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Standing up to hate; Great Valley shocker; Paoli contractor busted; New café & empty nester homes to Tredyffrin & LOTS of retail comings & goings

November 1, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Hearts were heavy but heads were held high across the Main Line this week.

Hate would have no home here.

From Beth Chaim in Malvern to Beth David in Gladwyne, from the Chabad Center in Devon to Chabad Main Line in Merion, from Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy to the Perelman Jewish Day School, thousands gathered – somber and shattered, yes, but resolute in their response to the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history.

There would be no cowering in corners.

With growing unease, Jewish friends had watched the rising tide of hate on their home turf: the toppled tombstones, the scribbled swastikas, the bomb threats. But a massacre? In their own state? In a neighborhood not so different from Narberth? If hate could kill in Squirrel Hill, it could kill anywhere, right?

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, PLAY, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anita Friday, anne hamilton, Anne Henderson, anti-semitism, Arcadia, Bagel Factory, Barnes, Berthe Morisot, Berwyn, Blue Gene Gala, Chabad, contractor fraud, David Broida, Daylesford Abbey, Element Kitchens, empty nesters, Erin Shine, First Watch, Gateway Shopping Center, Great Valley High School principal, hate crimes, HIAS, Hope Chest, Jason Duckworth, Jeff Kellmer, Kellmer Jewelers, KIngsHaven, Little House Shop, Main & Vine, Main Line Reform Temple, mental health, Michael Flick, michael sheehan, Minding Your Mind, Narberth, Neil Cooper, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Or Zarua, Outback Steakhouse, Penn Medicine Radnor, Pittsburgh shootings, Pottery Corner, Quincy's, rabbi, Savona, Shangrila, synagogue shootings, Teegarden dog park, Teegarden Park, Temple Beth Am Israel, Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El, Todd Stavrakos, Tredyffrin, Tree of Life, Villanova Dines Out, Villanova Restaurant Week, Wayne Glen, Wayne Presbyterian Church, West Chester theater student

Remembering Radnor’s Heidi Diskin: a life of caring, cut short by depression. Plus, Paoli’s billboard battle, Target fever, Kindred Collective Bryn Mawr, Ardmore murder news, Retail roundup, Etcetera & more

October 11, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

On Sept. 7, three days after her sons started the new school year at Radnor Elementary, Heidi Diskin ended her life.

She was 44.

We share this with you because Heidi would want us to.

“One hundred percent, she would want her story told,” said her husband, J.D., in a phone interview. “My hope is that what happened to Heidi can be a teachable moment. As terrible as this situation is, it’s an even worse tragedy if it doesn’t help others.”

To family and close friends, Heidi’s suicide was a sucker punch – a heart-wrenching coda to 20 years of pain.

To those less close, it seemed, well, inexplicable.

Because Heidi had made mental health advocacy and suicide prevention her life’s work. She’d started a brain health foundation, she’d spoken to countless groups, she’d even hosted a cable TV show about mental health. How could Heidi Diskin – of all people – have succumbed herself?

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Filed Under: BUZZ, EAT, PLAY, SHOP, STYLE, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anthropologie, Ardmore murder, Bill Claypool, bipolar, Blue Gene Gala, Blue Octagon, Blue Octagon Too, Brigid Stasen, Bryn Mawr, Campli PHotography, Carla Zambelli, Catalyst Outdoor Advertising, CCC Sale, Center for Social Impact, Christina Carlin-Kraft, Circe, Clockworks, Community Clothes Charity, Dan Maxwell, depression, Devon Target, Devon Yard, digital billboards, DMAX Foundation, Eaves, Eaves Townhouse, Etcetera, Finneran Pavilion, flower walls, Haverford College polling place, Heidi Diskin, J.D. Diskin, Jordan PIncus, Kindred Collective, King of Prussia mall, Krissa Wichsser, Louella Boutique, Madeline Miller, Malvern Prep, Minding Your Mind, model murder, Nicol Floral Design, Nicol Segel, North Italia, Paoli billboard, Parlour, Parlour Ice Cream Ardmore, Pattye Benson, Radnor Fireworks, Radnor suicide, Revivalist Gin, Robin Halpern, Skinny Pizza Paoli, spotted lanternfly, suicide, surrey services, Target, Tredyffrin billboard, Tredyffrin Township, True Food Kitchen, Ventnor movie theater, Villanova, Wayne Target, William claypool

