Letters Enjoys 'Local' I just wanted to say that I strongly disagree with a couple of letters that were critical of the quality of the Chestnut Hill Local that were sent to and published by the CHL in the past two weeks or so. I find the Local to be interesting and informative. I've subscribed to it ever since I moved here 13 years ago. Every week there are articles that I enjoy reading. Whether it's a restaurant review, or a review of a movie or play or an interview of one of the many interesting people that live here, I feel that I learn something new every week. I have yet to see a better neighborhood newspaper. And of course, newsworthy events as reported in the Local help me to be better informed about my community. It's an important part of the community and I would be the lesser without it. James R. Aleo 4-way stop sign needed Reading the letter to the editor by Martha Ni h'Uailaighe [April 29 issue] raised some anger so I thought I should tell everyone what the units block east of Abington Avenue tried to do about the intersection at Abington Ave/Ardleigh St./Winston Rd. Along with the office of Frank Rizzo and our former committee person, David Forde, who works for someone else in council, tried in vain to get the Streets Department to install 4-way stop signs. We sent a letter with the signatures of almost all 50 Abington neighbors in favor of a 4-way and I believe the council offices send letters also. They got us nowhere. After repeated calls, Charles Denny of the Survey Unit finally come out to view the site personally. We had 20 or so neighbors with children demonstrating that day. Only one was against the stop sign. Mr. Denny took measurements, looked up Ardleigh Street and declared that there was sufficient visibility. We looked up the street from the same spot and said we could not see what he was seeing. Unfortunately, he had his back turned when an accident of the kind we worry about was only just averted with great squeals of brakes. Since he didn't see it himself, he said he could not take it into account. He flat out refused to put in 4-way stops saying there were too many in the city. We told him that other 4-way stops should not interfere with a decision about this 4-way at a dangerous intersection. The only solutions he suggested were to move the no parking sign up one more car and get rid of two trees. We got him to compromise and one neighbor satisfactorily trimmed the lower branches of his tree while the other tree was removed. The upshot is that we lost 2 parking spaces on a very crowded block (Caffette is a neighbor), 20 of us lost ½ day of work, and we still cannot see up Ardleigh to make safe turns. In my last neighborhood newsletter (Dec 2003), I asked if anyone was willing to continue the fight. No one stepped forward. Fighting "City Hall" can be overwhelming when few of us have much leisure time. We gave it our best shot. Neighbors, little kids, a physical demonstration, councilpersons' support, and the result was no 4-way Stop. Can anyone else out there help us get a 4-way stop sign at Abington and Ardleigh??? Esta Jo Schifter Save the horses On Thursday, March 25, 2004, the Philadelphia Managing Director gave a written order to the Police Commissioner to, "Please proceed forthwith to put in action the Mayor's decision to no longer have our mounted police unit". This decision comes even before the city council Police Department budget hearings, which are scheduled to for Monday, April 19, 2004. Additionally, it comes before the end of the city's current fiscal year this June, in which the funds have already been budgeted. The Mounted Police, a tradition in Philadelphia dating back to 1858, has been a vital role in not only policing the city's 9,100 acres of Fairmount park, but the primary source of crowd control by the Philadelphia Police Department. The ability for mounted police officers to both see things from a much higher perspective and be seen from greater distances also makes them a valuable asset in patrol and crime deterrence. Not to forget, the positive image the unit gives the city and department at parades, sporting events and multiple public events throughout the year. Recently, there has been much speculation and debate that the horses are obsolete and could be replaced by officers on bicycles. While this idea may sound financially beneficial, it is certainly not practical in the interest of public safety and law enforcement. For example, in the situation of a violent crowd, a bicycle, with its lightweight frame and rubber tires, could easily be pulled from officers and even used as a weapon if it is thrown at officers or civilians. Injuries (and lawsuits) are eminent. While on the other hand, the mere size and presence of a police horse is intimidating to say the least, and there has never been a case in the Philadelphia mounted patrol's history when a police horse has been taken away from the officer. Also, the ability of the mounted officers to access densely wooded areas for incidents such as those involving searches for dangerous fugitives or missing persons make the unit a necessity to police work. The Mayor has decided that the benefits of having a mounted patrol unit is not worth its annual operating cost of $400,000. Simply stated he apparently feels the approximate savings of 0.27% off the City's $144,000,000 deficit is worth a direct loss of public safety. It is with much urgency that this is not allowed to happen. Please contact the Mayor's office at (215) 686-2181, the Managing Director's Office at (215) 686-3480 and your city councilperson ASAP and tell them to "STOP THE DISBANDMENT OF THE MOUNTED PATROL UNIT". If the mayor were allowed to close the unit and sell the horses and inventory before city council has the opportunity to vote against it, re-implementing the unit would be several times more costly. Citizens to Save the Horses Committee The "Colors" of Our World How wondrous is our world
