America comes to grips with Harvey

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.

DART: To Harvey. Was there really any doubt? The monster hurricane slammed into the Texas coast last Friday night – and the heartache has not stopped. Houston is under water, with thousands chased from their homes, thousands plucked from the rapidly rising water, and 30,000 people crowding into shelters.

DART: To Mother Nature. 50 inches of rain. That is how much precipitation fell on some parts of the Houston area. It’s the biggest rain event in U.S. meteorological history.

LAUREL: As usual, the relief effort was well underway even before the rain stopped. The American Red Cross and Salvation Army are already collecting donations.

LAUREL: To Mike McIntyre and his crew from Proactive Restoration Inc. They are headed to Houston to help with the rebuilding effort - and they’re taking a ton of donations from Delaware County residents. After their story appeared in the paper, they were overwhelmed with a public outpouring of support. So nice to see.

LAUREL: To Wawa. The Delaware County-based convenience store giant quickly put a plan into action to partner with the Red Cross and allow customers to make donations to the Harvey relief effort when they pay for their purchases at the checkout. The push will be in effect through Sept. 8.

LAUREL: Another one to Wawa? Why? The convenience store is pulling its wildly unpopular application for a new store on MacDade Boulevard in Ridley, between Buchanan and Forest avenues. The company says it will be making improvements to address the concerns.

LAUREL: To Ridley commissioners and residents. Who says you can’t fight City Hall? The residents made clear they did not believe the store belonged in their largely residential neighborhood. They raised concerns about traffic, noise lighting and safety. And the commissioners actually listened. But keep an eye on this one. Wawa is likely to be back with a new and improved plan.

LAUREL: To the Ridley School District. This week it was announced they were the winner of an award from the music channel VH-1 and Urban Outfitters’ Save The Music Foundation. The award will lead to restarting music programs at Woodlyn and Eddystone elementary schools. They made the announcement during a special assembly coinciding with the return to school.

LAUREL: To Upper Darby School District. They unseated Ridley this year in the race to return to school. Students in Upper Darby spent the entire week getting back into the routine, with classes kicking off Monday. Special kudos to Stonehurst Hills Elementary School for taking part in the Million Father March. The program calls on dads – or really any significant father figure – to accompany their kids to school and become more involved in the education of their young ones. Well done!

LAUREL: To the memory of Jack Hontz. The beloved music teacher and leader of the Strath Haven High School Marching band who passed away suddenly back in June will be honored in the very best way possible this fall. The marching band will wear special patches with a distinctive ‘JH’ to honor the longtime school district music program leader.

DART: To the Pennsylvania Legislature. Yes, this is becoming a weekly thing. No, they still do not have a funding mechanism in place to pay for that $32 billion budget they approved back at the end of June. Kids are going back to class, maybe it’s time for our elected leaders to do the same.

LAUREL: To Middletown Township. Let’s hope the third time is the charm. They once again have selected an outside agency to do a risk assessment on the wildly controversial Mariner East 2 pipeline plan. There were problems with the first two, including one company that was disqualified because it had done work for Sunoco Pipeline LP, which is constructing the pipeline.

LAUREL: To state Rep. Chris Quinn, R-168 of Edgmont, and state Sen. Tom Killion, R-9 of Middletown. They coordinated a telephone town hall this week to allow residents to ask questions about the pipeline plan and air many of their concerns.

DART: Those concerns aren’t going away, as was clearly in evidence Monday night at the meeting of the Rose Tree Media School Board. Residents with children attending Glenwood Elementary on Pennell Road (Route 452) continue to push their board with their concerns for safety issues in light of the fact that the Mariner East 2 pipeline will run just a few hundred feet from the school.

LAUREL: To the small group of citizens who are taking it upon themselves to spruce up the thousands of veterans’ graves in Mount Hope Cemetery in Aston. Tony Clark is leading this mission to ensure that every grave is clearly marked and decorated with a flag and holder. Many had become overgrown with weeds, without markers or flags, and with faded inscriptions. DART: Unfortunately, it’s not a problem that is restricted to Mount Hope. Many older cemeteries that are the final resting spot to veterans too often fall into deplorable states of disrepair. After their service to their country, these heroes deserve better in a final resting spot.

LAUREL: To the Chester Water Authority. The local firm continues to fend off offers from mega water giant Aqua America. We kind of like the idea of keeping the water company in local hands. Chester Water serves thousands of customers in both Delaware and Chester counties. And they manage to do it with a local, personal touch – and at a bargain price as well.

LAUREL: To new students at Neumann University in Aston. For their first official act on campus, incoming freshman took part in a day of service that saw them performing acts across the county, including the school’s partner, Drexel Neumann Academy in Chester. Well done.

LAUREL: To artist Troy ‘Kickasso’ Cole, who teamed with the Philadelphia Union to offer a great opportunity to battle pediatric cancer. Local kids got a chance to design some soccer cleats, and then Cole made it happen. The kids who are battling cancer designed the special shoes, which were unveiled last week.

LAUREL: To Rhys Hoskins. Just call him ‘The Natural.’ Eat your hear out, Robert Redford. The guy has single-handedly breathed new life into this moribund Phillies team. In the process, Hoskins has managed to some things never before done by anyone in Major League Baseball. Like what, you might ask? Like hitting 11 homers in his first 18 games. The guy’s a stud.

DART: To one more meaningless exhibition game. Can someone explain the reason for that fiasco Thursday night in which very few Eagles who will be taking the field next week when the team kicks off the regular season were taking part. The starters got the night off as the backups and scrubs battled for the final couple of spots on the roster or practice squad. It was little more than a glorified practice – at regular season prices, of course.

LAUREL: To Jon Dorenbos. The Magic Man and durable long-snapper – who happened to be the longesttenured member of the Eagles – was shipped to the Saints this week. He’ll be missed – both on and off the field. Dorenbos’ magic work was just that – magical. It earned him a spot in the finals of the reality TV show ‘America’s Got Talent.’ We wish him well in the Big Easy.