Week in Review: Bell Flare Up Settled, Recycling Changes, and Beers With Faith-based Peers

Strapping in for a full week covering Roxborough and Manayunk, we certainly had our hands full. In addition to reporting and posting updates throughout the week, I tried to introduce myself and Patch to a variety of people in the community.

On Monday, the Wissahickon Neighborhood Civic Association invited me to tell its members about Patch and what we can offer the community. Also at the meeting, members and community leaders discussed several newsworthy items.

Officer Charles Klein warned residents to remove their GPS from cars; Denys Davis talked about steps St. Joseph's University was taking to neutralize tensions between off-campus students and neighbors; and PECO presented information on increasing electric bills, which we covered the previous week with the Manayunk Neighborhood Council.

Several residents invited us to help pay homage to local sports icon Bill "Big Daddy" Murphy, who was roasted Thursday at Keenan's Valley View Inn on Domino Lane. Owner Bill Keenan graciously introduced us to the community, and we laughed along as NBA referee Steve Javie, former La Salle University and current Roman Catholic basketball coach Speedy Morris and television and radio personality Don Tollefson—among others—poked fun at and paid tribute to Murphy.

And on Friday, the Roxborough Business Exchange hosted a networking lunch focused on information from social media websites at Soul 2 Soul. Patch along with many local businesses connected and discussed ways to get Roxborough on the map.

News-wise, things settled down with the controversy over St. John the Baptist Church's bell, which was targeted with noise complaints from the previous week. Neighbors voice support for the morning chime and a city council member introduced legislation excluding churches from fines.

Roxborough and Manayunk residents have started recycling nearly all plastics, as part of a more inclusive collection effort from the city's Streets Department. City officials explained the motivation and what's appropriate to save now.

Other news:

• Liz Wagner profiled a popular faith-based discussion group set in the Ugly Moose called Theology on Tap;
• New columns on nightlife and health debuted;
• Roxborough High School football continued to throttle opponents while the soccer team dropped its home opener; and
• Democratic candidate for State Representative Pam DeLissio discussed her goals for a successful campaign.

Look for us at the EcoArts Festival in Manayunk this weekend, in addition to our previews and coverage of the inaugural event.