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  • How more than 3,000 Pennsylvania state government employees are using AI at work

    HARRISBURG — When Pennsylvania announced plans in 2024 for a first-of-its-kind generative artificial intelligence pilot program with the tech giant OpenAI, Steve Catanese believed he was seeing a familiar pattern: the introduction of a new technology that could jeopardize the jobs of his union members.

    As president of the labor union SEIU Local 668, which represents 10,000 state workers, Catanese approached Pennsylvania officials about entering into an agreement to provide its members with job protections as the state continued to introduce AI tools.

    The state agreed to talk. And, to the pleasant surprise of Catanese, a series of back-and-forth discussions throughout that winter led to a deal. Gov. Josh Shapiro published a public letter outlining commitments to state employees amid the rising popularity of AI use, and the union reached a separate agreement with the state, establishing protections for its members.

    Across Pennsylvania’s government, more than 3,000 state employees are now using AI tools, up from the 175 who first piloted the technology. And 6,000 more are currently enrolled in training programs as a prerequisite for accessing the software. In June, Code for America — a civic tech nonprofit — recognized Pennsylvania as one of the top states for AI readiness.

    The state, which has established a Generative AI Governing Board and a series of policies regulating its AI use, has stressed that using AI tools has improved government efficiency without eliminating jobs.

    Bry Pardoe, the state’s chief information officer, said in a statement that the Shapiro administration is “focused on the safe and responsible adoption of generative AI and other AI technologies.”

    Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Jan. 17, 2023. Pennsylvania state government would prepare to use artificial intelligence in its operations, Shapiro said Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, as states were increasingly trying to gauge the impact of AI and how to regulate it. Matt Rourke

    Today, Pennsylvania state employees use AI for a range of functions but focus on relatively basic tasks: deciphering handwritten clemency applications, scanning documents, and triaging customer service requests.

    Most employees access generative AI tools through no additional cost according to the Office of Administration. For the 721 employees who have access to ChatGPT Enterprise, the cost is $25 dollars per month for each user, bringing the annual cost — based on current usage — to $216,000 a year.

    Mark Fagan, a lecturer at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and author of a book on how governments can use these tools, said that generative AI can serve as an important resource to deliver public services to constituents.

    “There are endless opportunities for using AI to improve the way we either provide higher quality, more efficiency, or more equity in our public services,” he said.

    But to do this best, he said, governments should first find friction points and inefficiencies in their operations and then determine if the technology can help.

    “AI is often a solution to pain, but that’s not enough,” Fagan said. “If you’re going to use AI, it should be the best solution to the problem.”

    A first-of-its-kind pilot

    In January 2024, the Shapiro administration launched a pilot program in partnership with OpenAI, the company behind the generative AI chatbot ChatGPT, to test the rollout of tools among a select group of executive agency employees.

    The program made Pennsylvania the first state in the nation to enter into an agreement with OpenAI, and also marked the first time employees within the state were permitted to use generative AI tools.

    “The pilot was designed to explore using AI tools from the perspective of Commonwealth employees; to understand when, where, and how tools could be of useful to them, where using these tools may introduce opportunities for risk, and areas where employees might need additional training or resources to be successful,” Dan Egan, a spokesperson for the Office of Administration, which has overseen the state’s AI rollout said.

    Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive officer, said at the time of the rollout that the pilot “showcases Pennsylvania’s commitment to innovation” and would “provide valuable insights into how AI tools can responsibly enhance state services.”

    The government hasn’t done enough to regulate AI, most Americans say in a new Penn survey
    Open AI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman, center, speaks at the Advancing Sustainable Development through Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI Event on Sept. 23, 2024, in New York. (Bryan R. Smith/Pool Photo via AP, File)Bryan R. Smith

    (OpenAI has since introduced a new model tailored specifically for government use and entered into partnerships with other states across the country. In February, Massachusetts officials announced they would make ChatGPT available to their entire 40,000 person executive branch.)

    In Pennsylvania, the pilot involved 175 employees from 14 state agencies.

    Participants, including Office of Administration employees, lawyers, and construction project managers, were equipped with access to ChatGPT Enterprise, OpenAI’s model for businesses which contains additional privacy features. Information submitted to the chatbot isn’t used to train additional models.

    Employees most commonly used ChatGPT during the pilot to assist with drafting emails or other writing.

    With access to ChatGPT, participants reported saving an average 95 minutes per day and 85% of employees said their experience was “somewhat” or “very positive.”

    During a news conference last March, Shapiro said state employees from lawyers to construction managers used the tools and found them beneficial. The pilot, the first-term Democratic governor added, allowed his administration to reduce the time needed to onboard a new employee by 30 days and to help to consolidate the number of state technology policies by 60%.

    “There are too many public officials who think they can stick their head in the sand and ignore this,” Shapiro said. “I believe we need to embrace them and we need to use it for the betterment of society and the betterment of the people we serve.”

    Protections for employees

    Shapiro, in his letter to state employees, wrote that his administration would implement AI tools with a goal of boosting productivity “not with the agenda of substituting Commonwealth employees with AI.”

    In its agreement with SEIU, the state made a commitment that AI tools will follow a “human in the loop” process in which “human workers oversee, review, and guide generative AI tool outputs to ensure accuracy, fairness, and compliance with workplace standards.”

    The agreement also affirmed the definition of a public employee as a person, something Catanese said was particularly important to his union.

    “I think right now, whether you work for the government or big business, or whatever type of entity, you want to work for an employer that actually sees in the long term there is a role for humans,” Catanese added.

    But, he is cognizant that the technology is advancing rapidly, and the union will need to remain vigilant in ensuring those human-in-the-loop protections remain in place to protect workers.

    Chinmayi Sharma, a professor of law at Fordham Law School whose research focuses on artificial intelligence, said a dissonance can exist between the draw of using AI tools and the diligence required to check their work.

