Community Events – October 2023

Saturday, October 7

Climb Out of the Darkness @Sleighton Park (277-299 Forge Road, Media)

This free, family-friendly walk raises awareness of postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and other perinatal mental health conditions. The event, which is program of Postpartum Support International (PSI), will have a resource fair, and there is a playground for the kids. Registration is required for ages 16 and up, and the event will take place rain or shine. Time: 9:30am-12:30pm. classy.org/team/488670

Sunday, October 8

22nd Annual Run for Heroes @Springfield Township Municipal Complex

The Run for Heroes benefits the Delaware County Hero Scholarship Fund, providing for children of first responders who lost their lives in the line of duty, and has raised over $680,000. Run for a good cause with a chance to win prizes. The race will take place rain or shine. Time: 7:30am registration, 9am run, 11am event ends. Cost: $30 early registration (individual), $125 early registration (family/team of 4 or 5): delcorunforheroes.com

Sunday, October 8
Rockdale Arts District Open House @Various locations, Aston, PA, 11am – 3pm

Visit multiple arts and music locations in Aston, PA. Enjoy free activities for families at Rockdale Music (3100 Mount Road, back of building) and Rockdale Art Center (2551 Mount Road). View and purchase original fine art and fine craft at 2 New Road Studios (Enter through Convent and Lundgren) and Aston Mills Arts (3100 Mount Road, front of building) from local fine artists. rockdaleartsdistrict.com

Monday-Wednesday, October 9-11
Mo Willems’ Piggie & Elephant Night @Springfield Library – Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Stories, crafts and Piggie and Gerald games await at this special Piggie & Elephant event. Registration is required. springfieldtwplib.com/events


Sunday, October 15
Springfield Parks Clean-Up @Springfield Township Building, 8:30-11am
Meet at the sledding hill at 8:30am for your park assignment. The clean-up will take place from 9-11am.


Thursday-Saturday, October 19-21
The Great Pumpkin Carve 2023 @Chadds Ford Historical Society (1736 Creek Road, Chadds Ford)
Over 70 giant pumpkins will be carved and lit by local artists. Enjoy a kid-friendly haunted train, raffle prizes and live music from Kenny & Friends.  Food, local craft been and wine are available for purchase.

Time: 4-9pm (Thursday and Friday), 3-9pm (Saturday)

Cost: $15 (adults), $5 (ages 7-17), Free (ages 6 and under & CFHS Members) greatpumpkincarve.com

Friday, October 20
Homecoming Game @Springfield High School, 7pm
Springfield takes on the Upper Darby football team.

Saturday-Monday, October 21-23
Library Book Sale @Springfield Township Library
Head to the library’s lower-level program room for the fall book sale!
Time: 10am-4pm (Saturday), 12-3pm (Sunday), 9am-12pm (Monday)
Cost: Varies

COMMUNITY YMCA EVENTS

Friday, October 27
Halloween Family Dance Party
Come dressed and ready to dance to all your happy, haunting favorites. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2p8jxwfh. Time: 6-7:30pm; Cost: Free (members), $10 per family (non-members)

Saturday, October 28 Time: 2-4pm
Halloween Spooktacular 

Bring the family for this fun-filled (not-so-scary) event. Cost: $15 (member), $30 (non-member) Register at https://tinyurl.com/4mxy27jy.


How to Know If Your Home Needs Duct Cleaning Services

By Ashley Dennon, Oliver Heating and Cooling

It’s no secret that having an efficient heating and cooling system is essential. You and your family need relief from hot summer days and chilly winter nights. However, one thing many homeowners don’t often think about is everything that goes into an efficiently functioning heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, particularly the need for air duct cleaning. That’s where Oliver Heating and Cooling comes in!

What is air duct cleaning?

The process of cleaning your air ducts helps remove buildup, including dirt, allergens, dust, debris, mold spores, bacteria and viruses. In some homes, additional filtration systems may be necessary to reach optimal indoor air quality, including adding a humidifier or dehumidifier or optimizing filters or air scrubbers.

There are a few key signs that the ducts in your home need to be cleaned:

  • Your utility bills have suddenly spiked without an apparent reason.
  • You’re experiencing a problem with insects or rodents in your home.
  • You have a buildup of dust around the vents in your home.
  • You or a family member has suddenly had an onset of respiratory or allergy symptoms.

Benefits of duct cleaning services

There are many benefits to cleaning the air ducts in your home. The most important benefit, of course, is improving the air quality for your family. Clean air improves your health and helps to keep respiratory and allergy problems at bay. In addition, removing the buildup inside of your ducts will allow for your HVAC system to be more efficient which will in turn lower your heating and cooling costs.

