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Noted
in the
Northwest
Woodmere neighbors appeal zoning decision
The North Chestnut Hill Neighbors, a group opposing Woodmere Art Museum’s
expansion plans, have appealed the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment’s
(ZBA) decision to grant the institution a variance.
Plans for Commerce Bank branch move forward
Commerce Bank, which is in the process of purchasing the former
Gap building at 8600 Germantown Ave., came before the Chestnut Hill Community
Association’s land use planning and zoning and aesthetics committees
earlier this month to discuss signage and other matters related to the
building’s location in the historic district.
 Winner
of
Three 2005 Keystone Awards
About
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Chestnut
Hill Local
8434 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
215-248-8800
fax: 215-248-8814
Editor
James Sturdivant
215-248-8802
james@chestnuthilllocal.com
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E-mail: Scott Alloway
215-248-8817
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©2005 The Chestnut Hill Local |
| Local
News
Potterific.
In Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire, Albus Dumbledore warns the titular
wizard-in-training that “difficult times lie ahead.”
Anyone who hadn’t reserved their copy of Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince, the series’ sixth installment
that debuted July 16, could certainly sympathize with this sentiment.
Police
see similarities in recent assaults
by AMY BRISSON
Around 10:30 p.m. on July 7, Samir Herman and a
coworker from Osaka restaurant were walking down E. Evergreen
Avenue when they were assaulted and robbed by a group of teenagers.
Herman and his friend, who asked not to be
identified, usually leave work with a group of coworkers, but
were let off early that night. As they put their backpacks into
their car on E. Evergreen Avenue, they were approached by a group
of 7 or 8 unarmed black males, around 18 or 19 years old. The
young men asked Herman for cigarettes, but when he responded negatively
he was pushed and grabbed from behind.
 Spirited
Child Shows 'Fire for Life'
by MICHAEL J. MISHAK
Like most families with small children, the Makowiczs,
of Spring City, Pa., begin each day with a well-rehearsed morning
routine — only theirs involves even more advanced planning.
Nate, 7, suffers from nonverbal learning disorder, a disability
with autism-like symptoms, and his parents, David and Heather,
conduct nightly briefings to eliminate as much uncertainty as
possible. But with two other children — Noah, 3, and 6-month-old
Hope — that isn’t always an easy task. The day begins
at 6 a.m. when Nate rises. He takes cues from a custom-made picture
schedule, ripping icons off a board after a task like brushing
his teeth.
Rate Hike Flows
Under Residents' Radar
By AMY BRISSON
In a City Council hearing on July 14, Councilman
Frank Rizzo and the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities
criticized the Water Department for what they said was ineffectual
advertisement of a proposed 31 percent increase in water cost
rates.
“One of the things we were very disappointed with was the
notification process,” Rizzo told the Local in a phone interview
last week.
Hill District Under
Budget, On Track
by MICHAEL J. MISHAK
The Chestnut Hill District, a business improvement
group largely supported by the real estate taxes of local property
owners, finished its first year with a cash surplus, a short list
of completed capital projects and a solid blueprint for a vibrant
commercial future, said John Levitties, president of the group’s
board, last week.
Streetscape proposals
to be discussed
by JAMES STURDIVANT
An upcoming PennDOT improvement
project along Germantown Avenue may provide an opportunity to
fund significant streetscape improvements in Chestnut Hill, Chestnut
Hill Community Association traffic and transportation committee
chair Robert Previdi said this week. The committee will hold a
meeting on Tuesday, July 26 at 7 p.m. at Hiram Lodge to discuss
several proposals made by the CHCA and in the recently released
Cope Linder streetscape study. |
Local
Life
Slovakia’s
gift to Mt. Airy
wins ‘top student award’
by JON CAROULIS
Alena Minarovicova, a native of Slovakia who studied Communication
at a La Salle University Master’s program in Prague,
finished her thesis while living in West Mt. Airy and working
two jobs. At one point, she was pursuing two master’s
degrees in two countries. For her dedication and superior
performance, she received the top student award last week
in La Salle’s Professional Communication in Prague
program.
New
summer programs
in Mt. Airy for children
by GAIL COHEN
A new schedule of late summer children’s
classes was announced this week by the Moving Arts Studio
in Mt. Airy, also known as MaMa. “In past years, August
and early September were died-on-the-vine times,”
says MaMa’s assistant director Deirdre Kilkenny. “By
mid-August, frankly, it was discouraging, and we had been
thinking of simply closing the studio for August. But now
both of our studios are air-conditioned — one completely
– and we are better known for the range and caliber
of our kids’ classes. Also, we’ve learned to
be flexible in accommodating family travel schedules for
summer.
Great
singer creates
magic at Pastorius Park
by MICHAEL CARUSO
here’s nothing more beautiful than a beautiful human
voice, nothing more expressive than the sound of someone
singing a beautiful song. Those of us in attendance last
Wednesday night in Chestnut Hill’s Pastorius Park
— and there were hundreds of us — can testify
that Phil Roy has a beautiful voice and that he sang many
beautiful songs.
Farewell
dinners from death-defying ‘Chinatown Mayor’
by LEN LEAR
Joseph Poon, owner
of his eponymous restaurant at 1002 Arch St., often referred
to as the “Mayor of Chinatown,”wears hardship
like a second skin. While growing up in war-ravaged Hong
Kong after World War II, food was so scarce that four of
Poon’s nine siblings died from starvation and an absence
of medical care.
“I survived,” explained
Joe, 56, “by taking food from garbage cans and begging
for money at hotels and on the street. Extreme poverty taught
me to keep going, keep learning, keep improving and work
harder and longer hours than everybody else. And since we
had so little food, I decided as a child that if I survived
to adulthood, I would be in the restaurant business. At
least that way, even if I had nothing else, I would always
have food to eat.
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Mount
closes out Hatboro Horsham league
by TOM UTESCHER
In their final week of games in the Hatboro Horsham
summer league, the Mount St. Joseph Magic came away with a split,
topping the league host Hatters on Monday, 50-24, and then getting
edged out by Pennridge High School, 47-43, on Wednesday night. On
Monday the Mount was missing two of its top players, Sarah McGorry
and Laura Johnson, but the Magic still had a full bench while Hatboro
Horsham had just one sub available.
Ursinus
tops CHC in summer league
The Chestnut Hill College Griffins started sluggishly
in last Wednesday’s contest in the NCAA women’s division
of the Malvern summer league, falling behind Ursinus, 16-8, in the
first nine minutes. The locals came back to make a game of it, but
Ursinus scored the last four points of the night to pull out a 44-40
victory.
Germantown
Academy wins bout between Patriots
In a summer league set-to involving two basketball
teams with the same nickname, it was the Patriots of Germantown
Academy who prevailed last Monday in a 39-33 double-overtime contest
again Central Bucks East High School. As in several earlier games
in the summer campaign, GA was playing without regular starters
Caroline Doty and Jesse Carey.
CHA,
PCC softball head for showdown
The Chestnut Hill Academy alumni team had captured
an 8-6 victory in the opening game of the Club Softball Association
finals, and last Thursday evening it looked as though the former
Blue Devils might sweep the best-of-three championship series as
they took an 8-3 lead over the first three innings.
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