See New Year\’s Eve Fireworks on the Battleship

CAMDEN CITY, NJ–The Battleship will open her decks for guests to watch the 6 pm or Midnight SugarHouse New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Waterfront.

We’ll have music, food concessions and bar service. We will open her decks two hours before each show – 4:00 pm for the 6:00 pm fireworks show and 10:00 pm for the midnight show.

Come aboard for just a $10 donation per person.

Become a member today ($40) and receive 5 free tickets to the fireworks show! Call (856) 966-1652 Extension 127 for details.

All proceeds go to the on-going restoration of the Battleship, a non-profit museum and memorial.

Fire the 5-inch gun at the conclusion of the 6:00 pm and Midnight Fireworks! We’ll offer chances for guests to pull the trigger and fire this historic gun on New Year’s Eve!

6 PM Show Tickets

Midnight Show Tickets

Also available by calling 866-877-6262 ext. 108, or at the Battleship’s Ticket Office, open every day from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, except Christmas Day, and prior to both the 6:00 pm and Midnight shows on New Year’s Eve.

Unless there are dangerous weather conditions, the fireworks will go forward, even if it’s raining. The Battleship will have the Officers’ Wardroom and the Exhibit interior spaces on the main deck open for guests prior to the start of the fireworks.

There are no chairs and lawn chairs are not permitted to be brought aboard the Battleship. No alcohol is permitted to be brought aboard the Battleship.

Both SugarHouse New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Waterfront shows are free to Battleship Members.

Location:

62 Battleship Place Camden, NJ 08103

Francis A. \”Frank\” Zappa, World War II Navy Veteran; Iron Worker; Liberty Clowns Member

The greatest measure of a man is not measured in the crucible of imperfections, but rather, in the metamorphoses of what he becomes. Francis A. \”Frank\” Zappa was a man of strength and conviction. He was stern, argumentative and preferred to just do it himself. But, when Frank was needed, he was wise, dependable and unconditionally offered himself to the matter at hand. Mr. Zappa was a renaissance man who was accomplished in the kitchen, the garden, the dance floor and had been a part of the

Philadelphia Mummers Parade as a comic in the Liberty Clowns.

He was born in the cradle of Liberty, South Philadelphia. \”Mum-Town USA\”. During these formative years he had contributed to the manpower of our great nation serving as a coxswain in the United States Navy. Frank defended the ideals of our American freedoms during World War II in the American and Pacific Theaters aboard the troop ships; SS Robin Wentley, SS Cape Canso, SS Dashing Wave and the cargo ship SS R. Mansfield. The world in which we live equally distributes talent. But, it doesn\’t equally distribute opportunity. Opportunities are often disguised as hard work. Frank had driven a taxi through the city, owned and operated his own Barber Shops in Yeadon, Pa., Riverside and Delran. He made a career as an ironworker at G.H. Steel Co in Broomall, Pa.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Frank pressed lady luck in the casinos at the craps table, enjoyed fishing, hunting and telling stories of the \”big one\” that got away. Some memories never leave your bones. Like the salt in the sea; they become part of you – and you carry them. We\’ll meet again. Don\’t know where, don\’t know when. But we know we\’ll meet again.

Mr. Zappa was the widower of his late wife of 64 years, Mary (Sassano), and was the father of Sandra and her husband, Peter Genzano, Barbara Adams, and Stephen and his wife, Mary Jane Zappa. He was the proud grandfather of seven and great grandfather of seven. Frank was the brother of the late Dominic Zappa and Rose Thomas, and is also survived and will be sadly missed by his many nieces and nephews. Mr. Zappa\’s family would like to extend a sincere thank you and sentiment of gratitude to Dr. Kathleen Heintz, everyone at MD Anderson and the Cooper Heart Institute for all of their care and concern.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019 at the Creran Celebration Etherington & Creran Funeral Homes, 400 White Horse Pike, Oaklyn, N.J. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Charles Borromeo Church, Cinnaminson. Interment New St. Mary\’s Cemetery & Mausoleum, Bellmawr, N.J.

The Sixth Most Charitable State is Pennsylvania

By Dave Fidlin |

The Center Square

Pennsylvanians are more likely to help their neighbors, stick with a volunteer activity and partake in fundraising compared to most other areas of the country, according to a recent

study.

Researchers with personal finance website WalletHub recently combed through various data for the study, “

2019’s Most Charitable States

.” Pennsylvania ranked sixth of the 50 states.

