So many young Americans who signed up for World War II in 1944 thought they were headed across the Atlantic to help pull European towns away from Adolf Hitler’s grip.
But many GIs, fresh out of basic training at New Jersey’s Fort Dix, instead ended up sleeping in two-man tents in Fairmount Park.
On Aug. 5, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched about 5,000 U.S. Army troops to Philadelphia to intervene in an ugly transit strike.
When covering a trash strike in July 1978, the Daily News spoke with military members who were sent to the city during the tumultuous six days of the 1944 transit strike.
“I had to work on Diamond Street,” James Denning of Maywood, N.J., recalled to the Daily News. “That was worse than Germany.”
Photo shows one of the subway car with passengers with a Armed soldier during the 1944 Philadelphia Transit strikes.Culross (Phila. Inquirer)
It marked one of the first major federal interventions amid the fight for civil rights.
On Aug. 1, white transit workers with the Philadelphia Transit Co. had gone on strike over the hiring of Black trolley operators.
Black workers were now being given operator jobs, graduating to higher pay and better conditions than in their previous jobs in mechanics and labor.
The Black drivers threatened to leave their posts unless they were guaranteed protection from racially motivated attacks. And the strike itself threatened to slow down the Philadelphia war machine feeding the need for ships, tanks, and uniforms.
The Army took over the transit agency three days into the strike, and on Aug. 5, Roosevelt ordered the troops to break the strike.
The intervention helped lead to the end of the strike after six days, but federal troops remained in the city, riding streetcars 24 hours a day, keeping them moving, and protecting Black transit workers on the rails and on the roads.
Troops withdrew from the city on Aug. 17, and by early September, Black trolley drivers took their rightful places behind the wheel.
Plus, City Council members grilled the police commissioner over officers’ Pride response as LGBTQ+ advocates demanded accountability, and more news of the day.
Prior to the kickoff of the World Cup, the organizers of the city’s events projected the soccer tournament would bring $770 million to Pennsylvania in gross revenue.
The cleat-kicked dirt is still settling, and conclusions will continue to emerge as more data comes to light.
But here is what we know so far:
⚽ Hotels and short-term rentals made more money.
⚽ SEPTA, PHL, and rideshare handled more travelers.
⚽ Philly’s fan festival, and bars near it, were poppin’ off.
But for the city’s professional movers, it’s just another day at work. Between parking troubles on tight South Philly streets and narrow doorways in historical trinity homes, these crews encounter and overcome Philly-specific challenges daily.
Reporter Olivia Prusky looked at how Philly movers maneuvered complicated or unwieldy items out — and into — small, old, or weirdly-shaped Philly homes, and learned a few expert tips.
Several members of Philadelphia City Council and a bevy of LGBTQ+ community leaders on Wednesday sharply criticized Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, who testified about the department’s response to Pride festivities in the city’s Gayborhood in June and largely defended the force’s crowd-control tactics that had drawn outrage.
A Northeast Philly man disappeared in 2014 and months later his body was found in the Schuylkill with bullet wounds. A woman was just arrested.
Attorneys for Bucks County Democrat Bob Harvie filed a defamation lawsuit against a political action committee and a consultant supporting his opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, in a high-stakes congressional contest.
Right as work was set to begin on the Collings Avenue Bridge, Camden County announced Wednesday that the $2.5 million repair project is postponed until further notice.
Hackers breached two local New Jersey water systems as part of a wider cyberattack across several states. Officials say drinking water remained safe.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, in perhaps the most in-depth and toughest interview he has faced in recent memory, defended his unwavering support for Israel and his harsh criticisms of fellow Democrats when pressed by Jon Stewart in a podcast episode.
A new $10 million fund is a “first step” toward recovery for Pennsylvania farmers after a disastrous April freeze.
Quote of the day
Christopher Nolan’s interpretation of The Odyssey is visually arresting, but not when it comes to dining. Our food reporter, who is also a classics scholar, tells us how to watch the movie and dine like a hero.
🧠Trivia time
The school year started Wednesday for 500-plus new Philadelphia School District teachers and counselors. When do the district’s 113,000 students return to the classroom?
