Penn Township Fall 2019 Newsletter

Penn Township Celebrating 15 Years

of the Community Picnic and Health & Wellness Fair

FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER

“Penn Township - A great place to live, work, and retire!”

VISION STATEMENT “To provide a healthy, vibrant, affordable, economically successful, progressive community where citizens feel safe, enjoy their neighborhoods, enjoy access to their local government and have a great place to live, work and raise their families or retire.”

MISSION STATEMENT

“To facilitate the health, safety, and well-being of the Penn Township community by providing residents, visitors, and the business community with the highest quality of municipal leadership, service, and strategic, sustainable, effective, and visionary planning to enhance the quality of life for all.”

Penn Township, Chester County 260 Lewis Road West Grove, PA 19390 TOWNSHIP STAFF DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS/ PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER,

Karen Versuk

TREASURER EMERITUS,

Lorraine Debes

Hours: Mon-Thurs 9:00am - 4:00pm Closed Fridays

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Curtis A. Mason, Sr.,

EMERGENCIES:

BOARD CHAIR

Victor Mantegna, VICE CHAIR Ken Bryson, MEMBER Jay Ennis, MEMBER William "Radar" O'Connell,

TREASURER/BUILDING PERMITS OFFICIAL,

MEMBER

Lisa Myers

Board of Supervisors meetings are the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00pm

TOWNSHIP SECRETARY/ RIGHT TO KNOW OFFICER/ EVENTS,

Work Sessions are held on the third Wednesday of January, February, March, April, September, and October at 6:00PM.

PARKS AND FACILITIES TECH,

Agenda deadline is the Thursday before each meeting at noon.

Caitlin Ianni

Danny Peters

STATE SENATOR Andy Dinniman (D19) STATE REPRESENTATIVE John Lawrence (R13) DISTRICT COURT 15-3-05 Honorable Scott Massey 2

Phone: 610-869-9620 Fax: 610-869-9194 Email: office@penntownship.us www.penntownship.us

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PLANNING COMMISSION Scott Steele, CHAIR Ralph Churchill, VICE CHAIR Bill Wells, MEMBER Bruce Van Kleeck, MEMBER J. Dennis Newbold, SECRETARY Meetings are the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm.

Appointments available

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR -

Chuck Freese AGREM - Chuck Freese FIRE COMPANY - West Grove Fire Department & Ambulance Division PARAMEDICS - Medic 94 HISTORICAL COMMISSION Kathy Wandersee Larry Waltman Margaret Emerson Patricia Horrocks Patricia Moidel Raymond Mackey Robert Davis Scott Steele

Staying in Touch in Penn Township

Penn Township residents and businesses have many ways to stay in touch, communicate and learn about what’s going on in our area. Penn is one of the very few township with its own television channels. Available only within the township borders, FIOS channel 36 and Xfinity channel 966 provide contact information, news and events 24/7. Our Facebook and Twitter are very active and include minute by minute updates as to local, state and world events as they unfold. Like us on Facebook at Penn Township, Chester County, PA or on Twitter @PennTownship. Our website is a wealth of information including our new ordinances at www.penntownship.us. As always, we monitor our office mailbox every day of the week, concerns, complaints or compliments can be sent to office@penntownship.us. While our office hours are Monday through Friday 9 to 4, appointments are always available as well. Call us at 610-869-9620.

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Community Update from the Penn Supervisors Dear Neighbors, We often live in our community but know little about it. Penn Township, Chester County, has a very special place in US and Pennsylvania history and plays a critical part in the socio-economic success of Southern Chester County.

Located conveniently along the Route 1 corridor, just minutes from Newark, Delaware, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland, Penn Township is the commercial, residential and health hub of the region.

Nestled between the White Clay Creek to the north and the Big Elk Creek to the south, Penn Township is home to the Jennersville Hospital, the Chester County Technical College High School, the Jennersville YMCA, the Shoppes of Jenner’s Village, Penn Medicine Southern Chester County, the worldwide corporate headquarters of Dansko, Miller Edge and Star Roses, and soon will be the new home of the Avon Grove High School. Penn is home to numerous other prosperous employers as well. This past May, Penn Township even hosted its first Job Fair.

Penn is proudly called the “Nursery Capitol of the World” as in addition to satisfying the economic and health needs of the region through forward thinking and effective planning, the township has retained its rural agricultural character and strong roots in community dating back to the time of its founder, William Penn.

