PhilaNet.com

The American Lung Association has released it’s annual report on air quality. Philadelphia ranked among the worst cities.

“If you live in Philadelphia County, the air you breathe may put your health at risk. ”

Ozone received a failing grade of “F”. “Tropospheric ozone is formed by the interaction of sunlight, particularly ultraviolet light, with hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, which are emitted by automobiles, gasoline vapors, fossil fuel power plants, refineries, and certain other industries.” — National Center for Atmospheric Research

Groups At Risk
Total Population: 1,536,471
Pediatric Asthma: 34,703
Adult Asthma: 110,641
COPD: 72,503
Cardiovascular Disease: 369,110
Diabetes: 97,274
Children Under 18: 345,974
Adults 65 & Over: 186,055
Poverty Estimate: 414,826

You can make a difference in the air that you breathe.
See: Tropospheric Ozone = Bad Ozone, The Ozone Know Zone, and Gasoline Plus Ethanol Equals Bad Ozone

Rittenhouse Square
May 9 – 11, 2014 – Philadelphia, PA

Fair hours are 11 am to 7 pm Friday & Saturday, and 11 am to 5 pm Sunday. Admission is free. Street and garage parking is plentiful.

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen returns to Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square with its third annual juried fine craft fair over Mother’s Day weekend, May 9, 10 & 11. The event was named a Top 100 Fine Craft Fair in the nation by ArtFair Sourcebook, a respected publication in the craft industry known for its artist-submitted show reviews.

Through a partnership with Friends of Rittenhouse Square and in conjunction with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, this event brings 145 fine craftsmen from across the country and Canada to downtown Philadelphia.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s is accused of being overly aggressive in the imprisonment of parents that are unable to make their child support payments.

The County Commissions office released a statement:

Seven deadbeat parents were arrested overnight during an unannounced raid starting at 1:00 a.m. and are being held pending a hearing by Hon. Judge Kelly C. Wall at the Montgomery County Courthouse.

“We’re taking a new approach,” said Sheriff Russell Bono. “I don’t want these deadbeat parents to ever feel comfortable.”

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputies combed several areas including Norristown, Plymouth Meeting, Willow Grove, Glenside and Hatboro, Pa., on a search for 30 defendants with active warrants for delinquent support payments for 55 (people).

May 2-27, 2014 RECEPTION: Sunday May 4, 2PM – 5PM
Old City Jewish Art Center 119 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia PA 19006

At first glance, my work may appear conventional. I try to produce works of art, that are in fact hiding deeply in the hidden forces that plugs us to an inner connection to nature. Doing what I do has nothing to do with what is in style or other people’s values. I am on my own personal path.

Everything changes, as the earth moves away from our Sun, and the Universe slides more and more into the unknown. The question of how to express the transformation of life is reflected in these paintings. For obvious reasons, I love to push clichés to beyond their boundaries; I have chosen to portray landscapes that reflex images and symbols of The Fullness of the Earth.

Since 1966, Bensignor has exhibited her work primarily in the New York, New Jersey, and the Pennsylvania area. Her work was also featured in several exhibits in Japan. In 1985, Bensignor’s work was exhibited in a show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and again in 2003. Since 1973, her work has been on continuous display at New York City galleries. Bensignor’s work can be seen in a number of public and private collections in the United States, England, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Belgium and Portugal.

If you would like more information about the artists and photographs of current pieces to be in the show, or to schedule an interview with Bensignor, please call Old City Jewish Art Center at 215-923-1222 or Paulette Bensignor at 664-0972

Murrysville, Pennsylvania — 20 people at Franklin Regional Senior High School were stabbed by a student. Many of the wounded didn’t even know what had happened. “They just felt pain and noticed they were bleeding,” said Dr. Timothy VanFleet, chief of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame is sponsored by Glen Foerd on the Delaware in partnership with Holy Family University, the Historical Society of Frankford, The Northeast Times and Philadelphia City Councilman At-Large Dennis M. O’Brien.

The mission of the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame is to foster the development of civic values and a sense of community in Northeast Philadelphia, along with a greater awareness and appreciation of the area’s rich history, by honoring the lives and accomplishments of its most distinguished citizens. To that end, the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame will honor those Northeast Philadelphia residents past and present whose lives or careers have been marked by high achievement or those individuals who have had a lasting, significant, and positive impact on the Northeast Philadelphia community.

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.