“Support Your Local Business” is a theme we’re all heard one time or another. I am not a huge fan of “supporting local business,” because I believe a business is a profit-making enterprise, and they should earn business based on how well they provide goods and services. Charities should be supported.
But I am a huge fan of finding and patronizing great businesses. I like small businesses that help me feel good about parting with my hard-earned money. I like anticipating going there because it gives me satisfaction. It happens when they have good stuff at good prices, when I feel cared for and possibly recognized as a fellow human being whose purchase is appreciated. That’s when something magical happens: I tell everyone I know about what a nice experience it is to shop there or dine there or get my teeth cleaned there or get my eyeglasses there.
So find some yourself, patronize them, and tell everyone about why you like them. We’ll be making our community stronger and keeping it friendly. Then we’ll all feel good.
On Wednesday, April 6, the Kennett Township supervisors, assembling after a three-hour, conditional-use hearing without a dinner break, had no need to race through their regular meeting since the agenda was light; however, the topic of speeding dominated the discussion.
Kennett Township Supervisors Whitney S. Hoffman (from left), Richard L. Leff, and Scudder G. Stevens review materials during their meeting on Wednesday, April 6.
Police Chief Lydell Nolt explained that roads with unposted speed limits default to 55 mph, making it important for the township to add signs in two areas: Round Hill Road from Chandler Mill to Kaolin roads, and Chandler Mill Road from Ewart Road to South Street. Nolt recommended that Round Hill Road be posted at 25 mph while Chandler Mill would be posted at 35 mph.
Questioned about how he arrived at those numbers, Nolt explained that he followed state guidelines. Establishing lower speeds would require a traffic study, he said. The supervisors voted unanimously to approve the new limits.
Abbie Kessler, assistant preservation coordinator for The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, said a lower speed on Chandler Mill Road, which has become a mecca for pedestrians and cyclists, was needed to improve safety.
Township resident David Lewis noted that speeding is also a problem on Hillendale Road, and he asked what could be done to reduce it. Public Works Director Roger E. Lysle said a variety of traffic-calming options can be investigated, and Nolt added that police could step up enforcement, which is a strong deterrent. He also encouraged residents to let him know about problem areas.
Speeding is a serious concern, said Supervisors’ Chairman Scudder G. Stevens. “I know the Safety Committee has been looking at this over a long period of time,” he said.
This permanent collection box sits outside the Chester County Sheriff’s Office in the Justice Center in West Chester.
Lewis also asked Nolt about the growing problem of opiate abuse and the need for greater public awareness. Nolt responded that it’s a national epidemic and that the township’s issues are shared by all municipalities. He agreed to compile some background and statistics that could be shared with the public.
The drug discussion prompted a question from resident Nancy Hewes about disposing of prescription medication safely. Nolt said that another Drug Take Back initiative is being planned and that he is working to get a permanent receptacle installed at the township building.
In the meantime, permanent medication collection boxes are available in the Chester County Justice Center in West Chester, and the Kennett Square, Westtown-East Goshen, New Garden, West Goshen, and Oxford police departments. Citizens can anonymously dispose of their medications in the boxes. Designed like mailboxes, they offer environmentally safe disposal while also keeping the drugs from getting into the wrong hands.
In other business, the supervisors appointed Peter Murphy to the Kennett Township Zoning Hearing Board. Murphy, previously an alternate, will replace Bob Perrone, who is stepping down after 37 years of service.
“It’s sad to see him leave,” commented Township Manager Lisa M. Moore, noting Perrone’s decades of contributions to the township. A vacancy now exists for the alternate position.
Stevens echoed Moore’s sentiments about Perrone’s outstanding service. “That’s a real commitment to a task like that,” Stevens said.
In other business, the supervisors agreed to participate in a Transportation and Community Development Initiative grant. Moore explained that 13 municipalities are partnering in a study that would look at ways to improve Route 1 for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians from the Maryland line through Kennett Township.
Kennett’s cost to participate is $500, Moore said. Once the plan has been completed, the municipalities will confer and consider adopting it, she said.
