Check out some of Patch's biggest stories from the past week in eastern Pennsylvania:

No Philadelphia Eagles Camp at Lehigh University

The Philadelphia Eagles are flying the Lehigh Valley coop. After 17 years, the training camp will no longer be held at Lehigh University, the team announced on its website Friday.

Principal Charged with Child Porn

Federal charges have been filed against Springton Lake Middle School Principal Dr. Troy Czukoski. Czukoski, 42, of Exton, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Affairs Specialist Patty Hartman. 

Can It: Sam Adams Rolls Out New Option for Boston Lager

The Samuel Adams brewery in Lehigh County will manufacture its famed Boston Lager beer in cans, for the first time. Boston Beer Company Senior Public Relations Manager Jessica Paar said the company will produce the lager in cans by early summer exclusively in its Upper Macungie Township brewery.

Woman Scammed out of $11K in Walmart Parking Lot, Police Say

Warminster Police said an elderly woman was scammed out of $11,000 in the parking lot of Walmart last Tuesday.  According to police, the elderly victim was approached by a woman carrying a handbag with "District 21" written on it on Tuesday, March 5.

Two Armed Robberies, Shots Fired Under Investigation

Norristown police investigated two armed robberies that were reported within an hour of one another Sunday night, Norristown's Interim Police Chief Willie Richet said. More than an hour earlier, officers were investigating a report of shots fired in the area of 800 Green St.

Freshman Charged in High School Bomb Hoax, Police Say

A freshman at Emmaus High School in Lehigh County was charged with making terroristic threats for a Dec. 20, 2012 bomb hoax at the school, according to Emmaus Police. Charges were to be referred to Lehigh County Juvenile Court. The high school has been the target of three bomb hoaxes in three months. Investigation into the other incidents continues, police say.

Car Crashes Through Dunkin Donuts

A Toyota Corolla plowed through the front of a Dunkin Donuts‚—and no one was hurt.

Can a Daughter's Love Conquer Budget Cuts?

Jazmine Smith of Bryn Mawr is a tireless advocate for her mother, whom she says is a victim of dysfunctional social services

3 Arrested for Conspiracy, Weapons Offenses at Macy's

Just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday Bensalem Township Police arrested a woman and two men at Macy's Department Store in Neshaminy Mall for weapons offenses. Charges include carrying a weapon without a license, retail theft, criminal conspiracy with multiple criminal objectives and receiving stolen property, according to information on Bucks County's inmate database.

Montco Teen Found

A missing 16-year-old Montgomery County boy returned home "safe and sound," his mother, Liz Atchison, said. "He was found," Atchison said. "Someone recognized him from the Facebook post from the Patch news article." 

The Denver Broncos sign wide receiver Wes Welker. The Detroit Lions get Reggie Bush for their backfield. And the New England Patriots ink rising slot receiver Danny Amendola to replace Welker.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed a bunch of free agents during the first day of NFL free agency late Tuesday too. But you probably never heard of most of the players.

Such is the case maybe for how new Coach Chip Kelly is putting together the team's roster for next year. He seems to be focusing more on developing a unit—like a team of college players—than building a group of All-Pros and Dream Teamers.

There's not much star power in these signings.

It's nice, though, to hear Isaac Sopoaga, the new defensive tackle from the San Francisco 49ers, state at a press conference Wednesday that the team is going to "shock the world."

That confidence is great. But right now, it's best not to be boastful, especially with a team coming off four wins and having a new coach, who will be under lots of public pressure and scrutiny to right this ship.

Former Houston Texans tight end James Casey is another piece to the puzzle, a veteran whom Kelly can utilize for his versality in this up-tempo offense since Casey can also play fullback.

Jason Phillips is a reserve linebacker who will probably play mostly on special teams. He has logged time with the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers.

Right now, former St. Louis Rams starter Bradley Fletcher might fill a vacancy at cornerback now that Nnamdi Asomugha has been released and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has signed with Denver.

Raise your hands if you ever heard of Fletcher before? The same goes with Phillips, Casey and Sopoaga.

Now Patrick Chung is a name some people may know.

