Brian Dawson had just landed his dream job as Pennsylvania’s acting state librarian in 2015 when he came down with a cold.
He tried to power through the sickness. But after a couple of weeks, he still couldn’t seem to kick it.
Doctors at an outpatient clinic diagnosed Dawson with bronchitis and pneumonia, prescribed him antibiotics, and sent him home.
A couple of days later, he developed a sharp pain in his left eye, which doctors attributed to sinus pressure.
A few days after that, Dawson woke up in the middle of the night and told his wife he needed to go to the emergency room.
He was admitted with severe abdominal pain, blurry vision, and trouble walking. In the span of five hours, Dawson would become blind in his left eye and paralyzed from the chest down.
A doctor would tell him he had a rare autoimmune disease called neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and give him five to seven years to live.
“I was in a really good trajectory in life, and then I got sick and had to pick up the pieces,” said Dawson, who lives in Harrisburg.
Dawsonsaw his own struggles reflected in a recent survey of1,214 rare disease patients in Pennsylvania that was spearheaded by the state’s Rare Disease Advisory Council, an advisory body to the General Assembly.
The results, published last month in the medical journal Public Health Reports, painted a “concerning” picture of their lived experiences, said Dawson, the council’s secretary.
For example, nearly half of the respondents waited more than two years for a diagnosis. Almost a third waited more than five years, and 37% received more than three incorrect diagnoses before their final diagnosis.
Many respondents reported high annual spending on costs related to their disease, reduced work and school hours, and difficulty accessing medication or services after diagnosis.
“There was a worse experience overall if there was a longer diagnosis [time],” said Jonathan Sussman, the lead author on the paper, who is working on his medical and doctoral degreesat the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Misdiagnosed
When Dawson’s symptoms progressed, doctors admitted him to the intensive care unit and started him on steroids.
His vision returned a couple of days later, but he was still paralyzed.
Imaging revealed that the majority of his thoracic spine — the middle section of the spine — was scarred, and his optic nerve was inflamed.
Two weeks into his stay, a neurology fellow walked into his room, “all smiles,” Dawson recalled.
The doctor said proudly they had figured out what he had, then leaned back on a red container on the wall, crossed his arms, and told Dawson that he had NMO.
That meant his immune system was attacking his optic nerve and spinal cord, the doctorexplained.
He said Dawson would probably be completely blind in about five years.
“A couple years after that, you’ll get a lesion high up on your spinal column or in your brain stem, you’ll be on a ventilator, and then pneumonia will probably kill you,” Dawson recalled him saying.
The doctor concluded by telling him how many years he likely had left to live, and then walked out of the room.
“The way I was told, it was horrendous,” said Dawson, who was then 42.
Afterward, the hospital discharged him to a rehabilitation facility where he relearned how to walk for about two months.
The next two years after that were a cycle of going on and off steroids with each relapse. He had recurring eye pain and blurriness, and pain in his legs that felt as though someone had poured searing hot coals inside them.
“You grieve for the life that you had, grieve for the things you used to be able to do,” Dawson said.
Dawson’s doctor put him on treatments like rituximab, an infusion meant to knock down his immune system, and gabapentin for nerve pain.
Dawson’s doctor put him on treatments like rituximab, an infusion meant to knock down his immune system, and gabapentin for nerve pain.
But nothing seemed to work.
In one argument with his neurologist, he told her, “we’re doing something wrong.”
In response, she said, “I don’t know what to do with you anymore,” he recalled.
After that, she referred him to a neurologist at Johns Hopkins, who determined from new blood work that he didn’t have NMO.
Almost three years after Dawson was misdiagnosed, the doctor gave him his correct diagnosis: MOGAD, or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease. It was a rare autoimmune disease that was likely kicked off by the cold he had back in 2015.
MOGAD had the same constellation of symptoms as NMO, but required different treatment. It also wasn’t thought to affect a person’s life expectancy.
“This disease is not going to kill you. You’re going to grow old,” Dawson recalled the doctor saying.
Advocacy
Brian Dawson is a patient ambassador for the Sumaira Foundation and secretary of the Pennsylvania Rare Disease Advisory Council.
The recently published survey was Dawson’s way of collecting data to substantiate trends he had heard of anecdotally.
For example, 37% of survey respondents said they didn’t receive enough information at the time they were given a diagnosis, and 20.5% said they didn’t understand the information provided by their healthcare providers.
As a patient ambassador for the Sumaira Foundation, a Massachusetts-based patient advocacy group for rare neuroinflammatory disorders, Dawson tries to help newly diagnosed patients navigate their own diagnoses, knowing that health literacy can be an added challenge.
