Skateboarding dogs and more

Here are a few of the videos mentioned in Friday's column.
First we have the dramatic groundhog.
It's kind of stupid, yet oddly compelling.

Next we have Tillman the skateboarding bulldog.
You can check out his website at gotillman.com.

Next we have the another skateboarding bulldog, Tyson.


And finally its EXTREME PETE.


And here's one more EXTREME PETE video.

A hard rockin' guy with a big heart

Sometimes people send us emails that are amusing or interesting, but the editors deem them "not newsworthy" so they never get into the paper. The story of John Steadman and his heroic turtle rescue is one such case. Enjoy:

Two of Country Club Drives most prized species have been re-united thanks to the heroic work of local D.L. Howell employee, John Steadman. The story unfolded at approximately 5:05 pm on Tuesday night in Downingtown. Steadman and fellow employees were headed home after a hard day's work. As usual, many of the employees zipped out of the parking lot with thoughts of freedom. As John exited the parking
lot something caught his eye. It was a turtle!! All alone, just moseying up the driveway that lead to a small pond adjacent to the office building.
Being the kind soul that he is, John could not bear to see the little guy struggle to get back to the pond. Without hesitation he screeched to a halt, stopping all traffic in his way. He hopped out of his car and scooped up the little turtle. To many eye witnesses surprise, John then took off in a full sprint towards the pond.
"I thought to myself, That's one crazy son of a bitch," said Eli, a local mechanic.
John then carefully placed the little turtle back
in his home. When asked about his heroic efforts John simply replied, "I was just doing what anyone would have done in that situation. I didn't have time to think, just react."
-Dave DiCecco

Well there you have it. A local man rescues a defenseless turtle. No telling whether it was a bog turtle -- but I doubt it, they are known for their shy and elusive nature.

(Note: Turtle pictured not the rescued turtle.)

The true danger in driving a SUV

A story in Wednesday's Daily Local News shows the real problem with driving a Sport Utility Vehicle in this day and age. The high vantage point. R. Jonathan Tuleya writes:

WEST CHESTER — In these times of $3-a-gallon gas prices, SUV owners have become well aware of the extra expense associated with chugging along the highway surrounded by a few tons of steel.
Last August, one motorist learned about another unusual disadvantage related to being perched higher than the typical non-four-wheel-drive vehicle: She had a clear view into other passing cars.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, as the woman sped southbound on the Route 30 Bypass near Route 113 in her Ford Explorer she observed the man behind the wheel of the swerving vehicle next to her exposing himself.

The man was later arrested and faces deportation because of his status as an illegal alien. You can't make this stuff up. Read the whole story here.

This one will likely raise some eyebrows …

Looks like one man's advances were not well received at a East Whiteland park earlier this month.

From Andrew Cannarsa's CSI: Chester County blog.

A 70-year-old King of Prussia man was arrested on June 6 after he reportedly “solicited a sexual act” from a police officer in the Ecology Park in East Whiteland. The proposal was made at about 5:30 p.m.

The gentleman, John B. Mullins Jr., was charged with harassment and a violation of a local ordinance banning sexual acts in a public park, according to police.

(Eyebrows raised.)

This raises a few questions. Like, was the police officer in uniform? And if they were, what the heck was this guy thinking?

Options abound for Wyeth development

In last Thursday's Daily Local News, Brian Fanelli reported on development proposals for the 32-acre Wyeth property in the borough. A company presented two plans, one for retail shops and residences, and another for retail shops and a minor league baseball stadium. Council member Holly Brown also suggested putting in a movie theater.

Well here in the newsroom we like to think outside the box. So without any regards to zoning laws, we kicked around a few ideas of our own. It's not particularly clear how well some of these would work, but indulge us.

In no particular order, here's what we came up with:

A new music venue. There are a ton of small clubs in the borough that feature live bands (Vincent's, Rex's, Spence Cafe, Doc Magrogan's and 15 North to name a few) but a larger venue, along the lines of say, the TLA or The Electric Factory in Philadelphia could add something to the local music scene and contribute to the borough's culture.

A waterpark/pool. With the YMCA moving out of town, West Chester will be left high and dry, so to speak. A pool complex within walking distance of downtown could be a boon for all the residents. After all, it's really freakin' hot and what better way to cool off than a refreshing swim. It could foster a sense of community between neighbors, and be the new "cool" hangout in the sweltering summer heat.

A casino. We are tired of spending hours on the Atlantic City expressway to fulfill our desire to gamble. Although it would be limited to slot machines by state law, we think a Chester County prop bet area is necessary as well. That way residents could wager on issues that really matter, like the number of times Coatesville is on the front page of the Daily Local in week or West Chester Adult League Baseball. Go Crawdads!

A soccer-only stadium. Now we are really stretching. The site might be a little small for this, but the Philadelphia-area needs an Major League Soccer team (according to the soccer-nerds here in the office), and a stadium specifically dedicated to the world's most popular sport could bring a team to the borough. The team already would have a fanclub ready to go.

A Jackass museum/theme park. What better way to capitalize on the success of the borough's favorite jackasses and their stupid hijinks. Just think of the tourist revenues from the hordes of teeny-bopper fans who can't wait to get their picture taken with a wax Bam Margera or Don Vito. Step right up and get kicked in the groin!

Well there are our ideas. Feel free to leave your own in the comments.

Vonnegut never said 'Wear Sunscreen'

During graduation season I always remember the speech that circulated on the Internet under title "Kurt Vonnegut's commencement address at MIT."

It turned out to be a hoax. The speech was actually written by a Chicago newspaper columnist, and some Internet prankster sent it out on to the wild, woolly world wide web attributed to Vonnegut, where it spread quickly.

Regardless of its origin, it has a humorous and insightful message for graduates that bears repeating:

"Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97: Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75^th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen."

Author: Mary Schmich
First published: July 1, 1997
Copyright: Herald Tribune

Construction woes in the borough

The borough is improving its streets this summer with what seems like numerous construction projects. And while road improvement is a noble goal, its putting a serious crimp in my everyday routine.

Although I live about a block from our lovely offices here on Bradford Avenue, every morning I make the trip across town to the Country Bagel and Bakery at the corner of Gay at Matlack streets for my morning snack.

But as of June 11, this simple commute has been complicated by the closing of Market Street for road construction next to the Justice Center.

Now there is no easy way to get from the west side of the borough to the east side. Well less easy than normal I should say, what with West Chester's inordinate number of one-way streets.

So what do I do? Find a new route via Barnard Street or the reversal of Darlington Street to one-way southbound? I guess that will have to do, because the meager offerings of the DLN snack machine simply are not an option. Although I could go for a danish.

Tom Hope, Web Editor