The Friends of the Thomas Leiper House will hold a Summer Open House on Friday, June 17th from 7 until 9 pm. Come visit Leiper’s home, built in 1785 and named “Avondale”, and stroll around the house and grounds. See the fabulous 8-holer outhouse lit from underneath. Enjoy refreshments of lemonade and craft beer on the big side porch. There will be a special exhibit in the dining room of posters created by three Strath Haven High School seniors of excerpts from letters written by Leiper’s grandchildren as they fought in and observed the Civil War. There is no charge, but donations for upkeep are always appreciated.
Wallingford Ball Field To Be Named After Local Major League Star
Bullens Park, located at Westmister Drive and Bullens Lane, will be named after former Major League standout Mickey Vernon.
Nether Providence Commissioners, at a June 2 meeting, voted unanimously to rename the field after Mickey Vernon.
Vernon played in the major leagues, with the Indians, Red Sox, Braves, Pirates, and most notably with the Washington Senators, from 1939 to 1960, with time out for military service in World War II. He won two American League batting championships, in 1946 and 1953, and made seven All Star game appearances. His lifetime batting average was .286 and he was the most graceful first baseman of his era. Vernon also managed the Washington Senators for a couple of years after his playing career ended.
Vernon, who died September 24, 2008 at the age of 90, resided in Wallingford for many years, from 1951 until 2004.
The Delaware County Historical Society made the suggestion to rename a local ball field after the former Major League star, as a way to honor Vernon’s memory.
A ceremony marking the name change is expected to take place in October.
After considering possibilities for the renaming idea, the board settled on the Bullens Lane field because other playing sites already carry names.
The field will be known as Mickey Vernon Field.
Nether Providence Summer Recreation Progam Returns
The Nether Providence Township Summer Recreation Program has returned for the Summer of 2011 after being halted for several years. The program had fallen victim to the budget ax.
The camp will run from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, from June 27 through July 29, and is hosted at the Nether Providence Elementary School on Moore Road.
Registration takes place daily at the Nether Township Municipal Building located at 214 Sykes Lane. Registration will close when all camper spots have been filled. Hours for registration are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, Monday through Friday. The program is also accepting sign-ups from teenagers interested in serving as volunteers.
The following programs are offered:
Pre-School Camp
3, 4, 5 year olds (must be toilet trained)
Fee: Resident: $210 Non Resident: $280
Play Club
Kindergarten through 2nd grade
Fee: Resident: $190 Non Resident: $250
Day Camp
3rd Grade Through 6th Grade
Fee: Resident: $190 Non Resident: $250
As of early June, 182 youngsters had registered for the program.
For more information regarding the Summer Recreation Program, contact Dennis Sheehan, Assistant Township Manager, at 610-566-4516.
Wallingford Elementary School Expansion Underway
The long awaited $18 million renovation/expansion of Wallingford Elementary School is under way. The start of preparatory site work began on Friday May 27.
Reynolds Construction Co., which is managing the project for the school district, reported that between now and the end of the academic year the emphasis will be on the mobilization of equipment; the initiation of erosion/sediment controls; the installation of temporary fencing; and the stripping of topsoil.
Once classes are done and through mid-August, the focus will be on site piping; removal of an oil tank; the abatement of asbestos in existing structures; and the preparation of the building pad for an addition to be constructed on the south side of the property.
The next phase, lasting from this summer through summer 2012, will be the construction of the addition.
A final stage will be renovations to those portions of Wallingford Elementary that will remain in place. That work is expected to be wrapped up in time for the start of school in the fall of 2012.
Workers will be able to park at the school when classes are out. However, once school resumes in the fall, they will be expected to make use of parking at the Spencer House, on the Strath Haven Middle School campus, and shuttle back and forth to Wallingford Elementary.
Under plans to breathe new life into Wallingford Elementary, the district intends to remove a three-story academic wing on the site’s north side and build a new two-story wing on the south side, where a playground was previously located.
The north side would then be used for a new drop-off/pick-up area; expanded parking, with additional 14 spots anticipated; and a grassy lawn area.
Other elements of the project would be a new combined gym/cafeteria, which would be added at the rear of the school, and more space for administrative offices.
Total square footage for the building would be 43,380 square feet upon completion.
The Wallingford Elementary overhaul is the latest effort by the district to update aging school facilities. A $54-million renovation/expansion of Strath Haven Middle School was substantially completed last year — some finishing touches are still being applied.
Prior to that, the district completed an overhaul of Swarthmore Rutledge Elementary School and, before, it renovated and expanded Strath Haven High School.
The next slated renovation is an updating project for Nether Providence Elementary School.