Another striking statistic to him was that half of the respondents spent more than $5,000 every year on their care, with others spending well over $10,000.
A quarter of respondents were also unable to access medications because of co-pay costs or a lack of coverage.
“Ninety-five percent of rare diseases don’t have an FDA-approved treatment. So a lot of times people are being treated off-label,” Dawson said.
That means patients face barriers like prior authorizations and “flat out denials,” he added.
Dawson himself just received a second denial from his insurance company for coverage of a medication he has been on for years, since it’s technically off-label for his condition.
He hopes the results of the survey can inform policy to reduce barriers faced by rare disease patients.
“There are people where it’s life or death for them dealing with some of the prior authorization stuff,” he said.
Recovering
When Dawson thought he only had five to seven years left to live, he “always heard the clock ticking,” he said.
“Sometimes you could get distracted and focus on that, but if you’re focusing on that ticking clock, you’re missing everything else,” he added.
He had hoped he could make his job as the acting state librarian into a permanent position, but with his health challenges, he had to let that dream go.
Dawson went back to his previous role as the director of library development under the next state librarian.
Dawson had hoped he could make his job as the acting state librarian into a permanent position.
For the next few years, he tried to focus on making good memories for his family and minimizing the disease’s impact on them, but the effects inevitably spilled over.
His oldest son quit a good job to move to Harrisburg to spend time with Dawson, thinking he only had a handful of years left.
With Dawson’s new diagnosis, “our life had changed all over again,” he said.
Now that he’s on the correct medication for his condition, Dawson is no longer experiencing the constant cycle of relapses.
However, he still battles fatigue and brain fog from his condition, and has to be cautious about infections, since his immune system might react unpredictably.
Brian Dawson, now 52, lives in Harrisburg.
Even with his longer life expectancy, there’s always a chance he could relapse and become blind or paralyzed again.
“I don’t hear the clock, but I know that reality is looming out there,” Dawson said.
Maura Manzo, founder and director of yoga studio Camaraderie in Ambler, previously owned the Yoga Home studio in Conshohocken but stepped away during the pandemic.
When she was looking to get back into the business, she chose Ambler.
“I was looking for a vibrant, walkable downtown, rooted in community,” Manzo said.
She was encouraged by the presence of a food co-op, Weavers Way, which “signaled to me that this is a community invested in sustainable, healthy living — values that align beautifully with a yoga community,” as well as the other businesses around.
“There’s a balance of restaurants, arts and culture, and shopping that creates a wonderful, rich community and attracts people,” Manzo said.
Centrally located in Montgomery County, the borough of Ambler has become home to an eclectic blend of retailers, restaurants, and services. Its downtown business district includes a spa, tuxedo rentals, a bakery, a tattoo parlor, hair salons, and restaurants from all different culinary genres.
People walk along Butler Avenue among various shops and restaurants in Ambler.
The borough started as a mill town in the 1700s and evolved into a factory town run by the Keasbey & Mattison Co. in the 1800s. Many of the original buildings from that period still exist in the downtown district.
The borough has been consistent in its preservation efforts. Recently an ordinance passed to be sure that any new construction reflects the existing architectural charm, said Ambler Main Street manager Elizabeth Wahl Kunzier.
Still, the area has continued to evolve, recently adding a food hall with 10 vendors, seeing the merger of two established Ambler boutiques into one new storefront, and promoting downtown events on social media. With the holiday season approaching, business owners are looking ahead to their busiest time of year and gearing up for a number of seasonal events.
“We have a pretty good organic social media reach,” Wahl Kunzier said. “It took a long time to get that where it is today, but given the nature of how the public gets information, it is very important to have a good following.”
Building momentum behind the scenes
Elizabeth Wahl Kunzier, Ambler Main Street manager.
Wahl Kunzier serves as the marketing lead for Ambler Main Street — the name of the nonprofit that promotes downtown Ambler, even though many of its businesses are on Butler Avenue rather than Main Street. She monitors the businesses’ social media accounts daily to see what they’re advertising and share the information more broadly.
Her office also organizes special events such as a semiannual restaurant week and a holiday shopping weekend. And the borough hosts a Farmer’s Market every Saturday from May through the weekend before Thanksgiving at the old Ambler train station.
“I work with business owners brainstorming on everything from vacant storefronts to customized events to keep the foot traffic coming,” Wahl Kunzier said.
“They were a large family of small businesses that looked out for each other and supported one another while also having patrons who were cheerleaders of their businesses,” he said.
An event board with various posters and advertisements for Ambler businesses and events.
Located in a historic warehouse, Ridge Hall has 10 dining spots and a second-floor venue called The Mercantile.
