This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2008)

A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many non-military organizations now create "task forces" or task groups for temporary activities that might have once been performed by ad hoc committees.

Types of task forces[link]

Joint Task Force[link]

In U.S. terminology, now widely adopted, including by NATO, the term Joint implies the combination of more than one military service (i.e. some combination of army, naval and/or air forces). Therefore a Joint Task Force (JTF) is a TF which includes more than one service.

United States Department of Defense[link]

A joint task force (JTF) is a joint force that is constituted and so designated by a JTF establishing authority. A JTF establishing authority may be the Secretary of Defense or the commander of a combatant command, subordinate unified command, or existing JTF. In most situations, the JTF establishing authority will be a combatant commander. JTFs are established on a geographical area or functional basis when the mission has a specific limited objective and does not require overall centralized control of logistics.

In the US, the National Guard Bureau requires each state to designate a Joint Task Force that is able to mobilize to provide command and control for all assigned state military assets deployed in support of civilian authorities during a stateside incident.^[1]

Examples include Joint Task Force Bravo, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Joint Task Force Lebanon, and Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations.

Canada[link]

Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2) is the Canadian Forces' elite special forces unit. However, it is not temporary but permanent, and does not fit with the US Combined Communication-Electronics Board system (TF 2 remains allocated to the United States). Thus while it is called a Joint Task Force and it does involve personnel from all three services (Army, Navy, and Air Force, therefore "Joint") it is not temporary (therefore not a "Task Force" by the US definition). It is known to have fought in Afghanistan and was part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

Combined Task Force[link]

In U.S. terminology, now widely adopted, including by NATO, the term combined implies more than one nation. At the start of World War II, the UK used "Combined" to denote forces composed of more than one service, which is how the Combined Operations term originated. However they soon adopted the U.S. usage, and organizations were named accordingly, for example, the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Today a Combined Task Force (CTF) is a task force which includes sub-elements of more than one nation.

An example is Combined Task Force 151.

Combined Joint Task Force[link]

A Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) is a task force which includes elements of more than one service and elements of more than one nation. Examples include Combined Joint Task Force 76 and Task Force Viking.

Naval[link]

The concept of a naval task force is as old as navies, but the term came into extensive use originally by the U.S. Navy around the beginning of 1941, as a way to increase operational flexibility. Prior to that time the assembly of ships for naval operations was referred to as fleets, divisions, or on the smaller scale, squadrons, and flotillas.

Before World War II ships were collected into divisions derived from the Royal Navy's "division" of the line of battle in which one squadron usually remained under the direct command of the Admiral of the Fleet, one squadron was commanded by a Vice Admiral, and one by a Rear Admiral, each of the three squadrons flying different coloured flags, hence the terms flagship and flag officer. The flag of the Fleet Admiral's squadron was red, the Vice Admiral's was white and the Rear Admiral's blue. (The names "Vice" (possibly from advanced) and "Rear" might have derived from sailing positions within the line at the moment of engagement.) In the late 19th century ships were collected in numbered squadrons, which were assigned to named (such as the Asiatic Fleet) and later numbered fleets.

A task force can be assembled using ships from different divisions and squadrons, without requiring a formal and permanent fleet reorganization, and can be easily dissolved following completion of the operational task. The task force concept worked very well, and by the end of World War II about 100 task forces had been created in the U.S. Navy alone.

United States Navy[link]

These are temporary call signs designated to particular ship/ships assigned to fulfill certain missions. CTF can be read as "Commander Task Force" or "Carrier Task Force" while TF is Task Force. Likewise the force is broken down as following: task force, task group, task unit and task element.

In the U.S. Navy each task force was assigned a two-digit number, and this has become a common world-wide practice. The first digit was originally the number of the fleet, while the second historically differentiated between task forces from the same fleet. It was typically abbreviated, so references like TF 11 are commonly seen. In addition, a task force could be broken into several task groups,^[2] identified by decimal points, as in TG 11.2, and finally task units, as in TU 11.2.1. Individual ships are task elements, for example TE 11.2.1.2 would be the second ship in TU 11.2.1.

