IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
With cuts looming, Park Service closes Ben Franklin print shop, Jefferson’s Declaration House,
Philly.com (March 14, 2017)
March 15: Storm aftermath | Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule | Declaration House closes,
Plan Philly (March 15, 2017)
Philly historic sites close amid talks over federal hiring freeze, Curbed Philadelphia (March 15, 2017)
Trump’s Hiring Freeze Closes Notable Historical Sites,
PhillyMag.com (March 15, 2017)
Nooooo: Trump’s Hiring Freeze Shut Down the Best Bathroom in the City for Runners,
PhillyMag.com/BeWellPhilly (March 15, 2017)
Independence National Historical Park Feeling Impact Of Government Hiring Freeze,
CBS Philly (March 15, 2017)
Philadelphia's national historic sites shut down amid Trump’s hiring freeze,
FoxNews.com (March 16, 2017)
INDEPENDENCE VISITOR CENTER
Independence Visitor Center Undergoing Renovations, CBS Philly (March 9, 2017)
String Of Paintball Gun Attacks; Independence Center Makeover; Crews Find Human Remains In Old
City, iradiophilly.com (March 10, 2017)
PHILLY PHLASH
Philly PHLASH Shuttle, 6 ABC (March 23, 2017)
First "Philly PHLASH" Bus Of 2017 Takes Off, CBS Philly(March 23, 2017)
Philly Phlash back in service, Newsworks (March 26, 2017)
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
With cuts looming, Park Service closes Ben
Franklin print shop, Jefferson’s Declaration
House
Updated: March 14, 2017 — 4:37 PM EDT
Staff File Photo
The Declaration House, at 7th and Market Streets, is a 1975 re-creation of the house where Thomas Jefferson wrote the
Declaration of Independence. During the Second Continental Congress in 1776, Jefferson rented the top two floors of what was
known as the Graff House for the three weeks it took him to write the Declaration.
by Aubrey Whelan, Staff writer @aubreyjwhelan | [email protected]
As federal employees in Philadelphia await President Trump’s first budget -- and the massive
cuts hinted at in leaks -- workers at some agencies say they’re already feeling the squeeze.
The union that represents the employees at Independence National Historical Park says the
president’s hiring freeze on most federal jobs has forced the closure of several historic buildings
and exhibits across the park.
David Fitzpatrick, the president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 2058,
said the freeze was responsible for the shuttering of seven attractions, including Declaration
House, where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence; exhibits at the site of
Ben Franklin’s home and print shop; and the home of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, the Polish military
leader who served as a brigadier general in the Revolutionary War.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
Park bathrooms at Fifth and Chestnut Streets, near Independence Hall, have also been closed
because the agency can’t hire anyone to clean them, Fitzpatrick said. Tourists have been directed
to the Independence Visitor Center, two blocks away at Sixth and Market Streets -- which might
be too far for people who are traveling with small children or who have limited mobility,
Fitzpatrick said.
Sometimes the park limits visiting hours to its historic buildings during the off-season, or opens
some sites by appointment only -- like the Todd House, where James Madison’s wife, Dolley
Todd Madison, lived, and which is currently closed. But Fitzpatrick said this round of closures
was unusual.
“I’ve been here 17 years,” he said, “and I can’t recall anything like this before.”
Representatives from the National Park Service would not comment specifically on the closures
despite several requests. An Independence National Historical Park spokeswoman said in a
statement that the agency was still consulting with the federal Office of Personnel Management
and Office of Management and Budget on how to implement the hiring freeze, and that last
month OMB had approved the Park Service’s plan to hire seasonal employees. The email did not
say what jobs those seasonal employees would fill, or whether those jobs were specific to
Philadelphia.
Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for Mayor Kenney, said lowered staffing levels at the park were
dismaying.
