June 22, 2016 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Taking aim against hidden wounds of crisis

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

Unknown — Accompanied by County Commissioners Terence Farrell (from left, front row), Michelle Kichline and Kathi Cozzone (right), Chaplain Jerry Schwartz holds a proclamation for National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month. Behind them are members of the county's Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

For the many hundreds of first responders operating daily in Chester County, the possibility of injury accompanies every call. But sometimes it’s “the invisible wounds that can be more devastating,” the county commissioners were told at their Sunshine meeting on Tuesday, June 21.

Chester County Commissioners Michelle Kichline (from left), Terence Farrell, and Kathi Cozzone say they used iPads for the first time instead of paper to review their agenda. — Look: No waste! Chester County Commissioners Michelle Kichline (from left), Terence Farrell, and Kathi Cozzone use paper-saving iPads to review their agendas for the first time.

The speaker was Chaplain Jerry Schwartz, the coordinator of Chester County’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team, a partnership between mental health professionals and “peer supporters,” consisting of first responders from multiple disciplines, who are trained to provide post-crisis support. Schwartz explained that witnessing tragedy often leads to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Schwartz and other representatives from the team received a proclamation from the commissioners to support the stress management efforts as well as observe National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month.

According to the proclamation, the first-responder community experiences PTSD at twice the rate of the average population and an estimated 22 percent of all paramedics will develop PTSD, which often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Increased understanding of PTSD “can help diminish the stigma” and lead to better treatment, the proclamation said.

Commissioners’ Chairman Terence Farrell asked the team representatives to convey the message to their particular disciplines that the board and citizens of Chester County appreciate their service.

Douglas J. Dunne holds his citation. He is joined by Chester County Commissioners Terence Farrell (from left), Michelle Kichline and Kathi Cozzone (right) and Vincent Brown, — Douglas J. Dunne holds his citation. He is joined by Commissioners Terence Farrell (from left), Michelle Kichline, and Kathi Cozzone (right) and Vincent Brown, executive director of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Services.

In addition to recognizing the efforts of first-responders, the commissioners issued a citation to Douglas J. Dunne, who served three consecutive terms, totaling nine years, as a member of the Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services’ Advisory Council. Vincent H. Brown, the executive director of the department, said Dunne was so valuable that the two-term limit was changed so the council could keep him longer.

“I would just like to say thank-you for the acknowledgement. It’s been an honor and a privilege,” said Dunne, stressing the importance of letting people know that services are available.

In other business, the commissioners heard recommendations to approve a number of grants and contracts that will come up for votes at the commissioners’ meeting on Thursday, June 23 – noting proudly that they reviewed the material on iPads.

Farrell said some years back, the county started to use both sides of the paper to print the agenda, which averages 30 pages. “We’ll be able to save some additional trees,” he added.

Commissioner Kathi Cozzone said she had the opportunity to attend the graduation of the most recent Platform To Employment program, an intensive five-week course designed to offer job assistance to the long-term unemployed. Cozzone said in addition to career training and tips, participants end up with their own personal support networks.

“Three got jobs; the rest are primed, I think, to be employed,” Cozzone said. “I think it’s wonderful to know that this program is absolutely changing lives.”

Commissioner Michelle Kichline said she had an opportunity to spend time with a delegation from Hungary last week that stopped in Chester County en route to an international conference for physicists in Washington, D.C. “The feedback I got was that all they could talk about in D.C. was what a wonderful visit they had to Chester County,” Kichline said.

“They want to come back,” Kichline added. “And this is something I think we take for granted because we live in such a wonderful county, but they were very impressed with our presentation about our school districts, about our jobs…”

She added that her father, who immigrated to the U.S. from Hungary in 1956 with her mother, even got to do some translating.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Taking aim against hidden wounds of crisis Read More »

Teen trio to display Irish music prowess

Arts & Entertainment

meara — Dylan Richardson (from left), Haley Richardson and Keegan Loesel will demonstrate their award-winning talent for Irish music on Monday, June 27, in Wilmington.

