LOCAL TURNOVER You probably haven't noticed but we've had quite a few different Patch writers over the years. Turnover was common. The working conditions were notorious, with editors having to cover multiple towns just to piece together a living. Can't imagine the writers did much better. Patch made quite a stir in the media market when it came online in 2007. Patch Media was promptly bought up by media giant AOL (yes, AOL still exists. No, "AOL" does not mean "The Internet"). Some say AOL ran Patch into the ground. Patch did seem to suffer from overspending and erratic leadership. There was a famous incident last year when a Patch CEO fired a photographer on a very public conference call (The photographer's offense? Taking pictures!). Some bloggers are reporting that 2/3rds of the Patch staff are getting pink slips. The new ridiculous-majority stakeholders, Hale Global (AOL still owns a piece), seem to be on a tear to get Patch's rumored $100 million in yearly spending down to at least match the supposed $40 million in profits. Seems logical. But the long arm of Hale's ruthless budget cuts have hit us here at home. Sam Strike, our local Patch reporter, posted this on the Haverford-Havertown Patch Facebook page on January 29: I have worked at Patch for almost three years. This morning I was told that it would be my last day. Working here has definitely been an adventure. And I do not regret joining this start-up company – it has been a great learning experience. I want to thank everyone who has read the Patch or contributed to the Patch over the years. I have met so many interesting people and I have enjoyed the work. I do not know the details of the plan going forward, so I’m afraid I can’t answer any questions about the site’s future. If you want to contact me in the future you can email me at samstrike@hotmail.com. Thanks everyone!! Sam As of this writing, Ms. Strike couldn't be reached for further comment. We wish her the best. MEDIA … [Read more...]
St. Faith Preschool Open House Wed. Jan 29.
Open House rescheduled for Wednesday, January 29 from 7- 8:30 PM (adults only) *In House registration begins Monday, January 27 at 9:00 AM *Out of House registration begins Monday, February 10 at 9:00 AM Contact Us: St. Faith Preschool & Kindergarten 1208 Allston Rd. Havertown, Pa. 19083 Phone: 610-446-0880 Fax: 610-446-0880 Director: Jeanmarie Livi Coordinator of Special Projects and Events: Kelley Garrison Business Manager: Teresa Gruener Administrative Assistant: Paula Jankins This is a Sponsored Post. Contact us for advertising on this blog and on our very popular Facebook page! … [Read more...]
Got Shovels? Need Shoveling? Let’s connect!
A neighbor contacted us on our Havertownies Facebook page with concern about their 78-years-young (but not young enough to shovel) mom. Her walks will need clearing come the 5 to 9 inches of snow they are forecasting. Sometimes the young shovelers in the area don't get to interact with the retirees we have here in the Township. Gone are the days where parents feel safe sending their girls and boys out to knock on doors to drum up shoveling customers. We've made some forms over on Google docs for the shovelers and the requesters to fill out. As requests come in, we will match you up with people in your neighborhood. We are shooting for walking distance between homes. If you are a shoveler or have one in your house, fill out this GOT SHOVELS? form. If you are requesting shoveling services, fill out this GOT SIDEWALKS? form. Employees: Work hard and do a good job. You may not get paid, and you may not get paid much. Negotiate fairly ahead of time (it's a skill! time to practice!). Don't enter strangers' houses (even if they seem nice!). You can handle transactions at the front door. Work with a partner whenever you can. Make sure to put geo-location on on your phone when you are out, so your parents know where you are. Don't shovel after dark unless you have permission and are over 16. Stay safe! Don't shovel roadways or parking spots. And don't agree to take on extra tasks unless you've run it past your parents. Employers: Payment is a good idea. Kids these days don't get allowances like you think they do. Please make your own arrangements up front, though. And always remember: safety first. Don't put kids in dangerous situations. Do not ask them to shovel parking spots on the Township roads. Also: don't expect your walks will not be slippery. You can provide salt for the kids to spread but they are not responsible for the condition of your walks. Havertownies disclaimer: We aren't responsible for any interactions, actions, etc., that occur … [Read more...]
Weather WTH
We just received this email from Delco alertpa.org: "..WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY TO 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY TO 6 AM EST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT." First it says we have a winter storm warning in effect, then it says the winter storm watch is no longer in effect. "WARNING" and "WATCH" sound an awfully a lot like the same thing. But the message is YELLING at us that one is IN and the other is OUT, so they obviously do NOT mean the same thing. We dug a little deeper into this mystery. First things first, though: 6ABC Accuweather says we aren't getting snow until Tuesday, but we'll freeze our patooties off until then. OK, now the difference between a "Watch" and a "Warning:" Storm Watch: "This crap may happen any minute." Storm Warning: "Look outcher windah, this crap is a'happenin' right now!" So, Delaware County (the whole county, as one, thinking entity), says we are to stop waiting to see if a storm will happen and start buying more rock salt and shovels, by Tuesday. Get on that, people. You've been warned. Here's the rest of the email: (You can sign up yourself by going to https://delco.alertpa.org/register.php) * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...5 TO 9 INCHES. * TIMING...SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA TOWARD LATE TUESDAY MORNING AND THE MIDDAY HOURS, THEN CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF TUESDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING, WITH SNOWFALL RATES OF AROUND AN INCH PER HOUR. * IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS DUE TO SNOW COVERED ROADS AND PERIODS OF LOW VISIBILITY. AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL DEVELOP ESPECIALLY LATER TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS WINDS INCREASE, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. THE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING RUSH HOUR WILL BE … [Read more...]
