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First, I encourage you to please view this video message from Founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, regarding the recent changes to Komen granting strategy. I also remind you that, like you, the Philadelphia Affiliate is concerned about these changes and are in discussion with Komen National Headquarters to do all we can to protect you our loyal supporters and all you invest in our work here at home. Then please continue to read this month’s news from the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate…

It’s February… and love is in the air. So is the 2012 Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure!

As we enter the heart of Race season, your lives as keepers of the Komen Promise will be awash with appeals to register, fundraise, support others … and you will delve more deeply into what it is you hope to achieve in your personal breast cancer mission.

The inundation of love occurring around February 14 has me thinking how perfect love is for empowering our breast cancer movement. It’s an emotion possessed by all of us. It’s so pure and naturally achieved… requiring no thinking, planning, reasoning, hard work or ’stressing’ to experience it in its fullness. Even just a smidgen of love can put everything into focus, reminding us of what really matters.

And so, In the midst of all our Race activity, my message to you is simply: return to the basics of LOVE. Let love provide your focus. Let love inspire your activism. Love of the men and women in your lives today. Love for your granddaughters, and great-grandchildren you have yet to meet. Love for yourself.

I assure everyone, if you don’t worry so much about the what, where, when and how of your activism – but instead let your love illuminate your path – that love will manifest itself in beautiful ways that bring our community, as well as our world, ever closer to an end to breast cancer forever.

Whatever Valentine’s Day means to you, I truly hope you experience the full joy of receiving – and giving – love with those who matter most.

With thanks and love,

Elaine I. Grobman
Chief Executive Officer

RACE UPDATES
Focus on Registration – for the Race, for the Kids Dash, for the Fun & Fulfillment!

You may have noticed, for this year’s Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure, we’re ‘coming on strong’ to motivate EVERYONE to officially register for the Race. Yes, we love to see Eakins Oval awash in Race-goers every Mother’s Day. However, three simple facts are all we need to stress why registration is so critical:
If everyone who came out to last year’s Race actually registered, we would have raised an additional estimated $2,695,000.
Through our Community Grants Program, $2,695,000 could potentially fund 21,560 mammograms.
Last year, it’s estimated 100,000 PA women in need of a mammogram did not have access to one.
So, you see, registration DOES make a measurable difference. And we’ve got great motivations for every age and type of breast cancer activist to register officially this year:
Volunteers: be inspired by a heartfelt message from fellow volunteer & 2012 Race Co-Chairperson, Rick Brown
Kids: read about our February Sponsor Spotlight featuring the UnitedHealthcare’s Kids for the Cure: Dash to Make a Difference and Children’s Funfest
Perks Lovers: Everyone who registers benefits from the V.I.P. green!
In-Person Fans: From Macy’s to the Phillies & more, we have tons of convenient opportunities for you to register plus get your Race materials on the spot.
RACE TEAMS

Team Rallies Keep Rolling with Our First-ever Fundraising Fair.

First, we thank Cancer Treatment Centers of America, our Champion Sponsor of the Promise, for, once again, hosting an incredible, inaugural Team Rally for our Race for the Cure season. Please take time to experience and be inspired by this Rally of Champions with our Rally photo gallery and the First Commandments of Race Participation offered by some of our top fundraisers and Team Captains.

Secondly, we call all Team captains, members and Race volunteers to “Step Right Up!” to our first-ever FUNDRAISING FAIR, taking place at our second Team Rally on February 21 at Chapman Nissan. The concept is simple: we give you free ‘Komen Cash’ to spend, and you experience the fundraising fun and fundamentals! No matter what the size of your team, the Fundraising Fair has fabulous ideas and learning ‘by example’ to help make this a stellar Race season for everyone.

Check out all the exciting details and R.S.V.P. now.

Thank you to the Chapman Auto Stores family for opening their venue to us, as well as providing all our Rally food, beverages and accommodations.

AFFILIATE NEWS

Komen Philadelphia Affiliate Expands Our Service Area to 15 Counties.

