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  • Jean E. Corrigan, former Montgomery County manager and longtime assistant to then-State Rep. Josh Shapiro, has died at 70

    Jean E. Corrigan, former Montgomery County manager and longtime assistant to then-State Rep. Josh Shapiro, has died at 70

    Jean E. Corrigan, 70, of Roslyn, Montgomery County, retired fleet and operations manager for the Montgomery County Department of Assets and Infrastructure, onetime constituent services representative for then-State Rep. Josh Shapiro, hair salon owner and operator, disability services advocate, and award-winning volunteer, died Saturday, Nov. 22, of non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver at her home.

    A lifelong resident of Glenside and nearby Roslyn, Mrs. Corrigan was vice chair of the Abington-Rockledge Democratic Committee from 1995 to 2013, and served as Gov. Shapiro’s constituent service agent when he represented the 153rd Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012.

    “Jean was the very first volunteer on my very first campaign,” Shapiro recalled. “We knocked doors together, met our neighbors together, and, after winning, served our community together.”

    In addition to breaking down bureaucratic delays and solving all kinds of constituent problems for Shapiro, Mrs. Corrigan doggedly championed fair wages, reproductive freedom, increased funding for special education and disability services, and improved healthcare. Colleagues called her a “super volunteer” and a “campaign mom” because she helped so many candidates win elections.

    Gov. Shapiro said Mrs. Corrigan “made her neighbors’ lives better.”

    She hosted visiting campaign workers at her home for years, took charge of distributing lawn signs and sample ballots, and organized other preelection events at her dining room table. She was named the local committee’s Democrat of the Year in 2002 and earned several awards from community service organizations.

    “Through that work, I got to see just how much of herself she gave to others,” Shapiro said. “Where there was a need in the community, she worked to address it. When someone needed help, she lent a hand. She made her neighbors’ lives better, and I will forever be grateful for her life of service.”

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    In 2001, Mrs. Corrigan ran unsuccessfully for Abington Township commissioner, finishing second among three candidates and losing to a long-entrenched incumbent. In a preelection profile in The Inquirer, she listed “responsible growth” as a top value and “maintain integrity of Abington Township” as a main goal.

    “Jean was passionate about serving others,” her family said in a tribute. “She believed that politics and civic activism could make a positive difference in people’s lives.”

    Mrs. Corrigan was called a “super volunteer” by colleagues and friends.

    At work, Mrs. Corrigan managed Montgomery County’s fleet of vehicles from 2015 to her retirement in 2022. She joined the county’s assets and infrastructure department in 2012 as operations manager for public property and supervised the county’s building services, construction carpenters, project collaboration, and computer-aided design.

    She studied beauty science and hair styling in high school, attended the Willow Grove Beauty Academy, and ran her own salon called Shears to You from 1993 to 2001. As a volunteer, she was one-time president of the Abington School District Special Education Parent Advisory Council, copresident of the Abington Junior High School parent-teacher organization, and chair and vice chair of several Abington Township community initiatives.

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    She raised funds for school events and served on the board of the Abington YMCA. “Jean was selfless, empathetic, blunt, affectionate, caring, plainspoken, honest, and incredibly hard-working,” her family said. “There was no ego, no vanity.”

    Jean Elizabeth Fanelli was born Aug. 30, 1955, in Abington Township. She grew up with a brother, Angelo, and graduated from Abington High School in 1973. She was interested in clothing design as well as beauty culture and took classes at Temple University.

    Mrs. Corrigan stands with her husband, Peter, and son David

    After a brief marriage to Bruce Cunningham was annulled, she married Peter Corrigan — an usher at her first wedding — in 1977, and they had sons Joseph and David and a daughter, Pauline. They lived in Glenside for decades, in the same house in which she grew up, and moved to Roslyn a few years ago.

    Mrs. Corrigan enjoyed shopping trips with her daughter and baking holiday cookies. She liked to entertain and cook for everybody.

    Surviving spouses always remember how they met their mate. Here are the meet-cute stories told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    She doted on her two granddaughters and spent memorable summers near Arrowhead Lake in the Pocono Mountains. She could talk to anybody, her family said.

    “She was a wonderful mother,” her daughter said. “I learned to have respect and manners from her.”

    Mrs. Corrigan (front right) enjoyed time with her family.

    Her son David said: “She taught me to be considerate and understanding of everyone I encounter, a lesson I will never forget.”

    Her son Joseph said: “She was incredibly generous with her time and resources. She could build relationships, and a theme of her life was caring for people.”

    Her husband said: “She was one of a kind.”

    In addition to her husband, children, granddaughters, and brother, Mrs. Corrigan is survived by other relatives.

    A private celebration of her life is to be held later.

    Donations in her name may be made to Hedwig House Inc., 1920 Old York Rd., Abington, Pa. 19001.

    Mrs. Corrigan’s smile could light up a room, her family said.
  • After Manayunk’s Bridget the Dino statue was decapitated, neighbors will decide the name for a new dinosaur

    After Manayunk’s Bridget the Dino statue was decapitated, neighbors will decide the name for a new dinosaur

    The decapitation of a beloved stone garden dinosaur in Manayunk left the community reeling earlier this week.

