Just call him Carson Clutch; can he do it one more time?
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 Carson Wentz. Just call him Carson Clutch. For the second straight week, the Eagles QB has rallied the Birds to a win with a late TD pass. So much for that label that he never brings the team back after being behind or that he does not come up big with the game on the line in the 4th quarter. Now he needs one more performance Sunday vs. the Cowboys.
DART: To the political acrimony in which the nation is swimming. This isn’t about impeachment, or Republican, or Democrat. This is about a simple lack of civility. Raise your hand if you are loathing this next 11months. We’re better than this. For our children and those who will come after us, we should be.
LAUREL: To the parishioners of St. John Fisher in Upper Chichester, Holy Saviour in Lower Chichester and Immaculate Conception of Lourdes in Marcus Hook. When the archdiocese announced it would close Holy Saviour and Immaculate Conception, there were a lot of bruised feelings. But all three parishes last weekend stood together as one in a newly remodeled St. John Fisher.
LAUREL: To Lee Janiczek. It will be hard to beat the record of community service racked up by this longtime Springfield commissioner. Janiczek was honored by the board at his last meeting recently. He has served on the board for 44years. Well done, sir!
LAUREL: To the kids at Sacred Heart at Manoa. They put the true meaning of the season on display by raising
nearly $2,000in gift cards that will go to the residents of Anna’s Place in Chester. Sister Maggie Gannon O.S. F. and Sister Cathy McGowan S.S.J. were on hand to accept the gifts.
LAUREL: To Emma MorganBennett. The Swarthmore College student has been named a prestigious Marshall Scholar participant. Well done.
DART: Ouch! That’s the sound of the season in Radnor Township after commissioners signed off on a budget plan that calls for a 6-percent hike in taxes. They’re not alone. Taxes are going up in Upper Darby and Morton as well.
LAUREL: To all those who took part in last weekend’s Wreaths Across America activities in Yeadon and Prospect Park. It’s always nice to remember veterans, but never more so than at this special time of the year.
LAUREL: To Renate ‘Ronnie’ Breslow. The woman fled Nazi Germany with her family when she was just 8years old. She recalls many others
who were not as lucky to get out. Now she keeps their legacy alive by speaking and detailing her life saga. It’s the kind of knowledge that must be prepared.
DART: To the fact that so much of today’s bitter partisan rhetoric veers all too close to exactly the kind of sentiment that forced Breslow and her family to flee Germany. Have we learned nothing?
LAUREL: Speaking of inspiring stories. Here’s to Thelma Haskins. The 93-year-old Chester resident and author has put pen to paper and is retelling her moving life story, starting from her youth in Jackson, Mississippi and her life in Chester. Again, it’s worth the read.
LAUREL: To Nick Kupsey. The man who gave us “The Five People You Meet in Wawa” is now doing the same for the U.S. Postal Service. A former longtime postal worker, Kupsey has put together something of a love letter to these hardworking, blue collar folks.
LAUREL: To word that the
two longtime volunteer fire departments in Collingdale will soon be one. Collingdale Fire Co. No. 1and Collingdale Fire Co. No. 2will join forces on Jan. 1and be known as Collingdale Fire Co., Station 33.
DART: It is one more reminder that these irreplaceable volunteers are becoming a rare breed. People simply are not volunteering the way they once did. These kinds of mergers will likely be repeated among first responders in the years to come.
LAUREL: Speaking of longtime public servants, here’s to the memory of Ridley Detective Lt. Bill Henderson, who died suddenly of natural causes last weekend. Henderson served the township both as a police officer and longtime volunteer firefighter for more than three decades.
LAUREL: To Boeing, the Ridley giant got some very good news this week. Both the House and Senate have signed off on a defense authorization package that includes funding for a major Chinook renovation program that will insure thousands of jobs at the county’s biggest employer.
DART: To our friends at Wawa. Add the Delco-based convenience store giant to the list of businesses reluctantly informing customers that they have been hacked and crucial credit information may have been compromised. Just one question: This was first detected back in March, but it took until this week before customers were alerted. Seems like a long gap to us.
LAUREL: To Harrisburg-area police chief Bob Martin. The lawman came back to his old school, Prospect Park School, to share his life’s lessons and the book he wrote about it with students. He referred to school as his ‘happy place.’ We wish the same for today’s students.
LAUREL: To ‘Smiles in the Playground.’ The very special facility in Aston Township will cater to kids with physical challenges. It was the idea of Kit Spayd and her mom, 2nd Ward Commissioner Carol Graham. Kids on crutches and in wheelchairs took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremonies this week.
LAUREL: To Greg Ward. A few weeks ago he was on the Eagles practice squad. Last Sunday he was starring in the Eagles’ huge win over the Redskins. Ward caught seven passes from Carson Wentz, including the lastsecond TD toss in the back of the end zone that sealed the deal.
DART: To Eagles brass. How is it that Ward languished on the practice squad, unable to get on the field, while we have endured the likes of Mack Hollins and high draft pick J.J. Arcega-Whiteside all season? Something does not compute here.
LAUREL: Is there anything better than what amounts to a playoff game against the Cowboys. The Eagles must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Lose and they are eliminated.
DART: To a very tough break for young Flyers star Oskar Lindblom. The winger was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing sarcoma. It apparently has been caught early enough and Lindblom is expected to be able to return to the ice, but likely will miss the rest of this season.
LAUREL: To the Flyers and their ‘family.’ There is nothing quite like the Flyers when it comes to taking care of their own. The team donned special T-shirts and also handed out placards for fans to wave at the Wells Fargo Center before the game following Lindblom’s announcement. Lindblom is not alone in this fight. He has his teammates and the Flyers’ faithful in his corner every step of the way.