Penn is the proud home of Sunset Park, one of the premier music venues outside of Nashville, the park featured many of the biggest stars of country and bluegrass. Operated by the Waltman family from 1940 to 1994, it supported the transition from pre-WWII “hillbilly music” to the nationally popular country music genre. Featured artists included Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis and Bill Monroe. Live unreleased recordings of major performers have been preserved. If you have not seen our historical marker, stop by and read it next time you visit the Dairy Queen.

Penn Township features housing to satisfy every need including large and small farms, neighborhood living, and numerous active adult communities for every retirement budget such as Jenner’s Pond, the Villages of Penn Ridge, Jennersville Farms, Ovations at Elk View, Luther House and the newest entry, Big Elk, a Ryan Homes active adult community of 204 twins and singles just getting underway next to Jennersville Hospital.

Two years ago, the Township was awarded a Vision Planning Partnership grant by the Chester County Commissioners to assist the Supervisors in updating the township ordinances. With the dramatic growth in the region and the cultural and technological changes experienced in the past 20 years, it was time to review and replace the old ordinances. The process took two years, multiple hearings, and ultimately the new ordinances were adopted in May of 2019. Perhaps the greatest changes were reflected in the terminology section which now includes the definitions of terms such as “brewery”, “adult day care”, and “medical marijuana”.

Several years ago, the Township Supervisors kept a longtime promise to the community and purchased the Penn Sports Park located on N. Jennersville Road just off of the Route 1 exits. The 43-acre commercially-zoned property was acquired for $1.4 million dollars, of which the Township was able to recoup $1,086,000.00 through grants from Chester County Open Space, the PA Department of 4

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Summer/Fall 2019 Conservation of Natural Resources, and the US Department of Interior. This year, our Director of Operations and Park Design Engineer were able to meet with local sports teams to discuss their needs to incorporate in the park design. At present, we will be installing a driveway, trail and parking lot to kick off the sports park project. Next year, we will be submitting grants to begin the fields. Stay tuned as we progress for more information on the Sports Park project!

Of course, the project on everyone’s mind is the Intersection Project at W. Baltimore Pike and Jennersville Road, affectionately known as the “Red Rose Intersection”. With the help of our State Senator Andy Dinniman and State Representative John Lawrence, after seven years of negotiations, the Supervisors were finally able to hire McMahon Associates and get the project underway. Today, we are closing in on the conclusion and can already appreciate the improvement the project has had on traffic flow in our village.

Each year, we offer a robust schedule of events, and this year has been no exception. This year, our township has sponsored a whopping 21 events partnering with a host of community partners including the West Grove Fire and Ambulance, Southern Chester County Emergency Medical Services, the Avon Grove Library and the Jennersville Hospital. What began with just our community picnic 15 years ago has become a full slate of Summer concerts, Sunset Park Day, Summer Fun Days, Halloween Event, Sunny Day Camp, movie nights, shredding events, and of course, Santa’s Workshop.

Our 15th Annual Health and Wellness Fair and Community Picnic sponsored by Jennersville Hospital will be our biggest and best yet on Saturday, September 21 from 11 to 4 with Jesse Garron’s Elvis Tribute, the Larry Tucker Band, the Flyers Ice Girls, Chesapeake Mermaid, and of course, barbeque chicken, hot dogs and burgers. Please support our community and come out to these free and fun events!

Finally, this is the year of our township’s Bicentennial. Penn, as a chartered township, is officially 200 years old, though we know it has been around for far longer. Soon, courtesy of the Chester County Historical Society and our own Historical Commission, we will be provided with a 15-page report providing the true origin of our intersection and the first tavern in Penn Township. We look forward to sharing this important and interesting historical information with our residents.

Lastly, 2019 is a mid-term election year which is important to Penn Township. County Commissioners, County Sheriff, Avon Grove School Board, and two Penn Township Supervisors’ seats are among the positions up for election. As was once said, “All politics is local” and this year, that could not be more true. Please get to know your candidates and be sure to come out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

As always, we welcome your volunteerism, your meeting attendance, and your involvement in our community. Respectfully submitted, The Penn Township Supervisors – Board Chair Curtis A. Mason, Sr., Vice Chair Victor Mantegna, Supervisors Ken Bryson, Jay Ennis and Bill “Radar” O’Connell.

Looking for a place that has it all? Consider Penn Township – a great place to live, work and retire!

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Fifteen Years of Celebrating Health, Wellness This September marks the fifteenth year for Penn Township’s Annual Health and Wellness Community Picnic co-sponsored by Jennersville Hospital. Fifteen years of bringing free food, music, fun, health, wellness and the community together.

