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The Franklin Institute Presents The Art of The Brick, The World’s Largest Display Of LEGO Art, February 7-September 6.

In a show that’s a tribute to artistic ingenuity, The Art of the Brick showcases more than 100 works created entirely from LEGOs by contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya.

Sawaya is the first artist ever to create an exhibition of LEGO art — that is, using LEGO bricks as the artistic medium — and his work has traveled around the world for the past seven years.

In Philadelphia, the exhibition takes on several new components, including a practically life-sized Liberty Bell created by Sawaya exclusively for Philadelphia.

Broken out by type of LEGO artwork, guests can wander through galleries of LEGO re-creations of acclaimed artworks, 3-D classic sculptures (look out for Rodin’s The Thinker,) in addition to a 20-foot long LEGO T-Rex, original works of pop-art style pieces by Sawaya and much more.

Each work is made up of anywhere from a couple hundred to tens of thousands of LEGO bricks, and it’s fascinating to check out the gallery notes to see just how many LEGOs went in to the creation of each piece.

At the end of the exhibit, guests can leave their mark on the show by signing a LEGO brick and adding it to the Philadelphia LEGO wall of art.

Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor. His inventions included everything from bifocals and swim fins to electricity. The place of Franklin’s grave is also the location where he is purported to have conducted the kite experiment — Christ Church in Philadelphia, PA.

“The experiment’s purpose was to uncover then unknown facts about the nature of lightning and electricity.

In 1752, Franklin proposed an experiment with conductive rods to attract lightning to a Leyden jar, an early form of capacitor.

Such an experiment was carried out in May 1752 at Marly-la-Ville in northern France by Thomas-François Dalibard. An attempt to replicate the experiment killed Georg Wilhelm Richmann in Saint Petersburg in August 1753, thought to be the victim of ball lightning. Franklin himself is said to have conducted the experiment in June 1752, supposedly on the top of the spire on Christ Church in Philadelphia.

Franklin realized the dangers of using conductive rods and instead used a kite. The increased height allowed him to stay on the ground and the kite was less likely to electrocute him. According to the legend, Franklin kept the string of the kite dry at his end to insulate him while the rest of the string was allowed to get wet in the rain to provide conductivity. A key was attached to the string and connected to a Leyden jar, which Franklin assumed would accumulate electricity from the lightning. The kite wasn’t struck by visible lightning (had it done so, Franklin would almost certainly have been killed) but Franklin did notice that the strings of the kite were repelling each other and deduced that the Leyden jar was being charged. Franklin reportedly received a mild shock by moving his hand near the key afterwards, because as he had estimated, lightning had negatively charged the key and the Leyden jar, proving the electric nature of lightning” — Wikipedia

Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA

Some of the famous people buried at the Christ Church burial ground:

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Scientist, Philosopher, Printer, Diplomat, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution

Francis Hopkinson (1737-1790) Artist, Lawyer, Judge, Composer, Signer of the Declaration of Independence

Joseph Hewes (1730-1779) Secretary of Naval Affairs, Signer of the Declaration of Independence from North Carolina

George Ross (1730-1779) Judge, Signer of the Declaration of Independence

Dr. Benjamin Rush (1746-1813) Physician, social reformer, Treasurer of the United States Mint, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, founder of Dickinson College, Known as “The Father of American Psychiatry”

Sarah Knowles (1721) oldest known marker in the burial ground

Edward W. Clay (1799-1857) Political cartoonist

John Dunlap (1747-1812) Printer of the first broadside of the Declaration of Independence. Published the first daily newspaper.

Dr. William Camac (1829-1900) Prominent Philadelphia Physician who founded the Philadelphia Zoo, America’s first Zoo.

John G. Watmough (1793-1861) United States Congressman, who served as First Lieutenant in the War of 1812.

