When cookbook author Pamela Anderson and her husband, David, were looking for a bucolic escape in Bucks County, they found a forested stretch of land sandwiched between a high ridge and a stream to put down roots.
The couple, who previously lived in New Hope, toured the 11-acre parcel in Riegelsville with an architect back in 2003, learning how their new home could flow with the land. Today, the focal point of Copper House might be the living room, with 180-degree views from floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s like forest bathing, from a comfortable couch.
“We wanted a place to get away,” Anderson said on a recent October afternoon.
Outside, they’ve woven gravel trails into countless grottos, fire pits, and other quiet gathering places for the numerous visitors who’ve descended upon their home for sound baths, yoga, and meditations. On this Friday afternoon, about a dozen architects and interior designers gathered at their home for a corporate retreat to learn about sustainable flooring.
“Some people just want to come here to have a meeting in a lovely place,” Anderson said.
Pamela and David Anderson sit on their couch in their home, Copper House, where they host events and retreats.
The Andersons didn’t just want to live at Copper House, so they went beyond having friends over for dinner. They started hosting corporate events and retreats at their home during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, stopped for a bit, and got things back up again afterward.
“We’ve done most of the work ourselves. We built all the walls ourselves from rocks we had here. It’s expensive to maintain this place, and these events help with that,” Anderson said. “It made sense for us.”
“This was just a natural transition for me from that career to this one,” she said.
David Anderson, a longtime Episcopal priest, said the landscape was wild when they first toured it, filled with brambles and invasive species. The couple has methodically rid the invasive species from various patches of their property, but that work never ends.
Copper House in Upper Bucks County.
Their latest retreat was hosted by Interface, an indoor flooring company that specializes in sustainable projects. Monica Blair-Smith, an account executive with Interface, said they’ve had meetings by a bonfire and in the labyrinth, so far, at Copper House. The team also took a sound bath.
“We toured several places from here to southern New Jersey, but we really loved how much this space was integrated with nature. Hosting in such a beautiful space is important to us,” Blair-Smith said. “Once we toured it, we didn’t go anywhere else. It was a no-brainer.”
Retreat packages at Copper House begin at $1,500.
While events and retreats have become a lucrative business, the Andersons said Copper House is still a home they cherish.
“You’re always seeing something new and different, and our senses are so heightened living here,” Pamela Anderson said. “In winter, it’s like living in a snow globe.”
If you’re looking to clown around, look no further: Philadelphia’s quirkiest bar is a cross between a retro living room, an amusement park’s dumpster, and a clown collector’s dream.
Located above Kensingtonbar Kung Fu Necktie at 1248 N. Front St., the Neon Clown Dream Lounge has roughly 120 salvaged works of clown art competing for attention across the walls, the counters, and even the ceilings.
And yet, the bars’ owner — a man who would only refer to himself as Chicken (real name James Herman) — said the Neon Clown is not a shrine to the professional red-nosed jokers, despite its name and decor. Rather, Philly’s clown lounge is an ode to a few of Chicken’s favorite things: art deco furnishings, upcycled industrial trash, and a touch of clownery.
Chicken’s clown fascination began in the 1990s when he was building his career as an artist and gallerist inspired by Bernard Buffet, a French expressionist painter whose work often depicted downtrodden and almost skeletal clowns. Since then, the painted jokesters have flitted in and out of Chicken’s life. They became subjects of his own art and a bit for his band, Plaque Marks, which performs in full clown suits.
The main dining area inside Kensington’s Neon Clown Dream Lounge, which owner Chicken estimates contains roughly 120 different clowns.
“How can you cancel a clown?” Chicken, 64, said while knocking back his first of several tequila and ouzo cocktails over a recent interview. “There’s no prospect of offending anybody with a clown … Some people love them and some people dislike them, but there’s still a level of whimsy.”
The second-story space served as Kung Fu Necktie’s no-frills music venue until 2018, when Chicken said a Department of Licenses and Inspections officer ordered the second floor to close. The closure — coupled with the pandemic — gave the Kung Fu Necktie owner what he called the “perfect” opportunity to make something useful out of the salvaged wares he’d been collecting for decades from abandoned churches, condemned buildings, and going-out-of-business sales at theme parks.
When the Neon Clown Lounge opened in September 2024, it “was like a relief valve,” Chicken said. “I’ve had some of this s— for 30 years.”
The clown bar was an apartment before it was anything else. The living room was replaced by the bar’s main seating area, where a leather couch and a row of vintage seating from one of LaGuardia Airport’s lounges sit beneath a cluster of clown masks Chicken retrofitted into ambient light fixtures. The parlor was knocked out in favor of a stage paneled with leftover wood from a now-demolished house on Front Street; the room is outfitted with a disco light that spins above couches fit for a conversation pit.
The rest of the space is peppered with clown portraits and figurines both large and small, including a trio of eerily childlike wooden cutouts Chicken purchased from Obnoxious Antiques, a warehouse that mines amusement parks for treasure in Burlington, New Jersey.
There’s no criteria for what makes a good piece of clownery, Chicken said, other than that it captures the aura of the 1970s. The decade was a golden age for clowns in popular culture, not long after Barnum & Bailey opened the first clown college to train people to emulate characters like Bozo and Ronald McDonald.
The ceiling of Kensington’s Neon Clown Dream Lounge is covered with clown masks that owner Chicken retrofitted into lighting fixtures.
“I could’ve put out a bunch of crap you can buy at the dollar store,” said Chicken. “We want stuff that’s one-of-one and authentic. Something that is of the era, not replicated.”
A space for clowns, tended by the ‘clown neutral’
Bar manager Evan Madden — who self-identifies as “clown neutral” — said he tries to imbue the drinks program with the energy of a clown. Both, after all, are very serious about doing what some consider unserious work.
The Neon Clown Dream Lounge never has a cover, and the only food on offer are $2 hot dogs. The drink menu has 12 cocktails with names that conjure up images of killer clowns and carnival food, like “Endless Nightmare,” “Witching Hour,” or “Tropical Hot Dog Too.”
The Tropical Hot Dog Too (left) and Endless Nightmare (right) cocktails from Neon Clown Dream Lounge.
The Endless Nightmare is the lounge’s house margarita and uses Espolón tequila that Madden says spends just under a week marinating in a pineapple-lime mixture; on good weeks, the bar goes through six to eight 25-ounce bottles of the mix. The Witching Hour comes across as a spiked coffee, combining cold brew with rum, amaretto, mint extract, and a shot of dry Curacao for a citrus-y aftertaste. Tropical Hot Dog Too mixes smoky mezcal with a vermouth that spends hours steeping in a mixture of chilies, limes, and grapefruit liqueur.
