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  • 🌮 Let’s talk ‘Walking Tacos’ | Down the Shore

    🌮 Let’s talk ‘Walking Tacos’ | Down the Shore

    Walk with me.

    You open the door to the rental and let in the roaring summer sun, and you’re fully prepared for a relaxing day on beach: Toy Story-themed towel, Cherry Float Coke Zeros, and a thin layer of suntan spray coating everything in the canvas tote bag.

    But you could really use a snack.

    There’s a lot going on this holiday weekend, and it’s a mess. So the last thing you need is another one.

    What you’re looking for is a classic Jersey Shore treat, but ice cream isn’t built for travel and a slice of pizza has too many variables.

    You need a “Walking Taco.”

    Walking tacos are offered at the Wells Fargo Center.

    I’m Tommy Rowan, and I’m once again subbing in for Amy S. Rosenberg. I’m a lifelong Jersey Shore-goer who was raised on visits to the Ocean City boardwalk and Wonderland Pier. I spent my teenage years on the Wildwood boardwalk, my 20s in Sea Isle City, and nowadays I have family in North Wildwood. And maybe it’s because I’m within spitting distance of 40, or because places I once loved are being torn down, I find myself wanting to cram in more of everything.

    Which brings us back to the food that moves.

    The “Walking Taco” is for people who want to walk and talk, and who want to fit in more and keep moving.

    It’s a snack-sized bag of Fritos that’s crushed into pieces, garnished with seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, and homemade pico de gallo, and eaten with a plastic spoon.

    It encourages you to get your steps in, but it’s not quite fast food. That’s why they don’t call it a “Running Taco.”

    It’s best eaten on the walk to the beach, but if you’re a “save for later” kind of person, it still works: The bag is self-contained, and yet it’s protected from splashes of sand and saltwater. And it’s an easy disposal: Just crush the bag into a ball and toss it in a trash can.

    It’s salty and crunchy and cheesy, but it’s not a true overindulgence.

    A cheeky hot dog stand in Sea Isle City has unfound claims to “the original,” but the product can be found up and down the Philly-favored beach towns between Atlantic City and Cape May — and many swap out Fritos for Doritos.

    And, honestly, what better way to ring in the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence than with a uniquely American product: a nonrecyclable bag of ultraprocessed salty particles, topped with chemically altered cheese strings, covered in oily animal fat, and topped with what can only be described as a “modern interpretation” of pico de gallo.

    It’s America in a fun-size.

    📮 What’s your favorite beach snack? And how do you feel about the “Walking Taco?” What are you eating this holiday weekend? Let me know what you think by replying to this email, and your most interesting responses may end up in a future newsletter. Have ideas or news tips about the Shore or this newsletter? Send them here.

    😡 We’re in for a dangerously hot holiday weekend. Remember to hydrate.

    — Tommy Rowan (🐦 Tweet me at @tommyrowan. 📧 Email me here.)

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Shore talk

    🏖️ Pumped up. Sand-pumping operations are expected to begin next week in Ocean City, while replenishment of the Seven Mile Island Beaches will reportedly begin toward the end of the summer. Avalon’s beaches are up first, with work scheduled to start in mid-August, followed by Stone Harbor in October.

    🛵 Take a number. A reminder that New Jersey is now taking appointments for e-riders to register their e-bikes, per a new state law (which doesn’t seem to affect visitors from Pennsylvania). We have a full look at the confusing law here.

    🎃 Halloween in July? Spirit Halloween is getting a head start on the spooky season and listing seasonal job openings on its website, including for pop-up stores at the Shore in May’s Landing, Rio Grande, and Egg Harbor Township.

    🗳️ The mayor is in. For a fifth time, Jay Gillian was sworn in as mayor of Ocean City. He won reelection in May.

    🏫 Stretching out. Dominique Dawes, a former Olympian who founded a chain of gymnastics schools, is planning to open a new location in South Jersey this fall. The new school is part of the former gold medalist’s expansion into the greater Philly region.

    What to eat/What to do

    🎆 Happy Fourth of July weekend! Check out this handy guide to the fireworks shows and festive celebrations happening across the region.

    🇺🇸 The Declaration. Two days before the country’s 250th anniversary, on July 2, Avalon is hosting a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. And then a few days after, on July 8, Cape May is planning its own public reading and reenactment. Both are worth checking out.

    👻🦀 Ghost crabs! Every Thursday between 8 and 9 p.m., the Nature Center hosts a ghost crab hunt on the beaches of Cape May. So grab a flashlight and watch the translucent crustaceans scurry in the spotlight. Preregistration is required.

    🌭 Hot Dog Tommy’s in Cape May. No. 1, fantastic name. No notes. And No. 2, helluva chili cheese dog.

    🎥 Beach movies. Catching a flick outdoors at the Shore is underrated. Ocean air, salty breezes, and overpriced ice cream cones coalesce to create the most perfect conditions to take in a picture. Cape May and Margate show movies on the beach, Sea Isle utilizes the Band Shell in Excursion Park, and Wildwood hosts at Byrne Plaza.

    🧢 Card show. If you’re looking for an escape from the heat this weekend, the Sports Card, Toy, Comic & Collectibles Show will be trading in childhood treasures and autographed memorabilia at the Wildwoods Convention Center on the boardwalk.

    🎸 Free tunes in Atlantic City. On Wednesday, Bayou Blues guitarist-vocalist Tab Benoit is playing Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk, a New Orleans-themed concert series at Kennedy Plaza. The free show starts at 7 p.m.

    🥡 Delicious takeout. Craig LaBan is a big fan of the General Tso’s at China Sea of Absecon. He went inland for his latest list of places to eat at the Shore.

    Shore snapshot

    Jason Kelce takes a selfie with fans at his annual fundraiser in Sea Isle City.

    After starting last year’s fundraiser with tear-away shorts and a Speedo, Jason Kelce was comparatively reserved this year for his entrance at his and wife Kylie Kelce‘s sixth annual “Shore Birds” event at the Ocean Drive in Sea Isle City. The event benefits the Eagles Autism Foundation.

    Vocab lesson

    Semiquincentennial (noun)

    [semi-QUINN-cen-ten-knee-all]

    The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

    I hope the next milestone after the Semiquincentennial is easier to pronounce and simpler to spell.

