May 5, 2010 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Police log for May 6

State police from the Media barracks said Mark Washall, 23,
from Newark, was arrested for DUI after he almost crashed into a state police
patrol car on Creek Road near Route 1 in Chadds Ford. The incident happened at 7:45
p.m. on May 2, the report said.

•A woman that state police identified as Cheryl Theresa
McCandless, 53, of Chadds Ford, was found passed out drunk on the eastern berm
of Route 202, one quarter mile north of Dilworthtown Road, a police report
said. She was found at 11:05 a.m. on April 28 and was taken to Riddle Memorial
Hospital for evaluation, the report said.

• Pennsylvania State Police from the Avondale barracks
reported three moderate injuries—including one to a minor—following a
four-vehicle rear-ender accident on Route 926 at Route 52. The accident
happened at 5:45 p.m. on April 28.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Opinions wanted

Opinion

ChaddsFordLive.com is doing something right. We’re also
doing something wrong.

On the positive side, we are now on our way to 600
registered readers with a subscription rate of almost 50 percent. Even better,
we’re getting more than 20,000 visits per month and the number of advertisers
is also growing. That’s good for us.

But there’s still a problem. Apparently, we’re not getting
people angry enough for them to write to us on the record. Off the record,
people have complained about some of the editorials, especially those critical
of President Barack Obama and his national healthcare drive.

(One supporter of pres. Obama was upset even when an
editorial said the administration had done something right. Go figure.)

But those criticisms have been asides, with people unwilling
to have those comments published. How sad.

We have no problem with disagreements or criticism. We
welcome them. So standup and let your opinion be seen, read and counted.

ChaddsFordLive.com provides three ways for people to express
opinions.

First there is the comment box below every story, column and
editorial. We pay extra for a web service that enables readers to comment online, so take advantage of the opportunity. Drop a
sentence or two when you want to express a brief comment for or against
whatever is published.

If you have a few more sentences to get off your mind, write
a letter to the editor. About 200 words is a good length.

Lastly, for those who have more to say, there’s always the
opportunity to write an op-ed piece of 450 to 550 words, the length of an
average editorial.

But unless readers write in on the record in one of those
three ways, reader opinion will not be published. It can’t be without reader
input.

For the record, the editorial policy here is decidedly
libertarian, that government has no rights other than those expressly permitted
by the U.S. Constitution, and that individual men and women may do anything not
expressly prohibited.

The only time government—be it federal, state or local—can
morally intrude into the affairs of citizens is when someone has initiated an
act of force or fraud, and when someone violates the rights of another. Other
than that, government should leave people to make their own choices for their
own lives.

Adherence to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are the
only things that separated the U.S. from any other country. They are the
reasons people fled other nations, risking to start a new life here where they
were free to work and build as they saw fit, without approval from king or
dictator.

Some people succeeded others failed. But if people aren’t
free to reap the rewards of their efforts, or free to fail or make mistakes, they are not free.

Agree? Disagree? Write us…on the record.

About CFLive Staff

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Know Your Finances: Thoughts on asset allocation

Business

Investing is a tricky business. At any given time there are
just as many compelling reasons to invest as not to invest in an asset. When an
investor’s stocks are sailing with the wind and share prices are rising, they
may have reason to fear that stocks are getting too expensive and wonder how
long until the wind dissipates. When bonds seem like a relatively safe place to
hide, they may fear interest rate hikes could soon sink their bond prices.

All types of assets get caught in the cycle. Small cap
stocks, emerging market stocks, commodities, junk bonds, and treasury-inflation
protected bonds, to name a few, all ride the frothy wave at times. After a time on the wave people start
to figure out that the crest is pretty high and can’t last. But the ride is so
exhilarating and so liberating that it is easy to lose a sense of caution.

Quantitative models that forecast when and for how long a
particular asset will hold its momentum rarely succeed. Human behavior becomes
predictable en masse but unpredictable at the turn, that is, at the point of
change.

