Dr. Nesbitt, principal of the Haverford High School, sent out a robocall this evening to all HHS parents. The message states that a pencil-scrawled threat of a bomb going off in the high school set to detonate tomorrow at 12 noon was found in a bathroom stall today. Dr. Nesbitt made a note of the misspelling of "school" as "scool," seeming to indicate the lack of seriousness of the threat. Nevertheless, Haverford Township Police thoroughly scanned the building and deemed it to be safe. School will be conducted tomorrow. (A full day for all Haverford public schools - except the middle school that has a 10:50 am dismissal for conferences this week - as opposed to Lower Merion SD which has a half-day.) Listen to the message: Photo Credit: Oteo on Flickr (This is not from the high school) … [Read more...]
Official PA Dept of Health communication about Pertussis
Pertussis Contact The HHS school nurse just sent out the following email detailing the pertussis contact in the high school and what to do if your child is coughing. Also to note: adults need boosters for this, as our immunity has run out and there is obviously not enough herd immunity anymore. Please see attachment (linked above) but here is the text: DATE: October 27, 2014 Dear Parent/Guardian: It has come to our attention that your child may have been exposed to a person who has pertussis (whooping cough). Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Pertussis begins with cold symptoms and a cough which becomes much worse over 1-2 weeks. Symptoms usually include a long series of coughs (“coughing fits”) followed by a whooping noise. However, older children, adults and very young infants may not develop the whoop. People with pertussis may have a series of coughs followed by vomiting, turning blue, or difficulty catching their breath. The cough is often worse at night and cough medicines usually do not help alleviate the cough. The disease can be very severe and, although deaths are rare, they do occur especially in infants less than one year of age. The Pennsylvania Department of Health strongly recommends the following: If you/your child is coughing, promptly contact your/your child’s doctor. Explain to the doctor you/your child has been exposed to a case of pertussis and needs to be evaluated. Your child’s doctor may obtain a nasopharyngeal culture to test for pertussis. In addition, if the doctor suspects pertussis, an antibiotic will be given to your child to help lower the chance of spreading the disease to others. Your child will be able to return to school after completing the first 5 days of the medication. It is very important that upon returning to school your child continues taking his or her medication until completed. If you/your child … [Read more...]
Haverford Trails events coming up
Here's some info from the Friends of Haverford Trails: Bike the Haverford Heritage Trail Saturday October 25, 1:00 – 4:00 PM Combine our local history with a bike ride! We will meet at the bottom of the steps at the Beechwood-Brookline station of the SEPTA Norristown High Speed Line, on Karakung Drive near Mill Road. The history-themed route covers the historic sites along the Haverford Heritage Trail loop and includes the Darby Creek Trail (currently 1 mile paved; future section is an unpaved trail with a few rough surface areas and walk-through sections). A mix of mostly on-road, some trail and some off-road, with some hills. Off-road sections require 25cc tires or wider (hybrid, touring or mountain). The distance is 14 miles, and we will stop at each historic site. For Haverford Heritage Trail details see hht.havtrail.com. Last 2014 Karakung Drive Traffic Closure Sunday October 26 This Sunday will be the final Sunday closure of Karakung Drive to motor vehicle traffic for 2014. Why not get out and take advantage of it? This annual action, taken by Haverford Township with the cooperation of PennDOT, is the most well-received and popular initiative of its type in the western suburbs. "Walk & Talk" at Haverford Reserve Sunday November 2, 1:00-3:30 PM By popular demand, Rich Kerr will repeat his well-attended "Talk and Walk" presented by our township Parks and Recreation Department. The “talk” portion, held in the CREC building in Haverford Reserve, is an illustrated presentation called “The Railroad Branch, Haverford Reserve and Darby Creek in Haverford.” It covers the historical highlights of the old railroad line, the remnants that remain today up around "the Reserve" and the history of the land there – “Brookthorpe Farms,” the “Brookthorpe” estate and foxhunting in Haverford, the Atwater Kent “Foxcroft” estate, the Haverford State Hospital and finally the Haverford Reserve park. It is peppered with relevant, insight-yielding quotations about these … [Read more...]