“Everyone wants a more efficient and effective government, but we can’t have staffing levels so
low that children don’t have the opportunity to learn about the founding principles that made this
country great,” she said. “That’s just bad government. We hope that as Congress and the
president consider their budget, they will learn from this mistake and institute a budget that lives
up to our nation’s proud history of serving our most vulnerable.”
The closed historic buildings aren’t big-ticket sites like Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell.
But Visit Philadelphia, the city’s tourism marketing agency, says smaller attractions add to the
charm of the park and Old City as a whole. The agency is in the second year of a campaign that
promotes the area around the park as “Philadelphia’s original city,” said Paula Butler, Visit
Philadelphia’s vice president.
“The Park Service has had budget issues before, and nothing is going to stop people from
coming to Independence National Historical Park and seeing what they can see,” Butler said. “It
means a lot to people. If not everything’s open, people just love being there.”
Bob Skiba, the former president of the association of Philadelphia Tour Guides, said he had
noticed some of the building closures -- particularly Franklin’s print shop, an interactive exhibit
that’s popular with school groups -- and was “pretty sure” that some were due to the hiring
freeze, according to park rangers he’d spoken to. He said he believed park workers were waiting
to see whether those closures were temporary or more long-term.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
“When a group comes to the mall, people spend an hour and a half to two hours on tours -- and
as a tour guide, when I bring people around, I’m not just showing them the sites. I’m telling them
stories,” he said. “And when I don’t have pieces of the story available.…”
Fitzpatrick said his union was bracing for Trump’s planned budget announcement on Thursday.
For months, leaks of several budget proposals have suggested the president is planning major
cuts to several federal agencies, including some that employ people in Philadelphia.
The federal government is the largest employer in Pennsylvania and the second-largest in
Philadelphia -- nearly 30,000 people here work for it, including the Park Service employees
Fitzpatrick represents, Veterans Affairs staffers, and IRS workers.
At the Environmental Protection Agency -- where the Trump administration has reportedly
considered cutting 20 percent of staff -- rank-and-file employees’ morale is low, said Gary
Morton, president of AFGE Local 3631. He represents about 800 EPA employees in five states,
including Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.
“We did hire a number of employees prior to the hiring freeze in our region -- but I am, as union
president, concerned for the new hires, and any type of effect that the budget cuts might have on
their employment,” Morton said.
At the National Treasury Employees Union, president Tony Reardon said employees were
similarly anxious. The Department of the Treasury, which includes the IRS and the U.S. Mint,
employs nearly 5,000 people in Philadelphia.
“I've been [at the IRS] for 30 years, and I have never seen the morale at the agency so low,” said
Cheryl Brewer, president of Philadelphia's NTEU chapter, who said the agency had been
weathering $1 billion in budget cuts since 2010. “We are all middle-class Americans, and we
face some of the same financial problems everyday Americans face.”
The Trump administration has reportedly considered a 14 percent cut -- some $1.5 billion,
Reardon said -- to the IRS’s budget alone.
“Federal employees are nonpartisan -- they’re doing the work they’re instructed to do, and they
should not be paying the price simply because there’s some political agenda out there,” Reardon
said. “Eighty-five percent of federal employees are outside of Washington, D.C., so when I talk
about the economic impact [of budget cuts], we’re talking about impact felt across the country.”
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
March 15: Storm aftermath | Affirmatively Furthering
Fair Housing rule | Declaration House closes
Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | By Diana Lu
The skies are looking clearer today and the Nor’easter winds have died down following
yesterday’s storm. NewsWorks reports that the Governor cautions that following snowfall, the
low temperatures lead to cycles of freezing and thawing. Philly.com covers what to expect with
road conditions, public transportation service, utilities, and schools. The City’s Code Blue alert is
still in effect due to the cold temperatures. To help someone get shelter, call homeless outreach at
215-232-1984.
Trump’s anticipated budget cuts and federal employee hiring freeze have forced the closure of
seven historic attractions at Independence National Historical Park, including Declaration House
and Ben Franklin’s home and print shop, the Inquirer reports. “The federal government is the
largest employer in Pennsylvania and the second-largest in Philadelphia,” which means the
budget cuts trickle down to every function, even two bathrooms that could no longer be
maintained.