Even though this high school junior still resides in Pennsbury Township, he spends a disproportionate share of his time around the world – winning musical accolades in the process.

Dylan Richardson (from left), Haley Richardson and Pennsbury Township resident Keegan Losel have won accolades for their Irish music trio. — Dylan Richardson (from left), Haley Richardson, and Pennsbury Township resident Keegan Losel have won accolades for their Irish music trio.

So when the acclaimed Méara Meara trio performs on Monday, June 27, at the Blue Ball Barn in Wilmington, the venue holds particular appeal for Keegan Loesel, a master of uilleann pipes, whistles, and vocals.

“We are so often playing out of the region, it’s nice to have a show at ‘home,’” he said.

Keegan, who has already amassed more accolades than many musicians accrue in a lifetime, will be joined by fellow teen band mates Haley Richardson, a fiddler and vocalist, and Dylan Richardson, who plays guitar and bouzouki, both of whom reside in South Jersey.

Méara Meara, pronounced MARE-uh MAR-uh, is Irish for “lively fingers,” and the group will happily demonstrate them. Its performance with the premier Irish band The Chieftains prompted multi-instrumentalist Tim Edey to proclaim: “Haley, Keegan and Dylan are absolutely astounding musicians and singers with skills and musical emotion that belie their years. Watching them play made me think that here is a true contender to any modern celtic/roots band… watch out scene.”

The trio promises an evening of mighty Irish music at the Wilmington concert, hosted by the Green Willow Folk Club. Haley Richardson recently received the Junior Fiddler of Dooney title and has won seven Mid-Atlantic Fleadh awards and two All-Ireland titles. Keegan has won 12 Mid-Atlantic Fleadh titles and is also an All-Ireland medalist. Dylan Richardson, while not as interested in competing, has also qualified for the All-Ireland competition, a press release said.

Doors will open at 7 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. performance at the Blue Ball Barn at 1914 West Park Drive in Wilmington. This relaxed, intimate venue is located in Alapocas Run State Park, just off of Route 202. Tickets are $15 in advance, and $18 at the door; children 17 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Seating is limited so reservations are recommended. Email concert ticket reservations to reservations@greenwillow.org or call 302-456-3242. Advance reservations close at noon on the day of the concert, and cash or checks will be accepted.

In the days preceding the show, Keegan and Haley will compete at the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh in Parsippany, N.J., in solo events and as a duet. They hope to qualify for the All-Ireland Fleadh to be held in August in County Clare, Ireland. Monday’s concert will kick off a brief fundraising effort to help offset their travel costs, the release said.

Keegan’s mother, Lynette Loesel, said she hoped area residents would support the effort, widening their musical horizons in the process. “It’s not a common thing around here – this music, and especially these pipes,” she said.

To view their performances, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SKVXFV8JIU or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXdpRqflyDo. To learn more about the band, visit http://www.livelyfingers.com/.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Teen trio to display Irish music prowess Read More »

Delco podiatrist accused of $5M Medicaid fraud

Local News

The doctor who operated A Foot Above Podiatry, a Delaware County podiatry practice, was not above the law, federal prosecutors indicated on Wednesday, June 22.

Dr. Stephen A. Monaco, 59, of Broomall, stands accused of a $5 million scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and four private victim insurance companies. A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia alleges that Monaco committed the fraud through his practice, A Foot Above Podiatry, Inc., located in Havertown.

According to the information, between January 2008 and October 31, 2014, Monaco submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and four private victim insurance companies for podiatric procedures that were not provided, and podiatric procedures that were not performed. In addition, Monaco submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and four private victim insurance companies for medically unnecessary procedures and services that were not reimbursable by Medicare or the other insurance carriers, court records said.

“Government funded health-care programs and private insurers continue to be negatively impacted by doctors who bill for unnecessary and non-performed medical services,” said U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger in a press release announcing the charges. “This office will continue to vigorously pursue those doctors who engage in such fraudulent and criminal practices in order to prevent those health-care fraud costs from being passed on to the nation’s taxpayers.”

