Dear Neighbor,

Sunday’s bike race was off the chain. And while both races came down to breathtaking finishes, what I loved most was what the race brought out in our community.

Walking the route through Manayunk and East Falls, I watched people cheer for every rider. It didn’t matter who they were. If they were tough enough to take on those hills, we were rooting for them.

That says something about us. We respect hard work, toughness, and people who show up and give it everything they’ve got.

I’ll also never forget race organizer Carlos Rodgers and Jazelle Jones, the city’s special events planner, in the lead car screaming with excitement as they headed up The Wall’s 17% incline. They worked for years to bring this race back after a decade, and I was proud to support that effort.

Remember Stanley after Pretzel Day on The Office: “Only 364 days until the next Pretzel Day”?

That was me when the race ended. I already can’t wait for next year.

Image: Stanley from the office

Luckily, we’ve got Porchfest, East Falls Fest, Roxtoberfest, the Home and Garden Festival, and plenty more coming up.

More below on some of the things I’m doing to help our community shine, including some exciting news about a $500,000 state grant we helped secure for the Schuylkill Center!

Best,

Tarik

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In This Issue:

🌳 $500K for the Schuylkill Center
🚴 Nobody Does It Better Than Philly
✨ East Falls Gets Race Ready
👮🏼‍♂️ Protecting Older Adults from Scams
🩺 Measles: Facts Over Fear
🏡 Roxborough Refuge
⛪️ Touring St. Gregory’s

🌳 $500k for the Schuylkill Center

Sen. Vincent Hughes and I just helped secure $500,000 more for the Schuylkill Center!

Image: Presenting $500k check

The center provides after-school and other educational programming for children, while caring for 365 acres of preserved land that many call the “lungs of our city.” This funding will help improve its visitor center facilities so it can better serve the families, students, and neighbors who come through its doors.

It also has a unionized workforce that recently won a new contract. That mattered to us. When an organization takes care of its workers, its kids, and our environment, we should fight to help it succeed. Click here or the image below to watch a brief video:

Image: Schuylkill check presentation video

This is the second check we’ve been able to present to the center in the last year, and I’m proud we were able to deliver this investment!

🚴🏽 Nobody Does It Better

I was so happy to see the bike race back after a decade away!

I’m proud of Carlos Rogers for the passion, commitment, and winning spirit it took to bring this Philly tradition back. It was a pleasure to work with him as a state representative over the last 2 ½ years to help make it happen!

Image: With John, Julia and friends

Both races were incredibly exciting, and I had a blast cheering with neighbors in East Falls and Manayunk, including our own Robin Carpenter, alongside his parents John Carpenter and Julia Heberle.

Click here or the image below to watch the video:

Image: Bike race video

The crowds, the cowbells, the energy. What a comeback. 🚴🔔❤️

✨ Getting One East Falls Corner Race Ready

With the big bike race returning after 10 years, neighbors came together the day before to make sure East Falls was ready for the spotlight.

In just two hours, we trimmed back overgrown trees and branches, pruned everything up, picked up trash, and transformed one of the major corners spectators will see during the race.

Click here or the image below to watch a brief video of the transformation!

A big thank you to Linda Norris, Emily Nichols, Michael Huff, Drew Montemayor, Stacie Simon, Catie from East Falls Development, John Hawkins, and all the neighbors who came out and pitched in.

Image: With the cleanup crew

The difference was pretty amazing. Thanks to everyone who helped make East Falls look gorgeous and race ready. 🚴🌳✨

👮🏽Protecting Older Adults From Scams

I’m working on bipartisan legislation with the PA Attorney General’s Office to strengthen protections for older adults against financial scams and exploitation.

Our proposal would close loopholes that can let people abuse positions of trust. It would make clear that “consent” is not a defense for fraud, being on a joint account does not mean someone can take the money, and a power of attorney cannot simply gift themselves an older adult’s assets.

Image: With PA House Aging Committee Chair Maureen Madden

Our bill would also give victims more time to seek justice by starting the clock when the abuse is discovered and expand protections to include contractors who take advantage of an older adult’s trust.

Older Pennsylvanians deserve strong protections from people who try to steal what they worked a lifetime to build.

🩺 Measles: Facts Over Fear

I joined Reps. Arvind Venkat and Bridget Kosierowski and Sen. Maria Collett for a Facebook Live on Pennsylvania’s recent Measles Outbreak, measles-associated deaths and declining vaccination rates.

Click here or the image below to watch a brief video of the Facebook live.

Image: Video about the measles outbreak

We also called out RFK Jr. for spreading misinformation about vaccines. Families deserve facts from trusted healthcare professionals, not conspiracy theories. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles.

🏥 A Roxborough Refuge

This week, I visited Fairmount Behavioral Health System in Roxborough, a longtime institution that has helped countless people and families through mental health challenges and addiction. Over the past 100 years Fairmont has treated some of our nation’s biggest personalities, and today Fairmount remains a major regional resource for children, adolescents and adults who need psychiatric, behavioral health, detox and recovery care.

Image: At Fairmount Health

Places like Fairmount remind us that behavioral healthcare is healthcare. Behind every patient is a family, a story and a person deserving dignity, compassion and a real chance to recover.

⛪ Touring St Gregory's

Last week I had the chance to tour Philadelphia’s only Armenian church, St. Gregory’s, which has served the Armenian community here since the early 1900s and has called the Andorra/Roxborough area home since the early 1960s.

Image: With Ed and Father Boghos

We talked about the church applying for the nonprofit security grant program, the same program my bill funded last session. Thank you to Father Paul Boghos and Board of Trustees Chair Edward Papazian for showing me around and sharing the history, faith, and traditions of Philadelphia’s Armenian community.

Have a great weekend!

Warm regards,

Tarik