Saturday I stopped by my childhood Mall, the Cherry Hill Mall, for a school spirit rally which also had organizations on hand to assist kids safely back to school as well as programing groups for kids to join like swimming, gymnastics of dancing.

Hosted in partnership with SJ Mom Magazine, the Cherry Hill Mall retailers
will welcome shoppers to celebrate the upcoming school year in a
pandemic-safe environment filled with exciting demonstrations from more
than 30 local vendors, and community fun-for-all.

While shopping for school supplies, back-to-school shoppers are
encouraged to share their school pride for a chance to win gift cards or
other prizes from favorite retailers. Throughout the day, elementary
through college students representing their school spirit with school colors,
wearing team uniforms, sporting a school shirt or hat, or even dressed as
the school mascot will be selected at random for prizes.

From now through Sept. 6, for every $200 spent at Cherry Hill Mall and
across the PREIT portfolio, customers will receive a $25 gift card of their
choice from a list of more than 30 merchants including AMC, Macy’s,
Regal, Sephora, Yard House, Bath & Body Works and more. To
participate, customers must upload pictures of their receipts at
spendandscore.com by Sept. 30. Receipts from multiple transactions
during the promotion dates will be accepted.

The Mall as well as participating retailers have partnered with Center for
Family Services throughout the month of August to collect and distribute
backpacks and school supplies for students in need. Donation bins will be
conveniently located in the malls management office for shoppers to place
donated items. Suggested supplies for the drive include:
 Backpacks
 Lunchboxes
 Pens and pencils
 Highlighters
 Colored pencils, crayons, and markers
 Glue sticks
 Folders
 Notebooks
 Loose leaf paper
For more details please visit the official event website here. (I’m sure if you participate they will extend it a few days)
To See More Photos from Saturday event head to CBSPhilly Thanks

Padraic Maroney

Padraic Maroney’s first book, It All Began with a Scream came out this week. The
book is a behind-the-scenes look at the Scream movie franchise with interviews from the cast
and crew – over 2 dozen spoke with him. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the
franchise, with the original film being released in December 1996.

Tuesday the official launch party was held at the Chandlery by Old City Canning Co.
1533 South Street celebrated Padriac and the book which helped inspire him to become a writer, specifically a movie reviewer which is how I met him 15 years at the Philadelphia Film Festival.

It All Began With A Scream:

Publisher site: It All Began With A Scream

Amazon: It All Began With A Scream

Hello PhillyChitChatters, thanks for subscribing to my blog. We hit 42ks subscribers earlier this month. I appreciate it. Sometimes when people unsubscribe I want to write and ask why, but I know everything has a season and maybe their lives are too busy to keep up with my chronicling the City and my life. Thank you for hanging in there with me. Let’s do a little gossip today, then this week I promise to publish a few events I covered, published elsewhere but also meant to cover here as well. Then I’m going away for about 8 days. I hope to pre write a few entries, but you know me very distractable…

The duo, their kids and her glam squad were staying at the Four Seasons in Rittenhouse Square. John Legend is about to embark on a tour, which will bring him to our area October 13 at the Met on North Broad. He rehearsed in Philly in preparation for his tour. Chrissy was spotted at the Please Touch Museum and rode the carousel with the kids, later they had lunch at the Reading Terming Market.

Chrissy and her glam squad went on a shopping spree at the Rite Aid across from the Four Seasons at 19th and Arch. They bought candy, clothing, and magazines which they spread out on the dining room table back at the hotel. Later that week Legend stopped by and bough Philadelphia postcards, about 6 of them!! He’s no stranger to Philly having gone to school here and graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 1999. (Philly Style Mag) Finally Chrissy and John enjoyed a bite to eat at JG Sky High. Jean Georges re opens in September and we will all once again enjoy delicious dinners at the City’s highest restaurant, with the breath taking views. Tickets still available for Legend’s concert…

At last night’s MMR Rocks Dead & Company. Saturday, August 21, 2021 at Citizens Bank Park – a packed house, good music and rainbows.

Sorry readers and the many people I photographed over the past 2 weeks, I haven’t done a lot of posts lately as I was distracted by a personal issue. It’s not a health thing, just a growth thing. I’ll catch up this week. Thanks

Its a little cloudy today, which was not the case last Tuesday when I attended another great ribbon cutting of a Philadelphia Park & Rec playground which had be rebuilt by proceeds from the sugar tax. Several Parks & Rec have gotten the Rebuild PHL make over but this is the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center at 5801 Kingsessing Ave.

Press Release: Mayor Kenney joined the Philadelphia Union Foundation, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, City officials and community members to celebrate the opening of the renovated athletic courts and one brand new soccer mini-pitch at Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in Southwest Philadelphia.

A part of the City of Philadelphia’s Rebuild Initiative, an historic investment in public spaces, this first phase of the F.J. Myers Recreation Center project represents a transformational partnership between the City, the Philadelphia Union Foundation and Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer to expand the impact of Rebuild investments. Together, the Union Foundation and Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer committed more than one million dollars to build 15 mini soccer pitches and two full-size signature fields across Philadelphia, further nurturing Philadelphia’s great appreciation for soccer.

“When we first announced the Rebuild Initiative, we knew it would invigorate the Philadelphia community to join us in supporting vital public spaces,” said Mayor Kenney. “The new soccer mini-pitch and renovated athletic courts are a shining example of what shared investment accomplishes.

The event also marks the first stage of a much-needed investment in Francis J. Myers Rec Center, a six-acre-plus park at 58th Street and Kingsessing Avenue that has long served as a cornerstone for Southwest Philly. About $350,000 was invested into the first phase of the project, and in the fall, Rebuild will begin the community-engagement stage of a full renovation of the center and surrounding property. (Inquirer)

Rebuild Philadelphia

“We are so pleased with the incredible new amenities now available to the community here at F.J. Myers,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner. “New outdoor courts and fields are in demand in South West Philly and across the City. Partnerships like this allow our Parks & Rec system to better support local youth athletics programs and meet the growing demand for more places to play, learn, and grow right here in the City.”

REBUILD is a historic investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in neighborhood parks, recreation centers and libraries across Philadelphia. Proposed in Mayor Jim Kenney’s first budget as a part of his vision for a more equitable Philadelphia, Rebuild’s promise to acknowledge history, engage the community and invest intentionally seeks to uplift pivotal community spaces, empower neighborhoods, and promote economic opportunity through diversity and inclusion.

Raymond Smeriglio, Director of Communications | City of Philadelphia, Office of Rebuild hands off the ribbon cutting scissors to a co worker who will secure them for the next fabulous Rebuild ribbon cutting for Parks & Rec!! Thanks Philly for your support. I’ll continue to buy my 20oz diet Coke for $2.25, I know I should just by the 64oz bottle for only $2.99 but it doesn’t fit in my car cup holder or maybe drink more water as my dietician tells me.