College-bound students and their families should know that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will now be available on Oct. 1 – three months earlier than in previous years – state Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, announced in a press release on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
“High school seniors and other prospective college students will now have more time to apply for financial aid and can receive notifications of financial aid packages sooner,” Dinniman, who serves as minority chair of the Senate Education Committee, said in the release.
The FAFSA determines eligibility for federal grants, state grants, many scholarships, student loans and work-study programs.
The U.S. Department of Education made this date change to better align the financial aid application process with the actual college admissions timeline.
“The FAFSA is the most important application for college-bound students who are seeking financial aid,” Dinniman said. “Not only is it required for federal student aid, it is used to determine eligibility for a host of scholarships and grants, including private grants, need-based scholarships and state programs like the Pennsylvania State Grant Program and work-study employment.”
The deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the Pennsylvania State Grant Program is May 1, 2017.
The date change also allows applicants to complete the 2017-18 FAFSA using more readily available financial information from the 2015 tax year. The former Jan. 1 date required income from the tax year that had recently ended. Since most individuals are unable to access the necessary tax information, such as wage statements, to file their tax returns in early January, they had to complete the FAFSA using estimated data and amend that information after they filed their returns later in the year.
Another benefit of being able to use 2015 tax return data is that more applicants can use the Internal Revenue Services’ Data Retrieval Tool, which automatically fills in the FAFSA form through an embedded link in the form.
“In today’s economy, it is more important than ever for prospective students their families to apply for student aid to help with the costs of higher education,” Dinniman said. “If you plan to start college in the next fall, I urge you to get started on the application process because some aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition, remember that different universities may have different FAFSA deadlines.”
For more on the higher education financial aid process, schedules for upcoming FAFSA Completion Session, reminders of financial aid deadlines and information on planning for higher education costs, visit PHEAA.org.
A two-vehicle accident on southbound Route 202 in Westtown Township on Wednesday, Sept. 14, resulted in hospitalization for two people, one of whom remains in critical condition, and created massive traffic tie-ups.
Emergency personnel respond to a crash on Route 202 the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 14. Photo by Vince Moro
Officers from the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department responded a little after 9 a.m. to the 1000 block of Wilmington Pike, a police press release said.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers determined that prior to the crash the vehicles – a 2013 Ford Fusion and a 2016 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle – were both traveling southbound on Route 202. For an undetermined reason, the front bumper of the car struck the motorcycle, causing the motorcycle operator to be thrown from the motorcycle onto the center median, the release said.
Both drivers were transported by ambulance to Paoli Hospital. The motorcyclist, a 31-year-old male from Penn Valley, is currently listed in critical condition. The Ford driver, a 25-year-old from Trenton, N.J., is listed in stable condition, the release said.
The crash required Route 202 to be closed in both directions initially, police said. Once the scene stabilized, police opened one lane in each direction. All lanes reopened about 1:15 p.m., police said.
Police said they were assisted at the scene by Good Fellowship Ambulance, Goshen Fire Police, Medic 91, the West Chester Fire Department and Fire Police, and the West Goshen Police Department.
After a nearly yearlong closure, PennDOT reopened the reconstructed Birmingham Road bridge over Radley Run in Birmingham Township on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
The Birmingham Road bridge had been closed to motorists since Sept. 22, after an inspection revealed severe structural damage. The bridge is located between the intersections of Lambourne Road and Stoney Run Drive,
Construction began the week of April 11 to remove the old bridge and construct a new, cast-in-place concrete structure. The new one-span structure is 18 feet long and 24 feet wide. It carries one travel lane in each direction, a PennDOT press release said.
The previous one-span, steel-beam bridge was built in 1938. It was 15 feet long and 26 feet wide. The structure was posted with an 18-ton weight limit and carried an average of 3,553 vehicles a day when it closed, the release said.
Some children relax over the summer break, some learn new things, and others are hard at work serving their community.
Our Children Making Change spend the summer raising funds to help local nonprofits, such as Family Promise of Southern Chester County.
Family Promise of Southern Chester County said it was honored recently to be the beneficiary of the latter option as one of the 2016 recipients of a donation from Our Children Making Change in Southern Chester County.
