October 16, 2015 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Tough Mudders to descend on area

Those who considers themselves Tough Mudders will display their prowess this weekend, and organizers promise that area residents who might only dream about such a designation will have access to an exhilarating vicarious experience.

Tough Mudder Philly will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, at Plantation Field.

Plantation Field in West Marlborough Township will host Tough Mudder, an obstacle course challenge that tests strength, grit, stamina and teamwork. The event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, and will offer a 10-plus-mile course featuring entirely new and updated obstacles, a Tough Mudder press release said.

“We are thrilled to be returning to the Pennsylvania region for this year’s Tough Mudder Philly event,” Alison Schmidt, operations manager at Tough Mudder, said in the release. “Our strong partnership with the communities of Pennsylvania was a key factor in the success of our previous events. We’re looking forward to building on that success to provide another life-changing event for local and visiting participants, as well as providing a positive economic impact on the region as Mudders travel from surrounding states and across the country to see what’s in store for 2015.”

Brand-new obstacles hitting the course will include “King of the Swingers,” where Mudders leap off a ledge, grab onto a lever and swing out to reach a bell that’s dangling above a pit of muddy water; and “Cry Baby,” a tunnel crawl through a tear-gas-like substance. Classic obstacles including slicked quarter-pipe “Everest” have been redesigned, with “2.0” versions offering new twists on the classic challenges, pushing participants to work as a team.

“The obstacle innovations we’ve made for 2015 will encourage participants to work together more than ever before, while still providing the personal challenge people have come to expect from Tough Mudder,” Nolan Kombol, head of innovation at Tough Mudder, said in the release. “We’re thrilled to provide a fresh experience for returning Mudders and 20 new reasons for first-timers to finally take the plunge.”

One of the event’s sponsors, the U.S. Army, will have its esteemed Golden Knights Parachute team making airplane jumps throughout the weekend to entertain participants as well as spectators. Two jumps are scheduled on Saturday, one at 10 a.m., and one at 2 p.m., and one will take place on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Parking for Tough Mudder Philly will operate differently on Saturday and Sunday, and attendees must purchase a parking pass in advance. General parking on Saturday is off-site and located at Willowdale Steeplechase, 113 E. Street Rd., Kennett Square; free shuttles will take people to and from the event site. A limited number of premium parking passes for Saturday are available for purchase online. All Sunday parking is on-site at Plantation Field, 322 Apple Grove Rd., Coatesville.

Tough Mudder events have gained wide appeal—participants (known as “Mudders”) range from veterans to business executives to pageant queens to 81-year-old grandfathers. More than 95 percent of Mudders sign up as part of a team.

And for many Mudders, Tough Mudder is more than just a weekend event—it’s a lifestyle. More than 5,000 Mudders have even had the Tough Mudder logo tattooed on their bodies.

Founded in 2010 by Will Dean and Guy Livingstone, Tough Mudder will host more than 50 events in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Australia in 2015. Tough Mudder is a long-time supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project®, having raised more than $8.7 million to date for it. For more information or to get tickets, visit www.toughmudder.com.

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Op/Ed: Library board needs overhaul

Opinion

The Kennett Public Library hired MacIntyre Associates to conduct a campaign planning feasibility study for their proposed new library. The library essentially provided 23 carefully crafted questions for which they sought answers. They provided MacIntyre Associates with a list of 98 individuals to be interviewed, but only 41 (40.2%) chose to participate. This is a very important result for the study. I have read the entire study as released by the library board that included significant redactions.

MacIntyre Associates conducted the study and concluded:

(1) There was not a positive outlook for individual financial support at this time;

(2) Few individuals would provide major support as long as current leadership remained in place;

(3) $6 million dollars is not available for a capital campaign at this time.

The Bayard Taylor Memorial Library has been in a slow decline for over half a century. Two decades ago when the library identified the need for a new facility, the decline has drastically increased. I do not believe the current library board is capable of providing new facilities to our communities.

I would propose that a new committee free from the library board be established to plan and provide a new facility in Kennett Square with adequate parking. This committee would be composed of individuals from the true service area of the Kennett Public Library, probably appointed by their respective board of supervisors. This committee would conduct open public meetings, probably monthly around the true service area, to allow for public input. Minutes would be made available to the public.

With this approach I believe our communities could have a new, expandable public library in three to four years

Bruce B. Yelton
Pocopson Township

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Roadwork for week of Oct. 17

Along the Ford

PennDOT and Kennett Township have announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect residents in the greater Chadds Ford area during the week of Oct. 17 through Oct. 24. Both recommend that motorists allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones.

Utility installation will cause lane restrictions on East Baltimore Pike between Ways Lane and Cope Road in Kennett Township. The work is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Thursday, Oct. 22.

Utility installation is also scheduled between Norfolk Avenue and East Campus Drive on South High Street in West Goshen Township. Crews will require lane restrictions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Thursday, Oct. 22.

Burnt Mill Road in Kennett Township is closed and detoured indefinitely between Norway and Spring Mill roads while advance work continues on repairs to the Burnt Mill Bridge, which was closed on April 24, 2014.

