YEADON — The borough’s hopes of becoming the center of Delco’s tennis world just got a big bounce.
The United States Tennis Association’s Middle States Philadelphia branch has pledged $12,750 over the next three years to Friends 4 Tennis in Yeadon, saying it hopes to help the borough with its goal of building a tennis and recreation facility at the site of the former Yeadon Swim Club.
“When this project was announced, I heard the mayor say that if everyone in the borough donated a dollar to the cause, it would go a long way to building this facility,” said Jack Ladden, president of USTA’s Middle States Philadelphia branch. “I took that comment to my board, and they said they’d pledge a dollar for each of our 12,750 members.”
Ladden was on hand with Philadelphia-Area Tennis District Liaison Kitty Perrin to present the borough with a ceremonial check during Thursday night’s council business meeting. They also helped the borough hand out Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards to nearly 40 youths who participated in the borough’s tennis camps last summer. Yeadon plans to offer the programs again this year.
Borough officials had announced in May that they hope to build an 11-court tennis facility on the now-defunct swim club’s five acres in the next few years, and are working to secure funding to demolish the old buildings and start planning new ones.
“We are forever grateful for this donation,” mayor Dolores Jones-Butler said. “I’m sure the parents appreciate it, and we surely appreciate it.”
By Thomas Fitzgerald and Dan Hardy, Inquirer Staff Writers
President Obama visited a Head Start center in Yeadon on Tuesday to announce stricter performance standards for the federal preschool program for children from low-income families, using the occasion to attack congressional Republicans for blocking his education and jobs agendas.
It was the latest step in Obama's "We Can't Wait" barnstorming tour of the country to rev up his reelection campaign by contrasting his willingness to implement policy through executive action with the partisan gridlock of Congress.
Some national polls have shown a slight uptick in Obama's approval rating in the month since he began bashing lawmakers, who have bottled up his proposed $447 billion plan to stimulate the economy.
Mayor Butler and Rev. Trevor Woolridge visits the Premier of Bermuda,
the Hon. Paula A. Cox, JP, MP, Minister of Finance.
Bernie Chavis & Mayor Butler at Tennis Workshop- Washington, DC February 2011
Yeadon Borough Tennis
21st Century Vision
After some careful thought and research, I concluded that my vision for Yeadon, is one of a prosperous community that has the atmosphere of a small town where neighbors care for neighbors, where each neighborhood block is a special place that feels like "home",where people of all ages can walk to their neighbors and to community services and shops without fear, and where employment opportunities are available for all who qualify.
A borough is more than its buildings and sidewalks, its roads and storm drains, and the physical objects that people see as they drive through. A borough’s physical design and infrastructure represents not only its history, but its vision for the future, as well as, the spirit and dreams of its people.
I am confident that, together, U.N.I. can continue to make Yeadon the beautiful caring community that we dreamed.