    Organizations may turn to AI tools to make jobs more efficient or more accurate. But ensuring there is a human involved to check the work of those tools requires an additional level of vigilance and care, she said.

    “Are these humans in the loop being trained about AI to the point where they can identify subtle or nonobvious errors?” Sharma, whose research is generally cautionary about the use of AI, said.

    As far as he knows, Pennsylvania is the only state government at this point that has given a union collectively bargained protections around the use of AI, Catanese said.

    Within the union’s membership, perspectives on the rapidly changing technology are varied.

    “Most of our members do have some serious concerns about what it means for their future in the long term,” Catanese added.

    Other members, Catanese said, believe the tools could help lessen their workload. He said current use cases and restrictions on the types of data that can be entered into the tools means that some of those benefits aren’t yet clear.

    “Is it fully guaranteed forever? No,” Catanese said of the protections agreed to by the state. “Is it some level of protection that almost every public servant in the country doesn’t have other than our members at the state? Yes.”

    ‘A solution’

    The state’s use of AI is governed by a set of policies that are reviewed annually.

    Human involvement is required in work produced by generative AI and any use of AI tools must be disclosed if a customer is directly interfacing with them. Personally identifying, confidential and nonpublic information also can’t be submitted into AI interfaces.

    Throughout the AI rollout, the state has consulted researchers through ongoing partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pennsylvania. Subject matter experts from both institutions have answered questions for the state on an as-needed basis as the administration decides to implement new tools and policies.

    As the state considers future use cases, Pardoe said she wants “people to have confidence in the services they get from state government.”

    That means, she said, “being thoughtful and deliberate about where and how we choose to implement AI as a solution.”

    As AI becomes more complex, Sharma predicted that the same logic that makes AI tools attractive now will continue to apply as the technology becomes more advanced. If a government is under-resourced, temptations could exist to redirect resources away from paying human employees and toward something else.

    And, she noted that officials may be motivated to continue to adopt more tools.

    “I don’t know of a politician that’s going to enjoy coming out and saying, ‘We just put a lot of time and effort into this AI pilot, turns out we were wrong, it’s not a great thing for us to do and we are rolling it back,’” she added. “That’s a tough sell.”

    Fagan, the Harvard lecturer, believes that states with successful pilot programs, like Pennsylvania, will likely adopt the technology at a faster rate in the future.

    The important question, he said, won’t be whether more places are using these tools, or whether existing states expand the number of employees using them.

    “The question is whether it creates value or not,” he said of government AI usage. “The real value is in finding problems, finding where there is pain, and solving it.”

    Ethan Young is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association. He can be reached at ethanmyoung@gmail.com.

  • Villanova U. spent more than $100 million on renovations of the former Cabrini campus. Students will begin living and learning there this fall.

    Villanova U. spent more than $100 million on renovations of the former Cabrini campus. Students will begin living and learning there this fall.

    The former Cabrini University campus has undergone a more than $100 million, Villanova-fueled rebirth, and students will begin attending classes and living there this month.

    Large signature blue and white V’s for Villanova University are everywhere. “Ignite Change. Go Nova,” says a wall in the student recreation center. Beds in the residence halls now have navy blue sheets, and many of the buildings have been renamed to honor Villanova’s Augustinian heritage.

    The Radnor campus once in dire need of maintenance sports a fresh look, including new light poles, landscaping, painting, furniture, boilers, roof repairs, a running fountain, pickleball courts, and restored architectural flourishes, in addition to upgraded educational technology for classrooms.

    At Cabrini University, there will be no next year: A chronicling of its final semester

    The university removed dead trees, installed firepits on the campus green, and connected the two campuses’ phone and internet systems.

    Villanova President Rev. Peter M. Donohue walks down the stairs at the Dixon Center, which has been covered in Villanova signage and colors. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    It is all part of Villanova’s effort to make the 112-acre campus that it acquired from the shuttered Cabrini look and feel decidedly Villanovan. The campus has been closed for the last two years as the planning and upgrades took place.

    “It’s always been a beautiful campus, but it looks very Villanova now,” said Kelly Tuzio, assistant director of Villanova’s graduate nursing program, who worked at Cabrini from 2005 to 2011.

    “You can feel the change,” she said, helping to ready the Iadarola Center, the building she works in, for the opening. “Everything is just done to perfection.”

    Villanova has tentative agreement to buy Cabrini University campus; Cabrini will close in 2024

    Some things remain largely untouched, like the signature statue of Mother Cabrini on the green and the Mansion, Cabrini’s former administrative building, which is on the National Historic Register. It was renamed Montefalco Hall. Masses will continue to be celebrated in the chapel: Cabrini was a Catholic university, as is Villanova.

    Villanova University purchased the nearby campus of the now shuttered Cabrini University two years ago and has had the site closed for remodeling. But this fall, students will live and study there. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    And signs at the entrance to campus say: Villanova University, Cabrini Campus — a nod to Villanova’s larger promise to retain Cabrini’s legacy.

    A new era of growth

    The acquisition of the campus, which officially opens for fall classes Aug. 24, marks an era of new growth for Villanova.

    As many other colleges have lost enrollment in recent years, Villanova plans to grow its undergraduate student body, now at about 7,000, to 8,000 over the next four years, said the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, Villanova’s president. That growth started this year with about 250 additional freshmen. And the school plans to maintain its selectivity; it admitted just 29% of applicants for this fall’s class and saw more than a 10% surge in applications over the last year.

    As Mother Cabrini movie debuts in theaters, the only university her order founded prepares to close

    Villanova, which has a 260-acre main campus, will expand 43% in size with the addition of Cabrini. The university’s acquisition of Rosemont College — which will be complete in 2028 — will add 58 acres, increasing Villanova’s total to 430 acres.

