January 31, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

From our readers

Joe a standup gentleman

Re: “A Father’s Club alum finds success as NCAA coach,” please accept my congratulations, both to the Local and to Justin Goldman, for the above excellent article in your Jan. 24 edition.

When I was umpiring baseball and officiating basketball for the Father’s Club, I was associated with Joe and his brother Matty. Both boys were excellent ball players … but … more importantly, they were young gentlemen off the ball field and basketball court.

I have no doubt I can speak for all those who know Joe, “The Father’s Club Alumni,” when I say, “We are all proud of his achievements.”

Tom Woodruff
Oreland

Cross about crosswalk

I am writing about the inability of pedestrians to cross the streets safely at the intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike (next to Borders) when the traffic lights go red and the little man pedestrian signal appears indicating that it is safe to cross:

a) If you want to cross Bethlehem Pike, cars still turn from Germantown Avenue onto Bethlehem Pike, or

b) If you want to cross Germantown Avenue, cars still turn from Bethlehem Pike onto Germantown Avenue (northbound).

Crossing this intersection is not safe, particularly with children. The pedestrian signal should mean that only pedestrians are allowed to cross. In reality I have to look out for oncoming cars that may or may or may not be aware of pedestrians.

Chestnut Hill is renowned for its pedestrian friendly environment. Please can we change the traffic lights so that cars are not allowed to turn on red?

Hannah Roberts
Chestnut Hill

Where’s the CHCA?

As usual we went over the Chestnut Hill Local, reading articles, skimming others, and generally seeing what was covered this week.

But where was the Community Association? Less than half of page two had a couple of factual items, and on page 13 there was a small article about the Senior Center.

This paper is owned and published by the Chestnut Hill Community Association, but if you weren’t told that you would never know that fact from perusing the contents.

We have 36 committees under our three departments — Social, Physical, and Operations.  Is it possible that nothing happened in the community this week?  We have a community fund.  Plans are being made for the future. There are conflicts going on about auditing and probably several other topics. Bylaw revisions are being discussed. We wonder how many other things are happening.

The paper is supposed to go out and cover events not wait for them to be slipped over the transom.

We want to know what is going on in our community and feel sure we are not alone.

Mary Anna Ross Cowper
Lou Aiello
Carol Cope
Anne McNally
Chestnut Hill Community Association Board Members

Editor’s Note: I can assure readers that the Local does not wait for news “to be slipped over the transom” before putting it in the paper. Even with a small staff, the Local assigns reporters to cover every event that it feels is of interest to the community, including all newsworthy activities of the CHCA.

Thanks for Riley’s inspirational article

I am writing to thank you very much for publishing the wonderful article [“Lafayette Hill psychologist ‘called’ to become priest,” Jan. 24] about my journey to priesthood. I was honored when I received a call from Paula Riley asking me if I would be interested in being interviewed for the Chestnut Hill Local.

I was indeed eager to comply because, as she noted at the beginning of her article, I know first-hand the power of the written word. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to share my story. I believe it is important for each of us to share our stories, and for journalists to record the stories, for we never know the impact that an individual story may have on another person.

I also wish to congratulate Paula for a job well done. She is a talented professional. I felt very comfortable in her presence. She not only made it easy, but a delight, to respond to her many questions and pose for pictures. I am amazed she was able to pull all the information that I gave her together so beautifully.

It just so happens that in my sermon on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, I mentioned the fact that it was an article in my neighborhood newspaper which persuaded me to follow my life-long dream of ordination. I then challenged my congregation to be open to the possibility that God is attempting to communicate with them.

The Bible, I noted, is full of such epiphany stories, times when the Almighty One spoke to ordinary human beings. A star guided three wise men from the East to a manger in Bethlehem; the apostle Paul experienced a spiritual conversion after being knocked off his horse, and Moses led his people to freedom following an encounter with a burning bush. Go figure! My epiphany occurred while reading a newspaper article. Who knows when and how God may be made manifest? My prayer is that all who read this letter are ready and willing to listen. God’s peace and blessings.

The Rev. Kathleen M. Walter, Rector Church of St. Jude
and the Nativity
Lafayette Hill