Results tagged “delawarevalley”

This weekend there are several cool dance events going down, most of them on the cheap. We were going to front-load (dance-load?) Frugal today, but then thought it might be better to devote a little more space to each. Besides, with all this slushiness, wouldn't you rather watch other people move than do so yourself?

  • And how about some more bad news about money? "The downturn in Philadelphia's housing market - fewer homes changing hands, at lower prices - has created a growing hole in the city budget, likely to reach $10 million to $15 million by midyear."
  • Phillyist, like untold thousands in the Delaware Valley, resolved to be more active this year. If you’re one of those thousands and are looking for a place to start, consider combining it with that other favorite resolution, volunteering in the community. Back On My Feet running club lets you do just that: you’ll run in Center City with homeless men from local shelters. It may seem odd at first glance, but the non-profit is committed to promoting self-sufficiency by using running as a way to build confidence, strength, and self-esteem. The organization just started this past summer, and already has gotten attention and accolades aplenty. The idea started with founder Anne Mahlum, who would pass by a homeless shelter on her morning run, and slowly established a good rapport with the men who were outside. July 3rd marked the first outing of the Homeless Running Club, and now there are four teams that work with three area shelters. Each team runs at least three times a week, giving you plenty of opportunity to build relationships with your teammates and work up to that four-minute mile. BOMF is establishing connections with local businesses and job training centers, and one member recently accepted a job, the first concrete success story of the program. From the sounds of it, though, the story of every runner is a successful one, as the goals set within the program and the dedication of the staff inspire members to not only reap the health benefits, but to use the confidence gained in the program to effect positive change in their lives. The line that made Phillyist cry? “No one ever runs by themselves because life is a lot harder when you go through it alone.” Amen, sister.

    You may have caught Walt Hunter’s report about sleeping Wackenhut security guards at the Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant in York County on CBS 3 (KYW) on Tuesday. Well that report was based on a three month investigation by Scott Weinberger from CBS 2 (WCBS) in New York, which is the sister station for CBS 3 in New York. The thing is that Hunter’s piece, which used video and interviews conducted by Weinberger, didn’t mention the source of the video and it the station claimed it was an exclusive story. We mentioned the WCBS report earlier this week.

  • It was announced yesterday that a company called Pacifica Ventures would be opening a $75 million "entertainment production facility" (read: film studio) in the Delaware Valley by the fall of 2008 - and it's all thanks to our new tax-incentive package for filmmakers. "Pacifica is looking at sites in Bucks, Delaware and Philadelphia Counties for a 500,000-square-foot facility."
  • Join the Bucks County Choral Society for their open Summer Sing of Orff's 'Carmina Burana.'

  • About 1:30AM yesterday morning a woman died when she crashed her car into the back of a stationary PennDot dump truck in a construction zone on northbound I-95 near the Chichester Avenue exit. Northbound traffic was detoured until the lanes were reopened at about 4:30AM.
  • "A recently completed 'citizens' inspection' of a third of the 140 parks operated by the Fairmount Park Commission and the city Recreation Department" revealed that said parks are in bad shape, and that the park system itself needs a lot of work. There seems to be some argument, however, over whether this means the charter should be changed, or whether it just means they need more money.
  • Wandering through Liberty Place this Saturday afternoon, Phillyist came across the statue pictured to the right, as well as a bunch of others created from canned goods.

  • In yet more local school news, the faculty and staff at the Community College of Philadelphia went on strike yesterday morning, as threatened, when an agreement could not be reached on their new contract.
  • Now it's coming out that Reid's sons have gotten into traffic accidents before and there have been few legal consequences. Are they being shown favoritism?
  • Kudos to NBC 10 for airing a live election special Monday night dealing with the issues and candidates in the Delaware Valley. Steve Highsmith handles things like this very well, but co-anchor Tim Lake seemed like a lightweight sitting next to him. Among the highlights: conservative talk show host Michael Smerconish and Democratic analyst Rob McCord provided a nice right/left debate on some issues and tactics. WCAU really did their election coverage - pre, during and post - right.

    The news has just broken that Philadelphia has been eliminated from contention to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. The three cities that did make the cut were Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Houston was the other city eliminated of the five that were under consideration by the United States Olympic Committee.

    Dear Philadelphia:

    By Jen A. Miller

    Starting this friday, it's Arts and Culture Week in Center City Philadelphia. This means 1/2 price tickets to a variety of Center City venues from the 21st through the 30th. If you've been looking to check out some of our Philly's swankier cultural offerings, now's the time.

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