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  • NHL draft: Best remaining fits for the Flyers entering Day 2

    NHL draft: Best remaining fits for the Flyers entering Day 2

    ATLANTIC CITY — Now that the first round is over, it’s time to turn the page to Rounds 2-7.

    After selecting towering defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii in Round 1, the Flyers have picks Nos. 53 and 62 in the second round, 120 in the fourth, 136 in the fifth, and 213 in the seventh.

    Here are 14 names to keep an eye on for Day 2 (which begins at 11 a.m. on NHL Network and ESPN+) in alphabetical order.

    Niklas Aaram-Olsen’s teammate with Örebro HK U20, Alexander Command, said he is “hard-working” and “enjoyed playing with him, [a] talented guy.”

    Niklas Aaram-Olsen, LW, Örebro (Sweden)

    A power forward, the Norwegian just put up 20 goals and 40 points in 29 regular-season games in Sweden’s junior league before adding another eight points in 13 playoff games. He spent some time in the SHL, Sweden’s top men’s league, this season, and put up points on the international stage. He’s not a playmaker, but according to Karl Kling, his coach with the junior team, he’s explosive and has a great shot; however, he has to play more to his strengths, work on driving to the net, and be more direct in his game. He is a boom-or-bust kind of player.

    Ryder Cali, C, North Bay (Ontario Hockey League)

    Off to Providence College in the fall, his coach, Nate Leaman, told The Inquirer he is “quick out of the gate, good hockey IQ, really competitive, good shot. He does a lot of things well.” Cali is a 200-foot center — says “it’s fun” to take care of his own end — has a great motor, says it’s satisfying to steal pucks, and won’t be 18 until early September.

    Flyers draft: Jaxon Cover and Ryder Cali grew up playing roller hockey in the Cayman Islands. Now they will be drafted into the NHL.

    Adam Goljer, RHD, Trenčín (Slovakia)

    Named the tournament’s best defender at the U18s this spring, Slovakia’s captain recently turned 18. He’s a bit of a project, but has already proven he can be a workhorse by averaging more than 20 minutes for Slovakia on the top pair, including ice time on the power play and penalty kill.

    Ben Macbeath, LHD, Calgary (Western Hockey League)

    This past season, Macbeath notched 51 points (seven goals, 44 assists) in 67 regular-season games and added another two assists in seven playoff games. He killed penalties, got power-play time, and described himself as “a two-way defenseman. I think I got good feet, which allow me to impact both sides of the game.” According to Elite Prospects, he needs to work on his reads and killing plays quicker. He can work on building his aggressiveness and urgency at the University of Denver in the fall.

    Pierce Mbuyi, LW, Owen Sound (OHL)

    The Penn State 2027 commit is a skilled winger who notched 75 points in 68 games this past season as an OHL rookie. The son of a mom from Prince Edward Island and a dad from Russia, he found his love of the game from his brother. “I think something I pride myself on is how I see the ice, my vision,” he told The Inquirer. “I think I make my teammates around me better. Another thing I pride myself on is my compete, my work ethic.”

    Charlie Morrison (27) lays a booming hit during a game against the Charlottetown Islanders.

    Charlie Morrison, LHD, Québec (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League)

    Morrison was our second-round pick for the Flyers in Friday’s final mock draft. His GM, Simon Gagné, has the scouting report: “A big, strong defenseman. Likes to hit. Likes to [catch] guys [with their] head down, middle of the ice type of defenseman that you don’t see too often in the league anymore. They’re seeing, sure, that Charlie needs to improve — he’s only played two years in our league — but he’s getting better and stronger, and that’s definitely a guy that could be a good pick for the Flyers.”

    NHL draft grades: Flyers go back to the size well with London Knights blueliner Maksim Sokolovskii

    Brooks Rogowski, C, Oshawa (OHL)

    Although he initially was a baseball player — his father, Casey, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and reached triple A, and the Los Angeles Dodgers selected his uncle Ryan — Rogowski is a 6-7, 236-pound center who is committed to Michigan State. Nick Fohr, who coached him at the U.S. National Team Development Program, describes him as a big, dependable centerman with a strong work ethic who has a big personality and was a vocal leader on the bench.

    Filip Růžička, G, Brandon (WHL)

    A 6-8 behemoth in net who spent this season playing for the same team the Flyers snagged Carson Bjarnason from in 2023, the Czechia native tied for the seventh-best save percentage (.906) in the WHL in the regular season. In the playoffs, he started all four games, upping his save percentage to .936 while dropping his GAA to 2.47. Wheat Kings coach and former Flyer Marty Murray said in a text with The Inquirer, “He made tremendous strides throughout the season. I think he was really raw when he arrived, and worked hard on his game with our goalie coach, Tyler Plante. I think there is still room to grow, but I believe his ceiling is very high.”

    Five things to know about Flyers draft pick Maksim Sokolovskii

    Egor Shilov, C, Victoriaville (QMJHL)

    A Penn State commit, the Russian spent the past year playing in the QMJHL for Victoriaville, where he centered the top line. He won 54.8% of his faceoffs and put up 82 points (31 on the power play) in 63 games on the way to being named the league’s offensive rookie of the year despite not turning 18 until the end of April.

    Alexandre Taillefer had 17 points in a 28-game injury-shortened season.

    Alexandre Taillefer, LHD, Québec (QMJHL)

    Another guy that Gagné is pushing for the Flyers, here’s a scouting report from Flyers prospect and teammate Nathan Quinn on the UMass 2027 commit: “I think he’s a really, really good offensive defenseman. He has a lot of skills with the puck. Obviously, it was a hard season for him — he had a bad injury — [and] he’s a really good kid too, but his strength is with the puck. He’s a really good guy on the power play. His skill set is pretty impressive.”

    Tobias Trejbal, G, Youngstown (USHL)

    “If we’re in a position to draft a top-end goalie, we’ll look at that,” Danny Brière said Friday. Many expect the Czechia native, who is off to UMass in September, to be the first goalie off the board. A right catch goalie, he went 30-9-3 with a .916 save percentage for the Phantoms (apropos, no?). “Nothing that rattles him, very athletic, tracks pucks really well. His hands are really good, he’s never out of a save, he’s got like the next puck mentality, like if he gets scored on, he’s stopping the next puck,” Youngstown coach Ryan Ward said.

    Xavier Villeneuve, LHD, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)

    Size is probably what cost Villeneuve a first-round slot; that and the 5-10¾, 164-pound blueliner needs to work on his defense and gain strength to accommodate his small stature. He’s dynamic — and that’s the word assistant GM Brent Flahr said a small guy would need to be. “Offensively, he’s seeing things, and he’s able to create things that not too many players are able to do,” his coach with the Armada, Alexandre Jacques, told The Inquirer. “At the offensive blue line, he is really, really, really deceptive, so he’s able to create something out of nothing with his edge [work]. Skating sideways is probably one of his greatest attributes, and he’s good at using [his edge work] to create shooting lanes or to create offensive situations.” Villeneuve is following in the footsteps of his comparable, Lane Hutson, and will play for Boston University this season.

    Blake Zielinski holds his NHL draft day jacket at his family home on Monday, June 22, 2026, in Berlin. Zielinski’s jacket features different moments throughout his hockey career.

    Blake Zielinski, F, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

    There is mutual interest here, but it all depends on whether he is there. Zielinski grew up in Berlin, Camden County, and played for Flyers Elite before heading to North Jersey to suit up for the Avalanche. As he said, he knows what it takes to be a Flyer, and at the combine, Brière asked him if it felt like home. His name started rising after his play at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and the kid who loves to score will head to Providence in the fall, with Leaman calling him “really crafty around the net.”

    Cole Zurawski, RW, Owen Sound (OHL)

    A later-round option, there are two reasons he is on this list. One is that he is off to Notre Dame, where highly regarded Flyers prospect Cole Knuble just turned pro from. And two, he finished in the top 25 of 13 fitness tests at the scouting combine. There are only 15 tests. It was noted during his draft year how well Jett Luchanko did in the testing, and he only finished in the top 25 in seven tests.

  • The hidden link between mummers and Pennsylvania’s most notorious labor rebels

    The hidden link between mummers and Pennsylvania’s most notorious labor rebels

    The biggest mass execution in Pennsylvania’s long history took place 149 years ago this week.

    Ten Irish Catholics from the hard coal region went to the gallows, convicted of murder in a long-running labor war against the all-powerful coal companies. Another 10 would be hanged over the next few years, for a total of 20. Their trials made a mockery of justice, with a coal company president as prosecutor, a Pinkerton detective hired by the company as the star witness, and Irish Catholics excluded from the jury.

    The hanged men were called Molly Maguires, a name straight out of Ireland, where a secret society using that moniker battled the landlords on behalf of starving peasants during the horror of the 1840s potato famine. These Mollies disguised themselves in women’s clothing, or straw clothing, or whiteface or blackface. And they timed their killings around major holidays.

    That’s because the Molly Maguires were merely the flip side of a group quite familiar to Philadelphians — the mummers. The connection explains many of the mysteries about the Mollies — where the name came from, why the Mollies wore odd disguises, why they did their killing around high points of the calendar, and why they were revived in Pennsylvania amid resistance to the Civil War draft.

    In Ireland, mummers were more actors than musicians. They visited every home in a district around New Year’s and collected money by putting on a skit that always featured a killing. The money paid for a party for the whole community. Groups like the mummers performed this kind of trick or treat around other big holidays — St. Brigid’s Day on Feb. 1, Easter, the summer solstice and Halloween.

    During the potato famine, small bands of men — dressed in the women’s clothes or the straw of the mummers — began going from house to house, collecting money for the hungry. But these men weren’t mummers. They were Molly Maguires. And when they didn’t get what they wanted, or when landlords evicted tenant farmers, the mock killing of the mummers became the very real violence of the Molly Maguires.

    The entrance to the former Carbon County Jail in Jim Thorpe, Pa., where seven Irish coal miners were hanged in 1877.

    The killings often took place around the days that the mummers celebrated, to signal that the Mollies were acting on behalf of the community. The three most celebrated Molly murders in Ireland came within a day or two of St. Brigid’s Day, the summer solstice, and Halloween.

    The name itself sounds like something from the mummers’ play. A female character often had names that began with the letter M — Molly Masket or Mary Ann McMonagle. And, curiously, Molly Maguire wasn’t always Molly — a number of death threats were signed “Mary Ann Maguire.” The similarity between “Mary Ann McMonagle” and “Mary Anne Maguire” underlined the links between the mummers and the Mollies.

    Famine emigration led many from the Molly Maguire heartland to the booming anthracite industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It was one of the few rural places in the United States where famine immigrants settled in such concentrated numbers that the folkways of the Irish countryside were transplanted wholesale, including mummery — and its associated pattern of violence. In 1848, a man acquitted of killing an Irishman was murdered in Schuylkill County, on Dec. 30. The killer, an Irishman, had whitened his face like a mime or a mummer.

    Mummery had long been established in Philadelphia, but a peculiar offshoot, called the fantasticals, emerged in Northern Liberties before the Civil War, as a protest against mandatory militia service. At the time, able-bodied men between ages 21 and 45 were regularly required to muster for militia drill. This meant a day without pay — and the fantasticals protested by making a mockery of it.

    They showed up for drill in ridiculous costumes, with giant wooden swords, or in some cases the leg of a deer. This mockery widened from muster day to mummers parades around Christmas and the Fourth of July and Halloween, and spread beyond Philadelphia.

    Before one of the Molly Maguires was hanged, he put his hand on the dirty floor of his cell in the former Carbon County Jail and then placed it firmly on the wall proclaiming, “This handprint will remain as proof of my innocence.”

    In 1855, the Pottsville militia was called out after a mine boss was beaten in Branchdale, Schuylkill County. Though just four men attacked him, the militia rounded up 28 Irish Catholics. Adding insult to arrest, the militia then played a Protestant anthem from Ulster, “The Boyne Water,” which celebrated the defeat of Catholic Ireland.

    It just so happened that the fantasticals made their first appearance in Schuylkill County that very year, marching in Pottsville on Christmas Day. The whole performance mocked the Pottsville militia and its music. The captain wielded a giant wooden sword, the rest were dressed in “every imaginable burlesque costume,” and the band was drunk — and played that way. In 1857, when the militia was used to break a strike by largely Irish mine workers in Cass Township, the fantasticals appeared in Schuylkill Haven on the Fourth of July and in Cressona on Dec. 26.

    A few short years after those anti-militia mummers parades, opposition to compulsory militia service in the Civil War led to the revival of the Molly Maguires. The man who administered the 1862 militia draft in Schuylkill County was a nativist Republican who saw conscription as a way to sweep large numbers of Irish Catholic Democrats into the maw of a bloody war. He set unfairly high conscription quotas for heavily Irish Cass Township, then urged that the draftees be shipped out before a crucial election.

    A cell in the former Carbon County Jail in Jim Thorpe, Pa.

    In response, Irish mine workers went out on strike, marching under arms with a fife and drum from mine to mine. Two months later, they went out on strike again, calling themselves Molly Maguires. When a government crackdown appeared imminent, the Mollies targeted residents who had shown government sympathies by volunteering for the military.

    On Jan. 2, 1863, five men fatally shot an Irish mine worker home wounded from the Union Army, then cheered for the Confederate president. Over the next nine days, two former militia men were attacked in Cass Township. A few days after Halloween, gunmen with false whiskers and blackened faces killed a mine owner who had been helping to enforce conscription.

    Note the progression. In the last half of the 1850s, some Schuylkill County residents were making fun of the militia, but by 1862, they were on strike to oppose the militia draft, and as 1862 edged into 1863, they were shooting former militia members around New Year’s. As in Ireland, what started as mummer revelry ended as Molly Maguire rebellion.

    The Molly troubles raged for another 15 years, ending only when a Pinkerton infiltrated the organization. The ensuing executions showed that the Mollies were no match for the coal companies and the state of Pennsylvania when it came to dealing death at high points of the calendar. The biggest killing — the hanging of 10 men on June 21, 1877 — came on the summer solstice.

    Mark Bulik is the author of “The Sons of Molly Maguire: The Irish Roots of America’s First Labor War.” A retired senior editor for The New York Times, he grew up in Ridley Park, Delaware County.

  • A time capsule meant to be opened in 250 years will be buried in Philly next week

    A time capsule meant to be opened in 250 years will be buried in Philly next week

    Next week, Philadelphia will begin a centuries-long stint as the host of a time capsule that is not meant to be unearthed for a quarter of a millennium.

    Set to be buried on July Fourth at Independence National Historical Park, the time capsule comes to the city as part of the celebrations surrounding the United States’ Semiquincentennial. After its burial, it is not slated to be seen again until 2276.

    Known officially as “America’s Time Capsule,” it features items from every U.S. state and territory, as well as contributions from the three branches of government. Its creation was led by America250, a national, nonpartisan organization that Congress placed in charge of the 250th birthday celebrations.

    Weighing in at 900 pounds, the time capsule — a massive cylinder emblazoned with an “America250” logo on its side — was sealed shut last week at a ceremony in Gaithersburg, Md. Its unveiling 250 years from now is intended to show future generations “the care, pride, and optimism with which Americans marked our 250th anniversary,” said America250 chair Rosie Rios in a statement.

    Inside the capsule, which is constructed of stainless steel, archival contents sit organized largely in small boxes, with paper documents in a separate compartment. Many states submitted hundreds of letters, postcards, posters, poems, and other printed material for inclusion.

    America250 has posted a detailed list of all the items included in the time capsule. Pennsylvania, for example, contributed a letter from Gov. Josh Shapiro, as well as an archival booklet. New Jersey, meanwhile, ponied up a stainless steel plate inscribed with a greeting for the time capsule’s future openers. And Delaware sent in a set of a dozen notecards from residents detailing their thoughts on what the state means to them.

    There were some guidelines on what states could submit, as items that could degrade or rust were not allowed. Maryland, as a result, was not able to submit Old Bay seasoning, the Associated Press reported.

    Some items were innovative. A “molecular data storage device” from the Library of Congress was included, and it contains synthetic DNA encoded with copies of several items from the library’s collection — including a draft of the Declaration of Independence, handwritten lyrics for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and a 3-D rendering of President Abraham Lincoln’s hand, America250 said.

    Items were sealed inside at 35% relative humidity to make sure they did not dry out or disintegrate, as well as to keep them from decaying due to moisture issues. The capsule is slated to be buried 10 feet below ground, which should keep it from being damaged by swings in temperature or storms.

    “Philadelphia would have to be six feet underwater in order for this time capsule to even possibly take on water,” Michael Berilla, director of fabrication technology at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, told the AP. ”And if Philly is six feet underwater, you’ve got way bigger problems in the world.”

    Congress dedicated the time capsule in a ceremony Wednesday. Thomas Austin, architect of the Capitol, said it includes a passage from the Declaration of Independence on its front.

    “For those who have the privilege to work here in the Capitol, you get a sense that you are just one chapter in a long history book,” Austin said. “The U.S. Capitol is a symbol of that history. In fact, it is the symbol of that American history.”

    This is not the first time capsule project undertaken by the United States. In 1976, President Gerald Ford opened a “Century Safe” that had been created a century before, and the country that year created a Bicentennial capsule that is to be opened in 2076.

    The time capsule set to be buried in Philadelphia on July Fourth, meanwhile, will be marked with a capstone that includes information about its contents and creation. Additional details about the time capsule’s burial were still forthcoming Friday, according to the America250 website.

    This article contains information from the Associated Press.

  • Do we kick a neighbor out of our HOA group chat?

    Do we kick a neighbor out of our HOA group chat?

    This week’s question (Have your own? Submit it here.):

    I am in an HOA. We are all in one group chat and are friendly to one another. One of the women in our chat, who is very nice in person, uses the chat to complain, almost weekly.

    She thinks the kids are too loud playing outside on a Saturday afternoon. She says one of us put our trash out 20 minutes before we’re technically allowed to. She says one of us closes our front door so hard that it shakes the whole building. She constantly asks for us to get her Amazon packages and if we say we’re not home she says, “ANYONE ELSE?” Yes, in caps.

    So yeah, we don’t like her. We’ve tried! So there are some ideas floating around, the main one being: Do we mute that group chat and start a new one without her? Or do we just tell her what the deal is?

    Kiki Aranita, Food & Dining Reporter

    100% mute that chat and start a new one.

    Elizabeth Wellington, Features Columnist

    I agree with Kiki.

    But, we are trying to be helpful here and it’s a horrible thing when someone ignores the group chat. Have you established any ground rules in the chat? If not, maybe it’s time?

    Kiki Aranita

    Yeah, was this a chat established for getting packages for one another?

    Elizabeth Wellington

    I think at the very least you send a message out that starts with “No complaining.”

    My apartment complex had a similar group chat on WhatsApp. After a month, I opted out. I’d rather not be in the know then hear about all of these people’s incremental problems.

    Kiki Aranita

    I’m not in an HOA but I live on a block where I know my neighbors and we’re all super active in grabbing one another’s packages and super appreciative of one another.

    That said, we don’t complain in our group chats. Complaints are for friend group chats, not neighbor group chats.

    Elizabeth Wellington

    There are ways to keep people informed and, in this world, we need to be informed.

    So my suggestion in drawing up ground rules is: no complaining. Informing is not complaining.

    Kiki Aranita

    Create a mini version of a neighborhood Facebook group, which has established ground rules, and is actively monitored by admins.

    By the way — that last question of “do we tell her what the deal is?” I would not do this.

