Kennett Square Life Winter 2018

Winter 2018

Kennett Square Life Magazine M i

HoneyBadger Woodworks: Where wood gets new life Page 8

Inside • Friends Home marks 120 years • On the frontline against homelessness • Braeloch Brewing: Kennett’s new third place

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Winter 2018

Kennett Square Life Table of Contents 8 22 30 36 42 46 52 60 68

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HoneyBadger Woodworks: Where wood gets new life On the frontline against homelessness

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Playwright delves into the lives of mushroom workers Friends Home in Kennett marks 120 years of service

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Q&A with John and Louise Bennett A whimsical business based around children

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Braeloch Brewing is bringing new beers to town Photo Essay: The artists of Kennett Square What’s new in downtown Kennett

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

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Kennett Square: A town of people, places and stories.

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We are very happy to share a secret with you, the readers of Kennett Square Life, that occurs every time we begin to consider editorial content for an upcoming edition of this magazine.

It’s easy. The stories are everywhere, from schools, organizations, businesses, the thriving arts and culture scene, and from the people who make up this community. We are also happy to inform you that preparing this, the Winter 2018 edition of Kennett Square Life, was no exception, as the following pages will show.

In this issue, we shine particular light on the creativity of our artists, new beginnings, and helping our neighbors most in need. For our cover story, writer John Chambless spends time speaking with Caitlin Abate of HoneyBadger Woodworks, a company she formed in 2012 with Jenna Price.

As part of her continuing series, “The People of Kennett Square,” photographer Jie Deng turns her camera on four distinctive local artists: painter and illustrator Hannah Kelleher, ceramic artist Meghan Bergman, woodworker Jordan Rapp and photographer Natale Caccamo.

We also profile New York-based playwright Eisa Davis, whose play “Mushroom” tells the story of migrant farm workers in Chester County who fight the current immigration policies in an effort to retain their jobs, their families and their dignity.

In his story on Family Promise of Southern Chester County, writer Steve Hoffman profiles how the organization has continued to selflessly expand its efforts to help the most vulnerable – the elderly, the disabled and the children – in a collective fight to break the chain of homelessness.

We also look at one business that’s enjoying life on State Street, and one that’s about to welcome new friends and family to a redeveloping Birch Street. Contributing writer Samantha Ferraro profiles Shannon Blake, whose Penny Lane Emporium serves as a home for unique gifts and accessories for children, and writer Richard L. Gaw visits the soon-to-be-open Braeloch Brewing.

Finally, writer Natalie Smith opens the door to Friends Home, which has opened its doors to senior members of the community and offered them their care, companionship and independence.

With each edition of Kennett Square Life, we attempt to delve deeper into the ways by which this town and its surrounding area continues to define itself. As always, we welcome your thoughts and your ideas, as we continue to write down the history, the present and the future of Kennett Square, for years to come.

Sincerely, Randy Lieberman, Publisher randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553 Steve Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, ext. 13 Cover design by: Diane Blanche Stirrat Cover photo: Jie Deng www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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Kennett Square Arts|

Where wood gets new life HoneyBadger Woodworks has become a local landmark

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

All photos by Jie Deng

By John Chambless Staff Writer

E

very morning, Caitlin Abate opens the garage door to her workshop on Mulberry Street in Kennett Square and gets to work. Standing to the left of the open door is a massive bear with its paw raised in greeting. People driving or walking by can’t help but notice.

“It’s been insane,” Abate said. “People pull over and say, ‘What are you doing in there?

Can you fix something for me?’”

Continued on Page 10 www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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HoneyBadger Woodworks Continued from Page 9

Abate is the sole worker at HoneyBadger Woodworks, a company she formed in 2012 with Jenna Price, who today is a business partner but not involved in the day-to-day work. Abate grew up in the Victorian house next to the garage, and she learned at an early age that handling tools and getting dirty was a good thing.

“My parents are both DIYers,” she said. “My mom’s dad was a master carpenter. Her brother was a carpenter. If there was a repair to be made in the house, I was always helping my dad on the weekends. I did roofing, plumbing, you name it.”

Abate graduated from Kennett High School in 2003, but felt limited by the restrictions on the tools. “They had a beautiful wood shop there, but you weren’t allowed to touch the tools,” she said. “I think it’s a liability thing.”

Abate still lives in her family home, which means that her work is only a few steps away. While the workshop is compact – “I’ve had woodworkers visit who can’t believe I can operate out of here,” Abate said – it has what she needs to turn out a dizzying array of projects – from tables and chairs to built-in cabinets.

“I went to Penn State and majored in sculpture. Then I went to grad school at Tyler and got a master’s in sculpture. And then I didn’t make sculpture,” Continued on Page 12

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Mulberry the Bear has become a mascot for HoneyBadger Woodworks.

HoneyBadger Woodworks Continued from Page 10

she said, laughing. “But we had a full, working wood shop, a metal shop, I learned how to use table saws and bad saws, how to weld, all that stuff.

“After grad school, one of my professors lived up in Plymouth Meeting, and I worked for him for a little bit,” she continued. “Then word got around my family that I was cheap labor. I was kind of a handylady for about a year. I had the skill set to play around with.”

She spent a year in New Jersey. “Then one of my aunt’s friends went to a First Friday event and saw an upholstered bench that she wanted in her house. She asked if I could make it, and I really liked doing it,” Abate said.

Back in Kennett Square, Abate begged her parents to give up half of the garage to put in some woodworking tools.

She has since taken over the other half as well, but her workspace is still no bigger than two cars parked next to each other.

The name of the company, HoneyBadger, was inspired by the feisty, take-no-nonsense nature of the animal, she Continued on Page 14

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Caitlin Abate is a constant presence at the HoneyBadger converted garage workshop, where she turns out furniture nearly every day.

Continued on Page 13

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HoneyBadger Woodworks Continued from Page 12

said, admitting that she has been called a honey badger by those who have seen her lose her temper. And her grandfather had a reputation, too. “He had a terrible temper,” she said. “When I was young, the punishment, if you were bad, was that you had to go help grandpa with whatever he was doing. He was old-school. He’d say, ‘Hold this piece of wood,’ but whatever you did, you never held it right.”

When projects were not exactly coming in fast and furious a few years ago, she opened a retail space on State Street in Kennett Square – a fun, eclectic shop that sold some of her work as well as other items – “but that was a miserable failure,” Abate said with a sigh. The time spent behind the counter at the store took away from time in the wood shop, so after a couple of years, she closed the store and devoted herself full-time to making things. “It’s been busy, busy for the past couple of years,” she said.

HoneyBadger’s main rule is to waste nothing and use recycled wood whenever possible. The rough-hewn charm of barn wood is wonderful to work with, she said. And Abate doesn’t spend money on frills. Her glue pot was an old mustard container for years, until she famously stomped it in frustration, and the resulting online reaction turned the container into a minor hero. A Dunkin’ Donuts styrofoam cup was used for so long that it disintegrated.

But saving wood from the landfill is satisfying – and economical, Abate said. “I’ve been here long enough that my neighbors have given me wood, which is awesome.

I had a guy drop off these two pieces,” she said, pointing to two huge slabs of nearly black wood outside the garage door. “I think they’re Douglas fir. They need to be cut down to remove the oil that’s on them, but I have plans for them.”

Much of the charm of her recycled wood projects is the patina of age. And Abate takes great pleasure in making “useless” wood vital again. “I like the aesthetics of the wood. I like the way it looks, and the the idea that you’re not buying something new,” she said. “I have seen joists from the 1800s and they are as straight as an arrow.”

