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  • Swarthmore, Nether Providence take next step in merging fire departments

    Swarthmore, Nether Providence take next step in merging fire departments

    Swarthmore and Nether Providence are exploring a merger of fire departments to compensate for a drop in volunteers and aging equipment.

    The proposed merger would unite the South Media and Garden City fire companies in Nether Providence with the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association.

    Swarthmore and Nether Providence commissioned Longwood Fire Chief A.J. McCarthy to study the challenges facing the three fire departments. He presented his report to both municipalities in early December.

    The report recommended creating one regional fire department to cover the two municipalities plus Rose Valley.

    McCarthy’s report highlighted a “critical” lack of volunteer firefighters and financial limitations.

    “Just because you haven’t had a disastrous fire doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen,” McCarthy said during a presentation of his report to Swarthmore Borough Council on Dec. 1. “I can tell you right now you’re not prepared for it.”

    Three Delaware Co. Township fire companies may merge into one.

    Swarthmore Mayor and Fire Chief Conlen Booth called the report “a vital first step” toward a merger.

    “The departments are going to need to sit down and look at these recommendations and then digest them,” Booth said. “And then identify ultimately what are ones that make sense for us.”

    Meet Conlen Booth, Swarthmore’s fire chief who just stepped into the mayor’s office

    A complete merger, forming one regional fire department, could take a year and a half to three years, he said, while something less formal could be completed more quickly.

    “I think there’s a very good chance that we would follow [the report’s recommendation] with maybe some nuances,” Booth said. “But there is no guarantee that happens and we could have other types of mergers, or we could start with other mergers and then evolve into that full merger.”

    Booth has a history of working in emergency services. He joined Swarthmore’s fire company in 2000, eventually working his way up to department chief.

    A single regional fire department would need new bylaws, a new charter, joint operation guidelines, and more. A complete merger would also require the departments to dissolve their existing nonprofit organizations and relief associations and create new ones.

    “A lot of these pieces are not difficult, it’s the sheer number of pieces that can be felt to be overwhelming,” Booth said.

    Nether Providence passed a resolution in support of the merger effort, but Township Manager Maureen Feyas declined to comment on the matter.

    The Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association firehouse.

    Lack of volunteers

    The biggest challenge for the fire departments is a drop in volunteers. In a 2023 report, Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook said there were about 30,000 volunteers in the state at that time, down from 300,000 in the 1970s.

    South Media and Garden City operate solely with volunteers, while Swarthmore has some paid personnel.

    The report, however, says the full-time staff gives the department a “false confidence,” because they respond to both fire and medical emergencies. If two employees leave in the ambulance, that leaves only one behind with little volunteer support during daytime hours.

    The report also says South Media was “unable to produce a reliable and constant response” due to lack of volunteers.

    Garden City has had more success with volunteers. During a meeting in which McCarthy presented his report to Swarthmore Borough Council, he praised Garden City Chief Pat O’Rourke.

    “He’s doing an excellent job and is increasing volunteer numbers year-over-year, which is almost unheard of right now,” McCarthy said.

    Part of the reason these fire departments struggle to find volunteers is because they are located in affluent areas, McCarthy said, something he can attest to in his experience leading Longwood Fire Company in Chester County.

    “The area I protect has a very high cost of living, so I don’t have residents looking to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the world for free,” McCarthy said in the council meeting. “I have a lot of CFOs and CEOs. They’re busy in hospitals and law firms.”

    In 2024, Swarthmore had a median income of $146,992 and Nether Providence’s median income was $145,254, well above the national median of $83,730.

    The South Media Fire Company in Nether Providence.

    Equipment cost and maintenance

    A capital apparatus plan is also needed for upgrading and maintaining expensive fire trucks, ambulances, and other lifesaving equipment, the report states.

    Trucks have doubled in price over the last three years and take about five years to deliver, he said at the Swarthmore Borough Council meeting.

    “These things have to be planned out,” McCarthy said. “You can’t spend $2.5 million to replace a ladder truck and only start talking about it four months before you order it.”

    One of Swarthmore’s trucks costs more to maintain than to use, he said.

    Crozer’s closing

    The closing of Crozer-Chester Medical Center also put a burden on the area, with more medical emergencies to cover.

    Swarthmore stood up an ambulance service that can provide advanced life support in response to the closure, and it nearly doubled the number of calls the department responds to in a month, Booth said.

    The loss of Crozer’s ambulance service also means departments are being pulled further away to cover medical emergencies, causing a chain reaction where other departments are called to cover for them.

    Crozer’s new owner, Chariot Equities, said last week it hoped to reopen the hospital and resume emergency services in the county within two years.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • How Philly helicopter makers cope with uncertainty at today’s Pentagon

    How Philly helicopter makers cope with uncertainty at today’s Pentagon

    Helicopter manufacturer Leonardo has nearly doubled employment at its Northeast Philadelphia factory since the Rome-based multinational aerospace company began winning U.S. military orders for that factory in the late 2010s.

    But the company, whose owners include the Italian government and U.S. investment funds such as BlackRock and Vanguard, has learned what dominant U.S. defense contractors like Boeing have long known: Military planners, policy, and political shifts can stop, delay, or revive long-term contracts, leaving managers scrambling to keep workers and factories busy.

    Given the complexity of parts supply, skilled labor, and other aspects of helicopter production, “it is destabilizing and difficult if you don’t know if you are going to build two or 16 aircraft for a given program year after year,” said Andrew Gappy, vice president of Leonardo Helicopters USA Inc., a retired Marine whose duties included flying Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush on Marine One helicopters.