Casting Lots: Dividing up H-Town properties and the case of 101 Tenby Road
HERE WE GO AGAIN Another controversy is brewing in the Llanerch neighborhood. As the state of the Llandillo school building is still up in the air (Carelink has dropped their appeal to the Commissioners vote-down. The building’s future is not known), residents are debating the proposed razing of an old house on a picturesque corner lot. The c. 1905, 4500 square foot, 6-bedroom, 4+ bath house at 101 Tenby Road is situated on a double lot (lots 76 and 77 deed to a Charles S. Taylor in 1901) at the corner of Bewley and Tenby Roads. The house, with a rich history of owners, was most recently the 40-year home to Mrs. Deal and her family. Mrs. Deal died in 2013 and the house is being sold by her estate. Mr. Deal, Mrs. Deal’s widower, is still in residence but plans to move to a smaller abode after the sale. According to slated buyer and contractor Rick Fuller, the property had fallen into dire structural straits over the past several years. The repair costs alone, according to the Realtor John Ryan, would hover around $300,000. Mr. Fuller is set to purchase the property for $350,000, winning out over other builders’ bids. That would put a private resident’s costs over $650,000 to purchase the property and bring it to livable standards. Fuller plans to raze the building and build two homes on the 17,800 square foot lot, resulting in two lots of about 8400 square feet (according to Mr. Ryan, this puts the lots at about 150 square feet larger than 85% of lots in Llanerch). The proposed plans include large covered porches and have been designed to compliment the neighborhood and to mimic neighborhood aesthetics that are pre-WW2. MEETUP MONDAY NIGHT Llanerch resident and president of the Board of Llanerch Civic Association Brian Elias sent an email to area neighbors Friday morning informing residents of an upcoming town hall meeting to discuss the process of subdividing lots in the township. The meeting has been organized to give residents a chance to discuss the legal … [Read more...]
Spiriting: Why your street’s trees are TP’ed
It may seem like mischief night has come early to H-Town, but what's really happening is some good ol' fashioned school spirit, in the form of bathroom tissue. Any trees on your street look like this lately? Haverford High School's Fords (Yes, they are named after the original car. Go figure) are a fun group. The night before a big game, sports participants, sometimes including band members, cheerleaders, heck, anyone involved (but mostly athletes) are shown some love with a donation of unused, unspooled toilet paper hung gently and carefully on their property's trees or shrubbery. We can tell who on the street has teenagers. Also, we here at Havertownies have noticed a correlation between houses that are "spirited" and those containing pretty (because they are all young, they are all pretty!) teen girls... Anyway, now you know. Go get 'em FORDS!!! … [Read more...]
Whooping cough warning in the Township
The high school nurse put out a robo-call to all HHS families. Listen to the call here Please warn any pregnant women or mothers and fathers of newborns or babies less than 1 year of age who are not yet old enough for the pertussis vaccine. Also, call your own doctors and see if a booster is prudent for you and your high school children. We don't want to start a fight on this blog, but we'd like to say that Havertownies are pro-vaccines. Pertussis kills newborns and the vaccine has absolutely no links to any learning disabilities or other harmful effects. This infected student should not have been allowed in the high school and should have been quarantined. Here's some information from the CDC: Pertussis Homepage Whooping Cough Epidemic in California Penn & Teller's succinct vaccinations explanation. Watch this if you think vaccinations causes autism. The point is: It doesn't. But let's just assume it does and take a good, hard look at the numbers. Take care, everyone. Wash hands, get booster shots. Keep your babies inside until your doctors say it's OK to wander out. Make sure to take every precaution to keep those under 1 year of age safe. Let your neighbors know. This is serious. photo credit: Internet Archive Book Images on Flickr … [Read more...]