Generation Vape: Why Juuling’s not cool; Horse Show’s huge move; Grim find at Philly CC; Fusion upends education in Ardmore & Malvern; Plus, new Grove 1.2.1 & Avery Graham Aesthetics; White Horse Design & more

September 20, 2018 / By Caroline / /

Summer’s over and kids are back in school – reading, writing, and, increasingly, juuling.

Some are vaping right under our noses – on school buses, in cafeterias, bathrooms and bedrooms – using slick little Juul devices that look like harmless flash drives but are anything but.

Indeed, juuling is turning unsuspecting Main Line teens into nicotine addicts – one surreptitious, sweet-flavored puff at a time.

Seems even the “smart” kids are doing it.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, Uncategorized Tagged With: alternative schools, ARCH, Arrowroot, Avery Graham, Avery Graham Aesthetics, Beth Cardarelli, Blue Gene Gala, boutiques, Bryn Mawr, Catherine Layne, Devon Horse Show, Dishman Springs, DMAX Foundation, Elmwood Park Zoo, Felicia Layne, Fighting Back Scholarship Fund, florists, Fusion, Fusion Academy, Grove 1.2.1, Harold Sweetman, Hedgerow Theatre, home decor, interior design, Jane McNeil, Jenkins Arboretum, Jennifer on the Avenue, Juuling, Juuls, Kilwins, Lax Fest, Main Line interior design, Minding Your Mind, Mrs. Marty's, Norristown, Pennsylvania Distilling Company, Peter Kienzle, Robertson's, Sandy Edelstein, Vaping, White Horse Fabric & Design

Dishing on new Devon Yard, Big break in brutal Main Line murder; Great Flood of ’18; Dining & retail roundup; Saturday Club 2.0 & much more

August 30, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

The Main Line seems smitten with its new baby, the upscale lifestyle center Devon Yard.

And why not?

She’s six acres of delightful: verdant and lush, our new bundle of joy.

And a surprisingly small bundle she turns out to be.

After that that four-year township tug-of-war, Devon’s new “town center” consists of two stores (albeit grand ones), two restaurants and an event space. Period.

Still, every detail disarms: the breathtaking courtyard, the vintage flourishes, the unexpected touches of whimsy.

Here’s what you need to know before you go:

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, Uncategorized Tagged With: Ardmore murder, At Thge Table Wayne BYOB, Berwyn Fire Company, Christina Carlin-Kraft, Clothier estate, Cornerstone Bistro, DuckDuckGo, Eddie V's, Emergency Management, Flooding, Gateway Shopping Center, healthy breakfasts, Jim Klinges, King of Prussia mall, Lower Merion School District, Main Line Hair Design, model murder, North Italia, Orange Theory, Radnor Fire Company, Saturday Club, Sheri DeMaris, Stoneleigh Garden, Tiramisu, Trader Joe's, Tredyffrin, water rescues, YMCA

Transgender in Tredyffrin – C. McMillan’s story; Semi-Super Wawa to Wayne?; LM school search update; J. Alexander’s KOP & Alomore in Gateway & much more

August 7, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Don’t bother searching for Cal Stone McMillan in Conestoga’s 2103 yearbook. The only McMillan listed is brainy trumpeter Caroline, and well, she’s long gone.

Because Caroline, in trans parlance, is Cal’s “dead name.”

In print and in person, Caroline has been largely erased – birth certificate, passport and driver’s license all say “Calvin” now. Calling Cal “Caroline” would be “deadnaming,” disrespectful because it signals non-acceptance.