    Bridget the Dino was a symbol for the neighborhood’s green spaces and neighborly affection, who oversaw the Manayunk Bridge Trail gardens.

    When all hope was lost, the original owners of Bridget, and other neighborhood dinosaurs that have become a staple to Roxborough and Manayunk, saved the day.

    Holod’s, the Lafayette Hill home and garden store, donated a brand new stone dinosaur to the Manayunk gardens at Dupont and High Streets, taking over Bridget’s yearslong watch as the garden guardian.

    “After the heartbreak of seeing Bridget damaged, this unexpected act of kindness means more than words can say. The neighborhood love is real, and this Dino is already feeling it,” park organizers announced on Tuesday.

    Now that the difficult task of placing a new 300-pound stone garden dinosaur is complete, the fun part comes: choosing a name for the new dino. When park organizers learned they would be getting a brand new dino, they decided they couldn’t just name the new statue Bridget, as she is “irreplaceable,” said park volunteer and Roxborough resident Juliane Holz.

    “The community is so much a part of this that they can help us name this new one,” Holz said. “I like Manny. But we also have to decide whether she is a girl or a boy dino. I do like ‘Holly’ for Holod’s.”

    Park organizers have already posted a list of suggested names for the new statue. This reporter is partial to “Yunker.”

    Potential dinosaur names:

    • Manny (for Manayunk)
    • Archie (for the arch of the bridge)
    • Roxie (for the Roxborough side)
    • Schuylie (for the Schuylkill)
    • Ivy (garden vibes)
    • Rocky (Philly and Roxborough)
    • Ledger (bridge and connection vibes)
    • Petra (means “rock”)
    • Yunker (play on Manayunk)

    Residents from Manayunk, Roxborough, and beyond can drop a comment below the park’s latest Instagram post to vote on one of the above names or suggest a new one.

    Last Sunday, a neighbor found Bridget’s head lying at the feet of her stone body after it was smashed between late Saturday evening and early Sunday morning. The vandalism came as a shock to the community that welcomed Bridget with open arms, as she grew into a beacon for the ever-growing green spaces that the families of Manayunk and Roxborough have come to revitalize.

    Bridget the Dino, a beloved stone garden statue at the Manayunk Bridge Garden, had its head smashed off between late Saturday night, Nov. 22, and early Sunday morning, Nov. 23, 2025. The 300-pound stone statue would be hard to move, neighbors say, leading some to believe an adult purposefully broke the statue.

    “It seems like something silly to be upset about, but someone put a lot of effort and money — these statues and improvements are not cheap — into making that bridge garden a really nice place,” Manayunk resident Annie Schuster said. “I hate the fact that somebody did that.”

    Neighbors believe the cowardly act to have been perpetrated by an adult who intended to destroy the iconic statue. Holz believed the statue proved too heavy for someone to mistakenly bump into it. Police reached out to Holz and park organizers to let them know they will investigate the crime, Holz said.

    Bridget the Dino, a beloved stone garden statue at the Manayunk Bridge Garden, pictured in an Easter Bunny costume for Easter. The community often dresses up Bridget during different holidays and themed events. In November 2026, her head was smashed off her body.

    Meanwhile, they’ll repurpose Bridget elsewhere among the garden beds and usher a new dinosaur dynasty with Holod’s latest statue. Holz said perhaps Bridget’s new iteration will be as a bird bath installation or an addition in a new sensory garden.

    The Manayunk Bridge Garden is one of the many public spaces being transformed into neighborhood gardens and pedestrian thoroughfares. Since COVID-19 lockdowns, residents have donated their time, alongside the Roxborough Manayunk Conservancy, to making this place special for local families. Bridget and her new friend encapsulate all of that passion.

    Bridget the Dino, a beloved stone garden statue at the Manayunk Bridge Garden, pictured in a construction worker’s uniform. The community often dresses up Bridget during different holidays and themed events. In November 2026, her head was smashed off her body.

    “We are focused on improving the park’s ecology and creating opportunities for the community to enjoy and use the space. The gardens are stunning in autumn with their masses of purple asters and yellow goldenrod,” said Avigail Milder of the Roxborough Manayunk Conservancy.

    Along with the welcoming stone dinosaur, volunteers have been planting native shrubs and herbaceous plants that bloom through spring and summer. A new sugar maple tree was planted for much-needed shade. And most recently, Opus Piano donated a mini grand piano to be enjoyed and played by all parkgoers.

  • The time Philly almost didn’t have a Thanksgiving Day parade

    The time Philly almost didn’t have a Thanksgiving Day parade

    Since 1920, Philadelphia has gone without a Thanksgiving Day parade only twice — once because of poor weather, and once because of a global pandemic. But nearly four decades ago, another formidable foe — corporate sponsorship — threatened the city’s beloved holiday tradition.

    That’s not a bad record for the country’s oldest Thanksgiving Day parade, which Gimbel Brothers Department Store launched with a humble procession through Center City. For more than 60 years, the festivities ended with Santa Claus climbing a ladder into the window of the Gimbels store at Ninth and Market Streets, signaling the start of the holiday season.

    Until 1986, that is. Gimbels by then had fallen on hard times and, following its sale to the highest bidder, was liquidated. Its Philadelphia-area locations were to be converted into Stern’s department stores, and Gimbels hoped to pass the baton to that chain to keep the Thanksgiving Day tradition alive.

