Cop is not the apple of her eye
I am responding to the editorial in the Jan. 23 edition entitled A couple of bad apples.
I hold great respect for most members of the Philadelphia Police Department. However, as your editor states, there are a “couple of bad apples” among Philadelphia’s finest.
Without using names I would like to give an example of one such “bad apple” who is none too sweet.
He is an in-law to my family who brags of beating up on prisoners in his custody and of getting away with drunken driving because he is a cop. He believes that because he is a cop, he is above the law and untouchable.
It is my opinion that this is where people’s distrust of police officers stems from. People feel helpless because the police department, Internal Affairs Division included, is a “brotherhood” that sticks together.
This is proven in that when Internal Affairs initially investigated the case of James Brady and Joseph DiLacqua, the only punishment they received was a 20-day suspension. It wasn’t until the media publicized the story that serious charges were filed.
Brady and DiLacqua are not the only police officers who have manipulated the law for their own gain.
If the citizens of this great city are to trust their officers of the law, then isn’t it time to re-evaluate the system we use to investigate and punish officers who manipulate it?
Lisa H.
Sandyford Park
Go ahead with Woodhaven . . .
My wife and I attended the Jan. 29 meeting at Lower Moreland High School that concerned the ongoing saga of the Woodhaven Road project that was proposed sometime in the 50s.
I also learned that some time in the 60s or 70s the state purchased property and cleared the way for the completion of Woodhaven Road to a point farther than it is now.
The varied reasons of why the project wasn’t completed include politics, money, individuals’ stories of “savvy” investments and sad stories that resulted from these “shrewd” investments.
It is a sad state of affairs that the project is in its present state, but none of this “Monday morning quarterbacking” or second-guessing resolves the traffic problems in the area.
Meanwhile, most of these stories are related to the problem most didn’t address — solving the problem of traffic — although they did address many individuals’ situations.
My own thinking is that the project should be completed at it was proposed almost 50 years ago, since the land has been acquired (with considerable displeasure to the people who were forced to move) and cleared.
If the road has to be extended farther than first conceived to soothe the residents in that area, then — as my wife always says — “just do it.”
My wife and I have lived in Somerton since 1984 and neither of us can remember when traffic in the area was not a problem.
We also can accept the fact that if we gambled and lost as far as home value is concerned, our home is our home regardless of its value.
Francis O’Connor
Somerton
. . . but change its direction
The PennDOT presentation of choices to improve on the Woodhaven Road bottleneck west of Roosevelt Boulevard was a fiasco and a total waste of time and money.
Their proposals would only extend the bottleneck a mile or so. All of their choices would cause major disruption to residential property. In addition, U.S. Rep. Jim Greenwood would once again kill any attempt to increase traffic on his part of Byberry Road.
The only practical route, in my opinion, is to extend Woodhaven Road by building north and west through the area occupied by S.S. Fretz Co. and extend across Philmont Avenue to connect directly with County Line Road and Bustleton Avenue.
That route is the most direct and would connect directly with a state road that has been going through widening of portions for many years. It has already been widened from Bustleton Avenue to Buck Road and then from the Pennsylvania Turnpike overpass to Route 611.
That path is the least destructive to residential property and would only require widening a couple of miles of County Line Road to allow four-lane traffic all the way out from Roosevelt Boulevard up to Route 611.
The overpasses required for Philmont Avenue and the railroad would not be any more destructive than any of PennDOT’s three proposals.
John M. Diamond
Warminster
Beware the Harbison 500
I understand the concern at the Roosevelt Boulevard is real. Many times I have crossed those streets with my life in my hands, literally, and my kids cross those dangerous highways every day to and from school.
Now my concern is Harbison and Torresdale avenues. While walking from the corner of the Wawa store going eastbound, I saw two cars (and more on countless other days) run yellow lights and red lights. Then, when it is time for pedestrians to cross, the light turns green and the drivers try desperately to beat pedestrians crossing the street.
Many school kids from Harding Junior High and Sullivan Elementary cross there. It is a dangerous corner and needs to be watched by police for speeders and other violations. My guess is they will catch many. Since the Boulevard is a target, many drivers are using alternative routes to avoid getting caught. Apparently, Harbison and Torresdale is one of them. Don’t try to cross at rush hour. You will get run over by a driver who thinks they are on the little Indy 500.
Carolyn Holzer
Wissinoming
Protect the environment
This letter is in response to many issues I have come across in the last few weeks. They all involve the environment and the animals that inhabit its bounty.
I feel that something is extremely wrong with the system known to us as “our government.”
Valley Forge Park, located in Valley Forge, Pa., is considered a historic site. It is also home to many walks of wildlife. Around this park, it is very crowded and getting even worse. Plots of land that were once covered with trees and grass are being bulldozed and converted into office buildings.
Why aren’t we using the office buildings that are vacant and empty first? So, after developers use up all the space around the park, where to build next but in the park itself!
I have seen on the news and in the newspaper plans for a developer to build luxury homes in the park. This is ridiculous! What’s next, building shopping centers in Yellowstone National Park?
In addition to building in Valley Forge Park, there is also another proposal to drill in the Arctic.
The Arctic Refuge is America’s last great wilderness, supporting wildlife so prolific that it is called “America’s Serengeti.”
This month, pro-drilling senators will try to amend energy legislation to allow drilling for oil on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The House of Representatives has already voted to allow drilling in the Refuge.
We should not sacrifice one of our country’s crown jewels for a few months’ supply of oil. We can meet our energy needs without destroying our national treasures.
In both of these examples, I ask myself, “Does it even matter to our government if the citizens oppose such plans?” Apparently not, if money is involved.
How can a government that is so concerned for the well-being of the environment allow such events to happen, especially in places that are considered parks or sanctuaries for wildlife? Aren’t there laws against such acts?
Something needs to be done to protect these places from disappearing or getting damaged. When will man learn to appreciate the planet a little more?
Isn’t cutting down the rain forests of the world enough evidence to change how we do things?
Gina Novak
Somerton
God bless Misty’s fans
Thank you, thank you, thank you for publishing the well-written article concerning Jackie Werner and her lost dog (Jan. 2 edition).
I met Jackie when I saw her lost-dog ad in your paper and she came over here in Holmesburg to check a stray black and white beagle type (not hers). No one could catch it, not even the SPCA, as it was scared of everyone.
Anyway, she was so distraught that I prayed nightly to God and St. Francis that she would find her beloved Misty.
Then, I read the follow-up article by Nicole McLaughlin in your Jan. 16 edition.
Without these well-written articles Jackie would not have found her furry family member.
Also, thanks to the kind woman that found her and took her to a caring shelter in Bensalem.
God bless each and every one involved in bringing Misty home to Jackie’s loving arms.
Pat Poehler
Holmesburg
Kudos for Sen. Stack
Hats off to state Sen. Mike Stack, who, in his first year in office, has been able to champion two of the most important pieces of legislation in the commonwealth.
Not only was Sen. Stack able to protect jobs and tax revenue by fighting for the Crown Cork & Seal legislation, but he showed his true colors by leading the fight in the Senate for the hepatitis-C legislation, which protects firefighters and emergency response personnel.
A true friend to all who place their lives on the line for the rest of us.
A big “thank you” to the senator. Keep up the great work.
Michael Parazino
Somerton
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Congratulations to Sen. Stack on his most recent appointment to the board of trustees of Temple University. It is a great honor to have our senator to help guide the growth and development of city institutions. Keep up the good work, senator.
William Nevell
Parkwood