The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 250

Sunday, June 17, 1984 Philadelphia Inquirer 3-W Old Norrin gton Tavern is sure to please in every way Dining out Cream, topped with whipped cream and fresh mint. Service could not have been better, personalized by occasional visits by Pfizenmayer to ensure his guests lacked nothing. That's the sort of attention that makes a restaurant great. and cinnamon, all ringed with creamed spinach sparked with chopped nuts, cheese and garlic. Yum.

Vegetables were memorable: Sliced beets in a tangy, rarely found Dijon mustard sauce, and peeled broccoli bottoms with a delicate orange sauce flecked with chopped walnuts. Desserts were the piece de resistance, marvelous homemade creations of surpassing originality and accomplishment. Creme du prin-temps ($2.85) was a marvelously textured apricot mousse with a hint of Courvoisier, topped with sweetened whipped cream the real thing, not something out of a can and garnished with a candied violet and sprig of fresh mint. Strawberry trifle (also $2.85) was sponge cake in a smooth custard with pureed strawberries, brandy and Harvey's Bristol mind. "Savory torte" is the improbable name given to a unique appetizer wedges of unsweetened cheesecake whipped with smoked salmon, spinach and mushrooms, or a zesty pesto sauce.

"We have great difficulty getting people to try- them," said Pfizenmayer, "but they're great." I agree. Pesto torte ($4.50) had the texture of a rich cheesecake, but the flavor of a superb, homemade basil sauce. Smoked salmon torte silk-smooth in consistency, was studded with fish. Both were served with raw carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and celery, and a tantalizing dilled may-onnaise-and-sour cream dip. Seasoned cream of broccoli ($1.85) was grainy with tiny pieces of chopped vegetable sparked with cinnamon.

Appetizers came with hot" homemade bread and rolls lemon- currant bread, orange tea biscuits, herb roll and others. Iceberg lettuce salad filled with shaved carrots, raisins, a tomato wedge, sweet onion ring, croutons and almonds was sparked with a light, refreshing celery-seed dressing. The menu offers a tantalizing array of elaborate entrees such as Kathy's Swordfish ($12.95) fresh, delicate fish heaped with sauteed blue crabmeat, bathed in a light but lemony hollandaise-sabayon sauce made with eggs, butter, fish stock, sherry, white wine and creme fraiche. It was prettily garnished with curley endive, a carrot stick, radish round and lemon wedge. Veal Richard ($14.95) was even better two large pieces of melt-in-your-mouth veal on a bed of freshly ground veal seasoned with thyme By John V.R.

Bull Inquirer Stall Writer Those who already know the inestimable charms of the Old Norring-ton Tavern doubtless will be dis-' mayed at having to share their treasure with the general public, but calls: Here is one of the most delightful restaurants in the entire suburban area. The place has everything histo-' ry, atmosphere, marvelous food, friendly service and decent prices. The ivy-encrusted fieldstone house built in 1705 by Matthias Rittenhouse has seen a lot of history tramp past; in: 1835, a country store operated in what is now the kitchen. The property near Norristown was acquired six years ago by Jim and Kathy Pfizenmayer, who undertook a careful restoration. The result is stunning: The focus of the cozy main dining room is an old fireplace and mantel backed by an entire wall paneled in pine and hemlock; an original door with its original iron lock and brass knob has a fascinating tattoo of hammered nails in the form of a cross.

Oak tables, made by Pfizenmayer, are set with bouquets of fresh flowers yellow and white daisies, spider mums, a huge maroon zinnia an oil-lighted hurricane lamp and deep red cotton napkins. The quality and imagination of Kathy Pfizenmayer's culinary creations are an equal attraction. Skillfully prepared and picture-pretty, the dishes reflect a rare, inventive Old Norrington Tavern Germantown Pike (Rte. 422) Trooper Rd. (Rte.

363); Norristown telephone: 539-5770 Open: Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner 5-10 p.m. dinner only, 3-10 p.m. Sun. Price range: Entrees average $13, appetizers $5 Credit cards: Major cards Atmosphere: Historically charming Upper Dublin's Julia Solo, an 11th trader, set a PIAA tntt high-school record in the iave- fJ lin on May 25 with throw of v.

t. 10 jeet, i inches. Tfffinwmjimmwwiwi Mm Hi I Her strong right arm launches Olympic dreams BIT r.Mm0mmmm"" ft I. yfrz 1 1 1 1 Mfio-f -a "i I 1 1 v. Vr if r- a I if SN 3 I 1 I SN rwplrt II i I "7- 1 S' 'v 1 ft feHirtl i1 111 4 7- 0 I i 1 4 i i 1 -iL on May 25, at Shippensburg University; Broke the national record at the Junior Olympics with a heave of 169-3, and Set a New Jersey state record with a 171-9 at an invitational meet at Rutgers University, where her competition came mostly from top collegiate javelin throwers.

i Julia Solo began her athletic career on the baseball field, where her strong right arm made her a pitching legend in the Upper Dublin Little League. Growing up, she often competed against her older brother, Brian, a former three-sport standout at Upper Dublin, and his friends. "We'd play hoops four hours a night," said Julia, who has been the starting point guard the last two on Upper Dublin's highly regarded girls basketball team. At 14, she was the subject of a heated controversy involving officials of the Enfield Boys Soccer Club, the community youth soccer program, when she was barred from playing on the boys' soccer team. "I'm not one of these people who believes that girls should be allowed to play on guys' teams in school, but it shouldn't have been a problem at Enfield," said Julia.

