Last Seen Blogs
andyhewitt95
Andy Hewitt
bellybelly-ssbbw
Unbetitelt
zzana21-blog
BookGeek101
kiilttis-art
Hi mateđ±
merlinspielen
merlinspielen
Text
Philly Council spent a year on an affordable housing plan. What if Mayor Kenney vetoes it? | Inga Saffron
Most experts I interviewed think those concerns are overstated. The stronger argument for rejecting the construction tax now is that it puts the cart before the horse. The administration is in the process developing a comprehensive housing strategy for the city. That plan, which will roll out in the fall, is expected to take a big-picture approach to the interconnected problems of poverty and housing. It will look at ways to boost, and pay for, the production of all kinds of housing â for the homeless, the working poor, the elderly, debt-burdened college graduates, and plain-old middle-class buyers. The fear is that the 1 percent construction tax could box in the administration by making it politically difficult to impose other kinds of fees.
Source: http://www2.philly.com/philly/columnists/inga_saffron/philadelphia-construction-tax-abatement-affordable-housing-20180809.html
0 notes
Text
Yes, You Can Get Great Wine Made in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Here Are the 5 Best.
Drink
Itâs time to start taking wines from our region seriously. Everyone else is.
New Jersey Pennsylvania wines are definitely worth checking out. Illustration by Sunny Eckerle
Itâs time to start taking Pennsylvania and New Jersey wines seriously â because everyone else is. Here, the best products coming from local makers
Orange Wine: Va La Vineyards
La Prima Donna is a perfect gateway drug to the world of orange wines â not too dank, unexpected, and with all the complexity of wines from better-known producers. 8820 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale.
Rosé: Amalthea Cellars
The Leda RosĂ© is Tavel-style â meaning it kindasorta drinks like a red. Meaning itâs just as good with meats as with oysters. Meaning itâs perfect for summer and winter. 209 Vineyard Road, Atco.
Red Wine: White Horse Winery
Chambourcin is an obscure varietal, so hereâs all you need to know: Itâs good party wine, like a juicy pinot noir. And itâll work with anything youâre serving for dinner. 106 Hall Street, Hammonton.
Chardonnay: Karamoor Estate
Bright, easy, glug-able, with the slightest bit of oak for depth â because weâre quite done with overly oaked chardonnays, thank you very much. 40 East Skippack Pike, Fort Washington.
GrĂŒner Veltliner: Galen Glen Winery
A little bit bubbly, a little bit zingy, and a lot bit perfect in the August heat. 255 Winter Mountain Drive, Andreas.
Published as âItâs Five OâClock Somewhereâ in the August 2019 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
Source: https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2019/07/24/best-pennsylvania-wines/
0 notes
Text
The Linc - Nick Foles to the Jaguars for Leonard Fournette?
Letâs get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...
2019 NFL Mock Draft: Jaguars trade Leonard Fournette for Nick Foles, Bengals replace Andy Dalton - CBS Sports
One problem here: I donât think the Jags are going to give up No. 7 overall in exchange for Nick Foles. You could work out a deal where the Jags send No. 7 and No. 69 to the Eagles for Foles, No. 26 and No. 54 (the trade value basically makes Foles worth the 28th overall pick, which is probably a reasonably fair swap), but Jacksonville is going to likely lose high-end, expensive talent to free agency as a result of salary-cap issues. Jacksonville would like to use the seventh pick to either replace the talent or to secure another young quarterback for the long haul. How about we make both front offices happy instead? The Jaguars can send Leonard Fournette -- their former top pick and a very talented player who has struggled with injuries and hasnât meshed well with the front office -- to the Eagles for Foles and a throw-in pick down the road. There are some contractual issues here that might hold things up on both ends. Foles is either going to have his option picked up or will be given the franchise tag and traded. So he wonât be cheap. Fournette isnât cheap either -- he has a top-10 salary over the next two years at the running back position. Philly might not be willing to spend at the position, but Fournette is a better pass catcher than he gets credit for, and he could excel in Doug Pedersonâs scheme. The Eagles were at their best with LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi running downhill.
2019 NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Eagles add interior pass rush - BGN
Six out of nine picks are linemen. We all know the Eagles are not shy to invest premium resources in the trenches.
Offseason Talk - Iggles Blitz
There is a feeling in the Tampa media that the Bucs could cut DE Vinny Curry and/or DT Beau Allen. Hmm. The Bucs are expected to play more of a 3-4 under Todd Bowles. That could make both guys expendable. If so, the Eagles could talk to one or both about coming back to add depth to the DL. While both players loved their time in Philly, price would be an issue. While neither player had a good season, they arenât likely to come crawling back to the Eagles for peanuts. Theyâd want reasonable money. Keep an eye on this.
Projecting which Eagles player is next to make the Pro Bowl - NBCSP
Alshon Jeffery: His last Pro Bowl appearance was in 2013 when he was still with the Bears, but Jeffery clearly has the talent of a Pro Bowler, although his numbers in his first two seasons with the Eagles have been modest. In the two years, heâs averaged 61 catches, 816 yards and 7.5 touchdowns per season. Another year like that and he wonât be a Pro Bowler. But he played through a torn rotator cuff in 2017 and then missed three games to start 2018 because of it. If he can stay healthy and play a full season with a healthy Carson Wentz, thereâs a good chance he could take a spot in the annual All-Star showcase.
