May 3, 2007 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Online Editor Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or Winner of One |
From our readers Citibank, show you care I read with interest the article on the renovations proposed for 8500 and 8504 Germantown Av. by Citibank. It is a shame that Citibank wants to absorb another storefront on Germantown Avenue, but they seem to have the proper zoning to do so. I would suggest that if they wish to be good members of the community and compensate us for reducing the number of retail spaces on the avenue, they should consider restoring the façade of 8500 Germantown to its original appearance. I was shocked when I first saw historic photos that showed the original appearance of 8500 Germantown Ave.; it had started out life as a handsome Greek Revival building. With a centered entry door balanced by windows on either side, wooden shutters, wooden divided pane windows and even a cupola on the roof; this building had originally been quite elegant. Its appearance in modern times can be described as innocuous at best. I urge Citibank to make lemonade out of a lemon. Restore the façade as a gift to the community. Show us that you want to be a contributing member of the community, not just another corporate entity trying to tap into the money that, apparently, is perceived to be in the area. Steven B. Erisoty Fountain there because of Friends On May 2, the CHCA Meritorious Service Award will be presented to all of the “Friends of the Fountain Plaza.” The present co-chairs are Ueland and Pizzano. Mark Ueland is an architect and resident of Chestnut Hill and Susan Pizzano is Vice President of the CHCA Physical Division and a resident of Chestnut Hill. The core group includes Marie Lachat, Ann Hozak, Ed Stainton, Martin Heckscher and the late Madeleine Butcher. These people, and the many community contributors, made the fountain possible. Lou Aiello Freedom’s just another word The CHCA election in 2006 in which there were 54 candidates gave prominence to the issues of editorial independence and the preservation of the Local as a forum for all points of view to reflect diverse opinions. Publicly upholding these Local principles were, if the campaign literature could be believed, the 24 candidates from the Action Alliance, the 22 candidates of the Second Opinion Caucus, and the majority of those running as independents. The 2007 election ends today with the editor under attack from all sides — for printing too much or too little, for paying too much or too little attention to the CHCA board, for selecting letters or opinions which are unpopular to some one, for deciding what is front page news and what is not. What did “Editorial Freedom” mean, after all? Janine Dwyer Enough is enough! For Ed Feldman to suggest in this newspaper that Peggy Hendrie and the other long-time staff at the Chestnut Hill Business Association, are anything but decent, compassionate, hard-working and honest women is beyond the pale. Peggy, Peggy Miller and Kate O’Neill have spent decades working tirelessly for the betterment of our community. They have asked for little in return except perhaps a bit of well-deserved gratitude thrown their way every once in a while. During the two-plus years that I had the honor of working beside her, Peggy Hendrie was in the office nearly every day—including Martin Luther King Day and nearly every other national holiday. She managed her mostly African-American parking lot attendants and District street crew with humor, high expectations and a no-nonsense manner, caring deeply for all of them. One example of Peggy’s compassion stands out in my mind. Lionel, a long-time lot attendant had fallen on hard times. Peggy made sure that when there was extra work to be done in the office, Lionel was called upon, and she found other part-time jobs for him so that he could earn a bit more money. When he landed in the hospital, Peggy called him nearly every day to see how he was doing. And when he died, Peggy was one of the few people outside his family who went to his funeral Peggy, Peggy and Kate use their precious time working on ways to promote and strengthen Chestnut Hill’s business district. The morning after a successful Garden Festival or Stag & Doe night, they are right back at their desks tackling the next project. Everything they do is aimed at building up, rather than tearing down this community that they love so much. Mr. Feldman has much to learn from them. It’s time for this community to stop listening to Mr. Feldman’s rants about what’s wrong with Chestnut Hill and to start focusing on all that’s right with it. Let’s begin by thanking Peggy, Peggy and Kate for their years of service and asking them how we can help with their next great project. Suzanne Biemiller Griswold provides Special Care I enjoyed your article about Special Care’s 25th anniversary. I am a very grateful beneficiary of Jean Griswold’s decision so many years ago. My mother, living in central N.J., has been housebound with severe osteoporosis for several years, and has been able to stay in her home thanks to a branch of Special Care in her area. We have had the most wonderful live-in caregiver from Gambia in Africa, for over five years, and consider Sukai our angel! It took a few misfires to find her, but she has enough patience, compassion, wisdom, integrity and responsibility for two normal people! She has become like a member of the family. Thanks so much for your article! Janet Mather Nothing more than an unpaid ad The “Opinion” expressed by Sullivan and O’Connell [“Brady, not Knox, is best,” April 26] is difficult to see as little more than an unpaid ad for Brady and a similarly free negative ad against Tom Knox … Mr. Brady has a long history of power brokering, not conciliation, and has a remarkably similar pattern of cronyism to that of the present mayor. The criticism of Knox’s road to success begs the question: Does he have the skills, the motivation and the independence to do the task confronting the next mayor? In my “opinion,” it goes without saying.
Alfred Gilbert Beware of geese on Kelly Drive A word of caution to folks using the Kelly and MLK Drives. This year’s goslings have hatched, and they are not street-wise. I’ve already seen one dead in the road. They wander into the roadway, and their parents follow them. Last year I saw an injured gosling on Kelly Drive, and about six adult geese had surrounded it. I had to stop my car and carry the poor baby off to the side in order to get the adults to follow me. One of the worst areas seems to be on Kelly Drive between the Falls Bridge and the entrance to Lincoln Drive. Please be aware! Jim Harris |