    Elizabeth Wellington

    I might though. People need to know when they are getting on your last nerves.

    Maybe she doesn’t know how annoying she is. Maybe telling her is the first step.

    Kiki Aranita

    I’m not scared of confrontation in general, but I think confrontation like this can make it difficult to live with someone in such close proximity.

    Elizabeth Wellington

    You don’t have to curse her out, just a gentle nudge… “Like, girl… some of your group chat messages have been off-putting. We try not to complain. We are solutions oriented.”

    Kiki, should we come up with a list of ground rules to help these folks out?

    Kiki Aranita

    First, no shouting/all caps.

    Elizabeth Wellington

    No making fun of people. No cursing. No complaining about things, especially other people. No gossip.

    Kiki Aranita

    Establish a motto like “to support and inform.”

    I also like the idea of multiple group chats for neighbors (because I have them). They’re like slack channels. One is just for packages. Another one of my friends also has multiple group chats. Unfortunately, one of them is “the rat chat” — it only deals with rats.

    Elizabeth Wellington

    It’s fine if neighbors want to splinter off to talk about other things like packages and other such things, but the HOA group chat should be accessible to everyone in the HOA and it should have guidelines and rules.

    You may not like old girl, but she lives there too.

    Just set ground rules going forward.

    Kiki Aranita

    With a positive motto.

  • Ghana’s return to the region is its first since becoming a part of Philly soccer lore nearly 15 years ago

    Ghana’s return to the region is its first since becoming a part of Philly soccer lore nearly 15 years ago

    When Ghana closes out its final group stage match of the World Cup in Philadelphia against Croatia on Saturday (5 p.m., FS1) it’ll mark the West African nation’s first return to the region since it became a piece of Philly soccer lore 14 years prior on a rainy night in Chester.

    Fresh off a run to the semifinals in the African Cup of Nations in 2012, Ghana booked a trip to America to take on Chile in an exhibition match at Subaru Park, which at the time was known as PPL Park. The match, scheduled in February, already had a chill to it, but it was amplified by a driving rain that didn’t let up the entire game.

    The first half saw Ghana head into the locker rooms at halftime up, 1-0, after a goal by young midfielder Richard Mpong gave the tiny but loud Ghanaian support plenty to cheer about.

    Former Chile and European club star Alexis Sanchez collides with Ghana’s John Pantsil during a 2012 friendly at Subaru Park (then names PPL Park) in Chester.

    Typically, a soccer halftime lasts 10-15 minutes. But this time during a pouring rain, fans were treated to a mini-concert by a Ghanaian hip-hop group and virtual games on the stadium’s video board.

    But then 20 minutes passed, then 30. Fans were made to believe that it was due to the rain that the match was delayed. But what transpired in Ghana’s locker room had nothing to do with Mother Nature.

    Ghana’s plan to emerge from a crowded group of strong soccer nations runs through Philly

    It had everything to do with the match promoter failing to make it rain an alleged $125,000 to Ghana’s team. A sum that doesn’t seem like much when you consider that if the amount went only to the 18 Ghanaian players who made the trip, it was less than $6,950 per player.

    However, according to the official (and a few unsubstantiated reports), the team was adamant that if the game’s promoter didn’t pay the full amount of their appearance, the team had planned not to return to finish the match.

    A high-ranking stadium official who chose to remain anonymous confirmed to the Inquirer that there was a definite “tense situation” going on in the locker rooms, and while they were in the arena that night it was unclear that the issue involved an unpaid Ghana team until much later.

    Chile’s Matias Fernandez (center) and Ghana’s Richard Mpong, seen battling for the ball here, were the two goal scorers on the night for their respective clubs.

    Coincidentally, according to a 2012 report from Modern Ghana, the match was moved to PPL Park because the promoter failed to secure a venue in New Jersey, due to the “high costs” of the venue.

    “There was definitely some type of dispute, and it definitely was some type of issue with the promoter,” the official recalled. “The second half didn’t get underway for some time, and I don’t think fans knew what was going on, but it was heated in the locker room for sure.”

    Philadelphia Stadium plays its part as FIFA sets a new World Cup attendance record

    The official, who has firsthand insight into the proceedings of how these matches are typically set up, explained that there are promoters who arrange these international matches and will arrange a sort of half-now, half-later deal with smaller-level international clubs, using the proceeds from the match to close out the deal.

    Plenty of pro-Ghana fans stayed through a driving rain that swept across a chilly February night in Chester in 2012 when Ghana played Chile in a friendly.

    “Look, I don’t know the ins and outs of this particular night, and it was so long ago, but I do recall it being a very sketchy scenario,” he said. “A lot of times, they’ll look to use the arena, promote the two nations but then ask for like 1,000 consignment tickets, thinking that if they can hand out a handful of free tickets, they’ll recoup out of the arrangement what people might spend in the stadium.”

    They added that there are a handful of promoters who handle friendlies today in the same manner. It doesn’t affect the venue, who offers a going rate to rent the facility and its amenities for the match, and once that’s paid, the rest falls on the promoter to turn a profit as they see fit.

    Check out some of the best in Inquirer sports photos of the week right here!

    “But yeah, there was some type of financial dispute where I think the Ghanaian Federation, the [team’s] manager or somebody felt like they weren’t compensated enough in advance of the game and to them, that was like the last straw,” he said. “It was like, ‘Okay, screw it. We’re not coming out.’”

    Eventually, after a halftime delay that lasted over an hour, Ghana did emerge and play the second half. It would end up finishing the match with a 1-1 draw after a goal by Chilean Matias Fernandez would even the score off of a penalty kick in the 75th minute.

    On Saturday, Ghana will return with a 26-man roster featuring none of the players or manager who were on that roster in 2012. The game is in a much bigger arena and the stakes are higher as a win will secure Ghana a chance to move to the knockout rounds out of Group L and depending on how scorelines from other games shake out, could even see the nation win the group.

    Ghana has yet to lose a match in this World Cup, defeating Panama in its opener, 1-0, followed by a thrilling scoreless draw against group favorites, England on Tuesday.

  • One-stop shopping for the Phillies at the trade deadline again? Here’s three teams that could be a fit

    One-stop shopping for the Phillies at the trade deadline again? Here’s three teams that could be a fit

    Last summer, at a win-now moment in their competitive cycle, the Phillies addressed two holes in the roster with one-stop shopping at the trade deadline.

    Sort of.

    Priority No. 1 felt familiar. Despite trading for a reliever at other recent deadlines, the Phillies’ playoff runs in 2023 and ’24 were torpedoed by the bullpen. So, they went in search of a lockdown late-inning anchor.

