Fire safety remains hot topic
On Saturday, March 12, and Sunday, March 13, Philadelphia Fire Department companies will visit homes in their Fire Safety and Education Districts to install new 10-year, lithium battery-powered smoke alarms for free, while distributing literature and answering questions about fire safety.
Firefighters will urge residents to prepare home escape plans and remind them of the “Change your Clock — Change Your Smoke Alarm” motto. Residents with older smoke alarms are urged to replace them with 10-year battery alarms. If they can’t do that, then residents should replace the batteries in their older smoke alarms every six months when they change their clocks. ••
Rock and roll for a good cause
The Rock Out Brain Tumors Air Guitar Challenge will team with the family and friends of Matt Remick for the Benefit for Team Matthew on Saturday, March 12, from 7 to 11 p.m. at John McCullough Hall, 6309 Torresdale Ave. Tickets cost $25 in advance or $30 at the door and include beer, soda and buffet.
Remick has a cancerous brain tumor and must travel to San Francisco often for trial treatments. His family is holding the fundraiser to help defray the costs.
Rock Out Brain Tumors founder Jennifer Pownall will be filming the benefit for inclusion in her forthcoming documentary about life with brain tumors. Pownall’s primary project, Rock Out Brain Tumors, has raised more than $3,000 for the National Brain Tumor Society.
For information, email to [email protected]. ••
Neilson’s primary office open
Although state Rep. Ed Neilson had to close his district office at 8100 Castor Ave., on Feb. 25, constituents may still visit his primary district office at 16 Old Ashton Road for government services. Constituents may call the Old Ashton Road office at 215–330–3714.
“My Old Ashton Road office remains fully functional and my staff is equipped to handle a variety of questions about issues related to city, state or federal government,” Neilson said. ••
Park cleanup is Saturday
The Friends of Poquessing Watershed will host a public park cleanup on Saturday, March 12. Volunteers are encouraged to meet from 9 a.m. to noon at the intersection of Knights Road and Poquessing Creek. Participants will meet in the parking lot of Bethel Church at Philadelphia Mills mall, 903 Franklin Mills Circle.
Volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants and sneakers or hiking boots or work boots. Cleaning tools will be supplied. Refreshments will be provided. Youths under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Community service credit is available. ••
Garden club to meet March 15
“Straw Bale Gardening” will be the featured presentation at the monthly meeting of the Torresdale Horticultural Society on Tuesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. at the Bensalem Senior Center, 1850 Byberry Road, Bensalem.
Straw bale gardens combine the best of container gardening with vertical gardening.
All meetings are open to the public. A donation of $3 is required of non-members. Call 856–866–9163 for information. ••
Charlie Brown show at Father Judge
The Father Judge Theater Arts Department will present four upcoming productions of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Show times are 7 p.m. on March 17, 18 and 19 and 2 p.m. on March 20. Shows will be held at the auditorium at Judge, 3301 Solly Ave.
Tickets cost $10 in advance or $12 at the door.
Call Anne Marie at 215–338–9494, Ext. 1128. ••
Health program designed for older adults
Nazareth Hospital and Wesley Enhanced Living Pennypack Park have partnered to present a new educational program — the Adult Healthy Living series — to improve people’s health.
On Tuesday, March 15, there will be a free event from 9:30 a.m. to noon at WEL Pennypack, 8401 Roosevelt Blvd., that will focus on heart health and nutrition.
There will be a lecture on nutrition and healthy eating in older adults. Other services at the event include blood pressure screenings, learning stroke warning signs, finding healthier fast food options and a free healthy cooking demo and food sampling.
To pre-register or for more information, call toll-free 1–866-NAZARETH. ••
Benefit set for pancreatic cancer patient
Family and friends of Joe Mezei will hold a benefit for him on Saturday, April 2, from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Danube Swabian Club, 1277 Southampton Road.
Mezei, who for many years lived on Trevose Road in Somerton, is battling pancreatic cancer.
Tickets cost $25 and include beer, wine, food, a DJ and raffles. For details, call Pearl at 215–280–2873. ••
Father Judge hosts open house on Thursday
Father Judge High School, 3301 Solly Ave., will hold an open house on Thursday, March 10, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Other upcoming activities include Junior Crusader Day for fifth- and sixth-graders (April 5, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.); seventh grade practice tests (April 10 at 10:30 a.m. and April 19 at 3:30 p.m.); and seventh grade visitation day (April 14). For information, call 215–338–9494 or visit www.fatherjudge.com ••
Free resource fair for immigrants Saturday
An Immigration Resources Fair will take place on Saturday, March 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Northeast Regional Library, 2228 Cottman Ave.
Visitors will learn about resources available such as English classes, employment, housing and health.
Organizations present will include the Center for Literacy, Esperanza, Friends of Farmworkers, New World Association, Women’s Opportunities Resource Center and Catholic Social Services.
