Jane Billings, who has served as Swarthmore’s borough manager since September 1990, will retire in February 2022. Borough Council President Mary Walk announced the news at the council’s May 3 work session. Free to read and share
Swarthmore Reopens Borough Hall and Approves Hybrid Police Car
Swarthmore’s borough council voted to reopen borough hall and the Central Park amphitheater, and approved a three-year lease-purchase of a 2021 hybrid Ford Explorer for the police department. Free to read and share
Home Away From Home: Residents Who Move Around Swarthmore
Associate editor Satya Nelms talks to Swarthmore “house hoppers” and muses on what it means to move while staying close to home. Free to read and share
Young Woman on a Mission
A profile of Aissata Kone, a tenth grader at Strath Haven High School and a serial entrepreneur who credits her family for her drive and work ethic. Free to read and share
Concerns About Bicycles, Budget Finalized
After concerns about kids riding bicycles on sidewalks in the business district were raised at Swarthmore Borough Council’s December 7 work session, five residents attended the December 21 council meeting to express their sense that the bicycle problem is getting out of hand. Also, the council voted not raise taxes in 2021. Free to read and share
Taxes to Stay the Same; Sparks Fly Over Bicycle Enforcement
In a sometimes fiery meeting that lasted over three hours, Swarthmore Borough Council voted on Monday not to raise taxes in 2021. The vote was 6 to 1. The most contentious part of the meeting was a report on the increasing nuisance of bicycles in the business district. Business owners have complained that cyclists are riding down the Park Avenue sidewalk with little regard for pedestrians and leaving their bikes obstructing the sidewalk. Free to read and share
Staying Afloat: Local Businesses Lean on the Community to Survive the Pandemic
In light of the pandemic, Swarthmore’s annual Home for the Holidays event has been significantly pared down from what the community has come to expect. In place of the traditional horse-drawn carriage rides, visit from Santa Claus, and dreidel games, there will be a handful of holiday activities that people can do on their own. Since the day of seasonal festivities is usually a big shopping day in the borough, the cancellation is worrisome for some retailers. Free to read and share
Local Races: PA District 5
An overview of the two candidates running for the PA District 5 seat in Congress: incumbent Mary Gay Scanlon and challenger Dasha Pruett.
Humans of Swarthmore: Lucy Saxon
My family moved here in 1989. I’ve grown up in Swarthmore since I was five, and had a wonderful, really an idyllic childhood, running around the woods. And I feel so lucky that we have the college here, and I was able to attend so many amazing concerts and dance programs, terrific pieces of theatre.
Humans of Swarthmore: Stories of Belonging
Humans of Swarthmore is an effort to help us get better acquainted with the people who make up this place we call home. What actually makes us a community and not just people who all happen to live in the same place? What is it that binds us together? This week, we feature Ptah Osayande.
Subdivision Gets the Green Light
After hearing from neighbors, developers, and engineers, and deferring to the legal expertise of borough solicitor Robert Scott, Swarthmore Borough Council voted to approve the subdivision of 686 N. Chester Road at its October 5 work session. The council had the choice between voting for one of two proposed plans for the property, or of voting to reject both.
Rallying for Black Lives in Swarthmore
Neighbors from Swarthmore and surrounding areas made their way to Umoja Park for a rally and march in support of Black lives. The rally was held on July 19 in part to commemorate the July 16 birthday of Ida B. Wells and her life-long commitment to activism, abolition, and education. Amy Beth Sisson, writer and former attorney, spoke about Swarthmore’s intimate history with racism, from segregated schools to discriminatory policies at the swim club. She left the crowd with these words: “We need to own our considerable history of racism, so that we can do better.”
A Place to Call Home
Underneath the newspaper’s name, the Swarthmorean banner reads “Serving Swarthmore and Surrounding Communities Since 1893.” This publication seeks to support and lift up the community it represents. I find that a noble mission and ambition for a local paper. When I learned that the position of associate editor was available, that mission drew me in.