Cheltenham Township Police Alert!

It seems that there has been a rash of burglaries from automobiles in our local area. The Cheltenham Township police have issued an online flyer that talks about this more!

Actually the thefts are happening in and around this area as well.

It seems that cars parked at the Melrose Train station are being targeted and the police are advising people to take out or either hide all valuables located within one's car. The bulletin also offers some helpful tips to help you to not become a victim of one of these kinds of thefts.

Cheltenham Township Police Flyer - Theft Alert!

Trying To File My Local Taxes Online?

I thought I could save the cost of a stamp by filing my local tax return online but it doesn't seem to be as easy as they say it is!

First of all since I'm self-employed I have to fill out a different set of tax forms which makes it even more difficult.

I went to the company's on-line site that handles the local income tax for our area and found out a few interesting things! First of all if you are sending in a payment it of course has to be via a credit card and there is a FEE for that. Here is an excerpt:

"For credit card payments there is a 3% processing fee charged by Official Payments Corporation for each transaction. There is a minimum fee of $1.00.

Ok, that's one reason I'm not liking right there!

Since I didn't owe anything for my final return (because I paid it quarterly) I thought that I could save some time and money by filing my taxes online but it looks as though I won't be able to do it. The forms do some automatic calculations for you and some of the blocks are shaded in and those are the boxes that are for the calculations. The clear boxes are for you to enter in your numbers and some of those I couldn't even fill out!

So it looks as though I will be filing the local income tax the regular way - by snail mail - which may not be a bad thing after all! I wonder if you have to pay the fee when you pay quarterly?...............................

Why Is Tyler Leaving!

I just saw on our local news tonight that Temple University was showing off their new Tyler Arts Center that is to be located in the city of Philadelphia.

If you are a resident here in LaMott / Cheltenham, then you may know that there is already a Tyler School of Art right here in Cheltenham and it is a part of Temple University. But apparently Temple wanted their students to attend their classes at the heart of their main campus which is in Philadelphia.

For a time there were some protests from both the students and their parents because both of them liked the atmosphere of the area here as opposed to being in the city. Personally, after a while and after I got used to it, I didn't mind the students so much either.

There have been so many rumors going back and forth about the Tyler campus here and what was going to become of it.

Now that I have seen the news story on TV about Temple finally finishing their new Tyler School of Art in the city I can't help but wonder what is going to happen to the buildings and the dorms that are here now?

Area Ordinance - Fencing In Your Property!

I didn't know it until recently that our local area has an ordinance about the type of fencing that one can put around one's home. Apparently the fence has to be see-through - at least partially - meaning that while some aspects of the fence have to be see-through, it doesn't have to be that way on all four (or two) sides. I'm guessing that this is because of the fact that the police in the area would like to be able to see what is going on in the neighborhood and they will have a better view of things going on in the area if their views are not obstructed.


In a way this makes sense to me because I have heard stories from neighbors in the area about attempted thefts in and around their properties, so I can see why this area would this kind of ordinance.

What happens if you don't follow this ordinance and you build a solid fence or fencing around your property? You could get fined and have to pay a fee!

Citizen's Police Academy Class Event Planned

Friends,

I was passed this message from John Slavin of the Cheltenham Township Police Department. I thought some might be interested. Take it away, John!

...

I am planning another Citizen's Police Academy Class in March and I am looking for a group of 10-15 residents who would be interested in learning about the Cheltenham Police Department and some of our special units. This is a FREE program. The program is held at the Cheltenham Police Administration Building.

This is a great opportunity to get a first-hand look at the Police Department policies, procedures, training and equipment during the two-hour evening classes. Coordinated by the Community Policing Unit, the academy offers instruction from more than a dozen Officers in topics like crime scene investigation, car stops, narcotics investigations, K-9 unit, ethics, SWAT, and more. Our local District Justices will provide instruction in both criminal law and civil law procedures, and will explain their role in the Criminal Justice System.

This is both a fun and informative program. Please pass this on to your neighbors.

2009 Township County, Sewer & Refuse Bill in mail this month

This information comes straight from the LaMott, PA Group at Yahoo.com.

