Rothman Orthopaedics plans to open three new surgery centers over the next year and keep adding doctors in its Philadelphia-area market, as the large physician-owned group refocuses growth efforts on its original territory.
“Our biggest priority in the near term is strengthening our core business here, in Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey,” Rothman CEO Christian Ellison said. “We’re not gonna ignore opportunities. We’ll be opportunistic around things that make strategic sense.”
Rothman has seen more success after following the lure of fast population growth to Florida, where it opened offices in the Orlando area in 2020 in partnership with AdventHealth.
“Florida has been a big success, because we’ve had the partnership down there with Advent Health that’s been kind of mutually beneficial,” said Ellison, who became Rothman’s CEO last fall.
The Philadelphia draw
The practice headquartered in Center City already has 24 locations in the Greater Philadelphia market. That number includes facilities that Rothman operates in partnership with Jefferson Health, Main Line Health, AtlantiCare, and RWJ Barnabas.
Rothman located itsnewest office in West Chester, an area where Rothman had little market share, according to Ellison. He also sees opportunity in other parts of the Philadelphia region and contiguous markets.
To make that growth possible, Rothman is partway through an effort to hire 41 physicians by the end of this year. That represents a 20% increase and will bring Rothman’s total to 214 physicians, the company said.
The need for ambulatory surgery centers
Rothman is a partner in nine surgery centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and two surgical hospitals (Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital in Benslam and Physicians Care Surgical Hospital in Limerick).
Those outpatient facilities account for nearly two-thirds of Rothman’s surgeries. Even the surgical hospitals function primarily as ambulatory centers, Ellison said. The remaining third of surgeries takes place in acute-care hospitals.
“We are challenged for operating room capacity right now, both in the acute care hospitals, as well as in our ASCs, and so we feel like we need to bring more operating rooms online,” Ellison said.
What’s more, Medicare and private insurers want more procedures done in lower-cost surgery centers. In the future, insurers will pay the same price for an outpatient knee replacement whether its done in a hospital of freestanding surgery center, Ellison predicted.
Rothman hasn’t finalized locations for the new surgery centers, but Ellison said he expects two to be in Southeastern Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey. The centers will likely be in areas where Rothman has an established patient base.
The physician group prefers to open the new centers independently, as opposed to going through partnerships like it has historically. “We think we’re uniquely positioned to manage that patient experience in the surgical environment,” Ellison said.
But the pharmacy chain’s distinct facade still dots the landscape — in suburban shopping centers, on the corners of congested intersections, sometimes even smack dab in the middle of city blocks.
Some of these buildings are still vacant, surrounded by overgrown grass and empty parking lots. Others are getting new life as dollar stores, medical clinics, daycares, Spirit Halloweens, and a Rally House sports retailer.
A former Rite Aid (left, rear) and former Wawa (right) sat empty in Collingswood in June. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
The 8,000- to 16,000-square-foot shells are ideal for only so many tenants, real estate experts have said, and it is not unusual for these kinds of properties to take several months or more to lease.
Here is a look at what’s happening at a few local zombie Rite Aids:
South Jersey Rite Aids are becoming fitness centers
A former Rite Aid in Blackwood, Camden County, has been a gym for more than a year, and its owners soon plan to open a second location at another old Rite Aid in Cherry Hill.
Nick Bennett, CEO of the Bunker Fitness Center, said the owner of the Blackwood Rite Aid building approached him after seeing the gym’s content on TikTok. At the time, Bennett said, the gym was outgrowing its 3,000-square-foot space in Franklinville, Gloucester County.
When he went to see the 13,000-square-foot former Rite Aid in Blackwood, he said, it had already been demolished inside.
“It was just wide open,” Bennett said. “That floor plan works for our business model because gyms are open. You don’t really need to put up walls.”
Steve Cristelli works out at the Bunker Fitness Center in Blackwood. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Another plus, he said: Pharmacies have rows of refrigerators, which require electrical outlets, and the Bunker crew could use those outlets to plug in workout equipment.
The old Rite Aid on Black Horse Pike needed “very little” work, just paint and rubber floors, Bennett said, and was easily transformed into the exercise and recovery space he had envisioned. The gym opened in 2025.
“We’re smashing it,” Bennett said, with thousands of members who pay between $49 and $59 a month for the 24/7 gym, which has cardio and strength machines, weights, a sauna, and a cold plunge. He declined to provide specific sales or membership figures for competitive reasons.
The Bunker Fitness Center operates inside a former Rite Aid in Blackwood.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
But Bennett said the business is doing so well that it is expanding into another former Rite Aid, 12 miles away in Cherry Hill with franchisee Jack Prendergast.
That 10,000-square-foot pharmacy shell at Brace and Kresson Roads closed more recently and needs a bit more work inside, Bennett said. When they signed the lease, he said, it “looked like a Rite Aid.”
Bennett said he and Prendergast are demolishing the interior, aiming for a September opening.
In Delco, a Rite Aid could become a township’s first car wash
The former Rite Aid in Newtown Square may get new life as a car wash.
The store at West Chester Pike and St. Alban’s Circle closed last year. In February El Car Wash, a Florida-based chain looking to expand into Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, applied to open there, said Newtown Township Solicitor Rich Sokorai.
On its website, El Car Wash lists several other Philly-area locations as “coming soon,” including Cherry Hill, Drexel Hill, Feasterville, and Maple Shade.
The Newtown Square Rite Aid operated a drive-through, Sokorai said, and drive-throughs are permitted in that commercial zone. After a June meeting, the township zoning hearing board is considering whether to permit the car wash, with a decision expected in the coming weeks.