    In 2018, Leonardo and Boeing celebrated a signal victory. The Air Force ordered 84 MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters, worth an expected $2.4 billion.

    Grey Wolf is based on Leonardo’s civilian, two-engine AW139, part of a movement by military planners to speed production and streamline costs by basing more big-ticket military machines on large-production civilian products and private-sector construction managers. It’s a model that Korea-based Hanwha hopes to use in winning Navy contracts for its shipyard in Philadelphia.

    More than half the Grey Wolfs would defend nuclear weapons bases in several western U.S. states. Most of the rest would be used to ferry political leaders around Washington in case of an attack on the nation’s capital, replacing aging UH-1N Huey helicopters on duty since the 1970s.

    So far, 19 of those helicopters have been paid for and delivered. Another 12 are funded and nearing completion. But funding for future construction hit unexpected snags.

    After Air Force design changes and a challenge by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit, which had proposed rival helicopters of its own, Leonardo and Boeing said they started production on the first Grey Wolfs in 2023.

    They planned to keep building a dozen a year for seven years — about a quarter of the Leonardo plant’s annual output. They hoped to win more contracts along the way.

    Last year, the partners had expected to fund future production with $173 million in appropriations as laid out in President Donald Trump’s 2025 budget, plus $210 million in his Big Beautiful Bill, backed by the two Republican senators from North Dakota, home to Minot Air Force Base.

    But those payments didn’t materialize on schedule. The Big Beautiful Bill payments were held up, frustrating the Grey Wolf partners.

    And then in November, Congress’ new National Defense Authorization Act listed more than $100 million retrofitting previously-delivered Lockheed-built helicopters to transport VIPs but just $10 million for the Grey Wolf program — not enough to build a single helicopter.

    The Air Force had justified upgrades of unused aircraft in a budget proposal earlier last year as a cheaper way to acquire helicopters. Grey Wolf defenders objected that the Air Force studies had already verified the new helicopter would be much less expensive to operate.

    The cuts would “starve” the Grey Wolf program, Mike Cooper, Leonardo’s government relations chief, said in December. “It’s hard for businesses to plan, when competitively bid procurements can be abruptly and unilaterally changed.”

    Last fall, a bipartisan group of five Congress members, headed by Rep. Donald Norcross (D., N.J.), whose South Jersey constituents include workers at Boeing and Leonardo, sent Air Force Secretary Troy Meink a letter that they were “troubled” to hear reports that the Air Force was now planning to update old helicopters for VIP transport and evacuation missions, instead of funding the new ones.

    They noted that the Air Force already had selected the Boeing-Leonardo aircraft over two proposals from Lockheed Martin.

    They called the switch an “unprecedented change in procurement,” which “undermines the integrity of the acquisition process, calls into question the criteria” for the original selection, “and raises concern about why an otherwise performing program would be truncated without clear explanation to Congress” or the companies that agreed to the contract.

    They asked the Air Force for any studies it had made to justify the more expensive Jolly Green program, which they said would cost far more to buy and operate. They also noted the impact on workers, suppliers, and finances at Boeing in Ridley Park, Leonardo in Northeast Philly, Leonardo’s Florida testing site, and contractors who had already invested in the program the Air Force has now failed to fund.

    Congress members who represented districts that include additional Boeing or Leonardo facilities support Norcross’ effort. They are Reps. Carlos Gimenez (R., Fla.), Salud Carbajal (D., Calif.), Robert J. Pittman (R., Va.), and John J. McGuire III (R., Va.).

    Lockheed Martin officials said they hadn’t taken business from Leonardo. The military planned to convert older helicopters to VIP carriers by adding new seating at Air Force bases, not at the company’s Sikorsky military helicopter factories in Connecticut or New York.

    Sikorsky’s civilian helicopter plant in Coatesville, Pa., closed in 2022. It was taken over in 2024 by Piasecki Aviation, a Delaware County-based company that has had its own federal contracting and hiring hopes deferred by government and private-sector contracting delays, according to industry sources. Piasecki didn’t respond to inquiries.

    “The MH-139 Grey Wolf is vital to our national defense and supports American jobs,” Norcross said in a statement Jan. 15. “Congress funded the MH-139 because it offers major improvements in speed, range, and survivability.”

    He said the Air Force had not directly responded, “but I will continue pressing the administration.”

    The same week, a key Air Force commander confirmed in an Air Force publication that the first Grey Wolfs had completed their first Minuteman III convoy operation between two Western air bases, noting they are significantly faster, fly farther, and lift more than the helicopters they replace.

    Two sources familiar with the program said the first payments from Congress’ $210 million have been received since that test.

    And on Jan. 20, a new federal appropriations proposal added $60 million to the Grey Wolf program — not the whole $173 million, but more than the $10 million in the earlier law.

  • Helen Cherry, prolific illustrator and artist, has died at 101

    Helen Cherry, prolific illustrator and artist, has died at 101

    Helen Cherry, 101, formerly of Philadelphia, prolific illustrator, artist, and show tunes devotee, died Thursday, Jan. 15, of age-associated decline at her home in the Woodland Pond retirement community in New Paltz, N.Y.

    “It was her decision entirely,” said her daughter, Lynne. “She knew her own mind and made the decision that it was time for her to take flight to the Great Beyond.”

    A lifelong artist, Mrs. Cherry grew up drawing and painting in West Philadelphia. She earned a scholarship to the old Philadelphia College of Art, sold illustrations to the Jack and Jill children’s magazine, and took a 20-year hiatus in the 1950s and ’60s to rear her three children.

