Bala Cynwyd

A Sovereign Bank office in Bala Cynwyd was robbed Thursday morning by a man who handed a teller a note demanding money and fled with an undisclosed amount. The robbery took place at 10:43 in the GSB Building at Belmont and City Avenues. The robber wore dark-framed glasses, a ski cap, and a dark coat. Anyone with information can call Lower Merion police at 610-649-1000. - Carolyn Davis

You know you're in trouble, Maria Kefalas said sadly, when you're fast-tracked for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Kefalas, 45, is a St. Joseph's University sociologist whose daughter Calliope, 3, has a rare and untreatable genetic disease, MLD. It's a diagnosis without hope: Most patients don't live beyond age 5. Kefalas, along with her husband, Patrick Carr (also a sociologist), and their three children were sponsored for a trip to Martha's Vineyard over the summer by the foundation, which attempts to enrich the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

A Bala Cynwyd man who authorities say scammed investors out of millions of dollars using a Ponzi scheme will serve more than eight years in prison. Ira J. Pressman, 64, pleaded guilty in July to fraud and money-laundering charges. He was sentenced Friday in federal court to 97 months behind bars. Pressman had run a company since 2006 that purported to buy and sell closeout and overstock merchandise. He promised annual returns of up to 100 percent, but most of the deals were fictitious, prosecutors said.

Lower Merion Police hope the public can help identify an armed robber. On the afternoon of Sept. 1, a man pointed a gun and demanded money from a clerk at the 7-Eleven at 169. W. City Ave. in Bala Cynwyd. Police describe the suspect as "a black male, 20s, 5'10", wearing a dark colored hooded pullover and white Converse sneakers (Chuck Taylor style). " The man took an unspecified amount of cash and ran away heading west on Oakland Terrace. The store also was robbed on Aug. 28. Anyone with information about the case should contact Lower Merion Police at 610-649-1000.

A Bala Cynwyd man who died in a skydiving accident last week in Monroe Township did not attempt to open his parachute, authorities said Tuesday. They identified the victim as Donald Lawrence Morozin, 62. Accident investigators found that the certified skydiver, who had performed more than 3,500 jumps, had not pulled the parachute's primary or emergency chords, said Mary Pyffer, trial chief with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office....

Given the way they've used floor-to-ceiling wall space to display objects and art from the 95 countries they've visited so far, Ronnie Allen likens the Bala Cynwyd condominium she shares with husband Herb to the Barnes Foundation. It's a place like no other, a living history of their lives touring the globe. The Allens moved to the condo in July 2010 from a home just a mile away where they had spent 25 years. Like many retirees - Ronnie taught in the Philadelphia school system for 25 years, Herb spent 40 years teaching environmental chemistry, the last 20 at the University of Delaware - they wanted fewer stairs and less maintenance.

The talk among the customers down at the Blue Lion was of the forthcoming village carnival and the marketing of spring lambs, but when I told the bartender I was from Bala Cynwyd, Pa., a pub full of Welsh people smiled on me. "Oh, Cynwyd Bala," exclaimed a woman at a nearby table, reversing the words. "I had two boys from there staying with me a few years ago. Both Davids, they were. " The pub patrons made me feel quite at home, which, in a sense, I was. I had traveled from my own Philadelphia suburb and detoured here out of curiosity more than anything else.

Stephen H. Nissenbaum, 69, a former Bala Cynwyd business owner who doted on his family, died Monday, June 3, at Paoli Hospital of complications from Parkinson's disease. Mr. Nissenbaum, a Wynnewood native, had battled the disease for a decade, his family said. He owned and operated Quaker State Mortgage, a commercial mortgage firm in Bala Cynwyd, from 1985 until 2008, when his condition required nursing care. A 1961 alumnus of Harriton High School in Rosemont, Mr. Nissenbaum graduated in 1965 from the University of Pennsylvania.

Beverly B. Brownstein, 75, of Bala Cynwyd, who helped her husband build an ad agency and later ran her own businesses, died Monday, May 13, at home after battling breast cancer for several years. Born in South Philadelphia, Mrs. Brownstein was 19 when she married her future husband, Berny, who was 21. They began their lives together in Mount Airy and then moved to Cheltenham, where they raised three children. Mrs. Brownstein initially helped her husband manage the Brownstein Group, an ad agency he founded and now runs with their son, Marc.

Stephen H. Nissenbaum, 69, a former Bala Cynwyd business owner who doted on his family, died Monday, June 3, at Paoli Hospital of complications from Parkinson's disease. Mr. Nissenbaum, a Wynnewood native, had battled the disease for a decade, his family said. He owned and operated Quaker State Mortgage, a commercial mortgage firm in Bala Cynwyd, from 1985 until 2008, when his condition required nursing care. A 1961 alumnus of Harriton High School in Rosemont, Mr. Nissenbaum graduated in 1965 from the University of Pennsylvania.

