South Street Is About to Get Even Trashier

One of the South Street trash cans on the removal list (photo by Victor Fiorillo)

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South Street Is About to Get Even Trashier

Although the eastern part of South Street isn’t the mecca it once was, seeing as it’s overpopulated these days with low-end sex stores, vape shops, and bad bars with sticky floors (in addition to some actually good things, like the new Yowie hotel and Federal Donuts), people still visit it in droves. Particularly on weekends. And what do droves of people mean for a commercial corridor like South Street? Lots of garbage. Which is why some neighborhood residents are scratching their heads after they found out that dozens of trash cans on and around South Street are about to go poof.

South Street Headhouse District, the business improvement district that governs much of what happens on South Street, just announced that it’s removing 34 public trash cans.

There are two types of trash receptacles on South Street, other than the street and the sidewalk, of course. One are those awful and awfully smelly Big Belly trash cans that City Hall controversially brought into Philadelphia in the late aughts. The other are red-framed regular old trash cans with black trash bags inside them. Like the one in the photo.

So why would the South Street Headhouse District folks decide to remove the trash cans? In the announcement sent to local residents, the group blamed, well, local residents. Some of those local residents try to stick their household trash in or next to the red trash bins instead of waiting for trash day like the rest of us law-abiding citizens. Officials call it “short dumping.”

“The unfortunate rise in short dumping has led to the decision to pull red wire trash cans from their locations within the South Street Headhouse District,” reads the announcement. “The South Street Headhouse District pays a large sum of its annual budget for private sweeping and trash collection each day. We are charged by the bag. Therefore, we cannot continue to pay to be the personal trash collectors of residents not willing to hold their household trash bags for weekly collection days. The [trash cans] have been a plus for dog walkers looking to dispose of dog waste bags responsibly, but when the trash cans are filled with residential household trash bags, these, too, tend to collect around the cans on the ground and in the street.”

The announcement went on to say that the group will be investigating the possibility of installing small dog-poop cans. But that’s it. No promise to try to figure out a better trash solution for South Street. No mention of perhaps, oh, I dunno, working with the new mayoral administration to come up with a plan before simply removing 34 trash cans.

“Isn’t there a more positive solution the district can work out with the city?” wonders neighborhood homeowner Ashley Martin, who, when she was on staff at Philly Mag, penned a whole feature article about the conundrum that is South Street. “South Street has to be one of the highest trash-producing retail corridors in the city. Fewer receptacles is not an option.”

Her husband, Quinn, sums it it up like so: “If there’s anyplace that needs a trash can, it’s South Street.”

John Fetterman Goes Off on Harvard

In case you missed this part of his bio, John Fetterman went to Harvard. But he’s not too pleased with his alma mater these days. In a recent interview, Fetterman said this: “As an alum of Harvard — look, I graduated 25 years ago, and of course it was always a little pinko. But now, I don’t recognize it.” And suddenly, conservatives are like: Hmm, maybe this Fetterman guy isn’t so bad after all.

Local Talent

Longtime political reporter Chris Brennan has announced that he’s leaving the Inquirer after breaking countless City Hall stories in his “Clout” column. Brennan was never afraid to poke the bear, and it will be interesting to see how the Inquirer‘s political coverage changes in his absence. Brennan has yet to say what his plans are. But I thought it intriguing that he’d announce he’s leaving the Inquirer just days after we got a new mayor. Could it be that Brennan is going to lead Mayor Cherelle Parker’s press team? There’s certainly precedent for a journalist doing just that. Alas, says Brennan, “That is not in my future.” He promises more details soon.

On the other hand, veteran WMMR DJ Pierre Robert says he’s staying right where he is. Robert joined the WMMR team way back in 1981. (Think about that!) And he just signed yet another contract extension to remain the midday DJ at the station. For more on Robert and his adventures in Philly radio, check out this interview I did with him in 2021, on the occasion of his 40th anniversary at WMMR.

By the Numbers

6.2 percent: Chance that the abysmal Philadelphia Eagles will win the Super Bowl, according to the latest odds. Sounds generous.

$60: Cost of a ticket to a big New Year’s Eve bar crawl in Philadelphia that never happened. Disappointed revelers are none too happy and are struggling to get refunds. (Pro tip: You don’t need a ticket to barhop. You can just grab some friends and do it!)

250: Number of vehicles in the city’s fleet of 5,000 that are now electric.

And from the Oh-Woe Sports Desk …

If you weren’t expecting much out of the Eagles in yesterday afternoon’s face-off with the Giants at the Meadowlands, you weren’t alone. And the prospects only grew dimmer as the list of injured Birds grew and grew and grew, to include Fletcher Cox and D’Andre Swift along with DeVonta Smith and Darius Slay. Social media was not being kind to our team or our coaches.

Behind QB Tyrod Taylor, the Giants scored a field goal on their second drive. A.J. Brown lost the ball and was hurt on our subsequent drive, heading to the locker room, and early in the second quarter, Jalen Hurts got his finger jammed and went to the tent. On the plus side, the Cowboys and Commanders were tied at 7-7 at that point. Then again, a Saquon Barkley TD … and a big Hurts sack … But! The Commanders were still up, 10-7!

And another Barkley TD.

And another: 24-0.

Marcus Mariota came in for Hurts, threw his first pass, and was intercepted. And was goddamn lucky when Reed Blankenship reciprocated against Taylor with a minute left in the half.

Not hyperbole: This might be the worst defensive football I've seen from an Eagles team in my lifetime.

They've allowed 7 TDs on their last 10 possessions.

To the Cardinals and Giants.

With playoff seeding on the line.

Can't stop the run, can't cover, can't rush the passer.

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) January 7, 2024

Oh yeah — and there’s this.

This very well could be the last regular season game for the future Hall of Famer – Jason Kelce

So I want to very simply say

THANK YOU JASON!#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/aaL60AjMIP

— Phil Stiefel (@Beardaknowledge) January 7, 2024

You wanna know the final score? WHY? Okay, fine, it was 27-10. We’ve won exactly one game since Big Dom got tossed. Did I mention that the Cowboys won in the end, 38-10? This Eagles team is dead to me, I tell ya.

eagles should donate their playoff spot to an nfl team

— Amber Sarcone (@ambersarcone) January 7, 2024

How About the Sixers, Though?
Joel Embiid twisted the same goddamn ankle in the early minute of Friday’s home match with the Knicks, and a city caught its breath. Though he, um, seemed to bounce back, the first half was shaky overall, and we were down at the half, 75-55. Uh-oh. He then got a bloody nose and a wounded knee, Tobias Harris hurt his ankle, Tyrese Maxey did his damnedest, the fourth quarter was a total disaster, and it all ended in an ugly 128-92 loss. No highlights that night.

And naturally, Embiid and Harris and De’Anthony Melton were all out for Saturday’s South Philly visit from the Jazz, and though the team kept it tight through the first half, it all went to hell in the third quarter, and they never got their traction back. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Maxey led the Sixers’ scoring with 24 and 25 respectively; the Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen had 33. Final: 120-109. Bummer. Maybe they’ll come back on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Oh Dear. Any College Hoops News?
In Saturday’s City 6 games, La Salle took care of Fordham, 81-76; St. John’s Red Storm thrashed Villanova, 81-71; Drexel’s Dragons had their way with William & Mary’s Tribe, 77-55; and Penn had no problem with Dartmouth’s Big Green, beating them 80-51. On Sunday, at home, Temple fought off a fourth-quarter onslaught to beat Wichita State, 68-61.

The Flyers also played. They play again tonight.

All Philly Today sports coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.