Boyle pays tribute to John Lewis
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-2nd dist.) released the following statement regarding the passing of John Lewis, a longtime civil rights leader and Georgia congressman:
“I am absolutely heartbroken to hear of the passing of John Lewis. John understood, better than most, the composition of our moral human fabric. He worked tirelessly to patch up tears and cement fissures and inequities in our country armed with compassion, bravery and an unwavering moral position with which very few could rightfully disagree. John was a true compass that guided me quite often during my time in the U.S. House.
“John was also a true champion for economic and social justice. ‘Good Trouble’ was John’s favorite phrase, and it so deftly captured John’s character and spirit in those two words. I was blessed to have been able to work alongside John and learn from him. John was truly generous of heart, mind and soul and has set an example for generations to come. He leaves behind a legacy that we all must now build upon. May God bring eternal light upon John and may God bless the entire Lewis family as they move forward in the coming days.” ••
March for peace in Lawncrest
A Lawncrest Unity Peace Parade will take place on Thursday, Aug. 6.
The event is sponsored by the Lawncrest Community Association and the Lawncrest Lions.
Participants are asked to gather at Rising Sun and Longshore avenues at 5:45 p.m. The parade will start at 6.
The march will end at the Lawncrest Recreation Center grove, where there will be guest speakers and light refreshments.
People of all ages are invited. The event will take place rain or shine. Masks are required. ••
Register to attend Maternity BVM
Maternity BVM Elementary School, 9322 Old Bustleton Ave., is continuing to accept new students in grades Pre K 4, first, third, fourth and fifth for the 2020/21 academic year.
BMV will be in class five days a week.
For more information, call 215-908-3329. ••
O’Neill wants outside help to collect trash
City Councilman Brian O’Neill has written a letter to city leaders, asking that they hire outside trash collection companies to assist the sanitation department.
O’Neill wrote to Mayor Jim Kenney, Managing Director Brian Abernathy and Department of Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams.
The councilman wrote on July 16, “The extreme citywide delay in trash collection (now up to 5 days) has risen to the level of a public health crisis, with rats, mice, insects and outright stench on the streets of my district and other parts of the city. I am calling on you to immediately hire outside trash collection companies to assist us in this crisis. Under the emergency powers act, you have the authority to and should hire outside contractors as soon as possible. The problem of excessive absenteeism has left us with half the manpower that would typically be needed to collect the trash on time. It is unacceptable to just apologize to the public, when we know that the overtime and incentive pay that are being offered are still not enough to dissuade so many workers from calling out sick. The entire city has been dealing with COVID-19 for months. Your administration should do everything in its power to avoid creating its own public health crisis in the City of Philadelphia.”
The city has come up with several excuses for slow trash pickup, including workers calling out sick due to the pandemic, residents collecting more trash as they work from home, the heavy rains of the week of July 6, a return to weekly recycling and a heavy amount of trash on the July 4 weekend. ••
Thrift shop clothing sale
The Classroom Thrift Shop, 4301 Tyson Ave., sponsored by the women of Temple Menorah Keneseth Chai, will hold its summer bag sale (fill a bag of clothing for $6) from July 24-31.
Hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Customers must wear a mask.
The shop will be closed from Aug. 1 to Sept. 5.
Call 215-624-9130. ••
Virtual concert fundraiser set
The Sisterhood of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will hold a virtual fundraiser.
The fundraiser will feature A Night at the Movies, a concert presented by Bristol Riverside Theatre’s Summer Music Fest.
The concert will be presented on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. or Sunday, Aug. 9, at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $35 each and must be paid for by July 29. A YouTube link will be emailed.
Call 215-677-1600. ••
