SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY WATCH PROGRAM

Community Watch is a crime prevention program enlisting the active
participation of Springfield Township residents in cooperative effort with local law
enforcement to reduce crime, solve problems, and improve the quality of life
in our community.

 

Going beyond crime prevention, Community Watch aims to address quality
of life concerns within Springfield Township as we build upon and maintain an
open line of communication with our residents.  Working together we can
reach out to put the "neighbor " back into neighborhood.

 

The Springfield Police Department is now accepting applications for
volunteers interested in joining the Community Watch Program. 
For more information please visit our website at www.SpringfieldPD.com or
call Officer Patrick McKenna at 610-544-1100, ext. 415. 


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Due to the Labor Day Holiday on Monday, September 6th, 2010 trash and recycling
will not be collected.  Trash that is normally collected on Mondays and Thursdays will
only be collected on Thursday, September 9th of that week.

 

Residents are asked to hold their paper and commingled recycling until the following
Monday, September 13th, 2010. 
 

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FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News for Immediate Release

 Aug. 23, 2010

 

Department of Health Urges Pennsylvanians to Get Immunized Against Whooping Cough;
Clinics Slated in York, Delaware Counties

 

Harrisburg – With some areas of the state seeing an increase in whooping cough, known medically as pertussis,
the Department of Health urges all Pennsylvanians to ensure they are protected against the vaccine-preventable disease.

 

The department will soon hold public vaccination clinics in York and Delaware counties,
where cases of  pertussis have been rising.

 

Pertussis is an infection of the respiratory system and is characterized by severe
coughing spells that end in a "whooping" sound when the person breathes in.

 

The pertussis vaccine is required for children to enter school. Because immunity from the vaccine fades over time,
most adolescents and adults are susceptible to the disease. In addition to the typical childhood series of
pertussis immunizations at 2, 4, 6, 15-18 months and a booster at 4-6 years, the Department of Health recommends
the adolescent-adult pertussis vaccine, Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis, or Tdap, booster for:

 

·         individuals 10-64 years of age who are not fully immunized;

·         women of childbearing age, before or immediately after pregnancy;

·         people who have contact with pregnant women or infants too young to have received a
full series of vaccinations; and

·         all family members and caregivers of infants.

 

Individuals should talk to their doctor to discuss their current vaccine status or   request the vaccine.

 The first symptoms of whooping cough are similar to those of a common cold including runny nose, sneezing,
mild cough and low-grade fever. After about one to two weeks, the dry, irritating cough evolves into coughing spells
that can last for more than one minute and can lead to vomiting.

 For more information about immunizations, visit www.vaccinesforlife.com or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH.

 

Media contact:  Holli Senior, 717-787-1783

 

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Delaware County Brings Green Energy Practices "Home"

County's Conservation District Offers Free Energy Conservation Workshops

Delaware County residents can learn how to save energy and conserve water through a series of

free workshops being offered through the Delaware County Conservation District.

The Delaware County Conservation District is partnering with the Pennsylvania Resources

Council (PRC) to offer a series of free, educational workshops aimed at helping residents establish

environmentally friendly practices in the home and work place.

The workshops, titled "Bringing Green Energy Home" and "We All Live Downstream" are funded

through two grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Education Grants

Program. The first series of workshops on "Bringing Green Energy Home" will take place this fall,

starting on Sept. 16. The second series, titled "We All Live Downstream," will be scheduled in spring

2011. For information about either program, residents can call the Delaware County Conservation District

at (610) 892-9484 or visit www.delcocd.org.

The Conservation District is a service of County government that advocates for natural resource

protection and conservation. The Pennsylvania Resource Council's mission is to promote individual and

collection actions to preserve Pennsylvania's environmental resources. "These programs provide residents with useful information
on alternative energy technologies and water conservation techniques they can do in their homes or offices to
save money and energy, and to protect our environment," said County Council Vice Chairman Christine Fizzano Cannon.
"I encourage our residents to take advantage of these free workshops."