    🧠 Trivia time

    On June 27, 1958, this civil rights leader addressed a convention of Quakers in Cape May in a little remembered episode in this cultural icon’s extraordinary life.

    A. Nelson Mandela

    B. Thurgood Marshall

    C. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    D. Gloria Steinem

    If you think you know the answer, click on this story to find out.

    Your Shore memory

    I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Wonderland Pier and the unmistakable value boardwalk rides bring to the Jersey Shore, which is what made Joseph Farley’s recent submission jump out.

    The station wagon seemed to bulge like in a Willie the Worm cartoon; where endless hordes of Mickey Mouse types invade a building. Our family of ten filled the seats with the baby on mom’s lap. It was 1955, the tires were near bald and Dad kept a gallon of water handy to feed the radiator should it geyser in heavy traffic. We left Cheltenham, PA for Wildwood already singing, “On the Way to Cape May.” My pockets bulged with the contents of my piggy bank, my life’s savings. It was a six-hour trip, four of them spent in Dorothy, a town on the Tuckahoe Road, enjoying lunch while Dad made repairs to the car.

    That night I choose to ride the “Salt & Pepper Shaker” on Morey’s Pier; a scary ride that took you into the stars. At the top, it flipped upside-down. All the coins in my pockets fell out, clanking off the girders to oblivion. This broke ten-year old, turned moocher, still had a glorious vacation. I returned home brown as a berry with a tale that became family lure, a “feel sorry for dad story” that still brings sympathetic sighs every time I tell it.

    Send us your Shore memory in 200 words! Tell us how the Shore taps into something deep for you, and we will publish them in this space during the summer.

    ✌️ That should do it. Amy’s back from vacation next week, so I’ll see ya at the rest stops.

    — Tommy

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • 5 area Fourth of July events | Inquirer Lower Merion

    5 area Fourth of July events | Inquirer Lower Merion

    Hi, Lower Merion! 👋

    Communities throughout the region are pulling out the stops to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary this weekend. We’ve rounded up spots to catch the festivities. Also this week, longtime Narberth guitar shop owner Dan Gold reflects on his career, an Ecuadorian who grew up in the township is finding camaraderie and feeling proud amid the World Cup, plus a Wynnewood home once part of the Clothier estate is back on the market.

    We want your feedback! Tell us what you think of the newsletter by taking our survey or emailing us at lowermerion@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    The local Fourth of July events you won’t want to miss

    Wynnewood resident Lori Ney, along with her dogs Ava and Lilly, attended the Army’s Pershing’s Own followed by fireworks at the Great Plaza at Delaware River Waterfront in 2023.

    Celebrate the nation’s Semiquincentennial at one of these festive events, which are replete with parades, fireworks, and musical performances.

    • Bala Cynwyd: The Neighborhood Club of Bala Cynwyd’s annual parade starts at the Union Fire House and ends at the playground at Bala Cynwyd Park, where there will be a rock wall, pony rides, a petting zoo, and music. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, starts at 9:30 a.m. 💵 Wristbands are $15-$45 📍 Union Fire House and Bala Cynwyd Park
    • Ardmore: The community will celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary with a ribbon cutting for its new mural, a “freedom walk,” and crafts and sweet treats at Linwood Park. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Throughout Ardmore
    • Penn Wynne: The Penn Wynne Civic Association’s annual celebration kicks off with a parade at 10 a.m. followed by a carnival at Penn Wynne Park. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 💵 Wristbands are $10-$30 📍 Penn Wynne-Overbrook Hills Firehouse and Penn Wynne Park
    • Narberth: This daylong event kicks off at 10 a.m. with a carnival, games, and pie-eating contest, which run until 1:30 p.m. After a break, the celebration continues at 6:30 p.m. with food trucks, live music, and a reading of the Declaration of Independence before the fireworks show. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 6:30-10:30 p.m. 💵 Free to attend, pay as you go for the carnival and food trucks 📍 Narberth Park
    • Garrett Hill and Rosemont: This festive hourlong parade starts at the Rosemont Business Campus at the corner of Conestoga and Williams Roads at 10:45 a.m. and ends at Clem Macrone Park, where there will be entertainment and live music. Residents can join in by decorating a bike or float. The judging begins at 10 a.m. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 10:45 a.m. 💵 Free 📍 Rosemont Business Center to Clem Macrone Park

    🎇 See more area fireworks shows here.

    🇺🇸 Looking for other ways to celebrate the Semiquincentennial? Here’s what Montgomery County has in store.

    💡 Community News

    • Reminder for residents: There will be no trash and recycling pickup tomorrow when the township is closed in observance of the holiday. See how your household might be impacted here.
    • After a 17-year tenure in Narberth, Dan Gold remembers his time in the borough helming Danny’s Guitar Shop as “just perfect.” The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner caught up with the musician, who recently closed the guitar lesson and shop, about his career and what comes next.
    • World Cup fever continues throughout the region, and one resident who grew up in Lower Merion said the tournament has made him especially proud of his Ecuadorian roots. Rowan Teran, 24, was among those celebrating ahead of the team’s early round match at Lincoln Financial Field, finding joy with his fellow Ecuador fans.
    • Blackbird Health opened a new clinic last week at 225 E. City Ave. in Bala Cynwyd. The Pennsylvania-based chain offers mental healthcare for children, teens, and families.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • Applications are now open for eligible Lower Merion and Narberth seniors to get a 2025 rebate for property taxes paid to the school district. Learn more about the program here.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Two new eateries are getting closer to opening in Ardmore. Dessert spot Mango Mango is teeing up a July opening at 38 Greenfield Ave., while Vintner’s Table, a wine bar that dishes up Italian cuisine, is aiming to open in August on Cricket Avenue.

    🎳 Things to Do

    📖 Book Signing and Discussion with Jessica Knoll and Jennifer Weiner: Shipley School alum Jessica Knoll, who gained acclaim for her 2015 novel Luckiest Girl Alive, will sign copies of her new book, Helpless, and discuss it with fellow local author Jennifer Weiner. ⏰ Tuesday, July 7, 6 p.m. 💵 Free to attend, $25 for the book 📍 Barnes & Noble Bryn Mawr

    🎵 Music in the Park: The next concert features a performance by the Brazilian jazz outfit the Minas Trio. ⏰ Wednesday, July 8, 7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Narberth Park gazebo

    🏡 On the Market

    A three-bedroom Wynnewood cottage with Clothier estate ties

    The exterior of the home blends the Arts & Crafts and Tudor styles.

