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Your 2018 guide to the Jersey Shore, N.J. schools 'most segregated' in nation | Morning Newsletter

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Dear Jersey shore: opening essay of shore guide: Wind ripples, in the dunes on the beach in Avalon April 19,2017. TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Dear Jersey shore: opening essay of shore guide: Wind ripples, in the dunes on the beach in Avalon April 19,2017. TOM GRALISH / Staff PhotographerRead moreTOM GRALISH / STAFF

We've made it to another weekend, Philly. While the rain isn't letting up any time soon, it's never too early to start planning for brighter days, and our Jersey Shore guide is here to help you live out your best beach life this summer. We've got the down-low on this year's shore highlights, hidden gems, and where to go to stretch your sand dollars to the max. On a heavier note, a new lawsuit claims the Garden State's schools are some of the most segregated in the nation, while Pennsylvania's newest, biggest and most expensive prison is prepping to open its doors to the chagrin of many inmates.

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— Oona Goodin-Smith (@oonagoodinsmith, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

» READ MORE: Shore guide 2018: Everything you need to know this summer

Sure, it's not a bright, sunny day outside — so what better time to start daydreaming about your Jersey Shore adventures for when it is? Our annual Shore Guide is your go-to resource this summer and beyond. It's never too early to plan, right?

Where to spend your time happily…

  1. Community theater is alive and well at the beach. Drop in for classics like Pippin and Arsenic and Old Lace and bring the kids to Disney's High School Musical and Beauty and the Beast.

  2. It's Britney…and Kevin Hart, Rod Stewart, Luke Bryan, and the Chainsmokers. They're all coming to the shore this year, with plenty of other concerts and festivals in tow.

  3. Of course, you can't kick back without the best local seafood in hand. Restaurant critic Craig LaBan says this year there's a tide of restaurant revivals hitting the shore.

  4. Speaking of revivals, Atlantic City is staging a comeback. Look out for new restaurants, bars, and attractions along the boardwalk.

…and your money wisely.

  1. Beach trips (and tags) don't come for free. Luckily there are cheap eats, stays, and attractions from Atlantic City to Cape May.

  2. Rainy days can feel like such a waste of hard-earned vacation time, but with escape rooms, trolley tours, and aquariums you can make the most of each day.

  3. If you find yourself slathering on SPF and hiding under the umbrella, why not try the off-season? Vacationing in fall and spring is cooler and cheaper.

  4. Shopping local at the Jersey shore is a tried and true tradition, and the next generation of store owners is turning their boutiques into highly curated destinations.

Heading to the shore screen-free? You can pick up a print version of our Shore Guide 2018 at store.philly.com. (Print subscribers, yours is already in the mail.)

» READ MORE: N.J. schools among ‘most segregated’ in nation, suit says

The state of New Jersey has been "complicit" in creating and maintaining "one of the most segregated public school systems in the nation" and depriving its students of educational opportunity, a new lawsuit claims. Filed by several civil rights groups, the suit alleges that the Garden State encourages segregation by requiring students to attend public schools based on where they live, rather than taking steps to reduce the separation.

And although the total number of black and Latino students is nearly equal to the the white total statewide, a significant — and growing — number of black and Latino students attend schools that are almost entirely non-white. Often found in impoverished communities with fewer resources to fund education, these schools performed worse than state averages, according to reports.

Legal experts say the claims have a good chance of standing up in court, too, thanks to a clause in New Jersey's state constitution specifically barring segregation in public schools.

What you need to know today

  1. Two people were killed yesterday after a school bus taking children on a field trip to a New Jersey historical site collided with a dump truck in Mount Olive. The bus was ripped in half during the collision and several more people were hospitalized.

  2. Pennsylvania's newest, biggest and most expensive prison is finally ready to open its doors, but inmates and staff at the 95-year-old Graterford Prison say they're uneasy about the move to the modern Montgomery County facility. Jail programming — including Graterford's music group, Songs in the Key of Free — has been slashed, at least temporarily, during the transition.

