🎙️ The veteran voice of SEPTA | Morning Newsletter
And a suburban estate saga.
The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning, Philly. It’s set to be a cool, mostly sunny Tuesday, with high temps near 75.
Commuters know him for his dispatches on schedule changes, delays, emergencies, and weather alerts. Today’s lead story puts a face to the veteran voice behind SEPTA’s Regional Rail announcements.
And we have the latest in the saga of the storied Oakwell estate, which Lower Merion schools took in a controversial condemnation five years ago.
Find these stories and more news of the day, including scenes from the Democratic National Convention, below.
— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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If you read that and immediately imagined a deep, soothing voice — and perhaps felt a flash of panic, as if you’re about to miss your train — then you’ve certainly heard Alvin Elliott speaking to you from SEPTA HQ at 12th and Market Streets.
🎙️ Elliott’s dulcet tones are often what you’ll hear when a line is delayed, the schedule has changed, or it’s time to board. Arrival announcements are prerecorded, but unexpected updates are transmitted live from his desk, where he sits surrounded by computer monitors starting at 5 a.m.
🎙️ The nearly 40-year veteran of the transit agency has held roles ranging from conductor trainee to working the control towers. But he’s been the voice of Regional Rail since the early ‘90s, and doesn’t plan to retire any time soon.
🎙️ “I get plenty mad at SEPTA, but never at him,” one lifelong fan told The Inquirer, about delays announced by Elliott. “He has this nice way of making it seem like he’s as upset about it as we are.” That empathy might come through because Elliott is a commuter, too — NJ Transit via Jefferson Station.
P.S. In other SEPTA news, with service cuts looming amid a structural deficit, Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson said he wants to see progress on transit funding from the state.
A yearslong land management saga enters its next phase after Lower Merion School District voted Monday to sell the former Oakwell estate to Natural Lands, a Media-based conservation nonprofit.
The vote means about 13 acres of land once slated to become athletic fields for Black Rock Middle School teams will now be preserved. Part of the property is intended to be used with its neighboring Stoneleigh, a public garden.
The sweeping Villanova estate has been a hot topic in the wealthy suburb since the Lower Merion district bought it via condemnation in 2019, with neighbors and the site’s former owner protesting the sale.
Reporters Frank Kummer and Maddie Hanna have the latest.
What you should know today
The DNC kicked off in Chicago Monday with President Joe Biden passing the political torch. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is in attendance and spoke at several adjacent events. Here’s what else happened on day one.
Meanwhile, the Republican presidential and VP nominees both talked fracking during visits to Pennsylvania Monday: Former President Donald Trump at a manufacturing facility in York, and Sen. JD Vance at a medical waste management company in North Philly.
A neighbor said she reported abuse of 4-year-old Damari Carter to Philadelphia’s child welfare agency days before police say he was fatally beaten by his mother’s boyfriend.
A former Penn State Abington student will be deported after a year in prison. He’s accused of posting hundreds of manuals to terrorism-related groups.
An Upper Merion GOP official went on CNN to support VP Kamala Harris. He says he was swatted later that day.
After several high-level departures in the last year, Philadelphia officials are looking to fill top jobs at crucial health agencies.
VA loans can help veterans and service members buy homes, but many in the Philly region don’t use them because of stigma or lack of information.
Christie Raleigh Crossley of Toms River is headed to Paris. The Rowan University NCAA champion swimmer had the “unimaginable” happen before becoming a Paralympian.
🧠 Trivia time
Former Phillies pitcher and World Series closer Brad Lidge is pursuing his Ph.D. in which field?
A) English literature
B) Kinesiology
C) Archaeology
D) Sports management
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🥐 Lining up for: The West Philly pastry chef combining community and baked goods.
🔵 Asking: Whether more Latinos will be added to the DNC speaker lineup.
🏤 Commemorating: The First Continental Congress with this new Forever stamp.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Also called the IKEA boat, the SS _ _ has been ordered to move from South Philadelphia by Sept. 12.
ASTUTEST ENID
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Amanda Nordstrom, who solved Monday’s anagram: Citizens Bank Park. The Boss, a.k.a. Bruce Springsteen, is playing two make-up shows at the South Philadelphia venue this week.
Photo of the day
👋 Have a good Tuesday. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.
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