Chester CountyPRESS
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas Volume 149, No. 9
INSIDE
Remember to turn your clocks ahead on Sunday at 2 a.m.!
Exploring the Chesapeake with artist Carole Huber...............1B
Avon Grove honors merit scholarship finalists...6A
www.chestercounty.com
East Marlborough supervisors hear from angry Belrose residents By John Chambless Staff Writer A capacity crowd arrived early at the March 2 meeting of the East Marlborough Township Board of Supervisors, and they had one concern: The storm water basins in the new community of Belrose, which is south of Route 1. During the public comment period, Benjamin Hickinbotham, president of the Belrose Homeowners Association, spoke on behalf of the crowd of residents about basins that he insists are not functioning properly. “On Oct. 6, we brought to your attention that we would be submitting a hydrological survey to you, which we did on the 24th,” he said. “We had a promise from the board that [township engineer] Jim Hatfield would review it by Nov. 21. He has not. We did get an estimate for the work to remediate our
basins plan, which he had previously approved, in excess of $200,000. The maintenance bond is $160,000. What we’re interested in is getting a firm commitment this time that Jim will actually review the plan. And we’d ask you if you believe that the person who previously approved the work should be the person who reviews the plans and says whether the work actually did meet the requirement.” The homeowners association is seeking a determination of whether the basins are installed incorrectly so that they can be corrected by the builder before a May deadline for the community’s maintenance bond. Township solicitor Frone Crawford told Hickinbotham that, “There is a maintenance guarantee. If the facilities are not built in accordance with the approved plans, then there will be recourse, both for your community and for the township. It is Jim’s practice, in my
experience, to be punctual and thorough.” Hatfield had told the board that he could not attend the March 2 meeting due to other commitments, and Hickinbotham demanded repeatedly to know whether the community’s concerns were going to be addressed. “I’m not besmirching his character, but he did submit to us, by email, that he would review it by Nov. 21,” Hickinbotham said. “It is now March 2. How can we get a guarantee that the review will be ready?” Crawford said that Hatfield works for the board of supervisors, and that he had been directed to perform his review. “He was directed last time to answer our hydrological survey in a couple of weeks, and he did not,” Hickinbotham replied. Crawford responded, “Jim’s been the township engineer for what, 20 years? I’ve never seen Continued on Page 5A
Search for new borough manager continues in Kennett Square By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
Food brings people together at Ware Presbyterian Village.......4A
INDEX Calendar of Events..........2B Opinion..........................7A Obituaries.......................8A Police Blotter.................3B Classified.....................9B
60 Cents
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Kennett Square officials are continuing the search for a new borough manager. Borough council president Leon Spencer offered a brief update on the search at Monday night’s council meeting, saying that they want to take their time with the search to get the best candidate possible. Joseph Scalise, the town’s director of public works, has been serving as the interim borough manager since former administrator Brant Kucera departed for a job as city man-
ager of Cannon Beach, Oregon in late October of 2014. The borough manager search is being facilitated by Peter Marshall and Associates. Peter Marshall previously performed the borough manager duties for Kennett Square for about eight months while officials conducted a search that resulted in the hiring of Kucera in 2008. In other business at the March 2 meeting, the second part of a conditional-use hearing regarding the Cannery Row project was held. Cannery Row Properties LLC is looking to develop a mixed-use project on a 3.9-acre property that is situat-
ed along the boundary between Kennett Square and neighboring Kennett Township. Most of the land is located in Kennett Township, with approximately 1.3 acres is in Kennett Square Borough. The property is adjacent to the new Victory Brewing Company facility. Kennett Realty is involved with the Cannery Row project, which right now includes proposed apartments, retail space, office space, and a restaurant. Because most of the property is located in Kennett Township, Kennett Square Borough Council previously approved Continued on Page 6A
Ana Mayr of Middletown, Del., enjoyed a local brew.
Hundreds cheer on beer at Winterfest By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer From the taps of 61 different beermakers, the thirsty mouths of more than 500 in attendance at last Saturday’s 2015 Winterfest in Kennett Square were gratefully quenched. Against a bright sun and a bitter cold, the sold-out festival took on the flavor of a scaled-down version of Mardi Gras, marked by the appearance of kooky hats, aviator sunglasses and pretzel necklaces up and down Union Street. Housed side-by-side in a nearly quarter-mile row, local taps like Twin Lakes, Victory and the about-to-open Kennett Brewing Company
Unvaccinated children in area schools are topic of letter sent to community By John Chambless Staff Writer
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Toward the end of the Feb. 17 Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board meeting, board member Steven Simonson asked a question that had some far-reaching implications. “I was just wondering,” he said, “if we had any idea of how many people in our school district chose not to immunize their children against measles.” District superintendent John Sanville nodded and agreed that the question was a timely one. “We know exactly who, in each school, does not have immunization,” he said, estimating the number as “in the teens in each building, as I recall. That’s five or six percent at the elementary schools. It’s less than that at the middle and high school.” While Sanville did not have
exact figures prepared at the meeting, the question had already resonated with the administration. “There’s a draft of a letter being written now that will go out to families,” he told the board. That letter was finished and sent out last weekend to families with children in the district. “The recent cases of measles around the nation have created concern in our own community,” the letter read. “At this time, there have been no cases in UCFSD or Chester County. However, we want to share information about the policies and procedures for vaccinations and what will happen if there is a case.” At the school board meeting, Sanville admitted that “Measles is coming this way. I think there’s a confirmed case Continued on Page 3A
were joined by regional and national breweries, including Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel, Evil Genius, Herectic Brewing, Round Guys, Jolly Pumpkin, Yards and Voodoo Brewing. In addition to the foamy frivolity, designated drivers were awarded with complimentary non-alcholic drinks and food from Country Butcher, while George’s Seafood, Lily’s Asian Cuisine and other vendors supplied a generous amount of food Continued on Page 2A
10 years wasted By Uncle Irvin
In the pulse-pounding psychological thriller, Reardon puts his main character, Simon Connolly, right in the middle of every parent’s worst nightmare: There has been a shooting at the local high school and his son is missing. An eyewitness
The Oxford Area Sewer Authority, formed to provide sewage facilities in the Oxford area, now claims that residential and commercial growth is on the horizon. The issue has always been a sore point for Uncle Irvin, who contributed more than 10 years ago to a fund called the Limestone Road Improvement Association, a brainchild of Wilmer Hostetter. This seed money was to be used to have a sewage pipe installed from the borough line to the Route 1 bypass. That pipe is still a dream today due to the ineptness of the Oxford Area Sewer Authority, and specifically the Lower Oxford Township supervisors, who took the money and did
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Photo by Steven Hoffman
Bryan Reardon reading from his debut novel, 'Finding Jake' at the Chester County Book Company.
Local author releases debut novel, ‘Finding Jake’ By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Where is Jake? That question is central to the plot of Bryan Reardon’s debut novel, “Finding Jake,” which was published this week by HarperCollins.