The Philadelphia Foundation recently administered a $39,000 grant to the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, Inc. (DAP), which provides services to nearly 4,000 domestic abuse victims in the county every year.

 The grant was awarded from the Alumni Association of the School of Nursing of H.U.P. Women and Children Fund, William C. Schmid and Emma Schmid nee Rentschler Memorial Fund and the William J. McCahan 3rd Fund.

"We are so honored by this generosity and by the honor to continue our partnership with this prestigious regional foundation," said DAP Executive Director Rita Buckley Connolly in a prepared statement. "We look forward to a productive year as we continue to intervene on behalf of victims and their children whose lives are marked by interpersonal violence and to educate the public at large in Delaware County."

Two advocacy agencies – PA Cares for All and the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania – recently created an interactive online calculator which shows how much the elimination of the state’s General Assistance cash program could cost in the long run.

Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s $27.1 billion budget proposal calls for the elimination of the General Assistance cash program.

Cuts to the GA program will affect about 68,000 people across the state, including about 1,700 Delaware County residents, according to figures from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Delco has the third most GA recipients in the state.

Advocates say the elimination of this program will affect the “poorest of the poor.”

“Where will people turn when they have nothing? Where will they live? Change their clothes? Go to the bathroom? Get treatment, look for a job? This is a program of last resort. People will be forced into more costly alternatives,” said Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania Executive Director Liz Hersh in a prepared statement. “These systems are not only more costly, but are already overburdened. Homeless shelters are already dealing with unprecedented demand. There simply will be more people forced onto the streets, into abandoned buildings. It will be a costly health and safety problem.”

State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-9, of Chester, recently announced that area schools are recipients of state literacy grants.

The funds, known as Keystones to Opportunity, were awarded to the Chichester School District and the Chester Community Charter School.

Chichester will receive a $1 million grant and the charter school will receive a $553,294 grant, according to Pileggi.

Pileggi said these grants support efforts to improve literacy for all children, including disadvantaged students, students who have limited proficiency in English and students with disabilities.  

Radnor Democrat George Badey, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, was recently recognized in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program.

Specifically, the DCCC has designated the 7th Congressional District race as an "emerging race."

"I am gratified that the strength of our campaign has now been formally recognized by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee," said Badey.

Badey said he wants to preserve Medicare, protect women's health care rights and rebuild the economy to protect working families.

"This acknowledgment is a great step for my campaign and it shows that we have strong grassroots support," Badey said. "This election will be about character and the conviction of a representative that believes in something more than just saying anything that will keep him in office."

The DCCC's Red to Blue program provides financial and strategic support to top Democratic campaigns in the U.S.

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-1, of Philadelphia, is calling on people to participate in a weeklong Greater Food Stamp Challenge. 

The challenge, sponsored by the Jewish Federation and the Coalition Against Hunger, runs through April 29. Participants, including Brady, are attempting to live on $5 worth of food a day, the average food stamp benefit, during every day this week. 

“I agreed to do this to demonstrate how extremely difficult it is for struggling families to feed themselves day after day,” Brady said in a prepared statement. “I’m doing it for a week, but for too many, nearly one in seven people in this area, this is what they face daily.”

 

(Below is a quick recap of what happened during Mitt Romney's visit in Delco today.

... Be sure to read tomorrow's edition of the Daily Times for more details.)

During a campaign stop in Delaware County Monday, Republican Mitt Romney laid out reasons why he believes be would do a better job than President Barack Obama.

          The former Massachusetts governor said Obama has been “anti-job, anti-investment and anti-growth,” during his term as president.

            Romney was joined by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Pa., during a stop at Mustang Expediting, an expedited trucking business based in Chester Township.

            Though Romney faces Texas Congressman Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the primary election tomorrow, he focused all his energy on Obama.

            Romney pledged to repeal Obama’s federal health care law and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

            Romney criticized the president, saying the nation’s unemployment rate has hovered near 8 percent during his time in office.

            “I think young voters of this country have to vote for me,” Romney said, arguing that there has been an increase in the percentage of college graduates who can’t find work during Obama’s presidency.

Several other elected officials from the area, including U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, were at the event to show support for Romney.