A Rite Aid with a “store closing” sign last summer.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
If approved, it would be the only car wash in Newtown Township, the solicitor said.
Residents of the neighborhood behind the old Rite Aid have expressed concerns to local officials, Sokorai said, “because they fear traffic.”
Others have said they are looking forward to a new business moving into the vacant space on a prime corner, Sokorai said. Even before the Rite Aid closed last summer, its shelves were often empty, the solicitor said, and “it was dying a slow death.”
Temple University buys another old Rite Aid
Temple “T” flags fly on North Broad Street.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Temple University recently bought a second former Rite Aid on North Broad Street.
The school recently closed on the old Rite Aid building on the 2100 block of North Broad for $9.25 million, according to spokesperson Stephen Orbanek. He said ArchWell Health, which operates a primary-care clinic for seniors there, will remain the tenant.
“This property’s location, directly across the street from James S. White Residence Hall, supports the priorities of our campus safety and physical environment plan,” Orbanek said.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to indicate that Temple Health plans to open neurology offices at the previously acquired Rite Aid building.
A former bouncer with hands like 5-pound hams was peppering Bam Margera with rib punches in a small gym at his Chester County castle.
Every few minutes, Margera waved his hands in surrender. He started looking for a place to sit down. Sweat poured down his face, and he struggled to catch his breath
“I need a second,” he said.
Margera had strung together years of bad days recently, but, despite the pain, this wasn’t one of them. Today, he’s sober, in love, skateboarding, spending some time with his family and son, Phoenix Wolf, and, on this early June afternoon, working out, too.
Fans of the Jackass series will get to see him on Friday, June 26, when Jackass: Best and Last, the fifth and final film in the series, is released.
“I think this is the grand finale of it all,” he said.
While Margera didn’t film new stunts or pranks for the latest film and had no interest in attending any premieres (his parents attended) or promotional events, he signed a deal allowing unseen archival footage and outtakes from early Jackass days to be used in the film.
Margera had a public falling out with the Jackass crew over sobriety demands they placed on him before the release of 2022’s Jackass Forever. (He still blames Johnny Knoxville’s “sharp tacks” stunt in a Viva La Bam episode for damaging his feet and hurting his skateboarding career.)
“I’m not ready to reunite with anybody,” he said recently.
Paramount Pictures alleged Margera broke a “wellness agreement” that required him to undergo regular drug and alcohol tests and take prescribed medication to be in the 2022 film. When the film was released, Margera had a brief cameo, and The Inquirer noted that it suffered without Margera’s trademark heartagram symbol and Philly hoagiemouth accent.
Some stars of the show and films, including Stephen “Steve-O” Glover and Brandon Novak, a longtime friend of Margera’s, have gotten sober. While Margera was seemingly blowing up friendships at his worst, Novak, a former pro skater, said he never took it personally.
“I always have and will still love him, wherever he is in his journey,” he told The Inquirerin June.
West Chester native Bam Margera poses for a portrait at his home in Pocopson Township, Chester County on June 4, 2026. After years of personal struggles, Margera says he is sober, skating again, and reconnecting with the “Jackass” franchise, allowing producers to use archival footage of him in the latest film.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Three years ago, Margera seemed hell-bent on burning his own bridges to a better life. He was in California, a long way from his home and family in Chester County. He was even further from good publicity, from his passion — skateboarding — or any semblance of a normal life. In his own words, he became a professional “piece of s—.”
Margera was mired in a custody battle with his ex-wife, Nikki Boyd, along with a slew of other legal issues and lawsuits in Pennsylvania and beyond, plus the subsequent attorney fees. He was in and out of rehabilitation centers for drugs and alcohol, and dealing with medical and mental health issues.
When The Inquirer spoke to Steve-O about Margera in 2023, he said he was ready to help.
“I just can’t do it for him,” Steve-O said at the time. “I tried everything I could to encourage him to want to get better, and none of it worked, so here we are. He has to want to get better.”
“Jackass” star Steve “Steve-O” Glover has been sober for several years but he says his stunts are better than ever.SteveO.com
Margera was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold when he was found acting erratically outside Trejo’s Tacos in Los Angeles in June of 2023.When he was released, he checked into the Sunset Marquis hotel with more drugs than he’d ever had. Looking back, Margera said he wasn’t suicidal, but he didn’t really expect to wake up.
Still, he said a little prayer that night.
If he survived, Margera expected God to deliver him the “hottest eye candy with a tan pit bull” to save him. When he woke up, surprised to be alive, Margera went out by the pool, ordered a Bloody Mary, and met Daani Marie, a model and stretch coach he later married.
Margera and Daani Marie, who now spend most of their time in Florida, hit it off immediately.
“I really like you,” she said. “Do you want to walk my dog with me?
“What kind of dog do you have?” Bam asked.
“A tan pit bull.”
He looked up at the sun and smiled.
Former Jackass star Bam Margera walks to the Chester County Justice Center on July 27, 2023, for a preliminary hearing.Jose F. Moreno/ Staff Photographer
While he didn’t get sober immediately, Margera credits that night, that chance meeting with Daani Marie the next morning, for at least putting him on the path. The two were married in New Mexico a year later.
“Enough was enough,” Margera said. “I knew if I continued this lifestyle, I’m gonna die this way.”
Margera said he hadn’t been back to Castle Bam in 10 months, and on this June afternoon, was paying Andrew Mehan, a former bouncer in West Chester, for boxing lessons.
