Ewing, NJ born Washington Settles in at Action News Philadelphia

BY JEFF GARRETT STAFF WRITER

AREA - It’s been three months since Ewing-born Renee Washington started her role as a sports reporter at ABC’s Action News in Philadelphia, with a focus on youth sports all the way up to the pros. As she told her Twitter followers in February, “Philly has given me so much as a three-time all-American and Hall of Famer at LaSalle and at Lehigh as a coach and reporter with ESPN. As a Jersey girl, I’m thankful to join the incredibly talented team,” at 6ABC as a sports reporter and anchor.

By all accounts, Washington, a three-time Division I Soccer All-American and twosport Division I athlete, who’s been brainstorming, pitching and delivering sports packages on high school basketball games since February, is a perfect fir for covering the important local sports category of high school sports. She covered many high school basketball games including regional and state playoff runs by area teams, the Penn Relays and was a part of covering of the Sixers 2023 playoff experience aside from many other assignments. Washington reports from experience as an athlete and coach. She made the 2014 NCAA Top 50 women’s athlete list as a senior at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, achieving a B.A. in Public Relations, before moving onto Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA to obtain her Master of Education in Educational Leadership. Washington was inducted into LaSalle’s Athletic Hall of Fame in February 2022.

She coached women’s soccer as a graduate student at Lehigh in 2014 and 2015 and become involved in internships with their sports media depart- ment which pointed her in the direction of sports reporting as a career. As she told Lehigh University sports communication department in 2022, the origins of what she’s able to do at ABC Action News 6 started years ago, going back to Lehigh and even further.

“The inner athlete in me loves the excitement of being involved in games and having the chance to be apart of the action,” she told Lehigh in 2022. “I’m not on the field playing, but I can help paint a picture for viewers. I can give some insight into what’s going on on the bench, what the coaches are saying, what’s being said in the huddle, what the players are saying and feeling and giving people something extra they just don’t get from watching the game,” she again, told Lehigh in 2022.

The former New Jersey res- ident who graduated from Pennington High School in 2010 with outstanding accolades for soccer and basketball, thought about becoming a pediatrician when she was in high school. Her care and devotion to others took a new route, away from the playing fields no less.

She founded a non-profit organization called, “Planted Not Buried,” which empowers, inspires and educates people through workshops, classes and events hoping to cultivate positivity, growth and perseverance through volunteer gatherings and collaboration for folks of all backgrounds.

Washington continues to serve as a color commentator, playby-play and sideline reporter for the tri-state region for ESPN. She also worked as a content creator for the Washington Mystics WNBA team, the Washington Wizards and

Bucket List Travels: Venice,

BY PAUL PATRIDGE STAFF WRITER

AREA -My wife and I are met outside the Venezia Santa Lucia Railway Station by a private water taxi. Its wooden hull is gleaming, looking like it’s been hand polished for hours. We settle into the leather-upholstered cabin and take in the dazzle before us.

The Grand Canal is alive with every kind of watercraft from rowboats to sailboats, working ships to luxury yachts – and of course, gondolas. Golden hour sun rays glisten off magnificent ancient build- ings, churches and bridges.

A Bellini is offered as we push off from the dock. Offer accepted. I’ve only taken one sip but feel my balance is off. Is it the drink? The boat? Or is it the brain trying to make sense of an entire city sitting on water? Its existence is impossible, surely. This watery Oz must be either mirage or magic. The captain maneuvers through traffic to the front entrance of the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel. The dapper hotel manager greets us and ushers us in. It feels like a palace because . . . it is. An ancient noble residence from the 15th century. Another drink awaits – a Spritz Veneziano. As we’re escorted from the grand stairway to the magnificently frescoed music ballroom to our room, which features a panoramic view of the Grand Canal, it finally starts to make sense:

Evidently, we’re co-stars in a movie – a period piece, a sweeping romance no doubt. The director is about to yell, “Cut, that’s a wrap!” whereupon we transform back to our normal lives of peeling potatoes and taking out the trash.

But no, the scene continues, and the next scene is better, and the next better still.

Venezia… La Serenissima.

The most serene. Despite its moniker, Venice conjures up strong feelings even among Italians; you either love it or you hate it, I’m told. Naysayers point to high prices, rising water levels, foul smells, hordes of tourists, hordes of pigeons.

Certainly, Venice has faults. But I would argue many more charms. Just ask Dante, Byron, Henry James, Hemingway, Mark Twain and Ezra Pound – all or who lived or spent significant time here. Do you appreciate art? History? Romance? Mystery? Venice is soaked in them.

