| The Lehigh Valley Arts Council (LVAC) announces a new partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (GPCA) , the formation of Audience Analytics of the Greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Region. As of July 1, 2015, seventy-five participating cultural nonprofits in a ten county area now gain access to an expanded market of more than two million arts households.
Audience Analytics is a strategic audience development program, designed to improve marketing intelligence and build audiences. Participating arts and cultural organizations in both regions are provided with the training, tools, and expertise to thrive in an increasingly competitive market. “This partnership is very exciting in so many ways, from audience development to organizational sustainability,” said Randall Forte , LVAC Executive Director. “From a cultural tourism perspective, it allows the Lehigh Valley cultural community to expand their reach and increase the number of out-of-area attendees.” Audience Analytics has contracted Target Resource Group, the nation’s leading provider of data management and consulting services, for use of TRG’s new and robust Data Center system. When an organization’s data is uploaded into the system, it is first cleansed and certified though the USPS National Change of Address. Household records are then appended with demographic, psychographic, and geographic characteristics, allowing organizations to analyze their patrons in variety of powerful ways. By obtaining these insights, participants are able to make the most efficient and effective use of their marketing and programming dollars. In addition, Data Center allows organizations to identify their best potential trading partners and streamlines the mailing list exchanges. All trades are 100% permission based, ensuing organizations retain 100% control of their data. The Lehigh Valley Arts Council had been in discussion about forming this partnership with GPCA prior to launching the Cultural List Exchange Co-Op in 2013. The past two years were devoted to establishing a core group of Lehigh Valley organizations and providing them with enough time to learn the system and get up to speed with the more seasoned Philadelphia organizations. The participants include a wide range of cultural organizations representing the performing arts, visual arts, literary and media arts, as well as historical and cultural institutions. From the Lehigh Valley, the core group includes: Act 1 DeSales University Performing Arts Included among the Philadelphia organizations are: If you or your organization would like additional information about the program, contact Kim Infante at the Lehigh Valley Arts Council at clec@lvartscouncil.org. The Lehigh Valley Arts Council thanks our Founding Partner, Discover Lehigh Valley, and our corporate and foundation supporters for their investment toward the initial development of this program and their support for the Lehigh Valley Arts Council in uniting the nonprofit sector. |
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Lehigh Valley Arts Council 840 Hamilton Street, Suite 201 Allentown, PA 18101 610-437-5915 / operations@LVArtsCouncil.org www.LVArtsCouncil.org / www.LVArtsBoxOffice.org |
Tag Archives: Philadelphia Metropolitan Area
Heat, Air Quality Alerts For Philly Area Friday
Heat and air quality alerts are in effect in the Philadelphia region Friday, as the area swelters on what’s likely to be the hottest day of the year so far.
Forecasters say high temperatures Friday are expected to reach the mid 90s, potentially flirting with the record for the date of 95 degrees and prompting some schools to announce early closings.
A National Weather Service heat advisory, in effect from noon through 8 p.m., says heat index values could reach 100 due to the warm temperatures and high humidity.
The most intense heat is expected between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20150613_Heat__air_quality_alerts_for_Philly_area_Friday.html#FVZOYskTSZBOl7FC.99
Which Philly-Area Municipalities Are Growing The Fastest?
Municipalities in Chester and Montgomery counties saw the biggest growth last year, while just four places in Camden County – including Camden City – added any residents at all.
That’s according to new Census Bureau data, released Thursday, that shows population gains and losses in communities across the country for the one-year period ending in July 2014.
Population figures for counties – including Philadelphia, which saw its population grow 0.27 percent to 1,560,297 residents during that time – were released earlier this spring.
The new data set lets every town, from the smallest boroughs to the largest cities, see how many residents it gained or lost.
Bolaris: Possible Frost By Week’s End
Thunderstorms swept into the area Monday night, bringing with them gusty winds, small hail and always dangerous cloud-to-ground lightening. All showers and leftover storms will slip off the coast Tuesday, allowing for a return to sunshine and pleasantly mild temperatures.
The return of the Big Chill
On Wednesday, a modified polar front will lead to afternoon showers and scattered storms. Temperatures will still be in the 60s, however unseasonably cold air will greet you Thursday as temperatures by day hover in the middle 50s.
