Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Labor Day . . . Enjoy and Remember Why We Celebrate

September 6, 2010
1 Comment

The first Monday in September, Labor Day, has come to mean the ending of summer . . . the close of the swimming pool . . . a day off from work and a great excuse to have that last big backyard barbecue. But do you know the origin of Labor Day and why we celebrate it?

A brief history of the holiday; Labor Day originated in 1882 as a result of the labor movement and was to recognize the working person with a special day in their honor. There seems some disagreement as to who began the holiday. Some historians credit Peter McGuire, who was the general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiner and cofounder of the American Federal of Labor as the man who first advocated for the holiday.

But others have suggested that it was a Matthew Maguire who served as the secretary of the New York’s Central Labor Union as the originator of Labor Day. Regardless, ultimately the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and official celebration on September 5, 1882 in New York City.

Why choose the first Monday in September for the holiday? It was decided that this date would be halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. The idea became popular with labor unions and local governments around the county and gradually came to adopt Labor Day as an official holiday before it developed into a national holiday.

President Grover Cleveland signed the law that that recognized Labor Day as a national holiday for the working man. As an aside, Cleveland was not a labor union supporter but hoped that the legislation would help him with political damage that he had suffered earlier that same year. During that time, Cleveland has used federal troops to thwart an American Railway Union strike in Chicago, and as a result, 34 railroad workers were killed. Originally, the holiday was celebrated by union workers with large public demonstrations, in the form of rallies and parades. However, as industrial centered developed the large parades became impractical giving way to family and neighborhood backyard celebrations.

As you enjoy your day off from work and your backyard barbecue, remember all the working people who contribute to the standard of living that as Americans we all enjoy.

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TESD School Board Member Kevin Mahoney Says District Budget Could be 15% Over Budget in 2 Years if Pension Contribution Rates Don’t Change

September 1, 2010
42 Comments

Interesting article in Daily Local newspaper by Dan Kristie (see below). TESD School Board Member Kevin Mahoney says the school budget could be 15% over budget in 2 years if the pension contributions rates don’t change. According to Mahoney, the only way to deal with the increasing pensions costs is to pass a large real estate tax increase! Comments . . .

Retirement System’s Cost to Rise Dramatically Soon

By DAN KRISTIE, Staff Writer

This is a dramatic increase, considering the district’s 2010-11 budget was $203 million and 60 to 70 percent of the district’s expenses are dedicated to salaries and benefits — a percentage that, because of contractual obligations, is difficult to reduce or change.

Schools across the state are facing similar increases in their retirement system contributions, and their budgets are similarly constrained.

School officials in Chester County expect the state Legislature will — somehow — adjust the retirement system so the increases will be less dramatic. But even if reforms are implemented, the retirement system remains dramatically underfunded. Local officials doubt any state-level solution to the PSERS crisis will save their own school districts from all the retirement system-related pain.

Officials are reluctant to speculate about what will be on the chopping block once the increased retirement system contributions come into effect. The consensus, however, is that if the increases are anywhere near as large as projected, educational programs will be affected.

Kevin Mahoney, the chairman of the Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board finance committee, said that if required PSERS contribution rates do not change, his school district in two years will be 15 percent over budget.

This will be the case, Mahoney said, even if Tredyffrin/Easttown sees no other cost increases except for a small increase in the cost of benefits. Mahoney added that the district is required by law to pass a balanced budget.

“You can only do that by increasing class size or eliminating curriculum choice,” Mahoney said. The other way for districts like Tredyffrin/Easttown to deal with the increased PSERS rates would be to pass a large real estate tax increase.

Act 1 is the state law that limits how much school districts can raise property taxes. Act 1, however, allows districts to exceed the limit in order to cover mandated pension contributions. Act 1 also allows districts to hold referendums if they seek to raise taxes beyond the limit.

Local school officials said Act 1 taxpayer referendums are extremely unlikely to pass in Chester County, given the economic climate and the mood of the electorate here. And, officials said, school districts would be unlikely to try to use Act 1 exemptions to pass the PSERS increase off to taxpayers.

