January 6, 2016 – ChaddsFordLive.com

Could $1 really change your life?

With the right support and coaching, the answer is absolutely, positively “yes.”

Cindy Keen is living proof that $1 dollar can change your life. In just two years, Keen lost 258 pounds and, last year alone, she ran more than two dozen 5K races.

Dave Mathis is another example. Born with a rare genetic disorder which prevented him from walking until he was seven years old, Mathis is now competing in all sorts of athletic events while inspiring others. The same is true of Leslie Hoffman. Once depressed and significantly overweight, Hoffman recently lost nearly 200 pounds – and she’s now loving life and enjoying time with her family.

What do they all have in common? They each took a courageous first step and sought help from a supportive local gym where they learned how to take control of their lives.

“Taking that first step is the hardest part,” said Rachelle Fletcher, owner of the Anytime Fitness gym in Chadds Ford. “After that, it gets a whole lot easier. The key to making big changes is recognizing and appreciating little victories. Dozens of members of our gym have dramatically improved the quality of their lives – one day at a time. Getting started can be scary. But, with the right type of coaching and support, anything is possible.”

SUCCESS STORY VIDEOS: http://anytimefitness.com/membership/success-stories

To help new members get started on the right track, Anytime Fitness is offering a “Join for $1” special deal, January 11-15. Additionally, every new member will receive a free fitness consultation and a personalized 30-day “Get Started” fitness plan. We hope that this offer will help us spread the word about the benefits of our gym and how we differ from the big box competitors.

As someone who used to work out at a big box gym that wasn’t meeting his needs, JJ Kaczenski made the switch to Anytime Fitness of Chadds Ford a little over a year ago. “I switched because my other gym was very overcrowded and the weight section was extremely small with dumb bells that only went up to sixty pounds. At Anytime Fitness I’m able to use the free weight bar bells so that I can get a true weight lifting work out. Plus they have state of the art cardio equipment with built in television screens which is a nice distraction during your workout. Everyone here is ready to work out and they rotate the equipment well so I never have to wait to use a piece of equipment,” said Kaczenski.

One dollar bill at a time, all of the money collected during Anytime Fitness “Join for $1” campaign will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Existing members of the club will also have the opportunity to contribute.

“Choosing St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as our charity for this campaign was a unanimous decision between me and our staff. Helping sick children during the holiday season seemed like the best use of the funds and we are excited to be working for such a great cause,” said Fletcher.

Anytime Fitness, the world’s fastest-growing fitness club franchise, recently opened its 3,000^th gym and now serves nearly 3,000,000 members in more than 20 countries on five continents.

“Life is a journey,” said Fletcher. “Where you go and what you do is up to you. But, if you’d like to get started on a new path, our gym is a great place to get started. A year from now, you’ll be glad you did.”

OTHER RECENT ANYTIME FITNESS NEWS: http://anytimefitness.com/press

About Anytime Fitness

Ranked #1 on Entrepreneur’s prestigious Top Global Franchise list, Anytime Fitness is the fastest-growing gym franchise in the world, with more than 3,000 gyms serving nearly 3,000,000 members on five continents. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness prides itself on providing its members with convenient fitness options and friendly, personal service in well-maintained facilities which feature top-quality exercise equipment. Gyms are now open in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, Grand Cayman, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, Qatar, India, Chile, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Belgium and the Philippines. All franchised gyms are individually owned and operated. Join one gym and use them all.

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Loop road meeting planned

Local News, Local News Birmingham, Local News Chadds Ford, Local News Concord, Local News Kennett, Local News Pennsbury, Local News Pocopson

Chadds Ford Township supervisors have scheduled Feb. 24 for another public meeting on the proposed Hillman Drive extension, the fourth and final leg of the loop road around the intersection of Routes 1 and 202.

The date was set during the Jan. 5 Board of Supervisors’ meeting after a long discussion on the controversial segment of the loop, which would be at the southwest corner of the intersection. Residents of the Estates at Chadds Ford and Painters Crossing Condominiums oppose the roadway because of its proximity to their properties.

Residents who object say they believe there will be excessive traffic near their homes, which would decrease safety and devalue their properties.

Sal Faia, a homeowner in the Estates and a member of the Chadds Ford Preservation Society, asked supervisors to deny the proposal outright. He said the proposed road is dangerous for residents, that Route 1 traffic should stay on Route 1, and that he is opposed to any connection between Routes 1 and 202 in the area.

Larry Moore, also a resident of the Estates at Chadds Ford, said traffic backs up now on Hillman Drive because of the Wegmans’ development. Adding traffic from Route 1 would only make matters worse on Hillman, he said.

Vicki Hoxter, a Painters Crossing Condominium owner, said people who want the loop road want it for their own convenience, but that residents would have to live with negative consequences.

