Oxford mayor involved in collision in Rising Sun
Compiled by Chester County Press Staff Writers
Oxford mayor Lorraine Durnan Bell was involved in a collision on Sept. 12 that left a Maryland woman and her mother injured.
Lt. Michael Holmes of the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office read from a police report on Sept. 16 that Bell was driving a 2008 Chrysler Sebring north on Stevens Road in Rising Sun, Md., at about 5:25 p.m. Her vehicle crossed the center line and struck a 2019 Jeep Cherokee being driven south by Melissa Maccari, 31, of North East, Md. In Maccari’s car were her mother, Bernice Fogle, 55, and her 14-month-old daughter, who was in a child safety seat. The impact was “nearly head-on,” Holmes said. The report reads that the responding officer at the scene, Corporal Brian Shockey, “detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverag-
es” on Bell. She was taken by ambulance to Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., where a blood sample was taken. Results of that blood test have not been announced. The extent of her injuries was not disclosed.
Maccari told the Chester County Press during a phone call on Sept. 16 that she suffered a broken wrist and is scheduled for surgery at Union Hospital in Elkton, Md., this week. Her mother fractured her L-2 vertebrae and her daughter sustained minor bruising, she said.
Any formal charges against Bell will be announced after the results of the blood-alcohol test are known, a process which can take several weeks, Holmes said.
In addition to her duties as Oxford Borough mayor, Bell is a third-grade teacher at the Rising Sun Elementary School in Rising Sun. She has worked there since 2001. School principal Alan Loman
could not be reached for comment.
A message was left by the Chester County Press on Bell’s voice mail at the
Mayor’s office, but no response has been received as of Sept. 17. Bell became the mayor of Oxford Borough after
I believe that we will win!
Route 1 lane widening plans presented by PennDOT
By Chris Barber Staff Writer
East Marlborough Township residents viewed and heard a report at the Sept. 9 Board of Supervisors meeting about the latest plans for widening Route 1.
Frank Eels of the Gannett Fleming engineering firm displayed a large map of the highway showing upcoming work from the intersection with Baltimore
Pike near Walmart at the west end and its continuation in the east by Longwood Gardens. The changes have been in the works and approved since the early Walmart hearings more than a decade ago.
Eels, whose company represents the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said the roadway will be widened to three lanes in each direction, with construction starting early in 2020. He
added that despite the work being carried on in each direction, drivers will still be able on get by on the two remaining lanes in both directions.
He also indicated that a sidewalk will be installed on the north, just off the highway, from the Onix Drive area to the entrance near Wendy’s. Additionally, drivers going east on Route 1 would still not be able to turn left onto Schoolhouse Road to access Walmart,
Avon Grove holds Act 34 Hearing for new high school project
than three dozen residents express their support for the project
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
The Avon Grove School District held the Act 34 Hearing for the new high school project on Sept. 12. A large crowd turned out to listen to a presentation about the scope of the project, including the costs and designs for the new school on the Sunnyside Road,
but would have to travel farther to access the left turn.
Eels said that a lighted sign is included in the plans in the Wendy’s area. It will provide updated information to drivers in both directions, such as whether congestion or accidents are ahead.
This feature raised the ire of supervisor Julia Lacy, who asked Eels several times when it had been approved. When he replied
that it was in the initial plans more than a decade ago, Lacy persisted in asking that the current board have the privilege of providing their input.
Supervisor Bruce Jameson said that if the matter was beyond the responsibility of the board and just in the hands of PennDOT, it would not be useful to continue the dialogue.
Early in the meeting, during public comment,
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U-CF will no longer report student discipline issues on college applications
By J.P. Phillips Correspondent
The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District overhauled its discipline policy last year. Major changes included flexibility in meting out student punishments so reprimands better suit infractions; mandatory education and counseling for smoking, alcohol, and drug offenses; and a chance for the rescission of a single
suspension from student records. Initially, rescission was deemed important because district policy stated that suspensions must be reported on college applications.
At the Sept. 16 school board meeting, directors voted to change policy 216 so that Unionville High School will no longer report any disciplinary actions on student college applications.
