Who's Looking Out for Your Safety? ATM is!

Traffic from Right and Left Does Not Stop
at 4th and Orange.

If Media Borough is not going to put up stop signs at 4th and Orange, then there is no reason not to put up a sign that alerts drivers that traffic (perpendicular) from the left and right does NOT STOP.  It's only a matter of time before someone get hurts here, or worse: because this intersection isn't properly marked.   About 6 months ago, I nearly got clipped here myself and I'm very aware of the danger at this location.

Get it done, Media Borough!  This intersection has been like this for years, with no good reason why better signage can't be put in place.

Tedman

Media in Two Minutes

A special thanks to a reader who told me that he setup his Mom's IPAD with a icon that links to directly to ATMpa.  He said, "that's all she needs."

Wow, thanks for the kind words and support!

Ok, Let's Go!


Media VFW - Last Sunday of the Month BREAKFAST
At 8:30 this morning the doors open up for one of the no longer, best kept secrets in Media.  That's right, c'mon by for the best breakfast in town.  Nowadays, you can hardly get an omelette for $8, but here you can get a whole all-you-can-eat breakfast for that price.  Kids eat for $4.  If it wasn't good, I wouldn't be writing about it this often.  In fact, they had a huge turn-out last month, so get there early.

Happy Anniversary to Pinocchio's Pizza!

This Media tradition is celebrating its 58th year as one of the best Pizzerias around.  They also have become very well know for the beer garden they recently added a few years ago.  I was at Pinocchio's for dinner a few weeks back and the place was packed.  Great food, good prices and the kids love it.  They still even twirl the pizza dough in the air as they've done for so many years.

Thank You, Media Highway Department!

E 6th St.

These guys are so good at their job, that they make it look easy.  Thanks to the hardworking folks on the Media Highway Department who keep this town in tip-top shape.  Whether it's trash pickup, landscaping, clean-up after events, or plowing snow; they get it done with a smile and are some of the nicest people you can meet.  

Here's some recent work they did on E 6th Street.

Media Theatre Was A Blast
I like plays at the Media Theatre, but they're just not my thing that I will make plans to see routinely.  I can't say I go to a lot of body building competitions either, but the event they had a the Media Theatre yesterday was awesome.  It was great to go to this historical theatre and see something a little different, than what's on the playbill. 

Snaps at Dining Under the Stars
For some reason this topic created a lot of controversy due to me pointing out that Snap(little firecrackers) were a out of hand at Dining Under the Stars.  Maybe people thought I was infringing on their pursuit of happiness, but I wasn't.  DUTS is a great family event and should be presented that way.  Eitherway, the Snaps issue has really improved over the last few weeks.  I've not been in town a lot, but the brief times I was at DUTS, I noticed it was better.  It wasn't totally eliminated, but greatly improved.  Thanks! 

Media Taxpayers deserves its $$$ back!
People wouldn't have had the foggiest idea what happened to the $20,000 Mayor McMahon spend on a bogus video of Media had I not raised the issue on this site.  They sure as heck wouldn't have been able to see it on television, as the mayor and borough council claimed it would be shown nationally.  Oh it was, or is, who knows.  If you happen to live in Spokane Washington, you may get a glimpse of it at 7:00am Sunday morning.

To show you just how badly we were scammed by Mayor McMahon, here's a video done for the Delaware County Science Institute who produced a marketing video to promote their cause.  It's concise, to the point, speaks to the audience, impactful, tells a story and compels interest.  Notice, no highly paid voice overs here or monologue over pictures.  The genuine enthusiasm this kid has comes right through and makes the whole story work.  I'm sure it was done for a fraction of the cost and done locally too.  What's worst, is that Mayor Bob McMahon and Borough Council knew the Florida company they were dealing with was shady, yet they proceeded with this mess anyway.

Today's Bodybuilding Championship Fills Media Theatre!

I haven’t been to a professional bodybuilding competition before, but it was nice to see the Media Theatre host this event.  The morning show was awesome, with contestants coming from all over to compete for the NFC Philadelphia Championship and Tracey Greenwood Classic.  There were young people, older people, photographers, music and a lot of cheering going on for everyone on stage. 

The competition for men and women pre-judging started around 11:45am with numerous categories including Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Bikini.  The contestants would come up on stage for about 3-4 minute intervals doing poses and comparisons.  With many age and weight classes, the show was none stop, but very well organized and managed by a staff who really knew what they were doing.

The audience loved the Media Theatre which proved to be an excellent venue to host this event.  The place was packed!  I noticed a few people taking pictures of the balconies and asking if they were real.  Unfortunately they aren’t, but it’s really neat to see people come to Media to enjoy this competition, while also enjoying the theatre.

The Media Theatre has a tremendous amount of potential.  I hope they continue to host these types of events.  It’s great to spend a Saturday afternoon in Media, at the theatre, checking out something new and different.  Especially the women’s bikini segment, which I think, would be a hit every weekend.  

It's not intermission, but he show continues on this evening with final judging beginning at 6:30pm.  Check it out, I’m quite glad I did.

Tedman

The county 4th of July firework shows have faded away and so have the traditions.

There was a time when virtually every municipality in the county had some kind of 4th of July event or fireworks show. Believe me, as a kid my parents took us to them all because that was what the 4th of July was all about. That even included Media who had a their own event at Glen Providence Park.  Can you imagine watching fireworks at Glen Providence Park as a community?

Times sure have changed and so has the park unfortunately.  Media hasn't had fireworks since 1986 when it was decided the liability and crowds were too much for the borough.  Over the years other towns gradually discontinued the firework displays for much of the same reasons.  You can still find big parades in the area celebrating the 4th, but nothing like it was before.

What Media does have is a two-hour Independence Day celebration at Barrall Field from 10am - 12pm.  It's free, with food, drinks, games and activities for the kids.  However, not anywhere close to what's done to recognize France's La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day), where State Street is closed down for the whole day in celebration.  The Media Recreation Board who hosts this event had a very successful Media 5 Mile Run where tens of thousands of dollars were raised.  Truthfully, Media could do much better than a 2 hour picnic for Independence day.  

As for fireworks this year, you choices are limited. You can check out the delcotimes article for a complete run down, but here are the towns having shows.

• Tinicum 6/29
• Norwood 7/3
• Upper Darby 7/3
• Ridley  7/6

Welcome To Media, Fitness Contestants!

Okay, here we go....... People will begin arriving in the area tonight to cheer on 200 fitness contestants for tomorrow's qualifier Championship.  The event will be hosted at the Media Theatre with registration starting at 8:30am.  Pre-judging begins at 11:30, with finals

scheduled for 6:30pm.

For those coming from out of town, we have a host of great eateries, shops and bars within walking distance of the Media Theatre venue.  I'm sure our local businesses will appreciate the opportunity, so please come out and enjoy all the great things Media has to offer.  If you're looking for something interesting to do between judgings,  we have a great Veterans Museum located on State Street, along with an Institute of Science over by our courthouse on Veterans Square.

Thanks again for choosing Media for your National Championship Qualifier.  Best of luck to all the contestants and enjoy your stay in "Everybody's Hometown!"

Tedman

Save the Date: 50th Anniversary Celebration - Media Area Sports Hall of Fame 11/6/2013

mediasportshall@gmail.com

www.mediaoldtimers.org

Facebook: MediaAreaSportsHallOfFame

Lowering of Broomall Lake Causing Stress for Media's Wildlife

The recent pressure by Media Borough Council and the Friends of the Glen Providence to have the DEP lower Broomall Lake is beginning to take a toll on the wildlife that relies on this refuge.  Here's a picture submitted by a reader showing one of potentially many victims who are being evicted from a century old lake.

