TOWNSHIP DIRECTORY
Erik Unger, Chair eunger@easttown.org
Michael Wacey, Vice Chair mwacey@easttown.org
Sean Axel, Member saxel@easttown.org
Alex Bosco, Member abosco@easttown.org
Susan LeBoutillier, Member sleboutillier@easttown.org
RESIDENT FYI
ADMINISTRATION
Don Curley Township Manager dcurley@easttown.org
Jonathan Ewald Assistant Township Manager jewald@easttown.org
David M. Fiorenza, MBA Director of Finance dfiorenza@easttown.org
Colleen Gray Director of Planning and Zoning cgray@easttown.org
Joseph A. Rodo Director of Public Works jrodo@easttown.org
Amber M. Osborne Library Director aosborne@ccls.org
MUNICIPAL COMPLEX
566 Beaumont Road Devon, PA 19333
Website: www.easttown.org
Phone: 610-687-3000
Email: easttown@easttown.org
SEWER AND TRASH PAYMENT INFO
Township Contact: Sherry D'orazio, Accounts Administrator Sdorazio@easttown.org | 610-687-3000 X116
SEWER PAYMENTS
Sewer payments can be remitted by:
Phone at: 833-591-7204
Online at:
https://EasttownTownship.secure.munibilling.com
Check - mailed to:
Easttown Township Sewer Rental
P.O. Box 33
Ithaca, NY 14851
In-Person at: Tompkins Bank (Wayne Location)
TRASH AND RECYCLING PAYMENTS
Trash payments & questions can be remitted by: Phone at: 877-589-8640
Online at:
https://EasttownTownshipTrash.secure.munibilling.com
Check - mailed to:
Easttown Township Trash Disposal
P.O. Box 271
Ithaca, NY 14851
In-Person at: Tompkins Bank (Wayne Location)
POLICE ADMINISTRATION
Email: police@easttown.org
Non-Emergency: 610-341-9780
David J. Obzud Chief of Police dobzud@easttown.org
EASTTOWN LIBRARY
720 First Avenue Berwyn, PA 19312
Website: www.easttownlibrary.org
Phone: 610-644-0138
Email: info@easttownlibrary.org
BERWYN FIRE COMPANY
23 Bridge Avenue Berwyn, PA 19312
Website: www.berwynfireco.org
Non-Emergency: 610-644-6050
Email: info@berwynfireco.org
PAOLI FIRE COMPANY
69 Darby Road Paoli, PA 19301
Website: www.paolifirecompany.org
Non-Emergency: 610-644-1712
PUBLISHED BY FRANKLIN MAPS
610-265-6277
Email: FranklinMaps@aol.com
Easttown Township Staff are committed to providing services to all our residents and businesses, being responsive to your needs, offering the highest level of quality service, while remaining steadfast in our desire to find ways to operate more efficiently and economically. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
What would you like to see? If you have content suggestions for future editions, email us at easttown@easttown.org.
TAX PAYMENT INFO
TOWNSHIP AND COUNTY TAXES
Township and County taxes are maintained and collected by the Chester County Treasurer's Office.
Chester County Treasurer's Office
313 West Market Street, Suite 3202 West Chester, PA 19380 610-344-6370 treasurerdept@chesco.org
SCHOOL DISTRICT TAXES
School District taxes are collected by the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District Business/Tax Office through Keystone Collections Group. Payments & questions can be remitted by:
Online at: Pay.KeystoneCollects.com
Payment Drop Box: Chester County Intermediate Building 455 Boot Road Downingtown, PA 19335
Check or Money Order – mailed to: Keystone Collections Group Real Estate Tax Payment
P.O. Box 505 Irwin, PA 15642
Upcoming Events
September 2
Township Offices Closed
September 21
BIRDING WALK
Beginning at the YMCA Carriage House 8:30 AM - join Phil Whitmer, VP of Bird Town PA for a walk through the Upper Main Line YMCA property to get to know the great variety of birds there - Hosted by the UMLY and Easttown EAC
September 21
Wilson Farm Park
500 Lee Road
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
All residents must pre-register on Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/electronics-recycling anything-with-a-plug-tickets-69244521897?aff=oddtdtcreator
October 19
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Trinity Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall
Have broken items in need of repair?
