Category: Springfield

Delco Veterans Saint Patrick’s Springfield Float

Fizzano Truck from St. Patrick's Parade Delco Veterans Saint Patrick's Springfield Float
The Fizzano truck that pulled the Delco Veterans Memorial in last year’s St. Patrick’s Parade

Barbara Ann Zippi of Artemis Productions has let it be known that veterans are being sought to ride on the Delaware County Veterans Memorial’s float in the Springfield (Pa) Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which will be held on Saturday, March 14.

To participate show up at Halderman Field, 570 W. Springfield Road, Springfield, Pa. 19064, between 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. and get on the big green Fizzano flatbed truck that will be decorated with the appropriate signs and banners.

The truck will enter the parade line at 11 a.m. The parade ends at 1 p.m. and Delco Memorial Participants will be returned to Halderman Field.

Email ARTEMISProductions@Juno.com to reserve a space.

Delco Veterans Saint Patrick ‘s Springfield Float

Springfield GOP Petitions To Be Circulated

The circulation of candidate petitions was the topic of tonight’s (Feb. 18) meeting of the Springfield Pa. Republican Party. Springfield GOP Petitions To Be Circulated

The petitions for township, county, school board and municipal candidates will be circulated through the first week of March.

GOP Chairman Mike Puppio noted that the party is not endorsing school board candidates as the position has been considered non-partisan since 1990.

He emphasized to circulators that candidates for township office must avoid taking a stand on the proposed nine-figure high school project until the matter officially comes before them else any decision made would be subject to challenge and disqualification.

Candidates speaking before the group were John P. McBlain, who is seeking his second term on Delaware County Council; and attorney Margaret Amoroso and State Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R-9) who are seeking seats on Delaware County Common Pleas Court.

Pileggi noted it was the first time he ever campaigned in Springfield.

Also speaking was new State Sen. Tom McGarrigle (R-26) who noted that new Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf has made some pointless missteps that have caused unnecessary tension with the Republican-controlled legislature.

He specifically cited the removal of widely respected Erik Arneson as executive director of Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records and his replacement with a political ally.

Arneson played a key role in developing the state’s Right-to-Know Law.

Also endorsed by the GOP are incumbents Michael Culp and Colleen Morrone for County Council; Anthony Scanlon for Common Pleas Court Judge; and Jack Whelan for another term as District Attorney.

The township commissioner races to be contested this year are the odd-numbered ones.

Springfield GOP Petitions To Be Circulated

Springfield High School Project Funding

Here’s a thought about funding the proposed Springfield High School project regardless of the option picked: treat it holistically.  Springfield High School Project Funding

Consider other savings in the school budget to be part of funding for the new (or repaired) school.

Ending the prevailing wage mandate would cost the district nothing and still save money. School Director Doug Carney, Feb. 4, said he did not feel the savings would be that much concerning the high school project. Suppose, however, it was just a mere $100,000. Or even $10,000. One suspects if the district could get $100,000 (or $10,000) for naming rights to a classroom — one of the out-of-the-box suggestions being considered for funding — the district would be very happy.

One is pretty confident that if the proposed money-raising foundation got a $10,000 donation, the district would be happy.

And that’s not even considering savings in other projects — school, municipal or county — ending the prevailing wage mandate would garner. All tax dollars at all levels ultimately come from the same source, after all, whether it be via a purchase, a property or a paycheck.

So a strong public push to end this mandate would be perfectly logical in the context of building the high school project.

For what it’s worth, Commonwealth Foundation pegs the cost of the prevailing wage mandate at 20 percent for public projects.

Let’s consider the mandate for school districts (and counties and townships) to pay for advertisements in newspapers of general circulation when announcing meetings and seeking bids and such. The cost statewide was $26 million in 2006. This is just a straw on the back of the Springfield taxpayer but one less straw is one less straw.

It would cost nothing for the school board — and the township commissioners and County Council — to pass a resolution calling for its end.

The most damning thing about this mandate is that it actually inhibits good government. Changing the mandate to one where public notices are placed on a searchable government website would make the process far more transparent than the status quo besides being a lot cheaper.