    The Cabrini campus will house five academic departments: psychological and brain sciences, graduate nursing, education and counseling, ethics, and part of communication. About 75 faculty — 10% of the total — will be based there.

    Villanova University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue left, and Timothy Hoffman, vice provost for finance and administration, stand in front of a newly installed fountain outside Cascia Hall, which received a lot of renovations inside and out. It houses the student center. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    About 900 sophomores — roughly half of those enrolled at Villanova — will live on the campus, expanding the percentage of undergraduates who live on Villanova’s campuses to more than 80%.

    In addition, more than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students — about a fifth of Villanova’s overall student population — will take classes at the Cabrini campus in the fall, said Timothy Hoffman, vice provost for finance and administration.

    “I’m just excited to see life again on the campus,” said Michelle Filling-Brown, formerly dean of academic affairs at Cabrini and now associate vice provost for the integrated student experience at Villanova.

    She has been designing themed living and learning communities for the new Cabrini campus.

    Michelle Filling-Brown, a former top administrator at Cabrini, now works at Villanova.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Started in 1957, Cabrini was the only college founded by Sister Francesca Cabrini’s Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The university announced in 2023 it would shut the next year and Villanova would take it over, giving students and employees a year to find a new runway. The decision came as enrollment plummeted, finances tightened, and deferred campus maintenance mounted.

    Villanova finalizes agreement to acquire Cabrini University campus

    In spring 2024, the 67-year-old school marked a series of lasts, including its final commencement.

    Cabrini became one of a growing number of shuttered colleges in the region whose campuses have been acquired by others. St. Joseph’s University bought the University of the Sciences campus, Thomas Jefferson University the former Philadelphia University campus, Drexel the former Salus University, and Lackawanna College the former Peirce College. Various entities, including Temple University, bought pieces of the former University of the Arts. Plans for the soon-to-close University of Valley Forge have not been announced.

    Donohue said Villanova has not yet made specific plans for Rosemont.

    A classroom with new educational technology at the Iadorala CenterSteven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    Before beginning renovations, Villanova invited Cabrini alumni to collect memorabilia, Donohue said. The school also donated truckloads of old furniture and materials that it did not plan to use to nonprofits.

    A $170 million-plus investment

    The university has invested more than $170 million into the Cabrini purchase, including the $70 million it paid to close out Cabrini’s debt and acquire its land, buildings, and assets, and more than $100 million on renovations. Donohue said it will take just four years for the school to recover that money through the operation of the campus.

    The university was able to keep $15 million of Cabrini’s $42 million endowment, the school said.

    Though the campus has not officially opened yet, a few students have begun to move in. Last Tuesday, a group of young staff members huddled in a room, planning grand-opening activities. Others unpacked and organized nursing equipment.

    Graduate student Curtis Wesley stops by the Iadarola Center where he will study this fall.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    Curtis Wesley, 26, an incoming graduate student in the nurse anesthesia program, strolled out of the building where his classes will be.

    “I just wanted to come and check it out,” said Wesley, who is from Kansas. “I was excited to see all the new technology.”

    Timothy Hoffman, vice provost for finance and administration, emerges from the stone-walled turret leading to what will be a Villanova apparel shop. The turret was uncovered during remodeling at Cascia Hall. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    One of the buildings that received the most renovation was the former Grace Hall, now Cascia Hall, home to the student center. The building used to be a stable house for the Woodcrest Mansion. Over the years, Cabrini put up drywall and turned much of it into office space.

    Villanova knocked those walls down and uncovered architectural flourishes including gargoyle-like stone carvings and a cavernous, stone-walled turret with a wooden-framed doorway, leading to what will be a Villanova apparel shop.

    Renovations at Cascia Hall uncovered some architectural flourishes, including these stone carved gargoyles. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    The Dixon Center will remain an athletic facility, but now the basketball court has a large V in the center and the smoothie bar will offer treats such as the Brunson, named after Villanova Wildcats basketball star-turned-New York Knicks standout Jalen Brunson, and the Father Peter Power, honoring the university president.

    Donohue couldn’t name the ingredients in his new signature drink.

    “I didn’t know it existed,” he said.

    The facility, which also got new cardio equipment and reupholstered weight benches, will be used for non-varsity sports recreation.

    Villanova President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue overlooks the basketball court at the Dixon Center. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    “Our intramural basketball activity goes into the wee hours because we’re limited in our number of courts, so we are delighted to have this space,” Hoffman said.

    The Iadarola Center, Cabrini’s former science building, includes a new nursing simulation facility that Cabrini had recently finished. But Villanova added upgrades, including a vivarium for psychology department research and more space for the brain science program. The former Cabrini library has been converted into student study space.

    ‘Many more dorm options’

    Seven residence halls will house students, including two that had been closed amid Cabrini’s enrollment decline. One of them had a malfunctioning boiler — not anymore.

    Sophomores were given the choice of living at Cabrini. Villanova ran tours of the campus for students last academic year. Those who chose Cabrini said they were attracted to the renovated dorms and larger room configurations that allow them to live with several roommates and share a bathroom. Options on main campus for sophomores are largely limited to doubles with a large bathroom shared by an entire floor or wing.

    Villanova University sophomore Molly Dunphy-Culp has moved into her new apartment on the Cabrini campus.Courtesy of Molly Dunphy-Culp

    “With Cabrini, there are so many more dorm options,” said Molly Dunphy-Culp, 19, a sophomore who was born in Boston and grew up in Abington.

    She will be sharing an apartment in Lecceto Hall with three classmates.

    She acknowledged that she will have to take the shuttle to main campus for classes, but said the short ride will be worth it. Dunphy-Culp also has a job on Cabrini as a recreation center supervisor — another plus for living there.

