are excited to wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy and look forward to helping make sure he becomes Philadelphia’s next mayor.”
Brown said, “It’s truly humbling to have the support of the unions and organizations with whom I’ve worked over the years. Unions are the backbone of our middle class, and they provide immeasurable benefit to their members, which is why I voluntarily unionized my stores. The challenges we face as a city will require new ideas and bold solutions, and I’m glad to count Teamsters Joint Council 53 as part of our team. Together, we will help make Philadelphia the city we all deserve.”
Domb details conflict of interest policy
Democratic mayoral candidate Allan Domb announced the details of the “gold standard” conflict of interest policy he, his appointees and executive staff will follow if he becomes mayor.
The plan is available at votedomb.com/ethics-plan.
As mayor, to avoid conflicts of interest, Domb will, among other things:
• Enter into an agreement to sell his operating businesses and the economic interests in his real estate holdings in Philadelphia to an entity that will be owned by his adult son and other outside investors;
• Transfer all other financial assets (stocks, bonds and any other non-diversified assets) into a “blind trust,” which will be managed by an independent third party;
• As he did for his tenure on City Council, Domb will donate his entire salary to charity, focusing on nonprofit organizations related to education, the arts, community safety and victims, and community building.
• Following the lead of former Gov. Tom Wolf, he’d prohibit his staff, appointees and officials from soliciting or accepting a gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, hospitality, loan or any other thing of monetary value, including in-kind gifts, from anyone who is not a family member or close personal friend.
• Significantly expand the funding for and staffing of the Philadelphia Board of Ethics;
• Increase penalties for violations of election law and regulation;
• Expand and make permanent an Independent Office of Inspector General for Philadelphia and;
• Reform councilmanic prerogative and limit “block by block” legislation. ••
DC 47 endorses Gym
AFSCME District Council 47 endorsed Democratic mayoral candidate Helen Gym.
The union represents workers in municipal government, higher education, social services and the cultural/arts sector.
Previously, Gym had been endorsed by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and Working Families Party.
“I’m deeply grateful to the hard-working members of DC 47 for endorsing our campaign for mayor,” Gym said. “DC 47 workers keep our city running as well as some of our most cherished institutions. I am in this race to finish the job I started in communities more than two decades ago: to build a city where prosperity is shared among all of us, not just a privileged few; a city where lifelong residents can afford to stay, and where others will want to come. I’ll be a mayor who prioritizes community safety, modernizing our schools, improving government services and fighting back against the forces of privatization. This endorsement proves that our movement for a safer, more prosperous, equitable Philadelphia continues to grow even stronger.”
DC 47 said it is backing Gym because she stands against the privatization of government and educational services and has been a supporter of elevating neighborhood quality of life with access to excellent public education, public health centers, public libraries and recreation centers and other essential government services. The union described her as pro-labor and pro-workers’ rights and a champion of racial, housing and economic justice. ••
Sign up for senior softball
The Philadelphia Senior Softball League is looking for experienced players for their 59-and-over and 68-and-over leagues. The seasons start mid-April and will go until the end of September. There will be about 30 games, plus playoffs. No games are played in July. The 59-and-over games are Tuesdays and Thursdays. The 68-and-over games are Mondays and Fridays. All games are played at Crispin Field, Holme and Convent avenues. Games start at 10 a.m. For more information on the 59-and-over league, call John Troy at 215-292-1437. For more information on the 68-and-over league, call Marty King at 215-409-5021. ••
Trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan
The Polish American Cultural Center Museum volunteers are sponsoring a 7-day, 6-night trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan from July 9-15. The trip consists of a ferry ride to Mackinac Island, two nights at the Grand Hotel, a horse-drawn carriage ride and visits to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, the Henry Ford Museum and the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods. The price includes bus transportation, hotels, six breakfasts, six dinners, a buffet luncheon at the Grand Hotel, admission to all attractions, baggage handling, taxes and gratuities. Call Theresa Romanowski at 215-813-2780 or 215-922-1700.
Celebrating 100 years of SMT
St. Martin of Tours Parish invites all school alumni, current and past parishioners and friends to a 100th anniversary Mass in the upper church, 5450 Roosevelt Blvd., on Sunday, April 30, at noon. The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Edward Adams. Afterward, there will be a “Past & Present — Building Our Future” celebration at Cannstatter’s, 9130 Academy Road, from 2-6 p.m. Tickets cost $35 and include food, soft drinks, music and door prizes. The event is for ages 21-plus. Tickets must be purchased in advance in the rectory, after all Masses, through Venmo (@smotphilly) or with check to St. Martin of Tours Church, 5450 Roosevelt Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19124, Attn: Centennial Celebration. Proceeds will benefit church improvements. ••
Exhibitions at Academy of Natural Sciences
An exhibition at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 19th and the Parkway, presents a new perspective on insects and reveals their beauty.
Microsculpture: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss is a series of portraits that capture the microscopic form of insects in high-resolution detail. It will be on view until April 23.
Each photograph makes visible the many intricate adaptations to the form of insects.
Award-winning British photographer Levon Biss created the exhibition, which showcases the insect collection of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History in Oxford, England. Pinned specimens from the Academy’s own entomology collection are added to provide visitors an up-close look at the actual size of insects compared to similar-looking insects in the photographs.
Meanwhile, a new exhibition opening Saturday, Feb. 18, celebrates the diversity of birds, their role in ecosystems and people’s relationships with them. Conversations With Birds spotlights familiar local birds, such as house sparrows and cardinals, and goes beyond to introduce the variety of migrators that pass through on journeys across the globe.
The exhibition features avian photography and video by local birders and wildlife photographers. There will be hands-on activities that explain the body architecture that enables birds to do what they do.
Conversations With Birds is free with general museum admission and on view through Sunday, May 21.
Visit ansp.org.
South Phila. HS class of ‘68 reunion
The South Philadelphia High School Class of 1968 will hold its 55th reunion on Saturday, Oct. 21, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Waterfall Room, 2015 S. Water St. Tickets cost $60 and include buffet dinner and open bar. For tickets and more information, call Arleen Liberi [609-922-2419], Maria Leati [856-287-3734] or Stephen Michielli [267-252-2740]. ••
Upcoming cruise
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is sponsoring a fully escorted Holy Lands & Aegean Majesty cruise that will sail Oct. 6-17, featuring 10 ports-of-call. Rates, including airfare, range from $4,198 to $7,998 per person, double occupancy. Call 215-788-9408 for information and reservations. ••
Cruise the Mediterranean
Norwegian Cruise Line will host a Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Venice on Oct. 10-19. The trip is all inclusive with round-trip airfare, a beverage package, all meals, three specialty dinners, taxes, transfers and all gratuities. The cost for a balcony sea view cabin is $3,511 per person. For more information, contact Fillmore Travel’s Kevin Fries at 215-498-8294 or fkevin910@comcast.net.
