Home Care In Flourtown, PA

Montgomery County parents are invited to a free film screening and panel discussion of Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age on Monday, October 23, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Flourtown Movie Tavern, 1844 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with an adolescent treatment provider and educators.

Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age, the third feature documentary in the Screenagers trilogy, delves into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and its effects on substance use. The film debunks myths and depicts strategies parents can use to encourage healthy decision-making, support teen mental health, set limits, and create healthy home environments. Learn more about the film at https://www.screenagersmovie.com/about-screenagers-under-the-influence.

“This eye-opening film examines the impact of our digital age on teens’ decision-making in relation to substance use, including vaping, alcohol, and other drugs,” said Judy Hirsh, Director of Community Engagement, Be a Part of the Conversation. “The film is grounded in teens’ current reality of being flooded by images on social media, movies, and TV shows about vaping, drugs, and alcohol.”

This event will be held during Red Ribbon Week (October 23–31), the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign® is to present a unified and visible commitment toward the creation of a drug-free America.

To register for this free event, visit https://conversation.zone/event/montcofilm/. Each registrant will be entered to win a $40 Target gift card. Must be present to win.

This event is presented by Be a Part of the Conversation and the Montgomery County Alliance for Prevention (MAP), with funding from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Office of Drug & Alcohol.

About Be a Part of the Conversation

Be a Part of the Conversation equips families and communities in Pennsylvania with skills and resources to understand substance use, addiction, and related health issues. They provide community programs, foster supportive connections, highlight lived experiences, and challenge stigma. To learn more, visit https://conversation.zone/

About Montgomery County Alliance for Prevention

Rebranded in late 2023, the Montgomery County Alliance for Prevention (MAP) is a collective network of community coalitions focused on youth substance use prevention. By working together, we prevent substance abuse by collaborating to promote healthy, positive choices throughout Montgomery County. Current MAP members include the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Office of Drug & Alcohol; Family Services of Montgomery County; Cheltenham Communities That Care (CTC); Indian Valley Character Counts Coalition; Upper Merion Area Community Alliance for a Safer Tomorrow (CAST); and Upper Perk Project Live.

News

Almost by chance, a client with a particular vision and an architect with a novel approach to modernism met each other, and this one-of-a-kind house is the product of that meeting.

Is this a modern house? Absolutely. Yet it’s also traditional. But the best term to describe it is “a true original.” Come see why at 1 Wingate Ct., Flourtown, Pa. 19031 | Images: The Sivel Group, BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors; images with asterisks: Joel Levinson

I know that many people buy and build houses so they can show off their works of art.

Rarer, however, are those who build works of art to live in.

This eclectic Flourtown modern manor house for sale is one of those places. And it was also built to showcase the art the owners were buying when they built it.

“My husband had started an art collection,” says Janet Kimball, who owns this unique house with her husband Ron. He started the collection early on in his career as a physician: “When he was an intern, he had a choice: He was in an apartment by himself.” And, she says, he asked himself, “‘Do I buy a couch, or do I buy the art?’ So he bought the art.”

So, having amassed a sizable art collection since then, one of the things Ron and Janet knew they wanted in the house they planned to build in Flourtown was ample space to display artworks. And after visiting the Main Line home of their friends Bradley and Marjorie Lee (of Lee Tire fame), they knew who they wanted to provide it for them: architect Joel Levinson.

“Joel had designed their home,” she explains. “One night, they invited us over to go out to dinner. And we never did go to dinner. We just talked, going from room to room, talking about what went into everything and where they got this idea and that idea.

“And then we said, ‘Who was y0ur architect?’ And they told us it was Joel.”

They came to Levinson with a long list of elements they wanted their house to possess. Many of them were seemingly contradictory: “They wanted the house to be curvilinear and sensuous,” says Levinson. “They wanted openness, light, lots of windows. High ceilings. Variability. They wanted steps up and down to different levels. They wanted a celestial look in certain spaces. They wanted a sculptural house with form and they wanted it to be creative.”

