Letters November 24, 2011

Posted 11/22/11

Opposes skatepark

As a resident of Winston Road, I also have worries that a Water Tower skatepark will attract kids who will not respect the neighborhood.

Recently, I nearly hit a …

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Letters November 24, 2011

Posted

Opposes skatepark

As a resident of Winston Road, I also have worries that a Water Tower skatepark will attract kids who will not respect the neighborhood.

Recently, I nearly hit a skateboarder with my car after his friends pushed him into my path on Winston Road. While the skateboarders found this amusing, I saw a near tragedy.

Josh Nims may be able to control behavior within the park, but the real issue is what goes on around the park.

How does having tight hours  improve the attitudes of kids coming from miles around towards local homeowners?   I agree with my neighbor Dona Odell and oppose a park on Winston Road.

Steve Hatzai

Chestnut Hill

Boys will be boys and other observations

The Nov. 3 issue of The Local contained a very nice letter to the editor from Caroline Hausermann of Chestnut Hill.  At last, I thought, a positive word or two about improving the old Magarity site.

Ms. Hausermann is a terrific writer.  I thought I was reading a marketing brochure for Fresh Market.  I wondered if she was a near or not so near neighbor.  .

The Nov. 17 issue contained a wonderful article written by Jennifer Katz titled "Skatersboarders want a park in Chestnut Hill.

I wasn't fooled when I continued the article by turning to page 8 where Skatersboarders changed to Skateboarders.  And, dear reader, it's a good thing I wasn't fooled because I would have missed reading about a near neighbor of the proposed skateboard site identified as Dona Odell.

Dona reported she's lived on Winston Road across from the proposed skateboard site for almost 20 years.  Dona claims the only times she's been 'F U'd' has been by the kids who skate there.  My guess is the renegades were probably from out of town, and not Chestnut Hill youth.

The fact that two lads, one named Zach and the other Vince, who are regular skaters at the site, spoke up to say not they or their 20 or so friends would be so disrespectful;  spoke volumes for their sense of duty and upbringing.

Heck, when I was a teenager decades ago, we had a lady who lived next to the town baseball field that would come out every day when a foul ball was hit into her yard to holler.  She got the same thing Dona claimed to receive, only in Polish, Italian, Greek, and Irish.

John Hayes

Lafayette Hill

Why not expand in Germantown?

It appears there is a conflict with two much development in Chestnut Hill, I propose that Bowman Properties or Weaver's way look to  Germantown for expansion purposes.

Germantown is more than willing to have something other than a dollar store shoved down its throat and as a recent New York times article states, G'town is moving more to a lower class neighborhood than middle class.

If you look at the projection of neighborhoods, lower class tends to spread outward, so it would be in Chestnut Hill's interest to help Germantown prosper and grow. If we do not collectively help each other and our communities the only ones that win are the developers and politicians.

Janet Lynch

Philadelphia

Monopoly-minded

Thank you Tolis Vardakis for putting into words exactly how I feel concerning the actions of the manager at Weavers Way. Objecting to the development of the Magarity property because of competition is so monopoly minded.

I’ve been in business in Chestnut Hill for 47 years and I never see why the people of Mt. Airy should have an opinion on what is happening in Chestnut Hill.

Ron Klinger

Chestnut Hill

Not quite eligible for ‘sandwich’ status

The article by J.B. Hyppolite on the "sandwich generation" was very interesting.  However, I really think it is a misnomer to title, in part, the article "sandwich generation".

While I think Ms. Bergin has a lot on her plate with caring for her parents, she is not caring for children at this time.  The article is very clear that her children are grown.

For those of us who have helped to care for a sick parent while taking care of very young children, it seems inaccurate to call Ms. Bergin part of the sandwich generation.

Stacey Wyman Cromley

Glenside

Send them to jail

There is a place where the “Occupy Philadelphia” crowd should be moved to forthwith where they would not block the thoroughfares of the working people.

They would have modern sanitation facilities, warm quarters to sleep in, proper clothing to wear, three nutritious meals a day, an area of about 100 x 300 yards to demonstrate against anything they wanted to without being disturbed and they could not interfere with the rights of the working class.

Oh yes, this place, for safety reasons, has four walls about 60 feet high surrounding it and guard towers at each corner!

Tom Woodruff

Oreland

 

New City Council bill is ‘ridiculous’

It is unfortunate that Philadelphia's City Council members have decided to pass a law that  not only impossible to legislate but one that encourages violence against the wildlife that thrives here because of the existing city conditions, such as abandoned housing and excessive trash.

I hold a Nuisance Wildlife Removal License through the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and I know from experience that "trap and remove" is ineffective and costly. It is akin to putting up a vacancy sign on one's lawn announcing that a territory has just opened up and another animal is now invited to move right in. Because wildlife territory is so scarce, a new animal will show up within 24 hours of a trap/remove action.

Hopefully, every member of CityCouncil who voted for this ridiculous bill will be voted out in their reelection bit by the frustrated and angry constituents who find that no one in City Council who voted for this bill knew a thing about raccoons and their presence in urban settings.

Raccoons do have a purpose; they provide valuable services in nature and would prefer to have as little human contact as possible. Can anyone say that about City Council members?

Brenda Malinics

Roxborough

 

 

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