This past week, the Tredyffrin and Easttown School District held an informational meeting at Conestoga High School about the introduction of an earned income tax to supplement the school district budget. Earler this year Easttown had considered an earned income tax to close the gap in its budget but held off implementing when they saw the up roar this generated among home owners. But is it inevetable that both the chool district and the two townships will introduce an earned income tax when so many townships around us already have them? Is the chool district just the beginning of the wedge to bring this into the townships? I was speaking with an homeower this week and they said they moved here because this township did not have an earned income tax. Where is the balance between cost cut... 10/23/2010

Trudy and I stopped by Alfredo last night, a new Italian Restaurant that has opened in the old San Nicola space in Berwyn at 668 Lancaster Ave. The layout of the restaurant has changed from the old San Nicola, it is now a BYO which seems to be the case for many new restaurants nowadays.  The kitchen is based on dishes from the Naples area, which is where the owner comes from. As we walked in we saw friends sitting at a table with their daughter also trying it out. We had a great evening together with good food.  They had one dish from the specials, mahi-mahi and two veal dishes, one with eggplant and the other with crab meat. Trudy also had a veal dish with prosciutto; she found it good, although a little dry as if it was a little overcooked. I had the Cioppino, a fish stew, another spe... 09/30/2010

It saddens me that 9 years following the disaster of 9/11 America has moved away from the wonderful position they took immediately following that disaster and attack. Our fight is with terrorists who happen to claim to be Muslims, but not with Muslims. As was stated by George Bush himself. When Britain dealt with the IRA their fight was against terrorists not the Irish people, although many on both tried to project it as otherwise. But peace came when people, mainly women decided enough was enough. Today, in a country founded upon religious freedom and tolerance, we have so called pastors threatening to burn the holy books of another faith, which shows little freedom or tolerance and seems more like small minded individuals just wanting air time. I recently have stopped going to church,... 09/10/2010

Berwyn is a big place stretching across two townships, Easttown and Tredyffrin. I was driving along Swedesford Road in Tredyffrin and saw that the new hhgregg store, where circuit City used to be was Now Open. So stopped off to check it out. I will give them the benefit of the doubt that this is an early opening, and maybe they don't have all their inventory in place, but the store did not feel attractive. Very bright, too much empty open space, prices did not seem that competitive compared to Best Buy, Walmart, Kmart or Sears. But what do you think? Let me know. 08/08/2010

I was out jogging yesterday and briefly watched as I went past Hillside elementary school in Tredyffrin Easttown School District,(T/E) as they were watering their roofs. I realized that the roofs are green and this is an interesting step for the local school district to reduce costs and teach students about the environment as well. The local paper, The Wayne and Suburban Times has an interesting article with photographs that you can view. Green elements are growing in our area, with many residential homes being fitted with geo-thermal heating and cooling units, solar panels, new energy star appliances, newer windows and doors all reducing costs over time for the homewowners and helping out our environment at the same time. But I applaud the local Tredyffrin Easttown school district to t... 08/05/2010

Berwyn, PA on the border of Easttown and Tredyffrin Townships is hotting up. A new Bathroom and Kitchen shop is opening soon on Lancaster Avenue in the vicinity of the old Berwyn Hardware store. Alfredo a new restaurant is going to fill the gap left by San Nicola. Curves moved location a while back to have a more visible store front on Lancaster Ave. We have Medi-Weight Loss and an architectural firm filling the old Masonic building on Lancaster. A new emergency care doctors office is opening next to the state liquor store, not sure if that is related, probably not but not a bad location just down from the CVS. Jennifer on the Avenue moved next door when Beadeologie closed their store front and now have a nive large space. A gold and jewelry purchasing store has also filled the old spa ... 08/05/2010

Philadelphia Metro Realtor Philadelphia, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties of Pennsylvania.   $1 Commission Program With Full Service! THE DEAL IS REAL!!!!!   IF YOU PURCHASE YOUR NEXT HOME THROUGH JAN GAWEDA OF REALTY MARK ASSOCIATES, JAN WILL SELL YOUR HOME FOR $1.00 IN COMMISSION!   (IF ANY OTHER AGENT SELLS YOUR PROPERTY, THE MAXIMUM COMMISSION YOU WILL EVER PAY IS 2.5% +$1.00) This is not a misprint, and I guarantee it in writing. In limited areas of Pennsylvania, if you list your home with Jan Gaweda, Jan will sell your house for $1.00. All you need to do is purchase your next property with Jan to take advantage of this limited time offer!* If you participate in my 2.5% plus $1 promotion, you will receive full Realtor Service. Your property will be placed on... 08/04/2010