    About half the students on campus will be allowed to have cars. Sophomores do not have that option on main campus.

    “Two of my close friends are both going to have cars on campus,” said Ella Hayman, 19, a sophomore from just outside Boston. “This will give us a little more freedom we didn’t have last year. That was a big motivation.”

    Shuttle buses including this one will transport students between Villanova’s main campus and the Cabrini campus 1.9 miles away. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    Thirteen shuttle buses will transport students between the two campuses, which are 1.9 miles apart — a seven- to 12-minute ride, Hoffman said. A team of Villanova employees over the last couple of years visited five universities with multiple campuses, including Lehigh and George Washington, to learn how best to integrate them. They looked closely at models for a shuttle system that would keep students informed of where and when buses would be arriving and departing, Hoffman said.

    Among new dining options on the campus is the restaurant-style Table 1842, named for Villanova’s founding year, where students can order off a menu. It is located in the former Founder’s Hall, now Bellesini Hall, which also was heavily renovated, including the installation of a new entrance that leads directly into dining facilities so people do not have to climb as many steps.

    Bellesini has become the third-largest classroom building at Villanova. Some of the nearly 30 classrooms on the Cabrini campus had to be expanded to accommodate slightly larger class sizes, Hoffman said. Cabrini’s classes were 12 to 14, and Villanova starts at 16, Hoffman said.

    Villanova University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue left, and Timothy Hoffman, vice provost for finance and administration, walk through the Dixon Center. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    Some improvements are still to come, including renovations to the former Mansion, which will be costly, and a nature trail, Donohue said.

    Villanova named Francesca and Xavier Halls for Mother Cabrini and is continuing Cabrini’s Center for Immigration; Villanova converted it to the Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration. Villanova also launched an elementary education major in honor of Cabrini’s former program.

    Preserving a legacy

    “They had a strong desire to make sure some of their legacy lasted, and we wanted to protect that,” Donohue said.

    The game room at Cascia HallSteven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    Coincidentally, there is a stained glass window of St. Augustine — namesake of Villanova’s founding order — in Cabrini’s chapel and a stained glass window of Mother Cabrini in Villanova’s Corr Hall chapel.

    Filling-Brown, the former Cabrini administrator now at Villanova, said it seems meant to be.

    “It’s beyond my wildest dreams for the campus,” Filling-Brown said. “It’s the best outcome to see Catholic higher education continue on that campus.”

    Villanova President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue discusses all it took to remodel the Cabrini campus. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
  • A father is searching for answers after lawyers say a police pursuit of an ATV ended in his son’s death

    A father is searching for answers after lawyers say a police pursuit of an ATV ended in his son’s death

    The father of a Philadelphia man who was killed in an ATV crash this spring said police officers pursued his son moments before he drove the wrong way down a one-way street, ran a red light, and collided with a sedan.

    Sterling Jones, 22, was killed on May 9 after the crash in North Philadelphia, according to police.

    Lawyers for Jones’ father, Sterling Lamont Jones Sr., said his son and a group of friends had been riding off-road vehicles near Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue when officers from the police ATV and dirt bike detail spotted the young men popping wheelies and began a pursuit.

    They followed Jones up Broad Street to West Thompson Street, the attorneys said. There he briefly sped in the wrong direction down the one-way street and ran a red light before striking an Uber driver’s Toyota sedan at the intersection as it turned onto 15th Street.

    He was taken to Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

    Sterling Jones Sr., 57, has since hired a team of attorneys to investigate the incident. Late last month, they filed a notice of intent to sue the city, alleging that the officers and the department violated Jones’ constitutional rights when they chased him and caused his fatal injuries.

    Sterling Jones, a 22-year-old who lawyers say was killed in an ATV crash after being chased by police officers.Courtesy of Sterling Lamont Jones Sr.

    Riding ATVs and dirt bikes on public streets in Philadelphia is against the law, and police have increased efforts to crack down on that behavior in recent years.

    But the incident raises questions about whether the officers followed a department directive barring vehicular pursuits for all but the most serious offenses — a policy enacted because of the public safety risks posed by such chases, particularly in densely populated areas.

    The initial police account of the incident did not mention that officers had been pursuing Jones before the crash. It could not be learned whether the department had since concluded that officers were engaged in a pursuit and whether it was conducted a high rate of speed, as the lawyers contend.

    Sgt. Eric Gripp, a police spokesperson, said the incident is under investigation by the department’s internal affairs bureau. He declined to comment further, referring questions to the city’s law department.

    A spokesperson for the law department said the city does not comment on pending litigation.

    Surveillance footage gathered by lawyers for Jones’ father and viewed by The Inquirer showed at least eight police officers on dirt bikes, a squad car, and a tow vehicle tailing Jones that evening.

    Around 9:23 p.m., Jones was seen cutting through a Sunoco gas station and speeding down West Thompson Street with dirt bike officers close behind. Within seconds, his ATV careened into the driver’s side of the sedan.

    Under police department policy, vehicular chases are allowed only in situations in which officers believe they can prevent imminent danger to others, or if a suspect is either fleeing after committing a violent felony or in possession of a deadly weapon used in a crime.

    As complaints mounted over off-road riders on city streets, officials have sought alternative methods to curb illegal ridership, such as stopping or seizing vehicles, arresting riders when they are stopped, and destroying vehicles when riders cannot prove ownership.

    And while riding off-road vehicles violates city code, attorneys for Sterling Jones Sr. say that type of infraction still should not trigger a police chase.

    “The police department’s policy is, in our view, clearly violated,” said Thomas Kline of Kline & Specter, which is handling the case alongside the firm Hill & Associates.

    A 2025 Inquirer investigation found police in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania were conducting hazardous and unnecessary chases, disproportionately endangering young people. Roughly half of all reported pursuits conducted by city police were not justified under department policy, the investigation found.

