Programs at Richmond Library
Richmond Library, 2987 Almond St., offers a Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program that meets Mondays and Tuesdays from 2-6 p.m. and Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 2-5 p.m., through June. LEAP is a free, drop-in afterschool program that provides homework help and activities for students in grades K-12 every day after school.
Summer Reading will continue through Aug. 9. Children up to age 12 can earn free books and prizes for tracking their reading and learning activities. Stop in any time during the summer to sign up and get a game board.
A preschool storytime and play group will meet on Wednesday, June 26, at 10:30 a.m. Join Ms. Meghan for stories and songs for ages 4 and under with caregivers. Stay after storytime to play. Siblings welcome.
The Read, Baby, Read Storytime & Play Group will meet on Thursday, June 27, at 10:30 a.m. Join Ms. Meghan for lap time with stories, songs, rhymes, and bounces for babies with caregivers. Stay after storytime to play. Siblings welcome.
Monday Fun Day will take place at 3 p.m., through Aug. 12. Stop in every Monday for a new activity. Do crafts and science experiments, play games and build with Lego bricks.
Call 215-685-9992. ••
Extended hours at Weitzman
The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall East (5th and Market streets) will offer extended hours for the July 4 holiday week.
People can watch the July 4 parade pass by the museum, then go inside with free admission.
Activities will include design your crown during a read-aloud and performance by Khalil Munir; sing and dance along with Two of a Kind, an interactive musical performance; a self-paced scavenger hunt for kids of all ages; sensory-friendly play with Adoughma Play; make-and-take 4th of July crafts; and shopping in the museum store.
The museum will be open daily from Thursday, June 27, through July 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 7 p.m. on July 2). After July 7, the museum returns to Thursday through Sunday summer hours. ••
Holy Inn traveling to A.C.
Holy Innocents is sponsoring a casino trip on Thursday, Aug. 15.
A bus will depart L Street and Hunting Park Avenue at 9:30 a.m., with an option to attend the Wedding of the Sea festival at Hard Rock Casino Arena.
There will be a Mass at noon, followed by a procession to the sea at 1:15 p.m. and a $10 slot package at Resorts Casino. The bus will depart Resorts at 5 p.m.
The cost is $40, due by Aug. 1.
To reserve your seat, call Cindy at 215-535-2740. ••
Sign up for Peg McCook tournament
The Margaret “Peg” McCook Sports Tournament will be held July 12-14 at Cione Playground, Aramingo and Lehigh avenues. Proceeds benefit scholarships for students entering high school.
The sports are men’s and women’s softball ($150), men’s and women’s basketball ($150), men’s and women’s soccer ($150), youth soccer ($100), youth basketball ($100) and Baggo ($25 per thrower).
Teams can contact Joe McCook at 267-767-9123 or Mark LaVelle at 215-919-9373. ••
Cool off at Bridesburg Pool
Bridesburg Pool, 4625 Richmond St., is open and accepting sign-ups for swim lessons and the swim team. Public swim is available weekdays from 1-4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 5 p.m. Family swim is weeknights from 6-7 p.m. ••
Fundraiser for animal rescue
The first annual Fishtails Purrom, an “Enchanted Forest” prom-themed event hosted by Fishtails Animal Rescue, will take place on Thursday, June 27, from 7 p.m. to midnight, at the Warehouse on Watts, 923 N. Watts St.
Guests are encouraged to dress in fun or fancy attire to celebrate the occasion. The guest DJ will be Sheila Watko, a reporter and traffic anchor for NBC10. There will be drink specials, prom photos and a silent auction.
Fishtails Animal Rescue is based at 233 E. Girard Ave. in Fishtown.
Tickets are $29.54. Go to https://wowphilly.com/event/fishtails-purrom/cambridge-hall/ ••
Concert in November at Fillmore
Thee Sacred Souls will perform at The Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St., on Nov. 9.
The San Diego band also announced its sophomore album – Got A Story To Tell – will be released Oct. 4 on Daptone Records. The follow-up to their 2022 self-titled debut, Got A Story To Tell, features 12 all-original new songs.
For tickets, go to theesacredsouls.com. ••
Come watch E.T.
Riverfront North Partnership will show E.T.: The Extraterrestrial on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 8 p.m. at Bridesburg Recreation Center, 4601 Richmond St. ••
Students in school choice schools outperforming peers
Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, an education nonprofit providing families with financial access to K-8th-grade tuition-based schools, released a report detailing evidence that city students who utilize private school choice outperform their public school peers in both math and reading on standardized tests.
The CSFP family median household income is lower than Philadelphia’s, and 70% of CSFP scholarship recipients live in Philadelphia’s lowest-achieving public school neighborhoods. CSFP has 150-plus partner schools, and their median annual tuition is $4,950.
The report shows that CSFP students are more likely to be at or above proficiency in both math and reading the longer they are enrolled at a CSFP partner school and are more likely to score at or above proficient on their standardized exams compared to peers attending public school.
Among seventh-graders, 54% of CSFP students score at or above proficiency in math, compared to 19% of School District of Philadelphia students. In reading, 61% of CSFP students score at or above proficiency in reading compared to 38 percent in the school district.
Among fourth-graders, 47% of students score at or above proficiency in math compared to 23% in the school district. In reading, 59% of CSFP students score at or above proficiency compared to 30% in the school district.
“This is the first time we’ve answered the question: Do CSFP students and CSFP partner schools outperform both district counterparts and public schools within the same neighborhood? The answer, based on this report, is a resounding yes,” said Keisha Jordan, president and CEO, Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia. “We recognize standardized test scores are just one indicator of academic success, but this report provides an important perspective on how tuition-based schools are serving students from under-resourced households. It shows that CSFP scholarships change lives and private school choice provides an opportunity to set students on a pathway to long-term success.” ••
Need speed cushions?