If you haven't received this bill yet you should wait until at least the end of the month before you call the township to request a copy.

Do we like the same books?

Just a friendly reminder that I invited you to Shelfari. Come see the books I love and see if we have any in common. Then pick my next book so I can keep on reading.

Join me on Shelfari!

http://www.shelfari.com/

Rose

Shelfari is a free site that lets you share book ratings and reviews with friends and meet people who have similar tastes in books. It also lets you build an online bookshelf, join book clubs, and get good book recommendations from friends.

You have received this email because Rose (Roseb44170@aol.com) directly invited you to join his or her community on Shelfari.

It is against Shelfari's policies to invite people who you don't know directly. Follow this link to prevent future invitations to this address. If you believe you do not know this person, you may view his or her Shelfari page or report him or her in our feedback section.

Amazon.com, 701 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104

Do we like the same books?

I just joined Shelfari to connect with other book lovers. Come see the books I love and see if we have any in common. Then pick my next book so I can keep on reading.

Join me on Shelfari!

http://www.shelfari.com/

Rose

Shelfari is a free site that lets you share book ratings and reviews with friends and meet people who have similar tastes in books. It also lets you build an online bookshelf, join book clubs, and get good book recommendations from friends.

You have received this email because Rose (Roseb44170@aol.com) directly invited you to join his or her community on Shelfari.

It is against Shelfari's policies to invite people who you don't know directly. Follow this link to prevent future invitations to this address. If you believe you do not know this person, you may view his or her Shelfari page or report him or her in our feedback section.

Amazon.com, 701 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104

The LaMott Directory!

As I posted about this before in my blog, I'm currently moving my LaMott-related pages to another webhost. My most current transfer is:

The LaMott Directory

This is a listing of the businesses, organizations and other entities that are in the Cheltenham / LaMott area.

If you would like to add your listing you can find out more about how to do that by visiting the link above.

Just Because I Haven't Posted In A While Doesn't Mean That There Isn't A Lot Going On In LaMott......

The weather is definitely COLD outside and we're just melting from some of the thick ice that has stayed on the ground! For the last 2 days we have had temperatures in the 50's - which is kind of hard to believe in itself!

When the weather is colder, the activities outside are much less but we residents are still getting along - though we may walk a little faster in order to get home and out of the cold.

I have been getting some comments and emails about the community meeting(s) that was held at the LaMott Community Center dealing with the LaMott Civic Association. I was at the very first meeting and have the literature that was provided at the meeting and I intend on posting some of it here.

I have also had to deal with moving my website from AOL to another hosting site and it will take a little time to transfer the information to the new hosting site. But believe me I still have my original page information that includes information about LaMott and Cheltenham including events both past and present and other area-related information as well. Once everything is transferred I will be providing links to them from here.

Changes In The Cheltenham Bus Schedule? - Let's Put The Rumors To Rest!

The Cheltenham Bus schedule has changed in only one way!

The last scheduled run that ran one-way has been discontinued as of January 2009. Everything else about the schedule remains the same!

I had been hearing rumors about the schedule being changed but I have talked to the township and found out that the ONLY thing that has changed was that last scheduled run (around 4-5pm) has been discontinued.

So for those of you that ride the Cheltenham Bus (and for those of you who are hopefully considering taking it), there are still the 3 remaining scheduled round trip runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Cold Winds Blowing!

Cold winds are definitely blowing today!

I don't know about you but what comes with living in an older house is that the more windy it gets the more drafty the inside of one's house gets! - especially when that house is around 100 years old - LOL!

A lot of the homes in this area are older homes and that is part of the charm!

We're right in the midst of winter and the wind that is blowing now is surely blowing cold!

Another Resident Comments!

Hey, I live in LaMott too. Are you aware of LaMott Town Center proposal?
I hear taxes are going up again for the next year. And economic development around and possibly in the LaMott residential area itself is in the works.
I am all for making the area more beautiful but more retail stores and/ or apartment buildings are a NO for me. I think they have their eyes on John Russell Park.

The above is a comment that was left on my blog. I felt that it was important to include it as a blog entry because there are so many things going on in this area and a lot of residents aren't aware of it!