Cultivated by Penn Township Board Chair, Curtis Mason, his purpose for creating this annual event was to offer the community a fun day that they could share with their families and make lasting memories, without leaving the area or worrying about cost. This event has also offered our local area businesses, organizations and non-profits the perfect opportunity to interact with and engage our community. “This annual picnic is a true testatment to the community; strive to provide prov ment to Penn Township’s commitment a safe, healthy environou will want to raise your families, live, work and retire.” said Mason. ment and a place where you

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nn Township’s Community Picnic, it would not be p Although this is Penn possible if it weren’t for our 0+ local businesses and associates associat make a donation to support this annual sponsors. Each year 50+ rs may differ, but from the th very beginning Jennersville Hospital has event. Each year our sponsors his day. Not only have they made m always been a huge part of this monetary contributions but they nd wellness portion to this event. They have always been there to have brought in the health and nd offer health advice, wellness screenings and meet and greets with engage with the community and their doctors. This year, now as part of Tower Health, they will once aga again be a large presence at this event. Be sure to stop by their tent this year to learn about, explore aand discuss all the exciting hospita changes they have made and will continue to make to our local hospital.

From Elvis to reptiles to the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders…there has never been a shortage nt. Over the years the Picnic has se of entertainment at this event. seen; jugglers, helicopters, fire trucks, animals, reptiles and even a dinosaur! This year will be no different; Elvis lives once again with Jesse Garron’s Elvis tribute, the Larry Tucker Band will be jamming, meet the Flyer’s

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and the Community…

Ice Girls, visit with 3 Palms Zoo and meet all kinds of animals and reptiles, be amazed by Harmonia Hoops hula hoop demonstration and roaming entertainers, let the kids enjoy several rides, bounces and games, stop and visit with 40+ local vendors, meet a mermaid and learn about the environment and bay with the Chesapeake Mermaid and of course be sure to grab some delicious free BBQ while it lasts!

Another huge contributor to this day would be our amazing first responders. Each year the West Grove Fire Company, Southern Chester County EMS/Medic 94, the Chester County Sherriff’s office and the Pennsylvania State Police are out in full force. We are very proud to offer such a great opportunity for them to engage and interact with our community. Not only do our first responders show up for the main event but they also come to ensure the community’s safety. Volunteers from West Grove Fire Company and Avondale Fire Company donate their time to direct parking. It’s a thankless but important job and without them this event would not be able to continue.

Volunteers. The Picnic would be nothing without them. Each year several students from the Technical College High School – Pennocks Bridge Campus volunteer their time to help with this event.

These students empty the trash, deliver food, restock beverages and much more. They are another key to the success of this day. We very much enjoy including them and are always very impressed by their level of professionalism.

They say it takes a village…in this case, a community. In each aspect of this annual tradition you can see and sense the comradery of this community. We are very proud of our community and our Township. Join us once again this September and see what it’s all about. Cheers to another fifteen years.

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Penn Township Events

It’s been a busy year for events here in Penn Township and it’s not over yet. Affectionately known by the Penn Township office staff as “event season”, which began in April and will run until December, we still have several large events to look forward to this year.

“Event season” kicked off on April 27th with our annual Shred It Event. The shredding event offered free paper shredding by Wiggins Shredding, electronic recycling provided by Sycamore International and medication disposal by the Chester County Sherriff’s office. As usual the event was a great success; the medication disposal box was filled beyond capacity by Noon and our shredding truck was completely full by the time the event was over. With the April shredding event always being such a hit, we have decided to schedule a Fall Shred It Event. The date will be November 9, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Penn Township parking lot. As in previous years, this will be “drive-thru” style, which means, with the help of the amazing Avondale and West Grove volunteer fire police, you will be able to drop off your shredding and recyclables without leaving your car. We ask that you, please, only bring a maximum of three “bankers’ boxes” or bags of paper to shred. There is no limit for the amount of electronics you may bring to recycle, please note that televisions are not accepted.

Medication will be accepted until the box becomes full. Needles and Epi Pens are not accepted, medication can be left in its original package/bottle.

Penn Township Park was certainly the place to be this summer, with all of the different activities that were scheduled. Summer kicked off with Senior Health & Fitness Day on May 29, 2019. This was a great informative event for our local senior community. We had several local organizations attend to inform, educate and demonstrate to our local seniors. Participating organizations included; Medic 94/SCCEMS, West Grove Fire Company and Ambulance, Jennersville Hospital/Tower Health, Jenner’s Pond, Jennersville YMCA, TOPS, Project C.U.R.E., Chester County Sheriff’s office, Fitchett Chiropractic, Chester County Department of Aging, Friends of the Avon Grove Library, Chester County Health Department, Canine Partners for Life, Chester County Department of Emergency Services, and Brandywine River Valley Home Health & Hospice.