Her least favorite projects are the build-in cabinets since they “are basically boring boxes,” she said. But the reward of taking a customer’s ideas – sometimes nothing more than a rough doodle on scrap paper – and turning it into a functional storage unit or other furniture is what keeps her going.

“I like to throw in my own interpretation to the designs I get from customers. I keep in constant contact with 14

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

them along the way,” she said, pulling out a notebook of updated designs she shares with customers.

With the holidays approaching, Abate said she will be busier than ever with custom orders. “Last year, I delivered a project on Christmas Eve,” she said.

The HoneyBadger price list is very affordable, especially since every inch of the project is handmade. But some Continued on Page 16 www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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HoneyBadger Woodworks Continued from Page 15

people just don’t get it. “Wood today is terrible. The 2-by4s are terrible,” she said of buying lumber new. “Probably the bottom of the furniture barrel is Walmart stuff. It’s not real wood. That’s the first thing people don’t realize. Ikea, believe it or not, isn’t that bad, but it’s not going to last your whole life. So unless you want to buy that coffee table five times ...”

And people don’t understand the process of making wood furniture. “I had a woman email me probably two years ago. She was cutting down an oak tree in front of her house and wanted me to turn it into two tables. I told her, ‘First, you have to wait at least a year for the wood to dry.’ I didn’t hear back from her.”

Because she’s constantly working, Abate said she is constantly learning. “I can see the difference in the things I made just a couple of years ago,” she said. “I can see all the mistakes I made back then.”

Abate also regularly posts videos on Facebook and Instagram that show her creating all kinds of furniture in fast-forward. Turning out a table can take 60 seconds in one

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of her videos, which leads customers to think “Oh, that’s easy,” she said, laughing. “Well, a minute in one of those videos can be up to 10 hours of work. But people seem to like them. It is time consuming to do them, though.”

Abate has even gotten a couple of comments from a man she doesn’t know who enjoys watching her working a bit too much. Perhaps it’s the chainsaw, she said, laughing.

Abate knows her way around chainsaw sculpting, and the videos make it look easy. She’s also not afraid to tinker with her tools, and she has taken apart and repaired any number of lathes and chainsaws, and gotten them working without any formal training in mechanics. She just has a knack, and YouTube how-to videos help.

“I’m pretty sure that chainsaws are the deadliest homeowner tool,” she admitted. “I did some chainsaw mushrooms for Barkingfield Park last summer, and that was a fun project.

You just feel so badass using a chainsaw.”

Her car, which is parked on the street outside her home, has been stripped of all but its driver’s seat so Abate can Continued on Page 18

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HoneyBadger Woodworks Continued from Page 16

use it for hauling some completed projects to the homes of buyers. “The looks I get,” she said of the disheveled vehicle.

“But I can haul a lot of furniture in there.”

But nothing up to this point has generated the amount of interest that the larger-than-life bear outside her door has created. “I started him in June or July this year,” she said. “I had wanted to clear out the other half of the garage that I was using for wood storage. I had to get rid of the stuff, so I stacked it up, glued it together and started sculpting the bear on the street. I wanted to make it funny.”

Using a chain saw to whittle down the stack of wood, Abate got the body right, but the arm proved a bit more problematic. Now she’s happy with the overall shape, but the features still have to be worked out – when she has time.

The problem is that she doesn’t have much spare time.

“He will be smiling, eventually,” she said of the bear, which has been dubbed Mulberry, after the street he stands on. “I wanted to make people laugh. People use this as a through street at the beginning and end of the day. I’ve had people say, ‘I drive by that bear just to smile.’ People

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

bring their kids by after school ... I can’t believe how many people like it. It’s been so popular. What was I thinking?

Why am I bothering making furniture?”

The obvious question is why Mulberry isn’t a honey badger. “I wanted it to be a honey badger, but they don’t stand on their hind legs a lot. And when they do, they kind of look like bears,” she said. “So I figured I’d cut my losses and did a bear.”

The work space lacks a lot of comforts that might seem necessary – such as heat and air conditioning, but Abate is hoping to get a heater going this winter so she won’t risk frostbite. The garage – while it is becoming a local landmark – may not be her work space forever, she said. “This is an old carriage house, so the floor slopes severely to drains in the center of the room. When I do build-in cabinets in here, just getting them level is a pain,” she said.

To handle the rapidly expanding budget, Abate said she taught herself QuickBooks, and is handling the business side satisfactorily. “When the business started off, it was so Continued on Page 20

www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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HoneyBadger Woodworks Continued from Page 18

small. The learning curve was over such a long time that I’ve had time to get better at it,” she said. “I had a professor in art school tell me that if I made a living in art, I’d spend 50 percent of my time on the computer. She was right.”

The satisfaction of the job “is the skill building aspect of the work,” Abate said. “When I started, I knew things I was making for people then were not going to be as good as they are now. I made decent furniture, but there’s so much to learn about how things should be joined, the staining, the finishing, that certain woods take certain finishes. In general, I just love working with my hands. It’s such a sense of accomplishment.”

For more information, visit www.honeybadgerwoodworks.com, or www.facebook.com/ honeybadgerwoodworks1.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

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In the Spotlight|

Family P is on frontline homele 22

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

Promise on the ne against lessness

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

T

he number of people in southern Chester County who have faced homelessness has more than doubled over the last three years.

This includes people who are the most vulnerable in the community -- the elderly, the disabled, and children. During the 2016-2017 school year alone, there were 384 children who were homeless at some point in the four school districts that serve southern Chester County.

“We have children, we have babies, who are sleeping in cars. That’s not right,” said Susan Minarchi, the executive director of Family Promise of Southern Chester County. Since it started on Nov. 1, 2015, Family Promise of Southern Chester County has been one of the local organizations that has led the effort to fight homelessness in the area. So far, 45 families who were facing homelessness have been able to secure housing as a result of the local Family Promise program, and those families are all still in housing—an indication of just how impactful the program has been.

During a recent interview with Kennett Square Life, Minarchi and Kimberly Zuleba, the vice president of Family Promise of Southern Chester County’s board of directors, talked about the factors that are leaving an increasing number of local families vulnerable to homelessness, and about the organization’s mission to help those families who are gripped by a financial crisis.

Family Promise of Southern Chester County is one of approximately 211 affiliates that are part of a national Family Promise initiative that started in one community in New Jersey in 1986.

The Family Promise initiative aims to provide help to children and their families so that they can achieve lasting self-sufficiency and stability. Meals and shelter are provided through a network of volunteers at church congregations. Locally, 13 host churches are prepared to host up to four families, or 14 people, once every 13 weeks, while volunteers from more than a dozen other churches serve as a support system to the host churches. The goal is to keep families together while the adults work toward solutions to the crisis that they are facing.

“We give families a hand up, not a hand out,” Minarchi explained. “Every family is different, and every family’s needs are different.”

Continued on Page 24

Photo by Steven Hoffman

The resource center is located in Kennett Square. Family Promise’s model provides a place for families to stay together during the difficult time, whereas the few, overburdened shelters in the area sometimes must separate families because of space limitations. www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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Family Promise Continued from Page 23

Through their work with Family Promise of Southern Chester County, Minarchi and Zuleba have learned about the needs that exist in the community, and the struggles that many families experience day in and day out.

It’s the Family Promise team that provides assistance to three generations of one local family that couldn’t maintain housing. It’s the Family Promise team that helps out an expecting mother during a critical time in her life.

Zuleba explained, “The face of homelessness is not what you see in the movies, These are folks just like you and me. They are people that you see every day when you go to the grocery store.”