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
The life of Sarah Nurry of Avondale is an almost perfect mirrored reflection of the lives being lived by millions of women. She is the married mother of four school-age children.
that she dons her running shoes and crushes the quiet streets and neighborhoods near her home.
In the summer of 2017,
Nurry attended an event sponsored by City Fit Girls in Philadelphia, an inclusive fitness community for women that began in 2013, whose goal is to make physical activity more accessible for all women. She was floored by the group’s
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
cheering section made up of Kennett High
Blue Demons’ 12th man during Kennett’s 27-13
her Election Day victory on Nov. 7, 2018. A former member of the Oxford School Board, she received
Avon Grove Act 34 hearing...
Continued from Page 1A
and to share their views on the current plan under consideration.
School board president Tracy Lisi formally convened the hearing at approximately 6:30 p.m. in the Avon Grove High School auditorium, and then Andrew Rau, the school district solicitor, introduced seven of the nine school board members who were in attendance. Rau explained that this is not a typical school board meeting, as evidenced by the fact that the board members were seated with the rest of the audience, as well as the presence of a court reporter. The proceedings were being recorded and would be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education as part of the record for the project.
Four people were sworn in so that they could provide testimony during the Act 34 Hearing. Avon Grove superintendent Dr. Christopher Marchese, project architect Mike Strohecker of KCBA Architects, Inc., John Frey, a financial advisor from PFM Financial Advisors, LLC., and Ken Phillips, the financial advisor of RBC Capital Markets then took turns outlining various aspects of the project.
It was Marchese’s duty to recap the history of the project, explain why there is a
need for the project under consideration, and detail all the options that were considered before a plan was put in place.
The school district acquired the 153-acre parcel near Old Baltimore Pike and Route 796 in Penn Township back in 2007, and the school board at that time did some preliminary planning for a school construction project on that site—maybe a high school, maybe a middle school. But the national economic slowdown in 2008 prompted the school board to put those plans on hold. For a number of years, with the school district facing tight budgets, the plans remained on hold.
Marchese explained that in 2014, the school district’s Facilities Committee started analyzing the long-term needs for school buildings. Gilbert Architects was enlisted to do a feasibility study in 2014, and by the spring of the next year the district had the results: the aging high school, in particular, was a weak spot, and was not meeting the educational needs of students.
Enrollment far surpassed the functional capacity of the building—as everyone knew—and a series of renovations and additions in 1995, 1997, and 2008 had done little to make the building suitable for 21st century learning.
In April of 2016, the school district established a task force, the Facilities Input
Group (FIG), comprised of a broad cross-section of the community, to take a comprehensive look at the district’s facilities.
Marchese explained that the high school was found to be inadequate in a number of areas—the lack of appropriate educational spaces, building safety, accessibility, building code compliance, as well as unmanageable overcrowding of core areas—at points the high school has been 500 students over its functional capacity. These facts all led the Facilities Input Group to conclude that something needed to be done to address the longterm shortcomings of the high school.
The district held a series of community listening posts from October of 2017 through January of 2018. Then, the Avon Grove School Board started having discussions about specific facilities options that would address the district’s needs. Four options emerged as ones that would meet the long-term needs of the district—to varying degrees and with very different costs.
Two of the four options included scenarios that required new construction. The first option, known by then as Option 1A, included the construction of a new high school, while another option, by then known as Option 1C, would have included the construction of
a new middle school. The existing high school and middle school would be renovated and connected by new construction as part of Option 1C.
Another option called for the renovation and expansion of the existing high school, the existing middle school, and Penn London Elementary School, along with a reconfiguration of grades.
A fourth option would have called for the district to renovate and expand the existing high school and middle school on an already overcrowded State Road campus.
Ultimately, when the advantages and disadvantages of each option were thoroughly considered, the school board voted to move forward with Option 1A in April of 2018.
The school district then started work on the design, land-development, and financial aspects of the project.
A land-development application for the construction of a new high school was submitted to Penn Township nearly four months ago.
When Marchese concluded his testimony, Strohecker then discussed some of the architectural aspects of the building.
He noted that the Sunnyside Road site does have limitations. The site will require bog-turtle set-backs.
The new school building will be approximately 296,000 square feet and will be located in the northeast portion of the site. Classrooms will be built on three floors and
new building.
they will be designed to accommodate different subjects being taught in them.
