Former Chestnut Hill resident Suzanne DuPlantis, who currently lives in East Falls, is an acclaimed mezzo soprano who will perform with pianist James Batt in recital on Tuesday, July 26, 8 p.m., at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Whitemarsh.

DREAM TOUR FOR HILL AREA BOYS: The Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) returned last week from a 17-day tour of Japan, where they sang in Osaka, Nagasaki, Tokyo and Hiroshima. The trip was both a cultural exchange and a concert tour. The boys sang for the monks in a Buddhist monastery, spent time in classrooms and stayed in the homes of Japanese families. The boys from Northwest Philadelphia on the tour were: back row, from left: Jordan Thomas (Mt. Airy); Jay Query, (Chestnut Hill); Thomas Case (Mt. Airy); Kyrie Georgiou (Chestnut Hill); middle row: Christian Gilberti (Germantown); Dan York (Chestnut Hill); Jack Schmeig (Mt. Airy): front row, from left: Jake Smith (Mt. Airy): Jordan Monroe (Germantown). Missing: Eric Binswanger, Henry Blood, Stuart Case, Nick Kelly; Tucker Roberts and Jeremy Robinson.

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.”