    The problem was that Stern’s and its parent company, Allied Stores Corp., were not interested.

    “I think the best we could do this fast is to buy the Mummers some T-shirts,” Allied Stores chairman Thomas Macioce told the Daily News in 1986.

    The parade that year, however, became bigger and better than it had ever been. Here is how The Inquirer and Daily News covered it:

    https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news/185403993/

    Article from Jun 18, 1986 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>

    ‘We can’t be ready in time’

    A deal in the Gimbels sale emerged in June 1986 and, right away, the Thanksgiving Day parade was on the chopping block, at least for that year. Allied officials claimed no planning had yet been done and there was no way to put it together in time.

    That, it turns out, wasn’t true. Ann Stuart, a Gimbels executive, told the Daily News that parade organizers had been proceeding as though the parade would be held as scheduled. And Barbara Fenhagen, the city’s special events coordinator, said planning was going ahead as usual.

    Either way, Stern’s and Allied’s lack of interest left the city in a tight spot. Aug. 15 was the last day orders could go in for the floats to be ready on time, marking a hard deadline to find a sponsor. Whoever took up the role would be expected to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars.

    “We will do everything we can to make sure that [the parade’s] appearance is not interrupted, even for one year,” Fenhagen said at the time.

    https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news/185404572/

    Article from Jul 16, 1986 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>

    ‘Don’t rain on our parade’

    As the controversy wore on, Philadelphians and the local press grieved and snarled at the potential loss of a holiday tradition. The Daily News seemed to plead for Stern’s to reconsider.

    “Please don’t rain on our parade,” the People Paper wrote in an editorial. “To Philadelphians of all ages, it launches the holiday season in a special and heartwarming way.”

    Business columnist Jack Roberts struck a more combative tone, likening Stern’s to a houseguest who begins a conversation “by spitting in your face.” He later suggested that readers send back Stern’s junk mail to the company’s “Scrooge” executives with the phrase “I want the parade” scrawled across it.

    Special events professionals, meanwhile, warned that forgoing the sponsorship might create a bad name for Stern’s that would be difficult to overcome.

    “Philadelphians have a way of remembering,” special events consultant Shelly Picker said.

    https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news/185404234/

    Article from Nov 21, 1986 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>

    ‘We’re delighted’

    The search for a new lead sponsor was arduous, with city officials approaching “most every local company that breathes,” according to a Daily News report. A number of bigger local outfits — ranging from Meridian Bancorp to Kiddie City — bowed out over cost and branding concerns.

    Then, after 56 days of limbo, the Thanksgiving Day parade was back on. And it was thanks to WPVI (Channel 6), better known today as 6abc.

    “When it became clear that because of the time frame and other commitments most were unable to assume that mantle, we decided to do it — and we’re delighted,” said the station’s general manager, Rick Spinner.

    The station had been airing the parade locally for 19 years and seemed to be a natural fit to take over. And, as the Daily News reported, the city had been pressuring Channel 6 to come up with a plan, seeing as the station benefited significantly from broadcasting the day’s festivities.

    The parade would go on to be known as the “Channel 6 Thanksgiving Day Parade.” But that was not the only — or even the biggest — change afoot.

    https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news/185404169/

    Article from Sep 24, 1986 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>

    ‘Establishing new traditions’

    Channel 6 brought in the big guns straight away. Namely, by hiring a parade coordinator named Valerie Lagauskas, who previously managed the Macy’s parade in New York and wrote a book on parade planning.

    A number of changes came under Lagauskas’ leadership, including a new route. Instead of starting at the Philadelphia Art Museum and marching toward City Hall, as had been tradition, the parade would reverse direction and end at the Art Museum. The route would allow for the use of larger balloons, bigger floats, and better camera angles for the parade’s telecast.

    The full parade that year would also be broadcast nationally for the first time, appearing on the Lifetime network, in which ABC was part owner.

    In total, there would be 20 bands, 20 floats, 8 gigantic balloons, and 40 other balloons that were merely very large, The Inquirer reported. A massive balloon of the cartoon cat Heathcliff would make its debut. The theme, fittingly, would be “We Love a Parade.” And leading it all as parade marshal would be Sixers legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving,

    “The old Philadelphia parade has been liberated from its commercial traditions and we’re on the way to establishing new traditions,” Lagauskas said.

    https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer/185404381/

    Article from Nov 28, 1986 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>

    ‘The best ever’

    On parade day, more than 500,000 spectators were expected to attend. And, according to reports from the time, they were not disappointed.

    Not only were there better floats and a more picturesque route, but paradegoers also were met with unseasonably warm temperatures.

    “It’s the first time we’ve been to a Thanksgiving Day parade where you could get a sunburn,” one attendee joked.

    The parade itself seemingly went off without a hitch, concluding on the steps of the Art Museum as Santa Claus pulled up to a rendition of “Happy Holidays.” Musicians and dancers let go of green and white balloons that drifted out over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to cheers.

    And at least one Philadelphian didn’t forget who saved the day. Donna Harris, 30, of Audubon, who had attended the parade yearly since she was 5, was spotted holding a sign that read “Thank You WPVI.”

    “This parade was the best ever,” she said.

