By John Chambless
Staff Writer

If you've got dead electronics and boxes full of old paper cluttering your closets, Penn Township is hosting a day that will help your spring cleaning.

Public Safety Day on April 16 will offer free, secure paper shredding (limit three boxes per household or business). But there's a lot more to the day. You can bring in technology and e-waste, including old computers, laptops, cell phones, telephones, batteries, wires, small electronics, scrap metal, security systems and computer peripherals for free recycling.

If you have expired or excess medications in your medicine cabinet, Public Safety Day will also have a medication take-back box sponsored by the Chester County Sheriff's Office. Safely recycling medications keeps them out of ground water and landfills.

While free recycling is a big draw, other attractions will fill the Penn Township Park and Township Building. There will be performances of Jungle John's “Dino Safety” puppet show, karate demonstrations by the YMCA, and children's rides, along with festival foods including Kona Ice and Philly soft pretzels.

Booths will spotlight health and safety information from the Chester County Health Department, Jennersville Hospital, Kacie's Cause and NOPE of Chester County, Fitchett Chiropractic, Safe Kids, Southern Chester County EMS and the West Grove Fire Company.

Rep. John Lawrence and Sen. Andy Dinniman will visit the event, and the Pennsylvania State Police will be offering public safety information. State Farm Insurance will be operating the DUI Simulator, which gives participants a wake-up call about the effects of impaired driving. Kennett Fire Company will be bringing their Smoke Trailer to teach fire safety, and there will be a CPR simulator sponsored by Southern Chester County EMS. Police will offer free child car seat checks by appointment (call 610-268-2102).

Parking for the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be in the Jennersville Hospital parking lot on Old Baltimore Pike. A bus will take visitors to the event. A drive-through will be set up in the Township Building parking lot for drop-offs of shredding and recycling items. There will be no parking available at the township building.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].