Fair housing advocates may have a fighting chance with the seemingly toothless and rarely
enforced Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule tucked into the Fair Housing Act of
1968. When HUD brought AFFH back into action in 2015 under the Obama administration, it
required jurisdictions that receive federal housing funding (including Philadelphia) “to not only
document barriers to integration and opportunity, but to detail—and prioritize—policies to
eradicate them.” Cities like Philadelphia and New Orleans have implemented the rule to help
take on difficult issues of segregation in an inclusive community-based process. Expanding on
his fair housing coverage for PlanPhilly, our Jake Blumgart writes for Slate on the historical
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
complexities, opportunities, and limitations of AFFH rule for municipal governments at the local
and state level.
Joseph Coradino, the head of PREIT, says that Fashion Outlets of Philadelphia (FOP) at Market
East is “on track,” with about 70 percent of the retail, dining, and entertainment spaces in various
forms of negotiation. The Inquirer reports that while many brokers are worried that they haven’t
heard any announcements of signed leases, Coradino pooh-poohs those concerns, explaining that
the larger strategy is to build the demand of the market and present the complete shopping
destination package. CBRE executive Larry Steinberg agrees, saying “the necessary market
fundamentals are here.”
The midcentury modern Fairmount Park Welcome Center at LOVE Park has been a focal point
of tourist selfies, food truck clusters, and dance programming. With LOVE Park’s construction
well behind schedule, Curbed Philly takes us through fourteen vintage photos of the historic
saucer under construction.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
Philly historic sites close amid talks over
federal hiring freeze
Mostly smaller sites and one bathroom
by Melissa Romero Mar 15, 2017, 10:15am EDT
The Franklin Court Printing Office and Bindery is one site that has closed amid talks over the federal hiring freeze. Courtesy of NPS
A number of historic sites scattered throughout the Independence National Historical Park have
been closed due to the president’s hiring freeze on most federal jobs, according to reports.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that at least seven smaller sites and exhibitions throughout the
park have been forced to close, including the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Memorial, which is
considered the smallest and one of the least visited national park sites in the country.
To be clear, the memorial house is typically only open in the spring and summer months and is
closed from November through March. So it may still open for its regular spring and summer
hours.
But other exhibits that are typically open year-round, such as print shop at the Ben Franklin
House, are also closed for the next few months, according to the report and the National Park
Service website.
The bathrooms at 5th and Chestnut streets, across from Independence Hall, have also been closed
since January 1, 2017.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
The president of the union that represents the park’s employees said that the round of closures is
due to President Trump’s hiring freeze on most federal jobs. But the National Parks Service
would not confirm to the Inquirer that was the reason the sites have been closed:
Representatives from the National Park Service would not comment specifically on the
closures despite several requests. An Independence National Historical Park
spokeswoman said in a statement that the agency was still consulting with the federal
Office of Personnel Management and Office of Management and Budget on how to
implement the hiring freeze, and that last month OMB had approved the Park Service’s
plan to hire seasonal employees. The email did not say what jobs those seasonal
employees would fill, or whether those jobs were specific to Philadelphia.
Here is a full list of the sites that are currently closed within Independence National Historical
Park, according to the National Park Service website and the park’s own list of March 2017
building hours. A majority of these are typically open year-round unless otherwise noted.









Franklin Court Printing Office & Bindery
Fragments of Franklin Court Archeological Exhibit Closed through May 31
New Hall Military Museum Closed through May 31
Bishop White House Closed through May 31
Todd House Closed through May 31
Declaration House Closed through May 31
Germantown White House (Deshler-Morris House) Closed through May 31 (except for special
events)
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial*
Bathroom at 5th and Chestnut
* Denotes that the site is seasonal and only open during the spring and summer months
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
Trump’s Hiring Freeze Closes Notable
Historical Sites
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration House and Benjamin Franklin’s home and print shop are
reportedly among the affected attractions.