Some US Navy task forces in World War II:

• Task Force 3
• Task Force 11
• Task Force 16
• Task Force 17
• Task Force 31
• Task Force 34
• Task Force 38 of aircraft carriers in the Central Pacific
• Task Force 58 of aircraft carriers in the Central Pacific
• Task Force 61
• Task Force 80
• Task Force 88
• Task Force 129 of Cherbourg

Also, Task Force 77 was the large Carrier Task Force in the Sea of Japan during the Korean War.

The U.S. Navy still uses numbered task forces, and the U.S. Department of Defense often forms a joint task force if the force includes units from other services. In naval terms, the multinational Australian/US/UK/Canadian/NZ Combined Communications Electronics Board mandates through Allied Communications Publication 113 (ACP 113) the present system, which allocated numbers from TF 1 to apparently TF 999.^[3] For example, the Royal Navy's Illustrious battle group in 2000 for Exercise Linked Seas, subsequently deployed to Operation Palliser, was Task Group 342.1.^[4] The French Navy is allocated the series TF 470–474, and Task Force 473 has been used recently for an Enduring Freedom task force deployment built around the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91). Task Force 142 is the U.S. Navy's Operational Test and Evaluation Force.

Note that there is no requirement for uniqueness over time. For instance, there was a TF 76 in World War II, and a different TF 76 during the War in Vietnam, as a part of the Seventh Fleet.

Royal Navy[link]

Earlier in the Second World War, the British Royal Navy had devised its own similar system of Forces, which were assigned a letter rather than a number. For example, the force stationed at Gibraltar was known as Force H, the force stationed at Malta was known as Force K, and the force stationed at Singapore in December 1941 was known as Force Z.

During the Falklands War in 1982 Royal Navy assembled a Task Force to achieve sea and air supremacy in the Total Exclusion Zone, before the amphibious forces arrived. The Argentine Navy formed three lesser Task Groups (Grupo de Tareas) for pincer movements.

Army[link]

In the U.S. Army, a task force is a battalion-sized (usually, although there are variations in size) ad hoc unit formed by attaching smaller elements of other units. A company-sized unit with an armored or mechanized infantry unit attached is called a company team. A similar unit at the brigade level is called a brigade combat team (BCT), and there is also a smaller Regimental combat team (RCT).

In the British Army and the armies of other Commonwealth countries, such units are known as battlegroups.

Government[link]

In government or business a task force is temporary organization created to solve a particular problem. It is considered to be a more formal ad-hoc committee.

A taskforce, or more-commonly task force, is a special committee, usually of experts, formed expressly for the purpose of studying a particular problem. The task force usually performs some sort of an audit to assess the current situation, then draws up a list of all the current problems present and evaluates which ones merit fixing and which ones are actually fixable. The task force would then formulate a set of solutions to the problems and pick the "best" solution to each problem, as determined by some set of standards. For example, a task force set up to eliminate excessive government spending might consider a "best" solution to be one that saves the most money. Normally, the task force then presents its findings and proposed solutions to the institution that called for its formation; it is then up to the institution itself to actually act upon the task force's recommendations.

Task forces in popular culture[link]

• In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, some of the main characters are from an elite, multinational task force called Task Force 141 which is composed of Americans, British, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders. Their main opponent is Russia under control from extreme nationalists. In the direct sequel, Modern Warfare 3, the Task Force is disavowed after the events of the previous game; however, they still remain active in an attempt to end the now-ensuing World War III.