Major William Jackson (1759-1828) Revolutionary War officer, Secretary of the Constitutional Convention in 1787

Sarah Franklin Bache (1737-1811) Daughter of Benjamin and Deborah Franklin, Founder and member of “The Ladies’ Association,” which was a leading fund raiser during the Revolutionary War

Franklin Watkins (1894-1972) Served in the US Navy during World War I, Painter with artwork featured in museums around the world

Dr. Thomas Bond (1713-1784) Physician, founded the first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital

Philip Syng (1703-1789) Silversmith and maker of the ink and quill stand used for the signing of the Declaration of Independence

Julia Stockton Rush ( 1759-1848) Wife of and daughter of signers of the Declaration of Independence, member of the Ladies’ Association

Dr. Philip Syng Physick (1768-1837) Known as the Father of Modern Surgery

Major General George Cadwalader (1806-1879) General during the Civil War

William M Meredith (1799-1873) Lawyer, State Attorney General, Secretary of the Treasury under President Taylor

Michael Hillegas (1729-1804) First Treasurer of the United States

Commodore William Bainbridge (1774-1833) Commander of Old Ironsides

John Spurrier (1746-1798) Author of the Practical Farmer, his book promoted the idea of composting

John Taylor (1718-1803) He was the gravedigger at the burial ground for over 50 years

Richard Folwel (1768-1814) Printer and newspaper publisher. He printed the first collection of laws of the United States, which was commonly known as the Folwel Edition.

Joseph Dolby (1741-1816) Sexton and bell ringer for Christ Church.

James Humphreys (1748-1810) Printer, who founded and published The Pennsylvania Ledger.

Richard Thomson (1799-1824) Consul from the United States to Canton

The Philadelphia L&I Office is warning of a suspect that is trying to extort money of unsuspecting citizens. The Mayor’s Office reports:

L&I Commissioner Carlton Williams warned Philadelphians to ask for proper identification from any L&I inspector who comes to a resident’s door in the wake of reports that an individual has sought entry into homes last Friday, yesterday and today in Kensington and Hunting Park.

“The Department of Licenses & Inspections is very concerned about reports of an individual purporting to be an L&I inspector attempting to enter our citizens’ homes,” L&I Commissioner Carlton Williams said. “We are working closely with the Philadelphia Police Department and other officials to investigate these reports. All citizens should be aware that inspectors from the Department of Licenses & Inspections wear official uniforms and will produce identification and business cards upon request. Inspectors will never request payment or state that a fee is owed.”

In today’s incident, the homeowner said the person posing as an L&I inspector flashed a badge of some kind and then asked for a $91 payment, which the homeowner provided. In other incidents, the person posing as an inspector has informed residents that a next-door neighbor’s house is to be torn down or an adjacent lot must be cleaned out and that the phony inspector must gain entry to the occupied residence.

“I urge all citizens to remain vigilant. If you are approached by an individual purporting to be an L&I inspector, please request to see identification. If you have any doubt that the individual is in fact an L&I inspector, you should refuse entry and call 911 immediately. Citizens can also contact L&I at 215-686-2400 to verify whether an inspector is scheduled to be at the location,” Williams said.

December 19, 2014

WEST CHESTER, PA — The West Chester Parking Authority has a long, troubled history. In fact, allegations are surfacing that show a systemic problem with bullying, corruption and other illegal behavior.

After months of complaints, former Officer Foster was terminated amid accusations of bullying, stalking, harassment and similar activities. However, his partner in crime, Officer Singley, remains on duty.

The officers appear to target citizens with disabilities. One victim claims to have been bullied, harassed and threatened for years. In addition, the officer purposely ticketed their vehicle. The car was legally parked displaying a handicapped placard.

When a complaint was filed with the West Chester Parking Authority, Hector Mojica, Parking Enforcement Manager, defended the actions of his employee. In a phone interview, Hector stated West Chester’s code was different than the State Of Pennsylvania. He went on to say that you have to feed the meter for the first hour while displaying a handicapped placard.

Hector’s claim would make West Chester Borough in violation of state and federal laws including 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 3354(d)(1), the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and various other hate crimes.

