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Money woes at CUSDElected board blames political board

Pro-boxingreturns toChester

Page 7

Butlertapped tohead cityticket inelections

Page 5

By [email protected]

Chester Upland School Dis-trict’s (CUSD) electedboard of school directors

have revealed details about whatthey claim is the “financial dis-tress” they inherited from thethree-year reign of the politically-appointed Education Empower-ment Board and must now face.

The elected board, after a14-year absence, took control ofthe district last July 1st and spentits first six months in office con-ducting what it promised wouldbe a comprehensive review andanalysis of the district’s financialstatus. Yesterday, district leadersreleased the results of their re-cently completed audit.

The report was developedby a team of outside financial ex-perts led by financial consultant

P. Thomas Padden. The report’sfinding affirms that when theelected board took over the dis-trict’s educational programmingand finances, “It inherited an in-flated budget and substantialoverspending from the Empow-erment Board, which will require‘significant corrective action’ bythe elected board,” according toCUSD.

The report revealed thatthe elected board inherited a2010–2011 fiscal year budgetthat overestimated the district’srevenues by about $6.2 million,contains $2.8 million in over-spending from the previous yearand is based around projectedreductions of costs that never ac-tually occurred, including plansof cutting money from studenttransit and laying off supportstaff.

According to Padden, thedistrict’s budget was around $85million in 2006–2007, and withinonly three years, the budget in-creased by $28 million, swellingto $113 million. Padden said the33 percent budget increase was-n’t feasible because the numberof employees did increase by 100but student enrollment in thedistrict had declined, describingthe financial result as “the per-fect storm.”

The report said financial dif-ficulties can be attributed to anumber of things, including legalcosts averaging more than$800,000 per year. When askedwhat kind and how much legalactivity could incur a sum solarge, Padden replied, “That’s avery good question.”

Continued on page 5

v-3 n-34 - Jan. 26 - Feb. 1, 2011_Layout 1 1/24/2011 10:42 PM

Chester spirit2 Jan. 26 - Feb. 1, 2011

Political leaders seek citizen-applicants to chairstate’s critical Reapportionment Commission

“And the other thing is that I am concerned about...a better

world. I'm concerned about justice. I'm concerned about

brotherhood. I'm concerned about truth. And when one is

concerned about these, he can never advocate violence.

For through violence you may murder a murderer but you

can't murder murder. Through violence you may murder a

liar but you can't establish truth. Through violence you may

murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness

cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that.

And I say to you, I have also decided to stick to love.

For I know that love is ultimately the only answer to

mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it

everywhere I go.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

““II HHAAVVEE DDEECCIIDDEEDD TTOO SSTTIICCKK WWIITTHH LLOOVVEE..HHAATTEE IISS TTOOOO GGRREEAATT AA BBUURRDDEENN TTOO BBEEAARR..””

The four state gov-ernment caucusfloor leaders –

Senate Majority LeaderDominic Pileggi (R-9),House Majority LeaderMike Turzai (R-28), SenateDemocratic Leader JayCosta (D-43), and HouseDemocratic Leader FrankDermody (D-33) – are tak-ing applications from peo-ple interested in serving asthe chair of the 2011 Leg-islative ReapportionmentCommission (LRC).

The LRC is a five-member panel responsi-ble for redrawing the

boundaries for state Sen-ate and state House dis-tricts. Article II, Section17, of the state Constitu-tion names the four cau-cus floor leaders asmembers of the Commis-sion. They are to choose afifth member, who servesas LRC chair.

The Constitution re-quires the chair of the LRCbe a citizen of Pennsylva-nia who does not hold apaid local, state or federaloffice.

“Redistricting is aonce-a-decade exercise,and among the most im-

portant issues we will ad-dress in 2011. One of mygoals is for this to be themost open and transpar-ent redistricting process inthe history of Pennsylva-nia,” said Pileggi, adding,“A public search for some-one to chair the Commis-sion is the best first step inmaking that happen.”

“To ensure eachPennsylvanian is fairly rep-resented in the Legisla-ture, we will have a verypublic process,” saidTurzai, adding, “In fact,fairness, efficiency andopenness will be our guid-

ing principles. I certainlyhope people follow ourprogress and participatethrough the public hear-ings, our forthcomingwebsite or writing us per-sonally.”

“Reapportionment isa painstaking and incredi-bly important process inwhich all Pennsylvaniansneed to be included,” saidCosta because, “Balanceand transparency need tobe the over-riding princi-ples which guide thatprocess, and I look for-ward to getting started byopening that process to

qualified applicants whowant to participate as amember of the commis-sion.”

“The determinationof fair districts of equalpopulation will takemonths, but it begins withthe selection of a fifthmember to chair the LRC,”said Dermody, adding, “Itis a huge responsibilityand I hope that many in-terested people will askfor consideration.”

The floor leaders,who will be officially certi-fied as members of theLRC in February, said they

expect to hold one ormore public hearings tointerview applicants.

State legislative dis-tricts must be redrawn toreflect populationchanges over the pastdecade as measured bythe federal census. EachSenate district and eachHouse district must con-form to the one person,one vote standard estab-lished by the U.S.Supreme Court in 1964(Reynolds v. Sims).

Continued on page 3

Who’s your pick to win the Super Bowl?Text and Photos by Willie McGonigle in Brookhaven and Upland..

Dave DandreamattraoI like Pittsburgh becausethey are a Pennsylvaniateam.