Sitting room/playroom next to kitchen

And they wanted something that wouldn’t stick out too much in a neighborhood of mostly traditional houses. Levinson could handle that too: “My design philosophy is eclectic,” says Levinson. “I was trained at Penn as a modern architect, but I have always appreciated traditional architecture and photographed it on my travels.”

And so it came to pass that this pastiche of the medieval, the English picturesque, and modern influences ranging from Art Deco to midcentury to high modernist arose on a 1.69-acre lot in Flourtown.

Things aren’t all right here: at left, sharp angles accentuate the breakfast-room skylight, while the skylight over the main staircase is pyramidal; the breakfast room skylight appears through the arch in the photo at right*

This Flourtown modern manor house for sale checks off every item on that list the Kimballs gave their architect. Its sensuousness comes not only from its many curves but also from its many slopes and angles, which express one of his chief architectural interests: “diagonality.” The not-quite-right angle, he maintains, has been the source of delight and fascination stretching back centuries.

And certainly those angles delight and fascinate in this house. Look at how they frame the pyramidal skylight over the main staircase and add drama to the breakfast room.

And note the light that pours through both. Ample windows and many skylights flood the house with natural light as Ron wanted, and the dominant white color palette only intensifies the sense of airiness.

Living room, view towards main stairs, breakfast room and kitchen

The most dramatic curves reside in the two-story-high living room. Here, high modernism and Art Deco coexist harmoniously thanks to both the curves and the gentle coffers surrounding the oculus in its ceiling.

A similar juxtaposition can be found in the first-floor bar.

While modern at heart, the choice of stucco and stone as the chief building materials give this house some traditional heft, and the tile-clad turret adds a touch of the rustic, especially when juxtaposed with the stone facing around the entrance.

That was part of the plan, says Kimball. “We emphasized that we like our neighbors and we like them to like us. They like us, but I don’t know if they like the house.” But the stone and stucco help it fit in better with its neighbors.

So this house is a real looker. How’s it function? Very well. It manages to pull off a very neat trick: offering an open floor plan the consists of several distinct spaces. Changes in volume and angle and the use of alcoves are among the ways this house pulls off that trick.

But most of all, Kimball says, the light is what makes this place truly special. “You’re inside, but not feels like you’re outside,” she says.

Not only are the spaces enlivened by diagonality, but the basic plan of the house is as well: the main living spaces lie at an angle to the main entrance. And, Kimball says, “the acoustics are incredible.” That ought to be a big plus if you enjoy performing or listening to music. Especially in that circular living room: ”We found that out when we put surround sound in the room. It did not need it.”

Library. Can you find the secret door?

This house has a space for everything, and for everything, it has plenty of space. In addition to the curvy living room and the oval dining room, it also has a home gym next to the first-floor bar, a reading loft for the kids, and a library whose bookshelves conceal a door to a secret hideaway Ron asked for, a manifestation of his youthful fascination with Sherlock Holmes.

However, Kimball did find out that one element of the house’s design might not work so well in a world where COVID-19 has altered how we use residential space. “The second person to look at our house felt [the open design] was a problem, because they couldn’t close off the offices.

“It would have been great in today’s world, where people are working from home, if there was a way to close them off. It never bothered us, though.”

Just stick a white noise generator inside the office entryway and you should be fine.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 4

BATHS: 4 full, 2 half

SQUARE FEET: 6,895

SALE PRICE: $1,750,000

1 Wingate Ct., Flourtown, Pa. 19031 [Michael Sivel | The Sivel Group | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]

Brian and Melissa Halligan of Flourtown are the new owners of Urban Air in East Norriton. The couple are not new to family entertainment, having owned and operated a local golf and swim facility for 20 years. When looking for another venue to add to their portfolio, they found Urban Air to be the perfect fit as it provides another avenue for families to make memories while having fun together.

Not familiar with Urban Air? Urban Air is not just a trampoline park, but bills itself as the “Ultimate Indoor Adventure Park.” It has attractions that cater to any level of adventurer, so there is something for everyone from mini warriors conquering obstacles to those who want to show gravity who is boss.