within the sweep William Will Share land with animals All over the world, people who care are finding new ways to save wildlife from the loss of their environment to encroaching development, creating safe corridors for migrating animals, preserving shore land for migrating birds. There are animal shelters that no longer kill animals without a home but work to find homes for them. Local news programs will feature such animals in need of adoption. Several weeks ago, the Coast Guard captured a wayward seal in the Delaware River, put it in a holding tank and then took it back to the shore. Some communities capture deer and bear, anesthetize them and transport them to uninhabited land. There are wildlife organizations funded by donations that rescue injured or abandoned animals and keep them until they are well or old enough to be released to their natural environment. One such organization uses a helicopter to pick up baby seals, otters and whales in the waters of the Northwest. Firefighters have made great efforts to save cats or dogs and other animals that are trapped. The Red Cross has volunteers who try to save animals after floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters and locate their owners. Animal Rescue on Sunday morning television features the saving of animals. I read of a person who buys live lobsters at the grocery store and releases them to their natural habitat. Wally Swett's organization, Primarily Primates, rescues chimpanzees from laboratories by purchase and releases them to an animal sanctuary. Friends of Animals in New York is dedicated to the end of hunting, a so-called sport that uses what land remains for the animals as a killing field! In a position statement, they say, "There is a question of social ethics involving the presumed 'right' of hunters to turn what little wild areas are left into seasonal shooting galleries Š Where is the fair play in a grown man or woman using a modern firearm to kill an inoffensive animal?" Yet the Fairmount Park Commission, which curiously is teamed up with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, makes no effort to find a way to keep the park animals alive. Instead, every spring — actually now they do it in the winter to get a jump on the protesters — it spends taxpayer money to hunt down and kill the deer. They call it cull. They justify the kill by sending the dead animals to feed the homeless. How could anyone object to feeding the homeless? These animals get in the way. They eat the vegetation of our poorly maintained parks where trees have been falling for years and have been left to rot. Year after year, people who believe there is a better solution protest the killing and suggest birth control; and year after year the Commission responds by defending their sharpshooters and the use of helicopters in the night claiming there is no evidence birth control works. Yet there is now evidence it does work and there is evidence that the killing causes the deer to multiply. What would it cost to feed the deer — to set aside a part of the park for a sanctuary? To use the helicopter to drop food for the deer? To clear the dead trees and to plant food for the deer? To use the birth control systems that other cities have used? There are a number of ways this city could end the slaughter. And for those living near the park, it is possible to spray ornamental plants to make them unappealing to the deer. I for one am tired of paying for this unnecessary slaughter. It is time to spend the money — used now for sharpshooters, bullets and helicopters in the night — on finding a solution that will satisfy those of us who care for animals and are heartened by the worldwide effort to make room for them. It is time Philadelphia joined the rest of the world in acknowledging that we the encroachers need to share the land with the animals. Sondra Corry Barber is back While I read Pete Mazzaccaro's tribute to barber Angelo Dipinto with great interest (April 29 issue of the Local), I do feel it's important to point out an inaccurate statement in the story. The article incorrectly reported, "Recently, a barber in Mt. Airy named Don had to close up shop" In fact, Don Murphy, who runs the beloved neighborhood barbershop at 7149 Germantown Ave., continues to cut hair full time. He temporarily took a leave of absence from mid-January until April of this year, due to a protracted illness. Don, whose friendly demeanor and "pony/horse" chair has endeared him to many neighborhood children, is particularly loved by Abe Barash, age four, of West Durham Street in Mt. Airy, who refused to get his hair cut by anyone else while Don was recovering for three months. Says Abe, "Only Don can cut my hair. I like Don and his 'horsey' chair, and his lollipops. I hope Don never gets sick again." Josh Barash |
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