Broad Street Run announced
The 2025 Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run will be held on May 4 at 7 a.m. The nation’s largest 10-mile road race will begin at Broad Street and Somerville Avenue and finish in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. This year marks the race’s 46th anniversary.
Registration for the race will open on Feb. 1 at 12:01 a.m. and close on Feb. 15 at midnight. The race, which will welcome up to 40,000 runners, carries a registration fee of $65. Registrants will be accepted through a lottery system or have the option of running on behalf of a charity partner, such as the American Cancer Society, Students Run Philly Style, Back on My Feet and the Fairmount Park Conservancy. Runners will be notified by email the week of Feb. 17 if they have secured a race bib.
“I’m so excited to start the preparations for the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run,” said Susan Slawson, Commissioner, Parks and Recreation. “Whether participants are running for a cause or for themselves, come join us for this exhilarating 10-miler through the heart of Philadelphia. It’s thrilling to see the runners participate in this Philly tradition and watch the crowds cheer them on through the neighborhoods as they experience the sights and spirit of our vibrant city while running down Broad Street, passing by city landmarks and receiving high-fives and hugs at the Navy Yard.”
City receives $11M for electric vehicle charging ports
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans, Brendan Boyle and Mary Gay Scanlon and Mayor Cherelle Parker announced over $11 million in federal funding for the Philadelphia Community Charging Project Regional Partnership.
The $11,092,498 Federal Highway Administration grant will fund the installation of up to 200 charging ports throughout the Philadelphia region, including suburban and rural areas. The project will focus on “historically disadvantaged” neighborhoods and will include community engagement, planning, design, installation and workforce development.
“This project will fill in existing gaps in our region’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure network, with a focus on serving ‘historically disadvantaged’ communities,” said Parker. “We know that one of the largest barriers to EV adoption is access to charging infrastructure. By expanding access throughout the region, we can support an equitable EV transition that will uphold our city’s climate goals as well as my vision for Safer, Cleaner and Greener Philadelphia.”
$37M in federal funds for local projects
U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, Sen. John Fetterman and Mayor Cherelle Parker announced nearly $37 million in federal funding for the city for two projects.
The U.S. Department of Transportation will provide $23.3 million to the city for Reaching the Steps: Transforming Philadelphia’s Eakins Oval and $13,694,932 for Connecting Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River Trail from Manayunk to Passyunk.
The Eakins project will design and construct multimodal improvements to Benjamin Franklin Parkway, including the Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps and the adjacent Pennsylvania Avenue. The project includes implementing a new traffic pattern, intersection and traffic signal improvements, pedestrian connectivity and disability access improvements, bicycle paths in the outer lanes of the Parkway between 22nd Street and Eakins Oval and Pennsylvania Avenue and traffic calming measures.
The Schuylkill River Trail project will close a critical gap by constructing the Wissahickon Gateway Trail and the Passyunk Connection adjacent to “historically disadvantaged” communities in Southwest Philadelphia. This project will complete a 39-mile off-road, riverside, multi-use trail between Pottstown in Montgomery County and Southwest Philadelphia. The Wissahickon Gateway Trail will be an anchor for new shops, offices, housing, public transit service, riverfront green space and multi-use trail connections among Center City, Northwest Philadelphia and neighboring Montgomery County. The Passyunk Connection will remove barriers to safe, affordable and “equitable” mobility options along the Schuylkill River Trail.
School district launches districtwide customer service platform
The School District of Philadelphia now offers a new, convenient way for families, students, staff and community members to engage with the district through a new platform called Let’s Talk — a cloud-based, AI-powered customer service platform by K12 Insight.
In June 2023, the Board of Education approved the district’s new five-year strategic plan, Accelerate Philly, which lays the foundation to improving outcomes for all students and achieving the board’s Goals and Guardrails. The district partnered with K12 Insight to launch Let’s Talk and improve the district’s culture, communications and customer service, which aligns with one of the priority areas of Accelerate Philly. This partnership has automated key processes within the district’s workflows and trained more than 600 staff members to use Let’s Talk to deliver superior customer service.
As the eighth-largest school district in the nation, the School District of Philadelphia serves nearly 200,000 students between district and charter schools. Among those students, about 20% are English Language Learners. Let’s Talk offers automatic translation features in the district’s 10 key languages including Arabic, Albanian, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Khmer, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese and Hindi.
In September 2023, the district piloted the program within the Office of the Superintendent and the Board of Education. By the end of the 2023-2024 school year, the platform was implemented across all District Central Offices. In December, Let’s Talk was expanded to include all district schools. For the 2024-2025 school year, the district received nearly 35,000 messages. The district has an average customer service score of 7.9/10 and an average response of 3.2 business days, surpassing its goal to respond within four business days.
Young announces committee assignments
State Rep. Regina Young announced that she has been assigned by House leadership to serve on five standing House committees for the 2025-26 legislative session. Young will serve on the Appropriations, Education, Game & Fisheries, Labor & Industry and Tourism, Recreation & Economic Development committees in the state House of Representatives.
“Standing committees are the backbone of the legislative process, so I look forward to working with these vital committees to focus on legislation that will improve quality of life for all Pennsylvanians,” Young said. “Continuing to serve on the House Appropriations Committee as a majority member is a real privilege that I don’t take lightly. The opportunity to be directly involved in deliberating on crafting the state budget with state agencies and legislative leaders is an honor, and a benefit for our communities in South and Southwest Philadelphia and Delco.
“I appreciate the trust that Speaker McClinton and Leader Bradford have placed in me, and the importance placed on our region, with all of my committee assignments.”
BalletX Winter Series 2025
BalletX, a Philadelphia contemporary ballet, makes its return to the Suzanne Roberts Theatre following a sold-out Fall Series 2024, with a Winter Series 2025 showcase, running Feb. 12-16.
