Programs at Richmond Library
Richmond Library, 2987 Almond St., offers Summer Reading 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 and toddler storytime and play group is scheduled for Wednesdays, July 24 and 31, at 10:30 a.m. Join Ms. Meghan for stories, songs and fun for ages 4 and under 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.
Read, Baby, Read Storytime & Play Group will take place on Thursday, July 25, 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.
Call 215-685-9992. ••
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. ••
Community picnic in Bridesburg
State Sen. Tina Tartaglione will hold four upcoming community picnics, all from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The schedule is Tuesday, July 30, at Bridesburg Park and Recreation Center, 4625 Richmond St.; Thursday, Aug. 1, at Mayfair Recreation Center, 2990 St. Vincent St.; Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Wissinoming Park and Recreation Center, 5773-5945 Frankford Ave.; and Thursday, Aug. 8, at Norris Square Park, 2100 N. Howard St.
There will be refreshments, a DJ, back-to-school giveaways, raffle giveaways, games and face painting.
Call 215-533-0440. ••
Bashir bashes Boyle on SAVE vote
Aaron Bashir, the Republican candidate in the 2nd Congressional District, criticized Rep. Brendan Boyle for voting against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require proof of United States citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
“Obviously, Rep. Brendan Boyle is a bad choice for Congress. Mr. Boyle cares more for illegals than the U.S. citizens,” Bashir said. “By his most recent vote in lockstep with President Biden’s disastrous policies, Congressman Brendan Boyle’s ‘No’ vote on the SAVE Act is yet another slap in the face of Philadelphia. Just like the $500 billion in taxpayer dollars that have gone to illegals on their watch, the Boyle-Biden policy of supporting illegal aliens voting in U.S. elections is an insult and injury to U.S. citizens and legal residents alike. Remember what they have done, are trying to do, and what they will do if re-elected. It is time to replace Brendan Boyle with Aaron Bashir.” ••
Police town hall
Capt. Marques Newsome, commander of the 15th Police District, will hold a town hall meeting on Thursday, July 25, at 7 p.m. at Bridesburg Recreation Center, 4601 Richmond St. ••
Sad day in America
Aaron Bashir, the Republican candidate in the 2nd Congressional District, said it was a sad day in the United States when an assassin tried to kill former President Donald Trump, killed one man and shot two others.
“By the grace of the good Lord, Mr. Trump is fine,” he said. “My continuous prayers for President Trump’s fast recovery and for other victims.”
Bashir said Trump’s narrow escape was miraculous.
“Reflecting on the events, it becomes clear that divine intervention was at play, sparing President Trump’s life,” he said. “I’ve long believed that Trump is a chosen one to shield America and the world from the perils of the utopian globalist agenda.” ••
Peg McCook tournament in August
The Margaret “Peg” McCook Sports Tournament will take place Aug. 9-11 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), women’s volleyball ($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. ••
PA FOP, state troopers endorse Republicans
The Fraternal Order of Police Pennsylvania State Lodge and the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association endorsed the Republican candidates running for statewide office.
Those endorsed are U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick, attorney general candidate Dave Sunday, Auditor General Tim DeFoor and Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
“These candidates have a deep understanding and respect for the rule of law,” said state FOP President Joe Regan. “We’re proud to endorse a slate with a track record of outstanding accomplishments as public servants and for their support of the law enforcement community.”
PTSA President Stephen Polishan said, “We’re endorsing true public servants who understand the mission of law enforcement and support providing local and state police with the resources they need to do their jobs and go home safely.” ••
Oh those Wildwood days at the Polish Home
The Associated Polish Home, 9150 Academy Road, will host A Night to Remember Those Wildwood Days on Saturday, Aug. 10. A beer garden will open at 6 p.m., and DJ Neil McGlynn will play music from the 1950s through the 1970s from 7-10 p.m. Admission is free. There will be a bar and Polish kitchen. Picnic tables will be available. People are welcome to bring a beach chair. For more information, call John at 215-906-1825. ••
Card show at Rivers
The Fishtown Card Show will take place on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17-18, at Rivers Casino, 1001 N. Delaware Ave. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 17 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 18. There will be sports and trading cards, autographs, memorabilia, sports art, collectibles, door prizes, live sports streaming, food and beverages. Among the guests will be John Kruk.
One-day admission options are $10 or $15. A two-day early admission pass is $25. Children ages 10 and under are free.
Tickets are available at the door or at www.fishtowncardshow.com.For more information, visit https://www.instagram.com/fishtowncardshow. ••
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. ••
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. ••
Golf outing in August
The Carr Stone Carr Legacy Golf Classic will take place on Friday, Aug. 23, at Juniata Golf Course.
Tee time is at 1 p.m. There will be a best ball format.
The cost is $100 per golfer and includes cart, shirt, box lunch and after-party at Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 87, 3524 E. Thompson St.
The cost is $40 for non-golfers.
