Conshohocken News & Gossip – Week of 07/18/11

News & Gossip

There have been rumblings about a Dog Park in Conshohocken for over a year now.  This past week saw a lot of activity with a Facebook Page, a website being launched and a table with a petition at Spamps’ Yappy Hour on Sunday.  I asked Raj Gupta, a Borough Council candidate from the First Ward, potential locations and he said that there has not yet been a meeting with Eddie Phipps, the Borough Council member in charge of Parks & Rec.  He also stated that the effort is a private effort that plans to raise funds to establish the park.

Some news on the Super Wawa front.  I viewed some new blueprints and they have added an option for diesel to their pumps.  The ramification of that is that diesel could attract more trucks. I also received an email from Concerned Conshohockens and they are organizing a letter writing campaign targeting Borough Council members.  The effort will kick off with a letter signing event on Thursday, July 21st from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Fellowship House.  The letter asks Borough Council members to oppose Super Wawa based on traffic concerns.  You can see a copy of the letter by clicking here.

The Casmar Cafe announced that they went smoke free as of Monday, July 18th.  To accommodate their smoking clientele they have transformed the porch on the back (pictured above) into a smoking room.  The Casmar going smoke free leaves just a handful of places in Conshohocken that allow smoking including Bobby Burgers, 7th Heaven, Old Time and Carol’s Bar.

The Borough is seeking three people to serve on the new Human Relations Commission.

FunFest will be held on Saturday, September 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Conicelli is sponsoring.

8 East has a new “Splendid Summer Menu.”  If you click the above menu, it will pop up and be readable.

OBVI was featured in a video and story by the Times Herald.

Conshohocken Catholic graduates Robert Mellon and Collin Giongo were the award winners for essays on “How Technology and a Catholic Education Helps Me Become a Better Citizen. The 2011 Charles F. Kelly Good Government Awards were presented at the Conshohocken Catholic School graduation which took place at St. Matthew’s Church in Conshohocken.

Thanks to Conshy native Beth Hegedus (formally Leary) for pointing me to the story on PoliticsPA that says that Democrat Manan Trivedi is planning to run for Congress again against Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which a portion of Conshohocken is a part of.  Trivedi unsuccessfully ran against Gerlach during the last election.

Hegedus also wrote a profile of Conshy native and NBC10 reporter Deanna Durante for the Times Herald.

I got a couple inquiries after firetrucks were seen outside The StoneRose this past week.  The construction crew hit an alarm by accident, there was not another fire.

Cigna is moving their headquarters out of Philly to CT.  Did you know they almost moved to Conshy in 1987.

Candy of the Week

Edwards-Freeman Nut Company has Chuckles and all of your other favorites. If you haven’t been to the store yet, you will also find all types of chocolates, retro candy, nut butters, nuts, mixes, spices, popcorn, sauces and baking supplies.

Real Estate

Mittman & Rehling provide advice on how many homes to see. They also have two new listings, one at 338 West 6th Avenue and one at 127 West 5th Avenue.

The Jeremy Bowers & Mike Sroka Team know of a commercial property on Fayette Street that is coming to market.  This is very rare.  To inquire contact Jeremy Bowers at jbowers@cbpref.com.

Foodie Events

Every Tuesday, Blackfish offers a four course dinner featuring a different ingredient. You can see the upcoming featured ingredients here. Price is $45 per person. Call 610-397-0888 for more info.

Stella Blu is now offering their Lobster Summer Special. The menu offers two two courses for $35.00. The menu features lobster prepared eight different ways.

Events, Happenings & Specials

The Borough is holding three summer concerts in Sutcliffe Park.  The first concert was last night featuring the Boogie Dogs.  The Boogie Dogs return on August 2nd from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on August 16th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. the Norris Tones will perform.

This Thursday night, July 21st, the Baggataway is having a “tap takeover” with Flying Dog.  They are going to have five different styles on draft plus a firkin, and the Flying Dog peeps are bringing lots of schwag to give away.

Spamps is holding a Cocktail Class & Dinner on Wednesday, July 27th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Spamps will have all the supplies to make the best margaritas and mojitos- you will taste rum and tequila- pick out your favorites and you will be taught you how to make the drinks! Muddle, Shake, Drink, Repeat…. Once everyone has their perfect cocktail dinner will be served. Tickets are $45 per person-space is limited- make your reservation now.

The Open Mic Nights at the Conshohocken Cafe are on hold for the time being.  If you want to host one, inquire within.

Gyspy Saloon is offering a crab special for the summer and Stella Blu is offering a lobster special. You can get all the details here.

The Whitemarsh Business Association is having a Networking Event on Thursday, July 21st from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Totaro’s in Conshohocken.

The Philadelphia Fight take on the Boston 13s on Saturday, July 23rd in their last home game before the 2011 USARL playoffs. Part of the proceeds for this match will go towards their Annual Battle to Strike Out ALS. The Fight Vixens will be performing at all the quarters and at halftime. The game will start at 5:00 p.m., but the gates will open for food and beer at 4:00 p.m. There will be an After Party will be at 8 East.

The Conshohocken Golden Bears have a few more registration dates on July 13th and July 23rd. They are celebrating 50 years of tradition. If you click the photo, it will pop up larger.

The Republican candidates for Borough Council are holding a Margarita Night on Monday, July 25th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Coyote Crossing. The cost is $50.00 a person or $90.00 a couple.

The Democrat Colonial School Board Candidates are having “Cocktails with the Candidates” on Tuesday, August 2nd from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the home of candidate Julie Knudsen. The event will include Beer, Wine, Martinis & Hors d’oeuvres. Tickets start at $35.00.

Business News

MoreThanTheCurve.com has created a Business Group on LinkedIN. If you would like to join, follow the link and request to be a member. This group is geared towards business networking for people who live and/or work in Conshohocken and West Conshohocken. I would love to get more people and companies in the big buildings involved with the site and community.

IABC Heritage Region, the northeast region of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), has named Tony DeFazio as the Communications Director for the 2011-2012 program year.  IABC Heritage Region represents more than 3,200 business communicators from 20 chapters spanning 17 states, including Pennsylvania.  DeFazio, president of Conshohocken, Pa.-based public relations agency DeFazio Communications, brings over 20 years of industry experience to his new position.   DeFazio served as President of IABC Philadelphia from 2009-2011.  In his new role, DeFazio will develop a strategic communications plan for the region, including designing the website and creating a newsletter.