• In the TV series Hawaii Five-O, Steven "Steve" McGarrett created the so-called "Five-O Task Force" which was group of state police based in Hawaii, hence Hawaii Five-O

See also[link]

• Some task forces have a creative name, e.g. after their commander, such as Dunsterforce.
• Task Force Tarawa, the name given the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during the 2003 invasion of Iraq Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were a Marine Air-Ground Task Force commanded by Brigadier General Richard Natonski, attached to the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
• Task Force Leatherneck is the name given the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during their 2009 operations in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. They are a Marine Air-Ground Task Force commanded by Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, assigned to work under the International Security Assistance Force.

References[link]

1. ^ National Guard Bureau. "Joint Task Force-State fact sheet". Joint Task Force-State fact sheet. National Guard Bureau. http://www.ng.mil/media/factsheets/JTF-State.pdf. Retrieved 3 March 2011. 
2. ^ Group. GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
3. ^ Combined Communication Electronics Board (September 2004). "Annex A: Task Force Allocations". ACP 113(AF) Call Sign Book for Ships. Joint Chiefs of Staff. pp. A-1–A-2 (197–198). Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080228002817/http://www.jcs.mil/j6/cceb/acps/ACP113AFMC5.pdf. Retrieved 12 October 2010. 
4. ^ Operations in Sierra Leone, August 9, 2000, Jane's Defence Weekly.

Further reading[link]

• Timothy M. Bonds, Myron Hura, Thomas-Durrell Young, 'Enhancing Army Joint Force Headquarters Capabilities,' Santa Monica, CA; RAND Corporation, 2010 - includes list of joint task forces

Brandon McCartney (born August 17, 1989), known by his stage name Lil B or "BASEDGOD", is a rapper from Berkeley, California. He has recorded both solo and with The Pack. In addition, Lil B is noted for his extensive use of social media websites such as MySpace and Twitter to build an online following.^[3][4]

Music career[link]

Early career[link]

Lil B began rapping at age 16 with hip hop group The Pack. After two locally successful mixtapes, and at the peak of the Bay Area's hyphy movement, the group's song "Vans" became a surprise hit. The song was ranked as the fifth best of 2006 by Rolling Stone magazine. The strength of "Vans" led the group to release Skateboards 2 Scrapers, featuring a "Vans" remix with Bay Area rappers Too $hort and Mistah F.A.B.. In 2007, Lil B and The Pack released its first album, Based Boys.

Solo success (2010–present)[link]

Aside from his involvement with The Pack, Lil B garnered popularity through the use of social media Web sites. He created over 155 MySpace pages in order to upload all of his music. He recorded over 1,500 tracks as of July 2010, including hits "Wonton Soup," "Pretty Bitch," and "I'm God."^[5]

Lil B signed with Amalgam Digital in 2010 for a multiple album deal.^[6][7] Slate columnist Jonah Weiner labeled him as one of a growing number of weird-o emcees, calling him a brilliantly warped, post-Lil-Wayne deconstructionist from the Bay Area.^[8]

Lil B released his first studio album, Angels Exodus, on January 18, 2011, through Amalgam Digital. The album serves as a prelude to his forthcoming album titled Glass Face. The album features based tracks such as "All My Life (Remix)" and "Exhibit 6".

Controversy[link]

When Lil B released his fifth album, titled I'm Gay, he received several death threats. Although he is heterosexual, he says the title is a message of support to the LGBT community. Referring to the original definition of gay, he says he is gay because he is happy.^[9]

Style[link]

Musical critic Willy Staley described Lil B's work as "variegated", because it ranges from critical parodies of the hip-hop genre to "half new age, half spoken word".He further notes that Lil B draws from a large variety of genres, especially those not commonly used by other rappers. In an interview with Staley, Lil B agrees with this analysis, saying, "I can do 'Swag OD' but then my favorite musical artist right now could be Antony and the Johnsons. That's the difference between me and these other rappers, and other musical artists in general."^[4]

Discography[link]

Albums

• 2009: 6 Kiss^[3]
• 2009: I'm Thraxx^[3]
• 2010: Rain in England^[10]
• 2011: Angels Exodus^[10]
• 2011: I'm Gay (I'm Happy)^[11][12] (R&B/Hip-Hop Albums #56, Heatseekers Albums #20)^[13]

