Delaware County Breaks Ground on Destination Playground in Rose Tree Park

Delaware County Council was thrilled to join the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the County’s Department of Public Works to host a groundbreaking on the future Destination Playground at Rose Tree Park in Media on April 6. 

The County has been envisioning the new destination playground for several years and the County Team has worked to ensure it’s a playground that all residents can enjoy. 

The Delaware County Planning Department first began gathering feedback from county residents on the draft designs and concepts for the playground by hosting an Open House in October 2021. After receiving valuable community feedback, changes were made to the design of the playground, carefully considering suggestions and comments from the public and incorporating some of their ideas. One important change in the overall design was providing increased accessibility and inclusivity. 

The playground will have different areas for different age groups.

• The playground will have a large climbing tower for children ages 5 to 12. 
• There will be a swing zone, a spinning zone, and an area for children ages 2-5. 

Other features of the project include: 

• An expansion of the pedestrian mall which will provide an improved setting for festivals and special events
• New walkways connecting the Amphitheater and rear parking lot 
• New landscaping and stormwater management

Delaware County Council is committed to the preservation of local parks and expanding open space for residents to enjoy. Open space protects a community's natural green infrastructure, providing places for recreation, preserving important environmental and ecological functions, and enhancing the quality of life for residents. Green spaces such as parks, sports fields, and wooded areas give residents the space for physical activity and relaxation. 

“Council’s appreciation of open space is evident in the dramatic expansion and improvement of the County’s parks and greenways,” said Delaware County Council Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaefer. “The County’s 2023 capital improvement program includes $9M for parks, trails and open space projects—including this one. And we have also invested over $17 million in helping our municipalities invest in their own green spaces through our Delco Greenways grant program."

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provided a grant in the amount of $200,000 to support the design and construction of the new playground.

Playground equipment is being provided and installed by Kompan, a national leader in playground design. General site construction will be done by Foresite Concepts, Inc. 

Delco’s new destination playground will be ready for families to enjoy in June- just in time for warm weather, summer break, and the County’s annual Summer Concert Series. 

The Delaware County Health Department (DCHD), in partnership with Delaware County Council and Murphy’s Giving Market held a press conference to celebrate the Delaware County Health Department’s 1-year anniversary gift to the community, DCHD Delivers. DCHD Delivers is a Delaware County staff-oriented food and resource collection drive aimed at helping Delaware County residents.

The DCHD Delivers program collected nonperishable food, clothing, and essential items from the Delaware County Health Department team and other County employees and delivered them personally to the community through Murphy’s Giving Market. Over the past several weeks, staff members have generated, sorted, and packaged donations to support this initiative.

“We are proud to celebrate our 1-year anniversary through DCHD Delivers and to partner with Murphy’s Giving Market to help our community members,” said Delaware County Health Director Melissa Lyon.” Although it is our 1-year anniversary of operation, today we are here for something that is even more important to us. We are celebrating the 1-year anniversary of the beginning of our relationship with the people of Delaware County.”

Board Member Edward Brown accepted donations on behalf of Murphy’s Giving Market in Upper Darby. This partnership will help provide needed resources throughout Delaware County.

A Few Highlights of DCHD’s 1 Year Accomplishments

Delaware County Wellness Line 

The Wellness Line is an email and call center community support line. The Wellness Line staff strives to offer help and comfort to every caller and assist them in finding and linking them to services and resources. Since its inception, the Wellness Line call center has handled 8,632 calls from the public.

Delaware County Health Department Wellness Center in Yeadon

The DCHD Wellness Center at Yeadon became fully operational in August of 2022 as a health clinic working to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, and STIs, and offering vaccines to eligible individuals and families. The Wellness Center first opened primarily as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic Additionally, The Delaware County Health Department epidemiology and disease investigation teams at Yeadon investigate infectious and communicable diseases that are reported in Delaware County

Environmental Health Specialists Inspect Businesses

The Delaware County Health Department Environmental Health Specialists have inspected nearly all businesses, currently registered or licensed within the DCHD jurisdiction at least once as of December 2022, nearly 3,000 businesses total. Approximately 70% of the facilities and businesses under DCHD jurisdiction have been licensed by the department. 

"One year ago, the Delaware County Health Department was launched, and what a year of accomplishments! To say that starting up a County Department from the ground up during a pandemic is a huge undertaking is an understatement," said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. "Thank you to Delaware County Health Department Director Melissa Lyon and the health department team, Board of Health President Rosemary Halt and the entire board, and the many community partners we have throughout the County who share in the Health Department’s vision to provide the Delaware County community with access to the resources that provide the opportunity to lead a healthy and productive life." 