DeCastro is optimistic this food hall and retail concept will do well in Ambler, which he described as “on the cusp of breaking through as a destination town.”
“Chestnut Hill, Doylestown, New Hope, and Phoenixville have become towns that you simply go to without a commitment. Unless you live in Ambler, it takes a commitment to drive into town,” DeCastro said. With Ridge Hall, “I wanted to create a destination that would entice people to stay for the day and return sooner rather than later.”
Customers dine at Ridge Hall in front of Mary’s Chicken Strip Club.
Some of the district’s established restaurateurs perhaps would argue that Ambler was already a destination.
At Sorrentino Pasta + Provisions, customers find fresh pasta, house-made focaccia, and imported Italian goods for sale. The restaurant is open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday and dinner Thursday through Saturday, and it’s a BYOB.
“Lunch is steady and a great opportunity to grab a table since it’s a little more difficult at dinner time,” proprietor Rich Sorrentino said. “We are extremely lucky to have the customers we do. Most are from the borough, but a surprising amount travel a bit to come join us.”
Geronimo’s Peruvian Cuisine, also a BYOB, offers signature dishes such as ceviche, lomo saltado, anticucho de corazón, arroz con mariscos, pollo a la brasa, and many other authentic Peruvian dishes, said co-owner Daniel Salazar. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday.
“Weekends are busy nights for us, we highly recommend calling the restaurant for a reservation,” she said. “Our goal here is to bring a cultural experience, to share a great cuisine that has history, flavor, and a little bit of mystery.”
A tale of two stores
Jeanne Cooke (left) and Barb Asman in their combined store, which opened earlier this year, bringing together XTRA Boutique and Main Street Vintage.
Jeanne Cooke, owner of Main Street Vintage, sold painted furniture, vintage wood furniture, new and vintage home accessories, and artwork at her Butler Avenue shop for years. Just down the street, Barb Asman’s XTRA Boutique was selling women’s clothing.
“Barb and I have been looking in windows in Ambler for years. We felt we needed more square footage to take our businesses to the next level,” Cooke said. “The merge was seamless. I guess because we talked about it for quite some time.”
The new experience is like shopping in a beautifully decorated home where you can buy all the furnishings. The two owners design the merchandising collaboratively, and the two businesses are intertwined.
The back of the store, where Main Street Vintage’s furniture and home decor are on display.
Asman said they are excited for what the future holds.
“I sometimes stand in the middle of the store and say: ‘Wow, this feels so good.’ It’s hard to put it into words,” Asman said. “It’s a really good feeling.”
The Eagles travel to face the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 7 matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know about the game:
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is known for blitzing a lot.
When the Eagles have the ball
We’ve seen Nick Sirianni switch it up offensively coming out of mini-byes or byes before, with the emphasis often placed on the run game. The guess here is that he will take the same approach this season. The Eagles desperately need to get Saquon Barkley going on the ground. There have been glimpses in the last few games, but play caller Kevin Patullo hasn’t stuck with it enough for various reasons.
The Vikings’ run defense offers an opportunity to get on track (of course, so apparently did the New York Giants last week). They rank 24th in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) per rush and have allowed 132.2 yards a game. The Eagles haven’t won as much at the point of attack, but Minnesota is light on its defensive line. Landon Dickerson (ankle) could return at left guard, but playing at far less than 100% hasn’t helped.
The Eagles don’t major in under-center plays. They ranked 30th in snaps there. But I think we may see more of Jalen Hurts in that formation. It would conceivably help get Barkley downhill, and if successful, open up play action. They just can’t tip off defenses with their tendencies and may need to throw from under center a few times early on.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is likely willing to give up yards on the ground because his No. 1 EPA-ranked pass defense has been stingy. Flores is a master of creating chaos. Yes, he blitzes a lot — a second-most 35.8% rate — but it’s his simulated pressures and disguised coverages that have given quarterbacks the most fits. The Eagles have struggled mightily against the latter two, partly because they’re often late to the line.
Flores leans heavily on zone coverages (77%) and employs a lot of two-high safety shells, often in Cover 2 or 6. The Eagles have seen zone more than ever and have had trouble working the intermediate part of the field.
Only 9.9% of Hurts’ attempts have traveled 10 to 19 yards, less than half the NFL average of 20.1%. Sirianni, Patullo, and Hurts have to do a better job of getting the ball to receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in space. Eagles receivers are averaging only 4 yards after the catch, which ranks 32d — last — in the league.
Carson Wentz will make his second career start against his former team, this time with the Vikings.
When the Vikings have the ball
The Eagles will face former franchise quarterback Carson Wentz for the second time since he was traded in 2021. It didn’t go well for Wentz in the first round. Then, with Washington, he got overrun by the Birds’ pass rush and was sacked nine times and fumbled twice. He still holds the ball too long and wants to play the hero.