Mehan had to kick Margera out of some West Chester bars back in the day. He’d seen Margera in worse shape.
“Come on, get up,” he commanded.
Bam Margera in his personal skateboard park in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 2011. (Charles Fox/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)Charles Fox / MCT
Suddenly, Margera would rise from his rest with a groan — he still smokes — and snap a few jabs at Mehan.
His father, Phil, the lovable victim of countless pranks and a few punches from Bam over the years, sat in the wings, beaming with pride as his son countered with a few jabs.
“Yeah, he put me through it, but I’ll sit through anything as long as he’s sober,” Phil said.
Margera’s solo show, Viva La Bam!, was set almost entirely in and around Castle Bam, his notorious home and compound in Pocopson Township, Chester County, and also at his parents’ home. The show ran for five seasons on MTV, from October 2003 to August 2005.
Many of Castle Bam’s mainstays were still there: purple luxury cars — a Bentley and Audi in the driveway — skateboard decks on the walls, and lots of Margera’s paintings leaning against the walls. Margera described his style as “Jackson Pollock-ish.”
Brandon “Bam” Margera (right) of MTV’s “Jackass” was born in West Chester, and friend and costar Ryan Dunn moved there as a teen. Above, they were signing autographs after a screening of the movie “Jackass 3D” at Manayunk’s UA Main Street 6 in October 2010.SCOTT WEINER
One skateboard deck featured Ryan Dunn, another steady fixture at Castle Bam back in the day. Dunn, Margera’s longtime friend and a fellow Jackass star, died in a fiery crash after a night of drinking in Chester County in 2011. The two met at 15, at West Chester East High School, and were nearly inseparable thereafter. In the wake of Dunn’s death, Margera turned to food and alcohol — pints of vodka and Gatorade, food binges followed by purges — to deal with the grief.
Margera was interviewed by a television station at the scene. He was mostly sobbing, and when asked how he would get through it, he said he “couldn’t.”
On this June afternoon, there were people, young and old, everywhere at the Castle: in the pool, putting skateboards together, or doing yard work. His wife doesn’t love the cold, so he didn’t plan on spending too much time back at the Castle or any one place, for very long. Pocopson Township, he said, cracked down on his ability to host big gatherings and do outlandish stunts.
“I love Pennsylvania, but I love to travel, too,” he said. “Boredom is my trigger.”
Friends popped in and out, including Dennis Wood, a West Chester native who used to skate at Margera’s as a teen.
“Obviously, there’s been trials and tribulations throughout the years; he took some steps forward, some steps back,” Wood said. “In the last couple of years, this is the best I’ve seen him.”
Margera had very public fallouts with his family during the worst years, too. He was charged with assaulting his brother at Castle Bam in 2023.
Margera’s mother, April, said his legal issues have been resolved and that he seems to be “out of the darkness.” She went to California with him and Phil recently to visit Phoenix Wolf.
“I would like to say I’m really proud of him. He came a long way. We’ve all been through the fire and brimstone, and we seem to be coming out on the other side,” April said in a text message.
Novak, a former star of Jackass and Viva La Bam! who now owns sober living houses in Delaware and New Jersey, said Margera’s family was always the grounding force, a source of unconditional love, and he was happy to hear the Margeras have made amends.
He also loves that Margera is skating again.
“Where he seems to be now is a healing stage,” Novak said recently. “To what degree, I can’t speak on, but it’s better than it was when he wasn’t speaking to his family or the majority of his friends.”
Margera started skateboarding as a teen, with Phil driving him all over the area to pursue his passion, including the late Love Park and FDR Park. Margera’s earliest stunts appeared in videos for his brother’s alt-metal band, CKY, and he got noticed by MTV. His crew was teamed up with other wild men, like Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O. Jackass was born. Margera and Dunn were featured in the first episode on Oct. 1, 2000, riding — crashing, rather — shopping carts.
Phil watched his son’s recent torturous boxing lesson with pride.
“He’s still cute, even at 46,” Phil said.
When the final sparring round was over, Mehan helped pull Margera’s gloves off. Margera slumped down and took deep breaths. A few minutes later, he shuffled out of the gym and walked straight into the deep end of the pool, fully clothed.
“I need to quit smoking,” he said along the way.
Mehan put the day’s boxing lesson into a deeper perspective while he unwrapped his own hands.
“That’s the worst he’ll ever look,” Mehan said of the boxing lesson. “Here’s the deal: He fought through it. He kept saying he was done, that he wanted to quit, but he kept going.”
West Chester native Bam Margera is filmed by a documentary crew as he rests during a boxing workout at his home in Pocopson Township, Chester County.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
A supermajority of the network’s 32 on-air hosts presented a petition to company management last week, announcing their desire to unionize and asking for voluntary recognition of the union, according to a statement from SAG-AFTRA, which the hosts intend to join.
QVC management is reviewing the petition, spokesperson Matthew Goldstein said in a statement: “We respect the legal rights of all team members and are committed to following the appropriate process thoughtfully and responsibly.”
On Tuesday, SAG-AFTRA — which represents 160,000 media professionals nationwide — filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on the QVC hosts’ behalf, according to the federal agency’s website. If the employer does not voluntarily recognize the union, the petition can trigger an NLRB election and lead to a union’s formal certification.
The hosts are taking steps to unionize as company higher-ups try to expedite the bankruptcy process, with the hope of emerging this summer.