By Claire Sasko | March 15, 2017 at 10:40 am
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration House, located at 7th and Market streets. | Image via Google Maps
President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze on most federal jobs has led to the closure of several
notable historical sites in Philadelphia.
The Inquirer reports that Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration House and Benjamin Franklin’s
home and print shop – both located in Old City – are among seven attractions that have closed,
according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2058, which represents
employees at the Independence National Historic Park.
The Declaration House, built in 1775 and located at Seventh and Market streets, is where
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin’s home and print shop,
located near Third and Market streets, includes two reproduction 18th century print presses and
the newspaper office of Franklin’s grandson, Benjamin Franklin Bache. Also among the
reported closures is the home of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish military leader praised by
Jefferson for his service in the Revolutionary War.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
In addition, park bathrooms at Fifth and Chestnut streets have been closed, union
president David Fitzpatrick told the newspaper.
Representatives from the National Park Service have not commented on the closures. An
Independence National Historical Park spokesperson told the Inquirer that the Office of
Management and Budget has approved the Park Service’s plans to hire several seasonal
employees, but it’s not clear what position those employees would fill and whether or not any of
them would affect Philadelphia.
Trump has planned a budget announcement for this Thursday. The president has reportedly
threatened significant cuts to the National Park Service, as well as the Environmental Protection
Agency, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowments for the Arts and
Humanities, among other agencies.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
Nooooo: Trump’s Hiring Freeze Shut Down the
Best Bathroom in the City for Runners
The president’s hiring freeze closes a great Philly public bathroom. We tell you the alternatives.
By Dan McQuade | March 15, 2017 at 1:35 pm
Image via Google Street View
I’ve fallen off a bit recently, but I do like to run. And one of my favorite runs is the Ben Franklin
Bridge. It’s challenging. It’s pretty. And I get a hell of a thrill every time I run to Camden and
back.
However, it’s also long. Running from my place to Camden and back takes me a while,
especially as I get older and my running turns more into plodding. And sometimes I have to use
the bathroom by the end of my run.
Fortunately, this wasn’t a big deal. There was an excellent bathroom open, year-round, at the
corner of 5th and Chestnut streets. The Independence Mall bathroom was generally pretty clean,
too (uh, not that I really care). And in the summer months there was a water fountain right
outside, too, which was also helpful after a long run.
Anyway, now that bathroom is gone — thanks to Donald Trump.
President Trump wasn’t in the White House wringing his hands as he signed an executive order
to shut one bathroom in Philadelphia, but the bathroom’s closure is his fault nonetheless. That
bathroom is run by the National Park Service, which manages several blocks in Center City
Philadelphia as part of Independence National Historical Park. Trump’s hiring freeze for federal
employees has caused several historical sites in Philadelphia to close, including the Declaration
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
House (a 1975 reconstruction of the house Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of
Independence in), the home of Polish military hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko and the Benjamin
Franklin print shop.
And, most importantly to me, Donald Trump’s policies have closed the bathroom I use when I
run. The agency can’t hire anyone to clean them. When is the protest?!
Fortunately, it’s not so bad it’s protest-worthy. There are alternatives. The Independence Visitors
Center, at 6th and Market Streets, has bathrooms and water fountains inside it. It’s open from
8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will be a little awkward going into that place in running clothes, but it’ll
do. There’s more: In the summer, nearby Franklin Square also has bathrooms and water
fountains. Beginning March 18th, they’re open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Phew.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
Independence National Historical Park
Feeling Impact Of Government Hiring Freeze
March 15, 2017 6:46 PM By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Visitors and employees of Independence National Historical
Park are feeling the impact of the government’s hiring freeze with the closure of some
historic sites and a set of restrooms.
Benjamin Franklin’s print shop along Market Street in Old City has a closed sign. It’s
part of the hiring freeze.
