INVITE YOU TO ATTEND THE DEDICATION OF 10 NEW DESIGN IN MOTION RECYCLING TRUCKS

Thursday, April 22 – 3:00PM – LOVE Park – 1500 Arch Street

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program’s Design In Motion: The Recycling Truck Project is a city-wide public art and graphic design project produced in collaboration with The Design Center at Philadelphia University and the City of Philadelphia Streets Department Recycling Office.

From January through April 2010, artist Desireé Bender, the drivers of the ten recycling trucks participating in this project, and over 60 students ranging in age from 10 to 14 and enrolled in Mural Arts’ free after-school Big Picture program worked together on the conceptualization, design, and production of graphic vinyl wraps for ten City of Philadelphia recycling trucks. Their designs are inspired by and quote historical and contemporary textile patterns that celebrate elements of nature and are drawn from the collection of The Design Center at Philadelphia University.

These ten new recycling trucks will join the first ten recycling trucks Mural Arts wrapped in 2009, expanding the fleet of MAP Design In Motion recycling trucks to twenty – nearly one-third of the City of Philadelphia Streets Department’s entire fleet of recycling trucks.

EVENT IN LOVE PARK TO BE PRECEDED AT 1:45PM BY PARADE OF TRUCKS DOWN NORTH BROAD FROM TEMPLE UNIVERSITY TO CITY HALL!

For further information, call 215-685-0750 or visit www.muralarts.org

• how the economy is affecting state services and state funds coming into Philadelphia
• what is being done to control the phenomenon of flash mobs
• library funding, and other issues the Senator is taking the lead in for our City and our district

The meeting will also cover the new “PSA” (Police Service Area) System (what it means and how it affects us), a recent award For Spring Garden and other matters of interest to our community.

Thursday April 15, 2010 – 7:30 P.M.

St. Andrew’s Lithuanian Church Hall
(On 19th St. between North St. and Wallace St.)

Doors open at 7:00. Refreshments will be served starting at 7:00. Meeting starts promptly at 7:30.

Grid Anniversary Party
On April 10, Grid will celebrate its first birthday with a party at Yards’ brand new tasting room (which was featured in the March issue).

WHEN: Saturday, April 10, 5 – 8 p.m.
WHERE: Yards Tasting Room, Yards Brewing Company, 901 North Delaware Ave.

WHAT:
City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutterand Philadelphia Streets Department will announce the One Month Countdown to the Philly Spring Cleanup. A kickoff celebration will take place in Fishtown at 1 p.m. The third annual Philly Spring Cleanup- part of the Great American Cleanup- will take place on Saturday, April 10, 2010. The theme of this year’s cleanup is “Keep Up the Sweep Up,” encouraging residents and organizations to sustain the effort toward a cleaner and brighter Philadelphia.

The outdoor, kickoff celebration will take place on the 2500 block of East Gordon Streetin Fishtown. The 2500 block of East Gordon Streetis the winner of the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee’s (PMBC) 2009 Clean Block Award. Led by Block Captain Kathy Berry, these residents have worked tirelessly to transform this once desolate block into one of the best streets in Philadelphia.

Mayor Nutter will be joined by the Department of Streets Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson, Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski, Block Captain for 2500 East Gordon StreetKathy Berry, dozens of community groups, Fishtown residents and Philly Spring Cleanup partner organizations.

Target is the lead corporate supporter of the third annual Philly Spring Cleanup. Additional corporate partners include RecycleBank, Waste Management, Republic Services, BlueMountain, Covanta, Big Belly Solar. City partners include PMBC, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, Greater Philadelphia Cares, FairmountPark, Global Citizen, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, City Year and the City of Philadelphia Department of Recreation.

This will be a highly visual event that will feature remarks from the City of Philadelphia’s top officials. City Year members will perform a warm-up routine with Mayor Nutter to kickoff the event. There will also be interview opportunities with all of the event speakers and city residents that are present to receive information about this year’s Philly Spring Cleanup.

City residents and organizations can become involved in the 2010 Philly Spring Cleanup by registering as a volunteer or project site. City residents and organization who wish to participate should visit www.PhillySpringCleanup.com.

WHO:

• City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter
• Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson, City of Philadelphia Department of the Streets Commissioner
• Katherine Gajewski, City of Philadelphia Director of Sustainability
• Kathy Berry, 2500 East Gordon StreetBlock Captain
• 15 City Year members performing warm-up routine with Mayor Nutter
• Dozens of corporate, city and community group partners

WHEN:
Wednesday, March 10, 1 p.m.