1-On-1: Joe Douglas - PE.com
Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas joins Fran Duffy at the Senior Bowl to discuss what heâs seen from some of the nationâs top college prospects and what heâs looking for from this yearâs stellar crop of underclassmen.
10 Biggest Winners Of Senior Bowl Week - The Draft Network
1. Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State. Nobody went from as unknown to as intriguing as Penny Hart, who eviscerated defensive backs for three straight days during practices. I called him my biggest winner of the week on the Draft Dudes podcast, and nothing has changed even though he had a quieter Senior Bowl game â his roster was filled with slot receivers.
Best of Senior Bowl week: QB rankings, NFL draft risers, biggest takeaways, more - ESPN In$ider
Which prospectsâ draft stock rose the most this week? Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State. At 6-6 and 252 pounds, Sweat is an explosive speed rusher who is strong enough to go through offensive tackles and athletic enough to work the weave when they take away the edge. He is on the leaner and lighter side for a defensive end, yet heâs stout setting the edge against the run. He gets off the ball, he shoots his hands inside and he has the length (35â
-inch arms) to keep blockers off his frame.
Bang for their Bucs: Wide Receiver, DeSean Jackson - Bucs Nation
One could argue Jackson gave up on his team. There were times where it certainly appeared that way on the field, and on Instagram. However, looking at some of the usage numbers compared to the way other teams use receivers of similar talents, and maybe you can start to understand why he was so frustrated. Without stepping into the locker room, itâs hard to know exactly why his numbers became skewed in the way they did. No matter how you slice it, Jackson had more targets 20-yards or more downfield than he did 10-yards and less. For a receiver facing off coverage as much as Jackson does, those numbers shouldnât be like that. Was it Winston? Was it Koetter? Was it Monken? We donât know. Iâd love to have Jackson on the Locked on Bucs podcast to discuss it - honestly and openly - but I donât know that he feels thereâs anything worth talking about. For now, we have the numbers and our perceptions.
Valentineâs Views: The Kansas City Plan sounds like a winner - Big Blue View
I have suspected for a while that the New York Giants would like to emulate that plan, and a report Saturday evening by Paul Schwartz of the New York Post confirms that âMore and more, this appears to be the scenario about to unfold for the Giants.â There is a lot to unpack from Schwartzâs report. The upshot, though, is that if Schwartz is correct â and as well-connected as the veteran Post writer is there is no reason to doubt his reporting at all â Manning will be back in 2019. A highly-drafted heir apparent could well be alongside him. If the Giants can find that guy.
Cowboysâ in-house OC search only shines brighter light on one of the biggest indictments of Jason Garrettâs tenure - SportsDay
The addition of Jon Kitna means there have been 19 coaches to work under Garrett on the offensive side of the ball in his eight full seasons as head coach. Name the assistants who have left his staff to oversee the offense of another NFL team. None. Former wide receivers coach Derek Dooley is currently the coordinator at Missouri. Garrettâs brother, John, was the coordinator at Oregon State and Richmond before landing a job as the Lafayette head coach. But not one assistant has left the Cowboys offensive staff for a better job in the NFL since Garrett has been the head coach.
NFL ownerâs superyacht catches the attention of a Presidential candidate - PFT
When it comes to keeping up with the Joneses, Daniel Snyder continues to fall short. And the competition regarding which man has the biggest five-letter thing (yacht, or otherwise) has caught the attention of one of the umpteen candidates for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency in 2020. Elizabeth Warren has taken to Twitter to call out the Washington owner for his purchase of a very big boat. âThis billionaire NFL owner just paid $100M for a âsuperyachtâ with its own iMax theater,â Warren said. âIâm pretty sure he can pay my new #UltraMillionaireTax to help the millions of yacht-less Americans struggling with student loan debt.â
8 ways Saints fans are overreacting hilariously to NFC Championship loss to Rams - The Falcoholic
And hoo boy, are they ever mad. Harry Connick Jr. is boycotting the Super Bowl and shared the mad online letter he wrote to Roger Goodell on Instagram. And a church in New Orleans is offering the opportunity for disgruntled Saints fans to work through their frustration by throwing a penalty flag during services on Sunday. But these fine folks arenât satisfied with tossing flags around and being mad online. Theyâre also doing a bunch of absurd things in real life in their quest for justice, and today seems like a great time to revel in it and laugh at all of this ridiculousness.
The Saints really didnât need Sen. Bill Cassidy to argue on their behalf in Congress - SB Nation
It was a Friday in Congress with no significant votes on the docket, just a discussion about sending money and weapons to the Middle East. The U.S. Government was in the midst of a shutdown â the announcement of our governmentâs temporary re-opening had yet to come. That made it the perfect possible time for one senator to ... pander to the home crowd with a little discussion about football. Yup. The growing wave of complaints of Saints fans cheated out of a Super Bowl 53 appearance crested to a logical escalation Friday. In the span of five days, New Orleans has leveled up from punched televisions to billboards to change.org petitions to class action lawsuits, and now, a debate on the floor of the United States Senate.
