Get your North Catholic items
The Northeast Catholic Alumni Association Christmas sale will take place on Saturdays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18, from noon to 4 p.m. at the alumni office at 2700 Rhawn St. Items include hats, shirts, mugs, beer glasses and shorts. ••
Tacony Civic meeting
Tacony Civic Association will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. at Holy Innocents St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 7001 Torresdale Ave. There will be guest speakers from PennDOT and Riverfront North Partnership. ••
History meeting tonight
Northeast Philadelphia History Network will hold a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. The topic will be The Philadelphia County Fair at Somerton/Byberry. The speaker will be historian Patty McCarthy. For five to seven days every September from 1912-25 the Somerton/Byberry area of the Northeast was home to the Philadelphia County Fair. Join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89462981955?pwd=TFk5VmI2K2UyOGljVy8zZkRPSWtQQT09. The meeting ID is 894 6298 1955. The passcode is 512013. ••
Drawing class at KleinLife
Elements of Drawing, a four-part art series for active maturing adults, will be offered at KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Ave., beginning on Thursday, Dec. 9. The public is invited to join with members.
In addition to Dec. 9, the programs will run on Dec. 16, 23 and 30. All will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Cost will be $50 per person, including some art supplies. The fee must be paid at the KleinLife front desk prior to beginning the sessions. Call Shelley Geltzer at 215-698-7300, Ext. 129. ••
Big pay raise for politicians
State senators and representatives received a 5.64% raise on Dec. 1.
The increase brought their annual salaries from $90,335 to $95,432. Members of leadership make even more money.
Judges and the governor will receive their raises on Jan. 1.
The raises are based on increases in the Consumer Price Index.
Even if the CPI goes down, the elected officials do not see a decline in pay. ••
Half-price clothing sale
The Classroom Thrift Shop, 4301 Tyson Ave., sponsored by the women of Temple Menorah Keneseth Chai, will be holding a half-price sale on clothing on Dec. 3, 5 and 6. Shop hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 pm and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 215-624-9130. ••
Breakfast with Santa
Santa Claus will be at St. Hubert High School for a breakfast buffet on Dec. 4, from 9 a.m. to noon. The menu will consist of eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, home fries, bagels, juice, coffee, tea and water. The morning will feature an indoor snowball fight, craft corner, coloring station, letters to Santa, selfie station, reindeer food making, Christmas bean bag toss, dancing, facepainting and a gift from Santa’s sack. Tickets are $23 for ages 13 and up, $18 for ages 3-12 and free for ages 2 and under. A framed picture will be $5. Email [email protected]. ••
Holiday event Saturday at Ryerss
Ryerss Museum & Library, 7370 Central Ave., in Burholme Park, will host a holiday celebration and greens sale on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day will feature handmade wreaths from Fox Chase Farm, fun activities for kids, baked goods for sale and a used book sale in the basement. Call 215-685-0544. ••
Holiday craft fair on Sunday
The Villages at Pine Valley, 900 Pine Valley Blvd., will be holding a vendors holiday craft fair in the clubhouse on Sunday, Dec. 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be homemade candy, jewelry, wreaths, candles and homemade greeting cards. The clubhouse can be accessed off 8540 Verree Road. Call 215-722-1501. ••
Christmas bazaar in Rockledge
Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, 205 Huntingdon Pike in Rockledge, will host a Christmas bazaar on Dec. 5 from noon to 3 p.m. The afternoon will feature an appearance by Santa Claus, a model train exhibit, jewelry, a bake sale, Christmas wreaths and gift basket raffle, food and beverages and a fully-stocked thrift shop. ••
Christmas coming to Mayfair
The Mayfair Christmas Village and Tree Lighting will take place on Sunday, Dec. 5, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Frankford, Cottman and Ryan avenues. There will be vendors, music and drinks. The event is sponsored by the Mayfair Business Improvement District and Community Development Corporation. ••
Attend chanukah celebration
Northeast Jewish Life invites the public to a community chanukah celebration on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. at House of Kosher, 9806 Bustleton Ave. There will be music by Eliyahu Bass, candle lighting and latkes and other nosh. RSVP at https://forms.gle/mPLpG2KtZkEKWE3m6. ••
City collecting leaves
Councilman Brian O’Neill announced that the city Department of Streets’s fall leaf collection and recycling program is underway. The program ends Saturday, Dec. 18, Bagged leaf drop-off will be offered citywide on Saturdays only at 13 locations from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. Bagged leaves to be recycled at the specified drop-off locations will be accepted only in biodegradable paper bags. Otherwise, bagged leaves set out at the curb will be collected as trash. To find the bagged leaf drop-off location closest to you or to find out if mechanical leaf collection will be offered on your street, call or visit O’Neill’s office at Bustleton Avenue and Bowler Street, above the 7th Police District (215-685-0432). ••
Looking for craft fair vendors
Holy Family University’s Habitat for Humanity chapter will be hosting a craft fair on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 6-9 p.m. at the Campus Center gym, 9801 Frankford Ave (near Grant Avenue). For those interested in having a table, email [email protected] or call 267-341-3307. ••
Renovations to Mitchell Playground