Roughly once a month, Madden said, a group of clowns will sit at the bar in full costume and imbibe. “They’re appreciative of the space,” he continued. “There’s not a lot of clown bars in Philadelphia.”
Nearly every piece of decor inside the Neon Clown Dream Lounge has been thrifted or salvaged from abandoned homes, churches, or amusement parks.
Or anywhere, really. Outside of Philadelphia, the clown lounge’s only competition in the United States is Creepy’s in Portland, Ore., which has animatronic dolls and pinball, but only a fraction of Chicken’s clowns.
Still, not everyone is a fan, said Chicken: When the bar first opened, one customer left a review saying there weren’t enough clowns. Tough nuts, Chicken said with another cocktail in hand.
The clown lounge is “like a sanctuary … a safe zone,” Chicken said. “We want to make the space feel open and comfortable.”
The Rose Tree Media School District is moving forward with plans to build a kindergarten and first-grade school in Middletown Township, marking its second attempt in recent years to build a new school amid rising enrollment and shrinking classroom space.
The district says the school will be necessary to accommodate increasing student numbers and will finally allow the Delaware County community to offer full-day kindergarten. Yet an uphill battle remains before crews can break ground, as the district must receive approvals from Middletown Township’s council, which has signaled apprehension over traffic and development in the growing municipality.
Why is the district planning to build a new school?
The Rose Tree Media School District plans to build a new elementary school for kindergarten and first-grade students, known as the K-1 Early Learning Center, on district-owned land behind Penncrest High School.
Put simply, “We are overcrowded at the elementary level,” said Rose Tree Media School District Superintendent Joe Meloche.
The school district estimates that more than 600 new homes have been built within its bounds in the last six years, including major developments like Pond’s Edge and the Franklin Mint site. The school district serves Media Borough and Edgmont, Middletown, and Upper Providence Townships. Between 2020 and 2024, Middletown saw a nearly 6% growth rate, due in large part to the new developments. The district projects it will grow by around 300 students in the next 10 years.
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This growth has forced the district to adopt space-saving measures. At Glenwood Elementary School, two modular classrooms were installed in 2023. The school got two more modular classrooms in 2024, then two more in 2025. There are now 10 modular classrooms being used across the district.
While Rose Tree Media can temporarily expand its classroom space, it can’t expand gyms, cafeterias, auditoriums, nurse’s offices, and other communal spaces. Beyond that, Meloche said, older school buildings aren’t designed to accommodate a modern school day, which includes far more individualized services, breakout groups, and collaborative work than it used to.
What will the new school look like?
Rose Tree Media is working with the Schrader Group, an architecture firm that has designed schools throughout the Philly region, including a K-1 school in Phoenixville.
Having Rose Tree Media’s youngest learners in one building will allow the district to add some “nuanced things” to the school’s design, Meloche said. Small water fountains, tiny sinks, and low-to-the-ground chairs come to mind. The K-1 Center will also place all of the district’s kindergarten and first-grade teachers in one place, making professional development and sharing of resources easier, Meloche said.
The project is currently estimated to cost $84 million. The district says it plans to sell bonds to build the school.
Though suggestions have floated around that Rose Tree Media remodel an old school, rather than build something new, district officials say it’s unrealistic. According to the district, purchasing and repurposing an old building “would be costly and would not meet the needs of young children” as it would lack accessibility features, safe play areas, and elements designed specifically for early learners.
What will this mean for full-day kindergarten?
Rose Tree Media is one of many districts in the Philadelphia region that have historically not offered full-day kindergarten.
Citing families’ needs for childcare and the developmental benefits of full-day schooling, many districts in the region have begun implementing full-day programs. The Penn-Delco School District implemented full-day kindergarten in 2023. Lower Merion switched from half-day to full-day last school year. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law ending half-day kindergarten across the state earlier this summer.
Meloche said bringing full-day kindergarten to Rose Tree Media has been on the table since he came to the district from Cherry Hill in 2023. Full-day kindergarten, Meloche said, will allow the district to “provide a much more substantial foundation for our children.” Under the half-day model, learning is crammed into a shorter period, he said, leaving little time for developmentally important activities like free play, outdoor activities, and specials like art, music, and physical education. Rose Tree Media’s existing elementary schools could not accommodate full-day kindergarten, according to the district.
What happened to the district’s previous proposal in Edgmont Township?
Rose Tree Media evaluated 23 potential sites for a new school before landing on a piece of land in Edgmont Township. That plan fell apart after the township denied the school district’s application in 2023, prompting the district to sue. The school district withdrew its legal challenge last spring and pivoted to the K-1 Center proposal.
Meloche said the district is in the process of selling the 37-acre Edgmont Township property on Route 352. The school district is finalizing the appraisal and has a buyer. They hope to finalize the process, including receiving court approval to sell, by the end of the year.
What will the approval process with Middletown Township look like?
Though the district already owns the property behind Penncrest High School, it is required to go through a planning and development process with local and state governing bodies, which can take several months.
The township has asked the district to undergo an expanded traffic study, which will include evaluations of the intersections of Middletown and Oriole Roads, Rose Tree Road and Hunting Hills Lane, and three access points to Penncrest High School on Barren Road. Once the district completes its expanded traffic study, it will submit a preliminary land development plan to the township. That will kick off a series of public hearings.
The district plans to hold an Act 34 hearing in January, a public meeting required by Pennsylvania law that gives residents and employees an opportunity to weigh in on the project.
During public meetings this fall, some residents urged the Middletown Township Council to deny the school district’s proposal, referencing traffic concerns and the desire to preserve green space. Others implored them to approve the school, citing a need to accommodate residents of new apartments and offer full-day kindergarten to working parents.
Council members noted that the school district will have the opportunity to address community concerns before an official plan is brought to the council.
Councilmember David Bialek said at a Sept. 17 meeting that the district has implied to the public that the K-1 Center is “a done deal” and “rubber-stamped,” when a preliminary plan has not yet been submitted.
In an emailed statement, Meloche said, “We have stated multiple times publicly that we have identified the K-1 Center’s location and purpose, and are now in the approval phase, which includes a rigorous process of approvals from Middletown Township, Delaware County, DEP and PennDot. We have been clear that the land development process must be completed prior to obtaining a building permit. The discussion at our Board meetings, the information on the Time to Bloom web page, and our monthly Time to Bloom email updates have laid out the land development process in detail.”
A rendering of the Rose Tree Media School District’s proposed K-1 center, which the district hopes to build behind Penncrest High School.
Township council chair Bibianna Dussling saidat an Oct. 1 meeting that the “details are going to be key” as the council considers the K-1 Center plans.
