Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 155, No. 16
INSIDE
Mainstreet, competitive
Letty’s Tavern opens in Kennett Square...1B
County offers help to teens...3B
INDEX Opinion.......................5A Obituaries..................2B
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Kennett High Kennett Township School front steps agrees to new to be refurbished territorial fire coverage and response plan By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
Oxford Inc. wins grant...5B
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
By a 2-1 vote, the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors passed a motion at a special virtual meeting on April 15 that will provide more resources to the Kennett and Longwood fire companies, and will overhaul the method by which fire and rescue services will be administered in the township, beginning on May 3. The motion had been adopted by the Kennett Fire and EMS Regional Commission on April 14, based on recommendations specified in its recently issued policy briefing analysis of how fire and rescue services are being conducted in the region. During a 90-minute meeting, board Chairman Richard Leff and Supervisor Whitney Hoffman agreed to a motion that will:
• Reassign primary firefighting responsibilities in Kennett Township to both fire companies in accordance with a new fire coverage and response plan that will divide the township and borough into four coverage regions: • The Longwood Fire Company will provide fire and rescue service in the area east of Bayard Road, just north of Longwood Gardens and south to the Delaware state line. • The Kennett Fire Company will provide exclusive fire and rescue service to the Kennett Borough. • Both companies will share fire and rescue coverage for the area west of Bayard Road to the western edge of the township and south to the Delaware State Line; and • Fire and rescue coverage of the southwestern corner of the township will be shared by the Longwood, Kennett and Hockessin fire companies. In addition: • The Kennett Fire
Company’s EMS operations will be “retired” in order to allow funding to be allocated to paid firefighters at the fire company. • The Kennett Regional Fire and EMS Commission will increase its annual funding to the Kennett Fire Company to include two paid firefighters and one paid supervisor to allow for weekday coverage from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., at an estimated cost of $254,720 per year and • The Commission will also increase its annual funding to the Longwood Fire Company to include one additional paid firefighter, at an estimate of $74,100. Kennett Township Manager Eden Ratliff said that the plan enables the Kennett Fire Company to fulfill its greatest need – increasing its firefighting workforce – as well as locking the Continued on page 2A
Photo by Chris Barber
On close inspection, the front steps of the Kennett High School show signs of crumbling and rust stains.
By Chris Barber Contributing Writer Kennett High School’s revered and architecturally acclaimed front steps are getting a facelift. Kennett Consolidated School District facilities director George Wolhafe announced at the virtual April 12 board meeting that work is scheduled to begin on April 26 with the installation of protective barriers. He explained in an earlier interview that the steps are being preserved and are
structurally sound, but they are showing signs of aging. During the construction period, Wolhafe said, there would be staggered openings on sections of the stairs. With it all, they will look exactly the same following the completion of the project. The stairs have long been a source of pride to the school and community. Graduates often mention how grateful they are to walk down the steps as they enter commencement ceremonies. Continued on page 3A
Labor contractor indicted for operating undocumented worker conspiracy A local business owner is accused of supplying hundreds of workers to mushroom farms in Chester County A sweeping investigation by federal law enforcement officials has resulted in the arrests of four local men who are now facing charges of conspiring to transport, and transporting, people who are in the United States illegally. In an indictment that was announced by acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams, the four men
were identified as Miguel Morales, 48, of Quarryville; Jose Morales, 39, also of Quarryville; Oscar CarrilloPerez, 35, of West Grove; and Santiago GarciaRamirez, 44, of Landenberg. In addition to the undocumented worker conspiracy charges, Morales was charged with making false statements. In a separate
indictment, Miguel Morales and Lawrence Urena, 49, of Spring Lake, N.C., who was also arrested, were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and failure to collect and pay employment taxes. According to the first indictment, Miguel Morales, who owns and operates Morales Contractor, provid-
Michael and Nancy Pia donate land for new home for KACS
Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) has been looking for a new home to continue to serve those in the community who need assistance in meeting their basic needs. KACS is a nonprofit organization based in Kennett Square Borough that operates a food cupboard and provides a variety of services to individuals and families in need. That search for a new, larger home has intensified in the last year as KACS has seen a significant increase in requests for assistance as families have navigated through the challenges of the pandemic. Now, KACS has announced that Michael and Nancy Pia, who are well known for their charitable giving in the community, are making a donation that will help the organization build a new home. The Pias have generously offered to donate approximately six acres of land on Cypress Street, bordering Kennett and New Garden townships, and to provide financial support to help establish a new home for KACS at this location. In a statement distributed by KACS, the organization
ed a contracted labor force to various mushroom farms in Chester County. These farms were businesses that were independent from the one operated by Morales. The labor force Morales provided was comprised of hundreds of undocumented workers, according to the indictment. Morales provided some of these workers with housing
Courtesy photo
thanked the Pias for the support, and noted that they have been “significant, long term supporters of KACS.” The statement continued, “The KACS Board of Directors has unanimously voted to accept this very
generous offer and extend sincere thanks to the Pias for providing this significant gift. KACS looks forward to working with the Pias now and in the future to fulfill the mission of KACS and Continued on page 4A
Continued on page 3A
Oxford Borough Council approves non-uniform employees contract By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer
Kennett Area Community Service operates a food cupboard and provides a variety of services to individuals and families in need.
in 10 properties that he owns in Lancaster and Chester counties, and with transportation to and from the farms where they worked— charging those workers for both rent and transportation. The indictment alleges that, from at least 2018, Miguel Morales, Carrillo-Perez, Garcia-Ramirez, and Jose
Oxford Borough Council unanimously approved a new non-uniform employees contract at its April 19 meeting. The new contract will run from 2021 to 2024. Council President Peggy Russell thanked the employees saying, “The staff, for the most part, could not choose to work from home during the pandemic. The office staff juggled, following COVID policy, while responding to the needs of the residents and taxpayers.” She was blunt when referring to what public works employees had to do, saying, “The public works staff continued their duties, including picking up trash, and removing vomit and blood.” The four-year contract will run from Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2024. One of the changes included the following wage increases: • Jan. 1 2021 – base rate of each employee increased $1/hour • Jan. 1 2022 – base rate
of each employee increased $1.00/hour • Jan. 1 2023 – base rate of each employee increased $1.50/hour • Jan. 1 2024 – base rate of each employee increased $1.50/hour • Duty pay (paid to the weekly “duty” or on-call employee) – raised from $100 to $150 The borough is also researching new health insurance coverage for its employees. The contract includes a new provision that, if the borough negotiates a change to healthcare carriers or coverage, the borough has the right to re-open the health insurance provision of this contract and try to negotiate a change to the new plan in an effort to provide one plan for all employees. If the union does not agree to the new plan, then the borough has the right to reopen the provision to allow the negotiation of an increase in the employee premium contribution provision. Borough council approved the special event permit for the popular OMI Car Continued on page 4A