So, what in heaven’s name is an investor to do? A
disciplined and experienced investor may manage to mitigate losses by abiding
by two golden rules:
1. Keep it simple. Stocks and bonds generally are usually not positively
correlated to each other, which means that when one of them gets highly
inflated, the other settles down. Money flows back and forth between stocks and
bonds so it is wise to not try to market time the asset groups and best to
maintain a long-term allocation between the two groups in proportions that will
provide a maximum return for that blended risk. One should also diversify in
sub-sectors within the general category of stocks and bonds, such as
international and small cap stocks, and corporate and treasury bonds.

To determine what the blended risk may be, you need to have
an understanding of what the historical volatility of return is for each asset
class. For example, over the last 80 years the average annual return of large
capitalization stocks has been +10%. But most of the actual returns varied
around the average return by plus or minus 20%; that is, most of the actual
returns ranged from +30% to -10%. That’s a lot of volatility. Everything is
relative and though large cap stock returns have higher volatility than bond
returns, they happen to have lower volatility than other groups of stocks such
as small cap or international stocks. Your investment professional can help
educate you about historical returns and the volatility of these returns for
many asset classes.

2. Shut out the masses. There is a constant mass hysteria
that vacillates between exhilaration and fear for various assets and asset
groups in short-term time frames.
Ignore it. Be skeptical. Be more rational and be a contrarian. That
means when the crests get too high you should be selling when others are
buying, and when the troughs get too low you should be buying when others are
selling.

Investing is never easy. But you can manage your risk if you
maintain a disciplined approach and stay on top of the fundamentals and invest
for the long term.

Currently, the stock market has a lot of positive momentum.
In fact, the first quarter earnings reports have been quite strong. Companies
are increasing guidance and analysts are raising earnings estimates. Stock
prices are not yet in bubble territory but they aren’t cheap either. Now may be
the time to be on alert for trimming stock positions that are reaching
unsustainable price to earnings levels. Yet human behavior does just the
opposite, it wants to chase the heck out of this rise while assuming that the
wave will only get higher.

Of course, I can’t say for sure when the wave will peak out.
We haven’t even reached the October 2007 market heights yet. But I can tell you
that every single market time period is unique and unpredictable. Save yourself
some heartache and stay diversified and balanced in your asset risk!

About Ellen Le

Ellen is the Founder and President of Ascend Investment Management. She was born in Philadelphia and has lived in the Delaware Valley for most of her life. When she is not researching investments and managing portfolios, she pursues her interests in tennis, bridge, hiking and art. Beginning her investment career in 1981 as a stockbroker at E.F. Hutton and Co., Ellen now has over 20 years of investment management experience. Prior to founding Ascend in 2006, she managed high net worth assets for many years at Bank of America, Mellon Bank, and most recently at Davidson Capital Management. At Davidson Capital Management, Ellen served as a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of the firm. She managed assets for more than 50 family relationships and was a core member of the firm’s Investment Committee.Ellen earned a BA in History from Brown University and a MBA in Finance & Investments from The George Washington University. She is a member in good standing of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute, which is a global organization dedicated to setting a high ethical standard for the investment profession. Her professional memberships include the Delaware County Estate Planning Council, Women Enhancing Business (WEB), and the Chadds Ford Business Association. She is a docent with the Delaware Art Museum and an active volunteer with the Brown University Alumni Association.

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Mind Matters: Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline

Health

A few weeks ago I trekked
to Washington, D.C., to attend a conference on the Prevention of Alzheimer’s
Disease and Cognitive Decline. Sound boring? Well, if you’re fortunate enough
to live past 60, it becomes a timely topic. For that matter, it becomes a
timely topic for everyone who may not think they are aging but know that their
parents are.

The conference was
sponsored by the National Institute of Health. I had never visited NIH before
and I was astounded by this massive campus dedicated to health and science.
Years ago, when we travelled to DC with our children, we would visit the
Smithsonian, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and the Vietnam
Memorial. I admit, I would get teary-eyed, proud of our nation. So when I
arrived at the NIH, I found myself once again in awe of America—Golly, our
taxes help support all this good stuff!

