December 23, 2014 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Adopt-a-Pet: Caroline

Meet Caroline. This 1-year-old tan and black beauty has always been a joy to be around. Found as a stray in Chester, Caroline and her sister Madeline became our new residents. But if being a stray isn’t sad enough, her sister was adopted first leaving poor Caroline behind. There was definitely a change in her personality, however with a little time and a lot of love she pushed through the depression. She is once again truly blossoming, into the best dog she could possibly be. We would like to think it was due to all the love and patience our team has given her, but I think she had more to do with teaching us a thing or two about life. Caroline is developing into a rock star Frisbee player. This girl deserves a visit from Santa, and a “furever” home.

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Police Log Dec. 25: Thefts, DUIs, accidents

Police

• State police are investigating the theft of an undisclosed number of watches from the Ski Bum in the Shops at Brinton Lake on Dec. 18. The break-in happened at 2:25 a.m. when unknown suspects broke the glass front door and then broke the case where the watches were displayed, a police report said. No other information was released.

• Police said one driver received a minor injury in a two-car, rear-ender accident at Oakland Road and Route 202 on Dec. 17. The accident happened at 9:11 a.m. Neither driver was identified.

• A 41-year-old man from Concord Township told police that a 32-inch Sony television, a Samsung Galaxy 5 white cell phone and $65 in currency were stolen from his vehicle while it was parked in the area of Johnson Farm Lane. The theft reportedly happened between 2 and 9 a.m. on Dec. 17.

• Sometime during the overnight hours of Dec. 16 and 17, someone stole a portable radio from a Jeep that was parked at the Painters Crossing Condominiums. The radio is the property of New Castle, Del. and is valued between $4,000 and $6,000, police said.

• No injuries were reported in a three-car accident on Route 202 near Spring Hill Road in Concord Township on Dec. 6. One driver, Paige T. Clay, 22, of Levittown was cited for following too closely, police said. According to the report, Clay, driving in the left hand lane behind other vehicles, was unable to stop when the lead car slowed for traffic. Clay collided with that car causing it to slide to the right, hitting the third car that was in the right hand lane.

• Robert Small, 23, of Brookhaven was arrested for DUI on Dec. 13, a police report said. The traffic stop was made 2:33 a.m. on Route 202 southbound at Springwater Plaza.

• One person was injured in a two-vehicle accident at Routes 1 and 202 on Dec. 3. A police report said Saul O. Arroyo-Amonzabel, 30, of Newark, was southbound on Route 202 when he drove his Freightliner tractor through a red light at the intersection, into the path of a vehicle heading north on Route 1. The accident happened at 6:03 a.m. The injured party was not transported.

• A major injury was reported following a 3:30 a.m. accident at Routes 1 and 202 on Dec. 3. Police said Michael D. German, 23, of Baltimore, heading north on 202, went through a red light and into the path of oncoming traffic. The injured driver was taken to Crozer Hospital, police said.

• George Walter Zeller, 41, of Middletown, was arrested for DUI after a Dec. 12 traffic stop on Route 202, police said. Zeller was stopped at a DUI checkpoint in the southbound lanes at 11:30 p.m.

• A 36-year-old man from Glen Mills was arrested for retail theft on Dec. 18. The suspect, whose name was not revealed in the police report, reportedly tried to remove merchandise from the Target store in Concord Township. He was also charged with two other theft incidents at the store on earlier dates.

• Police said they filed retail theft charges against John P. Mazepa II, 30, of Sidney, N.Y. According to the police report, Mazapa was seen concealing merchandise on hos person at Trail Creek Outfitters on Route 202 in Concord Township.

• Quentin Michael Schwartz, 37, of West Chester, faces DUI charges, a police report said. According to that report, Schwartz was stopped for traffic violations shortly before midnight on Dec. 18 at the intersection of Routes 1 and 202. It was determined then that he was driving under the influence.