“It’s complicated because you can see the pros and cons,” Dussling said. “There’s a lot of concerns as far as the location, traffic, the neighbors, the neighborhood in very close proximity to it, the roadways there that are already busy.”
The district has said its professionals are working on creating an “optimal traffic flow,” which may include adding an additional parking lot for athletic fields and routing K-1 Center bus access around the back of Penncrest High School.
“We believe that we are all on the same side and on the same team,” Meloche said, adding that the goal is “to meet the needs of our community at-large, and to do so in a fiscally responsible but forward-thinking and future-looking way.”
The district says the new school will open in time for the 2028-29 school year. If the application is denied, a spokesperson from the district said they do not have an alternative plan for the K-1 Center.
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.
Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran acted legally in signing up to have his deputies help ICE enforce federal immigration laws, a judge ruled Wednesday in a case that has riled residents on both sides of a contentious issue.
Bucks County Court Judge Jeffrey Trauger said Harran’s cooperation with the agency was “clearly lawful under Pennsylvania jurisprudence,” and both “reasonable and necessary” in fulfilling his lawful duty to keep the citizens of Bucks County safe.
What the judge called “intergovernmental cooperation of law enforcement” is no different under the law at the county, state, or federal level, he wrote.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Harran said he was pleased with the decision and expected his partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be fully operational by the end of next week.
“I knew from the time I started this that I was in the right, that the county commissioners do not control the office of the sheriff,” Harran said.
A spokesperson for Bucks County said the county intended to appeal.
Those who sought to block Harran’s efforts said they would continue to battle.
“This decision doesn’t mean that we’ll stop fighting to hold Sheriff Harran accountable,” said Diana Robinson, co-executive director of Make the Road Pennsylvania, an advocacy group that was one of the plaintiffs. ”Indeed, we will redouble our efforts in this case and continue to fight for what is right.”
She said an alliance between Harran’s department and ICE was aimed at “turning our neighborhoods into surveillance zones” and “weaponizing local law enforcement to carry out ICE’s harmful agenda.”
Community members rally in Bucks County before civil rights groups asked a judge to block Sheriff Fred Harran’s controversial partnership with ICE.
In his opinion, the judge said it did not appear that Make the Road, NAACP Bucks County, or Buxmont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship as organizations had clear standing to sue under Pennsylvania law.
While individual members might have standing if they were caused harm by the sheriff’s office, he said, the injuries they alleged were “not immediate or substantial,” and their complaint was based in part on speculation about what might happen.
ACLU of Pennsylvania attorney Stephen Loney, who helped lead the court fight, said Wednesday that he disagreed with the decision.
“In the most respectful way I could possibly say it, I think the judge got it totally wrong,” he said. “It’s unfortunate.”
He said the ACLU would appeal the decision.
ICE officials did not immediately offer comment.
Melanie Goldstein holds a sign as demonstrators rally outside the Bucks County Administration building before a hearing last month during which the ACLU and other organizations sought an injunction to stop the Bucks County sheriff from going through with his plan to help ICE enforce immigration laws.
Laura Rose, an organizer with Indivisible Bucks County, said the group was “deeply disappointed in Judge Trauger’s decision” to let Harran proceed “without guardrails.”
She called the ruling “a profound failure to protect both the immigrants and taxpayers of Bucks County.”
Rose called on voters to end the local alliance with ICE by voting Harran out of office on Nov. 4.
Harran’s lawyer, Wally Zimolong, called the decision “a victory for the rule of law and for the safety of Bucks County residents,” and accused the ACLU of maligning the sheriff with false claims.
“Frankly,” he said, “it is mind-boggling that anyone would oppose this. It is also a vindication for Sheriff Harran, a good and honorable man and dedicated public servant. … It is a proud day when people of good character, like Sheriff Harran, prevail over those that lack it.”
In the spring, Harran and ICE officials signed what is called a 287(g) agreement, a controversial program named for a section of a 1996 immigration law. It enables local police to undergo ICE training, then assist the agency in identifying, arresting, and deporting immigrants.
Shortly before the government shutdown, ICE was poised to begin backing its recruitment efforts with money, announcing that it would reimburse cooperating police agencies for costs that previously had been borne by local departments and taxpayers.
Harran, who is seeking reelection in November, has pledged “zero cost” to local taxpayers.
He insists the alliance with ICE will prevent crime and keep people safe. Civil rights groups say the sheriff is inviting racial profiling, taxpayer liability, and a loss of trust between police and citizens.
Bucks County’s sheriff Fred Harran, outside the courthouse in Doylestown, PA, June 9, 2025.
Contentious legal hearings have come against a backdrop of name-calling and rancor outside the courtroom.
The Democratic-led Bucks County Board of Commissioners has disavowed Harran’s actions, voting 2-1, with the lone Republican opposed, to approve a resolution that declared the agreement with ICE “is not an appropriate use of Bucks County taxpayer resources.”
The ICE issue has become central to Democrats’ effort to oust Harran, a Republican, while the sheriff says his intentions have been misconstrued by political opponents and the news media.
“A judge ruling that he has the authority to enter into this deportation agreement does not make this any less dangerous,” Harran’s Democratic opponent, Danny Ceisler, said in a statement Wednesday.
The last opportunity to end the partnership, Ceisler said, is by winning the election next month.
A key issue has been the difference between what Harran says he intends to do and the much broader powers conferred within the agreement with ICE.
Harran signed up for the “Task Force Model,” the most far-reaching of the three types of 287(g) agreements. It allows local police to challenge people on the streets about their immigration status and arrest them for violations.
Harran said his officers won’t do that.
Wednesday’s ruling, Harran said, recognized the limited scope of his plans, and he suggested that every county should partner with ICE.
“I’m only interested in making the county safer, and I’m only interested in dealing with those folks that are in this country illegally that have committed crimes,” Harran said. “I am not the immigration police. I am not Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
Harran has said staff will electronically check the immigration status of people who have contact with the sheriff’s office because of alleged criminal offenses. Those found to be in the country illegally will be turned over or transported to ICE, if the federal agency desires, he said.
Harran testified in court last month that he planned to create a sheriff’s office policy to specify the limits of his deputies’ powers but had not yet done so.
He insisted that his office would take only the actions he has described.
“We will not be stopping people to ask them on immigration status,” he said under cross-examination. “I know what I am doing, and that’s all I intend to do.”
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.
With the exception of a sign etched onto a glass window on the ground floor, there’s no indication that an entertainment venue and bar awaits beyond the doors of Media’s predominately office-focused Phoenix building.
Inside is equally vague. There’s just a large sign that reads “Martinique Deux” situated on a staircase leading to the basement. Following it downstairs, there’s an innocuous door that leads to a speakeasy-like bar.
