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Tag: Swarthmore

  • Swarthmore Public Library closes the chapter on overdue book fees

    Swarthmore Public Library closes the chapter on overdue book fees

    The Swarthmore Public Library has officially done away with overdue fees, joining a growing contingent of libraries that say the fines do more to drive patrons away than to get them to return their books on time.

    Swarthmore’s library serves residents of Swarthmore and neighboring Rutledge and is a member of the Delaware County Public Library System. A nonprofit, the library is powered by private donations and government funding. It served around 3,100 cardholders in 2024.

    Overdue fines can actually deter library use, all while bringing in marginal financial benefits, said Alec Staley, the library’s director.

    Case studies have shown that library fees ultimately can discourage people from returning books. After the Chicago Public Library dropped fees in 2019, it saw a 240% increase in return of materials within three weeks. During a six-week fine-forgiveness program at the San Francisco Public Library in 2017, nearly 700,000 items were returned (the items returned were valued at $236,000).

    Once late fees start accruing, many people, especially low-income library patrons, will stay away to avoid paying them, forfeiting their library access entirely. Oftentimes, late fees burden the people who need library resources the most.

    Collecting fees has also become taxing for library staff, Staley said. Turning away families because of overdue fees has weighed heavily on Swarthmore’s librarians.

    “We were just punishing [people] for no reason at all,” he said.

    The new policy means any outstanding late fees will be wiped from cardholders’ balances.

    Elizabeth Brown, president of the library’s board of trustees, said fine revenue is “not a meaningful source of our budget.”

    Swarthmore Borough is set to contribute $277,000 to the library this year, up 17% from the year prior.

    Late fees make up only around 1%, or $5,000, of the Swarthmore Public Library’s annual revenue. Library officials believe they can close the gap with fundraising.

    Does this mean people will be able to take the books and run? Not really.

    “We’ll still have a lost-item charge,” Brown said. “This is by no means a free-for-all.”

    Unreturned items will be marked “lost” after three weeks and a fee will be charged. However, fees will be dropped if the “lost” book is returned.

    The Swarthmore Public Library joins a growing group of Philly-area fine-free libraries.

    The Free Library of Philadelphia went fine-free in 2020, a move the library system said would increase equity and bring back 88,000 cardholders who were unable to access library services due to fines.

    In Delaware County, the Upper Darby Township and Sellers Memorial Free Public Library, Newtown Public Library, Media-Upper Providence Free Library, and Ridley Park Public Library are fine-free.

    Ultimately, Staley said, imposing fines runs counter to the heart of what a public library is supposed to be.

    “We champion that we’re one of the last free spaces in the United States,” he said. “But then we have this secret where we’re still charging fines.”

    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.

  • 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.

  • Trash pickup, school closures, and more: What you need to know post-snowstorm in and around Media

    Trash pickup, school closures, and more: What you need to know post-snowstorm in and around Media

    The largest snowstorm in a decade just hit the Philadelphia area, closing schools and coating the roads with a sheen of slippery white stuff.

    Seven inches of snow fell in Media on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Swarthmore got 7.3 inches and Nether Providence got 8 inches.

    Winter storm totals: How much snow and ice fell in the Philadelphia area?

    There will be no trash or recycling pickup in Media on Monday. All borough offices are closed. Parking restrictions will be in place until 5 p.m. See the full list of restricted streets here. Media residents who live on a designated snow emergency route are encouraged to park in the Baltimore Avenue parking garage on the first or second level. Parking fees will not be enforced during the snow emergency declaration, which runs until 5 p.m. Monday.

    There will be no trash collection in Swarthmore on Monday. All trash scheduled to be picked up Monday will be picked up on Tuesday. The Swarthmore library and borough offices are closed.

    Middletown and Upper Providence townships’ offices are also closed Monday.

    The Rose Tree Media School District is holding a flexible instruction day (a remote learning day with a combination of live instruction and office hours). The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is closed.

    The Walden School, Benchmark School, and The School in Rose Valley are also closed. Notre Dame de Lourdes School is having a remote learning day.

    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.

  • 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.

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    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.

  • Why touring ‘Suffs’ in Philadelphia under Trump is a ‘radical act’

    Why touring ‘Suffs’ in Philadelphia under Trump is a ‘radical act’

    Broadway playwright, composer, and actor Shaina Taub knows the power of theater to make a political statement. As an enthusiastic teen in Vermont, Taub staged a teach-in to protest the Iraq War at her high school — a bold move inspired by the anti-war musical Hair.