The 2010 real estate market in Tredyffrin Easttown School District appears steady. Looking at sales of homes priced above $400,000 since the beginning of the year, we see sales as lackluster in the winter months of January and February, 18 and 16 homes selling respectively, 17 more settled in March, whether this was the winter blahs or the economy it is hard to tell, snow storms definitely affected showings and Open Houses, but so did the predictions and feelings about the economy. Sales were definitely down on previous years, and the extended tax credit did not seem to be having an effect in the early part of the year. Reaching the Spring we see April sales rise slightly to 24 homes with May at 30, June jumping to 38 and settling back to 22 in July. As the tax credit was expiring in Ju... 08/02/2010

Berwyn Village is like a breathing organism in that it expands and contracts. I have lived here for the past 20 years and when we moved in frankly Berwyn Village was a place that looked as if it had been left behind. Business open and close, shop fronts look run down, landlords allow their buildings to deteriorate and this all affects the village and how it is perceived by those passing through. As President of the local busines association I have found the lack of interest of business owners to be involved in the local community shocking. At the same time, those who are involved give a lot and want to see improvements. Some of the issues are that the Village straddles two townships, Tredyffrin and Easttown and getting both on board to allow improvement is challenging, especially if th... 07/21/2010

Wawa seems to be inspecting the old Eckerd property on Lancaster Ave in Berwyn to see if they might be able to open a Wawa Gas station and store on the site. The site on the corner with Bridge and Lancaster Avenue in the heart of Berwyn would be a high visibility site and location that has been empty for a long time. Tests seem to be underway, however they have not as yet according to sources made any approach to Easttown township for permission. What do you think? Is this good for Berwyn or not? How do you think Easttown will react? Is this a chance for the township to make improvements to the intersection there? 06/09/2010

Every year our local Veteran's Association organizes a 5K run and a kid's race entitled the Berwyn Victory Run. May 15th is this year's run. Starting in Johnston Park, Berwyn's Secret park, which I wrote about recently and ending there as well it is a great opportunity to enjoy Berwyn, meet some of our neighbors, see some of our historic homes and get a little exercise as well. As the Berwyn Devon Business and Professional Association sponsors the kid's run I will be present handing out medals and letting people know about the Associations' recent introduction of merchant discount cards that allow people to receive a discount when they present the merchant discount card when shopping or using services of members of the Berwyn Devon Business and Professional Association. Discounts can be... 05/07/2010

THE DEAL IS REAL!!!!! IF YOU PURCHASE YOUR NEXT HOME THROUGH JAN GAWEDA OF CITIZENS PREMIER REAL ESTATE , JAN WILL SELL YOUR HOME FOR $1.00 IN COMMISSION! (IF ANY OTHER AGENT SELLS YOUR PROPERTY, THE MAXIMUM COMMISSION YOU WILL EVER PAY IS 2.5% +$1.00) This is not a misprint, and Jan will guarantee it in writing. In limited areas of Pennsylvania, if you list your home with Jan, Jan will sell your house for $1.00. All you need to do is purchase your next property with Jan to take advantage of this limited time offer!* If you participate in my 2.5% plus $1 promotion, you will receive full Realtor Service, your property will be placed on the Multiple Listing Service, Realtor.com, listed with E showings, www.citizenspremier.com and this website. In addition to these services, Jan will suppl... 04/27/2010

If you ever want somewhere in Berwyn that feels like a secret park and that is quiet, the Frank Johnson Memorial Park is the place. Located at the end of Bridge Street, opposite the playing fields behind the old school buildings and library this place is a little gem. Maybe in the afternoon after school it gets busy, or early evenings when teams are out playing volleyball, but in the mid-morning you can sit quietly, maybe a mother or two will be there with a toddler playing on the swings and climbing set, but it is a wonderful place that few know exists. There are places to secure your bike, sit on a bench, public restrooms, and some shade if the sun is just too hot like today even this early in the year. And when you are finished there are plenty of places In Berwyn Village to grab a b... 04/08/2010