    A police department spokesperson attributed the increase in chases to the COVID-era surge in violent crime, and said the department investigates every crash for policy violations.

    Between 2020 and last year, records show, the city had paid out $20 million in crash- or chase-related settlements as a result of such chases.

    In 2017, a 6-year-old girl and her great-aunt were seriously injured when they were struck by a dirt bike rider who was being chased by Philadelphia police into Upper Darby Township. The city settled a lawsuit with their attorneys for nearly $3 million last year.

    Sterling Jones Sr. said that while he was planning to sue, no amount of money could make up for the loss of his son.

    The young man was a graduate of Hunting Park Christian Academy and had been working for two years as a delivery driver for the U.S. Postal Service before his death. He had bought the ATV with money from that job, his father said.

    “He wasn’t a criminal. He had a license,” he said.

    Jones Sr. learned of the crash in the early morning of Mother’s Day, when his son’s mother came to his house to tell him Jones was dead.

    He said he hired lawyers with the aim of ensuring that the officers who pursued his son would be reprimanded and removed from the beat.

    “They killed my only son,” he said. “I just want justice.”

  • Angelo’s made cheesesteaks on seeded rolls a sensation. At Donkey’s in Camden, they’ve been doing it for decades.

    Angelo’s made cheesesteaks on seeded rolls a sensation. At Donkey’s in Camden, they’ve been doing it for decades.

    New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill made a bold statement on a social media post last week.

    “The best cheesesteaks actually aren’t in Philly,” she said. “They’re right here in Jersey, and we’re about to go have one.”

    She was talking, of course, about Donkey’s Place — the Camden cheesesteak staple that has long been a point of pride for South Jersey.

    Founded in 1943 by Olympic boxer Leon “Donkey” Lucas, Donkey’s earned its name from Lucas’ hard-hitting fists. “They said he had a punch like the kick of a donkey,” says Rob Lucas Jr., the third-generation owner of Donkey’s Place after his father, Bob, and grandfather Leon.

    Donkey’s has long been a favorite of locals and foodies in the know — Anthony Bourdain stopped by for his show in 2015.

    And while Philly favorite Angelo’s made waves in 2019 with its cheeseteak innovations — including a crusty, seeded roll — Donkey’s Place has been doing it that way for more than 80 years. (Angelo’s roll is baked in-house and crusted with sesame seeds, while Donkey’s uses poppy-seeded rolls.)

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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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    Lucas sources the rolls from Del Buono’s Bakery in Haddon Heights. Customers old and new cite it as a secret to the sandwich’s success.

    “I like it a lot,” says Bryan Neill, a real estate developer from Jenkintown who — after getting out of work from Moorestown early — decided to make the commute to Donkey’s for the first time. “You know, I don’t like too much bread. It’s a very thin roll. You get some flavor with the bread and the poppies, but a lot more focus on the meat and the onions.”

    John Lynch, a warehouse owner from Maple Shade, who has been coming to Donkey’s for roughly 25 years, agrees. “His rolls are the best. Most rolls get soft and break apart — not these. You can eat a whole sandwich and the roll never deteriorates. It’s such a difference.”

    The seeded roll has had some detractors — in a 2002 profile of Donkey’s in The Inquirer, food writer Rick Nichols noted that some “customers who are on probation worry the [poppy] seeds will taint their urine tests.”

    So why a seeded roll? Lucas has a theory. “I think they put the poppy seeds on so it wouldn’t slide out of your hands when you were trying to eat it, to give it a little traction,” he said. “It’s just so much better. Hard on the outside, soft on the inside, and the poppy seeds really put it over the top.”

    Donkey’s Place 📍 1223 Haddon Ave., Camden, NJ 08103. (856) 966-2616.

  • Letters to the Editor | Aug. 10, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | Aug. 10, 2026

    History’s warning

    As we learn more and more details about how the current administration in Washington is crude and uncivil, I read with great interest your article about finding a new location for the refurbished statue of Frank Rizzo. I was reminded of how Rizzo’s coarse and divisive leadership style in Philadelphia in the 1970s mirrors much of what we see coming out of the White House today.

    My memories of Rizzo — leading a violent police force, imposing budget cuts that affected poor neighborhoods the most, and proudly wearing his thinly disguised racism — made me wonder how many other Philadelphians, especially those who worked in a spirit of unity and practiced civility, might deserve a statue of their own. Why would we extol the achievements of this man whose rise to the top was actually not much different from that of the country’s current leadership?

    Perhaps the best place for the statue is in a museum that talks about the lessons we are learning about bullying, and how to foster more effective leadership and community-centered public safety. But to see a huge statue of this man anywhere else in the city — as if he’s the best Philly has to offer — feels so wrong.

    Joan Broadfield, Chester

    Transparency, please

    As a Philadelphia public school parent, I trust the adults in our schools to keep my sons safe and act with integrity. It is disturbing that Frankford High School principal Michael Calderone was reassigned to another school without any public accounting for credible accusations that he violently assaulted a handcuffed student, routinely screamed at staff and students, and demanded teachers submit fraudulent grades.

    If there was no misconduct, then Mr. Calderone and the district should have no qualms about sharing the results of the investigation. Parents deserve transparency regarding the outcomes of serious abuse and misconduct investigations.

    Tony B. Watlington Sr. likes to boast of fast-improving test scores, but shielding those with well-documented misconduct creates a toxic culture that erodes trust in Dr. Watlington and his leadership team — among parents, taxpayers, and Harrisburg alike, three partners he needs more than any principal or their union.

