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. Because another condition, gastrointestinal reflux, complicates
digestion, he receives his meals through a feeding tube that connects
to a port in his stomach.
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.
