Lemon Hill in the long-term; Honoring AME Bishop Richard Allen; Shapiro and Garrity debate

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Cotton candy skies
(Photo by @cameraeatsfirst_philly)

Lemon Hill caretakers call for sustainable parks funding as World Cup legacy project begins

Over the summer, East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill was one of the centers of the world’s biggest sporting celebration, hosting the only U.S. FIFA Fan Fest site that ran throughout the 39 days of the FIFA World Cup — and drew half a million people.

On Monday, the city planted the first of more than 100 new trees and unveiled some of the upgrades underway as part of the $7 million legacy project intended to leave Lemon Hill in better condition than it was before Fan Fest.

But volunteers say it needs more long-term support from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. Continue reading…

City officials, FIFA World Cup organizers and sponsors, and park volunteers plant the first new tree of the improvement project at East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill. (Nick Kariuki/Billy Penn)

‘One way, one Philly:’ Street renaming honors AME Bishop Richard Allen

Bishop Richard Allen was one of the most influential Black leaders of his time – and now, his influence will continue to live on in Philadelphia at 6th and Lombard streets.

Born into slavery in 1760, he eventually bought his freedom at age 23 and went on to found the African Methodist Episcopal Church and serve as its first bishop.

Allen’s legacy in creating this church continues through to today, say community leaders. Continue reading…

Earl Knight attends Wednesday’s street renaming ceremony. His shirt shows the rendering of the new street sign on 6th and Lombard streets. (Violet Comber-Wilen/Billy Penn)

BP Quizzo Question of the Day

St. Joe’s has one of the most famous mascots in college sports. What is it?

Bonus: In what year did the full body costume first appear at games?

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• The top takeaways from the only debate between Gov. Josh Shapiro and Stacy Garrity. [Spotlight PA]

• An ambitious experiment to save rural hospitals in Pa. had mixed results. Other states are interested in similar ideas. [WHYY]

• Pa. health officials face multiple fronts as measles outbreak overlaps with respiratory virus season. [Capital-Star]

• Billies Awards return to celebrate Philly’s grit, creativity and joy. [Billy Penn]

• Can a New York bathhouse win over Philly? [Fitler Focus]

• A decade in, Le Cat Cafe is fine-tuning how Philly rescues and adopts out stray cats. [Technical.ly]

• Two Philly plays explore parenthood and friendships, on stage through Oct. 11. [Billy Penn]

When you donate to Billy Penn, you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win a pair of 76ers tickets to the Monday, Nov. 23 home game against the Portland Trail Blazers!

No donation is necessary, though. For details on how to enter and the eligibility requirements, see the official rules online here.

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Thursday.

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

South Philly’s Morning Glory Diner: Homemade breakfasts with a spicy political topping
Inside the restaurant that “made brunch cool again” and blasts loudly left-wing messages in window signs and colorfully titled menu specials.
University City and The Woodlands
Formerly a 600-acre estate on the west banks of the Schuylkill, The Woodlands has remained an important horticultural site for over 200 years.

ON THE CALENDAR

Ghost stories at DiBruno Bros plaza (Thursday),
Careoke Club (Thursday),
a bookstore & physical media pop up at Tattooed Mom (Friday)
Bok Open Studios (Friday)
AND MORE!

See the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!