Climb behind wheel? Put down the phone
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 Distracted Driving. The numbers don’t lie. Neither do your eyes. If it seems like you see more and more people behind the wheel with a cell phone in their hand, that’s because there is. Numbers released last week show an big uptick in citations being issued for cell phone use while driving.
LAUREL: To Joel Feldman. The Springfield father knows better than most the dangers inherent in those who insist on using a cell phone while driving. His daughter was killed by a distracted driver. Now he is making it his mission to spread the word of the dangers of distracted driving. If it keeps one family from undergoing the anguish he has, it will be well worth it.
DART: To Pennsylvania. While the Keystone State bans the use of hand-held devices to text while driving, and also outlaws headphones or earbuds, it offers only a measly $50 fine for a citation. Not much of a deterrent.
LAUREL: To efforts in the state Legislature to beef up Pennsylvania laws, including slapping serious fines on repeat offenders and adding points to their driving privileges.
LAUREL: To the Doubet family. We’re losing another icon. The family is closing the doors of Joseph D. Doubet jewelry store on State Street in Media. After 25 years as another Media landmark, they will be missed.
DART: To those who are peddling death on our streets in the form of dangerous, powerful synthetic opioids. These materials are much stronger than the heroin that is already ravaging so many of our communities, and only making a bad situation worse.
LAUREL: To news this week that authorities are filing serious criminal charges to those found responsible for delivering the drugs that lead to an overdose dose. A Chester man now faces federal charges of supplying fentanyl resulting in death after the overdose death of an Upper Darby man.
LAUREL: To justice – finally – for the family and friends of Thomas “Chilly” Childs. The beloved family man from Aston was gunned down in an ambush outside the trucking business where he worked in Yeadon back in June 2015. Last week the man charged with taking Childs’ life was convicted of pulling the trigger. LAUREL: To taking part in the democratic process. That is with a lower case d. Give President Trump credit for one thing: He certainly has boosted interest in the civic process and running for office.
LAUREL: Now for the upper case d’s. No less than 14 Democrats originally lined up seeking the party’s nomination in the race for the newly minted 5th District seat in Congress. More than 500 committee members gathered Sunday night but none of the candidates were able to muster the support necessary to win the endorsement. A couple of candidate have since stepped aside. Former Wallingford Swarthmore School Board member Mary Gay Scanlon is the frontrunner, with former assistant U.S. attorney Ashley Lunkenheimer hot on her heels.
DART: To Republican challenger Paul Addis. The Haverford corporate attorney is now off the ballot after some serious issues arose surrounding the signatures on his nominating petitions. Addis pulled out, then was bounced by Commonwealth Court. Addis said he was victimized by the
firm he hired to collect the requisite number of signatures to get on the ballot. LAUREL: To Pearl Kim. The former county assistant district attorney and former deputy state attorney general will carry the banner for the GOP in the 5th. Several other candidates stepped aside when the party made it clear Kim would be the pick.
LAUREL: To the push to get some serious art into units of Chester public housing. The Nebula Gallery, located on the Avenue of the States in the city, unveiled its 150-piece “Art is Home” collection, which will be donated to residents moving into the city’s public housing.
LAUREL: To the legacy of Tore Fiore. The man behind “Destination Delco” and the former boss of the county convention and visitors bureau, Fiore was one of the county’s biggest boosters. He will be greatly missed.
DART: To a flier circulated in some Main Line communities proposing a “Punish a Muslim” day. Yes, there is no shortage of hate that continues to fester just under the surface of even some of our ritziest communities. The flier clearly advocated violence and singled out a specific ethnic group. It was rightly immediately condemned by several local groups.
LAUREL: To the folks down at the county Emergency Services Training Center in Darby Township. Last week they hosted a group of high school students to offer valuable lessons on what it takes to handle and respond to emergency situations.
LAUREL: To Rebecca Rosenthal. The Swarthmore College coed is doing us proud competing in the college week action on the popular TV game show “Jeopardy” this week.
LAUREL: To state Sen. Tom McGarrigle. The Springfield Republican is proposing new high school graduation requirements, looking to take the emphasis off of standardized testing. McGarrigle’s move is being hailed by educators. Not every kid excels at taking a test, something not everyone seems to understand.
LAUREL: To another big development and economic boost coming to Upper Darby. Plans are in the works for a $120 million facelift at the Drexeline Shopping Center on State Road.
LAUREL: To the Sixers. They have now won 15 straight games
and are the hottest team in the NBA heading into the playoffs. Trust the Process? Yeah, we think so.
LAUREL: To the Flyers. They are now battling with the Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Raise your hand if you thought this was possible back during that horrendous losing streak before the holidays. Then again, let’s hope they can recover from the 7-0 shellacking they endured in Game One.
LAUREL: Even the Phillies are getting into the act. After a struggle to start the season, they have now pushed their record above .500. Plus they are showing the ability to score runs and have a potential ace in Aaron Nola taking the mound every fifth day.
DART: To those fans who continue to boo new skipper Gabe Kapler every time he pops out of the dugout. Talk about a short leash. Kapler’s has been non-existent. Anyone remember Brett Brown? Maybe a guy named Doug Pederson?
LAUREL: To the Eagles. Yep, we’re still Super Bowl champions What a great time to be a Philly sports fan.