Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 154, No. 30
INSIDE
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Kennett Square Borough Council considers expanding scope of project By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
At the July 20 borough council meeting, Kennett Square Borough Manager Joseph Scalise outlined Town Tours and Village Walks returns details about a multi-faceted project that would see virtually...7B significant enhancements to Birch Street and would add to the network of public trails in the region. Essentially, Kennett Square Borough is considering expanding the scope of a project to achieve several goals at one time, rather than having separate projects that are planned and funded individually in the coming years. Scalise explained that the borough had already secured funding for the Avon Grove Charter grads Birch Street project that would bring streetscape honored...5B improvements to an area of town that has already undergone a lot of redevelopment in recent years. The borough received $500,000 in Chester County Community Revitalization Program funding for Birch
Street improvements, and the borough also allocated $210,000 in the 2020 budget for the project. Now, borough officials are considering a larger project that would require collaboration with neighboring Kennett Township on an initiative that would advance connectivity and accessibility in the area by adding two Kennett Greenway Connectors— the creation of a trail along Birch Street and the construction of a railroad underpass, known as the Magnolia Underpass, in Kennett Township. These two connectors would provide local residents with additional access to the Kennett Greenway. The Kennett Greenway is comprised of 14 miles of continuous, accessible trails that stretch across five municipalities in two states—Pennsylvania and Delaware. It includes more than 1,500 acres of open space, including more than 10 parks and preserves. The larger project now
being considered by Kennett Square Borough officials not only provides connection points to the Kennett Greenway, this initiative would help connect borough residents to everyday destinations, including schools, shops, restaurants, and historical and cultural assets. It would also enhance the community while preserving natural resources. The funding that has been lined up for the Birch Street improvements could be utilized as matching funds for the larger project, Scalise said, explaining that Kennett Square Borough and Kennett Township would seek additional state funding for the project. The borough manager said that utilizing the funding that is already in place to secure additional state funding would help maximize the return on investment. Undertaking all the elements of the project at one time rather than doing them separately could also save the borough money. Continued on Page 2A
$1.00
Celebrating Kennett’s graduates
Photo by Chris Barber
A graduate bumps elbows with Superintendent Dr. Dusty Blakey at the commencement for Kennett High School’s Class of 2020 last Saturday. The event, which honored this year’s graduates, took place at the middle school campus. Please see Page 1B for the story and photos.
Is change in policing possible? Oxford Borough Police Chief Sam Iacono talks about the importance of effective community policing By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer
News from Harrisburg...5B
INDEX Opinion.......................5A Obituaries............2B-3B
To Subscribe Call 610.869.5553
Classifieds.................4B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Bringing police and community together is not always an easy task. Oxford Borough Police Chief Sam Iacono has been a police officer for 34 years. The current clash of police and community on the national level has been of grave concern to Iacono and Oxford Mayor Phil Harris. As a result of their concern, both have particiCourtesy photo Oxford Borough Police Chief Sam Iacono and Mayor pated in a program titled, Phil Harris both participated in a program titled, “Crucial Conversations That Lead to Real Change.” “Crucial Conversations That Lead to Real Change.”
The program, which was held at Willowdale Chapel in West Grove, was organized by churches Allen AME, Shiloh Presbyterian, Oxford Methodist and Willowdale Chapel. The purpose of the group is to discuss violence and systemic racial and economic inequities. The group will work together to make changes. Both Iacono and Mayor Harris believe change is not something a legislative body can do. As Mayor Harris said previously, “This is a human condition and by
asking questions, discussing our stories, and coming out of our collective bubbles, we are hopeful that we can find a new path.” Iacono added, “We have joined in this conversation and I believe we are finding common ground. More importantly, the more programs like this that the community and police have, the more I see real change is possible. “The real challenge at this time is for people to listen, really listen, and hear what each other is saying. Most people don’t listen. Instead, Continued on Page 4A
COVID Summer: Parents teaching their children the hard lessons of the pandemic By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer As the coronavirus flipped its calendar from March to April in the United States, reports began circulating that large-scale parties were being held on Spring Break beaches that were drawing hundreds of college-age revelers. It was all supported by photographs that showed
wall-to-wall, body-to-body frivolity – a collection of young adults who seemed to laugh in the face of the common-sense restrictions that a global pandemic had forced upon them. They were not practicing social distancing. They were not wearing masks. On the contrary, their devilmay-care attitude celebrated the last strains of restless youth, and no one, least of
all the medical experts who warned them of the potential health consequences of their actions, was going to stop them from having a great time. The parties rolled on, and as several states began to loosen their restrictions, beaches and bars became the new epicenters for the virus, and young people became its newest victims. Perhaps the most brazen
act of social defiance of young people has been the new phenomenon known as a COVID-19 party, which is based on inviting a few of the unlucky ones who had contracted the virus to frolic with those who had not tested positive. The first one to contract a positive test wins the competition, which usually comes in the form of cash. Since Memorial Day
weekend, the rates of infection among adults 20 to 40 have skyrocketed in the United States, particularly among those in states like Florida, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia – and Pennsylvania. In its July 17 report, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that there were 1,032 additional positive cases of Continued on Page 2A
And the bands play on: The Kennett Flash is keeping the music alive By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer In the five years that Andrew Miller has served as the executive director of the Kennett Flash, he has spearheaded a membership program, hired a full-time assistant, and given the venue’s concert calendar a new lease on life by bringing in not only the top names in local music but nationally known performers, as well as open-mic nights, comedy
revues, children’s programming and a Master Class series. For nearly everyone who stepped on The Flash’s stage and for many of those who attended shows, their comments were an echo of one another. This place is a true listening room at its best. Then in March, the world caved in. Ironically, as the COVID19 pandemic was beginning its scorched-earth assault on
theaters and concert halls throughout Pennsylvania, Miller was about to meet with The Flash’s Board of Directors to discuss the 11-year-old venue’s biggest project yet: To explore the possibility of moving to a larger, dedicated arts space – one that would provide the same intimacy of the Sycamore Alley location but offer upgraded amenities. Due to the stay-at-home restrictions that governed
Pennsylvania in the early days of the pandemic, the meeting never happened, and soon, the worst fears of any music venue director had become real for Miller. He had to postpone some shows, reschedule others and outright cancel a few more – effectively shutting off an income source that pays for 70 percent of The Flash’s expenses. Suddenly, the big umbrella of The Flash’s mission statement -- to enhance the
quality of life for people of all ages, achieved through arts experiences for audiences, performing artists and students – was not large enough to protect it from an oncoming storm. To make matters even more stressful, Su Spina, who was hired in 2019 to assist Miller in every phase of operations, had left her position, finding more secure work outside of the arts. “The initial reaction from Continued on Page 3A