Official Mixtapes

• 2010: "Base World Pt. 1" ^[14]
• 2010: "Rose Exodus"
• 2010: "Dior Paint"
• 2010: "Everything Based"
• 2010: "MF Based"
• 2010: "Blue Flame"
• 2010: "Red Flame"
• 2010: "Red Flame: Evil Edition"
• 2010: "MM..Christmas"
• 2011: "Paint"
• 2011: "Red Flame Extended: Devil Music"
• 2011: "The Myspace Collection"
• 2011: "Illusions Of Grandeur" ^[14]
• 2011: "Bitch Mob: Respect Da Bitch Vol.1"
• 2011: "I Forgive You" ^[14]
• 2011: "Black Flame: Water Front H20" ^[14]
• 2011: "The Silent President" ^[14]
• 2011: "BasedGod Velli" ^[14]
• 2011: "Blue Eyes"
• 2011: "GoldHouse"
• 2012: "White Flame" ^[14]
• 2012: "God's Father"
• 2012: "#1Bitch"
• 2012: "#The Basedprint 2"
• 2012: "Trapped In Basedworld"

Albums with The Pack

• 2007: Based Boys
• 2010: Wolfpack Party

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

City of Chester
City
William Penn Landing Site
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Delaware
Elevation	69 ft (21 m)
Coordinates	39°50′50″N 75°22′22″W / 39.84722°N 75.37278°W / 39.84722; -75.37278
Area	6.0 sq mi (15.5 km2)
- land	4.8 sq mi (12 km2)
- water	1.2 sq mi (3 km2), 20%
Population	36,854 (2000)
Density	7,605.4 / sq mi (2,936.5 / km2)
Founded	1682
Mayor	John Linder
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	19013
Area code	484, 610
Location of Chester in Delaware County
Location of Chester in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Website: http://www.chestercity.com

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.

History[link]

The first European settlers in the area were Swedes. They called the settlement that became Chester first Finlandia, then Upland. They built Fort Mecoponacka in 1641 to defend the settlement.^[1]

Hendrickson House, built in Chester in 1690 by Swedish farmers, was moved to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1958

By 1682, Upland was the most populous town of the Province of Pennsylvania. On October 27, the ship Welcome arrived at the town, bearing William Penn on his first visit to the province. Penn renamed the settlement for the English city of Chester.

Chester served as the county seat for Chester County, which then stretched from the Delaware River to the Susquehanna River. In 1789, the city became the county seat for the newly created Delaware County (whereupon Chester County became landlocked, with West Chester as its county seat), but the county seat was moved to the borough of Media in 1851. The courthouse is near the new City Hall building.

Chester's naval shipyard supplied the Union during the Civil War, and the United States in subsequent wars until the shipyard at Philadelphia became dominant after World War II. America's largest postbellum shipyard, John Roach's Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, was also located at Chester. The Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., later Pennsylvania Shipyard & Dry Dock Company, was located in Chester until it closed in 1990. Two ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Chester in honor of the city.

On April 10, 1917 an explosion at the Eddystone Ammunition Corporation near Chester resulted in the deaths of 133 workers, mostly women.^{[citation needed]} The explosion was caused by sparks from malfunctioning vibrators that gunpowder being shaken into shrapnel shells to ignite.^{[citation needed]}

Chester is one of numerous places that claim to be the birthplace of the hoagie sandwich.^[2] It is also known as the "Cradle of Rock 'n Roll"^{[citation needed]} as Bill Haley & His Comets first performed and maintained their headquarters in the Chester area.^{[citation needed]}

The following are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Delaware County National Bank, 1724 Chester Courthouse, Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company, Old Main and Chemistry Building, William Penn Landing Site, and the former Second Street Bridge.^[3]

Economy[link]