🍕 Curious about. Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy stopped into at least five Philly-area pizzerias this week for much-coveted “one bite” ratings. One spot nabbed an 8.3.
🙏 Remembering. Avid St. Joseph’s basketball fan Chris DiJulia was known for his wit, loyalty, and perseverance — not for his wheelchair. His death has been emotional for the greater St. Joe’s community who admired his battle with cerebral palsy.
🎬 Following. The HBO crime thriller Task has added new cast members who will join stars Mark Ruffalo and Mahershala Ali for its second season, which centers on two opposing dads in Philadelphia and its collar counties.
🏀 Noddying along to. Fans are all asking the same question after the 76ers signed prized free agent LeBron James: Does this make the Sixers favorites to win the NBA championship? So we asked our experts.
🍽️ Anticipating. Philadelphia’s late-summer restaurant openings range from Italian aperitivo culture and contemporary Mexican fare to family recipes, comfort food, and a returning neighborhood sports bar.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said this New Jersey shop has the best Philly cheesesteak.
Cheers to Page Allinson, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Aldar Bistro. The longtime Bala Cynwyd restaurant is closing after more than three decades, and Center City Italian restaurant veterans are moving in.
Photo of the day
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts participates in training camp practice with a video camera mounted on his helmet at the Jefferson Health Training Complex in South Philly.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
The child-sized figure with robot-like qualities was the brainchild of Canadian researchers in the mid-2010s.
The goal was to try and better understand human-robot relationships, and to generally gauge how humans would interact with robots.
He was carried across the Northeast by the kindness of strangers who were kept up to date through social media posts.
Nicknamed hitchBOT, the oddity developed quite a following, moving through the Netherlands, Germany, andCanada.
When he hit the United States, he crossed through the northeastern part of the country over a two-week span.
And he was making — and having — a good time. He took in a Boston Red Sox game, visited an aquarium, and was gleefully photographed in Times Square in New York.
And then he arrived in Philadelphia.
hitchBOT’s creators said their baby had been mugged while taking a break at Elfreth’s Alley on Aug. 1, 2015, and stripped for parts.
They said he had been horrifically decapitated.
The creators later quipped, “sometimes bad things happen to good robots.”
In 2015, Laura Blankenship, cochair of the Computer Science Teachers Association, wrote a post about the lessons from the experiment.She remarked that the creators got an answer to their existential question:
“Humans might treat robots just like humans,” Blankenship wrote.
hitchBOT became fodder for late-night talk shows, gossip websites, and ammunition for the usual folks who enjoy taking cheap shots atPhiladelphia and its inhabitants.
The New York papers ate it up, as did CNN.
“This is why we can’t have nice hitchhiking robots,” CNN wrote.
As far as Philadelphia’s role in the episode, the city still holds a special place in its heart for the headless kind-hunter. On the 10th anniversary, a memorial service and a remembrance were held at the famous alley where hitchBOT met his end.
Today, hitchBOT’s body is on display at the Heinz Nixdorf Museums Forum in Paderborn, Germany.
And the next day, on July 21, 1969, the Muppets landed on televisions across Philadelphia.
But unlike the moon landing, the Muppets’ debut was a test run.
Over five days, producers of Sesame Street broadcast five hour-long test-pilot episodes on WHYY-TV’S UHFChannel 35 on televisions spread across 70 homes throughout the city.
So, why Philly?
“The station is one of the country’s top public TV stations,” Edward Palmer, then Sesame’s director of research, told The Inquirer in August 1969. “It has displayed great interest in the [Children’s Television] Workshop and has been most cooperative. And it has Channel 35.”
Those first few episodes, set at the fictional Manhattan meeting place at 123 Sesame Street, paired a snappy theme song with a cast of unusual and friendly oddballs.
The program, which can trace its roots to the mid-20th-century civil rights movement, would go on to delight, instruct, and entertain,thanks to the worldview and genius of Jim Henson.
But it wasn’t a complete home run.
The Philly research showed that of course the kids loved the Muppets, but they were bored by live-action street segments featuring only human actors.
This taught the producers that they had to integrate the Muppets with the human cast, and have them interact, rather than keep the Muppets and humans separate.