And then let’s get the teachers involved in the matter. Would they be willing to forgo a salary increase in their next contract to help pay for the project? If a resident surviving on Social Security or who has just seen his unemployment expire asks them to, does that mean the resident is anti-child?

Just a thought.

Springfield High School Project Funding

5th Springfield High Town Hall Draws 300

About 300 persons sprawled throughout the Springfield High School (Pa.) auditorium for tonight’s (Feb. 4) fifth meeting  concerning the fate of the school. Springfield High School 5th Springfield High Town Hall Draws 300

Being debated are four expensive options ranging from building a new school near Leamy Avenue, estimated cost $136.4 million; renovating the existing 60-something-year-old structure on Leamy Avenue, estimated cost $133.8 million; building a new school near Saxer Avenue, estimated cost, $131.05 million and doing basic maintenance on the existing structure $100.39 million.

Judging by the questions and applause, the crowd seemed evenly split between the Saxer Avenue option and the bare minimum (or less) one with maybe a slight skewing towards the latter.

Architect and volunteer Gary Lockman said the simple maintenance cost was so high because the school’s HVAC and electrical systems were at the end of their life cycle. He said it would cost $20 million just to upgrade those systems. He further said the asbestos roof deck needs to be replaced. He noted that this type of roof deck is rather rare significantly hiking the cost of its removal. He said the district investigated cheaper solutions without success and that the asbestos was impossible to encapsulate.

He also said it made no economic sense to renovate the building. Unlike the simple maintenance plan, the renovation plan would include upgrades rather than mere replacements.

Another factor in the expense was the labor cost in southeastern Pennsylvania. A slide was shown illustrating that labor costs were 47 percent less in Berwick and 29 percent less in Pittsburgh.

Don Mooney, the district’s executive director of operations,  said the project would be financed with new 20 to 25 year amortization bonds that would wrap around existing bonds scheduled to be paid off in 2025.

He said the owner of a home assessed at the district’s median of $146,050 would pay $250 a year for the simple maintenance plan when the full cost kicks in nine years after the project starts and $399 per year for the Saxer Avenue plan.

One women in the question segment, however, asked if the school district could guarantee that the tax bite would not be greater than what they were claiming, and the district’s representatives were unable to do so.

School Director Douglas E. Carney, who is the driving force behind the town halls, said the school board has been lobbying legislators to repeal the state prevailing wage law, which artificially inflates costs of projects. He said, however, he didn’t think getting rid of it would make much difference in the Springfield High School project due to the project’s scope

For the slide show displayed at the 5th Springfield High Town Hall go here.

5th Springfield High Town Hall Draws 300

300 Attend 5th Springfield High Town Hall

5th Springfield High Town Hall was Feb. 4, 2015

Springfield 1922 Advertisement

The below advertisement appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1922 for building sites in Springfield, Delaware County, Pa.

It called the town “The Leading Suburb and noted it was just 12 minutes and one fare from the Sixty-ninth Street Terminal.

It boasted that it has been developed with “substantial stone highways and cement sidewalks winding through the rolling hills for over a mile along the westerly side of the Media Short LIne.”

It described it as a “fast-growing development” and called attention to the three stone passenger stations on the trolley line.

The developer, A. Merritt Taylor of the Springfield Real Estate Co., sold building lots of between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet that contained “ample space for fruit trees and flowers”.

He noted that there were “a few especially desirable hill-top locations of exceptional size and commanding extended views”.

He also noted that he had “two well-designed old farm houses in poor repair which can be converted into unusually attractive homes at moderate cost”. The farm houses were surrounded by old shade and fruit trees.

The properties started at $1,500 and he had an agent daily opposite Springfield (presumably Springfield Road) station.

Hat tip FullHistory.com

Springfield 1922 Advertisment

Springfield 1922 Advertisement

Springfield Master Plan 5th Meeting

The fifth of six Springfield High School Master Plan Meetings is 7 p.m., tomorrow, Feb. 4, at  the Springfield High School Auditorium, 49 W. Leamy Ave., Springfield Pa. 19046, reports Reginia Scheerer. Springfield Master Plan

The meeting will be televised live on Ch. 8 Comcast and Ch. 29 Fios.

