Hello Friend,
Welcome to your Haverford Civic Association! Thank you for your interest in our community.
I want to thank the current and previous Board members of the Association. They have been great colleagues and partners in fostering civic engagement and promoting the welfare of our community. We are a volunteer organization and the Haverford Civic Association very much appreciate everyone’s time. Additionally, I would like to thank our local Commissioners, Ray Courtney, Anthony Stevenson, and Scott Zelov, who have been advocates and supporters of the HCA throughout the years. Finally, I would like to thank you, our neighbors and friends who are current and prospective members, for your support this past year.
A Productive 2024
The Haverford Civic Association accomplished a lot in 2024.
Thanks to the energy, talent, and effort of Charles Ault, the HCA has a beautifully updated website – www.HaverfordCivicAssociation.com. Charles has also been the driving force behind the monthly newsletter that members receive. Thank you Charles!
In 2023 and 2024 the HCA teamed up with the local Garden Workers during spring and fall beautifying Haverford’s local Sharpe Park. Volunteers, including HCA Board members, did a lot of weeding, trimming and ground cleanup. New native plants that improve the habitat for birds were planted. The Garden Workers have big plans for the park as they are in the midst of restoring it. To help support their efforts, the HCA donated $750 to the organization is planning volunteer workdays in Sharpe Park for spring and fall 2025. Please watch our website for notifications.
Last October the HCA hosted a neighborhood party in Sharpe Park to celebrate our lovely Haverford community. It was the first in-person community celebration the HCA has held since the end of the COVID pandemic. Haverford residents appeared to enjoy the colorful events and appreciated the opportunity to connect with their neighbors. It was a beautiful day and a great time. We had pumpkin decorating for the kids, live music, and some tasty hotdogs! Check out these pictures from the party.
The HCA Board spent much time and effort working to promote the welfare of our community with our Commissioners, on topics like traffic calming and the near future installation of red-light cameras. Please visit our newsletter archives for updates on these topics.
Lee Tabas, our Treasurer, has also engaged AMTRAK on multiple occasions in an effort to spark discussions between AMTRAK and a local developer who is interested in redeveloping the historic Haverford Train Station. While it has been slow going, the HCA remains optimistic that AMTRAK will be interested in pursuing the development of their property.
Finally, the HCA made some repairs to the snowflake lights that are installed along the Haverford stretch of Lancaster Avenue at the start of the winter holidays. The Association funds half the cost to install, take down, repair, and store these jolly, sparkly snowflake-shaped illuminations.
Looking Ahead to 2025
This year the HCA is again planning spring and fall workdays in Sharpe Park. Please watch for notices in the newsletter, on the website and our Facebook page. The HCA is also planning to have another fall party in Sharpe Park. Again, we’ll announce that in the newsletter and on the website and our Facebook page.
The HCA will continue having traffic calming conversations with our Commissioners and explore partnerships with other local organizations, like the Lower Merion Historical Society and the Haverford College Arboretum.
Additionally, the HCA would like to replace our snowflake lights on Lancaster Avenue. When compared to the lights of our neighbors in Bryn Mawr and Ardmore, they are a bit long in the tooth. We estimate the cost to be between $5,000 and $9,000, depending on the type of light. So that will be a major fund-raising goal during this year.
As a reminder, our elected Executive Committee and volunteer Board of Directors meet the second Tuesday of each month, from September through June, at 7 PM at the Merion Cricket Club. We encourage all members, residents of Haverford, institutional representatives, and local business owners to attend and participate.
We value your support and have multiple levels of membership for your convenience. We will also appreciate any contributions or donations that are above and beyond these levels. With these dues and contributions, the HCA supports civic activities such as the aforementioned party in Sharpe Park, as well as the efforts of the Garden Workers, and the maintenance and hanging of our community snowflake lights.
We will post our monthly meeting minutes to the website throughout the year as well as news about current issues and community events, so please check back on a periodic basis. Also, please follow and “like” our Facebook page, where you’ll find our meeting notices and helpful information about public services and charity events. Finally, watch for a survey that we are sending in February. We want to hear from you about your priorities and concerns. (And please always feel free to send us a note with any issues or concerns you feel we should address.)
On behalf of the HCA Board and Officers, thank you and sincerely,
Charles (Charlie) Davis
President – Haverford Civic Association
Haverford Civic Association 