Update on burglary investigations
The letter below has been making the rounds on Nextdoor.com and local Facebook pages. It is from Lt. Charles Moore from the Haverford Township Police Department and addressed to his boss, HPD's Chief Carmen Pettine. It contains information about the ongoing investigation of the burglaries that have plagued H-Town as of late. We here at Havertownies have substantiated the letter, its contents and the sender and receiver. It's legit. Remember, please call HPD to report any suspicious activity, even if you are only just a little bit wary. Don't talk yourself out of your instincts if something doesn't seem right. Just call 911. Another crime deterrent: know your neighbors. Keep in contact with them. A strong network is the best defense. ______________________ From: Lt. Charles Moore Date: July 24, 2014 at 7:52:32 AM EDT To: Carmen Pettine Subject: Burglaries Chief, While investigating the burglaries that have been happening in the Ardmore section of town a suspect was identified. This suspect sold several of the watches that were taken from one of the burglaries on Bryn Mawr Ave. to a Jewelry /Pawn shop located in Upper Darby Twp.( Some of which have been recovered). On Tues. 7-22 Upper Merion Twp. Arrested a Keith Morrison B/M age 24 for a burglary/home invasion that had occurred in their town. The characteristics of the burglary were identical to ours and the male arrested was the same person that we have identified as selling the watches in Upper Darby Twp. Our Detectives responded to Upper Merion Twp. and spoke with their detectives and interviewed Mr. Morrison. As a result of the interview and evidence already gathered we are preparing an arrest warrant charging Mr. Morrison with the Two burglaries on Bryn Mawr Ave. Although it is very likely that he is responsible for the other burglaries as well, (due to the timing and proximity to the Rt#100 line) we will continue to give extra attention to the area and follow up on all leads. Also, Mr. … [Read more...]
Cars hitting houses
CURB APPEAL Over on his blog Abominations, local author and college prof Marc Schuster tells of an SUV knocking the hell out of his rock retaining wall. It is the second of such incidents that we've heard about this Spring. Go on over to Marc's blog to read between the lines and hear the angst that came after the BOOM. Then wander around his blog to see what one of our more literary residents gets up to these days. … [Read more...]
Home Invasion in Bryn Mawr
A woman was held at gunpoint in her home. Please see the official press release from Haverford Township Police Officer Lt. Michael Glenn: "On Thursday 06/12/2014 at 1841 hours, the Haverford Township Police Department responded to 627 Foxfields Road, Bryn Mawr, PA for a report of a home invasion robbery. The victim reported that after hearing a knock on her front door, she asked through the door what the person wanted. The victim reported that she could not see the person as her front door is solid wood. The victim reported that a male voice responded that he was a representative from a natural food company. The victim partially opened the door and was met by a white male who displayed a dark colored revolver hand gun. The male immediately demanded her “husband’s watches.” The white male walked the victim to her second floor master bedroom where he removed jewelry. The victim reported that at one point the male made a phone call on his cell phone and a second suspect appeared on the second floor. The victim reported that the second male began to ransack her husband’s second floor bedroom. The victim reported that the two males remained in her residence for approximately one hour before fleeing in an unknown direction. The victim and her husband reported a combined loss of approximately $500,000 worth of jewelry. The victim provided for the following description of the initial male suspect: white male in his thirties, approximately 6’0 tale, medium build, dark curly hair, wearing dark Aviator type sun glasses, gloves, and jeans. The male was in possession of a dark colored revolver. The following brief description was provided for the second male suspect who entered the residence: white male, stocky build, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt. A forensic sketch was completed for the initial male suspect. If you can provide any information on the identity of the suspect please notify Detective Stephen Laughlin at (610)853-1298 Ext. 1239 or the H.T.P.D … [Read more...]