"If I was good enough to make the team, I should have been allowed to play. As it turned out, they finally said I could play, but by that time, it was too late to register. I think they planned it that way." Proficient in just about every sport she tackled, Julia had to make a decision once she reached ninth grade and Upper Dublin Her father, recalling some of the throws his daughter uncorked from centerfield in Little League but she was one of the few kids in the league who could reach home plate from center on the fly," he said), figured her to be a natural for the javelin. "The first time she picked up a javelin, she threw it 80 feet, which is pretty darn good," said Richard Solo. "From there, it was only a matter of perfecting her technique." From that point on, Solo began to take more than a casual interest in his daughter's athletic abilities.

"My wife, Linda, and I have had a role reversal she works and I take care of the kids," said Solo, who at one time had a thriving real estate business. Linda Solo is an administrative secretary for Fletchers and Son Construction Co. in Melrose Park. "Julia's career is the most important thing right now. I tell people I'm her mental coach.

Physical aspects are important, but the mental aspects may be even more important. "For example, last year in the shot put, Julia couldn't get past the 32-feet mark," said Solo. "Then, in a matter of two weeks, she upped that to 36 and hasn't dropped back to the 32 level since. I'd like to think that I had something to do with that." Solo is a boisterous personality whose large frame and reddish hair make him easily recognizable in a crowd. At times, Solo can be your basic pushy father, a fact he readily concedes, and his often harsh methods with Julia have opened him up to criticism from other parents and coaches.

"I've taken quite a bit of criticism over the years it seems I alienate a large percentage of people with my personality," said Solo. "My attitude is that results tell the tale, and I think I know what's best for my daughter. "Some kids need more prodding than others. Julia has great athletic skills, but is a very introverted person and sometimes doesn't want it badly enough. It's almost like she's afraid to be successful." Throwing the javelin is like perfecting a golf swing the least little flaw will adversely affect the Julia uses an eight-step approach and a five-step crossover before releasing the spear.

By Michael G. Missanelli Inquirer Stall Writer When friends would comment about his daughter's athletic prowess, Richard Solo would nod and chuckle and shift the conversation to the topic of his son. "It wasn't that I didn't believe them," recalled Solo. "I really didn't know. All my spare time was spent playing sports with my son Brian.

I let my wife take care of Julia." Just to get people off his back, Solo soon found himself making up what he thought to be outrageous tales. Like the one about Julia winning a medal in the Olympics. "She was 7 years old at the time, so I projected the year and told someone that, yeah, Julia was good; so good that she was going to star in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games," said Solo of Fort Washington. "The person asked me what event and I told him the javelin, because I knew she had a strong arm. At the time, I thought it was pretty funny." Even funnier is the fact that it could turn out to be true.

While the odds are not on Julia Solo's making the U.S. Olympic team this year, she is at least in the picture, having qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials, which start today in Los Angeles. Julia, 16, is one of the finest women's javelin throwers on the high school level in the country. At the trials, this 5-foot, 4-inch, 145-pound junior will be the youngest of all javelin participants.

Her qualifying throw of 172 feet, 11 inches (the Olympic Trials qualifying distance is 172-5), achieved at an invitational meet at St. John's University in New York on May 26, was the best heave of any high schooler this year and climaxed an incredible three-week run in which she: Set a Pennsylvania Interschc-lastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state record with a throw of 167-7 Spscul to The Inquirw ART WILKINSON Julia spends two days a week in Upper Dublin's weight room working on upper-body strength three among 22 participants at the trials, a prospect that doesn't seem likely considering that her qualifying distance will be one of the lowest. American record-holder Kate Schmidt, for instance, has a personal best of 227-0 and there are several on Schmidt's heels. The world record is 245-3, set by Finland's Tiina Lillak, 23. Solo appears to be on course, however.

Lillak's best throw at age 16 was 157-3, about 15 feet shorter than Julia's. "One of the goals I set last September was to qualify for the Olympics, but I didn't seriously think I'd be there. My attitude now is just to go out there, learn a little more about throwing the javelin and have fun." invitational meet last year at Ur-sinus College and tries to see him at least once a month for a checkup. Javelins are like musical instruments: the better the engineering, the sweeter the music. Julia is still getting adjusted to the $250 aero-dynamically designed javelin her father had custom-made for her several weeks ago.