Martinique Deux’s owners — business partners James Matika, Jason Fogg, and Pat Collins — like that it has a bit of a mystique, at least for the time being.
That will change when the entertainment venue and bar debuts on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, during a soft opening in advance of its grand opening on Oct. 23.
Located at 115 W. State St., the 2,400-square-foot space features a long bar with chairs, high- and low-top tables, including some with church pews for seating, a stage with a piano, as well as a back section with couches and a big-screen TV.
Though largely dark and atmospheric, there are some pop culture nods, like a large painting of David Bowie and a photo of Princess Diana sporting an Eagles jacket.
When Martinique Deux opens, its owners envision it as a lively place where people can grab a drink before or after dinner, watch a game, play darts, and enjoy a music or comedy show. It will be open from 4 p.m. to midnight on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and open earlier on weekends.
A dart board on the wall at Martinique Deux in Media.
The 21-and-over venue will have live entertainment at least three days a week, with music performances on Fridays and Saturdays and comedy shows on Thursdays, though the lineups will vary. They plan to launch with a range of musical acts and comedy, with some being ticketed events and others charging a cover.
Sports fans can also catch games, with a large TV taking center stage during Eagles games.
“If there’s Philly sports on, that’s what will be on,” Matika said.
After football season ends, they’re contemplating adding acoustic performances on Sundays. Weekends may also see Martinique Deux open earlier to accommodate Premier League soccer fans.
Martinique Deux will also be open on Wednesdays starting around Thanksgiving, but largely without planned entertainment.
The bar will offer staple food items like soft pretzels, popcorn, and chips, with plans to partner with neighboring pizza joint Lariele Wood Fired Square Pie. They’re also contemplating a rotating food truck lineup on live entertainment nights.
While they’re still finalizing the cocktail list, it will likely be bourbon-forward and feature Pops McCann liquors, Fogg’s Pottstown distillery that produces bourbons, whiskeys, and a rum, and is planning to expand into vodkas and tequilas.
“We’re going to keep it simple,” Matika said.
The bar will feature Pops McCann liquors, Fogg’s Pottstown distillery.
When Martinique Deux opens, it will mark the end of a year-and-a-half-long effort to bring the concept to life. Matika and Collins began working on it together last March after each independently considered similar ideas. They soon connected and set about transforming the space, which was sitting empty after an escape room there closed amid the pandemic.
Both also have experience in the industry — Matika worked at Tap 24 and La Belle Epoque in Media and grew up in the bars his father owned, including The Martinique in Wildwood. Similarly, Collins’ father formerly owned the Clam Tavern in Clifton Heights, and Collins himself said he owned a dive bar in South Philly previously.
They later connected with Fogg through a mutual friend, bringing the entire vision together.
Owners Jason Fogg, James Matika, and Pat Collins pose for a photo at the bar.
“I think it’s going to be one of Media’s staples,” Collins said.
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.
The Mann is getting a new name. With a major sponsorship in hand, Philadelphia’s arts center in Fairmount Park will now be called the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts.
The Pittsburgh-based Highmark insurance company will join the Mann nameplate starting immediately under the terms of a 12-year deal.
“This investment will absolutely help to ensure that the Mann will continue to be an evolving, creative, living, inviting premier destination for our region, for all the artists that we present, and for the audiences that come. This is really an exciting next step for us,” said Catherine M. Cahill, president and CEO of the arts center.
The main entrance to the Highmark Mann as it is envisioned after a renovation and re-opening in the spring of 2026.
Cahill and Highmark declined to discuss how much the company paid for the naming rights and other financial details. “Substantial” is how Dan Tropeano, market president of Highmark Blue Shield in Southeastern Pennsylvania, described the amount of money the company will pay to put its name on the venue.
He noted that Highmark had entered the Philadelphia market recently — in 2023 — and that the company saw an alignment between its customers and the Mann’s patrons.
“They offer programming that appeals to the entire demographic of the folks here in Southeast Pa., whether that’s the orchestra for folks that like that kind of thing, whether it’s other music festivals that cater to other types,” said Tropeano, who recalled attending his first Mann concert in 1991 (the Allman Brothers Band). “We find it to be one of the most diverse venues that really exposes us to the entire community, not just one defined segment.”
The arts center will use the moniker Highmark Mann for short.
A rendering of a new Welcome Center at the arts center that, when built, will house a Music Hall of Fame Jukebox, gift shop and a continuously running LED ticker with names of performers who have played the center throughout its history.
The new name was announced Wednesday afternoon in a ceremony marking the start of construction on a renovation slated for completion in the spring. The project is part of a $70 million campaign that will also boost endowment and fund operations and artistic projects.
Among the changes coming to the Mann are a new main entry canopy and a plaza three times the size of the current one. A section of the Mann’s angular shed will display a 4,900-square-foot LED screen animated with video and kinetic artwork. Digital pillars, landscaping, lighting, and new way-finding features are on the way.
To date, nearly $60 million has been raised toward the $70 million total, said Cahill, who declined to specify whether the money from Highmark would be paid in one lump sum or in installments over years.
“This is an important component of this campaign, but we still have more work to do. We still have more money to raise,” she said, adding that she expects the $70 million goal to be reached by February 2027.
Catherine M. Cahill, president and CEO of what is now called the Highmark Mann, with the Philadelphia Orchestra rehearsing in the background, July 23, 2025.
The new name is the center’s fourth. Called the Robin Hood Dell West at its opening in 1976, it was renamed the Mann Music Center in 1979 for philanthropist Fredric R. Mann and then, in 1998, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts.
The new name will apply not just to the physical campus — which includes the main shed named for TD Bank and a smaller stage at the top of the hill already named for Highmark — but also to the organization itself.
(The name change is a rebranding; the center is not changing its name legally.)
Fans cheer while Black Thought of The Roots performed during day two of the Roots Picnic 2025 at the Mann Center on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
Some major naming opportunities may be spoken for, but others remain, Cahill said.
“We have the plaza that can be named. We have backstage spaces to be named. We have programmatic things to be named. We have a whole laundry list of naming rights.”
Though officials declined to quantify the cost of the sponsorship deal, Cahill said the amount was in line with similar ones elsewhere.
“We did national benchmarking about the world of naming rights, and I can tell you we are absolutely confident that where we landed in this deal is exactly where the Mann should be.”
Three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices are on the ballot this November, when voters will decide whether to extend each of their tenures for another 10-year term.
There are currently five justices who were elected as Democrats and two who were elected as Republicans on the bench.
This year’s retention race has drawn heightened attention, as Republicans have launched a campaign to sink the retention bids of Justices Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue, and David Wecht — all elected as Democrats in 2015 — in hopes of flipping the court’s balance.
Still, advocacy groups on both sides of the aisle are trying to make the case that control of the judicial seats is critical, if not existential, to their causes.
The Inquirer reviewed the cases that have come before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court over the last decade, and how Dougherty, Donohue, and Wecht voted.
Here are some of the most significant cases of their tenure.
The ruling came in a case challenging a state law limiting Medicaid funding for abortions except in cases involving rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother.
The 219-page majority opinion included language that strongly endorsed access to abortion as a right derived from the Pennsylvania Constitution, but the judges could not agree on whether they were ready to make the call in this case.
The majority sent questions about a specific funding limit and broader constitutional protection for abortion access back to a lower court — setting up another round of legal battles that will likely, again, make it before the state Supreme Court.
How the three justices ruled: Donohue wrote and Wecht joined the majority opinion. The two justices said they believed Pennsylvania’s 1971 Equal Rights Amendment clearly established a right to abortion access. Dougherty wrote a separate opinion saying this case did not call on the court to opine on the right to an abortion. “At least, not yet,” he wrote.
Voting rights and elections
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled on a litany of challenges to Pennsylvania’s election rules, many of them focused on the state’s mail voting law.
In 2020, the court issued a major ruling ahead of the presidential election allowing for ballot drop boxes and allowing local election offices to accept ballots for up to three days after the election as long as those ballots were postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
How the three justices ruled: Donohue, Dougherty,and Wecht each joined the majority opinion in the redistricting case. On the 2020 election ruling, Dougherty and Wecht joined the majority opinion. Donohue joined the majority opinion but dissented from the decision to extend the ballot deadline.
A Delaware County secured drop box for the return of mail ballots in 2022 in Newtown Square.
Education
A Delaware County school district had the right to challenge Pennsylvania’s school-funding system, the Supreme Court ruled in 2017.
The decision affirmed the role of courts in ensuring that state funding leads to equitable education and sent the case back to Commonwealth Court to proceed with litigation.
In 2023, Commonwealth Court ruled, as part of the same case, that the state’s funding system for school districts led to disparities that prohibit quality education for all students, rendering it unconstitutional.
How the three justices ruled:Wecht wrote the majority opinion, which Dougherty and Donohue joined.
Environment
Pennsylvania, which partly sits on the natural gas-rich Marcellus Shale, found itself in the midst of the fracking boom of the early 2000s.
The state sold leases to oil and gas companies to drill wells. The practice raised questions, and legal challenges, as to how the state should use the revenues in the context of the Pennsylvania Constitution’s Environmental Rights Amendment.
The court ruled in 2017 that it is unconstitutional for the state to userevenuefrom the royalties of oil and gas leases on public land to pay for anything but conservation and maintenance of the environment.
How the three justices ruled: Donohue wrote the majority opinion, which Dougherty and Wecht joined.
Justices David Wecht, Christine Donohue and Kevin Dougherty sit onstage during a fireside chat at Central High School in September. The conversation was moderated by Cherri Gregg, co-host of Studio 2 on WHYY, and presented by the Committee of Seventy, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania.
Criminal justice
Pennsylvania has had the nation’s largest population of juvenile lifers: people sentenced as minors to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In 2017, the Supreme Court made it harder to sentence a juvenile to life. The majority opinion says there is a “presumption” against life without parole for juveniles who are found guilty of murder, and prosecutors must show that the offender is “unable to be rehabilitated” when seeking the sentence.
How the three justices ruled: Donohue wrote the majority opinion, which Dougherty and Wecht joined.
Second Amendment
In 2024, for the first time, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an opinion that interpreted the wording in the U.S. Constitution that gives Pennsylvanians the right to bear arms.
In Stroud Township, a zoning ordinance that prohibited the discharge of a firearm within the township’s borders limited the possible locations for shooting ranges. The ordinance barred a resident from having a personal outdoor shooting range on his property, and he sued the township for violating his Second Amendment rights.
The court ruled that the ordinance was constitutional.
How the three justices ruled: Dougherty wrote the majority opinion, which Wecht joined. Donohuewrote her own opinion, reaching the same conclusion as the majority but disagreeing with the analysis.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner talks about Republican-led efforts to investigate his record addressing crime and gun violence at the Pennsylvania Capitol in 2022.
The decision said that the articles of impeachment approved by the state House in late 2022 were “null and void” because they were sent to the Pennsylvania Senate on the last day of that year’s legislative session, and the upper chamber did not complete its work on the matter before the next session began. The attempt to carry the process from one two-year session to the next was unlawful, the court said.
The majority also agreed with a lower court that none of the articles of impeachment met the required legal standard of “misbehavior in office.”
How the three justices ruled: Donohue and Wecht joined the majority opinion. Dougherty did not participate in the deliberations.
How the three justices ruled: Wecht wrote the majority opinion, which Donohue joined. Dougherty wrote a separate opinion, saying he would allow for Cosby to be retried, but would order his testimony from the civil case to be suppressed.
Seventy-six sounds like a lot of restaurants — until you consider just how many gems there are in the Philly area. We whittled our selections down to the main list, but there were still some scouts’ favorites that didn’t make the cut.
Amá
The emergence of chef Frankie Ramirez and his thrilling vision of modern Mexican food at Amá is one of the best food storylines of 2025. His seasonal tlayuda topped with a summer sunburst of squash blossoms over epazote pesto and Oaxaca cheese is one of the most beautiful things I’ve eaten all year. The milpa salad is a poetic tribute to the cornfields of his youth and may be the dish that finally gets Philadelphians to love eating bugs. Ramirez’s large-format sharing centerpieces — lamb neck birria, an entire octopus flashed over the wood-fired grill — are showstoppers that offer a glimpse of contemporary Mexican cooking this city has yet to see. The sunny corner room with white walls and a view of the kitchen’s fiery hearth channels the minimalist-chic vibe of its new building amid the construction boom along Front Street in Kensington-Fishtown, but the large space has also posed persistent challenges for service that need more polish on a number of fronts before Amá can reach its true potential. — Craig LaBan
Amá, 101 W. Oxford St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122, 215-933-0707, amaphl.com
The seasonal tlayuda at Amá.
