Technical Issues

We apologize for any difficulties had by those trying to reach our site in the last few days. Our host, Godaddy.com, has promised the matters have been resolved.

Still, if they should occur again please visit our new sister site BillLawrenceDittos.com.

BillLawrenceOnline Wins Franklin Award

BillLawrenceOnline Wins Franklin Award — BillLawrenceOnline.Com and Matt Rooney of SaveJersey.com are the 2012 winners of the Independence Hall Tea Party Association’s (IHTPA) Benjamin Franklin Award for Courageous Journalism.

The awards were presented this afternoon, Jan. 5, in a ceremony outside Independence Hall that followed a re-enactment of the Philadelphia Tea Party of  1773 starting with the readings of resolutions writing by Dr. Benjamin Rush and passed in Philadelphia on Oct. 16.  WPHT talk show host Dom Giordano played the role of Dr. Rush in reading the resolutions with the crowd supplying the assenting votes. The Bostonians used the resolutions as justification for their more famous tea party on Dec. 16.

John Peteraf of the IHTPA’s board played the role of Captain Ayers who sailed his ship the Polly back to England on Dec. 27, 1773 after being warned what would befall him if he should attempt to unload his tea in Chester as planned.

The narrator was Tory McClintock, a senior at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School, who  recently served an internship with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ).

Also receiving awards from the IHTPA were U.S. Congressman Allen West, 2012 Federal Legislator of the Year; Sen. Dave Lawson, 2012 Delaware State Legislator of the Year; Alison McHose, 2012 New Jersey State Legislator of the Year; and Rep. Daryl Metcalfe and Rep. Tom Quigley, 2012 Pennsylvania State Legislators of the Year.

Also a check was presented to Broad Street Ministry on behalf of the work they do for homeless veterans. Accepting the check was Joe Eastman, the retired naval officer who directs veterans service for the ministry. Eastman said more women are availing themselves of this service. He said they are learning that many women have been traumatized by sexual assault during their military service. He said Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has been instrumental in investigating the problem and seeking ways to address it.

A panel discussion featuring Rooney, Bill Lawrence and former Highland New Jersey Mayor Anna C. Little was held following a hoagie brunch in the National Constitution Center upstairs banquet hall.

One very good reason to attend an IHTPA function is the music. The excellent Whitehall Fife and Drum Corp entertained the crowd before re-enactment and provided the appropriate backing during it.

During the  brunch they put down the fifes and drums and used a guitar for some nice background music.

Right after the re-enactment, Mayor Little, who has a professional quality voice, led the crowd in God Bless America making sure to include the song’s rarely sung introduction.

The awards were presented by IHTPA President Teri Adams. Don Adams provided the panel questions.

BillLawrenceOnline Wins Franklin Award

BillLawrenceOnline Wins Franklin Award

1000th Post At BillLawrenceOnline.Com

1000th Post At BillLawrenceOnline.Com — This is the 1,000th published post on BillLawrenceOnline.Com

A party had been planned to celebrate the event at the  Aragon Ballroom in Chicago with entertainment by jazz musician Herbie Hancock and Dreamgirls’ star Jennifer Hudson. We cancelled it, however, as such a vulgar display of extravagance would have been in horrifically bad taste considering this nation’s financial problems and those suffering in this horrible economy.

 

1000th Post At BillLawrenceOnline.Com

Back North

I’m back from the land of fireworks, toll-free roads and 70 mph speed limits. The most jarring reminder might have been the I-95 rest stop in Lower Chichester, where the faucets and flushers were not hands free and the wooden picnic tables were chained to cement pads.

Granted, a year-long $5.9 million renovation project for the station  is supposed to start May 1 which hopefully takes them to where the Southern stops have been for at least a decade.

Maybe it will even have free wi-fi like the Florida Welcome Center. And, no, I’m not suggesting Pennsylvania give out free orange juice.

And GOP lieutenant governor candidate Russ Diamond has reported from the campaign trail that it is snowing outside of Scranton.