Many of the people who are on the frontlines in the effort to help individuals and families who are struggling say that homelessness is a significant, and growing, issue in southern Chester County. A leading reason why southern Chester County is seeing a spike in homelessness is the lack of affordable housing in the area.

“We are in an affordable housing crisis in southern Chester County, and most people don’t realize it,”

T L

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explained Melanie Weiler, the executive director of Kennett Area Community Service. “It really is the silent crisis in the community.”

A two-bedroom apartment in Kennett Square now rents for $1,200 a month—or more—on the open market, leaving people with low incomes or fixed incomes with few options as they struggle to meet their basic needs. It’s no coincidence that homelessness in the area has increased at the same time that the costs for housing have soared.

“Affordable housing has become very difficult to find,” Minarchi said. “Until the whole community comes together to make a commitment to low-income housing, homelessness will be a challenge.”

There are other factors, such as high childcare costs, rising medical costs, and insufficient public transportation, that can contribute to families’ struggles to meet their basic needs. When families are forced to use too much of their regular income to meet basic needs, there is a higher risk that they could face homelessness because any setback, such as an unexpected medical bill, can be a financial catastrophe.

The physical and psychological impact that homelessness can have on a person or a family can be devastating, especially for children.

To help families in need, Family Promise of Southern Chester County offers a unique solution that costs approximately 70 percent less than a traditional shelter to operate.

The Family Promise initiative brings together local church congregations to provide food and shelter. The program provides a resource center as a home base for families in the program, the organization has been able to keep families from being separated in the social service system, while assisting the families to get back on their feet with lasting results.

Here’s how the program works: The families in need stay at a host church facility for dinner, fellowship, and for overnight accommodations. These host churches are scattered throughout southern Chester County. After being served a breakfast in the morning, families then travel back to the Family Promise resource center in Kennett Square where they will work with a case manager to find employment, affordable housing, and learn about other social services that may be available. School children are picked up at the resource center by their schools so that they are able to maintain educational continuity. Family Promise has a van to transport families between the resource center and the churches.

Continued on Page 26

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Family Promise Continued from Page 25

Each Family Promise affiliate is independent and relies on people in the community to shape it to meet the needs of that community. Community initiatives include a wide array of programs. Some get to the heart of core needs, such as childcare and job training. Other initiatives, such as financial literacy and GED tutoring, find ways to match the strengths of local volunteers and the interests of local corporations with the needs of the guests. Similarly, many initiatives build off core tenets of the Family Promise Program itself, leading to efforts like food assistance, furniture and clothing donations, auto donations and health and wellness programs.

Minarchi got involved in the local Family Promise effort through Annalie Korengel, the pastor of the Unionville Photo by Steven Hoffman

Susan Minarchi, the executive director of Family Promise of Southern Chester County, said that the community has been very supportive. A few examples: The Wawa located on Cypress Street in Kennett Square makes frequent food donations, and J & G Auto in Kennett Square helps out by evaluating the donated cars for the families.

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Presbyterian Church. Minarchi attends that church, which was among the first churches to sign on to support the initiative. Korengel is the president of the Family Promise of Chester County board.

A dedicated board of directors has been a vital part of Family Promise’s success, but so too has an army of volunteers. It takes a lot of volunteer hours from the faith community to staff the host churches.

The resource center is another important component of the program, and volunteers help to collect donations so that they are available to families who are using the resource center. When Family Promise of Southern Chester County started its program in 2015, the resource center was located in West Grove, but a new use of that facility prompted Family Promise of Southern Chester County to look for a new home. The organization was able to secure a long-term lease on the building at 1156 W. Baltimore Pike in Kennett Square. It fits the organization’s needs well.

The resource center serves multiple purposes. It is here that case manager Omar Henriquez meets with families to talk about their situation and evaluate how they can be helped. Families can use the resource center as a home address as they apply for jobs, look for homes, or seek out other resources. There are computers for the families to use.

“Most job applications are online now,” Minarchi explained.

The resource center has a large kitchen so that families can prepare their meals and eat together. There are washers and dryers here as well since doing the laundry is often an important need.

Supplies like toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, are always available because families often show up with very little.

“We want everyone to feel like they are at home, when they are here,” Zuleba explained. “We want them to have what they need.”

The resource center has a storage area for clothing, housewares, and other donations that are distributed to the families.

There’s also a toy shop where a parent can pick out a toy and wrap it for their child to give them a gift. “We try to make a big deal out of birthdays,” Minarchi said.

Being able to utilize so many donations, Zuleba explained, helps Family Promise operate with a low overhead.

“Everything that is in the building, except for the electronics, is donated,” Minarchi said, explaining that “The community has really been so supportive.”

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Family Promise Continued from Page 27

So supportive, in fact, that if a specific need arises, they can reach out to the hundreds of volunteers and the network of supporters and ask for the need to be met. “When folks find out that we have a need,” Zuleba said, “we do get a great response.”

An illustration of this is when Minarchi sent out word that they needed pillows for the families to use. They received such a great response that they still have a supply of pillows.

Family Promise is always looking for housewares because when a family is ready to leave the program and move into a new home, they usually need a lot of housewares to get started again.

“It’s a new beginning for these folks,” Minarchi explained, “and we want to provide them with a comfortable start.”

Another key part of the Family Promise program is the post-shelter extended support that they provide to families.

While providing housing to families addresses the immediate need, it is important to alleviate the underlying causes that put the family in that dire situation. Family Promise stays in contact with the families, and offers an array of

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services that ensure that families do not fall back into homelessness.

There is also a small food pantry for families who have graduated from the program but still need some assistance with meeting their basic needs.

They ask the families to set aside a percentage of their total income to build up savings.

“We are very strict about that,” Minarchi said. “We want to make sure that they are on the road to self-sufficiency that is lasting.”

Minarchi said that the model that Family Promise utilizes works well in southern Chester County, just as it does in more than 200 different communities across the country.

Locally, the average amount of time in the program for a family is 53 days, compared to the 60-day average nationally. Once they graduate from the program, the families are in a much better position than when they reached out to Family Promise for help.

“It’s worked for 30 years,” Minarchi said of the Family Promise model. “It’s a great model. I love what we are able to do.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor @ chestercounty.com.

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29

Kennett Square Arts|

Brooklyn playwright delves into lives of mushroom farm workers

By John Chambless Staff Writer

T

he intertwined lives of those who labor in the region’s mushroom houses are coming to the stage as Brooklyn-based playwright/actress Eisa Davis writes “Mushroom.”

In October, Davis and a cast of professional actors sat in a meeting room at La Communidad Hispana in Kennett Square, reading the latest version of the play for nurses and staff members of the facility, as well as representatives of Kennett Friends Meeting.

The aim of the private performance was to hear from the people who help mushroom workers every day, to get their reactions to the characters and the plot as it is written and rewritten in light of fast-moving changes in immigration policy. There is no date yet for the production to premiere.

Davis was invited by People’s Light to come to Chester County as part of New Play Frontiers, a program that brings writers from across the country to learn about the region, inspiring works that focus on local issues, but which also resonate on a national scale.

“Mushroom” could not be more timely, and Davis prefaced the script reading on Friday by saying the new version incorporated changes she made the night before.

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

Photo by Dennis Johnston

Eisa Davis is an award-winning actor, writer, and singer-songwriter. She is working on developing ‘Mushroom’ for the People’s Light stage.

The process has been going on since 2013, when Davis began researching the mushroom industry and the people who work in it. She has toured mushroom growing facilities and spoken with the families who are the backbone of the multi-million-dollar business.

There was a sharing of the play at the theater in Malvern in 2015, and since then, there has been a much increased urgency in the issues raised by the work.