How often should you clean your air ducts?

At Oliver Heating and Cooling, we recommend duct cleaning every 3-5 years. Keep in mind, there are a few outlying factors that may affect your schedule. For example, you should always have air ducts cleaned after new construction or a major renovation in your home due to excess dust and debris. Also, if you have had any water damage or signs of mold in your home, air duct cleaning is essential to avoid triggering respiratory problems.

Could your home benefit from air duct cleaning? An HVAC services company like Oliver can help. You can request information online or give us a call. We’ll make sure the air quality in your home is safe for your family.

Springfield Neighbors Advertiser: David Oliver, Owner, Oliver Heating & Cooling. Phone: 877-712-1482, Website: oliverheatcool.com

Reinvigorate Your Home with the 2023 Color of the Year Raspberry Blush

By Mariel Middleton – Founder, m. ariana interiors / Stacey Middleton BHHS Fox & Roach – Newtown Square

Both nature and fashion work in cycles – though no two years are ever the same. Cycles evolve and update even as they return, familiar and yet new. Benjamin Moore’s 2023 Color of the Year Raspberry Blush harkens back to the Tuscan terracotta earth tones of the 90s, the playful warm corals of the mid-00s, and a timeless nautical salmon, now turning up the volume on this classic for a joyous modern feel.

This truly dynamic near-red shade has a healthy dose of coral-pink and orange undertones for an instant dose of warmth in any room. But don’t let the professional photography lighting fool you: Raspberry Blush interacts with natural light throughout the day to a perhaps surprisingly neutral effect most often, with mid-morning rays, afternoon direct sunlight and evening ambient lighting each bringing out different shades of terracotta, dusty rose and warm beige beneath the initially vibrant hue.

Still, if you’re not ready to paint your whole home in a monochromatic bright coral red right away, there are lots of lower-commitment and renter-friendly ways to embrace the 2023 Benjamin Moore Color of the Year Raspberry Blush: 

Painted accents go a long way. See how much a painted ceiling warms up an otherwise neutral space and how the color works with mid-century modern medium brown wood tones and gold accents for a very rich environment. Using Raspberry Blush in a matte finish is also a great way to tone down the saturation on this bright hue for use as more of a neutral tone in your color palette.

Small room makeovers are a great way to feel a big difference with the least effort. Update your bath towels, shower curtain and bathmat for a completely new bathroom vibe.

Smaller accents in the same color family, like a ceramic vase, woven coasters and placemats, or an ornate pink glassware set, can be among the easiest ways to bring new color to any space.

Larger accents that bring in tastes of the Raspberry Blush color family, like a patterned rug, can help tie in many smaller accents within a space. Alternatively, go for a bolder look with a monochromatic terracotta rug and balance it with color-saturated textiles that explore the variation within the hue, like a color-blocked throw blanket or assorted throw pillows in varying shades of orange, red and coral. Or, lean into the more muted jewel-toned range of the Raspberry Blush color scale for a sophisticated aesthetic focused on textured neutrals. Try an earthy bedroom update this year by matching monochromatic sheets and a duvet cover for a trendy bedroom refresh. Make sure to include different textures, materials and patterns within a space when celebrating a single color to really nail a top-to-bottom look.

Stacey Middleton is an advertiser with Springfield Neighbors as Realtor, with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Fox & Roach in Newtown Square. Phone: 610-353-6200, Email: [email protected],
Website: www.staceymiddleton.foxroach.com

Differences Become Similarities with Acceptance and Inclusion

By Brian Beale, The Beale Team, CrossCountry Mortgage LLC

45 minutes after our son Colin was born on December 19, 1998, doctors wheeled him back into the delivery room and told us that he has Down syndrome. While the doctor tried to diagram what Down syndrome is on a cocktail napkin, my wife Mary and I sat in silence, not knowing what the future would hold or how our lives would change starting at that very moment. It wasn’t long before we gathered our emotions and agreed to face the future with nothing but positivity and hope. We started a non-profit called Lil’ Bealsy Tee-Up for Down Syndrome, raising over $250,000 over 15 years for different organizations supporting individuals with special needs, specifically Down syndrome.

Continuing our mission of raising awareness of how much people with Down syndrome have to offer society, I decided to put my background and passion for writing to work, authoring two children’s books: Colin Gets a Chance and the followup story My Name is Colin…and this is who I am. I am honored to say that Colin Gets a Chance was selected to be included in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame library in Cooperstown, New York. Both can be found online at Amazon and major bookstore chains.

