Calvary Christian Academy in Somerton. Image/Google Maps

Graceann Rumer has only been driving for two weeks, but compared with everyone else she rode the bus with Tuesday, she’s an old pro.

Rumer, who attends Calvary Christian Academy in Somerton, took the school bus Tuesday instead of practicing her new skills behind the wheel. But she got to drive anyway when the driver had an emergency.

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Q: I went to see a home for sale in Somerton that didn’t have any pictures online. When we got there, I realized why. The place was a mess! There’s no way I would buy a home that is in major disarray because, to me, that means the owner doesn’t take good care of it. And I definitely don’t want a home that isn’t well maintained. Is there a way to figure out which homes for sale without pictures are worth seeing? Or are all the homes for sale without pictures a filthy mess?

A: It’s good that you even want to see the homes without pictures, because many homebuyers will skip right over the ones without a least a dozen pictures, and they might miss out on a really great home. I don’t know if there is a way to figure out which ones without pictures will be dirty but there might be a good explanation why there might not be any pictures. continue reading »

Ten women were arrested last week after police raided a Mummers facility and broke up a prostitution ring.

Two members of the Downtowners Fancy Brigade face liquor charges, and several suspects have been charged for prostitution following a weeks-long investigation of the South Philadelphia club. continue reading »

The Somerton Civic Association met for its regular monthly meeting Tuesday to discuss a variety of issues within the community. The first issue addressed was the recent resignation of the association’s vice president, Michael Smith. The board encouraged members to step up and put themselves in the running for the position. Whoever is elected will serve until June 2012, when elections for the entire board will take place. “We would love to see some new blood,” Pat Cantwell remarked.

The board also thanked everyone who participated in the Community Day event last month. The only issue with the event was that the members wished they had more time to plan the festivities. It was noted that if there is a Community Day in 2012, it would be held in the beginning of October.

Officer Rich Simon spoke to the association about recent criminal activity in the area. In the last month there have been 11 burglaries, either physical or attempted.

“Keep your windows and doors locked. Be vigilant,” warned Simon. One patron expressed concern about the delayed response time of police officers to the area when called.

“It took 2 ½ hours for an officer to respond to my call,” said the upset community member, who would not go into specifics of the issue. Another issue brought to attention was the sighting of teenagers partying around the Red Lion Bridge on nights and weekends. Simon urged community members to document any incidents by calling 911. A complete video of Officer Simon’s report is available below. continue reading »

Real NEastate writer Stacey McCarthy is on vacation this week, so we’re running her column that appeared on this date last year. She’ll be back next week with all new real estate advice.

Q: I am trying to refinance my Somerton split-level home, and the bank appraised my home for much lower than I think it is worth. They are telling me it’s only worth $260,000, when I know for a fact there are houses like mine in the neighborhood selling for way higher. What exactly is the market value of my house?

A: The current average sold price for Somerton split-levels over the last four months is $265,000. That may seem shocking since there are homes, like yours, that are for sale for more than $300,000. In fact, the average “for-sale” price for a Somerton split-level is about $320,000 right now. continue reading »

Friday – A man was pronounced dead at Aria Health-Torresdale after his body was dumped from a car near a Tacony cemetery Friday. The 41-year-old may have died of a drug overdose, and was found along the 6400-block of Cottage Street by Magnolia Cemetery around 4 p.m. Police later arrested the driver.

– Police have charged a Somerton chiropractor with with indecently assaulting a 69-year-old female patient. Christopher Walcott, 43, is accused of assaulting the woman during a massage he was giving her at Advanced Wellness Center of Pennsylvania on the 14000-block of Bustleton Avenue. continue reading »

Firefighter Stanston helps a young boy with his items from the days event. Photo by George Mai.

Somerton celebrate its first-ever Community Day Saturday, Sept. 10 at Fellowship Bible Church after months of planning and organizing by the Somerton Civic Association.

The day was a tribute to veterans, and featured food, games, prizes and meet-and-greets with police and firefighters.

Check out the slideshow below with photos from George Mai. continue reading »

Image courtesy of glaringfact.com.

The Somerton Civic Association is looking for help and suggestions from its residents and business owners in putting together its Community Day event.

The Sept. 10 event will begin with a tribute to veterans service members, and will continue throughout the day with participation from neighborhood schools, VFW posts, American Legion posts and more.

You can expect all the offerings of a Community Day — food, games, prizes and informational booths, plus performances by schools’ dance, choir, gymnastics teams and more. continue reading »

The Far Northeast will get two additional red light cameras. That was one of the bigger announcements at last week’s Somerton Civic Association.

Councilman Brian O’Neill said two busy intersections — Grant Avenue and Academy Road and Bustleton Avenue and Byberry Road — will be among the many Northeast corners to have red light cameras.

Zoning and crime updates took precedence during the second half of the meeting. Those details are below. continue reading »

The police department’s Special Victims Unit is investigating an early morning assault that happened Tuesday in Somerton.

A crime bulletin released by authorities says a female resident of an apartment building at 450 Byberry Road was approached by a man around 4:15 a.m. inside her home. continue reading »