As for the three-hour meeting on the Sweetbriar proposal that ended when it bumped into the supervisors’ meeting, it will resume at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11. Sweetbriar Investment Properties wants to construct 38 townhome units on property located at 912 S. Union St.
A far-reaching, multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud borrowers was announced on Thursday, April 7, by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Charles M. Hallinan, 75, of Villanova, and Wheeler K. Neff, 67, of Wilmington, were indicted on two counts of conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) relating to “payday lending” businesses, said U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger in a press release.
A third defendant, Randall Ginger, 66, a Canadian citizen, was charged with Hallinan and Neff in one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, as well as two counts of mail fraud and three counts of wire fraud. Hallinan and Ginger were also charged with nine counts of international money laundering, the release said.
According to the indictment, Hallinan and Neff participated in a conspiracy that violated the usury laws of Pennsylvania and other states and generated more than $688 million in revenues, between 2008 and 2013, from hundreds of thousands of customers, including residents of Pennsylvania, which prohibits such loans.
It is further alleged that Hallinan, Neff, and Ginger conspired to defraud nearly 1,400 people, who had sued one of Hallinan’s payday loan companies, into abandoning a lawsuit valued as high as $10 million.
Hallinan owned, operated, financed, or worked for more than a dozen businesses between 1997 and 2013 that issued and collected debt from small, short-term loans that were commonly known as “payday loans” because the customers were supposed to repay them with their next paychecks. Hallinan’s companies allegedly charged customers about $30 for every $100 they borrowed, which meant that the annual interest rates on the loans often exceeded 700 percent.
Pennsylvania and more than a dozen other states have passed laws criminalizing such loans as usurious. The indictment alleges that Hallinan and Neff conspired to evade such laws by, among other things, paying thousands of dollars each month to three Indian tribes to pretend that they were the actual payday lenders and claim that “tribal sovereign immunity” shielded their conduct from state laws and regulations, the release said.
Hallinan and Neff are also charged with helping another payday lender, Adrian Rubin, charged elsewhere, evade state anti-usury laws by entering into sham contracts with an Indian tribe that were designed to give the false impression that the tribe was the true lender.
Ginger, it is alleged, claimed to be a “hereditary chief” of one of the tribes that Hallinan and Neff used to try to hide Hallinan’s payday lending activity from state law enforcement officers and regulators. In 2010, a class action lawsuit was filed in Indiana against Apex 1 Processing, a payday lending company that Hallinan ran out of offices in Bala Cynwyd, the release said.
According to the indictment, Hallinan offered to pay Ginger $10,000 every month to pretend that he owned Apex 1 and that Apex 1 had no assets, so the plaintiffs would settle their lawsuit for pennies on the dollar. Neff allegedly facilitated that scheme.
If convicted of all charges, Hallinan faces a possible advisory sentencing guideline range of at least 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a possible fine, and a $300 special assessment. Neff and Ginger both face sentencing guideline ranges of at least eight years in prison. Restitution may also be ordered, the release said.
It’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and you know what that means: Get in the habit of leaving your phone untouched while driving.
PennDOT joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in observing National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and reminds all motorists that driving is a skill that requires undivided attention, said a PennDOT press release.
“Every time someone diverts their attention from the task of driving – even for a second – they are putting themselves and others at risk,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said in the release. “Driving is a skill that requires 100 percent of your attention 100 percent of the time.”
According to PennDOT data, more than 14,800 crashes involved a distracted driver in Pennsylvania in 2015, with 66 deaths in those crashes. Over the past five years, over 11 percent of Pennsylvania crashes involved a driver distraction, resulting in more than 300 fatalities statewide.
Distracted driving is any action that draws attention away from the safe operation of a vehicle. There are three types of driver distractions: visual, causing drivers to take their eyes off the road; manual, causing drivers to take their hands off the wheel; and cognitive, causing drivers to take their mind off the road.
One dangerous activity that involves all three types of distraction – texting – has been addressed through the state’s anti-texting law, which took effect in March 2012. The law prohibits text-based communication while driving, and makes texting while driving a primary offense with a $50 fine, the release said.
