PhilaNet.com

Governor Tom Corbett today announced that 23 organizations involved in 19 environmental projects from across the state will receive the 2014 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

“The recipients of this year’s award represent a few of the many dedicated Pennsylvanians who have committed their businesses, schools and other organizations to be good stewards of the environment,” Corbett said. “Their efforts are key to ensure that Pennsylvania’s air, land and water are clean for generations to come.”

Any Pennsylvania business, school, government agency, trade organization, non-profit organization or agribusiness that has completed projects to promote environmental stewardship and economic development was eligible to apply for the award. The winners were selected by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

“Each year, it’s inspiring to learn about the innovative, environmentally friendly projects from across the state,” DEP Secretary Chris Abruzzo said. “This year’s award recipients are protecting Pennsylvania’s environment with creativity and ingenuity.”

The winning projects include tailgate recycling, abandoned mine drainage (AMD) abatement, rain gardens and the use of alternative energy, among others.

Philadelphia
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society of Philadelphia worked with local partners to create the Community Farm and Green Resource Center at Bartram’s Garden along the shore of the Schuylkill River in the low income neighborhood of Southwest Philadelphia. The farm and resource center includes a full-scale greenhouse, community garden spaces, an orchard of 90 fruit trees, a farmers market and an entrepreneurial jobs training and leadership development program for local high school students.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The City of Philadelphia released a comprehensive list of the most commonly asked questions and answers about the agreement of sale between the City of Philadelphia and UIL Holdings Corporation.

The Mayor issued the following statement in connection with the list:

“We believe it is extremely important to respond proactively to the questions we’re hearing so that everyone in Philadelphia can see how the sale will benefit taxpayers, PGW customers, and employees and how it will protect their jobs and pensions. The questions included in this document mirror those raised by consumers, businesses, government officials and City workers.

“Unfortunately, some who oppose the sale have distributed misinformation with the intent of frightening citizens. There is simply no place for those kinds of tactics on an issue this important to the future of our city.

“As City Council continues its process of evaluating the terms of the sale, I urge all Philadelphians with an interest in this topic to access as much real, true and correct information as possible, including the list of questions and answers we are providing today.”

WEST CHESTER, PA — West Chester University students and alumni agree with Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, which in its latest ranking, identifies WCU as one of the top public universities in the country.

Kiplinger’s ranks the top 100 public colleges and universities based on measures of academic quality and affordability. This year, they also selected the top 25 best college or university values, whose tuitions are less than $30,000 a year, listing West Chester at #14 out of 22 public universities in the country. West Chester University is the only Pennsylvania school on the list.

“These institutions deliver the most academic bang for your buck,” noted the Kiplinger’s editors on their website.

Penn State has several campuses in the Greater Philadelphia Region including Abington (Montgomery County), Great Valley (Chester County) and Lima (Delaware County). Here are some other Penn State facts:

1. Penn State names Eric J. Barron president

2. THON 2014 ‘redefines the possibilities’ with $13.3 million for pediatric
cancer

3. Times Higher Education global reputation survey ranks Penn State in Top 50

4. Family and friends create trustee scholarship in alumnus’ memory

5. CORED symposium highlights diversity dynamics, potential improvements

6. New MajorQuest guides students in choosing a major

7. Symposium puts spotlight on engaged scholarship

8. Smeal Finance student leads creation of Student Financial Education Center

9. Penn State students featured as ‘incredibly impressive’ undergraduates

10. Erickson addresses Pa. House, Senate appropriations committees

11. Sports Archive to celebrate 25th anniversary

12. Theatre Professor Susan Russell named Penn State laureate for 2014-15

13. Dates for your calendar: Spring 2014

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1. Penn State names Eric J. Barron president

The 18th president of Penn State has been named by the University’s Board of
Trustees. Eric J. Barron, a former dean at Penn State and current leader of
Florida State University, will begin as Penn State’s next president on or
before May 12, 2014.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/bMStGkgZ

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2. THON 2014 ‘redefines the possibilities’ with $13.3 million for pediatric
cancer

THON 2014, Penn State’s 42nd annual Dance Marathon, concluded its annual
46-hour THON Weekend Sunday (Feb. 23) at the Bryce Jordan Center by raising a
record-breaking $13,343,517.33 in the fight against pediatric cancer.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/j22sFh_h

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3. Times Higher Education global reputation survey ranks Penn State in Top 50

