Publications

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philly Pops has announced that it will cease operations at the end of the 2022-2023 season.

The Philly Pops to cease operations at end of 2022-23 season - 6abc Philadelphia

Local officials said they were tipped off by a community organization in Texas about the busing plans.

Is Texas now busing to Philadelphia? What we know (and what we don’t) - On top of Philly news (billypenn.com)

As my term begins to come to a close, much will be said about our city’s path forward. While Philadelphia, like every major city, faces immense challenges — most pressingly the gun violence crisis plaguing cities across the country — we’ve also achieved major milestones and have put our city on a path for a promising future.

Reducing the pervasive gun violence impacting our city is my top priority as mayor. I share the frustration that we all feel in the search for solutions, especially in the face of federal and state laws that too often prioritize the interests of the gun lobby over keeping residents safe.

Perception matters, so let me begin by assuring our citizens that I am eager to lead this fight. Let there be no misunderstanding: Having been resoundingly elected twice as mayor by the citizens of Philadelphia is the greatest honor of my life, and I consider it a privilege to work every day from now until the end of my term in January 2024 to improve the lives of my fellow Philadelphians.

As mayor, I recognize the terrible toll gun violence has taken on far too many lives, particularly among our young people. Fueled by lurid press headlines, gun violence also has created a sense of unease and frustration among residents and business owners. We need to do more to address this issue and reduce violence, and we will do more.

But while we acknowledge these concerns, I also urge my fellow residents to recognize that, despite these concerns, Philadelphia remains a city on the rise. Thanks in large part to the resilience of our people, our city has largely recovered from a pandemic that devastated our economy and turned our lives upside down for most of the last two years.

On gun violence, the city is taking a comprehensive approach to addressing the issue.

We have dedicated more money to fighting gun violence — $340 million in the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years — than any administration in history. These efforts include: a renewed commitment to getting guns off the streets, which led to the seizure of more than 6,000 firearms last year (and we’re on track to match that this year); creating a new nonfatal shooting investigations group that is increasing clearance rates for nonfatal shootings; launching an innovative gun violence DNA program to improve the effectiveness of investigations; and working with state and federal law enforcement to track and capture Philadelphia’s most violent offenders. This work does not solve the problem overnight, but it is producing results already, as evidenced by the arrests of multiple suspects in the tragic Roxborough High School shooting.

Here’s one other fact about our gun violence prevention and intervention work: It hasn’t been enough.

We continue to work with partners both inside and outside of government to get results. Solutions are not simple, and making an immediate impact requires effective, targeted approaches for those most likely to commit or become a victim of violence, and we are appreciative of the civic coalition that is working with us to deepen and strengthen our intervention work.

Reducing gun violence demands creativity, cooperation, and tireless dedication from those of us who are privileged to serve as elected leaders.

I say again: Philadelphia’s future cannot be defined by screaming headlines. The reality is that our city is making a remarkable recovery. Investment continues to pour into the city, as evidenced by the surge in life sciences research at places like the Navy Yard and University City. The city’s bond rating, long mired in “junk bond” status, has been raised to A level, a designation once thought impossible for Philadelphia. Building permits continue to rise, despite the pandemic’s impact. And the city’s pension fund, once thought to be all but unfixable, is now projected to be fully funded in the near future.

Under the Rebuild program, made possible by the beverage tax that we enacted with overwhelming support from City Council, we are revitalizing neighborhoods across the city. What’s more, 62% of the contract dollars have been awarded to diverse businesses. Rebuild’s transformative impact will be felt in communities for generations to come.

The beverage tax also is funding PHLpreK, which has served more than 13,000 children over the last five years and has expanded to fund free, quality pre-K for up to 4,300 students annually — a successful and growing investment in our children’s future.

And not least, our tourism industry is thriving again, with our region having recovered to more than 80% of its pre-pandemic peak. A key indicator of our recovery is the continued growth of Philadelphia’s renowned restaurant scene, including the opening of two dozen new restaurants this fall alone.

So let me say again: I will work to address gun violence and create a safer Philadelphia every remaining day of my term in office. It is my number one priority.

But at the same time, let’s remember that Philadelphia remains a city whose future is worth fighting for.

And I am energized to lead the fight.

Jim Kenney is the 99th mayor of Philadelphia.

You've already got enough going on during Thanksgiving.

Where to Pick Up Thanksgiving Pies in Philly (phillymag.com)

"With all the history and learning institutions, the city “has a richness to it.”

The list of things Philadelphians have to cheer for right now feels pretty long: The Phillies are in the World Series. The Eagles are undefeated. The Union are headed to the MLS Cup.
But wait! There’s more.