...
Social Media Information:
BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page
BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen
BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton
BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio
Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/1/27/18199324/eagles-news-nick-foles-trade-jaguars-leonard-fournette-philadelphia-quarterback-jacksonville-draft
0 notes
Text
6 Things to Do & Know This Week: #OptOutside Edition
Happy Friday!
What to do today. Hope youâre taking time to #OptOutside today. (Iâll likely be hiking a trail from one of my three PA hiking books as you read this.) As Tiffany shared earlier this week, Black Friday has a fascinating and dark history, thanks to Philadelphia.
What to do this weekend: River Alive opens at the Philadelphia Seaport Museum this weekend. Visit to discover the wonders and challenges of our regional waterways. (Open 10 AM â 5 PM; 11 S. Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia, PA 19106)
Whatâs on the calendar for next week: Women for a Sustainable Philadelphia (the FB group) is hosting a âThe Water Around Usâ panel to learn more about our cityâs watersheds, the cleanliness of our drinking water, Green City Clean Waters, and more! Tuesday, Nov 27th.
Canât stop reading: EcoWURD. Launched out of WURD radio, EcoWURDÂ is multimedia environmental justice journalism initiative examining Philadelphia at the intersection of race, income & the environment.
New director at Food Moxie: FOOD MOXIE announced Lisa Mosca as their new ED; with two decades of experience working in Philadelphia with community members to build resilient community food systems by recognizing community assets.
Good things come to those who wait! A year after they were our SustainPHL 2017 nominee, AnneeLondon has finally debuted its helmet Kova for pre-order. See & order the foldable helmet here.
If you love what we do, you can support our mission with a one-time or monthly contribution:
Source: https://www.greenphillyblog.com/news/6-things-to-do-know-this-week-optoutside-edition/
0 notes
Text
Pa. Lawmakers Sided With Pedophiles and Those Who Protect Them
Opinion
Main Line psychiatrist Liz Goldman, a victim of childhood sexual abuse, has three words for state legislators: âShame on you.â
Liz Goldman. (Photo via Window to Justice)
Other than the predator who abused me, Iâve never met anyone who isnât repulsed by child sexual abuse. Iâve also never met anyone who isnât outraged by institutional cover-ups of sexual abuse. Nevertheless, the top leaders of the Pennsylvania Senate couldnât manage to pass a bill last week to reform our archaic statute of limitations, a statute of limitations that prevents victims from seeking justice.
Instead, the legislators chose to protect their own interests. They didnât even allow the bill to be voted on. These legislators did exactly what the professed men of God and the Catholic Church did: They sided with protecting the Churchâs image and not with providing justice for past and future victims. Shame on them.
After revealing to Philadelphia magazine in September my childhood sexual abuse story of how the Lower Merion School District ignored my repeated reporting of my perpetrator teacher, I received an outpouring of nearly 400 caring emails, texts, phone calls and letters, including dozens from strangers.
I have zero social media presence, yet people felt strongly enough to find a way to contact me. One hundred percent of the responses I received were supportive and echoed the collective disgust with both child sexual abuse and institutional concealment of abuse.
People were shocked by the hypocrisy of the Lower Merion School District, which has touted itself as one of the finest school systems in the country. Like the Catholic Church, it also cares most about protecting its image.
I chose to put my story out publicly for many reasons. I wanted full transparency about my abuse. I wanted to expose the purposeful neglect of my school district. I wanted to expose my predator. Since the statute of limitations timed out for me when I was 16, I wanted to expose the ridiculousness of that law. I wanted to strongly support the legislation for statute of limitations reform that Pennsylvania so desperately needs.
Statute of limitations reform, including so-called âwindowâ legislation, is necessary for victims to have due process to name their predators and to seek legal recourse. A window is a set period of time when legislators set aside the civil statute of limitations, which then allows victims whose period of abuse falls outside the statute the opportunity for due process through the court system, enabling perpetratorsâ identities to be established through civil actions.
Iâm not the only one who thinks that Pennsylvania needs this change. Such a window has been recommended by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and the 23 members of the grand jury he convened, by Gov. Tom Wolf, by organizations like ChildUSA and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, and by the champion and indefatigable author of the bill, state Rep. Mark Rozzi, who has publicly proclaimed that he was abused by a priest when he was in eighth grade.
And Pennsylvania isnât the first state to challenge its statute of limitations laws and to seek window legislation: Seven states have enacted similar laws, and eight states have no civil statute of limitations for cases of child sexual abuse.
On September 24th, three days before Philly Mag published the story about my abuse, the Pennsylvania House overwhelmingly passed the window bill in a 171-23 vote. But then, last week, the Pennsylvania Senate stalled the bill, and it probably wonât come up for discussion again until 2019.
The two state senators who deserve most of the blame for this failure to find justice for sex abuse victims across the state are Sen. Jake Corman, the majority leader, and Sen. Joe Scarnati, the president pro tempore.