    Andrew Stober, Philadelphia

    Conflicted counsel

    Todd Blanche’s nomination to become the nation’s next attorney general has now moved out of a Senate committee, when he should instead be facing the Supreme Court of his home state for disbarment. He violated every provision imaginable under the Code of Professional Responsibility. The $10 billion lawsuit filed against the Internal Revenue Service by his former client and current boss, Donald Trump, had no merit and should have been opposed by the U.S. Department of Justice. A motion to dismiss would almost certainly have been granted by the assigned judge, on several grounds, including the statute of limitations. Even after the lawsuit was dismissed, that department’s lawyers, under Blanche’s leadership, negotiated an unwarranted settlement. When a few senators whose votes were needed balked at the settlement, Blanche continued to negotiate with them, as they were ostensibly representing the government while he represented the interests of Trump, the plaintiff in the matter in which Blanche’s legal client, the U.S., was the defendant. Blanche represented both sides of a dispute, the epitome of a conflict of interest. This should be disqualifying, but won’t be to the MAGA senators.

    Neil Mittelman, Warminster

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Climb ev’ry molehill | Editorial Cartoon

    John Cole spent 18 years as editorial cartoonist for The (Scranton) Times-Tribune, and now draws for various statesnewsroom.com sites.

  • Dear Abby | Cruise with friends could wind up far from paradise

    DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have friends who are kind, intelligent and warm. However, as we have spent more time with them, “Phyllis’” compulsive talking has become a real problem for us. She hijacks whichever one of us is sitting next to her and starts a monologue that goes on and on.

    Phyllis doesn’t even look at the person she’s talking to and doesn’t hear when you try to interject anything. She has said she’s hard of hearing and does wear a hearing aid, but I believe the problem is more than a hearing deficit.

    The dilemma is they have booked a cruise with us. We didn’t ask them to, but when I mentioned we were going, they thought it would be fun. The thought of having dinner together every night and being subjected to this is going to put a distinct damper on what is a rare vacation for my husband and me.

    Is there any way to not offend them and have more give-and-take in the conversation?

    — DREADING IT IN OREGON

    DEAR DREADING IT: You or your husband need to make clear to this couple well before the ship sets sail that you signed up for this cruise because you want to spend time alone together, meet new people and make new friends, which is why you will not be able to dine with them every night or participate in every activity with them. Period.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: My wife of 48 years recently died, and my stepson put some artificial flowers on her grave. I was surprised to see this when I visited on the eight-month anniversary of her death. Both my wife and I always considered artificial flowers tacky and not appropriate for cemeteries, even though lots of people decorate grave sites with them.

    I haven’t said anything to him about my feelings about plastic flowers, but I would like to prevent more of them from being placed when these fade away. How can I ask him to not put any more plastic flowers on the grave, or should I just ignore it? I’m less likely to visit her grave when these flowers are there.

    — MOURNING IN ALABAMA

    DEAR MOURNING: Your stepson may not realize how his mother felt about plastic flowers, so mention it to him the next time you talk. If he doesn’t visit his mother’s grave often, he may not realize that they have been removed, which I suggest you do if seeing them would discourage your visits.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I’ve been married for 40 years, but it’s a platonic relationship with no communication on his part. I must run the household, make sure bills get paid and be responsible for everything — whatever life throws at us. My health is waning, and I’m concerned for my future. I have tried talking, counseling, etc., to no avail. What do I do?

    — FED UP IN UTAH

    DEAR FED UP: Because, after 40 years, you are finally fed up enough that you might actually do something about it, I’m suggesting some sessions with a different counselor than the one you have been seeing. You stated that you are the one who takes care of the house, pays the bills, etc. Has your husband been earning the money? If so, then you might also benefit from interviewing several attorneys about what your options might be if you no longer wish to carry the whole load alone.

  • Horoscopes: Monday, Aug. 10, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Don’t drive yourself so hard that you hurt the tools you’re working with, including your own healthy body and mind. Rest is part of the work. You know you’ve done enough for today when continuing would make tomorrow harder.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). What you want today you won’t want a month from now. It’s like a craving. Served timely, it’s so delicious — but far less so when the craving has passed. To have the experience before your interest wanes, put it on the fast track.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The right conversations reflect your strengths and sharpen your ideas. But how do you find the “right” ones and avoid the rest? Head toward the people who make you think bigger, laugh harder and stay longer.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your imagination is wild, but your practical sense is as poised as you need it to be. What a winning combination. Today, you can use it to turn a long shot into a real plan with exciting potential.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re a dreamer with a vision and a leader with a mission. Lately, it happens to be a rather lighthearted and fun mission, and that could be why you so easily gain the cooperation of peers.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). While biting off more than you can chew is a choking hazard, nobody said you couldn’t use a knife. Your project management skills are top-notch. Cut the challenge into smaller pieces and enjoy the feast.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). New voices and unfamiliar places will widen your view. You’ll discover that people halfway around the world have already solved a problem you’ve been puzzling over. You’ll give credit where it’s due and put your own spin on it.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You know you’re working at the right pace when it doesn’t hurt to imagine doing the same thing again tomorrow and the next day and the next. You don’t have to hurry. You only have to keep going.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The current situation isn’t perfect, but it beats repeating the old chapter. You’ve learned too much, built too much and become too interesting to circle back now. Keep facing forward toward the next surprise.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). What works for someone else might be wrong for you, but you’ll get closer to the right thing by investigating it anyway. And the good news is, options abound. With a little persistence, it’s only a matter of time before you find a good fit.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You can tell a lot about people by what they consider exciting. If someone’s favorite hobby is stirring the pot, leave them to it. You’ll have much more fun with your own favorite hobbies and a “no-drama” policy.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It feels good to be generous with the appreciative, but often the ones who most need generosity are incapable of appropriate expressions of gratitude because they’re too busy surviving. Real generosity doesn’t depend on applause.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 10). If you think you know a lot of people now, buckle up for your Year of the Social Swirl. The introductions will keep multiplying until your network of friends and professionals becomes massive, useful and so interesting. More highlights: VIP treatment becomes normalized. Your talents merge into a rewarding new role. You can count on love to be constant and buoying. Virgo and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 21, 3, 18 and 44.

