It’s an exciting time to be a Swarthmore resident and it is an honor to be on the ballot next Tuesday, November 2, for Swarthmore Borough Council.
Facing the next four years
As your councilwoman for the next four years, I hope to have the opportunity to provide skillful fiduciary oversight, ethical, and equitable decision-making, and inclusive processes that galvanize our community at this pivotal time.
Not the post office’s fault
A letter last week stated that a voter’s mail-in ballot took 20 days to arrive. I’m guessing that the writer based the calculation on the date given in the PA State Ballot Tracking system that allows voters to find out the status of their mail-in request.
Environmental apocalypse
The United Nations report on the failure of advanced nations to enact meaningful reforms to “ameliorate” (forget about “arrest”—it’s too late for that) climate change, comes amidst news of catastrophic flooding in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sicily. These foreign events are generally ignored in our parochial U.S. news outlets. It’s bad out there! There are few things that individuals can do that make much impact. I will list what I think is do-able without one having to become a Greta Thunberg. Maybe you’ll adopt one of them.
Easing the loss of a good man
I just wanted to share with the community a very sweet, considerate, kind, and touching gesture that I just witnessed. My neighbor Bill Titus recently passed away. He was a lifelong member of our fire department. The other night, I heard trucks and saw lights, so I walked four houses down to see what was happening.
Voting Information
A reminder about the upcoming election on November 2. This year’s ballot is a particularly long one, taking up a double-sided sheet of paper with 16 different races, plus a second single-sided sheet with 9 Yes/No questions about whether judges should be retained for another term. We wanted to give you advance notice that filling them out may take a while, and lines may form at the polling places on Election Day.
Maskless workers
I was surprised to find that two local coffee shops don’t require their staff to wear masks.
Mail delay
It took 20 days for my vote-by-mail ballot to make the arduous journey from Media to Swarthmore. I hope it will make the 15-day window to arrive back by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Grow or stagnate
I maintain that Swarthmore needs to be economically vibrant to thrive, and this complex will help us to sustain this and avoid stagnation. Others may disagree, but, I say, bravo, bring it on!
Some thoughts on the Cumby/Delson condo project
Based on the rendering, the building is, in my opinion and many others, a monstrosity, an architectural misadventure. At the very least the architectural plan needs a major revision; the best outcome would be to scrap the project completely and leave the current streetscape intact.
‘Something beneficial for the borough’
I am writing in defense of Mssrs. Delson and Cumby with respect to their proposed condominium project. I’ve known both these men well for at least 30 years and I can say with complete conviction that they are generous, civic minded, and caring individuals who are primarily interested in promoting the future and well being of Swarthmore.
‘Reject this proposal’
Imagine dropping Media’s huge West End Flats into the middle of our town, because that’s what this project would do. W.H. Auden said it’s impossible to get rid of your shadow, and this gargantua will cast a long one on our town’s character and economy.
Making units more affordable for seniors
We cannot expect Don Delson or Bill Cumby to subsidize units in the proposed 36-unit building, but I believe that there may be another way to make a portion of the units more accessible to senior citizens.
‘Anyone who cares about the appearance of our town should be paying attention’
Without a doubt, the development at 110 Park will transform Swarthmore’s Town Center. Obviously, the Planning Commission and Borough Council have the final say, but anyone who cares about the appearance of our town should be paying attention to this proposal, and to this end, the Swarthmorean can and must provide full and balanced coverage of this story.
Just say no
By law, Congress is required to create a budget. Demand to see a budget. Demand them to re-organize. This is our money, not theirs. Congress represents us. Say NO to raising the debt ceiling.
What are Swarthmore’s needs and priorities?
It’s time for Swarthmore’s Borough Council and Planning Commission to take a deep dive into the future of development in Swarthmore and the issue of affordability.
Deer problems
I’m relieved to see that the college is holding a deer-culling operation this Fall. The college indicates that COVID-19 protocols will be followed. Has anybody told the deer about that?
Raising money for refugees
Last Saturday we were at the Swarthmore Farmers Market raising money for the Nationalities Service Center’s Afghan refugee resettlement programs. A huge thank you to all the kind people who donated money to the cause and stopped by to express support for refugee resettlement in our area.
Where is the outcry?
I read that a luxury, five-story condominium complex is planned to replace the buildings on 102/104 Park Ave. and 110/112 Park Ave. Here is my serious and urgent request to council not to approve these plans.
Thanks, Scott
During an early Sunday morning run, I found Scott Richardson of Occasionally Yours picking up the trash around the downtown area. I just want to thank Scott.