Bike tubes in need of patching?
Shirts in need of mending?
Knives in need of sharpening?
Free repairs for broken items, with the opportunity to meet neighbors and learn a new skill!
Questions? Reach out at repaircafeeasttown@gmail.com
November 9 (10:30 AM - 11:30 AM)
Rain Gardens Workshop
Role Residents Can Play in Clean Creeks and Streams
Learn more about rain gardens, rain barrels, road salt, and more with Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection at The Willistown Conservation Trust & Board Member of the Darby Creek Valley Assocation.
Organized by Environmental Advisory Council; Funded by the Growing Greener Grant Program through Pennsylvania DEP.
October 20
Used Bicycle & Sewing Machine Drive Sponsored by Chester Co. Solid Waste Authority
12pm - 3pm
(RAIN OR SHINE)
West goshen Municipal Complex 1025 Paoli Pike (entrance on Five Points Rd) West Goshen, PA 19380
We’re collecting adult & Kids’ bikes and sewing machines to send to Togo, Tanzania, Belize, Guatemala and Albania. Do your part to put unused bikes and sewing machines to good use in the devlloping world. Visit P4P.org to read more!
A $20 donation with each bike or sewing machine is requested to offset shipping costs overseas. All material and monetary donations are tax deductible and a receipt will be provided on site. For information contact Patti: 484-796-4039
Carriage House —Upper Main Line YMCA
EASTTOWN SERVICE
ZONES & DAYS*
1 - Recycling & Trash - Monday
2 - Recycling & Trash - Tuesday
3 - Recycling & Trash - Thursday
4 - Recycling & Trash - Friday
Rear Yard Trash - Monday
Rear Yard Recycling - Tuesday & Wednesday
Preparation of Yard Waste Materials for Collection
Collection occurs once a month JanuarySeptember and twice a month OctoberDecember.
Yard waste must be placed into manageable bundles and tied with string, or may be put in an open-end trash can, as long as limbs are not protruding above the can. Limbs that are loose on the ground will not be picked up.
Limbs and branches must not exceed 6 feet in length and 4 inches in diameter.
Grass clippings are considered trash, not yard waste.
While there is NO LIMIT to the number of bagged leaves/yard waste collected, there is a max weight of 300 lbs. of brush and/or bagged leaves/yard waste from a single residence.
Leaves/yard waste must be in biodegradable paper bags or open-ended trash cans. Leaves/yard waste in plastic bags will NOT be collected.
REAR-YARD CUSTOMERS:
yard waste must be placed at the curb for collection — check the QR code below to determine your service zone.
Waste Zones 2 & 4 Alternate recycling/trash collection due to a holiday
Corrugated Paper • Mixed Paper (including high-grade office paper)
Clear & Colored Glass Containers • Aluminum Containers• Steel & Bimetallic Containers
RECYCLABLE
Corrugated Paper (Cardboard)
Mixed Paper
High-Grade Office Paper
Glass Aluminum
Steel & Bimetallic Containers
Plastics
Accepted Items
Corrugated boxes (with alternating ridges/groves
Broad-e.g. food or beverage cartons, newsprint, discarded mail, telephone books, paperboard, magazines and catalogs
Letterhead, copier paper, envelopes, printer scrap
Glass bottles, jars and containers
Aluminum Cans
All cans other than aluminum
#1 - #7 rigid plastic containers
How to Identify/Prepare
Break down cardboard boxes falt to 2’x2’ pieces
Clean, dry paper
NOT ACCEPTED
Soiled containers, such as greasy pizza boxes
Wet or soiled paper
Clear and colored glass
Aluminum items will not stick to a magnet
Steel and bimetal Items will stick to a magnet
Looking for receyling triangle with plastic # on bottom of container
Heavily soiled papers, or papers with bindings or clips attached
Broken glass, glassware, window panes, mirrors, light bulbs
Scrap metal, car parts, appliances
Scrap metal, car parts, appliances
Plastic bags, shrint-wrap packaging, unnumbered plastic, toys, packing peanuts, Styrofoam, bubble wrap
Looking to get rid of your leftover chemicals?
