Joseph Kaczmarek | The Daily News
- Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez “is adding teeth to legislation that would get tough on vacant-property maintenance,” reports the Daily News. Her bill, inspired by the Thomas Buck Hosiery fire, would, in part, force negligent property owners to accrue the costs of sealing a vacant property.
- In line with the federal government’s Freedom of Information Act, Mayor Nutter announced an Open Data Policy for Philadelphia’s executive branches yesterday, requiring that they become more transparent, and release all relevant public information through a centralized, online portal, which will launch in six months.
- Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and seventh in line to British throne, was in Philadelphia yesterday, stopping by Girard College for a three planting ceremony. It was an appropriate enough choice, as his great-great-grandfather, the future Edward VII, planted a tree at Girard in 1860. The Associated Press reports, HERE.
- If you’ve ever wondered about the genesis of the parking spaces that form a median along Bainbridge from 3rd to 5th Streets, Naked Philly has you covered. Until the eve of American involvement in World War I, it was a market with an awful reputation for sanitation that the city simply grew too tired of.
- From May 5 through January 13, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will host an exhibit exploring the world and calendars of the Mayan civilization, a topic of popular consideration these days, seeing as a misunderstanding gave rise to the belief that the Mayans penciled in the Apocalypse for this December.
About the author
Stephen Currall recently received his BA in history from Arcadia University. Before beginning doctoral studies, he is pursuing his interest in local history, specifically just how Philadelphians engage their vibrant past. Besides skimming through 18th century letters, Steve is also interested in music and travel.
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