Although Monaco is the only local defendant, he is far from alone. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said an unprecedented nationwide sweep led by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in 36 federal districts resulted in criminal and civil charges against 301 individuals, including 61 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health-care fraud schemes involving approximately $900 million in false billings, a federal press release said.

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), a joint initiative announced in May 2009 between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations and since its inception in March 2007 has charged over 2,900 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $8.9 billion.

“As this takedown should make clear, health care fraud is not an abstract violation or benign offense – It is a serious crime,” Lynch said in the release. “The wrongdoers that we pursue in these operations seek to use public funds for private enrichment. They target real people – many of them in need of significant medical care. They promise effective cures and therapies, but they provide none. Above all, they abuse basic bonds of trust – between doctor and patient; between pharmacist and doctor; between taxpayer and government – and pervert them to their own ends.

The cases announced on Wednesday, June 22, are being prosecuted and investigated by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, along with Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices of the Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Texas, Central District of California, Eastern District of Louisiana, Northern District of Texas, Northern District of Illinois and the Middle District of Florida; and agents from the FBI, HHS-OIG, Drug Enforcement Administration, DCIS and state Medicaid Fraud Control Units, the release said.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Delco podiatrist accused of $5M Medicaid fraud Read More »

Catherine Helen DiFilippo McCreary of Avondale

Obituaries

Catherine Helen DiFilippo McCreary, 87, of Avondale, died June 20, 2016 at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, Pa.

Catherine was born in West Grove, she was the daughter of the late Joseph DiFilippo and Mary Touquilio DiFilippo of West Grove. She was the loving wife of the late Leon Samuel McCreary Sr., who died in 1969. He was the one true love of her life.

Catherine’s greatest love was her family. She is survived by three children; Marie Malchione (Peter) of Avondale, Leon S. McCreary Jr. (Terri) of Abington, Md., and Kathleen Bard (Tony) of Oxford; six grandchildren, Adrienne Malchione (Brad) of Oxford, Nathan McCreary (Tracy) of Fallston, Md., Nicole Allen (Rudy) of Cochranville, Katherine Maxwell (Brian) of Avondale, Brandy Batista of Abington, Md., and Cassandra Gray (Jason) of West Chester; 10 great grandchildren; two brothers, Joseph DiFilippo of Avondale, and Dominick (Norma) DiFilippo of West Grove. Catherine was preceded in death by one brother Anthony J. DiFilippo.

Catherine retired at age 65 from Kendal-Crosslands Life Care Communities, and continued working as a companion to the elderly, and as a teacher’s assistant at Longwood Learning Center.

Catherine’s Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday June 24, at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 7200 Lancaster Pike Hockessin, DE 19707. Visitation will be from 9 -11 a.m. Burial will be at Saint Patrick Cemetery in Kennett Square.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Masonic Village Employee Fund, 1 Masonic Drive, Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home (610-444-4116) of Kennett Square. To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.griecocares.com

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Catherine Helen DiFilippo McCreary of Avondale Read More »

Barbara A. Pizer of West Chester

Obituaries

Barbara A. Pizer (nee Brady), 71, of West Chester, died June 18.

She was the beloved wife of Kenneth R. Pizer and the loving sister of Robert V. Brady.

Relatives and friends are invited to her visitation Monday, June 27, from 6-9 p.m. at The Donohue Funeral Home, 3300 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073, 610-353-6300 and Tuesday 10-10:50 a.m. at St. Anastasia Church, 3301 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073 followed by her funeral mass at 11. Interment SS Peter & Paul Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to the Convent of Divine Love (Pink Sisters), 2212 Green Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Barbara A. Pizer of West Chester Read More »

Pastoral paths align for TLC’s nature center

Local News, Local News Kennett

The troubles surrounding the waters of the Chandler Mill Bridge in Kennett Township may have finally dissipated.

The Chandler Mill Bridge, once a source of conflict, will help visitors connect with nature. — The Chandler Mill Bridge, once a source of conflict, will soon help visitors connect with nature in Kennett Township.