I personally spoke with Corman a week before the bill was brought up in the Senate about the inexcusable, insulting deficits in the alternative proposals then circulating, especially the idea of a âvictimâs fund.â This sham fund would be created by the Catholic Church, and the Church would decide how much money to throw in there. Unsurprisingly, Pennsylvaniaâs eight Catholic bishops support this proposal. In the end, Corman did not fight for proper legislation. He caved.
As for Scarnati, he has well-known connections with Long, Nyquist and Associates, the lobbying firm representing the Catholic Church. Scarnati decided that he wants to protect not the victims but the Church and other institutions from legal and financial exposure. Under Scarnatiâs proposal, victims would have been allowed to go after only their abuser and not institutions (like, say, the Catholic Church or the Lower Merion School District) that participated in the abuse or a cover-up.
As if excluding institutions from accountability werenât bad enough, Scarnati also wanted a tribunal that would offer bishops and insurers immunity from discovery. A tribunal without due process and judicial proceedings is an indignity. Pennsylvania needs decisive, legislative action by lawmakers committed to representing what their constituents deserve: justice and child safety. Is that too much to ask for?
I thought the basic premise of Christian theology defines virtuous behavior by a standard which many, including myself (a non-Christian), call a âmoral compass.â
Where are Cormanâs and Scarnatiâs moral compasses on statute of limitations reform? With what conscience can they come to the Churchâs rescue when it tolerated the systematic abuse of children? Do they care about the hundreds of girls the Lower Merion School District willfully exposed to my predator? Would they care if one of their daughters had him as her teacher? Isnât protecting children the right thing to do? Isnât that a tenet of fundamental humanity? Isnât this what we seek in electing our legislators?
It is incomprehensible and revolting to choose predators over children. If the âtruth sets us free,â then we need legislative reform to expose the truth, and our current leaders have shown us that they are incapable or unwilling to bring about that reform.
The good news is that 25 of our 50 state Senate seats come up for election in less than two weeks. Learn how your state senator plans to vote on this critical issue before you cast your ballot on November 6th. The fight is not over.
Liz Goldman, M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in Bryn Mawr. She is a passionate advocate for statute of limitation legislation reform and an activist with the Window To Justice campaign.
Source: https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/10/25/pennsylvania-child-abuse-statute-reform/
0 notes
Text
Streets Department: Philadelphia to stop burning recyclables
The Philadelphia Streets Department is responsible for a host of important functions including trash pickup, road safety infrastructure, and street sweeping (or not).
But few of these policy areas were given sustained attention at the departmentâs sparsely populated annual budget hearing Wednesday. Just four Council members attended.
Eight minutes of the hearing â which lasted less than an hour â were devoted to the dumpsters behind McGillinâs Olde Ale House. Another six minutes went to a discussion of years-old technology on SEPTA buses allowing the vehicles to extend a green light by 10 seconds
Streets Department Commissioner Carlton Williams did reveal that, by the end of this month, all of the cityâs recycling material will actually be recycled again. In the wake of policy changes in China, which has long processed much of Americaâs recycling, half of Philadelphiaâs recycling has been going to an incinerator in Chester, Pennsylvania.
âThe interim agreement in which we were forced into taking half our material to a waste energy facility will end by the end of this month,â said Williams. Â âWe will be returning 100 percent of our material back to reprocessing at a material recovery facility.âCouncilman Allan Domb expressed concerns about the environmental effects of a street sweeping pilot, which requires teams of seven workers to drive trash into the street with gas-powered leaf blowers.
Critics of the method have said the technique spews carbon emissions into the air and creates  noise pollution. (The technology is actually banned in Washington, D.C.) Domb said he had read that running a gas-powered leaf blower for 30 minutes generates the same amount of carbon emissions as driving a three-ton pickup truck from Philadelphia to Costa Rica.
âWe are being very sensitive to the environmental concerns posed by the groups opposed to us using this method,â said Williams.
Williams said the Streets Department uses the blowers because, otherwise, it would be impossible to get the litter on sidewalks. He said that other options had been tested, including using a power-washing system connected to a mechanical street sweeper, which would flood trash onto the street. That took far too long, Williams said.
But he emphasized that this is just a pilot, and that the Streets Department is studying the well-documented environmental concerns caused by leaf blowers.
âThe last thing we want to do is create health hazards for any individuals,â said Williams. âWe are going to continue to try this pilot, and, if it does have health effects, then weâll have to circle the wagon and consider another option. But right now, we think this is the most effective method.â
Asked after the hearing if the labor intensive system could extend to the entire city, Williams agreed that it would prove a challenge. He also acknowledged he knows of no other city using the method to clean streets.
âWhere we got it from is when we clean up after events like the Eagles parade,â said Williams. âThe reason we get the city back to business so quickly is we have manpower blowing those things back to the streets.â
City Council President Darrell Clarke said that city residents are responsible for the condition of the streets as well.