“We know Barack Obama inherited a bad economy,” said Meehan. “But through his leadership and failed policies he has made it much, much worse.”

This was not the first time that Romney stopped in Delaware County. He made his first campaign stop in the county – and Pennsylvania – earlier this month at the Iron Shop in Marple.

Republican Presidential front-runner candidate Mitt Romney is expected to make a campaign stop again in Delaware County Monday – a day before the Pennsylvania primary election. “I think the Romney campaign knows the importance of Delaware County for the general election (in November),” said Delaware County Republican Party Chairman Andrew Reilly. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, will be hosting a town hall meeting at Mustang Expediting in Chester Township. He is expected to be joined by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Reilly said that the Delaware County GOP proposed several sites to the Romney campaign for this event, which is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m. “We were pleased to help them locate a site,” Reilly said. Romney made his first campaign stop in Pennsylvania at the Iron Shop in Marple earlier this month. “We’re happy that he’s coming to Delaware County again,” said Reilly. Romney is facing Texas Congressman Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in the primary. Former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum suspended his campaign earlier this month. Reilly said anyone interested in attending the Romney town hall Monday should RSVP by sending an email to TeamPA@MittRomney.com.

With primary election around the corner, here is a rundown of who is running. Also, here are more details on the 9th Senatorial District race. And here are more details on the 163rd Legislative District race. Also, don't forget the new Voter ID bill will get a test run Tuesday.

County officials stressed the importance of disposal of unused or expired medications and announced that the national prescription drug “take-back” day will take place later this month. “This is an opportunity to get rid of unused and expired medication,” said Dr. George Avetian, the county’s senior medical adviser. To raise awareness and combat the abuse of prescription drugs, the county is holding its fourth “Take Back” drug event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 28. Residents can anonymously drop off unused or expired prescription drugs at several police departments including Aldan, Media, Nether Providence, Ridley Park, Tinicum, Glenolden, Ridley Township and the state police barracks in Middletown. Other locations include the Eddystone Lighthouse Hall, Marcus Hook Community Center, Sharon Hill Borough Hall, Brookhaven Municipal Building, Radnor Township Municipal Building, Wayne Senior Center, Springfield Township Municipal Building and Upper Darby High School. In addition, the Giant supermarket in Marple is a designated drop-off center, according to county officials.

Delaware County Council will be taking an upcoming public meeting on the road.

Council normally meets on Wednesday mornings but this night meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 1 at Garling Hall in the Ridley Township Municipal Building at 100 East MacDade Boulevard.

Council’s weekly agenda meeting will take place at 10 a.m. April 30 that week at the Government Center in Media. There will be no daytime meeting on Wednesday that week.

County Councilman Dave White, a former Ridley Township commissioner, said this will be the eighth evening meeting county council has held since February 2009.

The re-election campaign for President Barack Obama announced it will open its first field office in Delaware County tonight.

It will be located at 340 West Baltimore Pike in Media. It will open at 6 p.m.

Delco Democratic Party Chairman David Landau and George Badey, the Democratic candidate in the 7th Congressional District race, are expected to make an appearance at the new office tonight. They are expected to highlight why Obama would do a better job than Republican Presidential front-runner candidate Mitt Romney.

Delaware County Council unanimously adopted a resolution Wednesday morning, stating that the future use of ConocoPhillips refinery should be a refinery – not a terminal.

County Council Chairman Tom McGarrigle, who introduced the resolution, said it would be in the best interest of the oil workers and residents of Delaware County to keep the site operating as a refinery because it would save more jobs.

“Delaware County Council deems the creation of jobs to be paramount to the health of the economy and the wellbeing of the residents, both in Delaware County and throughout southeast Pennsylvania,” McGarrigle said while reading the resolution. “Delaware County Council deems operation of the ConocoPhillips site in Trainer Borough as a refinery to be in the best interest of the welfare of its residents and supports that use.”

The resolution points to news reports that indicate up to five buyers are bidding to purchase the refinery. Of those five potential buyers, only one has indicated it would operate the refinery for the purpose of refining oil while the others want to use it as a terminal only, the resolution states.

