January 26, 2018 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Roadwork for Jan. 27 through Feb. 2

PennDOT has announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect residents in the greater Chadds Ford area during the week of Jan. 27 through Feb. 2. Motorists are urged to allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones.

• PennDOT maintenance and contractor crews will be working on more than 60 state highways next week to repair deteriorated pavement across the five-county Philadelphia region. Locally, those roadways include Creek Road in Pennsbury Township, and Route 52 in Pocopson and West Brandywine townships.

• Lane and ramp closures will be in place next weekend, Feb. 2 and 3, on northbound Route 202 between the Boot Road and Route 30 interchanges in East and West Whiteland townships. The work is to complete a traffic shift on the northbound bridge over Amtrak. From 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, to 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, the right lane will be closed on northbound Route 202 approaching the work area. During the operation, a single lane of northbound traffic will travel through the work area using the northbound express lane that has been established on the southbound side of the expressway.

• Sunoco Pipeline has closed Route 352 at Boot Road in East Goshen Township, for pipe installation. The restriction is only for trucks traveling south and turning onto Boot Road. The daily closure will remain in effect through late December.

• Barrier installation continues to cause indefinite lane closures on Brandywine Creek Road, between Green Valley and Powell roads, in Newlin Township

• Motorists should expect daytime lane restrictions on Pyle Road, between Route 202 and Concord Crossing, In Concord Township weekdays through Feb. 23 for utility installation.

• Periodic lane restrictions continue through Oct. 20, on Conchester Highway, between Route 1 and Foulk Road, in Concord Township.

• Station Road, between Concord Road and Conchester Highway, in Concord Township, is closed through Oct. 20, for road construction. Detours are posted.

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Fred P. Pratola Sr. of Avondale

Obituaries

Fred P. Pratola Sr., 92, of Avondale, died Thursday, Jan. 25, surrounded by his loving family.

Born to Michael and Grace Pratola on April 25, 1925, in Madison, N.J., he was the husband to the love of his life, the late Angeline Pratola who died in 2007, and with whom he shared 58 years of marriage.

A WWII veteran, Fred worked side by side with his father and brothers, first at Michael Pratola and Sons and later at Pratola Brothers. He was a talented gardener, supplying his family and friends with vegetables and lettuce all season. He was an avid fisherman and gifted wood carver who was generous in sharing his beautiful carvings with his loved ones.

He will be remembered as a kind and patient father, a fun and loving grandfather, and a loyal husband, son, brother and friend.

Fred is survived by his children, Angela and Tom Mattoscio, Donna Pratola, and Fred Pratola Jr.; his grandchildren, Brian Mattoscio, Chris Carozzo, Leann and Tony Summa, Greg Carozzo, Fred Pratola III and his fianceé Casey Hight; and his great-grandchildren, Luke, Gabe and Grace Summa, and Louie and Fred Pratola IV. He is also survived by his sister Anna Kelleher, his twin brother and best friend, Michael Pratola, and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by two brothers, Pat and Ralph, and a sister, Angeline.

A Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 30, at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church, 8910 Gap Newport Pike (Route 41), Avondale.The family will greet friends at the church from 10 a.m. until noon. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Route 82, Kennett Square.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church, PO Box 709, Avondale, PA 19311 or to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 600 Reed Road, Suite 104, Broomall, PA 19008

To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.griecocares.com

Arrangements by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, Kennett Square.

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Chadds Ford cleric arrested for drugs, theft

Police

Msgr. Gregory Parlante, formerly of St. Cornelius Church in Chadds Ford, was arrested on charges of drug possession and theft, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

In May of 2017, police began investigating a suspicious package sent to the church’s administration office on Ridge Road. Church personnel who found the package with some of Parlante’s personal items thought it contained drugs. Parlante, 61, was on leave from the church for medical reasons at the time.

According to the press release issued Friday, Jan. 26, the package tested positive for amphetamines and methamphetamines. Police also learned during the investigation that from January 2017 to March 2017, Parlante removed approximately $5,500 in cash from the Saint Cornelius Sunday Collection.

According to barrack’s Community Affairs Officer Tpr. Tim Greene, no other persons were involved.

About Rich Schwartzman

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.

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The Human Resource: Engagement starts with leadership

Business

If you have ever solicited an employee engagement survey and became surprised at the results you are not effectively demonstrating or holding accountable the right individuals in your leadership and management to achieve the desired results. Engagement begins with leadership and ends with the supervisor-employee relationship in which the supervisor is promulgating the culture and information necessary to achieve success.

Generally, the results of a survey reveal similar concerns: pay and compensation, training, growth opportunity, trust, communication, and benefits. This is no secret, and if you are not aware of the view on these topics from your employees you may not be engaging them adequately, frequently enough, and using the appropriate medium.

Leverage your performance management programs and activities between supervisor and employee to build a more effective relationship with them. Ensure you are cascading important messaging from leadership to the line staff and taking information back up that path of communication. Do not assume the workforce understands why you are doing things the way you are, and that they get the long-term strategy and picture just because you post it on a wall or send it out in an email.

Use one-on-one time to not only provide performance feedback, but to also solicit concerns, ideas, and recommendations from the employees to help achieve business goals. The more involved an employee is in controlling their growth and development in the business in addition to how the work is performed, the more committed they are in their execution of the work.

Spend the time and resources necessary to educate, train, and inform your leadership team on how to effectively engage the workforce. Ensure new supervisors are provided mentors and the support needed to be effective people leaders, which will lead to improved communication and enhanced engagement.

This strategy and behavior must be demonstrated and modeled by leadership with your management team so that everyone observes how it is done effectively. Empower your greatest asset, your people, and you will achieve a type of success you never imagined possible.

** The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of Chadds Ford Live. We welcome opposing viewpoints. Readers may comment in the comments section or they may submit a Letter to the Editor to editor@chaddsfordlive.com

About Warren Cook

Warren is the President and co-founder of SymbianceHR and provides strategic oversight for service delivery, business operations, and technical guidance on consulting engagements. He is a human resources subject matter expert with over 25 years of experience as a strategic human resources business partner, project manager, and people leader across private and public sectors organizations. Warren is responsible for the strategic planning of all client consulting engagements from initial needs assessment and compliance review through delivery of customized strategic solutions that meet the client’s business goals. He has a proven track record of providing executive coaching and guidance to business leaders and human resource professionals at all levels including the C-Suite of Fortune 100 companies. Warren is also the Chief Talent Officer and cofounder of SymbianceHiRe, a Symbiance company dedicated to providing direct placement talent acquisition services and temporary and contract staffing solutions to the business community. Warren holds a B.S. in Human Resource Management, an MBA in Project Management, and a M.S. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Warren is the author of “Applicant Interview Preparation – Practical Coaching for Today.”

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