Donate New to Nearly New Kids’ Clothes on MLK Day
Here's a great way to teach the kids that their day off from school means something. Llanerch Fire Company will be a collection site for Philadelphia's Cradle to Crayons charity. From the website: The Mission Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive - at home, at school and at play. We supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities that have with communities that need. The Model Cradles to Crayons collects new and nearly new children's items through grassroots community drives and corporate donations. Donations are then processed and packaged by volunteers, and are distributed to disadvantaged children across the state through a collaborative network of social service agencies and school partners. From the Llanerch Fire Chief, Chris Millay: "This Monday, 1/20/2014 - MLK Day, from 10-3:00, the Llanerch Fire Company will be a collection point for donations for Cradles to Crayons. … Here is a link to their website with more information about the MLK Collection Day: http://www.cradlestocrayons.org/philadelphia/events/mlkdaycollectionsites." So break out those outgrown winter coats. Take a look through Cradles to Crayons' emergency needs list, throw an extra item in your basket, and come on over to Llanerch Fire Company at 107 West Chester Pike, Havertown, PA 19083, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. … [Read more...]
EXTREME ICE WARNING
The combination of rain and freezing temps overnight have led to the roads being covered in black ice, including your driveway and sidewalks. Stay indoors unless it is an absolute emergency. Many ambulance calls have gone out already this morning, including one for our neighbor who was on his way to church. He fell flat on his back on what looks to be a wet driveway. In fact, it is covered in "black ice" - a dangerous über-slippery coating that is hard to detect. Llanerch Fire Company issued this warning on their Facebook page: WARNING: Extreme ice conditions on the roads this morning. Stay Home! God will understand why you weren't at church and you certainly can't need anymore milk, bread, or eggs after the last storm! … [Read more...]
De-Xmas-ing
Stars are falling, angels are being stuffed into boxes, and lights are going out. It's the de-christmas-afying of Haverford Township. We're making better progress today than we predicted. What we thought would be a 3-day takedown will probably only amount to 2 broken days' worth. We've gotten everything off the upstairs tree and everything that is coming off the downstairs tree is boxed up (yes, we have TWO trees. More on this ridiculousness in a bit). Our upstairs tree is a balsam acquired on Dec. 8th at the Manoa Shopping Center Parking lot. It's still going quite strong. It's a shame to throw it out - it's even spawning new needles! Replanting a cut christmas tree isn't possible, but we may be able to get a cutting to work. Judging by the way our kids are talking about the environment and recycling, we'll soon be one of those weird families whose uncut tree come with a root bag. I'll have to construct a tree skirt out of old king size bed sheets. We'll need a jackhammer to get through the frozen topsoil to plant it. Our house will be easy to spot, though. In 10 years, the lawn will look like an abandoned pine project in some remote corner of Merry Place. Somehow the Christmas decor is getting more pervasive as our kids are growing. This year, our 8th-grader and 2nd-grader discovered the artificial tree we used as a carefree, apartment-dwelling couple in Center City. This artificial tree is about 20 years old, so no lights, no pre-assembly. All 4 of us spent 2 days bending and shaping the wired branches and finagling them down into their slots. We wired the 8-foot metal-and-paper monster up with white mini lights and real-tree discard decorations. We're going to take a hint from The Grinch and try to stuff the tree up (into the attic), assembled and pre-lit. This will probably not go well. The real tree is destined for the curb. We're lucky to live in Haverford Township, where Public Works collect and recycle xmas trees. The first pick-up will … [Read more...]
CVS on West Chester Pike Robbed on Xmas
UPDATE: Lower Merion and Haverford Police have nabbed this suspect and elicited a confession: Haverford Township Police just issued a press release containing a photo and information about a suspect who allegedly showed a gun and robbed the CVS this morning, December 25th, 2013 at 11:17 a.m. The police are asking for help identifying the suspect. Please take a look at the attachment, which contains a photo of the suspect. The text of the press release is as follows (copied exactly, their emphases): On Christmas Day at 11:17 a.m., the below-pictured male robbed the CVS Store on West Chester Pike in Havertown. He is described as a light-complected black male in his 40's or 50's, approximately 5'9" to 6' tall with thin build. He showed the barrel of a gun from his coat pocket. The male departed in what appeared to be a dark- gray Toyota Corolla, last seen headed east on manoa Road toward Lower Merion Township. The gray Toyota has a broken passenger side-rear window, patched with plastic secured with white tape. Anyone with similar incidents or possible suspect identification is asked to contact Detective Matt Hufnal, Haverford Township Police Department, (610) 853-1298 x 1236, ahufnal@pavpd.org. … [Read more...]