The event is free, and no registration is required. For information, call 215–685–0522 or 215–685–0501. ••
Irish eyes smiling at St. Patrick’s after-party
Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 17 will hold a St. Patrick’s Day Parade after-party on Sunday, March 13, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, 9617 James St. in Torresdale.
There will be live music by Ballina, step-dancers, beer, wine and food. Tickets cost $35. ••
Orleans to host ‘Women in Trades’ session
Orleans Technical College, 2770 Red Lion Road, will hold a Women in Trades information session on Saturday, March 12, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Visitors will tour classrooms, meet graduate Linda Dunphy, learn about job search assistance, talk to admissions and financial aid personnel and get information on upcoming classes. The career training programs are geared to women, including those who are balancing family life and going back to school.
Call 215–728–4700. ••
Marvel stars to appear at Wizard World
Marvel film stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Sebastian Stan will attend Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday, June 4–5, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
They will be joined by fellow Marvel actors Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci and Frank Grillo.
Each of the eight will greet fans, sign autographs, pose for photo ops (solo and in several different themed combinations) and conduct interactive question-and-answer panels.
A variety of VIP admission packages for individual and groups of the Marvel stars are available. Fans can visit wizd.me/PhiladelphiaMarvel for options.
The Marvel stars join a celebrity field that includes David Duchovny (The X-Files), the Back to the Future trio of Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson and Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead.
Wizard World celebrates pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, original art, collectibles and contests.
Show hours are Thursday, June 2, 3–8 p.m.; Friday, June 3, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, June 4, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
For information, visit wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR ••
Get your motor running at April car show
A car show, flea market and doo wop festival will take place on Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at United Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd, 10901 Calera Road. The rain date is April 23.
There will be food, entertainment and door prizes.
Car registration is $16 in advance and $20 on the day of the show. Trophies will be awarded.
For more information, call Bob at 215–637–6457 or visit www.umcgoodshepherd.com ••
Designer Bag Bingo at Franklin Towne
Franklin Towne Charter High School Best Buddies will be holding a Designer Bag Bingo fundraiser on Friday, April 1, from 7 to 11 p.m. at Polonia Hall, 4431 Belgrade St.
Doors open at 6:15 p.m.
Tickets cost $40. Full tables of 10 can be reserved for $350.
Admission includes a free dinner buffet, an open bar of beer and wine and bingo sheets.
To purchase tickets, contact Karen Colon at 215–289–5000, Ext. 3020 or [email protected] or Kelley Marvel at 215–688–1944 or [email protected] ••
Clarifying hospital background checks
State Sens. Randy Vulakovich and John Sabatina Jr. are drafting legislation that will clarify and reinforce background check requirements for hospital personnel and doctors.
Questions about who is statutorily required to comply with the background check requirements have arisen following the enactment of more than 20 laws during the past two legislative sessions updating the Child Protective Services Law and implementing recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on Child Protection.
ldquo;Last year, some changes to the Child Protective Services Law had unintentional consequences. We merely want to make sure those in the healthcare field that deal with the welfare and well-being of children will continue to be held to the same requirements they were held to in the past. Nothing more,” Sabatina said. “My wife works in the healthcare field, and I understand the sensitivity that our healthcare professionals have in matters involving children. This bipartisan effort will hopefully fix something that was not intended.” ••
Local athletes receive honors
The Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute has announced the winners of its first High School Sportsmanship Award, a local scholarship program aimed to recognize athletes who embody sportsmanship on and off the field.
Among the 21 winners are the following local seniors:
• Alison Wilson (St. Hubert), basketball, field hockey, lacrosse.
• Brandon Teel (New Foundations), basketball.
• E’drise Hightower (Tacony Academy), basketball
• Jacob Small (Franklin Towne), cross country, track and field
• Jeff Days (Philadelphia Academy Charter School), basketball
• Kayla Winter (Archbishop Ryan), volleyball
• Lucy Smith (Northeast), soccer
• Miranda Ruk (Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush), basketball, softball.
• Taylor Champ (MaST), basketball, soccer.
• William McCarthy (Father Judge), soccer. ••
Widow to hold healing session
Donna Glatz, widow of slain Lawncrest jeweler William Glatz, will hold Heal Your Heart From Loss at the Free Library of Northampton Township, 25 Upper Holland Road in Richboro, on Wednesday, April 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Glatz will share the story of her husband’s murder.
William Glatz was shot to death in 2010 during a robbery attempt inside his jewelry store at 6435 Rising Sun Ave.
Obina Onyiah was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Kevin Turner, who had escaped from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility nine days earlier, died in a shootout with Glatz.
The Glatz family had owned the store for more than 60 years.
Another session will take place on April 20.
For more information, call 215–355–3381 or email [email protected] ••