I realize that its very hard to keep abreast of things in one's own local area - especially when you are out working every day!

There are so many rumors (and unfortunately some of them are true!) going on that it's important to be able to know which news is rumors and which ones are facts!

If you have a concern, want to voice your opinion or just want to know more about what's going on in this area then please be sure to continue to visit (and comment) on this blog. I'm still working on a way to provide links and other related information about this area and what is (and is not) going on in this area!

Event! - Used Electronics Drive!

Event: Used Electronics Drive - Ethical Recycling

("If you saw the 60 Minutes report 4 weeks ago, you better read this")


What: Fundraiser


Host: Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania


Start Time: Saturday, December 6 at 11:00am


End Time: Saturday, December 6 at 2:00pm


Where: Cedarbrook Middle School

To see more details and RSVP, just click here

LaMott In The Fall

Here is a picture that I took with my camera phone while walking to a local store!

It is during the fall season, probably just before Thanksgiving.

It is around the 1800 block of Willow Avenue!

Event! - High School And Ogontz Parks

Review the new Ecological Restoration Master Plan for High School & Ogontz Parks Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 7:00- 8:30pm Curtis Hall, Church Road & Greenwood Avenue, Wyncote, PA Please attend this important public meeting. Learn about native plant restoration plans, park signage, landscaping & other improvements. Offer your feedback. We've been working diligently to prepare a 10 year plan to continue restoring our beloved park. Your participation in this meeting would greatly add to our enthusiasm and confidence going forward. Please come out and show your support. Refreshments will be served. The first 25 people will receive a gift from the Friends of High School Park. For more information please call FHSP 215-782-8082 or email info@fhsp.org

Election Day In LaMott!

Yes the big day had arrived and it was time to cast my vote! And YES I did cast my vote today!

Because of where I live, my voting place was the LaMott Community Center!



It was an interesting (and very busy) day all day long!

I started the day quite early and started listening to the local community radio station, WURD, just to hear what was going on!

First of all it seems that the polling places had long lines even before they opened! But I figured since LaMott was such a small area that the same thing wouldn't apply! Boy was I wrong! I heard stories from those who were at the community center that there was a long line even before the voting was supposed to start!

I didn't arrive until the afternoon around 1pm because I heard that the late morning and early afternoon was the best time to avoid waiting in long lines! So by the time that I got there there was no waiting. I walked in, cast my vote and was finished!

But I decided to stay a little while. Did you know that LaMott has a constable? I was talking to him for quite a while!

A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. Constable - Historically, a constable could also be someone in charge of the defence of a castle. Even today, there is a Constable of the Tower of London. source Wikipedia

During the course of the early afternoon there were a trickle of people coming to vote! A lot of them were voting for the first time and there were volunteers there waiting and ready to help them!

What was also nice was the fact that the community center is just that - a place where the community gathers! People spent some time (after they voted) chatting with the other residents - including me!

We all were having a great time and even the weather didn't darken our moods!

I decided to leave a few hours later before it got too crowded! But it was a very pleasant day indeed!

LaMott Radio - Decision

Live365 which is where the LaMott Radio station was housed has raised their monthly fee so I'm still deciding whether
or not to continue to have the radio station. Having it and managing it are still a lot of fun and I may decide to continue with it

I have decided that I am going to resume the LaMott Radio

Definitely One Of The Sure Fire Sounds Of Autumn!

You can tell its definitely autumn when you hear that Temple University school bus driving by!

Actually I kind of like it!

But there is a rumor going around that this will be the last year that the students will be using The Tyler School of Art

which is something that I DON'T like!



Goodness knows what is going to happen to the building and what it will be used for!

Feeling The Need To Fish!

In the past I have made a post about a fishing derby that is held every June in this area for the kids!

This got me to thinking about how much I missed fishing myself! So I did a little calling around and found out that as long as I have been living in the area there is a lot about it that I don't know!

The annual Fishing Derby is held at the Tookany Creek Park but what I didn't know is that one could fish there other times as well! - DUH!

Now I'm going to have to find out more about that! I'll let you know what I have found out!