Chester began losing its mainstay shipyard and automobile manufacturing jobs as early as the 1960s, causing the population to be halved in fifty years from 65,000 in 1950 to under 37,000 in 2000. Poverty and crime rose as the city declined. In 1995, the state designated Chester as a financially distressed municipality. Soon thereafter, the city's schools ranked last among the state's 501 districts, leading Pennsylvania education officials in 2001 to hire the for-profit Edison Schools to run the local school district for three years.^[4]

Avenue of the States in downtown Chester

When Chester became eligible for Pennsylvania's Opportunity Zone (KOZ) program, firms began to accept state and local tax breaks to invest in KOZ-designated areas of this southeastern Pennsylvania city. The Wharf at Rivertown, a $60 million renovation of the Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO)'s 396,000 sq ft (36,800 m²) generating plant, which was originally built in Chester in 1918, has returned the waterfront to the local residents, providing both recreational and office space for new local endeavors.^[5][6] AdminServer is an upstart insurance software solution company that has drawn the market's attention.^[7][8] Sun Shipbuilding converted part of the shipyard to a smaller shipping concern and sold its interest, then sold off portions of the rest to new users, such as the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution Chester. Harrah's Casino and Racetrack built its facilities beginning in 2005, launching harness racing along the Delaware River in September 2006, and its racino in January 2007.

Government[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)

Chester Courthouse was built in 1724 and operated until 1967

Chester is a Mayor-Council government system, consisting of a popularly elected city mayor and city council. The terms of the Mayor and members are four years.^[9]

The Chester City Council is made up of four council members and the presiding officer, the Mayor. Wendell N. Butler, Jr. was appointed Mayor of the City of Chester on October 9, 2002, to fill the unexpired term of former Mayor and now State Senator Dominic Pileggi. Mayor Butler was subsequently elected by the citizens of the City of Chester in November 2003 and re-elected in November 2007 for a second four year term. Council members are elected at large to serve the entire city. Council meetings are generally held the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Under the Administrative Code of the City, each council member serves as a department head for one of the five municipal departments.^{[citation needed]}

Chester is a Third Class City, and was approved by the citizens on April 20, 1980 as a Home Rule Charter Community.^[10] Under the Home Rule form of government, the city council has been given all the legislative power to create ordinances, rules and regulations so the city can provide for the health, safety and well-being of its citizens.^{[citation needed]}

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections operates the State Correctional Institution - Chester, a drug treatment facility, in Chester.^[11]

The United States Postal Service operates the Chester Post Office.^[12]

Crime[link]

In 2010, Chester had 24 homicides, and Pennsylvania's highest murder rate of 64.3 per 100,000.^{[citation needed]} The city had 14 homicides in 2009, 17 in 2008, 27 in 2007, 18 in 2006, 15 in 2005, 19 in 2004, 12 in 2002, 19 in 2000, and nine in 1999.^[13] The city did not record crimes in 2003 and 2001.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2011, a birthday party shooting left two dead and seven injured, making national headlines.^[14]

Geography[link]

Chester borders on (clockwise from southwest to northeast) Trainer Borough, Upper Chichester Township, Chester Township, Upland Borough, Parkside Borough, Ridley Township, and Eddystone Borough in Pennsylvania. Across the Delaware River, the city faces Gloucester County, New Jersey, and while most of its riverfront neighbors Logan Township, the easternmost portion of the city borders Greenwich Township. The city has a total area of 6.0 square miles (16 km²), including 4.8 square miles (12 km²) of land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) (19.47%) of water, according to the United States Census Bureau.

Demographics[link]

As of the census of 2010, there were 33,972 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 17.2% White, 74.7% Black, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, 3.9% of some other race, and 3.0% from two or more races. 9.0% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census^[15] of 2000, there were 36,854 people, 12,814 households, and 8,124 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,605.4 people per square mile (2,933.9/km²). There were 14,976 housing units at an average density of 3,090.5 per square mile (1,192.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 18.94% White, 75.70% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.03% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.39% of the population.

