Walking around Swarthmore, I notice lawn signs cropping up which read: “Together We Will See It Through.” I’m sure the intention is to lift the spirits and convey hope. However, that is not my reaction.
Gift baskets for Chester grads
The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office is helping Chester High School and STEM Academy build community support for their Senior Gift Basket Project. The baskets are a token of appreciation for everything they had to accomplish in order to graduate from high school and overcome immediate circumstances.
Hold your treasures — for now
We want you to know how much we miss you. For now, please hold onto your donations (housewares, clothing, linens, treasures, etc.). We will be gratefully accepting them again as soon as we are able.
Lights, camera, action at the Co-op
While the experts spoke of mitigating, social distancing, and flattening the curve, the Co-op was ahead of the curve among all the places I shop.
Bear (2005-2020)
As man’s best friend, I have lived all over town: on Yale Avenue, Lafayette Avenue, and for the last three years on Haverford Avenue. You might think moving among three residences in the same zip code would be a challenge for a family pet, but it didn’t feel that way to me. The town was my constant.
What the Co-op needs to survive
I ask the three groups who are opposing the Co-op’s sale of beer and wine to withdraw your opposition. Patrick Flanigan, the Pastuszek family, and Rodney and Deborah Swaney: You are holding the Co-op hostage, forcing it to divert resources that the business cannot afford to waste fighting you in court.
Food donations appreciated
It’s not easy being a restaurateur these days of pandemic lockdowns and stay-at-home mandates. But one Swarthmore restaurant has been using the occasion to send meals to those in need in Chester. Occasionally Yours is making regular deliveries to the food pantry at Chester Eastside, Inc.
Your April 3 print issue has only just reached North Carolina, and I much enjoyed Elizabeth Miller’s essay, “News Notes, Social Media, and the Anxiety of Oversharing.”
Democratizing philanthropy
A heartfelt thank you to your readers who have generously donated over $500,000 to the Delaware County COVID-19 Response Fund.
The ethics of mask-wearing
At age 75 I do feel more vulnerable than I did twenty years ago. Therefore, when I go out for a walk or to the Co-op I feel reassured that many now wear masks. The mask protects others and is a sign of caring and respect for all in our community. It is an ethical statement. It is heartening that the Co-op now requires everyone to wear a mask in the store. There are a number of situations however that I would like Swarthmoreans to consider…
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.
Let’s keep each other safe
I need to impress upon people that it is vitally important that we all continue to do our part to see our way through the crisis situation caused by the spread of COVID-19.
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?
Vote from home during quarantine
If you are registered to vote in Pennsylvania, you may now vote in the primary and general elections by using a mail-in ballot, without needing an excuse. The deadline for applying for your no-excuse mail-in ballot is 5 p.m. on May 26. Then, for your vote to count, the election board must receive your completed ballot by 8 p.m. on June 2.
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.