The agenda will cover “Costs and Financing Strategy”.

There will be a 45 minute presentation by the Committee, then a 45 minute comment/question and answer session.

Springfield Master Plan 5th Meeting

Philly Charter School Beats Springfield

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has launched paschoolperformance.org giving residents greater access to the balance sheets of Pennsylvania’s schools, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).

He says the website shows school spending by district, including total revenue, total expenditures, per-pupil expenditures and average staff salaries, albeit we could not find the average staff salaries and we had to figure out the per-pupil expenditures ourselves.

The website also tracks charter and cyber charter schools, and comprehensive career and technology centers, Cox says.

And it includes academic performance.

We decided to have some fun with it comparing Philadelphia Academy Charter School with the Springfield School District  in Delaware County.

Philadelphia Academy spends $9.475 million on instruction for 1,180 pupils which is $8,029 per pupil.

Springfield spends $34,054,290 for 3,907 pupils or $8,716 per pupil.

The extra $687 per pupil — which translates to $2,684,109 per year to the taxpayer — isn’t something to sneeze at but if it means more engineers and doctors and a cure for cancer who will object, right?

Some cynic here might chime in and and ask what if it doesn’t, well, we’ll get to that.

Philadelphia Academy’s total spending is $15,598,815 or $13,219 per pupil.

Springfield’s is $59,441,901 or $15,214 per pupil.

Philly Charter School Beats Springfield High SchoolThat’s $1,995 more per pupil which adds up to $7,794,465 per year to the taxpayer. While salaries to attract great teachers might be justifiable, one can see where the extra money for non-instructional use and support might make someone laid off or living on a fixed income feel a mite resentful.

But if a cure for cancer is coming, it is worth it, right?

Which gets us to the academics.

We should note here that 33 percent of Philadelphia Academy’s pupil population is “economically disadvantaged” with 20.76 percent in special education compared to 14.5 percent “economically disadvantaged” with 15.87 percent in special education for Springfield.

The school performance of Philadelphia Academy is higher than Springfield High School for mathematics/algebra (84.22 percent proficient or advanced on PSSA to 75.27) and science/biology (68.71 percent to 42.96) although SHS wins on reading/literature (87.36 percent to 77.28)

Regarding elementary education specifically, at least with regard to reading, Springfield wins with 89.7 percent of Scenic Hills pupils and 83.65 percent of Sabold’s pupils being  proficient or advanced on reading as per the PSSA while  Philadelphia Academy’s score was 80.6 percent.

We kind of think the great engineers and doctors and the cure for cancer are more likely to come out of Philadelphia Academy.

Really Springfield, a 42.96 percent proficiency in science/biology?

Hey, let’s build a $144 million Taj Mahal. That’ll fix it.

Philly Charter School Beats Springfield

Philly Charter School Beats Springfield
As per paschoolperformance.org a Philly charter school beats Springfield public school district.

Yes, a Philly charter school beats a highly regarded suburban school district on several metrics.

And Philly charter school Philadelphia Academy Beats Springfield

Springfield GOP High School Position

The big news at tonight’s (Jan. 21) meeting of the Springfield (Pa.) Republican Party was that the party was not going to take a position on rebuilding or renovating the high school, the price tag for which ranges between $110 million and $144 million.

Chairman Mike Puppio noted that school board matters have been decidedly non-partisan since 1991. He told committee persons to direct all complaints and inquiries on the matter to the appropriate school board member.

He said that while the school board has been having town halls on the subject, no plan has been submitted to either the township zoning hearing board or the commissioners, and the state Sunshine Law prohibits either body from commenting on the matter unless it is in the proper venue.

He said the issue is starting to bubble up and he expects it divide the community as those on both sides have much passion. He said that what the school board wants is not a  “done deal” and that despite some speculation no “wink or nod” has been given on the matter by the township.

He said those who claim this are taking the lazy way out and merely looking for an excuse to avoid getting involved in the debate.

He stated specifically to the committee people in the audience and other community interested attendees that the party would not stand in the way of anybody seeking a school board seat as several are up for election this year.

Maybe there is a position there, after all.