Unlike the current high school, the administration suite will be located at the main entrance. This will result in increased security for the building. Rau noted that school districts are now careful about revealing too much about the floor plans of buildings because of concerns about school safety. Consequently, detailed floor plans were not made available to the public as part of a packet of information that was distributed at the hearing. Information about the floor plans were included as part of the presentation.
Strohecker explained that the athletic fields will be positioned to the south and northwest of the site. There will be three separate parking areas on the site. A loop
road will be installed to connect South Jennersville Road with West Baltimore Pike.
Next, Frey and Phillips offered an overview of the financing for the project. The best method of financing for Avon Grove is the issuance of general obligation bonds, Frey explained. It was noted that the school district already took steps to phase in financing for the project.
“This district started putting money away for this project a long time ago,” Phillips noted. The estimated total project cost for the new high school amounts to $114,568,737— but this figure takes into consideration everything, including the costs of the acquisition of the parcel of land that took place more than a decade ago. The dis-
Spaces for STEM programming are planned for the
trict was required to include this figure in the Act 34 Hearing packet because this is the figure that will be utilized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education when calculating reimbursements for the project.
A more meaningful figure for taxpayers in the district might be the $81,001,789 that the school board established as the maximum building construction costs.
The final part of the presentation focused on the impact the project will have on the school district’s millage rate.
The school district already phased in a .36-mill increase for the 2018-2019 school year budget to start the process of paying for the project. Four more years of increases are anticipated to boost the millage rate to a level that will support the district’s increased debt service payments. overall, the direct costs of the project will require a total of 1.79 mills, with an additional .14 mills needed to pay for indirect costs related to the project. A variety of factors, including interest rates and how actual costs compare to estimated costs, will effect how much taxes will actually increase in the coming years. With the formal presentation complete, it was the community’s turn to be able to share their views on the new high school project. More than three dozen people either participated in public comment or submitted their comments in writing. If there was a recurring theme to the public comments, it was that those individuals who spoke were overwhelmingly and fully in support of the project as it is being planned. In fact, only one or two residents expressed any reserva-
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This policy change only impacts how the school administration completes each student’s college application. Students will still have to answer whether or not they have been suspended on their portion of the form.
Board members spoke both for and against this change at the three-hour Sept. 9 work session.
“Just to remind everyone, this does not in any way, shape or form change the rescission policy that we agreed to a year and a half ago,” board member John Murphy said. “I did have some concern that this would be conflicting or taking the effectiveness out of rescission, but after discussions with Dr. Sanville, I understand now that a student has to self-report disciplinary action. So if a student is suspended and has a rescission, they in clear conscience can selfreport on the common app that they have not been disciplined. I personally don’t feel that a counselor should have an ethical dilemma, because to me, a rescission is the same as an expungement. But if they feel it is an ethical dilemma on their part, then I support this.”
When asked in an email why the counselors have this ethical dilemma while students with a rescinded suspension do not, the district responded that, “Some counselors feel like it goes against their ethical standards of counseling.”
Board member Elise
of the schools.
tions at all during the entire hearing.
Many of the people who expressed support for the project pointed to the inadequacies of the current high school, and the need to provide more adequate facilities for students, especially high school students who need to take STEM classes and science classes in order to be prepared for college.
Niki Decker said that she and her husband, Matt, believe that the new high school will meet a critical need for Avon Grove. The current high school doesn’t have the space necessary to support the academic programs in the 21st century.
Niki Decker explained that she and her husband have two children and the oldest one, who is in kindergarten, wants to be an engineer. She also likes to sing.
“She. like all the other children in the school district, deserves to be able to continue to pursue these fulfilling activities,” Decker said.
Penn Township resident Sarah Pantazes expressed a sentiment that a number of people would echo throughout the hearing: the school district’s teachers provide a top-quality education to students, even though the facilities at the middle school and high school are substandard.
“There are wonderful things going on in the school district and we hope that they will continue for years to come,” Pantazes said, explaining that the new high school will strengthen the school district and the community.
