Cold temperatures and strong winds are expected to create bitter cold during the next several days, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
And to make matters worse, the polar plunge will include several periods of snow, the first one on Thursday, Feb. 12, then again Saturday, Feb. 14, with a third batch possible late Sunday, Feb. 15. Large accumulations are not expected; however, that scenario could change, given the active weather pattern.
On Thursday, Feb. 12, less than an inch of snow is predicted at the cold front passes through. However, isolated two-inch amounts are possible in snow squalls associated with strong winds behind the front Thursday afternoon.
By Saturday, Feb. 14, heavier amounts of snow are possible starting in the afternoon and night as the next clipper develops east of New Jersey. The proximity of its development to the coast will govern snowfall amounts, which remain uncertain at this time.
The period from Thursday afternoon through Thursday morning of next week, Feb. 19, is likely to bring intervals of the coldest air of the season, with several mornings of subzero cold. Monday, Feb. 16, is expected to be the coldest day with record lows and wind chills of minus 10.
Wind gusts could exceed 50 mph south and east of the I-95 corridor early Sunday, with power outages possible due to downed wires. People outdoors for extended periods of time need to be prepared for these harsh conditions. NWS suggests that residents check their heating fuel to ensure that they don’t run out during the cold snap.
With temperatures in the Philadelphia region expected to be in the single digits this weekend, PECO is providing tips to help customers stay safe and save energy and money, despite the deep freeze.
Manage your thermostat. Keep thermostats set at a constant, comfortable level. Lower thermostats a few degrees when sleeping or when out for more than a few hours.
Do not block air flow. Make sure your furniture and drapes are not blocking heating vents.
Take advantage of natural sunlight. Open curtains and drapes during the day to let the sun warm your home and close them at night for insulation.
Do not heat unused areas. Close vents in unused rooms and shut doors to unused rooms, closets and basements.
Keep the heat in. Check for drafts around windows and doors, and seal any openings with weather stripping or even a rolled up blanket. A drafty house lets warm air escape and is much more costly to keep warm – especially on the coldest days of the season.
Change your furnace filter regularly. A dirty filter forces the furnace to work harder. Have the furnace inspected by a licensed professional to ensure it is operating efficiently and to seal any leaks in furnace ducts.
Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120o F and conserve hot water when you can.
Don’t forget to turn it off. Turn off any unnecessary lights and electronics.
PECO reminds customers to put safety first. Never use an oven or other cooking device as a heat source for your home. It also is a good idea to check on elderly neighbors and relatives during the extreme cold.
Looking for even more ways to save energy and money? With PECO Smart House Call, we’ll send an energy advisor to your home, provide a personal energy assessment and offer energy-efficient upgrades on the spot. By identifying energy-efficiency opportunities around your home, you could save up to 20 percent on your monthly energy bill. Learn more at peco.com/smartideas.
To manage energy costs, customers can sign up for budget billing. Budget billing makes short-term fluctuations in monthly bills easier to handle by dividing annual energy costs evenly throughout the year. Customers having trouble managing their bills should contact PECO immediately at 1-800-494-4000.
To help those less fortunate stay warm, donations can be made to PECO’s Matching Energy Assistance Fund (MEAF). The program, funded by voluntary contributions, helps low-income customers restore service or avoid service termination. Donations are matched dollar-for-dollar by PECO. To learn more about how to donate to MEAF or to learn more about PECO’s many low-income assistance programs, visit peco.com/help or call 1-800-774-7040.
Customers looking to help a friend, neighbor or loved one also can give the gift of energy. With PECO Smart Gift of Energy, customers can give any amount toward any PECO customer’s electric or natural gas bill. The PECO Smart Gift of Energy amount will appear on a recipient’s future bill as a credit. To learn more, visit peco.com/gift or call 1-800-597-9514.
On the evening of Saturday, Feb. 7, a vibrant Millersville University freshman changed her Facebook profile to add a photo depicting herself nuzzled against her boyfriend. Hours later, the 18-year-old from Chadds Ford died at his hand, investigators said.
Now the communities impacted by the alleged murder, which include the Millersville campus as well as Unionville High, where Karlie Hall and her twin sister graduated in 2014, are struggling to cope with the loss. Counseling services have been provided for students in both locations.
The death of Karlie Hall, shown in a Facebook photo, has prompted a flood of condolences and donations.
