Home Care In Darby, PA

DARBY — Work is beginning on the first phase of construction at Little Flower Manor Park after a years-long hiatus.

Delaware County officials first purchased the land in 2016 for $1.7 million from Sisters of the Divine Redeemer.

A master plan was released three years later. Then, the 33.5 acres sat dormant as the county and the world faced the pandemic.

Last week, county council allocated $722,595 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to fill out the $1.7 million contract to JMC Construction Inc. At the same meeting, members approved the construction contract.

“I know this has been a big undertaking and this park has sat dormant since 2016 and it could be a valuable resource for our community in Delaware County,” county Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor said.

The first phase of the project includes a walking loop pathway, a parking area compliant with Americans With Disabilities Act requirements, new landscaping and stormwater management features, a community garden, new signage, and a new sidewalk along Springfield Road.

The phase does not include the 49,000-square-foot Woodburne Mansion, which sits in the back of the park. However, council previously approved the tarping of the roof, which had significant holes allowing for rainfall to enter. There is a chain-link fence around the mansion.

The Neoclassical mansion was built by architect Horace Trumbauer and includes 55 rooms for Edgar T. and Mary Scott.

Edgar was son of Thomas Scott, President Abraham Lincoln’s assistant secretary of war and president of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Trumbauer was famed for creating many of the Main Line homes, including the Ardrossan Estate, and he also was responsible for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The park, adjacent to the nursing home, Little Flower Manor is believed to have been the site of a British encampment during the Revolutionary War.

In 1936, the property had been sold to the Sisters of the Divine Redeemer. There, they operated a girls’ orphanage and then a retirement home until 2005, when it was abandoned.

After the county purchased the land in 2016, county council established an original budget for improvements at $592,670 in April 2018.

County Public Works Director Danielle Floyd said a source for the funds was not previously identified.

In November 2021, council approved ARPA funds for that project in the amount of $1.1 million. In April 2023, the county accepted bids for the first phase of improvements at the park.

Floyd said the county received eight bids and a May meeting was held with the two lowest bidders. In June, the final review was completed.

However, the costs for the project registered at a higher level than officials anticipated, so the project was sectioned into phases.

“All of the bids came in above what had been allocated,” county Councilwoman Christine Reuther said. “It just reflects it’s more expensive to do things right now.”

Floyd said this project is an example of the Planning, Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments working together “to get something done at this site, which is desperately needed to make it safe and accessible and available for county residents to use.”

Taylor acknowledged the need to do the project in parts.

“I understand it is not all we wanted to do but we’ve broken it into phases and we will be able to utilize and use it now and move into phase two later on,” she said.

BEACH LAKE, Pa., November 27, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life House continues its mission to partner with independent hotel owners with its latest signing of the chic The Darby in Pennsylvania. Avi Kravitz, Co-Founder and CEO of the notable Norman & Jules Toy Store is reimagining The Darby as a passion project and investment in the local community. He has entrusted Life House, celebrated for its synthesis of expertise and innovative technology, to take the helm of the operations.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231127645866/en/

The Darby, a boutique hotel in Beach Lake, PA, resonates with an intimate charm that appeals to guests seeking authenticity. The key to Life House's strategy for this gem is spotlighting its unique offerings, particularly the forthcoming pool and fresh F&B concept. Drawing from Kravitz's background in branding, Life House plans to drive bottom-line revenue through technological solutions and a sharp revenue management approach. This includes a strategic online presence, search engine marketing, and maximizing repeat guests – a segment contributing notably to the hotel's business.

"We are impressed with Mr. Kravitz's The Darby creation and understand the challenges associated with creating a hotel vision and subsequently executing on it," Rami Zeidan, CEO of Life House, shared. "We love to help owners who share this passion for the creative, but don't have the expertise or tools, to bring it to life and we're pleased to be chosen as stewards of Mr. Kravitz's vision."

Life House will oversee a lean yet capable team to ensure efficient operations tailored to The Darby's specific needs. Their streamlined approach is designed to cater to guests' needs effectively, amplifying the small-town charm and personalized service the hotel promises. With The Darby serving as his foundation in hospitality, Kravitz underscores the importance of expertise and a data-driven approach. The partnership with Life House not only showcases Kravitz's forward-thinking but solidifies Life House's reputation as the partner of choice for first-time hoteliers.

Life House is a vertically integrated hotel management & technology company focused on serving small and medium independent hotels with institutional quality service. Life House uses advanced software & operating systems to increase profitability and reliability for independent hotels throughout North America. Life House was founded in 2017 by real estate, hospitality, and technology veterans and is backed by world renowned private equity and venture investors. The company is ambitiously investing in its operational systems to make hotels far more profitable, predictable, and seamless for owners. To learn more, visit .

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- A church in Upper Darby is surviving and thriving after raising over a million dollars to remove a massive asbestos tile ceiling.

After all their hard work, the church is opening again this weekend.

"I call it the miracle on West Chester Pike," parishioner Harry Dietzler said. "It's amazing once the word got out, that Saint Laurence was in trouble, people stepped up to help."

Only several weeks ago, the upper church of Saint Laurence in Upper Darby was a network and maze of scaffolding.

Workers built a two-story floor inside the cavernous A-frame church to take on the tedious job of dismantling a ceiling full of tiny asbestos tiles.

For three years, Mass was moved to a lower church while asbestos mitigation and an overhaul of the upper church dragged on.