Brookline Fire Company Parade Info
Brookline Fire Company will be celebrating it's 100 year anniversary on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Fire companies from all around the area and even some from Boston will be present for the event. We've gathered some official and unofficial information about the parade, the traffic routes, what to expect and more. Please share! We also have a discussion over on our Facebook page. Brookline Official Page Brookline Fire Company Facebook Page (check here for photos after the event, share your photos too) From the Official Facebook Page for the Parade: "Come join us for a day of Emergency Vehicles, Marching Bands, Bag Pipes, and many other vehicles to help celebrate our 100th year of service! Parade will kick off at 12 Noon and will travel from Manoa and Allston roads, and will travel Manoa Rd, Earlington Rd, and Brookline Blvd. The parade will end at station 35." Details: Parade time: Noon to 2 P.M. Silent parade, no sirens. Over 100 Firetrucks to see and tour. Bring the little ones! NO PARKING signs already up length of parade route and more on Darby Road to Rte 3. Parade route: A. Parade Start: Route 1.3 miles long Registration: Leedom Road and Mill Road Apparatus Staging: Brookline Blvd. & Darby Rd. to Darby Rd. & Park Ave. Marching Units Staging: Chatham Park Elementary School Brookline Fire Company: Awards presentation Reviewing Stand Brookline Fire Company Staging Non Fire Staging: Kennmore Rd. Apparatus Parking after parade: Middle and High School B. End of Parade BASEBALL and SOFTBALL CHANGES From an email from Brookline Baseball: "Due to the parade, Brookline Baseball & Softball has had to alter its playing schedule. Chatham Park, a staging area, will be shut down and traffic around the Police Field will be slow but not impassible. We are fortunate to have Joe Hagan from the Haverford Twp. Police, on our Board. Joe has shared with us the following information to help those whose … [Read more...]
Biting Back at Mosquitos in H-Town
I love my town. And its mosquitos love me. Endless Love H-Town is a fantastic place to live. The people are great, the lawns are all squared away (for the most part) and we’ve got plenty of good bars lying around. The only thing I hate are the mosquitos. When I say they are a pain in my neck or they come back and bite me in the ass, I mean it quite literally. _____________ Summer Nights I’m not one of your typical bug-bite getters. After a 10-second step out to our standard-issue minivan, welts the size of dimes, nickels and sometimes quarters appear like Dementor magic on my skin. The swelling usually subsides in a day or so but the itching lasts for weeks. We’ve attacked this itchy invader problem with aggressive and defensive strategies. I’d baptize myself in DEET. We had the lawn guys put down pellets in the grass. We set up Citronella Torch Stonehenge around the patio table. We ran through the must-be-true-because-they-were-on-the-Internet bug-beater commands: carry a dryer sheet (like Bounce) daily dose of Brewer’s Yeast & Vitamin B Dab on Tea Tree Oil on light (or dark?) clothes wear long pants and long sleeves, but don’t sweat. Or breathe. Or be human. We also made sure to empty gutters clear any pooling water get rid of certain weeds dump bird baths and kiddie pool water at least once weekly (we have neither) perform ancient Celtic Rituals while dressed in plaid lederhosen. Nothing worked (not even the lederhosen, which is usually so powerful). So inside we went and there we stayed, watching the summer nights pass us by. But even indoors I wasn’t safe. I am so-well-loved by these Biting Creatures of Minuscule Mass that I had to spray myself with DEET before I went to bed. If I didn’t, I’d wake up with itchy welts not only on my body but on my face. I'm too old to look like I'm stressed out about the SATs. (For the amateur scientists who are surely wondering: Eau d’ DEET repels more than just insects in a human … [Read more...]
Haverford Spring Fest Today!
Update 9:00 pm May 18, 2014. Here are some pics from the day! Hey all! The Haverford Spring Fest is opening up today, May 18, 2014 at 11 a.m. and will go until 7pm tonight. Don't forget to wear your sunscreen! It's going to be a nice 64 degrees F and sunny today. A great day for some SPRING celebrations! You know what else is great? Proceeds are going towards local non-profits, like Haverford Township Free Library. It's free to enter, but there are vendors and artists and face painters and fun stuff to buy. Please come out and hang with your coolest of the cool H-Town neighbors and hear 6 fantastic local bands. More info from the festival: Great food and drink, beer available from our vendors (Beer can be enjoyed anywhere inside the fest grounds. 21 or older, ID required. Drink responsibly.) Great local business and craftspeople will be exhibiting as well as lots of fun in the kids Fun Zone. ($10 wrist band gets you all day play.) Plus local organizations will have plenty of other fun activities for everyone. Admission is free to the fest grounds. $2 voluntary donation benfiting local groups is appreciated. Use the #haverfordspring hash on your sharing sites. Here's more info, from the festival: … [Read more...]