But the Eagles’ front isn’t as ferocious and he has a solid offensive line, assuming that most of the starters are playing. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill (sprained MCL) are plus tackles. Rookie left guard Donovan Jackson is back from a wrist injury, but backup center Michael Jurgens (hamstring) and O’Neill are questionable.
Wentz, despite his flaws, can still make throws many quarterbacks can’t. And he has arguably the best receiver in the NFL. Justin Jefferson will draw additional attention from Vic Fangio’s defense. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell has followed top receivers this season, but his recent hamstring injury could hamstring Fangio’s coverage plans.
If opposite-side corner Adoree’ Jackson, who steps back into the starting role after Kelee Ringo’s benching, is matched up against Jefferson, Fangio will likely cloud his side. Jefferson alone, for context, has matched Hurts’ 10 intermediate-length completions this season for 205 yards. Jordan Addison is a potent No. 2 receiver.
The Eagles’ run defense has been leaky. They rank 20th in EPA per rush and 26th in success rate. With defensive tackle Jalen Carter (heel/shoulder) out last week, the Giants ran it down their throats. Minnesota running back Jordan Mason (4.7 yards per rush) has been effective in Aaron Jones’ absence.
It’s been an 11-man problem in stopping the run, but the Eagles have been susceptible on the edges. That isn’t just an outside linebacker issue, but a suspect pass rush that can be traced to the ineffectiveness of the Eagles’ edges. The current group, after Za’Darius Smith’s retirement, has just one collective sack.
Jalyx Hunt, Joshua Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Patrick Johnson (owner of said sack) have gotten pressure at times, but if Wentz has an extra click in the pocket, you can be sure he’ll often find an open Jefferson downfield.
Eagles beat writers Olivia Reiner and Jeff McLane will provide a preview of the game before the Eagles face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.You can tune in here.
Extra point
I don’t know what to make of this Eagles team through six games. I thought there would be early-season struggles, and predicted a 4-2 start. I just didn’t think it would look like this. Fangio’s unit has not played well over the last five quarters, but the offense’s second-half malaise against the Denver Broncos led to a fourth-quarter meltdown. And losing Carter and Mitchell clearly affected the Eagles at the Meadowlands. It shouldn’t have looked that pathetic.
There are still concerns at corner, edge, and safety. And where has defensive tackle Jordan Davis been the last three games? But it’s the pains on the other side of the ball that are more disconcerting. I keep expecting talent to win out, but the Sirianni-Patullo-Hurts trinity has had more holes than holiness. I foresee a tough, grind-it-out outcome, so the game could go either way. But I have a hard time riding with Wentz.
When he looks up from assembling the Phillies’ roster, Dave Dombrowski watches sports. One thing recently caught his eye. The Golden State Warriors are poised to open the NBA season with four starters who are 35 or older.
“It’s never happened before,” he said.
Dombrowski, the team’s president of baseball operations, brought this up Thursday, midway through his 54-minute news conference in Citizens Bank Park, to make a point: Aging teams can contend for titles.
It’s relevant because if the Phillies achieve their offseason priority of re-signing free agents Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, who will be 33 and 35 next season, at least four of the top hitters in the projected opening-day lineup will be 32 or older and locked up to multiyear contracts. It would be so uncommon that Schwarber joked about it several months ago.
“We would love to all finish our careers together,” he said. “But who would want to come out and want to watch a bunch of 40-year-old dudes play baseball? Right?”
Warriors fans might not mind the basketball version, but there’s a notable difference. Whereas Stephen Curry and Draymond Green won four championships together before teaming with Jimmy Butler and Al Horford, the Phillies’ core — Bryce Harper (33), Trea Turner (32), Schwarber, Realmuto, and pitchers Zack Wheeler (35) and Aaron Nola (32) — is still title-less.
The Phillies are coming off 96 wins, 95 last season, and 90 the year before. It would be irrational to blow it all up based on one bad week in each of the last three Octobers and impractical given all the long contractual commitments made by Dombrowski and owner John Middleton.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski must balance blending an aging core with young players from the farm system.
But in addition to an eyebrow-raising challenge to Harper — “I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or if he continues to be good. … I’ve seen guys at his age that level off, or I’ve seen guys rise again. We’ll see what happens” — the takeaway from Dombrowski’s end-of-season gab session was that he realizes the need for an infusion of youth, even as the Phillies prepare a nine-figure offer to Schwarber and discuss how far to go to retain Realmuto.
To extend the NBA comparison, the Phillies must incorporate their Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, the 23-year-olds among the Warriors’ graybeards.
