Penn Charter opens new performing arts center
by Jennifer Katz

The new $15 million performing arts center at the William Penn Charter School is groundbreaking in many ways for the 320-year-old institution. Situated just off Henry Avenue in East Falls, the school has enjoyed a stellar reputation for most of its existence.

As an academic and athletic tour de force, the Quaker school is considered among the top educational institutions in the city. Surprisingly, it took Penn Charter centuries to admit girls, becoming coed in 1980 under the leadership of Earl Ball.
MoRE

Mayor Michael Nutter accepted a Distinctive Destination award from the National Historic Trust at a Wednesday event at TD Bank in Chestnut Hill. The event was attended by scores of local residents and civic leaders.

“We’re particularly excited that the National Trust for Historic Preservation has also found out what those of us who have lived in Philadelphia even for a little while have always known,” Nutter said, “that Chestnut Hill is one of the great neighborhoods not only in Philadelphia but also across the United State of America.”
(Photo by Pete Mazzaccaro)

Other News…

Hill wins national award

‘Project Sketchbook’ brightens vacant storefronts with artwork

2010 Camp Guide
***UPDATE: The CHA Camp Fair has been postponed until Saturday, March 6***

Dedicated to late Mother-in-law
Mt. Airy musician/artist creates powerful Holocaust series
By Christopher DePaul

It was pick-up jazz. There were no sides, no teams, no rules. There was, however, a buffet-style dinner and a few large round tables, the kind you see at wedding halls. In fact, this looked like a miniature wedding hall. The people, audience and musicians, looked dapper, some coming from their jobs, all older than our mid-20s selves as we strolled in, flannel and not knowing what to expect.
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Let’s get radical

Someone I knew recently complained to me about radicals. He wasn’t talking about who you might assume he was talking about, though. When I think of radicals, I think of Hugo Chavez, MahmoudAhmadinejad and Lady Gaga.

Radicals to the guy I was talking to are domestics: Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama. This bothered me, but not because I support one side of American Politics more than the other. It bothered me because I think terms like radical and left- and right-wing muddle our politics for a number of reasons.
MorE

CELEBRATING CENTENARIANS

Residents and staff of the Springfield Residence in Wyndmoor celebrated three centenarians on Wednesday, Jan. 27, with birthday cake and a little piano music. Harry Zec (left) celebrated  his 100th birthday that day. Nancy Hopkins (center) will turn 102 on March 25 and Elena Roma turned 101 on Nov. 29.

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Mount runs record to 10-1 in AACA hoops
by Tom Utescher

The Mount St. Joseph Magic remained tied for the top spot in the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies with a pair of league victories last week, one over a perennial playoff team, and the other over one of the weaker franchises in the AACA.

As expected, Country Day School of the Sacred Heart fell to the visiting Magic on Tuesday, 43-19. Two days later a more formidable foe, Nazareth Academy, paid a visit to Mount St. Joe’s.

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Q:  Any opinions on health care reform?
A: “I think any health care reform bill that helps people have a primary care doctor would probably be an improvement. I think if it limits access to specialists or to other doctors, that would probably be a bad thing. So hopefully it will be a balance between lowering cost without restricting access to doctors… I think it would be an improvement for patients to have a medical home where there’s one doctor who knows all their conditions…” David R. Smith, MD, Chestnut Hill Family Medicine.

Photo and interview by Brian Rudnick. http://closeup.brianrudnick.com

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