Today is the Surrey Services for Seniors annual gala, themed as a Block Party it will be held at a local country club Waynesborough Country Club to raise funds for this worthwhile charity which helps seniors to age in place and remain in their own homes as long as possible. This annual event is well supported by the local community and is one of the major fund raising efforts through out the year for Surrey Services. The other is The Main Line Antiques Show held at the Valley Forge Military Academy and College in November with a great group of dealers from the East Coast who exhibit with an Opening Night Party for sponsors and guests. Todays event wil feature a silent auction and usually has a few items that are auctioned live as well. Having been the auctioneer in previous years, I kno... 03/27/2010

Price: $599,000 FIZBER.com ID 15209540 Single Family with 4 bed, 2.5 bath, in 147 Coldstream Drive Berwyn, PA, 19312 http://www.fizber.com/15209540/ 147 Coldstream Drive - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 147 Coldstream Drive, Berwyn, PA, 19312 Sq footage: 2300.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 2.5 Bedrooms: 4 Year built: 1972 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more Pennsylvania homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Wonderful active neighborhood and convenient location for this elegant 4-Bedroom Colonial home in Tredyffrin. Award winning T-E schools. This gracious home is situated on one of the largest and most private lots in the neighborhood. Entrance foyer with hardwood floors, first floor office with glass door and exposed ... 03/23/2010

Having coffee this morning and saw these two colorful Pileated Woodpeckers pecking at our stumps. They were big about 17 inches long. Garden is full of birds, bird song and the flowers and shrubs are bursting with life.     03/21/2010

Trudy and Istopped by the Royal Tea House this afternoon in Berwyn and met the owner Eileen Hoban. What used to be the Berwyn Coffee Shop has been transformed into a tea lovers haven or even heaven. Multiple teas of all types, black, green, caffeinated, decaffeinated, fruit teas, herb teas etc. Every type of tea you want, and if you don't see the one you love let them know and they will get it in. Unlike a traditional coffee shop Royal Tea House is really aimed at having you buy your tea rather than just stopping by for a "quick cuppa" as we British would say. However, that being said there is a seating area and more and more people, tea lovers especially are discovering this resource on the Main Line. Located in Berwyn on Lancaster Avenue on the corner with Knox it is well worth stopp... 03/19/2010

Easttown Township Parks & Recreation Board will be sponsoring an egg hunt on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at 1:00 pm. The event will be held at Frank Johnson Park (122 Bridge Avenue) in Berwyn. Rain date is March 21st at 1:00 pm. This is a free community event--just bring your basket. The Easter Bunny will make a special appearance. For questions, contact Mary Schultz at mzschultz@comcast.net.    03/10/2010

  In a recent article in the Main Line Suburban Life Chris Polites this years chairman of the Easttown Board of Supervisors put a call out to citizens who live and work in Easttown to give advice on the township budget. During the process for this year there was outcry at the suggestion of an earned income tax being implemented. Hundreds tourned out to the board of supervisors meetings. Whilst this was avoided for the current year, by raising property taxes and implementing a new $52 business tax on anyone who works in the township the threat of state budget cuts creating further pain on the Easttown budget for the coming year cannot be avoided. However, before jumping to conclusions Chris Polites called for local citizens and those who work in the township to contact him at cpolites@ea... 01/31/2010

After a successful Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony this First Friday in December The Berwyn Devon Business & Professional Association First Friday planning committee, consisting of Nick Vandekar, Gina Galli of Beadeologie and Susan Holmes of Allegiance Bank met to begin plans for the 2010 program for First Fridays in Berwyn, PA. Nick Vandekar, a local Realtor and President of the Business and Professional Association said he hopes that in 2010 we will see local retail businesses and restaurants work together to market Berwyn as a place to shop and dine and to benefit from the First Friday program that was launched at the beginning of 2009. Berwyn is a place filled with opportunities for local residents with a theater, art and antiques shops, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, craft stores, sp... 12/11/2009