May 15, 2009

Pocopson elementary is continuing a tradition its principal started at another school. The school held its third annual Grandparents Day Friday, May 8

About 450 grandparents came to visit during school hours, with at least one set of grandparents coming from as far away as Arizona.

Principal Andrew McLaughlin called it “A magical day. …The kids get really excited. They love it. They take grandparents by the hand and walk them through the school.”

Grandparents visit classrooms, the art room, get to eat lunch together with the kids and have a concert.

Steve Eichinger, seeking the Republican Party nomination for Pennsbury Township supervisor in Tuesday’s primary election alleges his opponent is lying on his Web site.

“I’m sick of the lies,” Eichinger said. “I just want the truth to come out. … Even if I lose Tuesday, I’ll run as an independent in November. I’m tired of his lying.”

Eichinger’s opponent is Aaron McIntyre.

According to the Web site – www.aaronmcintyre.org/about.htm – McIntyre attended Swarthmore College for his undergraduate work and Drexel University for his graduate studies. His major in both, according to the site, was mathematics.

However, the registrar’s office at Swarthmore can’t confirm McIntyre ever attended, let alone graduated from the Delaware County School. Assistant Registrar Janet McSwiggan said her office was unable to find records on McIntyre.

“This doesn’t mean he didn’t attend Swarthmore,” she said. “It just means we can’t find any records.”

McSwiggan said electronic records were not kept before the 1980s, but paper records, both commencement booklets and student transcripts with McIntyre’s name can’t be found.

McIntyre said in a phone interview late Thursday afternoon that he stands by his Web site, that the information is accurate.

He did attend Swarthmore, he said, but did not graduate. He added that he attended Drexel pursuing undergraduate and graduate work at the same time.

When asked if he graduated McIntyre said, “It’s irrelevant. … This happened 30 years ago and has nothing to do with Pennsbury Township,” McIntyre said. “My Web site is correct. … I stand by my Web site. … Pennsbury has more important things to do.”

He declined to say when he attended Drexel.

Addendum: McIntyre’s Web site has been changed since this article was published. It no longer mentions his education.

Primary election, May 19
Polls Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This Voters Guide may be taken into the voting booth.

The League of Women Voters publishes this information neither to endorse nor to reject the views of any candidate quoted and does not assume responsibility for the contents of a candidate’s reply.

Each candidate’s reply has been printed as submitted, except to use standard abbreviations in the interest of space and to edit from the bottom of a candidate’s answer when the total response exceeds the word limit.

The candidates were asked to list their education, occupation and qualifications for the office they seek. They were also asked to reply to the question following the job description for of each office.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS
QUESTION: What do you consider the basic education needs for the students in your district and how do you intend to fund them?

UNIONVILLE-CHADDS FORD SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGION A
Four-year term
Vote for two

Keith Knauss
Party: Cross-filed
DOB:1-23-49
Education: BSEE, University of Delaware 1970
MSEE, University of Delaware 1972
Occupation: Engineering Consultant
Qualifications: 23 years UCF resident; School Director, UCF District 2001-2005;
Co-founder and Treasurer, Citizens for Efficient Education;
Ten+ years of active participation in educational affairs.
Answer to question: Our society thrives with highly educated citizens. I support a superb academic education for all our students. The current board has lost balance and is diverting disproportionate taxpayer dollars to fund programs for the recreational, physical, social and emotional needs of our students – needs that are best addressed elsewhere. Academic excellence should be the first priority and there is more to do to achieve this for all students.

Karen D. Halstead no reply
Party: Cross-filed

Jeff Hellrung
Party: Cross-filed
DOB: 9-27-47
Education: BS US Naval Academy
MBA West Florida University
MED Widener University
Occupation: Public High School Teacher
Qualifications: 22 years Active and Reserve Naval Service, 22 years Business Management Experience, 7 years Teaching public high school, 4 years service as UCFSD School Director
Answer to question: Our students need an excellent education to prepare them for the 21st century workplace and to become proactive contributing citizens in their communities. Although academics need to be the primary focus of students, teachers and parents, I also support a robust co curricular program including sports, music and the arts. Funding our educational needs within Act 1 constraints requires fiscal discipline and developing the support of all stakeholders including the general public.

