Museum pressed over plane possession | Morning Newsletter
And bus driver helps young readers
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning.
Sunday will start off cloudy, but the sun should come out and temps will approach the mid-50s, or about 15 degrees higher than they were Saturday.
The Franklin Institute is under scrutiny over how it came to own a Wright brothers airplane. Our main read explores how the plane got there and why the family of its previous owner, a troublemaker and millionaire son of a wealthy Philadelphia brewer, believe it may have been stolen.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The 1911 Wright Model B Flyer has lived at the Franklin Institute for almost a century. The treasured artifact is now considered one of the best-preserved planes of its kind.
But it’s not exactly clear if the museum had permission to take possession of the plane in the first place.
Its celebrity owner was Grover Cleveland Bergdoll. Orville Wright taught Bergdoll to fly, and after Bergdoll’s mother bought him the two-seat flier, he went on to reportedly “terrorize” the community with his reckless maneuvers in the sky.
The plane was discovered abandoned in a Delco machine shop in 1933. Two years later, it was put on display at the Franklin Institute. The museum said it was a gift from Bergdoll, citing a letter that transferred ownership to a volunteer. But it doesn’t have that document.
The museum suggests a lack of proof may be due in part to Bergdoll’s fugitive status when the plane was found, and points out that the legitimacy of the gift had not been disputed before.
Still, Bergdoll’s family questions the Franklin Institute’s right to possess this piece of aviation history.
Notable quote: “I had naively assumed that the way they acquired items was aboveboard,” said Bergdoll’s daughter Katharina. “It’s highly suspicious, in my view.”
Arts and culture reporter Rosa Cartagena has the story, including what Bergdoll’s family wants the museum to do and potential theories behind Bergdoll’s intentions.
Welcome to “Mr. Herman’s Kids Corner.”
There’s a round table, where Herman Cruse, 56, reads with students one-on-one for about 20 to 30 minutes during their school day at Middle Township Elementary School, in Cape May Courthouse, three times a week.
But Cruse is not a teacher. He is a school bus driver.
Since 2021, Cruse estimates he has read with hundreds of students, mostly kindergarteners and first graders, who view him as a beloved mentor, role model, and father figure.
Sit down with education reporter Melanie Burney to hear from Cruse and learn why he started reading to the kids.
What you should know today
A security guard at a store in the Greenleaf at Cheltenham mall complex was stabbed Friday night, resulting in life-threatening injuries, Cheltenham Township police said.
Transport Workers Union Local 234, SEPTA’s largest bargaining unit, and two smaller locals representing bus, trolley, and train operators and mechanics in the suburbs ratified a one-year tentative contract agreement Friday with the regional transit agency.
A King of Prussia man was sentenced to state prison for trying to kidnap, rape, and murder his ex-wife outside of a local Walmart last year.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s safety bureau is seeking a $300,000 civil penalty against Philadelphia Gas Works over a 2021 South Philadelphia gas explosion, according to a recently filed complaint.
The New Jersey driver charged with hitting and killing National Hockey League hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, struggled to perform a field sobriety test and told officers he was “freaked out” by the situation, according to newly released bodycam footage.
A Crescentville man admitted during a hearing this week to groping, spying on, and sexually assaulting 12 women while posing as a nurse at an urgent-care facility where he worked in Montgomery County.
Senator-elect Dave McCormick was undoubtedly the star of this year’s Pennsylvania Society event — the state’s annual weekend of political elites’ swarming Manhattan for swanky cocktail parties and receptions.
The dog of Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo’s mother was stolen at a Target. She’s offering a $1000 reward for its return, no questions asked.
Hospitals around the country are conserving critical intravenous fluid supplies to cope with a shortage that may last months. Some hospital administrators say they are changing how they think about IV fluid hydration altogether.
The NFL’s concussion crisis has changed football at every level, from high school fields to neighborhood playgrounds. Even with changes to rules and equipment, concerns remain about whether it’s safe for children to play.
Hunting is more than a hobby, but the number of registered hunters in Pennsylvania have dropped in recent decades. Some families and friends try to keep their camp tradition alive.
❓Pop quiz
A new book tells the story of how late rapper MF Doom came to create one of his most highly regarded albums, Vaudeville Villain, in 2001 at this Philly-based gallery.
A) Tiger Strikes Asteroid
B) Crane Arts
C) Inliquid
D) Space 1026
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This player leads the Eagles in rushing touchdowns this season — and it’s not Saquon Barkley.
JAN HUSTLER
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Lauren Heslin who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Kaitlin Olson. The actress and honorary Philadelphian was a special guest on the debut episode of Kylie Kelce’s new podcast.
Photo of the day
What you’re saying about ...
On Saturday, I asked which one-block stretch of street you think may have been walked the most in the city’s history, and also asked you to share your Spotify Wrapped results. Here’s a sample of your responses, edited for clarity.
M. Quinn: Broad Street from Chestnut to Walnut.
Mel Shralow: Chestnut between 5th and 6th Streets.
John Shiffert: There’s #1, and there isn’t anyone else: The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, whose Philly credentials are second only to the now broken Hall & Oates.
Greg Pendleton: My top 100 playlist included 99 rock/pop songs and one classical piece, and my top 5 artists are Regina Spektor, St. Vincent, Richard Thompson, David Bowie, and Björk.
Jim Finnegan: In addition to playing music through Spotify, I use it for white noise and sleeping sounds. So my top songs of the year in terms of frequency turn out to be cricket noises, rainfall and stormy weather sounds.
I have a “sleepy” playlist, but the sounds of nature truly hit differently.
🎶 Today’s track goes like this: “I want a Sunday kind of love / A love to last past Saturday night.”
👋🏽 Thanks for spending part of your day with me. Take care!