August 17, 2006 Issue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Classified Chestnut Hill Local Online Editor Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or ©2006 Chestnut Hill Local Winner of One |
From our readersDevil’s Pool accident Interesting to see the article referring to Devil’s Pool in the July 20 issue. I was there yesterday after having seen it for the first time two weeks ago (I am almost ashamed to say that, as I have been a resident of Mt. Airy for 34 years). I was shocked at the amount of people and trash there. It reminded me of Tacony Creek. I think that perhaps they should educate people on the use of the park when they are down there in these large groups. Two weeks ago I had gone hiking through the creek with my daughter. We went hiking again Sunday. Once again, it was a nice hike until we got to Devil’s Pool. No one bothered us, as anyone swimming barely notices you going by. I stopped to watch people jumping into the water from Shakespeare’s Rock, which, by the way, is spray-painted over. Anyway, this 45-year-old man gets on the rock and looks down into the water. He asked me a couple of questions about how deep it was. I had no clue, as I had never, and don’t plan on ever jumping in. I told him he probably shouldn’t dive in the pool because he could fracture his skull. He responded by saying “Jumping in would not be worth it.” While my daughter and I are standing there, he dives in. As soon as he jumped I could tell he was done for. He dove too far across and went into the water like a hot knife through butter. When he surfaced, blood was gushing out of his head. He looks up at the people standing on the rock and shouts “I fractured my skull!” At that point everyone starts screaming and running down to the bottom. He is trying to backstroke to the bank with one hand and hold his head together with the other hand. Luckily, I brought my cell phone and was able to call 911 who probably got to him maybe five minutes after he reached the Valley Green Inn. I still don’t understand how he made it that far. It looked like he probably lost three pints of blood before he even got out of the water. Oddly enough, not more than five seconds after he got out of the water, people were jumping in again. This all happened at about 3 p.m. Quite honestly, I wouldn’t mind people swimming there (if they want to risk their lives, it is on them) if it were not for the trash and the marijuana use around the children. I want to take my daughter on a nature hike to learn about trees and wildlife, not have to turn it into an education on the dangers of drug use. Jason Hale Robertson’s reminiscing Imagine my giddy delight when I opened the July 20 issue of the Chestnut Hill Local and saw one of the most important places, and some of the most important people in my life the subjects of a comprehensive feature story. I grew up in my grandmother’s house on Summit Street. When I was in the first grade at John Story Jenks School, often, on fierce winter days, I was given money for lunch (at Cope’s Drug Store) as my grandmother felt it was too arduous a walk for a six-year-old, between the school and the house. Sometimes I’d go over to Robertson’s in the minutes between lunch and the afternoon session, because the shop smelled so good, and I was always treated with such genuine cordiality (operative word, “genuine”). When I saved my lunch money, I would go to Janet Robertson Redhouse to buy a flower or two for my grandmother (whom she knew, of course). I was afforded the same respect and deference and kindness as any adult customer. A very heady and never-to-be-forgotten experience for this child, who has talked about it all through these subsequent years. Decades have passed since those magic days in Chestnut Hill, but the connecting cords are strong and tight due, in large measure, to the warm accepting feeling this solitary little girl received from the Robertsons and Janet. It was said that the “Robertsons don’t credit themselves for the company’s years of success on the Avenue, giving credit instead to its employees.” That’s very gracious. However, all that Robertson’s is, and has been, started at the top, that day so long ago, in 1927, then later, when Janet Robertson Redhouse decided to sell flowers. Bless ’em all! Ede Dunn Baldridge
After approximately 20 years of being housed in Laughlin Hall at Chestnut Hill Hospital and getting meals out the hospital’s kitchen, Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels has relocated. The new office is at the Chestnut Hill Rehab Hospital at 8601 Stenton Ave., Wyndmoor. The meals now come out of that kitchen and are equally as nutritious and delicious. The July 20 issue of the Local listed our old phone number, and I would like to make a correction. Our new number is 215-233-5555. Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels has been servicing the Chestnut Hill and Springfield Township communities for over 30 years, delivering two meals a day (one hot and one cold) to our clients, five days a week, even on holidays. The program accommodates clients with special diets and dietary preferences. The cost is nominal per week. For more information on how to receive this service, please contact Meals on Wheels at 215-233-5555 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. Volunteer drivers and people to accompany drivers for approximately one hour a week are always needed. Please consider volunteering for Meals on Wheels if you have an interest in a valuable community service that allows our clients to remain independent and healthy. Nancy Dearden U.S., Israel: ‘terrorist powers’ As a Jewish-American, I wish Local readers to know that there are Jews of conscience in this country as well as in Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America and Israel who: (1) oppose the notion of Israel as the State of the Jews; (2) believe that a state where citizenship, privilege and even nationality are based on religion or ethnicity is a wicked anachronism; and (3) hold that the partition of historical Palestine was a tragic mistake. A reunified, secular, democratic state, embracing all the inhabitants of all of historical Palestine, will have to emerge, and the sooner the better. It will have to be based on equal justice, equal rights and the same nationality for all. I hope the citizens of that reunified state will chose a name that signifies common citizenship based on common humanity and residence in a common land. Anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism. I respect all the Semitic peoples, my Arab cousins as well as my Jewish kin. As for the ongoing war crimes of the USA and Israel, it is clear to me, as to so many conscientious Americans of all faiths and ethnicities, that there are two great terrorist powers in the world today, the United States and Israel, fielding the two strongest terrorist armies in