Another event with a promising local competitor hit TV screens this week: Philadelphian Ryan Long competed on Jeopardy’s Tournament of Champions. For self-described nerds like this Billy Penn reporter, this competition is our personal World Series.

Long — a Mt. Airy resident who’s worked as a rideshare driver, water ice truck driver, bouncer, and street sweeper — is nothing short of a Philly trivia legend. He won the most games of any Philadelphian who’s ever been on the show (16, to be exact), earned recognition from the mayor for his achievement, and even hosted a category of Philly video clues on an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy (while wearing a vintage Eagles jersey, of course).

He didn’t win in Monday night’s tournament kickoff, which was considered extremely tough by all involved.
But Long is one in a line of many Philadelphia contestants in Jeopardy’s decades-long history.

The city is even home to another multi-time champ, who won five games in 2006 and proceeded to win the 2007 Tournament of Champions.
Last season alone, the show’s 38th, featured six contestants from Philadelphia. Add a handful from the Philly suburbs, and people who still identify strongly with the region, and the group becomes even bigger.
With its ties to early U.S. history, numerous thriving cultural institutions, bustling Quizzo culture, and more, Philadelphia has played a starring role in many of these players’ stories.

Billy Penn spoke with eight former Jeopardy contestants about their time on the show, what led them there, and how Philly has played a role in their lives and love for learning.

Erica Weiner-Amachi: Aiming not to be the ‘loser from Philly’
Erica Weiner-Amachi, an elementary school teacher who’s lived in Philly for a decade and a half, flew out to Culver City, California, to tape her Jeopardy episodes while Ryan Long’s streak was airing earlier this year.

Since Jeopardy tapes episodes a few weeks or months in advance, their time didn’t overlap — but she was the first Philadelphian to play after his streak ended, and she still felt a tiiiiiny bit of pressure.

“It adds to that part of like, I don’t want to let everyone down. I don’t want to be like, the loser from Philadelphia,” Weiner-Amachi said, laughing. “Could I hopefully be a part of a streak of people who win from Philadelphia?”
Twice she came close — first when she lost in a rare sudden death round, and then a few months later during Jeopardy’s “Second Chance” week. She went into Final Jeopardy with the lead but lost out on a tricky clue none of her fellow contestants knew either.

Still, the experience was exciting and fun, she told Billy Penn.
Between the museums, the history, the Free Library, and the many enthusiastic people who just love to “talk your ear off about something that interests them,” Philly offers a lot of opportunities to learn, she observed.
“It has a richness to it where you can learn about so much stuff, just by going out and doing things,” Weiner-Amachi said, “and interesting knowledge-building things are [at] a reasonable price point.”

Barry Margulies: An on-air speaking voice that ‘screamed’ Philly
Barry Margulies, a scientific reviewer at the National Institutes of Health and a Towson University professor emeritus, appeared on the show this past June.

Officially, he repped his current town to the north of Baltimore. But all Margulies could hear when he watched his episode back was the Philly accent he’d developed growing up in Cheltenham Township.
“In my head, I don’t hear an accent,” Margulies said. “Watching the show… oh my God, my voice screams Philadelphia. All of the funny vowels. All of the odd pronunciation … you can take the guy out of Philly, but you can’t take the Philly out of the guy.”

His love for trivia blossomed when he was a young kid watching late-night reruns of the Groucho Marx show “You Bet Your Life” on Fox 29, he said. As a teenager, Margulies formed a team that bounced around the local trivia circuit in Montco, where they often lost because they “tended to debate more with one another than we actually answered the questions.”
It took him 10 years of taking the online test to finally make it onto the show.
Going into his Jeopardy game, Margulies crossed his fingers and hoped for some familiar territory, like science (his professional field) or sports. Even though his kids grew up in Maryland, Margulies said he raised them to “bleed Eagles green, Flyers orange, Sixers red, white, and blue, and Phillies red.”

But the sports clues never came — instead, he faced reigning six-game winner Eric Ahasic and fellow challenger Megan Wachspress, who went on to win the match and five more after that. Margulies finished the game in third place.

Even so, Margulies came out of the experience appreciative of the camaraderie with the other contestants, and grateful he finally got to achieve a longtime goal, “absolutely a bucket list item.”
Bonnie Kistler: Facing off with Ryan Long

Bonnie Kistler, a novelist and former lawyer, appeared on the show this past May representing Sarasota, Florida.