According to the victim, they requested (in person) a copy of the West Chester borough code or ordinance from Hector. Hector was unable to produce any local code or ordinance. Instead, Hector provided a copy of the Pennsylvania law 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. 3354(d)(1) which clearly states:

“Motor vehicles with ‘Person with a Disability’ or ‘Severely Disabled Veteran’ plates of placards may park for a period of 60 minutes in excess of the legal parking period permitted by local authorities….”

Despite the obvious illegal actions of Officer Singley, Hector continued bullying the victim and defending his employee saying, “take it to a judge.”

The investigation into the systemic corruption of the West Chester Parking Authority continues. If you have any information, please contact investigators:

PHILADELPHIA — EACE (like Peace without the P!) is a recording artist from Philadelphia, PA USA. EACE’s ethnicity, overwhelming freestyle, and songwriting ability puts him up there with any hip hop artist today. EACE is a metaphor for Peace, stemming from his birth name “Issa”.

EACE is promoting his first album, Ultimate. Ultimate is a project co-produced by Philadelphian musician/producer/singer/songwriter Rick Reinhart. Ultimate is available via EACEMusic.com. Ultimate showcases EACE’s ability to grow outside of his comfort zone as an MC. This includes brighter vibes from singles like Millionaire, Damn, Take Off Them Clothes, Do It Like That, and Player Like Me. EACE also shows intense lyrical ability with tracks like Never Giving Up, and Mountain Top. Overall, the project includes quality production from Rick Reinhart, Mastering from legendary Gene_Leone_Mix, and slamming music arrangements from local talents Mark Kuryloski, D’Rek, Knowlege Productions, and Rick Reinhart.

When it comes to the stage, EACE has performed amongst a diversed crowd throughout the past few years. Including a series of improves over live instruments with the Rick Reinhart band. Other venues and performances in Philadelphia were Raise The Vibration, World Café Live, Legendary Dobbs, Temple campus and Atlantic City’s Elephant Talk. EACE’s single Millionaire has been recognized by the Philadelphia Recording Community. EACE will be building his personal youtube channel, www.youtube.com/EACETV this year. EACE plans on being unpredictable and reinventing his style on every album. Also, expect production/songwriting collaborations from EACE.

PEACE!

“Super Hero” Free MP3 Download

A peaceful protest took place in the intersection of Broad and Patterson Streets in South Philadelphia as the Philadelphia Eagles’ game ended. Several hundred protesters and several hundred police gathered around 7:00PM. The only incidents occurred when Eagles’ fans hurled insults at the protesters. Also, some protesters were observed chanting racist slogans. No arrests were made.

Ironically,the police ended up protecting the police brutality protesters from the Broad Street bullies.

Witnesses of the event commented on an outstanding job by the organizers — a clergy group called POWER (Philadelphia Organized to Witness Empower & Rebuild).

More Pictures

Mayor Michael A. Nutter released a statement following a vote by the Board of Directors of UIL Holdings Corporation to terminate its agreement to purchase the Philadelphia Gas Works:

“This decision by the Philadelphia City Council is a big mistake and represents a massive failure in leadership for our City and our citizens. It is unfortunate for Philadelphia that City Council could not make a public decision in this important matter following public hearings and an up or down vote. Instead, City Council held no hearings and chose a behind-the-scenes decision making process and no action, thus shutting out the public and denying Philadelphians the opportunity to voice their views.

“The citizens of our City, the customers of PGW and our own City workers will feel the negative effects of this terrible indecision for years to come, and ultimately will regret that City Council chose to end a legitimate debate on this issue even before it started.

“The eyes of the city, state and our country, if not the world, are on Philadelphia and looking at how we conduct business, how we treat good companies like UIL and how we handle big decisions.

“The roles and responsibilities of each branch of our government, in a transaction such as this, are clearly set forth in the Home Rule Charter, and unfortunately, in this instance, City Council failed to represent our own vested employees, all of its constituents, and the larger City interests.

“Rather, it allowed small-minded, parochial and often petty issues and interests to get in the way of larger, broader and more innovative opportunities to move forward on behalf of all of our citizens who deserved the chance to see, hear and learn more about an incredible proposal to transform PGW into a true national, if not international, leader in providing energy services.

