Briefs are concise reports on what’s happening around Chester County. This morning:

Public Meeting on Thursday on Wolf’s Hollow County Park

The Chester County Facilities and Parks Department has scheduled a public meeting for Thursday to discuss Wolf’s Hollow County Park and the plan on its management for the next 15 years and beyond.

Local residents are invited to share their opinions and ideas on how to maintain and improve the park during the session which will be held at the Octorara Senior High School library at 228 Highland Road from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The meeting will open with a presentation about the park’s current cultural and natural resources, available recreational options, and the initial planning process for maintaining the park. After that, attendees will split into smaller discussion groups to air their ideas and suggestions, and have the opportunity to receive answers on any questions they may have.

A public opinion survey on the issue is also available at www.chesco.org/parks.

Property Tax and Rent Rebate Deadline

State Senator Andy Dinniman is reminding senior citizens and residents with disabilities that there is not much time left to apply for the Pennsylvania Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program, as the deadline expires on December 31.

Funded by the Pennsylvania State Lottery, the rebate program was started in 1971 and has helped seniors and adults with disabilities receive close to $5.9 billion in Property Tax and Rent relief so far.  While thousands of Chester County residents have already submitted their applications, many who qualify for the assistance, which could be of significant help to them, still have not.

“Every year many Pennsylvanians who are eligible for assistance never apply,” says Dinniman. “Meanwhile, these rebates can go a long way in easing the burden of property taxes for those in need. Those who have not yet applied this year have until the end of the month to get it in.”

Communications Test Design Expands to a Bigger Location

West Chester based Communications Test Design Inc. has signed a contract for the lease of the 403,750-square-foot Eastgate Distribution Center I building, making it  one of the biggest leases of Nashville-area industrial space this year.

The company plans to relocate its Nashville operations from the 190,000 square feet of space at 740 Massman Drive to the warehouse facility at 7800 Eastgate during the first quarter of the next year, while simultaneously putting the Nashville building up for sale.

“Our business in Nashville and in the surrounding region has grown significantly over the last several years,” remarked Paul Cardell, CTDI’s Vice President for Corporate Operations, “and we see many new opportunities on the horizon that will enable us to continue this exciting growth trend for our operations in the region.”

Retired West Chester Businessman Helps Identify Refugee Photos from WWII

Tatsuo Osako, a Japanese tourism official, provided much needed help to a group of Europeans seeking haven from the Nazis during early World War II. Three-quarters of a century later, seven of those refugees have given photographs of themselves as a thank you to Osako, while another four have now been identified.

It took months of research and browsing through stories of long journeys and narrow escapes for Mark Halpern, a retired business executive and Jewish genealogy buff from West Chester, and Kiyotaka Fukushima, of Chiba, Japan, to uncover relevant clues and track down the descendants of the three refugees who had children.

Last week some of those descendants met with the late Osako’s former colleague, Akira Kitade, the author of the book about Osako and the seven photos.

Linda Birnbach, whose mother’s photograph is among those identified, said “Imagine the journey they had to make. It’s unbelievable.”

Brock Weatherup Appointed President of the Philly Startup Leaders

Wayne’s Brock Weatherup has been appointed the new president of the Philly Startup Leaders, the volunteer-run founder network largely seen as the heartbeat of the city’s tech entrepreneurship scene.

The appointment was announced by the PLS’s outgoing President, Rick Nucci, at National Mechanics during the happy hour at PSL’s annual Founder Factory conference.

Weatherup comes to PSL after selling his MontCo Company, Pet360, to PetSmart for over $130 million last fall and turned his attention to angel investing.

“I feel lucky and very excited to pick up the great work that the previous presidents Rick Nucci and Bob Moul have done,” commented Weatherup, it is great “to join an organization that works to facilitate and encourage the Philly startup ecosystem that is building great momentum.”

TMACC Urges the Public to Help Through Second Veterans Holiday Gift Drive

The Transportation Management Association of Chester County is urging the public to help homeless Veterans this holiday season through their 2nd Annual Veterans Holiday Gift Drive.

Over 200 hundred gifts were received last year during the inaugural event for the patients of the Coatesville VA Medical Center.  This year, the transportation advocacy organization is providing gifts to the Veterans Multi-Service Center, the organization that serves around 300 homeless Veterans in Chester County.

TMACC will be accepting gifts until December 16th. The most sought after donations are household items such as blankets, sheets, cleaning supplies and dishes. The intent is to help equip approximately 70 homes for Veterans.  

“We work with the VA and other groups to help our Veterans find homes,” said VMC’s Deputy Executive Director, Maura “Mo” Gillen. “The gifts that TMACC and the community are providing will really help Veterans get started in new permanent homes.”