âYou talked about this issue of environmentally sound ways of moving trash off the street,â said Clarke. âI think the most environmentally sound way of doing that is for people to stop throwing trash on the street. At the end of the day, people in this city need to stop being pigs.â
Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/04/18/streets-department-philadelphia-to-end-trashing-recyclables
0 notes
Text
Fishtown building collapse inspires construction enforcement bill
Philadelphia City Council wants to finance a crackdown on unsafe construction.
A building collapse last week in Fishtown and another recent collapse in Germantown has inspired Councilmember Cindy Bass to introduce legislation that would put $2 million in city funds towards the cost of hiring more building inspectors and police officers to visit construction sites.
The bill would earmark $1.4 million for the Philadelphia Police Department and $600,000 for the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I).
âHistorically, there was police department interaction on stop-work orders, but that went away with budget cuts over the years,â said Bass. âWeâre saying bring that back, itâs very important. We see what's happening as a result of not having it.â
The Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mayor Jim Kenneyâs spokesperson said officials are reviewing the legislation.
People both inside City Hall and out have raised concerns over recent staffing levels at L&I. Developers have long called for more inspectors, saying that the permit approval process takes longer than necessary because of their limited numbers.
The city currently employs 169 inspectors. In fiscal year 2017, each building inspector was responsible for 6,095 properties and each code inspector responsible for 7,720 properties, according to data circulated by Councilman Bobby Henon.
Henon introduced legislation at the end of January that would change the city charter to require minimum staffing levels of 800 building inspectors, essentially quintupling the department's ranks.
That bill raised eyebrows because Henon had the bill introduced on his behalf while he pled not-guilty to a myriad of charges brought by federal prosecutors, including an accusation that he tampered with L&I to punish employers who didnât use electriciansâ union workers. The bill would create a contractor review board, which the real estate industry argues could be weaponized against non-union companies.
Bass said that she hadnât consulted with Henon on her bill. Not yet, at least.
âWe have not had collaboration on it, but that does not mean we wonât,â said Bass. âThere will probably be some discussion between us on ways to work together to make both bills more comprehensive.â
Council will consider the mayorâs next budget next month. The bill does not specify a revenue source for the $2 million.
Building Industry Association vice president Leo Addimando said the construction industry supports more money for L&I enforcement but that Bassâs measure may have trouble gaining traction without more details on where its funding would come from.
âIn general, the BIA would support more money to L&I, and the police to help with L&I related enforcement matters,â said Addimando. âThe issue with this bill is that it doesnât specify what is being cut to free up the $2 million and without that, the bill doesnât have much of a chance.â
Bass said that the collapse in Fishtown and another recent collapse on the 500 Block of East Johnson Street in Germantown adds urgency to her bill. In 2013 a building collapse on Market Street in Center City took six lives, and a house collapse in Brewerytown last summer killed a veteran construction worker.
Â
Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/02/15/fishtown-building-collapse-inspires-construction-enforcement-bill
0 notes
Text
With Government Shutdown Uncertainty Still Ahead, Federal Workers, Families Plan To âKeep Doing What We Are Doingâ
Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook  | Twitter
CAPE MAY, N.J. (CBS) â For the 800,000 federal workers who missed their second paycheck Friday, the end of the government shutdown was very welcome news. From Independence Hall to Philadelphia International Airport, frustration became desperation.
Approximately 45,000 federal workers in the Philadelphia region were forced to work without pay. Then, at the end of the Week 5, a deal was struck to reopen the government, but relief did not necessary follow.
âWe did listen [to President Donald Trumpâs announcement] but nobody really said anything. There was no cheering, there was none of that,â Jessica Manfre said.
Manfreâs husband serves in the Coast Guard, stationed in Cape May. While the family was without a paycheck themselves, Manfre devoted her time to a pop-up food pantry established on the base.
Local Coast Guard Families Getting More Help As Government Shutdown Continues
âItâs just been absolutely amazing,â she said. âPeople have been coming in left and right, not even just the people who have been reaching out to donate, but randomly showing up and gifting us this stuff.â
A week after that original interview, she now says donations will be scaled back since they are well stocked.
âIâm encouraging our members and if we are even going to get paid on time,â Manfre said.
Those two main concerns are on the minds of federal workers: Another potential shutdown if a permanent deal is not reached by the Feb. 15 deadline and when their promised back pay will turn up.
âWe have to keep doing what we are doing because there is no telling,â Manfre said.
Manfre said that several Cape May restaurants that had offered free meals this weekend are sticking to that offer despite the government reopening, as a gesture of thanks for federal workers.
Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/01/25/with-government-shutdown-uncertainty-still-ahead-federal-workers-families-plan-to-keep-doing-what-we-are-doing/
0 notes
Text
Sen. Orrin Hatch calls Christine Blasey Ford 'attractive,' 'pleasing'
WASHINGTON --
A long-serving Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of a sexual assault when they were teenagers, is "attractive" and "pleasing."
Utah's Orrin Hatch made the comments as the committee broke for lunch after hearing several hours of testimony from Ford.
Kavanaugh has denied the allegations, and when Hatch was asked whether he found Ford to be believable, he said: "It's too early to say. I don't think she's uncredible. I think she's attractive -- a good witness. But it's way early."