    She resumed her career at 50 in 1974 and went on to illustrate 30 books and dozens of magazine stories for Highlights, Cricket, and other publications. Using a combination of her maiden name, Cogan, and her married name, Cherry, she was published under the pseudonym of Helen Cogancherry.

    Mrs. Cherry at work illustrating 1991’s “Fourth of July Bear.”

    “She was always an artist,” said her daughter, also an illustrator and writer. “Art was her hobby, her passion, her work. She said it was something that she can’t not do.”

    Mrs. Cherry was a keen and imaginative observer of life, adept at creating visuals that reflected the concepts of the writers with whom she worked. She illustrated many children’s books, such as All I Am, Warm as Wool, and The Floating House.

    She told The Inquirer in 1986 that a book she illustrated helped a girl she knew address a difficult childhood situation. “That made a profound impression on me,” she said. “I saw how my little books could help children.”

    Her career was featured in several publications, and she told The Inquirer that breaking back into the business in the 1970s was “discouraging at first.” She said: “I remember coming home sometimes and telling my husband that it was hopeless. He kept encouraging me to keep at it.”

    Mrs. Cherry (left) and her daughter, Lynne, work on a project.

    Helen Cogan was born July 9, 1924, in a West Philadelphia rowhouse beneath the elevated railroad tracks. The middle of three children, she looked up to her sister, Molly, and cared for her younger brother, Robert, while her parents ran the small grocery store they lived above.

    She contributed illustrations to the yearbook and graduated from West Philadelphia High School. She met Herbert Cherry in French class and sent him beautifully illustrated letters while he served overseas during World War II.

    They married in 1950 and had a daughter, Lynne, and sons Steven and Michael. She helped her husband operate Cherry’s Pharmacy in Ridley Park for years, and they lived in Milmont Park and Wallingford in Delaware County, and Carlisle, Pa. She moved to New Paltz after her husband died in 2000.

    Mrs. Cherry often sang show tunes with family and friends, and while she worked. She whipped up memorable meals, especially on holidays, and enjoyed idyllic summers on family vacations at the Jersey Shore in Ventnor.

    Mrs. Cherry grew up in West Philadelphia.

    She tutored her children and their friends, and later her grandchildren, in drawing and painting. She showed everybody, her daughter said, “how to be a good human being in this world.”

    On Facebook, friends called her “warm,” “beautiful,” and “a talented giver.” One said: “The joy she radiated her whole life long was magical.”

    Her daughter said: “She was quiet and understated but strong.”

    Her favorite song was “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries.” It opens with: “Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don’t take it serious. Life’s so mysterious.”

    Mrs. Cherry enjoyed time with her children.

    In addition to her children, Mrs. Cherry is survived by five grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, her brother, and other relatives. Her sister died earlier.

    A memorial service was held Sunday, Jan. 18. A celebration of her life is to be held later.

    Donations in her name may be made to the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation, Suite 130, 500 Summit Lake Dr., Valhalla, N.Y. 10595.

    Mrs. Cherry and her husband, Herbert, married in 1950.
  • How much snow, and when will it begin snowing in the Philadelphia region?

    How much snow, and when will it begin snowing in the Philadelphia region?

    Philadelphia is expected to see its most significant winter storm in years this weekend, with nearly a foot of snow and ice expected from a formidable low-pressure system sweeping across the eastern United States.

    Official National Weather Service forecasts say six to 18 inches of snow is possible across most of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia as the storm pushes through the region Saturday night to early Monday morning. More than 21 states are expected to experience at least moderate impacts from the storm, the weather service said.

    Forecasters said that mixing with sleet and freezing rain could hold down overall snow totals across Philadelphia and South Jersey, but the storm is likely to hinder if not halt most travel on Sunday, regardless.

    The National Weather Service puts out forecasts for every few square miles of land in the United States four times a day through a system called the National Digital Forecast Database.

    The maps below display that data. Use it to find how much snow is expected anywhere in the eastern United States. It will show the most recent forecast for the next three days.

    (function () {window.addEventListener(‘message’, function (e) { var message = e.data; var els = document.querySelectorAll(‘iframe[src*=”‘ + message.id + ‘”]’); els.forEach(function(el) { el.style.height = message.height + ‘px’; }); }, false); })();

    A considerable amount of freezing rain and sleet may also fall during the storm, leading to icing concerns. The map below displays the forecast for ice accumulation, or accretion, over the next three days.

    (function () {window.addEventListener(‘message’, function (e) { var message = e.data; var els = document.querySelectorAll(‘iframe[src*=”‘ + message.id + ‘”]’); els.forEach(function(el) { el.style.height = message.height + ‘px’; }); }, false); })();

  • Philly bill to ban waste incineration gets put on hold after failing to gain Council support

    Philly bill to ban waste incineration gets put on hold after failing to gain Council support

    A high-profile bill to ban Philadelphia from incinerating its trash was put on hold Thursday after intense lobbying by residents, activists, and industry put its future in doubt.

    The bill’s sponsor, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, made a last-minute decision to pull the measure, which would prevent the city from shipping its trash to be burned for energy at the Reworld Delaware Valley Resource Recovery Facility in Chester.

    “I made the difficult decision to hold the bill today because my colleagues have asked for more time with it,” Gauthier said, noting she had not given up on the bill.

    Gauthier said the bill would prevent “dumping on cities that are more vulnerable than us.”

    “This would never happen in a community that wasn’t populated mainly by Black people, and mainly by poor Black people,” she said of Chester. “The people that are lobbying otherwise — they know that they would never accept this where they live.”

    The move to hold the bill came after hours of public testimony by people speaking for and against it.

