15th PDAC meeting rescheduled for May 19
Members of the 15th Police District Advisory Council will meet at the Mayfair Community Center on St. Vincent Street at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 19.
The organization usually meets on the fourth Monday of every month, but the May session was rescheduled because of the Memorial Day holiday. ••
Vet Advisory Commission has new director
City Council President Darrell Clarke recently appointed Scott Brown as the new director of the Philadelphia Veterans Advisory Commission.
A U.S. Navy veteran of the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Brown has spent more than a decade in service to veterans. As a volunteer with the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Brown has expedited claims processing and worked with Doctors Without Borders. He is a service officer at Southwest Philadelphia American Legion Post 959 and is a board member of the nonprofit Bringing Up Down Syndrome. ••
Neighborhood yard sales in East Torresdale
Dozens of homeowners in East Torresdale will join forces for two community yard sales on Saturdays, May 17 and June 7, throughout the neighborhood.
Maps and location lists for each date will be posted in advance on the Facebook page www.facebook.com/NEPhillyCYS. Information will also be distributed by Twitter via @NEPhillyCYS, as well as at 4300 Convent Lane on the day of each sale. Generally, participating residents live near the Frankford Avenue corridor between Grant Avenue and Linden Avenue, including properties near Interstate 95 and the Byrne golf course.
Each sale will start at 8 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. The rain dates are May 18 and June 8. ••
Women of Courage Awards are this weekend
Lutheran Settlement House will host the ninth annual Women of Courage Awards ceremony and breakfast at the Sofitel Hotel, 120 S. 17th St., on Friday, May 16, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Loraine Ballard Morrill of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment will host the ceremony.
LSH will honor Katherine Kinslow, president and CEO of Aria Health; Sally Poliwoda, coordinator for the Community Nursing Advocacy Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and Sandy Salzman, executive director of New Kensington C.D.C. LSH will further recognize three former clients who have demonstrated courage in the face of adversity and found their way to self-sufficiency.
Established in 1902, LSH was founded on the principles of the settlement house movement and originally served communities of newly arrived immigrants. This year, the organization will serve more than 5,400 Philadelphians through four main program areas: the James Addams Place homeless shelter for women and children, the Bilingual Domestic Violence Program, LSH’s own Education Program and LSH’s own Senior Center.
All proceeds from the event will benefit women enrolled in LSH programs. Tickets cost $75 and are available via www.lutheransettlement.org. For information, contact Brandon Wright at 215–426–8610, Ext. 1223., or bwright@lutheransettlement.org. ••
Henon announces ‘Text Bobby’ program
In conjunction with the recent Philly Tech Week 2014, city Councilman Bobby Henon announced the launch of two new digital tools for constituents. The tools are aimed at enhancing public accessibility to elected officials and constituent service, as well as mapping monthly zoning variance and building safety hearings.
Henon partnered with Textizen, a civic dialogue platform, to create the “Text Bobby” program, which allows constituents to reach the councilman’s office via text message from a text-ready mobile phone. Users will be able to send an “SMS” (short message service) to phone number 215–392–6606 and receive an immediate confirmation. From there, the councilman and his staff will be alerted of the issue, such as fallen trees, pothole repair, zoning matters or questions about pending legislation. The councilman’s office will respond with answers within 24 hours.
“Text Bobby” improves upon the city’s “City Hall” application for iPhone because “Text Bobby” users don’t need to have an iPhone to use the system. Any mobile phone with texting capability will work.
In a separate program, Henon’s office released a new web-based map using data drawn from the Department of Licenses and Inspection’s appeals calendar. The map includes L&I violations, building permit refusals and license revocations, along with denials to the Board of Building Standards, the L&I Review Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Previously, this information was available online only through the Appeals Calendar on the L&I website. The new map is available at www.bobbyhenon.com/appeals_map.
The interactive map gives users a citywide view of appeals and allows them to click on each address for more information. ••
Holy Redeemer blog offers extra support
Holy Redeemer HomeCare & Hospice provides home health and hospice services in Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery counties and New Jersey.
For hospice family caregivers, Holy Redeemer’s Caring with Confidence blog, www.careconfidently.com, provides an additional level of 24/7 support.
