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No Chill About Wissahickon Middle School's Chillers
Wiss Now's weekly newsletter
James Kratch
November 13, 2024
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Welcome back to Wiss Now’s weekly newsletter! Students at Temple University’s Ambler campus are conducting a food drive — you can find out how to donate and what is needed here.
Comments or suggestions? Just respond to this email. Let’s get to it!
In This Week's Email:
📆 Upcoming Nearby Events
Wednesday, Nov. 13 (Tonight!)
🎺 Jazz Hot and Cool | Sutherland Auditorium at Penn State Abington | 7-9 p.m., more details here
Thursday, Nov. 14
🎄Manayunk Tree Lighting | Canal View Park in Philadelphia | 5:30-7 p.m., more details here
🎲 Teen Board Game Night | Wissahickon Valley Public Library in Ambler | 5:30-7:30 p.m., more details here
Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16
🎤 Stand-Up Comedy Weekend | Act II Playhouse in Ambler | 8 p.m., more details here
Saturday, Nov. 16
🍓 Ambler Farmers Market | 29 West Butler Pike | 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., more details here
🧶 North Penn Holiday Craft Fair | North Penn High | 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., more details here
👜 Designer Bag Bingo | Wissahickon Fire Co. in Ambler | 6-9 p.m., more details here
Sunday, Nov. 17
🏟️ Bucks County Card Show | The Fuge in Warminster | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., more details here
🕎 Hanukkah Market | Congregation Or Ami in Lafayette Hill | 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., more details here
🍁 Fall Festival | Philmont Country Club in Lower Moreland | 12-4 p.m., more details here
You can find a calendar of events for the towns in the Wiss Now region by following these links: Ambler | Lower Gwynedd | Upper Dublin | Whitemarsh | Whitpain
😤 Wissahickon Middle School Is Making A Racket
Call it the HVAC system from Hell.
ICYMI: Residents of the neighborhood around Wissahickon Middle School have been complaining about the noise emitted by the building's chillers (which power the air conditioning) for some time. The school district claims it first learned of complaints in April. But neighbors say it has been a problem for years dating back to when the chillers were relocated, past studies have confirmed the noise exceeds Lower Gwynedd ordinance and that WSD has previously acknowledged the noise but failed to remedy it.
The issue returned to the front burner at Monday's school board meeting. Residents said WSD's attempts to muffle the noise with sound blankets made little difference. Speakers also criticized the school district for not engaging with nearby residents or asking for input on the blankets, which were not installed until last month after a noisy summer.
Next up: A sound wall. The school district said it is working to design one before sending the project out for bid. The chillers are now off, but residents are concerned about the timeline for the next attempt to address the noise — the average chiller can generate noise close to what an airplane puts out — as well as skeptical about whether the district will finally get the job done. Stay tuned.
🎭 A New Take On A Classic At UDHS
Upper Dublin High’s theater department is performing Twelfth Night this weekend at the school’s Black Box Theater … and moving the romantic comedy up a few centuries.
William Shakespeare is believed to have written the play in 1601 or 1602. But this production will be set in the 1990s, modernizing the classic play while otherwise being faithful to the Bard.
Performances begin tonight (Nov. 13) with 7 p.m. shows today, Thursday and Friday. There will be a 2 p.m. performance on Saturday before a final 7 p.m. show that evening. Tickets are $13 for seniors and students and $15 for general admission; they can be purchased here.
Courtesy of UDHS
🗞️ News Links
🚔 Police Sound Alarm On Vehicle Break-Ins
Upper Dublin Police issued a warning to area residents about a recent string of vehicle break-ins, both in town and in nearby communities. “The thefts are mainly taking place during the overnight hours. Video evidence suggests that the suspects were armed with firearms during the thefts,” the department said on its Facebook page.
Cops say you should make sure there are no valuables in your unattended vehicles, park in well-lit areas and make sure you have security lighting outside your home. If you see a suspicious person or a theft in progress, do not intervene and call 911.
Also: The UDPD remains busy at The Promenade.
Felony charges have been filed against another repeat shoplifter. A Philadelphia woman allegedly stole over $1,700 worth of goods from Lululemon and Sephora in a pair of June incidents. The woman worked with another woman during the alleged thefts, but that person has not been charged yet. Police said part of the scheme involved masking the license plate of the duo’s getaway car following one of the incidents. The Lululemon Files are well documented at this point, but Sephora is a new one.
James Short | Wiss Now
🔥 Massive Warehouse Fire Under Investigation
The cause of the five-alarm blaze that broke out at Dorman Products in Hatfield on Election Day remains unknown. Over 30 emergency and fire departments responded to fight the fire at the auto parts warehouse for over 10 hours last week, with at least one firefighter hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The Hatfield Township Fire Marshals Office is probing the incident.
To keep up with news outside the Wiss Now area, make sure to subscribe to the weekly newsletters for our siblings sites — North Penn Now and Central Bucks Now.
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🏘️ In Other Nearby News
🤖 Battle Bots!
Wissahickon High’s robotics team held its annual Ramp Riot last weekend, featuring robot battles, educational sessions and more. There were over 30 teams in attendance for the all-day event.
James Short | Wiss Now
🏟️ Play Ball
For more on local sports, subscribe to our Philly sports newsletter, On Pattison (sent 5x per week):
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🐶 Rescue of the Week
Meet Zeke, a 23-month-old Terrier mix who was featured in August, but is still searching for his forever home. He was rescued from a flea market in Greenville, South Carolina, and is currently being fostered in Chalmont through Home At Last Dog Rescue.
Zeke is a big boy — 70 pounds! — and is both house- and crate-trained. He does well with other dogs and cats. If you are interested in adopting Zeke, or would like more information, you can reach out to Home At Last Dog Rescue at [email protected] or visit the website here.
James Short | Wiss Now
📊 Vote In Our Latest Poll
Do recent shoplifting incidents make you less likely to shop at the mall?Let us know! |
Last week’s poll question: What are your thoughts on the Wissahickon superintendent situation?
The board should have conducted a search and there will be electoral consequences (64%)
The board was elected to make these decisions and did not do anything wrong (18%)
There should have been a search, but I am glad they did not get pressured into wasting time and resources when the decision was clearly made (18%)
Thanks for reading! See you next week. Be sure to follow Wiss Now on Facebook.