{"id":155251,"date":"2026-04-02T10:07:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T10:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/155251\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T10:07:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T10:07:07","slug":"lower-merion-commissioners-outline-over-a-dozen-potential-priorities-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/155251\/","title":{"rendered":"Lower Merion Commissioners outline over a dozen potential priorities for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, Lower Merion<\/a>! \ud83d\udc4b<\/p>\n

Township commissioners are considering their priorities for the year, from traffic calming to more electric vehicle charging. Here\u2019s what\u2019s up for consideration<\/a>. Also this week, a Bala Cynwyd writer shakes up Passover with plague-inspired cocktails<\/a>, the county DA has cleared the township officers<\/a> involved in a fatal shooting earlier this year, plus a new Indian spot is opening in Narberth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We want your feedback! Tell us what you think about the newsletter by taking our survey<\/a> or emailing us at lowermerion@inquirer.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lower Merion\u2019s 14 commissioners recently outlined some of their \u201cbig-picture objectives\u201d for 2026, which will soon be ranked and released to the public, The Inquirer\u2019s Denali Sagner reports.<\/p>\n

In a recent meeting, the commissioners discussed a range of topics representing many of the township\u2019s committees, prioritizing issues from affordable housing and economic development to public works and parks and recreation. Preserving the township\u2019s aging tree canopy is another possible priority.<\/p>\n

The commissioners also explored improving fire companies\u2019 recruitment and retention efforts and cracking down on Kratom sales to minors, among other issues. <\/p>\n

Read about each potential focus here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Guests at David Kedson\u2019s annual Passover Seders get a bit more than the traditional trappings for the Jewish holiday.<\/p>\n

The Bala Cynwyd writer has penned a cocktail book inspired by the 10 plagues outlined in the Old Testament, which range from classic (minty and chocolatey Grasshopper, anyone?) to creative (like the Amphibian, a cucumber-forward gin drink inspired by frogs).<\/p>\n

The Inquirer\u2019s Denali Sagner chatted with Kedson about his inspiration and which cocktails are Kosher for Passover<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udca1 Community News<\/p>\n

The Montgomery County district attorney said last week that the Lower Merion police officers who fatally shot a former Delaware County cop accused of rape and other sex crimes involving children in February were justified in their actions. The officers involved said they believed they were being shot at when attempting to arrest Francis Collier outside his Bala Cynwyd home<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the region for No Kings protests on Saturday, including in Ardmore. The third iteration of the event denouncing President Donald Trump\u2019s policies created a sense of pride for one Ardmore protester. \u201cIt\u2019s great to see such a community,\u201d Olivia Hayes said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re in your day-to-day life, and not around so many people, it can be hard to have hope<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit\u2019s board president announced last week that she\u2019s forming an ad hoc committee to review the educational service agency\u2019s practices and procedures after an Inquirer investigation<\/a> found the organization\u2019s executive director and assistant executive director spent about $40,000 in public funds for international travel, including an African safari, The Inquirer\u2019s William Bender reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Bala Cynwyd native and Friends\u2019 Central School alum\u2019s documentary, The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother Hillel, is now streaming on Netflix after premiering at the SXSW Film Festival last month. Ben Feldman\u2019s locally made documentary focuses on the friendship between the band\u2019s frontman, Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, and guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died of a heroin overdose in 1988 before the band reached its commercial peak. The Inquirer\u2019s Dan DeLuca delves into what inspired the film<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Several area residents are among the wealthiest on the planet, according to the latest World\u2019s Billionaires List<\/a>, put out annually by Forbes. Bryn Mawr resident and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin tops the list locally, ranking No. 362 for his net worth of about $9.6 billion. He\u2019s followed by fellow Bryn Mawr residents Morgan Properties founder and CEO Mitchell Morgan (No. 684), whose net worth is about $6.1 billion, and John Middleton, the Phillies principal owner and managing partner (No. 984), who has a net worth of about $4.3 billion. Developer and Sixers minority owner David Adelman, who lives in Haverford, ranks No. 1,755 with a net worth of about $2.4 billion. And Universal Health Services founder and former CEO Alan Miller, a Lower Merion resident, ranks at No. 1,982 for his net worth of about $2.1 billion. <\/p>\n

