Discover Lansdowne - LEDC Newsletter #21

Home Movies
In these days of cable TV, films on demand, You Tube, streaming video, Podcasts, and so forth -- basically, whatever you want to see whenever you want to see it -- opening a movie theater might seem like a dicey proposition. But there's something about Cinema 16:9 that makes you believe that it's going to make it. Not the least of that feeling comes from proprietors Dave and Phoebe Titus's obvious enthusiasm for all things film and many things local, made evident in everything from the movie-themed bathroom wall decoupage and drink coasters to the concession stand stacked with delights from near (Lancaster County Danda Farms' all-beef hotdogs) and nearer (Regency Café's coffee and Mission Burrito's take on movie nachos).

It also doesn't hurt that some smartypants made the clever decision to outfit the space not only as a small theater but also as the coolest DVD rental shop in this area code (and possibly 215 also). What's cool about it? Well, let's start with the three shining Mac monitors for browsing available titles (also "suggesteds" and "on orders") and watching trailers, the dozen or so movie books to guide you if you walk in clueless or with only a vague hunch about what you might want to see, the tables and counters that invite you to relax for a spell, and the tiered memberships for borrowing one to three DVD or Blu-Ray titles at a time, all of which come with your own personalized cases for transporting them (that'll totally feel like recycling) and which get you a discount on scheduled film screenings (down to $5 from the normal $7.50, already pretty bargainy frankly). Throw in a painted cement floor and the fact that they use ghee (clarified butter) on the popcorn, and the cool quotient is high indeed.

Let's talk numbers. The 16:9 in the business name refers to the aspect ratio associated with high definition, meaning 16 units wide by 9 units high, which in this theater's case is about 11.5 by 6.5 feet. The handicapped-accessible screening room holds 41 seats rescued from the Lansdowne Theater (and thoroughly cleaned) and is usually host to 4 or 5 screenings a day, often of more than 1 movie. Should you like to take the whole place over for a special event for 40 of your closest friends, that costs $125 for 2 hours (or the length of your film). There are more than 2000 movies available to borrow, with more being added all the time (suggestions are welcome). The joint is open from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm every day, and there's 1 movie return slot out front.

The online film screening schedule is always up to date, or you can stop in and pick up a paper copy that shows what's happening that month. (While you're there, try the macaroons from Greenwood Kitchen, the vegan bakery that's joining the Farmers Market this year.) Cinema 16:9 -- finally, a theater near you -- is open and ready for business at 35 N. Lansdowne Avenue, in the Historic Lansdowne Theater.

AAAA Plus
Last week, in a huge stadium at Penn State (main campus!), Lansdowne's Penn Wood High School boys basketball team beat York's William Penn squad 72 to 53 to win their first PIAA AAAA (say it "quad A") state championship ever. Up from a .500 record just two seasons ago, the Patriots went 29 and 4 this year, with two players scoring 20 points each in the final game's decisive victory. Check out this smile-inducing slideshow of their triumphant night, or arrange a visit to the high school to see the gleaming trophy they brought home. Congratulations to coach Clyde Jones, to the supremely talented and hardworking guys on the team, to those fearsome cheerleaders, and to the whole school. You made us all so proud!

Roadshow and Unload Show
The moment of truth has arrived: it's time to find out how much that handed-down and fought-over family tussy mussy is worth once and for all. This Saturday, April 4, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Garden Church at Lansdowne and Stratford Avenues, you can have up to three of your most prized antiques appraised for $5 each by experts from the Auction House of Audubon, New Jersey. In addition to offering appraisals, the Some of My Favorite Things show is also an antiques and collectibles sale, so you have the chance to add to (or dispense with) your collection as well. Call 610-623-1645 for more information. (A tussy mussy, by the way, is a bouquet holder, often sterling and frequently used for weddings.)

Once Upon a Time . . .
There was a small, well-regarded school called the Lansdowne Friends School, and it was very old -- more than 100 years! Every year the little old school held a fundraiser to help pay for salaries and pencils and scholarships so it could continue to offer a fine Quaker education to many students. For months, the teachers and administrators at the school worked very hard to plan the party and to solicit donations of artwork and jewelry and vacations and other wonderful things so that these treasures could be auctioned to the kind people who would come to the fundraiser to help the school and to have a good time drinking wine and eating appetizers and desserts. Finally, after what seemed like forever, it was time for the party, and everyone was very excited! The "Once Upon a Time" fundraiser party is this coming Saturday, April 4, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm at the Twentieth Century Club, 84 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne. Admission is $25 at the door and goes to help the little old school be happy every after (or until 2010). Call 610-623-2548 for more information.

