O’Doodle’s toy store may start Friday chess nights

The owner of O’Doodle’s Toy Store in Chestnut Hill says he may host chess games every Friday.

Speaking on NewsWorks Tonight Fran O’Donnell says it would give kids something constructive to do.

“We’re thinking about maybe starting Friday night chess nights for kids. It would give them something better to do than hangout at the local convenient store.

It’s an idea that O’Donnell already has some experience with. Over the weekend O’Donnell hosted the Greater Philadelphia Junior Invitational Chess Tournament, an event that was sponsored by Bowman Properties and the Chestnut Hill Business Association. O’Donnell serves as the CHBA’s Main Street Manager.

O’Doodle’s chess tournament is exactly the type of thing that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is encouraging other businesses to do. The mayor in a statement released yesterday asked for the private sector to support positive activities for kids and if possible go even further by providing them with employment opportunities.

The mayor says he wants the parents and businesses to become more involved in the lives of teens. This summer the city has seen a spike in flash mobs attacks.

One attack on July 29 involved six Mastery Charter School students who allegedly beat 36-year-old man at Fourth and Walnut Streets so badly the man had to be hospitalized.