"Basically, she outgrew her old one," said Richard Solo. "This one is made for throws of better than 55 meters," about 170 feet. "Her old one was better for slicing through the wind, but it would die when it got to that distance. Julie's sudden improvement necessitated another javelin." To make the 1984 Olympic team, Julia will have to finish in the top "In those last five steps, precision is important," said Julia. "That's where the body-weight shift comes in.

You have to get your hips into the throw, but you can't overextend or the javelin will flutter. You also have to take the wind into consideration. The more windy, the lower you release. "They say the ideal release from your hand is at a 13-degree angle. Of course, that's difficult to measure, so what I do is pick out a spot in the sky and release it toward that point." Her coaching guru is Dr.

Robert Sing, a resident physician at Metropolitan Hospital in Camden and a former competitive javelin thrower who is writing a book on the sport. Julia met Sing at an Coming to the rescue, with concern and first-aid skill Talk of the towns vO. tf -yw- judges kneeled near each team, watching every move. When the time limit was up, they reviewed, the steps taken, turning competition into a learning experience. After the first problem, when they were gently chastised by their judge for not making sure the victim's way was clear, Janel Rescavage said sadly, "In practice we did great with everything.

Right now, we're doing terrible." They had practiced two or three hours ajew times a week for three monthsT Rachel Jenkins, 57, of Radnor, who is Red Cross director of youth services for Southeastern Pennsylvania, said, "Sometimes if they're new to competition, they're nervous and they completely blow it." Jenkins began this competition here in 1977. Now it's a national program, with the Southeast Pennsylvania chapter still writing the problems and the answer sheets. Jenkins sat on the bleachers and looked out at 100 involved teenagers with great satisfaction. "This is the most exciting thing," she said. "Seeing the kids.

They know what they're doing; they care; black kids are working with white. They've practiced; they're competent." Ted Lewis, 17, a Radnor High School senior, was judging other teenagers in one of the squares. He's a first-aid instructor at the Greater Main Line Red Cross branch, an emergency medical technician with By Shelly Phillips Special lo The Inquirer The vast Helfferich Hall gym floor at Ursinus College in Collegeville was divided into 25 tidy masking-tape-edged squares; each containing blankets, splints, a box of bandages and four people. This was team turf. The 25 teams of teenagers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware would try to beat the clock and each other as they demonstrated their emergency first aid skills for specific problems on well-coached "victims." "The Bensalem Rescue Squad team, in royal blue T-shirts with white lettering, received its first problem, tensely reading it in the allotted three minutes.

Darlene Stremic, 12, Janel Rescavage, 13, Dawn Stremic, 13, and captain Mary Devine, 13, all of Bensalem, huddled together, deciding on the best course of action for their victim, who had collapsed on a basketball court on a hot day. The victim's skin was supposedly very red, hot and dry; she was unconscious with a strong, rapid pulse and shallow, irregular breathing. She was bleeding profusely from falling on a large piece of glass. There also 5fas blood oozing from the back of her head. Her right wrist and ankle were swollen and discolored, and lifer left arm was scrapedj The team had 20 minutes to solve the problem.

Carol Stremic, 38, of Bensalem, junior adviser for the rescue squad, sat 1 1 in the 1 bleachers, elbows on knees, fingers clasped together tensely as she watched her daughters and their friends working on the victim. "I'm nervous," she said. "I don't know who's worse me or the kids!" The Bensalem girls were getting various bandages out of their box, squabbling quietly over which ones to use. They eased the victim's head up slightly to bandage her head wound. Then, working calmly and steadily, they moved down to various other parts of the body.

Two squares away, the Greater Main Line branch took a different tack altogether. Team members P. J. Solley, 13, of Overbrook Park, Monica McFadden, 15, Stacy Schmitt, 14, and captain Doug Schmitt, 17, all of Ha-vertown, talked to their victim unceasingly as they splinted one leg, an arm and tied up her head wound. Then, while the others were still talking, Doug Schmitt began doing simulated mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

In the whole gym, with all this simulated trauma, there was no frenzy. Just purposeful, controlled action. Each standard and advanced team would-have tlyee of these 20-minute problems to soTve. Red Cross instructors acting as 1 Special to Ttw Inquirw ART WILKINSON Cheryl Scott is treated for a broken leg by (from left) Cecil Hawkins, Kyle Dudley and Carol Scott the Narberth Ambulance squad and more people you can train, the more 1. Northeast Philadelphia an orderly in a Wayne nursing home; lives are saved." 2.

Greater Main Line he'll enter nursing school in the fall Local winning branches of the 3. Metropolitan Philadelphia at West Chester University. Southeastern Pennsylvania Red The Northeast Philadelphia Lewis coached the Main Line team. Cross chapter for standard first aid branch also placed third nationally His goal is terse and very clear: "The were: in the standard first-aid level..