Artur Kirsh Hair Salon is opening today at 948 Montgomery Ave. in Narberth. The stylist previously operated out of Saks Fifth Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, which is currently winding down that location as part of its bankruptcy filing. Kirsh is planning a second salon at Boyds in Center City this fall<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In case you missed it, two Lower Merion communities are among the best places to live in the U.S., according to Niche\u2019s 2026 rankings. Ardmore took the top spot locally at No. 7, followed by Penn Wynne at No. 9<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfeb Schools Briefing<\/p>\n

Spring break<\/a> continues today and tomorrow, with classes resuming Monday. District offices are closed today and tomorrow, and the Lower Merion High School pool is closed today through Sunday. See the district\u2019s full calendar here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The prom boutique<\/a> at Lower Merion High School will be open Tuesday from 3:30 to 7 p.m., when students can browse free apparel for the upcoming dance. There\u2019s one more boutique day in mid-April.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf7d\ufe0f On our Plate<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfb3 Things to Do<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc11 Spring Sheep Shearing<\/a>: See Harriton House\u2019s resident sheep get their annual haircut. The event also includes a scavenger hunt and crafts. \u23f0 Friday, April 3, 1-3 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Free \ud83d\udccdHarriton House<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd5a Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt<\/a>: Families can scour Ardmore for hidden surprises. There will also be balloon artists, temporary tattoos, music, and prizes. Registration is required. \u23f0 Saturday, April 4, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Free \ud83d\udccdSchauffele Plaza<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfb6 The Music of Bruce Springsteen and More for Kids<\/a>: The Rob Tait Band will perform a kid-friendly set of The Boss\u2019 music. \u23f0 Saturday, April 4, 11:45 a.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $20.44, free for kids 1 and under \ud83d\udccdArdmore Music Hall<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udebb Spring Sweets: Bake and Create<\/a>: This kid-friendly class includes egg decorating, apron tie-dying, and baking and decorating cookies. \u23f0 Saturday, April 4, 2-4 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 $60 \ud83d\udccdBodyX<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf35 Succulents 101<\/a>: Learn all about succulents and how to care for them from the president of the Philadelphia Cactus and Succulent Society. \u23f0 Thursday, April 9, 7-8:30 p.m. \ud83d\udcb5 Free for Narberth Garden Club members, $5 for non-members \ud83d\udccdNarberth Municipal Building<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfe1 On the Market<\/p>\n

A five-bedroom Wynnewood Colonial with a pool<\/a><\/p>\n

Built in 1910, this Wynnewood stone Colonial is a blend of past and present thanks to a number of updates over the years. Several rooms on the first floor have fireplaces, including a living room, office, and dining room. The renovated kitchen has two-tone cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, an island with additional seating, plus a pantry area with a wine refrigerator. There are five bedrooms upstairs, several of which have fireplaces. The home also has a finished basement, a deck, a patio, and a pool. There\u2019s an open house Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

See more photos of the home here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Price: $2.195M | Size: 5,001 SF | Acreage: 0.89<\/p>\n

\ud83d\uddde\ufe0f What other Lower Merion residents are reading this week:<\/p>\n

By submitting your written, visual, and\/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer\u2019s Terms of Use<\/a>, including the grant of rights in Section 10.<\/p>\n

This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer\u2019s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com\/donate<\/a>. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org\/supporters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hi, Lower Merion! \ud83d\udc4b Township commissioners are considering their priorities for the year, from traffic calming to more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69402,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[183,185,184,186,70353],"class_list":["post-155251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-lower-merion","tag-lower-merion","tag-lower-merion-headlines","tag-lower-merion-news","tag-lower-merion-township","tag-lower-merion-commissioner-priorities-passover-cocktails"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}