However, Lisa Vonderstruck, owner of Brandywine View Antiques at Route 1 across from Brandywine Drive, said she wants to hear more and thinks the loop road would make for safer traffic flow.

Following the discussion, the supervisors agreed that the applicant would have until Feb. 24 to present an updated sketch plan to the public during the board’s workshop that night.

Then, on either March 30 or April 6, Supervisors’ Chairman Frank Murphy said, the board would vote to either deny the application or grant an extension so that the applicant could develop a fully engineered plan.

Three other segments of the loop — Brandywine Drive, State Farm Drive and Applied Card Boulevard — are already complete. PennDOT has previously said that one way or another, the fourth leg would also be built.

Under the current proposal, the Henderson Group — which owns the Chadds Ford Business campus where Hillman Drive is located — would build the road at no cost to the public.

The basic concept is to connect Route 202 with Route 1 by extending Hillman Drive from Route 202, past Evergreen Drive — the only ingress and egress point for the Estates at Chadds Ford — and then up along the east side of the condominium complex and connect with Route 1 at the traffic light at Brandywine Drive.

When built, the road would allow motorists driving east on Route 1 to turn south onto Route 202, and those driving north on 202 to turn onto westbound Route 1 and bypass the main intersection. Drivers can now use Dickinson Drive, but there is no traffic light at Dickinson and Route 1, making for a difficult to dangerous left-hand turn.

Other business

• Supervisors resolved to extend the ability of retail businesses to have temporary A-frame signs, but instead of the extension being for another year as the ordinance states, the extension is only for 45 days. Murphy said he doesn’t want to see the matter come up again and wants the ordinance rewritten so the board would not have to vote on it every year.

• Supervisors also voted to send a request for a zoning change to the Delaware County Planning Commission. The request is from Harrier LLC, a Grace family business entity, and involves changing the zoning of a property adjacent to Brinton’s Bridge Road between Oakland Road and Route 202 from PBC to PBC 1.
In forwarding the request, the supervisors are including a cover letter saying they are doing so without offering an opinion on whether or not they approve the requested change. If the change goes through, the property would be sold and the buyer would submit plans for a car dealership.

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PennDOT: Travel delays coming to Rt. 52

Local News, Local News Kennett, Local News Pennsbury

PennDOT is alerting area drivers that travel restrictions are scheduled on eastbound Route 52 between Hillendale Road and Byron Road in Kennett Township later this month.

Starting on Tuesday, Jan. 19, PECO Energy will begin work on utility construction, according to a PennDOT press release. Utility crews will work weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Jan. 26.

PECO will use flagging to control traffic on Route 52 during construction of a gas main. The work will be completed by the utility company under a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit, the release said.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com, which provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov.

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Agency offering health insurance aid

Local News, Local News Birmingham, Local News Kennett, Local News Pennsbury, Local News Pocopson

Help is still available at La Comunidad Hispana (LCH) to apply for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace before the Jan. 31 deadline.

ristina Gonzalez, LCH Front-End Supervisor and Certified Application Counselor, helps a family with health insurance enrollment application. Photo courtesy of La Comunidad Hispana — Cristina Gonzalez (left), a certified application counselor, helps a family with health insurance. *Photo courtesy of La Comunidad Hispana*

“These past few weeks, we have seen an increase in families coming to LCH for application assistance,” said Alisa Jones, LCH president and CEO in a press release. “Health insurance is essential for low-income residents to protect themselves, and to prevent their families from going into debt with expensive emergency room and hospital costs.”

In addition to potential costs in the emergency room for the uninsured, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) warned that those who choose to remain uninsured can face fines: “If consumers can afford health insurance, but choose not to get it for 2016, they may be required to pay a fee when they file their 2016 federal income taxes.”

Health care is both available and affordable, according to HRSA. “After financial help, 7 out of 10 people can find plans with premiums of less than $75 dollars per month,” the release said.

Paul Huberty, chair of LCH’s board of directors, said LCH understands the importance of offering this assistance. “Through our services, we are creating sustainable, healthy living for hundreds of families,” he said in the release.

LCH’s team of certified application counselors are available during all service hours in English and Spanish (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday). In addition to the Affordable Health Care Act Market Place, LCH assisters can help with Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) applications.

To learn more and schedule an appointment, contact Ted Trevorrow, outreach and enrollment coordinator/navigator at 610-444-7550, ext. 253 or etrevorrow@lchps.org.

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Gary G. Miller of West Chester

Obituaries

Gary G. Miller, 64, of West Chester, died Jan. 1. Born in Riverdale, N.J., he was the son of the late Gerard and Alyce Miller (nee Klume). He was a graduate of Penn State University. He was a self-employed logistics consultant who spent most of his career working for the railroad.

