Water Damage

The Haddon Township public library in Westmont will remain closed for most of the week because of interior water damage. A passerby notified police Sunday of the problem, which involved a malfunctioning pump in the boiler room. Though only about 10 books were damaged, carpeting and drywall have required repairs, according to a Camden County Library spokesman. The branch is tentatively scheduled to reopen Saturday. Due dates will be extended on items checked out from the branch and fines waived on overdue items for the duration of the closure, according to library officials.

A smoky, four-alarm electrical fire last night cleared the restaurant-ship Moshulu at Penn's Landing of 200 customers and employees, and sent two customers, three firefighters and the restaurant manager to hospitals. Reataurant officials said today there was no fire damage to the restaurant portion of the ship, which suffered only smoke and water damage. Fire officials today were still investigating the cause of the fire that damaged the turn-of-the-century ship, which is the oldest steel-hulled sailing vessel still afloat.

Homeless in Haddonfield. That's the situation involving the Haddonfield boys' basketball team, which has been without a gym for 2 1/2 weeks and will play most of its remaining "home" games at Rutgers-Camden. No gym, no problem. Haddonfield, which was forced out of its gym because a broken pipe caused water damage to the hardwood floor, hasn't missed a beat. The defending Group 2 state champion Bulldogs (17-1) scored three more wins last week and have climbed into the No. 1 spot in The Inquirer's South Jersey rankings for the first time this season.

Sometime over the holiday weekend, a valve on an old City Hall air-conditioning unit burst, sending buckets of water into the law library, City Council chambers, the Mayor's Reception Room, and the north portal. The damage was so severe that Council may not be able to use its ornate chambers until next fall. In the next few weeks, Council will consider the mayor's budget, school taxes, and a controversial cut in the city wage tax. But late yesterday, no one knew where Council would hold its meetings and hearings.

Philadelphia taxpayers may have to spend millions to fix the water-damaged City Council chambers and other ornate rooms in century-old City Hall, but city officials have refused to disclose how much it would cost or even what caused the three-month-old flood. Even though the water damage was discovered April 1, there are still huge blowers stationed in City Hall to dry out the walls and ceilings - a sign of severe damage. "There's been no update, literally, since the time of the event," said Councilman Michael Nutter, who often wanders into the darkened Council chamber to see if anyone is fixing it. So far, he hasn't seen any work under way, but he noted that City Council's antique desks were returned to the chamber last week.

A water-damaged cable wiped out telephone service in the last few days for as many as 2,000 Warminster customers in a three- to four-mile area of the township. Some residents said yesterday they had been without service since Saturday, having to resort to cell phones and neighbors to get and receive calls. A 14-person crew has been working on the problem since Monday morning, according to Verizon Inc. spokeswoman Sharon Shaffer. Most customers should have had service restored by late last night, Shaffer said yesterday.

THESE DAYS, "dinner and a show" invokes images of takeout sushi and an on-demand movie. But there was a time when it meant an elegant evening at a restaurant with a decidedly grown-up atmosphere, where folks seated at linen-covered tables were entertained as they dined. That's the bygone realm that's been revived - with a modern twist - at Walnut Street Supper Club, which opened right before New Year's at 1227 Walnut St., for 35 years the site of the landmark Portofino Italian restaurant.

ARMS FOLDED, Sen. Arlen Specter listens as Capt. William J. Jackman (center, with four stripes) describes water damage from a leaky roof at the Naval Hospital. Specter toured the South Philadelphia facility yesterday and said he was not convinced it was unsalvageable and should be closed.

A one-alarm fire in the 300 block of Prospect Street, Phoenixville, caused an estimated $45,000 damage Tuesday, a fire official said. About $10,000 of the damage was done to contents of a twin home, said Chief J.W. Brewer of the West End Fire Company. He said that the fire was accidental, but that the cause had not been determined. The fire began on the third floor of the house, where there were two bedrooms, he said. The fire company received the call about 11:30 a.m., and the fire was under control by noon, Brewer said.

When it comes to the housing market for foreclosures - buyer beware. "One mistake that we see all the time is buyers going in and assuming all the mechanicals are working," said Brandon T. Johnson, president of GTJ Consulting in Roseville, Mich. "You have to be careful you don't get burned that way. " Johnson's company maintains foreclosed homes for a number of lenders, Realtors and Freddie Mac. He said the term "as is" shouldn't scare buyers off as long as they know what it means.

