March 15, 2024 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Road Report for March 18 through March 22

PennDOT has announced the following weather-dependent road projects that could affect drivers in the greater Chadds Ford area from March 18 through March 22. Motorists are urged to allow extra time traveling through one of the construction zones. Work schedules are subject to change.

• Vegetation management will cause lane closures through the end of the month on Route 52 between Route 1 and Burrows Run Road in Kennett Township, and along Route 1 between Route 52 and Hickory Hill Road in Kennett and Pennsbury townships.

• PennDOT will be resurfacing Concord Road between Route 1 and Bethel Road in Concord Township beginning Sunday, March 17 through Thursday, March 21, from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. There will be lane closure with flagging for milling.

• Pulte Homes will start road construction on northbound Route 202 in Concord Township beginning Monday, March 18 through Friday, April 26. Periodic weekday lane closures are scheduled between Cornerstone Drive and Springhill Drive when crews are actively working. Work may also take place on Saturdays or Sundays if needed by the contractor.

• Motorists should expect a 24/7 lane closure on Route 1 between Orchard and Greenwood avenues in East Marlborough Township because of a house being moved out of the right of way. That is expected to last through April 26.

• Drilling will cause daytime lane closures on Birmingham Road at its intersection with Country Club Road in Birmingham Township from Feb. 12 through April 30.

• Overhead utility work will cause lane closures on Burrows Run Road between Route 52 and Hillendale Road in Kennett Township through March 29.

• Intersection improvements at South and Cypress streets in Kennett Square and Kennett Township, are scheduled to continue through April 30. Weekday road closures are set for South Street between Center and Broad streets in the borough, and on Cypress between Walnut Street and Cope Road in the township.

• PECO utility improvements will cause several daytime lane closures along Route 1 in Chester County. Through March 29, there will be closures in both directions between School House Road and Ladbroke Lane.

• Through Friday, March 29, PECO work will force a daytime lane closure on Burrows Run Road between Route 52 and Hillendale Road in Kennett Township.

• Work to replace the bridge that carries Smithbridge Road over Webb Creek in Concord Township is underway. The 96-year-old bridge has been closed since July 14, following a bridge inspection that determined structure deterioration. During construction, motorists will be directed to follow the existing detour using Bethel Road, Garnet Mine Road, Route 491, and northbound Route 202. The project is scheduled to finish in late April of 2024.

• Motorists should expect lane restrictions with a detour for trucks on Route 162 at its intersection with Route 82 in Newlin Township because of bridge repair. There is currently no date for completion.

About CFLive Staff

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

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Blogging Along the Brandywine: Reframing the Banshee

Along the Ford

3-12 The Banshee, Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Have you ever visited a place that you knew as a child and were surprised at how small it was? Sometimes, you have to experience circumstances and places in your life that seemed threatening as a child and reframe them in the eyes of an adult.

For instance, a few years ago, I attended an alumni luncheon at Conestoga High School. It was the first time I returned since graduating those many years ago. As a student, I was overwhelmed by Conestoga with its gridlocked halls, lockers and its intense academic pressure to get into the already over-crowded colleges of the 1960s.

Even as an adult, I had Conestoga nightmares about not being able to find my locker or remember its combination, forgetting my homework, or wandering the hallways searching for my classroom. So, before the luncheon, I strayed off the lobby, passed the main office and down the long first floor hallway lined with lockers and classrooms. I stopped, gazed around and smiled, realizing I was breathing. I was in charge.

I haven’t had a Conestoga nightmare since.

A few days ago, for some unknown reason, an old Disney movie popped up on my YouTube feed. It was “Darby O’Gill and the Little People,” filmed in 1959 and costarring a 29-year-old Sean Connery as the romantic interest of O’Gill’s daughter, Katie. Three years later, Connery, would film his first of seven James Bond movies.

But looking at the old marquee poster, all I could think about was the Banshee, a creature whose monster-like face has haunted me all these years.

In Gaelic folklore, The Banshee, known as “Bean Sidhe” or “Woman Fairy of the Otherworld” has been described as pale and ethereal, with garments floating around her. And like her German cousin, the Lorelei, she is combing her long, tangled hair in the moonlight. Later the name was changed to a more English banshee, as used in the sentence, “to scream like a Banshee.” And when the Banshee was seen or heard wailing outside a window, it was an omen that a family member was about to die.

So, it was one summer many, many years ago, that our parents took my younger sister and me to the Anthony Wayne Theater to see the latest Walt Disney movie, “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” with its quaint scenes of old Ireland and dancing Leprechauns. I hadn’t yet learned that Disney liked to scare the be-jeepers out of kids.

The idyllic plot turns when O’Gill’s daughter Katie falls on the jagged rocks while chasing her horse in a storm.

