City commissioners address availability of general election ballot
The final candidate nomination appeal for the Nov. 5 general election was resolved, and, hours later, the Department of State announced a final certified candidate list. Every county in Pennsylvania must complete logic and accuracy testing before printing ballots. Pending the successful completion of this testing, the Commissioners’ Office anticipates ballots will go out this week.
The Philadelphia County Board of Elections will notify the public as soon as mail ballots become available. Alerts will be posted on the website, vote.phila.gov, and on all City Commissioners’ social media channels. Until then, all eligible voters can visit vote.phila.gov/votebymail to apply online, or apply in person at one of the Philadelphia Satellite Election Offices.
The Department of State has established a new webpage that allows voters see if mail-in ballots are available in their county: https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/vote/voter-support/ballot-availability.html.
Community celebrates funding for street rehabilitation in Washington Square West
State Rep. Ben Waxman hosted a news conference at the intersection of Locust and Quince streets to celebrate state funding for the rehabilitation of historic streets in the Washington Square West neighborhood, just north of Queen Village.
This funding, worth $1.4 million, came from the Pennsylvania Multimodal Transportation Fund. It will be used for the rehab of five streets in the Washington Square West Historic District, including sections of Quince, Irving, Manning, Hutchinson and Bonaparte.
“This project is a vital investment in Washington Square West, preserving the historic character of our streets while enhancing safety and accessibility for everyone,” Waxman said. “With the World Cup and our nation’s semiquincentennial approaching, this project is the perfect way to show off the heart and history of our city to the world.”
Waxman was joined by local elected officials and individuals from local organizations including City Councilman Mark Squilla; Richard Montanez, First Deputy Commissioner, city Department of Streets; Paul Steinke, Preservation Alliance; and Tami Sortman, Washington Square West Civic Association.
“I fully support additional funding for historic streets,” said Squilla. “They are integral to the fabric of the surrounding community and the city of Philadelphia as a whole.”
The rehabilitation of these streets will consist of granite block repointing/resetting, select areas of new granite block, resetting granite header and installing ADA ramps. It will be focused in two location clusters of the neighborhood.
City’s Municipal ID program reaches 5-Year milestone
The City of Philadelphia’s Municipal Identification Program has hit a milestone in its effort to provide Philadelphians with an ID that connects them with valuable resources and access to essential services, fostering a sense of community, particularly for those facing barriers to obtaining other forms of identification. The Program kicked off in 2019 with a goal of ensuring an easy process to obtain the ID through the office in the City Hall area and at community events across Philadelphia.
“The PHLCityID Program is essential in creating easy access for all Philadelphians to use the programs and services our departments and partners provide,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker. “Collaboration between departments to ensure that all Philadelphians have a Safer, Cleaner, Greener City with Access to Economic Opportunity for All is what this administration is all about. Thank you to all the directors and departments involved, specifically director Velazco for leading PHLCityID to this milestone and beyond.”
Over the last five years, PHLCityID has issued over 75,000 IDs to Philadelphians needing identification. Among the majority are those in immigrant communities and youth who need identification when seeking employment or driver’s licenses. The Office of Reentry Partnerships also partners with the program to help individuals who were formerly incarcerated obtain an ID, which helps them get a job and housing.
“PHLCityID, along with our many partners, including the Office of Immigrant Affairs, look forward to continuing our efforts to make the city of Philadelphia a more inclusive and welcoming place for all residents and are excited to celebrate this significant milestone during Welcoming Week 2024,” said Anjanette Velazco, director of the Municipal ID Program. “We are grateful to all the participants, partners and supporters who have made the PHLCityID Program a success over the past five years.”
K-8 scholarship applications open
Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia has officially opened its 2025-26 application season and will award scholarships to families this year at increased amounts. CSFP will award 2,000 new scholarships to eligible students this year, while continuing to support prior recipients.
