Locker Room

"My parents were immigrants, and my father worked in a factory. That's why I appreciate Temple's populist mission so much," George Edberg-Olson said in 2000. "I'm not a wealthy man, but clearly Temple University enabled me to progress in my life. " The occasion was the 2000 opening of Edberg-Olson Hall, Temple's football training headquarters at 11th and Diamond Streets, for which he contributed $1 million of the estimated $7 million construction cost. On Monday, Dr. Edberg-Olson, 84, a former professor of Spanish at Temple, died of complications from Alzheimer's disease at the Artman Lutheran Home in Ambler, where he had resided for the last five years.

Support, Cheers, Respect, and a Bit of Trash Talk "If you have learned anything from Jackie Robinson, it is that teammates are always the first to accept. It will be society who has to learn tolerance. " - Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue. " - NBA commissioner David Stern. "Hopefully he can pave the way for other gay men in sports to be able to live free.

A zoning dispute over whether a two-story locker room at 8900 Hawthorn Lane can be used as a classroom was left unsettled by the Springfield Zoning Hearing Board this week. The property is owned by Michael Singer of Lower Merion and has been leased to La Petit Enfant Day Care since September. The day care center operates out of a classroom building on the property. Day care officials have sought to expand into the two-story building, which is behind the classroom building.

RE SOLOMON Jones' column on Ines Sainz: Great article. I couldn't agree more. Women have every right to be in a locker room, however, there has to be some professionalism on their part. I have seen too many pictures of this particular reporter wearing tight jeans and half shirts. She looks great, but this isn't a fashion show. Keep up the good work - I look forward to reading more. Bryan Lebowitz Deptford, N.J.

Episcopal Academy's offense, or what there was of it Friday, was trying to get downfield for a touchdown. No matter. It was so dark by that time of the late afternoon that it was hard to see the football anyhow. And the Churchmen's first loss of the season, a 23-10 defeat at the hands of Penn Charter, was already assured. "They punished us; they deserved to win," said Episcopal quarterback Mike Abate, who completed only 4 of 12 passes and was constanly running away from Penn Charter pressure.

IF ASKED now to name his favorite television show, Mike Capriotti goes with "NCIS. " That won't be the case some Friday night this winter. Capriotti, who has earned a certain amount of acclaim as the football coach at Frankford High, has now gone all Hollywood on us. Along with his players. "Friday Night Lights," the popular TV series based on the best-selling book, yesterday came to Frankford's legendary stadium to film a two-pronged practice session - early evening in the sun; later at night under very powerful portable lights - that will wind up as part of a 2010-11 episode.

Whether a two-story building at 8900 Hawthorne Lane can be used as a classroom - a question that created a stir four years ago - is once again at issue in a Springfield Township zoning dispute. The building is at the rear of the property near two swimming pools on a lot owned by Michael Singer of Lower Merion. A larger building on the lot is used as a day-care center, and Singer's tenant, La Petit Enfant Day Care, wants to use the disputed building for a classroom. But the township and neighboring residents say it should be used only as a locker room.

A Springfield Township day-care center this week lost another round in its bid to convert a two-story locker-room building on its property into a classroom. Officials of La Petit Enfant Day Care, which operates out of a classroom building on the 8900 block of Hawthorne Lane, have sought to expand their operation into the locker-room building. The Springfield Zoning Hearing Board voted unanimously at its Monday night meeting to reject the day care center's application. The board did not discuss the application and turned down the application by a voice vote.

A 28-year-old graduate student has told police she has no memory of being attacked in a basement locker room at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School on Thursday morning. According to Lt. Kenneth Coluzzi of the Police Department's sex crimes unit, the woman said the last thing she remembers is punching in the electronic code to unlock the door to the locker room. She said her next recollection is of returning to consciousness on the floor of the locker room at 38th and Spruce streets and finding police standing over her, Coluzzi reported.

The third time was the charm for Marple Newtown, and defense was its key in a 75-61 PIAA Class AAAA playoff victory over Ridley last night at Strath Haven. The Tigers, beaten twice by the Green Raiders during the regular season, turned up the defensive heat in the second half to earn a berth in the state boys' basketball playoffs for the first time in school history. "We came into the locker room at halftime and said we had to leave everything on the floor," senior forward Frank Zanin said.