“We have some young players that we’re going to mesh into our club,” Dombrowski said. “I’m not going to declare that anybody has a job. But there will be some people that we’re really open-minded to being with our big league club next year, coming out of spring training.”
Unsurprisingly, Dombrowski mentioned outfielder Justin Crawford and right-hander Andrew Painter. He also name-checked Otto Kemp, who made his major-league debut in June and could fit next season as a right-handed bench bat.
But Dombrowski said he “wouldn’t even preclude [infielder] Aidan Miller from being that type of guy” to contribute in 2026, an indication that the Phillies are ready to push down harder on the prospect pedal.
They were conservative this season, consistent with their recent philosophy. A recent Fangraphs study showed that only 24 players have made their major- league debut with the Phillies since 2022, the third-fewest in baseball after the Yankees and Braves.
The trend must change.
“It’ll be very interesting next spring training because those guys, they’re on the doorstep, and a couple of them are ready to go,” manager Rob Thomson said of Crawford, Painter, and Miller. “So we’ll see. I love young players because they always bring energy. But they have to perform, too.”
Phillies outfield prospect Justin Crawford won the triple-A International League batting crown with a .334 average.
Front and center, or stage left?
At times this summer, the Phillies got “very close,” a team source said, to calling up Crawford.
Instead, they left the 21-year-old in triple A.
Never mind that left fielder Max Kepler was drowning, with a .201 average and .661 OPS through July 25. Rather than releasing the $10 million veteran and replacing him with Crawford, the Phillies gave Kepler a longer rope. And after trading for Harrison Bader at the deadline, there wasn’t an opportunity for Crawford to play every day in the majors.
But Crawford reached base at a .411 clip for Lehigh Valley and won the International League batting crown with a .334 average. He stole 46 bases and led the farm system with 147 hits.
“I don’t know what else he really does at the minor-league level at this point,” Dombrowski said. “He’s led leagues in hitting. He steals bases. He’s a good energy guy. He’s a solid outfielder.”
Go ahead, then, and pencil in Crawford for a spot in the season-opening outfield.
Differences of opinion about Crawford once focused on his offense, notably his extreme tendency to hit the ball on the ground. Now, it’s more whether he’s best suited for center field or left.
Crawford got drafted as a center fielder and played there exclusively for three years. He shifted to left field more often late this season, especially once Johan Rojas got sent back to triple A. Crawford’s dad, Carl, played left field for 15 years in the majors.
Dombrowski might have hinted at the Phillies’ thinking by saying Kepler is “not going to most likely be back because he’s a free agent and we have Justin Crawford coming.” And Thomson said Crawford is “maybe a little better in left than he is in center,” based on internal reports.
Other team officials don’t fully concur.
Some Phillies officials believe Justin Crawford is best suited to play left field. Others think he can handle center.
“I see Justin as a center fielder,” minor-league director Luke Murton said. “We’re very confident in his ability to play center field. It’s just a matter of, he’s played less left field over the course of his career, so give him exposure to that so when the opportunity comes, if he has to go to the big leagues and play left field, then he’s prepared to do that.
“But I think, as an organization, we see him as a center fielder.”
It would simplify the outfield picture if Crawford is able to handle center field.
Bader, who stabilized center field after the trade, is expected to decline his $10 million mutual option. The Phillies would feel less urgency to bring him back in free agency off his career-best season at the plate.
And they could commit to Brandon Marsh, also a better defender in left field than center, as at least the lefty-hitting side of a corner outfield platoon, which would enable them to focus on finding a replacement for malcontented right fielder Nick Castellanos, all but certain to be traded or released.
Regardless, it will be Crawford’s time. At last.
“I don’t expect him to carry our club in the very beginning of the season, but you also don’t want to put him in where you think it would be a bit too much for him,” Dombrowski said.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen. He has never been overwhelmed when he’s been with us at any level, and we keep moving him up. You want to just see that he just continues to handle himself the same way that he has,” Dombrowski said.
Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter struggled in triple A in his first season back from Tommy John elbow surgery.
‘He’s going to be fine’
Don’t look now, but there will probably be a spot for Painter in the season-opening starting rotation.
Really. It’s true this time.
In 2023, a few team officials predicted that Painter would make the team out of camp even though he was 19 and hadn’t pitched above double A. He injured his elbow and wound up needing Tommy John surgery.
Last winter, in outlining the plan to build Painter’s workload in his return to the mound, Dombrowski infamously said he could be ready for the majors by “July-ish.” Instead, the top prospect had a 5.40 ERA in triple A.