Penn State has ranked 39th among universities worldwide in the fourth annual
Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, released today (March 5).
The University entered the Top 50 for the first time in the 2014 reputation
rankings, based on 10,536 responses, from 133 countries, to an
invitation-only, worldwide academic survey of academics and researchers asked
to identify institutions they considered to be the best in research and
teaching.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/DT1vHnk8

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4. Family and friends create trustee scholarship in alumnus’ memory

Family and friends of late Penn State alumnus Kyle Johnson, Class of 2012,
recently established a scholarship in his memory. The Kyle Chase Johnson
Memorial Trustee Scholarship will provide financial support for students who
are members of the Lion Ambassadors at Penn State, an organization in which
Kyle participated as an undergraduate.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/P_vhM24X

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5. CORED symposium highlights diversity dynamics, potential improvements

While Penn State has made strides in promoting diversity and inclusion on its
campuses, “there’s always more to do,” Vice Provost for Educational Equity
Terrell Jones said as he opened the Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity
(CORED) spring symposium and open house held Tuesday (March 4) at the
Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/NWnrcFpx

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6. New MajorQuest guides students in choosing a major

The Division of Undergraduate Studies released a newly designed version of
MajorQuest last week to help Penn State students find majors that relate to
their areas of interest. The new site at
http://dus.psu.edu/students/majorquest introduces an improved interactive
tool that prompts students to select one or more of their interests, such as
art and design, cyber information, environment and sustainability, helping
people, sports and teaching. MajorQuest then filters Penn State’s
more-than-160 majors and lists those that incorporate all the selected
interests.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/GqZgHXzg

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7. Symposium puts spotlight on engaged scholarship

Penn State’s inaugural Engaged Scholarship Symposium provides an opportunity
to learn more about engaged scholarship and how it enriches student learning.
The symposium, planned for March 25 at the Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State’s
University Park campus, is open to faculty, staff and students from all Penn
State locations. For more information and to register for the conference,
visit http://goo.gl/iv1tW2 online. Those unable to attend in person can
register to view a live stream.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/NzMsW4BJ

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8. Smeal Finance student leads creation of Student Financial Education Center

Concerned with soaring student loan debt and what he perceived as a lack of
financial literacy among college students, Penn State Smeal College of
Business finance student Anand Ganjam proposed an effort last spring to
provide students with personal finance education. Earlier this semester, the
Student Financial Education Center (SFEC) opened its doors in 309 Paterno
Library on the University Park campus.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/22ZN41JS

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9. Penn State students featured as ‘incredibly impressive’ undergraduates

In the classroom and laboratory, performing on the field — or in it, doing
world-class research and altruistic service around the globe — these Penn
State students represent just a small fraction of what is “incredibly
impressive” about our University.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/X3f7HDFj

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10. Erickson addresses Pa. House, Senate appropriations committees

Penn State President Rodney Erickson addressed appropriations committees for
both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Feb. 25, urging
lawmakers to keep the partnership between the University and the Commonwealth
strong in the coming year.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/1CBHw6Yg

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11. Sports Archive to celebrate 25th anniversary

The public is invited to events surrounding the 25th anniversary of the Penn
State Sports Archives, a collection in The Eberly Family Special Collections
Library. Established in 1988, the collection consists of athlete files,
audio-visual materials, media guides, press kits and memorabilia.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/HJJBMfgP

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12. Theatre Professor Susan Russell named Penn State laureate for 2014-15

Susan Russell, associate professor of theatre, has been named the Penn State
laureate for the 2014-15 academic year. She succeeds 2013-14 Penn State
Laureate Kenneth Womack, senior associate dean for Academic Affairs and
professor of English and integrative arts at Penn State Altoona.

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/hczmddb8

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13. Dates for your calendar: Spring 2014

Spring Semester 2014

March 9-15: Spring break, no classes
May 2: Classes end
May 5-9: Final exams
​May 9-11: Commencement

Many additional dates during the semester are important to the academic
progress of your student, available online at

http://www.registrar.psu.edu/academic_calendar/calendar_index.cfm

Read the full story: http://news.psu.edu/link/grgY2Wd2

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The Parents and Families Newswire is brought to you by the Penn State Parents
Program. We want to hear from you — email your comments or questions to
Parents@psu.edu.

For your convenience, we provide an online form for updating parent addresses
and other information at
https://parentinfo.psu.edu. You will need your student’s PSU ID number to
fill out the form.

The Nutter Administration announced today that it has signed an agreement to sell the assets of the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) to UIL Holdings Corporation for $1.86 billion. The sale, which would inject at least $424 million into the City’s pension fund, must still win approval from City Council and then the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), prior to closing.