“Mushroom” is told with flashes of humor, but always tempered by the hard reality of life in the mushroom houses and the political firefight over documentation of workers.

Davis, a versatile actress, singer and playwright, handed out the excerpts from “Mushroom” to the large cast, saying, “Every time I tell people that I’m writing a piece about people who are picking mushrooms in Kennett Square, people are like, ‘What?’” she said, laughing. “This sharing of excerpts from the play is more of an introduction to the characters. It’s so crucial for us to be here and hear your responses. This whole process has been really meaningful over the past five years. Every time I come back to this project, I’m just struck with the power and beauty of all the people in the story that I’ve been able to become acquainted with, and then hopefully to reflect, in a fictionalized way.”

The plot spotlights the personal lives of workers, but centers on a young woman who worked with her mother in the mushroom house, but is attending school and struggling to become a nurse. Living in the midst of the health problems affecting mushroom Continued on Page 32

www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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Eisa Davis Continued from Page 31

workers, she sees a need to connect the workers to reliable health care. Among the many local references is a recommendation from one of the characters that an ill worker “should go see LCH” – La Communidad Hispana – for help. The nurses and administrators listening to the reading laughed at the line.

There is a mention of St. Rocco Catholic Church as a religious base for the community. “There are 60 or 70 mushroom farms around Kennett,” one of the characters says.

Scenes in “Mushroom” may possibly be performed alternately in Spanish and English, Davis explained.

When Spanish is being spoken, there could be English supertitles projected above the stage. When English is spoken, supertitles could translate into Spanish. The entire community is represented in the varying viewpoints in the play – from Tyler, the young man who is reluctantly left at the helm of a mushroom facility, to a picker who has turned to drug dealing on the side to make ends meet. There’s a budding romance, harsh reality and a simmering undercurrent of resentment that the workers dare not express.

At one point, the play focuses on the aftermath of an immigration raid. Tyler complains about the seizure of some of his vital agricultural workers, saying that ICE “had been leaving us alone. They know the deal.”

The central character, we learn, is undocumented, although she has successfully negotiated her way through nursing classes. “I am undocumented. But I will care for you,” she says firmly at one point.

During a powerful speech, a character recites a list of questions that resonate. Among them: “Is America full of itself? Is America choking on itself? Is America cancelled? … Who is America?”

During a break in the reading, as well as after the hour-long presentation, the LCH nurses and administrator agreed that “Mushroom” sounds like it is taken from their daily lives. “We care for those in the mushroom industry, and you’re talking about the reality of our lives,” one nurse said. “The things you wrote about are really happening.”

Marcie Bramucci, the director of community investment at People’s Light, said that the process of workshopping productions in the community is a different way of working. “The New Play Festival residencies include sharings and community meetings, in addition to deep-level research, so we have these Continued on Page 34 32

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

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Eisa Davis Continued from Page 32

community touchstones,” she said.

“For ‘Mushroom,’ this past August, we visited multiple mushroom farms and spoke with workers and owners, spent time at the Garage, and had lunch with the staff at LCH. We’re opening partnerships with key stakeholders for the piece simultaneous to the development of the play. It’s about finding out what resonates with these stakeholders, as their engagement absolutely informs the evolution of the play.”

More information about People’s Light is available at www.peopleslight.org.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

K

Photo by John Chambless

The cast of ‘Mushroom’ reads a draft of the play on Oct. 19 at La Communidad Hispana. The author, Eisa Davis, is at center.

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Kennett Square History|

Finding a home in Kennett Square

Photo by Natalie Smith

Christine McDonald, executive director of Friends Home at Kennett, has overseen some improvements during her tenure, including the porch and loading dock project.

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

By Natalie Smith Staff Writer

F

or more than a century, a place in Southern Chester County has been opening its doors to senior members of the community, offering them care, companionship and independence.

Walking through the main building of Friends Home in Kennett, it’s easy to understand why this has been a successful endeavor for so long. It’s a comfortable, welcoming environment, where everyone seems to know everyone. Whether it’s a resident in a chair greeting all who walk by, or a staffer discussing with another the best way to care for a plant, it gives the aura of home.

Located in the Historic District of Kennett Square on West State Street, Friends Home (operated by the Society of Friends, or Quakers), marked its 120th anniversary in October. A celebration week included activities for residents and staff and their families, as well as the public.

Courtesy photo

Friends Home, shown in a hand-colored postcard, circa 1915.

Courtesy photo

Friends Home at Kennett on West State Street in Kennett Square.

Executive director Christine McDonald oversees the senior living facility, whose permanent residents range from those who live in independent apartments to others who need skilled nursing care. She said the non-profit organization accepts people from all religious denominations and is very clear in its objective.

“Everyone is very dedicated to the mission of providing quality, affordable care to seniors,” McDonald said. “Everybody – the board [of directors], the staff -- is here for the right reasons.”

And that mission is a mainstay of the Quakers.

As Pennsylvania was established by William Penn in the 1600s to be a haven for his fellow Friends, their tradition of taking care of those in need while also recognizing their dignity later led to the establishment of senior citizen boarding homes. According to a history by Friends Home at Kennett, about a dozen such homes were situated in the Philadelphia area in the 1800s.

In 1898, the Western Quarterly Meeting – the official name of the Kennett Friends Meeting but which also includes other groups in the area – saw that some elderly in their vicinity could use some help. It rented the Willian Chalfant property at 219 W. Linden Street and created the Friends Boarding Home of Western Quarterly Meeting.

The Friends Home history states that in 1843, Quaker Samuel Martin built what later became its main building, housing the office, health center and parlor. It was first used as a school for girls, called the Kennett Female Seminary, which had 40 pupils. It was later sold to Dr. Elisha Gatchell, who changed its name to the Eaton Academy. After several years, the school’s reputation grew, and it came under the direction of Evan T. Swayne.

According to the Friends history, after the school closed in 1877, it was used as a residence until the start of the 20th century, when the Western Quarterly Meeting purchased it for $7,500. The home was modernized with gas lighting and central heat, and became the Friends Home.

Telephones were installed in 1907, electric lights in 1912, and an elevator in 1936, with a new one added in 1988.

McDonald said after more regulations came into effect, what had initially been a boarding home became licensed as a personal care home. As the community’s needs increased, so did the additions to Friends Home. The two buildings which contain the independent living apartments, Jackson and Continued on Page 38 www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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Friends Home in Kennett Continued from Page 37

Walton, were purchased and renovated in 1969 and 1983, respectively. Linden Hall, the skilled nursing unit, was built in 1980. For future use, the Alma Newlin house across Maiden Lane was purchased in 1995.

The Friends Home is currently at 50 rooms, with 20 in Linden Hall. Even though building at another site had been considered, the decision has been made to remain at the existing location. “To keep to the mission,” McDonald said. “If they had relocated they would have had an increase in room rates.”

There are many larger senior communities in Chester County, some large enough that they are pretty much self-sufficient. But those often require a large upfront pay-in and can also lack a neighborhood feel, McDonald said.

“Another thing is a lot of people want that walkability,” she said, pointing out the facility’s prime location on State Street in Kennett Square. “They don’t want to necessarily be isolated. We’re never

Residents enjoy supper on the porch Fridays during the summer. The Home’s West State Street location is a perfect one for viewing parades and other activities in the borough.

going to have a pool, but we have memberships to the YMCA. We’re not going to have a huge library – we have a little library – but we go to the [Kennett] Library twice a month up the street.”

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Friends Home in Kennett

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

Continued from Page 38

distance, and some Friends Home residents take advantage of that. “We utilize the town, and as long as it’s deemed safe, our residents are free to go. One woman walks to church every Sunday,” McDonald said.