    A Wynnewood cottage once part of the Clothier estate is back on the market, this time with a new price. Designed in the Arts & Crafts and Tudor styles, the three-bedroom cottage has a distinctive exterior from its stone facade to its woodwork. Inside, the home has been overhauled to give it modern amenities, including a sleek eat-in kitchen which complements the original herringbone-patterned floors. It also has a patio, a deck, and a fenced yard. There’s an open house Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $1.575M | Size: 2,673 SF | Acreage: 0.04

    📈 Lower Merion market report

    • Median listing price: $875,000 (down $100,000 from April) 📉
    • Median sold price: $1.1M (same as April)
    • Median days on the market: 31 (up six days from April) 📈

    This Lower Merion market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for May from realtor.com.

    🗞️ What other Lower Merion residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Goodwill opens new medical equipment store in South Jersey

    Goodwill opens new medical equipment store in South Jersey

    The young woman with muscular dystrophy wanted a motorized scooter, but her health insurance would only cover a wheelchair.

    So she went to Goodwill’s only medical equipment store in South Jersey, where she found a dozen scooters to choose from. She test drove one she liked and bought it at a steep discount.

    “She burst into tears and said, `You have no idea what a difference this is going to make in my life,’” recalled Mark Boyd, Goodwill’s president and CEO.

    Goodwill Home Medical Equipment on Wednesday opened the region’s second location. The new store is located in Gloucester County, while its flagship, 16,000-square-foot retail store and warehouse is in Camden County.

    Both sell sanitized and refurbished medical equipment, including power and manual wheelchairs, hospital beds, canes, walkers, and lift and shower chairs. The stores also offer unopened medical supplies, like adult diapers and colostomy bags.

    “When people go to a Goodwill store, they don’t really know what they are looking for — they’re on a treasure hunt,” Boyd said. “But when you get sick or somebody in your family gets sick, all of the sudden you need a specific piece of equipment, and it can be quite daunting.”

    The nonprofit thrift organization began offering used medical equipment at roughly one-third the retail price about 15 years ago, Boyd said.

    “Financially, it’s a break-even operation, but it’s such a great service to the community,” he said, adding they cater to people with no or limited insurance, or high deductibles.

    The new store on Mantua Pike in Woodbury Heights will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The location on Benigno Boulevard in Bellmawr is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

    The two South Jersey stores are the only Goodwill Home Medical Equipment retail locations in the country, according to spokesperson Juli Lundberg.

    “The savings are so great that people do travel to us from New York City, the Philly burbs, and Jersey Shore,” Lundberg said. “We have had many other Goodwills across the country inquire about the concept.”

    People can donate their medical equipment and unopened supplies at any Goodwill location in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Donation sites and regular thrift stores can be found at https://www.goodwillhomemedical.org/store-locator. Goodwill staff also will pick up home medical equipment that is too large for a car, according to Lundberg.

  • 5 area Fourth of July events | Inquirer Greater Media

    5 area Fourth of July events | Inquirer Greater Media

    Hi, Greater Media! 👋

    Communities throughout the region are pulling out the stops to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary this weekend. We’ve rounded up spots to catch the festivities. Also this week, the so-called Swarthmore 9 pleaded no-contest to noise violations, a local woman has been charged with the years-old execution-style killing of her parents, plus the battle over an area liquid natural gas facility continues.

    We want your feedback. Tell us what you think of the newsletter by taking our survey or emailing us at greatermedia@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Five Fourth of July events to check out in and around Media

    Media is celebrating the Fourth of July with festivities at Barrall Field.

    Celebrate the nation’s Semiquincentennial at one of these festive events, which are replete with parades, games, food, and music.

    • Lion’s Club Independence Eve 2.5-Mile Walk and 8K Run: Celebrate the holiday by hitting the pavement for a 2.5-mile walk or an 8K run. The run/walk may be postponed to Sunday in the event of extreme heat. ⏰ Friday, July 3, 7-8:30 p.m. 💵 $32.80 📍 Swarthmore town center
    • Swarthmore Fourth of July Festivities, SRA Bike Races, and Parade: The day kicks off with a bike race, followed by a children’s parade and then the community parade, with other activities to follow. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Swarthmore town center
    • Media Borough Fourth of July Celebration: There will be yard games, live music, food, and kids’ activities like water slides and face painting, in addition to a bike decorating contest. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m.-noon 💵 Free 📍 Barrall Field, Media
    • Rose Valley Borough Fourth of July Parade: The annual parade, complete with decorated bikes and wagons, will start at the Moylan-Rose Valley SEPTA station and end at Rose Valley Swimming Pool, where there will be a flag raising ceremony. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 2 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Moylan-Rose Valley SEPTA station and Rose Valley Swimming Pool
    • America’s 250th Birthday Celebration: To mark the Semiquincentennial, Upper Providence Township is hosting a Fourth of July event complete with games, contests, music, and food trucks. RSVPs are encouraged. ⏰ Saturday, July 4, 1-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Rose Tree Park, Media

    🎇 See more area festivities here.

    🇺🇸 Looking for other ways to celebrate the Semiquincentennial? Here’s what Delaware County has in store.

    💡 Community News

    • The so-called Swarthmore 9, a group of protestors charged with trespassing after refusing to leave a pro-Palestinian encampment at Swarthmore College last year, entered no-contest pleas on Monday to summary noise-violation offenses. As part of the deal, they’ll each undertake community service.
    • Last week, 33-year-old Michelle Zajko was charged with the first-degree murder of her parents, who the Delaware County district attorney says she killed execution-style inside their Chester Heights home in December 2022. Zajko, a member of the cultlike Zizians, has been a person of interest in the case for years, but maintains her innocence. The DA doesn’t believe she acted alone and is continuing to investigate. The Inquirer’s Vinny Vella explains how new information led to the charges.
    • A pair of environmental groups are readying to oppose a planned liquefied natural gas export facility in Eddystone. Local communities, including Media and Swarthmore, have stated their opposition to the nearby terminal.
    • Pepper Lee Boutique and Gina the Jewelry Lady are reopening today at their new storefront at 1176 N. Middletown Rd. in Edgmont Township, above the Country Deli. The boutique will be hosting a grand reopening celebration today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pepper Lee will be open Wednesdays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Gina the Jewelry Lady will operate Thursdays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    • The Delaware County Health Department identified this year’s first pool of mosquitoes positive for West Nile virus. The pool was tested on June 16 at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Collingdale. No infections among people have been reported. The department suggests taking steps to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses by eliminating standing water, using appropriate repellents, and wearing protective clothing.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Miller’s Ale House has closed its Springfield location at 18 Baltimore Pike, but continues to operate an outpost at 1119 W. Baltimore Pike at the Promenade at Granite Run.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🎶 Rose Tree Summer Concert Festival: Tonight, Big Band from the Valley takes the stage, followed by Steve Pullara and His Cool Beans Band, which is performing a morning show tomorrow, and Smoke’s Ebonys and Raising Kane Band on Saturday. On Wednesday, Jimmy and the Parrots will perform, sampling from Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Boys, and Bob Marley, among others. There’s no show on July 4. ⏰ Thursday, July 2-Wednesday, July 8, 7:30 p.m., except July 3, which is at 10 a.m. 💵 Free 📍 Rose Tree Park, Media

