October 4, 2007 Issue                                                     

Local News

Chestnut Hill Business Association director Bob Previdi directs workers who painted the crosswalks at Highland and Germantown avenues purple in time for the Matthew Izzo fashion show. (Photo by Kristin Pazulski)

Visions tackles questions of Avenue health
by Jennifer Katz

Can a neighborhood divided into two distinct segments, the residential and business communities, bridge the political divide and create a healthy sustainable plan for the future?

Neighbors oppose Creshiem Trail
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

At a meeting last week, cyclists, runners and dog walkers in Montgomery County were enthusiastic about the proposed 4.5-mile trail that would connect the county’s suburban towns to Philadelphia trails, while those who opposed it voiced their concern that the trail might increase crime, invade their privacy and take portions of their property.

Local Sports

Norwood hockey handles host GFS
by TOM UTESCHER

Norwood’s Dominique Nyzio (left) edges past GFS’ Melanie Mason for the ball. For more photos visit www.chlocalphotos.com. (Photos by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

Expanding a 1-0 halftime lead, visiting Norwood Fontbonne Academy capitalized on more of its scoring opportunities in the second half than it had in the first, recording a 6-0 win over the Germantown Friends middle school varsity last Wednesday afternoon.

Alli Sabia scored twice for the Bears, while single strikes came from her fellow eighth-graders, Anna Prestoy and Ali Stever, and from seventh-graders Dominique Nyzio and Lauren Stabler.

Due to a seventh-grade function that day, the GFS Tigers played an all-eighth grade squad. In earlier games this season, Germantown defeated Baldwin School, 4-1, and had a match with Penn Charter end in a 0-0 draw.

One of the best ways for a team to raise its level of play is to face challenging opponents, and the Tigers certainly did that last Wednesday. The NFA Bears are the defending champs in the Girls Catholic Academies League, and they opened their 2007 season with a 5-0 defeat of Gwynedd Mercy, which was the league runner-up last fall.

CHA soccer captures Inter-Ac opener
by TOM UTESCHER

CHA’s Taylor Ferry

After taking a 2-0 halftime lead in last Friday’s Inter-Ac League soccer debut, Chestnut Hill Academy gave up a goal to visiting Haverford School 10 minutes into the second half but was able to hang on for a 2-1 win.

To be fair, the host Blue Devils did more than just hang on, enjoying a number of scoring opportunities in the second period while Haverford had to adjust its personnel in the face of four yellow cards (to CHA’s one). Taking advantage of offensive openings hasn’t come easily to the Devils this season, though, and that’s a major factor in their 3-4-1 showing so far this fall. The Fords slipped to 4-2-1 with Friday’s setback.

“We’re creating the opportunities,” said CHA coach Mark Weinmann, “but we’ve got to put the simple ones away, and it would’ve been a different game if we did. We’ve got to be more aggressive going to the ball in the final third; when we have numbers in the box, we have to recognize that and just go for it.”

In a rare occurrence, Weinmann found himself matching wits with another redhead in Haverford coach Kevin Tryon.

After a few Haverford rushes at the outset, Chestnut Hill got on the board just two minutes and 37 seconds into the bout. Alex Blenheim took the ball in along the right edge of the box and then passed it inside to assist Chris Eckert’s close-range strike.