“Test audiences of preschoolers in Philadelphia had rejected live-action sequences shot on a mock urban street, with trash cans on the curb and laundry hanging from tenement windows,” according to Michael Davis’ book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street.
The human-operated puppets would go on to charm millions of children and parents, and their names would become iconic: The Count, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Oscar, Miss Piggy, Elmo, Kermit, and many others.
And they would later be joined by an endless A-list of guest stars.
On July 18, 1923, this Phillies fan, real name Robert Cotter, caught a foul ball in the right-field bleachers during a day game against the Chicago Cubs at North Philly’s National League Park.
And the Phillies wanted the ball back.
The 11-year-old refused to cough it up to security guards, nicknamed “red caps.”
“I started running up the steps to get out,” Cotter later recalled. “I looked up and saw a red cap [guard] coming toward me. I turned around to run the other way, and there was another one standing behind me.”
Tough kid
It may be important to note that “Toughie Reds” did not pay for his ticket.
The kid and his brother, Raymond, ran out of their house on North 15th Street toward the ballpark, and climbed up a rain spout and into the ramshackle ballpark unofficially nicknamed (derisively by The Inquirer) “Baker Bowl.”
But not paying the price of admission seemed to pale in comparison to taking home the ball.
Baseball precedent
Since Cotter would not relinquish his grip on the ball, ownership saw an opportunity.
It was a chance to establish, once and for all, a legal precedent.
The Phillies’ policy in the 1920s said fans who caught foul balls had to give them back. They were team property, and not souvenirs. Mostly because kids like Cotter would try and sell the balls outside the park after outrunning the red caps.
On that July day in 1923, he couldn’t outrun them.
He was pulled into a nearby police station, where he was arrested for larceny, and spent the night in the House of Correction.
The next morning, Cotter and a Phillies rep went before a Municipal Court judge. The court sided with the kid, who was “following his natural instincts,” the judge noted, before adding: “It’s a thing I would do myself.”
Cotter walked, and the Phillies instituted a new policy of allowing fans to keep balls hit into the stands. And, eventually, every team in the major leagues would follow suit.
In 1998, to show there were no hard feelings, the team welcomed back Cotter and his family to Veterans Stadium, and he left with autographed baseballs from the team and Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts.
Good morning, Philly. We’re in for a hot and smoky day.
We start with beef between Philly City Council members and the mayor’s office over rising property assessments. And Council members say: Homeowners “deserve answers now.”
And smoke is drifting into Philly from Canadian wildfires, and from a large junkyard fire in Delco. It’s enveloping the region.
Members of Philadelphia City Council say they are concerned that the city’s recently released property reassessments will mean tax hikes for thousands of residents — and they are demanding to know more about the methodology used to determine property values.
Councilmember Mike Driscoll, a Democrat who represents the Lower Northeast, authored aletter sent Monday to Chief Assessment Officer James Aros Jr. and other top officials in Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration, expressing concerns on behalf of a half dozen Council members.
He wrote that his office has received “numerous” calls from constituents whose homes will see sharp increases in valuation, the measure that is used to calculate property tax bills.
Citywide, there was a 3% median change in valuations from the 2025 tax year, the last time there was a mass reassessment, according to an Inquirer analysis of assessments of single-family homes.
But some neighborhoods saw much steeper increases.
It’s about to get both hot and smoky in the Philly region.
High temperatures and high humidity, which started on Wednesday and will continue into Friday, will be met by smoke drifting south from a batch of Canadian wildfires.
The smoke will bring hazy skies and fine particle pollutants that can irritate lungs and increase health threats to those with asthma and respiratory illnesses.
Additionally, smoke from a large scrapyard fire in Delaware County has prompted the Health Department to urge residents to take precautions to avoid exposure.
Also: Amtrak and SEPTA were slowing trains down by 5 to 10 mph on Wednesday, and Amtrak was canceling some Acela and Northeast Regional train trips, because of the heat.
And in related news: New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Mayor Parker are assessing whether they’ll need to ask the federal government for help following recent storms in Philly and Camden as President Donald Trump rejects more disaster aid from blue areas.
