Day: October 29, 2013

Franklin Square & RiverRink Sparkle With New Holiday Light Displays This YearrnrnPHILADELPHIA, Oct. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ –Dark winter nights turn glittery and bright with holiday lights that shimmer and shine all across Philadelphia and The Countryside®. With new displays at Franklin Square and the Blue Cross RiverRink, the season takes on a magical glow as a number of local attractions and neighborhoods pump up the power and light up the skies with sparkling colors and elaborate light displays like these shining examples:rn(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131029/PH06406 )rnBright Lights, Big City:rnThe holiday magic at Ben Franklin’s namesake park begins with the new Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday Light Show, featuring a 10-foot-tall kite made of lights that sparkle and spread the glow to lights throughout the square. The show runs every 30 minutes between 4:30 and 8:00 p.m., weather permitting. November 14-December 31, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. 6th & Race Streets, (215) 629-4026, historicphiladelphia.orgrnIt’s year six for Philadelphia’s high-tech holiday show, The Comcast Holiday Spectacular, shown on The Comcast Experience video wall, one of the world’s highest-resolution LED (light-emitting diode) displays, in the lobby of the 58-story Comcast Center. Set to the music of a 64-piece orchestra, this year’s show includes new scenes featuring Olympic-caliber ice skaters and performers from the Walnut Street Theatre. The free 15-minute show occurs at the top of the hour, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (except 5:00 p.m. on weekdays). November 28-January 1. 17th Street & John F. Kennedy Boulevard, visitphilly.com/comcastrnAll new for the Blue Cross RiverRink’s 20th-anniversary season at Penn’s Landing, Bright Lights, Big Santa introduces a festive mash-up of color, lights, hip-hop beats and dancing elves that all come together in 3-D light show accompanied by holiday music. Part of the Waterfront Winterfest—complete with pine trees, fire pits, a heated pop-up restaurant, craft market and other activities—the light show runs every hour between 5:00-11:00 p.m. November 29-January 5. Columbus Boulevard & Market Street, (215) 925-RINK, riverrink.comrnA Philadelphia tradition since 1956, the Christmas Light Show at Macy’s in Center City illuminates a large wall inside the Wanamaker building, a National Historic Landmark, with almost 100,000 LED lights and finishes with sounds from the Wanamaker Organ. Performances take place at the top of the hour, November 29-December 31. 1300 Market Street, (215) 241-9000, wanamakerorgan.comrnSet amid the evergreens, Morris Arboretum’s Holiday Garden Railway showcases a miniature winter wonderland complete with a quarter-mile of model-train track; seven loops and tunnels; 15 different rail lines; cable cars, bridges and model trains that cruise past scaled replicas of historic monuments; and Philadelphia-area landmarks adorned with thousands of twinkling lights for the holidays. New this year: Friday Night Lights, providing evening viewings on select nights. November 22-January 5 (closed December 24-25, January 1). 100 E. Northwestern Avenue, (215) 247-5777, morrisarboretum.orgrnThe Independence Seaport Museum hosts the fourth-annual Parade of Lights. Indoors, participants visit with Santa and join in candy-making demos before moving outdoors to watch lighted and decorated tugboats and other vessels float along the Delaware River. rnDecember 14. 211 S. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 413-8655, phillyseaport.orgrnLocals have long known that the place to go for a boost of holiday spirit is South Philadelphia, a traditionally Italian enclave where the combination of civic pride and neighborhood camaraderie come together to create eye-popping homegrown lighting displays. Colorado and Smedley Streets are particular favorites for an instant jolt of seasonal spirit.rnCountryside Aglow:rnEach evening, beginning with the Grand Illumination, Peddler’s Village shimmers in the warm glow of one million jewel-colored twinkling lights and holiday greenery. From the treetops to the Colonial-style buildings to the quaint shops, the whole landscape sparkles and glows—making it the perfect setting for sipping cider, toasting marshmallows, holiday shopping, visiting Santa and more. November 22-January 5. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, (215) 794-4000, peddlersvillage.comrnThe holidays go red, white and green at Longwood Gardens during A Longwood Gardens Christmas, featuring 500,000 glowing lights, thousands of poinsettias, vibrantly decorated trees and dancing fountains throughout the vast grounds and conservatory. November 28-January 12. 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, (610) 388-1000, longwoodgardens.orgrnThe Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality.rnFor more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit visitphilly.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.rnNote to Editors: For high-resolution photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of visitphilly.com/pressroom.rnSOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing CorporationrnrnrnRELATED LINKSrnhttp://visitphilly.com

October 24, 2013– Mayor Michael A. Nutter asked Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr. to introduce on behalf of the Administration an ordinance amending The Philadelphia Code by replacing the term “ex-offender” with the term “returning citizen”. Mayor Nutter also signed an Executive Order re-naming the Office of Re-integration Services for Ex-Offenders (R.I.S.E.) to simply, the Office of Re-integration Services (R.I.S.E.) in order to comply with the ordinance.rn rn“Every year, thousands of citizens are released from federal, state and local correctional facilities and return to their families and friends in Philadelphia. Their successful re-integration into our communities is often hindered by challenges like a lack of education or job-training, limited opportunities for employment, and having a criminal record. These challenges contribute to high recidivism rates, which also mean decreased safety for our citizens and increased costs for the City for police and prison services,” said Mayor Nutter. “The City of Philadelphia has already taken steps to ease the transition of returning citizens, including Ban-the-Box legislation for employers operating in the City and expanding services offered at R.I.S.E. But, it is also important that we re-examine how we refer to these people. The commonly used term ‘ex-offender’ carries with it a stigma which may increase the challenges these citizens face, while the term “returning citizen” more appropriately focuses on their engagement in the process of reintegration. As a government, the City of Philadelphia must do what it can to help their transition.”rn rnUnder the ordinance and the Executive Order, R.I.S.E. will continue its mission to promote safer communities and reduce law enforcement costs by assisting returning citizens to be constructive individuals who contribute positively to their communities. R.I.S.E. partners with businesses, faith & community organizations, and job-training providers to offer job placement services, life skills training, and literacy education to returning citizens.rn rn“This legislation is important in changing the general public’s perception of people who have served their time, paid their debt to society, and want to re-enter our City’s communities as hard-working, productive members,” said Councilman Goode. “I applaud Mayor Nutter, Deputy Mayor Gillison, and the men and women at the newly re-named Mayor’s Office of Re-Integration Services (R.I.S.E.) for their dedicated service to our city’s returning citizens, and for bringing attention to this important issue. It was truly my pleasure to sponsor this legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Administration to serve this group.”rn rnThe Executive Order defines a ‘returning citizen’ as an individual who has recently been released from a federal, state or local correctional facility, or a person who, while not recently incarcerated, has a criminal record or history. Under the Executive Order, the policy of the City of Philadelphia is to use the term ‘returning citizen’ on any official or unofficial communication, document, or other written material to describe such persons.