We are proud and very happy to announce that the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate’s request to expand our service to include Adams and Lebanon Counties, PA was recently approved by Komen National headquarters.

Our expansion initiative was motivated by the fact that the two new counties previously had no formal Komen representation, and there is a measurable need for breast health services in many of their communities – with statistics showing that more than one-third of the women living in Adams and Lebanon counties are not receiving recommended breast cancer screenings. Moreover, a steady growth of Affiliate resources will allow us to provide the new counties with the same quality of services we’ve been delivering to our other thirteen counties for years.

We thank all of you for helping to make this new chapter in our history possible – for it is due to your loyal support, growing generosity and devoted volunteerism that we can expand our service to Adams and Lebanon Counties, as well as continue to serve the other thirteen counties relying on us to lead them into a world without breast cancer.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Union League of Philadelphia, founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln, will host its annual Open House on Saturday February 4, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to stay after the open house for a special presentation by Bob O’Connor, author and historian, “Ward Hill Lamon: Abraham Lincoln’s personal bodyguard.”

The Open House and the Ward Lamon program are free and open to the public.

O’Connor, who lives in Charles Town, West Virginia, has ortrayed Lamon in programs at schools, historical venues, and civic organizations in six states. He has authored the only account of Lamon’s life, a historical fiction book called “The Virginian Who Might Have Saved Lincoln.” He also has edited the only book Lamon ever wrote, “The Life of Abraham Lincoln As President,” written in the 1880s but never published. Mr. O’Connor found the manuscript in the Huntington Library in California and purchased the rights to publish it. He added over 1700 footnotes. The book was published for the first time in December 2010.

Ward Hill Lamon is largely a forgotten figure in history, according to O’Connor. “He was born just a few miles from where I live, and moved to Danville, Illinois at age 18. There he became a new attorney assigned to the 8th Circuit Court where Abraham Lincoln was a long established lawyer. Lamon and Lincoln were law partners from 1852-1856, defending 114 cases in Vermilion County, Illinois. Lincoln took Lamon with him to Washington and became the unofficial presidential bodyguard. Lamon was with Mr. Lincoln every single day of his presidency until Tuesday,
April 11, 1865, when the president sent Lamon on a special assignment.

Lamon did not want to leave Mr. Lincoln unguarded, as he felt there was still danger. The Lincolns went to Ford’s Theater on April 14 in spite of Lamon’s urging that he not leave the White House, and the rest is history.”

O’Connor thinks Lamon is overlooked by historians. “He was probably Abraham Lincoln’s most trusted friend. He had more access to President Lincoln during the Civil War than anyone else. To say he is an insignificant character is quite outlandish.”

O’Connor, speaking as Ward Lamon, will tell of his friendship with
Abraham Lincoln, personal experiences they had, and the tragic loss of his life-long friend. At the end of the program, Mr. Lamon will take questions and will answer them in character.

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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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the
need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build
inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and
http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at
www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD’s News Listserv.

We started with this article: Occupy Wall Street? Occupy Yourself!

The rest is in reverse chronological order:

Free Friends Of Occupy Philadelphia

Sunday, December 11th, 2011 Tags: American history, free, freedom, Friends, liberty, Occupy Philadelphia, Occupy Wall Street, Pennsylvania, Quakers, Religion, Revolutionary War, USA, William Penn

Homeland Security Raid On Occupy Philadelphia

Thursday, December 1st, 2011 Tags: City Hall, Dilworth Plaza, Federal Agents, Homeland Security, movement, news, Occupy Philadelphia, Occupy Philly, Philadelphia Police, protest, protesters

Jesse Jackson on Joe Frazier at Occupy Philly

Sunday, November 13th, 2011 Tags: death, funeral, Government, Jesse Jackons, Joe Frazier, news, obiturary, Occupy Philadelphia, Occupy Philly, Philadelphia, protest, USA

Occupy Wall Street Occupy Philly

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

Thursday December 29, 2011
5:00PM Until Food Runs Out
15th Street, between Market St. and JFK Blvd.

For as long as Occupy Philly can afford to offer free meals, every Thursday starting at 5PM food will be provided.