June, July and August brought a variety of events for all ages.

Our Second Sunday Summer Concert Series returned on Sunday June 9th with music from the Big Package Band. M n M Catering, LLC, Ole Tapas Food Truck, Sweet Magnolia’s Bakery Truck and Kona Ice of Southern Chester County were here serving dinner and dessert. On Sunday, July 14th Panama Rex Band brought the beach to the park with their Jimmy Buffet inspired music. 22BBQ, Ole Tapas Food Truck and Kona Ice were also here keeping everyone fed and hydrated. Finally, our concert series closed on Sunday, August 11th with Sunset Park Day. Now an annual tradition, Sunset Park Day was created to honor Sunset Park and the Waltman Family. Our hope is to provide the community with a fun filled evening, spent outside with good music and even better people. This year Chester County’s own Revolution Heroes opened the event with a variety of rock music. They set the tone for the 8

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fun filled evening and were following up by Stone Mountain Road Bluegrass Band. The day included free kid’s activities including; face painting, carnival games, rides, bounce house and more. Food for this event was available from 22BBQ, Ole Tapas Food Truck, Sweet Magnolia’s Bakery Truck and Kona Ice of Southern Chester County.

This year Penn Township, once again, partnered up with the Avon Grove Library to host the Outdoor Summer Movies Series in Penn Township Park. There were a fantastic selection of movies this year; June’s movie was “Disney’s The Little Mermaid”, July’s showing was “Jurassic Park”, and August was “Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse”. This year we added a food truck to each movie and were happy to have West Grove’s own The Station Hand-Dipped Ice Cream and Water Ice come out to sell their delicious ice cream, water ice and popsicles. 22BBQ came out to serve their delicious BBQ at the June and August movie. In July, On the Roll Food Truck was here serving dinner and the West Grove Fire Company made a special appearance. We’d like to thank the Avon Grove Library and Friends of the Avon Grove Library for making these movie nights possible!

Our final activity of the summer was our Summer Fun Days on the third Thursday of June, July and August.

These mini events were designed with kids in mind, we wanted to offer a free, educational activity during summer break. In June the Chesapeake Mermaid swam over for a story, meet & greet and some pictures.

The Chesapeake Mermaid (a REAL mermaid) endeavors to teach everyone, but specifically children about ways to help preserve the environment, the bay and the critters who live there. She teaches with, not only an eye catching display, but stories, puppets and props. Catch the Chesapeake Mermaid again at this year’s Health and Wellness Community Picnic on September 21st. In July we introduced Mini Medic Camp for the second year. The program, created by Tammy Whiteman of Medic 94/SCCEMS, introduced kids to hands only CPR, local fire fighters and medics and “stop the bleed” procedures. Participants also got an up close tour of West Grove Fire Company’s ambulance and engine as well as Medic 94’s medic vehicle. Each child who participated left the program with a first aid kit that they put together themselves and a Mini Medic certificate.

Penn Township is very proud to be able to play a part in offering such an important event for kids. Our final program of the summer was rounded out by Zoo Day with Critter Connections in August. Children were able to learn about and even touch some small mammals and reptiles during this informative event.

We still have several events left for 2019. September brings our 15th annual Health & Wellness Community Picnic on September 21st from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stop by for free BBQ, live music, 40+ local vendors and tons of free kids activities. On October 20th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. we will be celebrating Halloween with our 5th Spooky Seek & Find event. This free Penn Township event offers a Halloween egg hunt (think Easter egg hunt with orange and black eggs), Trunk or Treat, several kid’s activities, M n M Catering, LLC, Kona Ice and of course Halloween costumes. If you wish to decorate a trunk for the Trunk or Treat, contact our office! As stated above on November 9th we will be offering a Fall Shred It Event. Finally, on Sunday, December 8th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Santa will be stopping by Penn Township for the Santa’s Workshop event. Come get your annual Santa pictures for free, just be sure to BYOC (bring your own cameras).

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—————|options|————— Penn Park and Facilities Rentals Penn Township Park is open daily from dawn to 9 p.m. Our beautiful park features over one mile of walking trails, a playground, Veteran’s Memorial garden, charcoal grills, fire pit, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, adult fitness park, butterfly garden, putting green, and new this year, the Penn Book Nook. Alcohol, dogs, bicycles, and skateboards are not permitted in the park. The park is not used for organized sports.

The pavilion, gazebos, fire pit, and the community room are all available to rent. Anyone is allowed to rent our facilities, but Penn Township residents receive a discount. We do not rent our facilities for fundraisers, soliciting purposes or public political functions. Please check our website at www.penntownship.us or contact the office for details or to reserve your date.