    However, almost all of those speaking against the bill either work for Reworld, the Chester waste-to-energy plant, or represent labor unions. Reworld employees could be seen lobbying Council members in the hallways.

    Philly sends a third of its trash to a Chester incinerator. Council members took a ‘Toxic Tour’ to get a closer look.
    File: Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

    What’s in the bill?

    Gauthier’s “Stop Trashing Our Air Act” would prohibit the city from contracting with companies that incinerate solid waste or recyclables. Gauthier said that 37% of the city’s trash is incinerated.

    For 30 years, she has fought a waste-to-energy plant in Chester City: ‘We don’t have a choice’

    The bill, she has said, is designed to combat environmental injustice, contending incineration has been particularly harmful to the Chester area.

    Chester Mayor Stefan Roots and local activists expressed support for the legislation on Thursday, citing health and environmental concerns.

    “I’m asking you and begging you,” Roots said in asking Council to vote in favor of the bill. “We’re counting on all of you to support it.”

    Chester resident Zulene Mayfield, left, Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, right, and Chester Mayor Stefan Roots meet to discuss Gauthier’s “Stop Trashing Our Air Act,” which would ban the city from incinerating waste, during a visit with lawmakers and staff in Chester, Pa., on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.

    Roots said the Reworld plant burns more trash than all of Delaware County produces.

    Multiple Chester and Philly residents say the emissions from Reworld either caused or exacerbated asthma and other health conditions.

    Andrea Robinson moved to Chester three years ago, she testified to Council. But she was unaware of the Reworld facility when she moved there.

    “I walk out my door and smell the stinky odor. I’m embarrassed to invite family and friends over. There are dust and dirt all over the car and windows,” she said.

    Fierce lobbying

    Gauthier’s bill ran up against a fierce effort to prevent its passage.

    Alex Piscitelli, facility manager at Reworld, testified that the plant operates under “the strict requirements of the Clean Air Act.”

    He said claims that the facility causes human health issues “are simply not supported by the data” and emissions “operate well below federal limits.”

    Multiple representatives of the company spoke, including workers who lived in Chester and Philadelphia.

    Ramona Jones, who lives in Chester and works at Reworld, said the job allows her to be close to her children and family. She said the company has given her ”a livable wage, a higher wage.”

    Matt Toomey, a business agent for the operating engineers union, told Council that “up to 120 family-sustaining jobs” were at stake, and noted the Reworld plant is heavily regulated and located in an already industrialized area.

    Political reality

    Aides for Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, whose administration opposes the legislation, also worked the room.

    Council members hardly ever call for votes on doomed bills. But Gauthier initially appeared to be willing to roll the dice by calling the measure up for a vote despite its uncertain fate.

    As the morning progressed, however, it became clear she did not have the nine votes needed for passage and almost certainly did not have the 12 votes that would be needed to overcome a likely veto by Parker.

    Insisting on the vote would mean that Gauthier was putting colleagues in the uncomfortable position of choosing between environmental advocates and trade unions, two important constituencies in Democratic primaries.

    But Gauthier pledged to push for the bill.

    “I am committed to this,” she said. “At the City of Philadelphia, we have to be a model for brotherly love, sisterly affection.”

  • Get to know Swarthmore’s new mayor | Inquirer Greater Media

    Get to know Swarthmore’s new mayor | Inquirer Greater Media

    Hi, Greater Media! 👋

    Swarthmore’s new mayor expects his background in emergency services management to be an asset in guiding the borough. Here’s why. Also this week, the former Crozer-Chester Medical Center has a new owner, a new bookstore specializing in rare and used books has opened in Swarthmore, plus an inclusive cafe that will employ individuals with disabilities is opening in Glen Mills. We’re also gearing up for a (potentially big) snowstorm this weekend. Follow along here for the latest forecast.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Swarthmore’s new mayor is leaning into his emergency services roots

    Conlen Booth was sworn in as mayor of Swarthmore earlier this month.

    “If not me, then who?”

    That was a phrase that kept running through Conlen Booth’s mind when contemplating whether he should run for mayor of Swarthmore. Despite initial reluctance, the Strath Haven High School grad felt he could do well in the role, thanks in part to his 25 years with the borough’s fire department, most recently as its chief.

    The 42-year-old expects that experience to be valuable as Swarthmore and the surrounding communities continue to deal with the fallout from Crozer-Chester Medical Center’s closure last year. (Keep reading for more news out of Crozer-Chester.)

    Get to know more about Booth and his vision for the borough’s emergency services management.