Artisan Boulanger Patissier
It’s been three years since Andre Chin — who co-owned Artisan Boulanger Patissier in South Philly alongside his wife, Amanda Eap — died following a long battle with prostate cancer. But his presence is still felt everywhere: from the baker and pastry artist’s delectable croissants to the framed portrait of him that hangs over the register area, to the handwritten cards and drawings addressed to Eap and taped to the glass. With the help of their two sons, the couple’s James Beard-nominated Cambodian-French cafe continues to stand strong as a community pillar with a devoted fan base churning in for signature cronuts, Vietnamese iced coffee, and over-stuffed banh mis served on perfectly fluffy baguettes. Try the almond sticks, which still draw a line on weekend mornings at this 23-year-old cash-only spot. — Emily Bloch
Located on Vine Street — practically on the expressway — Chon Tong is an unlikely place to find some of Philadelphia’s best Thai food. And yet, their hoi tod, a golden-edged mussel pancake; tum tod (imagine the best, puckeringly sweet-and-sour papaya salad but fried); and jay tod, speckled with juicy-sweet corn kernels and crunchy tofu crackling with crevices, are only three tiny precursors to the spectacular dishes emerging from a kitchen that specializes in Central Thai recipes. Ignore that Chon Tong advertises itself as a Thai dessert kitchen. You’re here for the beefy boat noodles, the moo ping — unctuous, barbecued pork sausages pressed into patties and strung onto skewers — spicy chicken wings, and curries that skew sweet (not a bad thing). — Kiki Aranita
Hoi Tod is a mussel pancake served over gently stir-fried bean sprouts at Chon Tong.
D’jakarta Cafe
Although the Indonesian food scene in Philly — like in its native Indonesia — represents a huge amount of regional variation, most restaurants offer certain dishes recognized as national staples. This is where D’jakarta Cafe, near 16th and Ritner Streets, truly excels. While it specializes in the flavors of Jakarta and West Borneo, nearly every iconic Indonesian dish is available and executed to near perfection. An order of both their nasi rendang and nasi kuning yields an embarrassment of riches: beef rendang, wonderfully crisp fried chicken, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), and turmeric-stained rice. Not to mention their assortment of noodle soto (soups) and a char-grilled pompano (ikan bakar) dressed with sambal that will convince you there’s no better way to eat fish. For dessert, don’t miss the jus alpukat, an avocado-chocolate smoothie that’s a common drink in tropical Indonesia. But instead of the typical drizzle of chocolate syrup, D’jakarta’s rendition resembles a milkshake, topped with a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a Pirouline wafer masquerading as a straw. — Jasen Lo
Small egg noodle, big egg noodle (right) and bowls of meatball soup at D’Jakarta, 1540 W. Ritner St.
El Primo
This 17-year-old Norristown institution started off as a Mexican specialty grocery store, eventually expanding into prepared food. Last year, it moved to a bigger location next to the town’s DMV. In addition to the grocery store stocked with Mexican chiles, herbs, and a section of vaquero boots, the new locale includes a bakery and carniceria. But there’s also a vibrant dining room covered in murals and featuring bespoke wood seating — a departure from the picnic tables El Primo used in the past. Diners are greeted with a bowl of chips covered in creamy, spicy refried beans; mosey over to the salsa bar for any additional accoutrements. Latin music on the speakers and friendly staff make for a festive dining experience. El Primo’s menu is vast, but standouts include the mole poblano, with its hints of sweetness and spice, as well as the flavor-packed tacos árabes and perfectly cooked lengua tacos. — Ximena Conde
El Primo, 1700 Markley St., Norristown, Pa. 19401, 610-279-2610, elprimoproduce.com
Gouldsburger’s
Yes, Gouldsburger’s original location, in Haddonfield, is the centerpiece of an aspiring franchise empire that has already crossed the Delaware River, opening locations in the territory of already-established steak shops. But have you tasted the sandwich? Have you bitten into that soft, everything bagel-seasoned roll, born in a Moorestown bakery? Usually the goal is to bake a roll that is crusty on the outside and soft inside, but in breaking the rules, Gouldsburger’s separates itself in the best possible way. In the embrace of that roll, tender and carefully griddled ribbons of rib-eye steak marry beautifully with an even spread of yellow Cooper Sharp, composing a symphony of a sandwich that’s well-balanced and not overstuffed. Another standout is the buffalo chicken cheesesteak — but be prepared for a healthy dose of spice sprinkled on the diced chunks of chicken breast. They’ll have you breaking a sweat even on a brisk November afternoon. It’s further proof that Gouldsburger’s can compete with the slew of top-notch offerings across the river. — Tommy Rowan
Gouldsburger’s, six locations (two in Philadelphia, four in South Jersey), gouldsburgers.com
Griddle & Rice at 22nd and Jackson Streets.
Griddle & Rice
You could easily mistake Griddle & Rice for a diner offering all-American breakfast — the retro checkered-tile interior almost invites that association, and it wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate. The charming brunch spot near Girard Estates serves excellent French toast and eggs Benedict. But once you spot the sink in the corner and the Indonesian aunties happily eating nasi uduk (breakfast rice platter) and satay skewers with their right hands, you’ll realize that Griddle & Rice is also a warung — the Indonesian term for a casual, usually family-run food stall. Sure, you could treat your groggy morning with their omelet breakfast, but ask for a dollop of one of their many sambals to give your eggs a kick, and you’ll be just as nourished by a bowl of bubur ayam — shredded chicken congee garnished with fried shallots, peanuts, scallions. As one of the only Indonesian places in Philly with an espresso machine, Griddle & Rice also serves a unique assortment of Indonesian beverages, such as the nostalgia-inducing milo dinosaur (malted chocolate powder excessively heaped atop iced malted chocolate), coffee with gula aren (palm sugar), and a frothy tek tarik(hand-pulled milk tea). — Jasen Lo
It doesn’t get more South Philly than a hole-in-the-wall Mexican brunch restaurant that also dishes out brie pancakes and an Old Bay-spiced crab frittata under a big green Eagles banner. The menu is an homage to chef Israel Romero’s upbringing and combines the food he grew up eating as a child in Puebla with the over-the-top American breakfasts he grew to love after immigrating to Philadelphia at age 18. It’s easy to get distracted by the menu’s long selection of sweet breakfasts, including numerous French toast iterations that take inspiration from, among other things, coffee cake and churros. But it’s worthwhile to opt for some savory plates, like the bandeja Mexicana — a little-bit-of-everything platter complete with a twice-cooked tamale and carne asada — or the chilaquiles divorciados, which pairs red and green chilaquiles with a hefty serving of steak and eggs. — Beatrice Forman
Jersey Kebab became a local rallying point earlier in 2025 when Emine Emanet, the powerhouse matriarch of the restaurant, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for two weeks. The community came together to support this beloved South Jersey institution, where colorful variations of Turkish delights line the display case up front. In the seating area, plates of iskender, adana kebabs, and baklava are served at comfy tables. Turkish decor and music invite customers to linger. Love for the community comes through with every thoughtful dish they serve, bringing diners from Philadelphia and other cities out to Haddon Township. — Hira Qureshi
Few curmudgeonly chefs have as much apparent fun as Nic Macri, who likes to shake up the menu at this Bella Vista institution every three months or so with a special event that packs the house — be it a weekend devoted to an international array of pies, from pithiviers to key lime, or a month-long house-made hot dog bonanza. But this gastropub deserves to be on The 76 not for its rousing one-offs but for its day-in, day-out excellence. Royal’s reputation has long been synonymous with its drippy, smoked Gouda-topped burger, but the more intriguing sandwiches — a double-take-worthy vegan gyro, a mesmerizing smoked beef round slicked with maple dijonnaise, a handheld mushroom cutlet with hoagie relish I couldn’t stop eating — have been the real draws since the restaurant reopened in 2023. Round that out with a stellar lineup of snacks (legitimately great beet-pickled eggs, crab puffs showered in grated cheese, house-made ham and focaccia with pickle butter), vegetable-centric sides and fan-favorite desserts, and general manager Eden Beschen’s carefully curated beverage program, and you’ve got one of the most complete neighborhood bars in the city. And the kitchen stays open till 1 a.m. like clockwork, to boot. — Jenn Ladd
Royal Tavern, 937 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147, 215-389-6694, royaltavern.com
A Chicago-style hot dog that chef Nic Macri offered at Royal Tavern during a “Dog Days of Summer” promotion.
