📚 Bookstores are so back | Inquirer Greater Abington
Plus, former Cheltenham football coaches held for trial.
Hi, Greater Abington.
Local bookstores are seeing a business boom tied to a national trend in rising physical media sales.
Also in the headlines, four former Cheltenham football coaches were held for trial for failing to report a player’s locker room assault, a contested $4.5 million pool development project may be delayed, plus, political leaders and clergy gathered outside the Philadelphia ICE office in the wake of the suicide of a deportation officer and Cheltenham High School alum.
— Laura Smythe (greaterabington@inquirer.com)
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Across Greater Philadelphia, bookstores are so back — mirroring a national trend of physical book sales outpacing online retail.
In Jenkintown, Capricorn Books has almost doubled its business since expanding its storefront in July, owner Jackie Botto said. Last year brought other newcomers to the local bookstore scene: an Abington outpost of Barnes & Noble, which credits BookTok with reviving the chain, and Glenside Book Garden.
Local libraries, too, are seeing a boost in patronage.
The Inquirer’s Jess Rohan takes a look at what’s fueling the bookworm surge.
📚 Bonus: See the best books that area booksellers, including from Jenkintown and Wyncote, have read this year.
💡 Community news
In a preliminary hearing Monday, a district judge said four former Cheltenham High School football coaches failed to protect a then-15-year-old player who told them he had been assaulted twice last year by his teammates in the locker room. The victim also testified.
Pending litigation over Cheltenham Township’s $4.5 million pool contract could now take a year to resolve, potentially delaying the project.
Cheltenham police will begin using AI-enabled cameras to deter crime at a local construction site and may use them at crime hot spots and community events down the line after township commissioners signed a $35,000 contract with controversial New Jersey tech company Packetalk.
Clergy, political leaders, and activists gathered outside the Philadelphia ICE office last week following the suicide of deportation officer Joseph Moore, 38, who was a 2006 graduate of Cheltenham High School.
Democratic State Sen. Art Haywood, who has an office in Abington, is co-introducing legislation that would formally designate hazing as a mandated reportable offense. In a press release, Haywood pointed to the recent Cheltenham football case as a “mishandling of a serious disclosure of harm.”
Philadelphia man Justyn C. Wharton, 37, was sentenced to up to 25 years in a state correctional institution for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Jenkintown girl, according to The Pottstown Mercury.
Cheltenham police charged a suspect with robbery, simple assault, terroristic threats, and harassment after he attempted to steal a woman’s phone in the Target parking lot at 2450 Shoppers Lane.
Sunday is the final day of the season for mini golf at Alverthorpe Park in Abington.
🗺️ Other nearby news
Rose Bridge Farm in Dresher has been going viral thanks to its new Coffee and Cows morning offering, which taps into the growing wellness trend around cow cuddling. The Inquirer’s Beatrice Forman shares what it’s like to start your day with a dose of baby calves, kids (the four-hoofed kind), and caffeine during the hour-long sessions.
🏫 Schools briefing
Cheltenham School District recently appointed a new director of teaching and learning, Rachel Girman. She will need to be formally approved at the school board directors’ Oct. 13 legislative meeting, Assistant Superintendent Kendra V. Johnson said during last week’s Educational Affairs Committee meeting.
The same district is working to implement new evidence-based materials focused on literacy for K-3 students by the start of the 2027-28 school year, Kaity Ferraro, supervisor of curriculum for grades K-5, said at the meeting.
🍽️ On our plate
Wendy Stahler’s take on brisket made it onto the menu at Recipe Philly, a new Center City concept with a unique food competition model that features dishes with stories from local home chefs. The 82-year-old is a longtime member of Old York Road Temple-Beth Am in Abington, The Jewish Exponent reports.
Hand-rolled bagels, “genuine and outgoing” service, and an eclectic, worldly dinner menu ranging from a smoked arctic char spread to a faux-meatloaf platter are just some of the details that make new all-day eatery Blue Warbler the “most intriguing restaurant in years” in nearby Chestnut Hill, Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan writes.
🎳 Things to do
🌃 Night Market: Support local businesses slinging fresh produce and artisanal bites. ⏰ Tuesday, Sept. 22, 4-8 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Jenkintown town square
🎤 Labyrinth In Concert: Blast into the past for the 40th anniversary of Jim Henson’s musical fantasy film Labyrinth, shown on the big screen while a live band accompanies David Bowie’s vocals from the stage. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. 💵 $65.59-$250.43 📍 Keswick Theatre, Glenside
🎨 Festival of the Arts: Peruse works from local artists and eats from food vendors while taking in live music and dance performances. ⏰ Sunday, Sept. 27, 1-6 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Greenwood Avenue and Leedom Street, Jenkintown
🏡 On the market
This Jenkintown dwelling, originally constructed in 1900, hit the market this month with a thorough list of home improvements, including a new roof, siding, windows, and flooring. The six-bedroom, three-bathroom space has quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and updated cabinets in the kitchen. Each of the three bedrooms on the third floor are outfitted with new mini-split cooling units. There is an open house Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.
See more photos of the property here.
Price: $459,000 | Size: 2,075 SF | Acreage: 0.11
📈 Greater Abington market report
Median listing price: $485,000 (down $7,000 from July) 📉
Median sold price: $425,000 (down $100,000 from July) 📉
Median days on the market: 38 days (up two days from July) 📈
Median listing price: $390,000 (up $18,000 from July) 📈
Median sold price: $490,000 (up $10,000 from July) 📈
Median days on the market: 61 days (up four days from July) 📈
Median listing price: $449,900 (down $25,100 from July) 📉
Median sold price: $435,000 (down $20,000 from July) 📉
Median days on the market: 45 days (up nine days from July) 📈
This Greater Abington market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for August from realtor.com.
🗞️ What other Greater Abington residents are reading this week:
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