November 6, 2008 Issue                                                     

Local News

ELECTION DAY MORNING Lines formed before polls opened on Tuesday. This line snaked out of the Highland Avenue firehouse, home of Engine Company 37. The lines disappeared later that morning but high turnout was expected. Because the local goes to press early Tuesday afternoon, our election coverage will be in next week’s edition. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack)

Caruso’s  goes up for sale again
by JOEL HOFFMANN

Caruso’s is on the market again, but at a much steeper price this time.

CMS Companies, a Wynnewood-based venture capital firm, is seeking $3.7 million — $551.09 a square foot — for the business and the building at 8418-22 Germantown Ave.

Hillers witness history with Phillies
by Jennifer Katz

Rob Lamb of Germantown (left) clutches his son Willy during a 7th inning stretch dance with the Phillie Phanatic. The Lambs were at both “halves” of the rain-delayed game five of the World Series.

When the city erupted last Wednesday night after the Phillies won the World Series for the first time since 1980 — the last championship any Philadelphia sports team has won (Sorry, Soul) — 21-month-old Willie Lamb was there celebrating. Willie and a very timely Halloween costume his paternal grandmother, Weetzie Soens, made him, turned the toddler into a local celeb, garnering a fair share of media attention and even scoring his family tickets to the World Series.

Soens had always made her five children Halloween costumes.

“Whatever they wanted, I would make and leave them at the bottom of the stairs on Halloween morning,” Soens said.

The family lived on Chestnut Hill Avenue for 21 years and the children attended Norwood-Fontbonne Academy. Her son, Rob Lamb, now lives in Germantown with wife and three children, Esse, Maren and Willie.

Local Sports

Cougars trip up Tigers in Friends League final
by TOM UTESCHER

Theresa Shropshire of GFS heads the ball away from Aly Passanate, who assisted on both goals for George School. For more photos, visit www.chlocalphotos.com. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

This fall, the girls’ soccer team at Germantown Friends School won every league game they played – up until last Friday afternoon.

The sole blemish on their Friends School League ledger came in the playoff finals, as visiting George School claimed a 2-1 victory and the FSL title for 2008.

The Cougars pounced once in each half to gain a 2-0 advantage, and when GFS sophomore Lyles Swift-Farley put the host team on the board, only one minute and 58 seconds remained in the contest.

Throughout the match, the Cougar defenders kept close tabs on high-scoring GFS senior Lydia Kring, and the visitors often sagged back and forced the Tigers to settle for shots from the outside.

“They played pretty deep off of us and we couldn’t find a way to get behind them,” said Sam McIlvain, wrapping up his second season as GFS coach. “They had a good game plan and they stuck with it, and I think we got frustrated. But I think it speaks to our character that we kept fighting, and it was nice to see us score that one at the end.”

Germantown Friends (11-2 overall) had made an 8-0 run through the league during the regular season, a mark that included a 2-0 win over George School on Oct. 3. The Tigers had to come from behind to win their semifinal match, though, giving up an early goal to fourth-seeded Friends Central, then rallying with markers by Kring and fellow upperclassman Maura McInerney-Rowley.

GFS boys succumb to Shipley surge
by TOM UTESCHER

GFS junior Manolo Sanchez  who scored the only goal in Friday’s championship game, which was won by Shipley School, 4-1. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)For more photos visit www.chlocalphotos.com

Last Friday, the boys’ soccer teams from Germantown Friends and Shipley School squared off in the Friends School League championship game for the third year in a row, as the top-seeded Shipley Gators hosted the No. 2 GFS Tigers.

Shipley won the match-up in 2006 and Germantown prevailed last season. But this year the FSL crown went back over to Bryn Mawr as the Gators recovered from an early 1-0 deficit to secure a 4-1 victory.

“They’re a very strong team,” GFS coach Matt Zipin remarked, “and against a strong team you have to play well, you have to get some breaks, and you have to capitalize on the opportunities that you have, and we missed some shots that we could’ve scored on.”

In the regular season, Shipley edged the Tigers, 4-3, to hand the Germantown squad its only loss in Friends League play. Shipley went into the playoffs 8-0 against league rivals, but the Gators struggled in last Wednesday’s semifinal round, going into overtime at 0-0 before finally beating fourth-seeded George School on penalty kicks, 4-3.

Although only one seed separated GFS from third-ranked Westtown, the Tigers dominated the other semifinal match, 4-0. The bout had been pushed back a day due to Tuesday’s unseasonable snowfall. The only goal the Tigers would need for the “W” came five minutes into the contest, when a skillful assist by junior Marcelo Osorio-Soto set up a strike by senior Caleb MacTavish.