Along with the masculine name, there’s a manly physique, a strong handshake, a deeper voice, a beard.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, Uncategorized Tagged With: Aberdeen Sunoco, Alomore, Alpha Brava Canine, Ardmore, Barbara Bigford, Beach Pockets, beach umbrella anchors, Ben Thomas, Broadway, Cal McMillan, Caroline McMillan, Cerise BYOB, Cerise Craft Steakhouse, clairemont, Dine out for the Dogs, Easttown Library, fashion boutiques, Gateway Shopping Center, gender dysmorphia, Gerry Lenfest, J. Alexander's, Jeremy Nowak, Jersey Boys, Karakelian, Kathy Rumer, Keystone Shops, King of Prussia mall, Lower Merion School District, Medical Marijuana, Mike Badey, Morris Cloethier Mansion, Nahjee Grant, Nathan Twedt, passports, Radnor Poice, Sara Schmidt, Sara Schmidt Studio, Snapchat, Songs for Seeds, St. Katharine of Siena, Stacy Stone, Stoneleigh, Transgender, Tredyffrin, Van Gogh Pop-up, vincent van gogh, Wawa, White Dog Cafe

Multi-family housing boomlet in Tredyffrin? Big plans for Swedesford & Chesterbrook; New Village Play Space & a destination playground; Wins for Willows & Stoneleigh; Brain Fog; All-new Sporting Club & more

June 28, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Holy Lazarus! A long-stagnant stretch of Tredyffrin has a pulse.

The owner of Swedesford Plaza wants to bulldoze the old HH Gregg and build luxury apartments in its place – 250 of them.
After approaching umpteen stores, fitness chains, health systems and grocers for its two empty anchors, Echo Realty is throwing in the retail towel on one of them. In partnership with Bozzuto, Echo plans to build a four-story, 250-unit apartment building at the old HH Gregg site, a permitted use under zoning code.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, PLAY, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alex's Lemonade Stand, Berwyn, Bozzuto, Brain Fog, Bryn Mawr, Buck Buchanan, Burger Brawl, Campli PHotography, Chesterbrook, Chesterbrook Civic Association, Chris Mullen, Christine Shirley Sewing & Design, Clubs2Classrooms, David Campli, David Ludin, Day Spa by Zsuzsanna, Dina Previti, East Goshen Park, ECHO Realty, Freddy Martino, Golf Galaxy, Grady Finn, Green Bridge Development, Guilianna The Brave, Handels Ice Cream, Handwork Studio. What Am I Drinking, heroin addiction, Heroin overdose, HH Gregg, historic preservation, Indigo 301, King of Prussia Town Center, Leonard Haas, Main Line spas, Malvern Stroll, MaryBeth Heilmann, Mullen Interiors, Natural Lands, neuroblastoma, Pathmark, pet cemeteries, Picket Post, Picket Post Swim & Tennis Club, playgrounds, Radnor Township, Ripplewood Whiskey and Craft, Sara Martino, SAVVY events, spas, Stardust, Stoneleigh, Swedesford Plaza, swim clubs, Team SAVVY, The Laurels, Tredyffrin, Tredyffrin Library, Village Play Space, Villanova, Warren Claytor, Wayne, West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Willows Mansion, Willows Park, Willows Park Preserve, wine education, wine studio, Zoet Bathletier

Big ‘downtown’ Devon news; Splashy new swim school; More ethnic eats in Ardmore; Crime news; Solutions 4 Health, Devon hats, Woodlynde wonders and more

June 7, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Devon Horse Show 2018 is history – but whoa, Nelly.

There’s a move afoot that could change the look of “downtown” Devon almost as much as URBN’s fast-rising Devon Yard.

The horse show’s chairman and CEO wants to put a three-level parking garage between Devon Yard (the new Terrain/Anthropologie complex) and the show grounds.

Because, let’s face it, parking can be a pain at Devon.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, Uncategorized Tagged With: 118 North, acai bowls, Accents on Main, Ardmore, Ardmore Initiative, Bam Bam Seoul Kitchen, Chic and Simple Resale, Chris Conway, consignment stores, crime, Denise Barger, Devon, Devon hat contest, Devon Horse Show, Devon Ladies Day, downtown Wayne, ethnic restaurants, Goldfish Swim School, Kenny Kearns, learning differences, Main Line shopping, Malvern, murder, Nam Phuong Bistro, Nora Nissenbaum, parking garages, Playa Bowls, Playa Bowls Wayne, resale shops, Solutions 4 Health, The Bercy, The Malvern School, Tredyffrin Police, Tredyffrin-Easttown Middle School, Vietnamese restaurants, Wayne Grafton, Wayne Music Festival, Woodlynde School

Top Ten Reasons We’re Going to Devon … And You Should, Too!

