March 22, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Northwest News in Brief

Contrary to widespread rumors that have prompted weekly calls from concerned residents to the Local, Border’s Book Store is not closing, said Borders spokesperson Holley Stein on March 16.

The company said, that it has no plans to shut down the branch, which has been operating at Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike for 13 years. In fact, the company recently sought and received approval from the Chestnut Hill Community Association to legalize its existing signs so that it can remodel its café, an investment that suggests some level of commitment to the current location.

The spokesperson was unable to reveal the term of its current lease, because company policy prohibites such disclosure. – KP

Greg Paulmier, a candidate for City Council in Philadelphia’s Eighth District, said he expects to be reinstated on the May 15 primary ballot by early next week, if not sooner. The candidate was bumped off the ballot last week when the Court of Common Pleas ruled that a challenge of his petition was valid.

The challenge, made by opponent Cindy Bass, addressed Paulmier’s omission of the address of his rental properties on a financial disclosure statement.

“The directions were unclear,” he said in a short phone interview Monday. He said he thought he only had to include the income he received from the rentals.

Though he said it was not something to shrug off, Paulmier was confident he would be on the ballot following an appeal to the state Commonwealth Courts.

He pointed out that last March, Babette Joseph (D), incumbent candidate for state representative in the 182nd District, was removed from the ballot for the same reason, but was reinstated soon after and won the election.

“There’s a bump in the road of every campaign — sometimes it’s on election day, mine came now,” Paulmier said.

– KP