It’s doubtful, then, that Dombrowski will pin yet another timetable on Painter. But with Ranger Suárez headed to free agency and Wheeler recovering from thoracic outlet decompression surgery, Painter’s long-awaited debut could come early next season.
“I think he’s going to be better the second year out after the Tommy John [surgery],” Thomson said. “The command’s going to get better. The quality of stuff’s going to get a little bit better. He’s going to be fine.”
Rival talent evaluators generally agree. One NL scout said last month that he has “appropriate concern” about the decline in Painter’s command but is inclined to “cut him some slack” after not pitching for two years.
There were encouraging signs last month. In his second-to-last start, Painter tossed five scoreless innings. He shut out Syracuse for three innings before allowing three runs in the fourth in his final start.
Even if Suárez bolts, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Nola, and Taijuan Walker are rotation holdovers. The Phillies are optimistic that Wheeler will return. They can’t say for sure that he will still be elite.
Painter’s time is coming. Maybe even in April.
“He still throws his fastball in the upper-90s, touches 100, still has quality breaking stuff,” Dombrowski said. “Most importantly, he remained healthy. So, those things are the encouragement. He used to have great command. It wasn’t quite as good this year. And normally, when you trace back to a lot of people that have had Tommy John, that’s the last thing that comes back. We’re optimistic that he’ll be able to regain that.”
Phillies infield prospect Aidan Miller went 9-for-27 with two doubles and a homer in an eight-game triple-A cameo to end the season.
Miller time?
Murton was skeptical in spring training when minor-league baserunning coordinator Gary Cathcart recommended that Miller be among the players who got a green light to run.
“I was like, ‘Hey man, I don’t think Aidan Miller’s going to steal a ton of bases in the big leagues. That’s just me,’” Murton said. “He’s like, ‘Well, I think he’s going to.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I don’t.’”
Murton relented. A few months later, he marveled that Miller already swiped more than 20 bases. Miller finished with 59, including seven steals in eight games at triple A to end the season.
In hindsight, even Miller didn’t see it coming.
“Honestly, no,” he said last month. “I don’t really know if I’m faster this year. Maybe a little bit. But I think I’m just being more aggressive on the bases.”
Miller’s path to the majors might be accelerated, too.
After a slow start, he batted .356 with a 1.099 OPS in his last 36 games. If the Phillies trade Alec Bohm this winter, after dangling him in talks last offseason, Miller could be in the wings at third base, even though he has played shortstop so far throughout the minors.
“He’s played some second, he’s played some third, but he’s primarily been a shortstop, so we’d have to make sure that we properly prepared him to do that,” Dombrowski said. “That’s still a discussion that we’ll have to have. But he’s a really good player and a good athlete. And he can hit.
“If Miller’s coming up here, he’s going to be an everyday player at the beginning of his career. We’re not going to bring him up and not play the majority of time.”
Miller was scheduled to play in the Arizona Fall League, but the Phillies decided that it was better if he rested after a long season. Besides, he could be in for a big spring training.
If it seems fast, consider this: When Dombrowski ran the Red Sox, he called up Andrew Benintendi from double A in 2016 and Rafael Devers a year later after only six triple-A games, two fewer than Miller played this season.
Last week at the Vatican, two Villanova legends finally came together: Pope Leo XIV and former basketball star Maddy Siegrist.
Siegrist took a short trip to Rome to visit the big landmarks, including the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum and spent a day with Villanova at an Augustinian conference, where she got to meet the pope.
Last year, the Villanova women’s basketball team took a group trip to Italy and the Vatican, but Siegrist, still in the middle of the WNBA season, couldn’t attend. This time around, after the Dallas Wings were eliminated from playoff contention, Chrissy Quisenberry, who helps organize alumni trips at Villanova, reached out to let Siegrist know they were planning another trip and that they might get an audience with the pope, also a Villanova graduate.
“People always joke because he [went to] Villanova, like, ‘Is he going to do the wedding?’” said Siegrist, who’s engaged to Stephen Perretta, an assistant women’s basketball coach at Drexel and the son of former Wildcats coach Harry Perretta. “When it did happen, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is crazy.’ We have a family group chat of all my cousins and aunts and grandparents. I sent the picture, and they’re like, ‘Are you joking?’ It was kind of a last-minute trip, so I didn’t really tell anyone because I didn’t know — when they said audience, it could be 1,000 people outside, which would have been unbelievable, but I didn’t realize I was actually going to have the opportunity to shake his hand.”
The group attended mass at St. Peter’s Basilica and toured the catacombs before meeting with Pope Leo. Siegrist got a photo shaking the pope’s hand — which she did have to pay for, like a Disneyland ride photo — and said it was a bucket list moment, which “rejuvenated” her Catholic faith.