    But they had another obvious shortcoming: a righty-hitting outfielder to platoon in left field or, better yet, stop the revolving door in center.

    The Phillies still need a right-handed bat. Let’s take an early dive into some options before the trade deadline.

    For weeks, Dave Dombrowski and his front office made calls and put out feelers. But gridlock in the wild-card standings — think of the Schuylkill Expressway at rush hour — led to market fluidity until a few days before the July 31 deadline.

    After fence-sitting amid ownership uncertainty, the Twins finally decided to break up their roster. On the eve of the deadline, the Phillies landed Jhoan Duran for two top-100 prospects (pitcher Mick Abel and teenage catcher Eduardo Tait), a steep price for a closer, albeit a star who came with two full seasons of club control.

    Harrison Bader’s name came up in the Duran talks, a source with knowledge of the conversations said, but the Twins kept the center fielder out of the deal as they orchestrated an everything-must-go bonanza in which they wound up unloading 11 major league players. The next day, Bader went to the Phillies for two minor leaguers.

    Two trades. One-stop shopping.

    Jhoan Duran has locked down the ninth inning for the Phillies since he was acquired at the trade deadline last year.

    Eleven months later — still in win-now mode, and back on a 90-win pace at the mathematical midpoint of the season after a 9-19 start that cost manager Rob Thomson his job — the Phillies again have multiple needs. The top priority is up for debate, even among some in the organization, but in some order:

    • Right-handed hitter
    • Back-end starting pitcher
    • Late-inning bridge to Duran

    And with the trade deadline a little more than five weeks away — jot it down: Aug. 3, 6 p.m. — it’s worth wondering if they can one-stop shop once again.

    Before we explore a few potential trade partners, a few caveats:

    What if the Phillies’ most impactful addition was a resurgent Trea Turner? He’s working to make it happen.

    1. Across the sport, right-handed hitters had a .703 OPS through Thursday, which would be the third-lowest mark since 1991. Righty-hitting outfielders had a .709 OPS, tied for the second-lowest in the last 70 years. And two of the best, Mike Trout and Byron Buxton, have no-trade clauses and no interest in waiving them.

    2. That said, the easiest place for the Phillies to add a right-handed bat is in the outfield … unless they move Bryce Harper back to right field and open first base (or third, if they shift Alec Bohm to first). Harper recently reiterated that he’d be open to it “for the right player.”

    Dombrowski, on the other hand …

    “We haven’t talked to him about it, and I really don’t contemplate it because I really like the way he goes about his business at first base,” he said recently. “I look at him as being our first baseman.”

    The Phillies plan to keep Bryce Harper at first base, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski reiterated recently.

    3. Over the last few years, the Phillies traded Abel, Tait, and fellow prospects Hendry Mendez, Starlyn Caba, William Bergolla Jr., George Klassen, Sam Aldegheri, Hao-Yu Lee, Mickey Moniak, Ben Brown, Logan O’Hoppe, and TJ Rumfield, among others. The teams hasn’t been burned, but it has drained the farm system.

    Andrew Painter (starting Sunday in triple A), Justin Crawford (graduated to the majors), and Aidan Miller (injured) were largely untouchable in previous talks. If that’s still the case, the best chips in a top-heavy system are right-hander Gage Wood, infielder Aroon Escobar, outfielder Dante Nori, and 17-year-old outfielder Francisco Renteria, off to a flying start in the Dominican Summer League.

    It begs the question of whether the Phillies have the prospect capital to fill each of their needs.

    “We feel good where our system’s at,” general manager Preston Mattingly said recently on Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast. “We’re not concerned about a lack of assets in the minor leagues. A lot of times you see that top-100 [prospects] list. That’s not necessarily what teams internally talk about, and those are not the players they ask about.”

    John Middleton on Phillies’ high payroll amid looming labor war, Dave Dombrowski-Bryce Harper saga, and more

    4. Remember that Schuylkill-style traffic jam in the standings last July? Well, entering the weekend, 24 teams were in a playoff spot or no more than five games out. Only four American League teams — four! — were even above .500.

    Given the dearth of obvious sellers, one league source predicted that contenders may have to trade with each other. Think of the 2024 deadline, when the Phillies got outfielder Austin Hays in a buyer-to-buyer swap with the Orioles.

    5. Oh, and did we mention there’s a work stoppage looming in December? The owners and players are at odds over, well, everything. And regardless of whether the owners get their salary cap, the sport’s economic system will change in ways that front offices can’t possibly anticipate as they maneuver at the deadline.

    Got all that? Amid that backdrop, here’s a look at three teams that might match up with the Phillies on one or more of their needs.

    Despite not hitting for as much power as usual, Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward is reaching base at a .389 clip entering the weekend.

    Baltimore Orioles

    Here’s all you need to know about the state of play in the AL: The Orioles haven’t been over .500 since April 14, but were only 1½ games out of a wild-card spot entering the weekend.

    No wonder a white flag isn’t flying over Camden Yards.

    The next two weeks may determine which trade-deadline lane the Orioles choose. They play 12 of 15 games before the All-Star break at home, where they were 22-19 with a plus-13 run differential going into the weekend.

    And if they’re still undecided on a path as the deadline approaches, the Phillies will visit Baltimore on July 31.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Preston Mattingly on the trade deadline, his ‘special’ chance to work with his dad, and more

    Maybe they can take Taylor Ward home with them?

    Ward, 32, was popular in trade rumors for years with the Angels before finally getting dealt to the Orioles in the offseason. He entered the weekend with only five homers after averaging 24 in the last four seasons, but appears to have traded power for on-base ability, reaching at a .389 clip.

    (Phillies right-handed hitters had combined for a .269 on-base percentage, last in the majors.)

    Ward would fit atop the order ahead of Kyle Schwarber and Harper, enabling interim manager Don Mattingly to finally slide Trea Turner down. Or the Phillies could put Ward in the cleanup spot behind Harper and work on restoring his fly-ball and barrel rates to his career levels.

    As a free agent after the season, Ward probably won’t come at a high acquisition cost. But the Orioles would get a better return if they package him with rental starter Trevor Rogers or controllable relievers Yennier Cano or Rico Garcia.

    Potential trade: Ward and Cano for Nori and right-hander Ramon Marquez.

    Giants lefty Robbie Ray has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his last five starts.

    San Francisco Giants

    Two years ago, the Phillies raced to a big lead en route to an NL East title. But they went 33-33 after the All-Star break and lost their momentum in part because they lacked a competent No. 5 starter.

    Dombrowski regretted not getting one at the deadline.

    “I’ll take the responsibility,” he said after a divisional-round knockout. “When you look at the fifth spot that we had, that was not a good spot at all for us the last two months of the season.”

