Dolly's Philly impact; Ritz Five closes; Cruise terminal reopens

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

WLL Championship flashback
(Photo by @bphillyphotography)

How Dolly Parton made her mark on Philadelphia

America’s collective heart broke on Tuesday with the news of the music legend’s death after what her family described as a brief battle with cancer.

The country superstar came to Philadelphia multiple times throughout her life for performances, interviews, library launches and more. Here are some of the ways in which Parton made an impact on our city. Continue reading…

Dolly Parton holds up a children’s book at the Wilmington Library on May 5, 2022. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

The first Slinky was made in Philly, and its legacy lives on

A Philadelphia-based mechanical engineer named Richard James worked around springs that would keep fragile equipment steady on ships, and after knocking a spring from a shelf, an idea for a new toy leapt into his mind.

Its initial success began in 1945, when James debuted the toy at a Gimbels department store in Philly. But it wasn’t until after his company went bankrupt that he abandoned his family that Betty James came up with the word “Slinky” and took the steps that transformed it into an international toy icon. Continue reading…

Rebekah James Morris (far left) and Christopher James (right) are the children of “Slinky” toy creators Richard and Betty James. Jen Procacci (second from left) created this week’s Firstival design (Violet Comber-Wilen/Billy Penn)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Pa. may ban cellphones in schools. Some Delco and Hershey educators say they’re already seeing results — without pouches. [WHYY]

• Grieving mothers boycott Pennsylvania’s opioid settlement money listening session. [Spotlight PA]

• The Ritz Five movie theater in Old City is closed indefinitely. [Billy Penn]

• “We’re going to listen”: Schools Superintendent Tony Watlington sets his sights on rebuilding trust. [Chalkbeat]

• Philadelphia Housing Authority is set to bring 85 affordable homes to Strawberry Mansion. [WHYY]

• South Philly’s permanent cruise terminal, PhilaPort, officially opens today. [NBC10]

• Philadelphia Eagles owner and CEO Jeffrey Lurie will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. [CBS3]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker will attend the PhilaPort Cruise Terminal Grand Opening at 4 Atlantic Avenue. (11 a.m.)

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

Exploring Philly’s arts scene with an accessibility mindset
How Art-Reach is working to help make the city’s cultural assets available and accessible to visitors of all abilities.
The family legacy continues at Seng’s Salon in Lower Moyamensing
The South Philly staple celebrates its 40th year of bringing the community together.

ON THE CALENDAR

Indonesian festival at Fleisher Art and Celebrate Asia at Cherry Street Pier (Saturday),
a Lil Sketch – BIG DREAMS Custom Toy Show (Saturday),
Street Movies! takes on Norris Square (Saturday)
AND MORE!

Send us events to add to the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!