Sansom Kabob House
To find excellent Afghan food in Philadelphia, venture to the corner of 13th and South Streets, where platters of raisin-filled qablee palaw and spiced chablee kabobs served with Afghan rice, salad, and bread are the best dishes on the menu. Well-rendered Afghan specialties have emanated from the kitchen at Sansom Kabob House, named after its original address on Sansom Street, since its opening in 2002. We have our favorites, but there’s no incorrect order here — unless you skip dessert. The furni pudding and sheeryaki ice cream will make the savory hits a happy afterthought. — Hira Qureshi
One crunch into the honey-drizzled fried chicken at South and you’ll understand its staying power. Nearly a decade into its run on North Broad Street, Robert and Benjamin Bynum’s upscale soul foodery — dresses and suits, please — stands apart from the sea of styrofoam takeouts. Of course, that’s due in part to the in-house jazz venue and the brass solos that ooze like chase scenes through the bungalow-style dining room. But South’s menu deserves a separate ovation. Come for the classic skillet of cornbread topped with a decadent pearl of butter, and the rosemary turkey wings, cooked low and slow to perfection. Then venture deeper into the diaspora riffs on the menu, like the brioche crab toasts with salmon roe. Open four nights a week, don’t be surprised if it’s hard to get a prime-time reservation. And make sure you dress to the nines. — Max Marin
South, 600 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19130, 215-600-2049, southjazzkitchen.com
Benjamin Bynum Jr. (left) and his brother, Robert Bynum, at South restaurant, 600 N. Broad St.
Tierra Colombiana
Jorge Mosquera has operated the Hunting Park institution Tierra Colombiana as a neighborhood catch-all since 1989. The restaurant serves a little bit of everything — from Puerto Rican street food and Argentinian churrasco to Colombian breakfast and filet mignon — creating an experience that’s not unlike dining at the Cheesecake Factory, where combing through a massive menu to find exactly what you’re craving is part of the journey. Politicians use Tierra Colombiana’s first floor to court voters and celebrate life milestones, while the upstairs nightclub hosts a popular singles night every Friday. Come for an oversized margarita and the whole red snapper, stay to salsa-dance the night away. — Beatrice Forman
This truck near 33rd and Market Streets in West Philly started out in 2022 as a smoothie spot aimed at thirsty Penn students, but patrons soon discovered proprietors Boronne and Sue Gao were also serving excellent breakfast. Jianbing guozi, a savory crepe, has the regional ubiquity of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich in some Chinese cities — but it is nearly unheard of in the Philadelphia region. So, last year, the mother and son duo rebranded altogether. West River’s rendition fills a delectable egg-and-mung bean crepe with crunchy sheets of wonton and a savory filling of your choice; favorites include braised pork brushed with chili oil or a Chinese-style hot dog that scratches a nostalgic itch for students from Tianjin, the city where both the dish and Sue Gao originated. Whatever your choice, the combination of crepe, wonton, and filling adds up to sizzling comfort food that transcends national boundaries. To top it all off, West River also offers a dim sum menu featuring dan dan noodles, bao, and chili oil dumplings. — Ryan W. Briggs
Before the first pitch is thrown, Tyrone Young arrives early to the baseball field at Hunting Park to pick up trash in both dugouts where teenagers gather to play in North Philadelphia’s Heritage Baseball League.
The trash is what he can control. What he can’t fix are the deep holes on the base paths that make it nearly impossible to play when it rains. He believes race has something to do with the condition of his field.
“Certain fields you might go in the Northeast … their fields are immaculate, but why do ours not look like that?” said Young, who founded the league in 2008.
A new city-funded study of nearly all public sports facilities in Philadelphia confirmed his suspicions: Neighborhoods with more white residents have more fields, amenities that are in better shape, and more youth sports programs than other areas. The survey, conducted across more than 1,400 fields, courts, and baseball diamonds in 2023, also found lower crime rates in the blocks surrounding sports facilities and youth programs, echoing the belief of many coaches that sports help kids stay out of trouble.
The study also found that areas with higher rates of homeownership have more sports facilities. Areas with a higher proportion of white residents are more likely to have youth sports programs, while areas with a higher proportion of foreign-born residents are less likely to have them.
There are holes throughout the baseball field at Hunting Park. The holes trap water, making it difficult for the players to use it.
“I wouldn’t even want to imagine if they weren’t playing baseball what they would be doing,” Young said of his players. “So [we’re] giving them an avenue to do some stuff.”
The Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative (PYSC), a nonprofit consortium of youth sports providers, chose Temple University’s Sport Industry Research Center to conduct the study with funding from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. The city and PYSC had a shared interest in gathering data on fields that had experienced “a lifetime of underinvestment,” said Beth Devine, PYSC’s executive director.
“As an advocate in this space, we not only have to identify the issues but we have to call them out,” Devine said. “If we want to say that we’re a youth sports city and we’re investing in youth sports, we can’t only do that, we have to look at the spaces where the kids are playing.”
The study’s results reflect Philadelphia’s de facto racial segregation and a pattern of disinvestment in communities of color. But they also show the city’s sports facilities are in poor shape overall, with 60% rated “somewhat below” or “far below” average quality, attributed in large part to heavy traffic, litter, and poor maintenance.
