Narblog

Things Narberthians Get For Free

Inflation is up and the economy is down.  Thankfully Narberthians have resources at hand to help with penny pinching.

• Free Compost - All of the brush we collect in those brown paper bags is mulched by Lower Merion township.  Narberth and LM residents.  Why pay for mulch?
• Reduce. Reuse. Recycle - We pay about 4 cents per pound to haul away our regular trash pickup.  Our recycling diversion rate is only 26% compared with the state average 36%.  Reduction of waste and improved recycling, if supported by all, could save you more than $50/year on your taxes.
• Inter Library Loan - Your Narberth Library Card is a powerful tool.   Go online and have a book from any library in Montgomery County delivered to Narberth Library for pickup.  Most requests take less than a week.   A visit to Borders will run you $30 for a book and $5 for a mocha latte.  Our library can deliver that same book for free.
• Big Trash Pickup - For one week in June, Narberthians empty their homes of inevitable clutter.  While some of the discards are really trash, a lot of the goods are not.  TV's, air conditioners, children's toys & bikes, furniture, and tools are all good quality and readily available for the taking.  Plan ahead and stay in front of the professional scavengers to find the best stuff.  Throughout the year, Narberth residents are active users of Freecycle and Craigslist to dispose of quality items.  Tune in and score.
• Activities & Events - Skip the pricy dinner & movie.  Free concerts in town and at the park are offered throughout the warmer months.  Free movies are shown on most Friday nights during the warmer months.  The parades and seasonal events are icing on the cake.

Do you know a great way for Narberthians to save money?  Your comments are always welcome.

Skywatching from Narberth - Part I

As spring approaches we're all spending more time outside.  Despite our proximity to Philadelphia and extensive light pollution, there is still some quality sky-watching to be had.  The trick is to concentrate on objects which are bright enough to be seen through the orange haze that permeates our night sky. 

Man-made Objects

Man-made satellites may be small compared to the stars but they are a whole lot closer to us.  Also, they have shiny reflective metal surfaces.  There are a number of very bright objects visible to the naked eye.  If you look up on any evening just after sunset or right before dawn you can find them by watching carefully and patiently waiting.

Or, you can lookup the day's sighting opportunities online.  A good resource is the Heavens Above website.  Enter your coordinates (Narberth is 40.01N by 75.27W) and take a look at the predictions for the brightest objects.  Smaller numbers indicate higher brightness and negative numbers are especially bright.  Objects greater than 3.5 magnitude (i.e. numbers smaller than 3.5) will be bright enough for easy viewing in Narberth.

Go Outside Tonight!

Tonight, March 30th head outside at 8:45PM.  Let's hope the weather is clear!  The ISS (International Space Station) will be flying directly overhead.  With its new solar panels deployed, it can become the brightest object in the evening sky besides the moon.  Tonight it will be as bright as the planet Jupiter; A very easy find.

Orient yourself looking towards the Northwest; That is, look to the right of the setting sun.  At 8:50PM you'll see the ISS appear as a bright, slowly moving object just above the treeline.  After three minutes it should be almost directly overhead and very, very bright.  Then a few seconds after it reaches the zenith, it will blink out and completely disappear while still overhead.  This is because the space station has fallen into Earth's shadow. 

If you had a fancy telescope with equatorial motor mount, CCD camera, and special software you could make a movie like this.  But, if all you have are your own two eyes, you'll still have a very satisfying experience.

Spotting the ISS is easy, rewarding, and especially exciting for the kids. Remember, there is a real live crew up there circling the Earth every 90 minutes. 

From the ISS you can move on to spot military intelligence satellites (be sure to wave hello as they pass overhead), defunct satellites (as the tumble they will blink or flicker), space junk (an astronaut recently lost his toolbag), and more.

Have fun!

Narberth Open Space Plan Moving Forward

A few years ago, Montgomery County approved a bond initiative to support Green Spaces in the county.  Grants were offered to local municipalities to support open space initiatives.  Though technically, Narberth has no open space to preserve from development, our community prepared a plan to address a number of our environmental and livability issues. 

Narberth is going to spend up to $745,368 in Montgomery County money as part of the program.  A few years ago an excellent plan was prepared.  It can be read here.

The plan is finally moving forward.  Some additional details can be found in Mike Weilbacher's Main Line Times column here.  Stormwater management may not sound sexy.  We all have the inclination to imagine that whatever goes 'down the drain' is someone else's problem.  However, our failure to properly manage runoff contributed to the loss of our police cruisers in the 2006 floods.

The plan to build 'bioretension swales' on the south side of Windsor Ave should not only reduce the danger from flooding, but it will improve the aesthetic of the street in addition to improving downstream water quality.

