Keeping the Red Clay clean

The Chester County Press recently reported about the diligent efforts of hundreds of volunteers who helped out at the annual Red Clay Cleanup.

The Brandywine Red Clay Alliance organizes the cleanup of the Red Clay Creek in areas around Anson B. Nixon Park, Walnut Street, and East South Street in Kennett Square and near the Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin, Del. This year, approximately 70 cubic yards of trash was collected and removed by high school students, Boy Scouts from Troop 22 of Kennett Square, members of the Garage Youth and Community Center, and more volunteers from other organizations and small businesses in the community.

These volunteers removed countless bottles and cans, hundreds of tires, broken glass, and a bicycle that was submerged in the water.

The Red Clay Creek is a 12.7-mile-long tributary of the White Clay Creek, which is a tremendous resource for residents in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The White Clay Creek is an 18.5-mile-long tributary of the Christina River that flows in southern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. Kudos to everyone involved with the effort to keep the Red Clay Creek and the surrounding areas clean.

A reminder, Part 1

May 7 is the start of federal REAL ID enforcement and Pennsylvania officials recently offered a reminder to residents that they should prepare now to ensure that they can fly domestically without disruptions. Getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, but beginning on May 7, travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or ID card, or another form of federally-acceptable identification, such as a valid passport or military ID, to board a domestic commercial flight, and enter a military base or other federal facilities that require ID at the door. More than 2.6 million Pennsylvanians have already gotten a REAL ID driver's license or ID card since they became available in the state in 2019.
For a full list of driver license centers, REAL ID Centers, and services offered, please

visit the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website and click on “find a location.”

For more information on REAL ID, visit PennDOT’s REAL ID website at www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/driver-services/real-id.html.

A reminder, Part 2

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In Pennsylvania, a new law aimed at reducing the use of hand-held cell phones while motorists are driving will soon go into effect.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37 into law on June 5, 2024. Effective June 5, 2025, the law, which is known as Paul Miller's Law, prohibits the use of hand-held devices while driving, even while stopped temporarily due to traffic, a red light, or other momentary delay. Pennsylvania is the 29th state in the nation to ban distracted driving.

Paul Miller’s Law prohibits any driver from using a handheld cell phone while driving a motor vehicle. Drivers can still use their phones to alert emergency responders and, if they are using hands-free technology, to make phone calls, use a GPS, and listen to music. Pennsylvania already enforces a texting-while-driving ban that prohibits drivers from using mobile devices to send, read, or write text-based communications while their vehicle is in motion.

The law is named for Paul Miller Jr., who was tragically killed in a crash with a tractor trailer in Monroe County in 2010 as the result of a distracted driver who reached for their phone while driving. Since Paul’s death, Eileen Miller has become a national advocate for stronger laws to curb distracted driving.

According to officials, driver behavior is the leading factor in 83 percent of the approximately 1,100 fatal crashes that occur annually on Pennsylvania roadways. These behaviors include driving distracted, impaired, or aggressive. These behaviors are avoidable and so are the accidents. During Distracted Driving Awareness Month, it’s a good time for a reminder not to drive while distracted.