Dylan EdmundsonNot sure because I don’tpay much attention tofootball.

Chris BeaufordI like Pittsburgh becausethey got Troy Palmauo.

Mark IdletteI like Green Bay because ittook long time to getback there.

Brendan BonnerI like the Green Bay Packers, because I hatethe Steelers.

Kim RobinsonI like Pittsburgh becauseI’m from that area.


Senior Expo set for Chester Senior CenterChester Senior Center, 721 Hayes St., Chester is holding a Senior Expo entitled,

“Aging with Wisdom” on Thursday, Jan. 27th from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. Topics to be cov-

ered include: “Remaining Safe in Your Home” with Steve Rakocy; “Planning and

Funding Funeral Costs” with Kenneth Neeld, Jr.; “Reverse Mortgages” with Julie

Lobacz; “Hospice Care” with April Horwatt; “Getting Your Finances and Legal Docu-

ments in Order” with Darcey Doyle; “Retirement Income Solutions and Options”

with Ken Schreffler, LPL;, and “Veterans Benefits” with Steve Rakoczy. Light re-

freshments will be served. For further information, call Viveca Holmes at (610) 497-

3550.

Chester Senior Center is one of the four Nationally Accredited senior centers

in southeastern Delaware County operated by Senior Community Services (SCS).

SCS, based in Folsom, is a non-profit agency that also provides in-home support

services for homebound elderly. SCS works in partnership with the Delaware County

Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) and is a United Way Agency.

Free income tax help kick-off event is setThe Delaware County Asset Development Group (DelCoAD) is kicking-off its

eighth annual season of free income tax preparation help for taxpayers with an

event on Friday, Jan. 28th at 1:30 P.M. at the Chester Housing Authority’s Booker T.

Washington Community Center. Held on National EITC Awareness Day, this event

highlights that IRS-trained volunteers will be available to help individuals and fam-

ilies get the most from their tax circumstances including full benefits from the

Earned Income Tax Credit, which averages about $1,600 per eligible person, and

the Child Tax Credit.

DelCoAD will staff nine centers throughout the county to help people calculate

and electronically file their federal and state tax returns. Last year, this program

helped 1,846 taxpayers receive $2.8 million in refunds.

Former LA drug kingpin to speak in Chester against

crime and violence Ricky Donnell Ross, known as Freeway Ricky Ross, will join Mayor Wendell N.

Butler, Jr. in hosting a discussion on redemption and inspiration Saturday, Jan. 29th,

9:30 A.M. in the Community Room at City Hall, 1 Fourth St., Chester.

Ross is a convicted drug trafficker who turned his life around and was released

in September 2009 for being a model prisoner. Best known for the drug empire that

he presided over in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, he will speak on the ills of gang

violence, drugs and the negative impact this culture has on society, as well as the

importance of assistance for ex-offenders.

The event is supported also by the Mayor’s Prison Re-entry Group, the “Home

Commission” and Chester’s Recreation Department, Kings Mentoring Kings

Miss Chester

Pageants regis-

tration setCHOICES conducts

registration for its eighth

Annual Miss Chester

Sweetheart, Princess, Jr.

Teen and Teen pageants

for young ladies three to

18 years-old, Saturday,

Jan. 29th at 2 P.M. at the J.

Lewis Crozer Library, 620

Engle St., Chester.

The pageantry pro-

gram is a catalyst to build

young ladies’ self-esteem

and boost their confi-

dence to consequently

become positive leaders

and role models while

representing the City of

Chester.

For additional infor-

mation, contact Pageant Director Desiree Potts at 610-800-2453.

Retrospective fashion exhibit honors style iconMacy’s Department Stores and Johnson Publishing Company are partnering

to present a beauty, fashion and lifestyle tribute to the life of legendary style maven,

Eunice Johnson. The “EBONY, Fashion Fair Cosmetics and Macy’s Celebrate Eunice

Johnson” exhibit debuts at Macy’s in New York City from Jan. 27th through Feb. 1st,

and then tours 10 Macy’s locations across the country throughout February.

It stops at Macy’s in Center City Philadelphia from Feb. 9th to 14th.

In partnership with EBONY magazine and Fashion Fair Cosmetics, Macy’s will

showcase some of the haute couture designs from Johnson’s private collection that

were featured in the famed Ebony Fashion Fair shows. The month-long exhibit will

feature designs by some of the world’s most renowned and critically-acclaimed de-

signers, including Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, Carolina Herrera,

Stephen Burrows and B. Michael to name a few.

Each location will feature approximately 10-30 signature looks, complete with

information about the designer, the season in which the design first appeared and

information about the model who wore the look.

Johnson Publishing Co. Chairman Linda Johnson Rice said, “It is a sign of my

mother’s determination, confidence, and creativity that more than 50 years after

launching the renowned Ebony Fashion Fair show, her timeless sense of style en-

dures as a guidepost for today’s fashion-loving women. We are honored that Macy’s,

a 30-year retail partner of Fashion Fair Cosmetics, selected Eunice Johnson as the

anchor for these exciting exhibits.”

Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc., has more than 800 locations in

45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.

Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. (JPC), a family-owned business for 70 years,

produces EBONY and JET magazines with a combined readership of nearly 18 mil-

lion people. EBONY celebrated its 65th anniversary last year and JET celebrates its

60th anniversary this year. The company also produces Fashion Fair Cosmetics.