Where is the American Family Market Headed?

I moved to Narberth because of Paul & Angelo Bovo's tuna hoagies.  Though I grew up in nearby Havertown, Narberth was a completely unknown world to me.  In the summer of my 16th year, I was working at an office on the corner of Forrest & Windsor.  I had no grasp of Narberth as a walking community.  I didn't know what a walking community was.  I got in my car and drove to Narberth and parked in a parking lot...just like most other Americans do every day.

One day, my boss suggested I get lunch at the market down the street instead of my usual routine of driving to Wawa.  Ten years later, I could not get that Tuna Hoagie out of my mind.  And so, when I was married, I convinced my wife that we should move to Narberth.

The American Family Market is a local treasure.  Its decor is classic Americana.  It is human-sized, especially when compared with the artificial reality at the supermarkets on our borders.  Working at AFM is an employment rite of passage for many of our youth.  The deli counter and checkout serve as a meeting place for exchanging news.  One can buy prepared food that, honestly, is made with love instead of a minimum wage disinterest.  Along with Mapes, the American Family Market is an anchor store of our downtown.

For some time I have been concerned with the market's future.  I have heard that the market cannot change ownership without extensive work in bringing it up current building and food preparation codes.  Times are tough and Narberthians are clipping coupons; finding ways to save on weekly expenses.  And so, it was with sadness and some fear for the future that I read about the closure of Gladwyne's Delaware Market in the Main Line Times.  I am sure that the problems of competition from supermarkets and a poor economy are not limited to Gladwyne.

The American Family Market is a resource to all of us.  I behooves us to support it and to help plan for its continued future.

Subdivision Requested at N. Wynnewood and Sabine

Resident and developer Jason Duckworth is interested in purchasing the large, dilapidated property at N. Wynnewood & Sabine Aves for demolition, sub-division, and new construction.  Neighbors of the property are opposed to the plan.  Neighbor Jim Lobb told the Main Line Times that the sub-division would "detract from the beauty of the street".

The full MLT report can be found here.

Narberth CF Run

The Narberth CF Run is on April 25, 2009 and needs volunteers to fulfill the mission of honoring the wishes and dreams of children living with CF (Cystic Fibrosis).  Volunteering involves either traffic control or working water stations. 

The Run will be finished by 10:00 AM and volunteers are asked to be at their stations by 8:30 AM.  Students grade 3 and up are needed as volunteers for water stations. 

Mayor Grady says, "My running experience with the Narberth CF Run goes back to our Centennial year 1995.  I have been proudly running close to dead last for the past 14 years.  I only wish the guy in the Pizza Suit still ran the race to keep me company..."

After the race, you can enjoy the post-run activities at Narberth Park, including the Kidz Run, face painting and moon bounce. 

Please contact: infor@narberthrun.com for more information.

Narberth planning commission continues commercial zoning talks

You can read the Main Line Times article here.

The Narberth Borough planning commission floated a plan last month which would restrict the use of commercial space in the borough.  The gist of the plan was a ban on 'formula stores' or chain stores in our commercial space.  This place was opposed by a number of local interests including commercial property owners and local business owners.  The commission is looking to find ways to ensure that our downtown retains its 'unique character'.

With the economy shifting downward, there are a number of empty retail spaces on Haverford Ave.  The Borough would like to prevent them from being converted to offices or other non-retail space.  Over the years, large-window retail spaces have been converted to professional offices.  As this trend continues, it becomes an accelerating process whereby shopping/walking traffic decreases and leads to the conversion of more storefronts.

The goal of preventing 'formula stores' is more difficult to pin down in legally enforceable language.  The current plan would ban stores with "standardized offerings of merchandise, attire, decor, and signage".  This is a difficult, challenging task. 

[begin editorial comment] Perhaps the solution is to use a carrot vs. the stick.  Instead of banning formula stores, perhaps the Borough can better organize, in association with the business community, to lure desirable retailers and entrepreneurs to Narberth.  To many potential business owners, Narberth seems to have expensive rent, old buildings (which may be expensive to renovate), and limited parking.  However, these negatives are offset by our walking traffic volume, comparative affluence, and word of mouth.  Just drive by the Ice Cafe at 9pm on a summer-time evening to see what is possible. There are more retail spaces which will become available soon.  The planning commission should be commended for dealing with this problem proactively.[end editorial]

Spring is Here

Well, officially it is spring.  I see the crocus's opening and the daffodils are about a week away from full bloom.  Still, it is chilly outside.  Perhaps I can rouse the Narblog from its winter slumber...