Work Hard, Play Hard

A fun weekend begins with another annual tradition, the 19^th annual Fancy Brigade weekend in North Wildwood, New Jersey.  Of course, there is the Pub Crawl Friday night, but on Saturday, the 8^th, after the block party, around 4:45/5:00 or so, there is the 19^th annual Fancy Brigade Summer Parade.  It starts at Second Street and Olde New Jersey Avenue. Summer may now pick up steam.  The event also caps an inspirational week.

The week featured SugarHouse Casino General Manager Wendy Hamilton announcing that SugarHouse is the title sponsor of the SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade for at least the next 3 parades. Whoo-hoos still echo along two Street.  This is a great statement of support.  PHl17 continues as the sole broadcaster of the parade.  The station presented Wendy with a new pair of Golden Slippers.

Also this week, I got to spend time again in Lafayette Hill with hundreds of great people raising money for the Devereux Foundation, which is beginning its second century of serving children and adults with special needs.  Devereux has been the “quiet neighbor” that doesn’t toot its own horn, but really makes a difference.

I also was updated with the plans the organization CADEkids has to expand its work in schools to teach good decision-making, how to control impulses and avoid risky behavior.  The nonprofit has been making a difference in young people’s lives for a quarter of a century.  It’s the kind of program that is needed more and more.  It’s got the data to prove it is effective.

On “In Focus” I spoke with Jerry Buckley, the relatively new CEO, of the Pennsylvania SPCA.  That is a remarkable operation which is saving 96 percent of the animals that come into its facility.

I also talked with Beverly Haberle and Fred Martin,  folks from the Council of Southeast Pennsylvania who do a wonderful job of moving people from addiction into effective recovery.  They have a project called PRO-ACT, which stands for Pennsylvania Recovery Organization-Achieving Community Together. They are actively working to remove the stigma of addiction and get us to a better place.

As I said, another inspiring week.  My thanks to the Mummers, too, who I spent hours with this week as they work to preserve the art and cultural history of Philadelphia’s unique tradition.

The Spartans are here!

The Spartans Fancy Brigade is here and already cleaning up. Literally.   The newest Fancy Brigade went out this weekend and cleaned up the ball field complex at EOM.   Nice job, Spartans.  Adults and younger ones were on hand.

The Spartans NYB is the newest Mummers Fancy Brigade.  They are and want to be very community minded, so they took it to the streets, painting and sweeping and bagging.

The Spartans are a family-oriented club and hope to attract members who think that way, too.  Congratulations to Jerry and all the members and good luck as you prepare for New Year’s.

Members of the Spartans NYB already doing their part in South Philadelphia!

Great Job, Wyndmoor

As someone who has witnessed the volunteer  greatness of Wyndmoor Hose Company #1 as the members serve in many ways throughout the Montgomery County and Philadelphia community, there is yet another reason to honor their success.  The fire company has now presented a check for $5,000 to Fox Chase Cancer Center for breast cancer research.  Wyndmoor Hose #1 raised the money through its Pink Siren campaign in 2012.

2013 Show of Shows

The wows kept coming this afternoon at the annual Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association Show of Shows. Thousands of fans clapped, cheered and strutted with the Captains and the 16 bands of the String Band Association. The show began with Polish American and Captain Nick Magenta heralding what was to come with their theme, “A Rio Good Time.” Trilby and Uptown followed. Then Greater Overbrook and Duffy. Greater Kensington, Broomall and Durning finished out the first half. Captains and members of the bands paused at intermission to talk with the crowd and be photographed with the fans. Lots of interaction in the people business that is the Mummers.
The 2nd half started with a rousing performance by Aqua and Captain Ron Iannacone. The imaginative Hegeman followed. Then Avalon, Ferko, South Philadelphia, Woodland, Quaker City, and 1st Prize Fralinger. Then came the Captains in a finale capping the 3 hour show. This may have been the last Show of Shows in Boardwalk Hall. Next year the show could be in North Wildwood or Philadelphia.
Congratulations to Hall of Fame inductees Dan Marakowski, of Fralinger, Dan Spencer, of Ferko, Mark Danielewicz, of Polish American, and Joe Volkert, of Quaker City String Band.

Happy 4711!

I had a great time Friday night as the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation celebrated the Chinese New Year at the Ocean City Restaurant on 9th Street in Chinatown.  As someone born in the year of the Monkey, I have little in common with the Snake, but being a Monkey, celebrated optimistically with my friends and neighbors.  Comcast employees and NBC10′s Glenn Schwartz were on hand.  PCDC has been a significant, positive force in the preservation of the culture and in the development of Chinatown. The annual banquet is always one of the happiest of the year. May you soon fine lucky bamboo stalks near you.

2014 “Order of Enjoyment”

The Philadelphia Mummers String Bands tonight have selected the order in which they will march in the 2014 SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade!

The new rules for selecting the order mean that the bands that marched in the 1 through 5 positions in 2013, would automatically not be in that first group of 5 in 2014.  Those bands, Greater Overbrook, Durning, Trilby, Broomall and South Philadelphia, selected first and drew from balls that were numbered 6 through 17.

After they picked, the other bands then selected from the remaining unchosen positions 1 through 17.  They selected in the order of the 2013 prize finish, so Fralinger, for example, was the first pick in this group, or the 6th overall to pick.  There was no trading or purchasing of positions. Here is how it ended, the 2014 Order of March, or as I say:

 

The “Order of Enjoyment”

1. Woodland

2. Fralinger

3. Polish American

4. Avalon

5. Ferko

6. Uptown

7. Trilby

8. South Philadelphia

9. Greater Overbrook

10. Aqua

11. Hegeman

12. Quaker City

13. Pennsport

14. Broomall

15. Durning

16. Greater Kensington

17. Duffy

Now, let the theme selection, planning, budgeting and fundraising begin!

Drawing beginning for order of march.