story byLiz Pacheco | photo by Albert LeeLast March, Roger Lewis was laid off from his job at Hostess Brands. An electrician by trade, Lewis had worked in food industry manufacturing facilities for the past eight years. His recent job was as an industrial mechanic. “That’s basically making sure the building is running properly,
Morestory by Shaun Brady | photo by Albert LeeUndoubtedly, the biggest barrier to improving home energy efficiency is cost, but a secondary hindrance is a lack of knowledge. The EnergyWorks Select Partnership Program is working to address both these obstacles by allowing community, civic and faith-based groups to pool together and benefit from
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story by Suzanne LevySometimes, I’m just astonished. I look at the credit card bill and think—how did we spend that much? The evidence is on the page—a latte, a run to the office supply store, a visit to the hardware store. It’s not exactly an extravagant lifestyle, yet cumulatively these small purchases seem to gang
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story by Char VandermeerNow that cooler nights and shorter days have taken over, it’s time to bust out the greens and radishes again.
And they’re easy—really! I know gardeners always say growing vegetables is “easy,” but often they’re stretching the truth, and sometimes they’re flat-out lying. Not so with loose-leaf lettuce, Swiss chard and kale. So
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Vernick Food & Drink | 2031 Walnut St. | vernickphilly.com A newcomer to the Rittenhouse neighborhood, Vernick Food & Drink is the latest in restaurants serving local ingredients. Chef Gregory Vernick—a Cherry Hill, NJ native—is sourcing from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative as well as the Rittenhouse Farmers Market. Don’t miss the homemade sodas and unique cocktails.
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story by Bernard BrownThe birds and the butterflies get the majority of attention, and rightly so. You can’t ignore a scarlet cardinal or a swallowtail butterfly flashing its way across your garden. Our more brilliantly colored birds and insects have evolved to be seen. Almost as a rule, our native reptiles and amphibians have evolved
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story by Samantha WittchenAfter hearing Philadelphia’s plan to unseat Washington D.C. as the top city green power purchaser, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray had a message for his East Coast neighbor. A letter, hand-delivered via Chevy Volt to Mayor Nutter on June 20, concluded with this challenge: “I say to you, in the spirit of
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story by Tenaya DarlingtonHere’s a cheese perfect for the onset of fall, a raw-milk beauty that pairs well with apples, nuts and even chocolate. Havilah, from Lawrenceville, N.J., is a firm, nutty cheese that’s somewhere between a mild Cheddar and a mountain-style Swiss. It’s sweet and milky with a pleasantly bright finish similar to apples.
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story by Marisa McClellanFresh corn and juicy peaches are great, but there is no summer food more versatile than plump, sun-ripened tomatoes. Because their season is fleeting, I make a point of preserving as many tomatoes as possible in as many ways as I can. Here are some ways I stash away enough Romas,
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story by Samantha WittchenFACT: Fire extinguishers should be inspected annually to make sure they’re charged properly and in working order. Every six years, an extinguisher must be taken apart, examined and recharged.
PROBLEM: Fire extinguishers in the U.S. are often filled with Halon 1211, the trade name for an ozone depleting gas that is hazardous
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