Riddle adds beds amid Delco’s ‘healthcare desert’ | Inquirer Greater Media
Plus, Swarthmore’s housing market continues to soar and its borough manager is stepping down.
Hi, Greater Media! 👋
It’s been just a few months since Crozer-Chester Medical Center shut its doors, but Riddle Hospital continues to feel the strain. Also this week, Swarthmore has one of the region’s hottest real estate markets, and the borough manager announced plans to step down in September.
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Riddle Hospital’s emergency department has been overwhelmed with patients since Crozer-Chester Medical Center’s closure earlier this year. The hospital is one of the next-closest alternatives, and as a result has seen a spike in patients in its emergency room, forcing the hospital to add staff and more temporary beds.
Riddle has especially seen an increase in patients seeking mental health resources. Crozer-Chester operated the county’s only 24-7 crisis center for mental and behavioral health, and now patients in need are being forced to go elsewhere.
Riddle used to see about 20 psychiatric patients a month, but that has grown to about 140 patients a month since Crozer’s closure, The Inquirer’s Sarah Gantz reports.
Read more about steps being taken across Delaware County to ensure residents have access to the emergency medical care they need.
💡 Community News
Swarthmore Borough Manager Bill Webb will resign effective Sept. 2, he announced last week. The Chester County native, who has been in the role since January 2022, said he’s leaving to take a different government position in Virginia, which is closer to his husband’s family. During his tenure, he’s been involved with the Imagine Swarthmore comprehensive plan, which is slated for review by council on Aug. 18. The borough has begun the search for an interim replacement with a goal of having someone in that role in early August, Webb said. Applications are due by Aug. 1. The borough is also hiring for a permanent replacement.
Swarthmore has one of the region’s hottest real estate markets, according to a recent analysis from the Philadelphia Business Journal. It ranks No. 6 for its average list price of $578,684 and average sale price of $664,219. (Philadelphia Business Journal)
Swarthmore Borough Council has effectively delayed a decision on whether to approve a second smoke shop downtown until the fall. The council narrowly agreed to send a zoning amendment to the planning commission last week that could create buffer zones for certain businesses that want to be open near places of worship, schools, day cares, and other such facilities. (The Swarthmorean)
A federally funded, tuition-free welding program at Delaware County Community College is helping the region recruit in-demand workers, but workforce leaders worry that President Donald Trump’s call to defund the nation’s premiere economic development agency could lead to fewer of these types of programs.
Vendor applications for Media’s State Street Fall Festival in October are open through July 31. Nether Providence Township is also accepting vendor applications for its Family Fun Day that same month, which are due by Aug. 1.
Media Borough last week launched pickup volleyball games on Fridays at 7 p.m. at Barrall Community Park. The drop-in games will continue through the end of summer.
The Delaware County Health Department is currently collecting school supplies for its DCHD Delivers Donation Drive, which provides qualifying students with essential items. The department is collecting new school supplies and hygiene products. There are drop-off sites in Media at the County Government Center on West Front Street, with Franklin Mint locations at Wawa’s headquarters and on West State Street, and in Swarthmore at the library.
🏫 Schools Briefing
Rose Tree Media School District recently shared a peek at some of the ongoing updates it’s undertaking this summer, including to the cafeterias at Springton Lake Middle and Indian Lane Elementary Schools. The district is also preparing to install a new playground at Rose Tree Elementary.
🍽️ On our Plate
Heading down the Shore this weekend? The Inquirer’s Craig LaBan has rounded up 25 restaurants from Cape May to Long Beach Island you won’t want to miss.
🎳 Things to Do
🍿 Smurfs: The Lost Village: Kids can watch the 2017 animated movie in which smurfs discover a major secret. ⏰ Thursday, July 24, 3-4:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Helen Kate Furness Free Library, Wallingford
🖼️ Community Arts Center Annual Members Exhibition: Explore the works of member artists 18 and older during this six-week exhibition in the Duke Gallery. ⏰ Through Saturday, Aug. 30 💵 Free 📍 Community Arts Center, Wallingford
🎵 Rose Tree Summer Festival: The upcoming lineup includes performances from Merion Concert band tonight, Barry Harris on Friday, Van Halen Nation on Saturday, and The Discoteks on Sunday. Next week, catch Lolly Hopwood & Friends on Wednesday and Mysterious Ways U2 Tribute on Thursday. ⏰ Thursday, July 24-Sunday, July 27, and Wednesday, July 30-Thursday, July 31, 7:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Rose Tree Park, Media
🍕 Summer Sky Fireside: Explore Tyler Arboretum after hours, enjoy a meal from on-site food trucks, and play yard games. There will also be beer, wine, cider, and ice cream. ⏰ Friday, July 25, 5-9 p.m. 💵 Free for members, $18 for non-members; food is pay as you go 📍 Tyler Arboretum, Media
🎤 Dread the Dead: The Grateful Dead and reggae mashup band will perform at Shere-E-Punjab. ⏰ Saturday, July 26, 8:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Shere-E-Punjab, Media
🧵 Kids Button Making: Kids can design their own unique button using the library’s tools. ⏰ Thursday, July 31, 3-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Swarthmore Public Library
🐅 Eyes of the Wild: Registration opens this Saturday for next month’s live animal event, where kids can meet an array of animals at the library. ⏰ Saturday, Aug. 9, 10:30-11:30 a.m. 💵 Free 📍 Media-Upper Providence Free Library
🏡 On the Market
Built in 2003, this four-bedroom Colonial has been updated in recent years, including an overhaul of its kitchen appliances, bathrooms, and central air conditioning. Located in the Swarthmore Green Estates neighborhood, the house backs up to Ridley Township Municipal Park, giving residents easy access to a sports field and walking path. The home has a two-story foyer, formal living and dining rooms, a family room, and an eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and an island. The primary suite features vaulted ceilings, a walk-in closet, and a soaking tub. The finished basement has another kitchen-like area with a refrigerator and sink, while the fenced backyard has a patio and fruit trees. There are open houses this Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.
Price: $699,000 | Size: 3,202 SF | Acreage: 0.19
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