CLOSE UP by Brian Rudnick

Med student preps for exam

Divya Arun, of Roxborough, a 3rd year medical student at Drexel University, studies the clinical manifestations of diseases at Chestnut Hill Coffee cafe in preparation for an oral exam.

I SEE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING SET UP HERE, YOUR DRINKS YOUR BANANA, YOUR BOOK, YOUR NOTEBOOKS, YOUR PEN. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON? I’m actually in medical school. We have an oral exam coming up Thursday so I ‘m preparing for that. I have to pick fifteen different medical topics and know ever thing about them. And they’ll randomly ask me questions about the topics so I have to prepare the clinical manifestations of diseases and things like that. WHAT AREA IN MEDICINE ARE YOU INTERESTED IN? I’m not sure, Third year we go through the different specialties like medicine, pediatrics, ob-gyn, surgery, psychiatry, family medicine and you kind of decide from there. That’s what this year is about and I haven’t figured it out yet. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHAT SETTING YOU WANT TO PRACTICE, WHETHER CLINICAL OR RESEARCH..? Definitely clinical probably not research although I’ll have research integrated in whatever I do but not totally research. WHAT INTERESTS YOU IN THE FIELD? It’s constantly changing, you work with people day in and day out. You get to help them most of the time. It’s pretty rewarding, feeling you’re doing something productive every day. CAN YOU THINK OF AN INSTANCE WHERE YOU FELT GRATIFIED HELPING SOMEONE? I volunteered last year at the Eliza Shirley Clinic which is a domestic violence shelter for women and their children who are abused and have nowhere else to go and I felt that was pretty rewarding. We had a student run clinic and you just see whoever wants to be seen with one of the doctors from Drexel who comes. WHAT KIND OF MEDICAL ISSUES DO THEY PRESENT WITH? They present with the gamut. We see the adults on the adult clinic day and the “Peeds clinic”, the pediatricians come in. Lots of colds, lots of gyn-related problems, really anything. AND YOU’RE STUDYING WHERE? Drexel University School of Medicine. AND THIS IS YOUR OFFICE AWAY FORM HOME? Pretty much.

Divya Arun, of Roxborough, studying at Chestnut hill Coffee cafe.

Watch video here.

 

Zoe Joy Einbinder makes real fresh fruit jewelry

Tractor Trailer O' Trees Arrive on Hill

The unit block of East Evergreen was bustling one afternoon earlier this week. Andy Peszka of the Top of the Hill Market managed  workers  unloading a tractor trailer load of Christmas trees on the north side of Evergreen Avenue as customers shopped for trees at thestore on the south side.  Catriona Briger, holding daughter Hazel, let son Oliver pick out the most appealing and not too tall tree for their modestly sized Benezet Street home. The Market's Rosie Cortez assisted them with their purchase.

Peszka was taking stock on five varieties of fir just cut and delivered from Lehighton, Pennsylvania, an hour and a half a way. He estimated it would take 2 or more hours to unload the truck and his workers appeared to be steadily unloading about 8 of them each minute.  Peszka also has some but not many customers for living, balled trees which he expects to take delivery on.  Those who buy live trees customarily bring  them inside for the holiday and  have room to plant them outside in the spring when the ground thaws. He expects to sell out all of his trees by the week before Christmas.

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Friends, one blind, walk Chestnut Hill

I'VE SEEN YOU GENTLEMEN WALKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR MANY YEARS. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT'S YOUR ROUTINE?

JM: My name is John Manola.

WT: And I am William Talero. I met John forty years ago when I was teaching at the School for the Blind in Jersey City. He was a chaplain of a group of blind people who used to be foster grandparents to some of the blind youngsters. And then I met him again nine years ago when I went to a concert in Philadelphia. And we joined forces and we moved here to Chestnut Hill. And we try to walk as much as we can and live a healthy life.

ARE YOU VISUALLY IMPAIRED?

WT: I am totally blind. I lost my vision. I used to have partial vision but eight years ago I became totally blind because glaucoma took the last bit of sight that I had. So living with John has been very beneficial to me because he's and honest person and he happens to like to walk and I always enjoy walking. Before I was totally blind I used to walk all over- the Wissahickon and I did a little bit of the Appalachian Trail...You don't believe it but this gentleman next month is going to be ninety-three.

JM: I'm 92 now; I'll be 93 in December, yes.

I NOTICE YOU WEAR SHADES, ALSO.

JM: Yes, my eyes are sensitive to light, there's nothing wrong with my eyesight.

WT: He has very good sight

YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT USING YOUR OTHER SENSES.

WT: Well you know there is a great opportunity to use your other senses when you walk down on the avenue because the bakeries, the dry cleaning, the flower shop, and of course the sounds are certainly very much in evidence. I remember many years ago when they used to have the trolley. And it was always a kind of nice, quaint sound that you always related to Philadelphia. I kind of miss that 23 trolley, you know?