“[The West Chester Area School] board has made it pretty clear we’re not taking exceptions,” said Jim Davison, the chairman of that school board’s finance committee. He added that the electorate in West Chester Area would never go for a referendum.

“I have no confidence in a referendum passing in this district,” Davison said. Davison, like Mahoney, said he believes his district’s educational programs could be in jeopardy if the state doesn’t reform the retirement system. He said, however, that West Chester Area will try to make other types of cuts — to facilities budgets and energy use, for example — and hope for the best from the state-level retirement system reform effort.

“But I don’t know if we can make enough of those types of cuts so we don’t impact the classroom,” Davison said. “That’s the million-dollar question. We may end up impacting the classroom — increasing class size, getting rid of programs.”

Bill Fagan, the chairman of the Downingtown Area School District finance committee, used the metaphor of a series of concentric circles to describe how the retirement system crisis might affect his district. “When you look at the concentric circle with the children in the middle, the farther out you get from that circle, those are the types of programs … more likely to be cut,” Fagan said.

Fagan said he was unwilling to speculate about precisely what type of programs would fall on the outer circles. But, he said, he hoped Downingtown Area could deal with the PSERS crisis without negatively impacting the classroom.

The state legislature in July voted to reduce the 2010-11 retirement system employer contribution rate from 8.22 percent to 5.64 percent, meaning school districts will be required to contribute less than expected this year to the fund.

Local officials said that, in the absence of other action, this only delays the retirement system crisis. “The state has been unwilling to change the benefit program,” Mahoney said. “We keep seeing this ski slope curve in front of us, and whenever we get close to it the state has changed the discount rate, which just makes the curb steeper but farther away.”

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Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust Needs Your Help to Make the Rebuilding of the Jones Log Barn a Reality . . . Please Show Your Support for Historic Preservation

September 1, 2010
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As president of the Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, I am very grateful for Blair’s article in this week’s Main Line Suburban newspaper (below).

The Trust must raise the remaining $200K by the end of the year for this project. As a registered 501c3, all contributions to the Trust are tax-deductible as the law permits. I have always said that historic preservation is the last item on to a budget (whether federal, state, county, local) and it unfortunately in many cases, it becomes the first line listing that gets cut in a budget. Faced with the severity of these economic times, it is not exactly the best time to be Capital Campaign fundraising . . . but if we don’t raise the money, the historic Jones Log Barn will not be a reality.

If everyone who is reading this could go to the website, www.tredyffrinhistory.org and make a commitment of $25, $50, $100 (or more if you are able) to the Capital Campaign . . . purchase tickets to the House Tour . . . or buy coffee with our joint effort with Golden Valley Farms, you can help make this 9-year old project a reality for the community! Please help the me by supporting historic preservation.

Jones Log Barn project needs $200K more to become reality

Published: Wednesday, September 01, 2010

By Blair Meadowcroft

The Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust, established in 2001 to locally teach the importance of historic preservation, continues to work on its original project: preserving and reconstructing the historic Jones Log Barn. Now in its final phase, the project has two obstacles, funding and time.

“In order to make the reconstruction of the Jones Log Barn a reality, the Trust must raise the remaining $200,000 of the total project cost, which is approximately $450,000, before the end of 2010,” said Trust president Pattye Benson. “Along with raising the funding, the Trust is faced with a serious time crunch. The logs being stored at Valley Forge National Historical Park must be removed by Feb. 1, 2011. The clock is ticking and we really need the help and financial support of the community to complete the barn-reconstruction project.”

According to Benson, although nearly half the barn will include the original logs, the township requires the Trust to build the barn as if it were new, including following all of today’s building and stormwater requirements. So far engineering and architectural fees are about $80,000 of the project costs.

The barn, built during the American Revolution, is being preserved due to its historical and architectural importance. The Jones Log Barn project is a testament to the importance of historic preservation in Tredyffrin Township, according to Benson.

“The barn was at one time the site of British Gen. William Howe’s headquarters in 1777 and it is from this farm that he launched the attack on Paoli, which became known as the famous Paoli Massacre,” said Benson. “Also as General Washington and his troops wintered in Valley Forge in the brutal winter of 1777 into 1778, this farm was occupied by Gen. Charles Scott of the Continental Army.”

