End of an era for Bill Adolph in Harrisburg
A look at the week that was, the issues and people who made headlines, and a few darts and laurels for those who deserve them.
LAUREL: To Bill Adolph. For nearly three decades, the Republican has represented the 165th District in Harrisburg. The longtime pol is retiring, meaning a new face will soon be sitting in his seat in the state Capitol. That’s a big seat to fill, and it means another hit to Delco’s “clout” in Harrisburg. Adolph rose to be one of the most powerful men in Harrisburg, sitting as the Majority Chairman of the State Appropriations Committee. That means his fingerprints are all over the state budget each year, including money that flows back here to Delco. He will be missed.
DART: What won’t be missed is the avalanche of political ads that rain down on us at this time of year. Just two more weeks to go. Hang in there. In the meantime, good luck to Alex Charlton and Elaine Paul Schaefer, one of whom will be representing the 165th come January.
DART: To a strike that has halted classes for 110,000 students at the 14 state-owned universities, including West Chester and Cheyney. This is not exactly the kind of fall break the system needed.
LAUREL: To the fact that both sides returned to the bargaining table Friday. Let’s hope they do something they have been unable to do for more than a year. That would be agree on a new contract. Higher education is not an inexpensive project. Students and parents are not exactly getting much bang for their buck with their professors walking the picket line.
LAUREL: To naming a portion of a street in Drexel Hill to slain Upper Darby Officer Dennis McNamara. He is not forgotten. Kudos to all involved.
DART: This should remind us, as if we needed it, as to the dangers police officers face every day out there on the street.
DART: Speaking of endangering police and others, we see the scourge of straw gun purchases is still very much alive. An Aston woman now finds herself in hot water, charged with buying guns for her boyfriend. She faces serious jail time under the Brad Fox Law, named for the Montgomery County officer slain in the line of duty by a man who acquired a gun in just such a straw transaction.
LAUREL: To Springfield High. Students there posted the highest scores in this year’s annual School Performance Profiles, topping such annual stalwarts as Radnor, Haverford and Strath Haven. Springfield students actually boosted their annual scores by 15 points.
LAUREL: And also a huge thumb’s up to the kids at Interboro High School, who posted the biggest single year jump. Scores from Interboro High went from 67.5 in 1014-15 to 85.8 in 2015-16, an 18.3-point difference. Bravo!
LAUREL: To Delco Democrats. They now have widened their voter registration edge over county Republicans to 16,000 votes. Actually, both parties added voters in anticipation of the presidential election. Republicans signed up 16,808 new voters. But the Democratic rolls swelled by an additional 30,310. That’s a good sign for democracy with more and more people taking part in the process.
DART: To Donald Trump’s claims of massive voter fraud, in particular here in Philadelphia, part of his spiel that the election is being “rigged” against him. Any time he wants to provide proof of those claims would help. Such talk does serious damage to citizens’ confidence in the system.
LAUREL: To word that the long-dormant plans for redevelopment surrounding that soccer stadium along the Chester waterfront just might be getting placed back on the front burner. Back in 2008, the original plan was for what was then PPL Field to be the centerpiece of a huge development featuring residential, retail, entertainment complexes and even a convention center. Then the economy went off a cliff and not much has happened since. Now, led by Chester’s own Power Home Remodeling firm, which entered into a naming agreement with the Union for their new training facilities, dubbed the Power Training Complex, riverfront development is heating up again in the city.
DART: It couldn’t come at a better time. The city of Chester still faces massive financial challenges. The city chose to ignore the “drastic action” called for in a state audit, including chopping firefighter and police jobs, and instead is seeking additional revenue. Those plans include a hotel downtown, not far from the riverfront.
LAUREL: To Rob Conley. The Havertown man is responsible for a plaque being placed at 34 Brookline Blvd., what for years was the home of the iconic neighborhood Brookline Theater. Conley, who grew up going to the movies at the Brookline, personally commissioned the plaque at a cost of $800.
LAUREL: Speaking of blasts from the past, a huge thumb’s up to all those who gathered at the Burger King in Havertown last weekend, much as they did decades ago. In something that could be described as Delco’s own version of “American Graffiti,” the car enthusiasts once again gathered in the parking lot in their hot rods to talk about cars, guys, girls and times gone by.
LAUREL: To all those who gathered in Glen Mills last weekend to re-dedicate a monument devoted to those who served in the Vietnam War. More than 100 vets and their families showed up.
LAUREL: To Chester native Bryan Exum. He not only capped off his military career with a special ceremony on the USS Murtha in Philadelphia recently, he added his own special flair. Minutes after retiring, the lifelong serviceman proposed to the love of his life, Dawn Patillo. The couple tied the knot right there on the ship.
LAUREL: To Tavia Isaac. The 12-year-old dynamo and pride of Chester has not slowed down a bit since she snagged the crown on the Food Networks’ ‘Chopped Jr.’ reality cooking show. She has big plans for the future, and of course food is at the center of it all. Good for her.
DART: To the possibility of a mass transit strike looming over the region. Making it even worse, if the members of the Transport Workers Union hit the bricks, they could be doing so just in time for the November elections, thus preventing many people from being able to get to the polls. No one wants that.
LAUREL: To Delaware County, for once again offering free flu vaccine clinic last week. More than 200 people showed up at the Ridley Y for a free shot.
DART: To the Eagles. What happened to the team that started out 3-0? The Birds have lost two straight and looked fairly ugly doing it. Doug Pederson suddenly is looking a lot more like Andy Reid, and some of the luster is off Carson Wentz’s sizzling start. Time to put on the rally caps, guys. The Vikings arrive tomorrow fresh off their bye week and sporting a perfect 5-0 record. Let’s hope the bye has the same effect on them as it did on the Eagles.
LAUREL: To Sam Bradford. Yes, that’s the Eagles one-time expected starting QB who is now leading the charge for Minnesota. Bradford is just what the doctor ordered for the Vikings after their starter Teddy Bridgewater went down with a knee injury. Good for him.