City claims $13.5M in unclaimed property
The City of Philadelphia received and claimed more than $13.5 million in unclaimed property owed to the city by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The city has claimed more than $226,000 in unclaimed property this past fiscal year alone (from July 2023 to June 2024).
In 2022, Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson championed legislation requiring Philadelphia’s director of finance to submit an annual report to City Council and the City Controller of all unclaimed property owed to the city. Prior to this legislation, the city did not regularly claim property funds owed by the state. The legislation also requires the director of finance to submit a status update regarding claims in process and the total amount of revenue returned to the city.
“I am thrilled to learn that the City of Philadelphia continues to bring back millions of dollars in unclaimed property funds owed from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Gilmore Richardson. “These are funds that are rightfully owed to the city, and we must continue to ensure we are claiming every available dollar in order to provide high-quality services to our residents. I want to thank the administration, especially the City of Philadelphia’s Treasurer’s Office, the governor’s office, as well as our state treasurer’s office, for their partnership on this initiative. Through this process, we have reaffirmed our commitment to remaining responsible financial stewards by never having outstanding dollars sitting with the commonwealth for decades.”
Gilmore Richardson is also urging residents to collect the more than $4 billion in unclaimed property waiting to be claimed. An estimated one in 10 Pennsylvania residents has unclaimed property waiting in the state’s coffers.
Philadelphia residents can learn more and see if they are owed property by visiting patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.
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.” ••
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. ••
Entertainment at Parx
Parx Casino is offering the following upcoming entertainment:
July 26: Kameron Marlowe
Aug. 3: Tyler Henry, The Hollywood Medium
Aug. 23: The Marshall Tucker Band
Sept. 7: Australian Pink Floyd
Sept. 21: Dustin Lynch
Oct. 4: Heather McDonald
Oct. 18: Straight No Chaser
Oct. 19: Giggly Squad Live
Oct. 25: Michael Blaustein
Nov. 9: Air Supply
Nov. 21: Aaron Lewis
Nov. 23: Steve Trevino
Dec. 7: Kathleen Madigan ••
Name-your-price adoption fees at PAWS
The Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society announced its Perfectly Impurrfect adoption promotion, running through July 25. During the initiative, adopters can name their own adoption fee for cats and dogs included in the promotion.
When they take their new pet home, PAWS will be able to rescue another animal in its place. PAWS saves thousands of exceptional animals each year who would otherwise face homelessness and risk euthanasia.
“So many amazing pets get overlooked simply because they might need a little extra care or have a special personality preference,” said Tammy Miller, PAWS’ foster manager. “It’s incredibly rewarding to open your home to a pet with unique needs — they’re so grateful for you. And as we all know, nobody’s perfect.”
Visit www.phillypaws.org.
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. ••
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. ••
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. ••
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. ••