WHERE:
2500 East Gordon Street, Philadelphia, PA19125

For more on Philadelphia Weekly’s top picks, click here »

Click here to view the digital edition of Grid Magazine »

The Greensaw team was given just three days to do the portico, the siding, the bar area, and the tables. Teamed up with master salvage suppliers Provenance and trucked in redwood barrel staves from Schmidt’s brewery, hotel columns from Bucks County, cedar barn siding from Lancaster County, white oak wainscot from South Philadelphia, southern yellow pine from a Philly paper mill, redwood from a Lancaster water tower — and the list goes on. Even Cornice, the shop squirrel, got his turn on camera.

For more information on DIY’s Man Caves, click here.

It’s a good thing the sign’s there, because there’s no other way to tell.

On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg. Probably didn’t make much news.

Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano, Italy, Van T. Barfoot, who had enlisted in the Army in 1940, set out to flank German machine gun positions from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. He advanced through a minefield, took out three enemy machine gun positions and returned with 17 prisoners of war.

If that wasn’t enough for a day’s work, he later took on and destroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions.

That probably didn’t make much news either, given the scope of the war, but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a colonel after also serving in Korea and Vietnam, a Congressional Medal of Honor.

What did make news last week was a neighborhood association’s quibble with how the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside his suburban Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum, items such as Barfoot’s 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable.

He had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was facing court action if he didn’t take it down. Since the story made national TV, the neighborhood association has rethought its position and agreed to indulge this old hero who dwells among them.

“In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag without interference,” Barfoot told The Associated Press.

As well he should.

And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they might want to read his Medal of Honor citation.

It indicates he’s not real good at backing down.

Van T. Barfoot’s Medal of Honor citation:

This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National Medal of Honor Society, is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot’s extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of point blank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.”

The event will take place on Tuesday, 12/15/09 at the Academy of Natural Sciences (19th St and Benjamin Franklin Pkwy) from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Click here to register »

The conference will showcase cutting-edge Chinese and American sustainability efforts, featuring experts from the City of Hebi and Henan Province, China and from the City of Philadelphia. Henan, the largest Chinese province by population (over 99 million and growing), is leading the charge for a “cyclical economy” on the provincial level, and Hebi (in Henan) is one of the model Chinese cities that was selected for the development of sustainable practices as part of a national pilot program begun in 2006.

Likewise, Philadelphia’s Greenworks program is among the most ambitious U.S. urban sustainability plans. In addition to the Hebi, Henan, and City of Philadelphia experts, pioneering business and non-profit leaders from the Philadelphia area will discuss their innovative green projects.

Among the Chinese delegation will be Assistant Governor Dong-Cheng He and other officials from Henan Province and Deputy Mayor Xin-Yong Liu and representatives from the following companies: Henan Dongda High Temperature Energy-Saving Material Co., Ltd.; Hebi Anli-Huanyan Tire Co., Ltd.; Hebi Baiyunjia Printing Co., Ltd.; Henan Xinyang Estate Co., Ltd., and Henan Yongchang Feitian Starch Sugar Co., Ltd. American speakers will include Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Alan Greenberger, Deputy Mayor for Commerce, Economic Development and Planning; Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability for the City of Philadelphia; Natalia Olson-Urtecho, CEO of The Ecolibrium Group and Charlie Szoradi, Founder and President of GREENandSAVE.

In addition to the City of Philadelphia, the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia and the Academy of Natural Sciences Philadelphia, our sponsors include the architecture and design firm H2L2, GREENandSAVE, the Ecolibrium Group, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, and Blank Rome LLP.

The Philadelphia International Sustainability Conference will provide a forum for the fruitful exchange of ideas to help meet the economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Agenda:

8:30 Registration

9:00 Opening remarks by Philadelphia International Sustainability Association of Business Students and City of Philadelphia representatives

9:10 Featured Speaker: Dong-Cheng He, the Assistant of Provincial Governor of Henan

9:30 Keynote Speaker: Xin-Yong Liu, Deputy Mayor of Hebi

9:50 Chinese Panel: Hebi Company Representatives

10:40 Break

10:50 Keynote Speaker: Katherine Gajewski, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability

11:10 Featured Speaker: Natalia Olson-Urtecho, CEO, the Ecolibrium Group

11:30 U.S. Panel – Business Leaders of the Greater Philadelphia Region

12:30 Closing Remarks

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