Chung played safety for the New England Patriots and hopefully will provide a lift to the Birds secondary provided he can stay healthy.

Late Thursday, the team continued to focus on the secondary by signing Baltimore Ravens corner Cary Williams and New York Giants safety Kenny Phillips.

And, at the end of the day, the team picked up Texans linebacker Connor Barwin, signing him to a six-year deal.

The focus this free agency has really been on the defense, certainly a big issue after the past two years. Maybe these guys can tackle too.

So the team signed a bunch of players and it will be interesting to see how they fit in and compete.

But maybe that how's the Birds want to operate this year. Maybe Kelly wants them to stay under the radar and become a team that plays well and plays hard.

And maybe, just maybe—as Sopoaga says—this team will "shock the world."

In case you missed it: John Mims, the current owner of Phoenixville's Daddy Mims, is bringing his Creole cooking about 20 miles closer to home.

Mims will reopen Carmine's Creole Cafe at 232 Woodbine Ave. in Narberth in just a few weeks.

Carmine's Creole Cafe, which centers on cajun fare, opened in Havertown in 1998. It moved to Narberth in 2004, before relocating to Bryn Mawr in 2006 and heading away from the Main Line, to Phoenixville, a few years later. 

Read the full article on Narberth-Bala Cynwyd Patch.

The Montgomery County Health Department conducted health inspections of 12 food service establishments in Ardmore and Wynnewood between March 1 and March 14.

Each facility inspected March 1-14 was found to have from 0 (Cafe San Pietro) to 7 (John Henry's Pub, Khajuraho) infractions on a checklist of 54 items.

Click each facility's name to see its Patch directory listing and click the date of its inspection to read the health department's report. Scroll to the bottom of the report page to view the specific notes for each facility.

In our Patch directory listings, you can also rate each restaurant you've visited.

Cafe San Pietro, 39 W Lancaster Ave, Ardmore: 3/4/13

Di Bruno Bros., 120 Coulter Ave, Ardmore: 3/14/13 and 3/14/13

John Henry's Pub, 98 Cricket Ave, Ardmore: 3/8/13

Khajuraho, 12 Greenfield Ave, Ardmore: 3/4/13

Ardmore Produce, 120 Coulter Ave, Ardmore: 3/14/13

Ardmore Seafood, 120 Coulter Ave, Ardmore: 3/14/13

Ardmore Station Cafe, 6 Station Ave, Ardmore: 3/7/13

PALM, 117 Ardmore Ave, Ardmore: 3/7/13

Ristorante Positano, 21 W Lancaster Ave, Ardmore: 3/4/13

Haverford School Cafe, 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford: 3/11/13

Haverford School Dining Hall, 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford: 3/11/13

Trader Joe's, 112 Coulter Ave, Ardmore: 3/8/13

This story was created using Storify. If you cannot see the stories, follow the link here.

The Philadelphia Eagles are flying the Lehigh Valley coop.

After 17 years, training camp will no longer be held at Lehigh University, the team announced on its website Friday.

"There are so many people at Lehigh University who went above and beyond to accommodate us and to make Training Camp a special place for fans to travel each summer to get an up-close look at the team," Team President Don Smolenski said.

"The city of Bethlehem has been part of our lives every summer for the past 17 years," Smolenski added.

He said that the team will hold Training Camp in Philadelphia this summer both at the NovaCare Complex and at Lincoln Financial Field after staging the team’s annual preseason practices at Lehigh University for the last 17 years, a press release stated.

Smolenski went on to praise two Lehigh officials:

• Joe Sterrett, Dean of Athletics—"who opened the doors for us 17 years ago and has been supportive every step of the way."
• Mary Kay Baker, Director of Conference and Special Housing Services—"who was there for us on a daily basis to make sure everything ran smoothly. It’s people like them who made this such a difficult decision for us."

The team suffered a tragedy at camp last year when former Coach Andy Reid's son Garrett died of a heroin overdose that triggered an investigation by the Northampton County District Attorney's Office.

The new training camp plan will include a number of free, public practices at Lincoln Financial Field along with private practices (invitation only) at the NovaCare Complex. The full training camp schedule will be released later this spring, the team said.

