Most probably don’t remember the movie Finian’s Rainbow. But it is a 1968 American musical fantasy film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and adapted by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy from the 1947 stage musical of the same name. It was about an Irishman and his daughter, who steal a leprechaun’s magic pot of gold and emigrate to the American South, where they become involved in a dispute between rural landowners and a greedy, racist U.S. senator. There was this song in it called “How are things in Glocca Morra” and it always made me think of Narberth Borough in Montgomery County, neighbor to Lower Merion Township.
Narberth used to be this ideal place and so sweet…then the wheels started to come off and things happened like what happened in 2011 and then what happened in 2014 made it out into public view:
by Carolyn Davis, Inquirer Staff Writer
Published Aug. 2, 2014, 3:01 a.m. ET
For a while after Sean Metrick came in during 2015 as Narberth Borough Manager (he was assistant manager for a year or so before this in Narberth) things were better. There was also a some decent borough council people with local institutional knowledge and not necessarily politically entrenched. For a few years they worked hard to reform Narberth and then Metrick went to West Chester Borough when Ernie McNeely left West Chester for Lower Merion Township. Since Sean Metrick left in 2020 it has been an odd parade of multiple managers.
First up after Sean Metrick left was assistant manager Matt West.
So for some reason they didn’t give this Matt a real shot at being manager and when he left in 2021, they hired a woman named Samantha Bryant. Matt West went to become manager in New Britain Township in Bucks County, while Samantha Bryant came from New Britain Borough in Buck County.
But Samantha was fairly short-lived and two years later poof she was gone…to Maine…quite a difference in salary, except cost of living is probably much less and well, quality of life might be better for her.
So after that great mystery, in came the next manager. A man named Ken Cammilleri. He was barely in Narberth before he was gone. As per his LinkedIn he was literally there 5 months. He came here from the Minnesota
Ok keeping up? Next Narberth Borough bought back former Assistant Manager and acting Interim Manager Matt West for 2024. I still don’t get why they never offered this guy the manager job full time, yet he’s been a pinch hitter what twice? Always the Narberth bridesmaid?
So Matt is now at Plymouth Township and Narberth has yet another new manger as of like today or last week or something.
Who’s on first is now Maggie Dobbs who was at New Hanover Township for a year and prior to that? Westtown Township.
So Narberth, I have to ask, what’s in the water over there in your Glocca Morra?
Remember 2023 with the EV Charging Stations thing?
https://montco.today/2023/04/ev-charging-stations-narberth
And then there is the whole trying to sell Sabine Park for development thing, right?
And now Narberth is supposedly all pissy because a kid, as in a quite literally high school journalist wrote about this in December because well Narberth hasn’t stopped the madness here so what’s the problem? And WHY is it that the Borough of Narberth STILL hasn’t killed selling municipal park land for development????
Sabine Coalition is the group working hard to save the park and has a website:
https://www.sabinecoalition.com
And they have a tremendous lawyer so I am still waiting with popcorn because I know this attorney and they really don’t want to take him on…
https://www.sabinecoalition.com/meet-our-zoning-litigator
https://www.sabinecoalition.com/white-paper
Narberth has issues it seems.
But the manager thing? It’s a municipal merry go round. Is anyone taking bets on how long this one will last?