Hoppy Spring
A nondenominational Spring Bunny will be hitting town this Sunday, April 5, to scatter eggs around Hoffman Park on Scottdale Road for the little ones (under 12 years old) to find. After the hunt there will be a sack race, perhaps in honor of the big guy who hid the eggs, a hopper extraordinaire, who will be happy to pose for photos. Sponsored by the Recreation and Park Board of Lansdowne, the Spring Egg Hunt is free and kicks off at 1:00 pm, so be sure to get there before that. (And you might want to bring a basket to help with the gathering.)

Streets Department
Those pretty pansies now filling the planters on Lansdowne Avenue were donated by Melannie Huber and Steve Cohen and were planted by Helen Marcerelli. That's the kind of sharing everyone can appreciate. Thanks, you three!

We've been wondering what the hey all those tubes and pipes and rubber bumpers running up and down certain streets on the west side of town are about. Apparently it's Aqua PA's version of spring cleaning. The utility is cleaning and re-cementing the water mains along Ardmore, Albermarle, Glentay, and Plumstead Avenues, which apparently involves running aboveground flexible pipes on even more streets. It's all very Brazil looking, but perfectly legit.

FARMERS
The vendor applications are in, and it looks like the 2009 Lansdowne Farmers Market will have at least four new vendors! More information to come on that as we get closer. What's important for you to know right now is that on June 6, which is the third Market of the season, we'll be having a special event we're calling Earth Saturday, putting the focus on environmentalism and the outdoors. One part of that event will be a perennial exchange: bring outdoor perennials that you no longer want or are willing to share, and go home with someone else's spares. So, as spring wears on and you dig up and divide your hostas and lilies and irises and pachysandra and that big bushy thing over by the fence that comes back stronger every time you split it, stick the spares into some containers that you're also willing to part with, keep them watered and alive until June 6, and then bring them to the Market and trade them in for something else. It's not regifting, it's regreening.