It’s funny how industry-wide memos seem to fall from the sky. In the end, every automaker usually gets on board.  

Say I’m a 50-year-man looking for a high-end luxury car to replace my poor-decision-of-an-SUV that I purchased five years ago. The criteria? It has to be powerful, have a Roundel/Three-pointed star/Mt. Fuji badge (or any other logo that will make my neighbor envious on the hood), and it has to be pretty. Oh wait … its name also has to sound like it was derived from a robot from the future. 

How about a BMW Z4 sDrive35is?

(I’m pretty sure someone fought with — or against — a Z4 sDrive35is in a “Terminator" movie at some point.)

For the past 20 years or so, luxury brands have been phasing out cars with actual names in favor cars with alphanumeric ones, leaving a small sampling of boring alphabet soup on the decklid or even the fender. 

It used to be limited to German cars, whose designations used to reflect the size of the engine, but Japanese cars adopted the practice in the late ’80s. Acura held out a bit, but later broomed out its Integra, Vigor and Legend in favor of the cold-sounding RSX, TL and RL. (OK, Vigor is a terrible name, but is TL any better?)

And last to jump on the band wagon — in an effort to grab this 50-year-old guy’s money — are the Americans. Cadillac recently ditched its “real names” in favor of the ATS, CTS and XTS. Lincoln also followed suit with its MKS and MKZ.

I don’t understand the move toward these clinical sounding model names. Many of them are one letter away from creating a first-grade spelling word.

Is an up-market Taurus easier to sell if it’s called an MKS? Is a rich person more likely to buy something called a TL than an Accord? Do we have some fascination with things that sound like they are from the future?

Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and BMW (except for the Z4 and X models), have a rather straightforward way of naming their cars: letters generally let you know how big the car is, and the numbers that follow generally let you know how powerful the engine is … and the letters, S, AMG, F and M, when attached to each brand, respectively, let you know that the car is a bit more interesting than the garden- variety version.

More of the soup …

It’s kind of refreshing that the makers of normal cars — Chevy, Ford, Buick and most of the mainstream Asian automakers — still give their cars real names. And some are even, dare I say, interesting. The Veloster, Rogue and Cube come to mind, as do the Genesis, Prius and the Fusion. (Dodge seems to have resurrected all of its nameplates from the ’60s and ’70s, but I guess that’s acceptable.) 

There’s less room for posturing when you give a car a real name, less opportunity to turn your nose up at someone.  There’s no, “Oh, I guess he couldn’t afford the E63,” or, “Look at the hobo in the entry-level C-Class.”

The automotive world needs more Veyrons and Phantoms.  More Barracudas, Roadrunners and Vipers. The names don’t have to make sense or sound like they’re from the future — just keep them punchy.  

--

If you've got any car news you think we should know about – shows, events – shoot me an email at mischa.arnosky@patch.com

There are 11 open houses scheduled for the weekend of March 16-17 in the Ardmore-Merion-Wynnewood Patch coverage area, according to the listings on AOL Real Estate.

The highest asking price is $2,175,000, for 321 E. Old Gulph Road. It has 7 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms and can be seen Sunday between 2 and 4 p.m.

2105 Chestnut Ave., meanwhile, can be had for $289,900. It has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, and its open house is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. on Sunday.

To find more open houses around the greater Philadelphia area, visit realestate.aol.com.

Signs of spring abound in town: warmer weather, the year's first flowers, and now, Ardmore Business Association's annual Easter Egg Hunt.

At the event, which takes place next Saturday, kids will search Ardmore's business district for eggs, then head back to Schauffele Plaza for the chance to meet the Easter bunny, have some candy, and win some prizes. 

Kids 12 and under are welcome to participate, though the hunt is best for those 5 and up, an ABA flyer announces.

The event begins at 11 a.m. on March 23 at Schauffele Plaza, the parking lot by Bella Italia, 12 E Lancaster Ave. in Ardmore. After the hunt, meet back at the plaza by 12:30 p.m. for candy and prizes.