You see, I am a believer
in both the need for good government and good science and so at NIH, it would
seem, is the intersection of both.

Were there absolutes
given, black and white answers made? No. No quickie sound bites to deny the
reality that Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline are complex issues.
Although there was no magic wand waving, I felt gratified that here was a place
that brought together many scientists from all over the country who were
willing to confer with each other. They presented not only their own research
but also the documented extensive researches of scientific literature to assess
Alzheimer’s through many lenses: environmental, socio-cultural, and
nutritional, to name a few.

This particular conference
was meant to define what direction future research should take, not lay down
absolutes. Nevertheless, there were some promising takeaways for prevention of
cognitive decline.

Exercise (walking is fine)
and stimulating environmental enrichment wins again.

One meal of fish a week
seems to give protective benefit. Remember when you Mom said fish is brain
food? She was right!

Saturated fats—bad;
Vitamin B12—good.

Poor social networks and a
decline in social engagement seem to be correlated with a higher risk of
Alzheimer’s disease. The thinking is that large social networks may enhance
brain reserve. This may be due not only to intellectual stimulation, but also
to emotional connection. (One brain needs another.)

Postscript:
I was drawn to this conference primarily because I work with an aging
population at a local retirement facility. Cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s
disease are uneasy facts of life there, especially for the family members who
witness such decline. The following is a list of some resources for those
dealing with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia in their family:

Alzheimer’s Disease:
Unraveling the mystery
NIH Publication Number: 08-3782
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Alzheimer’s Disease
Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center
(800) 438-4380
http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers

Love, Laughter and Mayhem:
Caregiver Survival Manual
by Cindy Keith R.N., B.S.

• Kayta Curzie Gajdos
holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and is in private practice in Chadds
Ford, Pennsylvania. She welcomes comments at MindMatters@DrGajdos.com
or (610)388-2888. Past columns are posted to www.drgajdos.com.

About Kayta Gajdos

Dr. Kathleen Curzie Gajdos ("Kayta") is a licensed psychologist (Pennsylvania and Delaware) who has worked with individuals, couples, and families with a spectrum of problems. She has experience and training in the fields of alcohol and drug addictions, hypnosis, family therapy, Jungian theory, Gestalt therapy, EMDR, and bereavement. Dr. Gajdos developed a private practice in the Pittsburgh area, and was affiliated with the Family Therapy Institute of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, having written numerous articles for the Family Therapy Newsletter there. She has published in the American Psychological Association Bulletin, the Family Psychologist, and in the Swedenborgian publications, Chrysalis and The Messenger. Dr. Gajdos has taught at the college level, most recently for West Chester University and Wilmington College, and has served as field faculty for Vermont College of Norwich University the Union Institute's Center for Distance Learning, Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also served as consulting psychologist to the Irene Stacy Community MH/MR Center in Western Pennsylvania where she supervised psychologists in training. Currently active in disaster relief, Dr. Gajdos serves with the American Red Cross and participated in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts as a member of teams from the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Now living in Chadds Ford, in the Brandywine Valley of eastern Pennsylvania, Dr. Gajdos combines her private practice working with individuals, couples and families, with leading workshops on such topics as grief and healing, the impact of multigenerational grief and trauma shame, the shadow and self, Women Who Run with the Wolves, motherless daughters, and mediation and relaxation. Each year at Temenos Retreat Center in West Chester, PA she leads a griefs of birthing ritual for those who have suffered losses of procreation (abortions, miscarriages, infertility, etc.); she also holds yearly A Day of Re-Collection at Temenos.Dr. Gajdos holds Master's degrees in both philosophy and clinical psychology and received her Ph.D. in counseling at the University of Pittsburgh. Among her professional affiliations, she includes having been a founding member and board member of the C.G. Jung Educational Center of Pittsburgh, as well as being listed in Who's Who of American Women. Currently, she is a member of the American Psychological Association, The Pennsylvania Psychological Association, the Delaware Psychological Association, the American Family Therapy Academy, The Association for Death Education and Counseling, and the Delaware County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board. Woven into her professional career are Dr. Gajdos' pursuits of dancing, singing, and writing poetry.

