A heartfelt thank you to your readers who have generously donated over $500,000 to the Delaware County COVID-19 Response Fund.
All in To The Editor
Different kinds of leadership
Leadership is generally conceived of as something honorable and noble. We think of such people as Winston Churchill and MLK. But leadership is not always positive and benign in how it leads our thinking and behavior. It involves compellingly powerful ideas. The theme from our administration has been one of fear and divisiveness. It has emerged from a phalanx of strong voices, not just that of the president, and not only of people currently in the news.
Signs appreciated
Oh, thank you so much, Swarthmore Borough, for the new Big Yellow Signs at the intersection of Harvard Avenue and Chester Road, alerting drivers that there are actually people hoping to cross the street at this location! Drivers come to that intersection with NO intention of slowing down at all. I have been playing chicken with them for years, feeling like they were enraged by my need to cross the street.
Thanks to Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association
Thank you Swarthmore Fire Company! The Senior Celebration Committee of Strath Haven High School is sending their heartfelt thanks to the Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association. They very kindly hung a banner on the walking bridge between the middle and high schools that celebrates the Class of 2020.
Defending our right to vote
The right to vote is absolutely fundamental to the effective functioning of a democracy. It is the most cherished right of every American citizen. Now, even the President of the United States has joined this not-so-subtle attempt to disenfranchise some citizens.
Occasionally Yours customers always generous
The Occasionally Yours family wants to express our heartfelt gratitude to all who participated in our First Responder Fundraiser last Friday. By the end of the day, with your support, we had prepared a total of 283 dinners and were able to contribute $2,000 to the Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association (SFPA). Your generosity gave us the opportunity to give back to a very worthy cause.
Shout-out to the Co-op
I’d like to express my respect and gratitude to the Co-op staff and manager Mike Litka, whose dedication and care for their customers and community are extraordinary.
Gone fishing
Our current pandemic provides an opportunity like no other to reflect — What is important? What is of value? What gives life meaning?
Feeding the kids
I am writing to express my deep appreciation for the efforts of Micah Knapp, president of the Nether Providence Board of Commissioners, and his colleagues, Matt Garson and Max Cooper, to bring meals to hungry children in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, meals that typically would be provided if the schools were open instead of being closed for COVID-19.
Embracing creative acts of kindness
As seen in several photos in this issue, creative acts of kindness can lift community spirits. For instance, a father-daughter trombone duo has been playing music on weekends from their driveway, to the delight of neighbors and passers-by. Last Sunday, this was shut down by a police officer. He presumably was concerned that the live music could draw people to congregate in unhealthy proximity.
A suggestion for your stimulus money
During the recent national conversation about spending immense sums of money to help get us through COVID-19, I’ve been thinking that I also want to “think locally.” Not long ago, I learned about the Foundation for Delaware County. They work in the most vulnerable parts of Delco, doing much that would be done by a health department, if we had a county health department.
New urgency for Delco health department
To follow up on the January 2 Swarthmorean article, “Incoming Delco Council Engages Community as Resource,” there are new developments regarding a potential public health department in Delaware County. We applaud the efforts of the new county council to form a modern, locally based, nimble health department to respond to a variety of threats to public health.
A different kind of Zoom meeting
I am a member of Swarthmore Friends Meeting and would like to share our recent experience of meeting online for worship, in the hope that other faith communities might be encouraged to create similar opportunities in this time of outward isolation.
Keep shopping local
Did you know that Charlie’s Swarthmore Hardware remains open? And that your order from the TrueValue website can be delivered to the store, with no shipping charge, so Charlie gets part of the purchase price?
Center of the community continues constant
As all of us grapple with the upending of our lives due to the threat of COVID-19, there has been one essential constant right here in Swarthmore. It’s the Swarthmore Co-op under the tireless leadership of General Manager Mike Litka.
More intersection suggestions
In all the discussion about accidents at the Yale/Cornell intersection, and speeding on Yale in general, I don’t recall any remarks about the lack of speed limit signs on Yale between Chester Road and for about a quarter mile east on Yale. How about two more, oversized, on each side of the street?
Appreciating our local paper
Since I have been spending more time at home (partly in response to the current viral outbreak), and since I have greatly enjoyed the new features and in-depth reporting introduced by the Swarthmorean, I am writing to thank “the powers that be” for their commitment to Swarthmore.
A memorable taxi ride
In July 2017, I sat in the back of a taxi cab and was surprised to see two pictures of President Trump on the headrest in front of me. Curious, I asked the driver if he liked the president…
Learning from the French
After a wonderful breakfast at La Cannelle Cafe, my daughter, who was visiting from Paris, removed from her handbag a small Rubbermaid container and placed what would usually have gone into a Styrofoam box, the leftover entrée.
Putting coronavirus in perspective
Let’s try to put the coronavirus in some perspective. Eminent American physician and health expert Dr. David Katz posted a statistical comparison of the coronavirus versus the influenza virus. It is eye-opening.