Around Town

LoMo Flea Market returns on May 17

The Lower Moyamensing Civic Association will host the LoMo Spring Flea Market along Broad Street outside of South Philadelphia High School from Jackson Street to Snyder Avenue on May 17. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be live entertainment, artists and finds. A rain date will be May 18. Proceeds benefit the Philadelphia Orchard Project.

Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show preview

Art lovers can catch an early glimpse of the works of the 2025 Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show before the pieces make their way to the nearly 100-year-old event.

Submissions are on view through June 4 in the lobby of The Rittenhouse Hotel at 210 Rittenhouse Square. 

This special exhibition offers guests a first look at works by featured artists ahead of the outdoor Fine Art Show, which returns to Rittenhouse Square Park from June 6–8.

To celebrate the exhibition, the public is invited to an Artists Meet & Greet Reception on June 4 from 5–7 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with the exhibiting artists, members of the Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Association board and the show’s director.

This exhibition and reception are free and open to the public, offering an opportunity to engage with the minds behind the nation’s longest-running outdoor fine art show.

Then the main show, known as the oldest outdoor fine art show in the country, returns to Rittenhouse Square for its 98th annual event June 6-8. The tradition began in 1928 as a grassroots effort by local art students displaying their work on clotheslines and has grown into a nationally recognized showcase featuring 145 professional artists from across the United States and Canada.

This year’s show will shine a light on the intersection of art and healing during Mental Health Awareness Month with the Art Therapy Department of Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation. Located in the center of the Square, this community partnership will share artwork created by patients from Jefferson’s Center City and South Philadelphia locations. 

The 2025 Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show is free and open to the public. For more information on the event and the exhibiting artists, visit www.rittenhousesquareart.com.

House passes landmark cannabis bill

The state House of Representatives made history by passing legislation sponsored by Reps. Rick Krajewski and Dan Frankel to legalize adult-use cannabis, advancing a plan that supporters say centers on public health, community repair and economic opportunity.

“For far too long, cannabis prohibition was used as a weapon against black and brown communities. Today, we took a major step toward a meaningful repair and durable justice,” Krajewski said. “This bill is about building a legal marketplace that puts working Pennsylvanians first, delivering hundreds of millions to the neighborhoods most devastated by criminalization and preventing a harmful corporate takeover of the market.”

Key elements of the bill include automatic expungement of records for low-level cannabis offenses and investments in restorative justice; targeted reinvestment in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs; public health safeguards, including THC limits, restrictions on marketing and packaging, and measures to prevent accidental ingestion; support for small and diverse businesses, creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs and maximizing state revenue and accountability with publicly owned and accountable retail stores.

As structured in the Cannabis Health and Safety Act, the hybrid marketplace is projected to bring in more than $2.2 billion or the state in the first two years.

The legislation, which would leave the medical cannabis program unchanged, now heads to the Senate.

$40 Million soil remediation facility launches in SW Philly

Alterra IOS, a player in the industrial outdoor storage sector that has acquired over 300 sites nationwide, announced the completion and grand opening of a $40 million soil cleanwashing facility in partnership with Eco Materials, which works in construction resource recovery. The new plant offers a sustainable solution to reclaim and repurpose sand, aggregate and construction waste through an advanced wet washing process. The facility remediates and repurposes more than 85% of incoming materials back into the construction ecosystem for future use. 

Located at 6110 W. Passyunk Ave., the Wash Plant sits within a multi-acre industrial outdoor storage site with direct access to regional infrastructure. Its location provides a new resource for local contractors, developers, municipalities and businesses looking to responsibly dispose of excavation materials and source high-quality, sustainable aggregates without relying on long-haul transport or distant landfills.

“This facility represents the future of construction, where sustainability and profitability go hand in hand,” said Leo Addimando, co-founder and Managing Partner of Alterra IOS. “We’re transforming dirty soil into clean, reusable material on site, and we’re doing it by cutting costs, reducing emissions and keeping the entire process local. This is a huge benefit for contractors, utilities, government agencies and developers looking to reduce costs and/or reduce their carbon footprint.”

The Wash Plant is purpose-built to extract impurities, contaminants and aggregates from excavated and contaminated soil. In turn, the facility produces quality soil, gravel, sand and stone for future use in public works, infrastructure projects, landscaping and construction projects. This closed-loop system helps builders dispose of excavation waste and purchase certified clean materials from a single, local source, eliminating unnecessary transportation and dramatically reducing the sector’s carbon footprint.

To power its cleanwashing process, the facility is equipped with a suite of advanced machinery designed for maximum efficiency and sustainability. At the front end, a high-capacity scalping screen separates and organizes raw aggregates, ensuring only usable materials progress through the system. From there, a specialized AggMax system separates stone, sand and clay to allow for precise material recovery. Lightweight contaminants are removed through a counterflow classification unit, and throughout the entire process water is continuously captured and recycled using an integrated AcquaCycle system that recovers up to 95 percent of water for immediate reuse.

Krasner releases first TV ad

Larry Krasner’s re-election campaign released its first ad of the election cycle.

