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The Philadelphia Orchestra returns once again for a performance in the magnificent Academy of Music for the 155th Anniversary Concert on Saturday, January 28, 2012. Music Director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin will make his Academy of Music debut conducting The Philadelphia Orchestra, with special guests multiple Grammy Award-winners singer/pianist Diana Krall and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Tipping its hat once again to the first Academy Anniversary Concert, the program will be a mix of orchestral repertoire and popular music.

The Anniversary Concert is produced by Wayne Baruch and Charles F. Gayton, who have produced the Academy Anniversary concerts since 2007.

Concert-only tickets are available at $200 and are located in the Amphitheatre level. Concert-only tickets can be purchased by calling Ticket Philadelphia at 215.893.1999

Philadelphia, PA – The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) has implemented two ordinances designed to encourage the use of solar panels systems in Philadelphia. Sponsored by Councilman Jim Kenney, the two ordinances amend the Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code to greatly reduce the costs of securing both electrical permits and building permits for solar panel systems (also known as photovoltaic systems).

Licenses and Inspections Commissioner Fran Burns stated, “These changes are not only part of the ongoing reform and focus on supporting business development, but also a step towards ensuring a sustainable and competitive future for Philadelphia and its residents. I am excited to support this energy option since solar panel systems decrease dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the risks of rising energy costs in the long-run.”

Commenting, Councilman Jim Kenney said, “Today we move Philadelphia in the right direction, towards a more sustainable and greener future, while also encouraging economic development and job creation. As we continue down this green path, we must be open to further innovation and development of cleaner fuel sources.”

Passed by Council and signed into law by Mayor Nutter in the 2011 Term, Bills 110533 and 110829 amend the Code to exclude the costs of solar panels and inverters in calculating electrical permit and building permit fees when a photovoltaic system is installed.

In 2009, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability released the landmark Greenworks report, setting a variety of sustainability goals, including a key target of purchasing and generating 20 percent of electricity used in Philadelphia from alternative energy sources. The passage and implementation of these code amendments are important steps towards meeting the vision of Greenworks — to make Philadelphia the Greenest City in the United States.

On Saturday, January 21, 2012, Cub Scouts from all over Northeast Philadelphia will gather at Wissinoming Park, (5801 Frankford Avenue) for the Annual Roosevelt District, Cub Scout Klondike Derby. This year’s theme is;
A Hillbilly Hoedown in Dogpatch. The day’s program will run from 9 a.m. until completion.

At the Boy Scout level a Klondike Derby is a winter skills competition which pits troops and patrols against each other and the elements as they test their knowledge of camping, cooking, first aid and outdoor survival. A Cub Scout, Klondike Derby is a modification of this competition which will present an opportunity for our youngest Scouts, (ages 6 to 10), to showcase what they have learned as part of the advancement program. Unlike the Boy Scout version, the Cub Scout Klondike will be less competition and more fun as the Cubs will participate in games and events focusing on discovering abilities and learning new skills. All this while tooling around Wissinoming Park in custom built albeit modified dog sleds.

This event is sponsored by the Roosevelt District of the Cradle of Liberty Council, BSA. Delaware District represents units in Northeast Philadelphia, as well as the Bridesburg, Kensington, Port Richmond and Fishtown neighborhoods, and its youth members range in age from 6 to 21. The Boy Scouts of America is the premier youth organization in the United States, instilling in young men and women, citizenship, good character, a sense of service to others and a firm foundation of knowledge and skills on which to grow into successful adults.

More Real Estate

HUD SUSPENDS PHILADELPHIA COMPANY AND PRESIDENT
James Grier and Mantua Gardens East, Inc. improperly threatened low-income tenants with eviction

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that it immediately suspended James H. Grier and Mantua Gardens East, Inc. (MGE) of Philadelphia from doing business with the U.S. Government. In addition to the immediate suspension announced today, HUD also proposed their debarments to prevent Grier and the company from participating in government-related business for a period of five years.

HUD’s actions are based upon Grier and MGE’s improper withdrawal of $325,000 from reserves without HUD approval and submission of false and misleading financial reports to HUD. MGE also failed to provide sufficient notice to tenants of its intention to opt out of the Section 8 project-based program, thereby denying the tenants adequate time to make housing arrangements, and threatening them with eviction.

“As president of this Company, Mr. Grier, through a number of acts and omissions, was responsible for MGE’s violations of important HUD requirements,” said Helen Kanovsky, HUD’s General Counsel. “By failing properly to notify their tenants, Mr. Grier and his company deprived them of an important legal right to make other housing arrangements and to spare them from the possibility of eviction.”

Background:

In December of 1970, MGE agreed to a $720,000 mortgage loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). As an FHA mortgagor, MGE is required to establish and maintain a reserve account to meet emergency needs at the multi-family housing development, which comprises ten buildings located in Philadelphia’s University City neighborhood. In 2008, Grier and MGE improperly withdrew $325,000 in reserves without required HUD approval and then refused to restore those funds to the Company’s reserve account. Grier and MGE then pledged those funds, along with one of the development’s buildings and future rent payments, as collateral for a separate loan from a lending institution. This misappropriation of reserve funds and unauthorized encumbrance of property are serious violations of FHA requirements. Grier and MGE also filed a false and misleading annual financial report to HUD by failing to note this new liability.

For approximately 27 years, MGE received project-based Section 8 subsidies under a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract with HUD. Under the terms of the Contract, MGE was entitled to opt out of the contract, but was first required to provide one year’s advance notice to the tenants. That notice would have allowed tenants sufficient time to make other housing arrangements. In October of 2011, MGE notified HUD that it was opting out of the program, failed to properly notify tenants, and instead threatened them with eviction.

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