Kistler grew up and went to college in the Philly suburbs before landing at Penn for law school and then working at Center City firms for several decades. She switched careers and moved down to Florida a few years ago, she said, “but of course, [Philly is] still my hometown.”
Kistler said aspects of the city probably played a role in her love for learning.

“Even though Philadelphia has a reputation of being a blue collar town, it’s the home of some major learning institutions, major educational institutions, and I think it has a real population of intelligentsia,” Kistler said. “And I was lucky enough in my decades there to to be, you know, mixing with those people.”

A Jeopardy fan since childhood, Kistler decided to take the online test during lockdown in 2020. She ended up having a couple close calls: a detached retina forced the rescheduling of her Zoom audition , and she had  some discomfort about traveling on an airplane during the pandemic. Even so, the show called her back again.
Once she finally made it on, she ended up being matched with Ryan Long, whom she “cozied right up to” as a fellow Philadelphian during downtime, she said.

Kistler finished the Double Jeopardy round with exactly half of Long’s total, and wagered it all in Final Jeopardy, hoping to tie. She didn’t respond correctly, though, and ended up losing it all to finish in third place.
Kistler said she set two goals for herself: not to embarrass her family, and not to finish Double Jeopardy with $0 or less.

“Fortunately, I was able to meet those two goals,” she said. “Well, I’m not sure about [the] embarrassing my family part. That might have happened — they haven’t told me.”

Pam Sung: First big pandemic foray out of Philly
Pam Sung started taking the Jeopardy online test when she was a teen. Her opportunity finally arrived in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sung, a physician scientist, lived in Philly for 9 years for her residency and a fellowship. (She’s since relocated to Buffalo, New York.) Always “a trivia buff,” she’s sure living in Philly provided more unique material for her repository of random knowledge.

“A lot of people ask questions about New York or whatever, and I lived in New York for a while, but the Philly questions are a bit more obscure,” Sung said.

Her venture to Culver City to tape her episode in December 2020 was her first trip since the pandemic began.

Everyone at the taping had to socially distance and eat lunch outside, and there was no live audience (which Sung said relieved some of the pressure of being on stage). One downside, she said, was that her husband couldn’t come along.

She placed second in her game, and even though she didn’t win, she found the experience a “nice icebreaker” that made for some great memories.
Robin Falco: That lucky Hamilton doll from Old City
During Robin Falco’s  Jeopardy appearance, a lifelong dream, Alex Trebek asked her to show off her good luck charm: a string doll of Alexander Hamilton she’d bought in Old City.

It was the late 2010s, and like so many other people, Falco — who’s lived in the Philly region since childhood and currently resides in King of Prussia — had gotten really into the musical “Hamilton.” The interest had sent her on a bit of an 18th century history kick.

“All this history is right here, and it’s fascinating,” Falco said. “You read letters and see things about Philadelphia in the colonial era, and all those streets still there. Some of the houses are like, literally the same.”
Falco, a Jeopardy fan since childhood, took the online test multiple times and auditioned for the show in person twice. In advance of the second one, she decided to come down to the city for the weekend and explore historic sites. She wandered into an Old City shop, came across a string doll of Alexander Hamilton, and bought it.

Taking the Jeopardy test the next day, Falco nearly yelped when she saw a question about “Hamilton” composer, Lin Manuel Miranda. So when she found out she made it onto the show, she took the string doll with her to the West Coast as a good-luck charm.

Falco appeared on the show in 2019, placing second in a game against Jeopardy super-champ James Holzhauer, who went on to win nearly $2.5 million over 33 appearances. When the contestant interview portion came around, Falco said, then-host Alex Trebek asked her to show off her good luck charm.

Since appearing on Jeopardy, there have been some ups and downs for Falco: she had to endure online harassment after she criticized her opponent in a TV interview, she said.

But she enjoys being part of a great community of Jeopardy alums, she said — including a sub-group in Philly who sometimes gets together for Quizzo or to go to museums or exhibitions.

Liz Fischer: Talking about her Quaker-styler wedding on air
Liz Fischer, an attorney who’s lived in Philly for over a decade and spent childhood summers in the area, appeared on Jeopardy in 2017. During her post-commercial break anecdote, she recounted her Quaker-style wedding, when she got married in her living room on Halloween with no officiant present.

Fischer, who’d watched the show since she was little, took first place against six-game champ Alan Lin, with $25,601 in winnings. Returning for the next game, she placed second.
Fischer still watches the show regularly, and especially enjoyed watching Ryan Long’s impressive run. She was particularly excited when he mentioned being a bouncer at Castle Roxx in Manayunk — that’s her neighborhood, and she wondered whether he might’ve even checked her ID.