McGarrigle said that a terminal would only employ 50 to 75 jobs but an oil refinery would employ hundreds of people.

Specifically, he said estimates indicate 650 contractors would be employed a day to prepare the refinery to resume oil refining operations.

Once the refinery is operational again, estimates indicate about 380 permanent jobs would be created for employees directly working for the purchaser and additional 100 permanent contracting jobs would be created.

McGarrigle said county council will be sending a copy of its resolution to ConocoPhillips officials.

Last September, ConocoPhillips idled its Trainer facility and eliminated its work force in January.

In addition, Sunoco Inc. idled its Marcus Hook facility in December and terminated most of its employees in February.

The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania recently awarded state Rep. Bill Adolph, R-165, of Springfield, with the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement on Behalf of Higher Education.

"It is truly an honor to be presented with this award," said Adolph, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, in a prepared statement. "Access to quality higher education has always been one of my top policy interests and I am humbled to be recognized by this prestigious group of colleges and universities."

The Delaware County Animal Protection Board is weighing its options on the best way to move forward with animal control coverage.

During a recent meeting, board Chairman Thomas Judge Jr. said the board needs to decide how to proceed. He said options include moving forward with building a new animal control facility; not building the facility; scaling down the size of the proposed facility; or partnering with another agency.

“Within the next month, we need to make a decision,” said Judge during the meeting, which took place April 11 at the Upper Darby Township Municipal Building.

You can read the full article here.

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As a resident of Delco, what do you think about this issue?


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On another note, Delaware County Council recently approved a four-year contract for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union No. 77 transfer station employees.

During a campaign stop in Delaware County Sunday, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Welch said his business background is what is missing in Washington, D.C.

Welch, an entrepreneur from Chester County, is one of five Republicans hoping to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in November. Casey is seeking a second six-year term after unseating Republican Rick Santorum in 2006.

You can read the full story here.

Some local Democratic officials said they are not completely satisfied with a revised set of state House and Senate district maps that were approved by the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission in a 4-1 vote late Thursday afternoon.

“It’s better but we still have some problems,” said Delco Democratic Party Chairman David Landau.

The first set of maps was thrown out by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.



***
Switching gears ...

State Rep. Margo Davidson, D-164, of Upper Darby, recently called for cultural diversity through cuisine.

U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, announced he will join U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, at a hearing Monday to discuss legislation which would prevent sexual abuse cover-ups in schools.

The hearing will focus on House Resolution 3766, the Jeremy Bell Act.

The public hearing will take place from 10 a.m.-noon Monday in the ceremonial courtroom of the United States federal courthouse in Philadelphia.


***
Switching gears...

In case you missed it, Delaware County Council hired a new administrator for the Fair Acres Geriatric Center, the county’s skilled nursing facility in Middletown.

Springfield resident William G. D’Amico said he is excited to take the position.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sam Rohrer made a campaign stop in Delco last night.

During his visit, he stressed the importance of the U.S. Constitution, calling it a compass to put the country back on track.

Rohrer, a former longtime member of the state House of Representatives, is one of five Republicans hoping to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in November. Casey is seeking a second six-year term after unseating Republican Rick Santorum in 2006.

Rohrer’s Republican opponents in the April 24 Pennsylvania primary election include manufacturing executive and decorated Vietnam veteran David Christian, lawyer Marc Scaringi, retired coal businessman Tom Smith and entrepreneur Steve Welch. Rohrer is the only one who has run for statewide office — in 2010 he ran in the gubernatorial primary unsuccessfully.

You can read the full story here.

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I wonder if some of the other GOP candidates will make a stop in Delco before the April 24 primary. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

***
Switching gears ...

In case you missed it, here is what local Republicans are saying about Rick Santorum's decision to suspend his campaign.

Also, here is what U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, are saying about the JOBS Act.

U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, honored area high school students Tuesday night for artwork they submitted in the Congressional Art Competition.

Michelle Fikse from Bayard Rustin High School in West Chester was awarded “Best in Show” for her black and white drawing titled “Serenity.”

Fikse was one of more than 20 area high school students who were honored at the ceremony, which took place at the Wayne Arts Center in Radnor.