Chester spiritJan. 26 - Feb. 1, 2011 3

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Continued from page 2

Interested peoplemust be willing to serve,uninterrupted, for the en-tire timeframe requiredfor the Commission tocomplete its work, ap-proximately early Aprilthrough November. Al-though serving as chair isnot necessarily a full-time

commitment, it does re-quire a significant invest-ment of time. Historically,the chair has been pro-vided with a small staff forthe duration of the Com-mission’s work.

Previous LRC chairsinclude retired SupremeCourt Justice Frank J.Montemuro, Jr., in 2001;

attorney Robert J. Cindrichin 1991; James O. Freed-man, dean of the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania LawSchool in 1981; and Pro-fessor A. Leo Levin of theUniversity of PennsylvaniaLaw School in 1971.

Continued on page 4

Wanted: Citizen to chairReapportionment body


ByJaneM.Orient,M.D.www.aapsonline.org

Although Con-g r e s s w o m a nGabrielle Gif-

fords is recoveringnicely, Tucsonans aregrieved by the loss offamily, friends andneighbors, and shakenby the reminder of mor-tality: Standing in line togreet their congress-woman, or just going tothe grocery store, theycould be killed by amalcontent.

Tucsonans are notimmune from the vio-lence rampant in theworld, bringing suddendeath from bombs, in-cendiary devices, mis-siles, gunfire or othermeans. If the incidentinvolves a gun, it will,of course, be used as an-other crisis to justifylimiting Americans’right to self-defense orfree speech.

Those who seek to

disarm or gag Americanscould try to recruitprovocateurs to incite vi-olence and trigger a gov-ernment reaction. Or theycould just wait for an in-cident.

Two of Tucson’svictims were importantpublic officials: a con-gresswoman and a judge.Many people knew themand were immediately af-fected by (the news), sounsurprisingly the presswill focus attention onthem.

But the most trulynewsworthy features ofthe story are what did nothappen there. There wasno riot. There were, to besure, 20 victims and sixdeaths, but not dozens.No one bled to deathwhile people coweredand waited for a SWATteam from the sky. Theagony did not go on forhours or days, but wasended quickly.

Aside from the

names of the fallen, thosethat should be remem-bered are of the citizenswho acted as Americansshould, to protect andhelp themselves and theirneighbors in the event ofdanger.

Roger Salzgeberand 74-year-old retiredArmy National GuardColonel Bill Badger, whowas slightly injured,tackled the shooter. JoeZamudio helped pin himto the ground. A 61-yearold woman, PatriciaMaisch, grabbed themagazine the shooter haddropped while trying toreload, and then knelt onhis ankles. Daniel Her-nandez, Jr., rushed to theside of Giffords, his newboss, applying pressureto her wound and keep-ing her from choking onher own blood. Let uscommend and thank allof them, and resolve toact as they did if we areever in such a situation.Let us remember theirnames, and blackout theshooter’s.

Zamudio toldMSNBC that he sprintedfrom a store toward thescene when he heard theshots. He has a concealedcarry permit, and had hishand on his pistol, pre-pared to down theshooter if necessary. Hesaid he was very glad thatit proved to be unneces-sary.

The actual shootingwas over quickly, but theartillery of blame (fol-lowed). Targets includedthe Tea Party, which did-n’t even exist when the

shooter first becameangry at Giffords; the“right wing,” thoughTucson is actually a veryliberal town, and theshooter apparently a left-ist; “vitriol,” which tosome means any criti-cism of the policies theyprefer, disregarding thenastiness from their ownside; and, of course, talkradio.

The shooter didn’tacquire his bizarrethought patterns from aTea Party event, if indeedhe ever went to one. Weknow he had a history ofdrug use, especially mar-ijuana. Did he damagehis brain or suppress hisnatural inhibitions withdrugs? Was he on drugsat the time of the shoot-ing, whether prescribedor illicit? Will the author-ities ever reveal that?

According to a Jan.10th Mother Jones inter-view of a friend, theshooter holds a “nihilist”view of the world. Hesaid that the world wasreally nothing—an illu-sion, and that “life meansnothing.” He didn’t ac-quire that set of beliefsfrom the Tea Party. Theyare quite compatible,however, with the cur-riculum taught in the na-tion’s governmentschools. These schools,moreover, tend to dis-credit or deny theFounders’ belief in a uni-versal higher Law andLawgiver, and ultimateaccountability.

Maybe he neversaw or heard about pre-cepts such as “thou shalt

not murder”—or wastaught to disrespect thosewho believe them.

The shooter, likeeverybody else thesedays, exists in a sea ofmessages that glorify andsensationalize violenceand promote permissive-ness and immediate grat-ification—in television,movies and video games.

From the commonmedia milieu, one mightthink that rootlessness,experimentation withdrugs and sex and vio-lence, and lack of respon-sibility for one’s ownactions are all acceptable.Family values, hardwork, religious faith, be-lief in moral absolutes—the culture of most TeaPartiers—may be de-meaned or actually con-demned as out of date,discriminatory, or evencrazy.

If we are to havepeace in our communi-ties, we need deep reflec-tion and a revival of thevirtues that made Amer-ica great. In this danger-ous world, we needpeople who will rise tothe occasion to help theirneighbors, as many Tuc-sonans did. Our peoplealso need the freedom tobe able to do this—notmore restrictions by aruling class, whichfalsely promises securitywhile making us evermore vulnerable to in-evitable threats.

Chester spirit

Published by

Spirit Media Group, Inc.