“When I announced nearly two years ago that the City would begin exploring the sale of PGW, I pledged that I would sign an agreement only if the terms benefited Philadelphia taxpayers and PGW customers,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “This agreement accomplishes those goals and much more. UIL submitted the highest bid for PGW and agreed to contract terms that were important to the City. Our agreement keeps rates frozen for three years, maintains PGW’s discount programs for low-income families and seniors, safeguards PGW employee and retiree pensions and positions PGW to take full advantage of the abundant supply of natural gas in Pennsylvania to make our city and region a prime energy hub.”

Headquartered in New Haven, UIL serves approximately 706,000 electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut and Massachusetts and has combined total assets of more than $4 billion. Its holdings comprise The United Illuminating Company, The Southern Connecticut Gas Company, Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation and The Berkshire Gas Company.

“We are very excited about coming to Philadelphia and getting involved with the community,” said UIL CEO James P. Torgerson. “Energy is our core business and UIL is well suited to operate the natural gas utility business in Philadelphia and make substantive investments in its infrastructure. UIL has substantial experience running an urban natural gas utility and being an engaged civic partner in the communities we serve. We also see this as a great opportunity to explore strategic growth opportunities that will benefit the customers and citizens of Philadelphia. We look forward to working with the City Council and PUC through the approval process.”

Once the sale is complete, UIL plans to operate dual corporate headquarters in Philadelphia and New Haven. PGW will become UIL’s largest operating company, and UIL officials say it is very important to them to become part of the Philadelphia community, including personal involvement in civic activities and financial commitments to charitable organizations.

“PGW will become a bigger, stronger company under UIL’s ownership and that will create more opportunities for us,” said PGW President and CEO Craig E. White. “Our company has made major strides over the past several years, but there are constraints as a city-owned utility that prevent us from realizing our full potential. The ability to react quickly to market opportunities and a greater investment in developing markets will result in a win-win for both the company and its customers and will result in a greater demand for jobs.”

The contract signed by UIL and the City requires that all PGW employees be offered employment at UIL. If an employee decides to retire or accept a job elsewhere, that position may go unfilled, but total employment may not dip below 1,350 employees for at least three years. A privately-owned PGW will require highly skilled employees to maintain and operate the gas company and will ensure that the system continues to deliver gas safely to customers, while improving the gas infrastructure. Like PGW, UIL has strong relationships with the Utility Workers of America. Also like PGW, UIL has a highly diversified workforce and places an emphasis on contracting with minority and woman-owned businesses in selecting its vendors.

The sale will provide substantial support for the City’s pension fund, helping address one of the most pressing financial issues facing the City. After paying off all of PGW’s bond obligations and putting aside funds for other liabilities, including fully funding the PGW pension plan and prudently reserving for residual risks, the City expects to have between $424 million and $631 million remaining, based on current stock and bond markets and reasonable assumptions. The Administration will then deposit the sum into the City employee pension fund. With the pension fund now less than 50 percent funded, this contribution is one part of a strategy to provide additional resources to the fund, while lowering its costs in order to improve that funding percentage.

The Administration proposes other measures to preserve the value of this contribution so that the benefit to the City pension fund will be protected over time without any negative impact on the City’s general fund. The pension funds’ low funded percentage is one of the greatest concerns mentioned by rating agencies, so the deposit should be a credit positive for the City.

Interest in buying PGW, which remains the largest city-owned gas company in the nation, was overwhelming. Thirty-three entities submitted indications of interest last fall. Through a series of bidding rounds the City whittled the field to a handful before finally selecting UIL.

“We thoroughly vetted all bidders and chose UIL for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that it provided us with the strongest contract terms and value. But beyond the numbers, UIL has an outstanding safety record, excellent employee and customer relations, credibility, a commitment to infrastructure improvements, and is a valued corporate citizen in the communities it now serves. I am confident that City Council and the citizens of Philadelphia will arrive at the same conclusion as I have: that UIL is going to become a great addition to our City,” Mayor Nutter said.

PGW is the nation’s largest municipally-owned gas utility, with annual revenues of more than $600 million, more than 500,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers, and more than 1,600 employees. Read more about the sale process and submit questions or comments at www.exploringasale.com.

PHILADELPHIA – February 24, 2014 (Reprint of WPVI story featuring our PhilaNet.com reporter) — We’ve heard horror stories of people’s cars being moved into illegal spots by tow truck drivers, vehicles held ransom for hundreds of dollars, and major damage done in the towing process.

