September 2026 Newsletter

West Grove Borough-Community Update

West Grove Borough is working to provide better communications to residents through this email distribution

¡West Grove Borough está trabajando para brindar mejores comunicaciones a los residentes a través de esta distribución por correo electrónico

Important Community Updates – September 2026 

West Grove Borough Council’s September 2026 General Business Meeting took place Wednesday September 2, 2026, with the following highlights: 

The meeting was called to order at 7:30pm by President of Council, David Prosser.

Avon Grove Library Usage Statistics

The Director of Avon Grove Library, David Payne, provided the following library usage statistics.  The Avon Grove Library continues to see very strong attendance and provides the community with a large number of programs for patrons.  An interesting fact Mr. Payne provided, is the second largest number of rentals, behind books, is jigsaw puzzles.

Public Safety Update

Southern Chester County Regional Police Chief Greenwalt provided the August statistics for West Grove Borough.  The Regional Department executed two aggressive driving details in the Borough in August.  The first took place on Prospect Avenue and resulted in 8 Citations and the second took place on Guernsey Road and resulted in 19 Citations.

West Grove Borough continues to work with neighboring municipalities to develop the governance and funding models for the new Southern Chester County Fire Rescue.  Effective January 1, 2027, West Grove and Avondale Fire Companies will operate under one umbrella, known as Southern Chester County Fire Rescue.  The departments continue to work together on electing leadership and establishing the new department.  Here are the notes from the most recent meeting:

Newly Elected SCCFR Chief Kevin Sweeney

At a historic meeting on Monday August 31, 2026, significant progress was made toward the merger of the Avondale & West Grove fire companies with the election of officers for the new organization, Southern Chester County Fire Rescue (SCCFR), which is expected to begin operations on January 1, 2027.

In a meeting attended by members of both fire companies, Neil Vaughn was elected president, and Kevin Sweeney was elected fire chief.  Also elected were Guy Swift as vice president, Katherine Doochack as treasurer, Lisa Glass as secretary, and Jim Malone as membership secretary.

Also at the meeting, motions were successful to accept members from the Avondale Fire Company, Avondale Fire Company EMS Division, and the West Grove Fire Company into SCCFR, as well as to adopt the new organization’s by-laws.  Candidates to join the board of directors as members at larger were also nominated, to be elected at the next meeting of the organization to be held on September 30th.

West Grove Borough would like to congratulate the newly elected leaders of SCCFR and wish them the best of luck!

Construction Project Updates  

Evergreen Street & Chatham Road Water Main Replacement

Excavation and installation of the new water main is on the verge of being completed.  Final connections to the new water main and paving restoration will be completed in the next two weeks.

Prospect Avenue Sidewalk Extension

The construction around West Meadow Drive has been completed and that marks the completion of the project!

Fall Clean Up

Options for your lawn waste:

  • Bundling sticks with some type of twine, in manageable size bundles, and placing them at the curb on Thursday’s.  They will be picked up at no cost.
  • Recyclable Yard Waste Bags, purchased at the Municipal Office, filled and placed at the curb on Thursday.  These are also picked up by the Borough at no cost.  If you place bags at the curb that were purchased from a retail store, we charge $1 per bag to collect them.  Do not fill them with dirt or stones.

Chipping service is available for larger quantities of brush.  Call the office for a quote, pay, and we send out the crew with the chipper.   

  • Curbside leaf collection will begin once the leaves begin to fall, look for a Facebook post notifying when the program will begin.

Recycling Corner – Tip of the Month

When in doubt throw it out!  It’s more costly to contaminate the recycling steam then it is to include it in your waste receptacle!

Water Meter Replacement

The Borough is continuing to replace water meters throughout the community.  The new meters being installed have increased technology that allows us to read them without having to enter a resident’s property.  The new meters also have reporting capabilities, that include historical consumption by day and by hour.  This is very effective in helping identify leaks so they can be repaired.

Upcoming Community Events 

The Annual Avon Grove Homecoming Parade will take place on Saturday September 26th and will begin at 11AM.  Please plan your travels accordingly.  The parade will form downtown and proceed south on Prospect Avenue and then East on State Road.   

