Happy sunny Friday, 168th!
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I am focusing on the weather today, as it has been a week full of not-so-great news (and I'm not even talking about the Phillies vs. the Mets ??).
First thing Monday, we learned the valiant efforts by the Governor's office and Attorney General to save Crozer Health System had failed. Not a great way to start a Monday. This is the worst possible outcome and absolutely devastating for the communities of Delco served by the hospital and its EMS services, and for the 2,651 healthcare professionals and dedicated staff who have been dealing with so much uncertainty caused by the private equity owners, Prospect Medical Holdings.
There is no way to express how heartbroken I and my colleagues in Delco are over this development. My oldest son was born at Crozer. It will be 28 years in September, but I still remember the care and compassion of the staff as this new mom, who ended up having an unplanned C-section, dealt with all the emotions and physical concerns that came along with it. Of course, they gave me the best gift of all, the first of my two amazing sons. To know new moms, seniors, children, and families are about to be challenged to find healthcare providers and needed hospital care is a concern always on my mind. And knowing the operators of Prospect Medical Holdings slowly and purposefully bled this system dry in order to make a profit for the owners and shareholders makes me sick and furious.
Delaware County, The Foundation for Delaware County, the commonwealth, and trusted partners contributed tens of millions of dollars over the years and recent months to support this system – owned by a wealthy company! – and ensure healthcare access for the community when its owners wouldn’t. To see to see those efforts and funding go out the door to an out-of-state private equity firm who seeks to profit off the lives of the people in our communities is maddening.
Moving forward, this will impact all of us. I want to give a shout out to all the EMS and fire companies in Delco who are stepping up to help fill the void; something they’ve already been doing on some level for months. These providers will be working even harder to ensure that emergency care is there when people need it. Thank you also to the providers in the hospitals who are working overtime. For us in the 168th in many cases that is Riddle, Lankenau, Bryn Mawr, or Paoli. They will be serving an influx of patients, and we are grateful for their commitment to their healthcare mission.
It’s also good to see the PA Department of Labor & Industry and PACareerLink Delco step up and work together to organize meetings and a job fair to help the thousands of laid-off healthcare workers find new employment. Click here for all the details, and see the infographic in the Community Events section of this email.
Just to add icing on the cake, we are also dealing with the doomsday service cut predictions from SEPTA which are coming more into focus. Since assuming this position in 2023, I have voted to fully fund SEPTA’s operating budget at least three times. That funding has not come to fruition, and now we’re reckoning with the results of years of underfunding for SEPTA.
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Our district will be hit hard. The proposed elimination of the Paoli Thorndale Line, the elimination of the Route 106 bus on Lancaster Ave, elimination of the 118 bus (which runs right outside our office on Newtown Street Road), major service reductions on the 120 and 104 buses on West Chester Pike as well as the Media regional rail will impact residents and businesses alike.
In my mind, this is just cutting off your nose to spite your face. 53% of the revenue generated for the state comes from southeastern PA. That is us. Those are our businesses, our workers, the livelihood of thousands of our neighbors… that is revenue we are generating for the entire commonwealth.
There is still a lot more to come as we fight for SEPTA funding.
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Click/tap the image to enlarge
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I hope to continue to provide ways for you and the communities and businesses who will be impacted to raise youf voices and make your concerns heard with those who make the budget decisions in Harrisburg.
It is not all gloom and doom...read on below for some of the positive things that have been happening. I hope everyone has a great weekend and please, Phillies, time to turn the season around and beat the Cubs! Do it for Delco ??
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Wish Pete a happy retirement!
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After over two years of incredible service to the 168th District, our beloved Pete Lake has decided to retire.
Wish him well and share your favorite Pete story in the card below, and stop by our party next week if you can!
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Harrisburg Update
- Legislative happenings
- Help shape PA's transportation future
In the District
- Fighting for SEPTA funding
- A successful Town Hall
- Visiting the Grayson School
- The countdown is on for PGA 2026 at Aronimink!