To help avoid distractions while driving, PennDOT recommends that drivers follow these simple safety tips:
Store or turn off cell phones while driving. If you must make an emergency call, safely pull over to the side of the road.
If traveling alone, set your GPS, radio and temperature controls before beginning your trip.
If traveling with pets, be sure that they are properly restrained. Better yet, leave them at home. Even a minor crash can result in a major injury to a pet if it is not properly restrained.
Never operate your vehicle and attend to a child at the same time.
If you drop an object while driving, leave it until you reach your destination or pull over safely to the side of the road before retrieving it.
For more information on distracted driving and the state’s anti-texting law, visit www.justdrivepa.org and look under “Traffic Safety Information.”
Michael Connelly (from left), the new executive director of the Chadds Ford Historical Society, tends bar with Mark Trozzi, a CFHS board member at the CFHS's Second Annual Guest Bartender Fundraiser.
A group of high-energy moonlighting mixologists – including a surprise guest – invited the public to belly up to the bar at the Brandywine Brewing Company (BBC) Tavern and Grill in Greenville, De., on Tuesday, April 5.
CFHS board member Steve Liberace awaits his turn behind the bar.
The occasion was the Second Annual Guest Bartender Fundraiser for the Chadds Ford Historical Society (CFHS), an event that enabled patrons to support their passion for history and their thirst for spirits.
An enthusiastic group of amateur mixologists, including CFHS board members and area business owners, collected tips throughout the evening that went directly to the society. In addition, the BBC donated 10 percent of the bill for those who ordered food.
Earlier in the day, Kendal Reynolds, CFHS’s board president, announced that Michael Connolly, formerly of the New Castle Historical Society, would begin as the society’s executive director on May 2. But Connolly didn’t let his start date interfere with Tuesday night’s festivities.
This year’s Guest Bartender Fundraiser includes a host of coveted silent auction items ranging from paintings to restaurant gift certificates.
Sporting a CFHS Tavern Talks t-shirt, Connolly deftly juggled glasses and beer taps during multiple stints behind the bar.
“He’s having a great time,” said his wife, Tracey Connelly, as she watched the action.
Nadia Barakat, who retired as executive director late last year, was on hand to offer support. She said when she left the position, she suggested Connelly as a potential replacement.
CFHS Board President Kendal Reynolds poses with Debbie Ashley.
“He’s just amazing,” she said. “I’m just thrilled. There’s so much positive momentum, and I’m so excited for the future of the society.”
Reynolds said Connolly, who has already attended a board meeting, had recommended Allison Schell, who was hired in August as the CFHS’s program and development manager. “I think he’s going to be great,” Reynolds said.
She said the guest bartending opportunity at the BBC is so popular that the CFHS had to book it almost a year in advance. For 2016, the society added a silent auction, which prompted some competitive bidding for coveted items that included a Williamsburg getaway, restaurant gift certificates, local artwork, gift baskets, and Eagles tickets.
Sara Liberace (from left) and Suzanne Schurr chat behind the bar during a brief lull in their bar wench duties.
Reynolds said proceeds from the event will go toward the ongoing restoration and upkeep of the society’s two historic houses, the c. 1725 John Chads House and the c.1714 Barns-Brinton House.
Anyone unable to attend the event who wants to support the historic homes can mail a check payable to the Chadds Ford Historical Society to P.O. Box 27, Chadds Ford, Pa., 19317, or online here.
April is National Safe Digging Month, and PECO wants to remind all customers and contractors to call 811 to have utility-owned underground lines marked before digging.
Nationwide, there were nearly 350,000 incidents of damage to an underground utility line because of digging without first calling 811, according to the Common Ground Alliance, the national association that promotes the 811 phone number and safe digging practices, according to a PECO press release.
Striking an underground electric line or natural gas pipe can cause serious injury, damages and service interruptions. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects where a call to 811 should be one of the first steps.
PECO has nearly 9,000 miles of underground electric lines, 12,000 miles of natural gas distribution and service lines, and 30 miles of natural gas transportation lines buried throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. In addition to PECO’s lines, there are underground communications cables, water and sewer lines, and other utilities. Even properties that are not served by a particular service may still have utility lines running below ground.