The Halligans have really enjoyed the first few months owning the indoor park. “We are often at the park greeting guests and making sure everyone is having a great time, shared Melissa. “We want Urban Air to be the top spot in the region for kids to come play, learn, and escape.”

They also want to partner with schools and local organizations. “We want schools and organizations to think of Urban Air as a partner for their fundraising events,” offered Brian. “We want to help local kids by offering them a safe venue to raise funds and awareness for the causes they care about.”

The Halligans suggest you don’t miss the Sky Rider, a zip-line course that allows kids to fly over the park. They are also excited to announce that they are re-introducing the Drop Zone in 2024. This attraction allows guests to jump from a trampoline to a huge soft airbag.

Urban Air in East Norriton is open seven days a week. The hours are Monday, through Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For ticket information and to schedule your adventure, visit Urban Air online.

One of the most popular reasons families visit Urban Air is for birthday parties and Urban Air, MoreThanTheCurve.com, and AroundAmbler.com are partnering to give a free birthday ($450 value) to a kid in 2024. The deadline to enter is January 7, 2024.

The free birthday party includes access to ALL DAY PLAY for 10 guests (height restrictions apply), plus:

10 pairs of Urban Air SocksBottled waterTablecloth and runnerSetup and cleanup

2 hour party table rentalBalloonsT-shirt for birthday kid

Shared party hostPlates, napkins, forksScratch off party favors

Data collected through this contest will be shared with Burb Media, LLC, owner of MoreThanTheCurve.com and AroundAmbler.com, and Urban Air East Norriton.

Besides a few loose drinks, the doesn’t sell anything besides baked goods. According to owner Frank Alio, it isn’t an accident.

“We don’t sell candy, we don’t sell potato chips and we don’t sell anyone else’s thing,” he said. “We don’t get into anyone else’s business. We’re a bakery and that’s what we do.”

The Flourtown Bakery, , has been in the area for 33 years. Alio, a fourth-generation baker, says that the shop’s appeal is in its old-fashion methods.

“We do 99 percent of our stuff from scratch: no mixes, nothing frozen,” he said. “We’re one of the few places that still makes its own doughnuts. Our butter cookies are made with real butter. We don’t skimp.”

Alio says that the bakery’s insistence on making its goods from scratch makes it a destination for shoppers.

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“It’s worth a trip to come one time,” he said. “A nice time to come here is for Chirstmas. We make all our own gingerbread houses. We’re known for our cookies and our cakes: we sell tons and tons of cookies.”

Alio says that its old-fashion methods are how the bakery competes with hard economic times and increased competition.

“There’s not too many of us bakeries left,” he said. “We had to whether the storm with supermarkets and one-stop shopping places.”

He cites the bakery’s personal touch as a reason for its success.

“Pricewise, [supermarkets] are starting to out-price us in some things,” he says. “We can do things that they can’t. We can cater to you, make special orders and we can do that because it is what we’re all about.”

Alio runs the Flourtown Bakery as a family operation. His mother and cousin help him make the bakeries goods daily and his two college-aged daughters help out around the bakery when they can. Alio says he likes the work, but he suspects he might be the last of the family’s bakers.

“I’ve got two daughters who are on scholarship at college,” he said. “We’ll probably be it, though. It’s a good life, but it’s a lot of hours.”

Despite the work that goes into the bakery, Alio said that he wouldn’t run the shop any other way.

“It’s hard and its more work, but it pays off in the end,” he said.

by Grant Moser

Tim Huenke, 48, owner of Superior Guitar Works in Flourtown, remembers when his parents gave him a guitar at age 12. He had just "discovered" music and was grabbed by the deep and powerful feelings it stirred. Fortunately for the world of guitars, the instrument his parents bought was not any good.

Huenke’s profession today is what he calls “a restoring luthier.” (A luthier is a maker of stringed instruments.) Looking back now at that first guitar his parents gave him, he knows what was wrong with it.