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Blogging Along the Brandywine: Things that aren’t there anymore

Along the Ford

In 1993, WHYY’s Ed Cunningham wrote and produced a nostalgic
piece called “Things That Aren’t There Anymore.”

Our community’s loss last Saturday morning moved me to write
a list of things that aren’t here any more based on my own three decades in
Chadds Ford.

A big draw years ago was Chadds Peak or “Chadds Bump” as it
was affectionately known. Located between Old Baltimore Pike, McFadden Road and
Sterling Way, it boasted a lodge, snack bar, ski rental, a vertical of about
250 feet, three runs, two rope tows, a Poma lift line and a snow maker. It
closed in the late 1980s after it was sold to foreign investors who failed to
turn a profit. For some neat photos, check out http://www.dcski.com/lostareas/viewlostprofile.php?id=30

And in the village where the Keystone Bank and Post Office are
now, there used to be an old tiny wood frame building, more like a shack, where
you could get hoagies, sodas, coffee, snacks and sundries. I’d stop there on my
way home from teaching. The structure was later moved across the street to be
part of the Barn Shops before the current village center was built.

The Barn Shops? What barn? Yes, the great old bank barn that
used to be in back of Green Meadow Florists. During Chadds Ford Gallery’s
Christmas in Miniature, all the shops would be lit up in white lights buzzing
with business. But the barn itself lit up in flames late one night and the
place has never been the same.

Many old timers will remember the “greasy spoon” known as
the Birmingham Grille. A classic
1949 Kullman diner, it stood at the southwest corner of routes 202 and 1 when I
came to Chadds Ford. When the Sunoco station was built, it was moved a couple
miles up Route 202. Then in 1995, before Otto’s BMW went in, the diner was
purchased and transported to Truckee, Calif. where it stands today.

Now you don’t have to be a Chadds Ford old timer to remember
that great ice cream parlors called Betty’s. It was on Route 202 going north
out of Chadds Ford where the ReMax office is now. Yes, you could get a great
burger, but everyone went there for the ice cream.

Ricks Riding Academy was located in a large field where Glen
Eagle Square (Outback, Genuardi’s) is now. Despite the high-sounding name, it
mostly offered informal trail rides and pony rides for kids.

One summer day in 1959, my grandparents said I was old
enough to come down to Washington, D.C. to stay with them for a week. So
packing my little blue suitcase, I set out on my great adventure. Just south of
West Chester, Grandpa spied a place advertising “Foot Long Hotdogs” and on that
day I was introduced to Jimmy John’s, 20 years before I moved to Chadds Ford.

Saturday morning I watched channel 10 in disbelief as
helicopter shots showed one of our local favorites in flames.

Jimmy John’s has more than generously supported our
community and non-profits for many decades. Let’s not let it join the long list
of great Chadds Ford places that aren’t here any more.

And hey …does anyone out there remember Christy’s
Restaurant, the Continental Safari Nightclub or the big Music Fair? Chadds Ford
was a happening place!

Maybe a part II some day.

About Sally Denk Hoey

Sally Denk Hoey, is a Gemini - one part music and one part history. She holds a masters degree cum laude from the School of Music at West Chester University. She taught 14 years in both public and private school. Her CD "Bard of the Brandywine" was critically received during her almost 30 years as a folk singer. She currently cantors masses at St Agnes Church in West Chester where she also performs with the select Motet Choir. A recognized historian, Sally serves as a judge-captain for the south-east Pennsylvania regionals of the National History Day Competition. She has served as president of the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates as well as the Sanderson Museum in Chadds Ford where she now curates the violin collection. Sally re-enacted with the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment for 19 years where she interpreted the role of a campfollower at encampments in Valley Forge, Williamsburg, Va., Monmouth, N.J. and Lexington and Concord, Mass. Sally is married to her college classmate, Thomas Hoey, otherwise known as "Mr. Sousa.”