    About a decade later, when she was approached to write a musical about the suffrage movement, Taub recognized another meaningful opportunity to blend activism with theater.

    The one challenge: She was pretty unfamiliar with the American women who fought for the right to vote.

    “I really didn’t know anything,” Taub said.

    She was stunned, but her feelings turned into frustration as she concluded that her American public school education had been seriously lacking. “I was blown back by the scope of this history,” she said.

    That fueled her to create Suffs, the hit musical about the suffrage movement centered on South Jersey Quaker activist Alice Paul, a radical and charismatic organizer played fittingly by Taub herself in the Off-Broadway and Broadway runs.

    Alice Paul, seated second from left, sews the 36th star on a banner, celebrating the ratification of the women’s suffrage amendment in August 1920. The 36th star represented Tennessee, whose ratification completed the number of states needed to put the amendment in the Constitution. (AP Photo, File)

    After premiering in 2022 at New York’s Public Theater for a sold-out run — following the trajectory of another history musical box-office success, Hamilton — Suffs opened on Broadway in 2024. It went on to earn six Tony Award nominations.

    Taub took home two, for best book and best score, making history as the first woman to win in both categories independently on a night where Hillary Clinton, a Suffs coproducer, introduced Taub and the cast.

    Now on its first North American tour, Suffs has landed at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music this week (running through Jan. 18) to help kick off a year of events commemorating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The musical graces the same stage where suffragist Susan B. Anthony once spoke some 150 years ago advocating for the right to vote.

    Though mostly set in the District of Columbia, Suffs has some local shout-outs, too: The show mentions Swarthmore College, where Paul studied before pursuing her master’s at the University of Pennsylvania, and Bryn Mawr College, where President Woodrow Wilson (Suffs’ main antagonist) once taught history and politics.

    “Suffs” on Broadway.

    On opening night at the Academy of Music, director Leigh Silverman nodded to Philadelphia’s history in the suffrage movement, mentioning the protests Paul organized at Independence Hall, only a mile away, and across the city.

    “The suffs you met tonight, and the many, many others … were here in Philadelphia, and they remind us of our collective strength and what is possible when we stand up and fight, despite how far it might seem like we have to go, or for how long we have to keep marching,” she said.

    Taub echoed that sentiment in an interview.

    She believes the tour has been especially significant to stage under President Donald Trump following his policies canceling millions in federal grants for arts organizations nationwide and targeting historical institutions (particularly in Philadelphia) to alter the information they present to the public about slavery.

    “This is the first year of Suffs being performed under this president, and [it feels like] a radical act to get together in the theater and tell these stories,” Taub said.

    She added that it’s acutely meaningful to see the show in Philadelphia as the city reflects on the nation’s history for America250 this year.

    Though the actor/playwright grew up in Vermont, she saw shows in Philadelphia as a kid when she visited family in South Jersey; her mother, Susan Taub, was raised in Cherry Hill, just a few miles down the road from Paul’s childhood home in Mount Laurel.

    Today, it serves as the location of the Alice Paul Center for Gender Justice.

    Despite her connections to the region, Taub admitted that she has not yet visited Paul’s home. She plans to march over there soon.

    “Suffs.” Through Jan. 18, Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. ensembleartsphilly.org

  • Media-based painter Rinal Parikh is redefining Indian folk art with contemporary themes and local imagery

    Media-based painter Rinal Parikh is redefining Indian folk art with contemporary themes and local imagery

    As a blanket of snow and sleet melted into the grass and an early winter fog hung over the Delaware Valley last month, Rinal Parikh’s art studio was a tranquil portal to the outside world.

    In her studio, lofty windows look out onto a sprawling backyard. The walls are adorned with Parikh’s paintings, both completed and in progress, and its shelves are stacked with art supplies and mementos.

    “What inspires me is my surroundings, and I’m blessed with an amazing backyard,” Parikh said, looking out the window. “That is my main inspiration.”

    Parikh is a Media-based painter and biochemist by trade whose art blends traditional Indian folk styles with contemporary themes. Her art, rich in texture, color, and meaning, uses a collection of materials, from sand and fabric to glass, beads, and stucco. She paints with acrylic and watercolors, and creates detailed drawings with thin brushes. Her work fuse her upbringing in India with her current life in Media, an amalgamation of past and present, of here and there.

