August 21, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Local News

CAUGHT Police apprehended Kevin Michael Horsey, 46, in front of Commerce Bank on the 8600 block of Germantown Ave. early Thursday afternoon. He was arrested and charged with a count of fraud for passing a bad check according to Philadelphia Police Public Affairs. (Photo by Jim Dragoni).

CHA editors name successors
by JOEL HOFFMANN

Sam Franklin and Christian Graham

Sam Franklin and Christian Graham wanted to leave a literary legacy at Chestnut Hill Academy — not to stoke their egos or impress their peers but to make sure the written word continues to thrive in their absence.

As co-editors of the school newspaper and literary magazine (and of an independently produced polemic newsletter called True Blue), Franklin, 18, and Graham, 19, refused to settle for mediocrity.

“One issue that always came up is our precision with words,” Graham said in a recent interview. “Despite the volume of time we spent debating the specific uses of specific words, it would make a negligible amount of difference. It speaks to how we both work.”

Germantown Y devastated by flood; seeks assistance in reopening
by PETE MAZZACCARO

Flood damaged much of the Germantown YMCA. (Photo by Erin Vertreace)

Manuel Ayala, CEO of the Germantown YMCA, stood in an empty room of the Y’s Greene Street facility. Around him are darkened rooms, stripped of carpeting and littered with water-damaged furniture. The bottom 12 inches of nearly every wall has been removed, exposing studs and old wiring.

“You hear that?” he asked, pausing a moment to take in the quiet. “It’s silent. This is a YMCA. It’s very disconcerting

Ayala, who just became the director of the Germantown YMCA last year, is now faced with what may be the center’s greatest challenge since its quarters were built in 1927. During a thunderstorm in late July, a lightning strike caused the building’s power systems to surge, setting off the building’s sprinkler system. Then a pipe that was part of the sprinkler system burst during the early morning hours and wasn’t discovered until an employee opened the building.

Ayala is reluctant to offer a theory about what happened and said the circumstances are still unclear. Insurance investigators are appraising the damage.

Community Association execs discuss financial reporting
by PETE MAZZACCARO

While no actions were taken by the Executive Committee of the Chestnut Hill Community Association at its Aug. 14 meeting, there was considerable discussion about the association’s financial reporting.

Springfield mulls strict environmental safeguards
by Jennifer Katz

Springfield Township’s Board of Commissioners are leading a debate over what environmental restrictions should be placed on homeowners near the township’s waterways and streams. At its workshop meeting last week, board members debated a Riparian Corridor Conservation District ordinance that would create an overlay district for streams, wetlands water bodies and the land adjacent to them. It is estimated that there are 634 homes along the various creeks and waterways.

Breaking News - Play Café clears the DRC
by JOEL HOFFMANN

Treehouse Play Café developer Sanjiv Jain has cleared another hurdle despite increasing opposition to the project.

Jain wants to demolish the existing building at 8524-26 Germantown Ave. to make way for a three-story structure that will cover 100 percent of the lot. He will ultimately need a zoning variance from the city to proceed.