Scenes from Around the Town Jan. 12
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January 11, 2012
Budget deliberations spell tax increase in U-CF
Unionville-Chadds Ford School
District Business Manager Bob Cochran sounded the alarm during theJan. 9, UCFSD School Board work session: “Chester County taxpayer’s
would absorb a 3.71 percent school tax increase, while Delaware County
residents would see a 0.73 percent decrease in their school taxes.”
The
differences in county school tax burden are driven by differing real estate tax
and related millage assessments.
According to Cochran, “Gov. Corbett’s 2012
– 2013 budget will not be announced until Feb. 7 and more accurate financial
data will be available during the winter and spring months. While some factors may change,
Pennsylvania law requires school districts to adopt a preliminary budget at
least 90 days prior to primary election day. April 24 is the date for the
primary election. Therefore the UCFSD’s Jan. 23 meeting must adopt a
preliminary budget.”
UCFSD Superintendent John Sanville called
the proposed budget a “status quo budget.”
“While no academic programs would be cut,
the district does not plan to hire any additional employees other than
replacing any retired staff,” Sanville said. “Any additional budget cuts would
directly impact supplies, maintenance, academic support, programs or staffing /
class sizes.”
The proposed budget will not trigger a
voter referendum. However the
school board will be approving a proposed budget reflecting approximately
$630,000 in budget expenses over the Pennsylvania Act 1 1.4 percent tax ceiling
increase limit. The increased proposed budget expenses are attributable to
growing teacher pension funding costs.
The school district must apply to the Pennsylvania Department of
Education for approval. Calculation of the Act 1 exception is provided on the
UCFSD Web site at http://www.ucfsd.org/~boarddocs/FOV1-00037F90/FOV1-000443A5/6B%20-%20Retirement%20Contributions%20Exception.pdf?FCItemID=S039466D7&Plugin=Loft
School Board Director Keith Knauss said
he’s concerned about the amount of the tax increase.
“Chester County economic data and the
economic plight of retired district residents do not support a tax increase
over 3 percent,” said Knauss. “I support allowing the district to apply to PDE
for exception relief to keep the option open, however I will have to be
convinced the proposed tax increase is fully justified before I will approve a
final budget in May 2012.”
Knauss supported his comments with several
slides capturing local economic data and retirement fund performance over the
three most recent years to emphasize his concerns. Knauss said “I will provide copies of these slides via email
to anyone interested. Knauss email
address is kknauss@verizon.net.
The Jan. 23 meeting, to be held at Patton
Middle School auditorium at 7:30 p.m., will provide an opportunity for resident
taxpayer comments before the board must vote to adopt the preliminary 2012 – 13
budget.
Other UCFSD news
Sanville announced he received a
letter from Bruce Vosburgh, Patton Middle School principal which announced
Vosburgh will be retiring at the end of the school year. A comprehensive search
process to appoint a new middle school principal, he said.
About Jim Phreaner
After 41 years of auditing large NYSE global corporations, former IRS Agent Jim Phreaner was looking for a project in retirement with fewer regulations and more people. He joined the staff at Chadds Ford Live more than a year ago. James Edward “Jim” Phreaner, 64, died suddenly in his Birmingham Township home on Dec.17, 2012. Jim was a devoted husband, son, father, friend, and neighbor.
Budget deliberations spell tax increase in U-CF Read More »
PennDOT inviteshigh school students to enter PSA contest
Pennsylvania high school students are
invited to enter a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation contest aimed at
discouraging distracted driving. Students can submit a 30-second radio public
service announcement, or PSA, and the winning announcement will be
professionally produced and sent to the student’s local media market.
“We hope students will use this contest
as an opportunity to learn about the very real dangers of distracted driving
and never take safety for granted,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch.
“Developing and recording these PSAs is a great way for students to share this
important message with their peers and even their parents.”
Distracted driving poses a serious
safety risk to drivers of all ages, and particularly to relatively
inexperienced drivers. According to PennDOT, in 2010 there were 14,294 crashes
statewide involving drivers who were distracted or were using a hand-held cell
phone. Approximately 37 percent of those crashes involved a driver who was 16
to 25 years old.
To enter the contest, high school
sophomores, juniors and seniors should submit recorded scripts in MP3 or MP4
format. Students may also submit written scripts.
One finalist will be chosen from each
of PennDOT’s 11 engineering districts. The winning students will be invited to
travel to Harrisburg to have the PSA professionally recorded and then
distributed to their local radio stations. Winning students from each PennDOT
district will receive certificates and recorded copies of their PSAs.
Entries may be submitted by email to RA-penndotpress@pa.gov. Students can also submit entries
by mail to: PennDOT Press Office, c/o Erin Waters, 8th
Floor-Keystone Building, 400 North St., Harrisburg, PA, 17120. Entries must be
received or postmarked by March 23.