    Rinal Parikh, 43, Media-based artist, talking about her art work in her home in Media, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

    Parikh, 43, took a circuitous route to becoming an artist. She moved to Philly in 2005 from Gujarat, India, to follow her husband, Bhavin, who had immigrated a few years earlier (the day of our interview was the 20th anniversary, to the date, of her arrival in the U.S.). She enrolled in a masters in molecular biology program at Drexel University, a step toward her Ph.D., and got a job in a lab at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

    A few years after her move, Parikh’s first son was born with health complications. With no family close by, Parikh quit her job to focus on taking care of her son. He’s now a healthy teenager, she notes.

    Seeing that Parikh was missing out on work, her husband made a suggestion: Why not paint something for their new house? That first painting, “Krishna-leela,” now hangs in the Parikhs’ living room, an eye-catching depiction of the Hindu deity Krishna.

    Rinal Parikh’s painting “Krishna-leela” is displayed at home in her formal living room in Media, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

    When her son was 9 months old, Parikh stopped by an art fair at the Creative Living Room, a community arts center in Swarthmore. She struck up a conversation with some of the women there. A few days later, they called with a question: Would she like to do a solo show?

    “I didn’t even know what that means,” she said.

    Nonetheless, she agreed. She worked tirelessly for three months to make 20 pieces. She didn’t know where to buy art supplies, so she imported them from India (someone would later point her toward the now-closed Pearl Art & Craft Supplies on South Street). In fall 2009, she displayed her paintings for the first time as a professional artist — and sold her first painting, too. The rest, she said, is history.

    Parikh melds together three types of Indian folk art — Warli, Madhubani, and Kalamkari. Warli is a tribal art that depicts day-to-day life in a mural-like format. Madhubani uses geometric patterns and typically reflects celebrations of life. Kalamkari, Parikh said, is “very refined,” a style of art that uses a fine brush to create delicate and detailed line drawings. All three art forms have traditionally been practiced by women.

    Parikh feels like she speaks “a global language.”

    Though her paintings take inspiration from the traditional Indian folk style, the scenes depicted are not just of India. They’re often of the Philly area, and of the flora and fauna in her backyard.

    “I still practice Indian folk art, but the subject matters are very ‘now,’” Parikh said. “The language is still very traditional, but the conceptualization, the visualization, is much more contemporary.”

    A painting called “Home” painted by Rinal Parikh, 43, displayed in the family room of her home in Media, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

    In her family room hangs “Home,” a 2021 Warli painting of a tree. The background is complex in both texture and color, with blues, browns, and purples peeking out. Hanging from the tree are monkeys, which Parikh said captures the energy of having two boys, now 17 and 12, in the house. (They’re very good kids, she clarifies.)

    “I observe my surroundings, I experiment with styles, I do a lot of repetitive patterns, and I tell my story,” she said.

    Since jumpstarting her art career, Parikh has become involved in the region’s growing art community. She’s the marketing chair for the Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Show and is involved with the Community Arts Center of Wallingford.

    She said she understands the anxieties of young artists and wants to support the organizations that nurture their careers.

    “I was supported by the community, and I want to do the same thing.”

    Parikh’s art can be found on her website and her Instagram page.

    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.

  • 13 ways to celebrate the new year in and around Media

    13 ways to celebrate the new year in and around Media

    The countdown to 2026 is on, and there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the end of one year and the start of another. From New Year’s Eve dinner specials to adults-only celebrations and family-friendly gatherings, here’s how to ring in the new year in and around Media.

    New Year’s Eve Events for Adults

    Ship Bottom Brewery will host a “keg drop” to usher in the new year.
    Ship Bottom Brewery’s Keg Drop

    Now in its third year, the Swarthmore location of the brewery will usher in the new year with a keg drop. Festivities kick off around 3 p.m. and there will be live music from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., followed by a DJ from 9 p.m. until midnight, as well as food trucks.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 3 p.m.-midnight 💵 Pay as you go 📍Ship Bottom Brewery, 5 Park Ave., Swarthmore

    New Year’s Eve with Jawn of the Dead

    Ring in the new year by listening to local Grateful Dead tribute band Jawn of the Dead perform at Shere-E-Punjab. Tickets are for the standing-room-only show. Separate reservations are needed for dinner.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. 💵 $40 📍Shere-E-Punjab, 210 W. State St., Media