Joe Clark, whose family lives in Franklin Township, said that they built a home in Avon Grove three years ago because of the quality
Anderson emphasized that students will still have to answer the suspension question on their college application, and added, “I think that it’s important to recognize that in our community, many feel this is the jurisdiction of the parents. Our discipline policy, if I ask myself what the purpose of the policy is, is to have a safe environment here, and an environment suited for optimal education for all our students. And if I boil it down to that, I support this change.”
Board president Jeff Hellrung said that the revisions to the discipline policy approved last April ensure that the student pays an appropriate price for their actions. They are still suspended, and they will receive counseling or perform other educational activities to make up for their offense.
“Accountability is important, and non-reporting doesn’t change any of that,” Hellrung said. “They’ve been accountable, they’ve paid a penalty, they’ve learned, and they’re moving on, and we are moving
“We’re proud to be a part of this community,” he said. “We support this new school. We feel it is the best possible option.”
Todd Pickard, an educator who works in a neighboring school district said that he fully supports the project.
“It’s long overdue that this high school project get completed,” he said.
West Grove resident Kerri Wright said that the school district purchased the land for a new school in 2007, when one of her two children was in kindergarten. She thought a new high school would be completed in time for both her children to attend classes in it. Her daughter graduated in 2019 and her son is in middle school. She still favors building the new high school so that future Avon Grove High School students see the benefits.
Franklin Township resident Christine Mellinger talked about how her second-grader attends class in a modular classroom, and she would like her two other children to actually be inside a building for their classes.
“We have the responsibility to support the education of our children, and I believe the new high school does that,” Mellinger said.
Nicole Ciarrocchi said that after relying on modular classrooms for the last two decades, it was time for the school district to address the facilities needs and make sure that the buildings can accommodate all the students.
Ande Williamson, whose family lives in Franklin Township, said that they moved to Avon Grove from Delaware because of the quality of schools. She said that the school hallways are overcrowded, which could
on together with them. Why should high school behavior follow them to college and beyond?”
Board member Tom Day opposed the policy change during the work session. Day said that offering a chance for rescission should be enough to remedy a onetime student mistake. “Our kids are mature enough to realize that discipline comes at a cost, and we have offered them a chance for second chances vis-a-vis the rescission policy, but in the event the disciplinary action is not rescinded, I don’t see any reason why we should not report,” he said.
Day softened his position when it was time to vote during the Sept. 16 board meeting. “Over the past month, I’ve spoken to administration, I’ve spoken to school leadership, and I’ve spoken to members of the community,” Day said. “And I understand now the inconsistencies in reporting discipline across the schools in our country and our county vary, and I realize and understand and appreciate the inconsisten-
A conceptual renderings of the new Avon Grove High School.
create a dangerous situation, especially during an emergency.
Jerry L’ Heureux, a resident of London Britain Township, noted that in good school districts, home values increase because more people want to live there so that their children will attend quality schools.
In his family, three children graduated from Avon Grove schools, and now they have a total of seven grandchildren who will be going to Avon Grove schools. He said that the expense of a new school is well worth it.
Pete Mandeville, who lives in New London Township, said that he and his wife moved into the school district a little over a year ago because of Avon Grove School District’s excellent reputation.
‘That was a big part of our decision to move here,” he said. “We are in full support of this project.”
Leslie Herb-Wallace noted that her son has already graduated from Avon Grove High School, so her family won’t see any personal benefit as a result of the new project. She still wanted to see Avon Grove move forward on building a new high school.
“I fully support this project. I can’t wait to see it go through,” she said.
Ed Farina, a resident of
cies in reporting between colleges that have the common application and don’t have the common application, and further understand and appreciate the inconsistencies without this policy that would occur within our own district. So with that said, I will vote in favor of this.”
The policy change passed 6-2. Board members Bob Sage and Steve Simonson voted against it. Carolyn Daniels was absent due to a recent surgery.
Hellrung closed the meeting by citing the board’s positive working relationship. “I really do appreciate being on this board and being able to debate very difficult and sometimes complicated and controversial questions,” he said. “And I appreciate the lengths that each board member goes to, whether you’ve been in
New London Township, talked about some of the issues that high school students have faced because nearly 1,800 students have been placed in a school that was originally built in 1957 to accommodate about 1,100 students.
