By now you may have heard that Chestnut Hill puts on a big Harry Potter Festival. This year's festivities will be held the weekend of October 21-22nd. HavertowniesHQ attended the festival in its fledgling early years. This will be the first year they shut down the street to auto traffic. The event is also getting some widespread press. We suspect it will be quite big. But guess what? We're going to have our own Harry Potter coolness right here in the Township! AND with lots of parking. Haverford High School Senior Jack McGovern started his own 501c3 non profit Quidditch league and there will be a free admission, open-to-the-public day-long college Quidditch tournament at Haverford College on Saturday October 8th! (Haverford Township Day is the weekend before, October 1, 2016). Here's a bonus: If any of your university-bound Harry Potter fans are interested in any of the institutions participating (Rutgers, Villanova, Virginia), this tourney could be a good time to talk to some of that college's students. Think about it - fun atmosphere, honest feedback. But what a fun event for the little ones, too! Free to go, easy to park (see the parking directions to the South Lot here). There will be some snacks available but bring your own food and drink if you want something more substantial. This is will be a great way to connect with the fandom and see a once-fictional, very exciting sport in real life. And it was all arranged by one of our own. Here's a note from Jack McGovern on how he got into this whole thing: "Real-life quidditch, which was adapted from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books in 2005, is a co-ed, contact sport that incorporates elements of rugby, basketball and dodge ball. The 8 teams at the tournament will be some of the best college quidditch teams in the country including Villanova, Rutgers, North Carolina and Virginia. I went to my first quidditch tournament as a sixth grade student at Haverford Middle … [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...]