The Ardmore Junction Station, located on Hathaway Lane in Haverford Township, is undergoing renovations.

SEPTA crews were busy working on a platform Thursday afternoon. 

A SEPTA spokesperson told Patch in early fall that this phase of construction on the station should be completed by early spring, and includes new glass block shelters, new guard and hand rails, non-slip platform coating, existing stair improvements, track retaining wall improvements, bus waiting area improvements, new site furnishings and signage and new landscaping.

New lighting at the station is also expected to be completed by June.

According to SEPTA, these improvements are part of a previously planned construction schedule, but they will likely be completed in time for the US Open in June.

The world watched Wednesday as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church. The cardinal, who is now known as Pope Francis, is the first non-European pope as well as the first Jesuit pope.

Jesuit priest and Saint Joseph’s University professor Rev. William Byron spoke with Patch on Thursday about what a Jesuit pope means for the faith, as well as what challenges Pope Francis may face.

What sets Jesuits apart? Jesuits are a religious order, founded by a charismatic leader, Saint Ignatius, that left a mark on the order and set the style.

Jesuits are "contemplatives in action," Byron said. "They leave the monastery to go out and do work ... they put a big premium on the intellectual development of their members and are widely regarded as intellectuals."

Most have advanced academic degrees, he added.

What could a Jesuit pope mean for outlook and policy? A Jesuit's outlook is shaped by the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, which focus on poverty, a willingness to accept criticism, and humility.

"That is a clearly counter-cultural ideology, and a Jesuit internalizes that and sees it as a strategy for the good life," Byron said.

Jesuits typically handle titles and authority in a different way than those in a "promotion culture" or military culture. A Jesuit ordinarily does not seek honors, so "It’s highly unusual to see a Jesuit bishop," he added.

What does a non-European pope mean for Catholicism? "It means we’re looking at the Southern Hemisphere, and it’s the beginning of a new era. It’s a recognition of poverty," Byron said.

Twenty to 30 years ago, Jesuits elected to make the service of faith and promotion of justice the twin guidelines for their work. "That involves social justice and advocating for the rights of the disenfranchised."

What’s the biggest issue facing Pope Francis? The reform of the Roman Curia, the Vatican bureaucracy.

"Just like how here in Washington we have a president in the Oval Office, in Rome there’s a pope in the Vatican. And just as we have the Secretary of State, Secretary of Education, the pope has congregations—we’d call them cabinet departments," Byron explained. "Those departments are populated by clergy who are in effect civil servants, and tend to be heavily Italian and bureaucratic. There needs to be renewal there ... as well as transparency in the operations of the Vatican bank."

What other issues does he face? "There are a lot of other issues, and they’re all major," Byron said. 

One is the question of how to recruit candidates for ordination, and another is the controversial topic of ordination of women. "We won’t see anything happen on those fronts now. … Social change takes time and is gradual, and it’s really a question of reform, not revolution," he explained.

"Part of the reform is going to be getting new structures in place, so he’s got a big job," Byron added. "I don’t know how well he slept last night, but when he realizes the enormity of the leadership problem for 1.2 billion beings, for governance and worship—it’s a great challenge."

From the university president

Saint Joseph’s President C. Kevin Gillespie released the following statement on Thursday:

This is a time of celebration—of our faith, of our respective missions and of the Jesuit tradition. We offer congratulations to Pope Francis and look forward to a period of great community in the Church. We share the world's fascination with the new Pontiff as he embraces the enormous challenges of our times in the humble spirit of Ignatius.

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has directed the archdiocese's Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) football league to begin allowing girls to play, the archdiocese announced Thursday.

The league previously had a written policy to exclude girls from full-contact sports. Most people on a panel that recently studied the issue at Chaput's direction recommended preserving the policy, but Chaput decided otherwise, according to the archdiocese's announcement.

An 11-year-old Bucks County girl played last fall before archdiocese officials told her she couldn't anymore. Caroline Pla, of Doylestown, and her parents launched a massive petition drive to lobby to change the policy, Doylestown Patch reported.

The full statement from the archdiocese follows:

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) recently concluded a review of its existing policy limiting full contact sports to boys only.