“The hallways are jammed. The lunch periods can’t be accommodated in the cafeteria. The auditorium can’t accommodate all the students. This was a building that was built for 1,100 students. We have 1,800 students in this building. It’s severely overcrowded,” Farina said.
Mary Michael, a resident of London Britain Township, talked about the importance of having a high school that meets the needs of the community.
“When you love your community,” she said, “you take care of it and you invest in what unites us.”
Stephen Hollis, Jr. said that he and his wife are both proud Avon Grove graduates. He explained that the best option is for Avon Grove to build a new school so that they avoid the many risks and inconveniences that go along with trying to renovate a school building with students in it. As someone who has worked in school construction, building new is the best option.
favor, or ended up in favor, or opposed, for example, to policy 216. I really appreciate the diligence and conscientiousness that everyone put into it. As Dr. Sanville said, the ability to disagree agreeably has been on display. I think our board has been kind of a beacon of civility in a sometimes less-than-civil world, and I’m really appreciative of that.”
In other news, Chadds Ford Elementary School Principal Shawn Dutkiewicz resigned effective Sept 30, 2019 to assume the role of the Radnor Township School District’s Elementary Director of Teaching and Learning.
CFE parents were notified on Aug. 26 via an email. The board approved the hiring of Dennis McKnight as the Chadds Ford Elementary School Interim Principal at
“You should build new if you can,” Hollis said. “We can. And we should.”
Kelly Walker, a resident of Landenberg, submitted a letter saying that she fully supported the project. Another letter, expressing a similar view, was signed by a dozen or more residents. Rau read their comments and each name for the official record.
Numerous people specifically thanked the school board and the administration for all the hard work that was put into developing the best plan of action for Avon Grove.
After more than an hour and fifteen minutes of just public comments, the Act 34 Hearing concluded. There is still time for residents and employees of the Avon Grove School District to submit written testimony that can be included as part of the official record. The written testimony can be mailed or delivered to Dr. Wendi Lee Kraft, the board secretary of the Avon Grove School District, at 375 South Jennersville Road, West Grove, PA 19390. The written testimony will be accepted for 30 days after the Act 34 Hearing, so the deadline is Oct. 14 at 4 p.m.
To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com. Courtesy images
a salary of $700 per day, effective Oct 1.
“This is not our first go-around having Dr. McKnight here,” Sanville said. “Dr. McKnight has been the interim principal at the high school, the interim principal at the middle school, and he has also had some stints over in Radnor, which is where he is right now. We’re thrilled you can join us and be part of the team at Chadds Ford until we can find a permanent principal.”
The Chesco Dance Center celebrates its tenth anniversary
By Steve Hoffman Staff Writer
The Chesco Dance Center is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. On a recent afternoon, Kellie Gwaltney-Greer was standing in the sunsplashed reception area of the dance studio and reflecting on how quickly the ten years had passed since she opened her own studio.
“I can’t believe it’s been ten years,” Kellie said.
But then Mary Kate D’ Ambrosio walked by. When D’ Ambrosio started taking dance lessons at the Chesco Dance Center, she was just three years old. Now, she’s an eighthgrader. That’s as good of an illustration as any that it really has been ten years since Kellie realized her dream of operating her own dance studio.
During that decade, hundreds of students in the area have been introduced to the world of dance by Kellie and the talented faculty.
In the summer of 2009, when the Chesco Dance Center opened its doors and first started registering students, Kellie had a clear vision of what kind of dance studio she wanted: a place to train dancers in a positive, supportive environment. The students would work hard and grow as dancers, and as people, but they would have fun,
to progress step by step until they reach their potential, whether they are recreational dancers or pursuing a career in dance.
“I love dance,” she explained, “and I try to instill that passion in my students.”
In that first year, about 75 students signed up to take classes at the dance
studio in the London Grove Village Shopping Center. Today, there are approximately 250 students who take classes in ballet, jazz, modern/ contemporary, pre-pointe, and pointe. All the students are grouped according to their age and experience, and there are classes offered for all experience levels.
and the dance instructors encourage each student to be the best that they can be, while offering support and positivity.