There were 12,814 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.8% were married couples living together, 32.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 84.7 men.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,703, and the median income for a family was $29,436. Males had a median income of $29,528 versus $21,005 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,052. About 22.8% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 21.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation[link]

In Chester, east-west streets are numbered, while north-south streets carry names. The main bisecting street, known as The Avenue of the States south of 9th Street and Edgmont Avenue north of it, is signed as both Pennsylvania Route 320 (southbound only; northbound PA Rt. 320 uses adjacent Madison Street to Interstate 95) and Pennsylvania Route 352. North of I-95, State Route 320 follows Providence Avenue. Between 1993 and 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) widened and realigned Pennsylvania Route 291 from Trainer to Eddystone from a two-lane roadway to a five-lane roadway. This widening and realignment project, spearheaded by the late State Senator Clarence D. Bell of Upland, allows PA Route 291 to maintain at least two travel lanes in each direct between the refinery towns of Marcus Hook and Trainer and the Philadelphia International Airport, as well as promote the riverfront development in the city. Prior to the realignment, which was done first, the roadway followed 2nd Street to Crosby Street, then bore right onto E. 4th Street, widening to four lanes and becoming the "Industrial Highway" in Eddystone. Post-realignment, the road now follows W. 2nd Street to Concord Avenue, becoming the "Industrial Highway" past Concord Avenue and bypassing the Kimberly-Clark (formerly Scott Paper) processing facility.

Highways and bridges[link]

Commodore Barry Bridge across the Delaware River at Chester

In addition to State Rt. 291, Chester is served by two interstate highways: Interstate 95 and Interstate 476, which meet in nearby Eddystone. I-95 was built in the 1960s and originally terminated just north of the Chester/Eddystone line at the present-day I-95/I-476 junction. It was extended north in the 1970s with the section around Philadelphia International Airport being completed in 1985. Three exits on I-95 allow access to Highland Avenue, Kerlin Street, and The Avenue of the States (Rts. 320 & 352), with access to Widener University, via State Rt. 320. Of the three, only Kerlin Street is a partial exit, although the Avenue of the States exit was also a partial exit until the completion of a southbound on-ramp, also spearheaded by the late State Sen. Bell, was completed in 2002. I-476, planned as an alternative route to State Rt. 320 since the 1920s and an original planned extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the 1950s (as part of the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) Turnpike network), was finally opened to traffic in 1992. An exit at MacDade Boulevard (which becomes 22nd Street in Chester) allows access to I-476 without having to use I-95.

Two federal highway routes, U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 322, also run through Chester. U.S. Rt. 13 enters Chester from Trainer on W. 4th Street, becomes part of Highland Avenue between W. 4th St. and W. 9th Street, and then continues on 9th Street to Morton Avenue. U.S. Rt. 13 follows Morton Avenue in the city's Sun Village section until it crosses Ridley Creek and becomes Chester Pike in Eddystone.

U.S. Rt. 322 enters Chester as a part of I-95 (merging on at Highland Avenue) and then departs I-95 at the Commodore Barry Bridge exit. Prior to the bridge's opening in 1974, U.S. Rt. 322 would cross the Delaware River on the Chester-Bridgeport Ferry, via Flower Street, causing major backups because of limited space on the ferries. With the expansion of State Rt. 291 and the redevelopment of the Chester Waterfront, both the Delaware River Port Authority and PennDOT have plans in place to start construction of new exit and entrance ramps from the bridge to Rt. 291, providing an alternate route to the Chester Waterfront.

In addition, talks have taken place for the reconstruction of U.S. Rt. 322 from a two-lane road to a four-lane road between Chester and U.S. 1 in Concordville, Pennsylvania, and the Highland Avenue exit. The road currently requires traffic to merge onto I-95 in the left lane and requires changing lanes three times to the Commodore Barry Bridge exit ramp in less than a mile. Such a major undertaking would result in the demolition of numerous homes in the city's crime-plagued Highland Gardens section, along with condemning properties in nearby Chester Township, as I-95 passes through both municipalities between U.S. Rt. 322 and the Commodore Barry Bridge.

