The Heron's Nest: Summertime, & the livin' is ...
Friday, June 25, 2010
By Phil Heron, editor@delcotimes.com
I have always loved summer. I am one of those few people who like it humid. The stickier it gets, the better I like it.
I loathe winter, and grit my teeth - when they're not chattering - through the frigid months every year.
This morning I'm rethinking my priorities. What happened here yesterday in beautiful downtown Primos will do that to you.
At about 3:15 on a hot, humid early summer afternoon, Mother Nature decided to unleash her fury. And she seemed to have Delaware County in the crosshairs.
I was actually in our conference room, talking with a very nice group of people from an outfit called the First Suburbs. They are a diverse group that has come together to push the issues facing inner-ring suburbs, places like Yeadon, Lansdowne, Aldan, Upper Darby and other towns on the eastern edge of Delaware County.
This morning they can add one more item to the list of issues they are facing. Cleaning up after a vicious storm swept through the area.
I first glanced out the window of our conference room when I heard the rain. Then I noticed the wind. Before I knew it, hail was pounding the building. Next, the lights went out. I was just waiting for the locusts.
I knew we were in trouble when Tom Judge Jr., the township manager of Upper Darby who was with the group, started getting calls and texts on his phone. He looked worried. Eventually, he excused himself, but not before saying that "trees were down everywhere."
All hell was breaking loose in the township.
Over the next few hours, we would learn just how bad it was. For some reason, the storm seemed to take dead aim at our little corner of the world. A day care center across the street lost its roof, which was deposited in the parking lot and on the R3 railroad tracks. Miraculously, none of the 100 kids who were inside at the time were injured.
There were people stranded everywhere. The rail line came to a halt, with one train literally off the tracks up the street at the Secane station.
Traffic lights were out, and getting anywhere was a near impossibility. Springfield seemed to take a direct hit. Areas of Upper Darby, Aldan and Yeadon also got nailed. There was a report of a building collapse in Lansdowne.
And during all of this, we sat dead in the water, without power. Still, we did what we always do. Photographer Eric Hartline and reporter Paul Luce went for a walk - literally - to review the damage in the area. Photographer Julia Wilkinson, who was out on the street already, snapped away. Our Flyers beat writer, Anthony SanFilippo, a Springfield resident, grabbed his flip cam and took a video tour of his neighborhood.
The damage again leaves you in awe of what Mother Nature can do when she gets ticked off.
If you're reading this online, you have no idea what went into the effort to put our print edition last night. We got power back on about 8 p.m., and immediately dove into the process of putting out the paper.
This isn't like other businesses. You have no idea the kind of problems created when we start the process that late in the day. Let me explain it this way: It's like knocking over the first domino in one of those intriate displays. Basically, you never get that time back. You simply know you're going to be running uphil all night.
We put a print edition out, as well as updating our Web site, which puts us in a lot better situation than some of our sisters papers, which battled even more serious power issues than we did.
We're actually printing one of our sisters papers, The Trentonian, here today. Right now those papers are being whisked back to Trenton as fast as we can get them there.
After all this, I arrived home last night to learn power had not yet been restored there. I grabbed a beer and headed for bed. I awoke this morning, still in the dark. Still no power. I had no idea getting dressed in the dark could be such fun.
Today we will again do what we always do. We will fan out into the neighborhood and cover the story as Delco tries to put their life back on an even keel.
One warning: It's supposed to be a hot, muggy weekend.
I'll be keeping one eye on the sky.
Think snow!
Friday, June 25, 2010
By Phil Heron, editor@delcotimes.com
I have always loved summer. I am one of those few people who like it humid. The stickier it gets, the better I like it.
I loathe winter, and grit my teeth - when they're not chattering - through the frigid months every year.
This morning I'm rethinking my priorities. What happened here yesterday in beautiful downtown Primos will do that to you.
At about 3:15 on a hot, humid early summer afternoon, Mother Nature decided to unleash her fury. And she seemed to have Delaware County in the crosshairs.
I was actually in our conference room, talking with a very nice group of people from an outfit called the First Suburbs. They are a diverse group that has come together to push the issues facing inner-ring suburbs, places like Yeadon, Lansdowne, Aldan, Upper Darby and other towns on the eastern edge of Delaware County.
This morning they can add one more item to the list of issues they are facing. Cleaning up after a vicious storm swept through the area.
I first glanced out the window of our conference room when I heard the rain. Then I noticed the wind. Before I knew it, hail was pounding the building. Next, the lights went out. I was just waiting for the locusts.
I knew we were in trouble when Tom Judge Jr., the township manager of Upper Darby who was with the group, started getting calls and texts on his phone. He looked worried. Eventually, he excused himself, but not before saying that "trees were down everywhere."
All hell was breaking loose in the township.
Over the next few hours, we would learn just how bad it was. For some reason, the storm seemed to take dead aim at our little corner of the world. A day care center across the street lost its roof, which was deposited in the parking lot and on the R3 railroad tracks. Miraculously, none of the 100 kids who were inside at the time were injured.
There were people stranded everywhere. The rail line came to a halt, with one train literally off the tracks up the street at the Secane station.
Traffic lights were out, and getting anywhere was a near impossibility. Springfield seemed to take a direct hit. Areas of Upper Darby, Aldan and Yeadon also got nailed. There was a report of a building collapse in Lansdowne.
And during all of this, we sat dead in the water, without power. Still, we did what we always do. Photographer Eric Hartline and reporter Paul Luce went for a walk - literally - to review the damage in the area. Photographer Julia Wilkinson, who was out on the street already, snapped away. Our Flyers beat writer, Anthony SanFilippo, a Springfield resident, grabbed his flip cam and took a video tour of his neighborhood.
The damage again leaves you in awe of what Mother Nature can do when she gets ticked off.
If you're reading this online, you have no idea what went into the effort to put our print edition last night. We got power back on about 8 p.m., and immediately dove into the process of putting out the paper.
This isn't like other businesses. You have no idea the kind of problems created when we start the process that late in the day. Let me explain it this way: It's like knocking over the first domino in one of those intriate displays. Basically, you never get that time back. You simply know you're going to be running uphil all night.
We put a print edition out, as well as updating our Web site, which puts us in a lot better situation than some of our sisters papers, which battled even more serious power issues than we did.
We're actually printing one of our sisters papers, The Trentonian, here today. Right now those papers are being whisked back to Trenton as fast as we can get them there.
After all this, I arrived home last night to learn power had not yet been restored there. I grabbed a beer and headed for bed. I awoke this morning, still in the dark. Still no power. I had no idea getting dressed in the dark could be such fun.
Today we will again do what we always do. We will fan out into the neighborhood and cover the story as Delco tries to put their life back on an even keel.
One warning: It's supposed to be a hot, muggy weekend.
I'll be keeping one eye on the sky.
Think snow!
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