P.O. Box 6,

Chester, PA 19016

(610) 447-8484 – phone

(610) 534-8107 – fax

[email protected]

Paul A. Bennett

Publisher/Editor

Jeanne S. Bennett

General Manager

Mets S. Bennett

Rose Small

Circulation

Anthony Marano

Advertising

Loretta Rodgers

Jessica Bautista

Richard C. Dalton

Willie McGonigle

News

Susan Williamson

Production

Chester Spirit is published

Wednesdays and distributed

throughout the City of

Chester and surrounding

commmunities.

4 Jan. 26 - Feb. 1, 2011

W A N T E DF o r c r i m e s a g a i n s t t h e c o m m u n i t y

Walter BrownBorn: 02/07/1968Height: UnknownWeight: UnknownWanted for: In-decent assault,indecent expo-sure, corruptionof minor.

Tabreal MartinBorn: 08/08/1990Height: 5’08”Weight: 165Wanted for: Failure to yield atYIELD sign, dutiesat stop sign, driving with suspended/revoked license.

Reginald De-shawn BushBorn: 05/27/1983Height: 5’09”Weight: 180Wanted for: Fail-ure to complywith registrationrequirements,failure to regis-ter with Megan’sLaw.

EmilianoEchevarriaBorn: 08/02/1974Height: UnknownWeight: UnknownWanted for: Ag-gravated as-sault, simpleassault, reck-lessly endanger-ing anotherperson, harass-ment, kidnap,unlawful re-straint, terroris-tic threats, falseimprisonment.

Corey JohnsonBorn: 04/02/1970Height: 6’00”Weight: 180Wanted for:Simple assault,aggravated assault, robberyinflicting seriousbodily injury.

Martin JohnsonBorn: 12/03/1979Height: 5’11”Weight: 200Wanted for: Burglary, con-spire burglary, criminal tres-passing.

If you see these people, or have ANY information about their whereabouts, CALL: Chester Police Detective Division (610) 447-7908

Maurice ThomasBorn: 04/21/1989Height: 5’10”Weight: 170Wanted for: First degree murder, thirddegree murder, conspiracy of thirddegree murder,crime committedwith firearm.

Tyree MansellBorn: 05/22/1979Height: UnknownWeight: UnknownWanted for: Aggra-vated assault, simpleassault, simple assu-alt, recklessly endan-gering anotherperson, harassment,disorderly conduct.

Jabree D. BaileyBorn: 12/08/88Height: 5’0”Weight: 128Wanted for: Carryingfirearms without a li-cense, robbery, re-ceiving stolenproperty, aggravatedassault, simple as-sault and recklesslyendangering anotherperson.

Michael DouglasTuckerBorn: 09/18/1963Height: 5’10”Weight: 165Wanted for: Rape,forcible compulsion,robbery, aggravatedassault, simple as-sault, receivingstolen property, ha-rassment, recklesslyendangering anotherperson, theft, unlaw-ful restraint.

Darren LamontRotenBorn: 09/18/1969Height: 6’03”Weight: 200Wanted for: Simpleassault, aggravatedassault, recklessly en-dangering anotherperson.

Guest Opinion

There is a Greater Message from the Arizona Shootings

Jane M. Orient, M.D., is executive director of the Association of American

Physicians and Surgeons.


Applicants shouldsend a resumé or curricu-lum vitae, along with aletter explaining theirqualifications to serve aschair and their reasonsfor being interested inthe position, to: Legisla-tive ReapportionmentCommission, c/o KathySullivan, Executive Direc-

tor, Legislative Data Pro-cessing Center, G-27North Office Building,Harrisburg, PA 17120.

Submissions canalso be sent via email [email protected]. Applicationsmust be received no laterthan Feb. 18th.

The leaders said inaddition to those who

apply, other qualified in-dividuals may also beconsidered. If the floorleaders do not reachagreement on a person,the PennsylvaniaSupreme Court will makethe appointment.

Citizen needed to chairReapportionment


By [email protected]

Excitement and ela-tion were in the airlast week when

the Chester RepublicanCommittee announced itsnominees for the upcom-ing municipal electionafter meeting at its head-quarters.

Incumbent MayorWendell N. Butler, Jr. willlead the ticket for his thirdterm, but the big story isthat Councilwoman Mar-rea Walker-Smith, whoalso serves as deputymayor, will not seek re-election to a third term.Sources close to the coun-cilwoman say she has bat-tled health issues recentlyand has grown disillu-sioned with partisan poli-tics after 17 years in publicservice, 10 of those years

on City Coun-cil.

Walker-Smith, whoalso recentlyresigned asthe firstA f r i c a n -A m e r i c a nand first fe-male chair ofthe city GOP,has said littlep u b l i c l yabout her fu-ture otherthan to confirm her desirenot seek reelection withan obscure commentmade at a recent CityCouncil meeting that wasnot picked up by media

covering the event.Tapped to replace

her is community activistand one-time GOP candi-date for state representa-tive, Nolan Woodland.

Woodland also works asexecutive director of Wes-ley House, a shelter forhomeless women andchildren.

Since being ap-pointed mayor in October2002, Butler recognizedthe city’s triumphs, but ac-knowledged the amountof work that’s left to bedone. “We want to showpeople how great Chestercan become again,” hesaid after the meeting.“But it does take time and

a lot of money; that’s whyI ask the committeepeo-ple for another term.”