Showtimes are Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 2 pm and 7 p.m. For more information, tickets and subscriptions, visit balletx.org.
Walnut Street Theatre announces its 217th Season
Walnut Street Theatre unveiled its 217th season of live entertainment, marking its 43rd season as a not-for-profit producing theatre company. This year’s dynamic lineup features five extraordinary productions that celebrate iconic moments, extraordinary stories and the shared human experience.
“As we look toward our 217th season, we’re celebrating the legends that shape our world and the art that continues to inspire,” said Producing Artistic Director Bernard Havard. “Whether it’s the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, the magic of Christmas or the fight for independence, this season honors the moments and characters that define us.”
The 2025-26 season includes Million Dollar Quartet (Sept. 30 – Nov. 2), A Christmas Story the Musical (Nov. 18 – Jan. 4), Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective (Jan. 13, 2026 – Feb. 15), Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance (Feb. 24, 2026 – March 29) and 1776 The Musical (April 14, 2026 – May 31). Subscriptions are available for as little as $26 per show – up to a 70% savings off regular ticket prices. For information, call the Walnut at 215-574-3550, Ext. 6 or visit WalnutStreetTheatre.org.
Scanlon opposes Laken Riley Act; Evans doesn’t vote
U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon voted against the Laken Riley Act, which passed the House by a vote of 264-159. Rep Dwight Evans did not vote. He had voted against it when it passed in 2024.
All the votes against the bill were from Democrats.
Laken Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student killed last year while jogging in Georgia. The killer was a 26-year-old illegal Venezuelan who was caught in 2022 crossing the border, but released into the United States.
The Laken Riley Act would require the Department of Homeland Security to detail illegals arrested for burglary, theft, larceny and shoplifting. ••
Host foreign exchange student
World Heritage International Student Exchange Program is seeking local families to host foreign exchange students. World Heritage students come from countries such as Italy, Denmark, Spain, France, Germany, Ukraine, Japan and Australia. They are ages 15-18. Host families may be single parents, couples and single persons.
The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance.If interested in hosting an exchange student, call Debra at 800-888-9040, visit www.world-heritage.org or send an email to info@world-heritage.org to request more information or start the application process. ••
Dinner, dancing and sounds of Sinatra
The Buck Hotel, 1200 Buck Road in Feasterville, will present Valentine’s Day with the Romantic Sounds of Sinatra & Friends, featuring Joey C, on Saturday, Feb. 15. Doors open at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 and the show at 8. The cost is $72, including taxes and gratuities. For tickets, go to thebuckhotel.com/eventscalendar. For more information, call 215-317-7675. ••
New website for Review
The South Philly Review has a new website: https://patimes.media/
The website includes news, arts and entertainment, crime, sports, opinion and ways to subscribe and sign up for a newsletter.
The site includes an option to read the current issue in “flipbook” style.
Readers are also encouraged to follow the newspaper on Bluesky, on Facebook at South Philly Review and on X @SoPhReview.
In addition to the Review being delivered to homes, the paper can be found at these spots: https://patimes.media/pickup-locations/#spr. ••
New poems, stories by g emil reutter
On the Other Side of Goodbye, a new collection of poems, flash fiction and short stories by Lawndale resident g emil reutter, was just released by Alien Buddha Press.
The book is his eighth title with Alien Buddha Press. It can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Goodbye-emil-reutter/dp/B0DPCLN3Y3
For more information, visit https://gereutter.wordpress.com/about/ ••
Exhibit of UArts student work
Creative Philadelphia and City Councilwoman Rue Landau announced an exhibition titled Transcending Uncertainty: Art Endures at Home in Philadelphia, through Jan. 25, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the City Hall Art Gallery. The exhibition is a collaboration between Creative Philadelphia and Landau to support students and faculty affected by the recent closure of the University of the Arts. The exhibit features the work of 42 former UArts students, faculty and staff displayed on the first-floor art gallery within Creative Philadelphia-Room 116, and on the fifth-floor corridor near City Council offices. The exhibition features more than 50 artworks and was selected by artist Lauren Rinaldi, who also serves as Landau’s arts and culture liaison. ••
A retreat for moms
Mother Boniface Spirituality Center (3501 Solly Ave.) will present Mothers Be Still and Know That I Am God on Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The speaker will be Stephanie McCarthy, a Catholic wife, mother and spiritual director. The retreat is open to mothers of all ages for faith sharing and reflection with other mothers. The retreat costs $55 and includes continental breakfast and lunch. To register or for more information, call 267-350-1830 or visit msbt.org. ••
World Nativities exhibition at Glencairn
Glencairn Museum, 1001 Cathedral Road in Bryn Athyn, continues with holiday events, including the annual World Nativities exhibition through Jan. 26.
Glencairn Museum’s annual World Nativities exhibition presents dozens of three-dimensional Nativity scenes collected from around the world.
One of the highlights of this season’s World Nativities exhibition is a crafted Nativity scene by husband-and-wife artist team Karen Loccisano and R. Michael Palan, in memory of their friend Linda Weller.
Another standout piece in the World Nativities exhibition is a ceramic Nativity scene crafted by Armenian artist Gohar Petrosyan. It depicts the Adoration of the Shepherds, inspired by a 1262 Gospel illumination by Armenian artist T’oros Roslin. It was commissioned by Anna Akhobadze, a member of the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Cheltenham. Akhobadze, a 15-year-old high school junior and church member who visited Glencairn’s World Nativities exhibition last season, was passionate about including an Armenian Nativity in this season’s exhibition.
For more information, visit GlencairnMuseum.org or call 267-502-2600. ••
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.
Call Commander Israel Wolmark at 215-725-0630 if you would like to join the post. ••