  3. Delaware County Rep. Nick Miccarelli has once again violated chamber policy prohibiting retaliation against anyone who reports alleged sexual harassment, an internal House investigation found. Miccarelli has not been sanctioned, but GOP leaders did announce some punishments Thursday. He's going to lose some committee assignments and needs to move move his desk farther from that of his accuser — another lawmaker with a restraining order against him.

  4. The Eagles will land in the White House on June 5 to celebrate the Super Bowl win with President Donald Trump. Well, at least they've been invited to visit. Some players are already doubling down on their commitment to "skip the photo op."

  5. Come July, you may see a slight decrease (or increase — sorry, Aqua Pennsylvania and Newtown Artesian Water Co. customers) in your utility bills, thanks to the lower federal tax rate that came into effect at the beginning of this year.

  6. Meanwhile, the pressure is mounting for Philly's cab drivers, who say the city's lack of regulation for ride-sharing gigs like Uber and Lyft is endangering their livelihoods.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

If you're going to brave the rain this weekend, at least document it for the 'gram like @d_smoove with this reflective puddle pic.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we'll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

That’s Interesting

  1. The clinking of fare boxes may soon be a memory of the past as the (real) end of the SEPTA token is finally upon us. Third-party retailers will cease selling the $2, good-for-one-ride medallions in July. RIP, copper-striped coins.

  2. Sick of trying to rock out in noisy bars, a Bucks County racehorse veterinarian is hosting concerts in his private barn — and it's bringing in some of the world's best bluegrass musicians.

  3. Laurel or yanny? Former Sixers great Charles Barkley heard "doughnut" in the viral audio clip dividing the internet. (Spoiler alert: it was a prank.)

  4. Turning 100 years old today, Camden-born illustrator Joe Krush has drawn his way through the past century, from the birth of the United Nations in San Francisco to the 1945-46 Nuremberg trials of the Nazi war machine.

  5. Dying to bring more color into your life and home? Now you can — and do it yourself — with South Philly artist and craft-world royalty Rachel Mae Smith's popping new DIY home decor book.

  6. These Workshop School seniors are hoping to win big at this weekend's Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby, where homemade human-powered vehicles will trek through a three-mile urban obstacle course (mud pit included).

Opinions

"How can we justify tax breaks for Comcast, a company that makes billions in profits, when children get respiratory problems and lead poisoning?"
— Antione Little of Our City Our Schools and Workshop School teacher Katrina Clark on city-funded fixes for the toxins in Philly's aging schools.
  1. Lyft and Uber should immediately create an in-app option that gives female passengers the choice to specifically request female drivers, writes part-time Philly Lyft driver Kenita Jalivay, who says her car often becomes a confessional for women's ride-sharing sexual assault stories.

  2. Philly can't count on HUD Director Ben Carson to solve the city's affordable housing crisis, our editorial board writes. In fact, it seems like he's on a mission to make it even harder for lower-income families to find a place to live.

What we’re reading

  1. Meet the man who's working with Philly students to turn poo to profit on a high school farm.

  2. Today's National Art Museum Day, and Artnet takes a look at some must-see masterpieces around Philly.

  3. "Bees" orbiting in space are causing a buzz after they launched without permission from the FCC, setting a dangerous precedent for the future of satellite security.

  4. In the wake of Kileau's recent eruption, the Washington Post looks back on the time when General George S. Patton attempted to bomb a Hawaiian volcano to stop its lava flow.  Man: 0, nature: 1.

  5. The New York Times examines the F.B.I. probe into Trump's ties with Russia (originally dubbed "Crossfire Hurricane" after Rolling Stones lyrics), which began with a secret mission to London and a pledge of secrecy.

Your Daily Dose of | Resilience 

Bucks County middle-schooler Aliyana McCrary is on a quest to compete in the East Coast USA Pageant's national finals this summer, and isn't letting sickle cell anemia keep her from the crown.

– Newsletter editor Aubrey Nagle contributed to this report