Fischer’s also part of the local group of Jeopardy alums who hang out to play trivia or go on outings in and around the city together.
“I love that there’s no shame among or hierarchy among Jeopardy contestants,” Fischer said. “Some of the people that I’ve met through that group have made it to the Tournament of Champions, so they’re like rockstars. And then there are other people that … didn’t really get to do Final Jeopardy. There’s no sort of snottiness about ‘Oh, I won.'”
Melissa Lake: Making a Jeopardy-influenced move
Melissa Lake, a special education teacher who lives in Manayunk, might not even have moved to Philadelphia if it weren’t for Jeopardy.
Lake — who grew up outside New York City but lived in Reading, Pa. when she appeared on Jeopardy in 2015 — watched  the show with her mom and grandma, and started taking the test to get on as soon as  it started being offered online. She appeared on the show matched up against someone who’d just beaten a 5-day champ.

After finishing in second place, she felt pretty deflated: “It was like a whirlwind experience,” Lake said. “And I look back on it now and I really appreciate it, but it’s pretty rough when you don’t win.”
Later, she discovered the part that really impacted her life: the show’s strong network of former contestants.

She got to know a lot of people who’d been on the show before, including several who lived in Philly — and she knew from their experiences that the city had a lot of things that would interest her, like plenty of trivia opportunities and tons of cultural institutions.
In 2019, when she was looking to relocate, she decided to take the leap and move to Philly.

“I think the coolest thing is getting to meet all the former contestants,” Lake said. “It’s a pretty robust network, and it’s pretty cool to meet so many people that way who are into trivia.”
Celeste DiNucci: Winning the Tournament of Champions and scoring a free bagel

When Celeste DiNucci had to explain to the chair of the Penn’s English department why she was behind on her dissertation, she had a pretty unique reason: She was going to be competing in the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions.

“He said, ‘That was the best excuse I’ve ever heard,'” DiNucci told Billy Penn. “And it didn’t hurt that I won. So, yeah, came in handy.”
DiNucci, who first came for grad school and now works for the music org Ars Nova Workshop (which is opening a cafe in the former Boot & Saddle), has lived in Philly for 25 years, and was the first and only Philadelphian (so far) to win Jeopardy’s Tournament of Champions.

She originally decided to go on Jeopardy in 2006 to “redeem the family name,” since her older brother had been on the show in the 1980s and lost. And redeem she did: DiNucci won five games, $84,601, was invited back to the Tournament of Champions — and won that, too.

She remembered one moment in South Street Bagels, where she went to buy the Inquirer and Daily News showing her on the front page.
“I bought a couple of copies of the papers … and the guy looked at the papers, and he said, ‘Oh, yeah, that woman actually lives in Philadelphia. She just won like a lot of money or something,'” DiNucci said. “And I was like, ‘Well, yeah, that’s me.'” He offered her a free bagel.
Since being on the show, she’s found that lots of people want her on their Quizzo team.

Once, she went with a friend and ended up floundering on categories related to the Super Bowl ads (she hadn’t watched the game) and Adam Sandler movies (neither of them were fans).

“Johnny just… he got a lot of mileage out of that,” said the Jeopardy champ. “He was like, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, in last place…'”
Updated Nov. 1

Margie Wiener
wienermargie@gmail.com

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day 
 

Harrisburg, PA – Acting Secretary of State Leigh M. Chapman today encouraged Pennsylvanians to educate themselves about their rights before they vote in person on November 8. 

Chapman also reminded Pennsylvanians voting by mail-in or absentee ballot to return their voted ballot immediately, delivering it in person to their county election board or other authorized location. Check vote.pa.gov to find ballot drop-off locations and county election office hours. The deadline for county election boards to receive voted mail ballots is 8 p.m. Nov. 8, Election Day. A postmark by that time does not count.

“Voters have the right to cast their vote without harassment or intimidation,” Chapman said. “They can find a wealth of information about their rights at the Department of State’s site, vote.pa.gov.” 