CCSWA hosts several FREE Household Hazardous Waste Events every year! Please dispose of your hazardous materials responsibly and register for an event. For more information, visit our website. www.chestercountyswa.org
Plastics #1-#7 • Leaf Waste Book your Appointment for the next Household Hazard Waste Event on Saturday October 5, 2024 at the Chester County Government Services Center in West Chester. Organized and hosted by the Chester County Solid Waste Authority
ACROSS THE YEARS th Early July 4 Celebrations in Easttown
In 1911 the resort town of Devon held the th largest July 4 celebration in the area at the iconic Devon Inn. The Inn portrayed patriotism at its finest by being fully decorated with traditional red, white and blue buntings while the orchestra performed patriotic music throughout the day. The day's festivities included oldfashioned activities like sack and wheelbarrow races, hurdle jumping, bonfires, and a grand fireworks display later in the evening. Dinner at the Inn included many mouth-watering entrees such as roast Prime Ribs of Beef Au Cresson, stuffed Philadelphia Capon, fried Soft Shell Crabs, vegetables, salads, desserts and more all locally sourced.
Over the years, the fireworks grew into a magnificent pyrotechnic display interspersed with musical renditions performed by the Inn's orchestra. Historical accounts show that by 1890, the day's festivities and fireworks display attracted more than 2400 spectators from Philadelphia and its surrounding areas. Additional passenger cars had to be added to the train station's schedule to accommodate the popularity of the celebration.
At the July 4, 1883 celebration, the guests at the Inn took up a collection to employ the Phoenix Military Band from Phoenixville. The band preformed at community and state events and veterans' funerals. Originally founded as a community band in 1847, the band later volunteered at the onset of the Civil War and served in the Union Army. They were
the first band to be sworn into federal nd service as part of the 2 Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. The band th performed well into the 20 century.
th Although present day July 4 celebrations in Easttown no longer include a grand fireworks display, the patriotism of the citizens, Veterans' 5K run, bike parade, oldfashion games and activities, hamburgers and hot dogs, ice cream and even a band completes the Township's celebration for a th great July 4
Sources: The Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area (1897 Phoenix Band), Chester County Historical Society th (1911 July 4 ),The Devon book, Margaret DePiano
LIBRARY NEWS
The mission of the Easttown Library Foundation is to raise much-needed funds for Easttown Library's programming, services, and wide-ranging selection of digital and physical collection of materials. The Foundation's Annual Fund fills the gap in the library's annual budget while the Dennis P. Leeper Endowment Fund is a “rainyday” self-sustaining source of revenue to secure the future of the library. The Foundation hosts two annual signature fall events, the STEM for Adults Lecture in October and the Donor Appreciation Reception in November, which celebrates our supporters and community partners. Thank you to First Bank for sponsoring both events in 2024!
The Foundation is excited to add to these signature events the following line-up of programs at Easttown Library:
Whisk Worth Tasting Fall-themed cupcake workshop Thursday, September 19, at 6:30 p.m.
Learn how to make buttercream roses, sunflowers, and pumpkins! Participants will be provided with: 6 unfrosted vanilla cupcakes, 3 pre-filled buttercream piping bags, and decorations/sprinkles, plus a box to take home your desserts. The instructor will demonstrate each design step-by-step, and there will be time for "free-style" creativity at the end of the workshop as well. Find out more about Whisk Work Tasting on Instagram and Facebook at @whiskworthtasting. Adults only (18+). Tickets are $30/person and non-refundable. Seating is limited.
Screenwriter and Film Producer Brad Ingelsby returns to Easttown Library!
During Brad's first visit in February 2020, he provided insights into writing and filming his highly-anticipated limited HBO series Mare of Easttown starring Kate Winslet. The critically-acclaimed Mare of Easttown received 14 Emmy nominations in 2021, winning in 4 categories. Get the inside scoop on whether there will be a second season of Mare of Easttown and learn more about his latest projects, including his new limited series, Task, starring Mark Ruffalo and filming throughout Chester County, Delco, and Philadelphia.
August — November 2024 Adult Events
Please register for all events at https://ccls.libcal.com/calendar/Easttown, unless otherwise indicated.
