Baldwin, Baldwin, Baldwin...you haven't completed your pedestrian "green bench" that I can see (unless those roots I tripped on the other day while avoiding becoming road pizza ARE the green bench?), and there you are on page 24 of the Thursday July 31st, 2008 edition of Main Line Times advertising a new swim club?

Ahh yes:

Bryn Mawr- Originally known as the Polar Bear Swim Club (circa 2006),the Baldwin Swim Club will be open to the community, and plans to continue the tradition, in it's home at the new Athletic Center on the Baldwin Campus....the Baldwin Swim Club's first practice will be Sept. 15. For more information....call 610-527-2700, extension 601 or e-mail

Wow...yet another institution trying to get their facilities to pay for themselves, eh? Now, that's not being mean, just check out artificial turf field at another private school with parking issues - it is in constant use, and not just school functions, right?

So, this is o.k. with the long suffering neighbors, right? These people will be parking ON campus at all times, right? Will the neighbors get free memberships after putting up with the construction, right? They should. Is there a traffic study to see if this will have an adverse affect on the neighborhood, which is quite busy now most of the day Monday through Friday?

Of course, adding the "circa 2006" Polar Bear thing is a bit of a stretch for claiming a pre-existing use, eh? After all, it's no longer just the Polar Bear people, is it? So it should be a new or additional use, right?

When Baldwin was approved for their new gym wasn't a condition of approval no additional uses? Or is that incorrect? How much money will they make off of this "swim club"?

If institutions are going to add to their uses, then residents should have their say...Did they lose too large a check book with Brooke de Villanova's chatter about those teacher eating people moving?

"Real estate may be in the doldrums (Edgar is still trying to unload our condo in West Palm), but it feels like everyone’s moving. The Main Line intelligentsia is buzzing that ....Sheryl and Michael Pouls (of Baldwin School tussle fame) are rumored to be looking for ­buyers for their Gladwyne digs and their pad in Longport, for a California relo."

(and not to be too harsh on the subject, but take a trip down memory lane with the fab blog Judi Philly on the topic)