    🍿 Family Movie and Craft: Catch a screening of Moana and make a tiki-themed craft. ⏰ Friday, July 3, 10:15 a.m.-noon 💵 Free 📍 Media-Upper Providence Free Library, Media

    🦋 Nature at Night: Pollinators: Learn about native pollinators at this after-hours event. ⏰ Tuesday, July 7, 6-7:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Tyler Arboretum, Media

    🏡 On the Market

    A Springton Reservoir home with a pool and spa

    The home is located near Springton Reservoir in Upper Providence Township.

    Located near Springton Reservoir in Upper Providence Township, this home can accommodate multi-generational living thanks to a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom main floor suite with its own kitchen. The rest of the main floor has living and dining rooms, a family room with a brick fireplace, and an updated kitchen with marble countertops and an island with a beverage refrigerator. There are three bedrooms upstairs, including a primary suite with a walk-in closet and dressing room. Out back, a deck overlooks a heated pool and spa. There’s an open house Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

    See more photos of the property here.

    Price: $1.395M | Size: 5,356 SF | Acreage: 0.8

    📈 Greater Media market report

    Media

    • Median listing price: $812,500 (up $62,500 from April) 📈
    • Median sold price: $713,800 (up $238,800 from April) 📈
    • Median days on the market: 24 (up three days from April) 📈

    Swarthmore

    • Median listing price: $425,000 (up $55,100 from April) 📈
    • Median sold price: $370,000 (same as April)
    • Median days on the market: 37 (up nine days from April) 📈

    Wallingford

    • Median listing price: $425,000 (down $202,500 from April) 📉
    • Median sold price: $448,000 (same as April)
    • Median days on the market: 27 (up six days from April) 📈

    This Greater Media market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for May from realtor.com.

    🗞️ What other Greater Media residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • As Congress comes to Philadelphia, Josh Shapiro takes center stage in America 250 celebrations

    As Congress comes to Philadelphia, Josh Shapiro takes center stage in America 250 celebrations

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has a message for members of Congress when they convene at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on Thursday:

    This is the birthplace of democracy, and with it, comes the responsibilities that America’s founders left behind.

    “The founders made clear that we have a real responsibility to do the work to constantly perfect our union,” Shapiro said in an interview this week, ahead of his speech before the ceremonial meeting of Congress, marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed in that same building. “And that the Congress of the United States has a unique responsibility in that to be a check on the executive branch.”

    Those words come at a critical inflection point in America’s history, amid a tumultuous presidency, and as Shapiro is rumored to have aspirations of a White House bid in 2028. The first-term Democratic governor will appear before approximately 40 bipartisan members of Congress in Old City at the event convened by U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), speaking to the lawmakers from across the country about their collective duty to the public. Shapiro will attend numerous other 250th celebrations across Philadelphia in the coming days, during which he said he plans to share his optimism for America’s future and deep concerns that President Donald Trump has led the nation astray from its founders’ design.

    “I don’t think patriotism belongs to one party. I don’t think it should ever be partisan,” Shapiro said. “Unfortunately, Donald Trump routinely divides us, routinely injects partisanship into his definition of patriotism, and his actions, in many ways, are the opposite of patriotism.”

    Partisanship, divisive Trump presidency hang over 250th celebrations in Philadelphia and Washington
    Assembly Room in Independence Hall (Pennsylvania State House) Monday, June 15, 2026. This is the exact space where the Second Continental Congress met and the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

    As Trump plans to spend America’s 250th birthday hosting a political rally on the National Mall — with no plans to visit Philadelphia, the city where the nation was founded — Shapiro sees his own role as a unifier, and in direct contrast to Trump. As attention shifts to Philadelphia this weekend, he’ll appear on the national stage from sunup to sundown at events and on frequent TV hits — all with a home-turf advantage for his 2028 presidential prospects, as the governor of the nation’s quintessential swing state and also most important to the country’s founding.

    “[Celebrating the 250th] allow the spotlight to shine on Shapiro, even though it’s not entirely about him,” said Alison Dagnes, a political-science professor at Shippensburg University. “Do I think that helps his ambitions? Sure.”

    ‘Direct contrast’

    Sitting with Shapiro in his Harrisburg office earlier this week, it’s undeniable that he’s a history nerd — another reason why he was built for the moment.

    He casually quotes segments of The Federalist Papers, and references his favorite story about Benjamin Franklin‘s fixation on a half-sun on the back of George Washington’s chair during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, which Franklin remarked during the U.S. Constitution signing that “it is a rising and not setting sun.” Without having to look for its location, he points to his right to a portrait of Franklin, one of his predecessors as governor of Pennsylvania, hanging on his office wall. He notes lesser-known Pennsylvanians who played an important role in the nation’s founding whom he plans to highlight over the coming days.

    “You know, I hate to quote a guy not from Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said, returning to The Federalist Papers to recite James Madison’s concerns about giving an executive too much power.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro in the Capitol in Harrisburg Feb. 21, 2023.

    “If Madison were here today, he’d be really concerned about how one man has accumulated so much power and is wielding it in really dangerous ways, and I hope that at this 250-year mark we find our way back to that balance and back to the constraints on the people who lead our government,” he said.

    Shapiro sees his leadership style as a “direct contrast” to Trump’s, especially at this moment.