When calling 811, customers and contractors are connected to PA One Call to provide information about their project. PA One Call will notify PECO and all member utilities of your plan to dig. The utilities will then mark their underground facilities. Calls are required at least three business days in advance of digging.
Once lines are located, excavators also must understand the markings and look for evidence of unmarked lines, such as water and sewer lines on private property. Sewer clean-outs and water valve covers are examples of equipment that can indicate the presence of underground lines.
PECO works hard to ensure the safety of its customers, contractors and employees. As part of this effort, the company will launch a public safety advertising campaign to educate those who work around aerial and underground power lines during the next few months. To learn more, visit www.peco.com/safety.
Come meet all the wonderful animals available now for adoption at the Brandywine Valley SPCA. All featured pets are “Name Your Price” adoption fee until Monday, April 11. Not ready to adopt? Then sponsor a pet and provide a safe place for our companions to rest until they find their forever homes. Help us give them a second chance at a fresh start.
Charlie
Charlie
If you look up the word sweet in the dictionary, my adorable picture will be right beside it. Hi, my name is Charlie and I am a beautiful, cheery pup that arrived at the BVSPCA during the cold month of January. The staff here at the shelter provided me with shelter, food, and most of all love. I’m a happy go lucky girl who loves to play and I listen wonderfully. I walk very well on a leash and am good with kids. Come on down to the shelter and let me show off my tricks for you- we could end up being the perfect match.
Calvin
Calvin
My name is Calvin, and I am looking for an active family that loves to be outdoors. My hobbies include playing games outdoors, fetch, going on hikes and adventures that call out to me. My pals here say I’m a really playful, sweet and one heck of an athlete. I would be an excellent running partner and wing man.I also listen really well, considered to be a super smart canine and have my commands down packed. I love to please my people and revel in the attention and love I receive. Please come down to see me soon. I am ready to start this celebration we call life with you right now.
Click HERE to learn about all of our dogs at our Pennsylvania Campus.
Jazz
Jazz
Hi everyone, my name is Jazz. I love the outdoors and cuddling up with my human friends. My pals here think my name should be Bear, because I kind of look like a little bear cub. When I first arrived to the shelter I was really scared and nervous, but everyone at the BVSPCA has accepted me with open arms and made me feel a lot more comfortable. I would still like a home of my own home though and would absolutely love to be a part of a loving family. The ideal family for me would have to be an active one that loves the outdoors, walk, trails, hiking and play ole goof ball family. I’m also a certified good listener and will tilt me both ways to ensure my human companion knows I am listening. Oddly enough I found that people think that’s really cute. I am also a fabulous leash walker. I will walk by your side and won’t pull. I tend to pride myself on good behavior because I’m just a quick learner. Did I already mention that I enjoy snuggling, because I really do. Anyway before I get too wrapped up in my daydream you should come visit me, I know I can make my way into your hearts just like I did with my pals here.
Click HERE to learn about all of our dogs at our Delaware Campus.
Bertha
Bertha
My Name is Bertha. I am pretty much a kitty model and am so photogenic if I do say so myself. I enjoy playing kitty games, but find that my all-time favorite activity to do is take some catnaps and sun bathe until the cows come home. My pals here describe me as being a really lovable, silly and cuddly young lady, what can I say cuddling goes hand in hand with my naps. I have been told that I have really bright beautiful green and gold colored eyes and cool tabby markings, which bring out all my awesome feline features. Come meet me in person, I would love to meet you and finally have a place to call home.
Click HERE to learn about all of our cats at our Delaware Campus
Chill
Chillma
Chillma here, yes I know my name is cool and totally inspired by my personality. I am described as being a total couch potato, who loves to sleep in a soft bed. Chilling is my life’s ambition or lack thereof. Don’t worry, I do still have energy to give and cuddles to share once we are on more familiar grounds. I am considered to be quite independent and will seek you out when I’m ready for some head scratches. I can be a little particular about other felines, but it’s only because I was raised to be selective about the company I keep. If I sound like the kind of girl you need in your life, stop by the shelter and ask for Chillma.