Public transportation[link]

Public transportation in Chester is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which acquired the former Suburban Philadelphia Transit Authority (aka "Red Arrow" Lines) in 1968. Seven bus routes (Routes 37, 109, 113, 114, 117, 118, and 119) serve the city, with the Chester Transportation Center in the city's business district, serving as the hub. One route, Route 37, connects Chester with Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International Airport, while another, Route 113 from 69th Street Terminal, connects Chester with the State of Delaware. Three routes (37, 113, and 119) provides direct service with the Harrah's Racetrack and Casino located within the city.

The city is also served by SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line commuter rail service, via Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. The Chester Transportation Center, while serving as the main bus hub in the city, also serves as the main train station in the city, while the Highland Avenue station, located approximately 4 miles southwest of Chester T.C. station, is also served by Wilmington/Newark trains. A third station, at Lamokin Street, located approximately a mile east of the Commodore Barry Bridge at the junction of the NEC and the abandoned Penn Central Chester Creek Secondary Branch, was operated by SEPTA as a flagstop station until it was closed and demolished in 2003 due to low usage.

Historically, the Chester Transportation Center was, like the Paoli station on the Paoli/Thorndale Line, both a commuter and intercity stop on the former Pennsylvania Railroad's New York-Washington route. After the assumption of intercity rail passenger services by Amtrak in 1971, it has been bypassed by all Amtrak, except for the period from April 30, 1978 to October 29, 1983 when the Chesapeake stopped once daily in each direction between Philadelphia and Washington.

Education[link]

Primary and secondary schools[link]

Public schools[link]

The Chester-Upland School District serves the city, along with nearby Chester Township and Upland. Chester High School is currently the district's sole high school, but a recent approval by the district's empowerment board will see the development of two magnet schools; one dedicated to the arts and another for science and technology.^{[citation needed]}

Parochial schools[link]

The St. Katharine Drexel Parish, established in 1993 by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia with the consolidation of all Roman Catholic parishes in the city, maintains the city's only parochial school. St. James High School for Boys, the city's "other high school" and for many years, the main football rival for Chester High School, closed its doors in 1993 due to decreased enrollment. The nearest Catholic high school to Chester is the Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield or, to parts of Chester, Archmere Academy, Claymont, Delaware.

Charter schools[link]

Chester Community Charter School is a charter school established in 1998 that serves over 2,000 students in grades K-8.^[16][17] It is currently run by Steven Lee.

Colleges and universities[link]

• Widener University, formerly the Pennsylvania Military College (PMC), is in Chester.
• Sleeper's College was a vocational school for "office and commercial training" founded in 1910.

Sports[link]

Horse racing[link]

With the construction of Harrah's Chester, the city received a series of horse races that were once held at the Brandywine Raceway and the now-defunct Liberty Bell Park Racetrack. The racino opened on January 22, 2008, and features a specially-constructed bridge that enables the midpoint of races, contested at one mile, to take place over the Delaware River.

Soccer[link]

Chester is the home of the Philadelphia Union, which plays its home games at PPL Park, a soccer-specific stadium at the base of the Commodore Barry Bridge. Located on the Delaware River, the stadium is part of a larger development called Rivertown. Financing for the Rivertown development was announced in early 2008 by Governor Ed Rendell and Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, with $25 million going to the construction of PPL Park, and an additional $7 million towards a two-phase project composing of 186 townhouses, 25 apartments, 335,000 square feet (31,100 m²) of office space, a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m²) convention center, more than 20,000 square feet (1,900 m²) of retail space, and a parking structure to house 1,350 cars. In phase two, another 200 apartments will be built, along with 100,000 square feet (9,300 m²) of office space and 22,000 square feet (2,000 m²) of retail space.^[18]

Widener University's Leslie Quick Stadium will host the Philadelphia Independence, beginning in the 2011 season. This team replaces the former Philadelphia Charge, who also played their home games in Delaware County.