  • Elfreth’s Alley is getting a park to honor woman who saved it from demolition

    Elfreth’s Alley is getting a park to honor woman who saved it from demolition

    Few Philadelphians may recognize the name Dolly Ottey, yet nearly all know Elfreth’s Alley — the nation’s oldest residential street — which she helped rescue from decline and demolition starting in the 1930s.

    Now, after years of wrangling, a long-neglected vacant lot that some have derided as an eyesore at the historic location is slated for a transformation in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

    Plans call for the lot at North Second Street and Elfreth’s Alley to be reborn as Dolly Ottey Park, honoring the woman who first championed preservation of the narrow cobblestone passage starting in the 1930s.

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    Job Itzkowitz, executive director of Old City District, said the project took eight years of sporadic effort to get multiple parties to sign off on an agreement to create the park. Old City District is a nonprofit registered community organization.

    “We want it to be a place where residents, tourists, visitors, employers, and employees can take a bit of a respite,” he said. “It’s going to be a drastic improvement.”

    A conceptual rendering of Dolly Ottey park at Second Street and Elfreth’s Alley in Old City, Philadelphia. Organizers hope to transform the existing vacant space into a park by spring.

    On a recent day, families and couples toured Elfreth’s Alley, taking pictures and discussing the history of the area. But none ventured into the vacant lot. Later, a lone woman could be seen walking her dog there.

    Itzkowitz credited a renewed spirit of collaboration for breaking the stalemate.

    He said changes in leadership at the real estate advisory board for the National Old City Apartments, which abuts the park, and crucial support from the nonprofit Elfreth’s Alley Association paved a path for agreement.

    A view of a vacant lot at Second Street and Elfreth’s Alley in Old City Philadelphia. Plans for creation of Dolly Ottey Park at the location and named after an advocate who helped save Elfreth’s Alley in the early to mid 20th Century.

    The lot is owned by Bit Investment Seventy-Eight LLC, according to city records, and is part of that company’s holdings for National Old City Apartments along North Second Street.

    A usable space by spring

    The pocket park will rise in two phases: an interim stage featuring a crushed stone base, picnic tables, planters, wild grasses, and repairs to a crumbling brick wall, followed by a more permanent design.

    An architect has been hired to craft a cost-effective plan to deliver a usable public space by spring 2026.

    The interim plan design for Dolly Ottey Park carries a modest $60,000 budget, with fundraising to break ground in February and finish by March. Old City District has set up an online link for public contributions.

    Itzkowitz said the timing for the interim phase would ensure the park provides a welcoming experience for visitors during the Semiquincentennial as part of a significant historical landmark.

    A view of Elfreth’s Alley.

    Elfreth’s Alley is believed to be America’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street. Its origins trace to the early 1700s, when two landowners combined properties to create a cart path leading to the river. People have been living there since 1713.

    The cobblestone alley, about 400 feet long and lined by 30 brick buildings, was named for Jeremiah Elfreth, an 18th-century blacksmith. It originally housed artisans and merchants, serving as a base for business ventures. Notable figures such as Stephen Girard, who helped finance the War of 1812, are believed to have lived here.

    However, Elfreth’s Alley faced demolition due to neglect and development pressure. From the 1890s to the 1930s, part of the block was rebranded as Cherry Street, leading to the loss of at least one historic home.

    Who is Dolly Ottey?

    Ottey, a resident and owner of the Hearthstone restaurant at 115 Elfreth’s Alley, formed the Elfreth’s Alley Association in 1934 to protect the unique street and save it from destruction.

    A view from Elfreth’s Alley facing a vacant lot at Second Street that will be transformed into Dolly Ottey Park.

    Elfreth’s Alley faced an even bigger existential threat in the 1950s and 1960s when proposed construction of I-95 would have demolished at least half the block.

    The demolition was vehemently opposed by Ottey and the Elfreth’s Alley Association. The community gathered 12,000 signatures for a petition presented at City Hall, successfully pleading for the street to be spared.

    Elfreth’s Alley was protected as a National Historic Landmark in the 1960s as a result and is listed on Philadelphia’s historic register.

    Ottey died in 1996, in South Jersey, at age 85.

    Elfreth’s Alley remains not only a residential area but also a cultural and historical attraction. It holds a museum that educates visitors on its history and the lives of early inhabitants.

  • Philly wants to set its own speed limits, and other highlights of the city’s new Vision Zero report

    Philly wants to set its own speed limits, and other highlights of the city’s new Vision Zero report

    Philadelphia can’t set the speed limits on roads within its own borders. Only the state can.

    So city transportation officials want to persuade Harrisburg to give it the power to set speed limits more appropriate to the density of Philadelphia.

    That is a top action item in the city’s new Vision Zero report, released Tuesday, which will guide traffic safety efforts for the next five years.

    “We’re looking to work with the state legislature to make our roads safer,” said Christopher Puchalsky, director of policy and strategic initiatives at the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems.

    In Pennsylvania, as in many states, speed limits are based on the 85th percentile rule. Engineers measure speeds in a study area and set the limit based on how fast 85% of the drivers there are traveling.

    “It just sort of got adopted and enshrined in law,” Puchalsky said of the principle developed from studies of rural roads in the 1950s and ’60s.

