Delco community again responds to need

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 the Upper Providence community, for the way they responded in rallying around a local family who lost everything when fire roared through their home. The Collins family is not facing this setback alone. Friends, family and neighbors have reached out with everything from clothes, to groceries to gift cards.

LAUREL: To Chris Malone and the others who likewise have rallied behind a mom in Upper Chichester who also lost her home in a fire. Tiffany Lane was about to be evicted from the motel where she was staying with her kids. Malone, a former co-worker at Aramark, is heading a drive to repair her home and get Lane and her family back on their feet. The spirit of the season is alive and well in Delco.

DART: To Paradise Lost. Again. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has entered into another agreement of sale for the sprawling Don Guanella property off Sproul Road in Marple. Community opposition blocked the last proposal, which called for a massive combination of new homes and retail outlets. We’ll see what this latest sale might bring. At least this time around the developer, Carlino Commercial Development, is talking about preserving a good chunk of open space.

DART: To the Chester Upland School District. Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said this week that things are so bad in the district they could not even produce the materials needed to perform an audit. This district is just begging for a major shakeup.

DART: To the mystery surrounding the sudden resignation of Wallingford Elementary School Principal Josh Peterkin. The district is saying only that it involved a claim of ‘inappropriate’ conduct, but did not involve any students. The school board meets Monday night, maybe we will find out more then.

DART: To things going “off the rails” in Harrisburg. We speak of the bizarre comments of state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler. He was sitting in a House committee hearing when a Democratic rep put his hand on his arm to try to interject some comments. This did not sit well with the notorious conservative firebrand Metcalfe, who went off on a diatribe that clearly seemed to carry antigay sentiment. This is not Metcalfe’s first stroll down this kind of a controversial path. He should apologize for his comments.

DART: Speaking of comments that blow up in your face, there is Valerie Staab. She was an unpaid consultant to the state’s top Democrat. She offered some choice words on Facebook dealing with how she views the onslaught of sex harassment claims, as well as her thoughts on the relationship between men and women. They were not well-received. She’s now resigned her position with state Dems.

DART: Jingle all the way? Consider it the sound of the season. That is the sound of taxes going up in Haverford Township. Commissioners gave the OK to a preliminary budget that calls for a 2.4 percent tax hike.

LAUREL: But not at the county level. Despite spending going up, Delaware County Council is holding the line on taxes again this year for the fourth year in a row.

LAUREL: To Charlotte Hummel. Very few people have fought longer and harder to rectify the state’s out-of-whack education funding system than this longtime William Penn School Board member. This week she gave up her position on the board. We hope she continues to raise her voice against education inequities. The kids and families of William Penn need champions like her.

LAUREL: Likewise to Michael Capozzoli. The longtime Ridley School Board member was honored at the recent reorganization meeting. Capozzoli has served the Ridley community for 40 years and serves as president of the board.

DART: Ouch! That’s the cost of progress in Upper Darby schools. Superintendent Dan McGarry offered the board a sobering look at the cost of updating district facilities. It comes to a cool $180 million. Plans are in the works for a new school on 69th Street, closing the Kindergarten Center, closing Charles Kelly and Walter M. Senkow schools, while expanding Garrettford and Primos elementary schools, and also some other capital improvements.

DART: To the practice of taking so-called ‘upskirt’ photos. Not a good idea. It brings serious criminal charges. Just ask Vincent Kane. The Marple teen and former Villanova student was found guilty in a case in which authorities said he had as many as 51,000 such images. LAUREL: To the Brandywine Valley SPCA and Providence Animal Center (the former Delco SPCA). They’re both getting big donations tied to a promotion from the Petco Foundation. And kudos to both Anne Tenaglia, a BVSPCA volunteer, and Alexandra and James Gentile, whose essay on how their adopted dog found its way into their hearts – and wedding – as the Dog of Honor, won for Providence. The money will be put to good use.

DART: Especially at this time of year, let’s not forget that so many animals are looking for good, loving homes. If you’re thinking about a pet for Christmas, we urge you to adopt. LAUREL: To Matt Tyson. The Ridley man and his family again this year are taking part in a toy drive for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

DART: To the Republican tax-cut plan. Yes, that cut to the corporate tax rate is needed to put American business on a more competitive level on the global stage. But most of this package is geared to well-off Americans, offering only a few morsels to hardworking, middle-class Americans.

LAUREL: To the citizens and business folks in Chester. They packed a recent meeting of the new Stormwater Authority to protest a new fee being implemented to improve the stormwater problems in the city. Their voices were heard. The authority scaled back the program – and the cost.

DART: To the heartless thugs who beat up a homeless man outside the Salvation Army in Chester this week. Real nice. Not exactly the spirit of the season.

LAUREL: To the latest groups of All-Delco athletes that appeared in our sports pages this week. Once again, they prove to be our best and brightest. Kudos to all.

DART: To Joel Embiid and the Sixers. After a weak effort in a loss at home against the lowly Phoenix Suns, the team’s young star center admitted they took the Suns lightly. This from a team that has won how many games the last four years? Unreal.

DART: To the Eagles. That thud you just heard was the Eagles falling back to earth. The Birds were grounded by the Seahawks, dropping them to 10-2 and out of the top spot in the NFC. That lofty perch now belongs to the Vikings. The Eagles stayed on the Left Coast, practicing in L.A. all week as they prepare for what is now a huge game against the Rams tomorrow. It will be a battle of top draft picks, as No. 1 Jared Goff squares off against No. 2 Carson Wentz. Lose this one and you’d better guard the bridges as panic-stricken fans jump off the bandwagon.