The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, (PennDOT) is seeking motorists’ input on highway safety, traffic safety enforcement and driving behaviors through an online survey at www.penndot.gov/safety
“Our top priority continues to be safety,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said. “Public input through this survey allows us to quantify and adjust our safety efforts while gauging participants’ knowledge of the consequences of unsafe behaviors.”
The brief survey will be available until August 23 and focuses on highway safety issues such as seat belts, impaired driving, speeding, motorcycles and distracted driving. People completing the survey may remain anonymous, but are asked to provide their gender, age and county of residence.
More than 850 people responded to last year’s survey. Last year’s notable results included that, in the previous 60 days, nearly 77 percent of respondents said they had not driven a motor vehicle within two hours after consuming alcoholic beverages. Also, 86 percent of drivers indicated they always used a seat belt.
On survey questions related to motorcycles, 88 percent of respondents reported that they always wear helmets or other protective gear, an increase from 78 percent in 2014.
Last year’s survey also asked about texting or emailing while driving. Ninety percent of those surveyed indicated that they never or rarely text message or email while driving, an increase from 87 percent in 2014.
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said today that Jarrett Mason was arrested for smuggling heroin into Chester County Prison and distributing the heroin to another inmate.
“Desperate people do dangerous and dumb things,” Hogan said. “The scourge of heroin hits everywhere, from streets to homes to prisons. This defendant just made a bad situation for himself much, much worse.”
According to a press release, Mason was originally arrested on drug charges in Phoenixville on July 15. Based on a review of video recordings, the defendant managed to hide heroin in his hair when he was arrested.
The press release also said that another inmate, on July 19, reported that the defendant was distributing heroin in the prison. The heroin was recovered after Mason was searched by correctional officers. He had been hiding the heroin inside his body, the release said.
The defendant has been charged with the felony offenses of furnishing contraband and drug dealing in a prison, as well as related charges.
Toll Bros. is exploring opportunities — including increased density — for its proposed development of Crebilly Farm in Westtown Township.
Crebilly is a 330-acre farm at Routes 926 at 202. Toll’s Division Vice President Andrew Semon said Toll is looking to build 300 to 385 units on the site.
Semon reviewed some of the possibilities with Westtown Supervisors during the board’s Aug. 1 workshop. The meeting was strictly informal with no decisions made. Semon said he wanted some feedback before submitting a formal plan for a conditional use hearing to be held in early autumn.
Toll is doing all the preliminary work, he said, including environmental impact studies, and hopes to have two conditional use plans ready, one for the flexible zoning requirement that allows for 300 plus homes and another for bonus density.
He said township code allows for bonus density if there are certain public improvements made that benefit more than just the development.
According to Semon, building the connector road and providing walking trails would allow for that extra density.
The connector road would be 4,350 feet long, but Semon said much of that length does not benefit the development since homes can’t be built there because of layout and zoning requirements.
“To build that road, which would not benefit our community directly, it would benefit the general public, would have a price tag of roughly $2.2 million to help alleviate traffic on Route 202,” he said.
Public trails are also an element that would allow for extra density, he said. Those trails would run throughout the community and be available to the general public. He estimated costs for them to be about $500,000, with about 80 percent of that cost benefiting the general public.
Plans also call for offsite traffic upgrades beyond the connector road. He estimated those costs to be about $70,000.
Board Chairman Carol DeWolf said a new traffic study needs to be done and that Toll would have to contact the school district after the school year starts for an accurate student count prior to the hearing.
She also said, “You have to realize that we have enjoyed for years scenic, historic and cultural significance on this site. Open space has been very important to this board. I, personally, encourage as much contiguous housing as best you can.”
By contiguous housing, DeWolf was talking about clustering, but she said she didn’t like that word.
Semon said township code requires 60 percent open space and that Toll would comply with that provision and with any impervious surface limits.
Of the 330 acres, he said roughly 193 aces would be open space with possibly as much as 205 acres left open. He added that the exact amount of open space would be determined by the exact type and lot sizes needed.
In response to a question from Township Manager Robert Pingar, Semon said some of the homes — end units of typical carriage homes — would be 32 feet wide and 70 feet deep. Interior units would be 34 feet wide and 70 to 75 feet deep.
Semon couldn’t estimate final selling prices for the homes, but said homes in a similar development in Willistown ranged in price from $400,000 to $1 million.