    In recent years, traffic engineers, many states, and federal agencies in charge of traffic safety have been moving away from the approach and toward speeds that help prevent injuries and deaths.

    “It’s one of those things we’ll look back on and say, ‘Why did people think that was a good method?’” Puchalsky said. “And we’ll all scratch our heads — or at least our grandchildren will scratch their heads.”

    Pennsylvania’s legislature would need to amend the state’s vehicle code to grant Philadelphia the authority.

    Similarly, the city wants to expand the use of automated speed enforcement cameras and red-light enforcement cameras. That would also require legislation.

    The speed cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard are now permanent, and the city was authorized to put them on five other dangerous roads on a trial basis.

    Speed cameras also went up on most of Broad Street.

    Here are other takeaways from the Vision Zero report:

    Traffic deaths are still high in Philly

    In 2024, 120 people were killed in vehicle crashes in the city. The number of fatalities has been trending down slightly since 2020, but that figure is still 41% higher than it was in 2015, when the Vision Zero program began.

    “I think we’ve unfortunately hit a higher set-point post pandemic than we would like,” said Kelley Yemen, director of multimodal planning for the city. “We’re seeing encouraging news with this year, but we’ve got two months to go and are holding our breaths.”

    Yemen said the city has seen a 20% reduction in crashes on corridors where Vision Zero has been able to do traffic-calming projects such as installing speed cushions, implementing road diets that slow drivers, and installing separated bike lanes.

    “As we get further out from the pandemic, we’re also hoping we reset some cultural norms on our streets, whether it’s through automated speed enforcement, red-light cameras, or working with [the police department],” she said.

    The size of Philly’s problem

    Philadelphia is an old, dense city with a robust transit system, similar to New York and Boston. But its rate of traffic-related deaths per 100,000 people is many times New York’s — and most closely resembles that of Los Angeles, the Vision Zero report noted, citing federal data from 2019 through 2023.

    Philadelphia had 8.48 traffic deaths per 100,000 people, and Los Angeles had 8.11 per 100,000 residents.

    “We are still reviewing the plan, but our initial reaction is that the goals set forth are not transformational enough to address the climbing traffic death statistics,” said Jessie Amadio, an organizer with Philly Bike Action.

    “Vision Zero safety interventions work in the places they are installed,” but annual progress is too slow, she said.

    Factors that make a crash severe

    Speeding was the leading contributing factor in serious injury and fatal crashes between 2020 and 2024, present in 19%, the report said. Drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs were involved in 8% of the crashes, and 8% ran a red traffic light. Distracted driving was responsible in 4% of crashes, and running stop signs in 2%.

    People walking or using a personal mobility device were involved in 6% of crashes from 2002 through 2024 but were 40% of those who were killed, the report found.

    Thirty-eight percent of people who died were in motor vehicles.

    What were residents’ biggest concerns and asks?

    The Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems heard from about 3,000 city residents about their biggest concerns and preferred responses, said Marco Gorini, the Vision Zero program manager.

    Speeding was the topmost concern, cited by 24% of the people participating, followed by drivers running red lights and stop signs, cited by 23%.

    People were reached at roundtables involving more than 80 community groups, by online services, and through a polling firm that randomly queried 1,500 Philadelphians representative of the city’s overall population.

    Participants supported tough enforcement by automated cameras and police against those violations by wide margins.

    Infrastructure-related changes work best to protect people and change driver behavior, residents said, and they clamored for more traffic-calming measures and street redesigns, according to Gorini. They want to prioritize changes around schools, senior centers, and public parks.

    Besides enforcement and traffic-slowing infrastructure, residents expressed strong support for more safety education — instruction for high school students on safe driving (76%) and education for young students on safe walking and biking (71%).

    And another thing: People want transparency with safety efforts.

    “It’s very important that we regularly report on the state of traffic safety in Philadelphia and the results of Vision Zero interventions,” Gorini said. “This ensures accountability and helps the public understand what the issues are and how efforts to address them are going.”

    Next steps

    The city will be developing a spending plan for new safety projects for the next annual budget, due in the first quarter of 2026. And figuring how to pay for them from city funds and state and federal grants.

  • These professors say they’re part of a growing movement banning laptops from the classroom

    These professors say they’re part of a growing movement banning laptops from the classroom

    Biology professor Jody Hey was lecturing on human evolution one recent day at Temple University.

    His students vigorously took notes by hand in paper notebooks.

    There wasn’t a laptop in sight. Nor an iPhone. No student’s face was hidden by a screen.

    Hey said he stopped allowing them about a year and a half ago after seeing research that students are too often distracted when laptops are open in front of them and actually learn better when they have to distill lectures into handwritten notes.

    “The clearest sign that it’s making a difference is that students are paying attention more,” said Hey, who has taught at Temple for more than 12 years. “And they want to participate much more than before.”

    Hey is among a seemingly growing number of professors who have chosen to keep laptop and phone use out of class, with exceptions for students with disabilities who require accommodations. Several said they made the decision after seeing what some students were doing on their laptops during class.

    Temple University biology professor Jody Hey stopped allowing laptops to be used in class about a year and a half ago. He said he’s noticed improvement in student performance.

    Jessa Lingel, an associate professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program there, stationed teaching assistants in the back of her room to observe.