“They’ve given me a chance to find out who I am as a dancer,” D’ Ambrosio said.
Kellie said that her goal is to allow each student
D’ Ambrosio was one of the early enrollees at the dance studio. She has developed a love for dance, particularly ballet.
Hundreds of dancers could say the same of their experiences at the dance center.
She said that Kellie
The Chesco Dance Center grew so quickly in its early years that they added a second 2,600-square-foot studio in Chelsea Station, just a short distance from the main studio. The additional space allows them to offer flexible schedules for busy families.
She took her first lesson when she was three years old. She was an assistant instructor before she was ten, and she was teaching classes on her own by the time she was fifteen.
“Our goal,” explained Kellie, “is to provide a place for students to ignite their love of dance, to be part of something that is joyous and to find their true passion for the art of dance. We try to instill positivity and remind all of our dancers and parents to support and inspire each other.”
To say that dance is an important part of Kellie’s life is an understatement.
Her career has included a lot of memorable experiences, both as a performer and as a teacher.
She has performed with the Oxford Center for Dance, the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, the Delaware Dance Company, the Brandywine Ballet Company, the Chester Valley Dance Academy, the Three Little Bakers Dinner Theatre, the Contempra Dance Company, and the Opus One Dance Company.
She also attended numerous conventions and master classes over the years. As a dance teacher, she now has more than 27 years of experience throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York. This includes serving as the co-director of the Leslie School of Dance in upstate New York for four years and as a co-founder of the non-profit New Heights Dance Theatre, which consisted of more than 60 members from around New York State. While in New York, she also directed the ballet program for Dancer’s Alley, located in Horseheads, New York. Many of her students have pursued dance careers and they have made dance an important part of their lives.
One such student is Emily Curry, who is going to the University of Tampa to study dance. Curry, D’ Ambrosio, and the other dancers say that the Chesco Dance Center offers such a positive environment that they all feel like part of a big, extended family.
The faculty at the Chesco Dance Center is very important to creating that environment. Kellie said that the faculty members have an incredible range of experience and expertise in the world of dance. They were trained by talented teachers and now they share their knowledge with the next generation of dancers. These instructors attend dance conventions, classes, workshops, and seminars on a regular basis.
“Our teachers are always learning new things,” Kellie explained. “We’re always integrating new styles of teaching.”
Courtesy photo
Dancers in the Chesco Dance Center’s ballet intensive program.
Courtesy photo
The dancers at the Chesco Dance Center have a number of opportunities to perform on the stage, gaining valuable experience.
Courtesy photo
Dancers of any age and experience level can ignite their love of the dance arts at the Chesco Dance Center.
Photo by Steven Hoffman Kellie Gwaltney-Greer (pictured
One of the longtime instructors at the Chesco Dance Center is Mindy Kendi, who teaches various styles of dance. She grew up in Oxford and trained in dance alongside Kellie. Kendi recalled that when she was first starting out in dance, Kellie was in a more advanced class, and she was one of the dancers that she looked up to. Now, as professionals, they work side by side.
Kendi trained with the Briansky Saratoga Ballet, the New York City Dance Alliance, and was also accepted into the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts on a full modern dance scholarship. She has spent most of her professional career training at the Broadway Dance Center, and has a wide array of professional experiences, including performing on stages from New York City to Oklahoma.
Kendi worked on several movies and in television shows, as well as doing choreography for numerous productions on the East Coast.
Because the faculty has these professional experiences, their students can really learn about what it’s like to perform in a professional setting. Kendi said that they emphasize teaching the dancers to always be respectful and professional.
The Chesco Dance
Center added the Gems Dance Company, which is a pre-professional training program that prepares the most dedicated dancers for a career in dance arts.
It’s a rigorous training program, and the dancers perform in various competition events to learn the necessary skills to prepare them for entry into a university dance program or a professional dance company.
Kellie and the instructors spend a lot of time preparing the young dancers for tomorrow. Which is why it’s not completely surprising that no one really planned anything special for the tenth anniversary year. Everyone at the Chesco Dance Center is already focused on the next ten years. While there aren’t any specific plans to mark the milestone in 2019, the year has been filled with plenty of activities—a spring ballet, the annual recital, a trip to Walt Disney World, and an upcoming performance of “The Nutcracker.”