What you should know today
A U.S. House committee has asked District Attorney Larry Krasner to turn over documents related to his office’s handling of immigration matters. They want the documents by the end of July.
President Trump used a visit to Central Pennsylvania as a chance to promote defense investments in the state and say Gov. Josh Shapiro is “overrated.”
A former Bucks County man who voted twice for Trump in the 2020 election was sentenced to six months of house arrest and three years of probation.
The city government will assume control of the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center, the only program in the city that offers free sexual assault exams, after years of uncertainty over how the center would be managed and financed.
Three major Philadelphia-area health systems — Jefferson, Nemours, and Temple — are exploring an alliance to support financially struggling St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in North Philadelphia, its leaders announced.
Almost half of Pennsylvania voters say they are worse off financially compared to one year ago, while nearly 3 in 4 say they don’t want an artificial intelligence data center in their backyard, according to new poll.
Quote of the day
Sports columnist Marcus Hayes thinks Phillies star pitcher Zack Wheeler and star slugger Bryce Harper are acting weird. He wonders: Is it the pressure for the Phillies to win, or is it just us?
🧠Trivia time
This Washington, D.C.-based bagel sandwich shop has signed for a third Philly location before its first two have spread a single schmear.
🕙 Waiting on. The House passed a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent across the nation. Critics have concerns. And, yes, we have tried this before.
🙏 Mourning. Mark Donovan Hagins, an actor, teacher, and producer who knew everyone in Philadelphia’s theater community, from the upstarts to the grizzled veterans, died at his home on June 24. He was 56.
⚾ Anticipating. Baseball celebrated itself with a sparkling All-Star Week in Philadelphia. Next up: Avoiding self-destruction with a looming labor fight.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Elevenlocals took part in a tribute to this 1993 classic film atTuesday’s MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.
Cheers to Ann A. Walker, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Federal Donuts. The restaurant group Cook N Solo will close three Center City Federal Donuts & Chicken locations and shrink its Goldie falafel chain from four shops to one.
Photo of the day
Nahir Albright, of Sicklerville fishes with his daughter Gia Albright, 5.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
And we end today with this lovely shot of a father and daughter fishing on the Cooper River on Wednesday in Collingswood.
👋 Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Paola Pérez has you covered tomorrow.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
The stampers were runnin’ wild, and state officials wanted their piece.
So it was time to crack down on the ping-pong-ball pullers.
On July 10, 1981, Republican Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh signed the Bingo Law.
The bill, which took effect on Nov. 9 of that year, would ensure the popular game remained a tool of charitable groups and remained small-stakes operations. This new law limited prize money to $250 (about $920 today) per game, $2,000 (about $7,300 today) for a so-called jackpot game, and $4,000 (about $14,700 today) in total for any one day.
The bill also specified that only nonprofits that had been existence for at least two years could host the games, and that they could do so no more than twice a week.
Traditionally, bingo games were put on by charitable associations — think church groups and senior centers — that were legitimate nonprofits. Still, it was a prohibited form of gambling, and law enforcement across the state chose to ignore this fact and instead allowed the parlor game to thrive.
The bill, Thornburgh told The Inquirer in 1981, would “end this hypocrisy.”
He added, however, that he was not “convinced that this is the absolute, ideal bill,” and that his administration would continue working with the General Assembly “to ensure that some of the loopholes that have been alleged to exist are addressed.”
The bill-pushers were pumped. Legalizing bingo, they told anyone who would listen, would protect charitable foundations, civic groups, and legitimate nonprofits from what an Inquirer reporter called “unscrupulous bingo entrepreneurs.” It would, theoretically, keep those groups from having to pay taxes on the raised money, and keep it out of organized crime’s reach.
But the bingo bill had noisy detractors, like future Philly Mayor Ed Rendell, then the district attorney, who astutely pointed out that the bill would allow anyone to organize a nonprofit and run bingo games. The bill did not provide much enforcementinfrastructure, either.
Today, bingo licenses run $100 for a year, or $15 for a three-day stint.
Good morning, Philly. Watch out for thunderstorms later today.
We start with an in-depth look at Eagles fan Terry Thompson, who lost $1.5 million on bets he placed with FanDuel. The company gave him VIP treatment — including a video from the Phillies star first baseman.