Colin Gets a Chance is a story about a young boy with Down syndrome who enjoys being a part of his baseball team but never gets the opportunity to play. He sits on the bench and cheers his teammates on…until his team decides one day it’s time for Colin to get his chance.

the next two paragraphs are excerpts from Colin gets a chance, so this is a good place for the book cover
“Colin may look different than you and me, but his feelings are the same. We took a vote and we all agree. Put Colin in the game.” Tommy added, “Colin may take longer to learn, but none of us care about that. The team decided it was now their turn to cheer for Colin at bat.”

Colin got the winning hit, and this is what he said, ”I know I am be a little different than you, so thanks for letting me play. My biggest dream has finally come true. Thank you for making my day.”

The second book, My Name is Colin…and this is who I am, is a lesson about how people should not be defined by their disability and how using people-first language can help eliminate the stigma. Saying, “Colin is a boy with Down syndrome, not a Down syndrome boy” puts the person before the disability, just as others who may be a fast runner, a good swimmer, a talented musician, or who are tall, short, husky or thin, are not defined by their traits.

This paragraph is an excerpt from My name is Colin, so this is a good place for the book cover
”I was born with something called Down syndrome, but that’s not how I want to be labeled. I take longer to learn things that come easy for you, but I don’t like to be called disabled. Start using people-first language. It brings me so much joy. My name is Colin, and I have Down syndrome. I’m not Colin, the Down syndrome boy.”

The best part about both books is that all illustrations, including the book cover on each book, were done by children and young adults with Down syndrome, truly exemplifying what people with Down syndrome can do if just given the chance.

Author Brian Beale is a Loan Officer at CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC on Saxer Ave in Springfield. Phone: 610-355-8073, Email: [email protected], Website: crosscountrymortgage.com/Brian-Beale

4 Tips for Managing Your Small Business Insurance Costs

By Thomas Mallon of Thomas Mallon: Allstate Insurance

Managing business insurance costs is one of the many responsibilities you are likely juggling if you own a small business. Periodically reviewing your business insurance policy helps ensure you have the right amount of protection for your company and get the most for your money.

Keeping your bank account in mind, here are some factors to consider as you make decisions about your business insurance policy:

1.   Reduce Costs by Bundling Insurance Coverages
A business may have multiple policies with different insurance companies. For example, a business might purchase general liability coverage from one insurer and data compromise coverage from another. By bundling your business coverages into one policy, you may be able to reduce your total premium costs (the amount you pay an insurer to keep the policy in force). 

2.  Re-evaluate Your Deductibles
A deductible is the amount of money you pay out of pocket toward a covered claim. Increasing the deductible on your business insurance policy may reduce the cost of your premium. You could then consider putting saved money back into your business each month. However, before choosing a higher deductible, consider how much money you’d have available to pay out of pocket to repair your business or replace its contents after a covered claim, like theft or fire.

3.   Meet With Your Insurance Agent Annually To Review Coverages
Business needs can change rapidly. It’s a good idea to review your policy with your insurance agent regularly. To avoid potential fines, you should let your insurance agent know when you make significant changes to your business, such as:

  • Reducing or increasing your number of employees.
  • Relocating your business.
  • Introducing operational changes (such as purchasing new equipment or expanding product offerings).

When reviewing your business’s insurance policy, different coverages may be available. Contact your insurance agent to help you understand what each type of insurance means, as well as to help review your current coverages and make adjustments based on your company’s changing needs.
Types of insurance policies include: 

  • General liability insurance
  • Business property coverage
  • Business interruption insurance
  • Business auto insurance
  • Equipment breakdown coverage
  • Employment practices liability insurance
  • Errors and omissions insurance
  • Data compromise coverage

4.  Consider Stronger Risk Management In Your Daily Operations
Identifying potential business risks and having the right insurance coverage in place can be financially significant if the unexpected happens. Additional measures to reduce business risks include:
 
Planning for a disaster at your business: It is a good idea to think ahead and have a plan in place to help your business recover after a disaster, such as a destructive storm.
Business succession planning: As a business owner, you will likely want to leave your company in good hands when you decide to retire. 
 
Reviewing and understanding your small business insurance policy is an important component of owning a business. If you have questions about your business insurance policy or would like to review your coverages, please feel free to reach out to us at Allstate – The Mallon Insurance Agency, at 610-660-6300.  We can help you ensure you’re spending money on coverages that are appropriate for your business needs.

For mor info contact Thomas Mallon, Agency Owner of Thomas Mallon Allstate Agency located at 829 W Sproul Rd in Springfield, Delco, PA – Phone: 610-660-6300, Email: [email protected]

The Importance of a Quiet Space

David Linn Cook and Joe Soster Waterproofing One of Weatherproofing Plus Inc.

