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.
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.
Former Ohio State Head Coach Woody Hayes once said, “There are only three things that can happen on a pass play, and two of them are bad.” While the Strath Haven passing attack has certainly been productive this year, last week’s game versus 5-1 Conestoga ended up following the recommendation of Mr. Hayes, as the Panthers kept the ball in the hands of four capable runners for the entire evening in a 35-14 victory over the Pioneers.
Wallingford Presbyterian Church is celebrating great music and making a difference in the community through Concerts for a Cause. The series will begin at 3 p.m., on Sunday, October 17, with classical guitarist Yovianna Garcia.
The Rose Valley EAC invites all Friends of the Wildlife Preserves to come out to help on the weekend of October 23 and 24. This year, we will focus on the Saul Preserve where there are trails to repair, young new native plantings to maintain, invasives to remove, and new native plants to install.
The Swarthmorean has more information about the planned development of condominiums by Bill Cumby and his building firm W.S. Cumby, in partnership with Don Delson, both longtime residents of Swarthmore. Cumby and Delson will present the initial plans for this project to Swarthmore’s Planning Commission at 7:30 on Wednesday, October 20.
Swarthmore United Methodist Church has hosted several educational fundraising events in support of Justice for Our Neighbors of the Delaware Valley (JFON), which provides pro bono immigration support services. The church will hold another one, “Songs of Freedom,” on Saturday, October 16, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., on the church lawn.
The Swarthmore Horticultural Society (SHS) will hold its annual spring-blooming bulbs sale from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 16, at the Swarthmore Farmers Market.