Following Hall’s autopsy on Monday, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office added criminal homicide to the charges facing Gregorio Orrostieta, 19, of Kennett Square, Hall’s boyfriend. The coroner concluded that Hall died “as the result of strangulation and multiple traumatic injuries.”
Police said Orrostieta called 9-1-1 at 5 a.m. on Sunday, about 2 ½ hours after the resident assistant in Hall’s Bard Hall dormitory followed up on concerns about yelling and sounds of an altercation in Room 217. The resident assistant got no response after knocking at the door, the criminal complaint said.
No one heard any further commotion until police arrived and found a bloodied Orrostieta kneeling over the body and attempting to administer CPR, Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman said. Orrostieta told police that the two had argued at a party, made up, and then returned to Hall’s dorm, where another more physical argument occurred.
At the university, a long white sheet of paper placed over three long tables between the Fitness Center and information desk with markers on Monday, Feb. 9, invited students to share written tributes to their classmate. Janet Kacskos, a Millersville University spokeswoman, said it was nearly devoid of empty space early afternoon on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Kacskos said the remembrance banner would likely be hung in the student memorial center. A candlelight vigil, held on Monday, Feb. 9, attracted about 300 mourners, said Kacskos. “Everyone is feeling the grief,” she said, adding that therapy dogs have also been helping students cope with the death of Hall, a business administration major, who planned to pursue a concentration in management.
“Although there is nothing that anyone can do to bring this light back into the world, we can band together in support and help the Hall family during this time,” said a statement from Aisling Burns, a Millersville senior who set up the page.
The effort, which has raised more than $12,000 in less than a day, noted that the average funeral cost ranges from $7,000 to 10,000. Any amount raised beyond $10,000 would be donated to a Lancaster women’s shelter and an animal shelter, Burns said.
Burns, an international relations major from Drexel Hill, said she didn’t know Hall or her twin sister, who also attends Millersville, but that didn’t matter.
“Millersville is such a small tight-knit community that even if you don’t know someone, you know people who do; this hurts everyone,” Burns said. “It occurred to me that this family was not prepared to bury their loved one, and I wanted to do something to help.”
Burns said she contacted the university to make sure the Hall family would approve of her idea. She said once she got an OK, she set up the page, including quotes from Hall’s friends, who referenced attributes such as her contagious laugh and beautiful spirit. “Karlie had a smile that would brighten anyone’s day. She was the sweetest girl I have ever met and a great friend. I will never forget her,” wrote Tyler Bethke.
Ryan Kotzman said: “I will think of her everyday. Karlie was a good friend, the best, my best and I will miss every moment I don’t have with her.”
Burns said she was thrilled with the response and hoped it would continue. She said several campus organizations planned to make donations through efforts such as bake sales. “It’s just been great,” she said.
Kacskos said Millersville – a campus that had never been rocked by a homicide before – has united in its efforts to mourn the loss as well as assist Hall’s family. Kacskos said Millersville has helped publicize the funding website through tweets and other social media.
“The outpouring of support to the university has been amazing, with requests to pass condolences along to the family,” Kacskos said. “I’ve heard from universities across the country, and from businesses. It’s wonderful to see so many people with kind, loving spirits.”
As Hall’s friends and relatives mourn her loss, Orrostieta, a 2014 Kennett High student who did not attend Millersville, has been held at Lancaster County Prison. On Sunday, Feb. 8, he failed to post bail of $1.5 million for an aggravated assault charge. On Monday, Feb. 9, prosecutors added a criminal homicide charge so bail is no longer an option.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Feb. 19, court records said. Police asked anyone who might have information related to the investigation to contact them at 717-871-4357.
• Pennsylvania State Police from Troop K, Media barracks, are investigating the Feb. 6 theft of a rental car. According to police, Bargain Car, Truck and Van Rentals in Concord Township rented a white 2013 Chrysler 200 to a man who said his own vehicle was being repaired at a nearby dealership. However, the customer’s wife reportedly called Bargain to say her husband was recently admitted to a rehab facility and that she had no idea of the car’s location. The car has Pennsylvania tag number JHR-9545.
• Police are also investigating the reported theft of a snowplow. A police report said a Glen Mills man reported the plow was taken from his yard sometime between noon on Jan. 24 and 1 p.m. on Jan. 26. Anyone with information should phone Tpr. Brian Maturo at 484-840-1000.
• Pennsylvania State Police arrested Rennett Inez Gordon, 36, of Trainer, for a probation violation in Delaware, according to a police report. Police said Gordon was arrested after being stopped for a traffic violation on Route 1 in Concord Township.