“I want to thank Mr. Jim Torgerson and his entire team from UIL for their interest, commitment and patience in their efforts to own and operate PGW. I want to thank the many City employees who worked very hard on this proposed transaction, and our many great consultants who provided excellent advice and guidance in this process. They all deserve our thanks and appreciation.

“I look forward to learning more about the often mentioned public-private proposals from Council President Clarke and the Council, how they plan to move PGW forward financially, how they plan to accelerate desperately needed cast-iron pipe replacements, what their plan is to make additional investments in our LNG facilities, how they will take advantage of the nearby Marcellus Shale reserves and how they will make significant investments in our severely underfunded pension system on behalf of our deserving City public employees.

“PGW still needs support and investment, and now that City Council has made its decision to do nothing, it is imperative and vitally urgent that Council President Clarke release his public-private partnership plan in full detail so that the citizen taxpayers and ratepayers can understand his plan for PGW and its future. I look forward to reading that plan soon.”

Old-Fashioned Christmas

USA Today called West Chester’s Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration “one of the top ten places to experience the arrival of Santa Claus during the holiday season.” The weekend is alive with scores of events throughout the town. The Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce’s 35th Annual Mars Drinks Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade is presented by QVC which will televise the Christmas Parade nationally on Christmas Day.

See all Old Fashioned Christmas events.

Christmas in the Sweet Spot, featured article in County Lines Magazine

Parade route and traffic restrictions at Greater West Chester Chamber.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS. . .

OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS PARADE
Friday, December 5 | 7:15pm
West Chester’s grandest parade is the highlight of the Winter holiday season with hundreds of dancers, performers, and musicians making the event a true extravaganza. Dozens of events surround the parade so come downtown early and enjoy all the Christmas spirit. Presented by the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce. See parking information.

HOLIDAY CONCERT by WEST CHESTER STUDIO SINGERS
Friday, December 5, 2014 | 5:15-5:45PM
The West Chester Studio Junior and Senior Singers present their Holiday Concert at the Chester County Historical Society, 225 North High Street. FREE for the whole family.

TRIAL BY JURY
Friday, December 5, 2014 | 6pm
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 2pm & 8pm
Sunday, December 7, 2014 | 2pm
The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Chester County presents Trial By Jury, an annual joyous musical farce about love and marriage. Courtroom One, in the Historic Chester County Courthouse, Market and High St. Ticketed event.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 8:30am & 10:00am
Enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast with Santa. Children get to sit with Santa, share their Christmas wish list, and take a photo so don’t forget the camera. Note that booster seats/high chairs are not provided. At Chester County Historical Society, 225 North High St. Reservations required, $14/person (2 years and over). Must pre-register; call 610-436-9010.

HICKMAN ANNUAL HOLIDAY BAZAAR
December 5-6, 2014 | 9am-2pm
Handmade baked goods, jewelry, plants and other treasures are part of the annual Holiday Bazaar at The Hickman, a 124-year-old independent and assisted living personal care residence at 400 N Walnut St. Proceeds benefit resident activities.

HOLIDAY HOME TOUR
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 10am
A walking tour showcasing ten beautiful homes each with its own special charm and history. As a bonus, Tanglewood, the home of West Chester University Presidents, will be also be open. 10am to 3pm; snow date December 8. Ticketed event benefiting West Chester Public Library. For details, visit WCPublicLibrary.org.

TUCKERPUPPY’S GIFT OF LITERACY EVENT at BOROUGH HALL
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 10am-Noon
Read2Dream presents a morning where children can meet Tuckerpuppy, authors, illustrators, and community readers. At West Chester Borough Hall, 401 East Gay Street. Free parking in rear.

WEST CHESTER NAACP ANNUAL HOLIDAY BAZAAR
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 10am-3pm
Local artwork, crafts, jewelry, gift baskets, and holiday ornaments are part of the annual NAACP Holiday Bazaar at the Masonic Lodge of West Chester, 10 S Church St. Catered Lunch is offered for sale from 11:30am–1:30pm. Local author book signing will also be featured. Proceeds benefit the West Chester Unit NAACP Educational Scholarship Program.

