Chester County Press 11-27-2019 Edition

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Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas

Volume 153, No. 48

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

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Kennett Township board approves two new development plans By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer The Kennett Township Board of Supervisors gave their approval at the Nov. 20 meeting to two residential complexes that are currently in the design stage and are proposed to be constructed in the township. The supervisors adopted Resolution 2019-25 that approves the conditional preliminary and final land development plan for the Novak property in Chadds Ford, subject to several conditions that were listed in the resolution. The plan proposes subdividing the 42.446-acre parcel of land at 612 Norway Road

into four lots, along with an existing conservation management easement. The lots will be 4.349 acres; 4.586 acres; 4.816 acres and 8.023 acres. The plans are to construct four single-family homes on four lots on the property, which will also contain utilities and stormwater management facilities. The subdivision meeting was attended by Craig Novak, the owner of the property, and presented to the board by Barry Walsh, an engineer with EB Walsh & Associates. The township’s Planning Commission reviewed the plan at its Nov. 12 meeting and Continued on Page 3A

Courtesy photo

The Herr Foods Christmas lights display, a beloved holiday tradition for more than 30 years, is now open from dusk to dawn. The drive-through display in the area around the Herr Foods company headquarters at 20 Herr Drive in Nottingham requires a team of five people approximately six weeks to create, utilizing a total of more than 600,000 lights. Approximately 90 percent of the lights in the display are LED lights, which use 80 to 90 percent less energy than incandescent lights. It takes almost 220 sets of lights to cover “Big Blue” which, at 90 feet, is the largest tree in the display. Big Blue is located along Route 272. The Herr’s Christmas lights display attracts approximately 9,000 cars each year and is free to the public.

Avon Grove Charter School student’s invention seeks to fix a safety hazard for motorists Black Friday & Small Business Saturday Buyers’ Guide

Alaina Gassler won a $25,000 top award in a national science competition with an invention that aims to eliminate blind spots for motorists By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Alaina Gassler is not quite old enough to drive yet, but she may have devised a solution to blind spots for motorists everywhere.

Gassler, a 14-year-old student at Avon Grove Charter School, recently won the coveted $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, the top award in the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology,

Engineering for Rising Stars) Competition, which is a premier science and engineering competition for middle school students. Gassler’s project was focused on making driving safer for motorists by

removing blind spots. She designed a system that utilizes a webcam to display anything that might be blocked from the driver’s line of sight. The webcam is mounted to the outside of the vehicle.

Kristen Bishop, the head of school of the Avon Grove Charter School, was positively beaming as Gassler outlined her project at the official unveiling of the new Collaboratory at the Continued on Page 3A

TLC’s new steward of the land For Todd Pride, the new Managing Director of the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, the organization’s future success won’t just be determined by more acreage, but also by the number of partners, students and homeowners it reaches and educates By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Surprise retirement gala for Sheriff...4A

Enjoy “The Nutcracker” in December...1C

INDEX Opinion.......................7A Obituaries.............2B,2C Calendar of Events.....3B Classifieds..................4C

© 2007 The Chester County Press

One could say that what led Todd Pride to the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC) was a mash-up of early influences, longtime passions and ongoing activities. Perhaps the moment that sealed the deal, however, was moving the Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers & Outdoors Partners organization’s headquarters – an organization he began in 2008 – from Center City Philadelphia to Lancaster County in 2016.

While he and his team were helping to introduce youth to fishing, hunting, wildlife education, conservation and outdoor activities to more than 11,000 youth throughout a five-state footprint, Pride knew that the way to strengthening the organization could be done by forming partnerships with land trusts, and watershed and wildlife affiliations. One of those was TLC. “Moving operations allowed us to effectively move our work as trainers in fishing and hunting heritage to higher-quality environ-

Franklin Township outlines 2020 budget By John Chambless Staff Writer The 2020 budget for Franklin Township was discussed at the Nov. 20 Board of Supervisors meeting. Board chairman John Auerbach pointed out several items, including the costs for emergency services in the township, which have increased by 6 percent. Due to little development and not as many

new homes being built in the township, the amount collected from new construction is also down. The tax revenue from the Open Space Fund is not covering the amount of the payment on the $3.5 million loan, Auerbach said. The loan is expected to be repaid in 2040. The impact of reduced property assessments on the township budget was mentioned. Also, the

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ments,” Pride said. “I got a chance to meet [former TLC Executive Director] Gwen Lacy, and was moved by her passion, and she immediately took to the possibility of working with her education team to introduce some of those activities as part of creating more conservation and environmental stewards.” Over the next few years, Pride worked side by side with TLC’s Education Director Lea Gummey, Preservation Director Abbie Kessler and several TLC Continued on Page 2A

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Todd Pride, right, the new Managing Director at The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, with some members of his team, from left to right: Lea Gummey, Education Director; Abbie Kessler, Preservation Director; and Jennifer Kriesel, Development Director.

Oxford Borough set to repeal the per-capita tax Borough council also discusses preliminary budget for 2020 and possible increases in water rates By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer A repeal of the per-capita tax, the proposed budget for 2020, a discussion about potential water rate increases, and an update about the parking garage project topped the agenda for the Oxford Borough Council meeting on Nov. 18. The borough’s proposed general fund budget for 2020 is being advertised and is scheduled to be adopted

by council on Monday, Dec. 16. On that same night, borough council is expected to vote on the ordinance that establishes the tax levy for 2020. The projected expenditures for 2020 total $3.8 million right now. For the current year, the expenditures were budgeted to be $3.7 million. For 2019, borough council elected to decrease the millage rate by .25 mills, from 12.25 mills to 12 mills. If the projected

budget is adopted as is, the millage rate would continue to be 12 mills. “The taxes are remaining the same,” Borough Manager Brian Hoover said of the proposed budget. The proposed spending plan is posted on the borough’s website. It seems likely that the borough will seek an increase in water rates during 2020. Hoover explained that the borough currently charges Continued on Page 2A

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