The Board of Directors and residents of Valley Greene Cooperative Apartments wish to express our sincere appreciation for the Chestnut Hill Local's coverage and advocacy in removing the tons of illegal trash dumped in our backyard on Alden Park Manor's neglected property.

Reporter Tommy Tucker doggedly pursued the city of Philadelphia's responsible departments, following up with phone calls, texts, emails and a series of articles. His investigative reporting instincts are a credit to the Chestnut Hill Local.

We also express gratitude to the city's CLIP program for literally doing the heavy lifting on a precipitous cliff that straddles Wissahickon Park property to remove debris that posed a threat to human and wildlife health and safety and to the natural landscape of which we are all stewards.

We are now in touch with the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Historical Commission and the Rumpp family heir to secure conservatorship of the historic Strawbridge/Rumpp Mansion, which sits at the mouth of a former carriage road where perpetrators gained access.

We will seek support from the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Friends of the Wissahickon to secure conservatorship of the woodland strip that was originally part of the Strawbridge Estate to protect this slice of history and nature for future generations of Philadelphians.

We will keep the Chestnut Hill Local informed as we continue our mission to keep the built and natural environment in balance. Thank you for all you do to keep the Northwest the best place to live, work and play.

Dr. Susan Schaefer

 Valley Greene Cooperative Apartments