    💡 Community News

    • The former site of Crozer-Chester Medical Center has a new owner. Chariot Equities completed its $10 million purchase of the shuttered hospital yesterday and is hoping to have an agreement with a health system in the next six months to operate both a “right-sized” hospital and an emergency department there, with the first phase opening in the next two years.
    • Riddle Hospital got an additional $1 million in state funding this week, bringing its total to $4 million, funds that will allow for the hiring of more staff. The Media hospital, part of Main Line Health, has been allocated extra funding to help it handle an increase in patients after Crozer Health’s closure last year.
    • Media’s new mayor, Joi Washington, wrote a note to borough residents as she kicks off her term, highlighting her passion for walkability, community, and local businesses. As Washington settles into office, she also recently chatted with Philadelphia Magazine about how she ended up in the borough over a decade ago, its small-town feel, and her hopes for increasing pedestrian safety.
    • A new bookshop has opened in Swarthmore. Dirt Farm Books has taken over the space at 413 Dartmouth Ave., selling rare and used books. The shop, owned by borough resident John McIntyre, opened last week and specializes in 20th century literature, African American literature, and economics, with rare books making up about half its inventory. It also stocks an array of classics, manuscripts, and letters, and buys classic and rare books from customers. The shop is currently open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s the second bookstore to open in the borough in recent months. Celia Bookshop opened at 102 Park Ave. in October.
    • More than a dozen Philadelphia Police Department employees live in Media’s 19063 zip code, according to a new Inquirer analysis. An increasing number of Philadelphia police employees — about a third of full-time staff — live outside the city, with 13 in Media, four in Wallingford, six in Swarthmore, and 18 in Springfield. See a map of where employees live here.
    • Renovations on the Swarthmore Veterans Memorial at the corner of Park and Dartmouth Avenues is scheduled to begin Monday. Plans call for restoring the memorial’s bronze plaques, adding ADA-accessible walkways and seating, updating benches, pavers, and landscaping, and adding a memorial garden. (The Swarthmorean)
    • Women’s apparel and accessories store Francesca’s, which has a location at Glen Eagle Square in Glen Mills, is reportedly closing its remaining stores after years of financial turmoil. Francesca’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2020. (Fox Business)
    • Ever have a question about the area you can’t answer? Submit it to Curious Greater Media, and one of our reporters might track down the answer.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • There are early dismissals tomorrow for two Rose Tree Media schools ahead of dances: Penncrest High will let out at 11 a.m. and kick off its freshman/sophomore dance at 7 p.m., and Springton Lake Middle School will finish classes at 11:50 a.m. and have its seventh and eighth grade winter semi-formal dance starting at 6:30 p.m. Penncrest will have a course selection night next Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. See the district’s full calendar here.
    • Wallingford-Swarthmore has a school board meeting Monday at 7 p.m. and back-to-school night next Thursday. See the district’s full calendar here.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • A new cafe is coming to the Concordville Town Centre in Glen Mills. Ryan’s Rise Up Cafe is slated to open in March at 4 Evergreen Dr., where it will employ individuals with disabilities, as well as provide them with training and support. The cafe is the brainchild of Jim Vail, who wanted to create an inclusive space in the community for people like his 20-year-old son Ryan, who has Down syndrome. (CBS Philadelphia)

    🎳 Things to Do

    😂 Chris Nee Comedy Night: The local comedian will perform a Philly-forward set and film his comedy special A Trip Down Academy Lane. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. 💵 $25 📍The Media Theatre

    🛍️ Woman-Owned Business Pop-Up Market: More than two dozen women-owned businesses will gather this weekend for a pop-up market where you can shop, make a floral bouquet, or learn more about holistic wellness. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 24, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍Media Town Mall vestibule and Glimmer Gifts + Goods, Media

    🧊 Ice on State: Browse works of art from Ice Sculpture Philly artists, watch live demonstrations, and listen to music at this family-friendly event. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 24-Sunday, Jan. 25, noon-5 p.m. 💵 Free 📍State Street, Media

    🎺 Tri-State Jazz Society Concert: Jazz cornet and trumpet player Danny Tobias will headline this month’s concert. ⏰ Sunday, Jan. 25, 2-4:30 p.m. 💵 $10 for members, $20 for non-members 📍Community Arts Center, Wallingford

    🌻 Native Plants and Pollinators of Pennsylvania: Stoneleigh naturalist Samantha Nestory will discuss the importance of lesser-known native pollinators and the plants that help support them during this lecture. ⏰ Monday, Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m. (snow date: Feb. 2) 💵 $10 for Gardners of Rose Valley members, $15 at the door 📍 The Old Mill, Rose Valley

    🏡 On the Market

    A four-bedroom Craftsman bungalow in Swarthmore

    The living room has a brick fireplace and original hardwood floors.

    Built in 1900, this Craftsman bungalow pays homage to its historic roots while incorporating modern upgrades. The first floor features a family room, a dining room, a living room with a brick fireplace, and a kitchen with a Viking range and green cabinetry. There are three bedrooms on the second floor, while the third floor contains the primary suite, which has a whirlpool tub and a skylight. The home also has a detached one-car garage and a fenced backyard. There’s an open house Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $760,000 | Size: 2,265 SF | Acreage: 0.2

    🗞️ What other Greater Media residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Meet Conlen Booth, Swarthmore’s fire chief who just stepped into the mayor’s office

    Meet Conlen Booth, Swarthmore’s fire chief who just stepped into the mayor’s office

    Conlen Booth doesn’t typically like to be in the spotlight.

    Booth considers himself a “behind-the-scenes” guy who typically shies away from the limelight. Yet on Jan. 6, surrounded by friends, family, and colleagues, Booth was sworn in as Swarthmore’s mayor.

    Booth, 42, brings more than two decades of emergency management experience to the job, including overseeing emergency services for major hospitals and governments. He’s also spent the past 25 years with Swarthmore’s fire department, most recently as chief. Booth is Delco-bred — a Nether Providence kid, a graduate of Strath Haven High School, and a cheerleader for his home borough of Swarthmore.

    As the borough contends with the fallout of last year’s shuttering of Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital, budget shortfalls, and potential fire department consolidation, Booth believes his background in emergency services and deep ties to Swarthmore make him the right guy for the job.

    Mayor Conlen Booth in downtown Swarthmore on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.

    ‘If not me, then who?’

    Booth got into local politics the way many do — reluctantly.

    It took nudging from friends and family to step into the mayoral race. But the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a need for municipal leaders who understand emergency management and can govern in a crisis, Booth says.

    An age-old phrase kept circulating in his mind: “If not me, then who?”