And, the first week of July is typically one of Philly’s most violent. But this year, the Independence weekend was markedly calmer.
As the 2020 NFL season kicked off, Terry Thompson picked up his phone and placed a wager with FanDuel Sportsbook on his favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was his first time gambling through an app, and he soon started placing microbets. He grew addicted to the effortless, rapid-fire action. Thompson would ultimately wager $18.5 million with FanDuel, earning him VIP status with the company.
That meant exclusive perks, from champagne to Super Bowl tickets, which made him feel important and enticed him to continue gambling. By late November 2024, Thompson had incurred steep losses and resorted to desperate measures to fund his addiction.
Then, one afternoon, he flicked open his phone and received a FanDuel reward that momentarily distracted him from his debts: a personalized video message from Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper.
Temple University approved a budget that includes an average 3.4% tuition hike for both in-state and out-of-state students, and plans for about 40 employee layoffs.
A Delaware County man was charged after allegedly making threats against Gov. Josh Shapiro, including a pledge to “burn down … [Shapiro’s] mansion with him in it.“
Pennsylvania officials were threatened with criminal charges if votes by noncitizens are counted in elections — a rarity that is already illegal.
Prosecutors in Montgomery County have withdrawn criminal charges against longtime Philly sports personality Mike Missanelli after an alleged domestic dispute.
A state investigation confirmed poor conditions, needless euthanasia, and insufficient spending on facilities at the Montco SPCA. The board was ousted.
A federal judge decided that Gov. Shapiro can’t be sued by his Abington neighbors over a property dispute. But Shapiro will still have to face his neighbors in federal court as a homeowner.
Quote of the day
Various reports say the 76ers are among NBA superstar LeBron James’ top free-agency destinations. Sports columnist Marcus Hayes, however, doesn’t see it happening. “I think it’s likely,” Hayes writes, “that LeBron’s representatives are using this (feigned) interest as leverage to land the King elsewhere.”
🧠Trivia time
The Vances built this unusual addition to the vice president’s residence.
🏋️ Applauding. Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali was spotted jumping rope behind the scenes of the HBO show “Task,” which is filming in Manayunk.
📺 Gloating. Speaking of Philly shows, both “Abbott Elementary” and season 1 of “Task” were nominated for Emmy Awards.
🍗 Eating. Fast-food outlet Jollibee introduced chicken nuggets for the first time in nearly 50 years. The Filipino-rooted chain’s lone Philadelphia-area restaurant is at Cottman and Bustleton Avenues in Great Northeast Plaza.
🎨 Admiring. An artist-led exhibition program transformed spaces in Suburban Station into a graffiti haven.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: This iconic sandwich is making its triumphant return to Citizens Bank Park for the All-Star game.
Cheers to Jim Diamond, who solved Wednesday’s anagram: Star Wars. The film turns 50 next year, and the Franklin Institute is partnering with Lucasfilm on a new, interactive exhibit.
Photo of the day
All-Star Game logo seen in centerfield at Citizens Bank Park.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
And we end on this lovely birds eye view of the MLB All-Star Game logo, which was painted in the centerfield grass at Citizens Bank Park. Baseball’s midsummer classic, which returns to Philly for the first time since 1996, will be the center of the baseball world for nearly a week. Here’s what you can expect.
👋 Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer. Paola Pérez has you covered tomorrow.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
The U.S. government’s crusade to prevent the spread of communism on the Korean Peninsula coincided with the 175th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
And in Philadelphia, where the founding document was birthed in 1776, city planners laid the groundwork for a four-day jubilee.
Festivities kicked off July 1, 1951, and centered around an unorthodox ceremony to blend dirt, or “hallowed earth,” from Independence Square with soil scooped from Revolutionary War battlefields in each of the original 13 colonies.
Judge Edwin O. Lewis, chairman of the city’s celebration, said the exercise would rededicate the states “to the principles of freedom.”
The ceremony was held in the shadow of Independence Hall and featured 19-year-old Army Pfc. Francis R. Findley Jr., of Havertown, who had recently returned from the front lines of the Korean War.
