Tredyffrin Township Archives - Page 128 of 130

Tredyffrin Township

With lights and sirens blaring, Tredyffrin Township police cruiser escorted a Paoli Fire Company firetruck down Lancaster Avenue, turning in to the Paoli Shopping Center. Singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town and other Christmas carols with the Noteables, the children watched in fascination as Santa climbed down from the big red fire engine. The kids were so excited they could hardley contain themselves. With hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies in hand, the crowd followed Santa in to the Paoli Hardware Center. Seated on a big red sleigh with 2 elves to help, Santa listened as each child gave Santa their Christmas list.

Paoli Business & Professional Association president Marie Thibault had the vision for the day . . . and the community thanks her. Below are some photos from Santa’s arrival:

Onboard Paoli Fire Company fire truck, Tredyffrin Twp Police provides escort for Santa

Santa Arriving at Paoli Hardware Center

Christmas Carols provided by the Noteables

Santa listening to child's Christmas List

Remembering a Day in the Past . . . Berwyn-Paoli-Radnor Fire Company Photo

December 6, 2009

Comments

Three years ago, was a very busy time for me. It was Tredyffrin 300 preparation; Judy DiFilippo and I co-chaired that very memorable celebration that honored our history’s past. In addition to the special planned events, there was a historic documentary, (Tredyffrin Township. . . the First 300 Years; Judy and I are talking about the possibility of a future township-wide showing, maybe this summer in Wilson Farm Park) and we also created a calendar to mark Tredyffrin’s milestone, which featured historic places and special people that make our community the wonderful place that it is! Those calendar photos were later framed and hang in the front lobby of the township building. For many of you who visit the township building, you probably walk right by those photos and may not even notice. However, when I look at those photos I remember the day they were taken and all that went in to making each photo unique and special.

There has been much discussion in the last few weeks about the Fire Companies, the budget cuts and the appeal to restore the proposed budget reductions. I was taken back to a summer day 3+ years ago, when I arranged to have Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor volunteer fire fighters all gather at the Strafford Train Station. The Radnor Fire Company graciously agreed to bring their fantastic historic fire truck for the occasion. This day for the volunteer fire companies, like so many of the other groups who gathered for their calendar photos, was a time for community goodwill and fellowship. Today, I spent some time locating that wonderful photo in my files and thought it was timely and appropriate to include — many of you purchased the calendar, but there could be some new Fire Company volunteers and community members who do not remember the photo or that never saw it. See if you recognize any familiar faces.

Attached is a jpg of the Berwyn-Paoli-Radnor Fire Company photo, feel free to share it. (Rena Ferris was the Tredyffrin 300 calendar photographer).

Berwyn-Paoli-Radnor Fire Company volunteers at historic Strafford Train Station

Resident's Letter Supports Reinstatement of Fire Company's Proposed Budget Cut

December 5, 2009

Comments

The following letter of support to reinstate the proposed budget cut to the fire companies appeared in this week’s Main Line Suburban newspaper. Although Kathleen Keohane of Malvern speaks of the proposed $3.5 million reduction in overall township spending, it is the Fire Department that receives her major attention. Kathleen offers her explanation of what this decrease in township conributions will mean to Berwyn, Radnor and Paoli Fire Departments.

Support volunteer firefighters

To the Editor:

I hope Tredyffrin residents are paying close attention. On Nov. 30 the Board of Supervisors voted 4-2 to pass the 2010 preliminary budget. It features a whopping $3.8-million reduction in spending, almost 15 percent below last year’s operating budget. And it does so in the name of holding the line on property taxes – even as transfer-tax revenues continue to decline.

But in my view this lean budget comes at a significant cost to our community’s safety and vital services, especially in terms of our fire departments. Berwyn and Paoli fire companies are manned mostly by volunteers, and adequate funding has been an ongoing struggle for them. In fact, until 2007, Tredyffrin provided no capital contribution for the replacement of costly equipment. It was all the responsibility of the fire companies themselves.