COMMUNITY ROOM: The Finnen Community Room accommodates 84 people and has a kitchen and fireplace. All community room rentals are four hour rentals. Your four hours includes your set up and break down time. If you would like an extra hour, you may request it for an additional cost.

PAVILION: 44’ x 60’ 12 tables under roof, grills outside pavilion, seats approximately 100 people.

GAZEBOS: 2 white 28’ Hexagonal & 2 white 12’ x 24’ Rectangular Gazebos, each seat approximately 20 people.

Rentals for the Finnen Community Room & Penn Park Pavilion require a security guard to be present throughout the duration of your rental time. Bathrooms are only open during your designated rental time when security guard is present. Please see the rental agreement for more rules and regulations when renting our facilities.

PENN BOOK NOOK: This summer we officially opened the Penn Book Nook in Penn Township Park.

The Book Nook is outfitted with book shelves, chalk board wall, a reading bench, a mini picnic table and tons of books donated by our amazing community. Books can be taken home or read in the park. Our hope is that with convenient access to free books, it will encourage more reading time for children and adults. Currently, the Book Nook is open Monday through Thursday (weather permitting) from roughly 10 am to 2 pm. We are seeking volunteers who would like to be “librarians” for the Book Nook. Duties would include opening, closing and supervising the Book Nook. Volunteers would need to pass a background check. Anyone who may be interested should send a letter of interest to office@penntownship.us.

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—————|options|————— Penn Township Tax Information The Township Office receives many inquiries regarding taxes. The following is a guide to what taxes are charged, when you can expect a bill, and what entity is the collector.

Earned Income Tax (EIT) is assessed at a rate of .5 percent. Any wage earner who lives in or works in Penn Township owes this tax. Usually, employers withhold this tax from a wage earner’s paycheck.

Whether it is withheld or not, the tax is owed and a local tax form must be filed.

Local Services Tax (LST) is $52.00 per year and is usually withheld by the employer. This tax supports municipal and emergency services. There is a low income exemption for people earning less than $12,000. This exemption requires the submission of a form.

Avon Grove School District taxes are sent on July 1 of each year. As of 2018, Avon Grove School District taxes are collected through Keystone Collections.

EIT, LST, and Avon Grove School District taxes are all collected by Keystone Collections.

Keystone Collections Group 546 Wendel Road, Irwin, PA 15642 724-978-0300 www.keystonecollects.com Chester County Real Estate taxes are sent on January 15 of each year.

Penn Township Real Estate taxes are assessed at a rate of .53 mills. The tax bills are sent in early February.

Chester County Real Estate and Penn Township Real Estate taxes are collected by the Chester County Office.

Chester County Treasurer 313 W. Market St, West Chester, PA 610-344-6370 www.chesco.org

Penn Township Voting

General Election Day: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Finnen Community Room, 260 Lewis Road

Peddling and Soliciting in Penn Township In December of 2012, the Penn Supervisors adopted the Peddling and Solicitation Ordinance. Resulting from complaints and safety concerns, this ordinance is intended to protect our residents from unwanted contact with solicitors and peddlers and to protect those traveling township roads by limiting peddling and soliciting to only those who have obtained a permit issued by the Township Code Enforcement Officer. At the time of this publication, not one permit has been issued.

In order to obtain a permit, an application must be completed and returned along with an application fee and proof of insurance of a minimum of $1,000,000 in general liability. The full ordinance and application are available on our website at www.penntownship.us under “permits, forms and applications”.

To ensure the safety of those on Penn Township roads, no one may collect money for any organization on a public roadway in Penn Township. Selling or soliciting is strictly prohibited on public roadways, roadsides, alleys, neighborhoods or anywhere that a sign is posted prohibiting solicitation.

Violators will be prosecuted and fined for trespassing.

Of course, the best course of action is to never buy from a solicitor or peddler.

If there is no one to buy, they will not sell.

If there is a solicitor operating within the township borders without the appropriate permit, please report it to the township office at 610-869-9620 or by email at office@penntownship.us.

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—————|options|————— News from the West Grove Fire Company Topic: Safety in the Home Teaching fire safety is a priority for the WGFC, and our programs with school children reach hundreds of kids (and adults) each year across the Avon Grove area.

Today we’d like to highlight a fire danger in the home – the habit of leaving bedroom doors open at night. Great new content from the Underwriters Laboratory Firefighter Safety Research Institute shines a needed light on helping families learn to close bedroom doors at night, a practice that can save lives.

