Kaycee Conallen is celebrating a decade as the proprietor of Kaycee Conallen Design. This profile explores the roots of her business and of her personal approach to working with clients. Free to read and share
Something to Watch: The Times of Harvey Milk
Editor Rachel Pastan recommends this documentary to watch during Pride Month and recalls the meaning the movie had for her when it came out in 1984.
Forum Highlights Accessibility Problems and Possibilities
An April 13 forum on accessibility in Swarthmore was organized by architect and Swarthmore resident Samina Iqbal, and hosted by Swarthmore Town Center. The event gave community members the opportunity to learn about the experiences of community members who are disabled, the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and options for complying with the law.
Inside the Aston Vaccine Clinic
A look inside Delaware County’s Aston vaccine clinic with Swarthmorean Lisa O’Mahony, who is helping oversee the county’s efforts. Free to read and share
Zoning Matters: How Decisions That Seem Routine Can Have a Big Impact
A routine meeting of Swarthmore’s Zoning Hearing Board sparks an exploration of the history of zoning decisions in the rapidly gentrifying Historically Black Neighborhood of Swarthmore, and some questions about the borough’s future. Free to read and share
New Town Center Coordinator Planning for Spring
A profile of Sarah Matthews, the new Swarthmore Town Center coordinator, who started work as the nonprofit’s sole paid employee on February 1. Free to read and share
Swarthmore Native Puts Local Touchstones in First Novel
A profile of novelist Kyle McCarthy, who grew up in Swarthmore. Her new novel, “Everyone Knows How Much I Love You,” focuses on a dangerous friendship between Rose and Lacie, two women in their early thirties, partly in the present and partly when they were teenagers. The story is set mostly in New York City, but crucial parts take place in the borough. Free to read and share
Board Weighs Full Reopening of Elementary Schools at Marathon Meeting
At a 5½-hour board meeting, the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board heard the details of a proposed transition plan that would bring many elementary school students back into schools nearly full time. Two CHOP PolicyLab experts and over 60 community members weighed in. Free to read and share
Wallingford Developer Buys Borough Properties for $4.41 Mil
Jason Kilpatrick has purchased three major downtown Swarthmore properties from the Pastuszek Company for $4.41 million. The Wallingford resident and entrepreneur talks about how he got into real estate, why he loves Swarthmore, and his vision of the future. Free to read and share
Lee Awbrey’s Winding Road to Delco PD’s Office
Lee Awbrey of Rutledge became second in command in the Delaware County public defender’s office last fall. This article takes a look at the circuitous path that led her there, and what she’s hoping to accomplish. Free to read and share
Public Gardens and Private Life: New Book on how Gardens Improve Cities
Swarthmore resident Sharon Lee discusses her life and her new book, “Public Gardens and Livable Cities,” which focuses on the essential role public gardens can play in improving urban life. Free to read and share
2020 in Review: Before and (Mostly) After
Rereading articles from this past January and February is like peering through the wrong end of a telescope into a lost world. Here’s a review of what we were doing and thinking about in 2020, as it showed up in the pages (and website) of this newspaper — both BC (Before COVID) and AD (After Distancing). Free to read and share
Ohev Shalom Raises the Curtain on a Second Century
Ohev Shalom synagogue in Wallingford celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the congregation commissioned a vibrant new ark curtain from Indian-American-Jewish artist Siona Benjamin. The symbol-rich curtain tells the story of the prophet Joseph, an outsider who overcame oppression. This connects to the synagogue’s efforts at “tikkun olam,” repairing the world. Free to read and share
Wood-Fired Pottery Adds Luster to CAC Holiday Sale
Mark Tyson, who teaches ceramics at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford, works ground-up stone, sand, and iron from blacksmith scale and old hand warmers into the clay. “Irregularities make the clay surface more interesting,” he says. Much of the ceramic art Mark Tyson is offering was fired at the center’s new wood-burning kiln. Tyson is one of over 40 vendors who will be participating in this year’s annual Community Arts Center and Potters Guild Handcrafted Holiday Sale, running from December 4 through 12. The number of vendors is reduced this year as a COVID-19 safety precaution. But shoppers who preregister for 1-hour slots will still be able to buy locally crafted jewelry, home decor, clothing, and wooden items. And, of course, ceramic art. Free to read and share
Linton Stables Raises Spirits and Funds
Linton Stables, President of the Swarthmore Senior Citizens Association, was awarded the 2020 Swarthmore Lions Club Citizen of the Year Award. He got involved in community work when he was living in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood in the 1990s, but his is involvement in Swarthmore came about more accidentally. This is a story of how his community contributions evolved, and his affinity for fundraising, which he calls “telling a story that shows you what the opportunities are for you to be generous.” Free to read and share
Bucking the Trend With Bricks and Mortar: Swarthmore Native Opens Art and Paper Store
Pens and other art supplies, along with notebooks, tote bags, mugs, and enamel pins, are the main merchandise in Caroline Stockman’s new store, Of Aspen, which opened in Swarthmore last month. Stockman is an artist herself, and Of Aspen specializes in products she uses and loves. “Through the years, I’ve found a lot of products that I live by,” she says.
Teachers Find New Ways to Connect With Kids, Each Other
COVID-19 has upended strategies teachers rely on to connect with kids and teach their subjects. In the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, teachers have had to switch gears several times, going all-virtual last spring, then preparing over the summer for in-person school, only to learn that school would stay virtual after all. Then, in October, most teachers went back to school buildings, teaching cohorts of students in a hybrid of in-person and virtual instruction. Free to read and share
Big Doings at Little Crum
On a recent Saturday, the Friends of Little Crum Creek Park board member Andrew Bunting gave a tour of the park to fellow board members, the mayor, and some borough council members. He wanted to show the progress volunteers have made in restoring the stream banks and surrounding woods, and in creating a wetland. He also outlined the challenges that remain. They are working to reestablish in the park at the eastern end of Swarthmore. Free to read and share
Local Races: 9th State Senate District
A preview of the candidates running for Pennsylvania’s 9th State Senate District. Tom Killion, the incumbent, has represented Pennsylvania’s 9th State Senate District since 2016. John Kane, the challenger, says Harrisburg is dominated by “lawyers and career politicians who only act when their campaign donors need something.”
Manifesting Beauty: Jeannine Osayande Seeks Joy and Change Through Dance and Stories
Jeannine Osayande was born in Swarthmore in 1960 to Betty Ann (née Coleman) and Donald Lee. Her mother taught at Nether Providence Elementary School, and her father was Swarthmore’s first Black policeman. In time, he would become the town’s chief of police. Little Jeannine and her two older sisters, Annette and Donna, lived with their parents in the Historically Black Neighborhood of Swarthmore, in the same house Osayande lives in now. Growing up, she was surrounded by family, and by neighbors who were family, too. Osayande likes to tell the story of how African dance found her on a street corner in Harvard Square. “The drums were playing, and a dancer suddenly pushed me into the circle,” she recalls. “And I knew what I wanted to do with my life.” Free to read and share