Along with its historical importance, the barn is thought to have been the oldest intact log barn in the region before 2001, when it was dismantled to save it from demolition.

“This type of barn was once the predominant kind of agricultural structure in Tredyffrin and its neighboring townships,” said Benson. “Constructed within 10 years of the death of Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn, the 200-plus-year-old Jones Log Barn paints a picture of early Welsh-American architecture.”

Years ago, after members of Tredyffrin Township’s Historic & Architectural Review Board (HARB) proved to the Board of Supervisors that the Jones Log Barn was worth saving, the township agreed to extend a loan of $25,000 in order to dismantle the barn, which has since been repaid. Around this time, the Trust was started and many of its founding members were also members of the HARB.

Since dismantling the barn, which also involved storing pieces of it at both Valley Forge National Historical Park and at the township’s compost site off Cassatt Road, plans were made to rebuild it on the foundation of the Federal Barn on the DuPortail property in Chesterbrook.

“This is another historic barn located next to the home of Revolutionary War Gen. Louis Lebeque DuPortail,” said Benson. “The Trust members thought it was appropriate that the Jones Log Barn be built on the existing foundation where it would be in a more historic setting.”

Now the project is in Phase II; Phase I worked on the foundation and stormwater control.

The Trust is in a capital campaign to raise the remaining funds needed to rebuild the barn, the theme of which is “Saving Our Barn, Building Our History.” As a part of the campaign, many upcoming fundraisers and activities are planned including a fall and spring Lecture Series held at DuPortail House and an annual Historic House Tour.

“This year’s house tour will take place on Saturday, Sept. 22, and will mark the sixth year of the tour,” said Benson. “The event will include tours of eight houses; three are located in Easttown Township and five are in Tredyffrin Township.”

Another annual fundraiser, In the Mood, is planned for Friday, Oct. 22, in the historic stone barn at King’s Grant Farm in Malvern, and will feature a ’50s theme this year.

Once funding is in place, the plan for the reconstructed barn is to use it as a Living History Museum to provide an opportunity to highlight the historical and educational features of the area.

“The barn will complement the work of the Trust to preserve, protect and promote our historic community to residents and visitors of the area,” said Benson. “It will provide a great resource to an area steeped in our nation’s history. The Jones Log Barn will be more than just a renovated barn; it will be a testament to the foresight of a community that treasures its past just as certainly as it ensures its future.”

The Jones Log Barn was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and certified as a Chester County Historical Resource in 2004. Also the DuPortail House and the Federal Barn are both listed on the Register.

“Once rebuilt, the Jones Log Barn will join the Federal Barn and DuPortail House in Chesterbrook as a focal history point in the community,” said Benson. “This place is destined to become a true center for history for generations to come.”

Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of mainlinemedianews.com.

tredyffrinhistory wrote on Sep 1, 2010 6:03 AM:

” Blair —
On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for your well-written and well-timed article on the Trust. Just to clarify, the 6th Annual Historic House Tour is on Saturday, September 25, 1-5 PM. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.tredyffrinhistory.org

Pattye Benson “

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Greeted by Anti-Obama Demonstrators on the Lawn of the Southeastern Post Office

August 30, 2010
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My outing to the Southeastern Post Office at noon today was much more than buying a few stamps. I was greeted by a couple of women on the front lawn of the post office with table, chairs, umbrellas and anti-Obama paraphernalia. I was intrigued by the situation and stopped for a 20-min. chat. These women (one African-American and the other white) were indeed passionate about their cause. I asked many questions and they were only too happy to respond.

They were from the national organization of [Lyndon] LaRouche Political Committee and they were out of the Upper Darby office. My first question was how could they be allowed on the lawn of a Federal building. They explained they could be there (1) because it was private property that the post office leased and (2) the 1st amendment gave them the right to free speech. They did go on to explain that they could not be next to the front door of the post office and hand out political information and they were not allowed to solicit (although I was asked to be on their mailing list, which I politely declined).

