November 13, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

From our readers

What a great neighborhood!

I love our neighborhood! Where else can Eagle Scout Charlie Martin collaborate with the local community continuing education group, the Mt. Airy Learning Tree (MALT), and pull off a fabulous Eagle Scout Project, a drive to collect used musical instruments and an evening of musical enjoyment for all ages?

MALT would like to thank Charlie and his family for putting together the October 10 concert at the Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church. And what a wonderful venue Widener Hall made for our event. We would like to thank the church as well as the following artists for donating their time and talent to the concert: Diz the rapper, Uke Ellington, Frankie Root, Unstuck in Time, Richard Drueding, Charlie Martin’s band and the Ken Ulansey Ensemble, as well as Mike Blair, the sound man, and Jonathan Sills the emcee.

According to MALT board member Adina Silberstein, who attended the event, “All musical tastes were represented. The concert was very well put together, had an eclectic range of performers, and the audience response was incredible.”

Finally, MALT would like to thank those who have already donated used instruments to MALT! We will turn them into instruments that will allow new MALT students to enjoy taking a music class.  

There is still time for you to donate instruments to MALT until Dec. 15! Please call the MALT office: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 215-843-6333. Inspired by Charlie and with your help, some children and adults will be able to take music lessons that they otherwise would not have been able to afford.

Jonna Naylor
Mt. Airy Learning Tree

Time to rally around the President-elect

I won’t comment on Ed Feldman’s frothing at the mouth rabid rant against Republicans (after all, my McCain-Palin sign was stolen off of my front lawn and I did not retaliate), but I must correct his false assertion that the President-Elect was a ‘professor’ of Constitutional law. He did, beginning in 1992, teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years, being first classified as a lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and then as a senior lecturer from 1996 to 2004.

The election is over. We should all rally around the President-elect and offer him our prayers and support. However, we should all be mindful of the Oath of Office Mr. Obama will take — “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

 Unfortunately, I find that a lot of our fellow citizens have never read or been taught the Constitution. That is pretty sad.

William Crane
Chestnut Hill

Defense wars?

In his discussion, [Local, Oct. 30] of the moral qualifications we seek in our presidents, Rabbi Stern’s quotations from Isaiah (“let the oppressed go free”,” share your bread with the hungry,” and so forth) were very apt. I share Stern’s abhorrence of offensive wars. But any Scriptural restriction of war to defensive purposes (he cites Numbers 10:9 and Deuteronomy 20:10-20) seems to have been cancelled in Joshua, where God instructs Joshua to lead the Hebrews into Canaan and slaughter anyone who resists their takeover of that land of milk and honey. Was that an incitement to defensive war? Was the 1948 Zionist takeover of 78 percent of Palestine a defensive war, even though contemporary Israeli historians tell us that the Zionist armies deliberately raped and slaughtered in some Palestinian villages (which were then razed to the ground) in order to inspire Palestinians in other villages to abandon their homes and flee, never to be allowed return? Seriously, Rabbi Stern, were those defensive wars?

Evelyn Segal
Mt. Airy

A program worth recognizing

We enjoyed Paula Riley’s article about Norwood Fontbonne’s service learning program [Oct. 30]. This program has had a very significant impact on our children and has given them an appreciation of others and a perspective beyond their years.  We’ve heard funny stories and sad stories. We’ve learned about the plight of some and the bounty of others.  We’ve witnessed all of the positive things described in Paula’s article. A program like this, however, cannot be successful without a major commitment of time and energy from good people like Will Dennis and Terri Hutsell.  It’s nice that people and programs like this get the recognition they deserve in and from our community.

Thanks, Michael and
Kim Burns
Chestnut Hill

Stag and Doe

Next month, come out and enjoy “Stag and Doe” nights with dinner and some Christmas shopping on the Avenue. The dates are Wednesday, Dec. 3, 10 and 17. Have a good time shopping. I’ll see you there.

Thomas Walsh
Chestnut Hill