All in Opinion
As a Professor of Finance and Economics at Wharton and a 45-year resident of Swarthmore, I have been following the recent debate over plans to build a 36-unit condominium opposite the library with more than passing interest. I’m afraid I could not resist thinking this through as an economist, and thought it might be useful to share my thoughts—for better or worse, you decide.
I am one of the 26 community members who offered my opinion at the October 20 Planning Commission meeting about the proposed 5-story condominium project on Park Avenue. I appreciate the developers taking the time to respond to the community’s concerns in last week’s issue of The Swarthmorean. However, I believe they still misunderstand the deeper issue: their current vision for this building is fundamentally at odds with the character of Swarthmore.
According to the preliminary results of the 2020 U.S. Census, which came out recently, since 2010, Chester City’s population has decreased by 1,367 people (4.02% of its population). Is this data accurate? It seems that many Black folks here prefer not to be counted in the Census. In fact, it was even hard to persuade Black folks in Chester to work as census counters for the Census Bureau, even though they were eager to hire people, and were paying close to $20 an hour.
September 2021 is fundamentally different from 2020 in another crucial metric: It now is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. As a pediatrician working at the major children’s hospital in our area, I saw it during my week on service which ended just a few hours ago: The teenagers and young adults admitted with COVID—some intubated, some dying from the disease—come from all walks of life. Widely diverse and yet they all share one characteristic: They are unvaccinated.
There is a new kind of small business worry in Swarthmore. It is one that I never thought I would fear—the loss of beloved businesses due to new development. I am sharing my story to keep all of our community informed on the latest from our business district.
Recently, I’ve been learning about the impact that environmental racism has on children, by reading Harriet A. Washington’s 2019 book, A Terrible Thing to Waste. I expect that Zulene and Harriet Washington would really hit it off.
We have a more diverse community than 20 years ago. When I look at what happened at the August 2 school board meeting I am still struggling to try to understand. What I do understand, is that I see a board that does not well represent the entire community.
Contributor Stafan Roots offers an opinion piece about Covanta’s Chester trash incinerator plant, and how Covanta’s talking points are not passing his smell test any longer.
Opinion writer Stefan Roots explores what has changed, and what hasn’t, since George Floyd’s murder a year ago.
Opinion writer Stefan Roots describes new research showing that people who live in polluted areas — like Chester — are at increased risk from Covid-19.
Opinion writer Bob Foster highlights problems in the current recycling system and makes recommendations.
Annie Fox and Elizabeth Jenkins of Swarthmore’s Environmental Advisory Council share best practices when it comes to recycling.
Columnist Stefan Roots wonders why the Chester County Sheriff's Office can speed up the processing of license-to-carry applications when lines at the DMV and the post office remain long.
Henry Aaron died last month at the age of 86. He played his last game 45 years ago. There’s nothing named after him to keep his memory at the top of our minds. Why should anyone care about Hank Aaron?
Columnist Stefan Roots reflects on how much Black history was made in 2020 and recommends finding your own Black History Month icons.
Since they first closed schools last March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators have made changes and adjustments to schooling to keep students safe and healthy. How many of these adjustments are here to stay?
On Election Day, New Jersey voters legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. The next day, Delaware County Council unanimously approved making the possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana a public health violation that could result in a $50 fine. The day after that, a group of guys in Chester were arrested, having been caught with a few pounds of weed (and some guns).
Almost 3,000 people died on 9/11, and the cry has been to “never forget.” On each anniversary, solemn ceremonies recall that tragedy. Bells ring and someone reads out the names of the dead. Fast forward to 2020. So far this year, we have had the equivalent of 10 9/11s each in March, April, May, June, July, and August. That makes 180,000 dead courtesy of COVID-19.