    Booth competed against borough council members Kristen Seymore and David Boonin in the Democratic primary. Boonin dropped out of the race in January 2025. In February, the borough’s Democratic committee voted to endorse Booth’s candidacy 15-4, and Seymore dropped out.

    The committee’s endorsement is powerful in Swarthmore. Democratic candidates who do not receive an endorsement are discouraged from running, and in the liberal-leaning town, there are seldom competitive general elections. Booth replaced Marty Spiegel, who had led the borough since 2019.

    Who is Mayor Booth?

    Booth was born in Harrisburg and moved to Delaware County at age 2. He grew up down the street from Nether Providence Elementary School and spent summers down the Shore with his close-knit extended family and collection of family dogs.

    His maternal grandfather, Joseph Labrum, was a longtime judge and attorney in Media. Booth remembers visiting him in his chambers and watching him in the courtroom.

    “I think seeing him in his role as a judge was always something that fascinated me,” he said.

    Booth and his partner, Tracy, met working in healthcare and have been together for around 15 years. They live with Huckleberry, their Australian cattle dog.

    Booth became interested in emergency services in high school. He set his sights on becoming a doctor and spent his teenage years working on an ambulance.

    Four days before he moved into his freshman dorm at the University of Pittsburgh, he watched a good friend die in front of him. The goal changed from enrolling in medical school to just making it through college.

    “It just sort of rattled things,” he said.

    Mayor Conlen Booth with his dog, Huckleberry, in downtown Swarthmore on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.

    Booth graduated from Pitt in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in emergency medicine, an emerging field at the time. He earned his paramedic certification and learned the business-side of managing emergency medical teams.

    He returned home and took a job with the now-shuttered Delaware County Memorial Hospital, his first role in what would become a long career in emergency medicine. In 2019, he was an emergency response shift supervisor at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery during the massive explosion that left five people hurt and ended up shuttering the facility (Booth describes it as a “pretty insane period” in his life). Booth later spent four years as the senior director of emergency preparedness and emergency medical services at Crozer. He most recently worked as a consultant helping get supplies and meals to recently arrived refugees and asylum-seekers in New York City.

    In tandem with his career in emergency management, Booth has served as a volunteer in Swarthmore’s fire department since 2000, working his way up from rookie firefighter to chief. Last year, he helped develop the Advanced Life Support ambulance partnership with neighboring communities that has filled gaps for residents after the Crozer closures.

    Pat Francher, a longtime Swarthmore resident and community organizer, said Booth has the “awareness and perspective” that comes from a “real in-depth involvement in community welfare.”

    “I’m terrible about saying no to people when they ask me to do something,” Booth joked.

    This summer, Booth suffered a serious, non-work-related injury. He’s been in recovery since, and has come a long way.

    “It could have been so much worse,” Booth said. “I have a lot to be thankful for.”

    The SEPTA Regional Rail station in Swarthmore on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, during the second snowfall of the weekend. The station is between downtown Swarthmore and Swarthmore College and serves the Media/Wawa Line.

    What’s next for Swarthmore?

    Booth sees educating borough council about the community’s emergency medical needs as a large part of his job as mayor.

    Jill Gaeski, borough council president, called Booth “the perfect guy” to help the 6,200-person borough navigate the challenges that lie ahead.

    The shuttering of Crozer’s hospitals continues to impact access to medical care. At the same time, the Garden City (Nether Providence and Rose Valley), South Media, and Swarthmore fire companies are in discussions about a possible merger.

    “[Booth] can really help us understand the pain points and where the sweet spots are,” Gaeski said.

    Booth says he wants to be a cheerleader for the borough, bringing in tourism and economic growth in a way that maintains Swarthmore’s small-town feel.

    He also hopes to reengage Swarthmore College’s student body, which he says has become less civically involved as the years have passed.

    “I already feel sentimental about this town,” Booth said, citing the people, restaurants, traditions, and community events that make his hometown special.

    “How do we bolster all of these things and how do we engage more people?”

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • The new owner of Crozer-Chester Medical Center wants to restore hospital and emergency services

    The new owner of Crozer-Chester Medical Center wants to restore hospital and emergency services

    The new owner of the defunct Crozer-Chester Medical Center wants to restore hospital and emergency services to the 64-acre campus that straddles Chester and Upland Township in Delaware County.

    Newly formed Chariot Equities completed the $10 million purchase Wednesday. The for-profit entity said it expected within six months to have an agreement with a health system that would operate a “right-sized” hospital and emergency department at the facility that had been the county’s largest provider of those services before closing last year.

    The idea is then to open the first phase within two years, Chariot said in a statement.

    Chariot did not say how much it would spend on refurbishing Crozer-Chester, which had suffered from years of neglect under its two previous owners.

    Chariot’s partner at Crozer-Chester is Allaire Health Services, a Jackson, N.J.-based for-profit operator of nursing homes.

    The partners said they are in talks with regional and national nonprofit health systems regarding an operating partnership, but provided no details. The amount of money needed for the project would likely depend on what prospective tenants would want to do at the property.

    “Our belief in Delaware County’s future, and the community’s need for sustainable healthcare access, made this an effort worth committing to well before the finish line,” said Yoel Polack, Chariot’s founder and principal.

    Little is known about the new owners. Polack worked in healthcare real estate in the New York City area before setting his sights on redeveloping Crozer-Chester.

    Federal records list Allaire’s CEO Benjamin Kurland as an owner of 20 nursing homes, including three in the Philadelphia area. Chariot’s statement said Allaire owns a total of 29 facilities in five states.