Victor E. Dupuis
Party: Cross-filed
DOB: 1-27-60
Education: Penn State University, BA –Political Science, Minor –Finance
College for Financial Planning, Certified Financial Planner
Occupation: Certified Financial Planner – 27 years
Qualifications: 27 years helping Business and Individuals manage complex and changing financial goals and resources. 18 years of active involvement in Unionville school activities and community. Pro-Education perspective and commitment.
Answer to question: Students need and deserve strong faulty and staff teaching and mentoring their growth, a campus protecting and enhancing their learning experience and a culture building a love of learning and encouraging all levels and types of student success. This vision is central to our public education system, an institution largely responsible for the growth and development of those of us now paying school taxes. Responsible funding can be entirely achieved without referendum-driven tax increases.

REGION B
Four-year term
Vote for two

Jeff Leiser
Party: Cross-filed
DOB: 10-28-63
Education: Swarthmore College, B.S, Engineering, McCabe Scholar
Tufts University exchange program
Mount Pleasant HS (public), Wilmington, DE, Valedictorian
Occupation: Key Account Executive, W.L. Gore & Associates
Qualifications: Parent of two UCFSD students; Experienced in four UCFSD schools; Active school volunteer; VP Communications, Unionville Marching Band Boosters 2008; Value all student achievements; Eagle Scout
Answer to question: Basic education needs are diverse and student specific. We should entrust our professional administrators and teachers to recommend appropriate programs. Maintaining the tradition of educational excellence in UCFSD and enhancing community trust are key priorities for the next School Board. Any budget-challenging new educational investments should first be shared with the community to gain majority support. Need, scope, benefits, investment, opportunity costs and timing should be respectfully debated. Effective two- way communication is paramount.

Holly Manzone
Party: Cross-filed
DOB: 10-20-56
Education: Ph.D Biology Bryn Mawr College
Occupation: Homemaker
Qualifications: Middle School representative to Curriculum Council; Member UCFSD Strategic Planning Committee and Operations sub Committee; Member UCFSD Act 48 Committee; Member Communities That Care; Co-Founder Community Resource Network; Career Day Coordinator at CFPMS; Member Pocopson Township Open Space Advisory Committee; Open Minded and Hard Working.
Answer to question: Highly rated UCFSD provides student with an outstanding education. Recent curriculum enhancements provide more individualized learning opportunities offering a superior education to every student. Government mandates and the economic downturn threaten our ability to maintain academic excellence. We can overcome these obstacles through long range planning which includes consideration of all viewpoints. Community partnerships can enhance education by tapping into the immense talent available in our district. Recent efforts in private funding have proven effective.

Laura Shannon Maurer
Party: Cross-filed
DOB: 5-28-42
Education: Public School System New York City; Hunter College High School For Girls; Vassar College B.A., Major in Physics and Mathematics, Minor in English; Fluent in Spanish; Moderate capability in French.
Occupation: Farm Owner – Horse Boarding, Breeding, Training Retired Business Executive
Qualifications: Over 10 years of Work in the Education Sector while with IBM. Over 25 years of Management and Business Experience with IBM and Managing a Family Business as General Manager. Held multiple management positions including Branch Sales Manager with revenues of over $75 Million; Last position prior to retiring was Manager of International Operations for the Mid-Atlantic Area; All my positions required Business, Financial and Personnel skills. These were developed with the assistance of management and Professional Training Courses provided by IBM throughout my career.
Answer to question: All students should be capable of managing themselves as responsible adults when they graduate from HS. This means They must be able to read, write, understand basic arithmetic and business concepts and have an understanding of how our country works from a civic standpoint and what it means to be an American. I also believe in providing exposure to fitness/sports programs, music and the arts as part of a well rounded education. Funding for what I have described should be given priority in the budgeting processes which allocate dollars to academic programs that compete for dollars with requirements for new/improved physical facilities.

