Three Aksha presenting virtual cultural performance
Dance company Three Aksha is presenting “KaTha,” a cultural program that combines classic Indian dance Bharanthanatyam and Japanese puppetry art form Bunraku. The performance tells the ancient Sanskrit story of Ramayana, in which a princess is abducted by a force of evil and comes in contact with monkey god Hanuman.
Viji Rao, artistic director of Three Aksha, choreographed the performance, while Martin Holman and his team from Japan produced the puppetry.
The program is free. Performances will happen Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. for guests from the Pennsylvania retirement community and Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. for audiences around the world. Find the program at https://bit.ly/3j6OW0E, passcode 086094. ••
Flea market on Saturday
Crescentville United Methodist Church, 412 E. Sentner St., will hold an outdoor flea market on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ••
Election deadline dates
The last day to apply for an absentee or mail-in ballot is Oct. 27.
In a recent ruling, the Democratic-controlled state Supreme Court said absentee and mailed-in ballots that are postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, will be counted as long as they arrive by 5 p.m. three days later.
Meanwhile, the city election commissioners have opened 17 satellite offices for citizens to apply for, complete and submit ballots. The city has labeled them as “offices” rather than polling places, preventing the Trump campaign from having poll watchers inside.
Local polling places are at George Washington High School, 10175 Bustleton Ave.; J. Hampton Moore Elementary School, 6900 Summerdale Ave.; Joseph H. Brown Elementary School, 3600 Stanwood St.; and Harding Middle School, 2000 Wakeling St.
For more information, call 215-MU6-3469 or go to pavoterservices.pa.gov. ••
Tree planting at Fluehr Park
East Torresdale Civic Association, Tree Northeast and other neighbors will be planting trees at Fluehr Park (entrance at 4800 Grant Ave.) from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 31.
All are welcome to participate. Tools and technical support will be provided by the city Department of Parks and Recreation and Riverfront North Partnership.
Volunteers may sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0844A4A82DA3FD0-tree, or email Dan Coonan at dcoonan2016@gmail.com for more information. ••
Learn about prayer and religious life
The Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity will be holding a virtual event – Coffee with the Sisters, for those interested in learning about the community and discerning religious life.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m.
For the Zoom link, email voc@msbt.org. ••
Raising awareness of lung cancer
U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle and John Rutherford introduced legislation to designate November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
“Lung cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death among Americans, especially for young women and veterans,” Boyle said. “Recognizing November as Lung Cancer Awareness month is a step toward raising greater awareness and increasing the odds for early detection, which is known to increase the survival rate. As co-chair of the Lung Cancer Caucus, I’ll continue fighting for the hundreds of thousands of Americans impacted by lung cancer by combating the stigma and increasing federal funds for better research and treatment.”
Lung cancer is the second-most common cancer in the United States. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined. ••
Feast of Justice holding virtual 5K
Feast of Justice, a food distribution program at 3101 Tyson Ave., will be holding a virtual 5K race from Nov. 22-29.
Run, walk, bike or hike in your neighborhood or on a local trail, and your time and photos will be posted on the Feast of Justice website.
The cost is $25 per person to register, and participants get a T-shirt.
Sign up at feastofjustice.org. ••
Poll workers needed
The Office of the City Commissioners fills poll worker vacancies when judges of election are unable to do so. Poll workers open voting machines at the beginning of the day, check voters into the polling place, support the functioning of the polling place and close everything up at the end of the night. Individuals interested in filling these positions must attend training and be available to work on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6:15 a.m. until election materials are picked up from the polling place location sometime after 8 p.m. Each appointed poll worker will receive a stipend of $145 ($115 for Election Day; $30 for training).
For those interested in becoming a poll worker, complete the form at https://pollworker.philadelphiavotes.com/. ••
Local man publishes book
Northeast native and independent author Christopher Tait, a graduate of Father Judge High School (1996) and Holy Family University (2000), has released his fourth self-published novel, Take the Long Way, through Amazon.com.
Take the Long Way begins in 1996, on the day before 18-year-old Ethan Hudson is set to leave his Northeast Philly home for college in Illinois. On this day, he takes his father’s 1967 cherry red Ford Mustang convertible out for a joyride. After a detour, he ends up in Corkesville, New Jersey, where he meets a girl named Sally Buchanan. They spend the day together and eventually fall in love, but since Ethan can’t stay, they part ways at the end of the day. Twenty years later, they are reunited and wonder if this can be the start of the relationship they couldn’t have as teenagers. It takes a long night of soul-searching and soul-bearing for them to figure this out.
A number of Philadelphia landmarks and businesses are mentioned in the book, such as Paddy Whack’s Irish Pub and the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.
The novel can be purchased on Amazon.com at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Take-Long-Way-Christopher-Tait/dp/B08CM37Y4L/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=Christopher%20Tait&qid=1594599262&s=books&sr=1-11&fbclid=IwAR0Q8M1p_nJ0L-QvY9fXDeuVf6ljldDmYY5uxDpifOOdii-URwZ8DE08sbQ. ••
Bianca Ryan releases new song
Bianca Ryan, the Mayfair native who was the first winner of America’s Got Talent, recently released a song, Hallelujah, a version of Leonard Cohen’s legendary original.