- Honoring Dr. Tina Kane
- Celebrating a Centenarian
My Events
- Delco Environmental Expo (5/3)
- Medicare: Extra Help (5/12)
- Shred & E-recycling event (5/17)
FYI
- REAL ID Mondays
- Radnor Twp seeks new Fire/EMS Chief
Community Events
- Support for Crozer Health employees (many dates in April & May)
- Delco Homeownership Fair (5/3)
- Bass soloist Michael Franz performance at Radnor Middle School (5/2)
- Community Listening Session re: mental health & substance use (5/8)
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My House colleagues and I passed important bills this week that would support you and families across the commonwealth. Whether or not the legislation below moves forward now depends on the Senate. We voted to…
- …expand the availability of food for our neighbors in need while combatting food waste, by providing liability protection to donors of food that is beyond the manufacturer’s recommended label date but is still good and safe to eat (HB 615).
- ….protect seniors from losing their prescription coverage via the PACE and PACENET programs by extending the current Social Security COLA moratorium until December 31, 2027, ensuring they remain eligible (HB 923).
- …put more people on the path to safe, achievable housing by increasing the revenue cap for the PA Housing and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund (HB 643).
- …help municipalities cut down on blight by closing a loophole that currently allows bad actors – those who have a history of owning many blighted properties – to get around their tax delinquency and receive permits by applying as an LLC instead. Local governments would be given the power to deny a permit to an LLC not only when the LLC has delinquencies, but also if one of the principals of the LLC has delinquencies in the municipality.
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Help shape PA’s transportation future: Take the 2025 surveys
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PennDOT is seeking public feedback through two online surveys.
? The Winter Services Survey is open until April 28.
The 16-question survey, which takes about five minutes to complete, asks about your expectations for safe roadways, snow-removal priorities, and your overall rating of PennDOT's winter services. It also asks how you prefer to receive roadway information, and whether you use the state's 511PA traveler information services.*
? The 12-Year Transportation Program Survey is open until April 30.
The program (abbreviated TYP) is Pennsylvania’s planning tool that identifies and prioritizes transportation projects. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will help PennDOT prioritize improvements to roads, bridges, transit systems, airports, railroads, and active transportation projects.
*Remember, you can visit www.511PA.com 24/7 to check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
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Fighting for SEPTA funding
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I'm grateful to WHYY's Kenny Cooper for making the trip in the wind & rain to speak with me and Ken Kearns, president of the Wayne Business Association, about the looming SEPTA cuts that would be catastrophic for our local economy. We talked about how the Main Line wouldn't be what it is today with rail transportation, how SEPTA gets our neighbors to their jobs, how SEPTA brings visitors to our local businesses, and more.
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More than 150 of you turned out for the Town Hall my team and I organized for Monday night, joining me and our incredible special guests – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Senator Amanda Cappelletti, and Radnor BOC President Maggy Myers – to discuss the pressing issues that are causing you the most concern, on both the state and federal levels.
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We talked about:
??SEPTA funding
??Protecting healthcare access in the wake of Crozer Health’s closing
?? Funding for projects (e.g. drinking water remediation) and programs (e.g. SNAP, student loan repayment plans)
???Your rights as a U.S. citizen, a voter, and under the First Amendment
I am so grateful to everyone who came out – and to Radnor Township for allowing us to use the township building, and to Radnor Police for assisting with traffic direction.
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It was heartening to see so many people take an active interest in the democratic processes that keep our great republic moving.
Please continue to share your questions and concerns, because we’re already thinking about when we can do this again.
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Visiting The Grayson School
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I have been hearing about The Grayson School for many years from my dear friend and 168th neighbor Kimm Doherty. Thank you for inviting me to meet your talented and wicked smart students, as well as your creative and nurturing teachers. What a special place of learning and encouragement for our future leaders! It was an inspiring visit to the gem of the 168th!
We spent time engaging with the students and faculty, witnessing firsthand the unique and enriching environment fostered at Grayson.
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In celebration of The Grayson School's 10th anniversary, the visit also served as an opportunity to celebrate Melissa Bilash, Founder and Head of School, for her unwavering dedication and leadership over the past decade.