The Chester County Solid Waste Authority is hosting a Pedals for Progress event Saturday 9/12.  An opportunity to donate sewing machines and any bicycles the kids no longer use! 

   Actualizaciones importantes para la comunidad: septiembre de 2026

La reunión general de asuntos administrativos del Concejo Municipal de West Grove (West Grove Borough uncil) de septiembre de 2026 se celebró el miércoles 2 de septiembre de 2026; a continuación, se destacan los puntos más relevantes:

La sesión fue abierta a las 7:30 p. m. por el presidente del Concejo, David Prosser.

Estadísticas de uso de la Biblioteca Avon Grove

El director de la Biblioteca Avon Grove, David Payne, presentó las siguientes estadísticas de uso de la biblioteca. La biblioteca sigue registrando una gran afluencia de público y ofrece a la comunidad una amplia variedad de programas para los usuarios. Un dato interesante aportado por el Sr. Payne es que, después de los libros, el segundo artículo más solicitado en préstamo son los rompecabezas.

Actualización sobre seguridad pública

El jefe de policía regional del sur del condado de Chester (Southern Chester County Regional Police), Greenwalt, presentó las estadísticas de agosto correspondientes al municipio de West Grove. El departamento regional llevó a cabo dos operativos de control de conducción agresiva en el municipio durante el mes de agosto. El primero tuvo lugar en Prospect Avenue y resultó en 8 multas, mientras que el segundo se realizó en Guernsey Road y derivó en 19 multas. 

El municipio de West Grove continúa colaborando con los municipios vecinos para desarrollar los modelos de gobernanza y financiación del nuevo servicio de bomberos y rescate del sur del condado de Chester (Southern Chester County Fire Rescue). A partir del 1 de enero de 2027, los cuerpos de bomberos de West Grove y Avondale operarán bajo una misma entidad, denominada Southern Chester County Fire Rescue (SCCFR). Ambos departamentos siguen trabajando conjuntamente en la elección de sus líderes y en la constitución del nuevo departamento. A continuación, se presentan las notas de la reunión más reciente: 

Kevin Sweeney, nuevo jefe electo de SCCFR 

En una reunión histórica celebrada el lunes 31 de agosto de 2026, se lograron avances significativos hacia la fusión de los cuerpos de bomberos de Avondale y West Grove mediante la elección de los cargos directivos de la nueva organización, Southern Chester County Fire Rescue (SCCFR), cuyo inicio de operaciones está previsto para el 1 de enero de 2027. 

En la reunión, a la que asistieron miembros de ambos cuerpos de bomberos, Neil Vaughn fue elegido presidente y Kevin Sweeney, jefe de bomberos. Asimismo, se eligió a Guy Swift como vicepresidente, a Katherine Doochack como tesorera, a Lisa Glass como secretaria y a Jim Malone como secretario de afiliación.

Durante la sesión, también se aprobaron las mociones para incorporar a la SCCFR a los miembros del Cuerpo de Bomberos de Avondale, de la División de Servicios Médicos de Emergencia (EMS) del Cuerpo de Bomberos de Avondale y del Cuerpo de Bomberos de West Grove, así como para adoptar los estatutos de la nueva organización. También se nominaron candidatos para unirse a la junta directiva como miembros generales; la elección se llevará a cabo en la próxima reunión de la organización, programada para el 30 de septiembre. 

¡El municipio de West Grove desea felicitar a los líderes recién elegidos de SCCFR y desearles mucha suerte! 

Actualizaciones de proyectos de construcción 

Reemplazo de la tubería principal de agua en Evergreen Street y Chatham Road 

La excavación e instalación de la nueva tubería principal de agua están a punto de finalizar. Las conexiones finales a la nueva tubería y la restauración del pavimento se completarán en las próximas dos semanas.

Ampliación de aceras en Prospect Avenue 

¡La construcción en los alrededores de West Meadow Drive ha terminado, lo que marca la finalización del proyecto! 

Limpieza de otoño 

Opciones para los residuos de jardinería: 

Atar las ramas con algún tipo de cuerda en paquetes de tamaño manejable y colocarlos en la acera los jueves. Se recogerán sin costo alguno. 