Residents also want to contribute to the community. “We have a lot of people who want to help out, so we try to do volunteer things. They want to be part of something larger than themselves,” McDonald said.

Friends Home is also making improvements and additions. There has been work on a four-season porch at Linden Hall, where there have also been updates and refurbishing. A bus was purchased to take residents on trips, and they’ve increased staff in the Community Life department, offering activities daily. “We have a lot of people here interested in gardening, so we’re looking to get a greenhouse,” she said.

McDonald said because of the Home’s longevity in the community, it’s offered many area residents peace of mind.

“There’s never been a concern that you would be cared for here at Friends Home,” she said, “and that’s what we want. A lot of people have lived [in the Kennett area] their whole lives and they said they always knew when the time came, they were going to move here. Or sometimes the children live in Kennett, and they say, ‘when Mom or Dad need help, I want to bring them back here.’

“It’s always had a reputation for excellent care.

It’s not the fanciest, but the care and caring is there.

A lot of staff are local Kennett people. Several of us walk to work. Several people have family members here. Some of the names have, for 50, 60, 70 years, been associated with the Friends Home.

“You know, when I first started, somebody who was in marketing at a [larger] place told me, ‘You’ve got to change the name,’ because nobody calls them homes anymore.

“But I don’t think it’s a bad word,” McDonald said. “Because people come and go, their families come and go. People stop by and say ‘Hi.’ It’s very comfortable. This is their home.”

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Kennett Square Q&A|

Soon after they settled in at Kendal at Longwood in December 2016, John and Louise Bennett began traversing the Sally Dwyer Promenade, an almost two-mile, paved pathway that encircles the Kendal campus, from where you can see seven miles of trails through the woods. Soon, the beauty of the trail’s trees, flowers, meadows and vistas inspired their love of words and photography. It’s all captured in the 36-page “The Path: Kendal through the Seasons,” a soft blending of Louise’s poetry and John’s stunning images that portray this small slice of southern Chester County in a beautiful light.

Kennett Square Life recently met with the Bennetts to talk about their work together, the power of narrative and future ideas.

In 2010, you both published “Home To Water,” your first collection of poetry and photography, that described your life along Lake Ontario. Where did the idea of the “The Path: Kendal through the Seasons” come from?

Louise: The Path is a promenade that runs along the entire outside of Kendal at Longwood. It’s a wonderful place to walk. Every day, I got into the habit of taking a walk around Kendal – almost two miles. Every season of the year is unique, and from the path, you can get to seven miles of trails through the woods. As I walked, I was often touched by what I saw, so I began to write about what I was seeing along the path. More and more, I began to see the path as a symbol of the life here at Kendal, where you meet people, and life passes and you grow older, in a gentle kind of way.

John: I, too, walk the promenade almost every day.

I generally get up earlier than Louise does, before breakfast, and sometimes I carry a camera with me, and sometimes not. Louise suggested to me that I could have some of my photos accompany her poems.

Some of those in the book were taken especially to accompany her poems, and some were taken on their own, but it turned out that they nicely accompany her words.

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Kendal Longwood residents John and Louise Bennett.

Poetry and photography have followed the course of your lives. John, you grew up in Michigan, where you developed an early interest in photography after you received your first camera, a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. How has photography traveled along your life’s journey?

John: There have been times when I’ve not done much and times when I’ve done more. When I was in college, I picked up a twin lens reflex camera, and since then, I’ve gone through various cameras over the years. There were times when I had a dark room in our basement, but when our children were young, the basement was often taken up with other things and was used for other purposes. Ultimately, I discovered digital photography and liked it much better.

When I retired from teaching Philosophy at the University of Rochester in 2013, I began to take photography more seriously, and picked up a Canon crop-sensor camera, and it’s what I’ve been using ever since.

Louise, you came upon writing poetry in 1999, partly in response to the passing of your mother, but you’ve always been inspired by the writing of your grandfather.

Louise: When my mother died, it was a great loss, so I found that poetry enabled me to use words to help me deal with her loss. My grandfather, Allan Eastman Cross, was a Congregationalist minister in New England, and a poet and

“Yellow Trillium,” by John Bennett.

Sharing April

“October Fall Road,” by John Bennett.

By Louise B. Bennett

hymn writer. He died before I was born, but I began to know him through the hymns that he had written, that we would sing together when I was a child. One was “Bring Me Back to Old New England,” which was where my family comes from, and the other, a lullaby, was “Good Night Children.” My mother would play the piano and my sister would play the violin, and we would all sing. My father, a lawyer, always stressed the importance of choosing plain words over fancy Latin-influenced words when writing. Words, he felt, needed to be plain, simple and direct.

So my poetry has always come from being touched by something, and trying to express that in a clear and concrete way, rather in some fancy, intellectual way.

We search the treetops for migrating songbirds, listen to their twines and twitters, the peter-peter-peter of the Tufted Titmouse, the witchity-witchity-witchity of the Yellow Throat.

We poke our noses into the Star Magnolia’s blossoms, searching for some fresh spring fragrance.

When did the two of you first realize that there was the potential for artistic collaboration?

John: I don’t remember when we first had that idea. After 20 or more years raising children in Rochester and working hard, we moved after the kids had left the home to a smaller home near Lake Ontario, a block-and-a-half from the lake. We enjoyed walking near the water and did so regularly, and I took pictures and Louise began to write about poems about those walks. It was Louise who had encouraged me to produce photographs that appeared on the cover of some of her chapbooks of poetry, and then she had the idea that we could do something together.

Louise: We were retiring and I was thinking about what fun things we could do together. John had such beautiful photography, and I thought it would be a wonderful addition to my poetry to have his photographs. It became a new exploration for us. We’ve been married for 50 years and had a wonderful relationship, so this was the continuing of that relationship in a new way.

You descend the Woods Trail to the pond, I follow the promenade, looking for spring ephemera, a trout lily, a rue anemone, a yellow trillium, only to meet again to share a kiss on this your birthday.

Continued on Page 44

Then our road divides, you with your camera looking for the right play of light and shadow, the right picture when cropped that will light our souls; I with my pen searching for words that will capture the color and mood of this day.

April 8, 2018 From “The Path: Kendal through the Seasons,” written by Louise B. Bennett, with photographs

by John G. Bennett. “Sharing April” is reprinted with permission from the author.

All photos are reprinted with permission by John Bennett. www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

43

John and Louise Bennett Continued from Page 43

Louise, certainly you would welcome all audiences to read this book, but is there a particular audience that you would truly like to connect with, in terms of the book’s narrative?

Louise: I think my poetry has to do with individuals and families who are dealing with aging, and the issues related to aging, getting older, becoming frailer, and eventually dying. People who come to Kendal are planners of their future, who have decided that they want to be in control of that future, rather than drift along. We want to live in a place that we choose and never have to leave.

These poems reflect seeing the wonder and beauty of a place like this; being able to enjoy a beautiful path that continues to the end of life. Hopefully, through this book, people will gain some comfort and solace.

“Storm-Battered Winter Aconite,” by John Bennett.

With “The Path: Kendal through the Seasons,” you now have two published collaborations. What’s next?

Louise: I have an idea to write a book of poems called “Inside Kendal,” as a natural follow-up to the current book, which reflects on the exterior of Kendal at Longwood. I’ve started to write two poems already.

One is about a meditation group I belong to, and the second poem has to do with a memoir class I took.

The class’ instructor, Allan Brick, an esteemed member of the Kendal at Longwood community, recently died.