  • Union bounce back with 3-1 win over Liga MX’s Necaxa in Leagues Cup group stage match

    Union bounce back with 3-1 win over Liga MX’s Necaxa in Leagues Cup group stage match

    The Union cruised to a 3-1 win over Liga MX side Necaxa in the second game of the club’s Leagues Cup run Sunday evening at Subaru Park.

    Cavan Sullivan, Nathan Harriel and Bruno Damiani all scored for the Union to claim a win over former Union striker Julián Carranza’s Necaxa, the Union’s first win in the Leagues Cup since 2024.

    The win gives the Union three points in the Leagues Cup table, but their 1-0 loss to Cruz Azul on Thursday is likely to prevent them from being one of four MLS teams to advance to the knockout stage of the competition.

    “It was really important for us to bounce back from the loss at home, and make sure that doesn’t turn into a streak,” Union interim manager Ryan Richter said. “It was great. The way they responded, the way that we started the game, and then ultimately to get the result was really important.”

    Sullivan created Harriel’s third-minute goal with an individual run toward the center of the attacking third. Sullivan rolled a pass to Harriel, who beat Necaxa’s Luis Jiménez with a strike from the right edge of the 18-yard box for his second goal of the season.

    Neil Pierre was shown a yellow card in the 11th minute for making excessive contact with Matias Espindola while contesting a ball near midfield. Espindola needed attention from Necaxa’s training staff, but the midfielder was able to continue.

    Damiani added a second for the Union in the 12th minute, finishing a cross from Harriel inside the penalty area.

    Jovan Lukić initiated the play from the Union’s back line, weighting a long ball to a streaking Harriel down the right wing. Harriel collected the pass in stride before turning and sending a low, driven cross into the danger area.

    Damiani got on the end of Harriel’s cross and put it past Jiménez for his second goal of the season.

    “It was a good feeling,” Damiani said of scoring his first goal since May. “A little bit of release. … Just a little bit of taking the pressure out of my head, especially.”

    After taking a 2-0 lead into the half, Sullivan tacked on a third goal for the Union in the 53rd minute. Indiana Vassilev lofted a cross into the center of the 18-yard box that Sullivan collected with his chest and finished with a left-footed half-volley.

    Sullivan’s goal was his fourth of the season across all competitions, and his first since scoring against Orlando City in May.

    “I think the thing that I was most proud of was the type of goal that it was,” Richter said of Sullivan’s goal. “It wasn’t the special one where you beat three players and you curl the ball in the top corner, it was [getting] to the right spot at the right time and [putting] the ball in the back of the net. He has the special goal in him, but that’s how he’s going to score a lot of goals at this level.”

    Vassilev was shown a yellow in the 59th, and Ryan Richter made his first set of changes shortly after.

    Richter made a quadruple swap in the 60th minute, bringing on Milan Iloksi, Quinn Sullivan, Frankie Westfield and Jesús Bueno for Ezekiel Alladoh, Sullivan, Kai Wagner and Danley Jean Jacques.

    Japhet Sery Larsen was shown a yellow in the 64th minute for a dangerous challenge on Necaxa’s Ricardo Monreal.

    Malik Jakupovic entered the game for Damiani in the 73rd minute, marking the first appearance for the 17-year-old striker since a May 9 loss to the New England Revolution.

    Espindola pulled a goal back for Necaxa in the 79th minute. He caught Sery Larsen and Pierre out of position on a run and launched a right-footed shot that beat Andrew Rick.

    Espindola’s goal was the only stain on an otherwise impressive night from Rick. Rick made eight saves in his second Leagues Cup start as Richter rested usual starter Andre Blake.

    Carranza had a quiet return to Subaru Park, where he spent three seasons scoring goals for the Union. The Argentine striker took two shots for Necaxa, but neither were on target.

    Up next …

    The Union host Santos Laguna in their third Leagues Cup game at Subaru Park on Thursday (7 p.m., Apple TV).

    After finishing Phase 1 of the Leagues Cup, the Union will return to MLS play against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Sunday (7 p.m., Apple TV).

  • Lawnside embraces its past as the South Jersey community celebrates its 100th incorporation anniversary

    Lawnside embraces its past as the South Jersey community celebrates its 100th incorporation anniversary

    After Lawnside became the first incorporated African American municipality in the Northeast, the South Jersey community became a center for Black culture.

    It attracted visitors from across the region drawn to its thriving churches, jazz scene, nightclubs, amusement park, shops and gathering spaces, and barbecue stands.

    A century later, Lawnside has embraced its past as the first Black self-governing municipality, and while it has changed with the times, it also has preserved its rich history that traces its roots to the 18th century.

    “It is quite a history. It’s a big deal,” said Linda Shockley, president of the Lawnside Historical Society. “I love the idea of Lawnside.”

    Lawnside launched a centennial celebration earlier this year to commemorate its milestone anniversary with activities that included a scholarship luncheon, a Juneteenth celebration, and a barbecue cookout. More events are planned for later this year.

    And on Sunday, as they have for more than 150 years, descendants of one of Lawnside’s oldest families, the Still family, met for their annual gathering.

    The tiny community of about 3,200 residents was established on March 23, 1926, when Gov. A. Harry Moore signed legislation incorporating the Borough of Lawnside.

    Best known as a stop on the Underground Railroad, Lawnside was previously known as Snow Hill. Peter Mott, a freedom fighter, used his three-story home to help enslaved people escape.

    During its heyday, Lawnside was a popular destination for Black people who traveled there to shop, attend church, and socialize, said Shemele Jordon, a professional genealogist. The town had its own schools, businesses, and doctors. Because of segregation, many could not go elsewhere, she said.

