Pennsylvania homeowners, who may be facing steeply rising premiums under the federal government’s flood insurance program, may be unaware they can get private market flood coverage, in many cases at substantial savings as compared to the federal government coverage, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller said in a press release.
To help these consumers, Miller announced the creation of a new web page, providing a one-stop shop for information on flood insurance available to Pennsylvania homeowners and renters.
“For most Pennsylvanians trying to buy individual flood insurance coverage, especially for their homes, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) run by the federal government was thought to be the only option,” Miller said in the release. “But with Congress mandating federal subsidies end for NFIP coverage, and premiums be based on the property’s actual risk, premiums for this coverage are rising and may become difficult for many homeowners to afford.”
Miller said the NFIP fell billions of dollars in debt from overwhelming claims following hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, leading Congress to take action. The good news for Pennsylvania consumers is the rapidly rising NFIP premiums are making flood insurance more attractive for private market insurers, with private coverage available in many cases at drastically lower rates than the federal government insurance, the release said.
The web page, listing flood coverage available to Pennsylvania homeowners and renters, is available by going to www.insurance.pa.gov, and clicking on “flood” under Top Pages.
“My goal is to make sure Pennsylvanians can find good coverage at affordable prices, and this one-stop website will help homeowners and renters be able to do this,” Miller said in the release.
Miller last month testified before a Congressional subcommittee in support of proposed federal legislation that would help facilitate the entry of additional carriers into the private flood insurance market and provide consumers with access to additional options for flood insurance.
Emergency officials want to remind residents that a flood watch is in effect from Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 12 p.m. until Thursday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m.
Due to a combination of snowmelt and expected rainfall, small creek and stream flooding is possible Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night in the region, officials warned.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), scattered showers will begin after 4 a.m. on Wednesday. After 7 a.m., the rain could be heavy at times with areas of fog.
Wednesday’s high temperature could top 60, and the chance of precipitation is 100 percent, with rainfall amounts of an inch possible, the NWS forecast said. The chance of rain will decrease to 50 percent on Wednesday night, with amounts of a 10th to a quarter-inch possible.
Sunny skies are expected to return on Thursday for the remainder of the week with high temperatures in the 40s, the NWS said.
A longtime advocate for social change in Chester County has been named the 2016 recipient of the coveted Chester County Fund for Women and Girls’ (CCFWG) Kitchen Table Award.
Moira Mumma
Moira Mumma, a northern Chester County resident who has an extensive history of working to advance and improve the lives of women and girls, was an active participant in helping set the vision and tone of CCFWG as an original board member. She will be honored at the CCFWG “Making a Difference Luncheon” on Friday, May 6, said a CCFWG press release.
The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls established the Kitchen Table Award to honor outstanding Chester County women who have demonstrated leadership and made substantive contributions through service or philanthropy to improve the community.
Mumma, the daughter of the late Malcolm Forbes, the publisher of Forbes magazine, has been the driving force behind promoting independence and justice for Chester County residents and organizations alike in her role as founder of Citizen Advocacy of Chester County, as well as the Community Coalition. She has also served on the Board of Orion Communities, Historic Yellow Springs, and the Chester County Community Foundation, the release said.
The 2016 luncheon, which will be held at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Malvern, will also feature keynote speaker T. Morgan Dixon, co-founder of GirlTrek, a groundbreaking three-year-old national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. GirlTrek aims to inspire and support African American women and girls to live their healthiest, most fulfilled lives through walking, the release said.
Dixon is a relentless street-organizer who is deeply inspired by her family and the philosophies of many influential women, the release said. Prior to co-founding GirlTrek, Dixon was on the front lines of education reform. To learn more about GirlTrek, visit www.girltrek.org.
For more information about the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls, a grant-making and education foundation dedicated to addressing the needs of women and girls in the county, visit www.ccwfwg.org. Anyone interested in sponsoring the luncheon should contact Brie Knight or Brandon Szerenyi at (484) 356-0940 or visit www.ccfwg.org/luncheon-sponsors.
At its meeting on Monday, Feb. 1, Kennett Square Borough Council approved a variety of measures designed to protect the town’s historic resources as well as maintain its vibrancy.
Kennett Square Borough Manager Joseph C. Scalise (left) and Mayor Matt Fetick (right) listen as Borough Council Presidents Danilo P. Maffei delivers his report during the Feb. 1 Borough Council meeting.
Council unanimously approved amendments to the zoning code described by solicitor Marc D. Jonas as housecleaning measures. Since the council passed a Historic District Ordinance in May and now has a Historic Architecture Review Board (HARB), some of the language in the code needed to be changed, Jonas explained.
In response to questions from council members, HARB member Andrew Froning said he felt the new procedures were working well. He said the board wants residents to know that “we’re here to help them, not hinder them.”
Froning attended the meeting to recommend a certificate of appropriateness for a couple who purchased a hacienda-style home in the 300 block of South Union and needed to replace some doors, windows and roofing. He said the new owners, Pia and Ryan McCann, approached the board and were interested in following procedure and maintaining the historic integrity of the home.