Do either of you have a favorite section along the Sally Dwyer Promenade?

John: My favorite part of the promenade is the stretch that runs near the parking lot where we live in the north end to the point at which the trail curves its way through a big bend.

Louise: These are the vistas along the promenade that offer us views of farmland and woods, but I also enjoy the spot at the top of the native plant meadow, which offers a lovely view down toward Pond Number 2. You can see wildflowers and butterflies and birds. It’s really a wonderful place.

“The Path: Kendal through the Seasons” can be purchased at the Gateway Shop at Kendal at Longwood, or through Amazon.com.

Richard L. Gaw

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

45

Kennett Square Business|

Penny Lane Emporium: The shop of Lily and Quinn

The store has become a welcome stop for families who are looking for unique gifts.

By Samantha Ferraro Contributing Writer

B

ehind the scenes at Penny Lane Emporium, a hip and funky children’s clothing, accessory and gift shop in Kennett Square, the woman running it all is Shannon Blake, a Chadds Ford resident and local hip mom.

But the real stars of the show, who ultimately influenced

46

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

Blake to leave her 15-year retail position in Philadelphia with Urban Outfitters to open a new shop five minutes from her home are her two daughters, 9-year-old Lily and 6-yearold Quinn. A quick look around the store will tell the visitor that it is designed around Lily and Quinn.

“The commute to Philadelphia, paired with the corporate hours I was working, was taking me away from my family,” Continued on Page 48

Penny Lane Continued from Page 46

Blake said. “I felt the need to reinvent my career with the things I’d learned from my time at Urban. I considered what I knew -- which was retail, kids, and being a mom -- so I utilized that in the best way that I could.”

The store is both whimsical and fun for – quite honestly – all ages. It’s styled with fun colors, a vintage tin ceiling, and handmade fixtures and displays made

by Blake’s father. The shop and online store offer fun wares for children while also simplifying the lives of busy parents in need of a quick gift. Clothing sizes range from newborns to young teens, with a wide selection of styles to fit everyone’s wants. The store offers brands such as Tea Collection, Chaser, Native Shoes, Hayden Los Angeles, SunnyLife Australia, and many more.

“I drew a lot of my inspiration from Urban,” Blake said. “Store environment is always their top priority. Their goal is to draw customers in, make them stay, and always offer something new.

My idea was to create a space that isn’t too childish, but rather an elevated kids concept for the young and the young at heart.”

Blake carefully constructed everything to make for the best shopping experience. She made a space for younger children to play and be entertained while their parents take some time to shop.

Children’s movies play on a loop in a tucked-away nook where kids can sit down and relax for a bit after a busy day of roaming around town with mom or dad.

While Penny Lane carries a wide variety of clothing and accessories, it is also known for the events that are hosted in the remodeled back room space, aptly titled, “The Alley at Penny Lane.” Upon walking into the event space, parents and children are greeted by a large mural, painted by Chester County artist Hannah Kelleher. Adorned with a blue floor, festive curtains, and jazzy twinkle lights, the room gives kids an opportunity to be 48

Photos by Richard L. Gaw

Shannon Blake, owner of Penny Lane Emporium in Kennett Square.

creative and express themselves through crafting events, yoga workshops, music classes and more.

Blake loves partnering with other creative minds in the community, especially local moms, to help facilitate these events. The workshops also give parents a chance to relax and shop for their little ones.

“There was a demand for a creative community space for kids and a willingness from other awesome moms to share their artistic talents and grow their own brands,” Blake said.

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

Continued on Page 50

Penny Lane Continued from Page 48

Having a newly organized schedule – while still exceptionally hectic with placing orders, working weekends, receiving shipments, and maintaining her brand – Blake has found that she can spend more impactful moments with her children. She has mornings available to be there when they wake up, make them breakfast, and see them off on the bus. She also greets them after school when the bus drops them off at Penny Lane. She can hear about their days and partake in the after-school pick-ups and dropoffs, which is an improvement over being out of the house before the kids were even awake.

Going forward, Blake would like to continue growing the Penny Lane brand through collaborations with more local artists and charitable organizations. She’s always looking for new ways to get people involved with the store. As a mother, an entrepreneur, a wife and an involved member of the community, Blake has many things to balance. But with so many inspiring women in Kennett Square who live similar lives of running a business, taking care of their kids, and making sure everyone is out the door on time, there’s always someone to offer a friendly piece of advice.

While the task of maintaining a business has many moving parts, Blake wouldn’t trade the opportunity to connect with the Kennett Square community.

To learn more about Penny Lane Emporium, visit shop.pennylaneemp.com.

Above: Penny Lane Emporium is identified by its owner as “an elevated kids concept for the young and the young at heart.”

Left: Penny Lane Emporium carries labels from top designers of children’s clothes and accessories.

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

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TCHS1018001 www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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Kennett Square Business|

All photos by Richard L. Gaw unless othewise noted

Braeloch Brewing is located on Birch Street, in a building that dates back to 1903.

Kent Steeves had a dream to create a microbrewery that would serve as a home for beer lovers, families and friends. With the help of his wife, Amy, and Matt and Kathy Drysdale, Kent’s dream has begun to take shape in a historic building on Birch Street in Kennett Square

Braeloch Brewing: Kennett Square’s new Third Place 52

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

The 10-barrel brewery will feature as many as 12 beers that will consistently be available on tap.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

W

hen Kent Steeves’ parents bought a house in the Finger Lakes region of western New York nearly three decades ago, the home quickly became a serene refuge for everyone who entered there, and when each visitor arrived, he or she was met with a welcoming sign that hung on a lamppost.

It read, “Braeloch.”

While its literal translation is a Scottish term that stands for “hill by a lake,” the word came to define for Kent and his family a spirit of energy that can be found when people gather in conversation and camaraderie.

Now, while the final cosmetic flourishes are put on Braeloch Brewing in Kennett Square, the soon-to-open microbrewery that he owns with his wife Amy and their long-time friends Matt and Kathy Drysdale, Kent said that the brewery’s name is intentional, because when the doors open to the new microbrewery on Birch Street, it will become a place where these same values will shine under one roof.

“For our family and friends, the Finger Lakes house became a place where you could forget about life, where no one judges you, and where you could just be yourself,” Kent said. “Similarly, we feel that Braeloch Brewing will be a place for people to come to, have a good time, meet new people, and do it all under the auspices of craft beer that’s made right there.”

Witty conversation, frivolous banter and community interaction, as the Braeloch Brewing website calls it.

“We’re passionate about craft beer and creating the environment and the space to really enjoy it,” Kent said.

Every dream begins somewhere, and no dream is achieved alone. In the case of how Braeloch Brewing came to be, Kent’s dream to greatly expand on his newfound passion for home brewing began about ten years ago in the basement of his Delaware home. A home brewer is never constrained by experimentation, and Kent did a lot of it, mostly in 10-gallon batches. With each visit to a microbrewery and a pub crawl with his wife Amy and the Drysdales, the idea to open an establishment of his own design grew. He took

Kathy Drysdale, left, and Amy Steeves, of Braeloch Brewing.

photographs. He made mental notes, but as the years went on, Kent realized that in order for a microbrewery to work, he needed more dreamers to join him – out-of-the-box thinkers who would enjoy the journey.

“Kent used to tell me that creating a business of this kind was too big of an undertaking for just two people, so we put our heads together and asked each other, ‘Who do you think would be the most into being crazy with us?’” Amy said.

They looked at each other and said: Let’s call the Drysdales.

“Kent and Amy’s daughters were down in Charlotte, North Carolina at the time, and Kent told us that he wanted to have a brewery there, and we said, ‘Uh, no,’” said Kathy.