May 29, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

#10   IT’S WORLD CLASS.  And getting classier every year.

Some of the BEST riders in the world are here, including three out of four on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team: McClain Ward (9-time Devon Grand Prix champ), Beezie Madden and Kent Farrington, now ranked #1 in the world.  Or catch a rising star like Devin Ryan. (A happy naming coincidence? We think not.)

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Devon, Devon Horse Show, Devon Ladies Day, hat contests

T/E probes policy after alleged gun threat & hate speech rattle middle school parents; Gotta go to Main & Vine & Devon Horse Show; #SaveStoneleigh, shore dunes and much more

May 24, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

With recent school shootings very much on their minds, some Tredyffrin-Easttown Middle School parents are taking aim at T/E’s response to an alleged threat of gun violence and bullying.

They sent e-mails, made phone calls, met with school officials.

Then, scores of them showed up at a school board meeting Monday night.

The district was ready. Message received, loud and clear.

The Superintendent announced the creation of parent focus groups to evaluate T/E’s threat-response policy and suggest changes as needed. He said the district will also explore “best practices” of other districts across the country and review relevant research.

And the day after the meeting, the principal of T/E Middle School sent an extraordinarily detailed e-mail to parents explaining how, as a parent himself, he takes students’ safety personally.

The hubbub started in early February. It simmered, then boiled over last week after a TEMS family, the Nissenbaums, told their story to the AP.

And it ran in newspapers across the country.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, BUZZ, EAT, PLAY, STYLE, Uncategorized Tagged With: Actor's Lab Philly, anti-semitism, Bar Spoon Beverage Co.. Rebecca Adler, Beth Kephart, Brain Fog event, Bryan Fox, Bullying, Deedee Francis, Devon Art Gallery, Devon Derby, Devon Horse Show, Easttown Middle School, Emlen Tunnell, First Night at Devon, Great Valley Pet Hotel, Jessica Knoll, Ladies Day at Devon, Lower Merion School District, Nissenbaum, Nora Nissembaum, Radnor High School, Radnor Township Building, Sandy Nissenbaum, Save Stoneleigh, Scott Dorsey, Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum, Stoneleigh, The Favorite Sister, Tredyffrin, Tredyffrin-Easttown School Board, Wayne

Lucky us! Swell new Stoneleigh public garden in Villanova, The Bercy Ardmore, Imbibe in Conshy, Argyle & MovementRx Studio; Plus, KingsHaven, Devon hats & more

May 10, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

The Main Line has a new treasure. Dusted off, spruced up, and ready for our viewing pleasure. 42 glorious green acres.

“Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden” makes its public debut on Mother’s Day.

Join the lawn games or pick a quieter day to meander its paths and soak in its charms.

There’s no rush; the garden’s not going anywhere.

It’s ours. Forever.

And it’s free.

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Filed Under: BODY & SOUL, EAT, PLAY, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anna Sicalides, Ardmore, Ardmore restaurants, Argyle, Brenda Waites Bolling, Brendan Burns, Christine Sturgis, Conshohocken restaurants, Devon Country Fair, Devon Horse Show, Devon Ladies Day, Devon Yard, downsizing, empty nesters, French bistros, Friends Central School, gardening, gift shops, Haas estate, Haverford florists, Heather King, home decor, Imbibe, John Haas, KIngsHaven, KingsHaven Design, Ladies Day hat contest, Lauren Wylonis, Main Line home decor, Main Line milliners, Merion Mercy Academy, MovementRx, Natural Lands, Oil and Light, Paoli shopping, public gardens, royal wedding, Sean Weinberg, Sister Barbara Buckley, Stoneleigh, Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden, The Bercy, Upper Main Line YMCA swimmer, Villanova, Wynnewood fitness studios, Your Organizing Consultants

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