    Springfield Country Club is hosting its annual New Year’s Eve bash.
    Ring in 2026 at Springfield Country Club

    Springfield Country Club’s 21-and-over celebration includes a dinner buffet, dancing, music, an open bar, and a champagne toast.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. 💵 $129.89 📍Springfield Country Club, 400 W. Sproul Rd., Springfield

    State Street Pub’s New Year’s Eve Party

    There will be à la carte dining throughout the night, and starting at 9:30 p.m., DJ Josh Jamz will be spinning tunes. Families are welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍State Street Pub, 37 E. State St., Media

    Family-Friendly New Year’s Events

    Countdown to Noon at the Rocky Run YMCA

    This event includes crafts, games, music, and a countdown to noon, complete with a ball drop. There will also be hot chocolate available for purchase.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m.-noon. 💵 Free 📍Rocky Run YMCA, 1299 W. Baltimore Pike, Media

    Swarthmore Public Library’s Noon Year’s Eve

    There will be games, activities, and a countdown to noon at this drop-in event for young kids who can’t make it to midnight.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Swarthmore Public Library, 121 Park Ave., Swarthmore

    Media-Upper Providence Free Library’s Noon Year’s Eve

    Families with preschool and elementary age kids can listen to music and a story, craft a disco ball, and count down to noon at this event. Registration is required.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Media-Upper Providence Free Library, 1 E. Front St., Media

    Global Noon Year’s Eve Celebration

    Helen Kate Furness Free Library will ring in the new year by showcasing several traditions from around the world, including making a Japanese craft and eating a snack that’s meant to bring luck for the year ahead. Registration is required.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, noon-1 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Helen Kate Furness Free Library, 100 N. Providence Rd., Wallingford

    Media’s New Year’s Eve Ball Drop

    Watch the ball drop from over 100 feet above Spasso Italian Grill in the borough as 2025 turns to 2026. There will be a DJ performing near Jackson and State Streets, as well.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. 💵 Free 📍Spasso Italian Grill, 1 W. State St., Media

    New Year’s Day 5K Race

    Kick off the year with a brisk 5K race through Swarthmore. There will also be a free race for kids ages 2 to 13 and their families.

    ⏰ Thursday, Jan. 1, 10:30 a.m. 💵 $40-$45 📍Swarthmore College Field House, 500 Fieldhouse Lane, Swarthmore

    New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Dining

    Broad Table Tavern is offering a prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve.
    Broad Table Tavern

    The restaurant at the Inn at Swarthmore will serve a special prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve that gives comfort food a spice-forward twist. The three-course menu includes starter options like roasted cauliflower soup, cider-braised pork belly, fennel-crusted yellowfin tuna, and truffle mushroom arancini. Entrée options include filet mignon, sea bass, stuffed pork loin, and winter squash gnocchi. The meal will be capped with a poached pear tart or gingerbread truffles. Dinner will be served from 4 to 9 p.m., and the bar will be open until midnight.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 4-9 p.m. 💵 $75 📍Inn at Swarthmore, 12 S. Chester Rd., Swarthmore

    Fond

    The Wallingford BYOB is offering a five-course meal for New Year’s Eve that includes a first course soup; a salad, tuna tartare, or foie gras second course; scallops for the third course; entrées like pork belly, Scottish salmon, and filet and shrimp; and a dessert of hazelnut chocolate mousse. A half-dozen oysters are also available to add to the meal for $21.

    ⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 31, 4:30-9 p.m. 💵 $135 📍Fond, 21 N. Providence Rd., Wallingford

    White Dog Cafe is hosting a New Year’s Day “pajama brunch,” where attendees are encouraged to where their PJs.
    Pajama Brunch at White Dog Cafe

    On New Year’s Day, White Dog Cafe is again hosting its Pajama Brunch, which encourages attendees to wear their PJs to the restaurant, where an à la carte menu will be available. Reservations are encouraged.

    ⏰ Thursday, Jan. 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 💵 Prices vary 📍White Dog Cafe, 981 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills

    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.

  • These college journalists from Philly-area schools are working to support each other and seek funding for their work

    These college journalists from Philly-area schools are working to support each other and seek funding for their work

    Haverford College senior Jackson Juzang earlier this year had been talking to a school administrator about the need for more resources to support student journalism.

    The administrator, Chris Mills, Haverford’s associate vice president for college communications, asked if there was a network of student newspaper journalists in the region that Haverford could join and seek support from.