In coordination with the city Department of Parks and Recreation, Councilman Brian O’Neill announced that renovations to Mitchell Playground have begun. A total of $614,000 will be invested in the playground, 3694 Chesterfield Road. The project will start with the renovation of the spray-ground. New playground equipment and fencing will also be installed in the spring. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2022. If you have any questions about this project or any other matter, call or visit O’Neill’s office at FOP Lodge 5 headquarters, 11630 Caroline Road (215-437-9167). ••
Black Caucus backs Boyle
The Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee has endorsed U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle. Boyle will be running for re-election next year, and it’s rumored he’ll have a Democratic primary challenge from state Sen. Sharif Street. ••
Women’s health campus coming
Temple University Health System announced that its new campus at 1331 E. Wyoming Ave. will become a hospital for women’s health. The site is the former home of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The campus will offer maternity care services. general surgery, breast surgery, vascular surgery, urology, internal medicine, cardiology, endocrinology and behavioral health. It will also provide administrative service space, available for use by spring. ••
Author publishes romantic suspense novel
Mayfair’s Becky Flade announced that Tirgearr Publishing released her latest novel, Fall to Pieces. It is available at all major digital retailers. Homicide Detective Alexandra Danvers is determined to bring child killer Arthur Book to justice, no matter the cost. Set in Philadelphia, Fall to Pieces features locales such as Juniata Park/Golf Course, the Roundhouse, The Library Company and Rittenhouse Square. The cover art displays the Center City skyline, the Schuylkill River and the Expressway at dusk. ••
North alums awarding grants
The Northeast Catholic Alumni Association awards tuition grants to the sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of its members. The checks are awarded to students who meet criteria, and the monies are sent to the Catholic school that they are choosing to attend. Aid is sent to Catholic elementary and high schools and universities in the Philadelphia, Camden and Trenton dioceses. Grants are given to 32 students annually for their four years in high school or college and three years in elementary school. Students can apply for a grant if their father or grandfather attended Northeast Catholic and is a dues-paying member of the alumni association. Applications are accepted until Jan. 31, 2022. Call 215-543-1051 or email [email protected]. ••
Join the St. Martha lottery
St. Martha Parish is holding its lottery fundraiser. For a $25 donation, choose a 3-digit number and that number has a chance to win throughout 2022. Winning numbers are based on the Pennsylvania Daily Number Lottery (straight), picked at 7 p.m. Daily prize is $25. Each month, there is one $100 bonus day. Calendars are available after each Mass. Make your donation check payable to “St. Martha” and write “Lottery Calendar” on the memo line. Choose a number and two alternates, and drop in the collection basket or mail to St. Martha, 11301 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154. ••
Fisher departs Fox Chase CC
Fox Chase Cancer Center president & CEO Dr. Richard I. Fisher has stepped down.
Dr. Robert G. Uzzo, chairman of surgery for Fox Chase, has been appointed interim CEO of American Oncologic Hospital. As was announced earlier, Dr. Jon Chernoff will serve as cancer center director. Fisher was appointed president and CEO in 2013. ••
Help fight hunger
The Jewish Relief Agency will hold its second virtual annual event Hunger, Growing Needs, Glowing Deeds, on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. Set to livestream on the eighth night of Hanukkah, the program will illuminate the stories of three volunteer families, while underscoring the needs of area families struggling with “food insecurity.” JRA’s “We Deliver” approach to fighting hunger supports more than 6,500 low-income individuals each month. Community members are invited to watch Hunger: Growing Needs, Glowing Deeds. To register or become a corporate sponsor of the event, visit https://jewishrelief.org/annual-event-2021. ••
Bingo!
The Sisterhood of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim is hosting a virtual bingo on two consecutive Mondays, Dec. 6 and 13, starting at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $36 per person and includes two cards for eight games of bingo each night. There is also a 50/50 for $5 that will be drawn on Dec. 13. Send your payment to the CSS office, 9768 Verree Road, Philadelphia, PA 19115, attention: Bingo. You must include your email address for the link to be sent to you. Call Gerry or Nancy at 215-677-1600. ••
Scrap metal facility gets funding
State Rep. Mike Driscoll announced a $1 million Commonwealth Financing Authority grant awarded to Morris Iron and Steel Co. for rehabilitation on its scrap metal facility, 7345 Milnor St.
The company recycles scrap metal then ships it by truck, rail and barge. At its waterfront property, 85% of scrap metal is shipped by barge. The project will repair portions of the south slip so that the existing structure can continue to operate and service three barges simultaneously. The company’s goal is to minimize truck traffic by shipping its metal, helping to reduce roadway traffic in the Philadelphia area.
“Businesses like Morris Iron are so important to our local economy,” Driscoll said. “Where the state can assist in helping them remain viable and supporting them in their success, we should. This is an investment for the 173rd District but the state as well. Especially during this critical time of COVID, it’s necessary to see these projects through to the benefit of the businesses as well as the local economy. We can’t let the global pandemic and all that has been associated with it take us off task in assisting these projects.” ••
SJ Prep offering tuition awards
St. Joseph’s Prep has established an Affinity Awards Program to attract prospective students. The awards are worth $3,000 annually and will be presented to students whose parents come from the following three categories:
• Active first responders: Firefighters, police officers, active-duty military, emergency medical technicians.