Charitable giving, naturally, is a front-and-center topic amid the holidays. WalletHub asked a number of academics and experts to weigh in on this topic in a broad sense.

Femida Handy, professor and director of the University of Pennsylvania’s social welfare program, offered her insight and views on a number of topics, including the percentage of income households should donate to charity.

“All households, with incomes above the median income, should donate, and they should donate anywhere from 2 to 6 percent of their incomes,” Handy said.

According to WalletHub, study data was analyzed into two overarching categories – the first being volunteering and service, the other under the overarching umbrella of charitable giving. Pennsylvania ranked No. 12 in the first category, and No. 11 in the second one.

However, more granular analyses within both categories were weighted differently, which pushed Pennsylvania into its single-digit position within WalletHub’s analysis.

A look at states’ numbers of volunteer hours per capita carried 12.5 points, for instance, while a metric on the number of charities per capita carried 2.78 points. All told, Pennsylvania notched 65.88 points in both categories.

WalletHub financial writer Adam McCann said multiple sources were considered for the analysis, with data gleaned from such organizations as the Corporation for National and Community Service, Charity Navigator, Gallup and U.S. Census Bureau.

Pennsylvania landed in the top 10 in five metrics. The state tied for No. 1 in the metric of state regulations deemed friendly to charities.

According to the report, 43.61 percent of Pennsylvanians engage in fundraising or sell items to raise money for a specific cause. The statistic landed the state in No. 4 for the individual metric.

Pennsylvania also landed in the top 20 percent of all states in the nation using Google to search for charities (No. 6 ranking). Data also revealed 58.9 percent of the state’s population reported doing favors for neighbors, resulting in a No. 8 ranking in the metric.

Additionally, the state was singled out for having a higher than average volunteer retention rate. Data suggested 69 percent of Pennsylvanians stick with a charity after pledging to volunteer time and money to the cause.

On the other end of the spectrum, Pennsylvania fell into the bottom 10 of all states in one specific metric: share of income donated. According to WalletHub, Pennsylvanians on average donate 1.12 percent of their income – a statistic that landed the state at No. 40.

Neighboring states had across-the-board overall ranks in the analysis. Maryland ranked No. 3, Ohio was No. 5, New York was No. 19, New Jersey was No 29 and West Virginia was No. 42.

The most charitable state, according to WalletHub, is Minnesota, while the least charitable is Arizona.

published here with permission of The Center Square

JEROME BY DAVE WOLFE

ARTIST Dave Wolfe

Vol. 6 No. 27 (Dec. 28, 2019)

Editor\’s Note: Each Sunday morning we post a weekly comic strip provided by cartoonist Dave Wolfe. Dave has been drawing since he was 5 years old, he knew he wanted to be a cartoonist at the age of 8. He’s been distributing his comics in school since 3rd grade. (click image to enlarge)

Public Comment Period Extended on Cleanup Plan for the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund Site

Gibbsboro

, N.J.

– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the public comment period for its proposed cleanup plan that includes a combination of technologies and methods to address the former paint manufacturing plant and adjoining areas of the Sherwin-Williams/Hilliards Creek Superfund Site in Gibbsboro to

January 29, 2020

. EPA’s study of these areas shows that soil and sediment are contaminated with arsenic and lead, and soil in other areas are contaminated with paint solvents.

EPA’s cleanup plan addresses a nearly 20-acre area where the former manufacturing plant operated, the headwaters of Hilliards Creek and adjoining areas, which include approximately six residential properties. At the former manufacturing plant area, the plan includes removing and disposing of approximately 67,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the site and backfilling with clean soil, groundwater monitoring, and institutional controls in the form of deed notices.

Floodplain soil and sediment within Upper Hilliards Creek would be excavated and disposed of off-site. Surface water will be monitored. The wetland areas will be restored with vegetation and soil similar in nature to previously existing wetlands.

In areas where paint solvents are present, the EPA is calling for the treatment of harmful chemicals through subsurface treatment. Certain areas containing soil contaminated with paint solvents may also be treated at the site by injecting non-hazardous additives to the subsurface soil to promote the biological breakdown of contaminants. The specific types of additives to be used will be determined by the EPA as part of the design of the cleanup. Soil gas collection systems will also be installed to collect and treat any harmful vapors.

Throughout the cleanup, EPA will monitor and further study the cleanup progress to ensure the effectiveness of the remedy. EPA will conduct a review of the cleanup every 5 years to ensure its effectiveness. Under the proposed plan, the estimated cost of cleanup is approximately $36 million.