They told me that they have been going from post office to post office with their cause . . . I asked them what kind of response had they received in Tredyffrin. They replied, ‘very polarized’ and that they were looking for open minds. As we talked, cars would drive by and honk . . . I asked if honking meant that the drivers were supporting the ‘impeach Obama signs’ placed on the road. Not necessarily they explained; some of the drivers honked and gave a ‘thumbs up’ of support but other honkers screamed obscenities at them. While there, I witnessed several honkers in the screaming obscenity category.

I had heard of this LaRouche fellow (long, long ago – honestly, I thought it was in the Richard Nixon era) and frankly would have assumed the man had died. No, Mr. LaRouche is alive and apparently enjoying good health (based on photos, he appears to be in his 80’s).

The LaRouche supporters explained that their organization is endorsing 3 young candidates for US Congress – told me all about the 3 candidates and referred to the young people as the new leaders of tomorrow. LaRouche endorsed Congressional candidates are Kesha Rogers (TX – District 22), Rachel Brown (MA – District 4), and Summer Shields (CA – District 8). After researching the candidates, I found that Ms. Rogers won her primary on a platform, “Impeach Obama and Save NASA”. Rachel Brown is running a campaign against Barney Franks for his Congressional seat in Massachusetts (primary September 14) and Summer Shields is running in California for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s seat. After beating Pelosi as a write-in candidate, Sheilds intends to ” . . . orient California towards the newly emerging Pacific-centered civilization, turning San Francisco into the gateway to Lyndon LaRouche’s “Four Powers” — Russia, China, and India in partnership with the United States”. Interesting (?) group of young Congressional candidates. It was particularly important that the LaRouche supporters pointed out that 2 of these candidates were African-Americans (Rogers and Shields) and that they supported the ousting of President Obama.

Fascinated by my post office experience, I came home to research Lyndon LaRouche and discovered he doesn’t play political party favoritism when it comes to his desire to impeach presidents (past and present). Back on November 6, 2006 after watching the then President Bush give a press conference, LaRouche made the following remarks:

“Bush Press Conference shows total denial of reality; impeachment is the only option to save the country.” LaRouche described President Bush as “crazier than ever” and in a state of “total denial of reality,” on both the Iraq war and the collapsing U.S. real economy. “Both Bush and Cheney have got to be impeached at the earliest possible date. Otherwise the nation has no chance.”

After reading about the specific issues LaRouche had with former president Bush, I guess that I should not be surprised he would characterize President Obama as Hitler and call for his immediate impeachment with signs claiming ‘He’s Nuts’. LaRouche refers to the president’s health care plan as Obama’s Adolf Hitler Memorial Health Bill.

The women took my questions to mean that I was interested in their cause and were only too happy to oblige. They did ask if I was with the newspaper and I was briefly torn how much to say. In the end, I did tell them about Community Matters and gave my name when asked. If I was going to tell the story and use the photos, I felt an obligation to be honest.

So what did I learn from today’s experience . . . I guess I was just surprised. Surprised that this political organization could set up shop on the lawn of a Federal building. Surprised that this happened in Tredyffrin Township. And regardless of political affiliations, I guess surprised (and distressed) by the defacing of our president’s photo with the addition of a mustache and referring to him as Hitler.

I’ll be thinking about today for a long time . . . .

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Made-for-TV Movie . . . No, It’s Brian O’Neill vs. Citizens Bank

August 30, 2010
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Wegmans and Target opened to much fanfare at Uptown Worthington but the battle rages behind the scenes between the property’s developer Brian O’Neill and Citizens Bank.

This story has all the trappings of a made-for-TV movie drama. The “man-versus-man” plot features a central character (Brian O’Neill) and an opposition character (Citizens Bank) as the primary actors. The central character has a goal and the opposition is going to attempt to stop the central character before he obtains the goal.

The latest chapter in the continuing saga of the mega-million dollar lawsuit and countersuit between O’Neill Properties and Citizen Bank has attorneys for the bank accusing Brian O’Neill of harassment against five of the bank’s top execs. O’Neill counters the accusations; claiming that the bank destroyed evidence and lodges obstruction of justice allegations.

