Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas Volume 149, No. 14
INSIDE
The Arts Alliance spotlights the art in architecture …........ 1B
Oxford baseball team on the upswing...................2B
Fifty vendors expected at antiques fair on April 18.....................2A
INDEX
Board hears complaints about construction delays in development By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Several residents of the Lamborn Hunt development in London Grove Township voiced their concerns at the London Grove Board of Supervisors meeting on April 1, saying that Keystone Custom Homes, the development’s builder, has left an entire punch list of unfinished projects in Lamborn Hunt that threaten the aesthetic of the neighborhood and the safety of its residents. Speaking on behalf of his neighbors, Lamborn Hunt resident Tony Taglione filled the supervisors in on the myriad of problems that have arisen as a result of Keystone’s tardiness, which include downed trees that have not yet been removed, flooded sidewalks, storm drains that do not meet regulation standards, and the fact that some of the retention ponds in the development do not properly collect water during heavy rains. “It’s a safety hazard,” Taglione said. “What happens if some kid, not just from our neighborhood but from any neighborhood, comes in there and drowns? It’s been like this for over a year now, and nothing’s really been done.” Taglione, who has lived with his family in Lamborn Hunt for three years, expressed a “lack of trust” to the supervisors that Keystone would, in fact, make the necessary repairs and
upgrades that they have told residents. In a later e-mail to the Chester County Press, Taglione also shared that Keystone deceived Lamborn Hunt residents about plans for a central area near Mary Ann Court. “We were told it would be a grass area that the children could play on, and in actuality it is an ugly basin/pond with large sewer openings that decreases the appeal/value of all the homes around it,” Taglione wrote. Taglione echoed the sentiments earlier expressed by his wife, Megan, who told the supervisors on March 4 of additional setbacks in the development, including screws protruding from plywood on a storm drain, and sidewalks throughout the development that are not handicap accessible at intersections and crossings. She was joined at the meeting by other residents, who complained about the lack of back fill along a sidewalk near a sediment trap and wet pond, and that there still remains a rusted car and unused farm equipment that have not been removed from the woods behind the development. On its website, Keystone is ranked Central Pennsylvania’s leading home builder, has been named “America’s Best Builder” an unprecedented 3 times and was recently recognized as one of the Top 100 Continued on Page 3A
Courtesy photo
Sarah Vible and Rosebud were paired together by Canine Partners for Life last year.
Canine Partners for Life: 25 years of changing lives By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Newark, Del. resident Sarah Vible was diagnosed with epilepsy during her sophomore year at the University of Delaware. Her family reached out to Canine Partners for Life and she was paired with Rosebud, a friendly four-legged companion that alerts her when she is about to have a seizure. Mike Stracka, also a Newark resident, relies on his dog, Annabelle, for many tasks that he can’t do on his own. In Georgia, a service dog named Rollo helps Danielle, a high school senior, walk on her own further than she has in years, and warns her of impending cataplexy episodes. Derrick, who lives in Illinois, relies on Patrick to alert him when he is about to
Calendar of Events..........5B Opinion..........................7A Obituaries.......................8A Police Blotter.................3A Classified.....................7B
suffer from a seizure. Hannah, who has Muscular Dystophy, relies on Saffron to help her get around the West Chester University campus as she works to complete her degree. For people like Sarah and Mike and Danielle and Derrick and Hannah, the dogs are more than constant companions. They are heroes. Sometimes, they save lives. They always make lives better. Vible was caught in a vicious cycle after she was diagnosed
with epilepsy last year. One of the triggers for seizures is stress. The more seizures she had, the more stress she felt. The more stress she felt, the more seizures she had. “I tried to take medicine to control the seizures,” Vible explained. “The medicine helps, but it doesn’t do everything.” Her family learned about Canine Partners for Life and how the Cochranville, Pa. organization trains dogs to alert Continued on Page 4A
Setting the record straight at U-CF By Uncle Irvin
Photo by J. Gannon Meister
The crowd at the 73rd Annual Brandywine Hills Point-to-Point cheers on their favorites in the Open Timber race. At the wire it was Joshua G. with Eric Poretz up (right), followed closely by Don’t Tell Sailor ridden by Martin Rohan (center) and Leffingwell Lion ridden by Annie Yeager (left) finished third.
Families and racing enthusiasts enjoy Easter at Brandywine Hills Point-to-Point By Nancy Johnson Correspondent © 2007 The Chester County Press
60 Cents
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
A glorious Easter Sunday set the scene for the 73rd running of the Brandywine Hills Pointto-Point in Pocopson. The races hold the distinction of being the oldest point-to-point in
the Delaware Valley and, in the minds of many, the most family-oriented of all the area races. Known for the children’s activities, this year’s event included an Easter egg hunt and bunny ears were evident all around the beautiful grounds of Brandywine
Valley Association’s (BVA) Myrick Center. Once again, proceeds from the races benefited the BVA in their efforts to protect the picturesque and productive Brandywine Creek through conservation and education programs. Continued on Page 10A
There is no evidence that the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District teachers make the district “premier” as stated by teachers’ union president Scott Broomall. The overwhelming reason the district is premier is solely due to the demographics of the district and the parental support its students receive. There seems to be a change in the posture of the U-CF School Board regarding teachers’ compensation, including the mandated contribution the district makes to the health plan and particularly the pension plan. The state-mandated increases in annual contributions to the Pennsylvania teacher pension plan has caused all school districts to cough up 5 percent to 10 percent in annual increases—totaling millions of dollars—and has resulted in rising property taxes. The U-CF School Board’s new stance with regard to humongous increases in teacher compensation is too long coming. The so-called “premier” U-CF teachers are seeking a contract with about 5 percent increases in compensation for the next three years, not counting these millions of dollars the district is paying into the teachers’ pensions. That’s a 15 percent raise! (In the U-CF district even janitors are entitled to a pension.) The teachers’ demands are totally “off the wall” and the school board is right for warning taxpayers of the unconscionable union demands. All U-CF taxpayers should insist that the school board not agree to anywhere near the 5 percent annual demands. Taxpayers and public school parents should not be concerned about union teachers working without a contract in the 2015-16 school year. The teachers cannot strike due to state law that would jeopardize their pay. Taxpayers in the U-CF district have been “blackmailed” long enough. Tell the union “no,” “nyet” to any increase until the pension problem is fixed by the state legislature and the new governor.
chestercounty.com ONLINE ALL THE TIME
NEWS • SCHOOLS • ENTERTAINMENT • BUSINESS • SPORTS • HOME & GARDEN