A new video https://vimeo.com/293952932 highlights this life-saving practice in less than six minutes. Watch this video and learn how to protect your family from the dangers of fire, and become part of the “Close Before You Doze” movement. For more information, see: https://ulfirefightersafety.org/research-projects/close-your-door.html

Topic: New Tanker Truck Joins WGFC Fleet Because we live in a rural area, many subdivisions and developments are not protected by fire hydrants. As a result, when there is a fire, we must bring water to the fire. That’s why nearly all of our fire trucks carry some water. Our first arriving engines typically carry 1,000 gallons of water. And we have a special truck known as Tanker 22 that brings thousands of gallons of water to fire calls.

Recently, the WGFC replaced its 28-year-old tanker truck with a new model. The new Tanker 22 recently went it to service, and carries 3,500 gallons of water. The Peterbilt 4Guys truck took nearly a year to purchase and build, and includes an array of special equipment to enable the WGFC to rapidly deliver large quantities of water to fire scenes. See http://www.wgfc.org/apps/public/news/ newsView.cfm?News_ID=913 for pictures and more information.

The new tank truck purchase is part of the WGFC’s multi-year fleet plan, which outlines an orderly replacement of apparatus as units approach and pass 20-25 years in service. This plan provides the fire company with an orderly, predictable road map for fleet management, and helps the organization manage its capital budgets on an on-going basis. The purchase of the replacement tank truck follows the most recent WGFC purchase completed last year of Ladder 22. Together, these two trucks represent more than $1.6 million in fleet investment in the last 24 months for the WGFC.

Topic: Preparing for the Worst Training our first responders is a strategic priority for the WGFC. For all of our volunteer and career staff, thousands of hours per year are dedicated to training. Whether it’s new rescue tool training, or fire suppression techniques, or practicing with new apparatus, or reviewing hazardous materials handling, or rural water supply operations…the learning never stops.

With all of the news of late about mass shootings, you might wonder how the WGFC is preparing for the worst. In fact, some of our emergency medical personnel have recently completed specialized training to provide care in situations where an active threat has occurred or is occurring. In addition, all of our EMS units have been outfitted with special kits to enable our responders to provide care in mass casualty incidents, with an emphasis on bleeding control and rapid assessment. Going forward, the County of Chester will soon be supplying us with ballistic vests and helmets to augment our protective gear.

We’d all like to believe it “won’t happen here,” but the WGFC is training to ready if it ever does!

Topic: We Need Your Help… Volunteer Today!

At the WGFC, we have been very fortunate to have broad support from the community we serve, and from municipal / township leaders as well. That support has made it possible for the WGFC to effectively serve our area since 1904.

We have adapted our fire and EMS service over the years to meet the increasing needs of our growing community. And while we have added paid career staff to augment our volunteers, volunteers still make up the majority of staffing of the fire company, and offer a tremendous value to the community. Our volunteers not only respond to emergencies, they also do fundraising, maintenance, public fire safety education, EMS training and many, many other tasks.

As the demand for our services continue to grow, so too does the need for volunteers. Finding, recruiting and maintaining our cadre of volunteers is critical to the fire company’s continuing success. We are always looking to attract new volunteers, people from all walks of life who share a desire to serve their communities.

We take the responsibility to onboard, train and equip those volunteers – whether they chose to be first responders or simply want to join and provide administrative support behind the scenes. Volunteers come from all professions, and all age groups – we welcome young people (we even have a junior member program for those in high school), and we welcome retired people too.

And we need volunteers at all three stations – but particularly at our newest station near Kemblesville.

Are you interested in serving your community by joining the West Grove Fire Company? Do you know someone who might be interested? Please click here to learn more and complete an application online. http://www.wgfc.org/content/join/ Penn Township Newsletter | Fall 2019

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The Future has Arrived at Jennersville Hospital - Tower Health Jennersville Hospital has been serving the Southern Chester County community for over a century. Our 60-bed facility features all private rooms and offers inpatient and outpatient services, including 24-hour emergency care, diagnostic care, orthopedics, and surgical services.

We are proud to serve as a trusted healthcare provider in our region and we take our responsibility to foster the health and wellness of our community very seriously. That’s why we focus on delivering high-quality, compassionate healthcare and offering the latest advancements in medicine.

Several exciting initiatives and innovations are in store for the patients and community of Jennersville Hospital in the coming months. Since joining the rapidly growing and nationally recognized health system, Tower Health, Jennersville has been able to make significant investments in its technology, services, campus, and community involvement.

Recently, Jennersville Hospital, along with the other four CHS hospitals acquired by the former Reading Health System in 2017, installed a new electronic health record (EHR) called Epic. Now, Epic is the single EHR being used across all Tower Health hospitals and physician practices. With all of these care sites utilizing the same EHR, patient information is streamlined into a single record that’s accessible by all Tower Health physicians. This integration will lead to more informed clinical decisions, improved outcomes, and seamlessly coordinated care for patients.