    Maybe it will inform how Dombrowski acts now, with Painter back in triple A and a hole at the back of the rotation. But teams don’t use five starters in the postseason. So, unless the Phillies can upgrade from Aaron Nola, or even Jesús Luzardo, they won’t want to give up an asset.

    Is it finally time for Mike Trout to be traded? The all-in Phillies make too much sense.

    In that case, the rental market is an option. And the Giants’ Robbie Ray is a classic rental. The 34-year-old lefty will be a free agent after the season. He has pitched well lately, too, allowing one earned run or fewer in four of his last five starts.

    In lieu of what the Giants really want to do — offload unwieldy long-term contracts for Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers — they almost certainly will move Ray.

    If the Phillies take on the $12.5 million that Ray is owed through the end of the season, the return would be minimal. But the Giants can get a better prospect by including, say, controllable outfielder Heliot Ramos, who is nearing a return from a quadriceps strain.

    Potential trade: Ray and Ramos for outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. and righty Jean Cabrera.

    Aroldis Chapman has a 1.41 and 46 saves for the Red Sox over the last two seasons.

    Boston Red Sox

    When the Red Sox finally accept reality and go into sell mode, they will have players who are in demand.

    Atop the list: fire-breathing closer Aroldis Chapman.

    Even at age 38, Chapman is lighting up radar guns and overpowering hitters. Entering the weekend, these were his numbers in two years with the Red Sox: 1.39 ERA, 47-for-50 in save chances, 114 strikeouts, 25 walks in 84 innings. His fastball still averages 97.4 mph.

    Chapman has 382 career saves, 10th on the all-time list. With the Phillies, he would supplant José Alvarado as the high-leverage lefty and set up for Duran. He has filled a setup role before, notably in 2023 for the World Series-winning Rangers.

    Mets’ Bo Bichette says he wasn’t close to signing with the Phillies in the offseason

    Two years ago, the Phillies acquired walk-year closer Carlos Estévez from the Angels for two pitching prospects (Klassen and Aldegheri). The Sox will likely seek a similar haul for Chapman, a free agent at season’s end.

    They will have a harder time maximizing the value for outfielder Jarren Duran. Although he’s under team control through 2028, the 29-year-old’s production has dropped off since his All-Star season in 2024.

    Duran is a left-handed hitter, not an ideal fit for the Phillies. But given the lack of righty-hitting outfield options, he’s worth considering as a buy-low candidate.

    Potential trade: Chapman and Duran for Escobar, Marquez, and righty Matthew Fisher.

  • The best things we ate this week

    The best things we ate this week

    Vegan chicken po’ boy at Khyber Pass Pub

    The good times roll at Khyber Pass Pub in Old City, where the menu of New Orleans-style comfort food includes a hearty share of vegan items. The chicken-style po’ boy, for example, delivers crispy, thinly breaded seitan while keeping the classic New Orleans formula intact. Served on a crackly Leidenheimer roll, it’s dressed with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, vegan mayo, and Creole mustard, delivering a satisfying mix of crunch, tang, and subtle heat. It’s a convincing plant-based rendition that feels like a true po’ boy, not a compromise. Khyber Pass Pub, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, khyberpasspub.com

    — Michael Klein

    Fried silverfish — a Cantonese delicacy that’s pretty similar to a French Fry — at Grand Palace, 600 Washington Ave. #3B.

    Fried Silverfish at Grand Palace

    Weekend dim sum at Grand Palace in South Philly’s Little Saigon is a party where the whole family (second cousins and all) is invited, so the party-sized portions of Cantonese delicacies deserve special attention. The rice-flour-battered and fried silverfish (also known as noodlefish or whitebait) are generously sized and hopelessly addictive. More delicious than any French fry — though similarly salty, crunchy, and thin — the tiny fish are lightly funky and just barely scented with jalapeños and scallions. I haven’t stopped thinking about them since. Grand Palace Restaurant, 600 Washington Ave. #3B, 215-645-0079, grandpalacechineserestaurant.com

    — Kiki Aranita

    An array of empanadas and a dulce de leche medialuna at Jezabel’s in West Philadelphia.

    Empanadas and a dulce de leche medialuna at Jezabel’s

    Empanadas are the main attraction at Jezabel Careaga’s eponymous West Philly cafe, where the open-concept kitchen feeds into a dining room that allows customers to watch bakers knead, shape, and pack the dough tight with fillings. The lineup is special, but simple: a stewed chicken empanada lightly seasoned with aji dulce; a vegetarian version stuffed with leeks and gooey white cheese; and a vegan version packed with a summery lentil and corn salad. Careaga’s empanadas are baked — not fried — and so light that it’s easy to snack on several in one sitting.

    Even more excellent are the cafe’s medialunas, an Argentinian pastry that sits somewhere between brioche and a croissant. The dulce de leche version is ultra-decadent, its butter crescent-shaped layers peeling apart to reveal a core of caramel cream. When Careaga returns to Fitler Square with a second location — likely opening this fall, I’m told — it’ll still be empanadas and medialunas galaore. Thank goodness. Jezabel’s, 206-208 S. 45th St., 215-554-7380, jezabelsphl.com

    — Beatrice Forman

  • The Paris of America, a Phanatic apartment, and Nic Cage | Weekly Report Card

    The Paris of America, a Phanatic apartment, and Nic Cage | Weekly Report Card

    Being called the Paris of America: A

    Philadelphians have spent decades developing an inferiority complex about New York.

    Maybe we’ve been comparing ourselves to the wrong city.

    French soccer fans visiting for the World Cup spent this week looking around Center City and noticing something many locals overlook: Philadelphia is surprisingly French. The Parkway was modeled after the Champs-Élysées. City Hall looks like it belongs in Paris. Even Michelin once called Philadelphia the “Frenchest city” in America.

    We’ll take it.

    Most American cities get compared to other American cities: Philadelphia gets compared to one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world.

    Sure, Paris has the Eiffel Tower. But Paris doesn’t have roast pork sandwiches, Gritty, or people arguing over parking permits at 7 a.m.

    Upsala mansion on the 6400 block of Germantown Avenue was built in 1798 and is currently up for sale.

    A house that comes with Revolutionary War reenactments: A

    Philadelphia real estate listings can get weird.

    You might get a rowhouse with a hidden speakeasy, a church converted into condos, maybe even a former firehouse.

    But a Germantown mansion that comes with a legally protected Revolutionary War battle reenactment on the front lawn is a different level.

    The owner of Upsala, a historic estate now listed for sale, revealed this week that the property’s easement requires future owners to allow reenactments of the Battle of Germantown. The reenactments haven’t happened since 2019, but the obligation remains, preserved in a 70-page legal document waiting for some future homeowner.