And when a reporter asked 84-year-old Hatch what he meant by saying the 51-year-old was "attractive," he said: "In other words, she's pleasing."
He later added: "I'll say this. She's attractive, and she's a nice person and I wish her well."
Hatch's spokesman Matt Whitlock later sought to clarify the remarks.
"Hatch uses 'attractive' to describe personalities, not appearances," he said. "If you search his past quotes you'll see he's used it consistently for years for men and women he believed has compelling personalities."
The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.
Source: https://6abc.com/politics/sen-hatch-calls-ford-attractive-pleasing/4352873/
0 notes
Text
Eagles are the biggest defending Super Bowl underdogs since 2009
The Philadelphia Eagles are making history this week. Unfortunately, itâs not the good kind.
âFor the first time since the 2009 season a defending Super Bowl Champion opened as a nine-point underdog when the New Orleans Saints host the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend. The last time this happened, the Pittsburgh Steelers opened as nine-point underdogs on the road in Baltimore on 11/29/09. The Ravens won 20-17, but didnât cover. So far most of the action (74%) is on the Saints to cover the spread. However, we are seeing 50% of all moneyline wagers on the Eagles at 3/1.â â Kevin Bradley, Bovada.lv SportsBook Manager
The extenuating circumstances surrounding that 2009 Steelers-Ravens game are much different than this weekâs matchup. That 6-4 Steelers team was starting third string quarterback Dennis Dixon under center. It was Dixonâs first career NFL start and only his second career game played.
The 2018 Eagles arenât starting a third string quarterback against the Saints. Theyâre starting the guy who easily couldâve been the leagueâs MVP last year in Carson Wentz. Despite this, the Eagles are huge road underdogs.
As highlighted earlier this week, history is not on Philadelphiaâs side.
The Saints are 56-47-1 against the spread at home since the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era began in 2006. Thatâs the seventh best percentage during that span. New Orleans is 69-35 straight up in those games.
The NFL can be incredibly unpredictable at times. No one saw the Bills blowing out the Vikings in Minnesota earlier this season. No one saw the Eagles beating the Patriots in New England right after getting blown out by the Lions on Thanksgiving in 2015. Crazier things have happened.
So, with that in mind, maybe the Eagles actually have a chance to beat the Saints.
But probably not.
Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/11/16/18098677/eagles-biggest-defending-super-bowl-underdogs-since-2009-nfl-odds-week-11-new-orleans-game
0 notes
Text
Historical Commission to consider preservation designation for 41 homes near Clark Park
March 4, 2019
âThe Gablesâ (Photo by West Philly Local).
The University City Historical Society has applied to the cityâs Historical Commission for protection of a cluster of 41 Victorian homes near Clark Park on Chester Avenue and Regent Streets.
Well-known 19th century architect Willis G. Hale designed the homes, which include the mansion known as âThe Gablesâ (now a bed and breakfast) and nearby twins on the 4500 block of Chester Avenue and twins and row homes on both sides of the 4500 block of Regent Street. Collectively, the properties would form the âChester-Regent Historic District.âÂ
Designation as one of the cityâs approximately two dozen Historic Districts would provide some protection against demolition, require homeowners to retain historic qualities of their homes when they renovate or repair them and that nearby new construction take into account the historic qualities of the existing buildings.
âNew development in West Philadelphia has dramatically accelerated in recent years, often resulting in the demolition of historic neighborhood assets to make way for larger and less architecturally interesting structures,â a University City Historical Society statement reads. âThe nomination of the Chester-Regent Historic District will preserve one of West Philadelphiaâs most treasured blocks for generations to come.â
Many homeowners and preservationists have focused renewed attention on historic district designation in recent years. Residents on the 400 block of South 42nd Street won designation in 2017 for a collection of Victorian row homes know collectively as â420 Row.â It was the first district designation since 2010.
The Historical Commission is scheduled to consider the application at a meeting of the Committee for Historical Designation on April 17 and then, if things go well there, at the full Commission on May 10. Both meetings begin at 9:30 a.m. in room 18-029 on the 18th floor of 1515 Arch St.
Source: http://www.westphillylocal.com/2019/03/04/historical-commission-to-consider-preservation-designation-for-41-homes-near-clark-park/
0 notes
Text
Man is first athlete with cerebral palsy to sign deal with Nike
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (WPVI) --
A man from Santa Clarita, California is breaking barriers. The Hart High School grad, who has cerebral palsy, signed a pro-contract with Nike.
Justin Gallegos now goes to the University of Oregon and is in the school's running club.
He's making history as the first athlete with cerebral palsy to seal a deal with Nike.
Gallegos got the news about the 3-year contract after a recent race. The emotional moment was caught on camera.
Gallegos, who once wore leg braces, called the contract proof that there's no such thing as a disability.
-----
Send a News Tip to Action News
Learn More About 6abc Apps
(Copyright ©2018 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.)
Source: https://6abc.com/society/man-is-1st-athlete-with-cerebral-palsy-to-sign-with-nike/4462467/
0 notes
Text
With more funding, developer eyes June construction date for old Family Court
The plan to turn the old Family Court building by Logan Square into a boutique hotel took a step forward recently, when developers Peebles Corp., received $2 million more in state and city funding needed to complete the project.