Plus, you can eliminate many of its blemishes just by choosing the right time to visit. For example, don’t go in August. It’s hot, humid, and overrun with turisti. Flooding from hide tides (acqua alta) occurs infrequently, only a couple times a year; highest tendency is in November, December, and October – in that order – according to local statisticians. The foul smell rap is suspect at best. In several trips to Venice, I’ve never experienced it – and I’m extremely sensitive to smells.

The high prices complaint, however, is valid. Yes, Venice is expensive. But whether you’re visiting Hawaii or Nantucket or Saint Lucia, aren’t prices always higher on islands where everything must be shlepped in by boat?

A couple observations: One is, you don’t have to spend two weeks in Venice. Two to four days is enough for most visitors. Also, prices decrease the more you venture away from St. Mark’s Square. St. Mark’s is ground zero, where most of the tourists – especially day trippers – congregate. Do your eating, drinking, and shopping away from the tourist hotspots and your dollar will go much further.

Washington Capitals, between 2019 and 2022 before working as a fillin anchorwoman at WPHL 17 in Philadelphia covering Philadelphia Union MLS games.

Close to where now to where she grew up, it seems that Washington landed pretty close to where she hoped to be doing something she loves.

Here are some other lowcost options:

Ride a Vaporetto – A vaporetto is a public water bus. This is how many Venetians get around and is the best way to explore the Floating City. Save money by buying a 1-, 2- or 3-day pass. The theater onboard is entertaining, especially during commuter hours. Pets, bikes, trunks, furniture, groceries, the kitchen sink – if you can carry it on, it’s welcome. Meanwhile the view outside is . . . Venice.

Explore the Fish Market

– Conveniently located only a one-minute walk from the famous Rialto Bridge. Since 1173, local fishermen have brought their daily catch here, including octopus, writhing eels, giant swordfish, squid, prawns, tuna, soft-shelled crabs and much more. A place full of energy, life, and fishmonger characters.

Marvel at Venetian Architecture – Venice is a unique city that’s been built up layer upon layer over many centuries. You can witness many different architectural styles such as early Romanic archi- tecture, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassic, and Byzantine.

Get up Early for St. Mark’s – Early morning is a wonderful time to experience Piazza San Marco. Captivating. Serene. Simply splendid. Other preferred times: under the moonlight or in the fog. If you’re not careful you may get goosebumps. Before you sits St. Mark’s Basilica (tour the inside for free), the Doge’s Palace (sign up for a tour), and the Clocktower (venture inside), with the columns of San Todaro and the winged lion standing guard. It’s easy to see why Napoleon called it “The drawing room of Europe.”

Walk – Grab a coffee or cappuccino and start exploring off the beaten path. It may seem counterintuitive that a city built on water is very walkable, but it is. No cars. No blaring horns. No motorcycles to dodge. Just endless beautiful passageways to wander. And gentle church bells as a soundtrack. Getting lost in Venice is a delight.

Visit Murano – In 1291, the glassmaking industry moved from Venice to Murano to avoid fire risks and to enforce strict control over glassmakers. So valuable was the glass trade that any glass master who tried to leave the Republic of Venice faced a death sentence. Today you can still see glass artisans at work blowing glass and molding it into exquisite shapes.

BY DANA JACKSON

Q:What is singer Fergie’s real name, and wasn’t she in a sitcom when she was little? --

H.Y.

A: Fergie, the 48-year-old former lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas, was born Stacy Ann Ferguson and started acting doing voiceover work for animated series, such as “The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.” She went on to act and sing in the syndicated Disney series “Kids Incorporated,” which aired from 1983 to 1992. This show was also the launching pad for the Hollywood careers of Jennifer Love Hewitt (“9-1-1”) and Mario Lopez (“Saved by the Bell”).

***

Q:Is it true that Clint Eastwood is directing another movie? How old is he now, and has he ever won an Oscar? -- S.J.

A: Clint Eastwood is still directing movies at 93 years old and has won four Academy

BY DEMI TAVERAS

“FUBAR” (TV-MA) --

Action movie star Arnold

Schwarzenegger has a new spy-adventure series premiering May 25, which is the longtime actor’s first leading role in a scripted live-action series. Schwarzenegger plays Luke, a recently retired CIA operative who gets sucked into one last, relatively simple mission. The catch? Well, once Luke arrives on site, he realizes his daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro), also works for the CIA and that the two have been lying to each other for years. Now, as they take on the mission together in a much different way than they expected, their bond as father and daughter truly starts to form. (Netflix)

“The Secrets of Hillsong” (NR) -- This four-part docu-