Our Children Making Change is a community service program in Southern Chester County where children, ages 5 to 16, perform age-appropriate chores and hold fundraising events such as bake sales, lemonade stands, bingo, and movie nights to raise money for local charities. The children nominate and select four charities to support each summer. The program currently has about 100 children, according to a Family Promise press release.
The Southern Chester County team is part of a growing organization involving more than 2,000 children, who have helped their communities by contributing over $300,000 to local charities, according to its website.
“Family Promise of Southern Chester County is honored to have been supported by this wonderful organization,” Susan Minarchi, executive director of Family Promise of Southern Chester County, said in the release. “Our Children Making Change is a great opportunity for children who are too young to volunteer to become active in their community.”
Family Promise of Southern Chester County is committed to helping children and their families experiencing homelessness in the Avondale, Kennett Consolidated, Oxford, and Unionville-Chadds Ford school districts. Its goal is to help families achieve lasting self-sufficiency and stability by providing shelter, meals, and comprehensive support services through a network of congregations and volunteers until they find sustainable housing.
The local organization is part of a national, nonprofit initiative founded in 1986 with over 200 affiliates across the U.S. To volunteer, make a donation, or provide services, please contact Family Promise of Southern Chester County at www.familypromisescc.org or sminarchi@familypromisescc.org.
In 1996, Chester County implemented a comprehensive plan to ensure that the spectacular vistas that had attracted countless residents to the area didn’t disappear.
Landscapes3 will aim to continue maintaining scenic vistas such at these rolling hills in Birmingham Township.
Since then, significant growth has occurred in the county; however, Landscapes and Landscapes2 have been credited with helping to reduce sprawl, winning widespread recognition in the process. On Wednesday, Sept. 13, the Chester County Board of Commissioners announced the kick-off to Landscapes’ second update, Landscapes3.
During a presentation at the commissioners’ Sunshine meeting, Matthew Hammond of the Chester County Planning Commission pointed out that eight percent of the county’s open space enjoyed permanent protection prior to Landscapes; now the number is nearly 27 percent.
Hammond noted that an influx of 150,000 residents is predicted by 2045, reinforcing the need to have a plan that continues the focus on managing that growth through open space preservation, urban center revitalization, and municipal planning assistance.
“We’re very excited to be moving forward on this,” said Brian O’Leary, executive director of the Chester County Planning Commission.
Landscapes3 will involve a two-year effort that begins with a series of stakeholder meetings this fall, to determine the issues and challenges facing Chester County over the next 10 years.
“Twenty years ago, Chester County made a choice to redirect growth, to protect open space and to revitalize our towns and urban communities,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chairman Terence Farrell. “Landscapes and Landscapes2 have served us very well in doing that, but it is time to renew our vision and ensure that Chester County remains a highly attractive place to live, work and visit.”
Commissioner Kathi Cozzone said the success of Landscapes and Landscapes2 went far beyond the many awards the plan has received with visible examples of accomplishments linked to the plan, such as the county’s vast trail network and revitalized urban centers.
“Now is the time to begin the groundwork to carry our vision on for another decade,” said Cozzone.
The Landscapes3 update will involve three phases, according to Hammond: a “tell us” segment will focus on stakeholder meetings to gather background data on specific issues and trends; a “guide us” period will include regional meetings, a public opinion survey, and the drafting, refining and adoption of the document; and finally, the implementation phase will likely begin in late 2018.
“Public participation has been a key to the success of our comprehensive plan, and we strongly encourage all Chester County residents to provide feedback for the development of Landscapes3,” said Commissioner Michelle Kichline.
The Chester County Planning Commission, which will be responsible for the update, said numerous opportunities will exist for public involvement, ranging from a website dedicated to the plan to a photo contest.
Interested citizens are encouraged to go to www.chescoplanning.org for updates on the development of the plan and how to participate. For more information, contact Susan Elks, director of planning services for the Chester County Planning Commission, at 610-344-6285 or email selks@chesco.org with any questions or concerns.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
About 1.6 million juniors from more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants, a National Merit press release said.
The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
At Garnet Valley High School, Catherine Cai, Samyukt A. Kannurpatti, Jae Hyun Kim, Ian J. Maxwell, Hiroto Saito, Patrick J. Stoyer, Christine H. Wang and Jonathan R. Wong achieved semifinalist status.