Written comments on the proposed plan, postmarked no later than close of business January 29, 2020, may be mailed or emailed to: Ray Klimcsak, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 19

Floor, New York, NY 10007, Email:

klimcsak.raymond@epa.gov

To view the EPA’s proposed plan for the site, please visit

www.epa.gov/superfund/sherwin-williams

New Apprenticeship Funding in Philadelphia

December 27, 2019

HARRISBURG PA–Governor Tom Wolf announced the approval of new funding for the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers JAC Local Unit 14. (IAHFIAW), whose training center is dedicated to building professionals with expertise,

character, and a sense of teamwork. The funding will support the governor’s commitment to expanding job training related opportunities throughout Pennsylvania.

“It is critical that we invest in the future of Pennsylvania’s workforce by helping industries and organizations bring on, train, and grow new talent,” said Gov. Wolf. “Since taking office, my administration has been committed to supporting the training and development opportunities that will shape the future of workplaces across the commonwealth.”

The $49,500 grant will support recruitment methods, including job fairs in the community and local schools, as well as open house job fairs at the IAHFIAW JAC (LU14) Training Center. The program will recruit and train apprentices in mechanical insulation, firestopping, and asbestos abatement. The center has trained registered apprentices since 1969 with 85 percent of apprentices completing the program and 100 percent being placed in careers. The training center is overseen by a joint committee consisting of representatives from the Contractors Association and the Local Union 14.

“The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers JAC (LU14) is very excited to be awarded the commonwealth,” said Ed Krawczyk, Administrator, IAHFIAW JAC (LU14) Training Center. “This grant will help us further utilize the funding for opportunities for training our future apprentices in the Insulation Industry.”

Apprenticeship programs provide key access to career pathways and enable apprentices to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to compete in today’s economy. Classroom training is a required component of registered apprenticeship programs across Pennsylvania and complements traditional on-the-job training. The technical materials taught in a classroom environment enables apprentices to learn fundamental concepts, terminology, procedures, safety requirements, and basic tools and instruments.

Apprenticeships are a key component of Governor Wolf’s

PAsmart

initiative, an innovative way to improve coordination between state agencies, cut red tape, and invest in people and businesses to expand innovative job training in apprenticeships and other programs so workers get the skills they need to compete in the global economy.

The Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program

is a statewide program that offers assistance to registered apprenticeship programs. The program’s goal is to increase apprenticeship availability to Pennsylvania employers to assist them with their talent recruitment and development.

For more information about the Wolf Administration’s commitment to workforce training, visit the

Department of Community and Economic Development website

Veterinarians Offer Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe in Winter

As parts of the U.S. gear up for a powerful post-Christmas

winter

storm–packed with strong winds, heavy snow, and freezing rain—veterinarians at

BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital

are offering a few tips to help keep pets safe.

\”Many people think that dogs and cats’ fur make them more resistant to cold weather, but that is not necessarily true. Cold tolerance can vary based on a pets’ size, coat, body fat percentage, activity level, age and overall health,” remarked Harry Weatherson, BVetMed, MRCVS, ER Service Head and emergency veterinarian at

BluePearl in New York City

. “While huskies and other dogs bred for colder climates are more tolerant of cold weather, all dogs and cats are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia. As a general rule, if it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for your pet.”

While prolonged exposure to cold air, rain, sleet and snow can cause paws to become chapped and irritate your pet’s skin, there are other common winter-related issues pet owners should look out for.

Protect your pet from weather-related health dangers by remembering these eight winter safety tips.

Be mindful of your pet’s tolerance to cold.

Consider shortening walks, especially if your dog is sick, small, short-haired, very young or old. Pets who fall into these categories tend to feel cold faster, and seniors, who may be arthritic, are more prone to falls. Pets with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or hormonal imbalances are also more susceptible to developing issues from cold weather due to the inability to regulate body temperature as effectively. If you are unsure of pet’s temperature limits, consult your veterinarian.

Check the paws.

During a winter walk, salt, ice, antifreeze, and coolants can irritate pets’ footpads and/or accumulate between toes. If chemicals from ice-melting agents are licked off paws, this can cause GI upset or a potentially more

harmful effect

. After walks, check your dog’s paws for signs of cold-weather injury or damage, such as cracked or bleeding paw pads. When possible, avoid salt and ice and immediately wash paws with warm water when you are back inside.

