Featured Story:
Interview: Sen. Haywood discusses police reform legislation and priorities to address systemic racism
By Pete Mazzaccaro Last week, the Local had the opportunity to speak with State Sen. Art Haywood (D-4th) about efforts of a broad package of police reform legislation. On June 30, the PA Senate passed sent two house bills to the Gov. Tom Wolf’s des to sign. House Bill 1841 will require former employers to […]
Latest Stories
Hill’s pocket parks are hidden gems
By Barbara Sheehan Thanks to the foresight of civic-minded Philadelphians who came before us, we have many choices of parks within walking distance for residents in the 19118 zip code. There is Pastorius Park, popular with dog and their owners, and the Water Tower Recreation Center, which hosts many indoor and outdoor recreational activities such […]
Woodmere reopening soon, with a new exhibition on Gilbert Lewis
By William Valerio I am excited to share with you that Woodmere will reopen on Saturday, July 25, with measures in place to ensure the safety and comfort of our staff and visitors. (Look for more about those measures in next week’s article.) Our first weekend will be for members only, so if it’s been […]
Seven candidates for seven seats in uncontested CHCA board election
By Anne McNiffExecutive Director, CHCA The Chestnut Hill Community Association begins a new term in August with a slate of seven new and returning members to its board of directors. The CHCA typically holds community elections for board seats, however, this year the number of nominees is equal to the number of open seats, thus […]
Hill business manager also sings in foreign languages
by Len Lear You may know Kristen Spangenberg as the beautiful, charming manager of two Chestnut Hill businesses, the pet supplies store Bone Appetite and the real estate management firm Bowman Properties, which owns Bone Appetite. Before the pandemic she was managing Bone Appetite from the Bowman office as well as in store part-time. But […]
Hunter Thompson’s “Hell’s Angels” revisited
by Hugh Gilmore I’ve been reading some books lately about the ways people act when they’re part of a crowd. Two of them I’ve described in these pages recently: “Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds,” by Charles Mackay (1841) and “A Journal of the Plague,” by Daniel Defoe (1722). Both books were written by […]
Forget Columbus. Filippo ‘Philip’ Mazzei is the historical figure Italian Americans deserve
by Pete Mazzaccaro As statues of Christopher Columbus have been toppled around the country, an angry and violent crowd assembled in Philadelphia’s Marconi Plaza to defend the statue of the 15th century explorer. Hundreds of South Philadelphia residents, most Italian Americans, said they were protecting history – an icon of Italian American Heritage. They can […]
Local churches find different paths to return to worship as pandemic restrictions ease
by Sue Ann Rybak While Catholic Churches in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia resumed in-person mass on June 6, following the City of Philadelphia’s decision to move into the yellow phase of eased restrictions due to COVID-19, other houses of worship decided to wait. Fr. Bob Bazzoli, OSFS, the pastor at Our Mother of Consolation, 9 […]
Aid to Local in honor of Hill merchant, columnist Pat Stokes
by Len Lear The family of Patricia (“Pat”) Schriever Stokes, the late columnist for the Local, business owner on the Avenue, jazz and culture buff, aesthetic window designer, watercolorist and tireless Chestnut Hill promoter, has made a significant contribution to the non-profit Chestnut Hill Community Fund to be designated for the operation of the Chestnut […]
News:
Hill’s pocket parks are hidden gems
By Barbara Sheehan Thanks to the foresight of civic-minded Philadelphians who came before us, we have many choices of parks within walking distance for residents in the 19118 zip code. There is Pastorius Park, popular with dog and their owners, and the Water Tower Recreation Center, which hosts many indoor and outdoor recreational activities such […]
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Opinion:
Forget Columbus. Filippo ‘Philip’ Mazzei is the historical figure Italian Americans deserve
by Pete Mazzaccaro As statues of Christopher Columbus have been toppled around the country, an angry and violent crowd assembled in Philadelphia’s Marconi Plaza to defend the statue of the 15th century explorer. Hundreds of South Philadelphia residents, most Italian Americans, said they were protecting history – an icon of Italian American Heritage. They can […]
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Community:
Seven candidates for seven seats in uncontested CHCA board election
By Anne McNiffExecutive Director, CHCA The Chestnut Hill Community Association begins a new term in August with a slate of seven new and returning members to its board of directors. The CHCA typically holds community elections for board seats, however, this year the number of nominees is equal to the number of open seats, thus […]
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Sports:
SCH prepares for football season as pandemic restrictions begin to ease
by Greg Starks While Coronavirus still remains a threat, high school teams across the country are trying to figure out how to work out together while also abiding by the social distancing rules. The summer is typically a time during which football teams workout together to prepare for the upcoming season, but with the virus […]
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Arts & Entertainment:
Woodmere reopening soon, with a new exhibition on Gilbert Lewis
By William Valerio I am excited to share with you that Woodmere will reopen on Saturday, July 25, with measures in place to ensure the safety and comfort of our staff and visitors. (Look for more about those measures in next week’s article.) Our first weekend will be for members only, so if it’s been […]
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Business:
Merchant on Hill finds creative ways to keep store alive
by Len Lear and Sue Ann Rybak How does a successful Chestnut Hill retail storeowner react when the coronavirus pandemic closes her store? Cynthia Fillmore, owner of the Windfall Gallery, 7944 Germantown Ave., has not allowed herself to sink into depression but instead has worked just as hard to prepare for the day when she […]