⚾ Forever fans | Morning Newsletter
And a Roundhouse bus terminal proposal.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s Friday, Philly. The so-called official start of summer will be chilly, but dry.
The A’s left Philadelphia in 1954, but they still have fans here who root for the team that has moved four times in 125 years. For many diehards, it runs in the family.
And the head of Peter Pan Bus Lines this week offered to buy the abandoned Roundhouse police headquarters on Race Street and turn it into a new intercity bus terminal.
— Julie Zeglen ([email protected])
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on Webcamgate, a mansion makeover, and more.
Plus: The Philadelphia Inquirer wants to learn more about what types of things our readers do on the weekend, how you read or access news, and what types of Inquirer articles you’re reading. Fill out our quick survey to share your input.
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
As the Phillies kick off their weekend series against the A’s tonight, some local fans will be wishing for a homecoming.
⚾ The team originated as the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901, but left the city half a century later in what would be just the first of several moves. Now, the A’s are based in Sacramento ahead of a permanent move to Las Vegas, though they haven’t formally adopted either host city’s name yet.
⚾ Despite the 71 years that have passed since the A’s departure, and through their host-city hopping, some Philadelphians are still fans. In many cases, it’s a multigenerational love.
⚾ A handful of forever fans are even campaigning to bring the team back to their first home: “There are some people that think it’s crazy,” one South Jersey-based supporter of the petition told The Inquirer. “But most of the people who think it’s crazy have probably never even been to Philadelphia, you know?”
Sports reporter Alex Coffey has the story on Philly-based A’s fans’ enduring devotion.
In other sports history news: Remember that time Phillies management got caught hiring private investigators to trail players?
Philly still doesn’t have a permanent intercity bus terminal, nearly two years after Greyhound abruptly ended its Filbert Street lease. The current passenger pickup location near Spring Garden Street and Delaware Avenue has no restrooms and little shelter.
A City Council hearing this week brought a new proposal: Redevelop the former Philadelphia police HQ at Seventh and Race Streets into a bus depot. The pitch came from the CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines, who offered to buy the building, pay for renovations, and lease the space back to the city.
Rehabbing the controversial building would be a challenging, yearslong process. While it’s not yet clear if such a deal could move forward, it comes amid increasing frustration from city officials and transit advocates who want a solution, fast.
Transportation reporter Tom Fitzgerald has the latest in the bus terminal saga.
What you should know today
A man was killed by Philadelphia police officers in Fairhill Wednesday after a pedestrian stop turned into a physical struggle. The same night, a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed by his teen brother in West Philly, police said.
Former Philadelpia Police Officer Mark Dial was convicted Thursday of voluntary manslaughter for shooting Eddie Irizarry to death in Kensington, but acquitted of a third-degree murder charge.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the fraud conviction of a Downingtown man who lied to get PennDot contracts.
President Donald Trump’s newly passed budget bill will restrict healthcare and increase tax cuts. See how each lawmaker voted in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey.
The Philadelphia Housing Authority is embarking upon its most aggressive expansion and redevelopment plan since at least the 1960s. Go inside the $6.3 billion plan.
The Philly School District lost $700,000 to a cyber scam, officials said Thursday. And CAPA parents sounded off about alleged grade fixing and more.
In a split vote, Penn State’s board of trustees approved a plan to close seven of its Commonwealth campuses.
How did a Porsche end up on a hiking trail in the middle of the Wissahickon Valley Park? Conspiracy theories emerged, online and on the trail.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We‘ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we have an explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on the purple flowers all over Philly trees — which, it turns out, are actually invasive plants that can kill them. Yikes!
Wisterias are ornamental vines that grow up trees, choking them. The ones you’re seeing in the city are likely non-native, though they’ve been here for centuries. Here‘s the full explanation.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
Fifteen years after Nike debuted the Kobe 5 shoe paying homage to Kobe Bryant’s high school alma mater, the brand will reportedly release a version of the shoe again. What area school did the basketball star attend?
A) Conestoga
B) Masterman
C) CAPA
D) Lower Merion
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we‘re...
🛸 Sharing: Ideas for the “flying saucer” building in LOVE Park.
🍦 Anticipating: The reopening of Spruce Street Harbor Park today.
📮 Noting: What’s open and closed in Philly for Memorial Day.
🫸 Coveting: This Northeast Philly couple‘s ”TSHPUSH” license plate.
🏳️🌈 Considering: This call to march with defiance for Pride.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Longtime womenswear shop boutique in Center City
PAN JOSEPH
Email us if you know the answer. We‘ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Jordyn Ruth, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Philly Justice. Amy Poehler finally dropped the real trailer for the fake legal drama from the Parks and Rec team, 13 years after the inside joke originated.
Photo of the day
Wishing you a delightful Memorial Day weekend. I’ll be back with you tomorrow before Paola returns Sunday, then we‘re taking a break for the holiday until Wednesday morning. See ya!
Correction: The Phillies are playing the A’s in Sacramento this weekend, not at home, as this newsletter originally stated.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.