Click below to watch the 1-year anniversary press conference on the County's YouTube channel.

The staff of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, led by Warden Laura Williams, was joined on April 6 by members of Delaware County Council, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Jail Oversight Board, elected officials and Honorable Judges to celebrate “Transition Day,” marking the one-year anniversary since the County’s April 2022 deprivatization of what had been the only privately managed county prison in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

To honor the hard work and dedication of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility staff, an Awards and Recognition Ceremony was held on the facility grounds. The event featured presentations spotlighting key accomplishments and high-performing staff who have spent the last year working to re-establish a respected, high-performing correctional facility molded in the vision of County Council, the Jail Oversight Board and Warden Williams.

The awards ceremony featured “Mission Hero Awards” that recognized employees who embody and represent the agency’s 14 core institutional values — Integrity, Courage, Ethics, Honor, Respect, Service, Duty, Professionalism, Innovation, Transparency, Accountability, Sustainability, Equity, Correctional Excellence — and included awards for the “Employee” and “Supervisor” of the year. 

The nominations were provided by employees of the institution who took the opportunity to recognize role models at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

• Employee of the Year: Correctional Officer Kevin Regan
• Supervisor of the Year: Director of Records and Booking Michael Root
• Integrity: Correctional Officer Abdelkader Sadouki
• Courage: Correctional Officer Karim Clement
• Ethics: Lieutenant Kerry Platt
• Honor: Sergeant Zackary Serody
• Respect: Lieutenant Jesse Moody
• Service: Correctional Officer Velma Hilton
• Duty: Correctional Officer Fred Pascale
• Professionalism: Receptionist Margaret Yates
• Innovation: Program & Reentry Administrator Kelly Shaw
• Transparency: Investigator George Rhoades
• Accountability: Records Technician Courtney Nardone
• Sustainability: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Nina Chychula
• Equity: Education and Workforce Development Administrator Joan Skurski
• Correctional Excellence: Lieutenant Jarred McCafferty

George W. Hill Transition

The transition of control from the private management firm to full County operational control and management was the result of a multi-year process of study and planning. Under County leadership and direction, George W. Hill is now placing an emphasis on reducing recidivism and providing incarcerated people with stabilizing tools that will better prepare them to successfully transition back into the community.

“While the transformation of a corrections facility is a long-term process, and much remains before us, it is clear that under the leadership of Warden Williams, our team has made extraordinary strides in this first year,” said Councilman Kevin Madden, who also chairs the Jail Oversight Board. “We are grateful for the men and women working at George W. Hill who take on the challenges of corrections and serve our community.”

George W. Hill houses people who have been accused of a crime and are awaiting a court hearing, or who have received a sentence of less than two years. 

Accomplishments

Under the leadership of Warden Williams, the facility has accomplished a great deal since the transition occurred, including:

• Increasing the number of Correctional Officers and other necessary staff
• Instituting mental health and behavior change programs to include a comprehensive medication assisted treatment program
• Adding a full-time instructor for education services
• Securing a new healthcare provider
• Switching the facility’s food and commissary vendor
• Aggressively recruiting new employees, including the use of retention bonuses, sign-on bonuses, and referral bonuses
• Expanding the training department, increasing qualified personnel for firearms certification, and lengthening the Cadet Academy basic training from 2 weeks to 6 weeks
• Increasing out-of-cell time and recreation time for full population
• Expanding incarcerated person job availability and increasing the rate of pay
• Increasing time dedicated to discharge planning 
• Resuming in-person religious services
• Increasing the availability of tablets and providing increased access to law library services 
• Increasing video visitation access
• Adding Mental Health Coordinator to Sex Offender treatment programs
• Securing federal funding with Delaware County Workforce Development to implement training and employment services with Education Data System, Inc. (EDSI)
• Partnering with community-based organizations (Child and Family Focus, Inc.) for program development with Juvenile population
• Partnering with Delaware County Elections and League of Women Voters to assist in voting registration and voting
• Partnering with Penn State Brandywine for 1st “Inside-Out Program,” which creates opportunities for men and women, inside and outside of prison, to have transformative learning experiences that emphasize collaboration and dialogue, inviting participants to take leadership in addressing crime, justice, and other issues of social concern
• Conducting swearing in ceremonies for administration of the oath of law enforcement

"We continue to make great strides here at George W. Hill,” said Warden Williams. “While there is still much to be accomplished, it’s important to pause to recognize the great work being done by our staff, to recharge our batteries, and to prepare for the important work ahead.”