• Andrew Brekus, 54, of Broomall, was arrested for DUI on Dec. 20, according to police. A report said Brekus was stopped for traffic violations on Route 1 at Cheyney Road at 1:47 a.m.

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Around Town Dec. 25

Along the Ford

• The second annual Mushroom Drop is scheduled for midnight on Dec. 31 in Kennett Square. A 700-pound, illuminated stainless steel mushroom will drop 80 feet from a crane to usher in 2015. The event is at State and Union streets. Festivities begin 9:30 p.m. and go to 12:30 a.m., Jan. 1.

• The Kennett Area Senior Center sponsors a presentation on Alzheimer’s disease on Friday, Jan. 9 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Please join Carol Sweeney as she discusses key subjects such as: Who will develop this disease, the steps you can take to keep your brain healthy, your risk factors, and the role of nutrition in this disease.

• The first major retrospective of the art of Jamie Wyeth begins Jan. 17 at the Brandywine River Museum. Featuring more than 100 works, Jamie Wyeth examines six decades of the artist’s career and charts the evolution of his creative process from his earliest childhood drawings through recurring themes inspired by the people, places and objects that populate his world. The exhibit runs through April 5.

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Police: Lock your car doors

Local News

Pennsylvania State police are reminding residents to lock their car doors and hide valuables.

Troop K, Media barracks, sent out a flyer advising people that a thief can break into a car and take valuables within 30 seconds, but it only takes 20 seconds for people to put those valuables in the trunk.

Vehicle break-ins are on the rise, police said, primarily due to the increase in the number of GPS units and iPods. By leaving cars unlocked, motorists just make it easier for thieves to grab all their valuables.

Thieves are in and out of the vehicle quickly, often times without being seen. Valuables are then used to help the thieves to get drugs. Personal information is also gathered which, in turn, leads to identity theft.

Police also said most thefts from vehicles can be prevented by following some simple rules:

Close windows and lock you doors;
Remove valuables and place them in the trunk;
Remove all “pull out” style radio faceplates;
Don’t leave keys in the car;
If possible, secure mounting hardware out of sight. It could indicate to a thief that a device is present.

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Drug firms cough up over $1 billion in fines

Local News

The Eastern District of Pennsylvania collected more than $2 billion in criminal and civil actions during fiscal 2014, said a press release from U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger.

The $2,373,688,153 represents part of the $24.7 billion collected in criminal and civil actions by the Department of Justice. That total is nearly eight and a half times the appropriated $2.91 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period, the release said.

“Recouping federal funds that were misspent due to fraud, including substantial health care and mortgage insurance funds, is a critical part of our mission,” said Memeger. “Our nation’s taxpayers deserve our most aggressive efforts to recover their hard-earned tax dollars that have been misappropriated.”

The recoveries in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania include more than $1.6 billion in civil and criminal penalties paid by healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to resolve misbranding and unapproved use allegations. J&J paid a $1.273 billion civil settlement to resolve allegations of off-label marketing for Risperdal and Invega, as well as the alleged payment of kickbacks to physicians involving Risperdal.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a J&J subsidiary, paid $400 million in a criminal fine and forfeiture for promoting Risperdal to health care providers for unapproved uses, the release said.

The collections also included a $56.5 million civil settlement with Shire Pharmaceuticals LLC to resolve False Claims Act allegations; a $150 million civil settlement with Amedisys Inc. and its affiliates to resolve False Claims Act allegations; a $7.3 million civil settlement with pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma US, Inc., to resolve False Claims Act allegations; and a $172.9 million civil settlement with specialty pharmaceuticals company Endo Health Solutions, Inc. and its subsidiary Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Endo), to resolve allegations of off-label marketing.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected approximately $15 billion in asset forfeiture actions in fiscal 2014, which includes a $13 billion settlement with JP Morgan – the largest settlement with a single entity in American history – to resolve federal and state civil claims arising out of the packaging, marketing, sale and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities, according to the release.