    Students “were out there booking flights and Airbnbs,” Lingel said. “Fun fall cocktail recipes. They were online gambling in class. I thought, ‘This is not acceptable.’”

    She originally disallowed laptops in 2017, but decided to go easy in 2021 as students returned after the pandemic, she said. She reinforced the ban after her teaching assistants’ observations.

    As colleges grapple with AI’s pitfalls, U. of Delaware uses technology to transform faculty lectures into interactive study aides

    “It’s a movement,” Lingel said. “More and more people are headed in this direction.”

    In Hey’s class, students have warmed up to the laptop ban.

    “At first I didn’t like it,” said Jess Nguyen, 20, a junior genomic medicine major from Broomall, “because I kind of organize all my notes on my laptop. But I feel I’ve been learning better by writing my notes.”

    When she took notes on her iPad, she sometimes got distracted and played computer games, she said. In Hey’s class, that’s not an option.

    Students said it takes more time to write notes and sometimes their hands get tired.

    “After a couple classes, you kind of get used to it,” said Sara Tedla, 22, a senior natural sciences major from Philadelphia.

    She’s on the fence about which way she prefers to take notes.

    “It’s good that for an hour and 20 minutes you can just sit down and, without any technological distractions, focus because that’s a part of your brain you can work on,” said Quinn Johnson, 20, a senior ecology major from Philadelphia. “The more you do it, the easier it becomes to focus on something for a long period of time.”

    ‘Students learn better’

    Professors say laptops are pretty ubiquitous in the classroom when they are permitted.

    Hey conducted research on laptop use and presented it at a Temple department faculty meeting earlier this year.

    “As early as 2003, a study was done contrasting the retention of lecture material by two groups of students, one who had laptops and unrestrained internet access and a second who worked without laptops,” he said. “In that study, students with laptops scored 20% lower on average in the subsequent exam.”

    Four of every five students who used laptops in a general psychology class said they checked email during lectures, another study showed, while 68% used instant messaging, 43% surfed the net, 25% played games, and 35% said they did “other” activities.

    He also cited studies showing students who took notes by hand performed better on tests. Others cited that research, too.

    Penn President emerita Amy Gutmann co-teaches a class at Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication with the dean Sarah Banet-Weiser. They don’t allow laptops or phones to be used in the classroom.

    “I read the literature on it and it really showed that students learn better when they’re taking notes rather than trying to type as fast as they can verbatim what you say,” said Amy Gutmann, Penn president emerita, who is co-teaching a class at the Annenberg School for Communication this fall.

    Amy Gutmann, once Penn president, is teaching again. Here’s what it’s like to be her student.

    Gutmann and co-teacher Sarah Banet-Weiser, dean of Annenberg, do not provide students with copies of their lecture slides, either.

    “We give them time to write down what’s on the slides,” Banet-Weiser said.

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    Benefits of technology

    Some professors say laptop use in class can be beneficial.

    Sudhir Kumar, a Temple biology professor, said he asks his class of 150 students to respond to questions on their laptops every 10 minutes. Their answers count toward their grades.

    “It’s constantly keeping them on their toes,” he said.

    He would not want to see everyone give up on laptop use in class.

    “We cannot fight technology,” he said. “Teachers have to embrace technology, whether it is artificial intelligence or computers. That is a standard mode of operation for most people today.”

    (Left to Right) Jess Nguyen, 20, a junior from Broomall, Allan Thomas, 22, a senior from Philly, and Sara Tedla, 22, a senior from Philly, in a class taught by Temple University biology professor Jody Hey last month.

    In Cathy Brant’s social studies methods class of 20 to 25 students at Rowan University, laptops are key. Brant, an associate professor of education, said there are lots of hands-on group projects, and she frequently asks students to check New Jersey standards online as they prepare their lessons. She also teaches them how to use AI appropriately in the classroom.

    One of her students, she said, recently handed in a paper with very detailed notes from Brant’s lecture that she probably got only because she was able to type quickly on her computer.

    “You’re responsible for paying attention in class,” she said. “Maybe it’s a little harsh, but I’m just like, ‘If you want to be on Facebook the entire time during class, that’s on you.’”

    Jordan Shapiro, an associate professor at Temple, more than a decade ago used to make a point of having his students post on Twitter, now X, during class and counted it toward classroom participation.

    Now, he tells students to put their laptops away during class.

    “I tell them I have no problem with tech or laptops,” he said. “I just think that none of us get enough time in our lives to just focus on ideas or to listen in a sustained way to the people around us.”

    He also became concerned about students doing homework during class, he said, and using artificial intelligence to supply them with questions and comments to ask in class. They were “outsourcing class participation to the robots,” he said.

    Mark Boudreau, a biology professor at Penn State Brandywine, disallowed laptops for the first time this semester.

    “I thought I would get real pushback … or people might even drop the class,” he said. “But … a lot of students have had other faculty who have this policy.”

    Exam scores in his three courses are better this year, he said.

    Hey noted student grades have gone up, too. But he can tell some students struggle with note-taking; some just listen and don’t take notes.

    “That’s better than sitting there and going on Facebook,” he said.