“Education is personal and every family deserves the opportunity to access high-quality schools, especially in the early years. ‘Under-resourced’ families need more financial support to access their choice of schooling,” said Keisha Jordan, president and CEO, Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia. “CSFP scholarships help close the gap to make quality education accessible, thanks to the incredible support of CSFP donors and Pennsylvania’s EITC/OSTC tax credit program. Increasing our award amounts stretches for our organization, but our families deserve our increased efforts to improve educational outcomes for Philly’s younger learners.”
These need-based, K-8th grade scholarships are available for qualified Philadelphia families interested in sending their students to more than 150 tuition-based schools throughout Philadelphia. The updated tier award amounts will total $1,250, $2,500 and $3,350, reflecting incremental updates to the previous tiered amounts. All CSFP students receive scholarships through 8th grade. CSFP scholarships are awarded through a random lottery and are available for up to three children per family per year.
Apply by Nov. 15 to be entered into a December lottery. Parents and guardians are encouraged to take advantage of the priority deadline, which provides the greatest likelihood of receiving a scholarship. All other applications will be entered into the lottery conducted in March.
Families can apply at www.csfphiladelphia.org/apply.
Legislation to provide legal representation for foster youth passes House
Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon’s Ensuring Legal Representation for Child Welfare Act passed the House as part of a bipartisan package of legislation to reauthorize and reform child welfare programs under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act. Scanlon’s bill would instruct states to provide information about available independent legal representation to children and parents in child welfare proceedings.
Scanlon, who serves as co-chair of both the Congressional Caucuses on Access to Legal Aid and Foster Youth, introduced the bipartisan bill earlier this summer alongside Rep. Claudia Tenney. Scanlon and Tenney’s bill is part of a bipartisan package called the Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act, which encompasses policies from 16 different pieces of legislation from Republican and Democrat members of the Ways and Means Committee. The package reauthorizes Title IV-B for the first time since 2021 and delivers the first significant reforms since 2008. With about 369,000 children in foster care, this legislation offers vital assistance to help strengthen and keep families together and support the safety and well-being of children in foster care.
“With so much at stake in child protection proceedings, attorneys have a critical role to make sure that the voices of children and parents are heard, and their rights are protected,” said Scanlon. “These attorneys can facilitate communication between parties and assist the courts to make informed decisions that prioritize the well-being of the child and family as a whole. I was proud to join Rep. Tenney in introducing the Ensuring Legal Representation for Child Welfare Act to promote justice and safeguard the rights of children and parents, and I am thrilled to see it pass the House as part of today’s historic, bipartisan child welfare reform package.”
Free pre-K spots available for 2024-25 school year
The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families and the School District of Philadelphia are encouraging families to enroll children aged 3 or 4 years old in the city’s free preschool options with seats still available at 350 locations across Philadelphia.
“How do we ensure our youngest learners are prepared for kindergarten and elementary school? We enroll them in one of Philadelphia’s many free preschools and we do it today,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker. “There is nothing more important in this school season than for parents and guardians to jump online and enroll their child as soon as possible, helping them succeed and helping us achieve a unified vision of serving all Philadelphia’s children.”
To help families search for and apply to locations, the city and school district collaborated alongside federal, state and preschool partners to launch a new enrollment portal called FreePhillyPreK. The FreePhillyPreK website provides information on all 370 locations with over 17,000 publicly funded preschool seats and allows families to submit a single application for up to three of their top choices. The unified application is also mobile-friendly, available in 12 different languages, and automatically saves application data for future use.
Interested families are encouraged to visit the interactive FreePhillyPreK site to select the nearest pre-K program with spots available, or call 844-745-7735 to speak to a representative who can help parents start an application.
To apply, families will need proof child’s age, proof of family residency, proof of household income and Caregiver ID. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Opening night at Marian Anderson Hall
Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra will launch the 2024–25 season in Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. The evening will mark the first Opening Night Celebration and the first full season to take place in the newly renamed hall, dedicated in June in memory of the legendary black contralto, civil rights icon and South Philadelphian.