This basement waterproofing “case study,” “The Lesson of the Forgotten Home Office,” tells how a large, damp, musty and unused basement was quickly transformed into a new moisture- and mold-controlled quiet home office.

Twenty years ago, a homeowner built a 6,000-square-foot raised ranch home with many amenities on 5+ acres. The homeowner, a Senior Sales Executive, stayed home two days each week, to make sales calls by phone. But he was frustrated because nowhere in that massive house was there a quiet and private room with no distractions.

For five years, he had been sneaking down to work in his home’s empty 2,000-square-foot (!) basement. There was nothing down there except for a small area rug, a folding card table with a desk lamp on it, a desk phone, a milk crate for his files, and one very old leather chair. That was all he needed for a busy day’s work.

The basement makeover project was simple: Give this man a dry and sanitary space where he wouldn’t be distracted from the weekly lawn crew, pool cleaners, two overly friendly Golden Retrievers who loved to run around the house, college sons home for the summers, and his wife’s friends who frequently came over for coffee and conversation. Amazingly, when he was at his card table/desk, quietly working in his basement “retreat,” everyone assumed he wasn’t home or that he was busy somewhere in the house. No disturbances meant he could get his work done early and then have time with his family.

The basement had damp walls, a musty smell and a noisy dehumidifier. The proposed and accepted solution was two-fold. On the house exterior, surface drains were added, the foundation was regraded, and rain gutters were cleaned and adjusted for proper and easy maintenance. On the inside, the basement walls and floor were washed down into the existing sump pump. Mold treatment and waterproof coatings were applied to the walls; the floor was covered with high-gloss paint; and some new window vents were installed. This makeover took less than two weeks. The basement was now just as empty as before, but it was well lit and naturally ventilated. No more musty smell, and no need for a dehumidifier. Many homeowners are pleasantly surprised to learn that interior french drains are not required to turn their damp, musty unfinished basement into dry storage space or a place to exercise, listen to music, watch a movie, work on some home projects, or, as in this case study, have a simple and quiet home office whose only distraction is perhaps a little tweeting by the birds outside.

For more info contact David Linn Cook of Weatherproofing Plus, Inc. By phone at 610-325-0596 or email [email protected]
Website: weatherproofing-plus.com

This Is How Many Gallons of Water Plumbing Leaks Cost You

By Jeff Goane Murphy’s Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning

If you had a gushing leak in your home’s plumbing, you’d notice it right away, right? Aside from the potential water damage, you’d be thinking about the amount of wasted water and just how much your next water bill might cost.

What if we told you that most of the wasted water isn’t caused by huge emergencies? Would you want to know just how much water might be going to waste in your home right now? We’ve got some fascinating facts for you about just how much water is wasted in American homes and why. We’ll even tell you just how much money that could be costing you. And yes, we do have a great solution to this problem.

Water Usage
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American uses 82 gallons of water per day. For a family of four, the household would then be consuming 328 gallons every day. That’s almost 120,000 gallons in a year! 

Water Bills
One statistic from 2019 suggested that the average American water bill for a four-person household was nearly $73 a month. However, according to the Census Bureau, as of 2021, the average American household contains 3.13 persons. Another study determined that for the average American household, the monthly water bill was $45.44. Even at this lower estimate, that’s nearly $550 per year; the higher estimate would put it around $875. 

Water Waste
The EPA determined that plumbing leaks account for 10,000 gallons of wasted water in the average American household every year. Even worse than that, they say that 10% of homes have leaks that waste at least 90 gallons of water every day. That’s more water than adding a family member would use. These leaks add up to over a trillion wasted gallons of water every year in the U.S. 

Crunching the Numbers
If ten thousand gallons are wasted each year in a household that uses 120,000 gallons a year, that’s the equivalent of losing an entire month’s water bill each year. If you’re unlucky enough to be in the 10% of households that waste 90 gallons a day, that’s 2,700 gallons per month (more than a quarter of the average household’s water use). That potentially adds up to nearly $20 every month going down the drain.

Sources of Leaks
It’s astonishing just how much water can be lost to a very small leak. A shower dripping just ten times a minute allows 500 gallons a year to be lost down the drain for no reason. If your toilet won’t stop running, it might be going through two gallons of water every minute! Having your fixtures tightened could make a huge difference. If you’re worried that water is being lost in other ways, our team can use video pipe inspection to check your entire plumbing system for problems, so you can get plumbing leak repair and stop wasting water—and money.


For an assessment of your plumbing by Jeff Goane contact Murphy’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. Located at 565 Abbott Drive, Broomall. Phone: 610-461-6502; [email protected] or visit www.murphysonmacdade.com
(PA License #113639)