    “[Trump] restricts peoples’ freedom and liberties,” the governor added. “He whitewashes our history. That doesn’t further a sense of community, that doesn’t further patriotism. All that does is divide us, and I refuse to participate in that.”

    But for the next few days, Shapiro said his approach to the 250th celebrations is to: “Celebrate America, find ways to bring people together, and to have some fun in the process.”

    Fair games

    Despite his overtures of political unity, Shapiro has faced accusations from Republicans in recent days for playing partisan games over Pennsylvania’s participation in Trump’s 16-day Great American State Fair. Shapiro, in addition to several other Democratic governors last week, announced that Pennsylvania would not take part in the fair due to his administration being unable to secure any state businesses to sponsor the exhibit. Staffing and sponsoring the exhibit on the state’s dime would have cost $700,000 that would be better spent on in-state 250th events, he said this week.

    In the weekend that followed, Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators, Republican Dave McCormick and Democrat John Fetterman, made a push to fill the state’s empty exhibit. By Tuesday, it was filled with antique flags lent by a York County man, bags of potato chips from Snyder County, and a Christmas tree display from Fayette County, among other Pennsylvania-centric items.

    Chips, a Christmas tree, and the Liberty Bell: Here’s what’s inside Pennsylvania’s new showcase at the Great American State Fair
    Pennsylvania’s pavilion showcases state history and memorabilia at the Great American State Fair on June 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

    Some of the businesses originally told Shapiro’s office they didn’t have enough time to participate. But when McCormick and Fetterman approached them with the idea to fill the empty pavilion, they joined in.

    “They obviously had a change of heart at the last minute. That’s fine,” Shapiro said about the revived Pennsylvania pavilion.

    State Treasurer Stacy Garrity — Shapiro’s Republican challenger for governor, who has aligned herself with Trump — in a statement called Shapiro the “only career politician who has politicized America 250.”

    “Josh Shapiro put his political ambitions above his commonwealth and his nation when he pulled Pennsylvania out of the national celebration of our 250th birthday in a pitiful attempt to score cheap political points with the liberal wing of his party,” Garrity said.

    Beyond the 250th

    Shapiro’s strength as a politician has always been his ability to appear “harmonizing” and bringing people together, dating back to his days as a Montgomery County commissioner, Dagnes said.

    A careful politician, Shapiro is known to stick to his message and has faced criticism from some fellow Democrats for his well-rehearsed statements.

    When Shapiro delivers his messages of unity and freedom to a broader audience in the coming days, voters are likely to view them as authentic — one of the most important qualities to any presidential hopeful, she added.

    “If [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom is the guy who’s gonna punch Trump in the face, then Shapiro is going to be the guy who’s like, ‘No, let me offer you an alternative,’” Dagnes said.

    “It’s what he should be doing right now, because this is what America is about,” she added.

  • July in Philly has become 4.4 degrees hotter since 1940 on average. Nights are even warmer.

    July in Philly has become 4.4 degrees hotter since 1940 on average. Nights are even warmer.

    Philadelphians sweated through Julys in the 1940s, brooding over World War II as temperatures averaged in the mid-to-upper 70s, including nighttime lows.

    Today, as the city prepares to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, they swelter under average July temperatures of around 80 degrees — and those nighttimes have gotten warmer.

    Over the past 85 years, Julys in Philadelphia are running on average 4.4 degrees warmer than in 1940, based on an analysis of historical weather data. That translates to an increase of about 0.52 degrees per decade.

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    Nights are even toastier, showing a rise of 4.8 degrees over the same time period.

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    “Science shows that while summer heat is nothing new, climate change is pushing it beyond what we’ve experienced in the past,” Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at the nonprofit Climate Central, said in an email.

    The Inquirer used 1940 as a base year in its analysis because it is the oldest year for consistent records at Philadelphia International Airport. The data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Regional Climate Centers ends at July 2025.

    The data does not include this July, which could set records.

    105 degrees possible

    The National Weather has issued an extreme heat warning with possible record highs starting Thursday and heading into the July 4 weekend.

    And Philadelphia has declared a heat emergency, activating the city’s pioneering heat-response system.

    Philly declares a heat emergency and Welcome America alters events as 100-degree temperatures loom

    High temperatures Thursday, Friday, and Independence Day are all forecast to top 100 degrees and threaten daily records. The current record highs for those dates are 103 degrees for Thursday, 104 for Friday, and 103 for the Fourth.

    The record-warmest lows are 82, 77, and 79 for those days respectively, according to data from the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office.

    The weather service says dangerously hot conditions with heat index values between 100 and 110 degrees are expected each day. Very warm low temperatures in the mid-70s to the low 80s at night won’t offer much relief, the office noted.

    When combined, multiple days of such high temperatures and humidity will exacerbate impacts, say those meteorologists. The hottest conditions are expected Thursday through Friday.

    Climate change

    Although it’s difficult to pin any single heat wave to climate change, the majority of climate scientists say the burning of fossil fuels has led to ever-increasing amounts of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and transformed the climate.

    The Princeton-based Climate Center says human activities have warmed the planet by about 1.2°C (2.2°F) above pre-industrial levels. The Princeton-based organization of scientists says that since 1970, July has warmed in 94% of the 243 U.S. cities it studied. Temperatures for the month have risen by 2.6 degrees on average.

    “That includes hotter and more humid nights like those this week, which raise health risks because the body has less time to cool down and recover,” Labe said.

    A big impact on cities

    Excessive heat hits urban areas like Philadelphia hard, said Mathy Stanislaus, of the Philadelphia Climate Justice Collective.

    The collective is a partnership of the Mantua Civic Association, SEAMAAC, Esperanza, Overbrook Environmental Education Center, and the Environmental Collaboratory at Drexel University. Stanislaus is vice provost and executive director of The Environmental Collaboratory.

    In the most densely populated, least tree-lined parts of Philadelphia temperatures can soar 20 degrees higher than in greener, wealthier neighborhoods, he notes.

    That’s because of the heat island effect, which occurs when cities are significantly warmer than surrounding areas because of the lack of tree canopy combined with high concentrations of heat-absorbing pavement, dark roofs, and buildings.

    It’s something many people in the suburbs, or wealthier areas, might not think about, Stanislaus said.

    “I don’t think people realize the gravity of the circumstances for lower income urban communities who have an affordability crisis compounded by the heat crisis,” he said.