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

The largest civil collections came from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud and other misconduct and collected fines imposed on individuals and corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights, and environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration, and Department of Education.

Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

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Mind Matters: 1914 to now

Health

I write this from Canada after attending “All Is Calm,” performed by the Chor Leoni Men’s Choir. This was a musical version of the 1914 Christmas Truce that occurred in the trenches of WWI. Earlier, the book and movie, “Joyeux Noel” (2005), poignantly depicts the same event where French, British, and German troops spontaneously initiated their own ceasefire by joining in the singing of Silent Night.

Christmas 2014 is the 100^th anniversary of this memorable truce where enlisted men stopped killing each other to share their common humanity in song, stories, food, and play, and, most of all, peace. For a brief period in time, the trenches were calm — in some battle areas even until the New Year. Perhaps these soldiers would never have lifted their weapons again if it were not for their superiors forcing them to do so.

“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr, a novel about WWII, also renders a story where humanity transcends the inhumanity of war. Here we see, counterpoised, the lives of a young blind French girl and an almost equally adolescent young German soldier.

Although, in the true story of WWI, the troops were more inclined to consider the enemy as similar to themselves, knowing each other’s language, having traveled to each other’s countries prior to the war, the devastations and depredations of World War I in some part led to the atrocities of World War II, where human interconnectedness became incomprehensively broken.

Doerr narrates a story of how Hitler’s Youth Corps were inhumanly treated while at the same time propagandized to accept authority blindly. This is not an unusual recipe for molding children into unquestioning followers of orders, even when those orders are evil or immoral, whether it’s the “Lord’s Resistance Army” in Central Africa, where young boys were also brutalized in order to brutalize others, or even where seminarians are whisked away on their journey to priesthood at age thirteen. This is all in the service of forming the young brain into unwavering obedience to whatever cause.

In “All the Light We Cannot See,” the young German keeps returning to his childhood time when he connected by radio to a Frenchman telling wondrous stories. His sister and her letters keep this memory alive and his heart and soul alive too—enough so that he saves a young French girl from her demise.

So at this one-hundredth anniversary of the 1914 WWI Christmas Truce, what is the connection to a WW II novel? Perhaps it is about how the heart can hold close to its humanity and transcend blind acquiescence to the powers that be. To the question “What’s a person to do?” this may be the answer.

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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State police holiday enforcement

Local News

The Pennsylvania State Police have announced that their 2014 Christmas holiday enforcement period will run from Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Sunday, Dec. 28. During this time, additional efforts will be made to ensure motorist safety, with special attention being directed towards aggressive drivers.

During the 2013 Christmas holiday weekend, troopers in Troop K investigated 55 crashes, which resulted in nine injuries and no fatalities. Of those crashes, one was alcohol related. Troopers in Troop K issued 219 citations, with 36 of that total being for speeding. Twelve motorists were arrested for DUI.

Troop K covers areas of Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware Counties

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Tick Tock center introduces new director

Chadds Chat

Amid the celebration of Tick Tock Early Learning Center’s 50th birthday this past May, a new executive director, Jaclyn Grunther, took the reins.

PC180113 — New Tick Tock Executive Director Jaclyn Grunther with Santa and some of the children.

A preschool teacher at the center since August 2013, Grunther has a varied background that prepared her well for the position’s multiple roles. She has a bachelor of arts in social work and a master of arts in elementary education. She has taught autistic children and worked with elementary education teachers to help young students with behavioral issues, a Tick Tock press release said.

After a busy summer and fall at the center, Grunther has been overseeing the Christmas lineup of activities at Tick Tick, including community volunteers’ coming to sing as well as help the children get into the Christmas spirit with seasonal music and craft projects, the release said.

Grunther has also been hosting visits from Santa to children in the various age groups. Santa has distributed gifts to the children donated by various companies, retirement communities, and individual volunteers. Other volunteers adopted Tick Tock families for Christmas.