He was predeceased by his brother, Kenneth Miller. He is survived by his children Jessica A. Miller, Jeremy M. (Jessica) Miller, and Joshua D. (Catherine) Miller, his grandchildren Broden, Owen, Paige and Jameson and his sister Candy Kownacki.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit the family Saturday, Jan. 9, 10 a.m. to noon at The Donohue Funeral Home, 1627 West Chester Pike (cor. Hilltop Road), West Chester, and to his memorial service at noon. Interment is private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Gary’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to The American Cancer Society.

Gary G. Miller of West Chester Read More »

Police Log Jan. 6: Theft, assault, drugs

Police

• State police from Troop K, Media barracks, are investigating a case of retail theft that happened on Jan. 1 at the CVS on Route 1 in Concord Township. A report said two black women entered the store at 2:15 p.m. and left with $731 worth of baby formula without paying.

• State police from the Avondale barracks are investigating a case of theft and assault at the Walmart in East Marlborough Township. On Jan. 2, police said, a while male, wearing camouflage pants and a dark top and with a teardrop tattoo under his eye, and a white female wearing dark pants and top, were seen taking product from the store. They were stopped by a loss prevention employee, but fled in a white Chevrolet Impala after they punched the employee in the back of the head. The incident happened at 3:29 p.m. Anyone with information is asked to phone Tpr. Sterling at 610-268-2022.

• Police said drug charges were pending against James Michael Cleary, 23, of Secane. A report said Cleary was stopped for traffic violations at the intersection of Routes 1 and 202 at 6:24 a.m. on Dec. 30 and was found to be in possession of marijuana and narcotics paraphernalia.

• Drug charges were filed against two Philadelphia residents who were stopped for a traffic violation on Dec. 31. A report said Jalen Caleb Herdsman, 20, and Illya Pasture, 25, were in the vehicle that was stopped at 10:35 p.m. on State Farm Drive. Further investigation led to the arrest of the pair for possession of narcotics, a police report said.

• On Dec. 26, at 4:52 p.m., New Garden Township Police responded to the 300 block of Scarlett Road for a reported fight between two males. The caller stated the males fled in a vehicle prior to police arriving. The subjects, later identified as, Allison Thomas, 50, and Paul Roten, 71, both from Kennett Square, were located by police at a nearby business. Both were visibly intoxicated, and police said they will receive citations for public drunkenness.

• No injuries were reported, but a driver was cited following a one-vehicle accident that split a utility pole on Kirk Road in Concord Township on Dec. 12. A police report said Raymond S. Large, 26, of West Palm Beach, Fla., was driving north on Kirk Road approaching Smithbridge Road at 1:04 a.m. when he failed to negotiate a right-hand curve. The 2003 Ford Explorer that Large was driving crossed into the southbound lane, struck a curb, then left the roadway, entered onto the grass shoulder and hit the utility pole. Large then left the scene, police said.

• Timothy P. Jones, 35, of Honeybrook, was cited after he rear-ended another vehicle on Conchester Road near Clayton Park Drive in Concord Township on Dec. 28, a police report said. No injuries were reported.

• A 16-year-old driver was cited following a one-car accident on Conchester Road on Dec. 26. Police said the teen was driving too fast for conditions while heading west on the road and failed to make a right-hand turn onto Station Road. The Honda Accord he was driving then crossed into the opposing lane and struck a guide rail.

• Police said Susan A. Hugh, 59, of Aston, was following too closely and struck another vehicle from behind at the intersection of Concord and Scott roads. No injuries were reported stemming from the Nov. 30 accident.

• Police from the Avondale barracks are seeking the Hispanic male in his 20s or 30s who was observed shoplifting by employees at the Walmart in East Marlborough Township on Dec. 9 at 6:05 p.m. Police said the suspect stole two DVDs and two video games before fleeing on foot. Anyone with information is asked to contact the barracks at 610-268-2022.

• Police also responded to the same Walmart on Dec. 6 at 1:20 p.m. A 39-year-old male from Claymont, who was not identified by police, was arrested for allegedly stealing clothing and Christmas items.

• Two drivers were cited by state police from the Avondale barracks after a two-vehicle crash on Dec. 7 at 8:27 a.m. in East Marlborough Township. Police said Natacha Velez-Rodriguez, 18, of Kennett Square, was traveling north on Unionville Road in a 2011 Toyota Corolla behind Sherri A. Lilley, 22, also of Kennett Square. Velez-Rodriguez was cited for following too closely after she struck Lilley’s 1995 Toyota Camry as Lilley was turning right into the Landhope gas station at Route 926. Lilley, who fled the scene, was cited for driving with a suspended license, police said.

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