THESE DAYS, "dinner and a show" invokes images of takeout sushi and an on-demand movie. But there was a time when it meant an elegant evening at a restaurant with a decidedly grown-up atmosphere, where folks seated at linen-covered tables were entertained as they dined. That's the bygone realm that's been revived - with a modern twist - at Walnut Street Supper Club, which opened right before New Year's at 1227 Walnut St., for 35 years the site of the landmark Portofino Italian restaurant.

THE FLOOR around Francina Waddell's bed is spongy from water damage that has so weakened the floorboards that Waddell wonders, only half-jokingly, how long until her mattress plummets into the basement. Water damage in the bathroom ceiling sent chunks of plaster raining down. "I virtually have to sit on my toilet with an umbrella," the 48-year-old Germantown woman said. Exposed wires snake out of an open junction box in a bedroom closet, and construction debris and other trash piles outside.

Asante Samuel was back in Philadelphia Friday, helping fix up a home for a single mother just a few minutes from Lincoln Financial Field. The most pressing question for football fans is whether Samuel will be spending much more time in Philadelphia or if he will take his game elsewhere. Asked if he wants to be back as an Eagle, Samuel said simply, "Of course. " But he didn't elaborate. "I just take it day-to-day, see what the future holds," Samuel said. But he said he had received no clear indication from the team what its plans are for him next year.

A patient was suspected of setting a small fire Thursday afternoon at Lower Bucks Hospital that resulted in water damage from a sprinkler activation, a hospital executive said. No one was injured, but some patients were moved away from the fourth-floor room where a bed was set on fire about 4 p.m. at the hospital in Bristol, said James Trichon, the hospital's senior vice president. The patient, identified only as a woman, was in police custody, Trichon said. - Robert Moran

A patient is suspected of setting a small fire Thursday afternoon at Lower Bucks Hospital that resulted in water damage from a sprinkler activation, a hospital executive said. No one was injured but some patients were moved away from the fourth-floor room where a bed was set on fire around 4 p.m. at the hospital in Bristol, said James Trichon, the hospital's senior vice president. The patient, only identified as a woman, was in police custody, Trichon said.    -Robert Moran

The Haddon Township public library in Westmont will remain closed for most of the week because of interior water damage. A passerby notified police Sunday of the problem, which involved a malfunctioning pump in the boiler room. Though only about 10 books were damaged, carpeting and drywall have required repairs, according to a Camden County Library spokesman. The branch is tentatively scheduled to reopen Saturday. Due dates will be extended on items checked out from the branch and fines waived on overdue items for the duration of the closure, according to library officials.

Your editorial "Man the lifeboats" (Oct. 6) sure did miss the boat. The Venice project was completed in 2007 and this was the first flood we encountered. The minimal damage was promptly fixed in 48 hours. Our city (police, fire, streets) and our management staff did a fantastic job. Only one resident was taken out on a raft because he would not leave when advised by Philadelphia police and Dranoff management. All of our residents, except for the seven townhouse residents who were put up in luxury accommodations for the evening, were back in their homes the night they were evacuated.

Tahisha Young was awakened at 7 a.m. yesterday by her nephew, Moab Fountain, 27, who had spent the night at her house at 9th and Berks streets in North Philadelphia. He had just discovered four feet of muddy water in the basement. The anxiety caused Young, 38, to be taken by ambulance to Temple University Hospital accompanied by her husband, Alan Fountain, according to their daughter LaTasha Fountain. "It's a lot to wake up to," said LaTasha, 19. "You couldn't even see the bottom steps with the muddy water.

When it comes to the housing market for foreclosures - buyer beware. "One mistake that we see all the time is buyers going in and assuming all the mechanicals are working," said Brandon T. Johnson, president of GTJ Consulting in Roseville, Mich. "You have to be careful you don't get burned that way. " Johnson's company maintains foreclosed homes for a number of lenders, Realtors and Freddie Mac. He said the term "as is" shouldn't scare buyers off as long as they know what it means.

With their social clubs, balconies, and large swimming pool, the 18-story white apartment towers near Route 70 and I-295 were a premier Cherry Hill residence years ago. The Grand Apartment Homes of today are not so grand. Ceilings and walls are pocked with water damage. Smoke detectors dangle from wires and hallway carpets are covered with plastic to protect them from asbestos contamination. The pool will be closed again this summer. Developer Jeffrey Hirschfeld, who bought the property in March 2008 with partner Dubai Investment Group Real Estate, has failed to deliver on a $26 million renovation he promised would restore the two 1969 towers to their "former glory and beyond.