(Chadds Ford Live was denied an image of the plan because, Semon said, the plan is only preliminary.)
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.
During its nearly two-hour meeting on Monday, Aug. 1, Kennett Square Borough Council grappled with diverse issues, ranging from whether to support an effort to redirect Philadelphia wage taxes to how to solve the mystery of the American Mushroom Party to how to fill the void left by the retirement of its police chief.
Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick (right) swears in Stephanie Everett as an alternate on the borough’s Civil Service Commission.
The tax issue generated the most debate. Borough Manager Joseph Scalise explained that the Sterling Act, passed by the state legislature in 1932, has enabled Philadelphia to tax borough residents without remitting any portion of the wage fee back to the borough.
Scalise said the borough, which he said loses $12,000 a year, was asked by the Chester County Association of Township Officials to join area municipalities to pass a resolution supporting an effort to repeal the law.
Councilmen Geoffrey Bosley, Danilo Maffei and Doug Doerfler voted in support of the measure, arguing that it would serve the borough. However, the measure failed to pass in a 4-3 vote. Espousing a more regional view, Councilman Ethan Cramer advocated the importance of not undermining the area’s main urban center, and Councilman Jamie Mallon noted that if the effort succeeded, Philadelphia would need to close the gap, potentially subjecting residents to an even higher tax.
During public comment, resident John Thomas criticized the vote, suggesting that council members need to protect the interests of the borough’s 6,000 residents. “We’re not saviors of the world,” he said.
In her report, Mary Hutchins, executive director of Historic Kennett Square, said preliminary plans were underway to establish a “Holiday Village” in the borough. She said it would be a joint venture with Kennett Township and would be held the first weekend in December at The Creamery, a pop-up beer garden on Birch Street.
Hutchins said that 12 to 20 artisans would be selected to sell their wares and that the school district had approved the use of its Legacy Field for parking.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Bosley, noting that it would encourage people to shop locally.
The council agreed that Hutchins should continue to pursue the plan with the understanding that alcohol would not be part of the initiative.
Hutchins also reported that the borough’s popular Murder Mystery Art Stroll would be held on Friday, Aug. 5. Entitled “The Mystery of the American Mushroom Party,” the family-friendly activity represents collaboration with the Kennett Area Theater Society. She said participants enter stores, where they interview people who hold clues to the mystery.
In other business, the council approved the selection of Stephanie Everitt as an alternate on the borough’s Civil Service Commission. Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick then swore her in. Stressing the importance of the commission, Cramer said he hoped other residents would step forward. “We could use a couple more,” he said.
Following the approval of Kennett Square Borough Police Chief Edward A. Zunino Jr., Fetick noted that Cpl. Bill Holdsworth had been promoted to interim lieutenant and would be in charge of the department until Zunino’s replacement was found.
Calling the selection one of the most important decisions council would make, Borough Councilman Wayne Braffman suggested that council determine in advance the qualities it would be seeking, suggesting that community policing experience be “heavily weighted.”
“We have to get the process absolutely right,” Braffman said.
Maffei said the borough was indeed fortunate that Zunino had opted to maintain roots in his hometown. “We couldn’t have asked for anything better,” said Maffei.
Kennett Square Police Chief Edward A. Zunino addresses the audience at the borough's 2013 National Night Out celebration, a community policing initiative.
For more than 40 years, a Kennett High graduate embodied the concept of community policing – a practice that did not even gain public attention until the 1990s.
Kennett Square Police Chief Edward A. Zunino expresses support to Andy Rumford of East Marlborough Township in Rumford’s crusade to prevent other parents from losing a child to a heroin overdose.
In 1994, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) was established within the Justice Department. It aimed to promote a proactive approach to public safety concerns by building trust and respect between police and the public, who would then collaborate to address crime challenges.
Those who have worked closely with Kennett Square Police Chief Edward A. Zunino, whose letter of retirement was accepted by Borough Council on Monday, Aug. 1, said that he could have written the primer on community policing. Moreover, they agreed that his lasting, positive impact could not be understated.
“He was an officer who intuitively recognized the importance and benefits of a community policing philosophy long before such programs were formally organized,” said former Chester County District Attorney Joseph W. Carroll.
Carroll said he worked with Zunino over many years as he rose in the ranks from patrol officer to detective to lieutenant to chief.