    Stanislaus said some households in the city don’t have air-conditioning, and those that do can face a choice as to whether they should use it or not.

    “Even if they have an AC, they may not be able to afford to actually run it,” he said.

    According to a report by the collective, Philadelphia households overall on average spend about 6.7% of their income on energy, but that the burden is much higher for Black and Hispanic households. The poor conditions of many homes because of their age contribute to the strain.

    Stanislaus says temperatures strain critical public and healthcare systems.

    He credits Philadelphia for its array of cooling centers, pools, and spraygrounds. But, he said, many residents are not aware of them or lack transportation. He’d like to see more money devoted to public awareness during heat waves.

    In addition, he said healthcare systems need more staff trained in heat-related care and education, as well as better tracking heat-related illnesses and deaths.

    There has been one death attributed to heat so far this year, according to data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. In the past two decades, the biggest number of deaths came in 2011 and 11 with 35. But the city has upped its response measurably since then and the number of deaths has trended down.

    Stanislaus believes heat-related deaths and illnesses are underreported.

    “There’s an urgency to heat,” Stanislaus said. “We need to meet the moment.”

  • Philadelphia’s historic sites draw tourists from around the world. They’re getting an incomplete version of the President’s House.

    Philadelphia’s historic sites draw tourists from around the world. They’re getting an incomplete version of the President’s House.

    On a sweltering and humid summer afternoon — as tourists and historical reenactors milled about Old City ahead of 250th anniversary celebrations — Cristian Marín guided his family through the President’s House.

    Loyal soccer fans, Marín’s family had traveled from Colombia to visit their son in Philadelphia, attend the World Cup matches, and see the Revolutionary Era sites.

    But it was up to Marín, 37, to play tour guide last Friday and explain to his family why large gaps of brick wall were covered by paper adorned with handwritten messages expressing their indignation with President Donald Trump after his administration removed exhibits about slavery at George Washington’s former home in Independence National Historical Park.

    Marín’s family started laughing from pure disbelief about the “craziness of the situation,” he said.

    Marín’s relatives are among an influx of tourists visiting Philadelphia in the lead up to the city’s Semiquincentennial festivities only to find themselves confronted with evidence of the largely partisan battle playing out over how to tell the complicated story of America’s founding.

    “For me, it’s shocking to see a country trying to erase that history,” said Marín, a freelance journalist. “I think it’s important to remember our past in order to just not repeat those kinds of things.”

    Cristian Marín, 37, tours the President’s House in Independence National Historical Park last week.

    Ahead of the 250th, both Philadelphians who have been engaged in the fight to protect historical exhibits and tourists who have wandered through the President’s House for the first time, have lamented the Trump administration’s changes to the exhibit, which was largely dismantled by the administration earlier this year.

    They told The Inquirer that the missing panels, such as those that discuss the brutality of slavery, do a significant disservice to understanding the full picture — even the ugly parts — of U.S. history.

    “History is going to be out there, and the more we share history, the better for everybody,” said Hector Vargas, 40, from New York. “For the new generation, and even ourselves, because this is something from the past and we need to understand better — what happened and how this great country basically became the great country it is.”

    The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that from 250th-related events alone the city will welcome over 1.5 million overnight visitors in 2026.

    But the turmoil facing the President’s House is hanging over the celebrations, as the site’s stakeholders and the Trump administration battle over which version of history residents and visitors will see as they celebrate on Independence Mall.

    Judges presiding over lawsuits related to the President’s House or other threats by the Trump administration to change historical content at national parks have viewed the Fourth of July as a deadline to set the record straight as to whether the federal government has the authority to rewrite history.

    Some advocates believe the Trump administration saw it that way, too.

    Visitors read unofficial signage put up to protest the Trump administration’s changes to the President’s House site, which memorializes the nine people enslaved by George Washington in Philadelphia.

    The Inquirer reported that the federal government also quietly removed mentions of slavery from Independence Hall and a panel under Thomas Jefferson’s portrait at the Second Bank — sending a new wave of outrage among historians and advocates ahead of this weekend.

    “In the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Declaration of Independence, there’s probably increased impetus and motivation to get these changes installed before the dawn of the Fourth,” said Paul Steinke, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

    ‘They want to make us believe that slavery did not happen’

    Perched on folding chairs bordered by patriotic banners that flapped in the wind, dozens of Philadelphians spent their Friday night at the People’s Plaza, a concrete gathering space just steps away from the President’s House eight days before the 250th anniversary.

    A truck displaying a digital screen with the name of the event, “Trump Fascism: Historical Erasure and the Battle Over the Truth,” parked across the street.

    With Independence Hall towering behind them, state Rep. Chris Rabb, attorney and advocate Michael Coard, civil rights organizer Masaru Edmund Nakawatase, and visual artist Dread Scott railed against the federal government’s changes to history at an event hosted by Refuse Fascism, an anti-Trump organization.

    The gathering is one of many events opponents to the Trump administration’s actions are holding in the days surrounding the 250th. Coard’s group, Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, is hosting its annual Black Independence Day on July Fourth at the President’s House.

    “We have so much power and it scares these people. If it didn’t scare them, why would they be worried about this exhibit right here?” Rabb (D., Philadelphia) declared, pointing at the President’s House.

    Rabb, who will represent parts of Philadelphia in Congress after winning the Democratic primary for the Third District in May, has often spoken of how he is a descendant of both a signer of the Declaration of Independence who enslaved people and of Black abolitionists.

    The Trump administration had spent a year eyeing the President’s House and other exhibits before they abruptly dismantled the site in January, just weeks into the nation’s 250th year. Last year, the president had issued an executive order directing parks to conduct a content review of materials that could “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”

    Subsequent legal battles have allowed some — but not all — of original panels to be reinstalled, though the administration can now install its own spin on history at the President’s House, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia has ruled.

    But the struggle to confront the full scope of U.S. history is baffling to some visitors, like Camila Ordenana, 24, from Ecuador. Ordenana, who ventured from Guayaquil to Philadelphia to attend a World Cup game, said she has never seen this kind of censorship in her other travels.

    “It is weird, because we have been to several places, several historical cities, like, I can remember going to the U.K. or going to Germany, and you can learn about the experience in a very neutral and respectful way,” Ordenana said.

