Letters
Monkey business
“Once Upon a Time” … The Chestnut Hill Community Association was so powerful that its president referred to it as an “800-pound gorilla.” Gorillas must have been worth a thousand dollars per pound … as the fund balance was reported at $800,000 in those days. That’s real money in the fund, not speculation. When you have a lot of money and few responsibilities, eventually the money starts burning the proverbial hole in the pocket … so when there came the opportunity to purchase the building at 8431 Germantown Ave., there was little opposition, even a last minute suggestion … “let’s buy two!”
By the time the purchase was made, the 800-pound gorilla had been on a diet, so the fund was not as great as it was … once upon a time. No problem, though, for these real estate experts; a 90 percent interest-only loan with yearly “equity transfers” will look good on the books, as long as no one asks about mundane matters such as vacancy, repairs, taxes and management.
But “we” needed the space … for offices and meeting rooms … and yet the need went unfilled … until to our good fortune, the building next door became available. Once again presenting a marvelous opportunity. Only now, the former gorilla resembles a howler monkey … louder, but with no threat or ability. Once upon a time the association funded programs through interest income, now it’s through loans.
The editor of the Local chooses to call board member Lawrence Walsh’s comments regarding the purchase of Hiram Lodge “irresponsible.” How come the editor has the time and space to criticize a person’s comments but appears to have neither the time or space to report on the meeting itself?
The editor makes the assumption that “all concerned have the best interests of Chestnut Hill at heart.” Walsh reportedly cited “personal vanity” as the primary interest. It seems that you have to be naïve, vain or stupid to consider the purchase of yet another money-sucking building.
And while I’d like to be gracious to the relatively new editor, I can’t ignore his statement that the annual donations to the fund “would simply dry up” if there is any sense that financial matters are not being managed appropriately, suggesting that the continuing donations are evidence of the continuing “sacred trust.” By his own numbers, fund donations were $104,000 in ’03, $68,500 today. Donations and membership have declined … maybe the word regarding mismanagement is already out, despite layers of financial secrecy.
And yes, people, especially volunteers are allowed to make mistakes. But how many times? People who continue to repeat mistakes are vain or stupid. People who sit by and allow this are at best naïve. The first time around, there apparently was money to burn. Not so now. The first purchase effectively wiped out the savings; the second purchase will effectively wipe out the association.
Ed Budnick
Chestnut Hill
Turn the crank
In 1938, when I entered the work force, the Social Security legislation had recently been passed and there were about 14 contributing workers to one retiree. Today there are about three workers to one. Then the average 65-year-old worked until 69 and died by 77. Now the average retiree is 62 and lives till 82. When the baby boomers retire in a few years, those figures will jump.
Both the input down and the outgo up trends are accelerating. Today that inverted pyramid cash squeeze is hundreds of billion dollars shortfall (600?) annually, and growing. The cash is constantly being borrowed on our federal books for current governmental endeavors with nothing retained for future Social Security payments. There is no Lock Box. By about 2013, the annual income from then-current workers will be less than the annual outgo committed to retirees. An IOU book entry already in the trillions, and exploding, is the only present source for continued payments. That’s not a political problem. It’s an American tsunami.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be handled by our marvelously productive economy, but there has to be acceptance that there is a serious present situation. Obviously the sooner the better, as the longer it continues unaddressed the larger the problem — daily. There are hundreds of variables to be addressed by much better qualified persons than I. All aspects interact and include various value judgments, arithmetic, predictive and subjective. A $5 trillion prospective shortfall from present promises demands full attention.
Among the many possible approaches are reductions in payouts, ways to induce more savings for individual retirement separate from government, increased taxation, different allocations of pay-in vs. pay-out, private management on a voluntary basis of a portion of the annual SS tax, a scaled approach according to need, and a host of others. That’s why we elect officials — to work on it and come up with legislation, particularly when actual tax receipts at federal and state levels are growing smartly.
Just adjusting the SS system is not enough. There should be an undertaking to modernize both the system and its purposes, including individual retirement goals.
In 1938 my parents possessed a model A Ford. Had one just tinkered with it for the last 67 years it could still be running, but not satisfactorily for today. We need to institute improvements now to the social security vehicle and its basic purposes to satisfy today’s realities and tomorrow’s needs.
Start the motor.
What am I missing?