Back in the house with the priest and family surrounding the stricken Katie, O’Gill hears the high-pitched wailing and opens the front door only to be face to face with the hideously, grotesque and ghoulish figure of the Banshee.

My sister and I both screamed and covered our eyes.

A few days later, we were playing outside, when storm clouds began to gather, and the wind began to blow. We dropped our toys and ran into the house crying “The Banshee!”

So, I put on my big girl pants, watched the video and braced myself for O’Gill to open his front door.

Needless to say, the Banshee looked like my grandmother’s sheer nylon curtains with a Halloween mask, illuminated by green lights. It made me smile. I was breathing and in control again.

So maybe like Darby O’Gill, Disney is telling us to re-open those old doors and face any fears of our past that may be haunting us. Life is short.

Oh, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

About Sally Denk Hoey

Sally Denk Hoey, is a Gemini - one part music and one part history. She holds a masters degree cum laude from the School of Music at West Chester University. She taught 14 years in both public and private school. Her CD "Bard of the Brandywine" was critically received during her almost 30 years as a folk singer. She currently cantors masses at St Agnes Church in West Chester where she also performs with the select Motet Choir. A recognized historian, Sally serves as a judge-captain for the south-east Pennsylvania regionals of the National History Day Competition. She has served as president of the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates as well as the Sanderson Museum in Chadds Ford where she now curates the violin collection. Sally re-enacted with the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment for 19 years where she interpreted the role of a campfollower at encampments in Valley Forge, Williamsburg, Va., Monmouth, N.J. and Lexington and Concord, Mass. Sally is married to her college classmate, Thomas Hoey, otherwise known as "Mr. Sousa.”

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Boost Your Business: Anti-harassment policies

Business

Today’s social media climate should help remind employers that they must be cognizant of the impact claims of sexual or other harassment can have on their business and reputation. To protect themselves and their businesses, employers should review their handbook and the harassment policies and procedures that they are currently enforcing. Employers should also implement a process for monitoring legislative changes, as it is likely that new laws and standards around harassment will be implemented soon.

When reviewing harassment policies, there are several items that an employer should consider. The most important is to remember that the types of harassment that can lead to liability extend beyond conduct that is sexual in nature. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there are two types of sexual harassment claims: “quid pro quo” and “hostile work environment.” The EEOC provides guidance on defining harassment and establishing liability that can be helpful for employers.

Although the EEOC can provide great information and guidance, employers should be cautious of using the legal terminology and definitions that these documents contain. If your policy language isn’t easily understandable or doesn’t provide context, it may be deemed inadequate. When developing anti-harassment policy language, it is important to clearly state what prohibited behaviors look like.

For harassment to be illegal, it must be “severe and pervasive.” In developing anti-harassment policies, the goal should be to stop and correct these behaviors before they rise to that level. For employees to understand what is expected of them, I recommend that employers include language such as “the following behaviors are unacceptable and therefore prohibited, even if not unlawful.” This helps to clarify that even if a certain behavior isn’t actually illegal, it is still prohibited by your organization. Employers should also include language that explains that prohibited harassment goes beyond just sexual. Harassment can occur in many forms and circumstances.

The victim as well as the harasser can be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee.
The victim does not have to be the person harassed but can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
Harassment can be based on any number of different factors including disability, sexual orientation, appearance, pregnancy, etc.

Employers should ensure that their policy language also indicates that these expectations apply to both employees and non-employees and are also in effect when the employee is not working but engaged in activities with other staff members, such as company events, whether those events are on company property or not.

It is also important for employers to make it clear that the company’s anti-harassment policies apply not only to the spoken or written word but also to e-mail, text messages, and social media posts. There have been many instances in recent news of cases of harassment involving text messages and social media.

Consider adding verbiage that states that the harassment policy applies to social media posts and online commenting.

Of course, having a thorough anti-harassment policy is just half the equation. Having effective complaint and investigation processes are also essential to protect your business.

For more information on anti-harassment policies and how to enforce them, it would be wise for employers to consult with an employment attorney. To add anti-harassment policies to your handbook, or if you don’t have an employee handbook, contact Maria Novak 610-405-0633.

About Maria Novak Dugan

Maria L. Novak Dugan is president of Marketing Solutions & Business Development, a firm serving Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, offering creative marketing services and goal implementation for small businesses. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the Marketing & Sales Industry ... 13 of those as the sole sales representative for a Pennsylvania payroll company growing their client base by over 500%. Maria Novak Dugan is also the former Managing Director of the Delaware Chapter of eWomenNetwork. Creating, developing, and conducting this division of a national organization strengthened her knowledge of networking, event planning, fundraising, and small-business development. For more information, contact Maria at 610-405-0633 or Maria@Maria-L-Novak.com or visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com

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