• Alumni and/or employees of historically black colleges and universities.
• Full-time educators or administrators at K-8 schools.
Students must be accepted to the Prep through the applications process. ••
New leader in pancreatic cancer field
Benjamin A. Young has been appointed program manager at the Marvin & Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, where he will work with researchers to coordinate the institute’s basic, clinical and population sciences research programs.
“I’m very excited to work on a team this dynamic and to be afforded an opportunity that will be critical to advancing science for pancreatic cancer at Fox Chase and beyond,” Young said.
Since the pancreatic cancer initiative at Fox Chase Cancer Center is growing, Young’s role will constitute a part of the Greenberg Institute. His primary responsibilities will include ensuring that clinical trials are conducted efficiently, acting as a liaison between basic and clinical researchers, as well as maintaining institute policies and ensuring that they are being adhered to and expanded upon if needed.
Before taking on this new role, Young was regulatory affairs lead at Fox Chase’s Office of Clinical Research.
Fox Chase is the only cancer center in the Philadelphia region to be designated as both a Clinical and Academic Center of Excellence for Pancreatic Cancer by the National Pancreas Foundation. ••
Helping cancer patients cope
Fox Chase Cancer Center announced the hiring of Pamela Handelsman as an assistant professor in the Section of Psychiatry, where she will help patients cope with cancer across the entire care continuum, from initial diagnosis to end of life or survivorship.
This includes both coping with the emotional and existential impact of cancer as well as providing behavioral interventions for cancer-related symptoms such as pain, cancer-related fatigue and sleep.
Before coming to Fox Chase, Handelsman worked at the VA Maryland Healthcare System as a health psychologist. ••
Accreditation for Agora
Agora Cyber Charter School has earned accreditation by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Agora serves over 5,500 students from 66 counties in Pennsylvania.
“Agora is committed to its vision and wanted to prove it by embarking on a deep level of self-reflection and independent validation. Undergoing this process proves that we are dedicated to excellence and maps out exactly how we are going to continue to demonstrate it.” said Dr. Rich Jensen, CEO.
The 12 Middle States Standards for Accreditation are mission; governance and leadership; school improvement planning; finances; facilities; school organization and staff; health and safety; educational program; assessment and evidence of student learning; student services; student life and activities, and information resources.
The accreditation process begins with a self-study that is conducted by the school system and requires input from school leaders, teachers, parents and students. Following the self-study, a team of volunteer educators from Middle States member schools conducts a peer review visit. Agora’s virtual visit included three days of interviews with students, employees and families.
Dr. Anne Butler, chief academic officer at Agora, said that the self-study caused Agora to “hone in on all of our core values. No stone was left unturned in the process.”
Full accreditation was awarded to Agora, with no future monitoring needed. ••
Bazaar on Dec. 11
St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Trenton Avenue and Cumberland Street, will be having its bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be gift shopping, attic treasures, a tombola game table, raffle prizes and baked goodies. Homemade food will be available in the church hall. ••
Christmas show at Buck Hotel
Joey C will perform the Sounds of Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 12, at the Buck Hotel, 1200 Buck Road in Feasterville.
The brunch buffet show will begin at noon. The cost is $75, including tax and gratuity. There will be a cash bar.
For tickets or more information, call 215-396-2002, Ext. 4 or visit thebuckhotel.com. ••
Live nativity on Dec. 12
United Methodist Church of Huntingdon Valley, at 3470 Huntingdon Pike (at Byberry Road), will host a live nativity and petting zoo on Sunday, Dec. 12, from 6-8 p.m. ••
Rhawnhurst Civic to meet
Rhawnhurst Civic Association will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. at Pelbano Playground, 8101 Bustleton Ave. (at Solly Avenue).
The group meets on the third Wednesday of the month. ••
Job opportunities for those in recovery
Virginia-based Leidos, a defense, aviation, information technology and biomedical research company, has more than 3,000 positions available to be filled.
Leidos addresses the impact of substance use disorder disease, and is teaming with ecoverycareers to publicize company job opportunities for qualified individuals in long-term recovery.
The internet job-board address is ecoverycareers.com, and ecoverycareers invites all businesses to add the company to their recruitment resources.
If you or someone you know is in successful drug or alcohol disease recovery and are looking for a new job or career change, register and look for opportunities at www.ecoverycareers.com. ••
Upcoming bus trip
The Marlyn Chakov Fein Chapter, Fox Chase Cancer Center is running a bus trip to New York City on Saturday, May 14, 2022 to see the Broadway production of The Music Man. The cost is $345, which includes orchestra seating and round-trip motor coach. Bus leaves from 604 Township Line Road, Cheltenham. Call Harriet at 215-969-8366 for tickets.
The event supports cancer research and compassionate patient care. ••
