West Bradford Day 2005 – Sunday May 22nd
Mark your calendars right now – the annual “West Bradford Day” celebration is set for Sunday, May 22nd from 1 to 4 pm at Broad Run Park. This year’s theme will be centered on fitness, trails, and greenways. Any residents with backgrounds or interest in physical fitness, the medical profession, health screening, nutrition, sports, or related fields that would like to take part in any way are encouraged to contact Gary Schmidt, Parks Director at 610-269-4174 or parks@westbradford.org.
The members of the West Bradford Day Committee are currently planning numerous diverse exhibits, demonstrations, games, amusements, and other special events to provide entertainment and fun for all ages! An abundance of food from many local eateries and organizations will be available to entertain your taste buds as well.
We need lots and lots of volunteers, so please call us to find out how you can help. As you can imagine, it requires a lot of people to organize and run a party for a township of 12,000 residents. People of all ages are needed to help with set-up, takedown, blowing up balloons, to act as greeters, guides, donning clown costumes, and many, many more activities.
Help continue the tradition of making the ‘West Bradford Township Party’ a yearly event, one we won’t soon forget! So go do it - mark your calendars – NOW --- and give us a call! Thanks!!!
Township History Book in Publication
The Township Historical Committee is pleased to announce the completion of “Between the Brandywines – A History of West Bradford” by Catherine Quillman.
Tucked away into a corner of the Brandywine Valley lies pastoral West Bradford. Its rolling farmlands and winding streams have been home to the Lenape Indians, Quaker settlers, and Revolutionary leaders.
Its cast of characters, including scientists, inventors, artists, explorers and movie stars, shaped events that spurred Methodist “Thunder” revivals, the Association for the Detection of Horse Thieves, and an unexpected landing by Charles Lindbergh.
Recall cattle drives through Marshallton, taking the stage to West Chester and hunting raccoons along the Broad Run. Discover its story.
Please see the Township’s website (www.westbradford.org) for a preview of a chapter. The final version of the book contains more than 400 pages and has over 250 photos, maps, and drawings. A special limited edition is also available containing large-scale foldout maps of the Township. The book will be available for purchase at West Bradford Day. The price for the standard edition book is $45, with the special edition at $55.
Scheduled Summer Road Improvements
The following projects will be completed this year as part of our 20-year capital plan for road resurfacing and replacement:
Additionally, PennDOT is expected to complete the following road projects in our area:
The West Bradford Fire Company (WBFC) has a new chief. Bill Buttner, a 25-year veteran of the fire company, is now the Company’s 17th chief. He will serve a 2-year term.
Founded in 1953, the WBFC is a 100 percent volunteer organization. It is staffed year round, 24 hours a day by trained personnel. Its firefighters provide full fire, rescue, and emergency services.
New volunteers are always welcome. To volunteer, stop by the firehouses in Marshallton or on the municipal campus any Thursday night. Visit their web site at www.wbfc.org.
Do you know what type of machine the “Spirit of Marshallton” was and who operated it?
Answer…
Clifford Young (1893-1931) was the first aviator to live in the Township. The “Spirit of Marshallton” was his rebuilt World War I plane. He was described as having assembled three planes in his spare time, in a shop on the farm where neighbors were welcome to bring "anything that needs repair."
"A good flying field is located next to the barn..."
-Clifford Young
Household Hazardous Waste Collection 2005
West Bradford Township participates in the Regional Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program. This means that you can take your residential household hazardous waste and discarded electronics equipment to any regional collection event.
This year’s collection days in the County are being held from 9 am to 3 pm on the following Saturdays
May 14 - Owen J. Roberts High School
981 Ridge Road Pottstown
(HHW Only)
September 10 - New Garden Township Building
8934 Gap Newport Road
Landenberg, PA 19350
(HHW Only)
October 1 - Government Services Center
601 Westtown Road
West Chester, PA 19380
(HHW & Computers)
Details on these events, and others in the region, may be found on the Chester County Health Department’s website (www.chesco.org/health/hhw.html). Please review the list for details on the items accepted.
By recycling township residents are not only saving the environment, but also helping to keep your trash fees lower. Every ton of recycling reduces the amount of trash that has to be collected and landfilled. Each ton of trash currently costs $52 to landfill.
Recyclables that are picked up at the curb include:
· Glass – clear, brown and green. Clean food and drink bottles and jars.
· Aluminum/Steel/Bi-metallic cans. Rinse.
· Plastic - #1 and #2 only. Rinse and remove caps. You can find the number of the plastic stamped on it.
· Newspaper & Mixed paper – including office paper, paper bags, magazines, all mail, light cardboard, and phone books. Please stack in a brown bag or tie neatly together.
