More check fraud on the Hill

A Mt. Airy couple and a Springfield Township woman reached out to the Local last week to report checks they said were stolen from the USPS collection box in front of the Market Square Post Office.

Three Mt. Airy businesses burglarized

High Point Cafe, Malelani Cafe and Evo Brick Oven Pizza in Mt. Airy were burglarized Aug. 3 and police continued to search for the thieves.

Zoning committee: For now, Snowden can convert some retail space, but not all

Chestnut Hill developer Richard Snowden can convert some of his retail spaces over to residential use.

Chestnut Hill Hospital to be sold to Temple-led consortium

Temple leads a regional consortium to purchase Chestnut Hill Hospital, deal to close by year's end.

Features

Fully staged opera returns to Academy of Vocal Arts

In one of the most encouraging signs that the world of the performing arts is returning to its old pre-pandemic self, Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts has announced a full season.

Mt. Airy baker's career is on the rise

Romona Mercer never attended culinary school or enrolled in cooking classes, but today the Mt. Airy resident is head baker and CEO of her own company, Aunt Verlea's Pound Cake Experience.

Exercise can turn back the clock on feeling your age

Even with 70 being the new 50, many seniors experienced a setback in their energy level as a result of the pandemic.

Son’s death inspires mom to share her grief and rap

Marge Sexton couldn’t imagine how she would survive after her 47-year-old son Ron committed suicide in 2015.

Mt. Airy’s Supper Sessions return to crowds hungry for summer fun

In a summer marked by the return of pre-pandemic festivities, the Go Mt. Airy Supper Sessions are set to transform the community’s busy commercial strip.

Mt. Airy will have you in stitches

A pandemic-inspired surge in entrepreneurship bubbling on Germantown Avenue has led to the opening of, not one, but two quilting shops on Mt. Airy’s main commercial strip.

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Community Feature

Jefferson is runner-up in college summer hoops league

The women's basketball program at University of the Sciences has come to an end, but some alumni athletes have kept on going, winning the college summer league championship for the second year in a row.

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Meeting planned for Fred’s Mt. Airy Motors development site

East Mt. Airy Neighbors will host a community meeting at 7 p.m., Aug. 16, via Zoom, to discuss the townhouse development now being planned for the former site of Fred’s Mt. Airy Motors.

Kathi Clayton returns for a second stint as CHCA board president

When Kathi Clayton first became president of the Chestnut Hill Community Association’s board in August 2020, Chestnut Hill looked a lot different than usual. In fact, the whole world did.

Famed watercolorist and Woodmere teacher dies at 93

Howard Watson, who died June 17 at the age of 93, was a nationally recognized watercolorist and illustrator. He was appointed artist-in-residence at the White House for former President Jimmy Carter.

The Local seeks board members

The Local is recruiting board members.

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Business

New city rules fuel backlog in landlord license renewals

New city requirements for lead testing has landlords across Philadelphia falling behind on renewing their rental licenses, some community advocates say.

Aug 11, 2022 issue

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Crime

Crime Report: May 16 to June 6

The following crime report is for crimes reported in Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy for the period from May 16 to June 6.

The best of both worlds: Elements of a successful space

In researching successful interior projects, I came across this photo.

Window dressing: historic treatments vs current trends

Windows are an integral part of any piece of architecture.

Traditionalism’s cozier spaces are making a comeback

Today’s living rooms are providing us with much more than a place to put guests after a family meal. Whether you call it a drawing room, sitting room, living room or family room, the “heart of the home,” as it is so often called, is now receiving wider decorative attention than ever.

Man on a mission to rescue strangled trees

Nicolas Troyano is on a mission to remove the invasive ivy that is strangling so many huge trees in Chestnut Hill.

Architecture is best when it serves humans, not stars

Christopher Alexander believed that ordinary people, not just trained architects, should have a hand in designing their own houses, neighborhoods and cities.

Area soccer players win Under-17 national championship

The Philadelphia Soccer Club's Coppa Rage team, which includes five players from area schools, won the Under-17 U.S. Youth Soccer national championship last month.

GA hoopsters finish undefeated in summer league

The summer basketball league reached the end of its schedule last week, with the host Patriots emerging with a 10-0 record.

Finals set in college summer basketball league

In six basketball games over the course of two nights last week, the playoff field in the college summer league was whittled down to two finalists.

GA summer hoops squad takes down C.B. West, Tennent

In a return to summer basketball league action, Germantown Academy had little trouble winning back-to-back games last Monday.

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Once a mansion, now a campus: an architectural history of Sugarloaf

Recent discussions about Chestnut Hill College’s ambitious plans for their expanded SugarLoaf Campus have led Our Town to look back at the history of that tract of land and its houses.

A shake-up in college summer league; CHC tied for second place

The last week of college summer league play before the July 4 break brought one major shake-up on Thursday, when the USciences alumni squad, Team Heather Maroon, suffered its first loss.

As commencement ceremonies return to normal, student speakers recall school years like no other. Here are excerpts from their speeches.

Area graduates brimmed with optimism and gratitude to parents and teachers, though they addressed issues such as COVID, social unrest and war.

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Letters to the editor

- New Chestnut Hill streetlights: A pleasant surprise
  
  In contrast to some opinions recently expressed regarding the new streetlights in Chestnut Hill, we have been pleasantly surprised by both the …
- Tax dollars fund “fake crisis pregnancy centers”
  
  You work hard and pay your taxes, often unaware of how these tax dollars are spent. But here’s a doozy.
- Stand up for the environment: Support IRA
  
  With heat waves reaching record temperatures across Northwest Philadelphia, we know that we’re out of time.
- Philadelphia’s tree canopy needs responsible management
  
  Philadelphia’s new bill sponsored by at-large City Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson to encourage tree canopy growth in Philadelphia …
- For those who care about democracy, GOP candidates are a risky choice
  
  The news that Georgia will be investigating its legislators has put Georgia on my mind.
- Downsizing Germantown Avenue retail space bring risks
  
  Three observations regarding the news that a major commercial property owner is seeking to downsize its retail holdings.
- Local activist was pivotal in fight for Abolition Hall
  
  MJ Fischer’s untimely passing leaves a significant void in our community.
- SEPTA officials need to improve service and explain redesign
  
  I am a regular SEPTA rider and know changes are coming very soon to public transportation in Philadelphia.

Neighbors see some progress on street light concerns; harsh glare is still a problem

In response to neighborhood complaints about glare caused by the city’s new LED street lights, Deputy Streets Commissioner Richard Montanez has agreed to replace all the high intensity lamps.

Fed arrests for check fraud don't appear to include Chestnut Hill victims.

The indictment doesn’t mention checks being stolen from the 19118 or 19119 zip codes. The indictment does cite outdoor mailboxes in Lansdowne, Folsom, Southwest Philadelphia and Ellicott City, Md., as the four locations where checks were stolen.

Hill residents: New lights get it wrong

An overwhelming majority of Chestnut Hill residents dislike the color and the brightness of the neighborhood’s new LED streetlights.

Mt. Airy Day Cancelled

Mt. Airy Day, the annual festival celebrating the Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood, has been cancelled because of weather forecasts predicting rain and thunderstorms this weekend.

Bass commits to funding more pickleball courts

City Councilmember Cindy Bass committed to contributing capital funding to move pickleball courts from the Water Tower Recreation Center during a Monday night meeting and said that her office would work to create more pickleball courts across the 8th Councilmanic District.