From Beaker to Pill
with Dr. Diane Jorkasky
Wednesday, August 7th, 2 PM
This lecture explores the process of discovering anddeveloping medicines, the impact of medicine ondisease progression, and new treatments for weight lossand Alzheimer's disease. Presented by Dr. Diane Jorkasky, who has 37 years of experience in drugdevelopment.
Zine Workshop
Friday, August 16, 12-2 PM
Join us to create mini zines and connect with local artists! Some supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. Printing and copy services available for your zine creations. Come cut, paste, write, type, doodle, and scribble to your heart's content.
Red Cross Blood Drive
Thursday, August 22nd, 1-6 PM Register at www.redcrossblood.org/give to help those in need.
Music of the West African Kora
Sunday, November 3rd, 2 PM
Sean Gaskell will perform on the kora, a 21-string West African harp. He studied under Moriba Kuyateh and the late Malamini Jobarteh in Gambia, as well as Youssoupha Cissokho and Mamadou Cissokho in Senegal.
The kora, traditionally played by Griots, preserves an 800year history from the Mande empire. Gaskell has performed at over 350 libraries, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and assisted living facilities across the U.S. and Canada.
Please visit easttownlibrary.org for more details about these upcoming events and how you can join your friends and neighbors in supporting Easttown Library. Celebrate with us at our2024 Donor Appreciation Reception on Friday, November 15
Easttown Care — PLEASE JOIN US!
experience that will be sure to captivate and delight.
We are excited to share that the 17th annual T&E Care Fall Fest will be held at Waynesborough Country Club on Saturday, September 21, 2024, from 6pm-10pm. Be the KEY will be an engaging night of fun with community members across the Tredyffrin and Easttown areas, enjoying an interactive musical
T&E Care is a local charity that embodies the very essence of Tredyffrin &
The Philly Keys, featuring Brian Aglira (Conestoga Class of 2002), will be taking centerstage in a dueling piano showdown fueled by audience participation. Be the KEY promises to be an unforgettable night of music, a fun raffle, great food and drinks, and one-of-a-kind entertainment that will benefit an even better cause.
community solidarity and support. Run entirely by dedicated volunteer community members who share a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference, T&E Care serves as a beacon of hope and assistance for those in need within our own backyard. It is funded basically by local residents and businesses. Every volunteer hour contributed, every resource mobilized and more than 98% of money raised is directed towards supporting our neighbors, friends and fellow community members
who are facing hardship or adversity. T&E Care is more than just an organization, it's a testament to the collective compassion and generosity of the Tredyffrin and Easttown community.
Please join us at this very special event. All details on the RSVP to attend, as well as the raffle opportunities, can be found on our website. You can also sign up to learn more about the many programs run by T&E Care or to volunteer to get involved.
https://www.tecare.org/events/fall-fest/
MEADOWING: WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
Have you noticed the un-mowed stretch of hillside at Hilltop Park this spring and wondered why they are meadow-ing! What is a meadow? “The term meadow refers to uncultivated areas featuring herbaceous plants and soils that aren't wet year-round. While grasslands are defined as having more than 50% grass cover, meadows have more than 50% forb cover Most forbs are wildflowers, although the term also includes non-flowering plants like ferns.” (WeConserve PA)
Meadowing a parcel of land means intentionally choosing not to mow more than 1 or 2 times a year to allow a diversity of vegetation to grow in lieu of turfgrass. Species of native grass such as bluestem and purpletop are some of the first colonizers here in PA, followed by asters, black-eyed Susans, goldenrod and daisies. With time, an area can transform from a parcel of turfgrass to a meadow of diverse plants better suited to the climate and conditions of our area. Easttown's Parks and Recreation Board decided to meadow this parcel of Hilltop Park, inspired by the 1999 landscape design for the property and the Board of Supervisors' approval of a pilot meadowing program (see photo).
Turfgrass covers over 63,000 square miles in the United States, roughly the size of Texas. These lawns full of non-native species require a staggering amount of water, herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline and manual labor to maintain their pristine appearance all with high economic and environmental costs to homeowners and the greater environment. A single gaspowered lawn mower emits over 100lbs of carbon dioxide per year, not to mention hydrocarbons and particulate matter which impact local air quality.