Next Steps

Some of the important steps the facility will undertake over the next year include:

• Continuing to increase the staff and expand and improve training
• Making significant upgrades to the physical plant, including a new roof and new dining facilities
• Improving access to technology
• Increasing services for youthful offenders
• Enhancing services for medications with opioid use disorders and other substance use/abuse disorders
• Increasing education to include parenting, relationships, job readiness, and life skills 
• Expanding partnerships with local universities
• Increasing community engagement and stakeholders for ease of re-entry and re-integration

“Significant change is sustained with continuous planning, evaluation, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance,” added Warden Williams. “Our agency has worked hard to simultaneously maintain the operations while building upon the foundations in this institution.” 

With year one under their belt, the staff of George W. Hill now looks to continue their momentum in 2023 in the transformation of the facility to a model high-performing correctional facility.

Delaware County Recognizes Public Health Week

Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor was honored to present a resolution recognizing April 3-9 as Public Health Week to the staff of the Delaware County Health Department at the Delaware County Wellness Center in Yeadon on April 6.

During the first full week of April each year, the American Public Health Association brings together communities across the United States to observe National Public Health Week as a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation. 

Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work, and play, and public health workers promote healthy behaviors, prevent injury and disease, and ensure and promote optimal health for all people. 

Council commends the Delaware County Health Department Team for their commitment to protecting the health and well-being of all residents by continuing to create a greater understanding of public health practices and offering resources which contribute to healthy outcomes for the community.

The members of the Delaware County Health Department have a passion and dedication for helping their community and are committed to the residents they serve.

During the April 5 public meeting, County Council recognized April as Minority Health Month and April 11-17 as Black Maternal Health Week. 

During April, we recognize disparities in maternal health and minority health that exist in the Commonwealth and across our county which is unacceptable. Every Delaware County resident deserves to have access to quality healthcare and support. However, too many people of color face barriers in accessing the care they need. 

“As a woman of color and a mother to three young daughters- these are causes near and dear to my heart. There is no greater priority than protecting the health and safety of all residents and ensuring we have high-quality and equitable healthcare” said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor

In Delaware County, Black and Brown women are three times more likely to die during childbirth compared to White women. And research also shows that Black women are at significantly higher risk for severe maternal morbidity and also have higher rates of admission to the intensive care unit during delivery compared to White women.

There are clear racial disparities in maternal and infant health and it’s critical that we work to raise awareness and create change.

The challenges we face are also compounded by the fact that we recently lost one of our birthing hospitals- Delaware County Memorial hospital- which serves a large population—many of which are low-income, and English is not their first language. 

Aftershock Film Screening

As part of the initiative to raise awareness in the community about these health disparities, County Council and the Delaware County Health Department are hosting a second screening of “Aftershock”, a documentary film that examines the maternal health crisis in America.

The public is invited to this free screening on Wednesday, April 12 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Delaware County Community College. 

To register for the screening, residents can visit the Foundation for Delaware County website at delcofoundation.org/aftershock-film-screening/

Delaware County Council Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaefer and the Delaware County Planning Department participated in the day-long Vision Zero Conference, held at Temple University on Friday, March 31, to address issues of sustainable mobility and the elimination of traffic-related injuries and fatalities in the region—with a goal of reducing the number of traffic fatalities on our roadways to zero.

In addition to Council Vice Chair Schaefer and the Planning Department, Vision Zero conference participants included a who’s who of transportation-, safety-, and urban planning-focused organizations, including the Federal Highway Administration, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DCRPC), SEPTA, the Philadelphia Department of Streets, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia, as well as representatives from various regional universities and local community groups.

To achieve the goal of reducing traffic fatalities to zero, conference participants and Vison Zero Plan supporters are exploring a comprehensive strategy involving the adoption of neighborhood slow zones, protected bike lanes, speed cameras, and other innovative solutions that look to radically improve safety on our roadways. Once adopted, these improvements have the potential to significantly improve the safety of roadways, including many here in Delaware County, such as the notoriously unsafe Route 291. 

A panel discussion titled “Safety and Environmental Justice on Route 291,” included Vice Chair Schaefer, who shared information about the multi-stakeholder and multi-municipal effort to improve safety along the Route 291 in Delaware County. 

Route 291—a regionally significant thoroughfare located within close proximity of I-95, 322, the Commodore Barry Bridge, 476, and the Philadelphia International Airport—features a wide, straight, multilane roadway that encourages speeding traffic, making it unsafe for residents, pedestrians, and bicyclists and cuts off residents from the waterfront, natural areas, attractions, and job opportunities. Precisely the type of road that Vision Zero Conference participants need to address successfully.