Some parts of the Philadelphia region could be hit with frost either Friday or Saturday morning as the thermometer falls back into the winter-like 30s. How widespread will the frost be? It will depend on the amount of cloud cover and a light or near calm wind. Clear and calm conditions are the best case scenario for widespread frost.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Bolaris_Severe_threat_then_possible_frost.html#ukgWoqRM6Cd28mRL.99
Are These The 10 Best Philly Suburbs?
Editor’s note: No surprise that the future tourism mecca of Western Montgomery County is missing from the list. I guess mini-golf, carousels and train rides aren’t enough to propel a crime infested borough to the top of any great places to live list. Not sure why the cart is always put before the horse.
Real estate website Movoto.com has compiled a list of the 10 best Philly suburbs.
With nine towns in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey, the site ranked these towns based on many factors such as amenities per capita, standard of living, crime rate, and average commute time to Philly.
Coming in at number one is Devon, which the site says has the highest graduation rate, a median income of more than $142,000 per year, and is the “safest place for miles near Philadelphia.”
Six towns in Montgomery County made the list, while the rest were in Chester, Delaware and Camden counties.
Amid Ridership Surge, SEPTA Trains Are Packed
English: personal photo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
SEPTA is shuffling equipment and workers to try to deal with chronic crowding problems on Regional Rail trains, as ridership rises and old cars and locomotives break down more frequently.
Even the 120 new Silverliner V cars that have arrived since 2010 to replace 73 old cars have not solved the overcrowding issue.
About 15 percent of SEPTA’s rail cars are out of service on any given day, while passenger counts are up 4 percent from last year and 50 percent from 15 years ago.
“The trains are so full that it’s even hard to find room to stand,” said Katrina Claghorn, a dietitian who commutes daily from Wayne to 30th Street Station. “It started getting bad over the summer, and now the trains are packed when they pull into 30th Street Station on the Paoli line.”
Why Philly Area Gets Slighted By ‘Best Places’ List
Two of Philadelphia’s bigger burbs got mentions in Money Magazine’s annually perplexing exercise titled “Best Places to Live.”
If that seems disappointing, know this: The fault lies not in ourselves. It’s a very limited list.
Overall, Bensalem, ranked at No. 43, was the only area municipality to make Money’s Top 50, which was led by not-exactly-famous McKinney, Texas; Maple Grove, Minn.; and Carmel, Ind., in that order.
Money lauded Bensalem’s “access to stunning state parks” and such leisure options as concerts at the TD Bank Amphitheater, gambling and racing at the Parx Casino and Racetrack, and shooting at the Philadelphia Gun Club, noting “the local job market benefits from the presence of Fortune 1000 company Charming Shoppes as well as Ibanez Guitars and Tama Drums.”
SEPTA Regional Rail Strike Begins; Corbett To Seek Federal Help
SEPTA logo with text (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
SEPTA railroad engineers and electrical workers went on strike early Saturday, halting commuter rail service in the Philadelphia region, after last-ditch efforts by federal mediators failed to break an impasse in the long-running labor dispute.
The strike shut down 13 Regional Rail lines that provide 60,000 passengers with 126,000 rides on a typical weekday. That promised to snarl already clogged highways with additional cars and to hamper commuters and their employers throughout the region.
Service on SEPTA’s buses, subways, trolleys and the Norristown High-Speed Line – which carry about 85 percent of SEPTA’s riders – were not affected.
Gov. Corbett was prepared to ask President Obama to quickly appoint a presidential emergency board to mediate the rail labor dispute. Under federal railroad law, the creation of such a board would compel the workers to return to the job for 240 days.
Home Values In Philadelphia Region Tumble, Analysis Shows
Full recovery continued to elude the Philadelphia region’s residential real estate market in the first quarter of this year, as the value of a typical home fell 4.9 percent from the last three months of 2013.
University of Pennsylvania economist Kevin Gillen, who analyzed data from 11 area counties for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach, said Tuesday that with the latest decline, average house prices in the region are “barely above the post-bubble bottom they hit two years ago.”
While sales of 11,000 houses regionally was 10 percent above the same quarter of 2013, the numbers are 41 percent below what Gillen considers the “normal historic average.”
Suburban price declines were greater than the city’s during the quarter – 5.3 percent versus 4 percent, Gillen said.