    For a city preparing to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, this is a nice reminder that in Philadelphia, history isn’t always tucked away in museums. Sometimes it’s written into the paperwork.

    A Phanatic-themed apartment: A+

    There are plenty of ways Major League Baseball could have celebrated the All-Star Game coming to Philadelphia.

    A logo, banners, a commemorative beer.

    Instead, someone decided to create an apartment that appears to have been designed by the Phillie Phanatic after consuming several energy drinks, Philly Voice reported.

    The result is a two-bedroom rental covered in green fur, baseball memorabilia, Phillies decor, and what can only be described as mascot maximalism. Two lucky fans can stay there for $19.78 a night and get tickets to All-Star festivities.

    The obvious question is why this exists. The Philly answer is why wouldn’t it?

    There’s a baseball glove chair, fuzzy green barstools, and a photo op with the Phanatic.

    Every detail sounds made up, but they’re not! Which is amazing.

    Why I Fell In Love with Philly, from a Chicagoan
    by
    u/coreywagner in
    philly

    A Chicagoan discovers Philadelphia: A

    Philadelphians spend an awful lot of time explaining themselves. We feel underrated, maybe overlooked. And we’re not New York, D.C., or Boston.

    A Chicago man posted a lengthy love letter to Philadelphia recently after a trip that included cheesesteaks, hoagies, roast pork, dive bars, the Barnes Foundation, Reading Terminal Market, Magic Gardens, and City Hall, which he declared his favorite building in America.

    The review was so thorough that it started to feel like Visit Philadelphia had hired him.

    But the most revealing part was that he kept comparing Philadelphia to Chicago.

    Another city full of neighborhood pride, old bars, great sandwiches, beautiful architecture, and residents who spend half their time insisting everyone else overlooks them.

    The commenters understood immediately. One called Philadelphia a mini New York. Another argued Chicago and Philadelphia people have more in common with each other than either would like to admit. They’re probably right.

    But there’s no compliment Philadelphians love more than hearing someone came here expecting very little and left wondering why nobody told them how great it is.

    Ronnie Gunter, a lacrosse athlete and Drexel grad known for looking a lot like Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, is the latest bombshell on “Love Island USA.”

    The Jalen Hurts look-alike on Love Island: B+

    Philadelphia has reached a level of cultural dominance where even our quarterback’s doppelgänger is getting reality TV opportunities.

    A Drexel graduate entered the Love Island villa this week, and his main claim to fame isn’t being a former lacrosse player or nonprofit worker. It’s looking enough like Jalen Hurts that people have been stopping him for photos for years.

    Honestly, that feels very Philadelphia. We don’t just have celebrities, we also have backup celebrities.

    The funniest part is that nobody on the show seems to have noticed yet. Viewers back home immediately saw Jalen Hurts. The contestants on a tropical island in Fiji just saw a handsome guy in swim trunks. Give it time.

    Nicolas Cage arrives at the premiere of “Longlegs” at the Egyptian Theatre on Monday, July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

    A Nicolas Cage bar crawl: A+

    Philadelphia spent years planning America’s 250th birthday celebration. And somehow nobody thought to include the man who stole the Declaration of Independence.

    Fortunately, Jenkintown stepped in.

    This weekend’s Nicolas Cage-themed bar crawl features Cage cocktails, Cage trivia, Cage competitions, Cage masks, Cage movies, and what appears to be a community-wide commitment to a bit that has gotten completely out of hand.

    The genius of Nicolas Cage is that nobody can quite agree whether he’s a great actor, a bizarre actor, or some third category that exists only for Nicolas Cage.

    The same could be said for this event.

    Jenkintown is hosting an evening built around a man whose filmography includes stealing national treasures, fighting John Travolta while wearing John Travolta’s face, and getting punched repeatedly in a wicker bear costume.

    Frankly, if we’re celebrating America this year, Nicolas Cage probably deserves a seat at the table.

  • Waterfalls, wineries, and Ithaca: A Finger Lakes weekend getaway | Field Trip

    Waterfalls, wineries, and Ithaca: A Finger Lakes weekend getaway | Field Trip

    Eleven long, skinny bodies of water comprise New York’s Finger Lakes, a wine region and resort destination for two centuries. Collectively they cover a wide swath of northern New York, with the easternmost and westernmost lakes over 90 miles apart.

    Since it takes more than four hours to get here from Philly, this itinerary focuses on just one finger, Cayuga Lake, at the southern end of which sits the Ivy League town of Ithaca, home to Cornell University. The trip also detours to Seneca Lake next door for some exciting natural wines.

    Expect waterfalls, eagle-spotting, ice cream, and plenty of outdoors. Start the car.

    Stay: Inn at Gothic Eves

    Check into the Inn at Gothic Eves (10 out of 10, no notes on the dramatic name), located 15 minutes from downtown Ithaca on the western shore of Cayuga Lake. Divided between two buildings linked by a two-acre landscaped patio, the resort’s eight suites take their names from the lakes they sit between — Cayuga and Seneca — and various grape varietals and wine regions. There’s a cozy spa with rock-walled treatment rooms and two hot tubs, nightly s’mores by the firepit, and epic breakfasts with house-made jams and locally sourced bacon.

    📍 112 E. Main St., Trumansburg, N.Y. 14886

    Hike: Cascadilla Gorge Trail

    The barrier between downtown Ithaca and nature is barely there. The head of the Cascadilla Gorge Trail begins right off a residential neighborhood, tucked between a church and dentist’s office. This 1.3-mile trail, stewarded by Cornell since 1909, connects downtown with the university’s Botanical Gardens and travels through ancient bedrock ravines and past six waterfalls.

    📍 Cascadilla Gorge Trail, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850

    Snack: Mama Said Hand Pies

    On Press Bay Alley, a pedestrian micro-mall built from a row of former storage units, Mama Said Hand Pies (another 10 out of 10 name) folds fillings like spiced peaches and Oaxaca cheese with mushrooms into flaky half-moon pastries. Drop in for a snack, and, if you’re lucky, some live music. As if you need another reason to like the place, a member of a recent bluegrass quintet can be seen on Mama’s Instagram performing in a Phillies shirt.

    📍 118 W. Green St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850

    Sip: Osmote

    About 30 minutes west of Ithaca, near the shores of Seneca Lake, a simple wooden pavilion overlooks the water. This is where Osmote hosts picturesque tastings of its low-intervention wines. Four pours cost just $20 and may include bottles like the fizzy Cayuga White pét-nat or Marquette, whose tasting notes include “crunchy blackberry” and “cherry Pop-Tart.” The wines are made with locally sourced grapes while Osmote’s own vineyards, planted in 2024, mature.