In other matters, several people up for election or re-election spoke to the group including District Attorney Jack Whelan, who said that compassion was as important to his job as getting convictions;  Common Pleas Court Judge Tony Scanlon, who was appointed to the bench last June by Gov. Corbett and is now seeking a term of his own; Michael Culp who is seeking election to County Council following his appointment to the seat that had been held by new 26th District State Sen. Tom McGarrigle; Andrea B. Puppio, who is seeking her third term as magisterial judge for court 32-1-32; and Jim Merkins, who is seeking election to a full-term for Magisterial Court 32-2-54 that had been presided over by Scanlan and to which he was appointed following  Scanlan’s elevation to Common Pleas Court.

Springfield GOP High School Position

Springfield GOP High School Position
The Springfield GOP High School Position
And the Springfield GOP High School Position

 

Fourth Springfield High Town Hall Tonight

The fourth of six town hall meetings on the Springfield High School Master Plan will be 7 tonight, Jan, 14, at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU), Rooms 171-172, reports Regina Scheerer.

The building is  at 200 Yale Ave., Morton, PA 19070.

This town hall meeting will not be televised live, but will be recorded and available later online at www.ssdcougars.org.

The agenda is:
Academic & Community Matters
Academic Impacts, Site Circulation/Village Green
Concept Disruption Academic Costs, Community Benefits,
Green Space/Athletics, Sustainability

The town halls, in our view, are an attempt to foist a $144 million edifice called the Saxer Avenue option on the Springfield taxpayer despite the high school property, as of yet, not abutting Saxer Avenue.

Can we call it the Doug Carney Building?

Just kidding.

We have thought long and hard about the matter and have concluded that allocating $10 million for repairs with the specific task of keeping 1,600 students (present student population is 1,204) warm, safe and dry while skilled teachers educate them is more than adequate as it should be obvious that it’s not the building that matters but the personnel.

That should be more than sufficient, assuming inefficiency spawned by corruption doesn’t rear its head, and more than generous.

If inefficiency spawned by corruption does rear its head, then ending that, of course, becomes the priority and the repairs get put on hold.

Fourth Springfield High Town Hall Tonight

Fourth Springfield High Town Hall Tonight concerns the “Master Plan” which is an attempt to foist a $144 million edifice on the Springfield taxpayer.

Fourth Springfield High Town Hall Tonight

Police Supported By Happy Throng In Springfield

Police Supported By Happy Throng In Springfield BobLayden

Springfield Commissioner Bob Layden with some of the rally participants

A crowd of well over a thousand stretched along the north side of Baltimore Pike in Springfield, Pa. from  Bishop Avenue to past West Avenue this afternoon, Jan. 4, to let police know they were appreciated. They held signs featuring a thin blue line across a black ground. Some wore shirts saying “all lives mattered.”  Motorists honked their horn in support and gave thumbs up. A quad-copter drone flew overhead, presumably recording the event.

The mood was festive and all seemed in a good mood. Springfield Police Chief Joseph Daly walked through the crowd shaking hands. New 26th District State Sen. Tom McGarrigle was on hand as were Springfield commissioners including Bob Layden of the 6th Ward.

The rally was the idea  of Amanda Viglione, a Delaware County deputy sheriff, and organized by herself and Bill Ruane of Clifton Heights.

It was in response to riots and demonstrations inspired by the deaths of Michael Brown on Aug. 9 in Feguson, Mo. and Eric Garner on July 17 in New York City during attempts to take them into custody.

Demonstrably false but inflammatory claims were made regarding police behavior which were spread uncorrected by news media and public figures. The hate this caused for those who wear the badge  resulted in the deaths of at least two officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, who were executed, Dec. 20, while they sat in their car in New York City. The hate-filled coward who murdered them took his own life soon afterwards.

Police Supported By Happy Throng In Springfield Tom McGarrigle

New State Sen. Tom McGarrigle with rally participants.

Police Supported By Happy Throng In Springfield

The scene on Baltimore Pike, Springfield, Pa., Sunday afternoon, Jan. 4. The event started about 2 p.m. and lasted past 4 o’clock.

 Police Supported By Happy Throng In Springfield