Butler reflected onthe last eight years of histenure as mayor and, be-yond that, his 33 years inlaw enforcement. “I’mproud to have an opportu-nity to serve the residentsof Chester,” he said,adding, “and I made this alife-long commitment as apolice officer.” As policechief, Butler promoted thefirst Latino and the first fe-

male in Chester’s policedepartment.

Among his many per-sonal goals to see a revi-talized Chester, he said,was to have the ChesterUpland School District(CUSD) become a spon-soring school district ofthe Delaware CountyCommunity College. Thatgoal was recently attainedwith crucial funding fromHarrah’s Casino tablegames revenue. Butler’sto-do lists since becomingmayor had also heavily fo-cused on creating afford-able housing for youngpeople and seniors, theopening of the new Boysand Girls Club, stemmingthe proliferation of guns,the creation of theMayor’s Anti-ViolenceTask Force and the devel-opment of the “CrimeCard,” a blank postage-paid postcard addressedto the police departmenton which people can writeand report crime-relatedinformation anonymouslythen mail it in.

Continued on page 8


Butler, Garner in; Walker-Smith out asGOP picks candidates for city elections

City Republicans have endorsed these candidates and incumbents for elected offices. (From

left) Spencer B. Seaton, Nolan Woodland, Wanda Mann, Wendell N. Butler, Jr., Joseph Hollman,

Ieasa Nichols-Harmon, Wilden Horace and Shepard Garner.

Serving Delaware and Chester Counties

Call 1-855-DCCC-HELP (322-2435) or visit www

Call 1-855-DCCC-HELP (322-2435) .dccc.edu/PayForCollegeor visit www

Call 1-855-DCCC-HELP (322-2435) .dccc.edu/PayForCollege

Elected school board accusesex-political board for CUSD’s

serious money problems Contined from cover page

According to CUSD, $3.7 million inoperating reserves had been depleted toless than $22,000 for “unspecified gen-eral fund expenditures and (the Empow-erment Board) did not reimburse thefund.” As far as the elected board is con-cerned, that level of spending is critical,but has not been considered criminal.

The district’s general fund was de-pleted by $8.7 million, the report said,when the former Showalter MiddleSchool, now Science and Discovery HighSchool, was renovated. Elected boardmembers stressed that they were in fullsupport of the building’s renovation andstill find it valuable, however, the finan-cial aspects of the project remain trou-blesome.

According to the report and Pad-den, the previous board failed to do afeasibility study before undertaking anyrenovations, and neglected to apply forconstruction reimbursement under astate program known as PlanCon. Theboard is still unsure whether CUSD canreceive reimbursement after the fact,but maintains they’re still exploring allways possible.

Now the board believes it mustfloat bonds this year to compensate forthe millions paid out from the generalfund. Because reimbursement wasn’t ap-plied for prior to construction, accordingto CUSD board solicitor Leo Hackett,“There’s a real likelihood that we willnever get the bond subsidy back.”

“We inherited a troublesome finan-cial situation that appears, by all reason-able measures, to be the consequence ofquestionable decision-making by theEmpowerment Board,” board President

Wanda Mann said. “We have identifiedsignificant financial problems plaguingthe school district, which we must nowstep up and tackle on behalf of the stu-dents and families of Chester Upland.”

It is unclear how long it could takebefore CUSD’s current board can dig thedistrict out of the hole it claimed the Em-powerment Board made, but Paddensaid it would undoubtedly take morethan a year. The board anticipates havinga fully developed recovery plan in placeby the end of the current fiscal year onJune 30th but this week declined to out-line specific strategies it may attempt.

The distractions of campaigningmay also prove taxing as several mem-bers of the board, including Mann, areup for reelection and, unlike the last elec-tion cycle when city Democrats sat outschool board elections, strong opposi-tion candidates have been recruited bythe city Democratic Party.

One possible reason why Democ-rats sat out the last election was becausethe Empowerment Board was firmlyseated. That board was appointed bythen-Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell andwas accountable to state education de-partment officials.

Acting Superintendent Dr. JoyceWells said that for the foreseeable fu-ture, she anticipates very tight spendingand only on the bare necessities for thetime being, but ensured continued “qual-ity education and programming.”

Former members of the Empower-ment Board could not be reached forcomment by press time; nor could for-mer Superintendent Dr. Gregory Thorn-ton, who now heads the MilwaukeeSchool District in Wisconsin.


One of the most im-portant decisionswe make about

our health care is the pri-mary care physician (PCP)we choose as the first lineof contact in our healthmanagement. Ideally, thePCP knows you, has an ex-cellent command of med-ical knowledge andpractice techniques, andhas access to specialists tofurther assist you when aspecific issue arises.

The PCP should alsobe someone with whomyou are comfortable andcan work with together asa team to attain the bestmedical outcomes for you.

For older adults, this isespecially important. Aswe age, some very basicthings – how we processmedication, the likelihoodof having more than onechronic condition, differ-ent needs in terms ofmaintaining/improvingour function – changequite a bit from when wewere 20 or 35 years old.

These differences areabout to become an evenbigger issue in medicine;according to the NationalInstitute on Aging, thenumber of Americansaged 65 and older was 39million in 2008 and is ex-pected to grow to 70 mil-lion by 2030. For thesereasons and others, it canbe very beneficial to havea PCP who specializes inyour age group. For peo-ple over age 60, that spe-cialist is a geriatrician.