The Kennett Township Land Trust celebrated a big score Saturday with a dedication ceremony on the 82-acre Stateline Woods Preserve, formerly the Halstead property.

Land Trust Chairman Gwen Lacy said the preservation was a long process, but well worth the effort.

“This is a celebration of our protecting, of preserving this land. It was going to be a 21-house subdivision. It took us a lot of years and a complete team effort. We had neighbors pitch in, state, county and township funding. We’ve purchased this property and made a nature preserve and this is our welcoming everyone to the land today,” Lacy said.

The property, off Merrybell Lane, is open to the public free of charge, she said. There is hiking, bird watching, mountain biking and even horseback riding—but only for adjoining property owners since trailers are prohibited.

John Gaadt, land trust chairman called saving the property from the proposed development a victory, but said it’s actually part of something more.

“This project’s been in the work for over three years but it’s part of a larger effort that really began in 2000.  What we’re attempting to do is create a bi-state preserve working with a number of organizations in Delaware, such as the Delaware Nature Society the state of Delaware and working with [Pennsylvania-based organizations.] So together the objective is, over time, is to try to preserve upwards of 400 acres of contiguous land,” Gaadt said.

Gaadt added that even that amount could be expanded to have a trail network throughout the area, to preserve it for wildlife and biodiversity and to enrich the lives of those who live in the community.

Robert Hammaker, Kennett Township supervisor told the gathering that the township was proud to have been a partner in acquiring the property and that it would continue to support “worthwhile land acquisition projects.  Enjoy the property.”

Also attending the ceremony was U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts who noted that the beauty of Southern Chester County’s open space and farmland is what brings the demand for more development that reduces that open space.

“We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the commonwealth. Open space and the farmland [have] attracted visitors and new residents here for years because of the quality of life. And because of the appeal of our landscapes and our open space there’s been created a demand for housing. And as land prices rise and the demand for homes has increased, more and more of our farmland has been developed. Sadly, these open spaces and farmlands are beginning to disappear. … And these increased pressures are why we see groups like this forming, and we have not only local groups, we have national groups and it’s important that we cooperate on the local level with townships and counties and state, local organizations like the Kennett Land Trust as well as on the national level. … Thank you for all of your efforts, those who contributed, those who worked so hard for your dedication, your commitment.”

Events planned for the day included hayrides, pony rides, bird and wildflower walks, cooking demonstrations, live music and an orienteering course. Hot air balloon rides were cancelled because of wind.

It will be at least two more months before Jack Heilman knows what he’ll be able to do with the former Getty gas station at Route 202 and Dilworthtown Road.

Heilman, the owner of the Sunoco station at the intersection of routes 1 and 202 has an agreement to buy the closed Getty station and wants to turn it into a service station but also to sell used cars. He would not be selling gasoline there, he told members of the Chadds Ford Township Planning Commission.

According to his attorney, Mike Naseef, Chadds Ford ordinances allow the service station use because the property was already used for that purpose, but Heilman would need conditional use approval from the Board of Supervisors to sell cars at the site. He attended the May 13 Planning Commission meeting seeking the commissioners’ recommendation for that approval, but the commissioners weren’t ready.

The commission’s concerns, as expressed by Vice Chairman Maurice Todd, center around landscape buffering, the use of signs and the number of used cars for sale that would be on the property at any given time.

Todd said he doesn’t want the site to be loaded with banners, streamers or pennant- style flags. “It can’t look like a used car lot,” he said.

He also wants to see some greenery, such as bushes, on the plan. That greenery would act as a buffer, preventing auto headlights from the lot interfering with motorists driving along Route 202 or Dilworthtown Road.

Factors affecting that buffering are the number of parking spaces and the total number of used cars that would be on the lot.

Jim Fritsch, the engineer for the project, said there are a total of 38 parking spaces on the property with 15 needed just for the service and repair part of the planned business. That would leave 23 spaces for used cars.

Todd suggested replacing some of those parking spaces with some landscaping.

Fritsch said his client could work with the township to reduce the number of cars and ad the buffer.

Heilman agreed saying, “I’m dramatically improving the site.”

He will return to the Planning Commission next month with updated plans.