The high school football merger is on | Inquirer Lower Merion
Plus, the former owner of Max’s Steaks has been indicted on fraud charges.
Hi, Lower Merion!
We’ve got details about Lower Merion and Harriton High Schools officially merging their football teams next fall. Also this week, the Penn Valley resident who previously owned Max’s Steaks & Eagle Bar has been indicted, local billionaire Jeffrey Yass is contributing to the White House ballroom, plus residents will have a chance to weigh in on the township’s recommendations for making Montgomery Avenue safer.
— Lisa Dukart (lowermerion@inquirer.com)
Inquirer Lower Merion
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It’s official: Lower Merion and Harriton High School will merge their football teams after all.
The move, which parents endorsed amid shrinking rosters and player safety concerns last year, was approved by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and will begin during the 2027-28 academic year.
In announcing the change this week, Superintendent Frank Ranelli said the merger “will require a lot of work” but the aim “is to create a sustainable program that prioritizes the safety of our student athletes while preserving their opportunities to participate.”
Ranelli, who announced earlier this month he’ll be resigning in April, says more updates are to come, but reporter Conor Smith has all the details we know here.
💡 Community news
Penn Valley resident Charles Weiner, who previously owned popular North Philadelphia sandwich shop Max’s Steaks & Eagle Bar, has been indicted on tax fraud charges.
Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough will present preliminary recommendations from the Montgomery Avenue Corridor Safety Plan at the township building Monday at 6 p.m. as they look to make the corridor safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Residents will have a chance to provide feedback.
Haverford resident Jeffrey Yass, who cofounded Bala Cynwyd-based Susquehanna International Group, is among those who donated to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project, committing $5 million, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Attention commuters: SEPTA made changes to some of its Regional Rail schedules as of Sunday, so be sure to check times before heading out the door this week.
Sotheby’s is currently auctioning off a former Kobe Bryant jersey that the late NBA All-Star wore during his days with the Lower Merion Aces. The auction house expects it to fetch between $1 million and $2 million.
An Ardmore man is among four defendants sentenced to prison for conspiring to steal and sell U.S. Treasury checks. Cory Scott, 26, will face nearly six years for his role in $84 million scheme.
Bala Cynwyd resident and retired award-winning periodontist Louis F. Rose died recently at the age of 84. Rose was a physician, researcher, and former clinical professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ardmore resident and Beth Chaim Reform Congregation’s longtime rabbi Michelle Denker Pearlman died last month of leiomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. Outside of her work at the Malvern congregation, Pearlman, 56, was a social justice activist, musical stage performer, and mentor.
Creative Kitchen and Bath, a custom design and build firm specializing in kitchens and baths, has opened a showroom at 64 Rittenhouse Place in Ardmore.
Registration is open for next month’s Narberth scavenger hunt, which will take place Nov. 7.
The 5-acre Bala Cynwyd property at 132-34 Rock Hill Rd., currently leased to BMW of the Main Line, has been put up for sale and could potentially be redeveloped with township approval, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports.
🗺️ Other nearby news
The two-year repair project on a sinkhole in King of Prussia is nearing completion, but more are likely to crop up thanks to the geology of the region. The Inquirer’s Anthony R. Wood looks at what measures PennDot is taking and why that area is regularly grappling with sinkholes.
So-called “forever chemicals” have been found in many area waterways. The Inquirer’s Frank Kummer explains what that could mean for your drinking water and health.
🏫 Schools briefing
Residents took to a recent school board meeting to voice their frustrations over Superintendent Frank Ranelli’s surprise resignation, which will come two years after he started the role. One parent called the situation “embarrassing,” while the board said it was “committed to taking an honest look at what we can learn.”
As measles cases continue to climb throughout the state, The Inquirer has put together a guide about what to know. You can also check the vaccination rates of your local schools here.
🍽️ On our plate
Cooler weather have you craving a night in? Johnny’s Pizza in Bryn Mawr has made our list of best spots for takeout, based on The 76, or The Inquirer’s guide to the area’s most essential restaurants. But, be warned: Johnny’s does turn off online ordering when volume is high.
🎳 Things to do
🧙♀️ Witches of Narberth: Kids can scavenge the town for treats and prizes. ⏰ Saturday, Oct. 24, 1-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Throughout Narberth
🍎 Heirloom Apple Tasting: Sample heirloom apples, apple-based treats, and more at this annual event. ⏰ Saturday, Oct. 24, 2-4 p.m. 💵 $5.04-$12.51 📍 Harriton House
🚒 Truck-or-Treat: Penn Wynne Library will have treats, trucks, and face painting at this Halloween-inspired event. ⏰ Sunday, Oct. 25, 12:30-2:30 p.m. 💵 $5 per child or $10 per family 📍 Penn Wynne Library
👑 Marie Antoinette: Catch a screening of the 2006 Sofia Coppola film starring Kirsten Dunst as the controversial former queen of France. ⏰ Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7:15 p.m. 💵 $11.75-$16.25 📍 Bryn Mawr Film Institute
🎶 Steal Your Peach: Hear a mashup tribute to the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead. ⏰ Thursday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m. 💵 $26.91-$71.42 📍 Ardmore Music Hall
🏡 On the market
Built in 1940 in the Normandy style, this Wynnewood home, which is under contract, is a blend of past and present. Updated by its current owners, the stone home has a dining room, a living room with a fireplace, an office, a colorful eat-in kitchen, and an airy sunroom. Four of its bedrooms are on the second floor, including a primary suite with two walk-in closets. There’s a suite with its own sitting room on the third level. There are also stone terraces in the front and back of the home.
See more photos of the home here.
Price: $1.895M | Size: 4,867 SF | Acreage: 0.33
📈 Lower Merion market report
Median listing price: $675,000 (up $85,000 from August) 📈
Median sold price: $680,000 (down $84,500 from August) 📉
Median days on the market: 37 days (down 21 days from August) 📉
This Lower Merion market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for September from realtor.com.
🗞️ What other Lower Merion residents are reading this week:
Staffer Patricia Madej contributed to this newsletter.
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