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 on Feb. 14.
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 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. ••
Money for East Passyunk BID
State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler announced that $24,695 in funding from the Pennsylvania Local Share Account is coming to her district in South Philadelphia.
This funding was awarded to East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District for safety updates to East Passyunk Avenue. The funds allocated to the East Passyunk BID will be used to install cameras at the intersections of Juniper, Mifflin, Moore, Morris, Tasker and Reed streets and East Passyunk Avenue. The upgrades will enhance the sense of safety for business and property owners, residents and visitors, Fiedler said.
“I’m proud to support the small business owners and employees who are at the heart of our economy,” Fiedler said. “At the same time that many shoppers focus on buying local this holiday season, it’s especially wonderful to bring back these state grant dollars to our district to support local businesses.”
Rebecca O’Leary, the executive director of the East Passyunk Avenue BID, said, “East Passyunk’s businesses, residents and visitors deserve a safe and clean community. The EPABID is grateful to state Rep. Fiedler and state Sen. Saval for helping us secure grant money for the installation of public safety cameras at all major intersections along our commercial corridor.”
East Passyunk Avenue is home to more than 160 independently owned businesses including restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and salons. The Local Share Account was created to support economic development and neighborhood revitalization projects across the state.
New bike advocacy group
Philly Bike Action will meet on Monday, Jan. 8, from 7-9 p.m., at the Ethical Culture Society, 906 Rittenhouse Square.
The new group advocates for new, protected bike lanes and improvements to existing lanes; overall bicycling safety; and enforcement against cars parking in bike lanes.
For more information, visit bikeaction.org or email info@bikeaction.org.
Congrats to Class 400
Class 400 of the Philadelphia Police Department recently graduated during a ceremony at Temple’s Performing Arts Center. In all, there were 33 graduates, including Khaleef Fields and Meagan Owen as part of Temple’s police department. Of the 31 Philadelphia police officers, 11 were assigned to the 24th district and 10 apiece to the 22nd and 25th districts. New Philadelphia police officers are Justin Alvarez, Donovan Anderson, Alex Barberini, Anthony Bellosi, Aziz Boltabekov, Stephen Bustard, Vincent Chang, Bill Erwin Jr., Nathan Green, Rodney Hall, Kyle Haughton, Keith Hirsch, Nicholas Jones, Omar Karim, Conor Kelly, Daniel Kiesling, Jared Laudenslager, Edward Ma, Javonda Manson, Scottie Martinez, Ryan McAnany, Edward McClain, Thomas Pena, Eriq Pierre, Christopher Pisarczyk, Tianne Randolph, Jonathan Rolison, Garnett Simpson, Katushka Soto Torres, Chelsea Tait and Sarah Winkowski. ••
Tumor support group
A Neuroendocrine Tumor Support Group will meet on Jan. 17, from 4-5 p.m. The group is for people diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumors who are receiving treatment. The group is led by Fox Chase Cancer Center social workers, and people can share their personal experiences, ways of coping and helpful resources. The group is intended to reduce feelings of loneliness, anxiety and distress; increase feelings of hope and empowerment; provide you with practical information about treatment; and help you communicates better with your medical team and loved ones.
Interested people should email Anjali Albanese at Anjali.Albanese@fccc.edu or Mark Itzen at Mark.Itzen@fccc.edu for a link to participate. ••
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. ••
Book club on Zoom
The Book Club of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will be hosting a Zoom session on Monday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m.
The January book is The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict.
For further information or to register for the book club program, call Lynn Ratmansky at the synagogue office at 215-677-1600. ••
Trip to Northern Europe
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is presenting a Northern Europe: Iceland, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and London cruise, July 25 to Aug. 4, 2024, aboard the new “Norwegian Prima.”
Rates per person are $6,261 and $6,495, which include roundtrip airfare from Philadelphia.
Deposit of $350 per person double occupancy is required when booking.
Final payment by Feb. 27.
Call 215-788-9408. ••
Upcoming opera performances
Amici Opera Company will present Verdi’s Don Carlos on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 4 p.m. at United Methodist Church of the Redeemer, 1128 Cottman Ave.
Next will be Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz on Sunday, Jan. 7, at 3 p.m., and on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 4 p.m., at United Methodist Church of the Redeemer.
There will be two performances of Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore: Sunday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m., at Saturday, Jan. 27, at 4 p.m., both at United Methodist Church of the Redeemer.
There will be two performances of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra: Sunday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. at United Methodist Church of the Redeemer, and Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2:30 p.m. at Dock Woods, 275 Dock Drive, Lansdale.
Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra will be performed as part of a dinner theater on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. at La Piovra, 7901 High School Road, Elkins Park The cost for the show and a three-course dinner is $54.95 per person. For reservations, call 215-606-3800.
For more information, call 215-224-0257 or visit the Amici Opera Company page on Facebook. ••
Feb. Zoom book club meeting
The Book Club of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will be holding a Zoom session on Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m.
The February book is the historical mystery The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen.
For further information or to register, call Lynn Ratmansky at 215-677-1600. ••
Local author’s novel releasing soon
Mayfair author Becky Flade announced that Tirgearr Publishing will release her latest novel, Fade into the Night, on Jan. 23. It is the fifth 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, at a specially reduced price. 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. ••
Learn about China
KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Ave., will present All About China, a five-part program for active adults offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Widener University. Participants will learn about China’s history, people, culture and place in the world today. Sessions will be at 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Jan. 8, 12, 22 and 29 and Feb. 5. The course is open to the public. Cost is $30 per person, with checks and money orders payable to Widener University and returned to KleinLife. For additional information, contact OLLI at olli@widener.edu or 610-499-4279. ••
Program on short stories
American short stories will be the subject of an eight-part program for active adults to be held at KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Ave., beginning on Thursday, Jan. 4, at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited to join with members. For the program, students should have a copy of 100 Years Of The Best American Short Stories, edited by Lorrie Moore and Heidi Pitlor and published in 2015. Participants should read the stories before attending the program. Cost of the program is $48 per person for all eight sessions. Money is due at the KleinLife front desk prior to beginning the program. Call 215-698-7300, Ext. 193. ••
Should mammograms for survivors continue annually?
Annual mammograms are recommended for breast cancer survivors in the United States to monitor whether cancer has returned, but a study by England’s National Health Service showed less frequent screenings are just as effective.
Dr. Richard J. Bleicher, a professor in Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Department of Surgical Oncology, is not accepting the findings at face value.
Bleicher issued the following comments:
“This study was an interesting study from the UK that evaluated annual mammography after breast cancer treatment versus less frequent mammography, finding that the women did just as well who had less frequent mammograms. The study is thought-provoking but at this point still exploratory and should not change practice, especially as their follow up was short at 5.7 years. The two groups having different frequencies of mammography after treatment were not risk-adjusted, it seems, as the presenter noted that the authors have collected a lot of data, but did not have that data analyzed or available at this point. For example, the presenter noted, in response to questions, that they did not yet have the differences between the stage and extent of diagnoses between the original tumors in the two arms, nor the specifics of the recurrences that occurred in each arm. There also was no information yet on treatment differences between the two arms, or in presentation of the tumors between the two arms, nor compliance with treatments. Thus the differences between the two arms cannot be discerned. This is important because if the group that had less frequent mammography, for instance, had less aggressive tumors or more rigorous therapy, that might compensate for less frequent mammography in outcomes. The concept is interesting and the specifics of how to screen should be further evaluated, but annual post-treatment mammography should definitely not be abandoned at this time.” ••