QVC pioneered home shopping 40 years ago and developed a loyal following of fans, mostly women, who bought clothes, home goods, kitchen appliances, tech products, and other wares at all hours.
From its West Chester studios, the network and its smaller counterpart, HSN, still broadcast live, and customers can still call in to order merchandise. But the company has also expanded into online, social-media, and livestream shopping — with mixed results. They are up against stiff competition from the likes of Amazon and other ecommerce giants.
The QVC hosts, meanwhile, have other issues on their mind: They are concerned about artificial intelligence, and don’t want QVC using AI to imitate their image, voice, and likeness without consent or compensation, according to SAG-AFTRA, citing the hosts’ petition.
The national union said the hosts are also calling for stronger job security in the face of AI, clearer paths for career advancement, greater say in company decisions, more equitable pay, and transparency around compensation.
“We believe we should have meaningful input into our role in the network’s future, and that this is best accomplished through a formal collective-bargaining process,” the hosts wrote in the petition, according to SAG-AFTRA.
SAG-AFTRA officials said they encouraged QVC management to voluntarily recognize the union and “avoid a costly NLRB process.”
SAG-AFTRAnational executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a statement that he applauded the QVC hosts’ “decision to stand together and seek a collective voice.”
“These workers are at the heart of QVC’s success, connecting with audiences through creativity, authenticity, and innovation every day,” Crabtree-Ireland said.
Goldstein, the company spokesperson, said the network’s hosts are “deeply valued team members and an important part of what makes QVC special.”
Another Iron Hill Brewery is set to reopen next week.
The Huntingdon Valley restaurant will be back in business Monday, June 22, according to the restaurant’s new ownership group. It will mark Iron Hill’s fourth post-bankruptcy revival and the only one in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Amid the reopenings, the new owners have launched a fresh loyalty program and special offers, including a free beer and free appetizer for customers with prebankruptcy gift cards that are no longer usable.
While Iron Hill had a suburban-Philly focus before bankruptcy, the Huntingdon Valley Shopping Center location is the only one set to be resurrected in the collar counties or South Jersey.
Bartenders there will be pouring a new IPA, Hop Chase, brewed exclusively for Huntingdon Valley, according to the new owners. They said patrons can sit inside or outside at the restaurant’s beer garden, which was the chain’s first when it opened in 2016.
“We’re creating a true neighborhood place for the guests we call family, somewhere the community can come together over laughter, great food and award-winning beer,” Naomi Yared, general manager of the Huntingdon Valley Iron Hill, said in a statement.
The former Iron Hill Brewery in Chestnut Hill sat empty in November. Property owners are still marketing the space for lease.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Here’s what we know about these local Iron Hill Breweries as of publication time June 15:
A pedestrian walked by the closed Iron Hill Brewery in West Chester in October. Magerk’s Pub & Grill is now taking over the space.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
From horses giving way to cars and the invention of television, to the election of more than a dozen presidents, World War II, and even the sale of sliced bread — the 45 Chester County centenarians who gathered for an annual luncheon this week have watched the world remake itself time and time again.
“I saw a lot of things. A lot of wars, and a lot of popes. There’s a lot of good things,” said Anne Caporale, who will turn 100 in July. “I got married, had a family. I had a good life.”
The annual luncheon celebrated Chester County’s group of centenarians — a total of 57 residents reaching or surpassing the milestone. Tuesday’s celebration saw a dozen who would turn 100 this year, plus quite a few returning attendees, including 108-year-old Evelyn Fair, who still writes poetry.
“You are the builders, the teachers, the parents, the neighbors, and the foundation of the Chester County community,” Josh Maxwell, chair of the board of county commissioners, told attendees. “Every single comfort and freedom we enjoy today is a direct result of the hard work, sacrifice, and grace you poured into the world decades and decades ago. We are walking today on paths that you have all cleared.”
Meet some of Chester County’s longest residents.
Henry Jacks, 104
Henry Jacks, 104, enjoys the annual centenarian luncheon hosted by the Department of Aging. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
Henry Jacks moved to South Coatesville when he was 4 years old, and has called it home ever since. He’s witnessed “quite a bit of change.”
He remembers watching deliveries come by horse and wagon and recalls the hard days of the 1930s during the Great Depression (“cost of living wasn’t as bad as it is now,” he noted). Jacks joined the Army in 1940 during World War II, serving in the 92nd Engineers Regiment, and was stationed in Africa and Italy. He came back home to have three children, a boy and two girls.
He was a Boy Scout leader, the first Black mail carrier in Coatesville, a city council member, and a judge of elections. He still sings in the church choir. (His advice: “Treat people right. Go to church.”)
“So many changes that I’ve seen in the days,” he said. “I remember when I first saw TV; one of the neighbors had one, and all of the kids used to watch through his window. I’ve seen from the horses, to the cars, to the jet airplanes. And it’s been a wonderful life.”
Letitia Hemphill, 103
Letitia Hemphill, 103, at Tuesday’s luncheon. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
Letitia Hemphill started her working life at the candy counter at the former F.W. Woolworth’s five-and-dime in her hometown of West Chester. Though her father remarked she wasn’t good at math, she’d go on to have a long career using her skills while filling the registers and doing the end-of-day count in a department store and later at the treasurer’s office.
She retired in 1986 but had trouble sitting still.
“I got bored of not working,” she said.
She started cleaning houses. It was something she’d always done: help her mother clean in the morning, and then go to the park in the afternoon. She kept up the tradition with her two grandkids and her two great-grandkids, whom she babysat for 14 years.
