Southern Class of ‘68 reunion
South Philadelphia High School’s Class of 1968 will hold its 55th reunion on Oct. 21 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Waterfall Room, 2015 S. Swanson St. Includes a buffet luncheon with open bar. Tickets are $65 and money is due by Oct. 1. Send payments to SPHS Class of 1968, c/o Maria Leati, 26 Old Republic Lane, Marlton, NJ 08053. For more information, visit www.sphsalumni.com/reunions/.
Scanlon, others introduce bill to stop fraudulent gun sales
Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon joined Congressman Pat Ryan and Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Bob Menendez in introducing the Stopping the Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act, a bill to prevent gun sellers from circumventing technology companies’ terms of service by making it illegal to fraudulently sell firearms and ammunition online.
Some technology companies have taken steps to ban the sale of firearms and ammunition on their platforms, but sellers often misrepresent guns as other items to circumvent such restrictions. For example, sellers advertise on platforms like Facebook’s Marketplace, claiming to sell stickers alongside images of gun makers’ logos. Stopping the Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act would make the deceptive sale or transfer of firearms a federal crime.
The bill is cosponsored by Rep. Dwight Evans and Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Cory Booker. It is endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety, Giffords and Brady.
“Background checks work, and everyone who tries to buy a gun should have to pass one,” said Scanlon. “It’s time to crack down on deceptive online sales practices that give dangerous people unchecked access to guns and make our communities less safe. I’m proud to lead this common-sense legislation that would make these misleading practices illegal – one solution of many that we know will reduce gun violence and save lives.”
$130K grant to support the Philly Tree Plan
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation announced a partnership with Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation USA to support implementation of the recently released Philly Tree Plan. The $130,000 grant will allow the city to plant and maintain more trees in areas identified as high priority due to high heat, high asthma rates, lack of trees and other “environmental justice” criteria outlined in the Philly Tree Plan. This grant will be administered by the Philadelphia City Fund, which serves as the City of Philadelphia’s dedicated fiscal sponsor.
The Philly Tree Plan, released in February, is the city’s first-ever strategic plan for the equitable growth and care of Philadelphia’s urban forest. The plan lays out a pathway toward growing a more “equitable” tree canopy, where residents in “underserved” communities do not suffer disproportionately from the effects of little or no tree canopy.
To achieve these aims, the Philly Tree plan includes recommendations, including coordinating support for trees; protecting the existing and future urban forest; growing the urban forest equitably across the city; reducing the burden of trees on residents; investing in people and communities; communicate with residents and improving customer service; advocating for communities to benefit from the urban forest; and celebrating and supporting the ways communities are engaging with trees.
In advancement of these goals, the plan recommends increased investment in tree care and maintenance to build trust with residents and protect the city’s existing trees. The plan also recommends ways to close the tree canopy gap, by allocating additional resources to community forestry projects in seven priority areas of the city.
John B. Kelly III, president of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation-USA, said, “PA2F-USA is thrilled to work with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department on expanding the city’s tree canopy. The Foundation is proud to be continuing our global work done by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco to combat climate change here in the hometown of his mother HSH Princess Grace.”
The new partnership will support a tree planting and greening project at Williams Moore Reed Park, street tree planting along Allegheny Avenue and nearby commercial corridors and yard tree giveaways in North Philadelphia. The partnership also provides support for community groups to care for newly planted trees in their neighborhood, and aids in the implementation of the Love Where You Live Greening Plan for Nicetown and Tioga (which is led by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Nicetown CDC and Tioga United). The project is expected to kick off in October with a tree planting event with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
Leisure Timers Senior Ministry accepting members
The Leisure Timers Social Club is part of the St. Paul’s Parish’s Senior Citizen’s ministry. Anyone 50 years old and over is welcome to join. Bring a friend. You need not be a parish member. Meetings are on Monday afternoons from September to June at 1 p.m., in historic dePazzi Hall, 714 Montrose Street. Free coffee, tea and refreshments. Yearly dues are $5 for the season. Weekly dues are now $3. There are five games of Bingo. Bingo cards are $3 each, or two for $5. Prizes are $10 per game. $20 for full card. Call: 215-334-6779
Trip to Ohio, Kentucky
St. Jerome’s Senior Citizens Club invites the public to join them for a five-day trip (Oct. 15-19) to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, with a guided tour of Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky. For reservations, questions or a brochure, call Diane McDowell at 267-496-2431. ••
Local author releasing novel
Mayfair author Becky Flade announced that Tirgearr Publishing will release her next novel, Beautiful Dangerous, worldwide on Sept. 26. Beautiful Dangerous is the fourth book in Flade’s award-winning series of romantic thrillers set in Philadelphia. It is available for pre-order at all major digital retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks/iTunes. Flade, a Frankford High School graduate, has been writing since kindergarten, when her Brown Elementary School teacher, Miss Daniels, helped with her first book detailing her and her best friend’s first solo trip to the market for milk. For more information, follow Flade on Facebook. ••
Farm stand at Jeanes
Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus, 7600 Central Ave., has a farm stand that is open Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October. The stand is located next to parking lot C of Jeanes Campus and the Fox Chase Cancer Center Campus. Call 215-728-4861 or email Rosemarie.Schlegel@tuhs.temple.edu. ••
Fetterman endorses O’Rourke, Brooks
Sen. John Fetterman endorsed Nicolas O’Rourke and Councilwoman Kendra Brooks for the two minority party-designated seats in Council.