the world (both funded by American taxpayers). They have the whole world terrorized lest their rampage through the Middle East set off World War III and unimaginable worldwide devastation. Evalyn F. Segal UN restraining Israel It is time to rend the garment of justice in mourning the UN resolution for a cease-fire between Hezbollah and the State of Israel. This resolution makes it all but impossible for Israel to defend itself against Hezbollah terrorism without being exposed to international condemnation. Moreover, the resolution places responsibility for compliance in the hands of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan who is recognized as a man capable only of condemning Israel for its acts of self-defense while ignoring the fact that in attacking Israel, its enemies are guilty of war crimes. The international assertion that Israel’s military response is “disproportionate” is absurd. During World War II, Germany dropped 4,000 bombs on London during a span of a year and a half. As a result of the Allies’ response, 100,000 people died in Dresden. Three thousand five hundred missiles have been fired into Israel during this current war. Israel’s response has been disproportionately restrained. This malignant UN resolution awards a victory to Hezbollah because this terrorist group will not be forced to disarm, and Israel will be forced to give up the right to defend itself. Shalom? Gloria S. Feldscher Lifeless Monoshone Creek A cyanide spill into the Monoshone Creek would go unnoticed. Why? Because the Monoshone is already contaminated at levels three thousand (3,000!!!) times higher than is admissible under federal clean-water law. Fish wouldn’t turn belly-up in the Monoshone because there are no fish. The Monoshone is lifeless. Philadelphia is all too eager to point an accusing environmental finger upstream to the suburbs. But there is no upstream from the Monoshone. The Monoshone is entirely within city limits. Day-and-night pollution of the Monoshone Creek comes from one source only: the city’s failing sanitary sewers. Philadelphia needs a mayor with the will and determination to halt this environmental recklessness. Charles Parsons Kidzapalooza guests, walking on sunshine “Walking on Sunshine.” That was the sound, look and feel of Kidzapalooza, the annual kids’ concert, held this past Saturday — a spectacularly beautiful day. More than 500 kids, parents, grandparents and assorted relatives and friends enjoyed the full force fun of Erin Flynn and the Co-op Band. Many, many thanks to Norwood-Fontbonne Academy for sponsoring the kids’ concert once again this year. The generosity of this wonderful neighbor, always committed to our community’s kids, truly helped to make Kidzapalooza a reality this year. Thanks also to Bredenbeck’s Bakery, not only for sponsoring the day’s programs, but also for generously donating hundreds of tasty cookies and free ice-cream coupons that were handed out throughout the event to very appreciative kids. Legacy Real Estate, the Pastorius Park Concert series’ corporate sponsor, added to the fun, handing out free bottles of water and those bright balloons that really did make the day look like a sunshine walk. Enthusiastic and committed volunteers are the heart of this (and all other) shows. Our veteran face-painters, Jane Piotrowski, Stella Tsai and Amma Napier, created many a fairy, kitty, spiderman and other wonderful creations on lots of very cute faces. Annie and Marley Napier-Smith manned the concessions both (with just a little help from their dad, Dave Smith) and Maxine Maddox Dorneman was chief program-distributor and fishbowl-passer. Thanks to our sound crew, Ellie Beal, Debra Sherwood and Kristin and Brent Woods for their dedication and professionalism. It is such a pleasure and privilege to help put this show on each year. It is our community at its best and most fun. Thanks to all who came out and made the day.
Tia Burke, Bantam Impressions In any given year there never were more than 70 to 75 players in the organization … one of the smallest in the league … regarded as one of the best coached and best organizations … fielded four teams according to age and weight … combined … They never had a losing season … played in numerous championship games … home games were played “under the lights” … Friday nights and Saturday nights … had cheerleaders for all their games … sisters of the players … drew hundreds of fans from the community, surrounding communities and visiting teams … had their own grandstands, refreshment stand-storage building … had their own ad book, players program, “P.A.” system announcing games, game reporter and photographer … game results and pictures were in the local newspapers … players and cheerleaders sold “shares in the teams” … $1 each … totally self-supporting … only contribution from the township was mowing the grass on the playing field … Everything needed to run the organization was purchased from local community stores … there was a registration fee for the players … but … if some parents could not afford it no youngster was ever shut out! … had a criss-cross membership with neighboring youth organizations … all kids benefited from this arrangement … local American Legion post lent them their second floor room for meetings during the season … Casa Conti gave them special rates for annual banquet … attendance would be in the hundreds … Thirty years ago this season, the organization was informed it would be their last year for use of the field … township has other plans for the field’s use in the fall … today the only reminder of this once thriving youth organization is the goal post barely visible among the trees in the Traymore Avenue end zone … Oh yes … everyone is still waiting to see what use the township had for that field … in silent sorrow it lays in dust, dirt and dead grass … when the leaves begin to fall … stop by this once vibrant field on a chilly fall Friday or Saturday evening … stand still and listen quietly … you will hear the roar of the fans of … yesteryear … when it is announced over the ghost of the … public address system … “Welcome to Friday – Saturday Night Football at Wyndmoor Home of the Wyndmoor Bantams Football Teams!! “Tonight Wyndmoor’s 65’s, 80’s, 95’s and 115’s will host …” Tom Woodruff Enough already about this guy! Can we get a break from this Rich McIlhenny guy? I mean do we have to hear about his life every week? Does he just get a kick seeing his name in print? There are more important issues that this paper needs to discuss, like the alarming number of shutters that are painted in unacceptable colors around the Hill or the winner of this year’s Petunia exhibit at the Flower Show. I, for one, am also not amused by his sophomoric humor and animal chasing. If I see one more article by or about this man from our adjoining community, you can cancel my subscription immediately! Rich McIlhenny |
