Features
Youngsters learn the skills that make the Big Top a success at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts in West Mt. Airy.
The first rule of circus summer camp: Don’t break your face. The second rule of circus summer camp: Have fun. With rules like these, who wouldn’t want to give it a whirl?
Read more.
Senior Life

SEPTA cuts could derail senior independence

Looming SEPTA cuts would remove five train lines, cut bus and metro schedules, and end service after 9 p.m. Older city residents will lose access to healthcare, food, community, entertainment and family.

Germantown menders help restore clothes and dignity

Face to Face Germantown sees a lot of need in its neighborhood, and since 1984 has been working hard to alleviate it.

A delightful day at Citizens Bank Park

A man and his adult son sat in the seats to our right. The man said this was their first game, could I please explain it? They had never seen baseball in their native Mongolia. 

Five artists vie to honor trailblazing lawyer

The winning design for a statue depicting Dr. Sadie T. M. Alexander, a history-making lawyer and economist, is scheduled to be selected this month.

The Northwest lights up for a star-spangled celebration

Here’s a sampling of July 4 events in the area.
Local Calendar
Community Feature

The Rev. Robert L. Polk, 97, has lived at Cathedral Village in upper Roxborough for the past 22 years. At one time, he was the only Black resident among more than 400 retirees.

Obituaries
Ed Thompson, 75, beloved lawyer and librarian
Edwin “Ed” Thompson, a former lawyer who switched careers to become a reference librarian at the Free Library of Springfield Township, died suddenly on June 19.
Donald Cresswell, Phila. Print Shop owner, dies at 84
Dr. Donald H. Cresswell, 84, died June 19 of Alzheimer’s disease at Crossroads. He also was an appraiser on the PBS series “Antiques Roadshow.”
Longtime Gravers Station resident dies at 96
When I interviewed Albert Jerdan in 2010 about living in the station for much of his life, I told him he should contact the Guinness Book of World Records. 
Mt. Airy activist and former state legislator dies at 92
Gerald Kaufman, who served as a Democrat in the state House of Representatives for three terms, died of age-related ailments.
Beatrice Golden, Hill musician and painter, dies at 78
Beatrice Golden, an acclaimed painter, musician, early-childhood educator and resident of Chestnut Hill for half a century, died in her home June 2.
Business
In 1995, Jan Wilson was in a horrific car accident. She tried acupuncture -- and that led to a new Chestnut Hill business.
Hoser’s served its final dish on July 1, and several other businesses are coming and going from the Hill.
Read this week's E-edition
Crime

Crime Report

The following is for crimes reported from June 30 to July 6. 

Crime Report

The following is for crimes reported from June 22 to 29.

Homes and Gardens

Discovering nature’s pantry: Go forth and forage this summer

Our region, with its abundant parks, woodlands and reliable rainfall, makes foraging for food a breeze. It isn’t a free-for-all, though.
Comforts of home

Cracking the code: The fight for backyard chickens in Philadelphia

A quiet revolution is clucking its way into neighborhoods, challenging city ordinances and highlighting the surprising benefits of urban chicken keeping.
Senior Life

Aging in place: Prepare your home ahead of time

Don’t be caught off guard. It's important to consider the steps to success.

Tour offers rare look inside Louis Kahn-designed Esherick House

Art and architecture lovers now have a rare opportunity to explore the Margaret Esherick House, a midcentury modern gem designed by famed architect Louis Kahn.

Caring for native pollinators in your garden

Spring is here, and along with pollen comes the pollinators; Pennsylvania is home to 437 native bee species, and diverse plants in your garden can help their populations thrive. 

Sports

Area athletes brave heat to achieve success in college summer league

Players in the Philadelphia/Suburban Women's Basketball League endured withering heat at the league's un-airconditioned venue.
Sports

College players take on new roles in summer league 2025 season

The Philadelphia/Suburban Women's Summer Basketball League launched its 32nd season last week.
Sports

SRAA regatta draws nationwide competition for area rowers

After a disastrous Stotesbury Cup Regatta rain washout, select area crews participated in the Memorial Day weekend Scholastic Rowing Association of America Regatta.

Several women's lacrosse alums from area schools found themselves in the national spotlight last Sunday.

Defending PA Independent Schools (PAIS) softball champion Springside Chestnut Hill Academy began play in the 2025 PAIS tournament last Monday afternoon.
The Penn Charter-Germantown Academy rematch was a closely fought contest -- for five innings.
The host school for last Saturday's Inter-Ac League Track and Field Championships, Episcopal Academy, celebrated the continued success of both its boys' and girls' teams.
The "postseason" in crew began last weekend with the Philadelphia City Championships, and area rowers assembled along Kelly Drive to mine the Schuylkill for precious medals.
Schools

Over the past several weeks, hundreds of Northwest Philadelphia and Southeast Montgomery County students walked across a stage to accept their diplomas.

Members of the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club visited C.W. Henry School on May 30. They brought a horse, of course.

Opinion & letters
Editorials
Over the last five years, life has gotten more expensive. So has operating a business.
Letters to the editor
About Chestnut Hill
CHCA Agenda
All meetings are open to the public.
CHCA Board welcomes seven members for new term
The Chestnut Hill Community Association begins a new term in August with a slate of seven new and returning members to its board of directors.
Hill ‘environmental nerd’ honored by area school group
Longtime Chestnut Hill resident Mary Ann Boyer calls herself “an environmental nerd,” but others who know her prefer to call her a champion of the environment. 
Celebrating 25 years of savory sweets at the Night Kitchen
Owners of the Night Kitchen Bakery & Cafe, a Chestnut Hill mainstay, invite the public to a celebration on June 27.
Windfall Gallery moves uphill, Duke Barber expands
Cynthia Fillmore, owner of Windfall Gallery in Chestnut Hill, wants to clarify one important distinction: her business is moving, not closing. 
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