Jenkintown Community Alliance A unique community of shops and neighbors.

Helping Folks See Clearly for Fifty Years

For those of you who don’t recall, 1955 was a very eventful year. That was the year Elvis Presley made his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, Ray Kroc launched McDonald’s restaurants in Illinois and Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus. Needless to say, things have changed. But since 1955 there’s one thing that hasn’t changed – the presence of Wilson & Sheldon opticians in Jenkintown.

Wilson & Sheldon, originally located at 303 York Road (home of Laura’s Nails), was opened in 1955 by center city optometrist Dr. Falkenstein. Current owner Carl Jacobsen, ABOC, took over in 1978 and moved the store to the corner of Leedom and West Avenues in the mid-eighties. After 27 years at that location, Jacobsen moved the busi- ness to 715 West Avenue just this year.

The new store is accessible and brings in foot traffic from the restaurants just across the street. Customers feel like they’re visiting a bright, modern gallery with glasses and frames artfully displayed in cases and on counters. But the most important reason customers come back to Wilson & Sheldon is service. As a one-person operation, Jacobsen provides the personal attention so lacking in chain stores. His customers appreciate that every time they come in, their prescription is filled and their lenses fabricated by the same person.

In fact, Jacobsen has quite a following of customers who come to him from all over – Delaware County, Center City and Florida. There may even be a few who have been getting their glasses at Wilson & Sheldon since it first opened in 1955, the same year that President Eisenhower raised the minimum wage from 75 cents to $1.00.

Thank you to our 2005 Business Members who have financially supported our organization! Please Support these local businesses who are contributing the success of Jenkintown’s downtown revitalization:

* Abington Bank
* Abner’s Authentic Barbecue
* Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
* All-Med Associates, Inc.
* American Financial Realty Trust
* Beneficial Saving Bank
* Betatron Studios
* Blue Body and Home
* Breslin’s Consignment Corner
* Bryner Chevrolet
* Chelten Hills Savings Bank
* Cho Chiropractic & Pain
* Cielo Salon And Spa
* Communication Solutions Group
* Dentistry For Children, Inc.
* Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters
* Electronics Zone PA, Inc.
* Ellen Fisher, Esq.
* ESI Equipment, Inc.
* Feldman & Feldman
* Felice Croul Associates
* Framer’s Workroom
* Hennessy May’d
* Immaculate Conception Church
* Jenkintown Business Graphics
* Jenkintown Chiropractic
* Jenkintown Electric
* Jonathan Wilt, CFP
* K-7 Tutoring
* La Masion Du Maroc
* Law Offices of Regina B. Guerin
* LPL Financial
* Matthew 25 Fund
* Moderne Life Interiors
* Pye Karr Ambler and Co.
* Reggie Lawson Jewelers
* Review Net Corporation
* rh3toric, inc
* Sacks Jewelry Store
* Sussman Acura
* Swan Gallery, Inc.
* Tulips Lingerie
* W.D.M. Construction
* Wachovia Securities
* Westinghouse Lighting

For the 6th year, many shops in Jenkintown will open up their doors for the Jenkintown Sidewalk Sale. Retailers such as Ventresca Ltd., Blue Body and Home, Framer’s Workroom, Party Please, Moderne Life Interiors and Aphrodite’s Dove will participate in the festivities, scheduled for July 14th through July 16th.

A free children’s concert will kick things off on Wednesday, July 13, at 7:00p.m. Makin’ Music, hosted by the Jenkintown Rec Board, will perform at the Town Square gazebo. Along with the performance will be musical crafts and free water ice.

This annual event, sponsored by the Jenkintown Community Alliance, will take place from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. each day (individual store hours may vary). Some retailers will grace the streets with tables and shelves of savings, while others will open their doors to invite customers in for the sale. Note that all streets will be kept open for traffic.

Frank Ventresca of Ventresca Ltd. has been participating in the sidewalk sale since its inception, and sees it as an opportunity to offer style at a great price. Ventresca welcomes the community in to enjoy savings on the spring and summer items that will help him to officially close the season. “Our sale concludes our summer, making room for fall inventory.” Ventresca, Ltd. offers custom men’s clothing, including formal wear, corporate casual, footwear and more.

Kirsten Houseknecht of Aphrodite’s Dove will be showcasing sales on jewelry, as well as sharing demos of the shop’s sound tools, such as crystal singing bowls, tuning forks and much more! Blue Body and Home’s Jenny Adams will display a table of merchandise, and Moderne Life Interiors’ Sandi Young will be discounting much of her showroom merchandise up to 60%.

For more information, or to participate, please contact Moira Shaughnessy at the Jenkintown Community Alliance by calling 215-517-5507 or via email at moira@jenkintown.net.

JCA would like to express our condolences to the family of Steve Silverman on his untimely death in December. As many of our readers may know, Steve was a driving force behind the original Jenkintown Main Street program and he helped the organizers of JCA with information and practical advice as we were forming JCA. Although in recent years Steve focused his energy elsewhere, we want his family to know that his contributions to Jenkintown have not been forgotten.

Jenkintown’s Community Alliance (JCA) – a not for profit organization – will be entering its 5th year of its five-year Main Street Program effective July 1, 2005. The JCA was formed five years ago to help enhance the borough’s strengths while developing and promoting a vibrant, diverse and economically strong business district. Our success is enormously due to the continued support from the PA Department of Economic Development (PA DCED) as well as our annual local benefactors: Bryner Chevrolet, Abington Bank, LPL Financial, Philadelphia Suburban Water Corp., Jenkintown Rotary and the Borough of Jenkintown. Additional funding assistance and support through the offices of Reprasentative Allyson Y. Schwartz and House of Representative Lawrence Curry has also allowed the JCA to expand its programs and projects. Their support and financial assistance add significant credibility to the JCA’s mission and vision.

In January 2005, the JCA became a member based organization. The membership drive kicked off to a successful start with residents and businesses showing their support of our revitalization efforts by supporting us financially as well as volunteering their time to the development of our various projects. We are thankful for the strong message the community is showing the JCA with their support to date. The JCA employs a full time Main Street Manager and most recently, a part time assistant. Volunteers are key to the success of the JCA. If you are not a member of the JCA and would like to assist us financially as well as join our various committees, please fill out the attached form and remit back to the JCA. The benefits are outlined below but please feel free to call the JCA office at 215-517-5507 for details.