Visit www.DriveSafePA.org
for full contest rules.
About Press Release
PennDOT inviteshigh school students to enter PSA contest Read More »
Pileggi and Erickson to Introduce environmental remediation legislation
State Sens. Dominic Pileggi, R-9 and Ted Erickson, R-26, announced
plans to introduce legislation which will require that the owners of certain
commercial properties conduct environmental remediation at those sites.
“In Delaware County, we are seeing dramatic changes in the way
some very large commercial properties – such as the refineries in Trainer and
Marcus Hook – are expected to be used,” said Pileggi. “Ideally, new owners will
be found for those sites and they will continue to be used as refineries. But
if that doesn’t happen, and the owners significantly change the use of those
sites, there should be strong environmental cleanup requirements.”
“When the owner of a commercial property significantly changes the
use of that site, or discontinues productive use of the site, it is good policy
to require that owner to meet certain baseline environmental standards,” said
Senator Erickson. “This will help ensure that the site is left in a condition
such that it can be redeveloped for productive use if the owner decides to sell
or abandon the property.”
Pileggi and Erickson said the bill will require the owners of
commercial properties to conduct such remediation when the use of the site
changes significantly, including one or more of the following:
• a change which results in a
workforce reduction of at least 65 percent.
• a change which involves the idling and/or removal of at least 65 percent of
the equipment and/or machinery on the property.
• a change which
results in the number of square feet of improved, enclosed space on the
property currently in productive use being reduced by at least 65 percent.
This legislation will only impact properties with no ownership
change. Existing law adequately addresses environmental remediation standards
when a property is sold.
About Press Release
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Bits & Pieces Jan. 12
• Chadds Ford Township manager Joe Barakat said the road
construction on Bullock Road is 99 percent complete. The work involved paving
part of the road and putting in a new guide rail. The work was part f a project
that included paving Marshall Road as well as the Ridings Wastewater Treatment
Plant. Barakat said the cost for the entire project was $209,000. The money
came from the general and capital improvement funds, he said. Barakat added
that was more than had been budgeted, but that the township remains in good
financial shape.
• Darlington Arts Center in Concord Township is pleased to
present accomplished cellist Anne Martindale Williams presenting a Cello Master
Class on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. With general admission only $10 this is an
excellent way to learn in a group setting from this wonderful musician and
instructor. Darlington Arts Center is located at 977 Shavertown Rd in Garnet
Valley PA. For hours and directions, please visit www.darlingtonarts.org or
call 610-358-3632.
• The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is reminding
parents that there were several important changes to the immunization
requirements for all students that went into effect at the beginning of the
2011-2012 school year. If you have not had the opportunity to update your
child’s immunizations and communicate with the school nurse, please review the
changes at http://www.ucfsd.org/immunizations.html
After April 30, 2012, any student failing to meet these requirements will not
be allowed to attend school until the immunizations have been given and
reported to the school nurse.
• The Brandywine River Museum is holding an exhibit Comic Catharsis: Cartoons by William Steig
from, Jan. 21 through March 11. Although
best known today as the creator of Shrek, William
Steig (1907-2003) first achieved fame for his cartoons and covers for The New
Yorker and his published books of drawings such as “The Lonely Ones” (1942), “Small
Fry” (1944), and “Dreams of Glory and Other Drawing”s (1953). His situational
gags are humorous and offer keen observations on various aspects of human
relationships.
• The Brandywine
River Museum will offer free admission on Sunday mornings from 9:30
a.m. to noon, from Jan. 15 through Nov. 18. Visitors can also enjoy
“Breakfast on the Brandywine” in the museum’s cafeteria-style
restaurant, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. The revolving
menu, which changes weekly, costs $6 per person and includes juice
and coffee, tea or milk. A child’s breakfast is also available for
$3.75.
Bits & Pieces Jan. 12 Read More »
Adopt-a-Pet Jan. 12
Kyle is a cuddly young adult domestic shorthaired cat that
is available for adoption at the Chester County SPCA. Kyle and his sister came to the shelter in early August as
stray cats in need of loving, indoor homes. His sister was adopted, and now Kyle has been waiting way
too long for his new family. Kyle
is an easy-going and affectionate cat who would certainly warm anyone’s heart
or lap if given the chance! If you
are able to provide Kyle, or any of our other animals here at the shelter a
home, visit the Chester County SPCA at 1212 Phoenixville Pike in West Goshen or
call 610-692-6113. Kyle’s
registration number is 96804981.
To meet some of our other adoptable animals, visit the shelter or log
onto www.ccspca.org.
