Dear neighbors,

In the U.S., vital social services and civil rights are in grave peril, with immigrants, BIPOC communities, disabled people, trans people, queer people, poor people, reproductive rights advocates, and religious minorities particularly at risk.

But mass anxiety isn't limited to marginalized groups. Town halls across the country are afire in bipartisan fury, as people from across the political spectrum demand accountability from their elected representatives.

Of course, not everyone is marching in the streets, badgering their senators, or even making five calls a day. Many are frozen in place, unable to stop reading catastrophic headlines, but unsure of how to make a tangible impact on such a broad and complex situation.

This is the goal of those in power: to make us feel too scared, too ineffectual to take action.

It’s worth taking a closer look at the fear. Perhaps that frozen feeling is a matter of social circumstance, and not a character flaw. Perhaps that frozen feeling is a symptom of individualism, a white supremacist philosophy that has come to define the U.S. financial and political systems. Our isolation, our loneliness is by design — after all, alienated people can’t effectively fight for change.

So, where do we go from here? Self-care matters, of course, but it’s simply not enough to sustain ourselves. The antidote to individualism is interdependence.

Interdependence makes us powerful, and it makes us resilient. "Shared visions, values, and purposes flow through and between people," Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone write in their book, Active Hope, "This type of power can't be hoarded or held back by prison walls; it is like a kind of electricity that lights up inside and inspires those around us. When a vision moves through us, it becomes expressed in what we do, how we are, and what we say. The alignment of these three creates a whole that is more than the sum of its parts."

We can sow the seeds of change by channeling our rage, maturing our fear into radical empathy and compassionate action. A simple place to start is by nourishing one's social networks. Create networks of reciprocity: Ask your quietest coworker to go for a walk sometime. Text that charming acquaintance you've been meaning to hang out with. Pick up a regular shift at the local food pantry. Attend an upcoming Left of Lansdowne potluck (details coming soon). Split a casserole with your neighbor. Join a book club. Let someone keep you company while doing a chore you hate. Share what you can, but don't forget to practice accepting help. It has to go both ways.

In short, you are not alone. And because you’re not alone, you are not powerless. You have something to offer the people around you, and you deserve to be cared for in return. Getting unfrozen is easier said than done, but it always starts with a single spark.

In solidarity,

Left of Lansdowne

P.S. Need harm reduction supplies like Narcan, test strips for fentanyl/tranq, COVID tests, or masks? Text or call us at ‪(215) 360-3096‬. Please note that this is a volunteer-run, NON-EMERGENCY service.

HOT TOPICS

• Traffic calming: At February’s Health and Public Safety meeting, the committee discussed the need for traffic calming in the borough. Ideas included relocating the southern portion of Lansdowne Ave’s bike lane over to Wycombe Ave for cyclist safety, expanding the sidewalk on that stretch of Lansdowne Ave to reduce speeding and improve ADA accessibility, and adding parking spots along that street. The chief of police also suggested increased enforcement and parking decoy police vehicles in areas prone to speeding. Council has stated that they plan to pursue a comprehensive traffic study to design long-term borough-wide solutions, instead of adding speed bumps at random. This makes sense, but this could take years to execute — surely there’s some kind of short-term solution that won’t lead to over policing. Still, we appreciate the attention to accessible sidewalks and improved pedestrian and cyclist safety.

• Parking: At this same meeting, the committee discussed the placement of ADA accessible parking spaces, whether or not disabled drivers should have to pay parking fees, parking passes for seniors and general residents, and parking meter technologies. New parking kiosks will have options to pay by phone or by card, but when asked about the 3rd party servicer’s privacy policies, the chief of police was not able to assure attendees that he’d read the terms of service, which was… concerning.

• Police influence: There’s an elephant in the room: Why are issues like parking meter technologies, design-based traffic calming solutions, parking permits for seniors, and ADA accessibility not being assigned to the Infrastructure committee? Because the above issues are passing through the public safety committee (a committee heavily influenced by LPD) instead of through infrastructure, we argue that the Lansdowne Police Department has excessive influence on bureaucratic matters that deserve well-researched solutions. 

• Community Steering Unit report: After months of work, the Community Support Unit (CSU) Steering Committee presented an in-depth report and PowerPoint presentation to Borough Council on February 19th. The committee ultimately recommended that the Borough hire a Social Worker to be embedded with the Lansdowne Police Department. Community-led boards and commissions, like the CSU steering committee, comprise volunteers with relevant expertise and experience, but their recommendations have, in our opinion, historically been underutilized by council. We hope that CSU’s recommendations are taken to heart! On an unrelated note, LPD has announced that 2 part-time officers are leaving the department to take full-time jobs elsewhere. The borough will rehire to fill these positions.

