Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Date – December 2, 2009

Paoli Business Association names Judy DiFilippo as Citizen of the Year; Barbara Tachovsky as Business Person of the Year; and Beautification Award to Paoli Hospital

December 2, 2009
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Each year the Paoli Business & Professional Association (PBPA) names a Citizen of the Year, Business Person of the Year and Business of the Year. The PBPA named Tredyffrin Township Supervisor Judy DiFilippo as Citizen of the Year; Paoli Hospital President Barbara Tachovsky as Business Person of the Year; and Beautification Award to Paoli Hospital. Below is the Letter to the Editor that I wrote which appears in today’s Main Line Suburban newspaper.

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Celebrating excellence in the community

To the Editor:
Annually the Paoli Business & Professional Association (PBPA) selects a “Business Person of the Year” and “Citizen of the Year” and gives a “Beautification” award. Some years the PBPA Board of Directors labors over its decisions with much discussion. However, this year the choices were immediate and the vote unanimous. The honorees were recently celebrated at our 2009 Annual Banquet held at the Farmhouse at People’s Light & Theatre in Malvern.

Paoli Hospital president Barbara Tachovsky was chosen Business Person of the Year for providing outstanding leadership for the hospital’s mission, values and goals. Barbara is responsible for developing and implementing the master plan at Paoli Hospital, which includes the five-story patient-care tower, the Pavilion. Under Barbara’s leadership, Paoli Hospital has been named to the list of 100 Best Hospitals in the country. We thank Barbara for her vision for what Paoli Hospital “could be” and then the leadership and ability to make it happen.

The decision in the Citizen of the Year category was equally as easy this year. Retiring at the end of this year from the Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Judy DiFilippo was named the Paoli Business and Professional Association’s selection for Citizen of the Year. Judy is currently serving her fifth four-year term as township supervisor and will retire at the end of 2009, having served 20 years. The best reflection of Judy’s skills lies in her long-term outcomes. With outstanding civic and charitable responsibility, Judy has demonstrated through her leadership a generosity of spirit that embodies the idea that volunteerism and community service must be inclusive for all and can enrich all our lives.

The Paoli Hospital was named our choice for this year’s Beautification Award. The new 259,000-square-foot Pavilion officially opened in July. The Pavilion features 124 private patient rooms, a new Emergency Department, new surgical suites, outside courtyards and a three-story Atrium that connects to the parking garage. From the moment you step inside the doors of the new Pavilion, the interior design creates a calming, peaceful environment through generous use of glass and neutral colors. Over 350 carefully selected pieces of art continue the theme of bringing nature inside and helping create a sense of serenity for visitors and patients alike.

We salute Paoli Hospital for setting a new standard in community hospitals. We salute Barbara and Judy for their vision, leadership and commitment to our community.

Pattye Benson, Board of Directors, Paoli Business & Professional Association

On the Main Line, the Sting of Rising Unemployment

December 2, 2009
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Today’s Philadelphia Inquirer includes a must-read for all of us. The article, On the Main Line, the Sting of Unemployment really speaks to what is going on all around us. We now all know someone in our community who has lost their job. I used to think that we were insulated from some of the very difficult economic situations facing other parts of Pennsylvania and around the country. However, that is no longer the case.

Although the article states that Chester County fortunately is 3rd lowest in unemployment in the state at 6.5%; it also suggests that unemployment here is growing at a staggering rate. Unemployment claims along the entire stretch of the R5 (Paoli Local) rose 143% from July 2007 to July 2009. However in some areas, such as Strafford, Wayne, St. Davids and Radnor the unemployment claims rose as much as 730%!

During this challenging township budget season, I suggest we all need to be mindful of the difficult economic times that our friends, family and neighbors are facing.

Main Line Suburban Discusses Tredyffrin's Budget and St. Davids Golf Club Offer

December 2, 2009
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In today’s edition of the Main Line Suburban, there are 2 articles on Tredyffrin Township’s Board of Supervisor meeting. Budget Woes Causing Stir in Tredyffrin article primarily discusses the Tredyffrin’s draft budget cut of 5% to the local fire companies. Other local municipalities, including Easttown and Willistown, are keeping their contribution levels the same in their respective 2010 budgets. We are all keenly aware of Easttown’s financial situation so it is interesting to note their fire company contribution level will remain constant. For those that did not see Monday night’s Board of Supervisor meeting, and are interested in this specific element of the budget, please read the article. I do want to better understand the fire company budget and plan on giving that a closer look in the next few days. In addition, the library cuts need to be reviewed. I continue to have grave concerns about the Paoli Library and its future in the community. I would like to explore that topic further in an upcoming posting.

Apparently, my bringing up the alleged St. Davids Golf Club $50K offer (included in the BAWG report) at the Board meeting has spurred further discussion. Questions Surround Golf Club’s Role in Tredyffrin Township Budget surfaced in the Main Line Suburban as an additional article related to Tredyffrin Township’s Board of Supervisor meeting.

Just to set the record straight, the reason I brought up the offer at Monday night’s meeting was not to discredit the BAWG report or its committee. Actually, just the contrary. I know several BAWG committee members – they are really good, caring individuals who gave a tremendous amount of time to this project. I just firmly believe that this alleged St. Davids Golf Club offer had no business in the report. If neither the supervisors nor the BAWG committee knew where the St. Davids offer came from, or from whom it came, than why should it remain in the report? I wanted one of 2 things to happen — (1) In the internal review process of the BAWG’s report, a request by the Township Solicitor, Township Manager or Supervisors to remove the offer from the report or (2) at Monday’s meeting, the motion to accept the BAWG report should have included the stipulation that the St. Davids offer be removed from the document.

If the report had just been given to the township as suggestions from a group of voluteers, I would not have been as troubled. The motion to accept the report as an official public document is where the line in the sand was drawn for me. If this report is to be official in the archives of the township, than I think we need full disclosure as to all of its contents, including the alleged St. Davids Golf Club’s cash offer of $50K not to build the sidewalk.

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