VISTA Today’s Briefs are concise reports on what’s happening around Chester County. This Morning:

Senator Toomey Visits Chester County to Talk Economy and Federal Shutdown Odds

Senator Pat Toomey visited Chester County on Monday morning spending time at a local food bank and attending a Veterans’ Administration event in Coatesville to show his support for those in need. He also took the opportunity to listen to local constituents as Chester County’s support is likely to be crucial in his 2016 reelection bid.

After taking food donations to the Lord’s Pantry, Toomey took the opportunity to talk about the economic situation and the possibility of a government shutdown. While he considers a government shutdown very unlikely, he did not mince his words about the economy.

“The economy is not where it should be,” he said. “We haven’t had the recovery that we normally have after a bad recession and here we are a number of years later, and we’re still struggling to get the economy really kicked fully into gear.”

United Way of Chester County Nonprofit of the Year

Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry has announced that its 2016 Small Business Dinner will be on January 20th at The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center.

The dinner will include two awards with the United Way of Chester County receiving the Nonprofit of the Year award. This is given to an organization that has shown success through being active and supportive in the community while staying true to nonprofit mission statement.

The second award, which honors businesses that demonstrates the true meaning of entrepreneurship, leadership and success, is Small Business of the Year which will be presented to 3D Auto Body & Collision Center.

After the awards there will be a presentation for the gathered business professionals from the keynote speaker, Craig Adams, President and CEO of PECO.

Evolve IP Acquires Niche Cloud Company

Evolve IP has agreed to purchase A.P.T. Inc., Allentown’s niche cloud services provider for veterinarians and pharmacists.

The strategic acquisition is part of the Wayne based cloud service company’s ongoing expansion that will provide it with instant access to a number of strategic vertical market cloud solutions, including those for veterinary medicine and pharmaceuticals.

Established nearly two decades ago, A.P.T. Inc. manages and implements a full range of cloud computing services that are of enterprise-quality.

“Veterinary medical practices have found that the cloud allows them to better focus on delivering care instead of worrying about ongoing IT issues,” pointed out Guy Fardone, President and Founding Partner of Evolve IP. “Similarly, with healthcare and drug development costs soaring, leveraging the cloud has become a proven method for pharmaceutical firms to be more efficient while decreasing costs.”

Phoenixville Says No to Drone Purchase

Mayor Michael Speck renewed his attempts to get a drone for the Police Department approved by the Phoenixville Borough Council on Tuesday night, but once again his efforts were in vain.

Despite the fact that a drone has been on the department’s wish list for five months now, the Council voted 5-3 to deny the department’s request. It is not funding that is holding the approval back though, as the department already received a donation in July to purchase one, but rather doubts expressed by the council about the need for it and apprehension over potential liability and privacy issues.

“While I see that there are a lot of positives that can be done with it,” remarked Council President James Kovaleski, “I see the other side because I am a lawyer and tend to see both sides. I see a lot of potential for misuse.”

Hilton Garden Partners with Handi-Crafters in Securing Three Jobs

For the last five years Handi-Crafters has been expanding its employment program that provides a vocational workshop service at its campus in Thorndale, to create more partnerships with employers willing to offer positions to workshop participants.

As a part of its most recent partnership, the Hilton Garden Inn in Exton-West Chester has already employed three individuals in the areas of housekeeping and breakfast greeting.

Over the last year, Handi-Crafters has also helped people find positions with Victory Brewing Company, Giant Food Stores, Lowe’s, Kmart, Wawa, PennDot, Good Will Industries, and the Protection Bureau.

“We are happy to report that the initial pilot has been a success,” said David Hirsch, General Manager with Hilton. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Handi-Crafters and we are pleased with our new hires. What we have found over the last seven months is that our employees are very dedicated and happy.”

Upcoming Public Meeting for Wolf’s Hollow County Park Master Plan

A public meeting has been scheduled by the Chester County Facilities and Parks Department to discuss the Wolf’s Hollow County Park Master Plan study. The meeting will take place on Thursday, December 17th, at the Octorara Senior High School Library, at 228 Highland Road in Atglen.

The meeting will start at 7:00pm with a formal overview of the park master planning process and its current situation, followed by interactive sessions where attendees will be encouraged to share their ideas, ask questions, and offer suggestions.  The meeting is expected to end by 8:30pm.  

The park master plan will determine the development and management of the Wolf’s Hollow County Park for the next 15 years and beyond. Anyone interested should try and attend and also fill out the short survey on the CCP website.

For more information contact David Stauffer, Chester County’s Capital Project Coordinator, at 610-344-6415 or e-mail dstauffer@chesco.org.