March 31, 1966

Flourtown committee strives to preserve famous Penn Oak Tree

The northwestern suburbs of Philadelphia are famous throughout the Delaware Valley for their beautiful old trees. One such tree is the William Penn Oak Tree, on East Mill Road, in Flourtown. According to Dr. John M. Fogg, of the Morris Arboretum, the tree is precariously situated on the edge of a much traveled road. This year, the committee for the William Penn Oak has set as its goal the accumulation of a fund sufficient to pay for the maintenance of the tree over the next five years. Based on experience, the committee has set the amount at $500.

April 1, 1976

Bicen ‘Five Plus Us’ bows May 4

Chestnut Hill will join the rest of the United States in celebrating the nation’s Bicentennial this year with two musical spectaculars. The annual Five Plus Us Concert will present a Bicentennial musical celebration on May 4 in Chestnut Hill Academy’s Kingsley gymnasium.The Pastorius Park Concert Series will salute the Bicentennial with an opening performance by the Allentown Band on June 23 at the park site.The oldest municipal band in the nation, the Allentown music makers are famous for their toe-tapping renditions of John Philip Sousa’s marches.

April 3, 1986

Pastorius Park nets 40 enthusiastic volunteers

A growing effort to restore Pastorius Park drew strong community support as more than 40 residents signed on to help with improvements. Volunteers gathered at an organizational meeting to plan clean-up efforts, fundraising and long-term upgrades to the historic park. Proposed work included repairing benches and stonework, improving lighting, planting new trees and developing better paths and signage throughout the grounds. Organizers said the project would rely heavily on continued neighborhood involvement and financial support. If successful, the restoration would help preserve the park’s character while making it more accessible and welcoming for visitors.

April 4, 1996

Tennis courts to be dedicated to former councilwoman

A restoration project in Chestnut Hill reached a key milestone as the Water Tower tennis courts were set to be dedicated to former councilwoman Constance Dallas. After months of improvements, including new concrete and planned fencing, the courts were scheduled to reopen in June following a standard curing period. The dedication honored Dallas’ role in supporting the original construction of the courts and highlighted the community’s ongoing commitment to maintaining public spaces. Local schools were also invited to take part in civic engagement through board representation, reflecting a broader effort to involve residents in shaping the neighborhood’s future.

March 30, 2006

College seeks more housing

Chestnut Hill College’s increasing student population is sending them on a search for more housing. Even with the new dormitory set to open at the beginning of the next school year, the college is struggling to accommodate students who wish to live on campus. The undergraduate enrollment is 550 and the college can house 414 of them — 350 on campus and 64 off. With the dorm opening in September, an additional 151 will be housed. Spokeswoman Kathleen Spigelmyer said the college has used off-campus facilities for student housing and has been able to accommodate students interested in living on campus, but with a goal of eventually increasing the undergraduate population to 1,500, they are looking for a more permanent solution.

March 31, 2016

Local writers win Keystone Awards

Three Chestnut Hill Local staffers and two columnists won Keystone Press Awards from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Associate Editor Sue Ann Rybak won first place for series writing for her stories on Chestnut Hill Vietnam veterans. LocalLife Editor Len Lear won second place for his profile on musician Roy Benson. Columnist Mike Todd won second place for his column, “How the Todd family almost wound up living at Costco,” and Clark Groome won honorable mention for his column, “When even sports failed to distract us.” Finally, production designer Cheryl Piehota and Lear won honorable mention for front-page design for LocalLife.