HARRISBURG,  July 15, 2011 –  State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today praised the city’s Latino leaders for coming to agreement on the handling of this year’s “Puerto Rican Festival.”

“For many years, leaders in the Latino community have worked to create an environment of harmony and understanding in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods,” Tartaglione said. “Putting an end to the controversy surrounding the annual Puerto Rican Festival shows that they can apply the same values to the relationship among the various advocacy groups.”

The Committee to Rescue Our Puerto Rican Heritage and Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations (Concilio) have both announced that the city’s annual Puerto Rican Festival will retain that name for this year’s activities.  The festival is a celebration and exposition of Puerto Rican and other Latino cultures in Philadelphia over the coming months, peaking with the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sept. 25 along Benjamin Franklin Parkway.