Terry Gross will host the Opening Night Concert. She is the host and an executive producer of Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley, which is produced at WHYY in Philadelphia and broadcast on public radio stations around the country, and a passionate music lover and fan of the Orchestra. The concert will feature violinist María Dueñas performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1. The Orchestra will also give the world premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Orchestral Suite from Fire Shut Up in My Bones, co-commissioned by Yannick and The Philadelphia Orchestra. The history-making and Grammy-winning opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones was the first by a black composer to be performed at the Metropolitan Opera, led by Yannick in 2021. The concert will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. Tickets are available at 215-893-1999 or www.philorch.org.
“The Opening Night Concert sets the stage for a season of renewal and rediscovery, as we revisit the beloved masterpieces that we know and love. We also continue our exploration of works by composers who have been ‘historically overlooked’ and those whose unique voices remind us that art knows no boundaries,” said Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who is entering his 13th season with the Orchestra. “I know the audience will be blown away by the passion and talent of María Dueñas, one of classical music’s brightest young stars. To also present the world premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Orchestral Suite from Fire Shut Up in My Bones is a truly full-circle moment. After the opera made history when I conducted it at the Met, we look forward to marking another milestone in the history of this groundbreaking work, here in Marian Anderson Hall. I can think of no better way to begin the first full season in our newly rededicated hall, as Marian Anderson’s legacy guides and inspires us every day.”
SPHS Classes Jan./June ’64 & Jan. ’65 reunion
South Philadelphia High School will hold its 60th class reunion luncheon for classes January/June 1964 and January 1965 on Nov. 2 at noon at the Waterfall Room, 2015 S. Water St. Tickets are $70 and include buffet dinner and music. Cash bar. For tickets and more information contact Linda Lewandowski at 215-271-1674, Anna Marie Rosato at 856-371-7332 or Barbara MacCahery at 267-335-7072.
Guys and Dolls on stage in Manayunk
The Star Players, of the city Department of Parks and Recreation, will present Guys and Dolls from Oct. 11-13 at Venice Island Performing Arts Center, 7 Lock St. in Manayunk.
Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Group rates are available. Tickets are available with Venmo @TheStarplayers or at Holmesburg Recreation Center, 4500 Rhawn St.
For more information, call Bill Arthur at 215-685-8714, visit the group’s Facebook page or follow @starplayersPPR on X. ••
Entertainment at Parx
Parx Casino is offering the following upcoming entertainment:
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 ••
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. ••
Sign up for Philly Bike Ride
The third annual Philly Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Riders will pass Independence Hall, City Hall, Love Park, Chinatown, Old City, Penn’s Landing and Boathouse Row on Kelly Drive. They can choose between a 20-mile course or a 7.6-mile version, both ending at the art museum.
The free post-ride festival features live music, wellness activities, a beer garden and food trucks.
The cost is $69, with various add-ons available.
A portion of proceeds will support the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and its Youth Cycling Program.
For more information, visit www.phillybikeride.com ••
A space for UArts student work
Councilwoman Rue Landau, in collaboration with Creative Philadelphia, is launching an initiative to support students and faculty affected by the recent closure of the University of the Arts.
The project aims to transform City Hall into a welcoming hub for these displaced artists’ work, providing them with a space to showcase their work in City Hall and in the office of Landau (Room 592) and the corridors.
Students and faculty of UArts are invited to submit their artwork for consideration through an online submission form, with a deadline of Oct. 4.
“The closure of UArts is a significant loss for our city, but it also presents an opportunity for us to uplift and support these talented artists,” Landau said. “I’m honored to provide a space for their work alongside the Creative Philadelphia so that they know the city values their contributions to our arts scene.”
The submission form for UArts students and faculty to have their work featured can be found here. ••
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. ••
