Finally! We are entering one of the best times of the year
in Lansdale. The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and
our weeks will be filled with events and gatherings to celebrate our community.
As a resident noted on Wednesday at our council meeting, this is that special
time of year where the streets are dedicated to more than just cars and
pedestrians, as revelers can enjoy all the areas of the borough making this a
better place to call home.
As many of you know, today is our initial First Friday event
of the year, and with it ushers in a few important things to remember as we all
celebrate and enjoy the events this spring, summer, and fall:
- Please, no open
containers on the streets unless otherwise designated. Most events
during the season have a designated area for open alcoholic drinks and we kindly
ask that you stay within those designated areas with your drink of choice.
I know there is the desire to walk around with your drink and leisurely enjoy
the event. However, if we are to continue to have alcohol at events we
need to do so in a safe fashion. Please refrain from walking around with
open containers outside the designated area.
- If you are driving, slow
down. This is always something that needs to be said at the beginning
of our events season. I recognize that not everyone consults with the
events schedule before they travel and an event holding up or slowing
traffic can be annoying. However, people are out enjoying our community,
and no one wants a person to be hit. Please take your time to either avoid
the closed areas altogether or slow down as you approach an area when an
event is taking place. During First Friday’s (and other events), officers and
staff will be helping people cross the street, so be mindful of this
reality and stay alert.
- Parking is available!
The Vine Street parking lot and the SEPTA garage are two excellent choices
if you are driving into the community for an event. Both are extremely
easy to access and provide easy access back out after an event is
concluded. As a reminder, parking is free after 5 p.m. This year, Madison
Street will be closed a bit more often than it was last year. Well Crafted
has organized several events over the summer where Madison will be closed
for them to bring their celebration out onto the street.
- Make it a local day/night!
If you are out enjoying an event and you can string a stop to a local
restaurant or business alongside that event, please do! We love how big
many of our events have become and how busy our downtown area is during
those events. Please take the time to discover some of the stores and
restaurants this summer. We have had a whole host of new businesses open
in Lansdale this year and it would be the world to them if you stopped in
and said hello!
- Take the time to talk
to the LPD. If you are at an event and you see them out and about
helping to make sure everything is safe and orderly, say hello! Our
officers enjoy interacting with the public at events and we want to get to
know you. It sounds odd, but it is extremely important that residents and
community members have “normal” (non-incident) related interactions with
our officers. It is good for residents, because you get to know the
officers as people, and it is good for the officers, who can go days with
only negative interactions with the public (due to the job they do) and
that is exhausting. I guarantee you, a light conversation will be welcomed
by them!
Overall, please have fun this events season. Get out of the
house, discover your new favorite beer or mixed drink, reconnect with neighbors
and friends, and just enjoy all our community has to offer. Our events are an
important part of why people move to Lansdale and why they stay here. I cannot
wait to see you out and about. If you see me, come say hello and let’s chat
over a beer and enjoy making Lansdale a better place to live, work, and play!
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to
North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert. The views
expressed are his own.)
See also:
Mayoral
Musings: Two-Way Conversion of Courtland and Susquehanna
Mayoral
Musings: Local Scouts Prove to be Assets to Our Community
Mayoral
Musings: Revenue Per Acre May Be a Better Metric for Borough Management
Mayoral
Musings: Municipal 5G Could Provide Revenue to Repair Lansdale’s Deteriorating
Sewer System
Mayoral
Musings: Exploring the Elimination of Electric Deposits for Renters