“We currently have a TCDI grant from DVRPC for a study of the corridor that will determine how a “road diet” (making the road skinnier to accommodate for a buffered bike lane) might work to host the East Coast Greenway,” explained Council Vice Chair Schaefer, adding “Route 291 and the Greenway face many challenges, and to address these challenges we must also address the issues of environmental justice that led to the development of a roadway that is a danger to the underserved and underrepresented community it runs through.”

Click this Safety and Environmental Justice on Route 291 presentation link to review the project approach, the planned routes, the goals of the latest feasibility study and advocacy efforts led by local residents.

Current plans for the East Coast Greenway—an ambitious plan that will create a single Greenway stretching 3,000-miles through the country’s most populated corridor, spanning 15 states and 450 cities from the Florida Keys to the Canadian border in Maine—includes a stretch of Route 291.

Addressing the existing road infrastructure, planning for future road infrastructure, and considering issues of equity that safeguard the health and safety of the local communities are critical. Delaware County is addressing this issue head-on with its Improving Safety Along Route 291 Project.

“The goal of the project is to listen to the needs and concerns of the residents and community members as we look to find solutions to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers along the corridor,” said Gina Burritt, Director of the Delaware County Planning Department. “We need to find ways to ensure they have safe access to outdoor recreational amenities and to the Delaware Riverfront.”  

To help ensure safe access, the Delaware County Planning Department will be hosting an “Improving Safety Along Route 291” listening session on Thursday, April 13, at the Calvary Baptist Church. Residents are urged to attend and share their ideas and vision for an improved Route 291. For more information about participating in the listening session, visit delcopa.gov/291.

The Delaware County Planning has also posted an “Improving Safety Along Route 291” Comment Map, which allows residents who are unable to attend the listening session to share their feedback regarding Route 291 through an interactive Google map-based Comment Map.

Residents can access the map online, via their desktop, tablet, or phone at https://maps.kittelson.com/route291 and leave detailed comments regarding their thoughts, concerns, and ideas for improving the Route 291 corridor.

For more about the Vision Zero conference, visit https://bicyclecoalition.org/programs/vision-zero/vision-zero-conference-2023/

The Delaware County Health Department announced the installation and unveiling of the DelcoPA COVID-19 Memorial Quilt to honor the victims of the pandemic in Delaware County. The unveiling ceremony took place at the Wellness Center at Chester on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

The DelcoPA Covid-19 Memorial Quilt was designed and crafted for the families by local community members and organized by Judy McKinney who wanted to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives to COVID-19. The quilt is made up of individual sections, each representing a person who has died from COVID-19 in Delaware County. The quilt will be displayed at the Delaware County Wellness Center at Chester.

“We hope that the Memorial Quilt will provide a moment of healing and peace for families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19,” said Delaware County Health Director Melissa Lyon. “This quilt will serve as a reminder of the impact the pandemic has left on our community, and the importance of acknowledging those still feeling its effects.”

Prior to the ceremony, Delaware County Health Department Melissa Lyon delivered remarks acknowledging the feeling of loss the victims’ families in attendance and across Delaware County have felt. Quilt creator Judy McKinney expressed the importance of memorializing those represented in the quilt and expressed her sorrow for the families. The names of those who have been memorialized were read aloud. The event concluded with a moment of silence. Families of victims in attendance took an opportunity for a photo with the quilt and their loved ones.

“We are grateful to the families who have found the courage to honor their loved ones in this way,” said DelcoPA Quilt Organizer Judy McKinney. “In this creative and loving way, to display a personal memento to the world.”

Delaware County Councilwoman Christine Reuther was honored to attend the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards Luncheon on March 31 at the Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill. 

During the ceremony, resolutions were presented to this year’s recipients, including the Delaware County’s Parks & Recreation Department, under the leadership of Director Marc Manfre.

The County extends its congratulations to:  

• The 2022 Small Business of the Year: David Auto  
• The 2022 Small Business Person of the Year: Kim Wright, Nothing Bundt Cakes  
• The 2022 Family Business of the Year: ECBM 
• The 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year: Anthony Nichols, Tones Spot Food Truck
• 2022 Community Impact Award Recipient: Delaware County Parks & Recreation Department  
• The Business Association of the Year: Shop Newtown Square
• The Emerging Business of the Year: Sparkle Hill, Main Line Beauty  

Council also thanks and commends Trish McFarland, President of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and her staff and Chamber members for all of the hard work, skill, and innovation that they contribute to Delaware County.  

Delaware County has strong partnerships among business leaders and professionals and events such as the Small Business Awards Luncheon help to strengthen those relationships. When one Delco business succeeds- the whole county benefits. 

Delaware County Govt Official 2023 Calendar

Meet your Delaware County Council members

The Delaware County Health Department website