Coffee

PHILADELPHIA Coffee with Bass Freshman Councilwoman Cindy Bass would like to open a district office someday, but in the meantime she's looking to connect with constituents in other ways. Bass, whose district is in northwest Philadelphia, will begin regularly holding "Coffee with the Councilwoman," an opportunity for residents to chat up Bass at their local restaurant, coffeehouse or diner about neighborhood issues. The first coffee meeting will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday.

A gallon of gas cost 19.9 cents and Route 38 was two placid lanes of pavement when Louis Stiles opened his Sunoco station in Mount Laurel. Prices and a whole lot more may have changed since 1969, but Stiles still wears a tie daily (and a costume occasionally). Stiles Sunoco still fixes cars. And with its exuberant holiday displays and smiling service, the station is a small-town island in a sea of sprawl. "I have to give my Eleanor credit for the decorations," says Stiles, 72, who lives in Hainesport with his wife of almost 50 years.

Q: For the last two months, I have been taking a green coffee bean extract recommended by Dr. Oz on his show. So far, I've lost 10 pounds without even trying. What's your opinion of it? A: Generally, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. But this stuff may actually work. Excitement about the weight-loss magic of green coffee bean extract began this year, after a "randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover University of Scranton study.

One in a continuing series spotlighting real estate markets in this region's communities. Bruce Prabel and his wife, Marianne, crossed Brandywine Creek from their northern Delaware home in 1979 to what was then Birmingham Township, Delaware County, and came upon The Lake. Eight acres of private lake, in fact, near Karl and Anna Kuerner's Ring Farm, now a National Historic Landmark as the subject of nearly one-third of Andrew Wyeth's lifetime of paintings and, since 1999, part of the Brandywine Conservancy.

Q: Is prime rib the same thing as a rib-eye steak? If so (or if not), would I prepare them the same way? I enjoy listening to your NPR radio show. Your expertise is greatly appreciated. - Thomas C. A: Thomas, you have brought up an issue most people do not have a clear understanding of that is the subject of much debate. Wars have been waged over less. I'm not talking about the difference between prime rib and rib-eye, I'm talking about my expertise. That being said, and since I have your vote of confidence, let's get down to the bare bones here.

At age 41, Aaron Krause, a husband and father of 6-year-old twins, most certainly is old enough to speak for himself. Yet, it was his father who best explained why his son - frequent wearer of orange sneakers in honor of his beloved Philadelphia Flyers - has 10 patents and three more pending. "He's very clever and creative," Robert Krause, a retired cardiologist from Wynnewood, said of the middle of three children born to him and wife, Marilyn, a retired pediatrician. That's the child who, at 13, rewired telephone lines to get phone service in his bedroom when his parents wouldn't buy it for him. The child who, while still in high school, transformed the family garage into an auto-detailing shop.

Clint Eastwood flinched first and settled a lawsuit yesterday with ex-live-in Sondra Locke minutes before a jury was to render a verdict in her favor. Neither side was talking how much, but her lawyer said it was a straight cash deal with no future considerations. Locke had sought $2.5 mil for Eastwood's alleged sabotaging of her directing career. A juror said damages were discussed from $15,000 to $10 mil. The lawsuit was over a movie deal he supposedly brokered for her at Warner Bros.

The developer calls Malvern "the town that time forgot" - its main street lined with Victorian-style houses, small boutiques, and local watering holes like the Flying Pig Saloon. But Eli Kahn and his partners are betting that a $45 million apartment and retail complex on East King Street will help satisfy urban appetites in one of the region's most venerable suburbs - and entice empty nesters and young professionals looking for a citified environment outside the city. Construction on the East King Street redevelopment project began in June and includes two large apartment buildings with 190 units, plus first-floor retail space that Kahn envisions renting to restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques.

Downingtown Area School District officials approached their predicament like the problem solvers they hope to develop at the district's newest high school. The equation included student overcrowding, a limited budget, and a plan to modernize programs with a cutting-edge curriculum. Their solution opened its doors Aug. 29, when the new Downingtown STEM Academy held its first classes for 450 students in one of the Chester County district's oldest buildings. The new magnet high school offers specialized curriculum in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)

Interior designer Steven Weixler had long lived in spacious pre-World War II apartments when he decided to buy a small one-bedroom apartment in a newer building in Philadelphia. The two main rooms of the 850-square-foot apartment, the bedroom and living room, were not only tiny, but the biggest window and a balcony were located in the bedroom. The arrangement didn't suit Weixler's furniture, particularly his favorite large oil painting and a valuable English Regency table. "I didn't want to give them up or to cram them into small rooms," Weixler said.