• An alert neighbor may have prevented a burglary in Concord Township. According to state police from Troop K, Media barracks, two men wearing dark clothes were seen attempting to break into a shed in the backyard of a home on Cambridge Drive. They pair fled when the neighbor spotted them.
State police are looking for the identity of a man suspected of making five fraudulent transactions in Northeast Philadelphia with another person’s bankcard information on Dec. 12. Police said the transactions totaled $813. Anyone with information is asked to call Tpr. Tyler Craig at 724-832-3288.
• State police said Diane C. Hernandez, 39, of West Grove, was arrested for DUI after she crashed her vehicle on Route 202 at Brandywine Drive just before 10 p.m. on Feb. 8. No other details were available.
• Jonathan Roland Biondi, 21, of West Chester, was arrested for DUI just before midnight on Feb. 8, police said. According to a report, Biondi was stopped for a traffic violation, but was then found to be under the influence and in possession of a narcotic.
• State police reported no injuries in a two-vehicle accident on Route 1 at Joshua Way in Pennsbury Township on Feb. 8. William S. Swartz Jr., 18, of Kennett Square, was cited, police said. According to a report, Swartz was traveling north in the left lane of Route 1. A second vehicle, also heading north, was in the right lane. Police said Swartz merged into the right lane and struck the other vehicle. At that point, police said he turned back into the left lane, but the car flipped over onto its roof.
• A cell phone was reportedly stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked in a driveway on Mendenhall Drive in Concord Township. Police said the incident happened sometime between 7 p.m. on Feb. 6 and 8 a.m. on Feb. 7.
• Two women, both reportedly from Chadds Ford, were cited following an accident on Route 1 at Brandywine Drive in Chadds Ford Township, according to a police report. Police said Susan M. Salter, 57, was driving south on Route 1 when she tried to get through the intersection when the light turned red. The other car, driven by Marian Short, 69, crossed into the intersection as Salter drove through, the report said. No injuries were reported.
• A police report said Stephanie Perkins, 24, of Bridgewater, Mass., rear-ended another vehicle that was stopped for a red light on Route 202 at Hillman Drive in Chadds Ford Township. No injuries were reported resulting from the Feb. 2 accident, but both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.
• Anthony Richard Mendez, 20, reportedly of Chadds Ford, was found to be DUI after being stopped for a traffic violation on Route 202, according to police. A report said Mendez was stopped for a traffic violation at 12:27 a.m. on Feb. 2.
• Police said Geraldo Reyez, 28, lost control of his pickup truck on Heyburn Road on Feb. 2. The truck flipped onto its side. Police determined he was DUI, according to a report.
• A police report said Jeanne A. Musewicz, 72, of Swarthmore, was cited for careless driving on Feb. 1. According to a report, Musewicz was southbound on Route 1 just south of Schoolhouse Lane In Concord Township when her car left the roadway and struck the concrete barrier on the left. An oncoming vehicle was hit by debris. There were no injuries reported.
• On Sunday, Jan. 18, at 12:16 a.m., Kennett Square Police cited a 17-year-old female from Chadds Ford, for underage drinking. The teen was a passenger in a vehicle stopped in the 700 block of West State Street for failing to stop at the red traffic signal at South Union and State Streets, police said, adding that she was released to a parent.
• Sometime overnight on Friday, Jan. 23, windows were smashed out and all body panels were dented on a vehicle parked in the 100 block of South Walnut Street, Kennett Square Police said. An investigation is continuing, police said.
• A Concord Township supervisors’ decision regarding a liquor license for Wegmans was rescheduled. Supervisors were to have voted on Feb. 10, but the new date is now Feb. 24.
• It’s Music on the Brandywine when guitarist Jordan Dodson performs at the Brandywine River Museum of Art on Thursday, Feb. 19. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., but the galleries will be open at 6 p.m. Dodson is an active soloist and chamber musician based in New York and Philadelphia. Tickets are available online, by phone at 610-388-8326, or at the museum. Prices are $12, $10 for members and $6 for students, through Feb. 16. After that date, prices increase to $25, $20 for members, and $10 students.
• The Kennett Symphony is looking for singers for the 2015 Voice Competition to be held on March 28 in the Kendal at Longwood auditorium. The competition is open to singers between the ages of 18 and 26. Competitors must perform three operatic, oratorio or concert arias from the 18th to 21st centuries. At least one piece must be in English. Only 16 singers will be in the competition. There will be cash prizes and the first-place finalist will be invited to perform with the symphony. Applications are available at www.kennettsymphony.org or by e-mailing paulmerl@aol.com.