    Katrie White, 53, from Illinois, traveled to Philadelphia specifically for sightseeing to learn more about African American history. She said she was disturbed by the removal of the signs.

    “They want to make us believe that slavery did not happen,” White said. “And that’s how it affected African Americans, that it wasn’t a big deal, that it made us better. But of course, we all know that it didn’t, and it really did affect us. It was a trauma that is still carried on to this day.”

    Many Philadelphians appear to agree.

    A recent Suffolk University / Inquirer poll found that a quarter of city residents see preserving historic sites as Philadelphia’s top responsibility to the nation ahead of the 250th.

    Richard Porter (left), 52, of Michigan, at the President’s House last week.

    Gathered by the Market Street entrance of the President’s House last Friday, looking at the colorful illustration panels that remained, Richard Porter grappled with the impact of the removals, saying that without the educational information, “We’ll repeat it over and over again.”

    The Michigan resident said that the country is at a point where it needs to move forward but that the changes to the President’s House are sowing further divisions.

    “This is an everyday battle. It’s not just today or for the 250; this is all the time,” Porter said.

  • Police searched Olney home last summer, but drugs — not missing women — were the focus

    Police searched Olney home last summer, but drugs — not missing women — were the focus

    About a year before police raided a crumbling Olney twin in connection to a missing woman last month, Philadelphia narcotics officers scoured Eugene Horsch’s basement and found telltale signs of a drug dealer.

    Firefighters had responded to a small blaze on the second floor of the property on May 18, 2025, alerting police to what they said was a sprawling marijuana grow operation. And when narcotics cops searched the home later that morning, court records show they recovered a modified fully automatic assault rifle with an obliterated serial number, a sawed-off shotgun, a pistol, and ammunition.

    The top floor was filled with cannabis plants, tents, and UV lights, with exposed wires running between the floors and into the basement, where vats of chemicals were stored, apparently to “cultivate marijuana,” the records said.

    The police report detailing the drug bust at the Olney house made no mention of missing women, despite the fact that concerned relatives and friends had told police years earlier that at least two women who stayed at the house had vanished.

    Now, the disappearance of one of those women, Blair Tonzelli, is central to an ongoing search at the property, where police found fake IDs and bank cards in her name, among other disturbing evidence.

    That law enforcement did not appear to connect the missing women to the search for drugs at the same address raises questions about whether the officers who searched the property last summer were aware of the two missing persons cases. The Philadelphia Police Department declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

    Police began reexamining Tonzelli’s disappearance on June 19 after arresting Horsch, whose companion had a fake ID in her name. Investigators reinterviewed witnesses and viewed footage of a statement given in February 2023 by Tonzelli’s friend, who told officers Tonzelli was last seen at 417 W. Chew Ave. Police have also revisited the 2016 disappearance of Amy McHale — the ex-wife of Horsch’s father, erotic filmmaker Raymond C. Horsch — whose mother said she vanished from the Olney home.

    Gloria McHale, Amy’s mother, said she was surprised to learn that police had searched the property for drugs in 2025.

    “I wish they would have looked deeper,” she said.

    Police have not charged Horsch with any crimes linked to missing women. He has been jailed since his arrest last month on $500,000 bail for gun and drug charges, as federal and local police prepare to excavate the property in search of more evidence.

    His attorney, Jerome Brown, declined comment. Brown has previously said police had interviewed Raymond Horsch several times over the years about McHale’s disappearance.

    When local and federal law enforcement officers searched Horsch’s home last month in connection to the missing women, police said they again found guns, ammo, and drugs. More troubling, according to police records, is that they also found a “significant amount” of blood, a handwritten letter referencing serial killer Ted Bundy, and fake IDs and bank cards in Tonzelli’s name.

    The latest search began after police arrested Horsch in his black BMW with an array of weapons, drugs, and a woman donning a fake ID in Tonzelli’s name. A sworn affidavit to initiate the search includes witness testimony that suggested Horsch was a “sociopath” who knew how to dispose of human remains.

    But it was a fire that brought police to Horsch’s property one morning in May 2025.

    Eugene had been living in the twin with two other women, including his father’s longtime companion, Krista M. Killen. City firefighters said the small blaze was started by “careless smoking” on the second floor, according to Horsch’s arrest report. While extinguishing the fire, a fire marshal and police patrolman on the scene discovered a “marijuana grow operation” on the home’s third floor and basement.

    Officers with the PPD Narcotics Strike Force later searched the home and seized 26 pounds of marijuana, 131 grams of dried mushrooms, $1,200 worth of methamphetamine, $800 cash, and “numerous gold colored and silver” coins in a safe, records show.

    Police also recovered a BCI Defense AR-15 style rifle modified to be fully automatic, a 12-gauge Stevens Model 67 pump-action shotgun with a sawed-off barrel, a 9mm Girsan MC28 pistol and more than a hundred rounds of ammunition. The serial numbers had been destroyed on all three firearms, according to records.

    Horsch had previous felony convictions for drug manufacturing charges and was not legally allowed to own firearms. He was arrested and held on $750,000 bail for manufacturing drugs, illegal gun possession, and related crimes.

    Brown, the family attorney, told a judge that the weapons belonged to Horsch’s father, who had died just three days before the drug raid. Brown said Eugene Horsch was planning to properly dispose of the firearms, according to a spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner.

    His health became a factor in determining an appropriate resolution to the case. Sources familiar with the case, who were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the details publicly, said Horsch appeared frail at the time of his 2025 arrest and could barely walk into court.

    Horsch pled guilty to manufacturing drugs, and prosecutors withdrew the additional gun charges. He received three years probation.

    Within months of his release from jail, Horsch would be locked up again.

    In March, police arrested Horsch and charged him with stabbing a man at Eighth and Market Streets. Prosecutors dropped the charges after a witness failed to appear in court, records show, and he was released from lockup in May.

    Three weeks later, U.S. Park Police stopped him in his car near Independence Mall, where they recovered a fake ID in Tonzelli’s name.

    The search of the Olney property continued Wednesday.

  • Mayor Parker defends decision to host July 4th Parkway concert despite dangerous heat and high price tag

    Mayor Parker defends decision to host July 4th Parkway concert despite dangerous heat and high price tag

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Wednesday defended the city’s upcoming July Fourth concert, a seven-hour outdoor spectacle featuring performances from Christina Aguilera, Jill Scott, The Roots, and more, amid concerns over the nearly 100-degree forecast and revelations that the event will cost taxpayers millions more than in years past.