Philadelphia-Area Municipalities Gaining, Losing Residents Fastest
The U.S. Census Bureau released new data today, showing the “subcounty” population figures for the year that ended July 1, 2013. That means every municipality in the country, no matter how small, can see how many residents it gained or lost in that period.
Census figures for counties and metro areas were released earlier this spring, with Philadelphia’s population standing at 1,553,165 residents, a 0.29-percent increase from the previous year.
The new numbers show which municipalities in the area gained or lost residents at the fastest rates between July 2012 and July 2013, and since the 2010 Census.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillylists/Philadelphia-area-municipalities-gaining-losing-residents-fastest.html
Why PHL Ranks Just 18th For Air Passengers
Philadelphia International Airport (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Philadelphia International Airport is the 18th busiest U.S. airport in passenger traffic, with 30.5 million air travelers last year.
The nation’s busiest passenger airport, Atlanta, handled 94.4 million fliers, while 66.8 million traversed Chicago O’Hare, according to Airports Council International.
Among airports with the fastest passenger growth, Philadelphia was No. 25 among the top 50. Passenger traffic here was up 1 percent.
How does the nation’s sixth-largest metro area by population come in No. 18 in passengers?
Census: Philadelphia Population Grows Again, But Rate Slows
English: This is my own work, Public Domain Photograph, not copyrighted Ed Yakovich http://www.flickr.com/photos/10396190@N04 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Philadelphia’s population rose again last year, albeit at a slower rate than the city’s growth over the past few years, according to Census data released today.
The city’s population as of July 1, 2013, stood at an estimated 1,553,165 people, an increase of 4,518 residents, or 0.29 percent from the previous year. It marks the seventh consecutive year of growth for the city, according to the Census Bureau’s population estimates. So the turnaround continues, but not as dramatically.
Philadelphia saw steep declines in the latter part of the 20th century as it continued to struggle with the loss of its industrial base. That trend continued into the new millennium. Indeed, the city’s population declined every year between 2000 and 2006, losing nearly 26,000 residents during the span. But since 2006, the city has added more than 64,000 people.
The new census numbers, however, suggest that the population rise has slowed. Philadelphia added only about half as many residents in 2013 as it gained in 2011 and 2012. Between 2010 and 2012, the city’s population grew by more than 1.3 percent.
Philadelphia Area Unemployment Up From December
Unemployment in the Philadelphia metropolitan area rose in January to 7.1 percent, up from 6.4 percent in December, but down from 9 percent in January 2013, the U.S. Labor Department reported Friday.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20140322_Area_unemployment_up_from_December.html#ouUzERh3WigAgK9U.99
Bolaris: Significant Snow, Sleet Late Sunday
March is the most volatile month of the year weatherwise as winter and spring duke it out.
It’s when winter transitions into spring and huge contrasts in air masses make for a nasty March cocktail. A battle zone of air masses results when lingering arctic fronts set up the dividing line between polar air colliding with spring-like milder temps. In this zone, you get massive outbreaks of severe storms and the tornado season launches, starting usually in late March and hits a peak by mid-late April.
But March in Philly has had some record snowstorms, including the infamous blizzard of 1888 when Philadelphia got smacked with 10.5 inches of snow along with winds approaching 80mph along the Jersey Shore.
And of course the very first “storm of the century” March 13-14, 1993, when we got buried with 12 inches of snow and sleet.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Bolaris_Significant_snow_sleet_late_Sunday.html#JMgsyXl2Ee0zVy6G.99
Nor’easter Gone, More Snow On Way
The nor’easter that crippled the region yesterday dumped more than 20 inches in parts of Chester County, according to newly revised figures – and a bit more could be on the way for the entire Philadelphia region.
The official National Weather Service reading at the Philadelphia International Airport was 11.5 inches of snow. But totals varied with Birdsboro, Berks County, recording 20 inches, and Allentown, Lehigh County, with 18.8 inches – good news for skiers on a long President’s Day weekend. Closer to the city, West Caln, Chester County recorded 18.7 inches.
New Jersey saw higher amounts farther north, with Florence, Burlington County, seeing 12.7 inches and Washington Township, Gloucester County, seeing 12.7 inches. The shore was largely spared snow.