The city’s Rebuild initiative to renovate parks, libraries, and recreation centers has made a dent in the catalog of fields in need. But in Hunting Park, where Young’s Heritage League plays, the ball field built 13 years ago with help from former Phillie Ryan Howard is an example of what can happen when facilities don’t receive sustained care over time.
“The investment has to be a long-term, thoughtful, and deep investment,” said Mike Barsotti, the director of youth sports at Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. “Every neighborhood needs to have these great advantages, so how do we think about doing that, not in six months, but over a 20-year plan?”
An effort to fix the fields
For decades, Philadelphia leaders have been contending with how to fix the city’s park infrastructure — labeled “Acres of Neglect” by the Daily News in 2001 — amid a growing body of research tying quality green space to crime prevention.
Rebuild, launched under former Mayor Jim Kenney and continued by Cherelle L. Parker’s administration, has showed signs of success: Thirty-nine sites have received improvements and another 21 are under construction or in planning phases, according to an October report from the city, and sports facilities at completed sites were rated at 18% higher quality than other sites in the Temple study.
However, Rebuild has been beset by delays and was largely funded by one-time cash infusions of bonds, grants, and city capital funds. Maintaining those sites and others over time with sustained investment should be a priority, Devine said.
“If you renovate a building with no solid long-term investment in the maintenance of what you’ve just done, you’re going to be talking about Rebuild again in 20 years,” Devine said.
Philadelphia ranked 14th among U.S. cities in total city spending on parks in 2024, according to the Trust for Public Land. The $83.5 million budgeted for Parks and Recreation this fiscal year comprised about 1.2% of the city’s $6.8 billion budget.
The stakes of continued investment in youth sports are tied to the city’s crime prevention efforts, as the Temple study found 21% less violent crime in the immediate area surrounding sports facilities compared to sites without them. The study found similar trends for sites with more permitted youth sports programs.
“We talk about Rebuild and the importance of built physical infrastructure, but there’s a huge personal, social component to this, which I think is the programming itself, and is using these places as essentially a hub to build social capital and positive social relations among community members,” said Gareth Jones, the study’s principal investigator.
A member of the North Heritage Baseball League wears a shirt detailing the league that the Phillies help run at Hunting Park. The Phillies help run leagues across the city.
The Parker administration in 2024 poured $3 million into youth sports, including $450,000 for PYSC’s Philly Youth Sports Fund, with an explicit focus on youth development and violence prevention, Philly Voice reported.
Shanika Bowen, whose son Elijah plays for Young’s Heritage Baseball League, said when children are doing something positive — like playing baseball — “we have to back them on that.”
“Many people are complaining about the kids being on the street and not having anything to do,” Bowen said. “That money needs to be put into different programs to have these kids doing something other than being out on the corners or running rambunctiously, not doing anything.
“If they don’t have the field, where are they going to go?”
Emelie Beckman contributed reporting to this story.
Playing Fields, Not Killing Fields is an Inquirer collaboration with Temple’s Claire Smith Center for Sports Media and the Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting, to produce a series examining the current state of Philadelphia’s youth recreation infrastructure and programs. The project will explore the challenges and solutions to sports serving as a viable response to gun violence and an engine to revitalize city neighborhoods.
Penn believes it has all the right pieces to be a competitive women’s basketball program in the Ivy League.
Now the Quakers just have to put it all together.
After a season in which Penn lost in the first round of the conference tournament for the third straight year, the Quakers find themselves only a month away from opening tip at the Palestra with plenty of questions still left to answer.
Having to reinvent the offense to make up for the loss of first-team All-Ivy forward Stina Almqvist — who led the team in total minutes, points, and rebounds — coach Mike McLaughlin recognizes that the starting rotation needs a lot of ironing out .
Penn will miss the production of Stina Almqvist, who led the team in total minutes, points, and rebounds.
“I think we need a little more in the post. … We need to see who’s going to be three, four, and five in that rotation,” McLaughlin said. “ … That is the area that I need to see more of because that’s been inconsistent so far.”
Katie Collins, last year’s Ivy League Rookie of the Year, is the only other front court player to log significant minutes for Penn — and is preparing to adapt to playing next to a more traditional center in Tina Njike.
“Little different from last year with Katie and Stina,” McLaughlin said. “They could both play inside and out. Katie is going to need to adapt a bit because Tina’s ball skills away from the basket are not where Stina’s were.”
With McLaughlin believing Njike to be capable of playing only 20 minutes a game because of her physical style of play, the team will have to find valuable minutes from players eager to make an impact.
Katie Collins (center), last season’s Ivy League Rookie of the Year, will be relied on even more in her sophomore season.
Kate Lipatova, a 6-foot-3 stretch forward from Moscow, rounds out the frontcourt group alongside fellow international freshman Ari Paraskevopoulou (Greece).
“[Lipatova] hasn’t played, unfortunately, she got hurt 10 minutes into practice, and will be out at least a couple more weeks, which is going to impede her growth,” McLaughlin said. “She had a nice preseason. … This is definitely a setback.”
Figuring out the rotation
Point guard Mataya Gayle is set to take center stage for the first time with the Quakers. After being a strong No. 2 to Almqvist in 2024 and former first-team All-Ivy forward Jordan Obi in 2023, Gayle will be Penn’s go-to player when it comes to scoring.
“This kid is ready,” McLaughlin said. “She’s going to have a huge year. She’s going to score it, she’s going to assist it, you’re going to see her rebound the ball better, you’re going to see her in big spots being significantly further along.
“I think for someone with her stature after the first two years, she’s taken massive growth, [and] I just love where the kid is mentally — I just think she’s doing it the right way.”
Which players get to fill out the rotation, besides Gayle and Collins, is still up in the air. Stalwart guards Saniah Caldwell and Abby Sharpe, who played significant minutes last year, are battling injuries already — leaving the door open to establish a larger rotation of guards.
“If we can add 10 players that can actually get out there and play at our level every day, I think this team has a chance” of competing for a championship, McLaughlin said.
Roster overturn and injuries will always lead to uncertainty. Gayle, though, is confident that this is the roster that will bring Ivy glory back to the Palestra.
“This is the most excited I’ve been about a season — I see us taking this to the next level,” Gayle said. “We’ve had a lot of team conversations, internal work, and I think we are all on the same page this year, which is obviously winning an Ivy League championship.”
Penn guard Mataya Gayle (right) enters as one of the team’s leaders on offense.
With the season growing closer by the day, McLaughlin feels as though this squad has the ability to rise to the occasion by the end of the season.
“If a couple of these kids take a bigger step before we get to league play, anything can happen from there,” McLaughlin said. “ … We have a ways to go to get to where we were last year, but our ceiling couldn’t be higher.”