"Bringing Green Energy Home"

The "Bringing Green Energy Home'''' series aims to educate homeowners and renters on alternative

energy technologies, which include compact fluorescent light bulbs, solar-powered water heaters, hybrid

vehicles and more. There will be six workshops this September through December and four additional

workshops in the spring. All workshops are 7-8:30 p.m. (more)

(Conservation -workshops continued)

The fall "Bringing Green Energy Home" workshops are scheduled for: Thursday, Sept. 16 at the

20th Century Club, 84 S. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne; Wednesday, Oct. 6, at the Pennsylvania

Resources Council, 3606 Providence Road, Newtown Square; Monday, Oct. 18 at Watkins Senior Center,

326 Watkins Ave., Upper Darby; Tuesday, Nov. 9, at Chester City Hall, 1 Fourth St., Chester; Thursday.,

Dec. 2, at Morton Borough Hall, Sycamore and Highland avenues, Morton; and Tuesday, Dec. 14, at the

Pennsylvania Resources Council. During the program, the Pennsylvania Resource Council's trained environmental
educators will  present 90-minute multimedia and interactive presentations discussing all aspects of energy use in the

home. Both traditional and non-traditional household energy conservation methods will be discussed.

This workshop will benefit homeowners as well as business owners and landlords.

Residents can learn about Energy Star appliances, insulation, low-e windows, and computerized

regulation of thermostats and lighting. Environmental educators will be available to answer questions after every workshop.

Up to 80 participants per workshop will return home with a complimentary compact fluorescent

light bulb (CFL,) and course materials to help establish energy conservation efforts. One lucky participant

per workshop will also win a home energy audit worth $250.

"We All Live Downstream"

The series of five "We All Live Downstream" workshops will be conducted through the spring

and summer of 2011. Workshop dates and locations will be announced in the future.

"We All Live Downstream" will combine multimedia, interactive presentations to inform residents

on water conservation and storm water management practices for households, businesses and municipalities.

Residents will learn about conserving water in the home, environmentally friendly auto care, sump

pump drainage retrofits and proper function of storm water management basins. The series will also

discuss the benefits of native landscaping for water conservation, rain gardens and rain barrels.

* Residents can register for the "Bringing Green Energy Home" and "We All Live Downstream"

workshops online by visiting www.delcocd.org or www.prc.org. People can also call the Delaware

County Conservation District at (610) 892-9484. Online registration is preferred. Registration for "We All

Live Downstream" will open in 2011.

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CHANGE A LIFE: BECOME A LITERACY TUTOR

If you have time, talent, and energy, you can make a difference by becoming a volunteer literacy tutor
to a Delaware County adult.  The Delaware County Literacy Council is offering 10 hours of free tutor
training on September 25th and October 2nd, from 9:00am to 2:30pm, at New Life Methodist Church,
State Road and Sellers Avenue, in Upper Darby, PA,  19082.  Participants must attend both Saturday
sessions and must pre-register by calling Susan at 610-876-4811.

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FREE TREES

Springfield Township has recently been awarded a grant from the PECO Green Region
Program in the amount of $5,000 to purchase native bare root trees.  The Township hopes
to distribute these trees, at no cost, to interested residents for planting in their front yard area. 
The program will be broken into two phases; with 100-120 trees expected to be distributed in
early November of this year and a similar amount in the spring of 2011.  Township officials are

initially offering the trees to residents who currently do not have a tree in their front yard. 
Depending on the response, the trees will be made available to other residents, if still available.

 

Springfield Township has formed an alliance with the Shade Tree Commission, the Tree Tenders group and
members of the Springfield Garden Club to assist in public education and the implementation of this project.
 Representatives of the Tree Tenders and Garden Club will be conducting a seminar to educate interested
residents on the proper planting, care and maintenance of these trees.  For those unable to attend,
educational material will be provided along with the tree list.  Lastly, for those residents physically
unable to plant the tree, Tree Tender volunteers will offer to provide this service. 

 

If you are interested in receiving one of these trees, I encourage you to contact Frank Pappa,
Springfield Superintendent of Parks, at 610-543-3860, immediately, as the tree will be awarded
on a first come, first served basis.  This project provides the opportunity for Springfield Township
to partner with our active civic groups, such as the Tree Tenders, Garden Club and Shade Tree
Commission to enhance the environment and beauty of our community.

