Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Friday, August 17, 2012

Minquas Station coming out of the ground

Beginnings of the foundations are being constructed with the first few rows of block.

Many of the utilities are have been installed and are ready for the slab to be poured

Stone being rolled out on some of the interior sections of the building

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Beginning the Process of Remediation

The process of building on a remediation site takes a lot of planning. Each shovel full of dirt needs to be worked with in a standard acceptable to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP). The workers have been instructed on how to work with materials in a manner that they will not be of danger to themselves or the community at large.

The residents may feel comfortable that Bill Breslin and his crew are fixing the problem in a manner that would make the community proud.

all of the soil moved through this effort will be capped by some form of barrier

survey crews ready measurments

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Minquas Fire Company, No. 2

Minquas Fire Company Starts Fund Raising Campaign

For Immediate Release Contact: Barry Cassidy 484 880 1530

Tuesday July 31, 2012

Downingtown, PA: Minquas Fire Company #2 has announced that they will start their fund drive to raise $850,000 to build a new firehouse.

Minquas has been in their current location, at 202 East Lancaster, for over 100 years. During those 100 years, the service area of Downingtown and East Caln has experienced much growth. The historic firehouse on East Lancaster Avenue has become a victim of that growth, as new facilities are now being constructed to house the fire company and the emergency medical services (EMS).

The new location at 141 Wallace Avenue is the former home of Chemical Leaman and was purchased by the Borough of Downingtown for the Minquas relocation. The property has environmental contamination, the clean up is part of the construction schedule, as the contamination will be encapsulated with the construction of the foundation and the parking lots. The property was to have been remediated as part of the Kardon Park development. The remediation component will now be merged into the overall costs for the relocation.

The project creates new advantages for the fire fighting and EMS duties assigned to the Minquas for the past 100 years. The response time for fire and emergency medical calls will be reduced due to the location of the new building. The Lancaster Avenue location was fraught with traffic issues when responding to an emergency call. Minquas has been forced to manually stop traffic on busy business Route 30 to enable the equipment to be deployed to the emergency. Frustrated commuters often are subject to delays during rush hour as the equipment is deployed.

In addition, the firehouse had become to small to house all of the equipment so it is readily available for emergency calls. There has been a constant jockeying of equipment from lots to the firehouse to properly position the equipment and apparatus for deployment.

Minquas has set a goal of $850,000 to enable Minquas to build the firehouse without becoming indebted. Chief Michael Miller announced that Downingtown Borough resident Barry Cassidy would be leading the fund drive and will be contacting local businesses with a mailing and personal visits over the next few months. “We did not physically have the time to do the fund raising and maintain the volunteer efforts to fight fires. Barry is from Downingtown and knows most of the people and we have retained him to act as a professional solicitor for our cause.” Cassidy will be paid on an hourly basis.

Plans are already underway for an October 20^th fundraiser at the E. Lancaster Avenue firehouse featuring “Hidden Treasure’ a local Jazz band from Phoenixville. The food and beverage for the fundraiser will be supplied by Molly Maguire’s, which will occupy the location after the Minquas moves to the new and improved location. Local businesses will be asked to submit silent auction items to be bid on that evening.

Information on the fund raising activities or the Jazz Fund Raiser can be secured by calling the Minquas Fund Raising Hotline between 8 AM and 8 PM at 484 880 1530. Tickets can be purchased and donations made on the internet at http://www.minquasfire.org/