Next year our local tax dollars will provide less than $300,000 toward the $2-million-plus operating expenses of the Berwyn and Paoli fire companies. Easttown and Willistown’s combined contributions to B.F.D. and P.F.D. will account for about half that amount.

That leaves a huge funding gap to be filled by insurance reimbursements and fund-raising. And it doesn’t even begin to cover the huge capital costs our fire departments incur in order to purchase major pieces of equipment. For example the replacement cost of an ambulance is about $150,000, a fire engine $500,000 and a new ladder truck over $1 million. And Berwyn Fire Company is in need of all of these in the next two years.

These are staggering costs for volunteer fire departments to manage. Yet we expect them to save lives and protect property with this minimal level of taxpayer support. And commit more time for training and spend more time fund-raising than ever before.

Is it any wonder that the number of people willing to volunteer as firefighters has declined greatly in recent years? Have taxpayers really considered the real cost of maintaining a full-time firefighting/EMS staff in Tredyffrin? It has been estimated at $7-12 million – and that’s annually.

So when Tredyffrin makes across-the-board cuts in tough times, our already underfunded fire departments really suffer. They need more support, not less – from the township as well as individuals and businesses that benefit from their services.

Notably both Easttown and Willistown have decided not to reduce their funding for fire and ambulance services in 2010.

So please step up. Get the facts on Tredyffrin’s proposed budget cuts and funding levels for public safety. Call your supervisors and let them know you want to see the fire companies’ funding restored to the 2010 budget. And please get out your checkbook and contribute to the most worthy of organizations – your local fire companies.

Your life may depend on it. Just ask the disabled woman rescued from her burning Chesterbrook home on Thanksgiving afternoon. Tredyffrin police, fire and rescue responded in a matter of minutes and saved her life and her property.

Kathleen E. Keohane, Malvern

Which Local Non-Profits Lose Contributions in 2010 Budget?

December 4, 2009

1 Comment

The proposed 2010 township budget includes across the board contribution cuts to all non-profit organizations. I knew that Surrey Services contribution of $10,000 was removed in the 2010 budget, but could not find information on 2009 contributions to other non-profits. I contacted Mimi Gleason and she was able to provide the following 2009 township contributions:

Neighborhood Health Agencies of Chester County $2,400
Surrey Services: $10,000
Great Valley Senior Center: $1,000
Wayne Senior Center: $6,000
Wharton Esherick Museum: $500
Crime Victims Center of Chester County: $2,000
Jenkins Arboretum: $1,500
Total $23,400

We have been focused on the Library, Fire Departments, Police and township staff reductions included in the proposed 2010 township budget. It is important to acknowledge that the proposed township budget also includes $23,400 in contributions cuts to these local non-profit organizations . Across the country, non-profit organizations are seeing their contributions plummeting, whether it is food banks, senior centers, historic preservation organizations, etc. Tredyffrin Township, like many other municipalities is forced to greatly reduce (or totally remove) their contributions to these type of community organizations.

During this upcoming holiday season and time of giving, I would encourage you to make a contribution to your favorite charity. If you are lucky to have the extra resources, please consider making a gift this year – we are all in the same boat together, let’s help each other.

Fire Companies are Working on Financial Statements

December 4, 2009

Comments

I have received word from the Fire Companies that they are working on individual statements and financials that will be easy for the public to understand. It’s important to understand the effect that the 5% budget cut (in addition to the 9-10% budget cut from the State) will have on their organizations for 2010. The next Board of Supervisor Meeting is this Monday, December 7, 7:30 PM at the Township Building. Let’s see if we can get a better understanding of Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor Fire Company budgets prior to the meeting. As soon as I receive information or links from the individual Fire Companies I will post it on this site.

