November 16, 2006 Issue

Richard Wood Snowden
The ups and downs of a new age landlord

Because of substantial demand, the Local is republishing the three-part series on Richard Snowden which appeared in 2001. This is the entire series as it appeared in July and August of that year.
July 26, 2001

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November 13, 2006
Chestnut Hills Cosmopolitan moms viewed by the New York Times

October 23, 2006
Inquirer writes about latest bowman properties situation.

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Hill voters turn out big for “election of change”
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

Maureen Kortrey, Esta Jo Schifter and Dorothy Richards work at the Water Tower Recreational Center’s polling booths.

Three years of an unpopular war coupled with political corruption, sex scandals, and, in Pennsylvania, a midnight pay raise for legislators — all combined to produce a storm surge of voters during last Tuesday’s midterm elections.

“It was a successful election in the Ninth Ward,” said Democratic ward leader John O’Connell, obviously happy with the number of Democratic candidates voted into office.

“The voter turnout was high … very high,” he added, estimating that about 75 percent of the ward’s registered voters visited the polling booths Tuesday, compared to the approximately 35 percent that he said usually show up to vote in midterm elections.

“They aren’t coming here to vote — they are coming with a purpose and are voting for a change,” said Kris Sullivan, judge of elections for the Ninth Ward’s ninth division polling place at Fire Engine Co. #37 on Highland Ave.

O’Doodle’s: a Fantasyland for Hill area children
by PAULA M. RILEY

Seen in his toy store, O’Doodle’s, Fran O’Donnell is often found in tie-dye shirts wearing silly hats and exploring toys with his customers. His balance of fun with a strong business sense has proven a good combination for O’Donnell. (Photo by Paula M. Riley)

This is the sixth in a new series of articles by Chestnut Hill writer Paula M. Riley. Each week Riley will profile a business, community or educational leader.

Fran O’Donnell’s experience in retail started at a young age. The owner of O’Doodle’s Toy Store in Chestnut Hill was six years old when he started working in his father’s legendary store, O’Donnell’s Stationery. “Every Friday from 6 to 8 p.m., I swept the basement floor. My payment? A vanilla milkshake from Morrison’s (where Fiesta Pizza is now located).”

O’Donnell has come a long way since his early days in the basement. He now runs one of Chestnut Hill’s most famous stores. If you have not shopped at O’Doodle’s, you certainly have at least seen the wonderful toys at their doorstep or the bubble machine shooting out thousands of tiny bubbles onto the pedestrians outside. A trip inside the store is never dull. “We are toys unplugged,” says O’Donnell. “Our product has as much appeal as the store itself.”

On any given day, children can be found reading books, playing with dolls, riding scooters or pushing long trains along the big Thomas Train table set up on the floor at O’Doodle’s. This is just the way O’Donnell wants it. “We are trying to show that it’s okay to play; it’s okay to bounce a ball.” The selection of toys in O’Doodle’s echoes his feelings. “Play doesn’t always have to have a purpose; open-ended play will generally spark creativity.” O’Doodle’s has a wide variety of art supplies, stuffed animals, puzzles, musical toys, dress-up items, Legos and infant toys.

Mount hockey makes it to state semifinals
by TOM UTESCHER

Jen Sabia, who assisted on the Mount’s third goal in last Saturday’s state quarterfinal game. (Photo by Lene White)

In March of 2003 Pleasant Valley High School’s basketball team was the PIAA District 11 champion, and in the second round of the state tournament, the Bears were knocked out by a lower-ranked school called Mount St. Joseph Academy.

Last week the Mount Magic entered the state field hockey playoffs as the District One champion, and in the second round of the tourney they ran up against those same Bears from Monroe County. There would be no payback for Pleasant Valley at this reunion, though, as the Mount rang up a 3-0 victory in Saturday’s encounter to reach the state semifinals for the first time in the history of the MSJ program.

The contest took place at Palisades High School in northern Bucks County, where Julia and Katie Reinprecht each scored to give the Mount a 2-0 halftime lead. Julia struck again late in the game as the Magic raised their season record to 24-1, and goalie Kieran Sweeney made seven saves to lock up her 16th shutout of the season.

Number 15 for Sweeney came earlier in the week, when Mount St. Joe began play in the state tourney with a 3-0 victory over Central Dauphin High School on Tuesday afternoon.

The Central Dauphin Rams (17-7-2) were the fourth seed coming out of District Three in central Pennsylvania, a district dominated – and won -by a formidable Lower Dauphin squad. The Magic acquired the only goal they would need for the victory just three minutes and 12 seconds into the affair. Katie Reinprecht received Carolyn Cabrey’s corner hit up at the top of the circle, then fired the ball back down towards the left post, where Cabrey tipped it in.