The news means theyâre looking at a late June start date for construction, Don Peebles, chief executive of Peebles Corp. told Curbed Philly Thursday. The recent funding, which they were awarded at the end of 2018, brings the total amount theyâve received to $3.5 million, almost a third of their $10 million goal. But Peebles is hopeful that they will be awarded the rest of the assistance this year.
âWeâre on schedule and moving along... proceeding in good faith that we will receive the full funding,â he added.
Right now the group is in the process of finishing up designs for the beaux arts building at 1801 Vine Street, which has been unoccupied since 2014. They envision a boutique hotel with 220 rooms, a roof terrace, lounge, and spa. Because the building is designated as an historic site, there are parts of the structure theyâll have to preserve, like the facade and the main floor, which Peebles said will become banquet space. Theyâre also looking at incorporating some co-working offices into the design, he said.
Itâs been a long road for the building, which was constructed in the 1930âs. It was sold to Peebles Corp. in 2014, but the group quickly hit a roadblock when they tried to fund the hotel partly through the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program. They were disqualified from the program over concerns that construction would negatively alter the historic building. The plan got back on track last year, when they received $1.5 million worth of funding, Philly.com wrote at the time, but the delays had brought the cost of the project up to $105 million.
Now thereâs an end in sight; Peebles said that if everything goes according to plan, they should be finished with the project in two years.
Family Court building could become boutique hotel next year [Curbed Philly]
Plans moving forward for boutique hotel at old Family Court, developer says [Philly.com]
Source: https://philly.curbed.com/2019/1/25/18197272/funding-peebles-family-court-parkway-1801-vine-hotel
0 notes
Text
Spaghetti & Crabs
Source: http://13thstreetphilly.blogspot.com/2018/06/spaghetti-crabs.html
0 notes
Text
Twenty Manning To Be Reincarnated As Twenty Manning Grill
Michael Klein first reported on Twenty Manning's closing earlier this month. Owner Audrey Taichman decided to close the restaurant to reconcept and open anew.
The name of the new restaurant had not yet been determined, although Twenty Manning Grill was the leading contender.
Signage went up on the paper-covered windows over the weekend confirming that Twenty Manning Grill will indeed be the new name.
The signage also states the restaurant will serve: fish, fowl, pork and beef.
The new Twenty Manning Grill is supposed to ready to go sometime in April, just in time to take full advantage of two of its greatest assets: its location and its outdoor seating.
Related:
Twenty Manning's changeover [ The Insider - Philly.com ]
Source: http://theilladelph.blogspot.com/2010/03/twenty-manning-to-be-reincarnated-as.html
0 notes
Text
Coast Guard Suspends Search For Man Who Went Missing On Crabbing Trip In Ocean City
Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook  | Twitter
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (CBS) â The Coast Guard has suspended a search for a Somers Point man who went missing going on a crabbing trip in Ocean City.
Ocean City police say 53-year-old Samuel DeLarso was last seen at his Somers Point home on 2nd Street in the early-morning hours of Oct. 20, before leaving to go crabbing.
His vehicle was located on West Newcastle Road in Ocean City.
The Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, Cape May County Prosecutorâs Office and the Ocean City Police Department conducted a search of the waters in the area DeLarso went missing.
DeLarsoâs daughter, Samantha DeLarso, said in a Facebook post that has been shared over 24,000 times that his truck and phone were found.
Sam DeLarso is described as a 5-foot-10 white male, weighing 200 pounds, wearing blue jeans, a button down shirt and waders.
Ocean City police and the Cape May County Prosecutorâs Office are investigating.
If you have any information about DeLarso, please call police at 609-399-9111.
Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/10/22/authorities-searching-for-man-who-went-missing-on-crabbing-trip-in-ocean-city/
0 notes
Text
The ultimate guide to 30th Street Station
Philly is home to one of the last remaining grand train stations in America, the monumental 30th Street Station. Each year, more than 4 million passengers travel to and from the train station, making it Amtrakâs third busiest hub in the nation.
Chances are you are one of those million-plus passengers who has passed through here, whether it was on your way to New Yorkâs Penn Station or to hop onto the SEPTA Regional Rail. Either way, happening upon the stationâs grand concourse, with its five-story-high windows and Art Deco chandeliers, is a no doubt a highlight of many travelersâ experience.
Itâs a big place, though, and navigating it can be a bit tricky once youâre able to look past the buildingâs grandeur. Amtrak is on a multi-billion-dollar mission to make the station more pedestrian-friendly and ease traffic congestion around it.
So as you begin to navigate Fourth of July travel this week, hereâs a guide to help you get the most out of the iconic station.
How to get there
You could hail a cab or ride-sharing service, or park in a nearby lot, but you may have to add a few more minutes to your travel time given the traffic that tends to surround the train station. Assuming best case scenario, get dropped off a block away and walk the rest of the way, or just take the subway, trolley, or bus.