Adopt-a-Pet Jan. 12 Read More »
Police log Jan. 12
• A 22-year-old man who, police
say, is from Chadds Ford, is one of three people
charged with arson in connection with a fire at the Chester Heights Camp
Meeting in October. Daniel J. Johnson was charged with arson and related
offenses. John M. Kasper, 26, of West Bradford,
was charged with tampering with evidence and with criminal and defiant
trespassing. The third person, Elizabeth S. Hegadorn, 25, from Rushland, was
charged with criminal and defiant trespassing. Each of the accused is scheduled
for a hearing on Jan. 25 in Magisterial District Court in Aston. The Oct. 16
fire broke out at 4 a.m. and consumed the Tabernacle Church.
• State police from Troop K,
Media barracks, say a 27-year-old woman from Ridley Park has twice robbed the
Target store in the Concordville Town Center. A police report said Eileen
Keough entered the store twice between Jan. 6 and Jan. 8 and stole numerous
cans of baby formula.
• A 23-year-old man from Aston
is also charged with stealing from the Target store in Concord. A police report
said Barry Charles Gaither stole two Nintendo DS game systems on Jan. 6. The
systems were valued at $169.99 each. Employees confronted Gaither when he tried
to leave the store without paying, the report said. He struggled with the
employees, the report said, and pushed one several times while trying to flee.
Police said Gaither stole similar game systems from the same store on Dec. 30,
Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. He was charged with robbery, retail theft, and receiving
stolen property. Bail was set at 10 percent of $50,000.
Police log Jan. 12 Read More »
Stop Stop Online Piracy Act
The Stop Online Piracy Act,
H.R. 3261 is as poorly named as the Patriot Act and just as destructive to a condition
of liberty. While SOPA’s proponents say it will cut down on the illegal piracy
of intellectual property, its opponents call it censorship, saying it really
acts as a kill switch that will cut off access to certain Web sites, sites the
government deems inappropriate.
According to the Independent
Business Times, SOPA is similar to the Protect IP Act that targeted Web
companies “hosting unauthorized content from movies, songs or software. It also
dealt with the trade of counterfeit goods over the Internet.”
Protect IP was placed on hold
by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who said it would “muzzle speech and
stifle innovation and economic growth.”
SOPA, a bill with bipartisan
support, is written so broadly, says IB Times,
that “even sites that use song clips, or create GIFs using scenes from
copyrighted movies, could potentially be forced to remove the content or be
shut down entirely.”
This could even affect a
YouTube video if a copyrighted piece of music is used, according to some of the
bill’s critics.
Worse, critics contend, the
bill could make sites go away: “Looking into the language hiding under crusades
against foreign sites streaming movies, SOPA would require service providers to
‘disappear’ Web sites violating copyright content. The message this sends? It’s
okay [to] endanger Internet security, and censor entire sites, as long as it’s
in the name of IP enforcement” according to the Electronic Freedom Foundation.
Congress is using the fear of
piracy to control something that it can’t legitimately control, the marketplace
of ideas, the Internet. It also overlooks the fact that technology that causes
the fear is actually a benefit.
Consider that the music
industry hated it when radio stations began playing records on air. It feared
people would stop buying records since they could hear them for free over the
air. What a mistaken thought that was. Record sales soared.
Recall, too, that the same
industry didn’t want cassette recorders on radios to be able to record what was
broadcast and for the same reasons mentioned above. And the movie industry
feared the video recorder for the same reasons, too.
Instead of destroying the music
and movie industries, greater access to the products actually increased sales
and created whole new businesses and technologies to handle the increased
demand for the product.
What if the government took
exception to an article in Chadds Ford Live or what if a competitor reported a
site as being in violation even when it wasn’t? If a site had to wait for adjudication, it might very well
be out of business even if found innocent.
But those are merely practical
issues.
In reality, SOPA is just one
more attempt in the U.S. government’s bid to become more authoritarian and
controlling, as controlling as Middle Eastern governments were in restricting
access to the Internet during last year’s rioting in Egypt. There was also the
Chinese government suppression of Google searches. The U.S. government wants to
be just as controlling. If it achieves that, it can become just as tyrannical.
Stop Stop Online Piracy Act Read More »
In My Experience: Fearful
Dear Jeanne-Marie,
I often feel intimidated and manipulated by other people and sometimes feel I
am being pushed around. My New Year’s resolution is to find changes I can make
to improve.
Signed,
Easy To Scare
Short Answer:
Most people respond based on the way a person stands.
In My Experience:
Dear Easy To Scare
I grew up in the city of Philadelphia and thought the challenges of confronting
fearful situations were unique to city living. However, I now know that this is
not true; challenges are everywhere.
