Chester CountyPRESS
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Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 153, No. 23
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
In a mellow tone at Longwood
The Flats at Kennett breaks ground at May 29 ceremony By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
Kennett Square continued to merge convenience and accessibility – two of its key assets – with the increased desire for luxury living, at a May 29 groundbreaking ceremony for The Flats at Photo by Richard L. Gaw Kennett, a four-story, 175Jazz headliners Delfeayo Marsalis, Anat Cohen, Stefon Harris and Bria Skonberg unit apartment complex that kicked off the annual Wine & Jazz Festival at Longwood Gardens on May 31, will be located on a 14.4with a rousing 90-minute, sold-out set at Longwood’s Open Air Theatre. The acre tract at 603 Millers Hill festival continued on June 1 with a vibrant roster of jazz performers and visits Road in Kennett Square, from 14 Pennsylvania wineries. and open in 2020. Before local elected and appointed officials and business leaders, the developers of the complex provided a gloss overview of the project, which will feature three four-story buildings and provide one-, two- and three-bedroom units with private balconies. Each luxury apartment will By Steven Hoffman to a number of teachers and sports, and $50 for parking offer quartz countertops, Staff Writer longtime employees who at the high school for the stainless steel appliances, are retiring at the conclu- 2019-2020 school year. The Oxford School Board sion of the current school The Children’s Hospital of Cecil County Life unanimously approved year. The retirements that Philadelphia Care Network magazine a final budget totaling were approved by the was designated as the school $70,539,523 for the 2019- school board include art district’s physician for the 2020 school year at its teacher Karen Andress, next school year, while Drew meeting on May 28. English teacher Anne Marie C. Eckman, DDS was named A one-percent tax increase DeAngelis, music teacher as the school district’s denis necessary to balance the Julia Farber, physical edu- tist for the next year. budget. The millage rate will cation teacher Kimberly On a very nice note, the By Richard L. Gaw increase to 31.4599 mills for McCardell, social studies school board went through Staff Writer 2019-2020, up from the cur- teacher David Sample, grade the process of temporarrent millage rate of 31.1484 three teacher Lynne Stroud, ily designating school board On the morning of the mills. and Penn’s Grove School members Jenifer Warren and A one-percent tax hike librarian Kathleen Wagoner. Gary Olson as the president last day in May, Southern equates to a $39 increase in The school board approved pro temp of the school board Chester County Regional Chief Gerald the tax bill for the average more than a dozen contracts so that they would each be Police property owner in the school for a wide range of mainte- able to put their signatures Simpson stood on the district. nance and service work, as on the diplomas of their chil- muddy periphery of a conOverall, Oxford Area well as a number of con- dren who are graduating on struction project in New Oxford seeks ways School District’s projected tracts for special education Friday, June 7. Warren has Garden Township, and to be an age-friendly expenditures for 2019-2020 services. one child graduating this squinted into the morning community..................5A are increasing by about Barbacane, Thornton & year, while Olson has two light toward the progression of his dream. $1.27 million over the cur- Company was appointed to children graduating. There it was, the nearly rent fiscal year. do an audit of the general The Oxford School Board The Oxford School Board purpose financial statements will meet again on Tuesday, complete new home for agreed to set the Capital for the fiscal year ending on June 18 at 7 p.m. at the Simpson and the members of his department, rising Reserve Fund Budget at June 30, 2019. Administration Building. above the rocky concrete $1,685,000 for the 2019The school board also 2020 school year. voted to set the participation To contact Staff Writer and the deep divots that The Oxford Area School fees at $75 for high school Steven Hoffman, email edi- were filled in by late spring rains. Admittedly, Simpson District is saying goodbye sports, $50 for Penn’s Grove tor@chestercounty.com.
INSIDE
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Oxford School Board approves $70.5 million final budget School taxes are increasing by one percent
under-cabinet lighting and shower stalls, and amenities will include a fitness center, outdoor pool, fire pit and conversation areas, yoga studio, bike storage and repair facilities, a petfriendly policy and pet spa, resident storage, 23 underground parking spaces, electric car charging stations, nearby footpaths, and recreational open space. The Flats at Kennett was designed by Greenfield Architects Ltd. of Lancaster, Pa., and will be constructed by High Construction Company, also of Lancaster – both of which are affiliates of High Real Estate Group, LLC. The property is being developed by High Real Estate Group LLC and Merion Realty Partners, and will be managed by High Associates Ltd., Continued on Page 3A
New police facility taking shape in New Garden
A big weekend for the arts in Kennett Square ... ......................................1B
INDEX Opinion.......................7A Obituaries...................2B Calendar of Events.....3B Classifieds.................4B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
said that he’s had many moments like this in the last several months, that owe these small pockets of awe to the many years of frustrations, approvals and designs that it took to get to this point. Several years ago, the New Garden Township Police Department had to evacuate its former home – which stood just behind the new facility at 8934 GapNewport Pike – because of an asbestos problem that forced the unit to wedge into an 1,100-square-foot set of trailers for the next several years. Yet in 2013, the silver lining and the saving grace Continued on Page 2A
United Way of Southern Chester County is rallying local support to meet increasing needs By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer One contribution to the United Way of Southern Chester County (UWSCC) can help many people. One donation can ensure that the resources are there when a family in crisis reaches out to the Oxford Neighborhood Services Center or the Kennett Area Community Service for food or other emergency assistance. One donation enables a family to seek shelter through Family Promise of Southern Chester County, and ensures that help will be available when a person
reaches out to the Domestic Violence Center for help. One contribution can allow a child to attend the Tick Tock Early Learning Center or benefit from one of the programs offered by the After-the-Bell program in Kennett. It can allow a senior citizen to enjoy programs and services offered by the Kennett Area Senior Center. Last year alone, UWSCC helped out more than 18,000 residents in the community because of the funding that the organization provided to 26 programs that are run by 18 local nonprofit organizations. At the annual meeting of
the UWSCC last month, officials announced that during the current campaign, $800,000 will be allocated to 22 vital health and human service programs in the coming year. Nine of the programs will receive a total of $357,080 for crisis intervention services. Seven
programs that offer services that help people transition to independence through education will receive a total of $239,120, and six programs that promote stability and sustainability for individuals and families will receive a total of $203,800. Add it all up, and it
amounts to a big impact on the southern Chester County community. But it still isn’t enough. The needs in the community still exceed what UWSCC can provide. The community members involved in the UWSCC’s Continued on Page 9A