While not required for pick-up, you may wish to crush plastic and cans to increase space in your bins and the collection truck. Rinsed brown and green glass can also be brought to the 24hr drop-off located at the Municipal Campus.
Recycling works – and remember, it’s not just good for the environment, it’s the law.
It’s finally Spring, and Summer is on its way!!
The Downingtown Area Recreation Consortium (DARC)
has several exciting activities and camps planned for the spring & summer.
Some of the programs offered during the spring & summer will include: After School German, Science & Drama Clubs, various Exercise classes, Yoga, Home Improvement Workshops, Scrapbooking, and Dance.
DARC will once again be offering a Half Day Playground Program for 4-6 year olds at Bradford Heights Elementary. Full Day Camp & Teen Camp programs are also back again this year. New camps this summer are a Cheerleading Camp and two weeks of Science Camps scheduled to be held at Broad Run Park. Youth Golf Camps are also scheduled to be back this summer at the Township’s Campus Park.
DARC will also be offering Men’s & Women’s Basketball leagues as well as a Coed Softball League this spring with a Women’s Softball League on the way in the summer.
If you are looking for a fun trip idea, DARC has several upcoming. Among the bus trips destinations are the Broadway shows "Lion King" & "Wicked", two “New York on Your Own” shopping trips, Annapolis for a Harbor Cruise, and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
Planning to visit an area amusement park? DARC will once again be offering discount tickets to the area amusement parks and attractions. Please call their office at 610-269-9260 or visit their website www.darcinfo.com for additional information.
Summer & Fall Sports! - West Bradford Youth Association [WBYA] sign ups for summer Street Hockey, Field Hockey Clinic and Pick-Up games and for fall Soccer, Field Hockey, Baseball and Softball will be held on April 30th and May 7th, between 9 am and 1 pm at the WB Fire Company substation at Poorhouse & Marshallton-Thorndale Roads. Contact WBYA by phone at 610-486-0525 or 610-344-9444, by e-mail at wbya@icdc.com, or through their website at www.wbya.org.
Earth Day 2005 Observance – Join us on Saturday, April 23rd as volunteers from all over WBT join together with thousands of other Pennsylvanians in the “2005 Great PA Cleanup.” Look for upcoming information on our website. Please contact us with any suggestions or questions.
Broad Run Park – Many residents walk their dogs on a regular basis on the trails of Broad Run and Beacon Hill Parks. Our canine friends are always welcome in our parks. But Township ordinances require that dogs must be leashed and that dog waste must be picked up immediately . “Mutt Mitt” dispensers are located at the parking lot kiosk and at the trail intersection at the Bradford Glen entrance - supplies are replenished daily.] All of us who use the parks on a regular basis greatly appreciate those dog lovers that walk their pets in a responsible manner. Thanks!!!
Shadyside Park – Despite difficult winter conditions, construction progressed steadily over the winter months. With the exception of the baseball field, all courts, rinks, trails, and other facilities should be ready for use approximately mid-summer 2005. The baseball field will be given another year to establish a solid turf. Play should begin there in 2006.
Summer Events 2005 – The WBT Recreation Commission has arranged over a dozen events for 2005 - look for upcoming information on our website. To continue to provide these events free of charge to everyone – residents, families, and friends – the Recreation Commission is currently seeking sponsors to help offset the costs to the Township.
We’d like to thank the following groups that have agreed to contribute towards the 2005 events: Comcast, PA Council on the Arts, Commerce Bank, VisionQuest, PECO/Exelon, Haverford Systems, Artworks, Downingtown Bicycle Shop, Yerkes Repair, Inc., and John Smith-Re/Max Leaders.
If your company or family is interested in becoming a sponsor please contact the Parks Director at 610-269-4174 or at parks@westbradford.org.
Memorial Day Parade in Marshallton – Sunday, May 29
Join us in our annual Memorial Day Activities on Sunday, May 29th, 2005. The parade will begin at 1:30 P.M. at the Marshallton United Methodist Church. Come and be a part of the large group of township residents and friends that traditionally line the sides of Strasburg Road to honor the memory of the men and women who served our country to ensure the freedoms we have today. Take in the sights and sounds of veterans, scout troops, the West Bradford Fire Company, the Lukens Band. At 2:00 P.M., a guest speaker will lead us in a Memorial Day Service at Bradford Cemetery [If it rains, the service will be held in the church sanctuary].