Keep an eye out for frostbite.

Sensitive tissues like ears, nose, and paw pads are susceptible to frostbite, so regularly check these areas for signs of cold weather related injuries or damage.

ID, leash, and chip.

It is easy for pets to become lost in winter because snow masks familiar scents that can help them return home. Leash your pet during winter walks—especially during a snow storm—and make sure their ID tags are up-to-date. Consider microchipping to ensure a safe return home if your pet becomes lost.

Honk for sleeping animals.

In cold conditions, animals (especially cats) like to seek shelter and warmth under cars. Honk, open the car hood or loudly slap it to wake up any animal sleeping there. Lastly, visually check beneath the car to ensure that it is clear of all animals.

Never leave your pet in an unattended car.

Car temperatures can drop quickly in colder months. Animals kept in cold cars can develop hypothermia or even freeze to death. Be sure to never leave your pet unattended in a vehicle and always keep the car at a comfortable temperature—both extreme cold and extreme heat can negatively impact your pet’s health.

Consider adjusting diets.

With walks cut short and less time spent outdoors in general, indoor pets can experience unhealthy weight gain. Ask your veterinarian for specific feeding recommendations and supplement the lost time outdoors with indoor playtime. Hide-and-seek with treats is one good way to keep your dog active indoors.

Be prepared.

Like humans, your pet will need food and water if power goes out during a cold front or winter storm. Be sure to keep an ample supply of water, food, and medication (plan for five days), and store emergency numbers and addresses in a safe, easily accessible place. Keep copies of these emergency numbers in both your home and car for good measure.

The best way to monitor your pets’ comfort level in the cold is to watch their behavior. If you notice that your pet is shivering/shaking/trembling, whining, acting lethargic or anxious, searching out warmth or shelter, or holding up one or more paws, that is a sign that it is time to head inside.

YOUNG CATHOLICS TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH MIDNIGHT MASS

PHILADELPHIA PA–Faithful throughout the Archdiocese are invited to gather at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul for a prayerful, holy, and unique way to ring in the New Year. It will be hosted by members of the Cathedral’s Young Adult Group and the Catholic Center for Young Adults.

Tuesday, December 31, 2019 – Wednesday, January 1, 2020

11:00 p.m. Holy Hour

12:00 a.m. Midnight Mass

1:00 a.m. – 2:30 a.m. Celebration

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Reverend G. Dennis Gill,

Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and Director of the Archdiocesan Office for Divine Worship,

will be the principal celebrant and Father Shaun Mahoney will be the homilist at the Midnight Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Following the Mass, there will be a celebration in Drexel Hall. The theme is Art Deco and 1920s period attire is welcomed. Refreshments and music will be provided at no cost and all are welcome to attend.

You can find information about the event through the Facebook event page

https://www.facebook.com/events/453854045322662/

or CCYA’s Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/CatholicCenterForYoungAdults

Malcom Wilfong, age 28, of Allentown, Pa Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 19, 2019, Malcom Wilfong, age 28, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 55 months’ imprisonment for participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that operated in Schuylkill and Berks Counties.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Wilfong previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine between July 2016 and May 2017.

Wilfong is the fourth defendant connected to the methamphetamine ring to be sentenced in federal court. Anibal Rodriguez, the leader of the drug conspiracy, was previously sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. Ernest Schaeffer received a 15-year prison sentence. David Castro was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Shenandoah Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case is part of

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)

, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Pick-6 Rolls to $5.2 Million for Dec. 30 Drawing

TRENTON (Dec. 27, 2019)

– The Pick-6 drawing on December 26 produced

four

winners of

$6,041

for matching five out of six white balls drawn. The $5.2 million drawing will be held Monday, December 30, 2019.

The

winning numbers

for the

Thursday, December 26

, drawing were:

13, 16, 26, 30, 35 and 37

. The XTRA

Multiplier

was:

. By adding XTRA for an additional $1.00 per play, winners are able to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by the XTRA number drawn.

Acting Executive Director James Carey announced that there were 483,331 tickets purchased for the drawing and of those sold, thousands were prizewinners! For correctly matching four numbers, 323 ticketholders won $72 each and 45 others won $216 each with the addition of XTRA. Moreover, for correctly matching three numbers 6,773 ticketholders won $3.00 each and 997 others won $9 each with the addition of XTRA. Lastly 7,941 ticketholders each won $2.00 for correctly matching two numbers with the addition of XTRA on their purchase.