In the Region Peco rate cut kicks in Friday Just in time for the summer air-conditioning season, most Peco customers will enjoy a substantial rate cut starting Friday, when the cost of residential default electrical service will drop by 10.4 percent, from 9.61 cents per kilowatt-hour to 8.61 cents. The quarterly price adjustment will be in effect for the next three months. This is also the first summer that Peco is not charging two-tiered rates, which imposed a higher rate on consumption in excess of 500 kilowatt-hours.

Beverly B. Brownstein, 75, of Bala Cynwyd, who helped her husband build an ad agency and later ran her own businesses, died Monday, May 13, at home after battling breast cancer for several years. Born in South Philadelphia, Mrs. Brownstein was 19 when she married her future husband, Berny, who was 21. They began their lives together in Mount Airy and then moved to Cheltenham, where they raised three children. Mrs. Brownstein initially helped her husband manage the Brownstein Group, an ad agency he founded and now runs with their son, Marc.

Planting seeds of job growth Gov. Corbett's trade missions have benefited the entire state, and demonstrate his dedication to bringing well-paying jobs to Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, the result will be a world-leading port. When the governor negotiated the refineries deal here, he saved hundreds of jobs. His latest deal to bring in a containerized-cargo shipper, Horizon Lines Inc., is another example of how Corbett continuously comes up with creative ways to grow jobs. Benjamin Fogel, Bala Cynwyd, bfogel95@gmail.com Bishop never lost touch While a consultant to Cardinal Justin Rigali, I worked with then-Auxiliary Bishop Joseph P. McFadden on a sexual-assault prevention and education program for high school sophomores in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

Darryl Reynolds, a 6-foot-8 power forward who helped Lower Merion High School reach the PIAA Class AAAA state championship game in 2012, said Tuesday that he will continue his career at Villanova. Reynolds, who spent last season at Worcester (Mass.) Academy, committed to play for the Wildcats in a news conference at Lower Merion's Downs Gymnasium. He considered Seton Hall, South Carolina, and Utah. He made an official visit to Villanova this month. Reynolds is a three-star recruit, according to ESPN.

You know you're in trouble, Maria Kefalas said sadly, when you're fast-tracked for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Kefalas, 45, is a St. Joseph's University sociologist whose daughter Calliope, 3, has a rare and untreatable genetic disease, MLD. It's a diagnosis without hope: Most patients don't live beyond age 5. Kefalas, along with her husband, Patrick Carr (also a sociologist), and their three children were sponsored for a trip to Martha's Vineyard over the summer by the foundation, which attempts to enrich the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Tony Studdy, 75, of Wynnewood, secretary of the Philadelphia Rugby Football Club for many years, died Monday, Feb. 25, of complications from Parkinson's disease at home. He had been ill for 17 years but remained active much of that time due to his passion for the sport, his wife, Helene, said. Mr. Studdy came to the United States from Britain in 1964. He settled in New York and worked for the New York Central Railroad, which became Penn Central and then Conrail. Mr. Studdy worked in engineering for 35 years before retiring in 1995.

A Sovereign Bank office in Bala Cynwyd was robbed Thursday morning by a man who handed a teller a note demanding money and fled with an undisclosed amount. The robbery took place at 10:43 in the GSB Building at Belmont and City Avenues. The robber wore dark-framed glasses, a ski cap, and a dark coat. Anyone with information can call Lower Merion police at 610-649-1000. - Carolyn Davis

Howard Gordon, 67, of Bala Cynwyd, a towel boy for the Eagles in the 1960s and a champion in Special Olympics, died Tuesday, Feb. 5, of a spinal-cord ailment at his home. Mr. Gordon, who had Down syndrome, was a favorite of Eagles players and coaches. In 1966, at age 20, he was invited to be a towel boy by then-owner Jerry Wolman and team vice president Ed Snider, who at that time was Mr. Gordon's brother-in-law. He held that position for about five years, said his sister Myrna Snider Thomas.

The Reading School District is cutting its ties with an embattled alternative-education firm in Bala Cynwyd. Reading's school board voted unanimously Wednesday night to terminate a $1.1 million contract with Delaware Valley High School to operate a disciplinary school for troubled students as of Feb. 6. "We are acting in the best interest of our students," the district said in a statement Thursday. "We have a transition plan in place for our alternative education services, and that will be communicated to our parents and students.