Dear neighbors,

We made our local debut last weekend at the Lansdowne Farmers Market. Admittedly, some of us were a little nervous going in, not sure how we’d be received: Would the townspeople throw their locally-grown tomatoes at our zine racks and pro-Palestinian art? Would the local leaders we’ve openly critiqued take the opportunity to return the favor? But no such thing happened. Instead, we were delighted to find that the people of Lansdowne, and shoppers from the surrounding boroughs, were anywhere from neutral-to-thrilled to see us.

It didn’t hurt that our booth was loaded with free items: zines about surveillance, racial justice, queer history, and mutual aid; Narcan and fentanyl test strips; COVID rapid tests and high quality masks; cold bottled water; and even a box of fidget toys for kids (and the young at heart). Material items aside, those who approached our table were excited to talk about the need for transparency in government, the importance of caring for one’s neighbors, and how good it feels to take action locally when the world’s problems feel insurmountable.

Whether you’re reading this newsletter for the first time or the fifth, we’re so glad you’re here. You can read our first newsletter, which explains how we got to this moment, but here’s a quick overview of what we’ve accomplished over the last six months:

• Organized the community to collectively reject Resolution 2023-33, a “both sides” proclamation that failed to acknowledge Israel’s role in Palestinian oppression

• Held a free zine workshop at the local library

• Ran a school clothing and toiletry drive in partnership with Buy Nothing Lansdowne

• Successfully blocked a plan to increase mass surveillance by the local police department

• Formed a harm reduction collective that distributes Narcan, drug-testing supplies, etc. in our area

• Released a Delco-specific voting guide

• Raised awareness about, and ultimately blocked, council’s potential overspending on the Veterans Landing project

• Observed as many borough council meetings as possible and started distributing monthly summaries to the community (see below for this month’s overview)

Our work — LOL’s and yours — is far from done. As long as the community has needs that aren’t getting met by local officials or private entities, mutual aid will be the answer. We’re excited to tackle problems together and grateful to be a part of this vibrant, resilient community.

In solidarity,

Left of Lansdowne

P.S. Need harm reduction supplies like Narcan or test strips for fentanyl/tranq? Text or call us at ‪(215) 360-3096‬

HOT TOPICS

The content and tenor of this month’s council meetings reflected a lot of the changes LOL has been pushing for.

• Council blocked overspending on the Veterans Landing project and worked with Clifton Heights to close a funding gap on the planned bridge over Darby Creek.

• The new borough manager, Debbie Brodeur, was highly engaged and present at numerous meetings.

• Council responded to community input about the need for a parks and recreation director and approved the new position. Applications for the position are due 7/12.

• Community members were appointed to a steering committee for the new Community Support Unit. The committee will be reviewing current police practices and the best programs for handling non-emergency calls and followup.

In short, council has made considerable progress in how it handles borough finances and community feedback. These changes weren’t without tension — fingers were pointed, blame was shifted, and some community members were met with hostility during public comment. Nothing out of the ordinary, but clearly there’s still room for improvement.

Here are a few more things that caught our attention:

• Resolution 2024-14 was approved, “establishing police guidelines authorizing an arrest without a warrant.” The resolution essentially outlines the conditions under which people can be arrested without a warrant.

• The Lansdowne Police Department is now accredited. The linked resource is from a police perspective; we have yet to find another perspective for balance, but figured we should at least share for context. The biggest arguments for this from LPD were lower insurance costs and lawsuit prevention (we don’t have details on how exactly accreditation prevents them)

• LPD has hired 2 part-time officers. They also promoted another officer, whose contract requires biannual promotions. On a related note, LPD is currently remodeling their kitchen. To our knowledge, the remodel will not be covered by the department’s annual budget, which already makes up more than 40% of the borough’s overall budget.

• The LEDC has lost its partnership with Penn State, the funder of the Maker Space. As a result, classes and equipment would move to with Utility Works; we’ll keep you posted as we learn more.

• The “Walkshed Plan” is meant to make a more pedestrian-friendly community. However, the research for the project was conducted more than 10 years ago, and there hasn’t been any recent opportunity for community feedback. Councilperson Pointer is in favor of seeking more current input, while Councilperson Hover argued against that.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

• The borough is considering a ban on single-use plastic bags and straws. Take the survey before 7/15 if you’d like to weigh in.

• The borough is working on creating a procedure for requesting permits for large gatherings in parks.

• Highland Ave will be shut down in mid-July, tentatively, for some sewer work.

• Lansdowne Theater has determined that they will use a private vendor for their security needs, rather than LPD

• Spotlight Theater has been granted permission to rent the 20th Century Club, which means we’ll have a community theater program in town.

Upcoming borough meetings: