Dear neighbors,

Needless to say, many people have already formed strong opinions about Palestine and Israel. But for others, making sense of contradictory headlines, euphemistic language, state-sanctioned propaganda, and bad faith arguments can be an overwhelming (if not impossible) task. Some may feel pulled between groups of friends and family members, or begin to doubt what they’ve grown up believing about the region. For these people, and for anyone who has questions about the issue, we have organized a free public event called Palestine 101.

We’d love for you and your neighbors, friends, and loved ones to join us on Sunday, August 11, at 6:00pm at Lansdowne’s First Presbyterian Church (140 N. Lansdowne Ave) in Irwin Hall for a panel discussion and beginner-friendly Q&A session. Our guest speakers — Ethan Cohen (Jewish Voice for Peace), Samuel Kuttab (Prayers for Peace Alliance), and Marie Kelly (Philly Healthcare Workers for Palestine) — will share an overview of Palestine’s history, speak about their experiences as human rights activists, and answer audience questions. We will be providing face masks, which are strongly recommended, as well as free refreshments from a local Palestinian-owned restaurant. Please note that the venue is down one flight of stairs.

See you there!

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

Here’s an overview of what was discussed at July’s borough council and committee meetings:

• The Finance Committee has been discussing strategies for handling borough finances. Some committee members want to establish a capital reserve, putting money aside to fund future projects. Other members argued that putting money aside would mean it wasn’t available to fund the borough’s immediate needs and that a capital plan should be developed first to determine what we are actually reserving the money for.

• The new tech board met for the first time in July, and will advise the borough council on its technical needs and (subpar) digital security practices going forward. The board has recommended that council record and post all hybrid meetings for transparency. It is worth noting that one meeting in July had its hybrid component canceled at the last minute without a legitimate reason.

• Lansdowne’s Community Support Unit (CSU) Committee put together a FAQ to better explain what a CSU is and can do for a community. As part of their needs assessment, members wanted to do a ride-along with an officer. However, ride-alongs are not allowed in Lansdowne and the police chief has offered to let CSU watch video footage instead. For context, all other surrounding boroughs allow ride-alongs.

• After last month’s debates on overspending on the Veterans Landing project ended with a reduced budget, Councilman Hover is now working to secure funding for a memorial wall at the landing and streetscaping for the central business district.

• There has been an increase in complaints about minor issues in Hoffman Park (litter, noise, etc). Law enforcement has been unclear on what to enforce re: alcohol, grilling, parking, hours of usage. It has been suggested that Lansdowne increase police presence in the park to reduce complaints. Parks and Recreation is working on improving park signage to clarify hours of operation and to add more information via message boards.

• There was a conversation about speed humps/bumps and the burdensome process of getting them installed. The current policy is out of date and requires traffic data that the police do not have the capacity to collect (despite receiving more than 40% of Lansdowne’s annual budget) as well as buy-in from 80% of surrounding residents. Neither of these obstacles are required by PA or PennDot. The police chief expressed reservations about speed bumps, saying they making driving “unpleasant” and are noisy, but did not express any interest in other methods of traffic calming.

• Mike Jozwiak (zoning and code enforcement) pitched a potential resolution to start an office of Emergency Management in Lansdowne. The office would create crisis mitigation and management plans for the borough. Council members proposed holding a public forum to educate neighbors on disaster preparedness and forming a subcommittee of community members to support hazard management. This issue will be voted on at tonight’s borough council meeting.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

• Lansdowne’s Arts on the Ave festival has been scheduled for 10/20/24

• After a bunch of back and forth, the official recommendation is to keep Scottdale Road a one-way street.

• We are inching closer to getting a new Parks and Rec Director! It sounds like they’re going to approve the new director at tonight’s borough council meeting.

• If you missed the official Lansdowne newsletter (from borough council), you can always read back issues here.

Upcoming borough meetings: