Christmas on King 2024. The annual street festival has become a signature event for Malvern merchants and residents. (Campli Photography.)
Step aside, guys.
Powered mostly by women, Malvern is poised for a mini-renaissance.
King Street has new merchants, the borough’s biggest boosters have joined forces, and everyone – shoppers and shopkeepers – seems bullish about Malvern’s singular, small-town charms.
“We don’t want to become another Wayne or Ardmore – they’re bigger than us,” explains Eric Rae, President of Malvern King Street Revitalization (MKSR), a new nonprofit. “But we do want to realize our full potential.”
While there are still no takers for some retail holes (including the old Christopher’s) and, sadly, Gallery 222 closes at year’s end, we’re pleased to report these newcomers – all of them women-owned.
*The area’s first Beem Light Sauna just opened at 233 E. King Street in Eastside Flats.
Kristin Elisii outside her new red light/infrared sauna studio in Malvern.
Beem offers the healing and rejuvenating effects of red light therapy, infrared sauna and chromotherapy in private or “social” suites in the old A/R Workshop craft studio, which moved a few blocks west last January. Beem’s owners are health-and-wellness enthusiasts: Kristin Elisii and her father-in-law, Paul Elisii.
“Malvern feels like a Hallmark town,” Kristin enthuses. “Everyone knows everyone and we love the other small businesses.”
The partners plan to operate two more Beem franchises, eyeing Ardmore and Exton, Kristin tells SAVVY.
*Open since October, Vida Beale Consignment peddles everything from gently used, on-trend Anthropologie to Zara in the former Ivory Concept bridal salon at 2 E. King St.
Owner Kirsten Gross relocated Vida Beale (“beautiful life”) from downtown West Chester and may we say, her timing was impeccable. Maria Fe’s Upscale Consignment, a Malvern fixture for resale retail, closed for good last May following a flood.
*Chic and lux workshop, co-working and event space Bask Collective is a total makeover of the old Intern U at 304 E. King.
A modern counterpoint to the charming Blue Heron venue up the street, Bask hosts girls-night-out popups like wine-bottle painting, mocktail-making and wellness/beauty events. Or book the 1,400 sq. ft. space for an intimate shower or birthday party. Or settle in with you laptop and a cuppa Joe. No surprise that the three owners are all visually inclined: Kim Strayhorn owns nearby Grazia Skin Care Studio & Spa, Lori Laskowski is a live wedding and commission artist and Ashley Sorrentino is the stylist behind La Sposa Bridal Hair.
*When it opens in early February, The Indie Shelf near Posh Collections boutique will peddle “independent curated beauty,” i.e. unique, natural and effective skincare, haircare, fragrance and makeup brands from around the world. Founder is cosmetic chemist/toxicologist Sabeen Zia, who created her own lipstick brand and champions smaller labels. She currently operates a store in Philadelphia and sells online.
But Malvern’s resurging retail is just part of the rosy vision.
A new nonprofit, Malvern King Street Revitalization (MKSR) christened its new HQ on King Street in October.
The new Malvern King Street Revitalization board and advisors: President Eric Rae, Councilwoman Lynn Frederick, Secretary Tina Corrado, Meghan Miller, VP Christy Campli and Mayor Zeyn Uzman.
MKSR has already commissioned a cool new logo and a playful tagline for King Street: “Crowned in Culture and Charm.”
The group is working to reel in sponsorships and grant money available to 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
It’s also planning signature fundraisers that celebrate Malvern’s “unique heritage.” Its next order of business: hiring an executive director to advance the mission – someone along the lines of Ardmore Initiative’s Exec. Director Nancy Scarlato.
“Ours is the kind of community-focused place where it’s easy to romanticize your life and feel at home,” reads MKSR’s mission statement shared at a recent stakeholders meeting.
Hallmark, here we come.
C’mon, Main Line. Let’s show the Gaudios, victims of that heinous Lower Merion home invasion, WE CARE
Robert, Bernadette and Andrew Gaudio.
Relief – mixed with abiding grief – washed over Meredith Road in Wynnewood this week after authorities made a stunning announcement: The deadly home invasion on their street was a case of mistaken address. Neither the Gaudio home nor their neighborhood was intentionally targeted.
Both suspects are now in custody. According to Montco DA Kevin Steele, Kelvin Roberts, 42, of Philadelphia and Charles Fulforth, 41, of Jenkintown, hoped to steal guns from a property in Bucks County but got the address wrong.
Shortly after 2 a.m. on December 8, the suspects broke into the Gaudio home a block off City Ave. in Lower Merion, shot Bernadette Gaudio, 61, in her bed (she was in a walking boot from a hiking injury), then shot and killed her son, Andrew, 25, who had come to his mother’s aid and was lying face down on the floor, authorities said. Bernadette Gaudio had the presence of mind to use Siri to call 911 when the intruders were still in her home. The suspects stole her jewelry and Andrew’s car, Steele said. Bernadette underwent emergency surgery at Lankenau and is partially paralyzed.
The suspects worked together at Junkluggers, a junk-hauling company. If you’ve hired Junkluggers and have items missing from your home, please contact police.
Here’s how we can help: Bernadette Gaudio’s close friends have started a GoFundMe to support the family.
Andrew Gaudio with his proud mom, Bernadette. Andrew was multi-sport athlete at Lower Merion High School. (At right) Bernadette with longtime friend Mary Eldridge. The two met as preschool moms.
Robert Gaudio, 30, faces the loss of his only sibling and the care of his severely injured mother. Compounding this family’s tragedy, Bernadette’s husband, Rich – Robert and Andrew’s father – died suddenly in his sleep at age 45 while the family was vacationing at the shore 15 years ago.
“Mom and I have such a long road ahead. I have no idea where it will take us or how long it will take,” Robert Gaudio wrote on the GoFundMe. Please, please, please consider donating here. Their expenses are expected to be sky-high and the family’s circumstances are reportedly modest.
The pop pop pop of pickleball vexes Berwyn neighbors as Easttown takes action
Pickleball players at Upper Main Line Y. (Facebook photo)
For well over a year, neighbors of the Upper Main Line YMCA (UMLY) have been begging Easttown Township for relief from the din of day-and-night dinking at UMLY’s outdoor courts.
Neighbors recorded umpteen videos, met with UMLY leadership, and repeatedly pled their case before Easttown supervisors. The noise was causing high-blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia and worse, they railed. It was a public nuisance, they said, an unlawful trespass on their rights in a neighborhood that’s zoned residential.
Well, Easttown has been hearing them loud and clear. What’s murky, though, is what will come of it all.
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The township did a sound study and found no violations of its own noise ordinance, but neighbors aren’t buying it. They hired their own sound engineer and that engineer found violations.
More than three months ago, the township gave UMLY 90 days to investigate and propose a solution.
When time expired in November, UMLY wrote a letter to supervisors, pledging to cut hours at the outdoor courts effective immediately.
In the letter, UMLY settled on this solution: a noise-muffling Acoustifence.
A closeup of an Acoustifence (above) and a pickleball complex in Florida that uses Acoustifence.
The fencing purports to cut noise 10 decibels but, alas, it comes with no guarantees.
And then there’s this problem: The fencing would cost around $120,000 – money not in UMLY’s current budget.
So, UMLY wrote that it hoped the township would “partner” with it.
If “partner” was code for “help pay for it,” Easttown put a quick kabosh on that in November, making it clear that it does not issue grants for such purposes. UMLY’s letter doesn’t offer to buy and rent quiet paddles and “soft balls” which some neighbors have suggested. And so far, UMLY has refused to move the courts, citing their proximity to parking, which has also been suggested.
This week, supervisors introduced a draft ordinance that won’t muffle the racket but will make it less omnipresent.
Specifically, the ordinance would forbid play anywhere in the township where it is “plainly audible at the property line of the noise source” before 8 a.m. every day and after 7 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends. Basically, it would codify the hours UMLY has already instituted.
But aggrieved neighbors will tell you that reducing hours of play is merely a start – not nearly enough to soothe their shattered nerves.
Also unclear from township meetings: what permits UMLY needed and sought when it built the courts near homes in 2022 and whether sound levels were adequately tested. Because some of the courts were repurposed tennis courts, could it be that pickleball was, in effect, grandfathered in?
Other questions raised: Could UMLY’s enormously popular pickleball program foot the bill for sound control? Could it perhaps better monetize the tournaments it hosts? Last June, the Mid-East Regional Pickleball Tournament was held at UMLY. Surely, that brought in some money. Could UMLY reduce the purse on some tournaments to pay for a fix that keeps neighbors happy?
To our knowledge, Easttown has not closed the door on helping UMLY source public or private grant funding for the noise-muffling fence. Some have wondered if that’s a proper use of taxpayer-funded township resources.
With the pickleball ordinance on the agenda at Monday’s supervisors’ meeting, neighbors came out once again to demand action. They’re not going quietly into that good night.
This isn’t the first time – and surely won’t be the last time – incessant pickleball pops have prompted local townships to act.
You may recall that neighbors’ noise complaints led Tredyffrin officials to investigate – and then shut down – Dink City Pickleball for operating a for-profit business on the campus of Valley Forge Military Academy & College (VFMAC) in Wayne. VFMAC now operates those courts.
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At the bar At The Table in Wayne: Spend a little or spend a lot
Bartender Michael Fedorko expertly crafts cocktails at At The Table’s former oyster bar in downtown Wayne.
When At The Table relocated to larger digs in late 2023, we dubbed the stellar, tasting-menu focused BYOB “the French Laundry of the Main Line.”
Well, we take it back. All of it – except for the stellar part.
Some 15 months later, At The Table has evolved considerably – from special occasion to every occasion.
And it’s no longer a BYOB; there’s a $25 corkage fee. The rear oyster bar is now an intimate, full-service liquor bar. Drop by for a drink and a nibble (or dinner) and be on your merry way.
At the old At The Table, four out of five guests ordered the $125 tasting menu. Now, about half go a la carte. (We split a few apps and an entrée recently and no one blinked.)
And if the stars align in the not-too-distant future, other guests will climb the stairs to private dining or a speakeasy, a cozy bar with frame TVs. Who would have thunk it? Eagles games and draft beer at a bar At The Table!
“We want people to just come in and not feel pressured to go all out on spending,” says chef Alex Hardy who owns At The Table with his wife, Tara Buzan. “Maybe they had a long day at the office, maybe they want to meet up with friends. You don’t need to be celebrating something.”
We spent a few hours at the bar last week, munching on other-worldly truffle fries, splitting an exceptional colossal shrimp starter and the skirt steak entrée, and watching bartender Michael Fedorko ply his craft.
Call it a lesson in chemistry. He expertly separated egg whites, blow-torched marshmallows, shaved lime zest on gimlets.
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Fedorko and Hardy concoct the cocktails. “They’re inspired by everyday life, the weather, holidays, Instagram posts and my own adoration for invention,” Hardy shares. Opt for a simple Dirty Martini or Cosmo or a more elaborate Smoked Blood Orange Old Fashioned or Tiramisu Espresso Martini. “We thought, ‘OK, if we can take food and make it unique, we can do the same with alcohol.’”
Wines are boutique labels out of Oregon, California, France, Sicily, Argentina and beyond. All seven beers are brewed in PA including La Cabra in Berwyn and Tired Hands in Ardmore. Spirits run the gamut: some come from smaller distillers, others from big names like Beam Suntory and Maker’s Mark.
Partnerships have been forged with Carlino’s, Wayne farmer’s market fave Viniamo, Boardroom Spirits, BOTLD, Bluecoat, and Stateside, among others.
“These companies ensure our product is not only fantastic but also few and far between,” Hardy enthuses. “It’s like David vs. Goliath with us. We’re small so let’s help out the other little guys.”
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Wynnewood fashion stylist Nancy Amoroso with yours truly enjoying a recent night At The Table.
At The Table (and bar), is just steps from N. Wayne Ave. at 118 W. Lancaster Ave. Reserve on TOCK or call 610-964-9700. Open Tues. to Sat. 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Special menus for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
For safety, Berwyn Square site was partially demolished. Don’t hold your breath on construction, though.
An ugly pile of rubble on Lancaster Ave. near the old Handels in Berwyn was being cleared this week. (Photo by Michael DeFlavia)
When the original developers of Berwyn Square told us their splashy, mixed-use building would bring “urban” flair to the Village, safe to say, this was NOT the kind of “urban” they had in mind.
If you missed it, here’s how those walls in the heart of town came tumbling down.
After builder Todd Pohlig and developer Cornerstone Tracy finally won township approval for a downsized, redesigned version of Berwyn Square at the old Handel’s block, they sold the project to DP Partners Group, which also built The Fritz apartment complex up the street near Berwyn Tavern.
DP Partners has owned the property for more than three years and until late November, has mostly ignored it. “We were prepared to start building in 2022, but we looked at interest rates and decided to pause,” said DP Principal Jason Dempsey whom we reached by phone this week.
A rendering of Berwyn Square as greenlit by Easttown Township in 2021.
As a result, the property has sat there, decaying before our eyes. “It seemed like every week there were rocks thrown through windows and the township would call us to fix them,” Dempsey explained. “So we put fences up to keep people out.”
Easttown Planning Director Colleen Gray confirms she would send “friendly reminders” to trim landscaping or repair broken windows, but over time, Handel’s block – which many consider a gateway to Berwyn Village – became an outright eyesore: vacant buildings overgrown with weeds awaiting demolition that never happened.
Until now.
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Over Thanksgiving weekend, the roof of a building in the dilapidated strip center collapsed and a wall bowed, causing a clear safety hazard. Dempsey says he huddled with Easttown officials and offered to demolish the strip center “to keep people safe… The township didn’t order us to do it,” Dempsey said. “It’s been amicable.”
Rubble removal finally started this week. That’s a start but you can’t put a bow on ugly.
“It looks like a war zone,” says Michael DeFlavia, a Berwyn neighbor who runs a local Facebook page.
The rest of the Handel’s block – the ice cream shop’s former home and other buildings on Midland and Woodside – are still standing.
But for how long? Dempsey would only commit to starting construction “some time in 2025.” He also squashed rumors that he’s been trying to unload the property. “We get a lot of phone calls from people who want to buy it.”
So, presumably, he’s not selling.
“We’re in good shape,” he offered. “The Fritz up the street is fully occupied. We’re full speed ahead here.”
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SAVVY Picks***
For an effective compliment to traditional medicine and a healthy dose of prevention, turn to Village Wellness in Berwyn. You won’t be alone. Hundreds of locals have found pain relief, healing, wholeness and lasting peace of mind at this snug, welcoming oasis just off Rte. 30 in Berwyn Village. Lance Isakov and his caring practitioners offer a mind-blowing array of wellness workshops and services including private and community acupuncture, integrative and Thai massage, craniosacral and past life regression therapy, shamanic medicine and sound healing, reiki and chakra balancing, astrology, healing diets and workplace wellness. Click here for a special discount for SAVVY readers, thoughtful gift cards and more info. Book online or call 610-203-3747.
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***SAVVY Picks are shoutouts & promos on behalf of our sponsors. To learn more about becoming a SAVVY Pick, email [email protected].
Christmas miracles for kids, courtesy of a Conestoga student
Conestoga sophomore, Dom Pecora, 15, at his bike shop at 393 Lancaster Ave. in Malvern. He’s holding his latest accolade: a book about people showing extraordinary acts of “love and kindness” that includes a chapter about him. (Ahmed Photography)
Four years ago, SAVVY was first to tell you about Tredyffrin wunderkind Dom Pecora.
At age 12, he’d opened his own pay-what-you-wish bike repair shop in Paoli, using his earnings to buy a half-dozen brand-new bikes for kids in need.
Now a sophomore at Conestoga, Dom is rolling merrily along. DFB (Dom Fixes Bikes) has a double storefront in Malvern, a host of community partners, and ever-ballooning ambitions.
Instead of six bikes in 2021 which became 100 in 2023, Dom will donate at least 200 two-wheelers this holiday season with Nemours Children’s Hospital kicking in 200 helmets.
Kids apply online or are recommended by T/E guidance counselors. Among the grateful recipients: kids with autism at the Timothy School (who get adapted Berg three-wheelers), Ukranian refugees, children with families in crisis and many more.
Posing with a $5000 RoofMaxx check that will help DFB fulfill its 200-bike donation goal are: (from left) Montgomery County FOP President Dan Diedel; A M Friendly Movers Managing Partner Tom O’Neill whose company transports bikes for DFB: Cops for Kids Chair Mikael Vincke: DFB founder Dom Pecora: RoofMaxx franchisee and DFB donor Dave Attarian, Dom Pecora’s grandmother Pearl Nudy, and Sami Mazoury, also of RoofMaxx. (Ahmed Photography)
Easttown Police and Fraternal Orders of Police in Chesco and Montco are involved in DFB and local businesses are lending a hand.
A mountain biking/BMX enthusiast, Dom also helped lead a successful campaign for a bike skills park in Tredyffrin’s Mill Road Park.
Love Drops, a new inspirational book about love and kindness, devoted an entire chapter to the good works of one Dom Pecora.
And on the national stage, Dom was crowned a TIME Magazine 2024 “Kid of the Year,” one of just six honorees.
Boy, oh boy. The kid can’t even drive a car and he’s got a resumé most 30-year-olds would kill for.
Santa to light up the holidays for spinal-cord injury survivor and Stoga alum Patrick Hoey
Santa greets spinal cord injury survivor Patrick Hoey in his wheelchair-friendly van in Paoli last Christmas.
Remember our story last December about the “godwinks” and “guardian angels” sustaining the Hoeys since Patrick’s catastrophic diving accident in the summer of 2023?
Add Santa to the list of this Devon family’s out-of-this supporters.
The jolly old elf will again pay an early visit to a home on Russell Road in Paoli, a frequent winner of Tredyffrin’s holiday decorating contest.
Santa will dole out candy canes and merriment at no charge. But he’ll also politely direct visitors to yard signs with QR codes to facilitate donations to Hope4Hoey, the fund from HelpHopeLive that supports Patrick’s ongoing care.
Props to the Leon family for opening their festive yard and generous hearts to this remarkable young man and his family and the community that cares about them.
Enjoy the lights and visit Santa in the driveway of 1587 Russell Rd, Paoli (near Daylesford Station) Sunday, Dec. 22, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Our recent headlines. (Click to read story and view photos)
Dapper & delightful: The Jockey Tavern giddyaps into Malvern.
‘Sonnez les matines’ in Wayne: New Matines Café is already rousing crowds.
Barnes & Noble is coming back to Bryn Mawr. Just don’t expect a carbon copy.
Holy Macaroni! Ardmore’s new Mac Mart is a mac ‘n cheese lover’s dream.
Trader Joe’s expands to Berwyn.
And don’t miss SAVVY’s mother-daughter podcast! We’re getting great feedback on our latest episode in which Kara gets personal as we explore IVF from all angles. Find us on your iPhone’s Podcasts app or on Spotify. Simply search for SAVVY Main Line or find direct links via the link below:
SAVVY Main Line, The Podcast: WHOA Baby! Egg Freezing, IVF & America’s first “test tube baby”
This and That
LATE BREAKING NEWS: 21 Pips in Ardmore is closing for good. The game room/restaurant/bar at One Ardmore on Cricket Ave. never quite found its footing – but not for lack of trying. After two-and-a-half years in business, its last day will be Sunday, Dec. 22. Its sister store in Philly, Thirsty Dice is also closing that day.
Pickleball pops aren’t the only noises roiling Main Line neighborhoods. Folks living in upscale Inverary across from Willows Park in Radnor have been complaining about loud music from weddings for more than a year.
“We’re not denying it,” Willows Park Preserve (WPP) Executive Director Will Nord tells SAVVY. “If it affects one neighbor, that’s one too many.”
It’s not like WPP can shut down Mansion weddings completely. Event income is a main income source for WPP, the nonprofit that maintains and manages the property. Among noise abatement measures WPP has tried to date: requiring wedding bands to plug into WPP’s new sound system; changing the orientation of speakers; ending weekend weddings at 10 p.m.; limiting bands to 6 pieces;and creating a one-pager of rules for wedding bands. In addition, WPP recently brought in a sound engineer and will most likely adopt some of his recommendations for the 2025 wedding season, Nord says. And talks with neighbors and township officials are ongoing, he says.
Still no announced agreement about the future of the parking lot Radnor Township leases from Wayne Presbyterian Church. A vote to give final approval to an ordinance that would allow the township to use eminent domain to seize the lot has been kicked down the road again. “We are making good progress with Wayne Presbyterian Church,” announced Board of Commissioners Chair Maggy Myers at this week’s meeting. The township has been negotiating with the church throughout the fall and commissioners will take up the issue again at their January 27 meeting.
The Fearless folks at Radnor-based Fearless Restaurants (White Dog, Autograph et. al.) just opened another one: the first location of Testa Rossa (redhead), a casual, vibey Italian-American mashup at the old Ruby’s Diner in Glen Mills. The second Testa Rossa – which sort of sounds like a race car to us – pulls into the old Bertucci’s in Wayne in a year or so. Meanwhile, another new Fearless concept, Triple Crown Restaurant and Bar, is starting to take shape at the Radnor Hotel, complimenting the new event space and gardens and replacing the defunct Glenmorgan Bar & Grill.
Jewish Main Liners ages 50ish+ are invited to host or attend a Shabbat dinner through One Table Together, a cool initiative that just expanded to older adults in the Philadelphia area. “Post October 7, we know that people of all ages are seeking community and connection,” says One Table Together chief program officer Amy Bebchick.
We’re hearing raves about Japandi Revisited, the companion exhibit to Craft Forms 2024 at Wayne Art Center. The show’s so fab, it belongs in a museum, folks are saying. “Everyone is totally blown away by the diversity of the collection, the exquisite craftsmanship and professional installation,” relays WAC Executive Director Nancy Campbell. The exhibit explores links between Japanese and Scandinavian culture as expressed through art.
MangoMango Dessert is dishing out handmade sweets and slurps on Swedesford Rd. near Cuticle Corner in Tredyffrin. Specialties include Asian-inspired fresh-fruit smoothies, “healthy scented” teas, and desserts like waffles, crepes, cakes and sundaes. MangoMango has more than 30 locations in 16 states. Now through Dec. 22, get a free Misty with your in-store order over $25.
Owners of two Berwyn bars are taking steps to ensure things don’t get out of hand like they did on Thanksgiving Eve. After a fight apparently involved underage kids was caught on video outside the Berwyn Tavern, BT owner Joe Rex posted a note on Facebook, chiding parents who “seem to be supporting their underage children in obtaining fake IDs to gain access to bars.” Rex called it a “violation of the trust we’ve worked so hard to build in this community.” Anyone involved in the fight will be “flagged for life,” he wrote. “The video circulating is not a reflection of the standard I set for my bar.”
Nearby Midtown Social (formerly 30 Main) was swamped that same night and has started requiring “memberships and registration.” In a Facebook post, owner Mike DiDomenico said his club uses an AI-powered scanner to sniff out fake IDs. He claims to have turned away 350 people the night before Thanksgiving. His first floor is now for ages 25 and up, and his second floor is for ages 21 and up.
Suburban property taxes are on the rise. Chester County Commissioners vote 2 to 1 Wednesday to hike the county’s portion of property taxes 13 percent, a bid to keep pace with inflation and keep staff salaries competitive. The budget also includes radios for police, more funding for SEPTA, infrastructure and prison upgrades. Commissioners chair Josh Maxwell promised tax hikes won’t be a regular thing and county government is not getting bloated. Meanwhile, Delaware County Council has voted to increase property taxes 23 percent, citing inflation, disinvestment by prior Republican councils, and the loss of COVID-19 relief money. The Democrat-controlled council said Delco was facing a huge budget shortfall and needs the extra income to maintain current services. Montgomery County Commissioners were set to vote on a 9 percent property tax increase this week.
Only a few more days to visit Yuletide at Liberty Hill, the holiday festival that moved from the Devon Horse Show to the Union League’s Montgomery County golf club this year. Yuletide was to run into the New Year but organizers announced the show will close December 23rd.
Kudos to John Nagle, a most worthy recipient of the “Civic Participation Award” from the Radnor League of Women Voters. In his decades of service to Radnor, Nagle has been a township commissioner, a member of the Parks & Rec and Zoning Hearing boards, a Radnor Conservancy board member, and a supporter of the Radnor Historical Society. According to recent tribute by PA Rep. Lisa Borowski, Nagle has helped preserve open space and historic buildings, enhanced Radnor’s business districts, worked to safeguard the environment and make Radnor’s finances more transparent to the public. Take a bow, John. That’s some legacy.
About 650 runners and walkers – a small army of fleet-footed “elves for shelves” – raised $74,000 for Radnor Memorial Library this year. Our only question: why isn’t every local library doing this?
This one caught our eye: Village Wellness in Berwyn is hosting a six-week “Group Shamanic Healing Journey with Ketamine.” Details here.
Need a gift for someone over the moon about Trader Joe’s coming to Berwyn? The new “I Love Trader Joe’s Cocktail Book” –52 drink recipes made from ingredients sold at TJs – is sure to pack a tasty punch. $18.95. Order it here.
The Center for Positive Aging in Lower Merion (PALM) is now closed for two years for extensive renovations and program enhancements. Folks are now getting boxed lunches and enjoying onsite activities four days a week at the Ardmore Avenue Community Center. All Tuesday programs are virtual.
Say what? Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne was a military base during the Civil War? If you’re like us, you had no clue, but two new historical markers should help. Posted on a hill overlooking the Schuylkill, the signs mark the site of long-forgotten Camp Discharge, which the Union Army erected in 1864. More than 1,000 soldiers – many of them wounded – came through Camp Discharge en route to civilian life. Philly Country Club paid for the markers which were unveiled November 23.
Hmmm. What to call T/E’s rather novel new elementary school – you know, the one that will be an adaptive reuse of a Berwyn office building? Well, that’s up to the public, to a point. Tredyffrin-Easttown School District gave folks a month (ending Dec. 6) to submit names. Those that “fit established criteria” will first be run by first responders who will weed out confusing names that could delay response times. The remaining names will be open to public comment during a special meeting in January.
The previous owner of Oakwell – Stoneleigh garden’s sister property that activists “saved” after multiyear fight – have until January 10 to exercise the option to buy the property back from Lower Merion School District. Price tag? Upwards of $9 million. Cash.
Congrats to Rev. Carolyn Cavaness, who left her flock at Bethel A.M.E. Church of Ardmore last month to become the first woman pastor of the oldest A.M.E. church in America. Cavaness worked to bring ‘Victory Gardens’ and vaccines to historic South Ardmore so she must be feeling right at home at Mother Bethel A.M.E Philadelphia. Founded by former slave Richard Allen and associates in 1794, it’s a hub for social justice and a National Historic Landmark.
And finally, a fond farewell to Pat the Barber, fixture of downtown Wayne, who died December 3, just a year-and-a-half after he hung up his clippers for good. John Patrick Shannon operated his old-school, one-man shop on North Wayne Ave. for more than 47 years. A Philadelphia Eagles and Nova hoops fan, Pat loved nothing more than kibitzing with regulars. He was also a community champion, supporting Radnor Little League, St. Katharine’s and St. Joe’s Prep, among others.
And that, faithful readers, is a wrap. Wishing each of you all the joys of the season. Find time to put your feet up. Enjoy your family. Sip a cold one. Call an old friend. We sure will. See you in the new year – it’s already shaping up to be a fascinating one!
Maybe UMLY neighbors complaining should get out to the courts and play. If you can’t beat ’em, join’em!
In theory, that’s a great idea, in practice, not so much. In order to not here the pops in their homes, they’d have to play 10 hours a day!
Thanks for the shout out Caroline. It is a real honor to receive the award from the Radnor LWV. John Nagle. Love Savvy, keep up the great work.
Your record of public service to Radnor is truly impressive – you deserve a shoutout! (Thanks for the kind words about SAVVY!)
As a Main Line expatriate in Palm Beach County, FL, and an avid pickleball competitor, I can attest that the whack of a pickleball paddle produces some of the most ornery reverbs in athletics. However, the UMLY does provide a public service in hosting a sport that encourages people of all ages to partake in a healthy routine. If the cost of noise-abatement is a problem, I would encourage Easttown and the UMLY neighbors to unite and be part of the solution.
Thanks for you comment, Warren. I agree: pickleball is a fun, accessible sport for people of all ages and fitness levels – although it IS keeping sports medicine docs, physcial therapists and orthopedic surgeons busy. Its noise truly is a nuisance. My son bought a farm in Bucks County in early December last year. He and his wife had no idea that there were public pickleball courts across the road – he toured in cold weather when the courts weren’t in use. The racket drove them bonkers all summer and well into the fall. I know they have contacted officials in their township.
Great content as always! I hope you don’t mind my offering a pickleball factoid. My family built a swim club named Lake Hideaway in the Poconos (we took a swamp and made it into a beautiful lake and 30 acres of lovely grounds an amenities) and in 1965 my father read about a new game called “Pickleball” and thought it sounded great. So we carved one of the first pickleball courts in America out of the side of a mountain, where the then-unknown game of Pickleball flourished long before the world heard about this sport. It’s been played there every summer for decades and is still going strong. The nearest neighbors were a mile away so noise was not a problem!
Fascinating, Dennis. Pickleball was born in the Poconos – who knew?!?!