W.W. Keen Butcher
Chestnut Hill
Where’s the poll?
Pity the poor voters of Springfield Township’s Ward 1. Two years ago they voted in a church on Bethlehem Pike, then were permitted to vote at Flourtown Country Club, and now must move to Springfield High School for the primary on May 17. Small wonder that many voters come into the poll frustrated and upset about trying to find the new location.
Flourtown Country Club is the ideal location for voters in Ward One. First, it is located within the ward itself, it has ample parking spots and Springfield Township owns it. Why not just make it the permanent polling place?
J. McGrane
Flourtown
Thanks to neighbors
Thank you neighbors on Rex Avenue, friends at Keystone Mercy and friends.
The yard sale, which morphed into a bazaar on Saturday, May 7 at 111 Rex Ave., was a huge success because of all of you. Thank you so much for all of your fabulous donations and for coming to shop. We are pretty sure that we have cleared $2,000, which is much more than we had hoped for. Our Vocational Skills School in Bududa, Uganda for AIDS orphans, sponsored by African Great Lakes Initiative, will be much enriched because of this effort. We were overwhelmed by your response to requests for donations of unwanted treasures and then the shoppers who turned out in force before 8 a.m. Wow!
None of this would have been possible without our dear sweet friends who donated hours and hours of precious time and hard labor. Words cannot express how touched we were by all of your hard work and support. The combination made for a successful day and we want to say a great big thank you to everybody who donated, shopped and helped.
Louise Barteau and Barbara Wybar
Chestnut Hill
Working together
Jim Sturdivant, editor of the Local, said in an editorial in the May 5 edition, “We in Chestnut Hill, especially, have a very strong tradition of participatory Democracy … now is the time to prove that we still demand the best from our public officials.”
He was referring to the city government, but this also applies to the Chestnut Hill Community Association.
There has been a serious lack of democratic processes recently in Chestnut Hill. A group was formed to address this problem, and a statement was written that was published in the May 5 Local, pages 5 and 7. It was signed by a number of people. I am a part of that group, but missed the meeting in which the statement was put into final form, and did not sign with the others. Had I seen the final form, I would have signed; and I now wish to join them in expressing our concerns.
As a board member, I have found it very disturbing that there is no way I have been able to get a list of the committees and their chairs and members and when they meet. The bylaws clearly state that these should be available to all of us. This and other office procedures have broken down.
The fact that the contract of the community manager was not renewed was not brought to the board as it should have been. This has contributed much to our lack of simple procedures and structure in the community association as well as being a serious failure to follow the bylaws.
We are talking about the community association owning two huge and important buildings in Chestnut Hill. So much anger and distrust has developed concerning this. The atmosphere became one of “us versus the enemy.” We need to come together and ask all of the important questions concerning such a move and receive answers from the officers taking the lead in this. We need to do this by sitting down together and calmly discussing the facts.
These are just three of the 25 problems raised by the group. I feel strongly that the complainants (that’s us in the group and all others who agree with us) and the officers who are in charge are all conscientious members of the CHCA who care deeply about this community. We disagree. They agree that in some instances they have made mistakes and want to correct them. We are not enemies, but we are butting heads and our disagreements can only be resolved through discussions in which we show mutual respect and in which we seek solutions, not victory.
A number of us are running for the board again, and I hope that all of the CHCA voters will study these problems and questions carefully through reading the Local (or contacting us) and cast their votes accordingly.
Mary Anna Ross Cowper
Member, CHCA Board of Directors
Effective voice
As the state representative for a big part of Mt. Airy, LeAnna Washington has been an effective voice for our community. And she is responsible for bringing us state support for many of the good things in Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy. Just in the last few years year, the Water Tower, Pleasant Playground and Allens Lane Art Center have been recipients of significant state grants that will lead to major improvements at these three important institutions. With Rep. Washington’s support, WMAN and EMAN have also received a great deal of help, including the funds that have allowed us to hire our first joint staff member, our new community organizer.
Rep. Washington has also been an important voice in support of public transportation. As Democratic chair of the public transit subcommittee of the transportation committee of the House of Representatives, Rep. Washington has fought for new, dedicated funding for public transportation. Last month she brought members of the Democratic Policy Committee to Philadelphia to hold hearings about public transit that focused not just on our immediate need for funding but, also on the long-term goal of improving public transportation in the entire region.
