Philly’s population drop; Water system lacks redundancy; Egg hunts for kids & adults | Morning roundup

Philadelphia is losing population, but don’t yet call it a trend

Philadelphia’s population last year was 1.57 million, per new census estimates reported by The Inquirer, declining for a second year in a row.

• Over 22,000 residents left Philly between July 2021 and July 2022, the largest one-year drop in four decades. The loss was almost double the adjusted number for the year prior. 

Experts told the paper this number will likely also be revised (the previous year’s estimate was halved) so it’s too early to call it a trend. Shifts vary from neighborhood to neighborhood; Center City is on an upswing.

Egg hunts are everywhere in Philly this year — for kids & adults

More than a dozen egg hunts are planned around Philadelphia over the next two weekends, at parks, cafes, stables, churches and entire neighborhoods.

• Most of the events are free, and sometimes offer snacks and crafting — and pics with the Easter bunny —  to give kids even more fun. The weather is warming, and many events take place rain or shine.

There are also a few designed for adults, Asha Prihar reports, including one where you can win a $1,000 basket of gift cards.

→ Egg hunts in Philly

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• The recent chemical spill showed a liability in Philly’s water infrastructure: it lacks redundancy. Drawing on the Schuylkill for the whole city won’t work, and there aren’t any connections with systems at nearby municipalities. [WHYY’s PlanPhilly]
   
• Jason Wingard resigns today as Temple president, a move many students say makes sense; 92% of poll said in a poll earlier this month they disapproved of his performance. [Temple News]
   
• Sharing Excess, the org behind “Avogedden,” just got a $250k Pew grant it’ll use to nearly double its food rescue, while Heights Philadelphia got a $3M grant to expand higher education support. [Billy Penn/Technical.ly]
   
• A transit advocate says the KOP Rail fiasco should be a wake up call for SEPTA’s board to hold management to account. [Billy Penn]
   
• Black women florists shined at this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show, honoring their heritage and cultures with stunning displays. [YouTube]
   
• Evil Genius Beer did a morning sale of local beer for $5 per case, the latest stunt from the fast-expanding Fishtown brewery. [Billy Penn]
   
• Imaginary scenario: Toxins in the river, and Gritty going for a swim. [Onion]

MAYOR WATCH

Busy Friday for Mayor Kenney: March is now Creative Economy and Arts in Education Month in Philadelphia, and Kenney attends the inaugural forum to celebrate that month, held at Rivers Casino with networking and awards (10:35 a.m.) He then stops by Temple for the 2023 Vision Zero PHL Conference (11:45 a.m.). Afternoon brings the mayor to a flag raising at City Hall to mark Greek Independence Day (2:40 p.m.).

ON THE CALENDAR

📋 Meet the contenders for at-large seats at the City Council Candidates Convention hosted at WHYY in partnership with The Inquirer and the Committee of 70. The event will run like a reverse job fair, with candidates receiving visitors at their tables. (4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 11)

🎞️ “Mare of Easttown” fans might want to take a trip to Delco to meet show writer/producer Brad Ingelsby, as he helps kick off the free Neumann University Film Festival. (Friday and Saturday, March 31-April 1)