Philadelphia

Philadelphians were clearly tired of the Civil War in the days leading up to the invasion. They read regular newspaper accounts of Union setbacks and horrific battlefield losses while wounded soldiers filled their hospitals and fresh military units clogged the streets. To escape, some attended the stage adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin at the Continental Theatre; others took in the play Peep O'Day at the New Chestnut Street Theatre or caught a concert by Birgfeld's popular German military band in Fairmount Park.

The Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta is such a big event that six members of Philadelphia University men's and women's crew teams, along with coach Chris O'Brien, will be competing on Saturday despite a conflict with the school's commencement ceremony. So the university did the next best thing. It brought the graduation to the Dad Vail. Thus the rowers, who wouldn't have been able to both attend Saturday's graduation and compete at the Dad Vail, had their own commencement a day earlier.

Immersed in one of the toughest years of his life, Velton Jones felt compelled to make a prediction. Sitting in the office of then-Robert Morris assistant Andy Toole in 2008, Jones browsed through the records section of the basketball team's media guide. He had yet to play a minute of college basketball but saw himself in those pages as part of an improving program. "Coach Toole, I guarantee you I will be in this book," Jones said. That wasn't ego talking, either. But it was a sign of what was to come.

Kids living in the city may have easy access to cultural experiences, but when it comes to summer camp opportunities, parents often are at a loss. Do their kids have to hail a bus to Chester County for a date with Mother Nature? They don't. Here's a roundup of some programs with green summer fun - all within Philadelphia. Ahoy, matey! Summer day camp at the Independence Seaport Museum introduces kids to life on the water by way of pirates, sea monsters, Vikings, and underwater explorers.

Ryan Baxter took an unusual career path: He earned a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, then decided to become a science teacher in the Philadelphia School District. Doreen Coleman has spent 34 years at the same neighborhood school, 24 of them as dean of students, viewing her job not as a way to mete out discipline but as a way to change lives. Sharon Jackson knows that teaching her students about making good choices is just as important as teaching them about math. Despite the often tough backdrop against which they teach, Baxter, Coleman, and Jackson are three strong examples of what can be found every day in Philadelphia public school classrooms: excellence.

MIKE CHITWOOD was a rookie cop fresh out of the Police Academy on Nov. 7, 1964, when he was walking a beat on Susquehanna Avenue in North Philadelphia with a seasoned officer who was teaching him the ropes. Chitwood - who went on to become a much-honored Philly cop and is now the police superintendent of Upper Darby Township - and his partner, Mike Muto, might not have been prepared for heroics that day, but that's what they got. On the 1600 block, they saw flames shooting out of a house and a woman with a baby hanging onto a rope between the second and third floors, calling for help.

JOE MAHONEY liked nothing better than to chill out at his condo in Stone Harbor, N.J., where he could escape the pressures of his role as an executive of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. "He could relax there and do what he wanted to do," said his wife, the former Patricia McElwee. "He wasn't always able to do that here. " Joe wasn't a beach person; he didn't fish or boat. But the salubrious sea air and sun of the small beach community lent the right atmosphere for taking it easy.

Like any enterprising vocal group, Choral Arts Philadelphia has faced many mid-performance dangers at the hands of J.S. Bach over the years, but its Sunday performance of the supremely challenging Mass in B Minor was admirably solid, with subtle provocations. The grand finale of the Bach Festival of Philadelphia, the performance, at the First Baptist Church had a strong conceptual foundation: Music director Matthew Glandorf embraces the historically informed performance camp, even using authentic pronunciation that gives the music a distinctive tint.

A concert or a sports victory? The Philadelphia Orchestra performance on Friday felt like the latter at the close of the Mahler Symphony No. 1 , with each of the principal players being cheered like Olympic gold-medal winners, the biggest applause being reserved for music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Though Bach's St. Matthew Passion was his greatest artistic feat so far this season, this Mahler concert was perhaps Nézet-Séguin's biggest audience success - in a symphony that can more or less play itself, but is hardly fail-safe.

A concert or a sports victory? The Philadelphia Orchestra performance on Friday felt like the latter at the close of the Mahler Symphony No. 1 , with each of the principal players being cheered, spontaneously and vociferously, like Olympic gold medal winners, the biggest applause being reserved for music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin. Though Bach's St. Matthew Passion was his greatest artistic feat so far this season, this Mahler concert was perhaps his biggest audience success - in a symphony that can more or less play itself, but is hardly fail safe.