Rutledge held its first-ever St. Patrick’s Day celebration on March 14, a sunny but windy Sunday, in front of the Rutledge Borough Hall. The event was hosted by Mayor Kevin Cunningham (“Mayor K”) and the Rutledge Borough Activities Committee.

Music was provided by the mayor, on guitar and vocals, along with Rutledge resident Emily Peterson on fiddle, guitar, and vocals. The socially distanced crowd listened to Irish favorites like “Rocky Road to Dublin,” “Whack Fol The Diddle,” “Raglan Road,” and “Wild Rover.” Dressed in his finest St. Patrick’s gear, and topped by his green Phillies cap, the mayor handed out green Mardi Gras beads. The event concluded with a scavenger hunt to find clues hidden on gold shamrocks throughout Rutledge.

“I always wanted to do something in Rutledge for St. Patrick’s, but the weekend before March 17 was always a busy time, with events like the parades in Springfield and Philadelphia,” said Mayor K. “Last year, nothing happened because of COVID. Nobody went out, and people were still washing their groceries. There were still no parades this year, but things had loosened up a bit, so I went for it. People needed to get out and have some fun in a responsible way.”

“I would like to thank the Swarthmore police department for their help,” he added. “And also my former mayor buddy — and friend of Rutledge — State Senator Tim Kearney, for being there. Rutledge is a welcoming, talented, and fun community to live in. Keep a lookout for more events to come this year, as we hopefully get back to whatever the new normal is!”

Rutledge Mayor Kevin Cunningham (left) and resident Emily Peterson played Irish favorites for St. Patrick’s Day. Photo: Lindsay Reed

A group of volunteers, many of them Swarthmore residents, planted nearly 100 trees at Sun Village Park in Chester on March 13, including many Atlantic white cedars (Chamaecyparis thyoides). Working under the direction of David Hilbert, the plant coordinator for the Chester Ridley Crum (CRC) Watersheds Association, and association board member Lisa Gaffney, the volunteers dug holes, staked areas for planting, placed the trees, mulched, put protective cages around them, and watered them.

Sun Village Park is a neighborhood park containing one of the few freshwater tidal wetlands in Pennsylvania. In the early 20th century, the park was at the center of a planned community that Sun Oil (now Sunoco) built to house its workers. Today, the park can potentially become a model for restoring ecologically endangered areas. Atlantic white cedars were chosen to begin this restoration because their population in Pennsylvania has been killed off over the years by development projects that drained the wetlands the trees need in order to thrive.

(Left to right) Daksha Nair, Jing Wang, Nandan Nair, and Vibhat Nair, all of Swarthmore, planted trees in Sun Village Park. Photo: Rachel Keane

Thomas and Marcus Giorgianni, grandsons of Angela Hewett of Wallingford and Bob and Lenore Giorgianni of Rose Valley, recently braved wet and muddy ground to plant four evergreen bushes at the historic Thomas Leiper House. The bushes will stem the rainwater run-off that had been flowing from an area near the house down to Avondale Road.

Thomas and Marcus are members of Boy Scout Troop 152, Cradle of Liberty Council, in Montgomery County. Their much-needed undertaking fulfilled a requirement for a Scout environmental conservation project. Hewett, who is the long-time president of the Friends of the Thomas Leiper House, says, “I was happy my grandsons were willing to take on this task and perform it so well!”

Photo: Mary Ann Fiebert

Andrew Bunting of Swarthmore has been appointed to Delaware County’s Green Space Task Force. Delaware County Council member Elaine Schaefer announced his appointment at the council’s February 17 meeting. The task force’s mission is to help develop green spaces and trails, as well as a culture of appreciation for conservation, throughout the county. Over 50 applicants applied for the group’s 13 seats.

Bunting is the vice president of public horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, where he leads the Urban Design, Public Landscapes, Pop Up Gardens, and Meadowbrook Farm teams. He is also vice president of the Swarthmore Horticultural Society and the Swarthmorean’s garden columnist.

U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Swarthmore writes:

During passage of the Equality Act last week, several members of Congress sported face masks that Martha Perkins had procured for her store Gallery on Park from her face-mask crafter, Heather Femine. I had become a fan of the comfort and craftsmanship of Heather’s masks late last year, and I asked Martha whether Heather could make some using the pattern of the Philadelphia pride flag (rainbow plus black and brown). I gave some of these as holiday presents and kept the rest for my fellow members of the Congressional Equality Caucus. Last Thursday, as we were debating and voting on the bill, I passed the masks out to colleagues to mark the occasion — and they were a huge hit.

The Missionaries of Swarthmore’s Wesley AME Church chose Riddle Hospital’s emergency room and radiology departments for a day of community outreach and sharing on Saturday, February 20. Church members distributed goodie bags and thank you posters outside of the emergency room to workers who were on a break.

Fifth and sixth graders welcome a new flock of East Friesian lambs to the School in Rose Valley. Since the school’s founding in 1929, says alumna and development director Carrie Miluski, it “has trusted children with the care of chickens, sheep, and myriad classroom animals.” Photos: Samuel Quinn Photography