WHAT ABOUT THE COFFEE AND THE GARLIC?Yes, the coffee and all the garlic and all the wonderful smells of the various restaurants, not as many as there used to be.

WHAT RESTUARANTS DO YOU RECOGNIZE BY SMELL?
I definitely know when I’m getting close to the Japanese restaurant and the Chinese-French place, Cin-Cin, and on this side, of course, the Hotel. We like to go to Rollers. It’s very friendly and we always have a good meal there.

John Manola (left) and William Talero, along Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill.

Watch video here.

Art Miron sings impromptu at Kilian's Hardware

“This is the man you should be interviewing, seriously. You know Art Miron? He performs at 2 Mount Airy stations and he’s the best folksinger, he’s wonderful. TELL ME MORE ABOUT HIM. He has a beautiful voice, a great personality. And a lot of these songs are your own, aren’t they? OK, they’re not your own. You sit there, you smile a lot, delightful, very warm. Am I embarrassing you? And he collaborates with different people.” Linda Baldwin. DOES YOUR GROUP HAVE A NAME? No, my name’s Art Miron and I just play with another guy who plays with me. CAN YOU SING SOMETHING, A PREVIEW? You’re kidding, in here? ‘Hey, hey good looking, whatcha got cookin’? Hows about cooking something up with me?” Kilian’s Hardware. Watch video interview here.

Rehab work at Salvation Army thrift store dropoff

WHAT KIND OF STUFF ARE YOU COLLECTING? “I collect a little bit of everything. I collect clothing, I collect household items, vacuum cleaners, TVs, things like that. The furniture goes around the other side. The Salvation Army pretty much takes donations of all types. IS THERE A LARGE DEMAND FOR THESE USED ITEMS? “Yeah, pretty much always, you know there’s always people a little short on money and they come, get clothing, stuff like that. It’s not very expensive at all. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH THE SALVATION ARMY? “I’ve been in this program, it’s an adult rehabilitation program. I’ve been in it for the last three months. They get you grounded with Christ, things like that.” Kevin Potter, Salvation Army, Roxborough, Philadelphia. Watch video interview here.

Barber Frank cutting hair for 70 of his 88 years

Frank Salemno (FS) “I’ve been in business here in Chestnut Hill – here’s an article they did in the Philadelphia Inquirer, it was out Tuesday – seventy years! HOW’D YOU GET YOUR START? FS: I was cleaning up the barber shop. I used to get a dollar a week. Charlie Gallagher, customer (CG):This shop here or somewhere else? FS: Same shop. And then when I was old enough I went to barber school. WHOSE SHOP WAS IT WHEN YOU WERE CLEANING IT UP? FS: The guy’s name was Domenic Rosetti. CG: Like Rosetta stone. FS: Yup. CG: The mayor was here this week. Tell him about the Mayor, Frank. FS: The Mayor came here yesterday and I got this from the Mayor, “City of Philadelphia- Citation” and that’s his signature. WHAT ARE YOU BEING CITED FOR? FS: Being a dummy, I don’t know. CG: Longevity, hangin’ in there, ever hear that expression? FS: Right, my birthday was Thursday the 22nd - I was 88. CG: He’s the best barber in the whole world. FS: That’s right. CG: Know how I know that? He told me this morning. YOU STILL USE THE STRAP TO SHARPEN YOUR RAZOR? FS: There’s a strap over there. I beat my customers when they get out of line… Frank Salemno, barber and long-time customer Charlie Gallagher,Frank’s Barber Shop, Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA. Watch video interview here.

Shopper spots doctor cousin on shopping cart advertisment

YOU JUST STOPPED ME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PHOTOGRAPH [ON THE SHOPPING CART] “Yes, I noticed it was my cousin, Dr. Milbourne, my name is Aaron Donaldson. He started out wanting to be a veterinarian. As a child he always loved animals, always had a lot of passion towards this life. He turned out to be a heart doctor and what a great heart doctor he is. One of the proudest moments of our entire family is him. We love him dearly.” Aaron Donaldson, outside Pathmark. Watch video interview here.

Weavers Way boosts other cooperatives

I’M SPREADING A RUMOR THAT THE COOP’S NEXT PROJECT IS TO EXPAND ON THE AVENUE AND OPEN A COOPERATIVE BOOKSTORE… “Not for us. We’ll help other people start coops like in Powelton, Elkins Park, South Philadelphia, Fishtown, Kensington.. Bob Noble’s working on that. He sits on our board. There’s like seventeen coops he’s working with, buying clubs and small seed coops in the region. It’s really very exciting.” Glen Bergman, General Manager, Weavers Way Coop. Rick Spalek, Operations Manager on right. Watch video interview here.

Sax Outside "What a Girl Wants" for Christmas

“Well, my wife has this lovely store, and she had it in Mount Airy for a long time. And she thought she’d try it here in Chestnut Hill, it’s doing great. I’m out here to draw a little business to her store and a vibe to Chestnut Hill, to the avenue.” Dave Lynn, outside “What a Girl Wants and a Guy Needs” store. Watch video here.