When Stereo League plays this Saturday night at Swarthmore’s waR3house3, it will be a homecoming gig for songwriter and front man Alex Savoth, who grew up on Riverview Road in the borough, and for fellow Strath Haven alumni, guitarist Dan King and drummer Gusten Rudolph.
Why do mass shootings occur ever-more frequently in America and elsewhere, and what can be done to prevent them? In his book, Rampage Nation: Securing America from Mass Shootings, Dr. Louis Klarevas examines these pressing questions through careful research, and proposes immediate and long-term approaches to tackling this crisis. On Thursday, October 24, beginning at 1 p.m., Dr. Klarevas leads a thoughtful discussion of his insightful and timely work.
Swarthmore United Methodist Church is presenting a special musical event for the congregation and the entire community on Sunday, October 27, beginning at 5 p.m. in the church sanctuary at 129 Park Avenue. Flutist Frances Tate, from the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, is a Swarthmore resident and an active teacher and performer in the Philadelphia area. She will play selections by Mozart, Copland, and Böhm.
The Nether-Swarthmore TimeBank has added a new twist — in fact, a lot of them — to its next potluck event. Group members will meet October 25 not only to share their usual fellowship and food, but also their knot-tying skills, as they spend time together making no-sew fleece blankets to be donated to Main Line Health’s Hospice program. We’re calling the event “Sweets and Fleece,” since the potluck portion of the evening consists of desserts, rather than a full meal.
The Players Club of Swarthmore continues its mainstage season with a new production of Agatha Christie’s whodunit The Hollow, opening tonight (Friday, October 18), and running through November 2 at its playhouse at 614 Fairview Road in Swarthmore.
“Turning Towards Justice: Prison Reform and Personal Action” will be the topic of a panel discussion at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, at Wallingford Presbyterian Church, 110 Brookhaven Road. The presentation will focus on keeping youths out of prison, helping those in prison prepare for re-entry into society, and changing the overall system to lessen the number of incarcerated individuals.
Since the last report, the highlight of my outings has been an American toad observed on the trail at the Saul Wildlife Preserve in Rose Valley. On the migratory bird front: several black-throated blue warblers, a palm warbler, a red-eyed vireo seen at the Saul Wildlife Preserve and, on the trail between the Rose Valley Swim Club, a ruby-crowed kinglet. I also observed sharp-shinned hawks in my front yard and in the Crum Woods Meadow.
Everyone is invited to enjoy a free concert of bluegrass and Appalachian mountain music this Sunday, October 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. It will be held at the Swarthmore Borough Hall Amphitheater and will feature Noggin Hill, an authentic bluegrass, mountain, and country music band, incorporating musical elements of folk-jazz and the American songbook. The concert is a big “thank you” to the Swarthmore community for the assistance given to the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) this year, and the work done in Chavies, Kentucky, making homes there warmer, safer, and drier.
Early in Monday night’s Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Lisa Palmer lauded the members of Strath Haven High School’s golf team for its remarkable season. The undefeated team was champion of the Central League and also of PIAA District 1, a double feat which had never before been accomplished.
The Swarthmorean asked five questions of the major party candidates for District Attorney in the November 5 general election. This week: Democrat Jack Stollsteimer. Responses from the Republican incumbent Katayoun Copeland have been promised; we hope to run them next week.
Swarthmorean editor Chris Reynolds will be moving on from his post this fall. “Editing the Swarthmorean for the past 4 ½ years has been a great job, but to everything, there is a season. I’ll be leaving the paper in solid condition, with loyal readers and lots of upside,” Chris said.
Two Delaware County residents — Val McAdoo from Wallingford and Pete Postiglione from Springfield — decided on Swarthmore as an ideal setting for The Actors Co-op to offer classes for children and adults who aspire to learn acting and creating for today’s media. They teach performance in front of a camera, emphasizing that acting for film and television is very different than acting for the stage.
We’ve barely escaped the summer heat, but soon the dark, cold days of winter will be upon us, and every gardener will start counting down the days to spring blooms. On Saturday, October 19, the Swarthmore Horticultural Society will hold its annual Bulb Sale at the Swarthmore Farmers Market, featuring a variety of beautiful spring-blooming bulbs that share one special characteristic: they are all beloved by bees.
Nothing would make you suspect that Tina Johnson would become Ernestine Louise, the recently published poet who will read and sign her book at Swarthmore Borough Hall on Wednesday, October 23.
In an important and timely visit to Swarthmore College, National Book Award winner and New Yorker staff writer Masha Gessen will speak, answer questions, and sign books on Wednesday, October 23, at Swarthmore’s Science Center 101.
The Chester Children’s Chorus will kick off their 25th anniversary celebration with a fundraising gala at Swarthmore College on the evening of October 26. The festive event will include a cocktail reception followed by a seated dinner and both live and silent auctions. The evening will feature a special CCC performance and a special tribute to CCC founding board member Cordelia Delson.
Did you sing “All things bright and beautiful! All creatures great and small!” when you were a child? You and all members of the Swarthmore community are invited to reprise those lyrics along with the congregation of Swarthmore United Methodist Church this Sunday, October 13, at 10:30 a.m. at a Blessing of the Animals.
Henry Horenstein, whose photo show “Selected Works“ continues on display at the List Gallery in Lang Performing Arts Center, will screen his documentary entitled Partners on Thursday, October 24, at 4:30 p.m. After the screening in the LPAC cinema, Horenstein will talk about his process in making photos and the film.
Celebrate autumn, art, music, and the bounty of local food and drink on Saturday afternoon, October 19, in a new event at Community Arts Center in Wallingford. The Harvest Gathering, a partnership of CAC and LandArt Events Farm-to-Table Plein Air, celebrates the season from noon to 4 p.m. in a rain-or-shine event on the grounds of CAC at 414 Plush Mill Road (or in the Duke Gallery if it rains).
Many historians say that the horse-drawn railway with wooden rails, laid out by Thomas Leiper in 1809, was the first commercial railway in America. Pierre Lacombe, a New Jersey geological historian, will give an illustrated talk mapping out a more precise route for the railway than was known before. Come learn whether it went through your back yard!