In Philly already? 30th Street Station is serviced by the Market El-Frankford Line and five trolley lines: Routes 10, 34, 13, 11, and 36. Note that there is no direct connection from the SEPTA station to 30th Street Station; you have to go above ground and cross 30th Streetâthis is something that should be remedied with the 30th Street Station District Plan (more on that later).
You can also take bus route 21: Coming from west of 30th Street Station, it runs along Chestnut Street; coming from east of the station it runs along Walnut.
If youâre coming from the airport or from the âburbs, the station is also served by more than a dozen SEPTA regional rail lines, all listed here.
Where to stay
For a long time, 30th Street Station was surrounded by a whole lot of nothing, save for the Schuylkill and a large rail yard. Today, itâs in the heart of University Cityâs development boom, which has brought some much-needed hotels to the neighborhood. Here are some of the best options within walking distance to the station.
AKA University City
This stay aka location opened two years ago in the new 47-story FMC Tower at 2929 Walnut Street. The swanky suites take up the top floors of the mixed-use tower, so expect some impressive views of Center City. Thereâs also access to Level 28, a private lifestyle club with a gym, indoor pool, movie theater, and more. Rooms start at $220/night.
The Study
This 212-room hotel is officially open at 20 S. 33rd Street and delights with its bright and contemporary interiors. Given its location between Drexel and Penn, the Study tends to cater towards professors, families of students, and other visitors to the neighborhood. It features a mix of overnight and extended-stay rooms with study areas and suites. Rooms start at $189/night.
Where to eat
30th Street Station doesnât exactly rank as a foodie destination, but there are some options whether you have time to kill or just need a quick grab-and-go option. Here are your best picks, from our friends at Eater Philly:
30th Street Station houses the standard food court fare, with chains like Au Bon Pain and Dunkinâ Donuts offering grab-and-go coffee and carbs that will tide you over until you can get something better. But if youâre looking for more flavor, head to the Beckâs Cajun CafĂ© stand. Philly chef Bill Beck has a thing for New Orleans, showcased in his mufaletta sandwich, gumbos, and poâboys made with fried seafood, blackened chicken, short ribs, or alligator sausage. Thereâs also a veggie poâboy available, but hungry meat-eaters will want to go with the Trainwreck: chopped steak, salami, andouille sausage, and cheese on a baguette.
If itâs too early for jambalaya, head outside the train station to seasonal pop-up The Porch. Set on the southern side of the stationâs property, The Porch has outdoor seating and food trucks from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the week, plus 7 to 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays. On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m., The Pub at The Porch is open with beer, wine, and bar bites.
Once youâre outside, you might as well keep going to Walnut Street CafĂ©, two blocks south of 30th Street Station at 2929 Walnut Street. Inside the restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, thereâs an airy cafĂ© with savory and sweet pastries from star pastry chef Melissa Weller.
The backstory
The 30th Street Station we know today is considered one of the last-remaining grand train stations in the U.S. Built between 1929 and 1933, it was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White with a neoclassical exterior and Art Deco details within. The main concourseâs 95-foot tall ceilings and incredible ornamentation are no doubt the most striking features of the train station. The main concourse (aka the waiting room) stretches the length of two football fields.
The train station, commissioned by the Pennsylvania Railroad, was built to replace Frank Furnessâs aging, but still grand, Broad Street Station in Center City. 30th Street Stationâs design was considered groundbreaking at the time by accounting for efficiency without sacrificing the buildingâs monumentality. Itâs no wonder that this was the late architect Louis Kahnâs preferred way of coming back home after his many travels, according to Wendy Lesser, author of You Say to Brick: The Life of Louis Kahn. (Kahn was waiting for his train to Philly when he died in a bathroom in New Yorkâs Penn Station.)
30th Street Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
One major recent change that longtime commuters are likely to notice is the absence of the iconic flipboard, which was taken down last year; Amtrak officials said it didnât meet ADA guidelines. Oat Foundry has been working on a new sign that they say retains the same character as the original, though.
The future 30th Street Station District.
Courtesy of Amtrak
Survival tips
Need to charge your phone? There are some wall outlets around. Out of luck? Thereâs a MobileQubes cell charging kiosk that lets you rent ($4.99/24 hours) or buy ($44.99) the charging device.
If you want to store your bags at 30th Street Station, itâll cost you; Amtrak offers lockers for $10/bag for 24 hours.
Yes, there is free WiFi, although it can be finicky.
Gotta go? The bathrooms at 30th Street are hit or miss (and hard to findâthere are some near the food court, and another set of restrooms across the concourse near the North Waiting Room). While one Yelp reviewer claimed they were in worse shape than those at New Yorkâs Penn Station (yikes), others have commented on their surprising cleanliness.
Thereâs an exclusive section of 30th Street Station above the grand concourse, but you can only get in if you shell out for a ticket on one of Amtrakâs Acela trains. You can hang out here on the loungeâs leather sofas while munching on free soda and snacks.
135 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
3000 Market Street, , PA 19104
Source: https://philly.curbed.com/2017/9/20/16277758/30th-street-train-station-amtrak-food-parking
0 notes