Monthly Archives: February 2012

it’s a billboard thing.

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Billlboards are just ugly and I find the digital ones very distracting and constantly question if they are actually safe.

I was a passenger in a car on 202 on Saturday and was astounded by the new billboards being erected in or around Westtown on 202. GIANT billboards that were like GIANT flat screen televisions.  I could not believe any municipality would think they were safe on an accident prone road like Route 202.

The photos were taken with my camera phone so they are fuzzy, but I think you get the picture, literally.  This was how bright they were during daylight hours.

Seriously, I can’t understand how any municipality in Chester County thinks these are a positive addition to any community, can you?

Here is the article from the billboard hearing wrap-up in Haverford Township. If you are in Phoenixville of any other community facing the prospects of billboards in your community, I suggest you read the article and check these billboards out live on Route 202.

Haverford zoning board hears final billboard arguments By LOIS PUGLIONESI Times Correspondent

Published: Monday, February 06, 2012

…..The proposed locations for the five, double-faced, 672-square-foot signs are 2040, 1330 and 1157 West Chester Pike, and 600 and 648 Lancaster Ave.
A decision will be issued Feb. 16, Chairman Robert Kane said, with a written opinion to follow.
Testimony spanned two years and nine months in 26 hearings
BIG attorney Marc Kaplin repeated his argument that Haverford’s sign ordinances improperly exclude billboards, a legitimate use. The township has the right to regulate but not prohibit these signs, Kaplin said. ….Township attorney Jim Byrne maintained that BIG’s validity challenge concerned the township’s alleged prohibition on outdoor advertising, with billboards comprising one form. Haverford allows alternate outdoor advertising forms, such as ads on bus shelter, shopping cart, and stadiums, Byrne said.
He averred that Haverford’s billboard exclusion is justified based on public health, safety and welfare concerns.
He noted to a recent calamity in which a seven-story billboard collapsed onto the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in New York.
And these gigantic signs are inherently intended to create driver distraction, Byrne said, undesirable in busy, congested areas witnesses have identified as already taxing for motorists.
Byrne cited the Pennsylvania Constitution, affording everyone the right to “clean air, pure water, preservation of natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment.”  (READ MORE HERE)

Also, a  cross-post from the Save Ardmore blog:

Hmmm.  Whaddya know?  The court says the Five Points Billboard in Bryn Mawr is not allowed?  Sticking out tongue

This news comes from Lower Merion Commissioner this afternoon.  To billboard activists I am sure this is both poignant and welcome news on the night of the last scheduled billboard hearing in Haverford Township. (as per WG Hills Mom it is at 7 pm today 2/2/2012 at Haverford Twp Bldg, 2325 Darby Rd, Havertown.)

Anyway, not to keep you in suspense, but here is (verbatim) the update on the Bryn Mawr Five Points Billboard as per Comissioner  Scott Zelov:

Dear Bryn Mawr Neighbors,

The Court has just today confirmed that the existing billboard in Bryn Mawr at the 5 points intersection is not allowed!   It’s been awhile since the Township issued a zoning violation against the billboard attached to a wall above that intersection.  After the notice was issued, the Township learned that the billboard company is the same company with whom Haverford Township and Lower Merion Township are at odds over billboards proposed for Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr—and for which the closing arguments are tonight in Haverford Township!  Over a year ago the Lower Merion Zoning Board found that the existing billboard had to be removed.  The decision was appealed, and this morning the Common Pleas Court denied the appeal and upheld the decision of the Lower Merion Zoning Board.  The decision can be further appealed to the Commonwealth Court; however, thus far the Township has achieved another big victory and excellent result against a billboard that doesn’t belong in our community. 

