June 25, 2018

Letter: School board needs new plan

Ignoring the results of their own constituent survey, and aided and abetted by a consultant, the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board appears to be moving toward approval of a $10 million long-range spending plan for “outdoor facilities,” even though no significant shortcomings in the current facilities have been identified. By large margins, participants in the District’s constituent survey, conducted earlier this year, said that current facilities for parking and traffic, physical and outdoor education, and athletics were adequate. Nonetheless, the consultant’s draft study recommends that the district make major new outlays for outdoor facilities. These include $3 million for a “double-size” artificial turf field to take pressure off of “overused” grass fields—even though any “overuse” comes from outside groups and can be managed with higher levels of maintenance. Of course, the consultant is eager for a large design contract and has little interest in working with what is already in place.

When confronted with these issues at the last board meeting, some members brushed them aside, stating that the “sophistication” of the board was being underestimated. Yet during two consultant presentations, no board member or administrator raised any question about the disconnect between the constituent survey and the draft plan, or whether what is being proposed is really needed. Only Director Carolyn Daniels seems concerned, and she was the only director member to vote not to continue funding the consultant.

It is time that both the administration and board awake from their passivity, take ownership of the facilities plan from their self-serving consultant, and develop a new proposal that focuses on what is truly required to serve the educational mission of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District

Mark Stookey
Chadds Ford

About CFLive Staff

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Court approval now required for land seizure

Home and Leisure

NatLands — Court approval now required for land seizure

Late Friday, the Pennsylvania legislature passed House Bill 2468 by wide margins and today Governor Wolf signed it into law. The new law will require that entities like school districts and local governments seek court approval before taking property by eminent domain if that property is under conservation easement.

The legislation was prompted by two instances in which school districts have sought to seize lands protected by Natural Lands, one of Pennsylvania’s oldest and largest conservation organizations.

In Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, the Lower Merion School District has formally expressed plans to seize some or all of Natural Lands’ newly opened Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden. The 42-acre public garden was donated to Natural Lands in 2016 by the estate of John and Chara Haas so that it could be made open to the public. Lower Merion Conservancy, which holds the conservation easement on Stoneleigh, has aligned with Natural Lands in the effort to prevent any of the property from being taken by the school district.

Simultaneously, the Cumberland Valley School District in Cumberland County, PA, has initiated a taking by eminent domain of the historic 108-acre McCormick Farm for a proposed new school. That property has been protected by a Natural Lands conservation easement since the 1980s and the organization is fighting the taking in court.

Under the new law, both school districts will have to prove in Court that there are no “reasonable and prudent alternative” sites for their proposed new schools and sports facilities.

This extraordinary legislative success is a result of the leadership and determination of the Bill’s original sponsors, Representatives Warren Kampf, Kate Harper, and Marcy Toepel, along with Senator Bob Mensch and a host of bipartisan House cosponsors. Said Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands, “They, and every member of the legislature who voted for HB 2468, has our sincere gratitude.”

Morrison added, “While the law places an additional obstacle in the School Districts’ way, the threat to Stoneleigh and the McCormick Farm is still very real. We will continue to fight until both properties are removed from consideration.”

House Bill 2468 was introduced on June 6, voted through the House on June 19 and through the Senate three days later. The remarkably quick approval of the Bill and overwhelming majority votes represent profound legislative support for conservation and for the common-sense notion that, once land is preserved, it should stay that way.

“Protecting open space and our natural areas is something that helps everyone in our state and ensures a future that is connected to our past,” said Representative Warren Kampf. “This law proves our commitment to the preservation of open space and to standing with landowners willing to help us do that. I was proud to take on this fight and work with partners like Natural Lands to achieve success.”

Said Representative Kate Harper, “This new law allows for the careful balancing of public interests before land set aside forever for the public’s benefit as open can be taken for development for a government purpose.”

“I am pleased that we were successful in getting this Bill enacted into law. For properties like Stoneleigh, it is imperative to have additional oversight regarding the ability to use eminent domain to seize all or even part of a property,” said Representative Marcy Toepel. “The generous donation of the Haas family estate to Natural Lands must be protected to insure transfers such as this are not discouraged or jeopardized.”

Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature’s wonders while creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. As the Greater Philadelphia region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization, Natural Lands has preserved more than 125,000 acres, including 43 nature preserves totaling more than 23,000 acres. Some 2.5 million people live within five miles of land under the organization’s protection. Land for life, nature for all. For more information go to: natlands.org

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Treating melanoma

Health

Long-awaited relief from what felt like an eternal winter is finally here, and it’s time to get out and about in the sunshine again. It’s the season of outdoor street festivals, backyard BBQs and happy hour locations with abundant outdoor seating.

As summer approaches, doctors are reminding everyone to keep skin health top-of-mind when their bodies are being exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Exposure to UV radiation, whether from the sun or from the artificial sunlight of tanning beds, is a major risk factor for developing melanoma skin cancer.

“It’s easy to forget to grab your hat and sunscreen when the warm weather is calling, but melanoma affects people of all ages, skin colors and genders,” says Andrea Porpiglia, M.D., M.S., a surgeon at Crozer-Keystone Health System. “While melanoma accounts for a small percentage of skin cancers, it causes the majority of skin cancer deaths.”

Melanoma Can Be Treated

More than 91,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

The good news is that melanoma is treatable. If you are able to get an early diagnosis, it can often be corrected with surgery alone. Here are some of the surgical procedures available to treat melanoma. Of course, you’ll want to speak directly with your doctor to find the treatment best suited for you.

Wide local incision. Most type of thin melanomas can be cured with this type of minor operation that does not require a hospital stay or further treatment.

Doctors use local anesthesia to numb the site of the tumor for removal. They’ll not only remove the tumor, but a small amount of surrounding skin called “the margin.” The sample will be examined to ensure a large enough area was taken to remove all cancer cells.

“We see this type of surgery when the cancer has not spread deeply into the skin,” says Porpiglia.

Layer-by-layer. Some surgeons or dermatologists may choose to remove the tumor in very thin layers, a process referred to as Mohs surgery. The skin is removed and examined layer-by-layer until there are no signs of cancer cells remaining.

According to the American Cancer Society, this type of surgery is used more often for some other types of skin cancer, and not all doctors agree it should be used to treat melanoma. Your doctor will know if this is an appropriate treatment for you depending on the size and site of your melanoma.

Getting below the surface. Your doctor may want to take a closer look at lymph nodes surrounding your tumor to see if the cancer has spread to these nearby sites. They can examine your nodes with either a physical examination or by imaging tests, depending on the location in your body.

Depending on the depth of the melanoma, some patients require a lymph node biopsy at time of excision. Patients who have lymph nodes that are abnormally large or hard, a biopsy will be done to test for cancer prior to surgery. Depending on biopsy results, your doctor may advise lymph node dissection to remove the trouble areas and will advise you of the side effects and risks surrounding that procedure.

Protect Yourself From Melanoma

“While melanoma doesn’t discriminate against who it affects, there are plenty of steps people can take to protect their skin,” says Porpiglia. “Ideally, we want to see patients be proactive in protecting their skin before there are any problems.”

Porpiglia recommends using sunscreen with SPF of at least 30 throughout the day, seeking shade especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., wearing protective clothing and avoiding UV tanning beds.

And remember, examine your skin head-to-toe every month and make an annual professional skin exam with your doctor to check for signs of melanoma.

About Crozer Keystone Staff

Crozer-Keystone Health System’s physicians, specialists and advanced practitioners are committed to improving the health of our community through patient-centered, quality care across a full continuum of health services. Crozer Brinton Lake is Crozer-Keystone’s comprehensive outpatient care facility in western Delaware County, offering primary care, specialty services, outpatient surgery and advanced cancer treatment. Contact us: 300 Evergreen Drive, Glen Mills, PA 19342 http://www.crozerkeystone.org/Brinton-Lake 1-855-254-7425

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