Rep. Washington’s office is accessible to her constituents and staffed with people who know how to help members of the community deal with the state bureaucracy.
Rep. Washington is seeking to fill the State Senate seat that was vacated by Allyson Schwartz. She will be an even more effective advocate for us in the Senate than she has been in the House of Representatives. I strongly support her and I hope that everyone in Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy will do so as well. Please make sure you come out to vote for her on Tuesday, May 17.
Marc Stier
Mt. Airy
Enormous loss
The Chestnut Hill Hospital community is mourning the loss of our colleague and friend Dr. Stephen Woodruff.
Those of us who had the privilege and pleasure of working with him loved and respected him immensely. We trusted him enough to deliver our children and our children’s children.
He was a special member of our hospital family, but our grief cannot compare to that of the Woodruff family. To his wife Carol, and his children Leigh, Lauren and Andrew, we express our deep sympathy for their profound loss.
We will continue to care for patients, mindful of the lessons he taught us. We will respect his memory by holding to the high standard of care we could always depend on from our dearly beloved friend.
The Obstetrical Nursing Staff
Chestnut Hill Hospital
No vacancy
Imagine my wonder when I saw on the front page of last week’s Local that a property that my brother, Fran, and I own at 8331 Germantown Ave. was listed as vacant. Furthermore, imagine the surprise of our tenant who is leasing that space. Yes, we are renting the 2nd floor office space at 8331 Germantown Ave. No, it is not vacant. This office space is currently occupied and will continue to be so during the balance of our tenant’s lease obligation. Please, check your facts before you go to press. It is my understanding that the writer in preparation for publication never contacted us. Had we been, we would have been happy to explain the property’s current status. No vacancies here!
While we are on the subject, I’d suggest a more complete story would have examined the length of the vacancy as well as the asking rental rates of the vacant properties — another story idea! In my opinion, many of these vacancies exist because the asking price on some of the most visible spaces is not in alignment with the market’s ability to pay. It’s difficult at best to find the appropriate tenant with rental rates that are significantly over market. Just look at how long some of these properties have been “available.”
In addition, isn’t it ironic that Bowman Properties has been unable to find the appropriate tenants for its highly visible vacancies while other property owners, in a much shorter time period, seem to be able to locate and support, at lower rates, many merchants who have brought vitality and freshness to the Avenue. I struggle in trying to understand the soundness of Bowman Properties’ strategy of “rather an empty building than a tenant unable to pay over market rate.” Hey, what a great article that would be! And make sure you contact the landlord’s bankers and see how they feel about long-term vacancies in their borrowers’ properties!
Hank O’Donnell
Wyndmoor
Editor’s note: The Local judged the property vacant based on visual evidence that correlated with Urban Partners’ criteria. We’re glad to be wrong on this one; unfortunately, our vacancy number of 13 is still accurate, as a storefront property at 8026 Germantown Ave. not included on the list has since been confirmed vacant.
Unsettling changes
At the time that I moved my practice from Chestnut Hill to Erdenheim, I began to review my involvement with the CHCA board.
Initially I had joined to help represent the lower end of the Hill. As I became familiar with the service component and organizations that depended on the Chestnut Hill Community Fund to fund their activities, I felt a strong commitment and contributed as generously as I could. The mean-spirited way in which the board had previously functioned disappeared under Maurice McCarthy and there was a sense of comfort. There was a true consensus when decisions were made and the board seemed well informed.
More recently, my enthusiasm began to wane when I saw experienced board members ignored, disregarded or even insulted as they tried to share their views. There was the feeling that decisions had already been made and that opinions were set before the issues were presented to the board. Emphasis seemed to turn toward more social events and real estate ventures and the things that originally had attracted me seemed of less importance to the board. The spirit of service seemed to have been lost.
In addition, there is the matter of the Local. I used to shudder when members would adamantly state, “CHCA owns the Local!” Perhaps that is true, but in order for the newspaper to be a credible tool in the community, the staff must operate objectively and independently. They must be allowed to maintain their commitment to good and responsible journalism without interference or threats from the community or from the board.
Arlene Bennett, MD
Mt. Airy
Editor’s note: Bennett resigned from the CHCA board in October.