In the city where the reality show ‘Parking Wars’ was made famous, we’re exposing the unwritten rules for parking in Philadelphia. Here’s what you should know before you snag what you think is that perfect parking spot.

“They (George Smith Towing) started towing it down the street. There were sparks flying, it was a crazy loud racket,” said Daniel Brouse.

Brouse is a freelance photographer who has been tracking one of the city’s top tow companies on candid camera.

“When I started filming them, they threatened my life,” said Brouse.

His go-to spot was behind the Piazza at Schmidt’s in Northern Liberties.

“I thought he was a car thief the way he was breaking into the car,” said Brouse. “And then I saw him hook up a tow truck to the vehicle.”

Theft is exactly how Philadelphia Councilman Jim Kenney describes towing in the city.

“They should be arrested because they’re stealing the car. There’s no difference between a tow truck operator taking a car from the curb illegally and a guy hot-wiring it and stealing it,” Kenney said.

The history of aggressive and illegal towing is notorious in the City of Brotherly Love.

“Clearly there are no city signs that say that you cannot park here,” said Jadi Gonzalez.

Surveillance video shows within 14 minutes of Gonzalez parking her car on a city street, a private tow truck driver picks it up – and, she says, doing thousands of dollars of damage to the vehicle.

“They said, ‘You have pictures, you have surveillance. So just take us to court,’” Gonzalez said. And then, she said, they “hung up on me.”

“I mean, it’s really hazardous to park here even legally,” said Mike Williams.

Williams says his car was not just illegally towed, he says it was moved from his permitted spot in Center City Philadelphia.

“Basically they just lied about where we were parked, since we were in a convenient spot for towing. They just decided to tow us,” said Williams.

Action News obtained a list from the Philadelphia Parking Authority of the places where the most tickets are issued for towable offenses.

We’ve created this interactive map, to alert drivers about the hot spots for aggressive towing in the city.

Third on the list is the 1600 block of Market Street, where nearly 3,000 tickets were written for towable offenses in the last 14 months.

The corner of 13th and Walnut Street comes in second on our list for towing violations.

The top spot in the city is the 100 block of Chestnut Street in Old City, where nearly 5,500 towing tickets have been issued since January 2013.

While the majority of these tows may be legal, Councilman Kenney describes the entire towing system in Philadelphia as “the wild West. There’s an industry out there that thinks they have the ability to take advantage of people and steal their cars and hold them hostage for a ransom to get them back,” said Kenney.

The councilman says there are some important things drivers should know:

Only the Philadelphia Parking Authority can tow from a city street. The only place private companies can tow from is private property.

Your car DOES NOT have to be ticketed to be towed.

Towing companies can only charge you $175 for the tow, and $25 for each 24 hours of storage. It is illegal for them to charge any fees on top of that.

A private towing company has to take a picture of your car before they tow it, and provide a copy at no charge

“Unless the government is protecting them in some way by locking up the guys who stole their car, or by shutting the business that stole their car, nothing’s going to change,” Kenney said.

The biggest problem is there is really little recourse for drivers. Councilman Kenney says no one, not the police or L&I which regulates towing, is cracking down on illegal towing in Philadelphia. He is trying to change that.

Councilman Kenney says for now all a driver can do if his or her car is missing is call 9-1-1 and report the vehicle as stolen – or sue the towing company.

All the lads and lassies are invited to attend Glen Foerd on the Delaware’s Celtic Concert on Sunday, March 2, at 1:00 PM. The concert celebrating the estate’s Celtic roots, will feature a performance by the popular duo, Timlin and Kane. Since 1972 Gerry Timlin and Tom Kane have been playing traditional and contemporary Celtic music, and entertaining crowds with their offbeat humor at major music festivals and events across the east coast.

The Celtic Concert begins at 1:00 PM. Tickets are $15 per person. Limited seating is available, and at the door availability is not guaranteed, so advanced registration is strongly suggested. To make a reservation call 215-632-5330, or you can purchase tickets online at www.glenfoerd.org. Food and beverage will not be provided. Glen Foerd’s entrance is at the corner of Milnor Street and Grant Avenue in Philadelphia.

Glen Foerd, constructed in 1850, is Philadelphia’s last riverfront mansion open to the public. The estate was established as a summer residence by Charles Macalester, Jr., a respected businessman, broker and government director of the Second Bank of the US. The estate, now known as Glen Foerd, was originally named Glengarry, after the Macalester family’s Scottish ancestral home. Today, Glen Foerd on the Delaware’s mission is to connect visitors to the legacy of Glen Foerd through programs in the arts, nature and history and to preserve and protect the landscape, buildings and collections for the enjoyment and enrichment of the community and future generations.