A geriatrician is aphysician who, in additionto completing a residencyin internal medicine orfamily medicine, has also

completed additionaltraining (a fellowship) ingeriatric medicine. Thatextra training in geriatricsfocuses on promoting andmaintaining the health,function and quality of lifeof older patients. This ad-ditional training also pro-vides an olderadult-specific perspectiveon preventing and treatingdisease.

A perfect example ofwhere this extra trainingcan make a big differenceis medication manage-ment. A 65, 70 or 80 year-old body processesmedication much differ-ently than a 25 or 30 year-old body. A physician whounderstands these differ-ences is better able to an-alyze which medicationmay have an unwantedside effect, or if multiplemedications are interact-ing in a negative way in anolder adult.

Other conditions – likeurinary incontinence,memory issues, and bal-

ance problems – occurmore often in older adultsand for different reasonsthan they do in youngerpatients. Having a geriatri-cian on board can make abig difference in the as-sessment and treatmentof these conditions.

Geriatricians also haveunique experience inproblems like memory lossand cognitive impairment.Contrary to popular belief,memory loss is not a nor-

mal part of aging. Whilediseases like Alzheimer’sDisease are becoming wellknown (and currentlythere are between 2.4 mil-lion and 5.1 million peoplein the United States suffer-ing from Alzheimer’s Dis-ease according to theNational Institute onAging), it is far from theonly cause of memoryloss.

If a patient starts toshow signs of cognitive im-

pairment, a geriatriciandoes a full medical workup that often includesblood work to rule out ametabolic cause or min-eral imbalance; a brainscan (CT scan or MRI) toexamine any physicalchanges in the brain thatmay indicate a reason forthe impairment; as well ascognitive testing to meas-ure and identify the natureof the cognitive problem.

Continued on page 8


SPRINGFIELD HOSPITAL

SPRINGFIELD

TAYLOR HOSPITAL

TAYLOR

COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

COMMUNITY

CROZER-CHESTER MEDICAL CENTER

CROZER

DELAWARE COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

DCMH

Upland Drexel Hill Ridley Park Springfield Chester

We’re 5 hospitals, 2,600 doctors and nurses, and 7,100 caring people with 1 vision. Crozer-Keystone. Something to feel good about.

“Crozer-Keystone physicians” are those doctors who hold staff privileges at CKHS-owned hospitals. They may not be employees of CKHS or its subsidiaries.

CONNECT WITH THE CROZER-KEYSTONE HEALTH SYSTEM

Healthplex Pavilion II 100 W. Sproul Road

Springfield, PA 19064

Crozer-Keystone Call Center:(for physician referrals and information) 1-800-CK-HEALTH (1-800-254-3258)

Senior Support Line:1-800-CKHS-KEY (1-800-254-7539) http://srhealthservices.crozer.org

Medical Imaging Appointment Scheduling Line:1-866-5-CK-XRAY (1-866-525-9729) http://ckimaging.crozer.org

Crozer-Keystone Human Motion Institute Appointment Scheduling Line:(for prompt musculoskeletal appointments) 1-877-CK-MOTION (1-877-256-6846) http://ckhshmi.crozer.org

Cardiac Testing Appointment Scheduling Line:1-866-95-PULSE (1-866-957-8573) http://ckheart.crozer.org

Cancer Physician Appointment Scheduling Line:1-866-695-HOPE (1-866-695-4673) http://ckcancer.crozer.org

Crozer-Keystone Sleep Centers Appointment Scheduling Line:1-888-SLEEP03 (1-888-753-3703) http://sleepcenters.crozer.org

Here’s to Your Good HealthYour doctor should ‘know’ you when you’re older

Jennifer Marshall

Jennifer Marshall is the social worker/coordinator for the Geriatric Evaluationand Management Program at the Crozer Keystone Center for Geriatric Medicine.



Sports

Chester stays focused to wallop Glen MillsBy [email protected]

It would have been under-standable if Lamon Churchand the rest of the Chester

Clippers basketball team cameand overlooked the Glen MillsBattlin’ Bulls in a Del Val Leaguegame on Thursday night.

After all, they were justcoming off a 75-34 whipping ofChichester last Tuesday and,after the game with Glen Mills,they were to board a bus for afive-hour ride to Morgantown,West Virginia where the Clip-pers took the court on Fridayagainst West Virginia powerHuntington Prep.

But, unfortunately for theBattlin’ Bulls, the Clippers didn’tlook past them and the result

was a 70-46victory at theClip Joint. “Thelong ride wason my mind alittle bit,”Church said.

T h eClippers foundthemselves in alittle bit of foultrouble in theopening framebut it didn’tseem to botherthem as theystormed out toan early 6-2 ad-vantage before having it balloonto 11-5 before the Bulls battledback to a 13-9 deficit at the endof one. The Clippers used a bal-

anced attack, receiving threepoints each from Maurice Nel-son, Rondae Jefferson and ErikkWright.

In the second quarter, theClippers’ offense heated up,scoring 20 points including a 12-2 run to open the quarter whichexpanded their lead to 25-11and eventually to 30-19, result-ing in the Clippers with a 33-24halftime advantage. The Clip-pers were sparked by sopho-more forward RichardGrandbury, who scored five ofhis nine total game points in thequarter and junior guard Ka-reem Robinson who scored sixof his seven points. Church alsoheated up in the second quarter,

scoring seven points.In the third quarter, the

Clippers started to run awaywith the game. At one point,they held a 51-30 lead. Churchcontinued to dominate inside;scoring 10 points for the Clip-pers who were up 54-35 at theend of three. Church also re-ceived help from Wright, whoscored six points in the quarter.