Council approved the certificate, and Councilman Doug Doerfler noted that as a resident of the same block, he greatly appreciated the couple’s efforts.
After some discussion, Borough Council approved two new events for 2016. A block party was approved with a 6-1 vote, and a half-marathon passed unanimously.
Borough Manager Joseph C. Scalise said the Victory Brewing Company block party – a fundraiser for Historic Kennett Square – would be held in the 600 block of West Cypress Street on Sunday, May 22, from noon to 4 p.m.
Questioned by Borough Councilman Ethan Cramer about closing one of the borough’s gateway roads, Scalise said that other locations were considered but weren’t suitable. Cramer, who cast the dissenting vote, also expressed concern about the fact that alcohol would be available, with no provisions for shuttle service to minimize the risk of drunk-driving.
Scalise and Mary Hutchins, executive director of Historic Kennett Square, explained that the event was modeled after a family-friendly fall festival the brewing company hosts annually in Downingtown. Hutchins said that borough businesses would be invited to set up booths and that other events had included beer gardens with no problems.
Councilman Wayne Braffman inquired about whether the borough would be reimbursed for its costs, such as police, and Scalise said it would. Hutchins estimated the event would raise about $10,000.
Borough Council President Danilo P. Maffei suggested that the borough has a good track record for hosting large events. “I think we should try it out,” he said.
The second event, a 13.1-mile half-marathon on Oct. 15, will be organized by Run 2 Shine Inc., said David Berger, its representative. Berger said the event, which is being coordinated with the borough as well as Kennett and East Marlborough townships, would donate proceeds to local nonprofits such as Family Promise, an initiative to assist homeless families, and The Garage, a youth advocacy organization.
Berger said that as soon as all three municipalities approve the Kennett Square Mushroom Cap race, tickets would be available online. He said that small town half-marathons are on the rise and that the only other one in Chester County was held in Coatesville and deemed “too challenging” by some of the runners.
He said the Kennett area course, which would begin and end at the high school stadium, would show off the area and encourage the runners and their families to patronize local businesses.
“I’ve seen them [half-marathons] in small towns,” said Hutchins. “They can be an economic driver for that one weekend.”
Reporting for the Public Safety Committee, Mayor Matt Fetick said the group is reviewing multiple crosswalk options and stop sign requests. He said the committee responded to a recurring request for a handicapped parking space in front of the library. Unfortunately, the space cannot be added safely, he said.
Cramer, who attended the Public Safety Committee meeting, said he was impressed with the process. “It is one of the ways we as a borough government work well and collaboratively,” he said.
In his president’s report, Maffei expressed thanks to the numerous employees who orchestrated an efficient response to the recent blizzard, which dumped more than two feet of snow. He urged residents to sign up for the Swift 911 emergency notification system by visiting the borough’s website or Borough Hall.
Maffei also suggested that residents remember to clear fire hydrants when they are shoveling. Earlier, Fetick said the borough has 20 old-style hydrants that still work but that need to be phased out as funds permit. The new hydrants cost $1,800 apiece, he said.
Doerfler said the owner of the former National Vulcanized Fibre Company (NVF) property, a nearly 24-acre industrial site that has been vacant for more than a decade, has expressed interest in an all-residential development.
“Whatever goes in there is going to have a huge impact on this town,” Doerfler said. “If you have a thought about what you’d like to see, let your councilperson know.”
One opportunity for providing input will occur at a Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Genesis HealthCare building at 101 E. State St., said Fetick. He urged residents to take advantage of the chance to discuss topics of interest with borough officials.
There had been talk about a Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant moving into the old Friendly’s location in the Painters Crossing shopping center, but that’s not happening. Instead, the restaurant is looking at a spot on Route 202 at the intersection of Old Wilmington Pike in Birmingham Township.
Stephen DiMarco holds the franchise, and he said the Chadds Ford site just wasn’t as good as he first thought. So DiMarco, who has a Freddy’s on Sproul Road in Broomall and who also owns Penn Oaks Country Club, is keeping things closer to home. The Route 202 location is pretty much just across 202 from the country club.
He called the site — where there is also a bank and an office building — “a perfect location for Freddy’s.”
Birmingham Township supervisors held a conditional use hearing for the restaurant prior to the start of their Feb. 1 meeting. In 2005, they granted approval for a gas station at the site, and the hearing was needed to get approval for a change of use, according to attorney Mark Thompson.
If the use, and later the land development plan are approved, the gas station convenience store building would be demolished and a new structure erected.
DiMarco described Freddy’s as a 1950’s throwback style of family restaurant that’s “good for kids.” He compared Freddy’s — a chain that started in the Midwest — to Applebee’s and TGI Fridays, but without the alcohol. It’s also similar to Ruby’s, he said, but Freddy’s isn’t open for breakfast.
If approved, the 3,300-square-foot restaurant would be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. A drive-through is planned for the building and that would keep the same hours as the indoor service.
Christy Mobile, who lives on Fawcett Drive, requested and was granted party status for the hearing. She expressed concerns about noise and lighting from the restaurant. She said a previous business at the site, a bar, caused problems, especially with noise.
DiMarco said he would abide by township code, and work with Mobile, to prevent any such problems.