Teddy
Teddy
Hi folks, my name is Teddy. I’m a 5-year-old domestic short haired black and white stud, if I do say so myself. I came in as a stray and have slowly begun to adjust to my new surroundings. I am very shy and quite like ninja. I tend to be a little on the independent side, but will totally come get some loving when the time is right. Trust is a big thing for me and I know you can relate to that. Won’t you come by the shelter and ask for me? Who knows we may just end up living a life of bliss together.
Click HERE to learn about all of our cats at our Pennsylvania Campus
• The Unionville Presbyterian Church’s Kids Outgrown Sale is back for year number 5. Sale days are Friday, April 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 9, from 8 a.m. to noon. Lots and lots of beautiful barely worn clothing from infant to teen years. We also have toys, accessories, shoes, and coats. Proceeds benefit the UPC Children’s Ministry and any items not sold are donated to the Young Moms of Kennett Square, the Clothing Warehouse in Kennett Square, and to Purple Heart. Email tobiquinlan@comcast.net for more information and if you are interested in consigning or donating items. Church address is 815 Wollaston Rd., Kennett Square.
• The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County Inc. is sponsoring a community Take Back the Night event to take a stand against violence of all kinds, which will include testimonies by sexual assault survivors. The event will take place on Thursday, April 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. on the steps of the historic courthouse, 2 N. High Street, in West Chester. Take Back the Night provides an opportunity for community members to rally for a safer community and focuses on ending the silence and stopping the violence.
• Get outside and moving with a free community walk in the Anson B. Nixon Park in Kennett Square, every Friday, starting on April 8 at 3 p.m. Meet in the parking lot and enjoy a walk while getting to know your neighbors. Click here for more information
• It’s Beer for Breakfast at the Chadds Ford Historical Society. That’s the topic for the next Tavern Talk, scheduled for April 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. Guests will be able to sample several different beverages that were staples of the colonists, such as ale, rum punch, mead, shrub, coffee and drinking chocolate. They will also have the opportunities play some 18th-century tavern games, meet Mr. Barns, the tavern keeper, and more! Featured participants at the event will be Yards Brewing Co., Red Brick Craft Distillery, Deer Creek Malthouse, American Heritage Chocolate, and The Colony Meadery.
• Pennsbury Township will host its 15th annual Community Yard Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 23. The sale will be held in the park behind the township building, 702 Baltimore Pike, between Chadds Ford and Kennett Square. More than 60 households are expected to participate in the sale as part of Spring Clean-Up Week sponsored by the township. Bargain hunters and collectors are encouraged to attend. Rain date is Saturday, April 30.
• Come join Rockin’ With The Troops: USO Show, where bands play the historical classics while commemorating veterans. The set list features singers and groups such as the Legendary Bobby Rydell, the Original Tymes, the First Ladies of Rock and Soul, and impersonator Lynn “Wyn” Roberts playing Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and Red Skelton. Your support to this event fuels DCHS programs that educate Delaware County about the service and sacrifice of veterans. This event is 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, at the Neumann University Mirenda Center on Convent Road in Aston. Cost is $65 per person.
• Stroll across a carpet of spring wildflowers or under an intimate canopy of dogwood and silky camellia trees this season at Mt. Cuba Center, which is now open for general admission.The naturalistic gardens, which feature stunning varieties of native plants in their natural settings including forests, meadows and ponds, will be open to visitors from Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 p.m. through October. Visitors can explore the gardens at their own pace or join a Garden Highlights walk, offered daily at 11 am and 2 pm. Contact Sara Levin Stevenson, manager of public engagement at sstevenson@mtcubacenter.org or 302-9239-8883 for more information, or visit www.mtcubacenter.org.
Chadds Ford Township Supervisor Samantha Reiner makes a point while addressing members of the Chadds Ford Business Association during a breakfast meeting at the township building on April 7. Reiner said she and the other supervisors want to work with business owners on developing an updated sign ordinance that’s fair to all.