(LANCASTER, PA) – February 17, 2014 – Lanark Records co-founders Frank Barrett and Quentin Jones are pleased to announce that The Hooters’ drummer and former founder of Moskeeto Records, David Uosikkinen has joined their team as General Manager. No stranger to making music and record company decisions, David Uosikkinen will join the team working on day to day operations of the record company. The job brings him back to something he is very familiar with, his former days of running his own label and also taps into his experience at MP3.com, a company on the forefront of the digital music revolution, where he worked as a content manager and music director, managing pop and rock genres.

One of Uosikkinen’s goals as GM is to bring more artists to the Lanark label. “I’m looking forward to getting back into the label side of things. I’m excited to have a hand in resurrecting older artists and launching new ones,” explains Uosikkinen.

The news comes just days after the latest release of Uosikkinen’s own single “A Woman’s Got The Power” featuring 80s sweetheart, Patty Smyth of Scandal, on David Uosikkinen’s In The Pocket

“The music industry has changed tremendously in the last 20 years,” explains co-founder Frank Barrett. “We want to expand the breadth of the label and David’s experience as both an artist and a label executive, brings a lot of value to the table.”

Adds Quentin Jones, “David brings his love of technology and interactive marketing to the label. His network of contacts includes some of the brightest in the technology sector.”

Frank Barrett, Chairman-CEO and Quentin Jones, President founded Lanark Records just 18 months ago in August of 2012. Based in Lancaster, PA, Lanark is an independently owned label that specializes in pure rock n’ roll, rockabilly and roots music. In 2013 Lanark Records released critically acclaimed albums by The Rockats (Rockin’ Together), Gas House Gorillas (Punk Americana) and The Reach Around Rodeo Clowns (Rockabilly Deluxe).

In April of 2014 Lanark Records will host a stage at the annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Show, where their acts Robert Gordon, The Rockats and The Reach Around Rodeo Clowns will perform. Also on tap for 2014 will be a new EP from The Rockats, a new Reach Around Rodeo Clowns CD and a new studio recording featuring the legendary Robert Gordon.

“2014 is going to be a very big year for Lanark Records,” said guitarist/producer, Quentin Jones. “I am looking forward to working with David Uosikkinen and bringing our label to another level! And we are off to a rockin’ start!”

1601 Vine Street project to include residential, retail, and LDS Church meetinghouse

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Mayor Michael A. Nutter was joined by representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today as they unveiled plans for a major new development at 1601 Vine Street. The development – designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects – will include a high-rise apartment tower, retail space, and a meetinghouse for local Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints congregations. The project is expected to generate an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 jobs over the course of the construction process.

“This new development continues the revitalization of Vine Street and adds to an approach to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway which already includes the world-class Free Library, the Family Court building, soon to be developed into a new hotel, and the Temple, slated for completion in 2016,” said Mayor Nutter. “This project joins a list of almost 50 major projects under construction across Philadelphia representing billions of dollars of investment. Philadelphia is on the rise as our skyline is re-shaped; new businesses start here, existing businesses grow here; and we continue to attract new residents and visitors.”

The proposed 1601 Vine Street mixed-use development includes a 32-story residential tower with 258 rental apartments, 13 rental townhomes, and retail space along 16th Street. The adjacent meetinghouse will provide a place of worship and community gathering for the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints in Philadelphia and will consist of a chapel, a family history center, a cultural center, and an outdoor courtyard. The planned development is subject to approval by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and other departments and agencies of the City of Philadelphia.

“The Church’s ecclesiastical commitment to the City of Philadelphia continues,” said Michael Marcheschi, of the LDS Church’s Special Projects Department. “The Church will separately construct a meetinghouse across 17th St. from our Temple now under construction. This meetinghouse will be open to the entire community and will serve as a place of gathering, recreation and worship.”

The project team includes the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, BLT Architects, and Property Reserve Inc.

“This apartment tower project reflects our confidence in both this City’s increasingly attractive market opportunity and its leadership at various levels,” said Tom King, a Director of Property Reserve Inc., a real estate investment affiliate of the LDS Church. “The tower will be perfectly situated to meet the expanding rental and retail opportunity in this beautiful area of Center City. And City leaders and agencies have been most responsive and sophisticated in properly supporting this investment.”

This new proposed development will join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple currently under construction at 17th and Vine Street as an additional major investment in Philadelphia.

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