**Today our founder, Christine Cavalier, talks about her experience as a Lead in a Nextdoor.com neighborhood social network.** _______________ Unlike the "Designated Business Day" the Havertown Community Group and others have on Facebook, the Nextdoor policy is to allow for business "shout outs" (spontaneous recommendations) any day of the month without any restrictions on frequency or subject of posts, nor any scrutiny into the post writer's affiliations. Nextdoor and online communities After being one of local-neighborhood-social-network app nextdoor.com’s founding leads in my town, after recruiting over 100 members to my neighborhood group alone, and after being a lead and a moderator for years, I've quit the app. Several weeks ago, a firestorm lit up about a post in the Haverford Nextdoor general stream. A member gave a "shout out" to a local business. This was what we called an "unsolicited recommendation" i.e., no-one asked specifically a recommendation or information about the services the business provided. As a Nextdoor lead, I received a good amount of private messages about the post and others like it. In the comment sections of the posts, arguments arose over whether or not we would allow it. “No” surfaced as the best answer. People's motivations/affiliations are impossible to identify, and we didn't want our stream filled with business posts or blatant advertising. Already we'd had "social sellers" shamelessly plug their wares (and the posts were flagged. I removed them). We didn't want to encourage more of the same. Building a forum Things went along fine once that fight flickered out. We were learning how to use "ISO" for classified ads when we were "in search of" something. We were deciding whether or not to recommend ourselves if someone was asking for specific services, e.g. realtors or massage therapists. I kept an eye on the national Nextdoor Leads forums for guidance. The forum was growing in a polite and calm … [Read more...]
Civil War Dancing, Anyone?
Philly Voice reports on the oddest stuff. But H-Town is weird, and we like it that way! Here's the article: Learn the dance styles of the Civil War era at Haverford library The event is part of One Book, One Philadelphia BY SINEAD CUMMINGS PhillyVoice Staff Each year communities in the greater Philadelphia area create programs and events for the Free Library of Philadelphia's project One Book, One Philadelphia, which promotes the reading and discussion of a single book. "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier is the book chosen for 2016. Frazier's novel tells the story of a Civil War soldier returning to the woman he loves. To celebrate the book, the Haverford Township branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia is hosting a class on Civil War dance styles. The Civil War Dance Foundation will bring dancers to the library to demonstrate the dances and discuss the period. After the demonstration, attendees will have a chance to try the dances themselves. While the event is free, registration is required to attend. Civil War Dance Program Sunday, March 20 1:30 p.m. | Free Haverford Township Free Library Philly Voice Article Denisbin on Flickr: Dance photo C&O Canal NHP on Flickr: Barn dance photo … [Read more...]
Collingswood Facebook Community Group (Like H-Town’s) Blows Up
Phillyvoice has an article about yet another Facebook community group splintering due to drama trauma. Why did journalist Kevin C. Shelly report this non-event as "news" when it isn't really new? Because in our modern era, online groups are something worth talking about. We want our own community groups to help to our community instead of hinder it. Collingswood's group seems to have split up over typical stuff. Usually, bad member behavior and a lessening of moderation by the group's administrators cause the rift. If rule-reminders aren't handed out regularly, behavior doesn't re-align with the goals of the group. Behavior grows more errant until a split occurs. A new group is formed with a curated membership, similar rules, and good moderation. We have one or two Facebook Community Groups here in H-Town. The most active is the Havertown Community Group (HCG), run by Administrators Kim Lacovara-Barr and Carrie Kauffman. The HCG has 3,770 members. Haverford Township has (by 2010 census) 35,878 residents. That means HCG's membership is roughly 10.5% of the population. (These numbers are estimates, as HCG members can come from surrounding towns). As far as Facebook groups go, these are some impressive numbers. It's very possible a group of this size can enact real change in H-Town. For example, one of the topics of conversation in the HCG right now may end up making a difference for all of us: The Red Plum Mailers. Townies are throwing around the idea of throwing the Red Plum Mailer people out of H-Town. Talk of a petition is brewing. (One can request Red Plum to remove her address from the list, but we've tried this and have seen no results. The mailers still end up on HavertowniesHQ's driveway). If enough interest is generated, perhaps the issue will be brought in front of the Commissioners or the Delco Board. That's powerful stuff. HCG's admins seem to be quite on top of things and will occasionally remind members to refer back to the rules. This is … [Read more...]
If you want open space, BUY IT
There's a ridiculous letter from Phil Heron making the rounds. Mr. Heron is the Editor of the Daily Times. He is echoing the woes of locals who protest development over open space. He talks about the wide open views in Kansas. What the hell? In Kansas all that open space is PRIVATELY OWNED and used to make profit. We don't do much farming around here, the very close suburbs of a major metropolitan and World Heritage city. Our privately owned spaces will also be used to make profit, just like Kansas. Development is the only way that open space makes profit around here. If the townsfolk with their pitchforks and loud voices want some space to stay "open," let them pool their gold pieces and buy it. Or be downright evil and abuse eminent domain by condemning the property, THEN buy it. Whatever. The owners of that land don't have to be charitable just because you want them to be. This crap is ridiculous. Here's the article, making rounds on Facebook yesterday: _______________________________________ Letter From the Editor: Open-space dilemma hits home hard in Delco PHIL HERON Residents protesting the development of Beaver Valley let their sentiments be known at a recent meeting at Garnet Valley Middle School in Concord. DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA FILE PHOTO Every time I hear another hue and cry about how we are losing open space, I think about I-70 in Kansas. Have you ever driven across Kansas? I have, several times. I will never look at our diminishing open space the same way again. Let me ask you this: If we got into the car right now, how many states do you think we could get to in an hour or so? Three, maybe four? Driving from one end of Kansas to the other is one day. When they say it’s flat, they are not joking. You can almost look out at the horizon and see where you are going to be tomorrow. Almost 40 years later, one scene still stands out in my mind. I was headed back east on a blazing hot summer day, when I found myself … [Read more...]