Vote for HMS’s 7th Heaven in B101’s Choir Competition
B101 Christmas Choir Competition They went to the finals last year and they're in the finals again this year! Remember to vote Thursday morning beginning at 7 a.m. for Haverford Middle School's 7th Heaven choir in B101's annual school choir Christmas music competition. The voting is a volume issue, so vote early and vote often! (multiple votes are allowed) This year we're looking for the win, which would bring the music program $5000. See and listen to all the songs. Thanks, and good luck to our students! … [Read more...]
New Proposal to Move the Library
UPDATE: November 22, 2013: Please see all the local news coverage, links, and a Commissioner meeting video at this Storify page: http://sfy.co/sJU6 _________________________ Here's an email that's going around H-town about the Board of Commissioners proposal concerning the location of the Haverford Township Free Library. The question is to fix up the current building or build a new one over by the Veterans Police Field, along with other new buildings for the Police and Township offices. IMPORTANT MESSAGE Proposed New Municipal/Library Building! Dear Neighbor: We wanted to inform you that a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners is scheduled for Monday, November 25th at 7:30 pm to discuss a NEW proposed municipal/library building. {Arrive early to ensure you have a seat} Some of our colleagues want to secure a bond for approximately $13 to $18 million dollars. The new building would consist of the police department, municipal employees, and most concerning, the library would move from its current location. The new building will be located by Veterans/police field. We feel that moving the library from its current location is a real concern.Many residents have reached out to us expressing their opinion that the library should not be moved from its current location. Parents have stated that the library is in an ideal location as it is in close proximity to the middle school and high school. Additionally, parents have stated to some of us that they do not like the proposed new library being in the same building as the police department. Obviously, they are concerned about their children’s safety. A real concern is what will become of the building once the library is sold??? How will this impact the surrounding neighborhood?? Finally, this bond will affect our taxes, as any funds borrowed must be paid back. Administration has informed us that for every $10 million borrowed; the result would be a 3.5 to 4% additional increase in your … [Read more...]
Halloween Decor Gone Bad
Guess this doc in Clifton, NJ (one of my husband's many hometowns) is running afoul of the law over his Halloween display. You read that right. Halloween. Not Christmas. How's that for scary? The bar's been raised while I was napping. That guy's almost arrested because of Halloween decorations and I have yet to bring down 1 fake pumpkin from the attic. And that will pretty much be the extent of our display. We have a few styrofoam tombstones that topple in the slightest of breezes. We have a ghost on a stick. A bale of hay. (Honestly, when did that trend start? What's scary about a bale of hay, except for all the little sheddy bits?) No East Wilmot Dead will be rolling in their graves over our ostentatious displays this All Saints Day. And this is a good thing. There are tiny kids on this street. Years ago when the college kid across the street was in middle school and our daughter was in preschool, the boy climbed the large tree in his front yard and with the help of his father, strung up a bloody, ravaged body by the neck. The "decoration" was of the adult-level scary that keeps your kid out of those strip mall pop-up Halloween stores. He and his father rigged a pulley system so the dummy could be lowered down to scare the Bejeezus out of tiny innocent trick-or-treaters and their none-too-amused parents. Naturally, our small daughter was haunted by the ghoulish creature, swaying in the wind from the tree that is directly in front of our living room window. She was very small, and asked us daily for the zombie to be taken down. We talked her through it until Halloween. We said the neighbors would take it down after that. Of course they didn't. The flesh-eaten, rotted and agape face stared at us for weeks. The leaves fell from the tree and the ghoul remained, rendering the scene in front of our house into something akin to The Others. We could not be in our living room without seeing it. Every breeze jostled the disgusting thing just enough to make … [Read more...]
Mismatched Sock Revolution?
For the past year or so, my fellow parents and I have noticed an epidemic of mismatched socks on the toes of our teens. The kids around here wear contrasting hosiery with pride. Like most parents, I poke my progeny for clues to keep me up-to-date on the latest trend amongst the teeny-bopper set (<-ha! I said teeny-bopper). So this morning when I witnessed one purple sock and one black and white striped sock on my HMS student's feet, I asked her, finally, what was up with this fad. "Fad?" she said with that less-than-subtle lilt of annoyance that is the Official Language of the Teendom. "It isn't a 'fad!' We're all just too lazy to find the matching pair." Oh and alas, no truer words were probably spoken. Yet, when we adults see fashion trends and other waves like this, we think there's some method behind their madness. It must be yet another cagey and crafty effort to sneak in a blow to the "man." Yeah. No. Just laziness. Which in itself is a pretty substantial blow to the man anyway. ... These children might be playing with us. Photo Credit: Fidelio (Gaby Av) on Flickr … [Read more...]