"We're the group that said we're going to try real hard, it's going to work," John Mazur said.

And it worked.

Mazur and his wife Joan, longtime parishioners, remember thinking the project "impossible."

"I feared what was happening because in the beginning there was a real sense of a need for funds," Joan Mazur said.

And a lot of faith was needed too.

From the very start, the project was daunting, given the size of this building. Parishioners tell me at times they had their doubts things would work out.

"I almost can't believe that it was done," Margie Kane said.

Margie and Paul Kane sat in their restored church, taking in what was believed to be impossible.

"A lot of people thought it couldn't be done. Thanks be to God," Paul Kane said.

"There's a lot of love in this place. A lot of people really loved this place and wanted to keep it," Margie Kane said.

The parish, at one time one of the largest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia according to figures, is now somewhat smaller, but is home to vibrant Latino and Vietnamese worshippers.

All of those communities pitched in to help fund the renovations.

Parishioners said they also have a pastor who had vision to overcome obstacles.

"We brought in the best help we could get for raising money, and then we started to dream big, and said like, what actually has to get done," Father Tom Whittingham said.

Parishioners banded together in the end, raising $1.7 million. All are rejoicing in their faith this weekend, back in their upper church.

Dietzler calls the milestone moment "a miracle."

"And Father Tom has led us through all of this through the fundraising and just the energy and the excitement of 'we're going to do this, we're going to tackle this' ... when people come in here they're just going to be amazed, 'that's Saint Laurence parish? Wow, look at it.'"

Their new ceiling is a lesson of faith — showing the sky's the limit.

Joe Holden

Joe Holden came home to join the CBS3 Eyewitness News team as a general assignment reporter in May 2016. In August 2018, he became anchor of the weekend evening editions of CBS3 Eyewitness News and CW Philly.

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DA Jack Stollsteimer outlined the case against 45-year-old Sekela Coles during a press conference Monday afternoon.

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UPPER DARBY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The director of parking enforcement in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania is being accused of stealing coins from parking kiosks in order to financially benefit herself and her colleagues.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer outlined the case against 45-year-old Sekela Coles during a press conference Monday afternoon.

Stollsteimer said after a months-long investigation, Coles is facing several charges, including unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and obstruction of justice.

Coles, a previous Upper Darby Township councilwoman, became the director of parking enforcement in January 2020.

The district attorney says in November 2021, Coles introduced new parking kiosks in Upper Darby. Just a month later, he says Coles directed her administrative assistant, Nikita Barnes, to take coins from those kiosks.

"Nikita was told to take the coins that come in from the kiosks, take them in bank bags to her own personal car. (She would then) drive them to her own personal bank, use the coin counter there to count the coins, deposit the money in Nikita's own personal bank account, and then bring the cash back to Sekela Coles," said Stollsteimer.

The district attorney says Coles then used the money for the benefit of herself and the people in her office, spending it on things like parties, free lunches and gifts.

Stollsteimer says Coles stole more than $4,000.

Upper Darby Township officials say her annual salary is $70,525.20.

According to Stollsteimer, Coles eventually admitted to the scheme when speaking with county detectives in April.

"She also admitted that at some point, she realized they were taking too much money, that it would potentially be discovered by people in the tax office," Stollsteimer said. "So, she had Ms. Barnes repay some of the money."

Stollsteimer calls that 'consciousness of guilt.'

"She knew what she was doing was wrong. She was afraid the scheme was going to be discovered," he said.

Coles' attorney Andrew Edelberg says his client's character is unfairly being called into question.

"There may have been some sloppy accounting, sloppy record-keeping, and perhaps a sloppy policy that when it was discovered was ceased," Edelberg explained. "And it's now turned into what the district attorney's made it to be some sort of transparent prosecution of funds."

In a statement, the Upper Darby mayor's office says it is fully cooperating with this investigation and working to ensure this does not happen again.

"The Township has already taken several steps to ensure stronger internal controls to immediately address this situation and alter our parking accounting procedures. We would like to assure the Upper Darby community that we take our fiduciary duties to the residents and taxpayers of Upper Darby seriously," said the statement.

Coles is also accused of voiding at least eight parking violations for her family members.

DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- The Red Cross has closed a shelter in Darby Borough for residents impacted by flooding near Darby Creek on Wednesday after heavy rain pounded the Philadelphia region.

The Red Cross says it's assisted 10 people and one dog at the shelter located at the Darby Borough Recreation Center at 1020 Ridge Avenue. The families will be provided with a warm place to sleep, meals, snacks, comfort and care items by the Red Cross.

RELATED: Major storm brings heavy rain, wind and flooding to Philadelphia region

Along with the Darby Creek flooding, other rivers and creeks in the area, including the Schuylkill River at Boathouse Row, are expected to reach a moderate or major flood stage on Wednesday.

Rain and wind winded down overnight, but the threat of flooding will linger into the afternoon on Wednesday.

Parts of the Philadelphia region got roughly two inches of rain. The Poconos got pelted with three inches of rain due to the storm.

The combination of rain and gusty winds caused thousands of people to lose power from Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Some schools in the Delaware Valley are opening late on Wednesday due to the impacts of the weather.

Last month near Darby Borough in Collingdale, a coastal storm brought two inches of rain and caused major flooding, which forced about 30 residents to evacuate their homes.