    There wasn’t.

    “So I decided to create one,” said Juzang, 22, an English major from Pittsburgh who serves as associate editor of the Clerk, Haverford’s student newspaper.

    Jackson Juzang explains why he started the Philadelphia Student Press Association.

    He established the Philadelphia Student Press Association as a nonprofit and created a board with student editors from 11 college news organizations around the region, including Temple, Drexel, Villanova, St. Joseph’s, La Salle, Rowan, Rutgers-Camden, Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, Haverford, and Eastern.

    With the slogan “Rooted in Philly, Reporting for All,” the group — which collectively represents about 400 student journalists — is seeking funding from organizations to support student journalism at a time when college budgets are tight and the news industry faces challenges, including rising print costs and lower readership. The association already has held workshops with more planned next year, and its 21-member board meets monthly and discusses common issues and problems and brainstorms solutions.

    “We have so many people coming from different regions, but we are united in the sense that we are all here for the same reason,” said Claire Herquet, an editor at the La Salle Collegian.

    At a recent meeting, members talked about artificial intelligence and what to do if an editor suspects a student writer used it, Herquet said. There were two instances over the past semester when she read an article submission and thought the terminology and phrasing didn’t sound like the writer, she said.

    “If I didn’t have PSPA, I wouldn’t have people to lean on,” said Herquet, 21, a junior communications major from Camden. “It would just be me versus the problem.”

    Herquet manages communications for the association. She has been reaching out to foundations about obtaining grant funding for the association. Some college newsrooms are better funded than others and can give writers and editors stipends.

    She’s hopeful that uniting the newsrooms will result in better experiences for students and more funding.

    La Salle’s publication is only digital; there is no print version. Costs are minimal, but funding would cover professional workshops for students and costs, such as travel, associated with their reporting.

    The Whit, Rowan University’s student news site, prints a newspaper once a week and receives financial support via student government, but print costs are rising, said junior Katie Thorn, who serves as managing editor.

    “We’re trying to figure out with the budget we have if it is possible and what we are going to have to sacrifice to keep our paper printing,” Thorn said.

    Thorn, who is serving as treasurer for the association, said it’s been helpful to learn that other student organizations are facing the same challenges.

    “Journalism as a whole is such a scary world right now,” said Thorn, 20, a journalism major from Mantua, Gloucester County, “and you’re kind of throwing yourself into the fire. Am I going to find a job? Where does my future lie? Having people who support you and uplift you is a great thing.”

    Haverford College president to step down in 2027

    Haverford’s student newspaper has received funding via the president’s office and is able to pay its writers, Juzang said. In January, the Clerk will publish its first print edition.

    But the Clerk would like resources for deeper reporting and investigative work and mentorship, he said.

    Juzang, who hopes to pursue a graduate degree in communication management next year at the University of Southern California, said he’s invested thousands of dollars of his own money to get the association started. He currently works as a research/editorial intern for NBC Sports.

    He said the association also has received support from the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

    Juzang said he would like to help schools, including Widener and Lincoln, that used to have student news sites revive them. He also has begun talking to student journalists in other metro areas, including Washington, Boston, New York, and Baltimore, about starting an association for their university newsrooms, he said.

    Mills, the Haverford communications administrator, was pleased to see Juzang take that conversation the two had last March and create a mechanism for student journalists to share their experiences and learn from each other.

    “It’s really important for the students to share resources and knowledge and wisdom,” he said. “For those of us who value student journalism, it’s great to see them prioritizing this and making the time to do it.”

  • A new food hall brings over a dozen restaurants to Media | Inquirer Greater Media

    A new food hall brings over a dozen restaurants to Media | Inquirer Greater Media

    Hi, Greater Media! 👋

    It’s a big week for a short stretch along Route 1, where two new businesses are opening. Food hall Wonder is hosting its grand opening today, and less than a mile down the road, Middletown Township has welcomed its first full-service hotel. Also this week, Nether Providence Township police are searching for the person who left a large amount of cash in a South Providence Road mailbox, plus Swarthmore College is mourning the death of a beloved former professor.

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

    Wonder food hall opens at Granite Run

    Eddie Jefferson is the operations leader at Wonder’s newest location, which opens today at the Promenade at Granite Run.

    Good news for parents of chronically picky eaters: Wonder, the fast-growing food hall chain, opens at the Promenade at Granite Run today.