“For seven years, I’ve stood up for Philadelphia,” Krasner says in the ad. “Some people don’t like that. Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies. The shooting groups and gun lobby. A system that denied people justice for too long. They can come for Philly, but I’m not backing down. They can F around and find out.”

The ad also points to the record number of exonerations won by Krasner’s office, which has freed nearly 50 people who the district attorney claims have been wrongfully convicted.

“Our first ad reinforces what Philadelphians already know: Larry is a fighter who will stand up for them against bullies, whether it’s Donald Trump, local shooting groups or the powerful gun lobby. Larry doesn’t like bullies and Philadelphia doesn’t, either,” said campaign manager Josh Uretsky. “We know that Larry’s record and his vision resonates at a time when our values and our way of life are under attack by Trump and his billionaire campaign contributors, and they want someone who will stand up for them and not kowtow to special interests or a broken status quo.”

The ad began running May 1 on cable and streaming television.

Krasner’s campaign believes it leads Pat Dugan, his opponent in the May 20 Democratic primary, by nearly 40 points. ••

Theater performance of Honk!

The Star Players, of the city Department of Parks and Recreation, will present Honk! The Ugly Duckling Musical on May 30-31 and June 1, at 7 p.m., at Venice Island Performing Arts Center, 7 Lock St., in Manayunk. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Group rates are available. Tickets can be purchased on Venmo @TheStarplayers or at Holmesburg Recreation Center, 4500 Rhawn St. For more information, follow @starplayersPPR on X, like the group’s page on Facebook or contact director Bill Arthur at 215-685-8714 or Starplayers2013@gmail.com. ••

O’Neill wants higher Homestead Exemption

Councilman Brian O’Neill introduced legislation to increase the Homestead Exemption from $100,000 to $110,000. If you own your primary residence, you are eligible to receive the Homestead Exemption, which reduces the taxable portion of your property’s assessed value. There are no income limits. Under the new $110,000 exemption, more than 30,000 enrolled owner-occupants in O’Neill’s district would save more than $1,500 annually (an increase of $140). If you are enrolled in the Homestead Exemption, you do not need to reapply. To enroll in the Homestead Exemption or if you have any questions about the program, call 215-686-3422. ••

Review returns to old website

The South Philly Review has returned to its original website, southphillyreview.com.

The website includes news, arts and entertainment, crime, sports, opinion and a ways to sign up for a free newsletter that will bring stories to your inbox.

Readers are also encouraged to follow the newspaper on Bluesky, on Facebook and on X @SoPhReview. ••

Women’s flag football, men’s volleyball coming to Manor

Manor College will debut women’s flag football and men’s volleyball for the 2025-26 school year.

“I am excited to launch these new sports here at Manor College,” said John Dempster, Manor’s athletic director. “Women’s flag football, in particular, is getting extremely popular and I want Manor College to be a trailblazer for this sport in our area. “With our current student body and new recruits coming in, we are hoping to be competitive in men’s volleyball from the beginning.”

An announcement on head coaches is forthcoming. ••

Memorial Day ceremony

The public is invited to honor the fallen on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, at noon at the Charles J. Glenn III Memorial, at Marlborough and Wildey streets in Fishtown. The event will feature the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Society honor guard and the Philadelphia Police and Fire Pipes and Drums. ••

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. ••

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 Niagara Falls

Polish American Cultural Center is sponsoring a Niagara Falls, New York & Made in America Store trip from Thursday, July 10, to Sunday, July 13. There will be a canal Cruise and lunch, boat ride, underground railroad tour, wine testing, a visit to the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine and casino trip, with $25 slot play. The trip will be by motor coach, and there will be a three-night hotel stay with buffet breakfasts and dinners. The cost is $1,100 per person double occupancy, including taxes and gratuities. For more information and reservations, call Theresa Romanowski at 215-813-2780 or 215-922-1700. ••

GirlzDay at the convention center

GirlzDay: Our World, Our Way, hosted by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, will take place on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 11th and Arch streets.

The event is geared to girls in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Tickets cost $35.

There will be keynote speakers, a dance party, interactive breakout sessions, live science experiments, gaming stations, an indoor roller rink, lunch, giveaways and a goody bag. For tickets, sponsorships and more information, visit www.gsep.org/girlzday ••

Ukrainian festival in August

The Ukrainian Folk Festival will take place on Sunday, Aug. 24, from noon to 8 p.m. at the Ukrainian American Sport Center — Tryzub, County Line and Lower State roads, Horsham.

The event will feature folk art, live music, dance, food, refreshments, vendors, arts and crafts displays and live historical reenactments.

Admission is $20, with a portion donated to the relief of war victims in Ukraine.

Kids under 15 are admitted free.

Parking is free.

For more information, call 267-664-3857 or visit www.tryzub.org. ••

Cruise in July

The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is traveling on an Independence Day Celebration cruise, July 1-8. Ports-of-call include New York, Newport, Boston on July 4 and Halifax, Nova Scotia. A passport is required. Rates range from $1,920 to $2,680 per person, double occupancy. For a flyer, call 215-788-9408. ••