James Edward “Jim” Phreaner, 64, died suddenly in his Birmingham Township home on Dec.17. Jim was a devoted husband, son, father, friend, and neighbor. Jim had recently retired from a 41 year career as an IRS agent, much of which was spent performing large corporate audits in Wilmington. In recent years, he devoted his time to family and extensive volunteer work in his community. Jim was born…
Cardboard boxes, emptied of the ornaments they held, stay strewn around the Christmas tree as I write this: the memorabilia of forty plus years join new LED lights to mark the “season merry and bright.” Not so. Christmas is always the push of Light against and into the Darkness. The national tragedy of the deaths of twenty children and seven adults in the Newtown, Connecticut,…
It is with great sadness we announce the loss of our friend and colleague Jim Phreaner. Jim died suddenly at his home on Monday with his wife, Linda, at his side. Jim started writing for Chadds Ford Live as part of his retirement life after a career with the IRS. He chose to join our staff because of his love of his community and his…
Former Chadds Ford tax collector Bruce Prabel last week told supervisors that the township has lost more than $740,000 in revenue since 2007. He said the loss stems from a failure to properly collect two business related taxes. Prabel pointed the finger at Berkheimer Associates, the company contracted to collect the Local Service and Business Privilege taxes when they were initiated in 2007. “I believe…
• A Chadds Ford man had money stolen from an account and wired to another that was fraudulently opened in his name. The second account was then emptied of all money, police said. The theft happened sometime between Oct. 8 and Nov. 23. • State police allege that Amber Reneen Dowling, 19, of Philadelphia, stole from the Target store in Concord Township. According to a…
• Work has started on the Harvey Run Trail that will connect the Brandywine River Museum and Conservancy with Chadds Ford Township property. Township Open Space Committee Chairman Deb Reardon said there’s no firm completion date yet, but she’s hoping people will be able to use it by the beginning of summer. • Effective Monday, Dec. 17, state Rep. Stephen E. Barrar, R-160, moved his…
The Pennsbury hydroelectric mill off of Fairville Road sits in sunshine on a late autumn morning. The mill no longer produces electricity on a regular basis, but it has served as a classroom for elementary school students.
Last week marked the third anniversary of my father’s death and I feel sadder today than I did three years ago when he died at 89. Not because I miss him more with the passing of time but because I think I finally started to have an emotional bond with him this year, long after any possibility of sharing my new insights with him or…
Longwood Gardens today announced that is has commissioned the New York firm of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners to lead the rehabilitation of the Main Fountain Garden. The restoration of this early 20th-century hydraulic masterpiece represents an integral part of a forty-year master planning initiative for what is considered one of the great gardens of the world. “We are enthusiastic in our selection of…