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The countdown is on for PGA 2026 at Aronimink!
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There are so many fantastic events headed to the Philly region in celebration of America250, and the 168th is excited to welcome a big one right here in our own backyard.
The PGA Championship is coming to Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Township in May 2026. This will put our area on the international stage, and everyone will get a glimpse of what we all already know... Newtown and the surrounding communities are beautiful!
It was fun to join in the PGA's recent media day to learn more about what makes Aronimink so special and why the PGA is so excited to host one of their premier events in our community.
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It has been a pleasure getting to know the folks from the PGA and Aronimink Golf Club, and I am happy to assist their efforts to bring a world-class event to our world-class community.
The direct and indirect benefits of hosting an event of this magnitude will not only mean recognition but an economic infusion into our region. The state is committed to working with leaders from Newtown, Visit Delco, and Delaware County Council to support the infrastructure needed to host this event. And that includes ensuring we have a strong public transit system in SEPTA to get people to and from our community.
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Wayne Elementary Earth Day Festival
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Marie, Kate and I had so much fun at the Wayne Elementary School Eco Fair! We saw some old friends and made lots of new friends - human, amphibian & insect!
It is always so good to see Radnor Conservancy, Darby Creek Valley Association, Radnor League of Women Voters, Radnor EAC, Senator Amanda Cappelletti’s office and so many others who all turned out to educate our youngest residents about how we must be responsible for protecting our natural environments and all creatures.
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What a tremendous honor to join Rep. Jennifer O'Mara and a representative for Senator Tim Kearney to honor Dr. Tina Kane, Superintendent of Marple Newtown School District as the PA Association of School Administrators 2025 Superintendent of the Year! We were so proud to share congrats from both the PA House and Senate.
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Dr. Kane is a true champion of public education. A Marple Newtown graduate who began her career at Marple Newtown, this hometown girl communicates her passion for education, love of learning, and strong sense of community in her actions as she works to protect and grow the community’s investment in our amazing public schools.
Being an educator is not easy, but it is definitely a calling. How lucky are we that Dr. Kane was called home to share her heart with the students of Marple Newtown!
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Celebrating a Centenarian
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I was back at Fair Acres to celebrate Bernice Kuhar on her 102nd birthday!
Bernice is a lifelong resident of Delaware County, first in Chester, then as an active member of the Aston community for 66 years before moving to Fair Acres.
Happy Birthday, Bernice! ??
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If you want to learn more clean energy and energy efficiency options for your home or business; are curious about buying an electric car; or looking to learn more about local environmental groups in your community and how to get involved...Then this event is for you!
Delco elected officials will be joined by dozens of local environmental groups and clean energy businesses. Please sign up if you plan to attend.
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PennDOT is holding extended hours at driver license centers statewide to help people get their REAL ID. Click here to view the full schedule.
As a reminder, getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, but beginning May 7, 2025, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant license/identification card, or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to 1) Board domestic commercial flights; 2) Enter a military base; and, 3) Enter certain federal facilities.
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Radnor Township seeks new Fire/EMS Chief
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The township is seeking qualified, strategically focused candidates for the position of Fire/EMS Chief as the first career fire chief for the department as a Radnor Township employee.
Currently the Township is provided with exceptional service from the Radnor Fire Co., the Bryn Mawr Fire Co., and the Broomall Fire Co. As with any area of growth as a destination for families in the greater Philadelphia area, call volumes and demand for services require the continued development of the excellent services already provided.
The Fire/EMS Chief position will be a very visible member of the senior leadership team of the township and requires well-developed leadership abilities and management skill sets that are based upon consensus building and problem-solving. The township is seeking progressive candidates committed to excellence in delivery of fire/EMS, Specialized Response and Emergency Management services with specific experience in a combination environment.
Please click here for the full job description (including salary and qualifications) and instructions for applying. Applications are due April 29th.
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Pennsylvania State Capitol
28-B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 772-2005
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District Office
24 S. Newtown Street Rd., Suite 100
Newtown Square, PA 19073
(484) 427-2884
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