Many locations in the United States, including here in Hilltop Park are converting portions of their turfgrass to meadows as a
cost-effective, environmentally friendly way of changing the landscape to better suit the non-human environment. The lawn care industry in the U.S. is a $30 billion industry and the average American spends 70 hours a year on their lawn.
Meadows have many other benefits as well including better absorption of stormwater and groundwater recharge due to their loose soil and more extensive root systems. An established meadow can improve water quality by absorbing waterborne chemicals before they enter waterways whereas turfgrass can often be a source of such chemicals. Native plant species found in meadows are typically drought-tolerant and do not require irrigation while landscape
irrigation including turfgrass requires roughly 9 billion gallons of freshwater a day according to the U.S. EPA. Meadows or infrequently mowed grass allows for a diversity of vegetation to grow attracting insects, resting birds, insectivores and pollinators who rely on pollen and pesticide free areas to forage.
Keep an eye out for changes to occur at the meadowing site in Hilltop Park. We may begin to see our first native grasses and asters in bloom this fall. The Parks and
Recreation Board plans to mow at the end of the year and meadow again next year with a slightly larger footprint.
Calling all Volunteers!
The PA Game Commission has recommended that Hilltop Park is perfect for ten bluebird houses and a Purple Martin colony.
The EAC seeks volunteers who would be interested in maintaining the birdhouses: checking them throughout spring and summer and cleaning them out once in fall.
Orientation will be provided. Please contact Susan Greene at sgreene@easttown.org to express your interest.
PLASTIC FILM RECYCLING
Easttown Township's Plastic Film Recycling Program: What Does it T
Easttown residents quickly embraced plastic film recycling when Easttown Township offered the opportunity to recycle this plastic waste in Spring 2021. The response has been tremendous, and hopefully it will continue to be as robust in the future!
What Does It Take:
In Terms of Types of Plastic?
Plastic film includes dry cleaner bags, Ziploc or fold over plastic food bags, water bottle and paper towel package overwraps, bread & bagel bags, produce bags, bubble wrap, plastic mailing envelops, ice bags, cereal bag liners, wood pellet bags, salt bags, and any plastic labeled #2 or #4 polyethylene films. Things that cannot be recycled are chip bags, candy wrappers, mesh produce bags, plastic gloves, six-pack rings, pre-washed salad bags, linen or bedding packaging, frozen food plastic bags, paper mailing envelopes or pet food bags. If the plastic film stretches when you pull on it, it is recyclable. If it tears into big pieces like paper does, and/or if it is crinkly/crunchy and shiny, it cannot be recycled.
What does It Take: How Can
Residents Recycle Effectively?
The plastic must be clean and dry because it is hand sorted by the Township volunteers who empty the bins at the Township building and the library. Further, the company that recycles the plastic cannot use dirty plastic. Clean means that no food or liquid can be on the plastic. All baggies or other items with food on them must be put in the trash by the volunteers or at the recycling plant, along with any items onto which food from baggies have leaked. The Township volunteers weigh and photograph the bin contents so that Easttown Township can get credit for the total amount of the plastic film we send to the company that uses the plastic. We have recycled 3,300lbs. of plastic since we began weighing plastic in September 2022. Every time we reach 500 lbs., we earn another bench for Easttown's parks. We have earned three benches, thanks to Easttown residents' commitment to the environment through this program. Once the plastic is weighed and photographed, volunteers drive the plastic to Wegmans where the plastic company picks up the plastic. The plastic is recycled into beautiful outdoor products including outdoor furniture, stairways, deck material, and privacy screens.
Plastic film is not a type of plastic that is able to be recycled through our Township waste hauler. Prior to the initiation of the Easttown Township plastic film recycling program, plastic film had to be thrown in
the trash. From there, it contributed to the mountains of trash in landfills. Now, we can recycle plastic film following the guidelines above. Small actions lead to big results!
Plastic Film Recycling Program: What does it Take to be Effective?
Clean and Dry Plastic Film (NO food waste) Plastic that stretches when you pull on it with both hands NO Plasticsheeting that is “crinkly/crunchy, or shiny or tears into pieces(These types cannot be recycled).
