District Prepares for Coronavirus, Parents Deplore Book Removals

District Prepares for Coronavirus, Parents Deplore Book Removals

Rachel Pastan
WSSD School Board

Board president David Grande emended usual procedure to open the meeting with a statement. Over the past week, he said, the community had been dealing with a number of challenges — coronavirus, field trip anxieties, questions about sleep and school start times, and concerns over what the district is doing around diversity and inclusion. Many people had been in touch with the board about these and other issues, Grande said. “I want to make sure everyone knows that we receive your messages and read each and every one of them.”

Basement Fire at 111 S. Chester Road

Basement Fire at 111 S. Chester Road

Swarthmorean Staff

Firefighters were called to the Swarthmore Apartments at 111 S. Chester Road on Sunday, March 8, at 6:07 a.m. for a “general basement fire alarm.” First on the scene was Assistant Chief Rick Lee, who entered the building to size up the situation. Opening the boiler room door, he saw an orange glow on top of the boiler, and heavy smoke, whereupon he quickly closed the door and backed out of the building.

Mail-In Voting Now Permitted for All Pennsylvanians

Mail-In Voting Now Permitted for All Pennsylvanians

Swarthmorean Staff
Politics

When it comes to changes in voting, Delaware County’s new paper-ballot machines have gotten the lion’s share of the attention. But an equally important change is being made across the entire state. PA Act 77, signed into law late last year, permits mail-in voting for every voter who wants it. Here’s how it will work, and how it’s different from absentee voting.

Clean Hands, Open Hearts

Clean Hands, Open Hearts

Rachel Pastan
Editorial

It’s noon on Tuesday, and I’m sitting at my desk at home, still in my pajamas. I got up extra early this morning to finish the article (in this issue) about last night’s quite emotional and unusually interesting Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board meeting. Now I want to write something about the new coronavirus. No one in Swarthmore — no one in the school district — has tested positive. But not writing about it seems like ignoring the elephant in the room.

The House Behind the Undergrowth

The House Behind the Undergrowth

Rachel Pastan

When you drive down Chester Road in Swarthmore these days, you may notice a house you haven’t seen before — or at least not for a long while. 211 S. Chester Road has been hidden behind thick trees and overgrowth for years. In December, a great crane drove onto the property and began taking down the trees. Now, two months later, not only has the ground been more or less cleared, the house itself has been emptied. This is its story.

Borough Council Musings

Borough Council Musings

Rachel Pastan
Editorial, Borough Council

I walked home from the Swarthmore Borough Council work session this warm winter evening, wondering whether I should write up the meeting for the paper. There were some interesting tidbits and new conversations. New to me, anyway. And if this newspaper doesn’t write about them, how will anyone know? Editorial

No Stop Sign for Now, But Questions Persist

No Stop Sign for Now, But Questions Persist

Rachel Pastan
Borough Council

Anticipating continued discussion of the intersection of Yale and Cornell avenues, approximately 15 people showed up at Monday night’s meeting of the Swarthmore Borough Council Public Safety Committee. Eric Johnson of Pennoni Associates, the borough engineer, presented a study he conducted over several days in February. He was trying to determine whether the intersection meets the formal warrant for a four-way stop. He concluded that it does not.

Conference Championship Ends Swarthmore’s Win Streak

Conference Championship Ends Swarthmore’s Win Streak

Stefan Roots
Sports, Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College was defeated by Johns Hopkins 73-71 on Saturday, February 29, in a game that proved all the basketball-isms true: it’s hard to beat a team three times in a row; Sports Illustrated feature stories are always followed by bad luck; three-pointers are worth more than two-pointers; UCLA’s 88-game win streak will never be shattered; and, basketball games become way more interesting with four minutes left to play.

Fifth Graders Propose Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Fifth Graders Propose Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Swarthmorean Staff

Last October, fifth graders at Swarthmore Rutledge School read about Indigenous Peoples’ Day in a Scholastic magazine. They were surprised to learn that few states formally celebrate the holiday - Pennsylvania among them. At the same time, students were learning about Columbus’ “discovery” of America and about colonists coming to “the New World” from the perspective of indigenous people. This spurred them to want to learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Shad, Dams, and Beer

Shad, Dams, and Beer

Beth Murray

When The New York Times published an article last week about an extensive dam-removal project on the Brandywine River, some Swarthmoreans were already familiar with the plan. They were the 80 or so folks who attended Science on Tap at waR3house3 on February 20.

Wildlife Observations: March 6, 2020

Wildlife Observations: March 6, 2020

Robert Scott
Wildlife

Have you noticed the morning birdsong? My favorite is the “cheeseburger-cheeseburger-cheeseburger-cheese” call of the Carolina wren, which has been audible for a month now. While I enjoy waking up to the sound, early February is unseasonably early to hear it.