Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas Volume 149, No. 7
INSIDE
60 Cents
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
DESTINATION DELAWARE
Brought to you by the Chester County Press • February 18, 2015
West Grove man Halfway complete, Magnolia charged with Place has already become attempted luring part of the community of 13-year-old girl After delays, Victory at Magnolia to open this spring
Destination Delaware special section
Oxford Arts Alliance looks at tattoos and body decorations...1B
Oxford ousted from playoffs with 79-57 loss........................2B Infrastructure projects put Oxford area on firm footing..............9A
INDEX
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
On the chilly afternoon of Nov. 1, 2013, four politicians, two real estate developers and two brewing company owners dug their ceremonial shovels into a small patch of dirt off of West Cypress and Mill streets in Kennett Square. The hopes and dreams of a concept that many believed would become another grand step toward making the town a walkable paradise is now becoming a reality. A little more than a year later, in that same spot, Magnolia Place rises up out of what was once a neglected brownfield, bearing the fruit of a new way of living: finely built luxury town homes that will eventually form a tree-lined community that defines New Urbanization. As of now, the project is halfway complete; of the 79 units scheduled to be built, 39 have been completed, and of those, 35 of them are now occupied, with four other town homes being looked at by potential owners. Just down the street, Victory
By John Chambless Staff Writer
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Progress continues on the new Victory Brewing Company restaurant, which is scheduled to open in the spring.
at Magnolia, the future home of a new Victory Brewing Company pub, as well as the three floors of 33 new apartments located above it, is dotted with the appearance of construction workers climbing stairwells and studying blueprints. At this late stage in the construction of both, it does not take the vision of a soothsayer to already see the beginnings of what this all will look like: families enjoying a summer evening
dinner on the outdoor patio; ball teams enjoying a hardfought win over hand-crafted Arctic Monkey brews; and young professionals grabbing take-out on their way up to their apartments above the restaurant. Attracting renters to the one- and two-bedroom units – priced from $1,100 to $1,600 a month – is going far better than anyone expected. More than one-third of them already Continued on Page 4A
The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office has announced that a West Grove man, Michael Ryan Boyes, has been arrested for sending sexually explicit messages to a 13-year-old girl in an attempt to lure her for sex. Boyes, 28, was charged after an undercover investigation by the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the Bethel Township Police Department. Boyes was arraigned on Feb. 12 on charges including involuntary deviate sexual assault with a person less than 16, solicitation of indecent assault on a person less than 16, solicitation to photograph a child sex act, unlawful contact with a minor, dissemination of explicit materials to a minor, and corruption of minors. According to a release from the District Attorney’s Office, on Jan. 22, detective sergeant Ben Ash of the Bethel Township Police Department contacted
Michael Ryan Boyes, of West Grove, is facing multiple felony charges.
the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division for help with an investigation of an online predator who was communicating with a 13-year-old girl from Bethel Township. Detectives met with the girl’s mother and discovered that the girl had been in contact with several people by using chat programs on her iPhone. She then transitioned to using her cell phone to communicate by text message. One of the people was named Michael, and she thought he was about 30 Continued on Page 5A
Musical to open new arts and recreation center at Jennersville YMCA
‘The Music Man’ to be performed in March
East Marlborough’s Keystone Cops
Calendar of Events..........3B Opinion..........................7A
By Uncle Irvin
Obituaries.......................8A
certificate to Eldreth Pottery; a premium box of hand-crafted Swiss chocolate truffles from Neuchatel Swiss Chocolates; and a $100 gift certificate for a Day of Relaxation package at the Sherif Zaki Salon & Oasis Spa. The second-place prize was awarded to Leslie Hudson of West Chester, and the thirdplace winner was Mary Statler of East Fallowfield, each of whom also received gifts from
What purports to be a police department in East Marlborough Township is nothing but a disorganized band of basically part-timers and an aging chief who just announced his retirement, operating out of a brokendown trailer for an office. Uncle Irvin has lived in East Marlborough Township for 45 years and has seen its rural character change to suburban, especially in the eastern part of the township. These changes have literally quadrupled East Marlborough’s property tax millage, while the parsimonious supervisors are not interested in public services, such as recycling and police, that cost money. For example, I have known supervisor Robert Weer for many years, and while he has served residents faithfully and honestly, he literally weeps when the township has to spend money for needed services. The East Marlborough supervisors just finished a public park, which all other neighboring municipalities have had for years.
Continued on Page 5A
Continued on Page 5A
Police Blotter.................3A Classified.....................9B
Photo by Richard L. Gaw Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Cast members of ‘The Music Man’ proudly display their costumes.
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Meghan Pitney and Rylynn Woods of the Jennersville Youth Theatre hold steady to their dream that their theatrical careers will ultimately dovetail. They imagine that they will both be cast in a Broadway musical, perhaps in one of those huge blockbuster shows that play forever in front of adoring crowds. Pitney, a ninth grader; and Woods, an eighth grader, are in the process of working their way to get there. Now, at the Jennersville YMCA, they have a new venue in which to play, perform, work and dream.
At an official ribbon-cutting ceremony this Friday, Feb. 20, Pitney and Woods will be joining their fellow actors in performing selections from “13 The Musical” to officially usher in the Smithson Center for Arts and Recreation, the new home for the theater program at the Jennersville YMCA. The state-of-the-art performance space will offer both the Jennersville Youth Theatre and the Jennersville Theatre Company the best in lighting and sound, movable seating for up to 244 audience members, an art studio and scene shop, as well as an additional multi-purpose space. Continued on Page 5A
Grand-prize winner Jennifer Wojnar of New London, with her children, Sebastian and Aggie.
Our Valentine’s Day Extravaganza winners are named! By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer From 433 entries, three winners were named last week in the Chester County Press’ Valentine’s Day Extravaganza, and will enjoy a plentiful bounty of gifts generously donated by local businesses. The Grand Prize winner was Jennifer Wojnar of New London, who received a $100 gift card to Minster’s Jewelers, dinner for two at Floga Bistro; a $50 gift
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