December 22, 2005 Issue
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December 22, 2005 Issue
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About Us Chestnut Hill Local Webmaster Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or ©2005 Chestnut Hill Local
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From our readers…History and preservation are not the bane of economic development, progress, transportation or any of the other issues that get tagged to it. In last week’s Local, a letter entitled “Paver did a favor” directly relates to the safety concerns of Germantown Avenue to the material of Belgian blocks and the existence of trolley tracks. The issue is not the material make-up of the road. Any road left without maintenance, and improperly made in the first place, will cause a safety hazard. I have known many communities with Belgian block, cobblestone, or other stone pavers, surface trains, elevated trains, trolleys, etc., that have had no issues of safety result from them. Leaving a road to decay to the point where driving is dangerous should be an outrage to us all. Demolition by neglect is appalling, whether it is a building or a road. When this action by a public service organization such as SEPTA or the Streets Department leads to injury, property damage, or even death, then this should be criminal. When my wife and I recently purchased our home, the sidewalks had to be repaired where they were damaged because of safety, but as a community we do not hold our public servants to the same responsibility that we hold homeowners. If a powerline were to come down and lay on the road for week upon week sparking and threatening passers-by, everyone would be up in arms about it. You would not find individuals blaming historians for the existence of aboveground power lines in an age capable of buried cables. Be outraged, be upset, get riled, but get it right: the issue is a poor condition of the road, not a poor material. No one that I know in my circles has any interest in “preserving” decay and neglect. Enjoy your pavement while it lasts. Since it was not installed properly either, that won’t be long. George Lyons To pave or not Not all of us who live in West Mount Airy are upset about parts of Germantown Avenue being paved over so that the trolley tracks are no longer useable. Trolleys delay automobile traffic and completely block it when they stop to load and unload or break down. The commercial area of Chestnut Hill depends on automobile traffic. This is shown by the importance of the community parking areas to the success of Chestnut Hill and West Mount Airy. The stretch of road that was paved was a menace to driving. Paving makes the road more drivable and thus easier to get to Chestnut Hill. If people complain that busses pollute and smell, then this is a city-wide problem and not a Chestnut Hill problem. There are things SEPTA can do to reduce the pollution and smell, some of which have been done in other cities. What does not need to be indulged in is dreaming about the elimination of the busses. Louis E. Levy Many thanks I would like to thank the Local, and especially Len Lear, for the wonderful article on “Pet Pictures with Santa.” We raised a total of $200 — all of which is donated to Jack Russell Rescue. I would also like to thank the Chestnut Hill Camera Shop, who kindly donated the Polaroid film, and all the pet owners who supported our event. Bruce Schmidt Uncommon reviews The last three reviews you ran in the Local all seem to have one thing in common: if the reviewer hates it, it’s bound to be good. A few weeks back, you ran a review of the Philadelphia Opera Company’s Barber of Seville. The review begins with a declaration that the reviewer does not like this opera and considers it inferior to Mozart’s version. He then goes on to pan the performance in general. My wife and I must have seen it on a different night, because the entire audience gave it a standing ovation at the end. It was very funny, brilliantly acted and well sung (not the greatest, but very good). A success in every way except for the reviewer’s opinion. The next week you ran a review of Body Parts at the Franklin Institute. This is an exhibition that has been sensationally successful in venues all over the world. The Franklin recommends reserved tickets. It is not to everyone’s taste. On the day we visited, the space was packed with enthusiastic visitors, many of them students on assignment. We talked to several (we are in the museum field) and they all responded with interest and enthusiasm. Again, the reviewer informs us that this kind of thing is not to his taste. The last review we read was for Shakespeare in Hollywood, which received a terrible notice. Again your reviewer informs us that he does not care for farce. We saw this show and it turned out to be a delightful and preposterous farce, beautifully performed and produced. It was silly and took many liberties with Shakespeare, as have others. (Think of Shakespeare in Love, which won an Academy Award). The audience loved it, and Wilma audiences are generally pretty savvy. When a reviewer prefaces a review with a disclaimer: “I do not care for this kind of thing,” we automatically dismiss the review — it will be of no use to us. If we share his bias, we won’t go anyway. Your editors seem to make a practice of assigning reviewers who know in advance they don’t like what they plan to review. We cannot help but wonder why your reviewers bother to review works they know they won’t like even before they go. Why don’t they stay home and give their free tickets to someone who is interested in what is on offer? The purpose of reviews generally is to inform the reader as to what the performance is and how well it was done. Readers make up their own minds. Reviews are not a forum for venting personal biases. Not only is it poor reporting, it damages the efforts of serious artists. Ed and Jane Bedno Seniors say “Thanks” There is no more appropriate time of year than this to take a moment to let the members and all friends of the Chestnut Hill Senior Services Center know how much they are appreciated. Without them, there would be no reason to have classes in aerobics, tai chi and yoga; no need to set up tables for art, bridge, chess and pinochle; no reason to turn on the reading lamp for great books and short story discussions; no reason to keep the piano tuned; none to keep the carousel projector, DVD, VCR and movie screen in “working order;” nor to arrange the room for lessons in French, Italian or Spanish. And certainly no reason to get out the hooks and needles, cutting table, ironing board, yarn and fabric for needlecrafts. Thank you to all who participate in our regular activities, no matter how old or young, no matter where you live. Thanks, too, for all of you who support the Chestnut Hill Senior Center with your donations, both monetary and in kind (yarn and other needlework supplies, cookies and candies to be put out as snacks, “white elephants” for our fall bazaar and books for the spring sale). And, we can never say enough to all of the Chestnut Hill area businesses that so graciously and generously supported the Senior Center’s most recent holiday bazaar, a major fundraising event which allows us to keep operating day in and day out: Intermission, Bone Appetite, SGS Paper Company, Carmen’s Shoe Repair, Randolph’s Fine Jewelry, The Paperia, Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop, El Quetzal, Carol Schwartz Gallery, Walk a Crook Mile Bookshop, Artisans on the Avenue, Botanical Expressions, Franks’ Barber Shop, Chestnut Hill Resale, Denis Lucey, McNally’s, Caruso’s, Trolley Car Diner, Cresheim Cottage, Valley Green Inn, Cafette, Cin Cin, Solaris, Chestnut Grill, Paul Roller, Campbell’s Tavern, Fairlane Grille, Barbara Russell Designs, Stylos. We salute these businessmen and women, wish them a prosperous year, and urge every reader to patronize their shops or restaurants early and often. And it almost goes without saying, but should not, that we at the Senior Center are ever so grateful to the Chestnut Hill Community Association, which almost 28 years ago had the vision to create a center serving area seniors, and continues to provide us with funding; and to The Chestnut Hill Local for its unending support in “getting the word out” about all we have going on at the center. On behalf of the members and board of the Chestnut Hill Senior Services Center, may you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a healthy, safe and Happy New Year. Mary McNeill Zell Sue Davis |