Performances at Walt Disney World are always special for the dancers. Kellie said that they spent three months working on perfecting the choreography leading up to the performance in June when 13 dancers took part in the memorable experience. They got to take part in a parade and also performed on the stage at Epcot.
“They were amazing,”
Kellie said. Currently, the Chesco Dance Center is preparing for a production of “The Nutcracker,” the holiday favorite. The main performance is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Cultural Center at Lincoln University. There will also be a preview performance on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the popular annual Country Christmas event at the
Avon Grove Intermediate School.
Tickets for the Dec. 21 performance of “The Nutcracker,” as well as information about classes at the Chesco Dance Center are available at the website www. chescodancecenter.com.
To contact Staff Writer Steve Hoffman, e-mail editor@chestercounty. com.
Chesco Dance Center
Courtesy photo
The Gems Dance Company at the annual summer dance experience initiative.
Courtesy photo
The Chesco Dance Center has been training some of the area’s best dancers for the last ten years.
Courtesy photo
The students work hard on the choreography for performances.
Letter to the Editor Editorial
Tracking down ‘stability’ in the New Garden-Aqua deal
On Sept. 23, the New Garden Board of Supervisors and the New Garden Township Sewer Authority will hold a special joint meeting at 7 p.m. at the Township Building to update residents on the status of the pending sale of New Garden Sewer System to Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater, Inc. The meeting will consider proposed changes to the pending asset purchase agreement.
From the time the township, the Sewer Authority and Aqua entered into an agreement to sell/purchase the sewage system for the sum of $29.5 million in August 2016 -- which was approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) on June 29, 2017 -- finalizing the deal has been a one step up, two steps back matrix of delays, appeals, requests for reconsideration, adoptions and revisions. Along the way, these negotiations have been joined by the Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement, the Commonwealth Court and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Currently, settlement discussions between the township, its sewer authority and Aqua are ongoing, and while the sale price remains the same, new wrinkles in the original agreement have begun to appear. In an update of the negotiations about the sale now posted on the township’s website, New Garden and Aqua will amend the agreement to remove the provisions regarding the compound annual growth rate and rate freeze, so that the potential settlement, if approved, would:
1. Allow Aqua to acquire the New Garden sewer assets and begin to provide sewer service in areas supplied by New Garden.
2. Allow Aqua to add $29.5 million to its rate base. A utility’s rate base is the value of property used by the utility to provide service to its customers and is one of several components used to establish a utility’s customer rates.
3. Remove the provisions regarding the compound annual growth rate and rate freeze from the Asset Purchase Agreement.
4. Implement New Garden’s existing sewer rate ordinance, which provides for rate increases in 2019, 2020 and 2021, after which time rates would remain in effect until Aqua’s next base rate case is approved and implemented.
5. Propose a rate zone for New Garden customers, in Aqua’s first base rate case following closing, that would increase rates to an amount equal to Aqua’s Zone 1 wastewater rates, unless the increase would be more than twice the system average increase for all Aqua’s wastewater divisions. In that case, the increase would be capped at twice the system average increase.
6. The amounts stated above could change and will depend on how the PUC chooses to apportion any increase among the types of service, rate zones, and classes of customers.
7. Aqua will adopt the current sewer ordinance of New Garden Township which includes an implementation of rate increases in 2019 and 2020. These rates will then be held at that level until Aqua files its next base rate case which is anticipated to be filed in 2021, with rates effective in 2022.
As stated on the township’s website, the sale of the township’s sewage system was entered into with the belief that the sale would provide stability in sewer rates in the future by having the service provided by an organization with significant resources to meet ever-increasing regulatory demands and infrastructure needs as the sewage system ages.
As the stew in this long-simmering and multilayered deal thickens, the more we question whether or not the intended beneficiaries of this sale – New Garden residents who are tied to public water – will see their wastewater rates remain stable, or whether Aqua will increase them, and if so, to what percentages, in an effort to recoup their $29.5 million investment.
On Sept. 23, we feel it only right for those whose wastewater rates may rise as a result of this sale to politely ask these negotiators to define what “Stability” means.