• The Chester County Historical Society will open a new exhibit called “The Sixties! Winds of Change.” Part I of the exhibit, “1960s Pop Culture: Movies, Memorabilia and The Media, The Steve and Michell Friedman Collection,” will open Feb. 21; the second part, “The ‘60s! Winds of Change,” will open Nov. 7, with programming throughout the time frame. This two-part installation will use original objects, photographs, documents, and oral histories to help visitors see how national events influenced Chester County, and also how the area, in turn, contributed to those events.
• Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library has received a $425,000 federal challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and raised an additional $1,275,000 to endow a key leadership position that has just been named the Charles F. Hummel Director of Conservation. The grant and match funding, part of Winterthur’s $50 million Building on Strength Campaign, will allow Winterthur to create a new post-graduate fellowship program in conservation.
• Chester County is offering Adult Mental Health First Aid, a new free public education program designed to teach everyday citizens the skills to help another person who is struggling with a mental health concern or crisis. Participants will learn risk factors, warning signs, and the impact of mental health concerns. They will also practice the Mental Health First Aid action plan and learn about local treatment resources as well receive a comprehensive, user-friendly 136-page manual. Participants who attend the entire eight-hour Saturday class will receive certification. To register, visit https://chescodhstrainings.schedulemeappointments.com.
• The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls announced this week that Phyllis Copeland is the recipient of the 2015 Kitchen Table Award for her contributions to the community. Copeland is an activist most widely recognized for her work with the Chester County Historical Society. Her achievements will be spotlighted at the fund’s “Making a Difference Luncheon” on May 1 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center. To learn more about the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls, a grant-making organization that has awarded more than $2 million to 60 county organizations since its inception, visit http://ccwomenandgirls.org.
Noel is a 2- year-old cur black mouth mix that came to the CCSPCA on Dec. 26. She was shy when she first arrived but now enjoys being around people. She’s smart and eager to learn. Noel knows basic commands such as sit, stay, watch, touch a hand, and sit on a mat when asked. She’s a medium sized dog that would love to go home with an active family.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, the Chester County SPCA’s second Saturday Feb. 14 will include a Smooch-a-Pooch Kissing Booth between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Adoption fees for animals will also be reduced to $14 for select Shelter Sweethearts, animals that have been waiting on love the longest.
The CCSPCA is at 1212 Phoenixville Pike in West Chester.
Chadds Ford Township resident Ann Boohar submitted this image from Ridley Creek State Park for Photo of the Week.
She said: “Winter’s frigid temperatures partially freeze the dam in Ridley Creek State Park. The Park is a nearby place to walk or bike and enjoy the beauty of nature at any time of the year.”
Karlie Adele Hall, 18, of Chadds Ford, died Sunday, Feb. 8, at Millersville University.
Born in Miami, Fla., she was a daughter of John Hall (Tatiana) of Florida and Jeanette Wilson Hall of Chadds Ford.
Karlie was a 2014 graduate of Unionville High School where she enjoyed playing rugby. She also enjoyed swimming, dancing and many other sports throughout her life. Karlie always wore the number 5 in the sports she played. She also loved vacationing at the Jersey Shore. She was a freshman at Millersville University and was studying business and finance.
Survivors include in addition to her mother and father, her paternal grandmother Adele Hall of Glen Mills; two sisters including her twin sister Kristen Hall attending Millersville University and Katelyn Hall attending Kutztown University; her aunts and uncles, Don Wilson (Corey), Bob Wilson (Joan) John Wilson, Tom Wilson, Barb Robinson (Dave), Jim Hall (Teri), Michael Hall, Matt Hall (Erika), Kathy Gahres (Larry), Bob Hall, Donna Garnera, Terry Hall, and Mary Cook (Dave), and many cousins.
She was predeceased by two uncles, Bill Wilson and Steve Hall.
You are invited to visit with Karlie’s family and friends from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, 2014 at Willowdale Chapel 675 Unionville Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348 (corner of Routes 82 and 926, one mile north of Route 1) Her funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Valley Forge Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. (610-444-4116) of Kennett Square. To view Karlie’s online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.griecocares.com
You may have noticed a hub of activity every month at the Meridian Bank at 16 West Market Street in downtown West Chester. Rarely does one see a bank office brimming with people after 5pm! In the case of the Meridian Bank, they are the showplace for a small group of local artists who call themselves “The Art Trust,” who exhibit a new show six times a year.