Additionally, Jennersville Hospital patients can now take advantage of MyTowerHealth, a secure online and mobile-friendly patient portal that provides access to their health information from any Tower Health provider in real time, included medical history, appointments, medications, lab test results, and more.

Many clinical services at Jennersville Hospital are also undergoing major technological advances, including radiology. Soon, the hospital will offer upgraded 3D technology and enhanced Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Services. Stereotactic biopsy is an exciting technology that utilizes X-ray images taken at slightly different angles to ensure that biopsies are done in the exact location required. This technology also reduces time under compressions and lowers the X-ray dose, contributing to a better patient experience and clinical outcome.

In the next several months, Jennersville Hospital will be introducing more technological advances across its services from cardiology to orthopedics, women’s services and pharmacy.

Jennersville Hospital also continues to expand its support of community events, along with health and wellness outreach. In October, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Jennersville Hospitals’ Medical Director of Imaging, Tracy Carmellini, MD, will be speaking at a community seminar about why advanced breast imaging and healthy eating are crucial for fighting breast cancer.

Dr. Carmellini will be joined by Amber Evans, CNM, and Abby Twerdok, CNM, who will discuss other important aspects of breast health and the latest updates on Jennersville Hospital’s Women’s Health Services.

Join this esteemed panel of healthcare professionals on Thursday, October 10th at the Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square from 5:45 to 8 p.m. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m.

Per Dr. Claire Mooney, DNP, MBA, RN, CCRN, NEA-BC, President and CEO of Jennersville: “At this juncture in Jennersville Hospital’s journey, we are inspired every day to provide the highest levels of care for our patients not only through the latest technologies and medications, but through the compassion and dedication of a team that cares for their patients as family.”

For more information about Jennersville Hospital, visit jennersville.towerhealth.org.

Penn Township Newsletter | Fall 2019

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Preventing the Spotted Lanternfly in southeastern PA The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula (White), is an invasive planthopper native to China, India, Vietnam. It was first discovered in Pennsylvania in Berks County and has spread to other counties in the southeast portion of the Commonwealth. This insect has the potential to greatly impact agricultural crops such as grapes, hops, and hardwoods. It is also reducing the quality of life for people living in heavily infested areas.

What Is Being Done Penn State University and Extension, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and PA Department of Agriculture (PDA) have joined forces to control and contain the spread of SLF. Penn State University is leading the research efforts currently underway to answer the many questions we have about the insect’s biology, pesticide studies, and the ability of the insect to adapt to the environment in Pennsylvania. USDA and PDA are actively treating locations where SLF has been reported. USDA is treating on the outer edges where the populations are small and will begin to move inward towards the center of the quarantine. PDA is treating areas where the population numbers are high and is targeting high risk pathways which may contribute to moving the insect to other locations. As funding is available, both USDA and PDA will work on properties for treatment. PDA is also surveying all counties in the state outside the quarantine looking for SLF.

What Can Be Done Spotted Lanternfly can be controlled with a combination of physical removal of life stages and host trees, as well as pesticide applications.

Penn State Extension has developed information for home owners and business owners available at www.extension.psu.edu. Use of these management techniques are important to assist PDA and USDA in control of the spread of this invasive pest.

Businesses also play an important role. Business owners should incorporate pest management into their vegetation management plans and work to minimize the possibility of this insect hitching a ride on products they produce and ship. Businesses who ship products within and out of the quarantine zone are required to have or hire companies who have a spotted lanternfly permit.

How You Can Help This insect is easily moved if no one is looking. If you are in the quarantine area, please “Look Before You Leave.” Inspecting your vehicles, trailers, or any outdoor items before you move around or out of the quarantine is important. If possible, don’t park in tree lines and keep windows rolled up when you park your vehicle.

Know the life stages of the insect and when to look for them.

Using the recommendations developed by Penn State Extension, take control measures on your own property.

Any efforts you make in destroying the Spotted Lanternfly or it’s egg masses helps your property and community.

Report sightings of the Spotted Lanternfly by calling 1-888-422-3359 or 1-888-4BADFLY. All reports of SLF outside of the quarantine are taken seriously and will be investigated. Reports within the quarantine are registered in a database for USDA and PDA. The database is used to help determine properties for treatment.

Treatment is based on location, risk, and available funds.

Please join the effort to control and prevent the spread of Spotted Lanternfly. We need everyone to protect their properties, communities, and the Commonwealth from this invasive insect that has the potential to change our landscape and quality of life.