Food and supplies would be delivered on site after 8:30 a.m. and before 9 a.m., so there would be no early morning noise from trucks, nor would deliveries interfere with patrons.
Also, any music on the site would be inside and wouldn’t be loud, DiMarco said, adding that the music has to be quiet enough so that patrons can have conversations while eating.
Matthew Bush, an engineer on the project, said the gas pump canopy lighting would be replaced with lighting that is permitted by township code.
Bush acknowledged that the township Planning Commission had recommended denial because of a perceived problem with traffic flow on the property, but Bush said that issue was addressed with revisions to the plan.
The building will be moved back a few feet, and there will be internal signage directing traffic, he said.
Supervisors have up to 45 days to render the decision, but will likely do so during their March 7 meeting.
Other business
The board awarded the township’s 2016 road program to Innovative Construction Services of Folcroft. Innovative was the lowest of three bidders, with a total bid of $220,000.
Other bidders included AF Damon Inc. with a bid of $270,000, and Dan Malloy Paving, whose bid exceeded $300,000.
Township engineer Jim Hatfield said all three have done road programs in Birmingham in the past and are all excellent and reputable companies, but Innovative’s bid was better than the township’s estimate for the work.
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.
Publisher and authors from left to right Catherine Mallette, Catherine Quillman, Antelo Devereux Jr. and Robert C. Jackson
Schiffer Publishing is willing to bet on finding kindred spirits for their authors’ passions – ranging from roller coasters in the U.K. to photography in Seattle.
Senior book editor, Catherine Mallette explained the process of taking an enthusiast’s idea and growing it into a publication on the company’s book farm to a packed Red Lion room at the Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery on Sunday, Jan. 31. The event culminated the month long celebration of the art of writing along the Brandywine Artisans Wine Trail.
Many aspiring writers came to hear Mallette describe what publishers, specifically Schiffer, look for in a manuscript. Although authors are provided a “Book Building Guide,” different authors require different help with their projects.
Schiffer Book Farm in Atglen Pennsylvania (Courtesy Photo)
“It often takes two years” to produce the finished work, Mallette told the audience. Schiffer does not have any preconceived ideas of the length, size or shape of a book, which gives the author freedom to envision the project. Mallette presented three authors so they could share their experience.
Writing was the profession of the first speaker, Catherine Quillman, who worked previously for the Philadelphia Inquirer. When she wrote 100 Artists of Brandywine Valley, she was familiar with writing and deadlines.
The other two authors had no experience writing books. Antelo Devereux is a photographer who wanted to produce collections of his works from different geographical regions, ranging from Chester County to the coast of Maine. “The hardest part was deciding which photographs to use,” Devereux said.
Schiffer wouldn’t help him with selection, but assisted him with the writing and layout of his six books. Devereux brought original photographs to sell at the winery event, as well as signed copies of Chester County Perspectives.
Artist Robert C. Jackson knew exactly how he wanted his book to look. He wasn’t too interested in the writing. He gave himself the gift of creating a book for his 50th birthday. The result is the lavishly illustrated Behind the Easel. Jackson interviewed 20 contemporary representational artists. Each artist was asked the same questions, such as “what is your daily routine?” and “what is your inspiration?”
The artists represented in Jackson’s book will convene for an exhibit at the Delaware Art Museum in the fall of 2016. “Truth & Vision: 21st Century Realism” will open Oct. 22 and run through Jan. 22. According to the museum’s website, the exhibit will feature artists from throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Steven Assael, Bo Bartlett, Margaret Bowland, Daniel Sprick, and Jerome Within. “‘Truth & Vision: 21st Century Realism’ reveals the contemporary developments in a mode of painting historically tied to the greater Brandywine Valley,” the website said.
Chadds Ford resident Mary Marines went to the program out of curiosity. She has been encouraging her niece to start writing a blog or a book. “To have a guide as to how to put together and submit your material is so very helpful, not only for the first-time author, but also the seasoned ones,” said Marines. “This was my first exposure to publishing a book, and it was very positive. The process is not as intimidating as I had thought.”
Winery owner Lele Galer said she was pleased with the turnout for the event. “We will have another book-signing and artist/author get-together with Schiffer in the spring to highlight the publication of their new encaustic artists’ book,” said Galer, who is also an artist.
Schiffer, a family-owned business located on a farm in Atglen, produces 300 titles per year. Their warehouse contains 5,000 books. According to Mallette, no books are remaindered or discounted, and the titles don’t go from best-seller to zero. Sales are steady. Each title is stored patiently until just the right person discovers and buys it, she said.
The company motto: “Find your niche and scratch it.”
Emily Myers has lived and worked in Chadds Ford for over thirty five years. She founded the parent company of Chadds Ford Live, Decision Design Research, Inc., in 1982. ChaddsFordLive.com represents the confluence of Myers' long time, deep involvement in technology and community.
Myers was a founding member of the Chadds Ford Business Association and currently serves on its board of directors. Her hobbies include bridge, golf, photography and Tai Chi.
She lives with her husband, Jim Lebedda, in Chadds Ford Township.
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.