Holy Redeemer Health System provides a continuum of health care, home care, long-term care and hospice, which makes the health system unique among health care providers in the region.
For more information, call 1–800–818–4747 or visit www.holyredeemer.com. ••
Special licenses available for veterans
State Sen. Mike Stack recently announced that veterans designation driver’s licenses are now available from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The special licenses identify holders as U.S. military veterans.
“Having their proof of service on their Pennsylvania driver’s license should make it easier and more convenient to receive the credit they deserve,” Stack said.
Qualified applicants for the new designation on a driver’s license or state-issued ID card include veterans who have received a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD214) or equivalent for service in the U.S. armed forces. This includes reservists or National Guard veterans who were released from service under conditions other than dishonorable.
The new designation is automatically renewable with regular license or ID renewal. The licenses are available at all PennDOT service centers or online at www.dmv.state.pa.us. There is no additional charge for the “V” designation on new licenses. Those who wish to add the designation to their current valid licenses will have to pay the regular renewal fee. ••
Smoking banned in neighborhood parks
Mayor Michael Nutter recently signed an executive order extending smoke-free regulations into all city parks. Dr. Donald Schwarz, the deputy mayor for health and opportunity, joined Nutter at a ceremonial signing, as did Michael DeBerardinis, deputy mayor for environmental and community resources.
Under the new order, smoking is banned in more than 100 of the city’s neighborhood parks and watershed parks, totaling more than 11,000 acres of public space. The policy went into effect on April 29.
“Eliminating smoking in public parks is a commonsense policy that clearly aligns with our city’s existing smoke-free regulations for recreation centers, pools and playgrounds,” Nutter said. “Specifically, this policy protects the environment and the health and wellness of our citizens.”
The policy will be enforced by the parks’ staff. In addition, the Department of Parks and Recreation, along with the Department of Public Health, will support enforcement efforts through community education with a public awareness campaign, including the “No butts about it” media campaign.
Philadelphia joined other large cities like New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta in prohibiting smoking in public parks. Smoke-free parks are an extension of the Clean Indoor Air Worker Protection Act, which banned smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars. In addition, a 2011 executive order made recreation centers, pools and playgrounds smoke-free. ••
Archbishop Ryan student wins spelling bee
Bridget Ryan Lazar was the winner of the recent 10th annual Archbishop Ryan High School Spelling Bee.
The contest featured 54 seventh-graders from 16 Catholic elementary schools.
Bridget won a four-year, $2,000 scholarship to Ryan.
Runner-up Desiree Nyeuh won a four-year, $1,000 scholarship.
Third-place finisher Angelina Stride won a four-year, $500 scholarship.
The contest went 18 rounds, and the winning word was “exuberant.” ••
Fox Chase Cancer Center to host farm stand
The Jeanes Hospital/Fox Chase Cancer Center campus, at 7600 Central Ave., hosts a farm stand every Thursday through November from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Items for sale include fruits, vegetables, cage-free brown eggs, cheeses, apple butter, pumpkin butter, peach cider, cider applesauce and honey.
The stand is located on the grassy area near parking lot C. In case of rain, it will move into the Jeanes cafeteria.
The initiative is presented by the Jeanes Hospital Auxiliary and Jeanes Hospital’s Nutrition Services Department.
For more information, call Rosemarie Schlegel at 215–728–2131. ••
‘Ticket in Basket’ auction is this weekend
Emanuel United Church of Christ, at 2628 Fillmore St. (near Thompson Street), will hold a “Ticket in Basket” auction on Saturday, May 17.
Doors will open at 11 a.m. The drawings will take place at 12:30 p.m.
Food will be available for purchase. Admission is $4.00.
For more information, visit www.emanuelphila.org ••
Fundraiser will aid animal adoption agency
Philadoptables, an animal adoption agency, will hold a flapjack breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, June 7, from 8 to 10 a.m. at Applebee’s, at 9141 Roosevelt Blvd.
The cost is $10.
For more information, email Terrie Crowe at tlcrowe7211@comcast.net or Joe Mason at jmason@calkins.com ••
