Frankford coach fights to save players from gun violence; The buildings Philadelphians want to save | Morning Newsletter
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Football is a dangerous sport. But it’s the dangers that await off the field that truly worry Frankford High School’s coach. Bill Sytsma has lost players to gun violence before, so he’s turning the locker room into a home to try to make sure he never loses another one. Philadelphians are concerned about the future of many of the city’s historic buildings. City officials have not yet put together the historical index they planned to, so our readers tossed in suggestions to help them get started. Yesterday, Philadelphia said goodbye to a media icon who changed television in Philly and across the country. We look back at the life and legacy of Lew Klein.
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Bill Sytsma, the head football coach at Frankford High School has lost players to gun violence before. That loss made it tough for him to look at the empty chairs at Frankford’s recent graduation. He hopes his new idea will help to keep those chairs filled for future generations.
“You feel the weight of this job when you realize what these kids are going into when they leave your presence,” he said.
By opening up the team’s locker room, he hopes to keep them with him a little longer.
The coach and his players got to work rehabbing the locker room to make it feel like a home — complete with a TV, couches, board games, video games, snacks, dancing, laughter, and safety. Sytsma says building great football players is only part of the job. He also wants to build great men.
Being America’s birthplace makes few places as historically significant as Philadelphia. So, how is it that only 2.2 percent of the city’s buildings are historically designated while places like Boston (7.2 percent) and Washington D.C. (19.4 percent) boast so many more?
Mayor Kenney promised to better protect the city’s buildings in 2017. Meanwhile, prominent sites continued to fall. The city planned to create an index of buildings to protect while their historical significance is reviewed. But, there’s no current timeframe for the list.
So, reporter Caitlin McCabe decided to turn to our readers to find out what buildings Philadelphians want to see saved. Mayor Kenney, here are some suggestions from Inquirer readers to get you started.
Television in Philadelphia and across the country would look very different if it were not for the influence of Lew Klein. He died on Wednesday at the age of 91.
Klein’s innovative approach to TV helped him to develop American Bandstand and Captain Noah. Philadelphians can also thank Klein for shaping the Action News format that has made 6ABC a powerhouse in local news.
Klein graduated from Cheltenham High School and went on to the University of Pennsylvania. He also shaped future media leaders by teaching broadcasting courses at Temple University for decades. Today, his name graces Temple’s communication school.
What you need to know today
An elusive black bear roaming Upper Roxborough was tranquilized and captured by officials Thursday, following bear sightings in East Falls as well as Montgomery and Bucks Counties over the past week.
Philadelphia City Council has approved a $5 billion spending plan for fiscal year 2020. The amount tops the current budget by hundreds of millions of dollars while the general fund budget has now grown by $1 billion since Mayor Kenney took office. Kenney and several Council members are defending the growth in spending.
A partial cap. Light rail service. Dedicated bus and bike lanes. These are the visions being considered as Philly officials lay out options for the future of Roosevelt Boulevard. The city is committed to remaking one of its most dangerous roads but knows it’ll likely cost billions.
A Philadelphia judge ruled Thursday that an Arizona-based youth services provider can move forward with a controversial plan involving undocumented immigrant children in Philly. And it could be up and running very soon.
A new traveling art exhibit is paying homage to those lost to gun violence in Philadelphia. Its mission is not to conjure up thoughts of their deaths, but to highlight the amazing lives they lived before they were shot.
Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly
I see what you did there, @mediumsizeddeal. Nice juxtaposition 👏🏾.
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That’s Interesting
The Golden State Warriors have been dethroned. The Toronto Raptors — a.k.a the team that beat the Sixers on a miracle shot — are now NBA champs, defeating the Warriors 114-110.
Phillies great Chase Utley kicked off his new TV career this week by discussing his hatred for one of the Phils’ biggest rivals. Philly’s obvious reaction to his comments: “Chase Utley, you are the man.”
Philadelphia’s dozens of community gardens have become places for residents to share knowledge while showing off their green thumbs. As Philadelphia’s Community Gardens Day approaches, my colleague Grace Dickinson has a guide to getting your own plot.
Also this weekend, Philadelphia’s Saturday Free School will launch its “Year of Gandhi” celebration in honor of the leader’s 150th birthday. The school will explore the relationship between the African American struggle for civil rights in the U.S. and the Indian struggle against colonial rule.
Concertgoers have oohed and aahed at the beauty of the Kimmel Center for years, but an aspect of Verizon Hall has irked visitors since day one. That flaw is about to be corrected thanks to one generous 90-year-old patron.
Opinions
“When a woman takes her kid to daycare, she is shamed for not staying home with them. When a man takes his kid, he’s a saint for helping out — a super dad. Fathers, we do less, receive praise for the little we do, and even get a pay raise for it. Every day for us is Father’s Day.” — Opinion writer (and dad) Abraham Gutman on Father’s Day.
Presidential hopeful Joe Biden has been “middle of the road” when it comes to abortion policy for decades. But middle of the road is no longer good enough, writes columnist Marc Thiessen, and surrendering to pro-abortion advocates is hurting his 2020 chances.
Google has been able to build out its lucrative ecosystem of online data thanks to news, but the company’s gain directly impacts the financial losses for news publishers, writes News Media Alliance president David Chavern.
What we’re reading
Just in time for Father’s Day, Vox takes a look back at the “most dad” accessory of all time: the cellphone holster. They unravel how it became a staple of the dorky dad persona.
South Philly’s Christian Street YMCA has been a place of refuge for decades. Now, the historic YMCA will serve as the backdrop for a gun violence documentary produced by local filmmakers, advocates, and children, South Philly review reports.
If you’re from Philly, you probably cringe at the thought of jumping into the Delaware because of its filthy reputation. But experts say the river is the cleanest it’s been in decades. However, there are plenty of other reasons you shouldn’t take a dip in there, Billy Penn reports.
A Daily Dose of | Dad
Father’s Day is quickly approaching, but even if you dragged your feet on getting a gift, you can still do something memorable. From helicopter rides to free beer, Philly has plenty of Father’s Day weekend events perfect for dad.