Bianca Ryan to appear at Curran’s
Bianca Ryan, former winner on America’s Got Talent, will be hosting a holiday CD release party on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 1-4 p.m. at Curran’s Irish Inn, 6900 State Road. Ryan will perform and greet guests. The event is free and for all ages. There will be food, drinks, giveaways and raffles. Autographed merchandise will be for sale. ••
Craft fair on Saturday
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 habitatforhumanity@holyfamily.edu or call 267-341-3307. ••
Santa coming to new store
The Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages holiday caravan will visit the new Giant supermarket, 2201 Cottman Ave., on Thursday, Dec. 9, from 6-9 p.m. There will be trucks decked out with thousands of holiday lights with Santa Claus and his elves in tow. Kids will have the opportunity to take pictures with Santa and receive products and swag bags. ••
Breakfast with Santa
Church of the Good Shepherd, 10901 Calera Road, will host Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 8-11 a.m. The cost is $7 for anyone 13 and older, $3 for ages 6-12 and free for kids 5 and under. Pictures will be available for purchase.
The church will also host a live nativity on Sunday, Dec. 19, from 6-8 p.m. The evening will feature a narrative of the Christmas story, cookies and hot cocoa.
Call 215-632-1929. ••
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. ••
Register for senior gala
City Councilman Bobby Henon will hold a Winter Wonderland Senior Gala on Tuesday, Dec. 14, from noon to 3 p.m., at Cannstatter’s, 9130 Academy Road. The formal get-together will feature a DJ, dancing, lunch and vendors. To register, call Henon’s office at 215-686-3444. ••
Learn about knee pain
Nazareth Hospital will offer a free, virtual seminar on knee pain, open to the public, from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9. A live question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. The seminar will be presented by Dr. Paul H. Steinfield, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in adult joint reconstruction and hand surgery at Nazareth Orthopedics. The seminar’s learning objectives will include understanding what the common sources of knee pain are, what doctors can offer and some of the newest treatments available. The event will be presented via Microsoft Teams. To learn more and register, visit https://www.trinityhealthma.org/classes-and-events/painful-conditions-of-the-knee. ••
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. ••
Get your North Catholic items
The Northeast Catholic Alumni Association Christmas sale will take place on Saturdays, Dec. 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. ••
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. ••
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). ••
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. ••
Buy Dunkin’ coffee, help the needy
Dunkin’ franchisees in the Philadelphia area are continuing their 11th annual Roast Hunger program, which helps fight hunger, through Dec. 10. For every large hot coffee purchased by DD Perks members, Dunkin’s Philadelphia-area franchisees will donate $1 to the following regional food bank partners: Philabundance, Food Bank of Delaware, Food Bank of South Jersey, Helping Harvest and Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. Guests can sign up for DD Perks on DDPerks.com or through the Dunkin’ Mobile App. ••
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. ••
Shop small businesses
December is National Small Business Month. For more information, visit NationalSmallBusinessMonth.com or AmericanWorkersRadio.com. ••
Christmas drive-through
Dasher’s Lightshow is a Christmas drive-through at Philadelphia Mills, synched to favorite holiday tunes, heard on the radio. The show runs through Jan. 2. One ticket is needed per vehicle, and it must be purchased online, not at the door. For tickets or more information, go to https://dasherslightshow.com/philadelphia/. ••
Bingo!
The Sisterhood of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim is hosting a virtual bingo on Monday, Dec. 13, starting at 7:30 p.m. There is also a 50/50 for $5. Call Gerry or Nancy at 215-677-1600. ••
Learn about Jewish singers
The Men’s Club of the Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, 9768 Verree Road, is hosting a virtual program on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m. The program is Jewish Singers of the 20th Century. Charlie D will provide behind-the-scenes information on all the top performers from Al Jolson to Barry Manilow. The cost for the program is $18 and is open to all. When sending your payment to the synagogue office, provide your email address. The link for the program will be sent out a few days prior to the event. For details, call the CSS office at 215-677-1600 and ask for Paul or Barry. ••
Bazaar on Saturday
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. ••
Live nativity on Sunday
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. ••
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. ••
Gibbons PAL returning
State Rep. Jared Solomon and Sen. Tina Tartaglione announced $1 million in a state grant that will bring back the Gibbons PAL program and other community outreach programs by constructing a new building at Rising Sun and Longshore avenues.
Gibbons PAL has been closed since 2015, when Trinity Church, Oxford said it intended to redevelop the site. The city never found a new location.
“We need more projects like this in the Northeast,” Solomon said. “Bringing back these programs will unleash after-school and summer programming for thousands of kids, I am thankful for Sen. Tartaglione’s continued partnership in securing this funding that will help improve the lives of children around the Northeast.”
“Since its closure in 2015 the Northeast community has seen and felt a void in safe places for our children to gather, grow and learn,” Tartaglione said. “The return of the Gibbons Police Athletic League is an exciting and important step in ensuring our children have access to safe, local programming.”
The building will include a full basketball court complete with high ceilings, and homework rooms for students to work. ••
Toy giveaway Thursday
State Rep. Jared Solomon, in collaboration with Caregivers of America, is holding a toy giveaway on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m. at Calvary Christian Church, 6000 Roosevelt Blvd. ••
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. Call 215-978-1950. ••
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. ••
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 necathalum@aol.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. ••
New laws to help veterans
State Rep. Nancy Guenst attended the signing of four veterans bills at the White House.
“As an Army veteran, I know how my fellow veterans have often struggled when they have returned to civilian life,” Guenst said. “We have an obligation to care for our veterans after they have sacrificed so much for our country, and these laws will help do that.”
The bills would assess whether there are disparities associated with race and ethnicity when it comes to VA benefits and disability ratings; create a program to recruit military medical personnel who have less than a year left in their service to work in federal healthcare occupations; ensure that surviving spouses and children of veterans who access the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance program are eligible for in-state tuition wherever they choose to go to school, whether they live in that state or not; and study maternal health challenges facing veterans and invest in maternal care coordination programs at the VA. ••
Free meals for kids
The city Department of Parks and Recreation will serve free meals to anyone up to 18 years old on the following dates: Dec. 27-30 and Jan. 3. Participating centers are American Legion, Lower Mayfair, Mayfair, Ramp, Roosevelt, Russo, Torresdale, Vogt, Max Myers, Simpson, Houseman, Jardel, Tarken, Boyle, Fitzpatrick, Fox Chase, Gifford, Palmer, Mitchell and Pelbano. ••
A healthy new year
The Sisterhood of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will be hosting a virtual general meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. on Zoom.
The theme is New Year’s Resolutions: Building a Health Plate for You, presented by Kara Stromberg, clinical manager of nutrition and food services at Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus & Fox Chase Cancer Center.
There is no charge. Call the synagogue at 215-677-1600 to provide your email address so you can receive the meeting link. ••
Rhawnhurst Civic to meet
Rhawnhurst Civic Association will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. at Pelbano Playground, 8101 Bustleton Ave. (at Solly Avenue). A representative from Northeast Victim Service will discuss crime
The group will also meet on Feb. 16. The guest speaker will discuss scams and identity theft. ••