  • Regional Rail service snarled late into Tuesday night because of earlier disabled trains, SEPTA says

    Regional Rail service snarled late into Tuesday night because of earlier disabled trains, SEPTA says

    Regional Rail service through Center City was snarled early Tuesday evening — and late into the night — because of disabled trains blocking a tunnel, SEPTA said.

    “We had a brief power outage at about 4:15 that started this. The power was back within 10 minutes, but we had three trains that could not restart,” said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.

    “We are in the process of transferring those customers to other trains, but it is causing major delays,” Busch said.

    Busch later added that the afternoon power outage originated with Amtrak.

    Shortly before 10:20 p.m., SEPTA reported on social media that service “remains significantly delayed due to earlier overhead power loss in Center City. Expect delays of up to 45 minutes.”

  • William Way LGBT Community Center will permanently close its historic Center City building in December. Services will continue elsewhere.

    William Way LGBT Community Center will permanently close its historic Center City building in December. Services will continue elsewhere.

    One of Philadelphia’s oldest hubs for the LGBTQ+ community will shut its doors in less than a month, as the half-century-old organization transforms its programming and moves on from its aging Spruce Street building.

    The William Way LGBT Community Center will permanently close its 1315 Spruce St. headquarters on Dec. 18, the William Way board announced Monday. This will end the tenure of “a vital gathering space for trans and gender-diverse individuals” across the region and beyond, officials said; however, William Way intends to continue its services, research, and archival efforts elsewhere.

    “While the building may be closing, our commitment to the community remains unwavering,” said Laura Ryan, cochair of William Way’s board. “Our board, staff, and community partners are actively finalizing plans that will guide the center’s next chapter, and we look forward to sharing those details as soon as we can.”

    The property was listed for sale earlier this year, but it was not known if there was a new owner at this time, a William Way spokesperson said.

    Attendees of Philadelphia’s Pride celebrations run under a large Pride flag outside of the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia, Pa. On Dec. 18, 2025, the center will permanently close its Center City building.

    This decision follows years of redevelopment plans and failed fundraising efforts for the 175-year-old building that has served as the LGBTQ+ center’s hub since 1997. The center briefly closed for inspection and emergency repairs last fall, reopening a portion of the building in January 2025.

    As of the board’s recent estimates, and after failing to raise enough capital for repairs, the aging pre-Civil War-era building still needs at least $3.5 million in immediate repairs, the board announced earlier this year.

    “Our community deserves a space that is not only safe and affirming, but fully accessible and equipped to support our future,” William Way’s chief operating officer, Darius McLean, said in June. “The decision to move was not made lightly. It reflects our commitment to delivering programs with dignity and excellence, for today and future generations.”

    Jason Landau Goodman, who is not with the group, takes a photo for the Philadelphia Young Democrats, made up of the Penn Dems and Temple College Democrats as they attend a forum for mayoral candidates at the William Way LGBT Community Center Monday night.

    Moving forward, William Way will operate less as a physical center for services than as a foundation spreading these programs across the city. “The heart of William Way has never been its walls. It’s the people, the programs, and the unwavering commitment to creating a space where LGBTQIA+ individuals are seen, valued, and safe,” said board cochair Dave Huting.

    William Way officials confirmed no programs will be discontinued in the transition.

    Some of its most vital programs will be continuing through the nearby Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany at 330 S. 13th St., around the corner from the William Way center. Starting Jan. 5, 2026, all of the center’s empowerment programs, including the elder initiative, peer counseling, and trans programs, will operate out of St. Luke’s.

    The center’s arts programs will live on through programming at partner organizations and other off-site locations through 2026. For instance, in January and February, Arleen Olshan’s Dead Dykes & Some Gay Men exhibition will be on display at the iMPeRFeCT Gallery in Germantown.

    Alexi Chacon, 25, of Los Angeles, then Archives Intern at the William Way LGBT Community Center, poses for a portrait in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

    The John J. Wilcox Jr. Archives and Library is one of the most important relocation efforts being undertaken, as the center needs to ensure its vast collection of LGBTQ+ history is preserved and ready for its “future home.” Officials for William Way said they have not finalized its new location. Until Dec. 18, the library will remain open for on-site browsing and returns. No materials can be checked out from this point on.

    There will be a few final celebrations to enjoy at the William Way center before its Gayborhood building is closed and transferred to any new buyer. On Thanksgiving Day, from noon to 2 p.m., William Way is hosting a Giving Thanks Dinner and tree-decorating event, featuring an LGBTQ+ sit-down meal and decorating the center’s holiday tree.

    On Dec. 5, from 6 to 9 p.m., the center will host “One Last Dance,” a celebratory evening honoring the many community members, milestones, and memories of the time-honored institution.

    Correction: This article has been updated to note when William Way started using the 1315 Spruce St. building. It was in 1997.

  • A 3-year-old was starved and beaten to death. Lawsuit accuses Philadelphia FIGHT of failing to report ongoing abuse.

    A 3-year-old was starved and beaten to death. Lawsuit accuses Philadelphia FIGHT of failing to report ongoing abuse.

    Three-year-old Hope Jones weighed 24.5 pounds, less than 99% of children her height and age, just a month before she died in July 2022.

    The child was starved and beaten up by her foster parent, a distant relative from Southwest Philadelphia who pleaded no contest to third-degree murder over Hope’s death.