Kennett High’s semifinalist was Zachary G. Hrenko, and Avon Grove’s semifinalists were Brian Armstrong, Noah M. Donten, and Drew A. Lazarow.
At Unionville High School, the following students earned semifinalist recognition: Robert B. Akins, Uma Balaji, Alexander Castina, Christopher A. Gehrke, Lyndsay E. Hastings, Caroline E. Kenton, Skyler N. Lambert, Irene Z. Liu, Wanjing Liu, Sagar Maheshwari, Sophia M. Maloney, Thomas P. Miles, Leah R. Tedesco, Nicholas Y. Yang, and Paige E. Young.
In the West Chester district, Melissa K. Morgan from B. Reed Henderson High was a semifinalist, as were Jack F. Brosnan, Nicholas D. Felice, and Brian J. Kent, Sean P. O’Hara, Ryan Wagner, and Maxwell M. Xu from Bayard Rustin and Kevin J. Diestelow, Katherine E. Foss, Benjamin J. Klucznik and Anna E. Steinmetz from West Chester East.
James A. Hurd and Derek Y. Shan were semifinalists from the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School while Thomas Barnett, Molly Lynch, Jane A. Mentzinger and Elena Vilceanu made the cut for Westtown School.
The semifinalists will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring, the release said.
Superlatives dominated the Chester County Board of Commissioners’ Sunshine meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13, ranging from the work of a tireless Red Cross advocate to a revered, multi-tasking chaplain.
Denise Graf (holding citation) is joined by the Chester County Commissioners and members of the county’s Department of Emergency Services.
The commissioners issued proclamations to each of two women who have made a positive difference in the lives of numerous county residents.
Denise Graf has volunteered her time and her expertise with the American Red Cross, serving the Southeastern Pennsylvania region in many capacities. Notably, she functioned as the Chester County Disaster Action Team Captain from 2007 to 2016, totaling more than 3,700 hours, which included sheltering efforts over a 10-day period following Ice Storm Niko.
John Haynes, the deputy director of 911 operations for the Chester County Department of Emergency Services (DES), explained that Graf spent hundreds of hours working on logistics and outreach to ensure that if there was a major fire and people were displaced, for example, they would have the assistance they needed.
Graf responded that the DES members made her job easy. “Their goal truly is: Do what’s right for the people of Chester County,” she said.
The commissioners also heard a litany of accolades about Rev. Doris Haley, who has served for more than four decades as a volunteer at Chester County Prison, the Chester County Youth Center, and as chaplain at Pocopson Home.
Rev. Doris Haley (seated with citation) is joined by the county commissioners and representatives from the many institutions where she volunteers.
Representatives from all of those institutions praised Rev. Haley for her commitment to helping those on the fringe of society. As the outreach coordinator for families of prisoners, Rev. Haley has provided practical resources, such as food, clothing and medicine, and for spiritual and well-being needs such as Bible studies, hayrides, a Mother’s Day lunch, Easter egg hunts, and the Christmas Angel Tree program.
Haley started the School of Learning for the children of inmates and also runs an after-school program for them. At the Youth Center, she regularly meets with detention and sheltered youth, sharing encouragement and teaching through her own life stories. As the chaplain at Pocopson Home, Rev. Haley reads to, shops and writes letters for residents, leads a Friday hymn sing, holds Bible studies, hospital visits, religious counseling, and schedules services for all denominations.
Years ago, she sponsored her own AM radio broadcast direct from the prison’s chapel. In addition to her services to the county, Rev. Haley is the chaplain for the Lions Clubs in Chester and Berks counties, and is on the board of Chester County Family Academy.
“Her energy is contagious; it’s boundless,” enthused Jacqueline McKenna, administrator of the Pocopson Home. Gary Blair, director of the Chester County Youth Center, said his staff has this assessment of Haley: “She’s a saint.”
During brief remarks, Rev. Haley said she grew up poor in a large family, the seventh child and only girl. She said everyone was always encouraged to share. “My heart is overwhelmed,” she said of the recognition. Then she smiled and added: “I’m only 39.”
Commissioner Kathi Cozzone said Rev. Haley had touched thousands of lives. “You are truly an inspiration for so many people,” Cozzone said.