    “It was a place where African Americans came from all over,” said Jordon. Professional athletes from Philadelphia traveled there for haircuts, she said.

    Over the years, the landscape has changed in the 1.4-square-mile town, located about 13 miles southeast of Philadelphia. Most of the attractions — like Lawnside Park which had a Ferris wheel, a baseball stadium, and picnic areas — have been replaced with developments and retail spaces.

    The demographics have changed, too, although Lawnside remains an independent and self-governed predominantly Black community that maintains close ties to its past. The population is about 70% Black, 20% Hispanic, 5% white, and 1% Asian.

    Lawnside remains a close-knit community where just about everyone knows everyone else, said Mayor-elect Michael Harper. Growing up, three generations of his family lived there. Now, his five adult children reside in Lawnside, he said.

    “I counted it a blessing that I knew my family my entire life,” said Harper, 63, who recently retired as the Camden fire chief. “We’re going to try to keep this legacy going.”

    Family reunion

    The Still descendants on Sunday had a catered barbecue meal, shared family stories and songs, and walked a short red carpet runway.

    “I love to see gatherings like this,” said Jill Samuels, 72, of New Rochelle, N.Y. “This country tries to divide us. It’s important for families to stay together.”

    Her mother Ola Bass, 99, a former Philadelphia schoolteacher, was the oldest person at the gathering. She was born on Nov. 23, 1926 in a house in Lawnside built by her father.

    “I wake up each morning and I say, ‘Lord, am I still here?’” she said.

    Said her daughter: “There’s a reason the Lord still wants her here.”

    They were among the nearly 200 people who attended the reunion at the Wayne R. Bryant Community Center. Earlier, they attended services at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, the family’s church, and where a family member, the Rev. Clifford Still, is the pastor.

    “It’s just been a part of the reunion,” said Winifred Still Davis, one of the reunion planners. “That’s where we started.”

    The reunion began in 1870, and for many years mostly consisted of church services and dinner at Mt. Zion. Later, it became a picnic held in a family member’s backyard.

    On Sunday, family members reenacted the first reunion, a gathering of 10. They set up a table with formal place settings.

    “We have to remember the ancestors. We walk on their shoulders,” said Valerie Still. “They can’t erase our history as long as we stay united.”

    That history also has a strong spiritual foundation.

    The `mother church’

    At the historic Mt. Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church on Warwick Road, the faithful from Lawnside and neighboring communities still worship on Sundays. The oldest church in town, it also has played a role in the borough’s religious life..

    The church began as Methodist prayer meetings held in homes around 1792. Philadelphia Bishop Richard Allen formed an A.M.E. church that became Mount Pisgah.

    It is the second-oldest A.M.E. church in New Jersey and was where the Rev. Jarena Lee became the first woman in the denomination allowed to preach.

    Although its membership has declined in recent years, Mt. Pisgah remains a cornerstone. It is considered the “mother church” that birthed other worship houses in Lawnside and elsewhere.

    “This is my home away from home,” said Ava Rhem, 76, of Pine Hill, a member since 2005. “The nucleus of our family is our faith.”

    On a recent Sunday, the Rev. Josiah Haggins preached an upbeat message: “Fix your face,” taken from the biblical story of Cain and Abel, to about 30 parishioners.

    Haggins delivered a call-and-response sermon that at times brought the congregation members to their feet answering in affirmation. A keyboard player and a drummer pounded spiritual melodies.

    The church is one of three Lawnside sites on the National Register of Historic Places. The others are the Peter Mott House and Mt. Peace Cemetery, a resting place for Black Civil War veterans.

    “It’s a foundation of our lives,” said Chere Munderville, 52, of Sicklerville. “There’s so much going on in this world that you need fellowship.”

    Haggins, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., was appointed the pastor in 2022. He was unaware of Lawnside’s history when he moved there with his wife, Rochelle, also a pastor, and their three children, but has embraced its traditions.

    “Pastoring is the greatest privilege that God has trusted me,” Haggins said. “I just want to try my best to honor that.”

    And, of course, so much of Lawnside’s history is about history, itself.

    Teaching history

    On a recent tour, the students in the Lawnside Underground Railroad Camp listened intently for two hours as they viewed an exhibit about Lawnside on display at the Camden County Historical Society in Camden.

    Jordon, the exhibit’s curator, guided them through the exhibit showing them old photographs and artifacts chronicling the centennial anniversary. Lawnside was located on unincorporated land known as Centre Township when Black residents settled a boundary dispute to form the borough, she said.

    “This is 1926 — Black people standing up for themselves. Let’s hear it for the Black people,” she said, drawing applause.

    The free youth camp, in its fifth year, is the first-of-its kind sponsored by the historical society to teach middle school students about the Underground Railroad.

    They learned about historic sites and slave auction block sites in Camden. At the end of the five-day camp, they made craft, visual arts and poetry projects to show what they learned.

    Stacey Johnson, 13, a rising ninth grader at Sterling High, said his mother signed him up for the camp. He initially didn’t want to attend, but was happy that he did.

    “It gives me a better insight on Black history,” said Johnson, of Somerdale. “It was nice to least learn about it.”

    James Whitworth, 12, a rising seventh grader at Lacey Township Middle School in Ocean County, the only white student in the camp, said he learned about the camp from a friend. His mother transported him daily the 50-plus miles from Ocean County.

    “I just wanted to learn more about Black history. It just seemed interesting,” said Whitworth. “It’s been a nice experience.”

    Angela McNeil, of Lawnside, said she knew the camp was a good experience for the four children she signed up when she heard them another room singing “Wade in the water,” a Negro spiritual they learned at camp.

    “It’s important for them to understand their past and know their history,” said McNeil.