Each of the original 13 states sent representatives, who were dressed in replica uniforms from past conflicts and were escorted by a color guard, and took turns carrying an urn of battle-tested earth to the dais.
Findley took a fistful of dirt from each urn and added it to a monumentalmixture in a ceremonial pedestal bowl.
Three days later, on the Fourth of July, the then-48 states received a growth opportunity: oak seedlings rooted in the mixed soil.
Theodore Roosevelt III, (left), Philadelphia Mayor Bernard Samuel, and U.S. Sen. James H. Duff give out oak seedlings for the capitals of the then-48 states at Independence Hall on July 4, 1951.Inquirer Archive
The seedlings were to be planted as memorials in each state’s capital city.
After the dirt was mixed together, almost as part of a recipe for building democracy into a country’s bedrock, U.S. Sen. James H. Duff, a Republican from Pennsylvania, called upon an “American formula” to help challenge threats of tyranny and oppression.
Historically speaking, subtlety hasn’t traditionally been a strong suit for leaders of the U.S. government.
“We offer the world peace,” Duff said on the Fourth of July, “if we may have peace without appeasement and with freedom.”
You open the door to the rental and let in the roaring summer sun, and you’re fully prepared for a relaxing day on beach: Toy Story-themed towel, Cherry Float Coke Zeros, and a thin layer of suntan spray coating everything in the canvas tote bag.
But you could really use a snack.
There’s a lot going on this holiday weekend, and it’s a mess. So the last thing you need is another one.
What you’re looking for is a classic Jersey Shore treat, but ice cream isn’t built for travel and a slice of pizza has too many variables.
You need a “Walking Taco.”
Walking tacos are offered at the Wells Fargo Center.Michael Klein / Staff
I’m Tommy Rowan, and I’m once again subbing in for Amy S. Rosenberg. I’m a lifelong Jersey Shore-goer who was raised on visits to the Ocean City boardwalk and Wonderland Pier. I spent my teenage years on the Wildwood boardwalk, my 20s in Sea Isle City, and nowadays I have family in North Wildwood. And maybe it’s because I’m within spitting distance of 40, or because places I once loved are being torn down, I find myself wanting to cram in more of everything.
Which brings us back to the food that moves.
The “Walking Taco” is for people who want to walk and talk, and who want to fit in more and keep moving.
It’s a snack-sized bag of Fritos that’s crushed into pieces, garnished with seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, and homemade pico de gallo, and eaten with a plastic spoon.
It encourages you to get your steps in, but it’s not quite fast food. That’s why they don’t call it a “Running Taco.”
It’s best eaten on the walk to the beach, but if you’re a “save for later” kind of person, it still works: The bag is self-contained, and yet it’s protected from splashes of sand and saltwater. And it’s an easy disposal: Just crush the bag into a ball and toss it in a trash can.
It’s salty and crunchy and cheesy, but it’s not a true overindulgence.
A cheeky hot dog stand in Sea Isle City has unfound claims to “the original,” but the product can be found up and down the Philly-favored beach towns between Atlantic City and Cape May — and many swap out Fritos for Doritos.
And, honestly, what better way to ring in the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence than with a uniquely American product: a nonrecyclable bag of ultraprocessed salty particles, topped with chemically altered cheese strings, covered in oily animal fat, and topped with what can only be described as a “modern interpretation” of pico de gallo.
It’s America in a fun-size.
📮 What’s your favorite beach snack? And how do you feel about the “Walking Taco?” What are you eating this holiday weekend? Let me know what you think by replying to this email, and your most interesting responses may end up in a future newsletter. Have ideas or news tips about the Shore or this newsletter? Send them here.
😡 We’re in for a dangerously hot holiday weekend. Remember to hydrate.
🏖️ Pumped up. Sand-pumping operations are expected to begin next week in Ocean City, while replenishment of the Seven Mile Island Beaches will reportedly begin toward the end of the summer. Avalon’s beaches are up first, with work scheduled to start in mid-August, followed by Stone Harbor in October.
🛵 Take a number. A reminder that New Jersey is now taking appointments for e-riders to register their e-bikes, per a new state law (which doesn’t seem to affect visitors from Pennsylvania). We have a full look at the confusing law here.