The Chandler Mill Nature Preserve and Interpretive Nature Center has now been fully funded, The Land Conservancy (TLC) for Southern Chester County announced in a press release, inviting residents to dip their toes into the creek in the picnic area or hop off their bikes and relax next to the historic bridge.

For more than a decade, rancor involving the bridge dominated numerous meetings. Deeming it unsafe, Chester County, the bridge’s previous owner, made plans to raze the 1910 span and replace it with a modern equivalent. But preservationists, who fought to add it to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, argued that the bridge’s character enhanced the area’s bucolic charm.

During an impasse of several years, the county closed the bridge, and drivers got used to the detours, paving the way for the bridge’s purchase by Kennett Township in October for $1. Partnering with TLC, the township aimed to return the bridge to reflecting its pristine environment by restricting it to pedestrians and emergency vehicles and using it to anchor a nature center and trail network.

“This is an example of a successful public private partnership that will result in a community asset for generations to come,” said Gwen Lacy, TLC’s executive director.

Since Kennett Township took ownership of the bridge less than a year ago, TLC has raised more than $700,000 to purchase the former Walnut Hill bed and breakfast for TLC’s headquarters and to create the Chandler Mill Interpretive Nature Center and Preserve. The Brokaw family, local artists and conservationists, have been busy surveying and filing the necessary documentation to donate the acreage to create the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve, the release said.

“We are pleased to learn of the recent successes of TLC as reflected in its recent announcement,” said Kennett Township Supervisors’ Chairman Scudder G. Stevens. “Kennett Township has worked with TLC for many years, and we share similar concerns for the well-being of the land. We are happy for its continuing success in exercising its positive influence in both Kennett Township and throughout the region … and look forward to working with TLC into the future regarding our shared goals for the land.”

Creating the largest contiguous corridor of permanently protected lands in the township required donations from individuals as well as grant awards from the Welfare Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Starrett Foundation, Fair Play Foundation, Crystal Trust, E. Kneale Dockstader Foundation, Marjorie L. and Arthur P. Miller Fund, and the KEEN Effect. The engineering and initial planning phase has already begun, and the preserve and interpretive nature center is anticipated to open to the public in 2017.

The Chandler Mill Nature Preserve is located at the confluence of the Red Clay and Bucktoe creeks, and contains Class I Woodlands and Meadows, specimen trees, rare species of flora and fauna, and historic sites. It is part of an Audubon Important Bird Area, as well as an over 30-year-long Cornell Lab of Ornithology study.

With more than 500 areas of open space containing some of the most biodiverse habitat in the region, the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve and Interpretive Center will greatly advance TLC’s efforts to protect, enhance, and promote the importance of watershed health within the Brandywine/Christina Watershed and highlight the protection of history in Southern Chester County, the release said.

TLC’s goal is to create a vibrant community resource, while using best management practices that demonstrate innovative ways of protecting and enhancing water resources and environmental health, such as installing riparian buffers, rain gardens, permeable pavers, and pollinator gardens. The preserve will link to the Kennett Greenway, a 12-mile loop trail connecting Kennett Borough to community assets, such as the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve, within Kennett Township.

TLC, which has preserved about 850 acres of land to date, embarked on the Chandler Mill journey over a decade ago, with the objective of saving a one-lane historic bridge from demolition and replacement with a two-lane highway bridge. The project evolved into a pedestrian bridge due to the generosity of a local family, the wishes of the residents, and the foresight of the township.

“Over this last decade the community spoke out and said we have enough traffic, we need natural pockets of peace and quiet to remember why we all moved to this beautiful area of Chester County in the first place,” Lacy said in the release.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Pastoral paths align for TLC’s nature center Read More »

Police Log June 22: DUIs, accidents, ID theft

Police

• The driver in a one-car accident on South Creek Road in Chadds Ford was DUI, according to a police report. Police said Jeremiah Acton, 18, of Wilmington, was determined to be driving under the influence when state police found his vehicle overturned in a ditch at 9:25 p.m. on June 16. Acton was transported to Riddle Memorial Hospital for medical treatment.