Pope Leo XIV wears a Villanova hat gifted to him during a meeting with an Italian heritage group in June.
Pope Leo frequently goes viral for his White Sox fandom and has been pictured in Villanova hats on multiple occasions since assuming his new role. But even with a group from Villanova in the building, Siegrist said he was careful to stay impartial.
“He’s not biased at all,” Siegrist said. “I’ve seen a few pictures of Villanova hats and stuff. I think he addressed that. Dr. [Barbara] Wall was on the trip, she was one of his professors, so that was pretty cool to be with her during that moment. He knew there was a small group from Villanova at the conference, I think about 20-25 people. Such a cool experience. I really don’t even remember what I said in the moment. You just get so starstruck. You’re so nervous.”
Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.
Question 1 of 10
After decades as the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia's arts center in Fairmount Park is getting a new name. What is it called now?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The Pittsburgh-based Highmark insurance company will join the Mann nameplate starting immediately under the terms of a 12-year deal. The arts center will use the moniker "Highmark Mann" for short, and its new name comes with a renovation slated for completion in the spring.
Question 2 of 10
This Eagles player announced his retirement Monday on social media after 11 seasons in the NFL:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Smith, 33, wrote that he “knew this day would come — but now that it’s here, I’m feeling so many emotions I never expected." The 6-foot-4, 270-pound outside linebacker signed with the Eagles on Sept. 5, one day after their season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
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How many of the eateries on The 76, The Inquirer's annual list of the most vital restaurants in the Philadelphia area, are fresh additions this year?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
More than half of the list is fresh — classics that Inquirer scouts felt deserved their time in the spotlight, or new and new-to-us spots that reflect the shifting energy of the dining scene.
Question 4 of 10
A plan to convert Chester County's Pennhurst State School and Hospital into one of these facilities is drawing outrage from local residents:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
A plan to convert Pennhurst into a massive data center has outraged and mobilized local residents, as well as people in neighboring communities in an area known for rolling hills, farms, and an overall rural character. The pushback comes as both President Donald Trump and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro champion data center development.
Question 5 of 10
The Philadelphia Zoo is adding a new attraction that will serve as the first of its kind on the institution’s campus in its more than 150-year history. What is it?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The 10-story amusement ride — dubbed the “Pherris Wheel” by zoo officials — will open Nov. 20 and sit just past the zoo’s main entrance, offering a gondola’s-eye view of the animal park below, Boathouse Row, the Philadelphia Art Museum, and the skyline below.
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Question 6 of 10
How much money did Temple University get as part of a record-making gift it recently received from an alumnus who almost didn't get accepted into the school?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Christopher Barnett, who made his money in real estate and healthcare, has donated $55 million to the school, surpassing the $27.5 million given by philanthropists Sidney and Caroline Kimmel in April. Barnett was rejected from Temple nearly two decades ago, but he talked his way in after showing up unannounced at the office of the director of transfer admissions.
Question 7 of 10
A Delco-based tattooer won a scrapple sculpting contest at Reading Terminal Market late last week. His scrapple-fied sculpture depicted:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Patrick Moser was crowned champion for his version of the Eagles’ Tush Push, which he called the “Mush Push.” The sculpture, judges said, was advanced, ambitious, and pushed scrapple “to its absolute limits.” Moser was awarded a pig trophy named “Scrappy” and a $100 Reading Terminal Market gift card.
Question 8 of 10
Following the Phillies' tragic knockout in game four of the National League Division Series, where is team manager Rob Thomson going next season?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
With one year left on his contract, Thomson will be back to manage the Phillies next season. Questions arose about Thomson’s job security last week after the Phillies lost in the divisional round of the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Question 9 of 10
Iron Hill Brewery abruptly closed all its stores and filed for liquidation bankruptcy earlier this month. That leaves one question: What happens to all their beer now?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The final destination of Iron Hill's beer will play out during the bankruptcy process, which could take several months to just over a year. If the beer is able to be sold, proceeds would go toward paying the company's debts.
Question 10 of 10
This dive bar made The Inquirer's list of the 20 happiest places in Philly, thanks in part to its welcoming bartenders:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy good food and a fun beverage, which is a pretty neat shortcut. Dirty Franks, one reader wrote, not only has $2 beers but bartenders so warm that they sometimes think of them as "additional mothers."
Your Results
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Seems like you’ve been skimming more than reading there, buddy. There’s always next week.
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In 2020, Dallas litigator Kevin Kelley had a 10,000-square-foot space on the ground floor of his building that had been vacant for a year.
With the pandemic in full swing and no takers, Kelley built it out himself as a restaurant serving Southern comfort food and modern cocktails in upscale, TikTok-able environs.
