PhilaNet.com

Archbishop Ryan High School is reaching out to the cause of childhood cancer. The faculty and school community are donating to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to honor the life of Jesenia Perez, the 11 year old sister of junior student, Jessica Perez. Jesenia was diagnosed with cancer at age nine and received treatment at St. Christopher’s Hospital here in Philadelphia. She passed away in November 2009.

On Friday, March 12, many of Ryan’s faculty will be shaving their heads in support of childhood cancer and the Perez family at Fadó Irish Pub located at 1500 Locust Street in Center City Philadelphia. So far, the faculty, students and friends of the school community have donated over $7,900 towards their goal of $10,000. Please help team A.R. in doing their part in the fight against cancer. For more information on Ryan’s involvement with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, contact John Farington at jfarrington@archbishopryan.com. If you would like to donate this cause you can visit: www.stbaldricks.org keyword: Archbishop Ryan.

Also, in April, Ryan’s world language teacher, Mr. Joseph Muto, will be walking approximately 75 miles to Ventnor City, New Jersey from Philadelphia to raise money for this cause. To support Mr. Muto, you can visit the website and type keyword: Muto.

Written by: Danny Clifton, Ryan Review Staff Writer
Editor’s note: I had the journalism teacher run a little contest with the students who are up for editor of the school newspaper next year.  He selected the one attached.

Philadelphia, PA — The Managing Director’s Office of Emergency Management (MDO-OEM) is responsible for ensuring the readiness of the City of Philadelphia for emergencies of any kind through an integrated and collaborative program that educates the public on how to prepare for emergencies, works with organizations throughout the city to prepare emergency contingencies, mitigate the impact of emergencies and enable the city to recover from an emergency as quickly as possible.

To accomplish this mission, the MDO-OEM employs a highly dedicated and talented group of professionals, who:
* Oversee development of the City’s plans for large-scale emergencies and disasters
* Conduct training and exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of plans and policies
* Collect, analyze, and disseminate incident information
Coordinate and support responses to and recovery from emergencies
* Educate the public on preparedness, and
Obtain funding in support of preparedness for Philadelphia

Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management

Hippies 4 Haiti: a Concert Benefiting Meds and Food for Kids (http://mfkhaiti.org/)

Start Time: Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 3:00pm
End Time: Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 1:30am
Location: Third & Walnut Bar-Lounge, Lansdale, PA 19446

HIPPIES 4 HAITI will take place at the Third & Walnut Bar-Lounge in Lansdale, Pa. on Saturday February 27 about 3:00p.m. to 1:30 a.m. The space is being donated by Mike Riccardi, owner of Third & Walnut. http://www.myspace.com/michael19446 Mike will run a cash bar.

Grateful Billy Robel will cook fresh foods, offering both vegetarian and meat options. His deep dark fudgey brownies are redunculous!

Dotman Mike will MC and six bands will be donating a set:
3:30 Mike Carlton
4:00 Painted Blue
5:30 Wynrise
7:00 The Turnips
8:00 Wineskin
9:15 Basket Auction and 50/50 drawing
9:45 Pete Kranz and the WEMB
11:00 The Happy Dog and Friends

Martin Luther King Jr.

Have you seen Martin?

I know. That sounds like an odd question. But the truth of the matter is; we do see him in so many of the things we now take for granted and do without giving a second thought on a daily basis. Like dining in any place of our choice or shopping where we like; or coming home and using a key in a door that we choose to live behind; or work on a job that we aspired to and not had to settle for; or vote; when, where and for whom we please. So the next time anyone asks, have you seen Martin; the answer is ABSOLUTELY, yes.

Martin was given breath on January 15, 1929 and over the span of his short life he helped our nation to breathe a little freer and a little easier. Martin once said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” I say Martin build staircases with every step he took.

A testament to how inspiring this world figure was is that almost every major city in the United States has a school or a street named after him. From the footsteps he laid in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott of 1956. (That made a difference for us all). The organization he helped create in 1957 The Southern Christian leadership Conference (SCLC) that was instrumental in making The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 happen. (That made a difference for us all); to the light he shined on the massive protest of 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama (that made a difference for us all). The 250,000 people that walked in lock step with him in 1963 where Washington DC stood still long enough to hear one man’s dream. (That made a difference for us all) Right down to the eye opening vision of over 200,000 people marching and singing through streets that were fired up in many ways as the sun delivered a temperature 82 degrees by 10:30 am on that day in Atlanta, Ga. in 1968.(That made a difference for us all).

Martin Luther King Jr. was Co-Pastor alongside his father for almost a decade at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. This charismatic leader was named Man of The Year in 1963 and received The Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Martin Luther King was taken from us on April 4, 1968 at the age of 35. (His life made a difference for us)

As we celebrate and remember him on his birthday, many people will speak of helping others in his honor. I believe that is a very good thing to do. For those of us that were here during his life, we were most fortunate to witness such a leader that not only touched the lives of so many during his live but helped change and improve the life’s of generations to come.

As I reflect on all that this man meant to our nation and wonder what can I do in my little sphere that will matter. I thought about my goal for 2010; that is to inspire others to reach their goals. I intend to do just that. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled over six million miles and made over twenty five hundred speeches as well as wrote five books.

(That all made a difference for us all) I challenge myself and offer you a challenge as well, can we travel across the street or around the corner and speak to someone that may only need an encouraging word from us to help him or her take the next step towards reaching their goals. (Will we make a difference?)

Article by, Ty Ferrell

A Grateful American

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ty Ferrell Sr.