David Fitzpatrick, the president of American Federation of Government Employees
Local 2058, says there just aren’t enough staff members to operate as normal.
“We do not have enough staffing to open the buildings and maintain the safety of those
visitors,” Fitzpatrick said.
He says maintenance staff alone is already down 40 percent.
Another building closed to visitors is the Thomas Jefferson House, where the
Declaration of Independence was written.
A set of restrooms at 5th and Chestnut Streets have been shut down because of
upkeep needs.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
Mike Murphy from Wilkes-Barre use a cane to get around and he’s not thrilled about
that.
“If you are handicapped it is needed,” he said, “because it is a lot easier for me to walk
into this facility here that’s closest as opposed to walking across the mall to use another
facility.”
A statement from a spokeswoman with Independence National Historical Park reads in
part:
“The National Park Service continues to consult with the Office of Personnel
Management and Office of Management and Budget on their guidance for implementing
the hiring freeze. As with previous hiring freezes, the National Park Service is working
with the Administration to ensure that we meet the needs of park visitors across the
system.”
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center are among the buildings open to visitors.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
Philadelphia's national historic sites shut down
amid Trump’s hiring freeze
Published March 16, 2017
FoxNews.com
The Declaration House is just one of several buildings to close for the coming months. (National Park Service)
Planning a visit to Philadelphia’s historic Declaration House in the near future? You might want
to rethink your itinerary.
The Declaration House is one of seven historic attractions within the city’s Independence
National Historic Park that has closed for the coming months, as they are “severely
understaffed” following the hiring freeze of federal employees instituted by President Trump,
reports PennLive.com.
“With a new hiring freeze instituted by the Trump administration, there simply aren’t enough
people to do the work,” reads a statement posted by the American Federation of Government
Employees (AFGE) on March 10.
In addition to the historic sites — which also include the Franklin Printing Office, Thaddeus
Kosciuszko House, the Fragment Museum, New Hall Military Museum, the Todd House, and the
Bishop White House — the park service has also shut down the public restrooms at
Independence Square.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
The AFGE also reports that the bathrooms won't just be closed throughout coming months, but
"indefinitely" through the entire summer as well, said AFGE National Park Service Council 270
President David Fitzpatrick.
Since those rest areas are the only public bathrooms in Independence Square, the AFGE says
they’ve needed to redirect people to the Independence Visitor Center two blocks away — but
the park already overwhelmed.
“We get 30 to 40 buses in a day, and the first thing people do is look for restrooms,” said
Fitzpatrick. “Nearby businesses are complaining to our members about the lack of restrooms at
Independence Hall.”
Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, has said that the hiring freeze
is a detriment to the local schoolchildren, too.
“Everyone wants a more efficient and effective government, but we can’t have staffing levels so
low that children don’t have the opportunity to learn about the founding principles that made
this country great,” said Hitt, according to Philly.com. “That’s just bad government. We hope
that as Congress and the president consider their budget, they will learn from this mistake and
institute a budget that lives up to our nation’s proud history of serving our most vulnerable.”
President Trump’s federal worker hiring freeze went into effect in January, but permitted
exceptions only for military, national security or public safety personnel.
According to Philly.com, a spokeswoman for the Independence National Historic Park said
they're in talks with the federal government about the issue. She also said that the Office of
Management and Budget approved a plan to hire seasonal employees, but it’s not yet clear
whether those employees would be assigned to Philadelphia’s historic sites.
It should be noted that certain attractions at the Independence National Historic Park have
have maintained off-season visiting hours, with some sites closing early, or being opened by
appointment only. Still, these new closures are beyond what the AFGE has seen in recent years.
“I’ve been here 17 years, and I can’t recall anything like this before,” said AFGE’s David
Fitzpatrick.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
Independence Visitor Center Undergoing Renovations
March 9, 2017 9:31 PM By Steve Tawa
(credit: Steve Butler)
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Without closing its doors to the public, one of the most visited spots in
Philadelphia is getting a renovation job intended to make everyone’s experience better –
whether it’s hitting the gift shop, or the bathroom.