With the game prettymuch out of reach for the Bulls,the Clippers allowed some oftheir bench players to get in andreceive valuable game time ex-perience which is a must if theClippers are to make anotherlong post-season run this year.

Among those taking advan-

tage of the extended playingtime was Dequann Walker, whotook over the game, scoring all10 of his points in the fourth andentertaining the crowd withthunderous dunks to give theClippers the victory.

The Clippers returnhome tomorrow when they takeon the Interboro Bucs. Tip-off isscheduled for 7:30 P.M.

Chester Clippers and the Battlin’ Bulls of Glen Mills prepare for a jump ball to start

the game that, ultimately, was claimed by Chester.

Coaching Legends: Temple University Men’s Basketball headcoach Fran Dunphy (left) visited and talked with legendary formerChester head coach, Fred Pickett.

Chester’s Lamon Church at the

free throw line.

After many years, boxing’s back in Chester By [email protected]

The last time professionalboxing was promoted inChester was 1980, but

last Saturday night boxing re-

turned when co-promoters Joey“Eye” Interi and David Feldman,along with matchmaker Don El-baum, hosted “Night of RisingStars” at Harrah’s Chestercasino. The event was a seven-

card match-up featuring risingand potential stars, many ofwhom hail from the tri-statearea.

Fans didn’t have to waitlong for the the first shocker ofthe night.

In the first bout, underdogCorey White, of Cincinatti, Ohio,appearing in his first profes-sional fight, knocked outNewark, Delaware’s Joe Tiberi,who had a strong fan base sup-porting. The knock-out came at2:43 in the third of a scheduledfour-round lightweight bout.White used a left-right combobefore landing a right hand thatbrought Tiberi to the mat.

“It felt great; my first realfight,” White said, adding,“There’s nothing like it. I was alittle nervous, but I ready didn’thave anything to be nervousabout; I had faith in God.”

In a super middleweightfight, New Jersey’s Kyle White,who despite breaking his noseand being knocked down in the

second round in a bloody battle,earned a spilt decision in fourrounds over Virginia Beach’sPete Yates. Two judges gaveWhite a 38-37 edge while theother judge scored the fight 38-37 in favor of Yates. The winpushed White’s record to 3-0and was his first win that didn’tcome by knockout.

“It actually was prettygood for me. You got to have thetougher fights to keep yougoing,” White said afterwards.

In a middleweight fight,Scranton’s Stephon Burgette,also making his professionaldebut, earned a draw with NewJersey’s Todd Erickson. Afterfour rounds, both fighters gar-nered a 38-37 decision from onejudge each, while the thirdjudge scored the fight even at38-38.

Philadelphia’s Joey Dawe-jko improved his record to 4-0with an unanimous four-roundvictory over Montreal, Canada’sTaffo. The judges scored the

fight 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37.In four-round welterweight

battle, Eric Draper, of Indi-anapolis, earned a majority de-cision over Philadelphia’s AdrickButler with two judges scoringin Draper’s favor, 40-36 and 39-37, while the other judge ruledthe fight even at 38-38.

In the last undercardheavyweight bout, Philadel-phia’s Zeferano Albino ended aneight-match losing streak afterdefeating Boothwyn’s JohnPoore. Poore, who was fightingat his weight, even came out ofsemi-retirement. Albino, whoserecord improved to 4-12-2 withthe victory, dominated Poorefrom the opening bell and man-aged to catch Poore’s left eyewith a hard punch, forcing it toswell and causing Poore to ap-parently stagger into the wrongcorner at the end of the secondround. That caused referee BlairTalmadge and Poore’s cornercrew to stop the fight.

Continued on page 8A blood-drenched Kyle White savors his victory in a split-decision.

billy sCully Photo


Continued from page 7“It felt great to get the

win,” Albino said, adding, “Ittaught (that) you got to knockeverybody the hell out to getthe W and that’s what I didtoday and I am happy aboutthat.” Poore said he didn’t wantto stop fight and that he feltgood and 100 percent ready. “Ijust didn’t get done what I hadto,” Poore said.

The main event was asix-round lightweight fight fea-turing two boxing rising stars inPhiladelphia’s Victor Vasquezand Atlantic City’s OsnelCharles. The fight lived up to itsbuild-up; going all six roundswith Charles pulling the upsetwith a majority decision thatwas scored 58-56, 58-56 and 57-57. The fight was the first mainevent for Charles, who said, “It

feels great, man! First mainevent; more to come.” Charlessaid he watched the other fightswhile waiting for his match tobegin. Charles believes his fu-ture is bright, saying, “I’m goingto become a champion in mytime.”

Elbaum, who pioneeredboxing promoting in Las Vegascasinos and has also promotedfights in Atlantic City, Philadel-

phia and exotic locations likethe Philippines, has big thingsplaned for Chester.

In a press conferencedays before the fights, Elbaum

said, “We plan to make this amonthly show. We already havesome world-class fighters whowant to fight here.” The nextschedule is Feb. 24th featuringBobby Gunn versus Ran Nakashin the headline fight.

Boxing’s return was twomonths in the making; encour-aged by Hugo Immediato, Jr.,Harrah’s manager of banquetsand event sales “We are lookingto do a series of fights here andwith the Blue Horizon closingdown this is a natural spot,” Im-mediato said.

