A well-used wooden structure on the playground of Swarthmore Presbyterian Nursery Day School (SPNDS) was failing. Protruding nails and rotting boards that had to be removed did not stop children from clambering all over its sprawling surfaces, but something had to be done.
As The Swarthmorean reported online on October 22 in a special recap of the October 20 Swarthmore Planning Commission meeting at Borough Hall, 26 community members stepped up to the microphone to voice their opinions about the proposed condominium project that would span 102-104 and 110-112 Park Avenue in Swarthmore. The comments coalesced around several themes.
Wins in eight of the last nine weeks have been a pleasure to watch, and suddenly, in what seems like a blink-of-the-eye, the Panthers have just one more contest before the District 1 5A playoffs begin.
“We thank all of those residents who took the time to attend the October 20th planning meeting to share their thoughts on the proposed development at 110 Park Avenue. As long-time residents of Swarthmore, we value community feedback, and appreciate how civically engaged many Swarthmoreans are, so it was gratifying to see that engagement in action at last Wednesday’s planning meeting.”
At a meeting of the Wallingford Swarthmore School District’s school board on Monday, October 25, a presentation on the COVID Test-to-Stay program was given by Mary Figura, who is the board secretary and assistant to Superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille, and by Deb Sweeney, the district’s lead COVID nurse. Dr. Marseille said he believes that this program will help support the board as it navigates COVID challenges.
Join horticulturalist Charles Cresson for a free demonstration and discussion to learn basic tree pruning techniques that improve the health and safety of your trees. The event will be held Saturday, November 6, at 1 p.m.
No tree is more emblematic of Philadelphia than the iconic Franklin tree, Franklinia alatamaha. In 1770, the Philadelphia botanist and explorer John Bartram discovered this small, flowering, multi-stemmed relative of the Stewartia, Gordonia, and Camellia growing along the banks of the Altamaha River in Georgia. Bartram collected a specimen, and then cultivated Franklinia on his property along the Schuylkill River (now Bartram’s Garden).
Friday Night Live fall season wraps up with a special performance by internationally acclaimed blues musician Corey Harris, who will give a solo acoustic performance. His new album, Insurrection Blues, comes out the day of this show. The concert will be held Friday, November 5, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the large art gallery. Seating is provided, including some tables and concert style seats. Seating selected on a first come, first served basis.
If you have had young kids involved in sports activities with the Swarthmore Recreation Association (SRA), chances are you too have seen Coach Terry in action. Terry Lynch has long been a fixture on our local soccer- and tee-ball fields. With an infectious energy, Terry has dedicated his Saturdays to teaching kids the basics of soccer and baseball, emphasizing the importance of having fun. Greg Hoy chatted with Terry this past week after learning he was planning to (mostly) hang up his black cleats after 27 years on the field.
Local Authors, Caroline and Allan Reeves, have publish their first collection of poetry and photography, Journey in Progress.
Members of the community gathered at the Swarthmore Borough Hall for a presentation by the developers of a planned condominium project on Park Avenue in Swarthmore. 26 people took the microphone to share their thoughts on the project — many in opposition, some in support, and some in between.
As the head of the Performing Arts department at Strath Haven High School, music director Nick Pignataro wears many hats. Swarthmorean contributor John Hurst recently sat down with Nick to learn more about his history with, and philosophy for, the program.
“The Media Bowl trophy will stay on S. Providence Road…,” was the call last Friday night, as Strath Haven continued their recent dominance in their local rivalry with Penncrest, marching to a 42-6 victory.
According to the preliminary results of the 2020 U.S. Census, which came out recently, since 2010, Chester City’s population has decreased by 1,367 people (4.02% of its population). Is this data accurate? It seems that many Black folks here prefer not to be counted in the Census. In fact, it was even hard to persuade Black folks in Chester to work as census counters for the Census Bureau, even though they were eager to hire people, and were paying close to $20 an hour.
Swarthmore Borough has not had a public tax increase for seven years, and is currently considering increasing it in 2022 by a minimum of 3% per household.
Another milestone has been passed in Swarthmore’s new post-dry era. On September 28, the borough’s Zoning Hearing Board unanimously approved a special-exception application from Ship Bottom Brewing to open its Blendery & Barrel House, which will be located at 5 Park Avenue. The venue will include an indoor tasting room as well as a beer garden.
Dr. Marseille addressed his first 100 days with the district.
I moved to the United States from Europe in 2018 to pursue my music career. One night we played at the waR3house3 in Swarthmore. I totally loved the vibe of the place and the awesome crowd. After a couple of months, I decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee. I had bought a car for that purpose, and I was ready to go, but then I wrecked it. On January 25, 2019, my friends helped me put a show together at the waR3house3 called “The Road to Nashville,” which helped me raise money for my adventure. I’ll forever be grateful to everyone who was in the room that night.
You may remember back in early April of this year, Ben Yagoda crafted an Unscientific Survey attempting to apply the concept of the “wisdom of the crowd” to the 2021 baseball season. We asked at that nascent part of the season (the Phillies were off to a 4-0 start) to guess how far they would make it into the postseason, if they would at all. Also, we asked how many games you thought they’d win. So, how wise is this crowd?
October is one of my favorite times of the year in the garden. Many annuals and tropical plants are at their peak brilliance and will look great right up to the first significant frost. And their displays are often enhanced because they are surrounded by a myriad of fall blooming perennials—which are just coming into flower now.