“Then the plan changed, because Kent then told us that he and Amy were going to open the brewery locally, and the idea just became more serious as the years went on.”

In many ways, the Steeves’ partnership with the Drysdales is part of a perfect business plan: Kathy is a former chief financial officer, and Matt, who will assist Kent in brewing, spent several years as a chemical engineer at a large company.

“I’m more of a person who looks for where a business should and could be going, and Amy is focused on the direct customer experience,” Kent said. “We love the diversity of talent and skills that Matt and Kathy bring to this enterprise. If you don’t have diversity, you incur more risk in business.”

They originally looked at potential sites in Delaware – where both couples live – but nothing suited their needs. Working with a real estate agent, they drove by a 9,000-square-foot brick warehouse building at 225 Birch Street in Kennett Square, built in 1903, that had previously housed a fire equipment business and before that, served Continued on Page 54 www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

53

Braeloch Brewing Continued from Page 53

as a mushroom-growing facility, and was originally used as a service station for street trolleys.

For the Steeves and the Drysdales, it was love at first sight. Sure, there was a lot of work to do in transforming an old building, but the bones of the place provided them with the vision to imagine a beautiful bar, community tables and booths, an outdoor beer garden near the Red Clay Creek, and a steady stream of friendly and familiar faces stopping by for a pint and conversation.

Yet it was Kennett Square itself, Amy said, that sealed the deal.

“It is the feeling of community here, and the comfort of knowing that you are welcomed here, that was most important to us,” she said. “There are so many reasons to come to Kennett Square – shops and activities and families – and that’s what we wanted to be a part of.”

Throughout the construction phase, the Steeves and the Drysdales have enjoyed the steady stream of visitors who have inquired about its opening date. Often, its been families with baby strollers, who are given tours of what will soon become a 10-barrel microbrewery that will feature beers made on premise by Kent and Matt in a state-of-the-art brewing area at the rear of the brewery.

Up front, a 4,000- square-foot tap room, accented by stylistic whitewashed red brick walls, will feature stone-sealed flooring, community tables, booths and tables, and a stunning bar that weaves along the far right wall that was designed by Kent’s brother, Brett. Behind the bar, guests will enjoy one dozen different varieties of beer, including varieties with names like Blue Hen Gold, Kennett Continued on Page 56

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Courtesy photo

A stunningly-design bar promises to become one of Braeloch Brewing’s many signature accents in its tap room.

The tap room’s windows are reminiscent of the building’s origins, which was originally used as a service station for trolleys.

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

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Braeloch Brewing Continued from Page 54

Brown Ale and the 33rd Marc, to name a few, and one tap will be reserved for small batch releases.

Braeloch Brewing will also feature an outdoor beer garden that will allow families and friends to enjoy evenings next to the East branch of the Red Clay Creek, and a small kitchen will provide a lite food fare including snacks, finger foods, flat bread pizzas and sandwiches, that will be supplemented by frequent visits from local food trucks.

Through the heavy lifting of excavation and dust clouds that has slowly turned a warehouse into a future microbrewery, the owners of Braeloch Brewing had some help along the way. They give a lot of credit to Don Robitzer, the owner of the building; Mary Hutchins of Historic Kennett Square; Kennett Borough Manager Joe Scalise; Rusty Drumheller, Kennett Borough code enforcement officer; and Mike Stiglitz, director of operations for the Two Stones Brewing Company.

“The thing about this industry that continues to amaze me is how cooperative other brewers have been to us,” Kathy said. “We sat down with Mike before we went into construction, and he was awesome, and had so many ideas for us. I spent my career as a numbers person, and I’m used to running a business where you look for ways to remain ahead of competition, and where industry secrets are not shared.

“Yet the microbrewery industry is wide open for ideas.

There’s no hesitation to pick up a phone and call another brewer and ask for help, and if they call us, we’ll be there to help them, too.”

In business, timing is everything, and for Braeloch Brewing, it’s soon-to-be opening is a hop aboard the steam engine of an industry that has taken the nation by storm. At the end of 2017, there were 6,266 craft breweries in the U.S. subdivided into 2,252 brewpubs, 3,812 microbreweries and 202 regional craft breweries. Closer to home, Braeloch is the latest marker on a local map that’s 56

Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

teeming with other establishments, whom Kent looks at not as the competition, but as partners in a collaboration.

“There is the phrase, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’” he said. “I still believe that if you look at all of our neighbors and people involved in this similar microbrewery journey, we’re all in this together. Each of us has a different environment.

Each of us approaches the making of beer a little differently, but we’re all part of a core community.

“I see all of us working together to build a critical mass, and now that we’re a part of that community, I don’t want to let any of them down.

It is critical that we come in with good quality, that we represent craft beer and the local community and all of our brewing neighbors.

It’s like being a new part of a family, and I want us to live up to those expectations.”

Although no date for its official opening has been set, Braeloch Brewing has already introduced itself to its new neighbors. They’ve been regular visitors to the Kennett Brewfest for the past two years, and collaborated with the refurbished Kennett Creamery in hosting the postrace celebration at the Mushroom Cap 13.1 half marathon on Nov. 3. When that opening date comes, however, Kathy envisions a day filled with adrenaline and high energy.

“I see families smiling as they walk through the door,” she said. “We want Braeloch Brewing to become a small part of those family’s lives, to meld ourselves into the fabric of this community. It’s about families. They’re why we all decided to come here.”

“People are looking for that third place in their lives to go to. It’s a place that’s not home, that’s not work, but it’s somewhere in between,” Matt said. “It’s the third place, and we’re ready to become that third place.”

Braeloch Brewing is located at 225 Birch Street, Kennett Square, Pa. 19348. To learn more, visit www.braelochbrewing.beer To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Bove Jewelers and The Growing Tree: A new and unique shopping experience one of the mushroom stools.

While it would be perfectly excusThe collaboration began when able to scoff at a concept that merged Bob Strehlau, owner and goldsmith a well-established jewelry business at Bove Jewelers, was looking to with a popular children’s toy store, make better use of a smaller showthat which brought Bove Jewelers room that had been reserved for and The Growing Tree together in children’s jewelry and accessories.

September was built on a very simEnter Kathi Lafferty, the owner ple premise. It’s a superb idea, the of the Mushroom Cap and the owners thought, one that will bring Growing Tree toy store just down families together, and besides, it’s the street, who spoke to Strehlau going to be in Kennett Square, a about moving the toy store into the town that has become known for its partnerships and collaboration.

Bob Strehlau of Bove Jewelers and Kathi Lafferty of The underutilized space.

“This concept brings back what we Separated by two entrances, Bove Growing Tree are now side by side on West State Street Jewelers and The Growing Tree in Kennett Square, in a unique partnership that appeals miss so much these days,” Strehlau to children and adults. said. “It sends families back to the have become the newest success way it should be, back to the good story in Kennett Square business.

Now, parents have the opportunity to shop at one of the old days when there always seemed to be a toy store on a finest jewelers in America, while keeping an eye on their main street. We’re putting that time back in people’s hands, children next door, who get to rummage through a colorful here on State Street, and it’s the perfect little town to do it pageantry of toys, books, gifts and yes, the chance to sit on in.”

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Kennett Square Life | Winter 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

www.chestercounty.com | Winter 2018 | Kennett Square Life

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Kennett Life Photo Essay|

The Artists of Kennett Photographs by Jie Deng Text by Richard L. Gaw As part of her continuing photo series, “The People of Kennett Square,” photographer Jie Deng profiles painter and illustrator Hannah Kelleher, ceramic artist Meghan Bergman, woodworker Jordan Rapp and photographer Natale Caccamo – four artists with a diversity of talents, who all share Kennett Square in common.