What I have found works for me is to always stand up when approached. Stand as
straight as possible with the curve of your back pushed in, arms and hands
hanging straight at your side, palms open. Keep your chin level, don’t move,
and look directly into the person’s eyes.
For example, if not prepared to be asked to volunteer for a project, pause for four
seconds, then with a very small smile say, “Let me get back to you on
that.”
Works every time! You will be perceived as confident and pleasant but not one
to be pushed around anymore.
Also, I have learned to always remain kind and respectful, despite the
situation, as this is not a sign of weakness but actually the opposite. It is
easy to be cruel.
It takes strength to be poised under pressure.
If you are questioned about a confidential matter, almost no one is able to
keep a secret, so if you can, you are special indeed! My family often jokes
that I will need two graves when I die; one for my coffin and one for
everyone’s secrets I have ‘taken to the grave’.
Depending on the question, you might answer, “I really couldn’t
say.” and look a little confused. Then there is the “Why do you
ask?” or “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it. I was asked to keep it
confidential.” or “I am not at liberty to discuss.”
You will not only keep your promise of being discreet, you will have shown the
other person that you are indeed a trustworthy person.
Of course there is the simple “What?” “What?” That was my dad’s favorite. He would
just pretend his hearing aid was off until you would go away.
Here is the most important thing I have learned. If a person ever responds to
you by saying: “You are crazy.” “You are imagining that.”
or “You are over-reacting.”, respond with silence and walk away.
They are lying.
Signed,
Jeanne-Marie
(If you like this column, please click Rating above. Thank you.)
*Jeanne-Marie Curtis came from Philadelphia to Chadds Ford Township in
1990. She has her BBA in HR Management/Employment Law. She is the author
of Junctions by Jeanne-Marie (Every Woman’s Journey and Journal) Available
at ChaddsFordLive.com Products/Books.
*To submit a question: email Jeanne-Marie at junctionsbyjm@aol.com
About Jeanne-Marie Curtis
In My Experience: Fearful Read More »
The Doctor is In: Living well with chronic pain
When you see your primary care provider
for an annual checkup, be sure to mention any pain you may be having in your
back, your knees or hips, your hands, legs or feet, or any other part of your
body. You could be experiencing chronic pain, which is pain that lingers beyond
the healing of an injury or recovery from surgery. Chronic pain has numerous
causes – from the wear and tear of daily living (osteoarthritis), to sports or
work-related injuries, accidents, complications of diabetes or cardiovascular
disease, cancer, neurological disorders, and more.
The American
Pain Foundation reports that pain associated with chronic health conditions
“affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.”
Chronic pain can persist for months or even years, and it usually worsens over
time if not treated, making it difficult to get around from day to day, go to
work, or enjoy hobbies and leisure activities. In addition to causing physical
problems, chronic pain can affect your emotional well-being and even your
relationships with others.
Doctors usually evaluate a person’s pain
using a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most severe. In making a
diagnosis and developing a treatment plan, your doctor may ask you to begin
keeping a personal pain diary. The diary helps you track when you hurt, what
you were doing when the pain came on, where you felt the pain, how long it
lasted, and what you did to cope with the pain. You also may be asked to
describe the pain using terms such as stabbing, shooting, numbing, sharp,
tingling, and so on.
For many causes of chronic pain,
treatment usually involves prescription or over-the-counter medications to
relive pain symptoms or treat underlying medical conditions such as arthritis,
headaches, or fibromyalgia. Your doctor also may recommend changes in your diet
or sleep habits to help you feel better, or an exercise program to help your
body regain strength, flexibility and mobility. Some people may benefit from a
consultation with a pain management specialist if conservative treatments do
not provide relief.
To help start a discussion about chronic
pain with your doctor, the American Pain Foundation has published Explain
Your Pain, a helpful self-assessment tool, as well as a self-assessment
tool for fibromyalgia,
a common cause of chronic pain in women. In addition, the American Academy of
Family Physicians has published some questions
to ask your doctor about chronic pain. And the Arthritis Foundation’s
website offers tips
for managing arthritis-related pain.
* Joshua Feinberg, D.O., is a family medicine physician in practice at
the Crozer Health Pavilion, 145 Brinton Lake Road, Suite
201, Glen Mills, PA 19342, 610-459-1619
About Crozer Keystone Staff
Crozer-Keystone Health System’s physicians, specialists and advanced practitioners are committed to improving the health of our community through patient-centered, quality care across a full continuum of health services. Crozer Brinton Lake is Crozer-Keystone’s comprehensive outpatient care facility in western Delaware County, offering primary care, specialty services, outpatient surgery and advanced cancer treatment. Contact us: 300 Evergreen Drive, Glen Mills, PA 19342 http://www.crozerkeystone.org/Brinton-Lake 1-855-254-7425
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