An active life has been key to Hemphill, who did 10 years of ballroom dancing and more than 20 years at the gym.
“Keep your body moving and keep your mind moving,” she said.
She keeps her mind active by painting landscapes in watercolor, a hobby she took up in 1995.
Hemphill was born in West Chester to a stonemason father and a stay-at-home mother. Once, someone asked Hemphill if she had a lot of friends. With 11 brothers and sisters, she remarked she didn’t need any.
When she journeys through West Chester, she points out all the stores that have changed over time.
Still, Chester County is “beautiful,” and much of her family is still around to keep her moving: two children, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Joseph Donia, 100
Joseph Donia, 100. There were 45 centenarians in attendance at Tuesday’s luncheon.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
Up until last year or so, Joseph Donia’s hobby was building boats. He constructed a 20-foot wooden cabin cruiser from scratch. He had it for 40 years.
“The only reason I sold it — my wife couldn’t get on it anymore,” he said.
He had a lifelong love of boats, and spent five years at sea for the U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II. His time in service was the only time he wasn’t living in West Chester, where he bought a house and raised three kids. He also has six grandkids and three great-grandkids.
His most recent project was a 35-foot sailboat. It’s still sitting behind his West Chester home, but he’s given it to his son to finish.
It kept the 100-year-old active — something he advises.
Eleanor Hammond, 101
Eleanor Hammond, 101, enjoys Tuesday’s annual luncheon. Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
Eleanor Hammond has always been a fan of creative pursuits: a voracious reader who knitted and sewed. She stitched her daughter’s wedding gown, and, perhaps more memorably, a jacket for her husband.
“He insisted I make him a jacket because I sewed for everyone else. He picked out the material; looked like Liberace. It was horrible,” she said. “I wouldn’t go out with him when he wore it.”
A graduate of Coatesville High School, Hammond would go on to work there until she was 81, in the principal’s office. She was once a disciplinarian, and truancy officer. She’s watched the county change over time, marveling at the amount of development. And, less positively, the traffic.
“The way to get here, I used to zip here,” she said. “But I can’t do that now.”
Still, she likes it, and the changes that have come with time.
“I’ve been here a long time. Everything about it is beautiful. The people are friendly, and it’s a beautiful place,” she said.
And as much as she loves home, she recommends travel. If you don’t know the language, be nice, smile, and “use your arms” to convey your meaning.
Anne Caporale, 99
Anne Caporale, who turns 100 in July.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
Anne Caporale graduated alongside Hammond at Coatesville High School. She went on to raise six kids, and has 10 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
“We have quite a group,” she said. “I love them.”
She has found Chester County to be a good place to live and “wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
She lives at home, right by one of Downingtown’s high schools, which she loves because “the kids are great.” She still does her laundry and cooks every day. The luncheon Tuesday was a treat for her. “Let somebody else do the cooking,” she said.
Keeping active is the secret, she said.
“I know we’re here for a reason, but I don’t know it. I don’t question it,” she said.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Nearly half of educator preparation programs are failing to adequately train future teachers in how to teach reading, according to a new report, even as states across the country have passed laws to overhaul reading instruction.
And in Pennsylvania, even more teacher preparation programs may be falling short, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality, which released a report this week reviewing whether colleges and universities had aligned their instruction for future teachers with the so-called science of reading.
Of 23 graduate and undergraduate programs evaluated in Pennsylvania, five received A’s, according to the report. Just as many received F’s.
Pennsylvania is “among the lowest-performing states in this analysis,” said Ron Noble, NCTQ’s director of teacher preparation.
Some colleges have criticized the group’s methodology, and literacy advocates had mixed reactions to the findings.
Still, progress has been made since 2023, Noble said, as more states have made changes to how reading is taught amid fierce debate over best practices and deepening concern about poor reading scores. Here is what the group found, and how Pennsylvania universities and colleges fared:
How reading instruction is evaluated
For decades, the predominant approach to reading in many schools, balanced literacy, sought to foster a love of reading in children by focusing on stories and de-emphasizing skills-based instruction.
The National Council on Teacher Quality scored education programs on how well they prepare teachers in the “five core components” of scientifically based reading instruction: phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and phonemic awareness — the ability to identify units of sounds in spoken words.
The group, which evaluated course syllabi, curricula, and lecture schedules, also considered whether programs taught debunked practices, including “three-cuing” — prompting students to guess words based on context clues — and running records, an assessment that involves listening to a child read aloud to determine what level of book is appropriate.
Programs that earned A’s are adequately covering all five core components, Noble said, while not teaching more than three practices “that run counter to the science of reading.” Those that received F’s, meanwhile, are not adequately covering more than one of the core components, or teaching enough contrary practices that their letter grades were reduced, Noble said.
How Pa. colleges scored
Nationally, the percentage of programs receiving A’s more than doubled from 2023, from 26% to 53%.
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Among them was East Stroudsburg University. Brooke Langan, dean of the university’s College of Education, said the school had produced more records in this review.
East Stroudsburg also reviewed its coursework after Pennsylvania required structured literacy competencies to be embedded in teacher preparation programs in 2022, Langan said.
“It really made us take a moment and think about: Did we structure those correctly? Are they scaffolded well for our students developmentally?” Langan said.
Other schools getting top grades were Carlow University, Millersville University, Pennsylvania Western University, and Shippensburg University.
At the other end, Cheyney University, the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University, West Chester University, and Widener University’s graduate education program received F’s.