See storm totals for your area here.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Noreaster_gone_leaves_big_headache.html#OxeMvtAK9VEwllXD.99
Bolaris: Snow Amounts Climbing A Bit
Snow has been falling at rates of 1-2 inches per hour, with some places, such as northern Chester County counting 7 inches as of 11 a.m., and Horsham and Worcester in Montgomery County and West Rockhill Township in Bucks County, counting 6 inches.
Some places in Lehigh Valley are reporting 6 inches, as well.
Closer to the City of Philadelphia, Brookhaven in Delaware County, near the airport, was reporting 3.5 inches as of 10:30 a.m.
Just across the river, as of 11:15 a.m., the rain-snow line has halted, and actually in Haddonfield has changed back to some rain and sleet as that line oscillates around 10 miles south and east of the city.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Bolaris_Snow_amounts_looking_like_4-8_inches.html#4O5Kac2dYdbyZwqk.99
Double-Decker Train Cars For SEPTA?
SEPTA logo with text (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Things are looking up for regional rail.
In an attempt to increase passenger capacity, SEPTA is in the early stages of considering bi-level coaches. With an upstairs and a downstairs, these coaches could transport anywhere from 120 to 170 passengers. Most important to SEPTA, they would provide an efficient remedy to booming regional rail ridership. Silverliner Vs can seat 109 passengers.
Last year alone, SEPTA passengers took 36 million regional rail trips – a record high on the system that has seen 50 percent regional rail ridership growth in the last 15 years. Now, aided by Act 89 funding, SEPTA is looking to increase its capacity and better serve those customers. One way the authority plans to do so is to build up.
“The real elegant solution to dealing with capacity issues, the most efficient one is to utilize the infrastructure you have but go up in the air with the cars so you can increase seating,” said Jeff Knueppel, deputy general manager.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/Double-decker_train_cars_for_SEPTA_.html#KFDcsf7hhy75jl8B.99
First Snow Of Season For Philly Area Tonight?
Some Philadelphia-area residents could wake up Tuesday to the first snowflakes of the season.
Forecasters are calling for rain showers this evening throughout the region. In some places, that rain may turn to snow, or a mix of rain and snow, overnight into Tuesday morning, as a cold front from Canada moves south. That front will affect much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with the potential for snow from Boston to Washington, D.C.
“Accompanying this front will be very gusty winds and perhaps the first snowflakes of the season for some along the I-95 corridor,” according to AccuWeather meteorologist Anthony Sagliani.
Sagliani cautions that any precipitation overnight “is not going to be a major snow event,” but people should “not be surprised if you wake up on Tuesday morning and there are a few snowflakes in the air as you head out to your car.”
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/First_snow_of_season_for_Philly_area_tonight.html#erTFrwcSb0BRTVLE.99
Chester County Very Wet The Past 3 Months
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Unofficially, summer 2013 will go down as perhaps the wettest on record in the Philadelphia region, borne out by rainfall totals from Chester County.
From June 1 to Aug. 31, the National Weather Service at Mount Holly, N.J., recorded 22.18 inches of rainfall, according to Jim Bunker, an observation program leader at the facility. It rained 10.56 inches in June, a stunning 13.24 inches in July and 5.91 inches in August, he said in an interview Friday.
That is in stark contrast to the normal amount of precipitation in those three months of 11.28 inches in Philadelphia, Bunker said. Although he indicated that the rainfall was the most recorded in the city, he could not find the previous maximum figure.
The region has experienced 36.55 inches of rain in 2013, significantly above the normal amount of 28.76 inches, Bunker said.
Road Flooding Leads To Rescues In Southeastern PA And New Jersey
Stranded motorists needed rescue from flooded roads this morning, as heavy rains caused havoc around the area, disrupting airport and SEPTA service.
Montgomery County reported about 30 calls to assist motorists from vehicles on flooded roads, with about eight to 10 involving threateningly high water, according to a 911 supervisor. No injuries were reported.
Stranded cars were also reported in Southampton, Bucks County; Gloucester City, Camden County; and Woodbury and Deptford, Gloucester County, according to the Breaking News Network, a tip service.
Part of a roof collapsed at the Virtua Center for Health & Wellness in Washington Township, Gloucester County, spurring evacuation of the building.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/Thunderstorms_bring_tornado_alert.html#70IEl9w79bJ7LSrU.99
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