Notable natives[link]

John Morton, a resident of Chester, cast a key vote on the Declaration of Independence.^[19] Ethel Waters of jazz fame was born in Chester on October 31, 1896, and Martin Luther King Jr. obtained his Bachelor of Divinity here in 1951 from Crozer Theological Seminary. Bill Haley & His Comets, the pioneering rock-and-roll band, was based in Chester and maintained their corporate headquarters there into the 1960s. Many of its members came from Chester or nearby towns.

Others include:

• Al Albertini, or Al Alberts, and The Four Aces were all born or resided in Chester.
• Thomas N. Barnes, first African-American Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.
• Ron Bennington, host of XM Satellite Radio program "The Ron and Fez Show"
• Ed Blizzard, prominent pharmaceutical injury attorney.
• Fran Brill, voice actress and muppeteer
• Lamar Campbell, former Detroit Lions defensive back and former Strath Haven, University of Wisconsin and Detroit Lions standout
• Ted Cottrell, former NFL player and coach
• Ben Davis (baseball), former Seattle Mariners catcher
• Clamma Dale, opera singer
• Tyreke Evans, NBA basketball player for the Sacramento Kings.
• J. R. Gach, talk radio host
• Hubert R. Harmon, first superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy.
• William Henry, gunsmith and a delegate to the Continental Congress.
• Nicolas Iacona Junior, who adopted the screen name, Joey Stefano in gay pornographic films.
• Kevin Jones, a Chicago Bears running back and former Virginia Tech football standout.
• Deron Miller, frontman for CKY.
• Muhammad Kenyatta, civil rights leader
• Joe Klecko, American football lineman with the New York Jets and Temple University; father of Dan Klecko of the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and Philadelphia Eagles.
• John Linehan, former Providence College guard and NCAA men's basketball steals leader as of 2002.
• Kevin Michael, a soul singer.
• John Mobley, retired Denver Broncos linebacker and former Kutztown University football standout.
• Sylvanus Morley, archaeologist and Mayanist scholar
• Danny Murtaugh, former manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates who guided the team to World Series titles in 1960 and 1971.
• Jameer Nelson, an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the NBA
• Alex North, composer.
• John M. Paxton, Jr., United States Marine Corps general officer.
• David Dixon Porter, American Civil War naval hero.
• Aaron Proctor, professional wrestling promoter and politician.
• Caleb Pusey, a friend and business partner of William Penn.
• Joe Pyne, radio and television talk show host
• James W. Reese, a U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient in World War II
• Bo Ryan, head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team, coached UW-Plattville to four NCAA Division III national championships.
• Matthew Ryan, a alternative country singer-songwriter.
• Josiah Sleeper, local businessman
• Brent Staples, an editorial writer for the New York Times.
• Ethel Waters, Grammy Hall of Fame Award winning Blues recording artist, Broadway performer winner of New York Drama Critics award, Academy Award nomination movie Pinky.
• Will Hunter, retired Minnesota vikings Safety and former University of Syracuse standout.

See also[link]

Philadelphia portal

• Wade Dump, a former Superfund site under the Commodore Barry Bridge

References[link]

Other sources[link]

• Jordan, John W. ed. A History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania (New York Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914)
• Johnson, Amandus The Swedes on the Delaware (International Printing Company, Philadelphia. 1927)
• Weslager, C. A. New Sweden on the Delaware 1638–1655 (The Middle Atlantic Press, Wilmington. 1988)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chester, Pennsylvania

• City of Chester
• J. Lewis Crozer Library - part of the Delaware County Library System
• History of the City of Chester, PA
• OldChesterPA.com - Chester History

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