©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

News

Women’s Exchange will close for good Lack of volunteers cited in decision
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

The Women’s Exchange in Chestnut Hill will close its doors forever on Saturday, July 22. Located in the Chestnut Hill Community Centre at 8419 Germantown Ave., the Women’s Exchange has been run by the centre’s board for at least 35 years.

Commerce Bank applies for a building permit
A building permit would allow the bank to resume construction
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

It’s been a while since anything has happened at 8600 Germantown Avenue. The boarded and tarp-wrapped frame of the future Chestnut Hill branch of Commerce Bank has been kept vacant by a dispute between bank officials the Chestnut Hill Community Association regarding the scale of the bank’s plans for the site.

Mt. Airy USA and city bring new, affordable housing to Montana Street
by JENNIFER KATZ

First-time homebuyer Alethea Head and her son Russ Klavon stand in the kitchen on their new home on Montana Street. (Photos courtesy of Mount Airy USA)

For 30 years the half-acre lot at the northwestern end of the 200 block of West Montana Street stood vacant. Developers came and went until finally in 2002 the community development organization Mt. Airy USA purchased the land for $80,000. Through a collaborative effort with the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Housing and Community Development, 11 town homes have been built for low- to moderate-income, first-time homebuyers. Two of the units were built to accommodate owners with disabilities: one is wheelchair accessible, and the other is equipped for an individual with hearing or vision impairment.

“This development is for working families,” said Mt. Airy USA’s Executive Director Farah Jimenez. “A lot of people think of affordable housing in terms of welfare recipients.”

Mt. Airy Town Watch meet to clean
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

Lt. Raymond Jackson of Philadelphia’s 14th District (left) spoke at the June 27 community meeting discussing initiatives to deter crime and clean Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy. Meeting coordinator Steve Stroiman, head of the Mt. Airy-Nippon-Bryan-Cresheim Streets Town Watch, sits on his right. (Photo by Kristin Pazulski)

Steve Stroiman, leader of the Mt. Airy-Nippon-Bryan-Cresheim Streets Town Watch, kept more than 30 residents and community leaders who met Tuesday, June 27 focused on the issues of crime prevention and Avenue cleaning, issues of rats in the street and parking issues arose.

The meeting was a follow up to a community meeting in April, when about 70 people gathered at Sedgwick Cultural Center to discuss issues of crime and litter on the Avenue. From that meeting, three initiatives emerged:

Two wounded in East Mount Airy shootout
by JENNIFER KATZ

Two victims were wounded in a drive by shooting in the 200 block of East Durham Street in Mount Airy at 1 a.m. on July 3. In what police are investigating as a “retaliation” shooting, Leonard Brown, 19, of the 200 block of Sydney Street and Kory Backus, 26, of the 300 block of Elizabeth Street in Middleton, Delaware were shot while standing outside. The shooter was in a dark SUV. Brown was hit in the right cheek and was taken to Einstein Medical Center in Logan. Brown was listed in critical condition and underwent surgery, according to police. At press time he was in stable condition in the intensive care unit. Backus was hit in the right hip and was also taken to Einstein where she was reportedly in stable condition.