That policy reflected the Catholic thought that gender differences are important and play a large role in the development of mature Christian male and female identity. It was also written in an effort to serve the distinct needs and abilities of male and female athletes and to ensure safety.

At the request of Archbishop Charles Chaput, an Archdiocesan panel of coaches, parents, pastors and experts in sports medicine and pediatrics evaluated the current CYO policy and offered their recommendation. By a wide majority, members voted to continue the policy as written.  The Archbishop is grateful for their time and prudent counsel.  To obtain input from the broadest possible spectrum, the Archdiocese also reviewed feedback from various other sources, both critical and supportive of the policy. Lastly, all possible factors were considered including the expectations of coaches, parents, and pastors, common current practice, legal circumstances and the CYO policies of dioceses around the country.

At the direction of the Archbishop, the Archdiocese will allow for co-ed participation in CYO football, effective in the 2013 season.  This approval is provisional.  The decision will be reviewed and revised in the coming several seasons, as judged appropriate by the Archdiocese. Alternate options had merit and may be revisited in the future to ensure that any CYO sports program fosters an enjoyable and safe atmosphere providing for proper human formation, sportsmanship and Christian maturity.

What do you think of the archbishop's decision? Please tell us in the comments section below.

March Madness is coming to Philadelphia.

A portion of the second and third-round of NCAA Men's Basketball championship tournament is being held at the Wells Fargo center in South Philadelphia on March 22 and 23. The games are being hosted by Temple University. Here's what you need to know: 

Where and When?

Six total playoff games will be held in Philly. Four second-round games (broken up into two sessions) are being held on Friday, March 22. Two third-round games will take place on Saturday, March 23. The exact times of these games will be released after selection Sunday, March 17.

The Wells Fargo Center is located at 3601 S Broad Street and is easily accessible from both I-95 and I-76. Head over here to get more specific directions. If you plan on taking SEPTA, the regional rail lines allow access to the Broad Street Line and the AT&T Station, where the Wells Fargo Center is located. Check their site for fare information.

How to Go

Tickets are currently available for both individual games and two-day package deals. Those looking to purchase tickets from the official NCAA vendor can get them here for the following full-package prices:

•  mezzanine end—$210
• mezzanine center—$225
• club—$255
• lower level—$255

Tickets are also available on ticket resale sites like StubHub and PrimeSport.

Let's get started on curing the summertime boredom blues by planning ahead.

The Delaware Valley always has a variety of choices for summer camps, and Patch is building a guide to help you find the right one for you. So, let's agree now - in the summer of 2013, boredom won't be an option.

If you're viewing this page on a mobile device, please consider visiting again when you're at a computer and can see the form on the page.

Seven-year-old Shipley School student and Ardmore resident Aidan Peterson was invited recently onstage to play with 2013 Grammy Award winner Chris Botti at the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem.

Since the age of 4, Aidan has admired Botti and wanted to play the trumpet, said Aidan's mother Amy Shumoski.

The first grader, a music student at Harcum College Music School, played with Botti on March 3. It was the second time Botti has honored him, the previous time being at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside in 2011.

"Aidan absolutely loves music," Shumoski said. Aidan has been taking drum lessons since he was four-years-old and trumpet lessons since he was five; he started cello lessons at Shipley last year.

He has performed at Milkboy in Ardmore with the Shipley Chamber Music Group, and has been asked to play at Dunwoody Village in Newtown Square later this month as part of their entertainment.

Petunia's Consignment Boutique relocated years ago, but the peeling letters on the old 22 Ardmore Ave. storefront have remained. In the past few weeks, though, a new sign has materialized:

Coming Soon: Personally by Ani K.

It appears some renovations are going on inside, and another sign indoors reads "Wardrobe Consulting—Expert Tailoring."

Ardmore Patch reached out to the owner last week, and will update this story as more information becomes available.

To get updates on this story, click "Keep Me Posted" below. To get local news in your inbox every day, sign up for our email newsletter.

Lower Merion's boys basketball team is two wins away from a second straight trip to the state championship game, after a 63-50 victory Wednesday night over Martin Luther King High School.