    📍 3879 Marcia Ln., Burdett, N.Y. 14818

    Paddle: Paddle-N-More

    On summer Saturday nights, about an hour before sunset, single and tandem kayaks launch from Myers Park, on the east shore of Cayuga Lake. Join the two-hour guided eco-themed trip by Paddle-N-More, a popular outfitter with locations all around the lake. They provide the gear and the expertise, you provide the manpower (not that much) to cruise along the lakeshore, spotting bald eagles and herons.

    📍 1 Lansing Park Rd., Lansing, N.Y. 14882

    Dine: Moosewood Restaurant

    A national pioneer of vegetarian cooking and the local-organic movement, Moosewood Restaurant opened in 1972 and, impressively, continues to this day. While the restaurant is no longer worker-owned — Danica Wilcox, daughter of one of the founding members, took over in 2022 — the ethos that earned Moosewood three James Beard Awards and inspired a shelf full of cookbooks remains intact. Order the New York cheeseboard, oyster mushroom scampi, and, for dessert, the famous fudge brownie that Wilcox’s mother once baked for the restaurant.

    📍 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850

    Indulge: Cayuga Lake Creamery

    Conveniently situated in the same building as Moosewood, Cayuga Lake Creamery is how you should end an Ithaca evening. This location opened in 2020 — the flagship, dating to 2004, is further up the lake in Interlake — and gives Cornell’s famous Dairy Bar a run for its money. Twenty to 30 house-made flavors rotate through the case, including tiramisu, Seneca Salt Caramel, and dark cherry sorbet dosed with Finger Lakes merlot.

    📍 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850

  • His dream Shore house popped up on his phone over lunch at a Wildwood tavern | How I Bought This House

    His dream Shore house popped up on his phone over lunch at a Wildwood tavern | How I Bought This House

    The buyer: Jacob Wilson, 43, attorney.

    The house: An 800-square-foot two-bedroom, 1½-bath bungalow built in 1930 in Wildwood.

    The price: Listed for $444,000; purchased for $441,000.

    The agent: Marion Rowland, ReMax Surfside.

    The ask: Wilson lives in Venice Beach, Calif., but grew up in Wildwood and Atlantic County and missed the East Coast. When he was a toddler, the family lived at the Regency in North Wildwood, where his parents were the offseason managers. “It was around the time The Shining came out, and my aunt used to tease them about living there with my sister and me when the whole of Wildwood was shut down!“ he said.

    Wildwood was in his DNA for good. His dream was to buy a second home in Wildwood, a place with some old Shore charm, where he and the family could gather and revive traditions.

    The search: Wilson’s aunt is a local real estate agent in Wildwood, and they “combed the market for months,” he said.

    He put in an offer on a renovated triplex in Wildwood Crest toward summer’s end in 2024 but was outbid. “It got 12 other offers above the asking price,” Wilson said. “They were asking $575[000] I was willing to pay them $600,000.”

    After a day of house hunting in September 2024, the two sat down for lunch at the Dogtooth Bar & Grill. “We saw a listing two blocks away pop up,” he said. “We drove over to the house and started the process.”

    The appeal: As soon as he walked in the house, Wilson said he thought, “I know what I need to make this good.”

    The house checked a lot of boxes for him: charm, old-school bungalow feel, close to the ocean.

    Jacob Wilson added a dishwasher to the kitchen along with other improvements at his home in Wildwood.

    “My mom’s been a Realtor in the area for 40 years,” he said. “She has a 1900 Victorian. I’ve always admired the work my parents did on that home. My cousin had a Craftsman bungalow. It reminds me of houses here in Venice.”

    Both Wilson and his aunt appreciated being able to buy an original property in Wildwood and not tear it down.

    “I have deep ties to Wildwood,” he said. “I really didn’t want to do that.”

    A house across from his was recently torn down and a triplex built in its place. Plus, his house has a backyard.

    “That just doesn’t exist anymore,” he said. “In the offseason, I can hear the waves from my backyard.”

    The deal: Wilson said he put in an offer for the asking price and beat two other offers. “The house sold in three days,” he said. The inspection revealed some termite damage, and the seller reduced the price by $3,000, he said.

    “The work to remedy the problem was estimated to be over $10,000,” he said, “and it cost me around $15,000 altogether with foundation work and pest treatment.”

    Because of the competitive environment, he said, “I took the $3,000 reduction to make the sale happen.”

    Jacob Wilson wanted his Wildwood property to feel “like a modern beach house” and was happy that the previous owners had redone the floors with light gray planks.

    His aunt was proud of him for buying and preserving a house in Wildwood, he said, the place where two of his grandparents were born.

    The money: Wilson did it in a traditional way: 20% down payment, a mortgage with the local Ocean First Bank. “Kudos to Ocean First,” he said. “They don’t sell the mortgage.” His mortgage rate was 7%, higher due to its being an investment property, he said.

    Using the property part of the summer as a weekly rental and a longer-term winter rental covers his mortgage, he said. “I don’t really have too many out-of-pocket expenses,” he said. “Taxes are $4,000 a year. Utility bills a few hundred a month.”

    The move: There were some changes. He liked the way the former owners used gray plank boards to replace the original parquet wood that made it “more like a modern beach house.”

    But, Wilson said, “some things inside were a little too country.”

    “I wanted to make it more beachy,” he said. There was shelving in the doorways that he got rid of, and some closets that inexplicably had the doors removed and curtains put up. Luckily, he found the original doors in the attic and put them back on. He replaced the door knobs and repainted the entire interior.

    “The big thing that showed up was termite damage,” he said. “I had to do a lot of foundation work when I bought the place.” He replaced the old insulation with spray insulation, he said, and installed a dishwasher and new refrigerator.

    “A lot of things like that to make it look sharp,” he said.

    A cozy bedroom in the Wildwood bungalow.

    Life after close: This will be his second summer using the Wildwood bungalow. He’s spending a month there over June and July and expecting a stream of visitors to revive old family traditions. He plans to block out more time for himself in the shoulder seasons.

    “It’s all kind of like nostalgia for me because we spent so much time there as a kid,” he said.

    “I had a lot of strong feelings about going back,” he said. “As an adult, I appreciate it more.”

    About six months after he bought the house, “Someone called me and asked if I was interested in selling it,” he said. No way.

    “Keeping it long term is my goal,” he said. “I feel like I made a good investment choice. No regrets.”

    Did you recently buy a home in the Philadelphia area or South Jersey? Share the story of how you did it. Email Inquirer real estate reporters at properties@inquirer.com.