H-Town Priest going away for child porn & sexual abuse
Do you know this creep? We're sorry if you do. Patch put up an article yesterday about this derelict lowlife & how he'll spend his next 2 decades. Let's see his litany of crimes: *using the Internet to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct *transfer of obscene material to a minor *distribution of child pornography *possession of child pornography *destruction or concealment of evidence Disgusting. We're guessing the plea was preferable to a long investigation and rounding up of sexual abuse victims. Let's hope this vile creature's pedophilia was contained to the depraved child pornography images and horrific chat room luring, and no child in the township was physically touched by this creep. (Doubtful, of course, but the charges sending him away fro 20 years to rot in hell-on-earth don't list rape or sexual assault). If you were abused or suspect someone is a victim of abuse, please contact the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. No-one is above the law. … [Read more...]
Lonely Planet Loves Philly
We're #1. Lonely Planet names Philly #1 place to check out in 2016. (Probably has a lot to do with our World Heritage designation... first city in the US. We're like, Paris, yo.) … [Read more...]
Millennials would love H-Town, if they could afford it
A bit of information is coming out about Millennials and where they'd like to settle down. Turns out, it's the 'burbs. Great! H-Town's a 'burb. And we have all the things here these younguns are lookin' fer: "It appears that what many Millennials want when picking out a place to raise a family isn’t a city per se, but rather the perks that are traditionally associated with living in a city: restaurants, shops, and grocery stores within walking distance, easy access to public transportation. In other words, they might want suburbs that are more city-like than the ones they grew up in." Here at HavertowniesHQ, we get it. We searched for a town with good schools, a single family dwelling we could afford and good "walking-around" streets. We've been lucky to be here, within walking distance to the schools, a Wawa, the library and a few pizza places (and more) for 15 years. We're the lucky ones, apparently, because this article reports many Millennials are stuck in cities they can't afford to leave (median house price here is $301,500). We personally haven't met too many Millennials in Philly who want to flock to the 'burbs (and we meet quite a few, being techies and all), but surely there are those who have the same reasons we did for wanting to move out of Center City and into the suburbs. Of course, not many of us Havertownies can do much about these stuck-Millennials plight. But: We can encourage businesses and residents to keep up our eclectic mix of hometown charm and upscale living. Despite all the nail salons (jeez, people, don't any of you do your own nails?!), our dining scene just keeps getting better, and our Walkability score is crazy great (so stop complaining about parking. There is NEVER GOING TO BE ENOUGH PARKING. Walk.) We can also encourage a bit more diversity. Haverford Township's 92% whiteness is just... over. Wanna know where we got our stats? From the guvvermint: http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/RHI125214/4204533144,00 … [Read more...]
Fog on Karakung Drive
Here is a slideshow of a creepy bit of fog rolling over Karakung drive yesterday. … [Read more...]
Whooping cough in HHS again. Babies Beware.
The Haverford High School nurse has sent through a warning letter containing information from the CDC about Whooping Cough. If you have a pre-vaccinated infant, take special precautions. If you are around infants, get a booster shot. Lots of adults contract whooping cough but it goes undiagnosed because adults don't always get the "whoop" cough from which Pertussis gets its nickname. If you have a persistent cough, go to the doctor ASAP. Please. Here's what you are helping to spread if you don't vaccinate your kids, or yourself. Watch. This is on you. Babies and immune compromised people (like kids with cancer) can and do die of this. Or watch this god-awful video of a baby's last days, who died of this disease. FOR NO REASON. IT IS PREVENTABLE. PARENTS SHARE BABY'S LAST VIDEO BEFORE BABY DIED OF PERTUSSIS Here's the letter from the HHS nurse. Link is to download the pdf. Click on the pic to read. nurse_scan Whooping Couch 2016 … [Read more...]
Chickie’s & Pete’s have admitted to nothing…
But they are going to pay almost 7 million smackaroos to past servers for shorting them on their tips. Yes. STEALING their tips. Apparently it's OK for an employer to take a "tip credit" (whatever that is) but then a base rate of $2.13/hr must be paid. Along with stealing 60% out of the shared "tip jar," the establishment were basically a-holes in every way possible. They even made the servers go to the ATM to get cash to put in the tip jar to cover those tips that were put on credit cards (Lesson for you: always tip in cash!). Get a load of this crap, too: "...servers and bartenders were paid only a flat rate of $15 per shift at all locations except for Chickie's and Pete's airport establishment, according to the [Dept. of Labor]. That amount was not sufficient in all cases to even cover the minimum cash wage of $2.13 per hour that must be paid to a tipped employee when an employer claims a tip credit under federal law. Additionally, the employer allegedly failed to pay the required overtime wages to these employees when they worked in excess of 40 hours in a week. Investigators also determined that employees were not paid for time spent in mandatory meetings and training, and were improperly required to pay for uniforms." How dickish can you be? Apparently, lots. Along with the millions, Chickie's & Pete's has to pay $50,000 in fines. The fries are good, but they ain't that good. Maybe they should change their sign from this: to this: Buh bye, Cheater's & Pete's. Lots of other places to eat. BizJournal Article … [Read more...]