Interi said, “We got a good

set of shows coming up andwith (his co-promoters), we willhave some good knockdown,drag out fights. You are going tosee action and that’s what thefans want.”

Feldman, “I am happy tobring boxing back to DelawareCounty. We had a great run herein the 90’s just up the road in Es-sington.”


It’s been a while, but boxing is back in Chester

(All Varsity games & start times)This Week In Sports

WednesdayWrestling

Sun Valley at Episcopal Academy 3:45 P.M.Chichester at Penn Wood 6 P.M.

Boys SwimmingGlen Mills at Sun Valley 3:30 P.M.Interboro at Chichester 3:30 P.M.

Girls SwimmingVilla Maria at Sun Valley 3:30 P.M.Interboro at Chichester 3:30 P.M.

ThursdayBoys Basketball

Sun Valley at Kennett 7:30 P.M.Penn Wood at Chichester 5 P.M.Interboro at Chester 7:30 P.M.

Girls Basketball Kennett at Sun Valley 7:30 P.M. Chichester at Penn Wood 5 P.M.

Chester at Interboro 5 P.M.

FridayGirls Basketball

Sun Valley at Great Valley 7:30 P.M.Chichester at Bishop Shanahan 7 P.M.

Boys BasketballGreat Valley at Sun Valley 7:30 P.M.

Ice HockeyChichester at Phoenixville 4:15 P.M. Iceline

Chester Biddy League action

SaturdayChester Biddy League action

Girls BasketballChester at Lewisburg TBA

TuesdayBoys Basketball

Unionville at Sun Valley 7:30 P.M.Chichester at Academy Park 7 P.M.

Girls BasketballSun Valley at Unionville 7:30 P.M.

Academy Park at Chichester 5 P.M. Penn Wood at Chester 5 P.M.

Girls Swimming Chichester at Pauda Academy 6 P.M.

Sports

ON THE COVER – Victor

Vasquez and Osnel Charles

go at it in a bout that Charleswon and (below) ultimatelycelebrated.

Continued from page 6If the diagnosis is

Alzheimer’s Disease or anothertype of dementia, your geriatri-cian will often be able to workwith you about next steps, plan-ning for the future, and referralsto other resources for support.

If you have a PCP withwhom you have a great rela-tionship, the prospect of chang-ing that physician may not beappealing. In that case, it can behelpful to utilize a geriatrician asa consultant. Just like you see acardiologist for heart issues or adermatologist for skin issues, ageriatrician can also function asa specialist who can work withyour primary care doctor whenany number of geriatric-specific

issues crop up. Again, issues like memory

impairment, difficulty walkingor increasing falls, changes inurinary continence, or even amedication evaluation arethings that geriatricians are ableto assess and treat and providefeedback on to your primarydoctor. A few hospitals in the re-gion offer comprehensive geri-atric evaluations, which includeassessments by teams often in-cluding the geriatrician, a nurse,a social worker, and a geriatricpsychiatrist or psychologist tonot only fully assess the pa-tient’s medical issues, but alsoto assess the impact of these is-sues on all areas of life and func-tion.

This team is also often ableto make recommendations andlink to community supports andother specialists, while workingwith the primary care physician.

Finding the right physi-cian/physician team is alwaysimportant, no matter what age.For older adults, a geriatriciancan offer a great deal for theirunique needs. For more infor-mation, contact your local hos-pital system to find out if theyhave any geriatricians on staff oroffer a geriatric evaluation pro-gram; your local Area Aging onAging; or the Eastern Pennsylva-nia Geriatrics Society at 610-715-2887.

Your doctor should ‘know’


He expressed his apprecia-tion to the community for “step-ping up” and coming forwardwith potential leads and sup-port.

Incumbent City Council-man Shepard Garner, an ac-countant who also heads thecity’s Finance Department, wasalso nominated for a third term.A councilman since 2005, Gar-ner believes continuing the ad-ministration already in place iscritical to the continued successof the city’s revitalization ef-forts.

“This administration is thevisionary of the plan that we’vehad for this community,” Garnersaid, adding, “We just want tocontinue with the plan andthat’s behind the mayor’s lead-ership. At the end of the day, wewant to win and we think we’rethe group capable of moving the

city in the right direction.”Woodland believes the en-

tire city is already behind theproper mayor and that the Re-publican candidates are experi-enced and prepared.

Chosen to run for re-elec-tion on the CUSD school boardwere current President WandaMann and incumbent membersIeasa Nichols-Harmon andRichard McClintock, who re-cently filled a board vacancy lastNovember when the lone Up-land representative resigned.

“We’re going to put forthour best effort to improve oureducation process within in thedistrict,” Mann said, rattling offa number of district projects in-cluding new dental, bakery andearly childhood programs.

Anthony Johnson, CharlieWarren and Dennis Martinelli,frequent CUSD meeting atten-dees and outspoken advocates

for change on the school board,will be the Democratic oppo-nents. Mann withheld muchcomment on the challengers ex-cept to say, “May the best can-didates win.”

Two additional schoolboard nominees were expectedto be announced this week, in-cluding a candidate to fill theseat being vacated by JosephHollman, who was tapped to asthe Republican candidate forcity controller. Current City Con-troller Dalinda Carrero-Papi,also a Republican, is not seekingre-election and was unable tobe reached before press time.

Incumbent Magisterial Dis-trict Judge Spencer B. Seaton isseeking re-election and WildenHorace is seeking a seat on thatbench for the first time.

Butler, Garner, others get nod


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