Budget Cuts . . . Difficult Decisions, Particularly the Berwyn, Paoli & Radnor Fire Company

December 3, 2009

12 Comments

I am concerned about how the Board of Supervisors will ultimately make the difficult decisions required for this 2010 budget. I have received numerous phone calls and emails from people all weighing on in what they think is fair; or in some cases, stating what they think is unfair about the proposed budget. There has been an overwhelming level of support for the reinstatement of the Fire Company’s 5% cut in the township budget. The specific dollar amount to be cut in the 2010 proposed budget to the individual fire companies is as follows:

Radnor: $1,160
Paoli: $6,077
Berwyn: $14,073

There has been much discussion about the fact that the proposed township budget only cuts the fire company contribution by 5% versus higher percentage budget cuts proposed in other areas, such as library, township staff, police, etc. It needs to be said that unlike paid personnel, the fire companies are staffed almost exclusively by volunteers, whether it is the firefighters, local professionals who donate their professional services pro bono, etc. We need to understand the value of these volunteer services. The real cost to maintain full-time fire and emergency services in Tredyffrin is estimated to be $7-12 million per year. Interesting on the Main Line Surburban site, there is an online poll where you are asked whether you think that the fire companies should be tax-supported; 85% of the voters said yes. The community can’t help but make this an emotional discussion. We have young men and women putting their lives on the line for this community, and at what price? Is it possible to look at this subject without emotion (and without using the fireworks remaining in the budget argument, which I am guilty of) and I think we can try.

I would like to make a suggestion to the 3 fire companies which might help the public better understand. If they can email me a copy of their 2010 budgets with line item expenditures and revenue sources (or direct me to a link) I would be happy to post the information on this site. If possible, it would be interesting if each fire company could provide a statement as to what this proposed reduction will mean to their specific operations. In other words, if the 5% cut is not reinstated in the township budget, specifically what changes will be required of each fire company. We believe that the state is cutting their fire company contributions by an additional 9-10%, please include that reduction in your statement for what this means to the overall operation of the Fire Department. If this information is provided to me at pattye@greatvalleyhouse.com , I am willing to post it. A statement from Radnor, Berwyn and Paoli Fire Companies will help make this a financial argument (rather than an emotional argument) for the reinstatement of the proposed budget cuts. So, if the fire company representatives are reading this blog, I look forward to hearing from you. There is another Board of Supervisor Meeting scheduled for Monday, December 7 — let’s get this information out there before then.

In an attempt to be fair, others in the community are equally concerned about the proposed budget cuts for the library – layoff of staff, shortening of hours, decrease of services. How do you feel about the library situation? I for one, do not feel that closing Paoli Library for a day during the week but opening it on Sundays afternoon does anything to improve the situation. The Paoli Library has never been open on Sundays so doesn’t that create a set-up for possible decrease (rather than increase) of demand with this option? Why not shorten the hours of operation during the week -maybe delay the opening an hour or closing an hour early? With either of those scenerios, you save the library 5 hours which is equivalent to what you gain by opening on Sundays. To me this makes a whole lot more sense. People are used to the Paoli Library being opened Monday-Saturday and closed on Sundays. A shortened day is easier to adjust to than closure all day (particularly if the net budget gain is the same). I’d love to hear from some of the Library Board members about your thoughts on the proposed budget cuts. Either comment directly here, or if you prefer to write a formal statement, email it to me and I would be happy to post it. How will the Library make some of these difficult decisions required by the proposed budget cuts?

Paoli Fire Company to Help Santa this Sunday!

December 3, 2009

Comments

Santa Claus’s reindeers couldn’t make the trip so the Paoli Fire Department is helping out by giving him a ride on a fire truck. Instead of his traditional mode of travel, Santa has choosen this rather unique form of travel this year! The volunteer firemen at the Paoli Fire Company will be bringing Santa to Paoli this Sunday, December 6 aboard one of their big red fire trucks. Santa will depart from the Paoli Fire House, travel down Lancaster Avenue and arrive at the Paoli Hardware Center just about 3 PM. The community is invited to join Santa for Christmas carols, cookies and hot chocolate from 3-5 PM at the Hardware Center.

The Paoli Business and Professional Association is delighted to be sponsoring Santa’s arrival in Paoli. And thank you Chief Dutter and the fire fighters from Paoli Fire Company for providing this special transportation for Santa!

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

4 Comments

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.

__________________________________________________

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

3 Comments

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

Comments

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.

← Older Posts

Newer Posts →

Pattye Benson

Community Matters