Ty was born in Phila, Pa. and lived in Germantown and Mt. Airy for over thirty years before relocating with his job.Ty raised five children with his lovely wife of thirty-six years. He has over 40 years of retail management experience holding positions as Store Manager, District Manager, Regional Manager and Associate Director and now lives in York, Pa. Ty has presented a wide range of workshops and seminars as a trainer at many company meetings. He now enjoys writing because it gives him a great opportunity to share his passion for presenting and helping others. His motivation in writing any article is that some will read them and find the encouragement to take the next step toward their own goals.

Home Buyers Seminars

Saturday, February 20th – 10am – 12pm
Thursday, February 25th – 7-9 pm

Everything you need to know to purchase a home in this market.
Information on the process, up to date Mortgage programs & assistance. Information on the Tax incentives & MORE. A real estate seminar you won’t want to miss !!

Seminars held at our office: 418 Main Street, Harleysville, PA 19438

RSVP & walk ins welcome. Refreshments being served.

For more information contact Joan Gill: Office # 215-256-6543
x3026

Prudential Rittenhouse Realty Group

Wynrise
Type: Music Concert
Start Time: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 9:00pm
Location: Coyles Rox Box
Street: 6080 Ridge Avenue
City/Town: Philadelphia, PA

The band Wynrise will perform in Roxborough at Coyles Rox Box. Wynrise plays original progressive rock music. The venue is open to all ages.

HARRISBURG, PA – Consumer complaints to the Attorney General’s Office, along with money recovered or saved for Pennsylvania consumers, both reached record high levels this past year, according to Attorney General Tom Corbett.

Corbett said the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection received a total of 52,481 complaints during 2009 – more than 1,000 complaints per week and an all-time high for the office. He added that as a result of investigations and legal actions brought by the Attorney General’s Office during 2009, consumers were able to recover or save $32,337,939 – which is also a record figure.

“With many Pennsylvania families struggling economically, it is clear that con artists are targeting our communities,” Corbett said. “The biggest category for complaints involves money, including scams, credit repair schemes, debt collection disputes and a list of other financial issues.”

Corbett noted that nearly 10,000 complaints involved some type of credit-related issue in 2009. Overall, they accounted for nearly 20% of all the consumer complaints received by the Office of Attorney General and were almost double the number of complaints in any other category.

“Helping consumers avoid scams and recovering money for the victims of fraud or deceptive trade are our highest priorities,” Corbett said. “In 2009 we returned or helped save consumers more than $32 million, the largest amount in recent history for consumer protection cases in Pennsylvania, but we continue to stress that prevention is the best way to save money.”

Corbett encouraged consumers to:

*
Watch out for offers that sound “too good to be true.”
*
Check the consumer advisories on the Attorney General’s website for updates about new scams.
*
Understand your rights as a consumer.
*
Contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection as soon as you suspect a problem.

Corbett said that consumer complaints in Pennsylvania increased by more than 13% between 2008 and 2009, with complaints about credit and financial issues topping the list.

“The quicker and earlier the Bureau of Consumer Protection can get involved in a situation, the more likely it is that we can save consumers money and prevent people from falling victim to fraud,” Corbett said.

The top five categories for consumer complaints in 2009 are:

1.
Credit Issues (including debt collection, credit services, credit ratings, credit repair and other financial issues).
2.
Do Not Call violations.
3.
Buying Services (including gift certificates, coupons & rebates, mail order & catalog services, auctions, promotional contests and sweepstakes).
4.
Motor Vehicle Sales.
5.
Home Improvement Contractors.

Corbett urged consumers to file formal complaints with the Attorney General’s Office in any situation where they suspect that a business has engaged in deceptive practices or unfair trade.

Consumers can visit the “Complaints” section of the Attorney General’s website to submit an online complaint or download a printable complaint form.

Additionally, consumers can call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-441-2555 to request a complaint form.

Information about consumer rights and other related materials are available in the “Consumers” section of the Attorney General’s website.

Philadelphia, PA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Philadelphia Zoo are sponsoring an Earth Day poster contest for students in grades kindergarten through 12 in EPA’s mid-Atlantic region, which includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Students are invited to submit hand-created drawings on plain letter-sized paper using markers, colored pencils, crayons, pens or paint. Computer-generated images will not be accepted. Students can choose one of the three themes:

1) Protect Habitats, Endangered Species
2) Help Protect the Earth from Climate Change
3) The Meaning of Earth Day

Entries will be divided into four categories: K-2nd grade; grades 3-5; grades 6-8; and grades 9-12. The top three winners in each category will receive a combined prize package from the EPA and Philadelphia Zoo. Winning entries and others will be displayed at the Philadelphia Zoo on April 22-24 as part of EPA’s 40th anniversary Earth Day celebration. The posters will later be displayed at the EPA’s Public Information Center in Philadelphia. Entries must be postmarked no later than March 1 and should be mailed to:

Earth Day Poster Contest (3PA00)
U.S. EPA Region 3
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

The back of the poster should include the competition theme, name, age, school name, grade, parent/guardian’s name, address, telephone number and email.

For more information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region03/earthday/2010_poster_contest.PDF or call (215) 814-5100 or email
R3 40yearsofEarthDay@epa.gov.

Ft. Washington, PA — A severe snow storm covers the areas with total snow accumulations of 19 to 24 inches throughout the Philadelphia Area. Current Weather Condtions

Video (.mpg): Philadelphia area snow storm of Feb. 5th and 6th 2010 made into a music video. Filmed in Montgomery County, PA.

Made with an extemporaneous music soundtrack written and recorded during the storm by The End.

Related Article: Snow Storm 2010

More multi-meida from the Greater Philadelphia Region