Commissioners’ Chairman Terence Farrell noted that the honorees’ impressive accomplishments capped a summer that was replete with positive achievements.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) presented Chester County with its Digital Cities & Counties Challenge Award. NACo’s Employment & Training Award went to the County Cup program. The Chester County Conservation District Board earned the state Conservation Commission Award for Leadership, and the county picked up two wins from the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP): for Road & Bridge Safety Improvements and for Mark Rupsis, who earned the Outstanding Chief Clerk/Chief Executive Award.
Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline shows off the county’s sustainability award along with her fellow commissioners and members of the county’s Planning Commission.
And the distinctions haven’t stopped, Farrell said. The Chester County Clerk of Courts and the Department of Computing and Information Services (DCIS) recently received a NACo Achievement Award for its Document Management Innovation Project.
Clerk of Courts Robin Marcello said the project was “a wonderful, collaborative, team effort” with DCIS that enables members of the court system to view case files online in a secure environment.
Finally, the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association presented its Diamond Level Award for Sustainability to Chester County earlier this week. Commissioner Michelle Kichline, a member of the GVFTMA board, noted proudly that the award is crafted in bamboo, a sustainable material. She said Chester County was the first county ever to receive diamond-level status, for a series of initiatives that included its ride guide, bike racks at county facilities, and trail extensions.
The county is working to move up from its ranking earlier this year by SmartAsset, an online financial services business, as the fourth happiest U.S. county to the top spot.
Responding to the sunshine that Rev. Haley reportedly spreads daily, Haynes offered some hope at the conclusion of the meeting. “I believe Rev. Haley helped us with our goal to be the happiest county,” he said.
• According to state police, a 57-year-old from Glen Mills resident reported having a wallet stolen with credit card information that was later used for online purchases. The incident happened Aug. 19; the investigation is continuing.
• A three-vehicle accident resulted in an 81-year-old Glen Mills woman’s being transported for injuries and cited for driving too fast. State police said Janice L. Goldberg was driving east on Conchester Highway when she rear-ended another vehicle that had stopped to allow traffic to merge from Merion Drive. The collision forced the other car into the westbound lane of traffic where it was struck by an oncoming vehicle. The accident happened 11:54 a.m. on Aug. 26.
• Sometime between 7 p.m. Sept. 5 and 8 a.m. Sept. 6, someone entered an unlocked car on Cambridge Dive in Concord Township and stole an iPod and loose change, police said.
• A Kennett Square woman was cited for an improper left turn from Kirk Road onto Woodside Farm Drive in Concord Township on Sept. 8. A police report said Kadra K. Mull, 53, stopped partway through the turn, forcing another car to swerve around her. That second car left the roadway and struck a bush.
• State police arrested a Boothwyn woman in New Garden Township on drug charges on Sept. 3. A report said Melissa Nicole Thomas, 31, was arrested for possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia and for six summary traffic violations following a traffic stop a 4 p.m. at Newark Road and Baltimore Pike.
• An unidentified driver was cited for following too closely after rear-ending another car on Lenape Road in Pennsbury Township on Sept. 1 at 3:57 p.m. No injuries were reported.
• Ralph Kelley, 60, of Kirkwood, was charged with DUI following a traffic stop on Route 1 near Route 82 on Sept. 3 at 12:05 a.m., according to a state police report.
• On Tuesday, August 30, at 1:22 a.m., New Garden Township police responded to the report of a physical assault with injuries in the 8800 block of Gap Newport Pike. They said the victim, with facial injuries, identified the defendant as Francisco Reyes-Garcia, 24, of Avondale. Reyes-Garcia was arrested without incident, arraigned on charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, and released on $2,500 bail.
• Alicia Angelozzi, 44, of Atglen, and Leonard Mayberry II, 45, of Christiana, were arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop on Newport Gap Pike on Aug. 31, according to New Garden Township police.
• New Garden Township police arrested Martin Herrera-Estrada, 33, of Toughkenamon, on DUI charges on Sept. 4, a police report said. According to the report, the accused was stopped for driving erratically at 1:50 a.m. in the 1400 block of Baltimore Pike. He then failed a field sobriety test, the report said.
