August 17, 2006 Issue

Quick Links

Susie Madrak of Mt. Airy has a posting about a Mt. Airy renovation site on her web site. It's a neighbor's perspective on "historical preservation and updating to a condo building."

The Philadelphia Daily News has an interesting piece on the plants decorating the street poles of Chestnut Hill. Check it out here.

Local staff member Jimmy J. Pack Jr. has updated his on-line magazine with material from his Chicago trip.

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Soo Cheolshin examines a restored piano with the president of the Cunningham Piano Co., Doris Reber, at the company’s Germantown offices. After a 65-year hiatus, Cunningham is once again makng its own pianos. (Photo by Kristin Pazulski)

The silky black and white keys play a tune as fine as if the piano was a day old. The wood gleams from its latest polish, and the piano’s elegant sound echoes through the expanse of the second-floor showroom.

Rich Galassini, sales manager for the Cunningham Piano Co. in Germantown, played on a Cunningham vertical piano after Doris Reber, the company president, politely declined

“I haven’t played in so long, I’d just embarrass myself,” she admitted modestly.

Galassini and Reber were eager to show off some of the pianos Cunningham has restored for customers for more than 65 years. Reber was most proud of the fully restored Bösendorfer grand piano from 1902, a 1903 Wm. Knabe grand piano and a Steinway from the 1860s that was sent to Cunningham from Mexico City.

Saving a brother’s life with part of her liver
by JENNIFER KATZ

Kate and Josh Hugg can relax now that it’s over. She’s a genuine life-saver.

Kate and Josh Hugg were always close growing up in Dresher as the youngest of the four Hugg children. So it wasn’t a surprise that Kate was the first one to volunteer to be Josh’s liver donor in 2002 when his chronic liver malfunction, primary sclerosis cholangitis (PSC), became critical.

Josh, 36, was diagnosed 10 years ago with the autoimmune deficiency that attacks bile ducts and induces liver cancer.

“The disease causes the biliary ducts to harden so the blood can’t flow,” explained Kate, 34, who lives in Chestnut Hill with her husband, David Greenebaum, and sons Josh, 6, and Jonah, 2. “Eventually, it leads to biliary duct cancer.”

PSC symptoms are similar to cirrhosis of the liver in that impurities are not filtered out of the blood. Josh said he was constantly on medication: “I knew it was only a matter of time before I would need a transplant.”

Avenue Updates …

Community meeting: Commerce Bank

Sponsored by the Chestnut Hill Community Association. Monday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m., Phila. Free Library, Chestnut Hill Branch, 8711 Germantown Ave.

The community is invited to meet to discuss the following:

1. The CHCA, with the support of the Chestnut Hill Business Assn.., the Chestnut Hill District, the Chestnut Hill Parking Foundation and Chestnut Hill Historical Society, has appealed a zoning/use permit issued to Commerce Bank in May.

2. Based on the zoning/use permit, Commerce Bank recently obtained a building permit and is commencing work at the site.

3. The permits issued are in violation of general zoning requirements for new construction and the Germantown Avenue special district controls (Sec.14-1613 of the Philadelphia zoning code).

4. Several hearings have been held on the appeal and the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) has set down requirements to be met by Commerce Bank.

A continued hearing on the appeal will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 29 at the ZBA, 1515 Arch Street, 18th Floor.