Thank you to our Cornell Avenue neighbor who was seen trimming their hedge to improve sightlines at the dangerous, accident-heavy corner of Cornell and Yale.
All in To The Editor
Keep sending ideas to community center
The board would like to thank the Swarthmorean for running a survey to help us determine the future of the Swarthmore Community Center (SCC). In case you missed the letter sent previously from our board, the Swarthmore College has informed us that by August SCC must vacate the building that has served as our center for close to 50 years. The question now is how do we move forward?
Stop signs and sightlines
I attended a lively and informative meeting of Swarthmore Borough’s Safety Committee. The principal agenda item was about potential four-way stop signage at the intersection of Cornell and Yale avenues, to reduce collisions. At the same time, the presence of stop signs on Yale at Kenyon Avenue was noted. It’s apparent that those serve only as a traffic-calming measure, principally for eastbound traffic on Yale Avenue.
A dark foreshadowing
It is difficult not to feel despair over recent events. An image that of late has been in my mind is Canadian artist Greg Curnoe’s 1972 India ink on paper drawing, “Map of North America,” in which the United States is entirely eliminated, leaving only Canada and Mexico.
In the United States in 2020, and for much of the past three years, “performance art” has taken the main stage and dominated our political lives and much of our daily lives as well. The impresario, the “star” of this “theater of the absurd,” is none other than our president, Donald Trump. He is simply a master at pulling the strings and making us, the American people, the entire Republican party — and the media — his puppets.
Bayard Rustin and Quaker values
Learning this week about the deserved pardon for Bayard Rustin, the West Chester-born Quaker activist who championed non-violence and organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, I am reminded how much I appreciate the Quaker values embedded in our town.
Thanks for the putts!
On Sunday, January 26, CADES was transformed into an international world of indoor winter putt putt fun with a super turnout from the community (640 golfers), help from 150 plus volunteers, and 18 groups of brilliant mini golf hole makers. The festivities included more than 50 raffle baskets donated by local groups such as the Community Arts Center, Vicki’s Place, the Inn at Swarthmore, and the Philadelphia Eagles, to name just a few.
Remembering Ray Ripper, ladder man
It is with much sadness that I read about the recent passing of Ray Ripper. Ray was a founding member of Swarthmore Friends of the Arts. For many years, he served as our “ladder man,” helping hang art in the high spaces in Borough Hall before we adopted a system that made this job less precarious. He used his wordsmithing talents to craft our mission statement: “….. to encourage the free expression of all forms of art by local artists, and to exhibit these works in our Borough Hall for the enrichment and enlightenment of the community.”
I’m writing to follow up on the article about the upcoming Wellness Fair. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Honorarium Fund. Everyone who contributes will be recognized as a Friend of the SSCA Wellness Fair in the Wellness Fair program.
Forgive me for arriving late to the Swarthmore pronunciation train, but I didn’t get a chance to see the survey until today. I was surprised that no one commented on how the word Swarthmore may be the most difficult word in the English language for a non-native speaker. An S followed by a W? And then an R smack up against a TH?
Nominations for a State Department Wall of Fame
The impeachment hearings have shone a bright light on a group of heretofore nameless and faceless career public servants who defied Trump’s demand that they not comply with congressional subpoenas to testify in the House’s inquiry. As a result of their willingness to come forward, these courageous individuals have endured harassment, attacks on their personal character, and even death threats. I would like to propose a Wall of Fame at the U.S. Department of State and nominate the following individuals…
Honoring and dishonoring Martin Luther King Jr.
I am proud to live in a nation whose people observe a holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. As a Christian, I am proud of the “days of service” organized by churches and other faith communities. King would feel grateful and honored that his birthday is celebrated in this way. But MLK would feel dishonored by the churches’ silence in response to his pleas to boldly and publicly oppose racial and economic injustice.
Sugar Maxine Harmer-Leubecker May 27, 2004 – November 27, 2019
Sugar, our precious Pomeranian, also known as “the Heart,” crossed the rainbow bridge on November 27, 2019 — exactly 15½ years after she was born. Since her passing, we’ve realized that dogs teach us to be loyal, to love unconditionally, to have compassion, play, and live in the moment. Some may think when you have a dog, you are taking care of them. But, we’ve learned, all this time, through every major life event as well as the mundane, she has been taking care of us.
Transitory light, lasting impact
We are delighted to report that Luminaria 2020 was a tremendous success, raising over $40,000 for A Better Chance Strath Haven (ABC) and other local non-profit organizations. This good work could not happen without the involvement and support of our Wallingford-Swarthmore School District (WSSD) Community.
Waving goodbye to Mr. Jim
In my life, I’ve learned that there are infinitely special people on this planet and that not one of them is replaceable. I was inspired to pay tribute to our child’s bus driver, “Mr. Jim,” after receiving news from him in the form of a handwritten letter that he will be retiring early. Jim laments leaving the children who ride his bus; he cherishes them as if they were his own grandchildren. As I strolled along afterwards on that balmy winter evening, feeling saddened, I was struck by a sudden reflective appreciation for this significant soul in our lives.
Small symptoms of climate change
At Trader Joe’s in Media three weeks ago, I could find no California dried apricots, only Turkish. “Wildfire in California,” I thought.
Divided on what’s admirable
In a year-end poll, Donald Trump and Barack Obama were tied for being the “most admired” men in the country. How does this happen and what does it say about us, the American people?
Regarding Stefan Roots’ opinion piece of January 3: a perspective from our neighboring town to the south is refreshing, but criticism of a proposed sale of the Chester Water Authority to help alleviate financial problems is unfair. Chester has many ills rooted in multiple causes going back decades under both Republican and Democratic administrations. While I agree that extended one-party rule is unhealthy for democracy, this is not the cause of Chester’s problems.
Making Things by Hand in Swarthmore Half a Century Ago
After reading the Swarthmorean article “Made by Hand” earlier this month, I thought I’d share this almost 50-year-old article about a seasonal crafted Christmas shop that Louise Howe Rowland, Prue Dunning, and I had for two years in Swarthmore.
Valuing human life in the face of climate change
In his recent Letter to the Editor, ‘A sad fact of life’ (12/6), Jim Riviello contends that “Carbon dioxide levels have nothing to do with the rising temperatures,” relying instead on contrarian climate research that blames “Anything But Carbon (ABC)” — here, banned CFCs causing “fluctuations of the sun” — for our planet’s woes. By doing so, he rejects numerous, validated studies demonstrating that emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses from fossil fuel combustion are the drivers of climate change at rates never before seen. What I find most disturbing about Mr. Riviello’s piece, however, is the way he appears to so easily jettison those most impacted by climate change.