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Chester CountyPRESS
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Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 154, No. 1
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Early-morning fire causes severe damage to Sovana Bistro and Nicholas Anthony Salon and Day Spa By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
in the balance after an early-morning, two-alarm fire on Jan. 3 ripped through The future of two iconic Sovana Bistro and Nicholas Unionville institutions hang Anthony Salon and Day Spa
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
An early-morning fire blazed through Sovana Bistro and Nicholas Anthony Salon and Day Spa on Jan. 3, causing severe interior and exterior damage to both businesses. Taken from the interior of the salon, this photograph depicts the extent of the fire’s damage.
in the Willowdale Town Center, causing considerable interior and exterior damage. No injuries were reported. Crews from the Mo-ParLin and Longwood fire companies put out the blaze, which was determined to have started at about 2:19 a.m. Video images of the fire taken at its peak showed flames shooting from the roofs of both establishments, and it has been reported that between 75 and 100 firefighters were on the scene to put out the fire, which Chester County Fire Marshal John Weer said was contained about 40 minutes after it began. Continued on Page 2A
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Highest honors
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
On the occasion of his retirement on Jan. 2 after a 35-year career in law enforcement, Corporal John M. Gibson II of the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department received a Walk Out Ceremony at the regional police’s headquarters. Here, he is embraced by his daughter Kayla, a junior at Kennett High School. For the complete story, see Page 4A.
Supervisors sworn in on New Garden board By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
on Jan. 1, 2024. In other township appointments, Little will replace Allaband as board chairman in 2020; Loftus will serve as vice chairman; Vince Pompo will be retained as township solicitor and the township’s Sewer Authority solicitor; attorney Winifred Sebastian will be retained as the township’s Zoning Hearing Board solicitor; Spence Andress will continue to serve as the township’s director of planning and projects; and Lewis Gay will retain his post as the township’s director of finance and treasurer.
Kristie Brodowski and David Unger were sworn in as the newest members of the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors, in ceremonies held Jan. 6 Cpl. Gibson retires after before Magisterial Judge 35-year career...4A Matthew Seavey. Brodowski and Unger were elected to their sixyear posts in November, defeating Richard Ayotte and Randy Geouque, and became the first duo of Democrats ever elected to the board. They will join board members and Republicans Patrick Little and Michael Loftus, whose terms end on Jan. 1, 2022; To contact Staff Writer and Republican Steve Richard L. Gaw, email Allaband, whose term ends rgaw@chestercounty.com. Unionville girls lose close one to Great Valley...3B
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Joined by her husband and daughter, Kristie Brodowski was sworn in on Jan. 6 by Magisterial Judge Matthew Seavey as one of two new members of the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors, joining fellow Democrat David Unger on the fiveperson board.
In Kennett Square, Russell selected as president Mercomes is selected of Oxford Borough Council Betsy Brewer Brantner At the reorganization were Ketcham, who will to lead borough council By Contributing Writer meeting that evening, Phil serve as vice president, and By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
On Monday night, Kennett Square Borough Council’s first meeting of 2020 began with mayor Matt Fetick administrating the oath of office to the three newly County Commissioners elected council members— Mayra Zavala, Rosa Moore, take oath of office...2A and Doug Doerfler.
Doerfler is returning to council after serving a fouryear term, while Moore and Zavala are beginning their first terms on council. Once they were sworn in, Zavala, Moore, and Doerfler officially joined their colleagues on borough council—Ethan Cramer, Dr. Brenda Mercomes, Peter Continued on Page 3A
Not only is Oxford Borough Council now comprised by a majority of Democrats, the council is also comprised of more women than men—for the first time in Oxford Borough history. On Jan. 6, Peggy Ann Russell was elected to lead that historic council as its president.
Harris, who was recently appointed to serve as mayor, was sworn in by District Justice Scott Massey. Harris then called the meeting to order. First on the agenda was the election of a new council president. Russell was nominated for the position by Bob Ketcham and he was unanimously approved. Also unanimously approved
Amanda Birdwell, who will serve as president pro tempore. Bethany Atkinson was appointed as serve as the chair of the Vacancy Board. Council did have some discussion about the approval of a resolution of various borough contracts and appointments. Russell explained that she felt Continued on Page 5A
Will funnel additional $50K to Avondale Fire Department’s EMS unit
INDEX Opinion.......................7A Obituaries............2B & 6B Classifieds...........4B-5B Calendar of Events.....7B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
New Garden board passes $13.2 million 2020 budget By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer The New Garden Township Board of Supervisors gave approval at the Dec. 30 meeting to the township’s 2020 budget, with expenditures and revenues earmarked at $13.2 million for the year,
and projected to be $5.43 million less than the 2019 budget. The additional funding for last year, reflected in the township’s capital fund, was used to pay for the construction of the new facility for the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department, which opened
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in September. Apart from the capital fund, several other funds saw either substantial increases or decreases for 2020. The township has budgeted $56,900 to its parks fund for 2020 – a large decrease from the $738,100 it invested in the fund in 2019, when it helped to fund Phase II of
the improvements to New Garden Township Park. In 2020, the airport fund will receive $1.12 million, an increase from the $787,400 it received in 2019; in contrast, the airport capital fund will receive $50,000 this year, a drop from 2020, when it received $140,000. The township is pro-
jected to work with a $6.4 million general fund, of which $2.1 million will go to the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department, and nearly $600,000 will be directed to highway and street maintenance and improvements. On the revenue side, the Continued on Page 3A
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