Here are some important tips regarding voter rights in Pennsylvania:

• Only first-time voters, or those voting for the first time in a new precinct, must show ID. Acceptable ID includes both photo and non-photo ID. Registered first-time voters who do not bring ID to the polls can return with identification or must be offered a provisional ballot.
• Voters who applied for and received a mail ballot and then decide they want to vote at the polls must bring their mail ballot packet with them to be voided.
• If a voter applied for a mail ballot but did not return it and no longer has the mail ballot and envelopes, they may vote by provisional ballot at their polling place on Election Day. Their county board of elections will then verify that they did not vote by mail before counting their provisional ballot.
• If a voter applied for a mail ballot but never received it, they should vote by provisional ballot at the polls on Election Day. Their county board of elections will then verify that they did not vote by mail before counting their provisional ballot.
• If a voter’s name is not in the poll book, poll workers can call the County Board of Elections to see if the voter is registered in another precinct in the county. Registered voters who are in the wrong precinct polling place should go to the correct polling place to vote, but a voter who believes he or she is registered in the precinct and should be listed in the poll book is entitled to cast a provisional ballot.
• Voters who moved within Pennsylvania but did not update their address in time before the election may vote one more time in their previous precinct, but they must update their address at the polling place.
• If 50 percent or more of the voting machines at a polling place are not working, voters have the right to use an emergency paper ballot. Poll workers should immediately offer the ballots but, if they do not, voters should request one rather than leave without voting.
• If a voter is challenged on the basis of identity or residency, the voter may vote normally by signing a challenge affidavit and producing a witness who is also a registered voter in the precinct to vouch for them. If the voter cannot or does not want to produce a witness, the voter may cast a provisional ballot. Identity and residency are the only bases for challenging a voter at a polling place. 
• Voters have the right to assistance at the polling place, including foreign language or literacy assistance. A voter may select any person to assist as long as the person is not their employer, union representative or the Judge of Elections. Voters do not need to be designated as “assistance permitted” in the poll book to receive help. A person who wants assistance will be asked to sign an Assistance Declaration at the precinct, unless the poll book already indicates “assistance permitted.”
• Voters have the right to refuse assistance.
• Voters have the right to vote without being subjected to intimidation, harassment, or discriminatory conduct. A voter who experiences intimidation should report it to their county board of elections and the district attorney’s office. Voters can also call the Department of State’s year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772). 

In addition, the Department of State website at vote.pa.gov can help voters with election-related questions and information, including:

·        Confirming voter registration 

·        Locating your polling place 

·        Voting at the polls 

Voters who are returning completed mail ballots are also urged to sign and date the voter’s declaration on the outer envelope to ensure their vote will be counted.

For more information on voting in Pennsylvania, visit vote.pa.gov, call the Department of State’s year-round voter hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (877-868-3772), or follow #ReadyToVotePA on social media.

MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Gulli, ra-st-press@pa.gov

   ### 

Our time is now, Philly!

Wall Street Journal: Philly Is the “Sports Capital of the Universe” — Visit Philadelphia (visitphilly.com)

The trips from NRG Station will be available starting at 10 p.m. after games at Citizens Bank Park courtesy of Miller Lite and Penn Medicine

SEPTA will offer free rides home from NRG station after World Series games | PhillyVoice

Dear Residents,

Uncle George Productions will be returning to the neighborhood to do some additional filming for the streaming series, Servant. We are scheduled to be in the vicinity of the 2100 block of Spruce Street on Thursday November 3, 2022. We will be working with a reduced crew and will keep our footprint as minimal as possible.

No Parking & Street Closure information are outlined below. We kindly ask that residents move their vehicles prior to our arrival. Any vehicles not moved will be relocated to another street in the neighborhood by the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

No Parking:

• Both sides of 22nd Street between Delancey Place and Locust Street
• (Tuesday 11/1/22 10pm to Thursday 11/3/22 10pm)
• Both sides of 21st Street between Delancey Place and Locust Street
• (Tuesday 11/1/22 10pm to Thursday 11/3/22 10pm)

Intermittent Traffic Control:

• Spruce Street between 21st Street & 22nd Street

As we have done during our previous filming, we will be offering resident displacement parking on the North side of Locust Street between 20th and 23rd Streets, and the North side of Pine Street between 20th and 22nd Streets (parking in the Bike Lane). This parking will be available beginning Tuesday November 1st at 3pm and last until Friday November 4th at 10am. Please Park per the resident displacement parking signs, avoid parking on corners and avoid truck and bus turns.

To ensure our shoot is completed safely, and with minimal impact to the neighborhood, our production is working closely with the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office (215.686.2668). To safeguard the public as well as our cast and crew, we are working under the protocols determined by the City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Pennsylvania Department of Health, film industry COVID-19 specialists, and our own Health & Safety Advisory team. All our crew will be tested for COVID-19 prior to filming in your neighborhood. Symptoms will be monitored daily.

If you should have any questions or concerns about our filming, please call, or look for a Location Department representative on set. As always, we look forward to filming in your neighborhood. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and consideration.

Sincerely,

The Locations Department

"Servant" Season 4 Locations Department

Uncle George Productions, LLC

(484) 823-0021