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE AT KALY
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 10am-5pm
Celebrate Old Fashioned Christmas in a new way at Kaly (37 W Gay St). Receive 10-percent off entire purchase if you bring an unwrapped donation for Chester County Child, Youth and Family Services. Emily Alice Salon is giving FREE Holiday Make-up from 12-2pm. Plenty of festive food & beverages.

BOOK SIGNING at the MELTON CENTER
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 11am – 1pm
Glenn Proctor, whose journalism career began at the Daily Local News, will be signing and chatting about his new book Kicking Bottles, News & Dust: An Autobiography — 50 Years of Poems (2014) at The Melton Center, 501 E Miner St (parking off East Market). Books will be available at the event or now at Amazon.com.

PINOCCHIO
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 2pm
WCU Live! and the National Marionette Theatre present Carlo Collodi’s story about a puppet who wants to become a real boy. Recommended for family audiences ages four and up. Running time about one hour. At Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center. Tickets at wcupa.ticketleap.com or call 610-436-2266.

CHURCH STREET GALLERY ART OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 5pm
John Suplee’s new gallery show Paintings of West Chester and Paris opens at Church Street Gallery (12 S Church St) with a Saturday evening reception. Show continues through January 11, 2015.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (more or less)
Saturday, December 6, 2014 | 6:00-7:30pm
When a storm keeps the cast of A Christmas Carol from getting to the theater, can the show’s producers play all the parts themselves? A Christmas Carol (more or less) is a hysterical retelling of this beloved holiday classic appropriate for all ages. At the Chester County Historical Society, 225 N. High St. $5 free will donation to benefit Uptown! Entertainment Alliance.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER
Saturday & Sunday, December 6 & 7, 2014 | 12:30pm
The West Chester School for the Performing Arts presents Barbara Robinson’s hilarious Christmas tale of a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant casted by the most inventively awful kids in history. At the Chester County Historical Society, 225 North High Street. Ticketed event; see WestChesterStudio.com for details.

SANTA’S EXPRESS on the WEST CHESTER RAILROAD
December 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 | 11am, 1pm, 3pm; additional 5pm departures on Dec 13-14, 20-21
All aboard Santa’s Express! Join Santa for a 90-minute journey on the heated West Chester Railroad through the Chester Creek Valley. Santa greets everyone at Market Street Station, then rides along to Glen Mills. Explore the historic Glan Mills Station where there’s plenty of photo opportunities on Santa’s lap, so remember your cameras. Live music by Greg Wright & Friends. On board snack car offers hot dogs, hot chocolate and various snacks (cash only). A rain, shine, or snow event

Pictures from the first snowfall of the season in West Chester, PA:

Mayor Michael A. Nutter, who serves on the President’s State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force, released the following statement in response to the Task Force report released by the White House today. The report includes recommendations for how the Federal government can support communities in preparing for and responding to the impacts of climate change:

“It has been an honor to serve on President Obama’s climate Task Force alongside fellow mayors, governors and tribal leaders. I was able to share the City of Philadelphia’s experiences, concerns and ideas, while learning from others who are working to take responsible steps to curb emissions and plan for the changing climate. This Task Force is a clear example of local, state and federal government coming together to work collaboratively on an issue of grave concern and the utmost importance. We know we are stronger working together than alone, so we have pledged to continue our partnership. The extreme weather events we have all experienced and the future projections we face make it clear that we all share a common risk and commitment to safeguarding our communities. Here in Philadelphia, we will soon release a climate science report for the city and region, and, in 2015, we will publish a climate planning roadmap.

I applaud President Obama and his leadership team for recognizing that, despite the politics in Washington D.C., this is an issue of critical national concern that must be addressed. I want to thank the White House Council on Environmental Quality for its coordination support, the city staff who participated, and our contributing partners.”