Mt. Airy writer’s film opens Friday in 800 theaters

Here is a photo of Andrew on the set of Kids in America with the director and co-writer, Josh Stolberg. Josh is at the forefront (on the left) and Andrew is on the right.

by PETER BEISSER
Andrew Shaifer, son of Chestnut Hill residents Carl and Kathy Shaifer, still vividly remembers what it was like to live the life of a high school student.

Even as his 40th birthday quickly approaches, the Mt. Airy native says his connection with that early part of his life helped him greatly when it came to producing and co-writing his first feature film, Kids in America.

Lifetime achievement award
From Hill basement to prominent stages all over U.S.

Jim Christy

by CLARK GROOME
James J. Christy, who was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre Awards ceremony October 10, said “I started out as a director in the basement of 50 West Mermaid Lane; little plays that I would write and get my friends to be in.”

Now 64, Christy is no longer directing in his Chestnut Hill basement but on the stages of most of the area’s major theaters as well as on stages all over the United States.

Chestnut Hill women help to produce 14th USArtists show

Chestnut Hill residents (from left) Stacy Fiechter, Dorothy Ix and Mary McGregor Mather serve on the planning committee for USArtists at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Behind them is a painting, “A Walk In The Woods” (1975), by Academy graduate and faculty member Peter Paone. (Photo by Jim Weaver)

by JIM WEAVER
If you are the kind of person who enjoys visiting art galleries, then USArtists is a dream come true.

The annual American fine arts show, now in its 14th year, is a fundraising project of the Women’s Board of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and brings together more than 50 of the nation’s top galleries under one roof. This year’s show will take place October 21-23 at the 33rd Street Armory in West Philadelphia.

Bach Festival triumphant at Hill church concert

by MICHAEL CARUSO
As I drove into Chestnut Hill along Germantown Pike early Saturday evening to hear my first Bach Festival recital of the season, I remembered all those concerts I had heard conducted by the festival’s founder, the late Michael Korn. I found myself hoping that this particular performance would usher in the start of revival of the festival’s stature and fortunes.

 

Local Sports

CHA harriers harvest long-awaited win at GA

Sophomore Ned Cunningham led CHA to its first Inter-Ac cross country victory of the new Millennium. (Photo by Lene White)

by TOM UTESCHER
The Chestnut Hill Academy and Germantown Academy cross country teams each entered the second week of October with an overall dual meet record of 0-4, and a mark of 0-3 in Inter-Ac League contests.

When the Blue Devils and Patriots met at GA last Tuesday, one of the struggling squads finally corralled a “W.” With a time of 18 minutes, 27 seconds, CHA sophomore Ned Cunningham was the first to finish on Germantown’s 3.1-mile course, and the visitors were able to pull out a 27-31 victory.

CHC women fry Phoenix

Chestnut Hill College freshman Casey Manzi scored four goals for the Griffins in two games last weekend (Photo by Lene White)

by TOM UTESCHER
Recent rains chased Chestnut Hill College’s women’s soccer team out of its usual home-game venues, and the Griffins finished out last week’s action on the artificial turf at Wissahickon High School.

In this Sunday matinee, CHC charged past central PA rival Wilson College, 4-0, improving its record in the Atlantic Women’s College Conference to 4-1 to remain tied with Hood College for second place in the standings.

Tiger booters slog past Springside

by TOM UTESCHER
The sun had finally reappeared, but the playing surface of the soccer field was a shifting, slippery mud-and-grass porridge when Germantown Friends welcomed the Lions of Springside School last Saturday afternoon.
The host Tigers were clearly the better “mudders,” going up 1-0 seven minutes into the game and then tacking on two insurance goals in the second half to ring up a 3-0 victory and raise their record to 8-2-1 (4-1 in Friends School League.) The shutout in goal was shared by Kat Bixby, the senior who started the game, and junior Heather Tannenbaum, a junior who entered the fray at the beginning of the second period. Both handled the ball on serves and through passes into the box by Springside, but the only true save was made by Bixby in the first half.

Knights netters knock off Chestnut Hill College

by TOM UTESCHER
Balanced scoring and effective defense by host Arcadia University proved too much for the Chestnut Hill College Griffins in last Monday’s volleyball bout, as the Scarlet Knights prevailed in three straight games. With half-a-dozen different players scoring at least six points, the hosts improved their record to 12-10 overall, while CHC slipped to 6-11 on the season.