Julie Stellfox, a spokesperson for Commonwealth University, said the school “does not subscribe” to NCTQ’s research methodology. She noted a statement about the report from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, which voiced concern about relying “primarily on document review as a proxy for the quality of educator preparation.”
Nancy Gainer, a spokesperson for West Chester, said that school also disagrees with NCTQ’s methods. She noted that West Chester complied with an “open source request” from the group in 2023 and received a B in its report then; this time, the school did not receive such a request, and West Chester did not supply information, she said.
An NCTQ spokesperson said the group submitted a formal records request to West Chester.
Mary Allen, a Widener spokesperson, said the university had asked NCTQ to reassess the graduate education program “and include additional courses that focus on reading instruction, which were not included in their review.”
“Academic rigor and student success are our top priorities, and we have aligned our teacher education programs to all the required competencies related to structured literacy and the science of reading outlined in Pennsylvania Department of Education guidelines,” Allen said.
Noble acknowledged the criticism of a review process limited to records. But, he said, NCTQ is evaluating whether colleges adequately cover foundational reading skills, and it was “highly unlikely that something that doesn’t appear in course materials” is being taught.
Fewer Pennsylvania programs agreed to be evaluated by NCTQ this year — the program reviewed 33 in 2023, compared with 23 in the latest report. Overall, 63% of Pennsylvania teacher preparation programs did not participate.
Of schools nationally that declined to be reviewed after participating in 2023, NCTQ said, more than 60% had received F’s previously.
It also said that it identified textbook requirements for more than 80% of nonparticipating programs, and found they used textbooks misaligned with the science of reading at the same rates as programs receiving D’s and F’s.
Noble noted that the four largest teacher preparation programs in Pennsylvania either did not participate in this year’s review — Pennsylvania State and Temple Universities — or received F’s, in the case of West Chester and Commonwealth.
“It’s even more concerning: The places producing many of Pennsylvania’s newest teachers are either a black box for us or did not perform well,” Noble said.
Calls for more state oversight
Rachael Garnick, Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition manager with the Teach Plus group, which advocates for structured literacy implementation, said there was value in the report’s effort to evaluate how well colleges are preparing future teachers.
But “I don’t think it’s a conclusive verdict,” including about schools that did not participate, Garnick said, noting that one university she had spoken with said NCTQ had sent its request for information to the incorrect administrator.
Pennsylvania itself needs to do more to hold teacher preparation programs accountable for reading instruction, Garnick said. While the state now requires structured literacy in teacher preparation programs, it does not set requirements for the number of courses or hours of instruction.
And the state’s certification exam for new teachers has not been aligned with the science of reading. For instance, it still includes questions on three-cueing, Garnick said — even though Pennsylvania has banned that practice. The coalition is pushing the state to adopt a standalone exam to test teaching candidates on reading.
The failure of teacher preparation programs to adopt the science of reading has ripple effects, said Kate Mayer, a consultant with Keystone Structured Literacy Partners. Mayer, who has advocated for many Philadelphia-area families whose children are struggling with reading, said she sees area school districts working with universities to make changes to their reading instruction that still are not best practices.
“In my experience, the bar is even lower than it should be for what we’re looking at,” said Mayer, who served on a committee that worked with NCTQ on its scoring rubric in 2019. She said “there should be no excuses” for universities that are not adequately covering the five reading components.
Some states, including Ohio and Indiana, have significantly improved teacher preparation programs through new accountability measures, including audits and the prospect of revoking accreditation, Noble said.
“When you’re providing teacher preparation programs with really clear standards” and consequences for not meeting them, “that’s a recipe for pretty dramatic” changes, Noble said.
The World Cup officially lands in Philly on June 14, when the Ivory Coast takes on Ecuador at the temporarily-renamed Philadelphia Stadium (aka Lincoln Financial Field) in South Philly, with five more games to follow.
But let’s be real: Getting into a match is going to be difficult. And besides, nothing screams Philly more than taking in a game at a local bar alongside strangers and Citywides that will give you the courage to cheer even louder.
Here are 19 bars in Philly and the suburbs that are going all-in on the World Cup, including four planning to be open until 4 a.m. for late-night matches.
🍺 Bars allowed to stay open until 4 a.m.
Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a bill into law permitting Philly bars to stay open until 4 a.m. for the duration of the World Cup. Just over 50 bars in the city thus far are eligible to apply for a permit to stay open that late, according to a list from the City of Philadelphia, and several told The Inquirer that extending their hours just wasn’t worth it.
On the eve of the World Cup, several bars were still waiting to get permit approval to stay open late.
These are four spots that plan to be open until 4 a.m. in Philly, from a bowling alley to a Latin American club-staurant.
The bar at Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse, 1941 Sansom St., on Aug. 31, 2022.MICHAEL KLEIN / Staff
While Cavanaugh’s Headhouse location has a rep among Newcastle United and Liverpool fans as a solid bar for soccer matches, the sports bar’s Rittenhouse location is the one that will be open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup. Cav’s will be serving daily drinks and food specials, and is one of more than 20 bars participating in the Crawl for the Cup, a citywide World Cup-themed bar crawl, including a scavenger hunt, on June 20.
The World Cup is practically a 24 / 7 event at Mamajuana. The Latin American Northern Liberties club-staurant will be staying open until 4 a.m. on match days while also hosting Sunday brunches and watch parties for 10 games from June 13 through July 19. The club’s World Cup special promises mascot appearances, daily food specials, and limited-edition cocktails, such as the Golden Cup, an old-fashioned served in a gold globe-shaped goblet. A full schedule can be found on Mamajuana’s Instagram.