“People came, they enjoyed it, and …” Kelley paused. “I was in it.”
Five years later, Kelley is in Center City Philadelphia to open his sixth Kitchen & Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, after locations in Chicago, Washington, Charlotte, and Atlanta. The Philadelphia restaurant, with 300 seats including a 25-seat bar, 50-seat private dining room, and a staff of 125, opened Saturday on the ground floor of the Cambria Hotel, at 225 S. Broad St.
Cooks work in the open kitchen at Kitchen & Kocktails, as viewed from the mezzanine.
Kelley also owns Kanvas Sports & Social, a sports bar, and Club Vivo, a nightclub, both in Dallas. By this time next year, he said, he expects to open six more Kitchen & Kocktails, and he isn’t ruling out a restaurant in King of Prussia, where he first looked before leasing the former Del Frisco’s Grille at the Cambria.
And to think — Kelley said — “if somebody had been willing to pay a small lease, I might not have opened a restaurant. But you know, God is good.”
Roses cover the walls in the stairwell at Kitchen & Kocktails.
Early interest spiked after a social-media blitz last month drove people to OpenTable. In only the first 24 hours, the restaurant booked 2,840 reservations, Kelley said.
Customers step into the sleek, high-ceilinged reception area, decorated with greenery, next to a wine tower. Staff greets everyone with a “welcome home,” Kelley said. The jade blue onyx marble bar is front and center next to an open kitchen. At a preview party recently, influencers deftly balanced their cell cameras and LED lights while climbing the stairs to the mezzanine through a gauntlet of red roses. Kelley also hosted nonprofit groups, including Mothers in Charge, which supports families who have lost children to gun violence.
Lamb chops and deviled eggs are prepared for a preview dinner at Kitchen & Kocktails.
The menu includes shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, jerk lamb chops, fried catfish, and vegan bowls, served at lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. The average dinner check, Kelley said, is about $75, including a drink or two. Even with white tablecloths, Kelley insisted that the restaurant is not fine dining: “I want a restaurant that everyone can dine in. Be the best of yourself, dress nice, bring your lady, but we want to be affordable for everyone.”
Diners take their seats at the new Kitchen & Kocktails.
Kelley has not given up his legal work. From Philadelphia this week, he said, he logged into a Zoom hearing to close out a multimillion-dollar settlement for clients in Texas. “But hospitality is my passion and the future,” he said, adding that he sees it as an extension of his legal work. “I’ve learned that people need to be cared for,” he said. “They need to be treated with respect. There is power in serving people.”
Kelley, 48 — who started his law firm at age 26 and still owns 100% of his companies — speaks often about Black entrepreneurship and ownership. “I believe diversity is extraordinary,” he said. “In order for us to learn from other cultures and for other cultures to learn from us, there have to be Black entrepreneurs.” His wife, Deseri, founded a company that designs luxury handbags.
Drinks on a table during a preview of Kitchen & Kocktails.
His company’s leadership is intentionally diverse. “My restaurant looks like I would want America to look like — where everybody’s represented,” he said. “My CFO is a Black female. My director of operations is a white male. I want to make sure that I give everybody an opportunity — Black, white, brown — because I think everybody should give Black people an opportunity as well,” he said. “I don’t want to be a Black man who has power that doesn’t give other people a chance.”
The Kitchen & Kocktails idea came to him from 2014 to 2019 as he shuttled between Texas and Spain while his sons played soccer at elite youth academies in Europe.
Diners attend a preview of the new Kitchen & Kocktails.The exterior of the new Kitchen & Kocktails restaurant.
“I ate a lot of tapas, a lot of pan con tomate, and jamón, but I missed Southern food: fried chicken, blackened shrimp,” he said. “I said, ‘When I come back to America full time, I’m going to open my own restaurant so that I can enjoy what I miss.’”
Kevin II is now a 20-year-old junior and Kristian is a 19-year-old sophomore, both student-athletes at Princeton University. “They played at Cornell University [in Ithaca, N.Y.] on Saturday, won that game [2-0, with one goal by Kristian], drove back that night with their team, and then on Sunday they came to the restaurant and worked a full day,” Kelley said. “Afterward, they rode back to Princeton to get back to their schoolwork.”
Kelley’s first restaurant opened in August 2020 as True Kitchen & Kocktails, but he dropped the “True” because of what he called a trademark concern. He said his team suggested that he add his own name “because they believe in my sacrifice and my investment in them.”
Kelley said his name on the shingle represents accountability. “I take great pride in that,” he said. “As long as I have my ownership, everything is my responsibility, good and bad.”
Kitchen & Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, 225 S. Broad, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. Brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekends.
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.
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