CAN WE STOP WASTING FOOD?
Summer is a great season for picnics, barbeques, and celebrations—enjoying foods like cold salads, watermelon, grilled meats. If you are Trash Smart, you know that we can all do better with how we manage uneaten food. A 2021 waste composition study at Lanchester Landfill demonstrated that 15% of the trash was food waste, and most of that was characterized as edible. Although food does decompose, it also creates methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
Some Chester County residents have a compost bin in their yard, mixing yard waste with food scraps. Some folks pay a composting company to collect their food scraps curbside. While Chester County works on trying to minimize food waste disposal, with limited composting options, there are some behaviors you can change while you plan meals, food shop, cook, and
clean the plates. Be Trash Smart; pledge to adopt even one action:
• Scan your kitchen, and plan meals with those ingredients before buying more perishable food.
• Use leftovers in an upcoming meal. An uneaten baked potato can be tomorrow's home fries.
• Mix bruised fruit with yogurt in a blender for a nutritious beverage.
• Create a weekly meal plan and stick to it. Just planning out 3-5 days and shopping for those fresh ingredients is a great start to reduce food waste.
• Check out the “Guest-imator” at www.savethefood.com to help you plan meals for special events.
• Date labels on foods are especially confusing, and most have little to do with food safety. Only baby formula has a legal mandate for a date label. An app such as FoodKeeper helps the public understand storage of food for freshness and quality (www.foodsafety.gov).
• Improve cooking skills to reduce undercooked and overcooked meals.
• Freeze leftover foods in anticipated portions. Date them for better quality use.
• Support your local farmers' markets.
• Donate only USABLE, WANTED food to food pantries.
• Learn to compost! Find composting resources at www.chestercountyswa.org.
• Take home leftovers when eating out or ask for smaller portions.
EARLY SCHOOLS OF EASTTOWN
In 1893, Easttown Township formed their first high school. Three years later the class of five students graduated. In 1897, Tredyffrin formed their high school. Within a few years Tredyffrin utilized the entrance exam from Haverford College as their school's final examination. In 1908 the Tredyffrin and Easttown Joint High School was established.
Prior to 1893, Easttown was home to smaller schoolhouses. Built in 1854 the Leopard School served as a school, community assembly hall and a place to hold church services. The school was damaged by fire.
The one-room Leopard School was built in 1882 and remains today in its original location as part of a comfortable home named Recess.
The Ogden School located on Church Road in Devon served the children of Waterloo Mills around 1855 to 1922. The old school is currently a private resident.
As time went on there was a need to add private schools in Easttown. The old Devon Inn became home to the Devon Manor for Girls from 1920 to 1924 when it declared bankruptcy. Later in 1928 the building opened as the Valley Forge Military Academy with 117 cadets. The school was totally destroyed by fire on January 18, 1929.
POLICE DEPARTMENT MESSAGE
Summer is winding down and the new school year is right around the corner! The Easttown Township Police Department would like to share some Back-to-School Safety tips.
• Please be cautious and alert when approaching a school bus stop and stop for pedestrians in crosswalks
• SLOW DOWN in school zones! Remember, the speed limit in a school zone is 15 mph
• Take extra care to look for kids in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas
• Keep a safe distance behind school buses, if the yellow or red lights are flashing, traffic must stop.
• If you are walking to school, remember to keep your head up and phone down
• Be Alert
Parents - talk bus SAFE-ty with your children:
• Stay at least 10 feet, 5 giant steps, away from the curb
• Always wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the bus driver signals for you to board
• Face forward after finding a seat on the bus
• Exit the bus after it stops and look all ways for cars before crossing the street
Have a fun rest of the summer, and a great start to the new school year!
1882 One-Room Leopard School
The Ogden School
1854 Leopard School
TE Joint High School
Sources: TE Garnet and Grey yearbooks circa 1930s, John W. Beatty 1908 Easttown Faculty image, Chester County Historical Society circa 1882 one-room Leopard School, The Devon Book, Margaret DePiano
Devon Manor ad
Valley Forge Military Academy ad
Spiers Junior School ad
BUILT TO LEND A HAND
Brake Repairs
Alignment Special