This week Brian O’Neill and Citizens Bank are headed back to court . . . once again, the courtroom becomes the legal playground for attorneys on both sides. As the war wages on between developer and bank, the $700 million Uptown Worthington project on 106 acres sits largely unfinished. Reportedly, O’Neill Properties is feeling the effect of the recession – the payroll has dropped 50%, down from 150 employees to 75 over the last couple of years.

O’Neill’s battle with Citizens Bank is not confined to the Uptown Worthington project. The developer-bank entanglement also includes a 100-acre corporate park in Bensalem and a 400-acre residential development in North Jersey. Much like a high-profile divorce is the split between O’Neill and Citizens. For eight years, they enjoyed a good relationship with the bank offering $180 million in financing to O’Neill Properties. The economic crisis hit . . . the bank wanting to lessen their financial risk pulled out of their deal with O’Neill Properties, which left the developer without a parachute. Rather than sit on the sidelines and accept his fate, Brian O’Neill is fighting back hard and I don’t think Citizens Bank was quite prepared for their formidable opponent!

This would make a great made-for-TV movie if it were not playing out in our own backyard!

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Beyond Campaign Rhetoric, Can Candidates Offer Solutions?

August 28, 2010
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It does not matter whether it is Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, the Commonwealth or the entire country, aside from the overall economy, the discussion quickly turns to jobs . . . where are they . . . help in finding one, . . . and how to bring them to our community.

With barely 60 days until the November election, we are hearing much political rhetoric from candidates about the job situation. Regardless of party affiliation, all candidates understand that voters are desperate to find jobs. Beyond using the right buzzwords as they stump, how many of the politicians are citing specific job creation plans. Americans want to believe in the politician’s promises but we need reason to believe. Candidates need to offer the unemployed single mother of three some hope in finding a job. Candidates need to provide incentives for the struggling small business owner to keep his door open. Candidates need to explain how to rebuild the small town whose major employer went bankrupt. I want candidates that offer solutions.

This past week, Pennsylvania District 6th congressional candidate Manan Trivedi presented his personal formula for creating jobs. Trivedi’s job plan contained the following points — (1) tax incentives to small business owners; (2) investing in infrastructure; (3) government crackdown on companies who hire illegal immigrants; (4) elimination of tax breaks to companies that ship jobs to foreign countries; and (5) investment by government in clean energy that would stimulate job growth.

Do we believe that Trivedi’s plan can translate to creating and sustaining jobs? Does Jim Gerlach’s campaign offer a similar job plan? Most importantly, how will Tredyffrin Township directly benefit? Do our State House candidates Paul Drucker and Warren Kampf have a job creation plan to help us?

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Learn How to Make Movies in Tredyffrin . . . and it’s free!

August 27, 2010
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Fall Schedule of Public Access TV classes now available . . . Learn the basics of video production and certification for free.

Learn how to shoot & cut . . . how to frame . . . lighting and how to get great sound. You and your crew can build a series that airs for free on TV! Or take the free classes so you can make better home movies.

The classes are free to Tredyffrin residents and crew members of shows produced by Tredyffrin residents. The Basics of Production class is mandatory for every Tredyffrin Township Public Access TV producer and crew member and is a required prerequisite for the Control Room and Shooting for the Edit courses.

Every taping, according to the physical demands of the production, requires a certain number of certified crew members to safely tape a show. At least three Basics of Production-certified crew members, one of whom must be the (Tredyffrin resident) Lead Certified Producer, are required for a three-camera studio taping.

Classes are held at the Greenwood Studio in the Tredyffrin Township building. Students may attend either the Thursday evening or Saturday noon class, and that selection may change week to week.

Register by 5 PM on the Friday preceding the curriculum at PA2@tredyffrin.org or by calling our Comcast Studio/Station Manager Gene Donahue at 610-408-3633.

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Here is a New Twist to Save Money in Pennsylvania . . . Let’s Do Away with Township & Borough Government

August 26, 2010
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There are some elected officials in Pennsylvania that think they have come up with a way to save money although it would require changing the Commonwealth’s constitution to make it happen. The proposed Pennsylvania House Bill 2431 would eliminate city, township and borough governments . . . in other words; the bill suggests collapsing local government to create county-run control.