Special kindness
On Friday, April 22, when my nephew, Gerry Vecchione, was crossing Germantown Ave. at Highland Ave. to return to where I was parked, he slipped on the stones. When the traffic cleared, I could see him sitting on the curb. Around him was a man (who Gerry said was a paramedic) and several other people and they were all helping him. I immediately drove up to the corner and was told he should be taken to the hospital. They lifted him into the car and I took him to the E.R. He was admitted, and on Sunday had surgery. He is now in rehab.
I want to thank all those wonderful people, and I appreciate all their help, but I do not know them. So this is my thank you to each and every one of you and may God bless you for your kindness.
Jo Vecchione
Chestnut Hill
Attract walkers
The bylaws of the CHCA include the following: “These goals include a dedication to encouraging a sense of community in Chestnut Hill and improving the quality of life in the community.”
Here’s a revolutionary concept. Why not, as a community, press for a business district that meets the everyday needs of working families as well as providing entertainment to tickle the fancy of recreational shoppers? Why not woo the very members of this community, our neighbors, who have been literally driven to the malls for affordable prices, wide variety and convenience of shopping hours? How about trying to beguile the schoolteachers, the city employees, the young marrieds buying starter homes here who are not in the market for $50 baby jammies or 400-count bed linens?
According to Urban Partners, who conducted this year’s version of why the Avenue is half-dead, “the market is not the problem here.” Whatever that means.
If this is, indeed, a “walking community,” the businesses would be well advised to accommodate the locals and their mundane practical needs — a cotton summer bathrobe, a case of beer, a shower curtain or underwear or a veterinarian.
Imagine. Need something. Put on shoes. Walk over to the Avenue. Say “hey” to Mr. Harris. Chat with neighbors about crabgrass. Buy what you need. Save gas. Walk home.
M. Ni h’Uailaighe
Chestnut Hill
Which way Weavers Way?
I am just one of approximately 3,000 (I believe) member-owners of the Weavers Way food co-op in Mount Airy. With the co-op’s former bookkeeper now facing criminal charges, I felt behooved to read the Internet-posted, 31-page report of the Weavers Way Accountability Committee.
The report concludes that $618,554 of our accumulated members’ equity of $678,958 has been lost. It also concludes, “We found no evidence of [the former bookkeeper], or anyone else committing fraud or stealing funds, but we did find abundant evidence of gross financial mismanagement at all levels of the organization.” That would include me, whose level is that of a happy and frequent shopper of the co-op’s sundry foods and excellent fresh, often locally sourced, produce. (Some of it is even grown on the co-op’s organic farm on the grounds of the Awbury Arboretum.)
The accountability report details how the co-op’s vendors had been persistently complaining about not getting paid, a fact the report says was certainly known to the former general manager and various other managers. Additionally, the co-op ran up $140,000 in overdraft charges from the bank, generating notice after notice after notice from the bank. The report: “One would have thought this volume of correspondence would have caught someone’s attention!” And, sadly, we didn’t even do the audits that we required of ourselves.
I would like to publicly apologize to any vendors who had to hassle the co-op for money owed to them for food I was eating. And, I would like to apologize to the people of the city for wasting the valuable resources of the prosecutor’s office; we cooperated very poorly indeed in correcting problems and heeding warning signs again, again and again.
Maybe it took getting lost to find our way again. I think we are finding it, albeit more slowly than I would like.
Brian Rudnick
Chestnut Hill
Support candidate
I would like to encourage voters in Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy to come out and support Ellen Green Ceisler, candidate for Court of Common Pleas Judge and Chestnut Hill resident, in the primary election on May 17.
Ellen is our neighbor. Not only is she an incredibly intelligent and informed person, but a responsible community member, mother and friend. I have watched her raise her children, Daniel and Hannah, since I moved into the neighborhood and have witnessed them grow into two very wonderful young people.
Ellen is always warm, always friendly and always willing to lend a hand. She is smart and responsible, and has the credentials to back it up. Her experience includes serving as director of the Integrity and Accountability Office of the Philadelphia Police Department, prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, litigator and an active board member for the Support Center for Child Advocates. Ellen has also been an investigative producer with WCAU-TV News and worked on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League.
I cannot think of a better or more qualified member of our community to be elected judge. Please vote for Ellen Green Ceisler, candidate for Court of Common Pleas, on May 17!
Amy Simms
Chestnut Hill |
