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Brookhaven OKs comp plan
Published: Friday, March 5, 2010
By LORETTA RODGERS
Times Correspondent

BROOKHAVEN — Council recently adopted a multimunicipal comprehensive plan with the boroughs of Parkside and Upland.

A task force comprised of representatives of the three boroughs spent three years working on the multimunicipal plan, which provides a 10-year blueprint regarding zoning, community facilities and services, parks and recreation, transportation and economic development.

The planning commissions of the respective boroughs held a public meeting April 28, 2009, and on Oct. 20, 2009, a majority of the respective borough councils held a joint public hearing as required under Pennsylvania law.

“The multimunicipal plan is a valuable tool in aiding decision-making as the borough continues to evolve and change,” reads the resolution.

Councilman Vawn Donaway, who served on the task force, expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the three boroughs. He said there were a few “stumbling blocks” along the way, but the three municipalities worked well together.

Residents may view the multimunicipal plan during regular business hours at the borough business office on Cambridge Drive.

[Spring7012]

The MMCP is also available for download from the Brookhaven Borough website:

http://www.brookhavenboro.com/index.php ... inal-draft

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Police hit the brakes on aggressive driving
Published: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
By JOHN M. ROMAN
jroman@delcotimes.com

Local police departments Monday released the results of their federally funded crackdown on aggressive driving last week.

About 300 municipal police departments and state police participated in the operation statewide targeting speeding, tailgating and other aggressive driving behaviors. Funding was distributed through PennDOT.

Brookhaven police issued 33 citations on Edgmont Avenue (Route 352) between 7-11 p.m. Thursday, said Police Chief John Eller. Participating were officers Gregory Martin and Scott Ely, and a state trooper.

The speed limit on Edgmont Avenue is 35 mph.

Martin issued 12 speeding citations and one other citation, Ely gave out 12 speeding citations and two others and Officer Rick Fuller issued six speeding citations and one other citation, Eller said.

The operation was conducted between Dutton Mill and Cambridge roads.

Ridley Township Police Capt. Charles H. Howley said his officers assisted in the crackdown Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

“This is a good program for the operators on major highways that drive responsibly,” he said. “We crack down on the operators who are just too aggressive in nature, running red lights, changing lanes without using their turn signals at high rates of speed and tailgating.”

Wednesday, three officers conducted an operation along MacDade Boulevard, Kedron Avenue (Route 420), Chester Pike (Route 13) and South Avenue.

“They stopped 33 motorists in a four-hour period and wrote 25 citations plus several warnings on a variety of traffic and motor vehicle violations,” Howley said.

Thursday, two officers working in the same areas stopped 27 motorists and issued 24 citations for a variety of vehicle code and traffic violations.

Friday, one officer working during rush hour — 3-7 p.m. — made a total of 10 vehicle stops and wrote up seven citations and three warnings.

“Hopefully, as a result of this operation, people will learn to be mindful that there are other drivers on the road,” Howley said.

The operation in Ridley Park, Glenolden and Norwood was “highly successful,” according to Ridley Park Police Chief Tom Byrne.

It was conducted from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday on Chester Pike and Sellers Avenue, he said.

Norwood police issued 38 citations and Glenolden police wrote up 32 citations, most of them for speeding.

The speed limit on Chester Pike is 40 mph, on Sellers Avenue is 25 mph and in the school zone is 15 mph, Byrne said.

Ridley Park police issued 60 citations, most of them for speeding in the school zone in Ridley Park and speeding on Sellers Avenue, he said.

There was also one arrest for disorderly conduct.

In Springfield, Officer Keith Robbins, the traffic enforcement specialist, issued 15 citations Thursday on and off Route 1, and feeder streets, 14 for speeding and one for an expired driver’s license, said police Lt. William Clark.

Everyone stopped was wearing seat belts, he said.

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Parkside honors pair of citizens
Published: Wednesday, March 31, 2010

PARKSIDE — A pair of nominations for recognition awards came out of the March 24 borough council meeting, with John Ford and Rachel Counts being cited for citizenry above and beyond the call of duty.

Ford maintains a beautifully manicured and landscaped lot on West Chelton Road. The longtime resident was nominated for the Outstanding Citizen Award by Councilman Douglas Bull in recognition of the extra effort that the homeowner has put out to raise his and his neighbors’ property values.

Ford will be formally feted for his community contributions at council’s April 28 meeting.

Similar recognition had been planned for John Cornog, who voluntarily sweeps the curb along Edgmont Avenue on a regular basis.

Cornog was described as “council-shy,” after he was a no-show for two attempts to honor him at council meetings. His Outstanding Citizen Award was delivered to his home.

Rachel Counts of East Roland Road was nominated by borough Engineer Lisa Catania for the Excellence In Youth Award, which is given by the Delaware County Office of Employment and Training.

Counts has served on borough council as a junior councilperson for the past two years. The Sun Valley junior organized a creek clean-up last year and is hoping to repeat the eco-friendly task this year.

“We all felt that you should be commended as an example for our youth,” council President Shirley Purcival said of Counts’ nomination.

Recipients of the youth recognition award will be named by the county later this spring.

— KENN STARK

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Parkside secretary to fill void of deputy tax collector
Published: Wednesday, March 31, 2010

PARKSIDE — Borough Secretary Linda Higgins will soon be bonded so she can serve as deputy tax collector during the upcoming 10-day absence of Tax Collector Olivia Avila-Deitman.

