Willistown Township Proposed 2022 Budget

The Board of Supervisors will consider the 2022 budget for approval at their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, December 13 at 7pm. View the 2022 budget and presentation.

Ready ChesCo

• Citizens choose how they receive information (email, cell phone, home phone etc.)
•  Citizens choose what areas they receive information about (where they work, live, areas frequently visited)
• Citizens choose what types of information they want to receive (County-wide alerts, road closures, weather emergencies, etc.)
•  If a citizen does not want to receive some types of information during the overnight hours, they can establish a “do not disturb” time frame

Slow Down in Willistown

 
Willistown motorists share our roads & our beautiful open space with wildlife & recreation enthusiasts, including equestrian riders. Below are a few facts to keep in mind when approaching a horse & rider on the road or trail. 

1. How should motorists drive past horses safely? Slow down and act like you are passing a cyclist or pedestrian on the road. Approach slowly and use caution. Proceed carefully until you have passed the horse. 
2. What is the safe distance a driver should allow next to horses who are traveling along the road? At least 6 ft. Please pass wide and slowly!
3. Who has the right of way? Both horses and automobiles have the right to use the roads. We need to share the road. Horses should cross carefully only when it is safe to do so.
4. What to do if you see a loose horse while driving? Contact the Willistown Police Department Dispatch Center at (610) 647-1440. The Police Department knows what to do to get the horse safely back to the rightful owner.
5. How should I behave when I encounter a horse on a trail while hiking? If possible, avoid startling the horse by appearing too suddenly.  Approach slowly, and say something, such as “Hello, Horse,” when first sighted, which helps him understand that you are a human. If the horse is panicking, move in a direction away from him. Keep leashed dogs close and controlled. Step downhill off the trail and let the horse have the uphill side to pass you or be passed.

Okehocking Preserve Water Sampling Contributes To Delaware River Watershed Conservation Efforts

Willistown Parks and Recreation is a sampling partner in Willistown Conservation Trust’s  (WCT) water quality research program. WCT has been collecting baseline water quality data in the main stem of Ridley Creek at Okehocking Preserve since 2018. Okehocking is one of ten WCT water chemistry sampling sites in the headwaters of the Ridley, Crum, and Darby watersheds.  Sample results are sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences to test for the presence and concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids. The data is then used by the Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI) for their conservation efforts. The DRWI collaborates with conservation organizations across the four states of the Delaware River watershed to monitor water quality at over 300 locations across the basin. WCT's ten-site monitoring program began with funding provided by the William Penn Foundation in affiliation with DRWI. They also survey for macroinvertebrates (water organisms without backbones) which are indicators of stream health—they vary based on the pollution levels of the water. Read WCT's A Macroinvertebrate's Thanksgiving Feast article here.
 
WCT reports that the section of Ridley Creek running through Okehocking Preserve is fairly healthy. It is impaired by elevated temperature, the summer temperatures getting high enough to stress sensitive aquatic organisms. Dissolved oxygen levels, however, remain high enough to support many aquatic species. The creek is slightly basic and has a highly variable pH that ranges from 7.35 to 8.92, barely remaining within the range of 6.0 - 9.0 deemed safe for aquatic life. Chloride levels are elevated above natural background levels throughout the year indicating that road salts applied in the winter impact the stream throughout the entire year. Nutrients, which can enter streams through fertilizer runoff and leaky sewer and septic systems, are elevated above natural background levels as well. WCT is working on a detailed report that will be posted on the Okehocking page at Willistown.pa.us. Willistown Parks and Recreation thanks Willistown Conservation Trust for their continued monitoring of Ridley Creek!

Paoli Library & Willistown Parks Present: Stories & Songs Go On...(Weather Permitting)

By popular demand...stories and songs in the park will go on! Join in the joy on Thursdays in Greentree Park at 11AM through December while the weather cooperates. Note: In the event of inclement weather, the songs and stories will go on via Zoom. Special thanks to Miss Stephanie from Paoli Library for sharing her joy! Register here.