“This was an easy decision — Philadelphia has the opportunity to elect two champions for working families, instead of a Republican Party that’s fighting progress everywhere you look,” Fetterman said.
Others endorsing O’Rourke and Brooks include Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier, the Black Clergy, Reclaim Philadelphia, the Philly Democratic Socialists of America and left-wing unions such as the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, SEIU and the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals. ••
Parkinson’s support group
Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus is offering a Parkinson’s disease support group for those who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and their families. The group will meet on the second Wednesday of every other month from 6-7 p.m. at the Cheltenham Friends Meetinghouse, 7604 Central Ave. The schedule is Oct. 11, Dec. 13 (holiday party) and Feb. 14. The group is led by nurse practitioner June Ro, and will include guest speakers. To register, contact Ro at 215-707-2619 or Jungyoon.Ro@tuhs.temple.edu. ••
Support for small nonprofits
A Little Better Company, an agency focused on making the world a little better, announces the launch of its inaugural Unless Project, a grant-meets-accelerator program providing $150,000 in marketing and capacity-building services to small organizations with big ideas but limited resources.
Up to four U.S.-based nonprofits will be selected to participate in the Unless Project to turn their transformational ideas into impact.
Simon Rogers, founder of ALBC, said: “In our experience, organizations with truly new and novel ideas struggle to get the resources and buy-in they need to bring their ideas to life. Today, the ability to communicate in the right way can make or break their success, and that gap between idea and impact is where the Unless Project comes in.”
The Unless Project seeks applications from nonprofits that are working on new, novel, provable, scalable and sustainable solutions to challenges in one of ALBC’s four focus areas:
• Environmental Sustainability
• Human Health and Wellness
• Social Progress and Advocacy
• Artistic Activism
The short application process includes a five-question eligibility quiz (yes/no answers only), a short application (written or video submissions) and, for finalists, a 30- to 45-minute Zoom discussion with the selection committee.
The eligibility quiz is available now, and applications are open through Oct. 15. Awardees will be notified on Dec. 15, and then be guided through a six-month process to transform their brand, tapping into all of ALBC’s capabilities and expertise.
ALBC will cover all marketing-related expenditures along the way. Additionally, the grant will include a $2,500 stipend to cover unplanned out-of-pocket expenses.
Interested nonprofits can take the eligibility quiz at https://bit.ly/unless-quiz.
Or sign up for an information session: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_A14a76RyQImqfP1CS62XhA#/registration.
To learn more, become part of the ALBC collective or to partner with the Unless Project, visit https://www.alittlebetter.co/. ••
VFW looking for members
Bustleton-Somerton/CTR1 Michael J. Strange VFW Post 6617 meets on the third Wednesday of every month at American Legion Post 810, 9151 Old Newtown Road. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m. If you are a military veteran who served in a designated combat zone, you are eligible to join the VFW. Contact Commander Israel Wolmark at 215-725-0630 if you would like to join the post. ••
Broadway show
The Marlyn Chakov Fein Chapter, Fox Chase Cancer Center is running a bus trip to New York on Saturday, Sept. 30, to see the Broadway production of Some Like It Hot. The cost is $230, which includes orchestra seating and round-trip motor coach. Bus leaves from 604 Township Line Road, Cheltenham, at 9:15 a.m. Call Harriet at 215-969-8366 for tickets. The event supports cancer research and compassionate patient care at Fox Chase Cancer Center. ••
Upcoming cruise
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is sponsoring a fully escorted Holy Lands & Aegean Majesty cruise from Oct. 6-17, visiting Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and Italy. Rates, including airfare, range from $4,298 to $8,098 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. ••
Register for bike ride
The closed-road, non-competitive Philly Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14, starting at 7:30 a.m. at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Participants can choose from a 20-mile course or a shorter 7.6-mile version, with a finish line by the iconic setting of the art museum and the shadow of the famed Rocky steps. The event concludes with a post-ride festival, free and open to the public, that features live music, wellness activities and food trucks.
The cost starts at $35, with various add-ons available. There are two special ticket deals available.
The event supports the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. A portion of proceeds from the event will support the Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling program.
Registration is open and more information is available at Phillybikeride.com. ••
Save at Boscov’s
The Marlyn Chakov Fein Chapter, Fox Chase Cancer Center is partnering with Boscov’s “Friends Helping Friends” on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at all Boscov’s locations, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The group is selling a shopping pass for $5, which can represent savings of up to 25% off purchases. Call Shirley at 215-530-6637 to purchase shopping passes. The profits of the event will be donated to Fox Chase Cancer Center to support cancer research and compassionate patient care. ••
Day dedicated to women
NBC 10 news anchor Tracy Davidson will present Lifting Your Voice, a day dedicated to women, on Sunday, Oct. 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Philadelphia Country Club 1601 Spring Mill Road, in Gladwyne. The guest speaker will be Jen Croneberger, an author and former recipient of the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry’s Female Business Leader of the Year. She holds a master’s degree in Sports and Performance Psychology and a Sustainable Business Strategy Certification from the Harvard Business School.
For tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lifting-your-voice-fall-2023-tickets-522147375857?aff=erelexpmlt. ••
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]. ••
