Mayor's Message 8/18/2021

Mayor’s Message
August 18, 2021

Good evening everyone, I have a couple of updates…

This evening, I am asking Council to support two resolutions regarding the recreational plans for Upper Darby. Thanks to the Delaware County Council for offering the opportunity to preserve green space in our community through the Open Space and Recreation Municipal Grant Program. Our goal is to apply for a grant to create a Master Plan for all township parks and public spaces as well as to acquire a grant to help fund the completion of the Darby Creek Trail.

I am happy to report that we are moving forward with plans for the new Upper Darby Community Center. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon visited the site recently with our CAO to discuss the project, we have officially awarded the bid for the design of the center to JMT (Johnson, Mirmiran and Thompson), and earlier this week we broke ground on another municipal project across the street at parking lot number 1 on Garrett Road in preparation for a redevelopment project there. On a related note, the Upper Darby Welcome Center, which is currently located at 7000 Walnut Street, is moving to the Watkins Senior Center, located at 326 Watkins Avenue in Upper Darby, on Monday, August 30th.  

Starting next week, the Tower Theater will be hosting an event for the first time since early 2020. The virtual Van Gogh Immersive Experience is set to open on Thursday, August 26th and will run six days a week through February 2022. We are excited to welcome this internationally renowned exhibit to 69th Street. Together, with Live Nation, I invite and encourage everyone who comes to enjoy the exhibit to shop, dine, and explore everything that Upper Darby has to offer.

At this time, we are seeking sponsors, vendors, and performers for the 2021 Upper Darby International Festival, which will take place on Saturday, October 2nd. Please email festival@upperdarby.org for more information, and be sure to follow the Festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/UDIntlFestival for future updates. 

Currently, there is one opening on the Upper Darby Historic Commission, as well as a couple on the Library Board. Please send an email with a cover letter and a copy of your resume to mayor@upperdarby.org if you are interested in serving on one of these entities. 

As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise locally, getting vaccinated remains vitally important. Here are the statistics we have received from Delaware County regarding the percentage of Upper Darby residents who have been vaccinated. As of August 13th, 2021: residents in the 19026 zip code have a 70.2% vaccination rate, and residents in the 19082 zip code have a 60.5% vaccination rate. We also have three other zip codes in Upper Darby, so this list is not complete.

We are headed in the right direction, but we must keep moving forward in the fight against this virus. To find a vaccine location, please call 484-276-2100 or visit www.delcopa.gov/vax. For resources about vaccine hesitancy, please visit www.factsoverfiction.info. 

Lastly, I would like to read a proclamation in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, which is Tuesday, August 31st, 2021.  

WHEREAS, we recognize the purpose of International Overdose Awareness Day as a way to remember our loved ones lost to overdoses and ending the stigma of drug-related deaths; and

WHEREAS, the Upper Darby community affirms and acknowledges the harm and hardship caused by drug overdoses; and

WHEREAS, we resolve to work harder to reduce the number of overdoses in our community. Drug overdoses claimed the lives of hundreds of residents of Delaware County, Pennsylvania in 2020, with countless additional lives forever changed; and

WHEREAS, we affirm that the people who are affected by the disease of addiction and drug overdoses are our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, our brothers and sisters, and our friends and fellow residents, and that they are deserving of our love, compassion, and support.

NOW, THEREFORE I, Barbarann Keffer, Mayor of Upper Darby, do hereby proclaim Tuesday, August 31, 2021 as International Overdose Awareness Day in Upper Darby and encourage the entire community to recognize and participate in its observance. 

Thank you and have a good evening.