< Back \| April 2, 2009 \| Newsletter #21 \| visit the LEDC online at www.LansdownesFuture.org Subscribe to Discover Lansdowne
Home Movies In these days of cable TV, films on demand, You Tube, streaming video, Podcasts, and so forth -- basically, whatever you want to see whenever you want to see it -- opening a movie theater might seem like a dicey proposition. But there's something about Cinema 16:9 that makes you believe that it's going to make it. Not the least of that feeling comes from proprietors Dave and Phoebe Titus's obvious enthusiasm for all things film and many things local, made evident in everything from the movie-themed bathroom wall decoupage and drink coasters to the concession stand stacked with delights from near (Lancaster County Danda Farms' all-beef hotdogs) and nearer (Regency Café's coffee and Mission Burrito's take on movie nachos). It also doesn't hurt that some smartypants made the clever decision to outfit the space not only as a small theater but also as the coolest DVD rental shop in this area code (and possibly 215 also). What's cool about it? Well, let's start with the three shining Mac monitors for browsing available titles (also "suggesteds" and "on orders") and watching trailers, the dozen or so movie books to guide you if you walk in clueless or with only a vague hunch about what you might want to see, the tables and counters that invite you to relax for a spell, and the tiered memberships for borrowing one to three DVD or Blu-Ray titles at a time, all of which come with your own personalized cases for transporting them (that'll totally feel like recycling) and which get you a discount on scheduled film screenings (down to $5 from the normal $7.50, already pretty bargainy frankly). Throw in a painted cement floor and the fact that they use ghee (clarified butter) on the popcorn, and the cool quotient is high indeed. Let's talk numbers. The 16:9 in the business name refers to the aspect ratio associated with high definition, meaning 16 units wide by 9 units high, which in this theater's case is about 11.5 by 6.5 feet. The handicapped-accessible screening room holds 41 seats rescued from the Lansdowne Theater (and thoroughly cleaned) and is usually host to 4 or 5 screenings a day, often of more than 1 movie. Should you like to take the whole place over for a special event for 40 of your closest friends, that costs $125 for 2 hours (or the length of your film). There are more than 2000 movies available to borrow, with more being added all the time (suggestions are welcome). The joint is open from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm every day, and there's 1 movie return slot out front. The online film screening schedule is always up to date, or you can stop in and pick up a paper copy that shows what's happening that month. (While you're there, try the macaroons from Greenwood Kitchen, the vegan bakery that's joining the Farmers Market this year.) Cinema 16:9 -- finally, a theater near you -- is open and ready for business at 35 N. Lansdowne Avenue, in the Historic Lansdowne Theater. AAAA Plus Last week, in a huge stadium at Penn State (main campus!), Lansdowne's Penn Wood High School boys basketball team beat York's William Penn squad 72 to 53 to win their first PIAA AAAA (say it "quad A") state championship ever. Up from a .500 record just two seasons ago, the Patriots went 29 and 4 this year, with two players scoring 20 points each in the final game's decisive victory. Check out this smile-inducing slideshow of their triumphant night, or arrange a visit to the high school to see the gleaming trophy they brought home. Congratulations to coach Clyde Jones, to the supremely talented and hardworking guys on the team, to those fearsome cheerleaders, and to the whole school. You made us all so proud! Roadshow and Unload Show The moment of truth has arrived: it's time to find out how much that handed-down and fought-over family tussy mussy is worth once and for all. This Saturday, April 4, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Garden Church at Lansdowne and Stratford Avenues, you can have up to three of your most prized antiques appraised for $5 each by experts from the Auction House of Audubon, New Jersey. In addition to offering appraisals, the Some of My Favorite Things show is also an antiques and collectibles sale, so you have the chance to add to (or dispense with) your collection as well. Call 610-623-1645 for more information. (A tussy mussy, by the way, is a bouquet holder, often sterling and frequently used for weddings.) Once Upon a Time . . . There was a small, well-regarded school called the Lansdowne Friends School, and it was very old -- more than 100 years! Every year the little old school held a fundraiser to help pay for salaries and pencils and scholarships so it could continue to offer a fine Quaker education to many students. For months, the teachers and administrators at the school worked very hard to plan the party and to solicit donations of artwork and jewelry and vacations and other wonderful things so that these treasures could be auctioned to the kind people who would come to the fundraiser to help the school and to have a good time drinking wine and eating appetizers and desserts. Finally, after what seemed like forever, it was time for the party, and everyone was very excited! The "Once Upon a Time" fundraiser party is this coming Saturday, April 4, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm at the Twentieth Century Club, 84 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne. Admission is $25 at the door and goes to help the little old school be happy every after (or until 2010). Call 610-623-2548 for more information. Hoppy Spring A nondenominational Spring Bunny will be hitting town this Sunday, April 5, to scatter eggs around Hoffman Park on Scottdale Road for the little ones (under 12 years old) to find. After the hunt there will be a sack race, perhaps in honor of the big guy who hid the eggs, a hopper extraordinaire, who will be happy to pose for photos. Sponsored by the Recreation and Park Board of Lansdowne, the Spring Egg Hunt is free and kicks off at 1:00 pm, so be sure to get there before that. (And you might want to bring a basket to help with the gathering.) Streets Department Those pretty pansies now filling the planters on Lansdowne Avenue were donated by Melannie Huber and Steve Cohen and were planted by Helen Marcerelli. That's the kind of sharing everyone can appreciate. Thanks, you three! We've been wondering what the hey all those tubes and pipes and rubber bumpers running up and down certain streets on the west side of town are about. Apparently it's Aqua PA's version of spring cleaning. The utility is cleaning and re-cementing the water mains along Ardmore, Albermarle, Glentay, and Plumstead Avenues, which apparently involves running aboveground flexible pipes on even more streets. It's all very Brazil looking, but perfectly legit. The vendor applications are in, and it looks like the 2009 Lansdowne Farmers Market will have at least four new vendors! More information to come on that as we get closer. What's important for you to know right now is that on June 6, which is the third Market of the season, we'll be having a special event we're calling Earth Saturday, putting the focus on environmentalism and the outdoors. One part of that event will be a perennial exchange: bring outdoor perennials that you no longer want or are willing to share, and go home with someone else's spares. So, as spring wears on and you dig up and divide your hostas and lilies and irises and pachysandra and that big bushy thing over by the fence that comes back stronger every time you split it, stick the spares into some containers that you're also willing to part with, keep them watered and alive until June 6, and then bring them to the Market and trade them in for something else. It's not regifting, it's regreening.	