Fencing is up and construction equipment abounds, but the Independence Visitor Center at 6th
and Market Streets, which opened in 2001, will continue to welcome folks without interruption
during the $15,000,000 two-year renovation.
“We felt it was time to upgrade our amenities, our technology, and enhance the visitor
experience,” said James Cuorato, the Visitor Center’s CEO.
He says they are expanding the gift shop and relocating the rest rooms.
“So we’re going to bump the building out, just about 12-15 feet at the southern end of the
building, closest to Market Street,” Cuorato explained.
He says visitors have only nice things to say about their bathroom experiences, which are
important, if you’ve done any traveling.
“And one of the advantages of bumping the building out, and relocating the restrooms, is that it
will give us the ability to build a terrace above the new restrooms, and that will wrap around to
our existing terrace, which faces Independence Hall,” Cuorato said.
The upgrade also includes new digital touch-screens for visitors to download information to their
smart phones and electronic devices.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
String Of Paintball Gun Attacks; Independence Center Makeover;
Crews Find Human Remains In Old City
by: blogue40 - Phoenixville, PA
started: 03/10/17 4:34 am | updated: 03/10/17 4:34 am
The Independence Visitor's Center is now getting a full makeover, without closing the exhibit. The
center opened up in 2001 on Market and 6th Streets, the owners say that despite the two-year,
$15,000,000 renovation, they are still welcoming guests in to explore. One of the main renovations in
the center is the expanding of the gift shop, as well as relocating and putting in new bathrooms. The
renovation will also include new digital touch screens that visitors can download information off of to
their smartphones. The renovations are expected to be finished in around 2 years.
Construction crews excavating in Old City in Philadelphia have now found human remains, including
coffins at the construction site. The crews are working on Arch Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets,
and found human bones at the site just months ago. From what the crews have discovered it appears
to be an 18th century cemetery, and anthropologists from around the area are now working to dig up,
remove and study the remains further. The building once on that land was home to the First Baptist
Church burial grounds in the 1700's, the bodies were supposed to be relocated to a nearby cemetery
in the 1800's. Construction crews are hoping the forensic team can complete their task quickly so the
crew can get their work done by the end of the weekend. The bones have been taken back to be
examined, but will be reinterred at the Mt. Moriah Cemetery.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
PHILLY PHLASH SHUTTLE
Thursday, March 23, 2017
PENN'S LANDING (WPVI) -- A bus route that goes to Philadelphia's biggest tourist
attractions is running again for the 2017 season.
The Philly Phlash celebrated opening day with free rides for everyone.
The loop includes 22 stops from the Delaware River Waterfront to Fairmount Park.
Tickets normally cost 2-dollars per ride.. or just 5 bucks for an all-day pass.
The service is operated by the Independence Visitor Center Corporation.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
First "Philly PHLASH" Bus Of 2017 Takes Off
The seasonal bus has 22 stops at the city's top attractions.
IVCC March 2017 Clip Report
March 26, 2017
Philly Phlash back in service
By Tom MacDonald
A transportation option for visiting Philadelphia tourists is back from winter
hibernation.
The Philadelphia Phlash shuttle service started Thursday and will run through the
end of the year said Independence Visitor's Center head Jim Cuorato
"It stops at all the major attractions, it's the quickest easiest and most convenient
way for visitors locals and others to see all the attractions in the city."
This is the 6th year that the Visitor’s Center has offered the shuttle service from
the Zoo to the Delaware River.
"We were a little bit concerned with all of the events downtown and the detours
we were not hitting the 15 minute mark so we added an additional vehicle to the
loop."
The cost is still $5 for all day service. It runs weekends only until May 1 and then
goes seven days a week until Labor Day, then weekends through Thanksgiving and
full time until new years.