"It was made out of cheap materials with poor construction. The geometry was all wrong, the strings were sitting too high off the fingerboard, the notes didn’t sound cleanly, there was rattling,” he explained. “It was an instrument that a seasoned professional would have trouble getting music to come out of; it was something from Kmart or Sears.”

But back then all he knew was that he wanted a better guitar. After buying a few progressively better guitars, Tim got the idea to build his own guitar. He had grown up building model kits and was good at detailed work with his hands. His stepfather had a good woodworking shop in the garage.

“It came pretty naturally to me,” he said. It took him most of the summer to complete it. That’s when he realized he loved the technical aspects of guitars as much as playing them.

There are many technical aspects to restoring, fixing and building guitars. One of them is the action: the distance between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret board. The strings are under an enormous amount of tension, anywhere from 150 to 200 pounds. “You don’t want to stretch a wire that’s pulled that tightly down really far with just your fingertip,” Huenke said. “You want to touch that wire and pluck that string and have the note sound.”

Another aspect is the geometry of the guitar: the alignment of the neck and the bridge and the fingerboard in relation to each other. Even many seasoned guitar players don’t understand the importance of geometry.

When someone brings in a guitar for Huenke to set-up (adjusting factors, including the action, to make the guitar play its best), often he finds that the geometry is misaligned. All that tension from the strings will stretch and buckle a neck over the years, which will make the guitar sound poor.

He used his know-how to earn money in college by fixing other students' guitars. He attended Stockton State College in Pomona, New Jersey, briefly before he dropped out (“I was young and irresponsible”) and began working as a union carpenter. A car accident forced him to leave that industry, and he landed a job at Zapf’s Music Store at 5421 N. 5th St. in Olney repairing acoustic guitars, doing set-ups, refinishing, a little of everything.

After four years at Zapf’s, he decided to start his own business in 1992. Actually working on guitars for years is the only way to really learn the craft, according to Huenke. There are schools to learn how to be a luthier or to repair guitars, but “you can’t learn this in a few months.”

As an example, Huenke pointed to Martin Guitars in Nazareth, Pennsylvania; they are America’s oldest surviving guitar manufacturer. The repair department there has to know about only Martin Guitars, but that’s 175 years of history to master. When restoring a guitar, the luthier needs to take into account what types of glues were used, which types of finishing techniques were employed when the guitar was made and any manufacturing quirks particular to that guitar’s era.

Huenke has worked on Martin Guitars (one 1830s guitar he restored is in their museum), but he also works on many other makes of guitars from various eras. “I need to have an encyclopedic knowledge about every manufacturer of anything that comes across my bench in order to give it the care and attention it deserves. A lot of these guitars are antique Americana,” he explained.

While the Internet has made researching specifics much easier, not all the information is accurate. Knowing what to do and how to do it comes from looking at and studying hundreds of them. “I’ve been screwing around with this stuff since I was 16. I’m now 48. That’s a lot of guitars.”

Huenke enjoys restoration work but also will occasionally build a guitar from scratch. Many times a customer will have a neck but will want him to make the body. It’s rare for him to receive an order for a true custom-built guitar, mainly due to the cost and time that goes into that process. One such order was from a man who wanted a platform to show off his pearl inlaying skill. It has an entire coral reef and ocean ecosystem from the headstock to the bottom and is wrapped around the back in intricate handcut inlay. It was featured on the cover of the 12th edition of the Blue Book of Electric Guitars.

Tim's work, whether restoration or custom-building, doesn’t come cheaply. He just restored a 1979 Fender Precision Bass for a customer. Huenke spent 50 shop hours restoring the guitar at $90 an hour. He says the man was thrilled to see it in working order and said Huenke him a piece of his history back. “It’s worth it to some people. I love giving them back that memory.”

The guitar man grew up in the Tacony/Bridesburg area for the first seven years of his life when his family moved to southern New Jersey. He moved to Mt. Airy in 1994 and has been a resident in the area since. He is married to Cynthia, without whom he could not possibly run Superior Guitar Works.

For more information on Superior Guitar Works, please visit www.superiorguitar.com.

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