Do you want to calm traffic on your block?
The city is focusing on installing permanent asphalt speed cushions as its preferred measure, as speed cushions are quicker to design and install than other types of traffic calming.
The program is primarily intended for residents to request traffic calming for the streets where they live. Residents may also request traffic calming at nearby locations, such as a street by a school or library.
If your request is approved, you must submit a petition signed by at least 60 percent of the residents on the block.
Eligible blocks must be at least 400 feet long between stop signs or traffic signals, and be at least 26 feet wide (for one-way streets) or 34 feet wide (for two-way streets).
A street must not be a state highway or be a curving street.
Residents can call 311 to check the location’s eligibility. A request should be submitted only once.
The city will look at crash data and the street’s proximity to schools, parks, recreation centers, retirement homes or older adult homes.
Speed cushions are typically installed from May to October.
To request speed cushions, go to phila.gov, click “Services,” then “Streets, sidewalks & alleys,” and “Request traffic calming for a residential street.” ••
Become a block captain
The city welcomes new block captains to organize cleanups and block parties, plant flowers and trees and remind neighbors of trash and recycling collection days and guidelines.
To learn about becoming a block captain, go to phila.gov, click “Services,” then “Trash, recycling & city upkeep” and “Become a block captain.”
A resident must circulate a petition among neighbors to be elected a block captain. You need 51% of the residents on the block to sign the petition. You can collect only one adult signature per household.
For more information or to find out if you already have a block captain, call the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee at 215-685-3971. ••
Farmers market open Saturdays
The Food Trust holds a weekly farmers market at 2nd Street and Germantown Avenue in Northern Liberties. The market, featuring fresh fruits and vegetables, is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. year round. ••
Hero Thrill Show in Sept. 21
The 69th annual Hero Thrill Show will take place on Saturday, Sept. 21, from noon to 5 p.m., at the Wells Fargo Center.
Tickets are $15 for individuals and $35 for a family (up to five).
Proceeds pay for the college tuition of Philadelphia police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.
For more information, go to herothrillshow.org. ••
Sign up for basketball camp
The 18th annual Jaguar Summer Basketball Camp will take place in the air-conditioned Marian Center at St. Ephrem, in Bensalem, from July 22-26.
The camp is for boys and girls in kindergarten through 12th grade, and will include fundamentals and competition.
The cost is $150 and includes a free basketball and T-shirt. Campers must bring their own lunch.
The camp is under the direction of former college coach Dan Williams.
For a brochure or questions, email WilliamsD@LSCHS.org. ••
Car show at Ryan
The Archbishop Ryan Annual Alumni Car Show will take place on June 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the school, 11201 Academy Road (rain date June 30). Admission is free. In addition to vintage and custom cars on display, there will be food, adult beverages, merchandise vendors, a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, a DJ and the classic rock band Mojo Channel.
Prizes for cars include Top 40 Awards, Principal’s Award, Hottest Ride on Campus for current Ryan students who enter a car, Father Renè Alumni Award for Ryan alums who enter a car and the Father Noel Legacy Award. To register a car, the cost is $20 online, $25 the day of the event. The cost for merchandise vendor registration is $25, to be paid online prior to the event. Registration for merchandise vendors will not be accepted the day of the event. Sponsorships are available. To register or learn more, visit: WWW.ARHS.ME/CARSHOW ••
Sunday flea market returns
A flea market will take place every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through November at Liberty Plaza, 90 Franklin Mills Blvd. (near Knights Road). The cost for vendors is $30 per parking space. For more information, call 215-625-FLEA (3532) or visit PhilaFleaMarkets.org. ••
Bingo at Loudenslager
Corp. John Loudenslager American Legion Post 366, 7976 Oxford Ave., is offering community bingo every second and fourth Friday evenings. Doors open at 6:30, games start at 7:20. Refreshments available. ••
VFW looking for members
Bustleton-Somerton/CTR1 Michael J. Strange VFW Post 6617 meets on the third Wednesday of every month at American Legion Post 810, 9151 Old Newtown Road. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m. If you are a military veteran who served in a designated combat zone, you are eligible to join the VFW. Contact Commander Israel Wolmark at 215-725-0630 if you would like to join the post. ••
Ukrainian Folk Festival in August
The Ukrainian Folk Festival will take place on Sunday, Aug. 25, from noon to 8 p.m., at the Ukrainian American Sport Center — Tryzub, County Line and Lower State roads, Horsham.
There will be Ukrainian folk art, music, dance, crafts and historical reenactments, a variety of food and refreshments and a vendors grove. Admission is $15, and a portion will be donated to relief of war victims in Ukraine. Kids under 15 will be admitted free. Parking is free. Call 267-664-3857, email info@tryzub.org or visit www.tryzub.org. ••
Party for West Catholic girls class of ‘69
West Catholic Girls Class of 1969 will have its 55th anniversary party on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Anthony’s Ristorante, 865 W. Springfield Road, Springfield. The cost for the luncheon is $65. Call Hannah at 610-764-3249. ••
Trip to Northern Europe
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is presenting a Northern Europe: Iceland, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and London cruise, July 25 to Aug. 4, aboard the new “Norwegian Prima.” Rates per person are $6,261 and $6,495, which include roundtrip airfare from Philadelphia. Deposit of $350 per person double occupancy is required when booking. Call 215-788-9408. ••