Working closely with an administrative team of three other women, as well as 22 staff members, Grunther plans to is lead Tick Tock into its next successful 50 years.

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Bristol-Myers donates N.C. Wyeth painting to BRM

Arts & Entertainment

The painting, Public Health and Morale (circa 1943) depicts an idealized American family against a backdrop of busy wartime factories, with a squadron of military airplanes over head. It is one of two commissioned by E.R. Squibb and Sons (now Bristol-Myers Squibb). The other painting, The American Mother (1941), was given to the Brandywine River Museum of Art by the company in 1977. The paintings were commissioned for use as advertising window displays, and were also used in internal publications.

“We are pleased that Public Health and Morale will become part of the museum’s permanent N.C. Wyeth collection so that those who are inspired by the work of N.C. Wyeth, his son Andrew, and grandson Jamie, can enjoy this work for years to come,” said John Elicker, senior vice president, Public Affairs and Investor Relations, Bristol-Myers Squibb.

“This generous gift is a wonderful addition to our renowned collection of works by N. C. Wyeth,” said Thomas Padon, director of the Brandywine Museum of Art. “Public Health and Morale powerfully evokes the patriotic spirit of America during World War II. The painting also provides a fascinating glimpse into the ideal of both the American family and industrial prowess at that time.”

Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945) was one of America’s foremost illustrators in the twentieth century. Throughout his career, Wyeth was sought after for book and magazine commissions, but he also strove for recognition in other spheres of art. His private work includes still lifes, portraits and landscapes of Chadds Ford and his summer property in Port Clyde, Maine. Wyeth also enjoyed a reputation as a muralist and painted advertising images. In every area, he proved himself to be an expert draughtsman and brilliant colorist. He explored various styles and mastered techniques which range from the broadly brushed to the near photographic.

Wyeth set down roots and raised his family in Chadds Ford Pennsylvania, starting an American painting dynasty that includes his daughters Henriette (1907-1997) and Carolyn (1909-1994), son Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) and Andrew’s son Jamie Wyeth (born 1946).

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Op/Ed: Join effort to end homelessness

Opinion

During this holiday season many of us will gather with family and friends in warm, safe surroundings to celebrate time-honored traditions and the joy of good fortune. For some Chester County residents, however, holiday celebrations will be confined to a homeless shelter, a car, or a tent in the woods.

On any given day in Chester County, close to 700 men, women and children experience homelessness, and hundreds more are one crisis away from becoming homeless. In 2013, 942 Chester County residents spent at least one night in an emergency shelter; 25 percent of those people were children.

Another 791 people received emergency financial assistance to prevent them from losing their homes. Many suffer from mental illness, substance abuse or domestic violence, but most simply cannot afford a place to live. All are living in poverty, fear and social despair.

The good news is that Chester County has a community-owned and community-driven plan to combat homelessness. Decade to Doorways is a 10-year initiative created to identify and manage homeless resources in the most efficient way possible; bringing together community shelters and nonprofits that assist people in need, funders, government and concerned citizens in partnership to end the plight of homelessness.

Our community has come together to meet this challenge, but we still have a long road ahead to fully eradicate homelessness in Chester County. What can the average Chester County resident do to be part of the solution to ending homelessness?

Actually, a lot: Educate yourself about the root causes of homelessness and share with others what you have learned. Understand that individuals experiencing homelessness are not simply homeless but are grappling with a host of issues that lead to homelessness. Contact your state and federal elected officials to advocate for increased funding for homeless services. Refer those in need to local organizations and support resources. Donate your time. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or food cupboard. Make a contribution by visiting DecadeToDoorways.org/donate.

To learn more about the face of homelessness in Chester County, in the state, and the nation, visit the following websites www.decadetodoorways.org, www.housingalliancepa.org, or www.naeh.org. Together we can end homelessness in Chester County.

Michael Hackman, Administrator, Decade To Doorways

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