“His respect for the community he served, and fair treatment of the defendants he investigated and arrested, were a product of how he believed all people should be treated,” Carroll said. “His interviews were more effective because he could establish rapport with defendants. If you read a transcript of his conversations with a defendant, you would not know whether he was talking to a homeless guy or a business executive because he treated everyone the same.”
Kennett Square Police Chief Edward A. Zunino (from right) joins Lisa DiPietro to help her late father, Mike DiPietro, celebrate his 100th birthday in 2013.
Chester County Judge Patrick C. Carmody, a former prosecutor who worked with Zunino in various roles for more than 20 years, agreed.
“What set Ed apart is his combination of work ethic, humility and quiet strength,” Carmody said. “The other police officers, prosecutors, victims, and defendants knew they were dealing with a fair person who would work relentlessly to get to the truth, all the while protecting the public. I was thrilled when Ed became Kennett Square’s police chief and feel our county has been blessed to have such a fine public servant working for them. He will be greatly missed.”
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Richard H. D’Ambrosio, who heads the Avondale barracks, said Zunino maintained an excellent working relationship with the state police, and he called Zunino’s retirement “a huge loss for the community.”
New Garden Township Police Chief Gerald R. Simpson labeled Zunino’s retirement “truly bittersweet.” He acknowledged that Zunino had earned “well-deserved rest” after dedicating his entire life to his community and profession. “Chief Zunino will be hard to replace, and it is a sad day for Kennett Square,” Simpson said.
“Ed comes from a generation of police officer that rarely exists anymore,” Simpson continued. “Ed was motivated to help others in need without thought of personal gain. Ed didn’t need all the technology that we so rely on today to serve in this career – he has something that served him better: instincts, people skills and an admirable work ethic.”
Born and raised in Kennett Square, Zunino joined the Kennett Square Police Department in 1974 as an auxiliary officer. He became a part-time officer in 1975 and graduated from the police academy later that same year. He was hired full time in 1976 and has been the borough’s chief since 2007.
Kennett Square Police Chief Edward A. Zunino chats with state Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, during the borough’s 2016 MLK Breakfast.
Carroll noted that Zunino’s jurisdiction contained the kind of cultural diversity that has fueled distrust between the police and minority groups elsewhere. Zunino’s “leadership and the trust the community had in him” helped prevent that, Carroll said.
In his various roles, Zunino has remained involved in myriad community activities, whether he was celebrating the 100th birthday party of a longtime resident or supporting the anti-drug campaign of a grieving parent.
The founders of the Historic East Linden Project, now known as the Joseph & Sarah Carter Community Development Corporation, credit Zunino with helping them to turn a drug-infested neighborhood into a vibrant, peaceful community. Zunino now serves on the CDC’s board.
Five years ago, Zunino and Theresa Bass, the president of the Carter CDC, came up with the idea of putting a distinctively local spin on National Night Out, a national initiative that advocates community policing.
On Tuesday, Aug. 2, the Sixth Annual Kennett Square National Night Out will be observed, an event that fosters fun interaction between officers and children in the community. Activities have ranged from exchanges of trading cards to interviews to police vehicle tours. This year, Kennett Township will also participate, and Zunino will be one of the speakers.
Kennett Square Borough Councilman Ethan Cramer, also a CDC board member, said that Zunino has always practiced both good policing and genuine kindness simultaneously. “That combination has been the constant that held our diverse community together for decades,” said Cramer. “He has been a positive presence in all residents’ lives, whether we knew it our not, because he set the tone for civic life in Kennett Square.”
Addressing Borough Council at Monday’s meeting, Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick said he was privileged to have worked closely with Zunino for the past six years.
“He worked tirelessly to solve crime, lead the department, and serve the community,” said Fetick. “The chief’s retirement is a big loss for the borough, and yet I wish him well in his retirement. I also want to pass along my thanks and appreciation to his wife, Lois, and family as they, too, have sacrificed during the chief’s service to the borough.
“The borough has big shoes to fill when it comes to selecting the next chief,” Fetick said. “Ed Zunino has certainly left his mark on the Borough of Kennett Square, and we are a much better community because of his service.”
Cramer echoed that sentiment. “We’ll never replace him, but he built a strong department and a strong community that will find ways to continue his work and sustain his legacy,” Cramer said.
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.
