Win a Gift Certificate, page 4
s o u t h p h i l l y r ev i ew.c o m
Vo l . 6 4 N O. 4 9
And many more!
Kith and kin helped an East Passyunk Crossing resident celebrate her reaching triple digits.
DECEMBER 8, 2011
Ecua ua ado dor’s Fr F an nkl k in Xavi viie err M Molina aQ Qu uel e al prou udl d y recite ed th t e Pled dge ge o off Allegi giian ance ce.. ce He and other erss arre eage gerr to e exper erienc ncce all th hat at b being ng an Amerricca an n invol olve v s. Staff Photo by Greg Bezanis
By Joseph Myers R e v i e w s ta f f w r i t e r
I
n 1911, the RMS Titanic had yet to make its lone, disastrous voyage; much of Europe, the United States and Japan were three years away from waging World War I; and the world welcomed numerous notable figures, including cartoonist Joseph Barbera, actress Lucille Ball and playwright Tennessee Williams. Philomena Decusatis joined the tiny population of Shenandoah, a town in Schuylkill County, Nov. 30 of that year. To mark her 100th birthday and to celebrate her 71 years of marriage to John Romeo, 67 friends and relatives gathered See ROMEO page 14
Sports
Ten little citizens Children from six countries participated in a naturalization ceremony at a Queen Village school of the arts.
Counting our stars
Three dozen local products are lling college basketball rosters this season. By Joseph Myers.............Page 38
By Joseph Myers R e v i e w s ta f f w r i t e r
N
our Sardab has her entire life to anticipate and with the federal government’s assistance, she will experience a vested existence as a U.S. citizen. The 18-month-old Sudan native and nine other youngsters made their debuts as nat-
uralized figures Nov. 30 at Settlement Music School’s Mary Louise Curtis Branch, 416 Queen St. Representing six countries, the children beamed with pride, with Nour, whose name means “light,” delighting her mother, grandfather and others with radiant smiles. The work of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the afternoon ceremony capped National Adoption Month, which
in prior years united five of the honorees with their families, earning the young ones automatic citizenship through the Immigration and Nationality Act. Nour and the others also had obtained instant privilege by being the offspring of parents who became naturalized after stints as permanent residents. The celebration completed the See CITIZENSHIP page 12