    Philadelphia-area facilities associated with Kurland are the Center For Rehab & Nursing Washington Township, which was acquired from Jefferson Health; Riverview Estates Rehab & Senior Living Center in Riverton; and West Park Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in West Philadelphia.

    Local interest?

    Main Line Health has been involved in discussions about reopening emergency services at three former Crozer hospitals — Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Springfield Hospital, and Taylor Hospital — at the request of state lawmakers and the property owners, Ed Jimenez, CEO of Main Line Health, said Wednesday at a Riddle Hospital event.

    Jimenez said he would “entertain the concept” of restoring emergency services at one of the hospitals as part of a partnership with other health systems, but only if it can be done on a break-even basis.

    All three of the former hospital buildings visited by Main Line officials are in poor condition and were stripped of medical equipment after the closures. Main Line’s experts estimated it would cost between $15 million and $20 million just to make the emergency department at Taylor functional, Jimenez said.

    Riddle Hospital celebrates $4M in state funding to expand healthcare access in Delaware County

    ChristianaCare, Delaware’s largest health system, considered acquiring Crozer in 2022. Instead, it took a different path to expansion in Southeastern Pennsylvania. It is planning to open two micro-hospitals in Delaware County. The nonprofit system also took over five former Crozer outpatient locations. Its credit rating was recently downgraded by one notch because of lower profitability.

    The importance of Crozer-Chester

    Crozer-Chester closed in early May during the bankruptcy of owner Prospect Medical Holdings Inc., a for-profit company based in California, and after the failure of government-supported efforts to form a new nonprofit owner for Crozer-Chester and other Crozer Health facilities.

    Crozer-Chester was particularly important as a safety-net provider for a low-income area of Delaware County that has few other nearby options. The Crozer system, which had four hospitals, was the county’s largest health system and largest employer for many years.

    Two local Democratic officials, State Rep. Leanne Krueger and Delaware County Council member Monica Taylor, said they were encouraged by the approach being taken by Chariot and Allaire.

    At Taylor Hospital, the other Crozer hospital that closed last year, new owners are also looking for healthcare tenants. Local investors bought the Ridley Park facility for $1 million. It is less than four miles from Crozer-Chester.

    The same group agreed last week to pay $1 million for Springfield Hospital, another facility that had previously shut down under Prospect ownership.

  • Developer’s land swap proposal stirs furor in Limerick, but Delco would gain its first state game land

    Developer’s land swap proposal stirs furor in Limerick, but Delco would gain its first state game land

    A warehouse developer’s proposal to trade land with the state in Limerick Township and beyond has blindsided local officials — and ignited fierce opposition from residents who fear the deal could clear the path for a data center.

    The state would gain 559 acres across three counties, including what would become Delaware County’s first state game lands, according to the proposal on file with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

    In return, the developer, Limerick Town Center LLC, would secure a 55-acre property in Limerick. That land adjoins an industrial tract the developer already owns, which was formerly the site of the Publicker distillery.

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    Residents flooded an hourslong Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday night to oppose the land swap, prompting officials to open a second room for the overflow.

    “I’m against the swap,” resident Jeff Schmidt told the board. “It’s a terrible idea, and I need to stop now because a lot of bad words want to come out of my mouth.”

    Connie Lawson, board chair, said that ultimately the state controls the land involved in the swap, not the township.

    Township manager Daniel Kerr told the crowd that the township had little information and had just learned of the proposal last week. But, he said, plans for land involved in the swap would have to go through the township for zoning and planning.

    After hours of listening to residents, the board voted to send a “strongly worded” letter of opposition to the Game Commission.

    Although the developer has not proposed building a data center, the idea has been widely circulated on social media, including in posts by state Sen. Katie Muth. She urged residents who oppose the swap to attend the township meeting Tuesday, as well as a state Game Commission meeting on Saturday.

    Data centers, which house servers used for artificial intelligence, have become a hot topic in recent months, as residents in multiple towns have voiced concerns over their use of land, energy, and water. Meanwhile, political and labor leaders have embraced them as job creators.

    A data center was recently proposed for placement between the Philadelphia Premium Outlets and a nuclear power plant in Limerick, and another was proposed last year in neighboring East Vincent Township at the former Pennhurst State School and Hospital.

    Plans to develop Pennhurst into a data center move forward as township scraps ordinance

    Those two locations are within two miles of the land Limerick Town Center would acquire in the swap.

    “If this swap goes through, we are one step closer to turning our communities into Data Center Alley 2.0,” Muth wrote on Facebook last week. “This land is publicly owned wildlife habitat and forest. It should not be traded away so Big Tech and AI corporations can maximize profits at the expense of our environment and quality of life.”

    What’s involved with the land swap?

    Limerick Town Center LLC is already proposing to build two warehouses totaling 1.9 million square feet in Limerick’s Linfield section. That would be off Main Street and Longview Road, not far from Constellation Energy’s Limerick Clean Energy Center, a nuclear power plant.

    The proposed swap would give Limerick Town Center LLC state-owned land and a 200-foot right-of-way adjoining the warehouse site, in exchange for the company giving the state property in Limerick and other counties.

    Overall, the company would give the state a total of 614 acres in return for a 55-acre chunk of Game Land 234.

    Included in the 614 acres is a 60-acre parcel it already owns in Limerick that adjoins the southern portion of Game Land 234 near the river.

    Map shows a proposal by Limerick Town Center LLC to give the state 60 acres it owns in Limerick Township in return for the state giving the company 55 acres of State Game Land 234.

    The company would also give 377 acres in Bern Township, Berks County, to be managed by the state.

