“I’ve wanted to give back to the community and now feels like the time.”
Palmyra has always been a special place to Lewis Yetter, ever since he moved to the borough in 1962. The 62-year-old moved here from Northeast Philadelphia in the first grade, and hasn’t left.
After working for Verizon for 25 years, Yetter spent several years looking after his mother while she lived with him in town.
Now he has given himself back to the community that helped raise him, as a member of six groups in the borough. Yetter joined Borough Council in 2015, and is also a member of the Public Works Committee, the Green Team, Business Development committee and Parks and Playground committee, and helps with the Palmyra Farmers Market.
“During my time working for Verizon, I worked a lot of overtime so it was hard to offer myself to these groups,” Yetter said. “I retired five years ago, and I have the time now so I would like to give my time back to Palmyra.”
After taking more than a year to rebuild his home from a house fire, Yetter stated he was approached by friends in town asking for advice on who would run for council. In 2015, Yetter began his three-year term as a council member and has enjoyed the chance to offer his help and opinion within town.
“Palmyra has that small-town feeling to it, and I like that,” Yetter said. “I like being able to offer my help and give back to the community which seems to have stayed the same since I was growing up.”
Other than being on several of the town’s committees, Yetter enjoys spending time with his grandkids, riding his motorcycle when he can and playing with his band “The Hip Replacementz.”
His band will be playing at the local concert series on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Band Shell, which is also something Yetter tries to attend every week.
One thing Yetter notices, however, is a change in the town as a whole.
“Palmyra is a nice and friendly town, and is still working to grow even bigger,” Yetter said. “Palmyra Harbour was an area that wasn’t around during my youth, but now it’s a nice community spot.”
An event Yetter believes really is the best part of his work is the Palmyra Farmers Market, which takes place every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m between Broad Street and Cinnaminson Avenue. The event allows local vendors to show off their products, while also giving community members the chance to socialize.
“A lot of people come to the market, and it’s nice to see,” Yetter said. “They don’t just walk through and leave, they enjoy dinner, enjoy music and it brings the community even closer together than before.”
For more information on Yetter, or the several groups in Palmyra, check http://boroughofpalmyra.com.