This lively Hunting Park institution will be open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup to broadcast games in its downstairs bar and upstairs night club. Tierra Colombiana’s menu spans Latin America, which means you can have arepas while Colombia plays, ceviche during Ecuador’s matches, and extra large mojitos all tournament long.
Soccer at a bowling alley? That’s literally the vibe at Oregon Avenue’s South Bowl, a bowling alley and bar (with an outdoor lounge) that is staying open until 4 a.m. to broadcast the following matches: Australia vs. Turkey on June 14, Austria vs. Jordan on June 17, and Tunisia vs. Japan on June 21. Games will play on the screens above each lane, which means there’s the potential to land a strike while watching pro athletes score goals.
If the 4 a.m. crowd isn’t your speed, these 10 Philly bars are hosting World Cup watch parties that don’t skimp on the fun — even if they aren’t going all night long.
Scenes from the opening night of Bok Bar — initially called Le Bok Fin — in 2015.Michelle Gustafson
The Black Taxi
This Irish pub in Fairmount has long been a host for English Premier League matches, at one point even displaying the trophy for an afternoon of photo ops. Roughly a half-mile from the FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill, this is the spot to take in a game with a perfect pour of Guinness.
📍 745-747 N. 25th St., 📞 215-232-1086, 🌐 theblacktaxi.com
All of Philly’s tournament matches will be simulcast on screen’s atop Philly’s most famous rooftop bar, which is hosting Puyero Venezulean Flavor for a monthlong food pop-up in June that includes arepas, empanadas, and bite-sized churros. Where else can you see the lights from the Linc — I mean, Philadelphia Stadium — twinkle in distance during a knockout game on July 4?
The crowd at Brauhaus Schmitz in Philadelphia cheers USA’s first goal against the Netherlands in the World Cup on Dec. 3, 2022.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Bella Vista’s sprawling German biergarten is taking the party to the streets, closing down the block for free outdoor watch parties for matches on June 25, June 27, July 3, July 4, and July 19. Games will be broadcast on 20-foot-tall TVs in the middle of South Street, while indoors will feature 34 beers on tap, surprise giveaways, and burgers with novelty soccer ball pretzel buns. And on non-block party days, Brauhaus Schmitz will be still be airing World Cup matches indoors.
This Brazilian sports bar in Northeast Philly is the place to be for fans of team Brazil and is hosting not one, but two lively watch parties during the team’s match against Morocco on June 13 and Haiti on June 19. And if you’re only there for the vibes, Guanabara has a rooftop, three types of caipirinhas, and Brazilian-style cheesesteaks.
Known for its supremely satisfying smashburger, this neighborhood bar with a French twist has big plans for the Group Stage. Good King Tavern will open daily starting at 3 p.m. with an extended happy hour that features mini cocktails and street food-style snacks. Its upstairs wine bar, Le Caveau, will also be getting in on the action, which means you can sip a draft negroni and nosh on a fancy hot dog while watching your team of choice.
A bar where you can play 18-holes of mini golf between matches? Sign us up. Libertee Grounds will be gamifying its World Cup watch parties with the Pitch Passport, a punch card that rewards guest for watching every game at the bar-slash-indoor-mini-golf-course. How it works: Earn a punch for each nation when you a watch a match, which are redeemable for rewards such as a free beer, mini golf passes, or a lifetime membership. Drink specials will also be available.
This Chinatown sports bar is committed to soccer year-round, airing everything from Premier League matches to La Liga games on its 35 TVs. Expect the World Cup to be no different. Lion Sports Bar will be airing all matches at its original location and taking over Yamitsuki Ramen across the street for a ticketed open bar and buffet. Also available at both locations: a signature World Cup pink margarita garnished with collectible Lionel Messi stickers.
This longstanding Irish Pub in Center City is the official home of Philly’s Chelsea FC and Manchester City FC clubs, so you can expect that it will be a hub for World Cup games. The bar will air all 104 matches (with the sound on!) across 14 TVs and two projectors. Weeks one and two of the tournament are bringing specials on Michelob Ultra and Stella Artois, plus a ticket giveaway on June 13 for a future match.
The real fun at this rowdy, double-decker sports bar comes during the USMNT’s matches against Paraguay on June 12, Australia on June 19, and Turkey on June 25. The American Outlaws — the official support group for Team USA — will be taking over Top Tomato during those games for block parties with a live DJ that are open to all, no RSVP required.
The newly renovated (and re-christened) Stateside Live! now includes a rooftop bar and beer garden. Just steps away from the action at Philadelphia Stadium, what will it offer soccer fans? The entertainment complex is hosting the official World Cup pregame for ticketholders. A match ticket and $50 will get you expedited entry and access to a tailgate with a food voucher, while $175 buys a spot at a prematch buffet with cheesesteaks, roast pork sandwiches, and open bar.
Stateside Live! will also be open to the general public during all six of Philly’s World Cup games. Matches will be simulcast on the venue’s new outdoor stage alongside a selection of food trucks.
But if you’re looking to keep it extra local during the World Cup, these bars in the Philly suburbs are going above and beyond for the World Cup, from erecting a pop-up beer garden to brewing a special IPA.
The Landing Kitchen, an all-day cafe created by Nicholas Elmi and Fia Berisha at the riverside redevelopment of the Pencoyd Ironworks on July 10, 2021.CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Located in Bala Cynwyd, just across the Pencoyd Bridge from Manayunk, this all-day riverside cafe with a family friendly vibe will be broadcasting all quarterfinal, semifinal, and finals matches outdoors on a 164-inch screen. Chef Nicholas Elmi will be firing up a smoker for barbecue specials during the games, and guests are strongly encouraged to play bocce or relax at a fire pit during halftime.