Ryan recently appeared on America’s Got Talent: The Champions.
Ryan will be releasing a Christmas EP this holiday season.
To hear Ryan perform virtual concerts, go to her Facebook and Instagram pages. ••
2 local projects to be funded
Nonprofit KaBOOM! announced the 16 winning projects of Play Everywhere Philly.
Funded by the William Penn Foundation, the initiative accepted project ideas from area groups.
One local winning project will feature an addition to Frankford Pause Park. The playspace will educate kids about storm water management and the water cycle while they run, jump and play. Kids will simulate evaporation, condensation and precipitation as they play, expanding their understanding about environmental science.
The other local winning project, based in Tacony, will include 32 curated science kits that aim to inspire kids and their families to explore the natural aspects of their neighborhood. With indoor and outdoor activities, the kits will help increase literacy behaviors through vocabulary and science-rich conversations.
The installations will be implemented in neighborhoods across Philadelphia by October 2021. ••
Donation to local golf program
TruGreen, a lawn care provider, and First Tee, a youth development organization using golf as a catalyst for personal growth, announced a partnership supporting the expansion of the First Tee College Scholarship Program to include alumni pursuing careers in agronomy, plant science and other science-based professions.
TruGreen previewed its commitment to First Tee with an $80,000 donation to First Tee — Greater Philadelphia to support its Drive for the Future initiative. With this contribution, the John F. Byrne Golf Club, 9550 Leon St., will be transformed into an innovative outdoor classroom, serving as the heart of First Tee’s educational and character development programs in the Northeast.
For more information on First Tee or the First Tee College Scholarship Program, visit firsttee.org. ••
Jeanes honored for cardiac care
Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus was recently recognized with the American College of Cardiology NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Silver Award for 2020.
The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a high standard of care for heart attack patients.
Jeanes received the Silver Performance Achievement Award by exhibiting consistent achievement in the Chest Pain – MI Registry for four consecutive quarters in 2019. ••
Virtual career fair
RecruitmentQueen, a digital job board and job fair events company, is holding a virtual career fair.
Job seekers can text and video chat with recruiters and hiring managers. They can view employers with job openings, learn more about the company and available positions, and apply for the opportunities that best match their expertise.
Applicants can arrange virtual chat times with employers on Oct. 21, from 2 to 4 p.m.
To learn more, visit recruitmentqueen.com/bucksmontvirtualcareerfair.
Employers interested in registering their company can call Jennifer Schultz at 267-981-5976 or email Jennifer@RecruitmentQueen.com. ••
Nazareth holding bariatric sessions
Nazareth Hospital hosts free, online bariatric information sessions for the community to educate patients about weight-loss surgery options and support services at Nazareth Bariatrics.
Participants will have the opportunity to speak with Nazareth Hospital’s bariatric surgeons. The information sessions will take place at 5 p.m. on the following Wednesdays: Oct. 21, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16.
Registration is required. Upon registration, attendees will be sent a link to access the session virtually.
For more information and to register, call 215-335-2090. ••
Eagles film to screen
Maybe Next Year, the documentary film that captured the Eagles’ Super-Bowl winning season from the perspective of four of the team’s most die-hard fans, will play at the drive-in at the Navy Yard on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m.
The documentary, which first premiered at the Philadelphia Film Festival in October 2019, was directed by Drexel University graduate Kyle Thrash.
Maybe Next Year follows Shirley Dash, Barry Vagnoni, Bryant Moreland and Jesse Callsen as they navigate the challenges of life with their love of the Eagles and the sport of football.
To purchase tickets to the Navy Yard screenings, visit http://filmadelphia.org/events/maybe-next-year/.
To pre-order a copy of Maybe Next Year before the Nov. 10 release date, visit Amazon and where DVDs are sold. ••
Jeanes hosting farm stand
Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus, 7600 Central Ave., hosts a farm stand every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October.
Items available include fresh, locally sourced fruits and vegetables, cage-free brown eggs, cheeses, apple butter, pumpkin butter and raw honey.
The stand is located next to Parking Lot C.
Call Rosemarie Schlegel at 215-728-2131. ••
Remember locals who died in Vietnam
The Vietnam Veterans of America Philadelphia Liberty Bell Chapter No. 266 will hold an observance of the 33rd anniversary of the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Front and Spruce streets, on Saturday, Oct. 24, at noon.
The event will remember the 648 Philadelphians killed in the Vietnam War.
The public is invited. ••
Virtual run/walk will support police
The Philadelphia Police Foundation’s second annual Market Street Run for Blue will take place virtually through Oct. 25.
The 5-mile run/walk is in memory of SWAT Cpl. Jimmy O’Connor.
The cost is $40, including a T-shirt.
Call 484-433-6201 or visit marketstreetrun.org. ••
Nominate a hero
Mazda North American Operations has launched its “Mazda Heroes: Honoring The Human Spirit” program.
The initiative aims to place a spotlight on individuals across the country who have selflessly dedicated themselves to their communities throughout 2020. Through Mazda Heroes, MNAO will select 50 deserving people and provide each hero with a Mazda MX-5 Miata 100th Anniversary Special Edition.
Stories can be submitted through Oct. 25 at www.MazdaUSA.com/mazda-heroes.
Honorees will be announced beginning Dec. 2. ••