    It will offer a wide-ranging array of foods from over a dozen restaurant brands, including Bobby Flay Steak, Detroit Brick Pizza Co., comfort food spot Bellies, and Burger Baby.

    “I have children who never really could settle on the same food. So it was like, ‘Oh this makes sense,’” said Eddie Jefferson, the location’s operations leader.

    The Inquirer’s Torin Sweeney has details on all the food you can find at the latest location, along with grand opening plans.

    Middletown Township hopes to cash in on tourism with its first full-service hotel

    The new Hilton Garden Inn opened Tuesday in Middletown Township.

    Middletown Township’s first full-service hotel opened this week at the former Franklin Mint site.

    The long-planned 107-room Hilton Garden Inn opens at a fortuitous time for the region, with a swell of tourists expected in 2026 for FIFA World Cup matches, semiquincentennial celebrations, the MLB All-Star Game, and the PGA Championship, The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner reports.

    The new hotel also provides an additional option for local visitors, including those coming in for events at one of the county’s 12 colleges and universities or visiting major corporations like Wawa, which has its campus just a short drive down the road.

    Read more about the new hotel and its restaurant, which is open to the public.

    💡 Community News

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • Springton Lake Middle School was recently recognized among Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools’ “Schools to Watch” for the 2025-26 academic year. This is the third time Springton Lake has been recognized since the program was launched during the 2006-07 school year. It recognizes schools based on a number of factors, including academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational structures and processes.
    • In Wallingford-Swarthmore, there are fifth grade winter band and chorus concerts today, a school board meeting Monday at 7 p.m., and winter classroom parties on Tuesday. WSSD begins its winter break on Wednesday. See the district’s full calendar here.
    • In Rose Tree Media, winter parties kick off tomorrow and continue Monday, when there are also winter concerts. There are early dismissals Tuesday, and no afternoon kindergarten. RTMSD’s winter break begins Wednesday. See the district’s full calendar here.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • For those in search of Christmas Eve reservations, Fava Ristorante Italiano and Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, both in Glen Mills, will be open. Prefer to dine in? White Dog Café, also in Glen Mills, is offering a “Christmas at Home” package with options for beef tenderloin, glazed ham, and beef lasagna. (Main Line Today)
    • If you’ve already got your eye on New Year’s Eve plans, Wallingford BYOB Fond is offering a five-course dinner for $135. It includes oysters, tuna tartare, seared foie gras, scallops, pork belly, and dessert.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🎄 Lenora: A One-Woman Christmas Carol: Kate Brennan puts a modern twist on A Christmas Carol with this show centered on a woman who gets trapped in her apartment on Christmas Eve and ends up assessing how technology and devices both connect and disconnect us. ⏰ Thursday, Dec. 18, 12:30 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m. 💵 $21 📍Park Avenue Community Center, Swarthmore

    🎭 Hello, Dolly!: PCS Theater will put its spin on the hit musical. ⏰ Friday, Dec. 19-Sunday, Jan. 4, times vary 💵 $28.50-$30.50 📍PCS Theater, Swarthmore

    🍪 Teen Activity Days: Teens 13 to 18 can decorate holiday cookies at this month’s event. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 20, 1-3 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Rocky Run YMCA, Media

    💫 Winter Solstice: Celebrate the darkest day of the year with luminary lights, poetry readings, and carolers. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 20, 5:30-8 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Plum and State Streets, Media

    🎙️ Lights Out: A Very Valli Holiday: This tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons features classic hits and festive tunes, as well as audience participation. ⏰ Saturday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m. 💵 $41 📍The Media Theatre

    🏡 On the Market

    A four-bedroom Media home with lots of natural light

    The family room has a stone accent wall with a fireplace, exposed wood beams, and a staircase leading to a loft.

    Located in Spring Oak Estates, this four-bedroom home feels light and bright thanks to a number of vaulted ceilings and skylights. The first floor features a two-story foyer, a living room with vaulted ceilings and a marble fireplace, a dining room, a kitchen with granite countertops, and a family room with exposed wood beams, vaulted ceilings, and a fireplace within a stone accent wall. It also has a spiral staircase leading to a loft. The primary suite, also with skylights, is on the first floor, while three additional bedrooms are upstairs. The home has a finished walk-out basement, a deck, and a fenced yard.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $1.049M | Size: 3,302 SF | Acreage: 1.1

    🗞️ 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.