Moses is a 12-year-old domestic shorthair/mix that came to the Chester County SPCA on Jan. 7.
Hi. I’m an older cat in much need of medical attention. My hind leg was badly broken and could not be saved. I am managing on three legs and it has not dampened my personality. I am a sweet love bug who loves the security of a warm lap and a loving hand. Won’t you consider me as your next pet? Please?
The branches of the old sycamore tree by the Gilpin House at the Brandywine Battlefield Park have markings more like a python than a tree.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
Photo of the Week: Serpentine Sycamore Read More »
• Pennsylvania State Police from Troop K, Media barracks, are investigating a case of identity theft in which someone filed an income tax return for $6,000 in the name of a Glen Mills resident. The incident was reported on March 7.
• State police from Troop J, Avondale barracks, also reported they are investigating a similar case in which a Pennsbury Township resident is the victim. The victim’s Social Security number was used to file federal income taxes.
• Kennett Square Police filed charges recently in two longstanding identity theft cases. The first allegedly occurred last July when a resident of the 100 block of North Lincoln Street reported the fraudulent use of a credit card, still in the victim’s possession, a couple of days earlier in Whitehall Township and in Bethlehem. On Monday, March 9, police said they arrested Shivon Sessoms, 32, of Newark, N.J., on charges that included access device fraud and related offenses.
• The second identity theft case in Kennett allegedly occurred on Jan. 8, 2014, when a business located in the 600 block of South Union Street reported that a $675 check, which had been mailed to them at an incorrect address in the 100 block of South Willow Street, was cashed on Monday, March 31, 2014. Maria Rios, 43, of Lynn, Mass. – formerly of Kennett Square – was charged with access device fraud, identity theft, and related offenses, police said.
• State police from the Avondale barracks cited an unidentified driver following a one-vehicle crash in Pennsbury Township. Police said the driver was heading south on Route 52 when the car drifted into a berm and shoulder as it approached a left curve. The driver overcorrected, police said, and the rear wheels began to sway. The car spun 180 degrees before leaving the road and hitting a utility pole. There were no injuries, but the driver was cited because the car’s registration had expired in November.
• A state police report said Dwayne Eugene Jones, 47, of Camden was arrested for driving under the influence of a controlled substance on March 9. The report said Jones was stopped for a traffic violation on Southbound Route 1 at Dickinson Drive in Chadds Ford at 7:56 p.m.
• Fernando Serrano Dominguez, 50, of North Ridge, Del. was arrested for DUI following a two-car accident on Route 202 at Dickinson Drive on March 9, a police report said. Details of the accident were not released.
• Whole Foods in Concord Township was the victim of a theft that happened sometime between noon March 10 and noon March 11. Police said someone stole 30 aluminum chairs from the rear of the store in Glen Eagle Square.
• State police are investigating a fraudulent check passing. According to a report, someone passed a bad check at the Fulton Bank on Route 1 in Concord Township. The unidentified suspect left the bank with $2,221. Anyone with information is asked to phone Tpr. Traino at 484-840-1000.
• Kennett Square Police arrested Eduardo Vazquez-Cruz, 22, of Kennett Square, for DUI on Friday, March 13 at 12:29 a.m. in the 100 block of North Willow Street. Police said they found him asleep, slouched over the steering wheel of his running vehicle.
Police Log March 19: Identity thefts, DUIs Read More »
• The 66th annual Chadds Ford Elementary School Art Sale & Show is this weekend. An adults-only reception begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 20. Saturday’s family friendly events go from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• State Rep. Stephen Barrar is holding a discussion of issues over coffee and donuts on Monday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the Red Clay Room, 423 Dalmatian Road in Kennett Square. Please note that seating is limited, so call 610-358-5925 to RSVP right away.
• The Brandywine River Museum of Art resumes its tours of historic sites on Saturday, April 1. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the N.C. Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth studios and the Kuerner Farm. Tickets cost $8 per person in addition to regular museum admission, free to members of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. Cost to tour additional properties is $5 per person for each site.
• The YMCA of Greater Brandywine will celebrate the invention of basketball with special community events and a “Play now, pay later” membership offer. Free family fun days, in celebration of basketball, will be held on Sunday, March 22 and 29 from noon to 3 p.m. for members and the community. Event locations include the YMCA facilities in Coatesville, Jennersville, West Grove, Kennett Square, Exton, Upper Main, Berwyn and West Chester. For more information, visit www.ymcagbw.org
• The Brandywine Ballet is offering a four-week Summer Intensive program for students who want to cultivate their ballet technique. There will also be a four-week Choreography Project that will expose students to classical and contemporary genres. For more information, visit www.brandywineballet.org
• The Pennsbury Land Trust is branching out with a tree seminar for area residents on Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in the Pennsbury Township building. Jason Lubar, the associate director of urban forestry at the University of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum for the past 16 years, will share information on the care and maintenance of backyard trees, including tips on recovering from storm damage or disease. Between now and March 19, area residents are invited to submit pre-event questions to pennsburylandtrust@gmail.com.
• Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have released the TeenDrivingPlan Parent Guide, an interactive multimedia resource designed to help parents effectively supervise their teens’ driving practice. Based on years of research, the guide helps parents take action to keep teen drivers safe and learning during the learner’s permit phase of Graduated Driver Licensing. A randomized, controlled trial found that teens with families who followed the program, which includes instructional videos and a rating tool, were 65 percent less likely to make dangerous driving errors.
• For Fox Sake is the new off-dry cider made exclusively for The Whip Tavern to accompany its English and specialty dishes. The fully local, fruit-forward formula is the work of owner KC Kulp and Big Hill Ciderworks. Fifty cents from each Imperial pint drawn, now through eternity, will support the open space efforts of The Brandywine Conservancy. The Whip Tavern is located at 1383 N. Chatham Rd. in West Marlborough Township. For more information, visit thewhiptavern.com
• Chester County will be updating the backbone structure of Ready NotifyPA, a statewide community alert system, this summer and is looking for residents’ input until March 31. The county wants to ensure it is serving residents’ needs effectively. If you have any questions, contact Amy Amer at aamer@chesco.org or 610-344-5093. The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/desrn or www.chesco.org/des
• The Lerner and Lowe musical “Camelot” comes to Wilmington’s The Playhouse on Rodney Square April 14 to 19. This is part of a national tour. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. on Thursday; 8 p.m. on Friday; 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. on Saturday; 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online at ThePlayhouseDE.org or by phone at 302-888-0200. You can also visit The Playhouse Box Office Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1007 North Market Street in Wilmington.
Around Town March 19 Read More »
The Chadds Ford Republican Party celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a public debut of this year’s candidates for office.
Candidates for country and regional offices — among them being incumbent state Sen. Dominic F. Pileggi, who is running for Common Pleas Court Judge, and Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan, seeking re-election — gave brief hellos.
Following that, candidates for township supervisor took to the microphone.
Noelle Barbone, the endorsed candidate to run for the seat now held by Supervisor George Thorpe, said she and fellow candidate Samantha Reiner are looking forward to working with Supervisors’ Chairman Frank Murphy.
She added that she brings 45 years of real estate experience to the table and cites that as a major qualification.
“I really know the importance of maintaining property value,” she said adding that, as a realtor, she took an oath to protect property rights, which includes maintaining property value.
Barbone also has a project she wants to undertake if elected. She wants to work with the Chadds Ford Historical Society to help identify all of the historical monuments and properties in the township.
“It’s important because I know many buyers and others are attracted to Chadds Ford Township because of its history. When we maintain history, we maintain property value as well,” she said.
Barbone will face Democratic Party challenger Alan Horowitz in November.
The other endorsed Republican for supervisor is Reiner, who was appointed to replace Keith Klaver, who resigned in January. She will run in her own name to serve the remaining two years of Klaver’s six-year term.
Reiner has been the township manager in Edgmont Township since 1997 and spent six years managing the Bethel Township Sewer Authority before that.
She presented her campaign slogan “THINK Reiner for supervisor” using individual cards with the letters T, H, I, N, and K, with each letter representing an attribute or personality trait she said she brings to the office.
Among others, she said she’s teachable, tough and thorough, honest and hardworking, innovative and interested, a neighbor who understands how to network, and, she said, she’s knowledgeable and keen on details.
Chadds Ford Republican Party leader Mary Kot said she’s looking forward to the election with Barbone and Reiner on the ticket.
“I’m excited and thrilled to have two candidates of their caliber. They’re really special,” Kot said.
Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board candidates Lorraine Ramunno and John Murphy, from Pennsbury Township, also attended.
Incumbent school board Director Carolyn Daniels, of Chadds Ford, is running for re-election, but was not in attendance.
The event was held at Brandywine catering on Route 1.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
CF GOP introduces candidates for 2015 Read More »
Database Marketing Is For Everyone.
Whether you’re a partner in a consulting firm, a contractor or electrician, or CEO of an international conglomerate, database marketing is crucial for your success.
Database marketing can be simple or sophisticated. The key is that instead of just having a mailing list of prospective customers or a single list of current customers, you can use a computerized system to evaluate and manage the information more precisely.
For example, you may want to send a reminder mailing to every customer twice a year; a monthly mailing or email newsletter to more active customers; and even place a phone call from time to time to your very best customers. Then maybe set up email reminders and news for prospective clients and general contacts.
Using a Mix of Marketing Vehicles
Historically, database marketing relied overwhelmingly on direct mail. Then increasingly telemarketing had been used. And now there are a slew of better alternatives to consider, including email, fax, social media and text.