The Birmingham Road bridge in Birmingham Township is closed to repair structural damage. Posted detours will be in effect indefinitely between Lambourne Road and Stoney Run Drive.

Phoenixville Pike in West Goshen Township will be the site of paving between Greenhill Road and Bridgewater Drive. The work will be done from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The road-widening project continues on Route 100 in Uwchlan and West Whiteland townships. Lane closures will be in effect between Swedesford Road and Route 113 from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Sunday, Oct. 18, through Friday, Oct. 23. Crews will also be working on the same dates from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on paving and line striping between Route 30 and Shoen Road, where lane restrictions will be needed.

Route 100 in both directions in West Whiteland and West Goshen townships between Greenhill and Boot roads will be subject to intermittent lane closures on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 23, for ditching. Crews are scheduled to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Work is continuing on the project to widen Route 202, which is scheduled for completion in August 2016. Motorists will experience traffic pattern shifts and lane closures in both directions in East Whiteland Township between the Routes 30 and 401 interchanges.

Crews will paint traffic lines on northbound and southbound I-95’s outside collector lanes between Philadelphia International Airport and Route 291 on Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 23, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Lane restrictions will be needed.

Lane closures are scheduled on I-95 and I-76 in Philadelphia for a series of bridge inspections, weather permitting. On Monday, Oct 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the right lane will be closed on I-95 north between Island Avenue and Broad Street. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the left lane will be closed on I-95 south between Broad Street and Island Avenue. On Wednesday, Oct. 21 through Friday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the right lane will be closed on I-95 south between Broad Street and Island Avenue. And on Sat., Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the I-76 west off-ramp at 30^th Street/Market Street will be closed and detoured.

In Kennett Township, Hillendale Road is being widened between McFarlan and Bayard Roads; paving will be done on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and Wednesday, Oct. 21, requiring closure from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; only local and emergency traffic will be permitted and detours will be posted.

Patching on Rosedale Road in Kennett Township is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19. The road will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; only local and emergency traffic will be permitted through. Detours will be posted.

Skyview Road in Kennett Township will be closed for paving on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Only local and emergency vehicles will have access; detours will be posted.

If you want to report potholes and other roadway maintenance concerns on state roads, call 610-566-0972 in Delaware County or 484-340-3200 in Chester County, or visit www.dot.state.pa.us and click on “submit feedback.”

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Chesco sheriff: Beware of jury-duty scam

Local News

Don’t provide any information to callers pretending to be from the Chester County Sheriff’s Office and questioning residents’ failure to appear for jury service, said Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh.

Chester County Sheriff Carolyn "Bunny" Welsh issues warning about jury-duty scam. — Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh issues warning about jury-duty scam.

Bogus calls to county residents, claiming to come from the Sheriff’s Office, note failure to report for jury duty, resulting in the threat of an arrest warrant. The caller instructs residents to purchase a prepaid debit or credit card for several hundred dollars to suspend the arrest warrant, and threatens that failure to purchase a debit card will result in an arrest, a Sheriff’s Office press release said.

“Residents should be aware that the court or the Sheriff’s Office would never contact a person via telephone or email to demand payment of a fine to avoid being arrested for failure to appear for jury service,” Welsh said in the release. “Individuals who fail to appear for jury service may receive a letter from the court with a date to appear and explain to a judge why they failed to appear, but they would never receive this communication in a telephone call.”

Welsh said her office has received six to seven complaints a day in the past week, and she has heard that residents in other counties are experiencing the same scam. She said only a judge can require people to pay a fine for failing to appear for jury service, and this may occur only after a resident have been given the opportunity to explain themselves in open court.

Anyone receiving a call like this should not provide any requested information, and instead should hang up and contact his or her local police department, the Chester County Jury Services Office at 610-344-6174, or the Chester County Sheriff’s Office at 610-344-6850. Residents with caller ID should write down the phone number so they can provide it to authorities, Welsh said.

Residents can also visit the Federal Trade Commission website at https://www.ftc.gov to make a complaint and to receive more information on how to avoid and identify scams.

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Arts center seeking preschool goblins

Arts & Entertainment

This is no trick: The Darlington Arts Center is inviting all preschool-aged children to attend a free Halloween event on Friday, Oct. 30.

The Darlington Arts Center is inviting preschool youngsters to trick-or-treat in the safety of its building.

The festivities will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Children ages 2 to 6 are invited to wear their costumes and trick-or-treat in the safety of Darlington’s building. In addition, festive art projects, fun music and dancing, and dramatic storytelling of Halloween tales will be offered – in addition to snacks and candy, a Darlington press release said.

The event is open to all preschool-aged children and their families in the area. Please RSVP online at www.darlingtonarts.org/preschool.

Darlington has many classes and workshops for preschool students coming up, including Mommy & Me Music Discovery Workshops (four Thursdays, 10/15-11/5), Mommy & Me Spooky Art Workshop (10/17), The Monster Mash Halloween Dance Party (10/31). Classes in dance, Tiny Tutus and Little Dancer Combo; and music Suzuki Violin: Pre-Twinkle; and in art, ABCs of Art are also available. For more information, visit www.darlingtonarts.org or call (610) 358-3632.

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