Thanks, Scott Zelov

Here’s a walk down memory lane on this particular billboard:

Main Line Times > News Billboard debate shifts to Five Points Published: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 By Cheryl Allison

yikes in west vincent

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New e-mail from Chickenman – he found a new website:

Birchrun Hills (Ken Miller) EPA Report

 

Hi
So, as everyone digests the PA Department of Environmental Protection report on Birchrun Hills Farm, owned by Ken Miller (Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of West Vincent Township) and his wife Susan, who are the producers of Birchrun Hills products such as Veal and their much touted cheese such as Birchrun Blue, I promised more to the story.
It seems that the Feds decided to take a look at what Ken Miller is doing at his farm. I have been forwarded a a website that contains a brand new report from the EPA. I will refrain from comment for now, just take some time to read the documentation, all 140 pages of report with photos. It will shock and amaze. Good reading!
http://kenmillersepareport.blogspot.com/
More to come……….
To see my previous mailings please click on http://tinyurl.com/westvincentinfos  As usual, if you want to be on or off my list, or have some comments or suggestions, or know someone who would like to be on the list, please let me know.  Feel free to forward this email on to anyone you think might be interested.   Especially though, if you don’t want to continue to receive my mails, please tell me, it will be done.  Just hit reply to this email or write to chestercountynews@gmail.com
Best wishes
Chickenman

no, east goshen residents don’t want to have THAT kind of glow.

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In a prior post about doings in Chester County, I touched upon a very scary thing: the discovery of radioactive materials in trash that they are saying came from the Hershey’s Mill City-State in East Goshen/West Chester:

Radioactive material came from West Chester trash

Published: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 By Daily Local News Staff

NORRISTOWN — The Department of Environmental Protection is asking anyone who knows the history of an antique medical kit found in a West Chester trash bin to contact the agency’s Bureau of Radiation Protection.
“The radioactive material may have been contained in the kit for more than 80 years,” Bureau Director David Allard said. “The metal box likely came from a basement, an attic or a collector’s stash. Anyone who tampered with it or stored it for a long time may have been exposed to high levels of radiation.”
The material was found Jan. 19, when a load of construction debris set off radiation alarms at Waste Management Inc.’s Norristown transfer station. The company deployed a health physicist to recover the radioactive material, identified as approximately one curie of radium-226. Exposure to one curie of radium-226 is equivalent to having more than 100 CT scans at once, and it has the potential to create skin burns within a few hours of contact. …DEP health physicists worked with Waste Management to properly evaluate and store the radium, and traced its source to a roll-off container that had come from the Hershey’s Mill retirement community in West Chester.
The radium-226 was contained in four capsules inside a small lead safe marked “Radium Chemical Co., Inc.” The safe and some antique surgical equipment were stored inside a larger, locking metal box, which had been pried open.

DO NOT OPEN THIS BOX! (Credit: William Bender The Daily Delco Philly.com)

Ok, so look, this is the stuff that freaks people out with good reason – it’s very, very dangerous to handle this stuff, be exposed, knowingly or unwittingly expose others.  Take me for example: I am a breast cancer survivor of eight months yesterday.  However, it has not yet been enough time since I finished my treatment that I am even allowed to be near anything that smacks of radiation, or even get my teeth x-rayed.

So naturally, given my personal experience I think of all those people living in Hershey’s Mill, some of whom are say, bound to be people being treated for something where exposure to radiation could be potentially very harmful to them?

No one knows where this stuff came from, and my guess is some resident in Hershey’s Mill forgot they had something like that and chucked it.  Of course, can it be considered that someone thought no one would check all the trash cans and receptacles inside the City-State compound that is Hershey’s Mill and dumped it there?

Either way, it’s no joke.  If someone knows something, pick up the phone and contact the authorities.  This is not something to look the other way on. NBC10 and other media sources are saying the DEP is now in on this.  West Chester Patch discusses it HERE.

Here’s hoping Hershey’s Mill can shed some light on this….after all the great, expansive boundaries of Hershey’s Mill touch other residential areas and I am hoping they are going to be really good neighbors here.  Even State Rep. Dan Truitt (whomever he is, haven’t had the pleasure of an introduction) has put out an alert on this.

I am not trying to be an oh-my-God alarmist here, but seriously?  This is not the warm glow anyone wants or needs.

Here’s what East Goshen has sent out to residents:

uncle chickenman needs YOU

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No man nor chicken are an island.  I don’t know who Chickenman of West Vincent is, but ya’ know what?  He puts it out there.  He seems to get from my estimation from afar that the truth is his best defense.  Chickenman also gets the joke that people only have as much power over you as you allow them to.  That goes for local government types too.

So I am going to post his latest West Vincent Infos e-mail below.  So why can’t some helpful citizen help a chicken out?  Surely someone maybe has or can take some photos from a public viewpoint about this manure runoff and send them to the Chickenman?  You all seem to be better for his courage, so help a chicken out.   I don’t have the lay of the land, so it needs to be a West Vincent regular.