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Volume 7 | Issue 4

—————|options|————— Recycling is Alive in Chester County Chester County residents, "keep up the good work and keep making our recyclables cleaner." The issue with recycling today is CONTAMINATION. When recyclables are clean and separated from trash correctly, there is a market for those items. BUT ONLY the items asked for. Educate the "wishful" recyclers who want to recycle everything. They have polluted the market with trash.

You should only recycle CLEAN mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, boxboard, aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles and jars and plastics containers 1-5 +7 preferably with narrow necks. WE DO NOT WANT THINGS LIKE YOUR RUBBER HOSES, PLASTIC KIDDIE POOLS, FOAM, TOYS, BASKETS OR ICE CHESTS. Do not include plastic bags or any film plastic in your recycling bin. Plastic bags and film plastic can be taken back to the grocery store. Plastic bags will jam the machinery at the materials recovery facility where your recyclables are separated and baled for sale.

The Chester County recycling rate has been well over 60% for the last 6 years and residents should be proud of their performance. Keep up the good work but...

WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT

Stormwater Management What is stormwater?

Stormwater is rain water and melted snow that runs off streets, lawns, farms, and construction or industrial sites. Under natural conditions, stormwater is absorbed into the ground, where it is filtered and ultimately replenishes aquifers or slowly flows through forests into streams and rivers. However, in developed areas, impervious surfaces such as pavement and building roofs prevent precipitation from soaking into the ground. Instead, the water runs rapidly into storm drains, sewer systems, and drainage ditches. The rush of stormwater discharge can cause infrastructure damage, downstream flooding, and stream bank erosion. Also, the bacteria and other pollutants not filtered from stormwater can contaminate streams, rivers, and coastal waters.

Things you can do to prevent stormwater runoff pollution: • Use fertilizers sparingly and sweep up driveways and sidewalks • Never dump anything down storm drains or in streams • Vegetate bare spots in the yard • Compost your yard waste • Direct downspouts away from paved surfaces; consider a rain garden • Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it in the driveway • Check your car for various leaks; recycle motor oil • Have your septic tank pumped regularly • Clean up after your pet It is ILLEGAL to dump grass clippings, pool water, used motor oil, or anything else down storm drains.

They are intended for stormwater only and they drain into streams.

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Volume 7 | Issue 4

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Happy Trails for a lifetime of service to Penn On April 7, 2019, former Township Secretary/Supervisor, W. A. “Bill” Finnen, 89, passed away. It was exactly two months to the day of the passing of his beloved wife and longtime Township Treasurer, Jane Finnen. In honor of his passing, the Penn Supervisors issued the following Proclamation on the occasion of his funeral which was held, fittingly, in the shadow of the Veterans’ Memorial in the Penn Township Park, just outside of the Finnen Community Room.

Proclamation WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors, staff, and citizens of Penn Township, Chester County, PA wish to honor the life and legacy of dedicated service to community of Penn Township, Chester County, PA by W.A. “Bill” Finnen, Jr. who passed away on April 7, 2019 at the age of eighty-nine; WHEREAS, W.A. “Bill” Finnen, Jr. served this country honorably as a member of the United State Air Force during the Korean War, later, he served the community of Penn Township, Chester County, PA as Township Secretary from 1960-2015 for 55 years and as Penn Township Supervisor from 1972 to 2015 for 43 years.

He was named to the Township Supervisor Hall of Fame by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors in 2004. His actions and dedication helped to advance the vision of numerous Boards of Supervisors for Penn Township providing a healthy, vibrant, affordable, economically successful, progressive community where citizens feel safe, enjoy their neighborhoods and have access to their local government in “a great place to live, work and raise their families or retire."

WHEREAS, W.A “Bill”.Finnen, Jr.’s 55 years of dedicated service to the community of Penn Township, Chester County, PA contributions have been of substantial significance to the health, safety, and welfare of the community of Penn Township, Chester County, PA and its Supervisors, staff, residents, businesses, and visitors; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Penn Township Board of Supervisors recognizes and thanks W.A.”Bill” Finnen, Jr. for his unwavering dedication and a lifetime of service to the community of Penn Township, Chester County on this day, the 17th of April, 2019.

“Some trails are happy ones, Others are blue. It's the way you ride the trail that counts,Happy trails to you, Until we meet again.” Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Penn Township Newsletter | Fall 2019

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Penn Township Newsletter Fall 2019 | Volume 7, Issue 4

260 Lewis Road, West Grove, PA 19390 A Chester County Press Publication P.O. Box 150, Kelton, PA 19348 address corrections not required