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Chadds Ford Historical Society President’s Report 2009

Along the Ford

This past year has been a tough one for the country
and for the Chadds Ford Historical Society. Mother Nature continues to be
downright unfriendly to us. Since
Pumpkin Carve in 2007, every one of our fund raising events has been affected
by weather. This past year we lost one day of Chadds Ford Days, one day of
Pumpkin Carve, and it snowed for Candlelight Christmas. However, while we may
be down, we are not out, and that is due in large measure to our dedicated
members, volunteers and staff and the support we receive from the community.

The year began with a new innovation, under the
leadership of board member Jacalyn Beam —our first Plein Air event in
February. It allowed us to
reconnect with our artistic roots and attracted over 40 painters from the
mid-Atlantic region. Spring saw
the opening of our exhibit, Moo to You: Dairying Around Chadds Ford,
demonstrating the curatorial skills of Sallie Corbishley and our Education
Coordinator Lynda Gillow.

Our legions of loyal volunteers pulled Chadds Ford
Days out of the mud and, with the addition of shuttle buses, we were able to
hold one day of our annual fair.
umpkin Carve was ably chaired by Jen Manderscheid and, had it not been
for rain on Saturday, might have set a record.

On a sad note, Honorary Member Susan Hauser lost
her battle with cancer this past year and Candlelight Christmas was dedicated
to her memory. Those who picked up the many pieces that Susan had skillfully
handled, such as Kathy Wandersee and Carla Westerman, did an outstanding
job. Friends and colleagues of
Susan Hauser memorialized her by contributing to the Society in her memory. We deeply appreciate those
contributions.

While the public events, such as Chadds Ford Days
and Pumpkin Carve, are the face of the Society, many people work behind the
scenes to keep things going, maintaining the properties, and caring for our
collections. Cheryl Trozzi,
Shirley Masse and Pat Mattson worked tirelessly in the Museum Shop. Lynda Gillow has assembled a wonderful
cadre of volunteers who labor weekly in support of our collections, the library
and the education program. Among
those volunteers are John Abramson, Susan Beach, Frank Mahoney, Ellen Struble
and Susan Poston. These
individuals have made a tremendous impact on the well being of the Society.

Over the years the Society has benefitted from of a
number of Eagle Scout Projects that have beautified and enhanced our
properties. This past year two
projects were completed and another begun (and completed in 2010). Vito Jacono installed a new entrance
walkway that is far more handicapped accessible. Kris Walls installed a new drain system, landscape screening
and repaired a stonewall at the Barn.
Bennett Jacobs constructed a new pedestrian bridge and drain for Chadds
Ford Days and Pumpkin Carve.

Once again this year we were the beneficiary of the
furniture making skills of Tom Densmore.
Last year he crafted a pencil post bed for the master bedroom of the
Chads House. This year we are the proud owners of a tilt top tea table for the
parlor.

Tom Burke has continued to share his classic
birdhouses with us, which are displayed around the grounds of the Barn and on
the cover of this Annual Report.
An article on his work is scheduled to appear in the June, 2010 issue of
“Architectural Digest.”

Finally, there is our baker, Lisë Taylor, who
brings renown to the Society with her baking in the Chads House beehive oven,
and Jean Arscott, our veteran guide at the Chads House who is or public face to
visitors at the Chads House.

Last, but far from least, is our dedicated and
talented staff: Ginger Tucker,
executive director; Lynda Gillow, education and collections coordinator; and
Matt DiFilippo, office and media manager. They do amazing work and keep the
Society functioning in a professional manner, even in these trying times. Because of their efforts, we are
recognized as one of the best run historical societies in the region.

George W.Franz

President

About Press Release

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