He puts it on the line for all of you and the betterment of the community, right? So help a chicken out.

Of course the easiest thing would be for this Supervisor Miller to fix his poo piles and lead by positive example, right? But I am naiive to these pooing doings in West Vincent, so am I hoping for too much?  Or he’ll just say there are no poo problems at all?  Or maybe Lower Merion transplant Supervisor Brown could encourage the end of the pooing doings by just getting it done? I mean didn’t some of you tell me some of the land farmed on by Supervisor Miller is in a sense owned by We The People of West Vincent?

Here’s what he is clucking about today:

Hi
Continuing with the DEP Report on Ken Miller:

The report mentions a storm drain near the exposed manure pile that appeared to be clean of any contamination. Whether contaminated water makes it into that drain or not does not mean that the water isn’t flowing downhill.

Whenever it rains, there is runoff from the Miller Farm that flows across the street (Horseshoe Trail). This has been observed in any heavy rain. This runoff from the manure pile and Miller’s barn area carries the contaminants to the downward sloping field across the street (where Miller’s veal calves are located). That effluent then goes DIRECTLY to the Birch Run at the bottom of the hill, entering the “exceptional value stream”. There are ways to resolve this issue but apparently Ken Miller doesn’t feel it is necessary, even while he is embraced by the environmentalists.

The report states: Discussions with Mr. Miller included the possible construction of a manure storage facility in the location of the pile that would be under roof and bermed to prevent exposure to stormwater runoff.


Followed by: Mr. Miller stated at the time of the inspection that he did not have a conservation plan and a manure management plan. Both plans are required for the storage of manure onsite.
Note where I have underlined. REQUIRED is the important word. It isn’t “recommended” or “like to see”, or “hope Miller would be a team player and do us a favor”. The word is REQUIRED. Why are these plans REQUIRED? To protect people downstream. That would be all the Birchrunville supporters. Again, Miller is delivering exactly what he thinks of you.

This report does not mention that Miller was in violation for the EXACT SAME THING between 12-18 months before. He is a repeat offender.

I noticed recently that there was a Conditional Use hearing for a resident (I believe the name was McKenzie) that wanted to install a pool and there was great concern that during a pump down of the pool water, there would be an issue of the chlorinated water getting into the Birch Run. Isn’t it funny that the greenies prefer raw sewage to chlorine? Sounds like a good shot of chlorine is just what the Birch Run needs to help clean up Miller’s contamination. Isn’t anyone living alongside this creek getting a bit concerned? Clare? Pam? Oh, that’s right, neither lives next to the Birchrun, so it doesn’t matter to them.
There’s more on this subject to come.
On a lighter note, here is a touch of chicken humor: http://www.improbable.com/airchives/paperair/volume12/v12i5/chicken-12-5.pdf

To see my previous mailings please click on http://tinyurl.com/westvincentinfos  As usual, if you want to be on or off my list, or have some comments or suggestions, or know someone who would like to be on the list, please let me know.  Feel free to forward this email on to anyone you think might be interested.   Especially though, if you don’t want to continue to receive my mails, please tell me, it will be done.  Just hit reply to this email or write to chestercountynews@gmail.com
Best wishes
Chickenman

things are starting to happen down on the farms in chester county!

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Two farms I think are awesome are Yellow Springs Farm and Stratton’s Wynnorr Farm.

At Yellow Spring’s Farm they have just announced their 2012 Goat Cheese CSA, open farm days on Sat/Sun, May 5-6; May 12-13; Sat, May 19; 10 am to 4 pm.  They also have the most amazing plants they raise.  I have actually purchased plant material from them in the past and can honestly say their plants are amazing and healthy.

Yellow Springs’s Farm is located at 1165 Yellow Springs Road in Chester Springs.  Their phone number is 610-827-2014 and they have a website. They are by appointment only if you care to visit the farm, and it is a little slice of heaven.

Moving over to Westtown, Stratton’s Wynorr Farm has announced their 2012 CSA .  In addition, did you know they offer small farm consulting services?

Much like Yellow Springs, Stratton’s is a beautiful working farm.  I love visiting there.  They have in the fall, pretty much my favorite corn maze.  Their phone number is 610-399-9080.  They have a website. They are on Route 926, East of Rte. 352.