 

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Safer ways to ward off bugs
(This article is adapted from the July 2010 Consumer Reports magazine.)

http://www.greenerchoices.org/products.cfm?product=deet-fre
 

Using deet repellents safely

• Do not apply to hands or near eyes and mouth of young children.
• Do not allow young children to apply the product themselves.
• Do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin or under clothing; do not spray directly onto face.
• Use just enough repellent to cover exposed skin and/or clothing; avoid over-application.
• After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water; wash treated clothing before wearing it again.
• Beware of sunscreen-deet combination productions. Several combination products are currently available, but they should be avoided, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because sunscreens are meant to be applied liberally and frequently while deet products should be used sparingly, combination products might promote unnecessarily high exposure to deet.

Deet-free, plant-based repellents that work

Picaridin is a chemical repellent that’s considered as effective as deet at the same concentration by the CDC.
When used properly, it’s also considered safe by the EPA.
Our tests found Natrapel 8-Hour with 20 percent picaridin scored better than one repellent with 7 percent deet.
Testers found it has a floral odor and is a little greasy.
Oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based chemical repellent, is also considered by the CDC to be as effective
against mosquitos as deet at the same concentration.
Repel Plant-based Lemon Eucalyptus did well in the tests and gave 8-hour protection against both ticks
and mosquitos—slightly better than Natrapel.
However, oil of lemon eucalyptus product labels specify that they should not be used on children under three years old.
Testers found Repel had a plastic beach-ball and citrus odor and left little residue.

Tips for safe use

When applying any repellent, follow directions. Use your hands to apply it to your face, avoiding your eyes and mouth,
and don't apply it to cuts. Use just enough to cover exposed skin.
Some directions suggest using it on clothes, but most tested repellents damaged leather and vinyl,
and some of them stained synthetic fabrics. Wash repellent off your skin and launder treated clothes.
 
For extra protection:
• Wear light-colored, loose clothes and avoid using scented products when outdoors,
especially at peak feeding hours—dusk to dawn for most mosquitos.
• Remove standing water near your house. It can be a mosquito breeding ground.
• To avoid ticks, tuck pants into socks and wear closed shoes and a hat.

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DELAWARE COUNTY COUNCIL OFFERS DISCOUNT PRESCRIPTION CARDS FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS

A discount prescription card being offered by Delaware County Council could be just what the doctor
ordered to help residents cope with the cost of prescription medication. Trust Scripts is a free discount
prescription card that is accepted at over 56,000 pharmacies nationwide, including independent pharmacies and
major chains, such as CVS and Wal-Mart.  The cards are completely free and require no sign-up. 
Residents simply present the card to the pharmacy cashier before payment and available discounts are applied to the cost. 

All Delaware County residents may use the discount card, regardless of whether or not they are insured. 
Discounts are available to the uninsured, the underinsured and the insured.  Individuals with insurance plans
and Medicare may enjoy discounts for drugs not covered by their current health plans. 
The card fully explains how the program works.  There is no enrollment, no paperwork, and no fee. 

The card is most helpful for people without prescription coverage, for senior citizens in the Medicare Park D
coverage gap, and for people taking medication not covered by their insurance program.  In addition, the
Trust Scripts Web site provides a helpful online drug-pricing tool to help residents find the best possible
deal by shopping around.  By typing in their medication name, dosage, and zip code, users receive an
automated search of local pharmacy prices, for both brand name and generic drugs of their choice. 
A list of the most popular discounted medications is available on the Trust Scripts Web site. 

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THE SPRINGFIELD COUNTRY CLUB POOL
SPRINGFIELD RESIDENTS ONLY
2010 APPLICATION FORM
 
     POOL OPENS MAY 29, 2010
 POOL OPEN WEEKENDS ONLY UNTIL JUNE 19, 2010
 POOL CLOSES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2010
 MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
 $180.00 ADULTS (19 YEARS OLD AND UP)
 $90.00 FOR THE FIRST MEMBER UNDER 19 YEARS OLD
 $60.00 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL CHILD MEMBER
 NO FEE FOR BABIES 2 YEARS OLD AND UNDER
 SENIOR CITIZENS DISCOUNTS 20%,
 65 OR OLDER PROOF OF AGE REQUIRED
 
