Parker’s pledge to end ‘Filthadelphia’ | Morning Newsletter
And dads on duty change school dynamic
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The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning. It’s a sunny Sunday, with a high near 43.
The city of Philadelphia has long carried the undesired moniker “Filthadelphia.” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has promised that this will change under her administration — and she said she’s willing to spend more money to get it done. Our lead story dives into how Parker’s administration plans to clean up Philly’s act.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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On Friday, Parker pledged that her administration would crack down on nuisances like illegal dumping, abandoned vehicles, and trash-strewn empty lots in order to foster a cleaner, greener city.
Parker said this while visiting Strawberry Mansion, the first in a series of visits to the city’s dozens of commercial corridors, many of which were once lively hubs but have become burdened by nuisance businesses, blight, and illegal dumping.
Notable quote: “This is a prototype of what we need to address in neighborhoods across the city of Philadelphia,” Parker said as street cleaners cleared debris from the road and the parking authority towed a graffiti-covered abandoned van. “You watch us. We’re going to enforce the law here.”
Compare to past administrations: Parker is not the first mayor to pledge an improvement in quality-of-life issues, and Philadelphia lawmakers have for generations proposed programs and regulations to address nuisances.
Getting these quality-of-life issues under control will hinge on enforcing already existing laws and will be a key priority in the mayor’s upcoming budget proposal, which is set to be unveiled in March and will represent the first major opportunity for Parker to advance her agenda.
Read on for a closer look at where the dollars may go ― and where they may come from ― to clean up the city.
What you should know today
For the second time this month, part of I-95 is closed in Center City Philadelphia through early Monday morning as work continues on a capping project for a new park at Penn’s Landing. Here’s how to get around it.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has ordered top city officials to return to full-time, in-person work beginning next month. The policy change takes effect March 4, according to a memo sent Friday to high-level members of her administration.
Peco customers could once again access their online accounts and digitally pay their bills Friday morning after being unable to log in for more than a week.
A Northeast Philadelphia man has been charged in connection with a spate of vandalism across the city last week, including at the historic Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church and the National Shrine of St. John Neumann, along with several businesses.
A West Philadelphia man who told FBI agents he shoved a police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol to protect another rioter is the latest Pennsylvanian charged in connection with the attack.
News that City Hall plans to end one of the nation’s most infamous open-air drug markets has been slow to spread on Kensington Avenue. But for some residents, the renewed attention to the neighborhood’s entrenched suffering has provided a newfound resolve.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is investigating a leak of unknown size of a “whitish material” at a tributary of Marsh Creek Lake in Chester County. The tributary is near the site of a 2020 drilling spill into the lake during construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline.
Tickets for the March 22 Argentina-El Salvador game at Lincoln Financial Field go on sale Thursday. And English Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool will meet at the Linc on July 31, adding another big game to the region’s soccer calendar.
Why don’t SEPTA Regional Rail trains have bathrooms? It comes down to travel distance requirements and logistics, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Phillies spring training is finally here, and for the second straight year fans back home in Philadelphia will be able to watch most of the team’s games from the comfort of their homes. Here’s the schedule, how to stream, and new rules to know.
The Tony Award-winning musical centered on Bob Dylan’s life — and that made Dylan cry — is coming to Philly’s Forrest Theatre.
Rain or shine, the dads are there — managing the morning car line, high-fiving students, and keeping an eye on the playground at one public school in Philly’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood.
Their presence is making a difference. Principal Corinne Scioli said the impact of “Jenks Dads on Duty” on J.S. Jenks Academy of Arts and Sciences can’t be overestimated.
The dedicated group of roughly a dozen men — fathers, but also stepfathers, brothers and grandfathers — has stopped fights, or tipped off staff about playground conflicts that might bubble over elsewhere. Their involvement has meant tangible gains not just in student behavior and safety, but in academics, Scioli said.
In her own words: “The dads are this web of connection to so many homes, so many families. They’re the eyes and ears, parents making an impact that we can’t.”
Keep reading to learn how the dads stepped in to fill a crucial vacuum at the school.
❓Pop quiz
Which star faced their fear of hot wings on the popular YouTube show Hot Ones like a Philly champ?
A) Kevin Hart
B) Da’Vine Joy Randolph
C) Colman Domingo
D) Quinta Brunson
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Our sports fans are famously unrivaled in their passion (and appetite). This annual promotion brings out thousands of fans to the ballpark (and for some, it’s an invitation to chaos) 🌭.
DRAGON GILT HOLD
Email us if you know the answer We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Mike Vaupel who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Kyle Lowry. The hint was “This point guard just made his homecoming debut with the 76ers.”
Photo of the day
🎶 For today’s Sunday track, we’re listening to: “The sun was going down / There was music all around, it felt so right.”
Feels good to wake up with one Phils spring training win down. Check out The Inquirer staff photographer Heather Khalifa’s top 10 favorite photos from the last 10 days.
👋🏽 Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. Take care.