Grant approved for project to reduce congestion on West Chester Pike at I-476

HAVERFORD >> A federal grant of nearly $3 million was recently approved for a project designed to reduce congestion and improve traffic on westbound West Chester Pike at the Interstate 476/Lawrence Road interchange in Delaware County.

State Reps. Mike Zabel, D-163 of Upper Darby, Jennifer O’Mara, D-165 of Springfield, and Greg Vitali, D-166 of Haverford, announced that the specific total for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement grant, for which the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation applied and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission approved, is $2.849 million.

Engineer Dave Pennoni of Haverford prepared the proposal, which includes the addition of a westbound lane on West Chester Pike that will be separate from lanes controlled by the traffic signal and will flow directly onto the I-476 northbound on-ramp. The onramp will be re-striped and signed to carry two lanes onto the existing ramp.

Additionally, the current intersection of West Chester Pike and the on-ramp will be modified to allow westbound traffic to turn onto the on-ramp accommodating vehicles from South Lawrence Road onto I-476 North.

PennDOT will manage the project, which, because it’s federally funded, must receive environmental clearance during the preliminary engineering phase for it to advance to final design. Therefore, an exact timeline for when construction will begin is not yet known.

Brookhaven Town Watch holds holiday craft fair on Nov. 30

Brookhaven Town Watch will hold a holiday craft fair 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Nov. 30, at the Brookhaven Municipal Center, 2 Cambridge Road, Brookhaven. Unique craft items will be offered by over 50 vendors. Shoppers can enjoy lunch prepared by the Town Watch chefs. A limited number of vendor spaces are available. Call 610 872 3294 for more information.

Two-day conference addresses ‘Men and #MeToo Movement’

The Men’s Center for Growth and Change will host “Men & the #MeToo Movement: What Individuals and Organizations Can Do” 8:30 a.m. — 5 p.m. Nov. 14-15 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Houston Hall. The conference is open to leaders, professionals, and activists who work in business, government, counseling and therapy, education, healthcare, human services, faith institutions, and others who work in settings where sexual harassment and abuse occur or whose focus is on programs that prevent harassment and sexual violence.

The goal of the conference is to inspire those working with men and boys to gain critical skills and insights that will inform and enrich men’s lives and relationships. As conference co-chair Robert Garfield, M.D., notes, the focus of the two-day conference will address the following question: How can individuals and communities create the conditions for safety and accountability, altering the underlying conditions that allow for sexual violence and discrimination against women in society?

The conference will include more than 20 presenters, including best-selling authors, psychologists and practitioners, scholars, and leaders in government, corporate, faith, and nonprofit organizations. Presentations will focus on creating awareness around sexual violence prevention, raising boys in the #MeToo era, reducing harm in the workplace, creating empathy, transformative approaches to healing and reconciliation, and more.

To view the full conference agenda, speaker lineup, and purchase tickets, visit www.menandmetoo.org. A limited number of scholarships based on income are available by contacting the Men’s Center at 215-564-0488 or mrcphiladelphia@gmail.com.

Molding Disciples Ministries holds Christmas craft fair

Molding Disciples Ministries, 211 W. Brookhaven Road, Rose Valley, will host a Christmas Craft Fair 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Dec. 7, and 14. Vendors are wanted. Cost is $25 for one day and $40 for both days. For information, call 484444-2201 or e-mail TheMDMChurch@gmail.com.

Rose Tree Pops Orchestra announces Festive Favorites Concert

The Rose Tree Pops Orchestra will present a Festive Favorites Concert, Nov. 24, at Lima United Methodist Church, 209 N. Middletown Road, Middletown. The concert is open to the public and free of charge. Under the direction of Conductor Dr Roberta Winemiller, the Rose Tree Pops is a community based orchestra committed to the performance of the world’s orchestral repertoire including classical, light classical and pops music literature.

Featured will be Marie Downey, youth soloist, playing the first movement of Bach’s Violin Concerto #1 on Marimba. Music selections will include RimskyKorsakov

— Procession of the Nobles & amp; Capriccio Espagnole, Divorak — Slavonic Dances #6 and #8, Webber — Phantom of the Opera Selections featuring guest vocalists Susan Guyer and Mathew Maisamo and much more. Light refreshments will be served following the concert. For more information, call the church office at 610-566-7109.

Holy Spirit Lutheran Church plans Ladies Shopping Night

Ladies Shopping Night Out will be held 6:309:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, 2545 Franklin Ave., Secane. Products from various vendors will be featured for holiday shopping. Everyone is welcome. The evening will also include raffles and a 50/50 drawing. Shoppers are asked to bring a can of food to donate to Loaves and Fishes Food Bank or pay $1 at the door. For more information, call 610-544-2707.

SUBMITTED PHOTO To help feed those in need this Thanksgiving, GIANT Food Stores recently donated 600 turkeys to Family & Community Services of Delaware County. An annual tradition for GIANT, the company donated 7,000turkeys to 13food banks across the region as one way of giving back this time of year. Team members also spent the day volunteering at each food bank organizing and restocking shelves in advance of the holiday season. Pictured, left to right, are GIANT team members Jessica McCullough, Matthew Demarco, Payton Shulenberger, members from Family and Community Services of Delaware County, GIANT Team Members Anise Floyd Murphy, Courtney Zaleski, Quiana Johnson-Savior and Michelle Zalewski.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The GFWC Woman’s Club of Newtown Square recently honored Cara Santilli, left, as the club’s Student of the Month for November. Cara is the daughter of David and Pam Santilli, right, who accompanied Cara to the club’s November luncheon. Cara, who excels at writing, was selected by the English Department of Marple Newtown High School. She is a member of For the Kids Club, the Astronomy Club, the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and the Interact Club. She is also the vice president of the American Sign Language Club.