The Canary was doing some research for a special project that’s currently underway and came upon a truly fascinating Facebook post from the borough of Middleport. Fascinating in two ways …
The post simply reads that the soda machine is filled. Anyone not from Middleport would read such a thing and immediately think: Jeez, not a whole lot happens in that town.
They might be right but more on that machine in a smidge.
The other fascinating part of that post is the concept of Roulette Diet. That post lists the sodas that have been filled in the machine and one of the selections is “Roulette Diet (Coke or Pepsi)”. Roulette Diet … that’s just hilarious.
It was all intriguing enough to draw The Canary out there on Route 209 to cover their most recent Borough Council meeting this week.
First, the “Roulette Diet” was written by Borough Council President and Middleport historian John DiFilippo.
The soda machine – situated right near the front door of borough headquarters on Washington St. – was actually donated to Middleport by DiFilippo’s gun club, Locust Valley Fish and Game, of which he’s the president.
DiFilippo says he goes out and purchases soda to fill the machine, searching for a good deal when it becomes available. When it’s empty, he fills the machine and then posts this critical update to the borough’s Facebook page.
Sales are brisk, apparently, especially for a town the size of Middleport. Maybe it’s the price.
“Where can you get a bottle of soda for $1.50 these days,” he says. “Coldest in town.”
So, why does Middleport even have a soda machine?
Soft drink sales aren’t being used to balance the budget. Instead, DiFilippo says, money raised from soda sales is being accumulated to pay for renovations to a basketball court in town. They’re going to need to sell a lot of soda, however.
The borough needs about $15,000 just for the initial site prep work.
So, the next time you’re traversing 209, when you get midway between Pottsville and Tamaqua and feeling a bit parched, consider stopping by the soda machine in front of Middleport Borough Hall.
And if you’re not the gambling type, there’s regular Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, and Mountain Dew available, too.
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