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Chester CountyPRESS
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Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 154, No. 7
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Will become Upper Uwchlan Township manager in March
Township manager Scheivert leaving New Garden By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer On Dec. 14, 2014, Tony Scheivert was formally introduced as the new township manager for New Garden Township. Soon after the pomp and circumstance accompanying the announcement faded, Scheivert, then 39, posed in the lobby of the Township Building with his wife Erin and their three daughters – ten-year-old Alison, seven-year-old Emma and Katie, who was just three at the time. The similarities between
family and township were generous: both were newly-formed, carrying with them plans and goals and expectations. A little more than five years later, Alison is a teenager who has a car waiting for her when she begins to drive; Emma is on the cusp of becoming a teenager and Katie is an energetic go-getter who is just a few years away from hitting double digits in age. A little more than five years later, New Garden Township is now home to a regional police department, who is Continued on Page 2A
$1.00
Walk to Freedom reaches Kennett
Photos by Richard L. Gaw
After five years as New Garden Township Manager, Tony Scheivert will begin his new role as Upper Uwchlan Township’s manager in March.
Photo by Chris Barber
Ken Johnston greets Crystal Crampton and Lynn Sinclair this past Sunday as his journey hiking the Underground Railroad trails of abolitionist Harriet Tubman brought him to southern Chester County. Please see Page 1B for a story about Johnston’s trek.
With Dinniman now not seeking Contracts for police, re-election, three Dems line up borough manager to run for State Senate seat
finalized in Oxford Borough
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Destination Delaware
Three Democrats — State Rep. Carolyn Comitta, Kyle Boyer, and Don Vymazal — have moved quickly to enter the race for 19th Senatorial District seat that is now open following incumbent State Sen. Andrew Dinniman’s decision not to seek reelection this year. Dinniman announced that he was not seeking re-election last week, citing a need to spend more time with his wife, Margo, as she recovSchool board vacancy ers from a series of health filled...4A challenges in recent years. With three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in the April 28 Primary Election, the 19th Senatorial District race will be one of the most closely watched contests in this cycle. The 19th Senatorial District includes a large portion of Chester County. Boyer, a school board member in the Tredyffrin/
Unionville action...3B
playoff
Opinion.......................7A Obituaries...................2B Classifieds................4B Calendar of Events.....6B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
State Sen. Andy Dinniman
State Rep. Carolyn Comitta
Kyle Boyer
Don Vymazal
Easttown School District, was already planning a Primary challenge to Dinniman. He is a minister and a lifelong resident of
Chester County who has taught at the middle school and high school levels. He is also the president of the Continued on Page 3A
Oxford Borough Council approved a new police contract and a new contract with borough manager Brian Hoover at the Feb. 10 meeting. The police contract will now go back to the Police Collective Bargaining Unit for approval by them before any specifics can be released. The police have been operating without a contract since December 2018. Council President Peggy Ann Russell thanked the police department for everything they do. Hoover’s new contract was approved for two years, with a 3 percent raise for each year. Pennsylvania Borough Code stipulates that the borough manager’s contract can only be
approved for two years because of the council term changes. Hoover’s contract did bring some discussion from council members. Kathryn Cloyd said she would be voting “no” on Hoover’s contract, citing what she described as “disrespect” that the borough manager showed to some residents and others. Robert Ketcham made a motion to change the contract by giving the borough manager a 3 percent increase for only one year. That motion failed. Amanda Birdwell expressed her support for Hoover saying, “Although I have not always agreed with Mr. Hoover, I do not agree with evaluating him on how people feel about him. I think we would be foolish to let him go. He should be evaluated by his job performance.” Continued on Page 3A
From mild to spicy: Kennett Library holds 3rd annual ‘Bad Romance’ event By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
INDEX
By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer
Normally, libraries are defined by their ability to provide information and resources in the catacombs of mostly quiet and dignified reserve. Leave it to the continuing ingenuity of the Kennett Library, therefore, to break the mold. On Feb. 12, before a packed house at the Kennett Brewing Company that had all of the looseness of a cabaret show, the library held “Bad Romance 2020,” its third annual tribute to the discount bin of literature – the romance novel. For nearly three hours,
more than two dozen volunteer readers hopped on the small KBC stage and articulated the saccharine kitsch of some of the most poorly written passages ever published in the English language. Some readers brought their own selections from home or what they found online, while others read from nearly 40 books that were chosen by the library staff. “This is our third year of ‘Bad Romance,’ and the hype that has been leading up to it has been big,” said Laura Florence, the library’s collections develPhoto by Richard L. Gaw opment coordinator, who The Kennett Library held its third annual “Bad Romance” event on Feb. 12 at the helped organize the event Kennett Brewing Company, that invited community members to read excerpts from
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