    The city has dealt with high temperatures before and has battle-tested personnel and protocols prepared for the evening, Parker told reporters at a news conference in front of the stage at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps.

    She also addressed the detractors head on.

    “I do not apologize to anyone about making sure that the city of Philadelphia, as the sixth-largest city in the nation, the birthplace of democracy, we were going to have a celebration that is fitting to and for our historical significance and prominence,” Parker said. “One that could be seen, respected, and honored, not just in our city and commonwealth and nation but in the world.”

    Mayor Parker changed things up for this year’s July 4th concert — and it’s costing Philly’s taxpayers millions more

    Parker described the concert as the largest July Fourth concert in the city’s history. For an occasion as momentous as the nation’s 250th anniversary in the city that bills itself the birthplace of America, Parker said Philadelphia must rise to the occasion and prove it can achieve ambitious undertakings.

    Parker said her administration scaled up the experience, including moving the stage back to accommodate an estimated 300,000 concertgoers, and made the stage larger.

    “We won’t get a second chance to do this over again, Philadelphia,” Parker said. “We only turn 250 years old once in a lifetime.”

    Ground crews set up speakers on the stage on Wednesday in preparation for the July 4 concert expected to draw thousands to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

    Parker recalled feeling the mounting pressure to prove Philadelphia could rise to the occasion of honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary shortly after the start of her tenure as mayor.

    “‘Philadelphia lacks ambition. They’re thinking too small. We need a leader. Where is the legacy project?’” Parker recalled from the discourse of the time. “The critics were right. Philadelphia, as the birthplace, we couldn’t do what every other city was doing. We couldn’t just do something that was average, something that was mediocre. What we did had to be a reflection of this moment and our history.”

    Parker’s news conference came hours after The Inquirer reported online that this year’s July Fourth concert will cost taxpayers millions more than in years past because the mayor’s administration hired ESM Productions, a for-profit company, to put on the annual show. For years, the concert has been produced by Welcome America, a nonprofit established by the city.

    The Inquirer reported that the city is set to pay ESM $15.5 million to put on the show, and that last year’s iteration of the Welcome America concert cost the organization about $3 million.

    Parker defended ESM and its founder, Scott Mirkin, as “the gold standard in planning large-scale global events, not just in America but across the world.” And she vowed that the city would produce a “fiscal impact report” after the event to account for how much money the city spent on this year’s festivities.

    Mayor of Philadelphia Cherelle L. Parker speaks during a news conference under a tent Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Philadelphia, outlining public safety and transportation plans ahead of a July 4 concert expected to draw thousands to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

    She also noted that former Mayor Jim Kenney put his own stamp on the annual July Fourth concert when he took office in 2016 — and took some heat for it. The Roots had headlined the concert since 2009, but Kenney’s administration went a different direction and The Roots were sidelined.

    Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson didn’t mince words at the time, writing on Facebook that the decision was “arrogance in the HIGHEST order courtesy of your new leader.”

    When Parker took office, she knew she wanted the spotlight back on the beloved local hip-hop group.

    “I’m proud to have The Roots back home,” Parker said.

    In terms of weather and safety, the city has proven this summer that it can host large-scale events in the heat seamlessly, said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel.

    The city has already hosted five World Cup games, which have gone off without a hitch, Bethel said. For the July Fourth event, the department will be executing one of its largest deployments since the papal visit in 2015. That will include hundreds of officers across Center City and many more at the stadium and along the Parkway.

    “I want everybody to come and have a good time. Don’t mess up the party,” Bethel said.

    In order to keep people cool, the city will run 40 air-conditioned cooling centers, 150 pools and spray grounds, enhanced homeless service outreach, and extra fire department medics, said Dominick Mireles, Philadelphia’s deputy managing director for community safety. Along the Parkway, there will be misting fans and shade structures, he added.

    Parker said she’s confident every Philadelphian interested in participating will be able to do so safely and will look back on the day fondly.

    “I want people to remember where they were when America turned 250 years old and what we did here in the place when it all happened,” Parker said.

  • At Hoagie Day, visitors embrace free sandwiches — and the crowds

    At Hoagie Day, visitors embrace free sandwiches — and the crowds

    The hoagie, it seems, not only can be a meal but a civic instrument: pretext and reason to bring huge crowds of people together ahead of July 4th during Wawa Welcome America festivities.

    Organizers said 30,000 turkey hoagies were distributed in front of the National Constitution Center Wednesday for the annual event. The promise of a free sandwich prompted that particular American phenomenon — one of the physical vestiges of the public commons — the manifestation of the free-food zeitgeist.

    Dion Clark said, succinctly, what many in line seemed to be saying in one form or another: “I want to be with the people.”

    Attendees relax and enjoy their free hoagies at Independence Mall during the Wawa Hoagie Day.

    Clark and her husband, who is vegetarian — Wawa was offering only turkey hoagies — had traveled from North Carolina to spend July Fourth in Philadelphia. Asked why they had come, Clark gestured around her: the National Constitution Center in front of her, the Liberty Bell nearby, the city’s founding monuments all around.

    For others, like Jim Elliott, the answer was simpler. He lives nearby, and had come for the free hoagies, although, he added, “the hoagies are not the best.”

    Sheylin Walker has been coming to Wawa Hoagie Day for seven years. Every year, she said, she makes sure to wake up by 9 a.m. so she can arrive by 10 before the noon hoagie distribution. “I love the crowd,” she said. “I love the sight — all of these people that are here.”

    For some recent transplants to Philadelphia, the festival seemed to promise not just a free sandwich, but a kind of initiation. Getza Solana, who is 19, and recently moved from Houston to study at Thomas Jefferson University, said that to know Philadelphia, she felt she had to know the hoagie.

    Outside the National Constitution Center, where lines of hoagie tents had been set-up, there is a contained but lush stretch of field: bunches of summer flowers, vines climbing the Visitor Center, a little green relief from the asphalt and the July heat.

    There, people opened their red Wawa bags; some put on the red, white, and blue baseball hats and ate their hoagies. Pop music played from the speakers. The heat felt more bearable. And away from the crush of the line, it became clearer what many had come for: not only the sandwich, but an American picnic of sorts — friends, family, strangers, and the brief pleasure of being among fellow hoagie-eaters.