 IF YOU DID NOT DISCARD LAST YEARS MEMBERSHIP CARD,
 PLEASE BRING TO POOL OFFICE UPON YOUR FIRST
 VISIT TO SWIM SO CARD(S) CAN BE REACTIVATED.
 PRIOR TO POOL OPENING, PICTURES WILL BE TAKEN AT
 THE POOL OFFICE, 400 W. SPROUL RD. ON
 THURSDAY EVENINGS FROM
 6:00PM-8:00PM AND SATURDAY 11:00AM-1:00PM
 BEGINNING MAY 20, 2010.
 ALL PERSONS OVER 16 YEARS OF AGE SEEKING MEMBERSHIP
 MUST PRESENT SOME TYPE OF PHOTO ID.
 WE ACCEPT CHECK OR CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ONLY
 (VISA, MASTERCARD OR DISCOVER)
 
 GUEST FEES
 WEEKDAYS $10.00
 SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS & HOLIDAYS $12.00
 ALL DAYS AFTER 5:00PM $5.00
 MEMBERS MAY PURCHASE GUEST COUPON BOOKS.
 EACH BOOK WILL ENTITLE GUEST TO
 EIGHT VISITS FOR $75.00
 2010 APPLICATION FORM

 

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Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association's
SPRING 2010

For more information on CRC's upcoming events please click on the link below:

Storm Water Management

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NO MATTER WHERE YOU BOUGHT IT, BEST BUY WILL RECYCLE IT!!

BEST BUY WILL SAFELY DISPOSE OF YOUR ELECTRONICS, REGARDLESS OF
WHERE YOU BOUGHT IT, WHAT BRAND IT IS. THEY WILL TAKE THREE ITEMS
PER HOUSEHOLD PER DAY.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PROGRAM GO TO:

www.bestbuy.com/recycle

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Home Weatherization Program

THIS PROGRAM IS FREE TO QUALIFIED RESIDENTS
and will lower your energy bills by an estimated 20-30%!!
If you qualify for our program, you may receive the following
FREE services:

Home Energy Audit
Attic Insulation
Diagnostic Air Flow Testing
Heater Inspection, Service, Repair or Replacement

Weather Stripping & Caulking
Window & Door Repair or Replacement
Refrigerator Evaluation
Energy Conservation Education

Who is eligible??
Delaware County Residents
Homeowners & Renters
If anyone in your home has received SSI, LIHEAP or
Cash assistance within the last 12 months, you are
automatically qualified for our services.

You are also eligible if you meet the following income guidelines:
Family Size          Income

           1                $21,660
           2                $29,140
           3                $36,620
           4                $44,100
           5                $51,580

Each additional member add $7,480
*Income guidelines are subject to change by the federal government.

Call for an application or print one from our website.  You can also apply
in person at our Essington office between the hours of 8am & 4:30 pm
94 Jansen Avenue, Essington, PA  19029
Phone 610-521-8770
www.caadc.org
Funding for this program is provided by:
PA Department of Community & Economic Development
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.


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TROLLEY LINE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

SEPTA is making major improvements to the Routes 101 & 102 Trolley Lines

 serving Media and Sharon Hill.  Work is scheduled to begin in mid-
December 2009 lasting through mid-September 2010. 
Contact the project hotline 24/7 for information, questions, or to
report construction related concerns. 
An operator will record your call, take your contact information and
refer it to project staff for handling.  In most cases your call will be
returned within 24 hours.  HOT LINE 1-800-808-5025

PHASE 4
Temporary Shuttle Bus Service
Monday, June 14, 2010 - Sunday, August 29, 2010

Shuttle buses will substitute for trolleys,
seven (7) days a week as follows:

Regular Route 101 between 69th Street Terminal and Media
Route 102 between 69th Street Terminal and Sharon Hill

All Shuttle buses will arrive/depart from South Terminal at 69th Street
 

Temporary shuttle stops located at or near trolley stops.

Look for signs marked Route 101 or Route 102 Shuttle Bus.

Some weekday, peak hour Route 101 trips to/from Media will:
Operate Express Service between 69th St. and State Rd. & Anderson Ave.
Begin/End at Woodland Avenue Trolley Station (next to station building)

Customers should expect an additional 10-25 minutes travel time

Regular Route 102 Trolley Service will operate between
69th Street terminal and Sharon Hill during this phase of work

Please consult the Route 101 or Route 102 public timetable 
for specific route and scheduled details.

UPCOMING WORK PHASES

Final Phase of Work
Route 101 and Route 102 Shuttle Bus Service
69th Street to Media
69th Street to Sharon Hill

This project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.