🎃 Halloween in July? Spirit Halloween is getting a head start on the spooky season and listing seasonal job openings on its website, including for pop-up stores at the Shore in May’s Landing, Rio Grande, and Egg Harbor Township.
🏫 Stretching out. Dominique Dawes, a former Olympian who founded a chain of gymnastics schools, is planning to open a new location in South Jersey this fall. The new school is part of the former gold medalist’s expansion into the greater Philly region.
🇺🇸 The Declaration. Two days before the country’s 250th anniversary, on July 2, Avalon is hosting a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. And then a few days after, on July 8, Cape May is planning its own public reading and reenactment. Both are worth checking out.
👻🦀 Ghost crabs! Every Thursday between 8 and 9 p.m., the Nature Center hosts a ghost crab hunt on the beaches of Cape May. So grab a flashlight and watch the translucent crustaceans scurry in the spotlight. Preregistration is required.
🌭 Hot Dog Tommy’s in Cape May. No. 1, fantastic name. No notes. And No. 2, helluva chili cheese dog.
🎥 Beach movies. Catching a flickoutdoors at the Shoreis underrated. Ocean air, salty breezes, and overpriced ice cream cones coalesce to create the most perfect conditions to take in a picture. Cape May and Margate show movies on the beach, Sea Isle utilizes the Band Shell in Excursion Park, and Wildwood hosts at Byrne Plaza.
🧢 Card show. If you’re looking for an escape from the heat this weekend, the Sports Card, Toy, Comic & Collectibles Show will be trading in childhood treasures and autographed memorabilia at the Wildwoods Convention Center on the boardwalk.
🎸 Free tunes in Atlantic City. On Wednesday, Bayou Blues guitarist-vocalist Tab Benoit is playing Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk, a New Orleans-themed concert series at Kennedy Plaza. The free show starts at 7 p.m.
🥡 Delicious takeout. Craig LaBan is a big fan of the General Tso’s at China Sea of Absecon. He went inland for his latest list of places to eat at the Shore.
Shore snapshot
Jason Kelce takes a selfie with fans at his annual fundraiser in Sea Isle City.Courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles
After starting last year’s fundraiser with tear-away shorts and a Speedo, Jason Kelce was comparatively reserved this year for his entrance at his and wife Kylie Kelce‘s sixth annual “Shore Birds” event at the Ocean Drive in Sea Isle City. The event benefits the Eagles Autism Foundation.
I hope the next milestone after the Semiquincentennial is easier to pronounce and simpler to spell.
🧠 Trivia time
On June 27, 1958, this civil rights leader addressed a convention of Quakers in Cape May in a little remembered episode in this cultural icon’s extraordinary life.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Wonderland Pier and the unmistakable value boardwalk rides bring to the Jersey Shore, which is what made Joseph Farley’s recent submission jump out.
The station wagon seemed to bulge like in a Willie the Worm cartoon; where endless hordes of Mickey Mouse types invade a building. Our family of ten filled the seats with the baby on mom’s lap. It was 1955, the tires were near bald and Dad kept a gallon of water handy to feed the radiator should it geyser in heavy traffic. We left Cheltenham, PA for Wildwood already singing, “On the Way to Cape May.” My pockets bulged with the contents of my piggy bank, my life’s savings. It was a six-hour trip, four of them spent in Dorothy, a town on the Tuckahoe Road, enjoying lunch while Dad made repairs to the car.
That night I choose to ride the “Salt & Pepper Shaker” on Morey’s Pier; a scary ride that took you into the stars. At the top, it flipped upside-down. All the coins in my pockets fell out, clanking off the girders to oblivion. This broke ten-year old, turned moocher, still had a glorious vacation. I returned home brown as a berry with a tale that became family lure, a “feel sorry for dad story” that still brings sympathetic sighs every time I tell it.
Send us your Shore memory in 200 words! Tell us how the Shore taps into something deep for you, and we will publish them in this space during the summer.
✌️ That should do it. Amy’s back from vacation next week, so I’ll see ya at the rest stops.
— Tommy
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