Named one of the 10 best bars for watching soccer in the U.S. by the Men in Blazers, Bucks County’s Villa Capri is one of the only bars in the Philadelphia suburbs that has committed to airing all 104 World Cup matches — with the sound on. The Doylestown bar is also rolling a limited-edition cocktail menu for the tournament that includes drinks such as the $14 Equalizer margarita, which comes in passionfruit, pineapple, strawberry, or pomegranate.
This haunt for West Chester University students already has a reputation in Chester County as a Liverpool bar that airs Philadelphia Union games. During the World Cup, Kildare’s is going all in on USMNT. The bar will be shutting down a portion of Gay Street for a free, 21+ watch party during Team USA’s matchup against Paraguay on June 12. Kildare’s will also be showing a selection of other games starting at noon daily, with to-be-announced drink and food specials on offer.
Malvern’s Locust Lane Craft Brewery is hosting a pop-up World Cup beer garden in Upper Merion’s Nor-View Farm Park with free entry from June 11 through July 19. Games will be broadcast on TVs under the park’s pavilion, where attendees can bring their own chairs and enjoy a selection of $8 beers on tap, plus food from the Epicurian Garage Truck. The beer garden will open one hour before the first broadcast game and close before midnight; schedule can be found here.
A former New Jersey Brewery of the Year, Zed’s Beer takes the World Cup as seriously as it takes its brews. The Marlton bar will be airing all Team USA matches, alongside several other key games as designated on the bar’s digital calendar. Also on offer: Soccer-themed quizzo and a new limited-edition IPA called the “48 hops for 48 teams.” Made with hops from each country with a qualifying FIFA team, this beer will be available for the duration of the tournament.
📍19 N. Maple Ave., Ste. A, Marlton, N.J. 📞 856-872-7632, 🌐 drinkzeds.com
Chris Feaster sees Main Line Health clinicians for mammograms, breast MRIs, and other preventive screenings required due to her high risk of breast cancer.
The 61-year-old Montgomery County resident has been panicked in recent weeks after Main Line sent patients a letter warning that the nonprofit health system’s contract with her insurer, UnitedHealthcare, may end later this month.
Main Line is a leading provider of care across Philadelphia’s western suburbs, where it has four hospitals. Feaster has relied on its facilities for care for 40 years.
“They know me,” she said of her Main Line providers in an interview. “I have been getting monitored there since the time I was in my early 30s.”
Feaster, who lives in Trooper, has already experienced a healthcare disruption caused by another insurance dispute. Two years ago, Axia Women’s Health and United failed to reach adeal. That forced Feaster to find a new gynecologist after 40 years.
Chris Feaster is among thousands of Main Line Health patients worried about the prospect of Main Line Health going out of network with UnitedHealthcare at the end of this month.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
If no deal is reached by June 30, Feaster could be facing a repeat.She is among 32,000 affected Main Line patientswho have United insurancethrough Medicare Advantage plans and commercial insurance from employers.
Main Line Health said that United had been engaging more meaningfully in negotiations in recent weeks. “We are hopeful that momentum continues. We remain committed to reaching a resolution before June 30,” itsstatement said.
For Main Line, which is far less profitable than it was before the pandemic, the dispute is not just about rate increases. The nonprofit health system also wants toreduce claim denials, prior authorization delays, and excessive audits.
“Main Line Health is seeking price hikes that would significantly increase costs for families and employers,” UnitedHealthcare said.
United added that self-insured companies would absorb the biggest hit ”impacting the money they have to grow their business and compensate their employees.”
Worries about maternity care
Jessica Geida, a Newtown Square resident and an ob/gyn who is not currently practicing, is particularly worried about access to maternity care in Delaware County, given that Axia is already out of network with United.
Main Line operates the only practice that delivers babies at Riddle Hospital for people with UnitedHealthcare (UHC), said Gaida, who has worked at Axia and Main Line. “If they drop UHC, there would be no access to care in the Delaware County,” she said.
Maternity care has been underpressure in Delaware County since the maternity unitclosed at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in early 2022, followed by the shutdown of Crozer-Chester Medical Center a year ago as part of the Prospect Medical Holdings bankruptcy.
Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby closed its labor and delivery unit more than 20 years ago.
If Main Line and United fail to reach a deal, UnitedHealthcare patients might have to go to Penn Medicine’s Chester County Hospital in West Chester, which is already busy.
Patients who get into Penn’s ob/gyn practice at Penn Medicine Radnor deliver babies at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, according to that group’s web site.
Feaster saida call from UnitedHealthcare Friday left her feeling very uncertain about her care.
Feaster grew up in Wayne and kept seeing Main Line doctors when she moved to Trooper, which is north of King of Prussia.
Feaster would have to specially request a continuation of care to keep seeing each of her Main Line doctors at in-network prices, the UnitedHealthcare representative told her.
The temporary stopgap is designed to help people who have significant needs — including cancer patients in the middle of treatment — avoid gaps in care while they switch to doctors who accept their insurance.
Feaster would have to fill out part of the form, and her doctors would have to complete another part. She’d also have to take the same steps for Main Line providers of her regular mammograms, breast MRIs, and DEXA bone density scans.
UnitedHealthcare would then review each request to determine whether to approve.