• State police said Jaclyn K. Giardinelli, 34, reportedly of Chadds Ford, was determined to be DUI following a traffic stop on June 16. The report said Giardinelli was stopped for traffic offenses on Route 1 at Route 322 just after midnight.

• Drivers involved in a two-car accident on Route 1 at Heyburn Road in Chadds Ford were believed injured, but neither was transported for treatment. The accident happened at 9:29 a.m. on Monday, June 13. According to the police report, one driver, identified as Richard O. Grischy, 78, of Chadds Ford, entered Route 1 from Heyburn before it was safe and was struck by a car heading north on Route 1. Both cares were disabled and both drivers complained of soreness, but declined transportation, police said. Grischy was cited for failing to comply with duties at a stop sign, according to the report.

• Police are investigating a May 4 theft at Victoria Secret. A suspect, described only as a black female in her 20s or 30s, stole 10 pair of pants valued at $500, a report said.

• Andrew Nichols, 38, of Glen Mills, and Michael Parinello, 30, of Richmond, Mich., were cited for public drunkenness on June 12, according to state police. A report said they were causing a disturbance in the The Red Stone Apartments on Ellis Drive in Concord Township.

• State police said a 64-year-old Concord Township man was the victim of identity theft on June 11. A report said someone gathered the victim’s personal information, opened a phony credit card account, and then made $18,500 worth of purchases.

• On June 10, Joan Halpin, 33, of Concord Township, was arrested for DUI, a police report said. According to the report, Halpin was stopped for traffic violations at 9:45 p.m. on northbound Route 202 just before Route 1.

• Police said one of the drivers in a two-car accident left the scene of the accident without exchanging information with the other driver. The accident happened at 1:20 p.m. on May 14 on Naaman’s Creek Road near Route 202. The unknown driver reportedly crossed the yellow line, causing the accident with the oncoming vehicle. No injuries were reported.

• New Garden Township police said Zachary Dellavecchia, 22, of Landenberg, was taken into custody on DUI charges following an accident that seriously injured the driver of the other vehicle. The accident happened at 9:21 p.m. on June 9. Details of the accident were not given.

• On June 11, Luis Romero-Zurita, 18, of West Grove, was arrested in New Garden Township on multiple counts of aggravated and simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct at St. Rocco’s carnival. A report said Romero-Zurita was one of three suspects involved in a disturbance, but was the only one who remained on the scene. The report said police asked Romero-Zurita to cease his disorderly behavior as it was in the presence of the public, but Romero-Zurita refused and replied with more obscenities. He was arraigned, and then taken to Chester County Prison in lieu of $7,500 cash bail.

• Lagoberto Espinoza-Reyes, 22, of Kennett Square, was arrested on DUI charges following an incident with two other people on Thompson Road and West Cypress Street, according to New Garden Township police. Police said Espinoza-Reyes blocked a vehicle belonging to one of the victims, preventing it from leaving. He then assaulted both victims, causing a laceration and bloody nose. Espinoza-Reyes was arraigned and remanded to Chester County Prison in lieu of $10,000 cash bail.

• On Monday, June 6, at 4 p.m., New Garden Township police cited three 19-year-olds for trespassing in the 6700 block of Limestone Road. The three were identified as Colby Bidgood, Eric Delano and Brandon Christopher, all from Hockessin. They said they didn’t see a no-trespassing sign, according to the report.

• A traffic stop on Baltimore Pike near Chambers Road in New Garden Township led to the arrest of Sergio Cruz-Torres for DUI, according to a state police report. The report said Cruz-Torres was stopped at 10:45 p.m. on June 9 for traffic violations.

• Joseph Searle Hewlett, 19, of Levittown, was arrested in Pennsbury Township for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia on June 10 following a traffic stop at 9:31 p.m., a state police report said.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Police Log June 22: DUIs, accidents, ID theft Read More »