Friday February 13 The Art Trust has an opening reception for its newest exhibit entitled “Finders Keepers” from 5-8:30 pm at the bank location. “Finders Keepers” is an exhibition of the “rediscovered, reused, reinvented, repurposed, eclectic and eminently collectible” says the publicity release, and whatever that means exactly, you should expect a beautifully arranged, diverse, inspiring selection of contemporary artworks at a reasonable price. The receptions are also a great place to hob-knob and chat with fellow artists, art lovers, and whoever else interesting that drops in.
The Art Trust shows are always fresh and interesting, and the artists in the Art Trust are not just always showing their own work – however tempting that must be. Different board members come up with ideas for shows and suggest various artists to exhibit, and they also take turns hanging the show as well. Back in 2006 when The Art Trust first started, galleries were closing right and left and one gallery owner in particular, Patricia Bazan Garrubba wanted to make sure to keep arts alive in West Chester. She reached out to a handful of like-minded art enthusiasts and helped to form The Art Trust with this small artistic collective and the CEO of the Meridian Bank. Since its inception, The Art Trust has gained a loyal following of admirers, and continues to make bold artistic statements with every show.
Jeff Schaller, currently Vice-President of the Art Trust and head of the very successful Chester County Studio Tour, says “We like to have fun with our shows and provide something different for the art community.” Jeff is in charge of most of the exhibits and enjoys changing it up. “One year we did a show on t-shirt designs and filled the gallery with t-shirts… that was a fun show” he remembers.
Currently there are 9 active Board members, and Liz Ruff is the current board President. It is a 100% volunteer effort on everyone’s part and they all pitch in. The mission of The Art Trust is to “support and cultivate the exploration of a contemporary aesthetic for the benefit of artists and the community.” Liz Ruff says “I love the variety of work we exhibit and the “buyer-friendly” pricing. We want to build an enthusiasm for buying original art.”
When I asked Liz to describe the Art Trust, she wrote that “the magic in this organization is our board. We have become close friends with an intense level of respect for each other. This is a working board, a collection of passionate, task-oriented, visionaries. You don’t see that combination often and I am proud to be a part of this group. And we have so much fun together. That’s the key to our success. We love what we are doing together.”
So if you are out and about West Chester any day of the week, stop by The Meridian Bank and check out The Art Trust’s latest exhibition of exciting, interesting and always contemporary artworks. The show opening reception this Friday is from 5-8:30 and will have free food and wine and a not-to-be-missed mingling of artists and art lovers; all thanks to the inspiring combination of talent and hard-work from the folks at The Art Trust.
Lele Galer is an artist who has chaired numerous art shows, taught art history and studio art, public art and has chaired, written and taught the Art in Action Art Appreciation series for the UCFD schools for the past 12 years. She worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and wrote for the Associated Press in Rome. She has been dedicated to Art History and art education for most of her adult life. Lele and her husband Brad own Galer Estate Winery in Kennett Square.
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District’s FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Team, Flaming Phoenix, won its third straight Engineering Design Award and qualified for the Pennsylvania State Championship Tournament. The team is comprised of five students from Unionville High School — Christy Ammon, Kaelyn Gaza, Austin Hwa, CJ McClure, and KC Simmons — and two students from Patton Middle School —Thomas McClure and Justin Warner.
At FTC competitions, you are teamed up with other schools to compete as an alliance on the field. The teams are also judged individually in competing for awards in engineering, design, programming and community outreach.
In January, UCFSD’s Flaming Phoenix team was the first place winner for the PTC Design Award at the Delaware State Championship in Dover and at the South Central Pennsylvania Regional Qualifying Tournament in York. The intent of this award is to expand the competition challenge, inspiring teams to incorporate industrial design into their robots.
These elements can be shown in the simplicity of the engineering design as it applies to the tasks, the look and feel of the robot, and how the design allows us to think of robots in new ways. UCFSD’s team incorporated a number of 3D printed components into their design, which set them apart from the rest of the teams.
At the York competition, UCFSD’s team took second place in the Inspire Award, which is the highest award given by FTC. The winners are the “prototypes” for what the judges would like to see all teams achieve during the competition: success on the field, robot design, team spirit and engineering accomplishment.
At both January competitions, team Flaming Phoenix also was a finalist for the Motivate Award, which recognizes outstanding team spirit and community outreach that raises awareness about robotics and STEM programs.