F.R.O.Gs get preferred treatment while Turtles go belly up.

Bodybuilding, Physique, Fitness, Figure & Bikini Championship Coming to Media This Weekend

Neat Display in Media

This is something you don't see everyday in Media and that's what caught my attention.  Great display here by First Baptist Church on N. Jackson Street, who did a nice job marketing their upcoming program, Son West Round Up.  If you'd like to learn more about this event, check out their very well done website.

See you out on the range!

New Barber Shop in Media

At some point you're going to need a good mechanic, tailor and barber.  Luckily, you can find all of them in Media, but one that has just arrived on the scene may set the standard for cutting hair.  Last weekend, I swung by the newly opened Robertson's Barber Shop located on N. Olive and Jasper Street to find Mark putting the final touches on his new business.  

I like authenticity and both Mark and his shop have it.  The inside looks great with more of a manly decor than what Media is usually accustomed to when it comes to salons.  Check it out!  At $16 a cut it's one of the more reasonable places in town.  

Welcome to Media!

Media in Two Minutes - Special Thanks to Media Police, EMS, Fire Dept and Volunteers

Congratulation to all the runners at this year's Media 5 Miler 2013.  I know the participants had one heck of a time.  A special thanks to the Media Police, EMS and many volunteers, who without them, we would not be able to have this popular event.

Media's Best Band - The Broozers at Media's 5 Mile Race

I heard from one business on State Street that Friday night was one of their biggest nights of the year.  That's great news and shows how important it is to properly market this town throughout the year.  I'd also like to thank the great folks at County Beverage for the ice and beer they provided for a party I had.  I know you can get beer and supplies cheaper, but the delivery they provided was more than worth the price and I'm glad I can help them out.

Ok, let's GO!

ATM Coverage:
Thanks to everyone who tweeted at: #media5miler over the course of the race.  That's some pretty interesting feedback, with cool pictures coming in throughout the day. As an added take away, the live Twitter feed on the right side of this site has been updated to cover businesses and really, all things media. 

Best Breakfast in Town!

When we hit the lazy days of Summer, I'm thinking of doing "Media In Two Minutes" down at John's Bar and Grille on Sunday mornings.  Not sure what kind of audience we will get....at a bar.....on Sunday morning; but we will give it a shot.  Maybe we will even do a quick 1 minute video segment of what's happening around town.

Next Sunday, Media's Best Breakfast at the Media VFW
The last Sunday of every month, the Media VFW hosts the best homemade breakfast in town.  Last month they had a record turn-out, so get there early.  If you'd like to volunteer, let me know.  I'll be there and they can always use the help. Breakfast is served 8:30am till 11:30am.  

Fireworks in Media
There haven't been fireworks in Media since they last had a show in Glen Providence Park back in 1986.  Most of the municipalities in the county have done away with the tradition, but there are still a few.  Delcotimes.com usually has a listing of where you can watch them, so I'll keep an eye out to share.  

I saw at Costco last week specials where you can buy an arsenal of fireworks for $150.  Any more, it looks like residents have taken pyrotechnic displays into their own hands.  I don't know what the ordinance on block firework parties are, but perhaps Media borough should just let people know what that entails.

Fourth of July vs. Bastille Day
Ok, this comes up every year, so let's just address it now.  Media doesn't have a Fourth of July parade, despite the displeasure to quite a few.  Almost on queue, someone will come up to me on the street and assertively point this out to me and continue to complain we have Bastille Day celebration.  I don't mind Bastille Day, in fact I was in St. Tropez last year to see France's version of this holiday.  The point is, I don't think this day diminishes the Fourth of July.  That's not going to go over well with some, but if someone wants to step up and plan something for this town during the 4th, let me know, there are plenty who will help.

In the meantime, Media's VFW will have a big BBQ in celebration of Independence Day.

Scooters on State Street, but not on sidewalks
At some point the borough should consider adequate motorcycle and scooter parking on State Street, but in the meantime, you aren't allowed to park a registered vehicle on the sidewalk.....and that includes scooters.  The Media Police will ticket, so now you know.

Live Updates Throughout the Day for the Media 5 Mile Race - Twitter: #media5miler

Check back throughout the day for 

live updates on today's race via Twitter: 

#media5miler 

Tweets about "#media5miler"

Welcome to Media, Buddy!

New restaurant in Media, PA

News travels quick and so does the excitement of Media's latest restaurant, Buddy's Burgers, Breasts and Fries.  Located at the former site of Zac's burger on State and Orange, this place is ready to go and officially open.  For the latest on what they are serving, check out their twitter feed that will also be hosted here.   Nice Job! Welcome to Media, PA!

Important Traffic Information for Tomorrow's Media 5 Mile Run

Media's 5 Mile Race

Tomorrow's the big day for Media as racers and spectators gather for the 5 Mile Race.  There was a community announcement made via phone this afternoon by the borough, but if you're not signed up for that notification service and didn't receive the message, here's what you need to know.

• Starting tomorrow at 4pm the Media Police will begin to cordon off traffic in preparation for the race.  This will primarily be done on streets that encircle the course.  Baltimore Pike and Providence Road will be open throughout the race with all access being restored at 8pm.  The closer it gets to 7pm when the race starts, the harder it will be to maneuver within the borough, so get here early.

• It's also requested that if you live on the course, that you not park on the street if possible due to the safety of the runners.  Downtown will be open and is a great place to catch the race.  The Children's Fun Run is at 6pm at Barrall's Field.

Good luck to the runners and have a great time at one of Media's favorite events!

Tedman

Power to the people..... at least to their smart phones

The car charing station Media implemented awhile back technically wasn't a bad idea, but it didn't amount to much, as there wasn't any electric car market to really support it.  No one is apparently looking to wait hours to charge their car behind the Media Firehouse, while shopping and dining in Media.  What validates this is, no one has.  Perhaps that'll change in due time, but even if a full charge can be reduced to take 15 minutes, that's still too long in today's fast paced world.

What may have a viable chance of succeeding are phone charging kiosks.  AT&T is interested in this concept and recently launched a service in the greater New York area as reported this week.  It definitely has a market, in case you haven't been paying attention to virtually everyone walking around with a smartphone.  Either for actual work, or to avoid public interaction, the smartphone does well at fulfilling both tasks.  However, unlike electric cars, people are addicted to their phones and will exhibit noticeable symptoms of anxiety if separated.  Therein lies the market: The power to power your desire, which "desire" being a poetic term for your phone.

Media won't get the AT&T solar powered charging kiosks, but a free service popping up in the city is the ChargeItSpot service that does the same thing.  This service has as many a 6 small
lockers that have keys attached to the doors.  Inside,  you have an option of many charging adapters that will accommodate most of the phones out there and some tablets and IPADs too.  You plug in, close the door, lock it and off you go.  It's all free, but the theory behind that generosity is that people will gravitate to areas for free charging and hopefully hang around the store or eatery long enough to make if cost effective for the businesses who provide it.  What' s cool is that the app associated with this service will notify you of a charging station within your immediate vicinity once your battery is below a certain threshold.  

This may be useful for Media bars, but for general retail businesses and stores, I don't know.  I kind of view it like the spare tire in your car:  You hardly ever use it, but it's nice to know it's there when you eventually do need it…and you will.  I don't plan my day around my phone's battery charge, but this would be a hit at England's Heathrow Airport.  I'd gladly pay.

Come Out and Visit Pennsylvania's Veteran's Museum on State Street

The State of Pennsylvania and Delaware County have done a great job with providing a Veteran's Museum at the former armory in Media.  It's free, it's informative and it's located in the heart of town on State Street.  I had a chance to stop in this weekend to check out what's going on.  What I thought would be a five minute visit turned into more than an hour, as the museum provides a fascinating look into what our vets went through.  Whether it's either World War, Korea, Vietnam or any of the military branches, this place covers it all with cutting edge technology presentations, life-like exhibits and authentic war memorabilia.

Donations are greatly appreciated with a gift shop on the premises.  Hours: Thursday - Sunday (12pm to 5pm). Check out their website for up-to-date information.

Support Local Businesses for Media's 5 Mile Race/Party

Get your beer and soda at County Beverage!

We had the US PGA Open last week, but what really makes this town shine is the upcoming Media 5 Miler Race this Friday.  Make sure to support our local businesses that are more than happy to accomodate your race needs.  Need soda and beer?  None better than home town County Beverage on Monroe Street.  They have a great selection of keg beer, cases and plenty of ice on hand.  Yes, they even deliver big orders, so leave it to the professionals, like Joe.  

Having guests over?  Stop by the many stores who can help out like 320 Market with their cheeses, salsa and snacks, or one of Media's bakeries - Viso's and Sinfully Delicious.  Then there is Deals who has everything from candles, decorations, bug spray, serving dishes and last minute items you always need like trash bags.

Need entertainment?  Well, you're on you own on that one unless you live within a two block radius of E 6th Street, then I'll take care of that.  

Media in Two Minutes - Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!

Two big events coming up this week:  Kick-off of the Rose Tree Park Summer Music series this Wednesday and Media's Mardi-Gras.........The 5miler race on Friday, June 21st!

Ok, Let's go.

How'd Everybody Do for the US Open?
I don't think Media fared so well.  The only thing I saw highlighting the whole event was a ad posted in a bar bathroom on State Street.  Yes, there was an extra DUTS, but even participation was sparse for that despite the PGA coming out and setting up booths and games.

An another thing!  If Mayor McMahon spent $20,000 for a promotional video for Media, why wasn't it leveraged for one of the biggest economic events in the region?  Looks like no one can figure out who the video's intended audience is.  Business? Tourism? Residents?  Media taxpayers deserve their money back!

Alfa Romeo GTV:
We had a request to share pictures of Alfa's taken durning the Italian Festival a few weeks ago.  Since I've always been fond of one particular model from this manufatureing, here ya go...a GTV.  Most people I knew chose the VW Scirroco over this car, but I still liked it.

Media's Airport
It's not a traditional airport, or even lately an operational airfield, but the FAA does list a private airstrip in the the immediate Media area.  Based on it's history, it was bit treacherous to fly in and out of, but at one time it was used often by the Linvill family and located on the western side of Linvalla Orchards.  If you've ever noticed the orange marker ball in the power lines on limvil Road, you'd see the approach angle for the strip.  Small single planes only, as landing was required in a field not on an actual runway, which is needed by larger commercial planes.  

Flight Path location marker

I was there yesterday and what I can identify as the landing strip has since been planted over.  With traffic the way it is and the advancement of small plane technology, a airport someday might make a lot of sense.

Runners get Ready!
I know a lot of people have been training hard for this event, as I see them run by my house on 6th street routinely.  Keep up the good work.  Not sure your thoughts, but I always found this course easier to run counter clock-wise.  

Race starts 7pm Friday, June 21st!

Structural Engineers to Assess Olive St. Parking Garage
About 18 months ago I raised the concern of the structural stability of the Olive St. parking garage.  Not only does it noticeably shake when events are held on the top floor, but just as concerning is the rain water rushing through the seems to the lower levels.

Rain water has been leaking through this garage for years!

It wasn't until I brought it up then, did Media Borough Council even think there was an issue.  They started out thinking it just needed to be patched, but that's not the case.  From what I'm learning, the structure will need to be assessed to see just how sound it is.  It's the typical pattern of lack of organizational responsibility and leadership: 18 years for a bridge(not started), 7 years for a hotel (not started), Olive St. Garage (?).  Parking is bad enough, but to have to take a few hundred parking spaces out of service to fix this structure will not be good.

Next Week Kicks Off Rose Tree Park's Summer Music Series for 2013!

Get ready!  Next Wednesday is the start of the very popular Rose Tree Park Summer Music Series.  This is the 39th year of the event that has become a county tradition.  Here's a great article in the Daily Times highlighting the event, the performers and what you need to know as a participant.

An Old Slaughter House in Media and how Scrapple made Philadelphia(Middletown) Famous

Brooke St. Media, PA

For the longest time I drove by this building on Brooke Street(behind Dean Keys Towing) and had no idea what it was.  What intrigued me was what looked like an unusually long slide on the right side of the build.  Sort of like a two-story staircase but with out the stairs.  From what I'm told, it was originally built as a slaughter house for days when Media had those businesses.  Makes sense, as it was explained that the slide allowed for moving products from one level to the other and eventually the ground floor.  I'm not sure how the whole operation worked, when it concluded or what is there now, but it is one interesting, well constructed building.

None Better!

Since we're on the subject, no one made scrapple better than the Habbersett Bros. Inc. formerly located on Knowlton Road in Middletown.  I had a good friend who lived on the property and growing up we'd play around the trucks, garages, machines and the vast property the led up to Linvill Orchards.  It was wide, vast and entertained us for years with outdoor adventure.  I do vaguely remember smelling a pork aroma in the air when the facility was operating, but that wasn't so bad.

Linvill now stores equipment at the location when the business closed in 1985, but at one time, the family owned facility employed 130 people and was the first company to mass produce scrapple, which had to have had a big part in making Philadelphia famous.  Here's a great article I found on philly.com that covers the Habbersett Family, their history and the ultimate end of this business that produced pork products since the 1860's. 

When I get some time, I'll share how the Lionel Trestle that connects Elwyn to Media got it's name! Atleast, what the legend is behind how it got its name.

It’s finally done......the bridge!

Old Forge Rd Bridge is NOW OPEN!

Hold on a second, I wasn’t talking about “THAT BRIDGE,” but the announcement last week in the Delcotimes regarding Middletown’s bridge on Old Forge Rd.  This whole project was done with no exorbitant cost overruns or delays.  This is what happens when you have a plan, leadership and commitment.  This is also what happens when you don't have a councilman undermining the whole project by covertly providing webservices to family and friends who used it to lobby the town denouncing the bridge.

I particularly like this quote, ““For all of you here today, I am pretty sure you crossed at least one bridge to get here,” Delaware County Councilman Dave White said. “And you will cross another to get to your job, and another to get back home. Bridges and their safety are a critical component of our transportation system. They are also critical to our school districts who transport our children, and to our police, firefighters and emergency responders.”

Here in Media, Borough Council leads us to believe that they worked hard with self-written newspaper articles, followed up with statements like "Ultimately, Borough Council did its job." If you believe that, attempt driving over Third Street bridge today.

Rose Tree Colts Camp - Free 3-day Summer Skills Session starting at the end of June!

COLTS CAMP

  

The Rose Tree Colts are having a FREE, 3-day Summer Skills Session starting at the end of June.  These sessions are open to all boys and girls, ages 5 and up. We will offer skills challenges, fundamental drills, and flag football games. The focus of these Skills Sessions:

• Learn the fundamentals of the game of football
• Meet the players and coaching staff of the Colts, and other kids interested in Colts football
• Have FUN, get outside, and exercise!

The Skills Sessions will be held on Sunday Evenings – June 30, July 14, and July 20 at Cherry Street Field in Media PA. The time will be from 5:00-6:30 pm. No equipment is required, cleats are recommended. Every child will receive a T-shirt. For any further questions, please contact Ryan McQuade  - ryanmcquade@comcast.net  or  www.rosetreecolts.net