    A child welfare agency, Northeast Treatment Centers, paid $6.5 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of failing to supervise Hope’s care. And in a rare move, one of their social workers was charged criminally but later cleared of wrongdoing in trial.

    A new federal lawsuit is pointing a finger in another direction. It accuses medical providers from Philadelphia FIGHT, a community health nonprofit based in Center City, of failing to investigate or report abuse despite a series of red flags from Hope’s wellness checks.

    The lawsuit, filed Friday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is against the United States because FIGHT is a federally qualified health center and thus receives funding and operates with requirements from the government.

    Philadelphia’s U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment. FIGHT did not respond to a request for comment.

    The lawsuit is not only the latest legal fallout from Hope’s death, but the latest in litigation brought after children who were part of the city’s child welfare system have been harmed.

    This fall, child welfare agencies were sued over the death of 20-month-old Syvir Hill, who was allegedly drowned by another child in a bath unsupervised, and that of 11-year-old Nayshaun Williams, who died of an asthma attack after a school nurse repeatedly raised concerns that he was not receiving adequate medical treatment.

    Toddler’s death in the bathtub of a Philly foster home prompts lawsuit

    The city and its affiliated agencies were sued nearly 70 times between 2012 and 2024 after kids in their care were killed, sexually abused, or injured, an Inquirer/Resolve Philly investigation found. And at least 50 of these lawsuits led to settlements or verdicts of $1 million or more.

    Two agencies declined to extend their contract with the city last year, citing litigation insurance costs.

    The new lawsuit on behalf of Hope’s biological family extends the circle of litigants to include medical providers.

    “It’s another group of professionals that failed Hope,” said Sherrell Dandy, one of the Kline & Specter attorneys representing the family.

    Child welfare services were involved in Hope’s life from her first days on Earth, according to the complaint. Her mother and the infant tested positive for marijuana after the delivery, and the Philadelphia Department of Human Services placed the infant under its care.

    Hope became a FIGHT patient, and her first few visits as a baby went well, the lawsuit says. She was “well-developed and well-nourished,” the complaint says, and had a “good appetite.”

    Hope’s weight reached the 98th percentile at her 15-month wellness visit, in the summer of 2020, but she fell off the growth chart steadily after the following November when she was placed in foster care with a distant relative, the complaint says. Hope failed to meet developmental milestones and lost teeth, a couple times without explanation and another time following an alleged fall.

    The child’s medical records note that she developed an abnormal gait, ate her own feces, and was eating extremely fast followed by periodically vomiting, the suit says.

    The FIGHT physicians did refer Hope to an orthopedic specialist because of her gait, but the lawsuit says that they failed to recognize it as “clinical indicators of severe weight loss and underlying caloric deprivation, starvation, and neglect.”

    Hope’s weight fell to the single digits as summer 2022 approach. She was rushed to the hospital that July and was pronounced dead. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office determined that her cause of death was multiple blunt impact injuries, and the manner of death was homicide.

    “The hallmark for health is growth,” said Nadeem Bezar, another Kline & Specter attorney. “During those visits there were alarming things that were never followed up on.”

    A previous version of the lawsuit was filed against FIGHT in federal court in February. A judge dismissed that case in March because Hope’s estate had other administrative remedies to pursue before filing a lawsuit, and said that the appropriate defendant would be the United States. The new lawsuit says that all administrative remedies were exhausted and the government is the only defendant.

  • SEPTA won $43 million for diesel-electric hybrid buses from the Trump administration

    SEPTA won $43 million for diesel-electric hybrid buses from the Trump administration

    Since taking office for his second term, President Donald Trump has moved to cancel tax incentives and spending for clean-energy technology and prioritized expanded production of oil and natural gas.

    But the federal government apparently is not 100% out of the green fuels business.

    Last week, SEPTA won a $43 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to replace 35 diesel-powered 30-foot buses with an equal number of cleaner diesel-electric hybrid buses that are 32 feet long.

    The money comes from the FTA’s Bus Low- and No-Emission grant program.

    When the new buses are delivered, expected to be in 2028, SEPTA no longer will have diesel-only buses in its fleet.

    Most SEPTA buses are 40 feet long or 60-foot articulated models (the ones with the accordion in the middle). The shorter hybrids will be used on the LUCY Loop in University City and Routes 310, 311, 312, and Route 204, which runs from Eagleville to Paoli Station.

    “These new hybrid buses will increase operational efficiency and help ensure that SEPTA can continue to provide reliable service for customers,” general manager Scott Sauer said.

    SEPTA applied for the grant in July, a spokesperson said.

    “This is a major win for Philadelphia,” U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Philadelphia said. “These new hybrid buses will mean more reliable service, a stronger transit system, and cleaner air for the hundreds of thousands of riders who depend on SEPTA every day.”

    Boyle, a Democrat, said the money came from President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, which Boyle helped champion. The grants were given from the fiscal year 2025 federal budget.

    “Delivering new-and-improved bus infrastructure is yet another example of how America is building again under President Trump,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement. “More people travel by bus than any other form of public transportation.”

    SEPTA’s grant was part of $1.1 billion distributed from the fiscal year 2025 federal budget. The U.S. Department of Transportation said in the announcement that $518 million would be added to the low- and no-emission bus grant program from the fiscal 2026 budget.