BJ Johnson, Raheem Hall, JaQuan Johnson and Yohanny Dalembert all scored in double figures, accounting for 58 of the team's 63 points, Main Line Media News reports.

The Facebook page for Aces Hoops already has a 101-photo album from Wednesday's game.

Next up for the Aces: a game Saturday against Harrisburg, which beat Upper Darby on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Aces reached the state final last year, falling to District 1 rival Chester.

Before St. Patrick's Day, we at Patch decided to crunch some census numbers to see which Philadelphia-area Patch neighborhoods are heavy or light on residents with Irish ancestry.

The American Community Survey of 2007-2011 asked respondents whether they had ancestors from many particular countries or continental regions, and Ireland was on the list. (The ACS uses sampling, rather than contacting every resident as the decennial census does.)

Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties all were found to have more residents with Irish ancestry than the national average of 11.6 percent. About 17.8 percent of all Pennsylvania residents claimed Irish genes.

The most Irish county in the area, Delaware County, also contained the two most Irish neighborhoods: Springfield and Havertown, both more than 40 percent "green".

See where your neighborhood ranks on the table below:

Place Population # with Irish ancestry Irish % United States 306,603,772 35,522,918 11.6 Pennsylvania 12,660,739 2,248,917 17.8 Delaware County 557,648 160,014 28.7 Chester County 495,651 118,825 24 Montgomery County 794,921 180,697 22.7 Philadelphia 1,514,456 191,884 12.7 ZIP Code Population # with Irish ancestry Irish % Springfield (19064) 24,561 10,598 43.1 Havertown (19083) 35,432 14,874 42 Roxborough (19128) 34,561 12,351 35.7 Newtown Square (19073) 18,302 6,092 33.3 Media (19063) 35,720 11,192 31.3 Broomall (19008) 20,414 5,869 28.7 West Chester (19380) 49,827 14,155 28.4 West Chester (19382) 52,942 15,039 28.4 Phoenixville (19460) 39,188 10,847 27.7 Oaks (19456) 807 223 27.6 Phoenixville (19453) 1,563 428 27.4 Villanova (19085) 8,669 2,355 27.2 Berwyn (19312) 11,567 3,120 27 Chestnut Hill (19118) 9,551 2,547 26.7 Wayne (19087) 32,694 8,272 25.3 Malvern (19355) 24,047 6,023 25 Ardmore (19003) 13,278 3,286 24.7 Haverford (19041) 6,229 1,480 23.8 Paoli (19301) 6,461 1,509 23.4 Bryn Mawr (19010) 21,240 4,591 21.6 Narberth (19072) 9,309 1,939 20.8 Manayunk (19127) 4,576 914 20 Devon (19333) 6,802 1,309 19.2 Merion Station (19066) 6,021 949 15.8 Bala Cynwyd (19004) 9,413 1,197 12.7 Wynnewood (19096) 13,457 1,542 11.5 Gladwyne (19035) 3,442 378 11 Mt. Airy (19119) 26,870 2,373 8.8

 

 

 

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput released the following statement to media Wednesday afternoon upon the election of Pope Francis:

I first met our new Holy Father at Rome's 1997 Synod for America, and still have a gift from him, a portrait of Mary, the mother of Jesus, on my desk.

Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Bergoglio, is a man from the new heartland of the global Church; a priest  of extraordinary intellectual and cultural strengths; a man deeply engaged in the issues of contemporary life and able to speak to the modern heart; open to the new realities the Church faces; and rooted in a deep love of Jesus Christ.  He is a wonderful choice; a pastor God sends not just to the Church but to every person of good will who honestly yearns for justice, peace and human dignity in our time.  May God grant him courage and joy, and sustain him with his divine presence.

And may Catholics in Philadelphia and around the world lift him up with our prayers.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, a Catholic, released the following statement:

The Catholic Church is the largest charitable, healthcare and educational institution in the world, and the spiritual home to 1.2 billion Catholics around the globe. The new Holy Father Francis I has an immense task ahead of him and I pray that God will uphold him with strength, wisdom and courage to take on the challenges and beauty of his new role.

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