December 7, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Local News

Frustrated and worried parents question leadership
by JENNIFER KATZ

In light of recent news that the Philadelphia School District is facing a deficit of more than $78 million, parents of students at John Story Jenks elementary school in Chestnut Hill are speaking out.

Germantown man warning of attack three days before Pearl Harbor
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

Art Carduner was an Army cryptographer during World War I1.

Sixty-five years ago this week — on Dec. 7, 1941 — 22-year-old Art Carduner lay in a deep slumber in his boarding house in Philadelphia, exhausted after serving an overnight shift as a civilian cryptographer for the U.S. Army. Around noon, one of his roommates burst through the door to tell him that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japanese and war was likely for the United States.

Carduner, a Germantown resident, remembers barely raising his head in reaction, and recalls his sleep-laden response, “Well gee whiz, I don’t own any real estate in Pearl Harbor,” a place, he also noted, that he had never heard of.

Francis Markoe “Koey” Rivinus, preservationist, “Renaissance Man,” dies at age 91

Francis Markoe “Koey” Rivinus

Francis Markoe “Koey” Rivinus, 91, a Renaissance Philadelphian who was widely known for his environmental activities in the area, died Nov. 29 of heart failure at his home in Chestnut Hill.

Mr. Rivinus, a former president of Smith, Kline & French Laboratories (now GlaxoSmithKline Corp.) and longtime head of its international division, could often be seen after his retirement in 1967 in old clothes, picking up litter, removing graffiti or planting trees in and around Chestnut Hill and the Wissahickon Valley.

He blazed trails in the Wissahickon, made maps of the area and even conducted a class on park conservation. Judging by his appearance, those who encountered Mr. Rivinus in these efforts would never have guessed that he was a retired high-level corporate executive or that he had come from a privileged background.

Homes of all styles make up Holiday House Tour
by Paula M. Riley

A decorated fireplace is among many design ideas one can find at this year’s Holiday House Tour.

The Chestnut Hill Holiday House Tour will be held this Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Five Chestnut Hill homes will be turned into holiday wonderlands thanks to the skill and exquisite taste of the local designers and florists who have donated their time and materials to support the annual fundraiser for the Chestnut Hill Community Association.

Re-Do Ltd, Antique Gallery, Country Flower Shoppe, Cobblestones Fine Gifts and JMP Design are coming together to turn an early 20th Century brick townhouse into a festive holiday space. The long hallway of pine floors and dining room will be adorned with holiday décor, beautifully wrapped presents and the living room will be ready for everyone’s favorite holiday tradition — a midnight toast.

Community Association extends committee to examine Snowden complaints
by PETE MAZZACCARO

Bowman Properties managing partner Richard Snowden terminated his lease with the Chestnut Hill Parking Foundation for his properties on the east side of the 8400 block of Germantown Ave. on Dec. 1. He followed the move by fencing off his portion of the foundation’s lot, blocking the entrance and effectively closing the lot. The foundation put a sign at the entrance directing drivers to the two lots it operates off of West Highland Avenue. (Photo by Kristin Pazulski)

The Chestnut Hill Community Association Board of Directors voted to extend the committee empowered to review complaints by Bowman Properties managing partner Richard Snowden about the Chestnut Hill Local through the next board meeting on Jan. 25.

The committee was set up in October and charged with reviewing Snowden’s complaints in the hope that it could recommend a course of action to the board by its Nov. 30 meeting. However, according to a letter by committee member Richard Doyle and the word of board members Thomas Fleming and Kathy Jones, who are also on that committee, Snowden had cancelled several scheduled meetings with the committee to make his complaints known. Without that information, Doyle wrote, the committee had not begun its work.

Board moves on community manager search, discusses annual fund drive
by PETE MAZZACCARO

Thursday night’s Chestnut Hill Community Association Board of Directors meeting began with an hour-long debate on a motion by member Dina Hitchcock to allow the board’s agendas to be amended prior to each meeting.

Mt. Airy groups sue to stop beer sales
by JENNIFER KATZ

Neighbors of the Corner Deli have tried for years to get it to stop selling beer.

After months of having their hopes raised and then dashed, neighbors, community leaders and elected officials have decided to take legal action to ensure that the Corner Deli at Hortter Street and Germantown Avenue is out of the take-out beer business.

In a lawsuit filed this Monday, a collection of stakeholders appealed the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s recent decision to grant the deli a two-year permit to sell take-out beer.

Attorney Bill Ewing, an East Mt. Airy Neighbors board member, filed the action on behalf of the community.

“The LCB didn’t take any evidence,” Ewing said. “There is no known basis for the decision. They never held a hearing.”

Dawn Petrosky, a spokesperson for the LCB, said the decision, which granted two-year permits to all applicants in Philadelphia, was a result of Act 39.