• Community events: Councilperson Griffin is working on his “Municipal Support Resolution” (this link is a draft, not the final version) which would require local event organizers to reimburse LPD for overtime expenses at some larger events, both public and private. As for which specific events would be required to have police on site, the chief said this would be determined on a case-by-case basis, which could leave room for bias. More discussion was supposed to be had in the March 4th Community Development & Recreation meeting, which was canceled last minute.

• Code enforcement: In our last newsletter, “Navigating Change” we shared that Councilperson Hover brought two resolutions regarding a local registry for electricians and plumbers to February 5th’s Council-as-a-Whole meeting. Both resolutions failed to get enough support to make it to vote. The Codes Director, Mike Jozwiak, has reminded residents that certain home renovation projects require a final codes inspection, even if contractors forget. He has an open door policy and is happy to address questions and concerns: You can find his contact details here. Councilperson Young plans to work on improving public education when it comes to codes, etc, so be on the lookout for that in the coming months.

How to weigh in:

• Join to the March 5th Council-as-a-Whole hybrid meeting, starting at 7 pm. Public comment takes place near the end of the meeting.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

• Committee duties: Last month, President Curry explained and outlined what each council-led committee does and who the chairs are for each board in hopes of clarifying scope. You can read all the committee descriptions here.

• Potholes: Pothole paving for Lansdowne is happening this spring. Now is the time to report potholes to the borough for repair. Contact the Infrastructure committee — the next meeting is Tuesday, March 11th at 7 pm.

• Veterans Landing: A $150k matching grant will fund improvements to Veterans Landing (f.k.a. Lansdowne Landing). Improvements will include landscaping, shade structure, a kids’ play area, benches, lighting, bike racks, signage, and wi-fi for a security camera. Most of these projects will need to go to bid before installation, so the timeline is unclear. FYI, the old American Flag receptacle at the Landing is getting refurbished and will be put back when finished.

• Parks & Rec: P&R Director Marc Manfre is working on a bunch of new recreation programs, including pickleball — Signups are open now and sessions begin this Thursday, March 6th, as a weekly event at the 20th Century Club. In February, Lansdowne also had its first Senior Dance Party by DJ Steve Kurtz at the 20th Century Club. Yoga, line dancing, Zumba, and other class information can be found on the borough’s website.

• Rental fees: Borough Manager Brodeur and Parks & Rec Director Manfre have been developing a more reasonable Rental Fee chart for borough properties and parks. A rental fee for Veterans’ Landing was proposed but unanimously voted down by the Parks and Rec Board. The Landing was originally a community-led initiative, and we agree that it should remain free and open to all. There are way too few real third-spaces around!

• Dig in: Join the EAC on March 21st starting at 4 pm at Rap Curry Park’s Pollinator Garden for a spring reset and refresh. Parks and Recreation has monthly park cleanups, usually during the first Saturday of each month. To learn more, reach out to Mark Manfre or attend the next Parks and Recreation meeting on March 17th.

• Borough website: The borough is working behind-the-scenes to update its website. They are in the early stages, and while there’s no current ETA, they’ll eventually want volunteers to test the new version’s usability. If you’re interested in being a test user, contact Councilperson Connors or Borough Manager Brodeur.

• Hybrid meetings: Borough hall will see long-awaited audiovisual updates in April! This will go a long way to making hybrid meetings more accessible for all Lansdowne residents. 

• Trash collection: The Sanitation Department now has two new (or new-ish) trash trucks, which will allow them to resume separating trash and recycling. Did you know that it costs the borough 90% less money to process recyclables than to dump trash?

• Board vacancies: Seats are open on the Parks and Recreation Board and Library Board. If you are interested in volunteering, head on over to the borough’s Volunteer page for more information. We also recommend reaching out to the chair of the board you're applying for, just to make sure that your application doesn’t get overlooked. If you’re on the fence and want to attend a meeting first, Parks and Rec will meet on March 17th and the Library Board will meet on March 18th. 

• Meet the Mayor: Due to the Eagles’ Superbowl win, Mayor Magda rescheduled February’s Coffee with the Mayor event for March 14th from 8–10 am at Utility Works. Light refreshments and coffee will be provided. All residents are encouraged to stop by and share their thoughts on the borough.

• Women’s Empowerment event: Vice President Pointer is planning a borough-sponsored event titled “UPLIFT: A Woman’s Journey to Empowerment” for May 3rd at the 20th Century Club. More details to come.

Upcoming borough meetings:

Here are some important documents that are on the calendar to be discussed in March: the Native Plants and Sustainable Municipal Landscaping Resolution is ready to be voted on. The Borough will continue to discuss their updated Staff Handbook and Social Media Policies before voting in April. More information will be shared about the EAC’s Single-Use Plastic Bag Resolution proposal. There will be more discussion and community feedback on Councilperson Griffin’s “Municipal Support Resolution”. And the Borough may release and vote on the updated Borough Rental Fee chart.