Higgins has been the borough’s part-time secretary for the last 20 years. Although she is bonded as a notary, a special bonding and appointment process must be followed in the case of a deputy tax collector.

Avila-Deitman recently learned of the need to travel to California to tend to family matters. Her absence from the tax office is expected to span the first 10 days of April.

By bonding and deputizing Higgins, someone will be on hand at the borough office to receive taxes, should any residents choose to make payments during the tax collector’s absence.

In other business, council accepted the resignation of Kermit Counts from the Civil Service Commission, and thanked Nick Capobianco of East Roland Road for filling the vacated post of commission president.

— KENN STARK

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Parkside Town Watch is back
Published: Friday, April 02, 2010

PARKSIDE — While most borough residents are comfortable at home, some of their neighbors are now out walking the streets to make sure that all remains safe and secure.

The borough’s town watch program is back.

Bill Cropper of East Avon Road has been able to recruit just four other residents to help him patrol the borough.

With 5 miles of residential streets to cover, additional volunteers will be needed for this grassroots effort to succeed.

“We’re limited in what we can do right now, because we just don’t have a lot of volunteers,” Cropper recently told borough council. “Our biggest problem is people not volunteering to do it, so we’re just going to start with what we have.”

A March 23 presentation by Brookhaven Town Watch officials helped Cropper and his deputies get organized.

Parkside Police Sgt. William Paul will be the town watch liaison. Cropper describes town watch patrols as “just the eyes and ears of the police department.”

Following the advice of Parkside Police Chief John Egan, town watch will not be publicizing the hours of their patrols.

Cropper did announce, however, that active patrols started on March 27 and will continue on a daily basis through Penn-Delco schools’ Spring Break.

— KENN STARK

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Parkside home hit by sinkholes
Published: Sunday, April 04, 2010

PARKSIDE — The renters of a home on the unit block of Beechwood Road recently reported two sinkholes on the property. By the time the borough engineer had arrived, a total of five had developed at various spots on the lot.

Borough Engineer Lisa Catania could not assess the exact cause of each sinkhole, but was able to determine that none of the pits were the borough’s responsibility to fix.

One sinkhole is at a sanitary sewer lateral.

Other depressions have developed near the foundation of the house at the outfall of roof gutters.

Collapsed soil in the rear yard is probably the site of an old cistern or septic tank that was not properly filled in, Catania speculated.

Catania recommended an inspection of the besieged property by Code Enforcement Officer David Favinger to determine what corrective steps should be taken by the residents.

— KENN STARK

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Crego, ex-Penn-Delco prez, among 18 charged at checkpoint
Published: Tuesday, April 13, 2010
By CINDY SCHARR
cscharr@delcotimes.com

Click to enlarge

BROOKHAVEN — Disgraced former Republican Penn-Delco School Board President Keith Crego is among 18 people facing drunken driving charges after being snagged in a sobriety checkpoint Saturday night.

Crego pleaded guilty in 2008 to five felony counts, including bribery and violating the state Ethics Act, for surreptitiously setting up Quick Start LLC, a preschool program utilized by the Penn-Delco School District, for his own financial gains. He served several months in jail before being released on three years probation.

Crego, 39, who now lives in Bethel, was stopped during the checkpoint, held at Brookhaven Road and Edgmont Avenue from 11 p.m.-4 a.m. Saturday into Sunday, police said.

The former school board president was taken to the Brookhaven Police Station, where he was read his rights then fingerprinted, photographed and had blood drawn for testing, police said. He was released to a friend or relative.

Crego and the others stopped during the checkpoint will be receiving a summons in the mail instructing them as to when to report to Brookhaven District Court to be arraigned.

Also facing DUI charges as a result of the checkpoint are: Barbara Edwards, 55, of Wallingford; John Durning, 51, of Ridley Park; Bryan Workman, 46, of Brookhaven; Eric Hernandez, 28, of Folcroft and Bryon Woods, 29, of Brookhaven.

Matthew Lehman, 28, of Media; Robynn Frick, 36, of Eddystone; Mustafa Muhammad, 23, of Chester; Robin Manigault, 45, of West Chester; Thomas Dinapoli, 25, of Prospect Park; Janet Clark, 28 of Chester Township; Nicholas Sexton of Glenolden; and Charles White, 27, of Chester, are also facing DUI charges.

John Engblom, 18, of Wallingford, is facing charges of DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia, minors driving with alcohol and underage drinking.

Asaad Brown, 30, of Chester, will be getting a summons for DUI, false information to law enforcement and driving with a suspended license.

Anisha Jones, 19, of Chester, and Justin Parsons, 19, of Sinking Springs, are facing DUI, underage drinking and minors driving with alcohol charges.

Albert Bristol, 20, of Chester, was stopped for underage drinking and violating the open container act. John Stein, 34, of Wynwood, allegedly was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. John Frick, 36, of Eddystone, is facing charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct and Patrick Byrne Jr., 34, of Linwood, was picked up on a bench warrant.

Police also issued 25 motor vehicle violations and 13 drivers were cited for driving with a suspended license

[WestGarrison]

In this world of "Right To Know", something's should not be in the press. The main name mentioned, he's a different person. He's a public person, or was. But I really do not like seeing the names and towns of every person that was popped at a check point. That's almost bringing back the Scarlet Letter.