    Map shows part of a land swap being proposed by Limerick Town Center LLC. The company is proposing to give the state 377 acres of Ontelaunee Orchards in Bern Township, Berks County, in return for 55 acres of State Game Land 234 in Limerick Township, Montgomery County.

    And the company would give the state 177 acres in Edgmont Township that would become the first state game land in Delaware County.

    Map shows part of a land swap being proposed by Limerick Town Center LLC to acquire 55 acres of state Game Land 234 in Limerick Township, Montgomery County. In return, Limerick Town Center would give the state hundreds of other acres including 177 acres in Edgmont, Delaware County that could be used for a new state Game Land.

    Local concerns

    At Tuesday night’s meeting, resident after resident opposed the plan, citing overdevelopment, traffic, a change in the character of the community, and an impact on wildlife and the environment. Only one man from Berks County, who said he was a hunter, supported the swap.

    Limerick resident Jennifer Wynne told the board she opposes the swap, saying the public hasn’t been given enough information that it would provide “a clear public benefit.”

    “I am also concerned that this transfer may function as a precursor to future high-intensity or industrial development,” she said.

    Michael Poust said he moved to Limerick to escape overdevelopment, and he opposes the land swap.

    “My land is surrounded by the state game lands,” he said. “I bought it there for a reason.”

    Muth, the state senator, lives in neighboring East Vincent and has been part of the fight against a data center proposed for Pennhurst.

    “I highly recommend that you review the path forward to change the zoning in that area,” Muth told the board.

    A view of the former Publicker Distillery tract now owned by Limerick Town Center LLC, which is proposing to build two warehouses on the land. The company is also proposing a land swap with the state to gain 55 acres of adjoining land.

    Edgmont’s response

    Meanwhile, Edgmont Township, Delaware County, could gain new state game land near, but not connected to, Ridley Creek State Park.

    Pennsylvania Game Lands, supported by hunting and trapping fees, are widely used for hunting, hiking, fishing, and birdwatching.

    Ken Kynett, Edgmont Township’s manager, said officials only learned of a land swap on Jan. 16.

    “We got an email from the game commission last week saying we’re interested in acquiring property in your township,” Kynett said. “It was as much a surprise to us as anyone else.”

    Under the land-swap proposal, Limerick Town Center LLC would give the state a 177-acre portion of the old Sleighton Farm School grounds.

    The school, originally set on 300 acres and run by Quakers, was founded to serve “troubled children.” In 1931, it split into two separate schools: the Glen Mills School for boys and the Sleighton Farm School for girls. Eventually, the school became coed and was called simply Sleighton School.

    The school closed in 2001 because of financial difficulties, and the grounds were sold. Elywn, a large nonprofit, owns the land.

    Kynett said he assumed Limerick Town Center LLC is working with Elwyn on the deal. Part of the land is zoned for agriculture, and part is zoned residential.

    He said that keeping the land as open space could be a positive, but the township doesn’t have enough information to know whether to support or oppose the swap.

    “We haven’t really had a chance to discuss it with the board,” Kynett said.

    State Game Lands 234, Main Street and Pennhurst Road, Limerick Twp., Montgomery County.

    Who’s behind Limerick Town Center LLC?

    Limerick Town Center LLC has an address in Madison, Conn., according to Montgomery County land records. The address is linked to a company registered by Christine Pasieka, who is a business partner and the wife of Chris Rahn. The two have made development deals throughout the Philadelphia area for years.

    Pasieka could not be reached immediately for comment on Wednesday.

    Property records show that Limerick Town Center LLC purchased the 197-acre parcel in 2022 for $17 million.

    In 2023, the company applied to build on the Publicker tract, according to county records. The registered agent for Limerick Town Center LLC was Sandra DiNardo, whose family owns a large trucking and cement business.

    DiNardo could not be reached immediately for comment.

  • Riddle Hospital receives $4M in state funding to expand healthcare access in Delaware County

    Riddle Hospital receives $4M in state funding to expand healthcare access in Delaware County

    Two Delaware County hospitals are getting $6 million in additional funding to help them address a sharp increase in patients after Crozer Health, the county’s largest hospital and busiest emergency department, closed last year.

    About $5 million of the funding had previously been allocated to Crozer Health under a program that supports hospitals that care for a high portion of low-income patients with Medicaid. About $3 million of that money was redistributed to Riddle Hospital in Media; Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby $2 million. Local lawmakers secured an additional $1 million for Riddle.

    “They really have stepped up to fill a big void, and we want to make sure they have the resources they need,” said Rep. Lisa Borowski, a Delaware County Democrat.

    The additional funding will allow Riddle, part of the nonprofit Main Line Health system, to hire more staff, said Ed Jimenez, Main Line Health’s CEO.

    When there aren’t enough nurses or other clinicians to cover the hospital’s needs, Riddle has had to turn to staffing agencies, which charge three to four times the rate Main Line pays staff providers, he said.

    Main Line executives and local lawmakers marked the funding announcement at Riddle Wednesday with a check presentation ceremony and roundtable discussion about ongoing regional healthcare challenges.

    Rep. Gina Curry, a Delaware County Democrat, urged hospital executives to continue trying to connect with patients who may be without doctors after Crozer was closed by its bankrupt for-profit owner, Prospect Medical Holdings, based in California.

    Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland and its sister hospital, Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, served a disproportionately low-income population in Chester and other densely populated communities outside Philadelphia with high rates of chronic health problems, such as asthma and heart disease.

    “You’re working very hard inside here to try to help, but how are you including the community to let them know that Main Line Health is wrapping around them,” Curry said.