Roger Howard will be debating state Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-9, of Chester, from 7-8:30 p.m. April 19.

Howard, a Republican, is running against Pileggi in the April 24 primary.

The debate is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Chester County. The debate will take place in the auditorium of the Crosslands assisted living facility in Kennett Square, located at 1660 East Street Road in Kennett Square.

A Middletown resident announced he is pursuing a run in the 7th Congressional District as an independent candidate.

Owen Powell, 59, said the main focus of his campaign is cutting military spending. He also is interested in helping young adults who are graduating from college with high student loans and a poor job market.

Powell said he will run as an independent candidate on the “99 Percent” ticket. He said he does not have any official ties to the so-called Occupy movement but rather likes the symbolization of the 99 percent.

“My slogan is ‘a candidate for the rest of us,’” he said.

The district is currently represented by U.S. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby. Meehan, along with Radnor Democrat George Badey III have already filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Here are more details on this candidate.

Republican presidential front-runner candidate Mitt Romney was greeted by a standing-room-only crowd at his first campaign stop in Pennsylvania Wednesday night which happened to be in Delaware County.

“I only have one more thing to ask of you,” Romney said to the crowd at the Iron Shop, located in the Broomall section of Marple. “Please help me defeat Barack Obama. He is so out of touch with the American people.”

Coming off the heels of primary election wins Tuesday in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C., Romney chose to focus on Obama rather than his Republican opponents.

He is currently facing former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, a Texas congressman, and Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House, in the primary. The Pennsylvania primary is April 24.

Local Democratic officials blasted Romney during their own news conference earlier Wednesday. They painted Romney as the one who is out of touch with the American people.

In particular, Delco Democratic Party Chairman David Landau and state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17, of Upper Merion, were critical of Romney’s support of a budget plan that was introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

Landau and Leach said Ryan’s budget “would end Medicare as we know it” and argued the voucher-style system would be detrimental to senior citizens.

You can read the full story here.

Delaware County Democratic Party Chairman David Landau and state Sen. Daylin Leach, D-17, of Upper Darby, will be holding a news conference Wednesday afternoon to “welcome” Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to Delco, according to officials from the Democratic National Committee.

It will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the Havertown Center For Older Adults in Haverford.

“He’s coming to town and it’s the first opportunity for people to see how out of touch he is with the people from Pennsylvania and Delaware County,” said Delaware County Democratic Chairman David Landau.

Romney is expected to make a campaign stop at the Iron Shop in Marple at about 6 p.m. Wednesday night.

Local Republicans said they are thrilled to have Romney in Delco.

“We’re honored that his first stop in Pennsylvania is Delaware County,” said Delaware County Republican Chairman Andrew Reilly. “I’m sure that his campaign knows the importance of Delaware County to his successful election in Pennsylvania.”

Word has it that Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be making a stop in Delaware County Wednesday night, according to local GOP sources.

Romney is expected to make a stop at a location in the Broomall section of Marple, sources said. The former Massachusetts governor is facing former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, a Texas congressman, and Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House, in the primary.

The Pennsylvania primary is scheduled for April 24.

State Treasurer Rob McCord announced today that more than $1.3 million in the Pennsylvania Treasury's unclaimed property database belongs to places of worship and affiliated organizations across the state.

“We hold over $1.3 million in unclaimed property that is owed to churches, synagogues, religious schools and social service organizations across the state," McCord said in a prepared statement. "We want to return that property so these institutions can continue to serve their neighbors.”

To search for property visit www.patreasury.gov or call 1-800-222-2046.

Even though the new voter ID bill doesn’t go into effect until this fall’s general election, officials from the Department of State are instructing county officials to perform a trial run of the new regulations during the April 24 primary election.

It will be a “soft roll out of the legislation,” said Matthew Keeler, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Here are more details on the requirements.

You can also check them out here.

U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, will travel to the Middle East this week on a Congressional Delegation to examine the nuclear threat from Iran.

"An Iranian nuclear weapon is a threat to the U.S. and to our allies in the Middle East and around the world," said Meehan, chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, in a statement. "I look forward to speaking directly with allied leaders about the Iranian threat, and how we can continue working together to foster peace and security in the region."