Dan Gross: Bill Vargus out at Fox29
"IT'S VERY disappointing, but like anything in life, you have to look at it as an opportunity," longtime Fox 29 sportscaster Bill Vargus says of the station's decision to not renew his contract.
"IT'S VERY disappointing, but like anything in life, you have to look at it as an opportunity," longtime Fox 29 sportscaster
Bill Vargus
says of the station's decision to not renew his contract.
"I have some other things I've been wanting to explore. But I'm going to also stay open to any other broadcasting opportunities," says Billy V, whose last day at the station will be April 29.
Fortunately for the family, his wife, Sue Serio, will remain at Fox 29, where she reports weather on "Good Day Philadelphia."
Vargas (and Serio) started at Fox 29 in 1997.
Joe Staszak will now serve as the main sports anchor/reporter at the station, which for a while now has also been featuring 610 WIP's Anthony Gargano and Hugh Douglas on its sports broadcasts.
Punk rocker proud
to be Pansy
Jon Ginoli, front man of pop-punk band Pansy Division, will read from and sign copies of his new book, "Deflowered: My Life in Pansy Division" (Cleis Press, $16.95), at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Giovanni's Room (345 S. 12th). Ginoli will also play a brief acoustic set. The book documents the life and times of the most successful openly gay punk band, which has played here many times over its 18-year-career.
The band, which played to its biggest Philly crowds opening for Green Day at the Trocadero and at the Civic Center in 1994, has just released a new record, "That's So Gay," on the Alternative Tentacles label. A documentary about the band played last year's Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Fest, which is now known as QFest.
Local film lands DVD distro
Twin Valley High grad Randy "Scooter" Lammey's debut feature film, "Kicking the Dog," will be released on DVD April 21 through MTI Home Video. Lammey wrote and directed the comedy about love, sex and college, which he shot over 20 days at his parents' Chester County home. A few years back, Lammey won a national YouTube contest for the music video he made with local band Pawnshop Roses.
Mrs. McNabb hosts baby shower
Raquel McNabb and nurses from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania will host the second annual Philadelphia Community Baby Shower May 2 at the Penn Ice Rink (3130 Walnut). McNabb, wife of Donovan, was raised in Canada with socialized medicine and has said the idea of people without health insurance was foreign to her.
The shower, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes lectures by HUP nurses on topics such as prenatal care, post-partum depression and caring for babies.
Moms may register online at danetworkhousing.org.
'Star Trek' guy signs
on South St.
East Falls native Robert Picardo, known to legions of Trekkies as The Doctor from "Star Trek Voyager," signs autographs from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday at Atomic City Comics (642 South). He's charging $20 per autograph.
Free coffee at Cafe Loftus
Cafe Loftus (136 S. 15th) is giving away coffee from 7 to 10 a.m. every Friday in April to celebrate its third anniversary.
Sexy Single shares his salary
Philadelphia sheriff deputy Dave Dougherty's salary of $50,777 (the base salary is $45,000) will be included in PARADE magazine this weekend in a story about what people make.
Dougherty, a former Daily News Sexy Single, is also an actor and recently shot a scene with Jamie Foxx and Viola Davis in "Law Abiding Citizen." *
Visit PhillyGossip.com for Dan's latest stories. Have a tip? Call 215-854-5963, or e-mail grossd@phillynews.com. For recent columns, visit go.philly.com/dangross.