Delco Dems make a little history
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 Delaware County Democrats. At last! The Delco Dems made some history Tuesday, winning two seats on County Council for the first time in history, and also sweeping three county row offices. It’s a new era in Delco politics.
DART: To the Delco GOP. They had a very rough day Tuesday, losing their seeming unbreakable grip on the Delaware County Courthouse. But they still hold a 3-2 edge on County Council, despite losing both seats up for grabs Tuesday.
LAUREL: To Democratic County Council candidates Kevin Madden and Brian Zidek. They withstood attacks from the GOP as being “outsiders” financed with “outside money,” but they still posted impressive wins.
LAUREL: To Jack Whelan and Christine Fizzano Cannon. The Delco D.A. and judge were two Republican winners. Whelan captured a seat on the county Court of Common Pleas; Fizzano Cannon was successful in her bid for one of two seats on the state Commonwealth Court, along with Democrat Judge Ellen Ceisler. And Fizzano Cannon did it despite a snafu with voting machines in Philadelphia that incorrectly listed her name.
DART: To the Philly Commissioners. They’re the folks who oversee the city elections. They insist the ballot was correct when it was sent to the printers, but somehow got botched after that. Even the watchdog group The Committee of Seventy slammed them for the foulup.
DART: To the general “nasty” tone of this county campaign. Democrats repeatedly attacked incumbent Republican Councilman Dave White’s business connections, constantly suggesting a “pay-to-play” culture in the county courthouse. Republicans fired back at the Dems as “venture vulture capitalists,” and even ripped Madden for comments that are posted on an app that his tech company created.
LAUREL: To all the candidates seeking public office in Tuesday’s election. That’s right, let’s give them all a hand. It’s not easy to open yourself up to this kind of inspection and public scrutiny. And fewer and fewer people are interested in public service. Kudos to those who do.
DART: To Donald Trump and his politics. No, the president was not on the ballot. But make no mistake, from one corner of the country to the other, Tuesday’s vote was a repudiation of his divisive style of politics. Republicans will have tough choices to make as the 2018 mid-term Congressional elections now loom.
LAUREL: To Delaware County voters. Turnout, even on a chilly, rainy day, hit 32 percent, better than expected
and much higher than recent off-year elections. Again, you can see the shadow of Donald Trump lurking in those numbers. Many a year voters would have taken one look out the window at that driving rain and taken a powder on exercising their constitutional duty. DART: Let’s not get carried away. Was turnout better? Absolutely. It still means nearly seven out of every 10 eligible voters still failed to cast a ballot.
LAUREL: To all those who once again lined State Street in the county seat of Media yesterday in the annual salute to Veterans. The Veterans Day Parade has become a county staple. It’s a good thing that it usually falls quickly after Election Day. These are the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect the democracy and our right to take part in it.
DART: To another mass shooting. This time it was a church in the tiny town of Sutherland Springs, Texas. A disgruntled man walked in and started firing with a semiautomatic weapon. Before he fled, 26 people were dead and another 16 others wounded.
DART: To anyone who suggests that this recurring nightmare is the new routine or even the new “normal.” Make no mistake, there is nothing normal about it.
DART: The only thing routine in all of this is the complete lack of action on the part of our elected leaders to offer any solution, including why any civilian would need to possess such a weapon. The Second Amendment does not guarantee the right to own an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon.
LAUREL: To the family and friends of Leroy Evans. The Chester man has been serving time in prison for more than three decades for a murder his family insists he did not commit. They held a rally this week at Chester City Hall in their push to seek a new trial. They will get a hearing in Delaware County Court Nov. 21.
DART: It took him long enough, but Radnor Commissioner Phil Ahr finally resigned his seat on the board. This comes after he was slapped with 130 counts of possession and distribution of child porn. Ahr had previously stepped down as board president, but indicated he would retain his 7th Ward seat, sparking outrage in the community. Now police say they are investigating more “suspicious” images on his township iPad. LAUREL: To Jim Epperson of Springfield. While it appears much of the public interest in the school district’s plans for a new $125 million high school
has waned, Epperson has remained a constant at meetings on the issue. Good for him.
DART: To the power struggle that is taking place behind the scenes over the Chester Water Authority. Many of the municipalities served by CWA are on record that they want it to remain private. But it is becoming increasingly clear that there are more pressures than ever being brought for a possible sale. Among them is a push by the city of Chester and their state economic overseers. It appears they would like to use money from a sale of the authority to help the city escape Act 47 Distressed City status.
LAUREL: To Firehouse Subs. The sandwich shop chain continues to be a very good friend to volunteer first responders and charitable organizations. They recently donated money for new equipment to Darby Fire Co. No. 1, as well as to the West Chester Salvation Army.
LAUREL: To Doug Pederson and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Birds are off to an 8-1 start, laying claim to being the best team in the NFL. Hard to argue with that after they dismantled the Denver Broncos last Sunday at the Linc.
DART: To the Bye Week. No game this Sunday. Time to attack those leaves. The Birds are now off until they tangle with Dallas on Nov. 19. Bring on the Cowboys!
DART: To the loss of a Phillies great. Pitcher Roy Halladay spent only four seasons with the Phillies, but he quickly became a fan favorite and cornerstone of the “Four Aces” pitching staff. Of course, tossing the second perfect game in franchise history and following that up with a nohittter in the NLDS doesn’t hurt. Halladay was killed this week when the plane he was piloting went down in the Gulf of Mexico off Tampa. He was alone in the two-seater plane. He leaves behind a wife and two young sons – and a mourning legion of Philly fans. RIP, Roy.