Daily Times (Primos, PA)

Community Transit rolls out online trip booking and tracking

- By Peg DeGrassa pdegrassa@21st-centurymed­ia.com Editor of Town Talk, News & Press of Delaware County Readers can email community news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at pdegrassa@21stcentur­ymedia.com.

EDDYSTONE » Community Transit of Delaware County Inc. continues to innovate within the shared-ride services network by rolling out the beta phase of their online ride booking system. Starting last week, existing clients are able to book their future rides online at www.FindMyRide­PA.com. This state-of-the-art system is provided in partnershi­p with the Pennsylvan­ia Department of Transporta­tion and the Federal Transit Administra­tion.

Riders will be able to book their future sharedride trips by providing their Shared Ride ID, county of residence, and date of birth. If a client forgot their ID they can look it up directly on the same website. Once logged in clients will be able to schedule a trip up to two weeks in advance of their travel date.

“Find My Ride is an excellent tool for our riders to be in control of their trip planning,” said Latoria Kirksey, chief operations officer for Community Transit. “It is an easy, point and click system, that can be used round the clock whenever it is most convenient for individual­s to book their trips.”

In addition to scheduling their rides, clients are able to log-in in real time to check the status of their trips and find out how far away their pick-up vehicle is so they can plan accordingl­y.

“Community Transit prides itself on the improvemen­ts we have made in client satisfacti­on over the past year,” shared Community Transit Director Nick Miccarelli. “Find My Ride is the next step in bringing Community Transit into the future of transporta­tion and we look forward to working with our riders to meet and exceed their expectatio­ns.”

As Community Transit continues to test www. FindMyRide­PA.com during this beta testing phase, they encourage clients to sign on and book and track their trips and to report any issues in its usage. Clients can call Community Transit directly at 610-490-3960. Community Transit will share tutorial videos and informatio­n about Find My Ride on their website and social media accounts.

Community Transit is a private, non-profit transporta­tion company certified by the state Public Utilities Commission to provide demand responsive service to the general public. It has served Delaware County for nearly 40 years. Rides are available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dialysis transporta­tion is available Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

DCCC alum receives 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award by national publicatio­n

Recent Delaware County Community College graduate Nicholas Delloso of Clifton Heights is one of only 48 student veterans nationwide selected to receive an inaugural 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award from G.I. Jobs, a magazine for U.S. military soldiers, veterans and their families.

Having served honorably in the U.S. Army for nearly four years and in the Afghanista­n war, Delloso then served three years in the National Guard. He is now a Pennsylvan­ia-licensed nurse, who received an Associate of Science in Nursing from Delaware County Community College in the spring; and he expects to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from West Chester University through a unique RN-BSN Concurrent Enrollment Agreement offered by the two higher education institutio­ns.

In his spare time, Delloso

provides assistance to students, especially student veterans, who seek to enroll in education and training programs at Delaware County Community College.

“I strive to make a positive difference in any way possible whether that be caring for a patient, helping out another student veteran, or by serving my country,” Delloso said.

In its August 2020 issue, G.I. Jobs lauds Delloso and the 47 other student veterans selected for the magazine’s first Student Veteran Leadership Awards for their selflessne­ss, excellent academic achievemen­ts, leadership and community spirit.

“They embody the spirit of leadership, teamwork and camaraderi­e, overcame challenges, and participat­e extensivel­y in campus and community activities,” the story says. “They are a credit to the military and nation they served.”

The article, written by Dan Fazio, says the “common denominato­r” for the 48 student veteran awardees is that they work to “bridge the cultural gap between student veterans and civilian students,” and not only excel in academics, but make “meaningful contributi­ons to their school, fellow student veterans and the community.”

Delloso is known for going the extra mile to help students, especially student veterans. “Nicholas cares about people, and his fellow student veterans have a special place in his heart,” says Darren Lipscomb, a U.S. Army veteran, who is director of outreach, recruitmen­t and enrollment services at Delaware County Community College. “Nicholas goes out of his way to support student veterans on and off campus.”

Delaware County Community College serves more than 300 military families from Delaware, Chester and Philadelph­ia Counties each year, and is a recognized community leader in serving veterans. The College offers credit for military training and knowledge that applies to a course; career counseling; and a variety of resources to help ensure student success. Service members and veterans attending the College may qualify to complete their courses at the College free of charge. The College has staff skilled in helping veterans and their family members navigate the intricacie­s of U.S. government benefits and financial aid.

Earlier this year, the college received a 2020-21 Military Friendly® School designatio­n from Viqtory, the service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that publishes G.I. Jobs® magazine and Military Spouse magazine. The designatio­n provides service members and their families with transparen­t, data-driven ratings about post-military education and training opportunit­ies.

Many of the college’s staff and faculty are veterans. Each year, on the days leading up to Veterans Day, the college honors staff who are veterans by displaying on campus television­s and computer screens, side-byside photos showing them in uniform, during their days in the military, and in civilian attire today.

In January 2017, the college opened a Veterans Center at its Marple campus through the generous donations of local business owner Pam Mariani and the Wilbur C. and Betty Lea Henderson Foundation. The center is equipped with computers, satellite cable, a Prisoner of War table, military flags and other amenities. It serves as a space for studying, socializin­g and veterans-focused programmin­g.

Delaware County Community College serves a diverse population of 19,000 credit and non-credit students each year. For more informatio­n, visit www. dccc.edu.

Bogart’s offers musical entertainm­ent in the parking lot

Bogart’s Bar & Grill, 773 W. Sproul Road, Springfiel­d, is offering live music all month, out in its parking lot from 6-8 p.m. The line-up includes Karaoke with Lisa Parks on Thursday, Sept. 10; Bobby Jones on Friday, Sept. 11; Bonnie Heisler and Greg Albert on Saturday, Sept. 12; and Joe Staffieri and Scott McConnell on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Food, drink and limited table seating and umbrellas will be available, but people can also bring their own chairs. Social distancing and other CDC guidelines will be practiced. For informatio­n, call 610- 544-9200.

 ?? SUBMITTED PHOTO ?? Tiffany Beauford, Community Transit’s business developmen­t director, demonstrat­es the ease of using FindMyRide­PA for Christine Helmandoll­ar, program director for Aging at Home and the director of Friendship Circle Senior Center in Darby.
SUBMITTED PHOTO Tiffany Beauford, Community Transit’s business developmen­t director, demonstrat­es the ease of using FindMyRide­PA for Christine Helmandoll­ar, program director for Aging at Home and the director of Friendship Circle Senior Center in Darby.
 ?? SUBMITTED PHOTO ?? Delaware County veteran Nicholas Delloso, a graduate of Delaware County Community College, was selected to receive an inaugural 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award from G.I. Jobs magazine.
SUBMITTED PHOTO Delaware County veteran Nicholas Delloso, a graduate of Delaware County Community College, was selected to receive an inaugural 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award from G.I. Jobs magazine.

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