Particularly for closing sales for higher-ticket goods or services, a combination of several different contact methods may work best. For smaller businesses, email marketing and social media are always the most cost-efficient way to go.
Fancy and Expensive Doesn’t Always Sell
Again and again, I’ve learned in marketing campaigns that fancy and expensive doesn’t always mean better results. Also, once you get into four-color printing the costs are high, so it is very expensive to mail high quality printed materials.
TEST, TEST, TEST
In database marketing, changing even a small variable can wildly change your results. So trying different combinations and making sure that you are tracking ROI are key to these efforts.
* Maria L. Novak Dugan is president of Marketing Solutions & Business Development, a firm in West Chester, PA, offering creative marketing services and goal implementation for small & medium sized businesses. For more information, contact Maria at 610-405-0633 or MariaNovak001@yahoo.com or visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com
Maria L. Novak Dugan is president of Marketing Solutions & Business Development, a firm serving Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, offering creative marketing services and goal implementation for small businesses. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the Marketing & Sales Industry ... 13 of those as the sole sales representative for a Pennsylvania payroll company growing their client base by over 500%. Maria Novak Dugan is also the former Managing Director of the Delaware Chapter of eWomenNetwork. Creating, developing, and conducting this division of a national organization strengthened her knowledge of networking, event planning, fundraising, and small-business development. For more information, contact Maria at 610-405-0633 or Maria@Maria-L-Novak.com or visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com
Boost Your Business: Database marketing Read More »
• Dakota Raymond, of Chadds Ford, has been granted the Veronica Founder’s Scholarship to study at Alvernia University in the fall. Raymond is currently an Ursuline Academy senior.
• Angela He of Chadds Ford, was named to the Dean’s List of Emory College of Arts and Sciences, in Atlanta, Ga., for the 2014 fall semester. Students must be in the top 20 percent of Emory College or have approximately a 3.850 grade point average or higher to be named to the list.
• Calla Kurtzhals of Chadds Ford, is one of four members of Duquesne University’s Pi Sigma Epsilon sales and marketing society to be selected as finalists for the 2015 Berg Cup Competition. The team, advised by Dr. Dorene Ciletti, assistant professor of marketing and sports marketing, is among only eight chosen, based on a case study response, to compete this weekend at the University of Pittsburgh.
Academic achievement Read More »
Celebrate National Agriculture Day – Wednesday, March 18 – by expressing thanks to area farmers, suggests the Chester Delaware County Farm Bureau.
In 2013, Americans averaged 5.6 percent of disposable personal income on food at home and 4.3 percent on food away from home, one of the lowest percentages in the world, according to a Farm Bureau news release.
“America’s farmers, ranchers and growers are some of our nation’s greatest asset,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in the release. “Not only do we rely on agriculture for our food, feed, fiber, and fuel, our agricultural producers preserve our environment, and help drive our national economy. “
U.S. farms, which are still 96 percent family-owned, vary from small part-time farmers raising livestock, growing vegetables and other crops, or producing honey to large-scale operators with thousands of acres.
Local farms, blessed with some of the best soils in the country and well-distributed rainfall, contribute to the success of the state’s industry. For example, 280 dairy farmers produce enough milk for all Delaware and Chester County residents and over 140,000 people in surrounding counties, the release said.
Citing examples of area agricultural prominence, the Farm Bureau highlighted properties that include Lanefield Farm, an equestrian compound in Unionville, and Pietro Industries Inc., a mushroom operation in Kennett Square.
“Farming and horses go hand in hand,” said Mary Hazzard of Lanefield Farm in the release. “I own an 80- acre farm and previously raised polled Hereford cattle and horses, worked a full-time job, and started a horseshoeing business. I breed thoroughbred horses. The babies are raised, trained and compete in various disciplines. The crops of hay, corn, wheat are used on the farm for the horses and some are sold to help pay the taxes in a good year.”
Hazzard explained that horses require open space, and small farms have been able to survive through the agricultural preservation programs in Chester County.
“The attraction of this open space to horse owners is unequalled anywhere on the East Coast,” Hazzard said. “It began because of the interaction between horses for sport, cattle-raising and the mushroom industry, which uses vast amounts of mulch hay and manure, by-products of the horse industry.”
Chris Alonzo of Pietro Industries Inc. said his farm is one of 65 in Chester and Delaware Counties, which produce about half the mushrooms in the country. “Knowing my family farm provides a healthy food to have at your table gives me pride in the work we do seven days a week,” he said.
Alonzo said the farm’s name, which means Peter in Italian, comes from his father and his late grandfather. “Business is not done the same way as when my grandfather started the farm over 75 years ago,” he said. “There is innovation in the process as well as new technology to improve the productivity, quality and food safety of the mushroom.”
Celebrate National Ag Day: Thank a farmer Read More »
