A city at a crossroads | Morning Newsletter
And a historic lighthouse in danger.
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The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Today will be mostly sunny with a high near 78, perfect for venturing outdoors.
Summer is on the way, and soon we’re launching Outdoorsy, a refreshing newsletter to help you get the most out of your time outside. Expect a fun and practical guide to enjoying all that Mother Earth has to offer in Pennsylvania and New Jersey beyond city limits. We’re talking hikes, trails, kayaks, picnics, camping (glamping!), and so much more — all the things you love or want to try. I’ll bring it to your inbox every Friday, with help from my adventurous and illustrious colleagues Jason Nark, Frank Kummer, and others.
🌳 Let’s go al fresco. Join me on this adventure by signing up for the newsletter.
Today we look at how a probable Mayor Cherelle Parker and other newly elected leaders will inherit a city that feels as if it’s at an inflection point in its long history. 🔑
If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Philadelphia’s next mayor and City Council will have to restore morale in a city where many are not confident City Hall can make a meaningful difference in their lives.
“This is the worst I’ve ever seen it.” That’s Gloria Keys, a longtime Philadelphia resident who walked into her Germantown polling place this week still unsure about her pick for mayor.
This is the mood of a deeply divided city — residents are concerned about crime, education, and their families’ futures, but have little faith that its elected leaders can deliver change — and it’s the city the next elected leaders will inherit in January.
Cherelle Parker, the former City Council member Philly Democrats just picked for mayor, is heavily favored to win the general election. She will be joined by a new City Council president and a slate of new Council members.
Parker acknowledged in an interview Wednesday that she has work to do. “Philadelphia is yearning to be unified and I’m proud to be the person who has an opportunity to do such,” she said.
Could new leadership represent a turning point? Read more from Inquirer City Hall reporter Anna Orso. 🔑
What you should know today
Cherelle Parker spent 10 years in Harrisburg. That could pay off for Philly.
Councilman Jimmy Harrity clinches final at-large Council spot in Philly’s Democratic primary.
After a N.J. kindergartner was filmed barricaded behind a gym mat, his mother wants an investigation.
As many nurses say they plan to leave bedside care, these Philly-area grads can’t wait for their first hospital job.
Most large U.S. cities reversed or slowed pandemic population drops. Philly was not one of them. 🔑
Both bitter and sweet: Mothers In Charge celebrates 20 years of helping those who have lost a child to gun violence.
We picked 10 outdoor movie screenings you don’t want to miss this spring and summer.
Today’s the last day to hit up the Italian Market Festival. Here’s what you can see, eat, drink, and climb (plus, check out who won Saturday’s cheesesteak contest).
From columnist Inga Saffron: America is on a fast road to adopting electric cars. Philly is already falling behind. 🔑
🎤 And now I’m handing over the mic to environmental reporter Frank Kummer.
The quaint, 174-year-old East Point Lighthouse commands a dazzling view of the confluence of the Delaware Bay and Maurice River — the same forces that could soon swallow it. Severe erosion has reduced the beach in front of the lighthouse by three-quarters since the 1940s. The lighthouse basement floods after storms.
Nancy Patterson, volunteer president of the Maurice River Historical Society, which operates the lighthouse, says the worry keeps her up at night. But her most recent insomnia stems from battles with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to not only prevent the lighthouse from being engulfed by the bay, but for the society to retain management of the historical structure.
The fully restored 19th-century lighthouse perches on the state-owned Heislerville Wildlife Management Area in Cumberland County, which the DEP oversees. The historical society currently holds a state license to operate the lighthouse, but the DEP opened a new leasing arrangement to public bidding May 1. Though the society hopes to win the bid, it could be bittersweet even if it does, Patterson said, because the new financial terms are onerous. At the same time, she’s pressing for the DEP to come up with a long-term solution to erosion.
Continue reading on the situation.
❓Pop quiz❓
How big of a crowd is expected to attend the Italian Market Festival this weekend?
A) 15,000 people
B, 20,000 people
C) 30,000 people
D) 45,000 people
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: Summer concert season is here, and it’s going to a busy one for big shows, both outdoors and in. You can catch this act at The Mann in July.
DAKHAR UBEY
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Email us if you know the answer.
Cheers to Stacy Stone who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: West Oak Lane. (And thanks to Stacy and others for catching a small error in that puzzle — there was a “D” where there should have been an “E”.)
Photo of the day
🎶 For today’s Sunday track, we’re listening to: “And the beat goes on / Just like my love, everlasting.” 🎶
👋🏽 I’m running to the Biscuit Lady before they run out of Philly’s messiest breakfast sandwich.