Those behind the bill believe that state-level legislation to consolidate local government is a way to reduce the overall cost of government. Forced municipal consolidation would radically change the governing of Pennsylvania. Potentially all local governments would be wiped out in one fell swoop and the municipal responsibilities would move to the county level. The bill would create a committee to condense the townships and boroughs and have local control pass to the county level. From snow removal to providing water and sewer, from law enforcement to land use decisions — these now local services would become regionally provided for by a centralized, bigger government . . . the county!

Under the current system, our local government is local. We have our elected officials working and living in the area they serve. With this proposed legislation, resident questions and concerns would pass to the larger county government. For instance, if a resident or a neighborhood has a zoning issue (Mt. Pleasant community as a recent example) you would be reliant on the county officials to respond. Under this proposed bill, the residents would contact an unknown official who could be on the other side of the county. How much would the county official really understand about a localized community issue? Stands to reason that depending on where the resident is in any given county, there could be a complete disconnect and lack of understanding of the specific issue. Look at Chester County and our diversity . . . one could imagine the vast difference of issues of residents in the dense, more developed areas of northern Chester County and the rural, less-populated areas of southern Chester County. In making decisions, would the county officials be able to offer even handedness of all resident issues. Not sure that would be possible.

However, shared services between local municipalities should be heralded as a form of cost cutting. Based on the specific needs of given local governments in the Commonwealth, municipalities should encourage the consolidation of services where fiscally responsible. Depending on the township or borough, the sharing of services could take different direction . . . health care plans, snow and trash removal, law enforcement, etc. Individual local governments and their elected officials should take up this cost-saving cause . . . but not forced consolidation by state mandate.

Although I am not aware that our elected township officials have responded specifically to the proposed legislation, many townships in Chester County have been very vocal about passing a resolution to oppose House Bill 2431. The Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors is supporting resolution to oppose the proposed legislation. The road for House Bill 2431 is a long one . . . if it were to get House and Senate approval; it would still require the support of the majority of Pennsylvania residents. Although not likely to be supported by the residents, the bill would then go back to the legislation to be shaped in to a specific law with guidelines.

This is one of those proposed legislative changes that is unlikely to go very far; although it would be fascinating to know how much money would be saved if you did away with all local government in Pennsylvania.

However, at the end of the day, I think House Bill 2431 makes the case that ‘bigger government’ is not necessarily ‘better government’.

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Tickets Now Available for Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust’s 6th Annual Historic House Tour on Saturday, September 25, Noon – 5 PM

August 25, 2010
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Tickets are now available for Tredyffrin Historic Preservation Trust’s 6th Annual Historic House Tour. This year’s tour will feature 7 houses in the Berwyn and Strafford neighborhoods. Two of the houses are in Easttown and 5 are located in Tredyffrin Townships.

The house tour will be held on Saturday, September 25th, noon – 5 PM, rain or shine. Individual house tour tickets are $35 and for online credit card ticket purchases, please see our website: www.tredyffrinhistory.org

If you prefer to pay using a personal check, click here for the ticket order form. All tickets are prepaid, there will be no tickets sold at the door.

All proceeds from the annual house tour benefit the rebuilding effort of the Jones Log Barn. When reconstructed, the ‘living history museum’ will join the historic DuPortail House and Federal Barn in Chesterbrook as a focal point of history in our community.

Additional volunteers are needed for the house tour . . . please contact me at info@tredyffrinhistory.org if you are available to help. Help is needed from 10:45 AM to noon at DuPortail House for ticket pick-up – need help with check in and need parking assistance. Or, if you would enjoy helping at one of the beautiful historic homes during the tour, we are in need of additional volunteers. You would need to be available from 11:45 AM to 5:15 PM on the house tour day. Contact me if you are available to help on September 25.

If prior plans do not permit you to attend this year’s house tour but you still want to help? Here’s what I am asking, please forward this post with the house tour information to your neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc. The annual house tour is my baby . . . I created the tour six years ago and have chaired it each year. I want the 6th Annual Historic House Tour to be the most successful house tour to date — can you help?

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