Bolsas reciclables para residuos de jardín, que se pueden comprar en la oficina municipal; una vez llenas, se colocan en la acera los jueves. El municipio también las recoge sin costo. Si coloca en la acera bolsas compradas en tiendas comerciales, se cobrará $1 por bolsa para su recolección. No las llene con tierra o piedras.

Hay servicio de trituración disponible para grandes cantidades de ramas y maleza. Llame a la oficina para solicitar un presupuesto y realizar el pago; enviaremos al equipo con la máquina trituradora.

La recolección de hojas en la acera comenzará una vez que las hojas empiecen a caer; esté atento a la publicación en Facebook que anunciará el inicio del programa.

Rincón del reciclaje: Consejo del mes

Ante la duda, ¡deséchelo! ¡Resulta más costoso contaminar el flujo de reciclaje que incluir el artículo en el contenedor de basura general!

Reemplazo de medidores de agua

El municipio continúa reemplazando los medidores de agua en toda la comunidad. Los nuevos medidores cuentan con tecnología avanzada que nos permite leerlos sin necesidad de ingresar a la propiedad del residente. Además, estos nuevos medidores tienen capacidades de registro de datos, incluyendo el historial de consumo diario y por hora. Esto resulta muy útil para identificar fugas y permitir su reparación. Próximos eventos comunitarios

El desfile anual de bienvenida de Avon Grove se llevará a cabo el sábado 26 de septiembre y comenzará a las 11:00 a. m. Por favor, planifique su viaje con anticipación. El desfile partirá del centro de la ciudad y avanzará hacia el sur por Prospect Avenue y luego hacia el este por State Road. A continuación, encontrará un mapa del recorrido del desfile y los puntos de cierre.

La Autoridad de Residuos Sólidos del Condado de Chester organiza el evento “Pedals for Progress” el sábado 12 de septiembre. ¡Una oportunidad para donar máquinas de coser y bicicletas que los niños ya no usen! 

Public Notification of Grant Application

Good Neighbors Home Repair is seeking a grant from the Chester County Deparment of Community Development to help homeowners who need creitical home repairs and my qualify as low income.

Please click HERE for additional information regarding this Grant.

Sign up for West Grove Borough’s Newsletter

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Household Hazardous Waste Event

The registration link for all Household Hazardous Waste Events is now available at the Chester County Solid Waste Authority’s website.

You must register in order to be able to drop items off.

Job openings for other municipalities

The Borough Manager receives job openings for other Municipalities and we like to pass them along to our residents in case someone is looking for employment or you have a family member or friend needing a job.

Phoenixville Borough:

Jobs • Borough Manager 

The salary range is $175,000 – $200,000. 

The first review of resumes will be on October 19, 2026. Please forward this information to anyone you think might be interested. 

 Caln Township – Finance Director

Spring City Borough – Code Enforcement – Zoning Officer

 

West Grove Museum

Beginning July 2, 2023, the West Grove Museum will be open the first Sunday of each month from 12 noon to 3 pm.

 

Social Security Administration Newsletter

Click on the below link for the latest from SSA:

September 2026

August 2026

July 2026

June 2026

May 2026

April 2026

March 2026

February 2026

January 2026

December 2025

October 2025

September 2025

August 2025

July 2025

April 2025

Social Security Administration Press Release

Thursday, March 6, 2025
For Immediate Release

Mark Hinkle, Press Officer
press.office@ssa.gov

Social Security and OIG Partner for National Slam the Scam Day,
Collaborating to Warn about SSA Impersonation Scams

The Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) join forces once again to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams during the sixth annual “Slam the Scam” Day on March 6. Social Security related scams–where fraudsters mislead victims into sharing personal information, or making cash, wire transfer, or gift card payments to fix alleged Social Security number problems –are an ongoing government imposter fraud scheme.

Social Security impersonation scams impact all age groups and remain one of the most common government imposter scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Social Security continues to make concerted efforts to address this issue, through extensive outreach and investigative initiatives.

“I strongly urge our citizens to be vigilant and protect themselves from criminal threats,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “Scammers use fear and pressure to steal money or personal information and I implore Americans to hang up, ignore the messages, and report any scam attempts to oig.ssa.gov.”