Hannah Kelleher / painting, illustration

A graduate of Delaware College of Art and Design and West Chester University, Hannah specializes in graphite/ charcoal drawing and oil painting, while also exploring watercolor, photography and 3D art installations. To learn more, visit www.hannahkelleher.com.

Continued on Page 62

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ett Square

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Photo Essay Continued from Page 60

Jordan Rapp / custom woodworker As the owner of Basement Dweller Woodturning, Jordan has created work for State & Union, the Kennett Brewfest and the Kennett Brewing Company. To learn more, visit www.instagram.com/ basement_dweller_woodturning Continued on Page 64

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Photo Essay Continued from Page 62

Meghan Bergman / ceramic artist Meghan Bergman has been a ceramic artist for over 15 years, and has participated in workshops around the country and internationally. To learn more, visit www.meghanbergman.com Continued on Page 66

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Photo Essay Continued from Page 64

Natale Caccamo / fine arts photographer A native of Brooklyn, Natale is a photographer in the Exhibitions Department at Winterthur Museum. His special exhibit “Meanderings: A Photographic Exploration of Winterthur as Seen Through the Lens of Natale Caccamo,� was held in 2016.

To learn more, visit https://www.instagram. com/natalecaccamo

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Around Kennett Square|

Celebrating the holidays in Kennett Square Kennett Square welcomes the arrival of a new year with its popular Midnight in the Square event on Monday, Dec. 31.

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By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

F

rom the moment the annual Holiday Light Parade begins on Nov. 23 to the moment Kennett Square welcomes the arrival of a new year with Midnight in the Square, the town is a wonderful place to enjoy the Christmas season.

Kennett Square is a terrific shopping destination yearround with unique shops like Bove Jewelers, Ashley Austin, Mamie Boutique, Holly Peters Oriental Rugs, and Kennett Square Jewelers. The shops in the downtown are really special during the holiday season when everyone is in search of special gifts that can’t be found anywhere else. There are also a number of art galleries on State Street, Broad Street, and Willow Street.

Kennett Square also boasts a wide variety of dining

options, from La Michoacana Grill to Grain Craft + Kitchen to La Verona to Lily Asian Cuisine to Victory at Magnolia.

The Market at Liberty Place has a number of places to enjoy food or drink, and there’s always something special going on during the holiday season.

Portabello’s of Kennett Square and Mrs. Robinson’s Tea Shop both expanded in the past year.

One of Kennett Square’s newest boutiques is Maura Grace, which recently debuted at the corner of State and Union streets. Maura Grace offers trendy apparel and gift items.

Kennett Square’s charm is on full display throughout the holiday season. The festivities begin with the popular annual holiday light parade and tree lighting that will take place on Friday, Nov. 23. Santa will be greeting children at Anchor Life + Fitness on that evening.

Continued on Page 70

All photos courtesy

Longwood Gardens attracts visitors from all around the world during the busy holiday season. As in past years, a shuttle will run from downtown Kennett Square to Longwood Gardens each Saturday during the holiday season.

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Celebrating the Holidays Continued from Page 69

For LaToya Myers, the parade and tree lighting signifies the arrival of the Christmas season. The Kennett Square Borough Council president grew up in Kennett Square and has always liked the holiday parade and tree lighting.

“When it’s time for the parade and the tree lighting, now it’s the holiday season for me,” Myers explained.

Karen Scherer, the borough secretary and assistant to the borough manager, said that the holiday parade and the tree lighting is her favorite event of the season, too, especially if one of her grandchildren is there with her to see the arrival of Santa Claus.

The next day, Saturday, Nov. 24, is Small Business Saturday.

Shops throughout town will have special deals to celebrate the day.

Saturday, Nov. 24 is also the first time that the Christmas in Kennett shuttle will run between downtown Kennett Square Continued on Page 72

Kennett Square is at its most charming during the holiday season.

New Year’s Eve “Downtown Kennett Square” Lighting and Raising of the Mushroom: 8:45 pm Funsters take the stage: 9 pm Mushroom Drop Countdown: Midnight 5 pm Food, b 0 to 8:4 3 : 6 s t eer and n Eve g h n wi b t i i s y i w K a t e -R n n e e n r m e P tt Brewi ne provided tain r e t n n E T g Comp he Gara n’s age a g e Childre lla in The Gar s t a r t ing at 6 ny in room Ga h s & u :3 n M 0 a pm D Hot bev y the erages, l ment b n i a t r e t i a g nd dess ht fare, En DUWK\ erts on LH 0F& S G t G a H p t U eS r o ) vided b

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vations Kennett early at RVH 3URMH Square 7KH 5 JKW 6KRZ r e s t a u L rants / /DVHU DQFHUV ' & .0 Updates and details: midnightinthesquare.com This is a family event. Alcohol is not permitted on the street. No dogs allowed.

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Celebrating the Holidays Continued from Page 70

and Longwood Gardens. Pick-ups take place from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and drop-offs will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. After Nov. 24, the Christmas in Kennett shuttle will run each subsequent Saturday through the holiday season: Dec. 1, Dec. 8, Dec. 15, Dec. 22, and Dec. 29.

The enormously popular Kennett Holiday Village Market returns on Saturday, Dec. 1 and Sunday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 8 and Sunday, Dec. 9.

The Kennett Holiday Village Market is a curated, open air artisan market featuring unique holiday gift options from local and regional vendors. The Kennett Holiday Village Market includes food trucks, ice sculptures, seasonal craft workshops, live music, children’s crafts, Christmas tree and greenery sales and many one-of-akind gifts for the holidays. The Kennett Holiday Village Market is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Peter Waterkotte, a borough resident and member of Kennett Square Borough Council, said that the village Continued on Page 74

The popular annual holiday light parade and tree lighting will take place on Friday, Nov. 23.

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Celebrating the Holidays Continued from Page 72

market is one of his favorite holiday events because it has a real small-town feel.

“It’s a good event,” he said, explaining that his family enjoyed shopping from all the different vendors that take part in the Holiday Village Market.

The December First Friday Art Stroll takes place on Friday, Dec. 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Another highlight this holiday season will be the Brandywine Singers caroling through town from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, Saturday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 8.

A great way to enjoy Kennett Square’s charm is to take a holiday horse-drawn carriage ride. These rides are available from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2, Sunday, Dec. 9, Sunday, Dec. 16, and Sunday, Dec. 23. The cost is $5 per person.

Enjoy breakfast with Santa on Sunday, Dec. 16 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Kennett Fire Company No. 1 in the Red Clay Room.

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Tinsel on the Town, featuring special vendors, luminaries, and music on the street and holiday shopping in the stores on Thursday, Dec. 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

(State Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from Broad St. to Center St. for this event). This is a new event, and Waterkotte said that he thinks it is a good, new holiday offering. Tinsel on the Town will help bring more people to the businesses in the downtown.

Kennett Square will ring in the arrival of 2019 with the popular Midnight in the Square on Monday, Dec. 31.

Brenda Mercomes, a borough resident and council member, likes all the holiday activities—the parade, the collaboration with Longwood Gardens, the Midnight in the Square celebration.

“I like the small-town feel of these celebrations,” Mercomes said. “There is a very traditional feel to them.

Christmas celebrations are important for a community.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor @ chester county .com.

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Kennett Square Life Magazine Winter 2018 www.chestercounty.com

A Chester County Press Publication P.O. Box 150, Kelton, PA 19346 address corrections not required

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