In addition to the wonderful goings-on listed in the column at left, don't miss these upcoming events: Karen & Amy Jones at Regency Cafe Acoustic/pop/folk music Friday, April 3, 8:00 pm; BYOB; Free 29 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne; 484-461-9002 Minas at World Café Live 25th anniversary dinner concert and dance party Saturday, April 11, 6:00 and 9:30 pm; $20 to $24 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia; 215-222-1400 Loren Gildar at Regency Cafe Acoustic/pop/folk music Friday, April 17, 8:00 pm; BYOB; Free 29 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne; 484-461-9002 Peppino D'Agostino with special guest David Falcone at the Lansdowne Folk Club Thursday, April 23, 7:30 pm; $15 to $18 Twentieth Century Club, 84 S. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne; 610-622-7250 or lfc.org@rcn.com Red, White, and Bluesy Spring Social to benefit the Union AA's July 4th Celebration Saturday, April 25; $25 per person (includes food, wine, beer, music by Joe Stevenson Trio) Twentieth Century Club, 84 S. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne; mariecamp13@hotmail.com, 610-259-0543 Annual Spring Spaghetti Dinner sponsored by Lansdowne Boy Scout Troop 63 Saturday, April 25, 4:00 to 7:00 pm; $5 up to age 12; $7 for 13 and older First Presbyterian Church, Lansdowne and Greenwood Avenues, Lansdowne 4th Annual Horseshoe Tournament Fundraiser to benefit the Lansdowne Boys and Girls Club Sunday, April 26, noon to sunset (rain date May 3); $20 preregistration or $25 at the field Ardmore Field, Essex and Ardmore Avenues, Lansdowne; 610-623-0803 Camden 28 at Lansdowne Sofa Cinema Saturday, April 18, 7:15 pm Cinema 16:9, 35 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne 2nd Annual Lansdowne Arts and Crafts Show sponsored by the LEDC Saturday, May 2, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (rain date May 3); Free Lansdowne Avenue Parking Lot; download application here Lansdowne Memorial Day 5k Run/Walk Race Monday, May 25, 8:30 am; $10 for youths, $15 for adults till May 18 Download registration form here; 610-220-1385 2nd Annual Cow Pie Bingo to benefit the Lansdowne Boys and Girls Club Saturday, May 30, noon; $10 per raffle ticket Contact Jane Madden at 610-622-6509 Do you have an event to announce? Send your upcoming events to events@lansdownesfuture.org to have them included in this space! View the complete listing of local events No Grasshoppers, but Praying Mantises Aplenty A new martial arts school, Grant's Kung Fu Academy, has opened at 2327 W. Marshall Road, across from the Mar-Win Shop-N-Bag, in the space previously occupied by a flower shop. Owner Fred Grant III's family has been in Lansdowne for more than 30 years, and he's taught Chinese kung fu since 1996. The Academy offers classes for adults and children as young as three, plus self-defense lessons for women. Call 484-469-4018 or check the website for more information and class schedules. Help Stop Legal Discrimination in Pennsylvania! The Lansdowne Human Relations Commission is asking for your help. Did you know that if you live or work in Lansdowne you're protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, but that in most places in Pennsylvania, such discrimination is still legal because state law does not prevent it? That means that you could be fired, refused service, or denied housing with no remedy under state law. If it passes, however, HB 300 is legislation that will solve this lack of legal protection against discrimination, and you can help. To find out more, take a moment to visit this Equality Advocates website and sign a petition encouraging our congresspersons to make all Pennsylvanians equal under the law. Book It Animal Friends of Lansdowne is still collecting original recipes -- main dishes, drinks, desserts, snacks, animal treats -- for the fundraising cookbook they're putting together to celebrate their fifth year in existence. Send up to three contributions to Sara Germick at saburns712@yahoo.com. Pass the invitation on to any pet and food lovers on your address list. Volunteer: Yet another way to make Lansdowne a great town . . . volunteer for the LEDC. We have spots open in Facade Design, Organization, Promotions, and Economic Restructuring. To volunteer, please send an email to volunteer@LansdownesFuture.org. There was an article in the New York Times recently about how the unhappy economy and employment situation have led to an increase in entrepreneurship as people take the step to start their own small businesses. If you've been bitten by entrepreneurial bug or just hear one buzzing about the room, don't swat it -- study it instead. In association with the Widener Small Business Development Center, the LEDC is sponsoring a workshop called First Step: How to Start a New Successful Business, Monday, April 20, 6:00 to 9:00 pm, at the Twentieth Century Club in Lansdowne. Taught by Mary Williams, Professor of Management at Widener University, the workshop will provide an overview of issues facing entrepreneurs starting down the path to business ownership, including developing a business plan, selecting a legal structure, registering a company, and exploring financial options. The $25 workshop fee will be waived for any business or prospective business in Lansdowne. RSVP to mainstreet@LansdownesFuture.org or 610-745-4013. Seating is limited to 25, so reserve your spot soon.

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER at www.LansdownesFuture.org Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation - 23 S. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, PA 19050, Phone: 610-745-4013, email: info@LansdownesFuture.org. Send comments and feedback regarding this newsletter to feedback@LansdownesFuture.org Discover Lansdowne is an initiative of the Lansdowne Main Street Program, a project of the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation (LEDC). Visit the LEDC online at www.LansdownesFuture.org The LEDC is a 501(c)(3) organization that receives support from the Borough of Lansdowne and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development