For information, call Jim Carr at 215-620-6547. ••
Trip to Sight & Sound
St. James, at Castor Avenue and Pratt Street, is holding a trip to Sight & Sound, a theater in Lancaster County, on Oct. 23 for the 11 a.m. show of Daniel. For more information, call 215-743-1828. ••
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. ••
Free access to Olympic coverage for veterans
Service members and honorably discharged veterans worldwide will enjoy free access to NBCUniversal’s full coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, courtesy of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service and Comcast NBCUniversal. Military members will be able to stream all the action from Paris using their personal devices and computers through ShopMyExchange.com. The Paris Olympics take place July 26 to Aug. 11.
More than 5,000 hours of the Paris Olympics will be available to U.S. service members and honorably discharged veterans. Throughout the Games, the offering features live competition across all 39 sports and all 329 medal events, stories and moments, as well as live streams of select practice and warm-up sessions and extensive video content including event recaps, highlights, viral moments and interviews.
“We value our relationship with Comcast NBCUniversal and are thrilled to once again be able to team with them to bring the Olympic Games to service members and their families, wherever they are called to serve,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Rich Martinez, the Exchange’s senior enlisted adviser. “The Olympics are one of the biggest events in the world, and we’re excited to play a role in helping our military community cheer on Team USA.”
“We’re thrilled to once again partner with The Exchange for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. It’s our privilege to provide unprecedented access to this historic event to U.S. military service members and veterans, where the world’s greatest athletes will compete against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” said Mona Dexter, VP of Military & Veteran Affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal.
Service members can access NBCUniversal’s coverage from their computers or personal devices by visiting NBCOlympics.com (desktop) and the NBC Sports App (U.S. only) and choosing the Exchange as their service provider. ••
Addressing early literacy crisis
A new campaign, Right2ReadPhilly, seeks to address the city’s early literacy crisis by making it easier for busy, loving families to grow strong readers, piloting two things parents can do with their kids this summer.
“Right2ReadPhilly is designed on the premise that Philly families are powerful and highly motivated agents of change,” said Diane Mills, a regional co-facilitator of Philadelphia Reading Captains and a campaign adviser. “We just have to grab their attention from life distractions in respectful ways with compelling ideas.”
Right2ReadPhilly has been co-created with Philly families, guided by an advisory council of reading advocates and facilitated by Center City-based creative agency Mighty Engine with lead support provided by the William Penn Foundation.
The campaign highlights ways families can help their children develop into strong readers: the Freedom Schools Alphabet Song and Simple Signs (First Words in American Sign Language).
Sharif El-Mekki, founder/CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development and a campaign partner, said the Freedom Schools Alphabet Song was a strategy first brought to West Philadelphia children in the 1960s by black families who wanted to ensure their young children had strong reading skills.
“I remember as a child, in addition to the basic alphabet song that teaches letter names, I learned the Freedom Schools Alphabet Song that teaches letter sounds,” El-Mekki said. “It’s exciting to bring back a pedagogical tool created by black teachers of the Freedom Schools movement more than 50 years ago for the benefit of all families.”
Sara Novic — a best-selling novelist, deaf-rights activist and campaign consultant — said the Right2ReadPhilly campaign promotion of Simple Signs (First Words in American Sign Language) is reinforced by the American Academy of Pediatrics’s approval of sign language for all infants and toddlers and studies like the one published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis that shows sign language does not delay speech in hearing children.
“The Right2ReadPhilly campaign offers Simple Signs for free to boost early language and learning for all children,” Novic said. “But we especially want to reach the-more-than 70% of deaf and hard-of-hearing children who are not taught ASL.”
Heseung Song, developmental psychologist and CEO of Mighty Engine, called Right2ReadPhilly ambitious. She said the campaign seeks to prove Philly families can be reached and engaged — without an advertising budget — through social media, earned media and intensive community outreach, leveraging a wide network of Philly families and reading advocates.
“Right2ReadPhilly is training and collaborating with trusted messengers, from teen Play Captains and Reading Captains to librarians, reading tutors, social workers, parent and grandparent groups, youth-program providers and home-visiting nurses, with the hopes that Simple Signs and the Freedom Schools Alphabet Song will become favorite resources as they assist families with young children,” Song said.
The campaign website — Right2ReadPhilly.org — is structured for easy family use. It features instructional videos with kid-friendly characters as well as videos made with Philly families. There are helpful tips and fun ideas, encouraging families to try Simple Signs and the Freedom Schools Alphabet Song.
All summer long, the campaign will promote giveaways, contests and challenges through social media and community events. After the summer pilot campaign, the Right2ReadPhilly team will evaluate its impact to plan for follow-on efforts.
To learn more, visit right2readphilly.org and follow the campaign on Instagram @righttoreadphilly. ••
Hero Thrill Show is 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 children of Philadelphia police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.
For more information, go to herothrillshow.org. ••
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. Call 215-788-9408. ••
