Media in Two Minutes - Ground Hog DAY!

Media in Two Minutes

This morning news broke that Punxsutawney Phil didn't do us any favors and has announced six more weeks of winter.  Here's his official statement: "A Super Bowl winner I will not predict, But my weather forecast, you cannot contradict, That's not a football lying beside me, It's my shadow you see.  So, six more weeks of winter it shall be!"

As for today's Super Bowl, I'm leaning towards the Broncos, but it'll be a good game either way.  If you're looking to do something before that Super Bowl party, Grace Winery is having a pre-game event with free appetizers in their tasting room from 12 - 5pm today. 

ATM SPOTLIGHT: Courtney Elko - Media Patch
I'd like to recognize Courtney Elko, the former editor for Patch, for her great reporting and community effort over the last three years.  Courtney covered everything you could imagine that had some kind of value to residents here in Media.  Unfortunately, her company Patch was recently acquired from AOL by another group and had other plans.  The consolidation left Media's Patch de-emphasied in terms of a local editor here in Media, but I suspect will continue to function as a news aggregator for regional stories.

What's Can is Lupus?
I'm not sure if I even got that title right, but this is the annual Media rugby event that draws out a lot of rugby alumni.  It's a seven on seven game that was played yesterday in Smedley park, from what I understand.  Just as big, is the after-party they have at Quotations in Media.  I'd had never heard of this annual game before.

Media's Restaurant Week - Thursday, March 9th - Sunday, March 13th
$30 for a 3 - 5 course dinner.  More details to come with menus and participating restaurants.

Daily Times TV?
Congrats to Daily Times Editor, Phil Heron and Widener University for their partnership towards a serious online video production project they are working on called "Live from the Newsroom".  The future of online television isn't just changing on a technological front, but also in how it's being produced and by who.  Google even provides full studio access to those looking to aspire in this field and it's reshaping an industry.  Check out Bethany Mota and how she attacted more fans than Vogue!

Raise the Wages for Election Workers
An election machine operator from the Western precinct called me this week and asked if I'd support him and trying to get a wage increase for election day workers.  I thought it was a great idea and contacted State Rep. Tom Killion to see what could be done.

Election workers do get paid, but at $90 a day for specific roles, it doesn't add up to much when some of these people work 16 to 18 hour days.  Media has just barely enough people to open the election facilities each cycle and anything that can help get more people to participate is a good move.

Development on Balt. Ave Looks Good!
This development has been going on for a few months now over at the eastern side of Baltimore Ave, across from the vacant lot that was formerly the Media Inn.  I heard these will be apartments, but I don't know that for sure.  Either way, they look pretty good from the street.

Retail on State Street Takes Another Hit
I really hope this doesn't become the story of 2014, but retail businesses on State Street are really taking a hit.  This week I heard news of a business struggling to keep the doors open. 

Media Gets Comprehensive
To understand what a community's comprehensive plan is, you can read it here.  In the meantime, Media has created a draft of their own, which can be read here.  I'll go over this more in the coming month, but I can say there was a lot of thought and dedication that went into the many ideas.

The main concern here is ACTION, which has been lacking on so many fronts by borough council.  18 years and we're no closer to a solution on Third St., no hotel and a total incompetence that now has the developer taking Media borough to court over the proposed Wawa.

What's worse is last Friday I caught up with a person who was instrumental in getting a Marriott Courtyard hotel in Springfield. He told me they were able to do the whole project from concept, design, funding, zoning and building within 13 months.  A lot of that required the right people in the right positions cooperating on a common goal.  Unfortunately, that's the difference with other communities and Media.

Is Parking Enforcement Being Done on Saturdays, or Not?

Leave it to Mayor McMahon to confuse the town over whether he will enforce a parking change that will ticket people who park on State Street.  As it was, if you parked on State Street and didn't feed the meter, you wouldn't be ticketed.  At last month's borough council meeting, a retail business owner debated the need to start ticketing people on Saturday, which was proposed by McMahon.  McMahon essentially agreed with the business owner but never said if he'd the continue the enforcement.