Marshallton Streetscapes Update
In November a public meeting was held with residents and business owners to get their views on what issues are important to Marshallton and ways to address them. The forty-five people who attended brought up their most pressing concerns and were then asked to rank them. The top five concerns were:
1. Limiting speeding
2. Creating uniform sidewalks
3. Removing truck traffic
4. Creating a village master plan
5. Enhancing streetscapes
The Township has begun to work on addressing some of these issues. The Board of Supervisors has authorized the purchase of a radar-timing device to study traffic speeds and deter speeding. The Township has passed a resolution in conjunction with the other Townships along Strasburg Road to nominate it as a Pennsylvania Scenic Byway to assist us in reducing truck traffic. The Planning Commission will be working with Thomas Comitta, a planner and one-time Marshallton resident, to develop revised zoning and develop a streetscape plan for the village.
It is hoped that over the course of this year many of the issues that were raised will continue to be addressed and more progress will be made.
Emergency and Municipal Services Tax
The Commonwealth has changed the name of the Occupational Privilege Tax to the Emergency and Municipal Services Tax. The Township does not levy or collect these taxes. Berkheimer Tax Administrators, on behalf of the School District, has recently sent tax bills to residents who have a business or work in our community. Those bills have the name of West Bradford Township listed on them, so it appears that the tax goes to the Township. It does not. The West Bradford Township Board of Supervisors continues to stress fiscal discipline in its taxing policy and has not raised taxes for Township residents for 33 years!
The Emergency Municipal Services Tax is available to local municipalities to be charged to those who work in the municipality at a maximum rate of $52 per year. It also allows the school district to collect the $10 Occupational Privilege Tax under the new name. Municipalities that collect the tax must use it for police, fire, road improvements or property tax reduction. The school district is not restricted in the use of the $10 that they collect.
Brandywine Meadows Preserve Expanded
The Township has purchased a sixteen-acre parcel along the East Branch of Brandywine to expand our Brandywine Meadows Preserve. The property was purchased from Sonoco Products Company and lies south of the existing preserve between Downingtown Pike and the creek. East Bradford Township has purchased the remaining 228 acres of the property within their township.
West Bradford Township is completing a master plan for the preserve. It will continue to remain primarily for passive recreation and wildlife habitat, but will also have a canoe launch and trail system.
Both municipalities have received a Federal grant to construct a paved, multi-purpose trail through the preserve. In the future, it is hoped that the trail will connect to the Struble Trail, the planned Chester Valley Trail, and to West Chester.
A previous newsletter article described the history of the Centre House (a.k.a Martin’s Tavern) located in Marshallton. A group of residents has now formed a non-profit organization called the Friends of Martin’s Tavern to preserve the site and create a small park.
The intent of the group is to dismantle the building, saving what is possible of the foundation walls, and creating a small park complete with walking paths and historic interpretive signage. Because the building has not been occupied for many years, the structure continues to deteriorate and has become a danger to adjacent properties. By dismantling and saving what is possible, the group hopes to spread the oral and written history of the tavern, while at the same time creating a green space in Marshallton.
The village of Marshallton is one of the two historically important villages in the Township. The retention of its history and character is very important to our community. If you would like more information on the Friends of Martin’s Tavern or would like to assist in their activities, contact them at 1400 West Strasburg Road, West Chester PA 19382 or call 610-696-7011.
The Township is accepting applications for summer help. Positions are available for summer road crew laborers. Internships are available in Geographic Information Systems and Computer Science. Job descriptions and application procedures can be found on our website (www.westbradford.org).
Lt. Pierce of the Pennsylvania State Police recommends that you lock your car and close and lock garage doors. There has been an outbreak of thefts from cars and garages that were unlocked. The police have assigned additional troopers to patrol the Township, but your help is needed in deterring the crimes. Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Lock your car and close your garage door.
For those residents who may have left behind a jacket, sports equipment, or a set of keys in our parks, please keep in mind that we have a lost and found at the Township Building. We are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please come into the main lobby and ask our reception staff.
Cub Scout Pack 152 from Marshallton built bluebird and wren houses and donated them for placement in the Township Parks. The boys assembled and sanded the houses at their monthly pack meetings at West Bradford Elementary School. For more information on the pack, contact Larry Case at (610) 269-0942.
With the rapid increase in development in the area, volunteers are needed to monitor the health of our waterways. Join the Brandywine Valley Association’s (BVA) Watershed Watch Program and learn how to evaluate and monitor the health of streams.
The BVA’s Watershed Watch Program is a great way for High School Students to get involved in their community and meet graduation requirements. To join or for additional information contact BVA Watershed Watch Coordinators, Jane Fava, Kathy Bergmann, or Debbie Vitulli at (610) 793-1090 or see www.brandywinewatershed.org.