Chester County Press 03-30-2022 Edition

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Chester CountyPRESS

www.chestercounty.com

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

Volume 156, No. 13

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

$1.00

INSIDE Kennett School Board considers Greenwood

and New Garden building options By Chris Barber Contributing Writer The Kennett School Board is looking into the future of the New Garden and Greenwood elementary schools’ facilities, with an eye toward rebuilding. Both schools have served Southern Chester County well beyond a half century Chamber’s gala...1B and are aging. New Garden Elementary School in New Garden Township was built in 1957. Greenwood Elementary School in Kennett Township was built in 1963. They are 65 and 59 years old, respectively. The Kennett School Board Finance Committee on March 14 hosted Michael Bell and Stephen Behrens, two principals from Breslin Architects, the firm chosen in October to handle the project and report on their progress. Director of Facilities Cleaning up around the and Construction George Red Clay Creek...1B Wolhafe introduced the two speakers, assuring the committee members that what they were about to hear was neither a recommendation or a feasibility study. Bell and Behrens focused their presentation

Home & Garden Life

INDEX Opinion.......................5A Obituaries......2B, 3B & 5B Classifieds..................4B

on a ten-year plan that if implemented, would be estimated at $100 million. Bell outlined the structures and layouts of the current school buildings. With multiple slides of diagrams, he described what the schools look like now and what the Pennsylvania Department of Education requires for new buildings. Whatever the district does must meet standards honoring future enrollment and building to suit ratios of “educational” and “noneducational” program space. Bell cited standards from the department that guarded against the construction of what he said has been referred to as building a “Taj Mahal” school building. The diagrams he posted showed increases in numbers of classrooms and modest changes in location of various other interior spaces for both buildings. Behrens then took the stage to offer diagrams of the buildings compared to how the work might be carried out.

He then announced that one option which has been discussed was constructing completely new buildings on both sites. He showed lists of disadvantages versus benefits of both, citing space, time and costs. He outlined the disad-

vantages of renovating the existing buildings, which include the following: The difficulty of complying with Pennsylvania Department of Education standards; higher maintenance costs to deal with for things like old plumbing and wiring;

new compliance problems showing up during construction; longer time for the construction process; limited technology available; and constraints on space for the students during the construction. Continued on page 2A

Sky blue blooms!

Courtesy photo

The Himalayan blue-poppies are in bloom right now at Longwood Gardens. They bloom only once a year—and that time is now. While this cultivar typically thrives in the northern regions of the U.S. and Europe, each March the talented horticulturists at Longwood Gardens make these rare beauties flower, much to the delight of people who eagerly anticipate the sky blue blooms.

Penn London School’s Language Immersion Program: A gateway to peace and success for students By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer While school districts across the country vigorously disagree about what to teach in classrooms, the Penn London Elementary School in the Avon Grove School District has chosen a different path.

Some might say they are heroes on the education field by choosing to agree that the focus of education should be on the students and their needs. As a means of providing language education for all of its students, the staff at Penn London Elementary has implemented a Language Immersion

Program. Avon Grove School District’s Language Immersion Program will include two classes of incoming kindergarten students. In each class, half of the students will be native speakers of English and half will be native speakers of Spanish. While some other school

districts’ citizenry continue to see an increase in foreign students as a precursor to decreasing test scores, the Avon Grove School District has chosen to see it as a stepping stone to increase the knowledge and thereby future opportunities of all students. Language Immersion works like this: Half of

the school day will be conducted in English and half will be conducted in Spanish. The students are together the entire day. During English instructional times, the curriculum will include English Language, arts, science, social studies and encore subjects. During Continued on page 4A

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Park not expected to officially open until 2024 or 2025

© 2007 The Chester County Press

Octoraro Alley Grand vision, small steps: improvements New Garden shares continue progress on Saint Anthony’s By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Nearly from the moment the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors approved the funding for the township’s $1.5 million purchase of St. Anthony’s in the Hills on Dec. 17, 2018, the planned future for the property has been an etch-a-sketch consortium of long-range ideas designed to eventually convert the 137.5 acres into a magical place of nature trails, open space and family entertainment. At a Board of Supervisors work session held on March 15, however, two key stakeholders in the park’s planning said that while several initiatives are already underway at Saint Anthony’s in the Hills Park, there are several hurdles still to go before the park will be projected to officially open in either 2024 or 2025.

Courtesy image

In the coming months, the township’s top priority at Saint Anthony’s will be to upgrade accessibility lanes to and from the Splash Surf Club, which is expected to open this summer.

During a 90-minute presentation, Parks and Open Space Superintendent Mike Buck and township Manager Ramsey Reiner provided an overview of projects that have been completed and are expected to be completed this summer. To date, the township has: • Welcomed new tenantscaretakers at the historic White House in the park, as well as begun upgrades to the home

• Identified nearly 500 hazardous trees that will need to be taken down and already removed 100 of them • Overseen the improvement of street lighting and electrical capability in the park and ordered street signage • Cleaned brush and other debris at the amphitheater and discussed structural and electrical repairs, lighting, restrooms and ADA accessibility; and Continued on page 3A

Oxford Borough Manager Pauline GarciaAllen informed borough council that the access improvement project in the area around the parking garage is well underway. Work to be completed includes road improvements to Second Street and Octoraro Alley and new sidewalks and streetlights. A portion of Octoraro Alley, between Third Street and Gray’s Alley, will be improved to limit vehicle access and improve pedestrian safety. However, removable bollards and planters will be installed, allowing emergency vehicles entry if needed. That area will be repaved and new, improved lighting and streetscape enhancements will be installed, making it safer and more enticing for pedestrian use. New way-finding signage will

also be installed in the surrounding area to denote the changes in vehicle and pedestrian circulation and access. Combined, these improvements will greatly enhance multimodal circulation around the parking garage, reduce pedestrian and vehicular conflicts, and help ensure overall pedestrian safety. Work to be completed after the alley is finished includes road improvements to Second and Locust Streets. The Second Street resurfacing will start in late April, and Locust Street improvements will begin in early May. Grants used for the project include the following: • 2017 PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), Multimodal Transportation Fund Program (MTF): $285,822; for work to Octoraro Alley, sidewalk and lighting improvements all along Octoraro Continued on page 3A


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