Social Security will never tell you that your Social Security number is suspended; contact you to demand an immediate payment; threaten you with arrest; ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone; request gift cards, wire transfer, gold, cash, cryptocurrency; or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information or money.

Criminals use sophisticated tactics to trick potential victims into disclosing personal and financial information. Be skeptical and on the lookout for these red flags: Typically, they use these P’s – Pretend, Prize or Problem, Pressure, and Payment. For example, scammers pretend they are from Social Security in phone calls, texts, emails, websites, or direct messages on social media, and claim there is a problem with the person’s Social Security benefits or Social Security number. The scammer’s caller ID may be spoofed to look like a legitimate government number. Scammers may also send fake documents to pressure people into complying with demands for information or money. Other common tactics include citing “badge numbers,” using fraudulent Social Security letterhead, and creating imposter social media pages to target individuals for payment or personal information.

“Slam the Scam is one of our most effective anti-fraud measures and we are excited to spearhead the 6th National Slam the Scam Day. This campaign is just as significant as our first one because the losses are still too high and the number of consumers being scammed is still very concerning,” said Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Inspector General, Michelle L. Anderson.

Social Security employees do contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record, or have requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.

Beware of new scams related to the Social Security Fairness Act. For information, please visit Social Security Announces Expedited Retroactive Payments and Higher Monthly Benefits for Millions and Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) update .

To report a scam attempt, go to oig.ssa.gov. For more information, please visit www.ssa.gov/scam and www.ssa.gov/fraud.

To get more Social Security news, follow the Press Office on X @SSAPress.

 

Dear Colleague,

In our ongoing commitment to serve the public more efficiently, we are expanding appointment-based services at our local Social Security offices. By scheduling appointments, we will aim to reduce wait times, streamline service delivery, and improve the overall customer experience. Nearly 400 field offices have already moved to appointment-based service this year. These offices have seen significant improvements in wait times due to more efficient and helpful visitor experiences and increases in the number of customers able to complete their business online.

We are implementing appointment-based services nationwide in two phases. The first phase is a transition period now through January 5, 2025. The purpose of this transition period is to educate our customers about needing to schedule an appointment for SSA services. As a reminder, many of our services can be provided via phone with an appointment and do not require a customer to walk into an office for service.

Effective January 6, 2025, we will require customers to schedule an appointment for service in our field offices, including requests for Social Security cards. We encourage customers to become accustomed to our:

Customers who are not able to handle their business online or with the automated options, may call their local Social Security office or our National 800# to schedule an appointment.

We want to make clear that we will not turn people away for service who are unable to make an appointment or do not want to make an appointment. For example, members of vulnerable populations, military personnel, people with terminal illnesses, and individuals with other situations requiring immediate or specialized attention may still walk in for service at our field offices. Some of our offices also have minimal to no wait times, and they will still serve customers who walk in.

We appreciate your partnership in sharing this information and helping our customers through this transition. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to improve service accessibility and responsiveness.

Sincerely,

Dawn Bystry
Associate Commissioner

Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

OEA.Net.Post@ssa.gov

March 2025

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September 2022

No Plastic Bags, No Pizza Boxes

Beginning the week of October 19th, we will begin to reject improperly presented recyclables to avoid possible new charges from SECCRA if we do not keep our stream of recycling materials clean. We need everybody’s help to accomplish this.

No Plastic Bags
SECCRA, where the recyclables we collect are processed, will no longer accept recycling in plastic bags — no trash bags or retailer bags. These bags clog the processing machines and are THE number one contaiminate in the recycling process. Single use retailer bags should be saved and recycled at your retailer of choice. Giant and Lowe’s both have collection boxes at their entrances.

No Pizza Boxes
SECCRA will not accept pizza boxes.

It’s a Toilet, Not a Trash Can!

Please see the following important list of things that should not be placed into the sewer system either via your toilets or sink drains. One thing that’s not on the list and we’ve encountered are Swiffer cleaning pads. Any of the items on the list can cause lift station pumps to clog which has happened recently. Flushable wipes are also not something that should be flushed regardless of the marketing of the product.

Please be diligent and throw away anything on this list.

 

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