Another fun thing here is the yarn they sell out of their own sheep.  So if you are a knitter, check out their yarns. I am not a knitter, can’t crochet, but am perfectly happy to receive…..

in the news in chester county

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Last night at dinner time came the gruesome and sad news of an apparent suicide by car burning in Chester County (specifically Charlestown Township/Malvern):

NBC10: Body Found Inside Burned Out Car: Emergency crews responding to a car fire report in Chester County discovered a body inside the burned out vehicle.

I find that horribly sad and tragic.  It happened at Haverford College in 2009 – not a student, but someone who came in from the outside and ended their life in a remote parking lot.

There are so many people who are so deeply troubled.

In other news, let’s talk radioactive trash:

Radioactive material came from West Chester trash

Published: Thursday, February 02, 2012

NORRISTOWN — The Department of Environmental Protection is asking anyone who knows the history of an antique medical kit found in a West Chester trash bin to contact the agency’s Bureau of Radiation Protection…..The material was found Jan. 19, when a load of construction debris set off radiation alarms at Waste Management Inc.’s Norristown transfer station. The company deployed a health physicist to recover the radioactive material, identified as approximately one curie of radium-226. Exposure to one curie of radium-226 is equivalent to having more than 100 CT scans at once, and it has the potential to create skin burns within a few hours of contact.
DEP health physicists worked with Waste Management to properly evaluate and store the radium, and traced its source to a roll-off container that had come from the Hershey’s Mill retirement community in West Chester. 

Nice.  A retirement community.

Punxscutawney Phil, meanwhile, is predicting six more weeks of winter.

Now, previously, I had posted about  local food banks, and in today’s Malvern Patch there is a story about the People’s Pantry, formerly known as the Deacon’s Pantry in Frazer.  They are raising funds for a new building and have been approved as a 501(c)(3), making deductions tax-deductible.  They serve close to 2500 people- at least 500 households.  They have a website. In other food bank news, West Chester Patch announced that Chester County Food Bank has been named 2012 Business of the Year by the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce.  Read about it here.

We live in horrible economic times at present, and many are struggling.  If you can contribute to a local food bank, that is to paraphrase Martha Stewart, a good thing.

West Chester Patch has announced lane closures (for a change, right?) on Route 202:

Nighttime  lane closures are scheduled on northbound and southbound Route 202  between the Westtown Road and Route 100 interchanges in West Goshen  Township, Chester County on Monday through Friday (Feb. 6-10) from 8  p.m. to 5 a.m. …PennDOT reminds motorists they can log on to 511pa.com

The condition of 202 and how long this has taken is a personal pet peeve of mine.  That road is dangerous and deplorable. And the projects are like bad Brooklyn Bridge jokes. Construction never stops, never really completes, and work doesn’t seem to last very long.  They also do a crappy job of clearing debris from accidents, etc. from the roadway.

My last thing for this particular post is an outbreak of Whooping Cough in West Chester:

Whooping Cough Outbreak Declared for West Chester School

NBC10: Cases of pertussis at a West Chester school have officials shutting off classes to those who have not been vaccinated against the disease

By  Teresa Masterson
|  Thursday, Feb 2, 2012  |  Updated 8:32 AM EST

There is an outbreak of Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, at the Hillsdale Elementary School in West Chester, officials say.

Only days after a case of whooping cough was confirmed at another Chester County school– Great Valley High School – the superintendent of West Chester Area School District announced Tuesday that its elementary school has an “outbreak” of the highly contagious disease….

Scanlon said that any student or employee who does not have all of the necessary vaccines will not be allowed into school.

According to the Chester County Health Department, pertussis is spread through the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It begins with cold symptoms and a cough that becomes much worse over one to two weeks.

Symptoms usually include a long series of coughs (coughing fits) followed by a whooping noise.  However, older children, adults and very young infants may not develop the whoop.  There is generally no fever, officials say.

People with pertussis may have a series of coughs followed by vomiting, turning blue, or difficulty catching their breath….The disease can be very severe…For any parent who wants to have a child vaccinated, the Chester County Health Department offers free vaccinations for children under the age of 18 on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The vaccine is also available free of charge for adults