Extreme Hybrid Vehicle Hits Philly

Okay - so here's a great example of public relations at work. Tom Schmidt of the Philadelphia Daily News reports in his Extreme makeover: Hybrid SUV edition article that "a supervan rolled into Penn's Landing yesterday and unloaded two vehicles that their owners hope will revolutionize the auto and oil industries. Inside the van were two hybrid SUVs, called XH-150s, that their creator claims will outperform anything on the road so far."

Low and behold, the man in the van was no other than the organizer of the first Earth Day celebration in Philly in 1970, South Philadelphia Native, and past regional director of the Environmental Protection Agency -- Edward W. Furia. If the name sounds familiar, that's because my "Uncle Ed" is also an attorney. He and the rest of the team at AFS Trinity have much to be proud of!

Just think, in our home town of Philadelphia, we'll be celebrating the 28th Earth Day later this week. Hmmmm - see the PR connection?

According to AFS Trinity's website, "The XH-150 started a cross country tour on 4/8/08 to give Americans their first onroad look at what CNN and others suggested may be "the car of the future," as the XH-150 works its way to Earth Day on the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April 20, 2008. Halfway through the cross country trip, the XH-150 was demonstrated for Austin Energy, a large municipal utility as well as for the leadership of Plug-in Partners, an Austin headquartered consortium of electric utilities and others supporting new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technologies. AFS Trinity is making the XH150 available for selected test drives in several communities from coast to coast."

Two Union City High Schools End an Era and Begin Anew - New York Times

Today I share a great New York Times Story about the end of an era and new beginnings in Union City. Winnie Hu wrote “After 88 Years of Rivalry, the Last as Us and Them.”

Be sure to check out the multi-media program too.

The folks at the Union City Board of Education including the staff within the schools are some of the most dedicated educators I've ever met. This story is a beautiful tribute. If you happen to be near Union City today, it's a must-attend event.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

U Wish U Nu

If you're planning an event, opening a new business, networking or socializing in Philadelphia, there's a new blog called Uwishunu that is cornering the market on social info.

According to their site, Uwishunu is "written by a diverse group of in-the-know Philadelphians," and an "online source for an insider’s look at the Philadelphia scene. Whether it’s eating, drinking, music, culture, fashion, the outdoors, shopping, design or any other Philly secret, uwishunu is the place to get the real deal from real Philadelphians." Their mission is to "enable visitors to hang like locals and locals to hang like insiders."

Created and fully moderated by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, they are looking for Philly insiders and visitors to have a voice. So if you have something happening in Philadelphia or just have something to say about my home town, you can submit your ideas to iknow@uwishunu.com.