All by Guest User

Public Safety Committee Mulls Parking, Police

Public Safety Committee Mulls Parking, Police

Guest User
Borough Council

“I have an elderly mother and a teenaged driver.” “School buses come down our street, which is very tight as it is.” “It’s very difficult when I get home after work and I can’t park my car.” These were some of the frustrations residents of School Lane in Swarthmore expressed at the July 27 meeting of the borough council’s Public Safety Committee. New construction of five homes on Michigan Avenue in Ridley, just across the street, has brought a glut of construction vehicles to their narrow, one-block road. These often park illegally, blocking sight lines and even driveways.

Crum Ruins Inspire Short Film

Crum Ruins Inspire Short Film

Guest User

Mark Pappas has been running through the Crum Woods all his life. In the eighties, when he was growing up, he used to ride bikes there with his friends, and explore, and just hang out. But he never saw the ruins until this year. He decided to make a short film about them.

Voter Q&A

Voter Q&A

Guest User
Politics

Voting — like so much else — is different this year. The Swarthmorean has assembled some information about the upcoming primary, originally scheduled for April 28. 

Council Focuses on Streets and Trees

Council Focuses on Streets and Trees

Guest User
Borough Council

The intersection of Yale and Cornell avenues dominated the Swarthmore Borough Council meeting on Monday night. During the public comment section of the meeting, four residents relayed their concerns about safety at the intersection. Two of these had previously spoken at the Public Safety Committee meeting on January 27. The other two principal issues discussed at the meeting had to do with trees.

The Physics of Everyday Things: Two Swarthmore College Scientists Awarded NSF Grant

The Physics of Everyday Things: Two Swarthmore College Scientists Awarded NSF Grant

Guest User
Swarthmore College

Granular materials — like sand, rice, or powdered pharmaceuticals — are everywhere, yet their behavior is poorly understood.  In some ways behaving like liquids, in other ways behaving like solids, such materials have unique properties and pose unique questions to answer. Swarthmore College physics professors Cacey Bester and Amy Graves received an NSF grant to study granular materials.

Helen Kate Says Goodbye to Popular Director

Helen Kate Says Goodbye to Popular Director

Guest User
People of Wallingford

One thing is clear: the patrons and volunteers of the Helen Kate Furness Library will miss their outgoing director. Jen Stock, who led the Wallingford library since 2013, left in late December for a new job overseeing the Upper Darby Township and Sellers Memorial Free Public Library. The despondency in the building on Providence Road shortly before her departure was palpable.

The Poetry of Local Government

The Poetry of Local Government

Guest User
Editorial, Borough Council

On Monday, Swarthmore Borough Council met in its first work session of the year, which was also its yearly organizational meeting. Thus, the main business of the evening was swearing people in and appointing folks to various positions and committees. Not much happened that I would call news, but I felt as though I made some progress in my ongoing quest to understand how our borough government works.

Here are some things I learned.

Incoming Delco Council Engages Community as Resource

Incoming Delco Council Engages Community as Resource

Guest User
Politics

Delaware County Transition is a recently constituted not-for-profit aiming to help the newly elected Delaware County Council set priorities for the upcoming term and recommend approaches to making change. The council, which will be installed on January 6, is the first ever to include a majority of Democrats.

The Swarthmorean: A Year of Change

The Swarthmorean: A Year of Change

Guest User
The Swarthmorean

The Swarthmorean has finished its first full year under new leadership. Todd Strine, Rob Borgstrom, and Greg Hoy have done a remarkable job renewing a much-loved institution. Subscriptions are up, finances are healthy, and a new beautiful website has been launched. We want to thank everyone who contributed this year to the idiosyncratic but buoyant ship that is the Swarthmorean.

Council Celebrates David Creagan, Passes 2020 Budget

Council Celebrates David Creagan, Passes 2020 Budget

Guest User
Borough Council

Monday night’s final Borough Council meeting was enlivened by interruptions of official business to celebrate Borough Council President Creagan, who has served for a total of eight years. Creagan’s calm and measured demeanor, cited by many of his colleagues throughout the meeting, was on display last night as he simultaneously ran an efficient meeting, paused to address a community-merit-badge-seeking Boy Scout in the audience, and found affectionate words for all.

Unscientific Survey: Weighing In

Unscientific Survey: Weighing In

Guest User
Borough Council, Unscientific Surveys

Thanks to the dozens of you who responded to The Swarthmorean’s online survey about short-term rentals in Swarthmore. It was exciting to see people interacting with the paper in real time, and to know that so many of you are eager to weigh in on issues affecting the town. We are presenting the results of the unscientific survey here, along with comments by those who gave us permission to publish them. Ultimately, 78 people participated.

Made By Hand

Made By Hand

Guest User
People of Swarthmore

Later this week, in a pretty Victorian house on Park Avenue in Swarthmore, a group of six women artists and makers will carry half the furniture upstairs. They’ll move the remaining tables and cabinets around until they’ve created just the right backdrop. Then they’ll begin arranging their work: jewelry, handbags, photographs, candles shaped like pinecones and beehives. Hat stands, tea towels, bowls made from salvaged wood. By Thursday evening, they’ll be ready to pour the wine, set out the cookies, and welcome the public. The fifth annual Handmade Holiday Home Sale will have begun.

Committee Wrestles with Restricting Airbnb

Committee Wrestles with Restricting Airbnb

Guest User
Borough Council

The thorny subject of Swarthmoreans renting out their homes for short periods of time was debated by the Planning and Zoning Committee of Swarthmore Borough Council at its monthly meeting on November 14. The issue was brought to the committee’s attention by neighbors of a house frequently rented out on Airbnb—sometimes to large groups—when the owners are away.

‘Every Day Is Fun’: Marty Spiegel, Newly Elected Mayor of Swarthmore

‘Every Day Is Fun’: Marty Spiegel, Newly Elected Mayor of Swarthmore

Guest User
Politics, People of Swarthmore

“I was invited to throw out the first pitch this year for the Swarthmore-Nether Providence T-ball game…I throw out the first pitch, and then they throw all the balls at me.” Such are the pleasures and perils of life as a small-town mayor. Marty Spiegel has been serving as mayor of Swarthmore since February, when Borough Council appointed him to replace Tim Kearney, who resigned after being elected state senator of the 26th district. On November 5, Spiegel was elected to the position by the borough’s voters.

New Threads: Opening Thoughts From Your New Editor

New Threads: Opening Thoughts From Your New Editor

Guest User
People of Swarthmore, The Swarthmorean

When I moved to Swarthmore in June 2000, our real estate agent gave us a year’s subscription to The Swarthmorean. I remember how happy it made me to leaf through those pages. The articles, the ads for local business, the calendar, and the classifieds were all windows into this new, unknown community I was joining. In the nearly 20 years since, I have looked forward every week to getting the paper. Even as I came to know my neighbors, get drawn into local organizations, and see my kids’ procession from first grade at SRS all the way through the high school, I have counted on The Swarthmorean to inform me, enliven me, and help me feel connected. My goal as editor will be to continue these missions and to broaden outward.