November 20, 2008 Issue                                                     

Local News

Reese Pharmacy closes after 30 years
by JOEL HOFFMANN

After 30 years on the 8000 block of the Avenue, Reese Pharmacy is no more.

“It happened just recently,” said Stephen Reses, who acquired the business and building in 2001. “We’ve been trying to hold off as long as we could, but CVS made an offer.”

Queen Anne home feature of this year’s house tour
by Paula M. Riley

Four Chestnut Hill homes will be colorfully decorated for the Annual Chestnut Hill Holiday House Tour on Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The decorations above were done for last year’s Holiday Tour in a room themed, “Welcome in the New Year.”

This is the second of four articles detailing homes that will be part of the 2008 Chestnut Hill Community Association Holiday House Tour.

If you have never attended the Chestnut Hill Holiday House Tour, this year is the perfect time to try it out. It may just become a favorite holiday tradition. On Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., four Chestnut Hill homes will be decorated for the holidays by two-dozen talented designers and florists.

Guests will be invited to tour these homes and enjoy their festive atmosphere, preview the newest decorating trends and gather ideas for their own holiday decorating plans. A wonderful way to stroll around Chestnut Hill, the tour includes four homes all located near the heart of the Hill.

One of the featured houses is a Queen Anne-style home with an adorable front porch. Lavender Hill will transform this into a festive and cozy seating area, using a painted bench, a dovecote, French wire trellis and a rustic mirror birdcage.

Local Sports

College signings at local schools
by TOM UTESCHER

Front row (from left): Gail Redpath and son Steel Russell, Brandon Sady and mother, Risa Sady Back row (from left): John McArdle (assistant baseball coach); Bruce Redpath, Steel Russell’s father; Stan Parker, (varsity baseball coach); Dennis Primavera (assistant baseball coach); and Brandon’s father, Bennett Sady.

The early signing period for NCAA letters of intent began last Wednesday for current high school seniors who want to play sports at the Division I level in college. A number of athletes at area schools made their marks on these documents while others already had plans in place.

On Wednesday afternoon at Springside School, 5’8” shooting guard Katie Rutan signed with two-time Atlantic 10 Conference champion Xavier University, the No. 22 team in pre-season national rankings. Wrist surgery had Rutan sidelined last winter during her junior year at Springside, but she returned to action in the summer with the Philadelphia Belles club team, which finished third at the AAU national championships.

CHA, Springside, Mount finish fall crew season with two races
by TOM UTESCHER

Mount St. Joseph Academy’s varsity eight capped off a successful fall crew season by winning the Theresa Braxton Trophy at the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta on Nov. 9. Pictured on the awards dock are (standing, left to right) Coach Mike McKenna, Nicole Weinrich, Mary Maginnis, Erika McCormick, Katy Gregor, Vicky Babson, Laura Pospisil, Mary Duff, Johanna Duff, and Chierika Ukogu. In the foreground is Cine Braxton. (Photo by Kevin Kelly.)

The fall rowing season has seen a marked increase in both the number of events and participants in recent years, and two weekends ago crews fromChestnut Hill Academy, Mount St. Joseph Academy, and Springside School wrapped up their autumn agenda. In back-to-back events at the Kelly Drive course on the Schuylkill, the Blue Devils, Magic, and Lions raced in the Frostbite Regatta on Saturday, Nov. 8, and in the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta the following day.

For the first time at CHA and Springside, a physical education credit is being given for participation in fall crew, and each school entered a quad in the high school category at the Frostbite and the Braxton. They rowed under the name of the University Barge Club, a boathouse the two schools have called home for many years.