Republicans need to nominate someone of good character
Letter to the Editor:
It is my expectation that President Trump is going to do all of us a big favor and decide some time in
early-to mid-2020 not to run for re-election. When that happens, I hope that the Republicans will nominate someone of good character, such as Nikki
Haley or Carly Fiorina. Personally, I don’t know what I find to be more despicable about the guy—the way that he makes fun of and insults
the physical appearance of people, or the way that he views women as sex objects.
Chester County Complete Count Committee to Raise Awareness about 2020 Census
Local committee will encourage residents to fill out Census
Chester County Commissioners Michelle Kichline, Kathi Cozzone and Terence Farrell approved a resolution calling for the formation of a countywide Census 2020 Complete Count Committee (CCC) to encourage all residents’ participation in the Census survey.
The CCC is a group of volunteers who, at the local level, develop and implement a 2020 Census awareness campaign based upon their knowledge of the local community. The CCC is comprised of government and community leaders from education, business, health care and other community organizations.
“The ultimate goal of the countywide committee is to maximize Chester County’s participation in the 2020 Census,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Michelle Kichline.
“Ensuring that every County resident gets counted is important since many federally funded grant programs are population-based and our state and federal legislative districts are population based.
“In addition, government and business planning often depends on accurate census data. Funding for important resources such as roads, hospitals, schools and public works is distributed to communities based on census data. This helps the County maintain its strong sense of place,” added Commissioner Kichline.
The County’s 2019 adopted budget includes $190.2 million in Federal and State grants, which represent 40 percent of Chester County’s $476 million operating budget.
“The main focus of the committee is to conduct outreach with neighbor-
hoods and communities that had a low response rate during the last census,” explained Commissioner Kathi Cozzone. “These areas tend to be low to moderate income, recent immigrant communities, or areas with a significant transient population, such as college students.”
Approximately 522,000 people currently live in Chester County, according to 2018 census data. This grew from the 2010 census count of 498,886 residents in Chester County. The County’s population is expected to increase 30 percent over the next 30 years.
“During the development of the County’s new comprehensive plan, Landscapes3, we learned that Chester County is the fastest growing County in southeastern Pennsylvania,” noted Commissioner Terence Farrell. “That’s why filling out the 2020
Census is so important. An accurate count of residents will help us plan for future growth and ensure the continuation of important services for all residents, including senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and those in need of housing assistance.”
Census Day is April 1, 2020. Every household will have the option to respond to the short survey online, by mail, or by phone. By law, the Census Bureau must keep all responses confidential and is not permitted to share answers with any other government agency. The U.S. Constitution has required a decennial census since 1790. For more information on the 2020 Census and Chester County’s Complete County Committee, visit http://chescoplanning.org/Demographics/ CompleteCount.cfm.
Lincoln University ranks in top 20 of U.S. News list
Lincoln University’s reputation for excellence in scholarship and service continues to earn the University national accolades.
U.S. News and World Report recently placed Lincoln 19th on its 2020 ranking of the nation’s top 20 historically black colleges and universities. Lincoln moved up eight places after being ranked 27th last year. The announcement marks the fourth consecutive year that the publication has ranked Lincoln among the top 30 institutions.
“Our rise in rankings reflects our focus on student success,” said President Brenda A. Allen. “I look forward to working with our community to further operationalize our strategic goals toward producing graduates able to thrive in this global knowledge-based marketplace.”
Lincoln also ranked 41st
in a new ranking of topperforming schools on social mobility; ranked 40th in the top public schools in the category for regional universities north after being unranked last year; and rose in the rankings for best regional universities in the north.
The U.S. News HBCU ranking measures the quality of undergraduate education at historically black colleges and universities. These HBCUs were compared only with one another for this ranking. To be on the list, a school must be currently listed as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities registry.
To qualify for U.S. News ranking, an HBCU also must be an undergraduate baccalaureate-granting institution that enrolls primarily first-year, firsttime students and must be a school that is part of
the 2019 Best Colleges rankings.
Founded in 1854, Lincoln University is the nation’s first degreegranting Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
Stewart B. Epstein
Courtesy photo
Members of the Census 2020 Complete Count Committee with Chester County Commissioners Michelle Kichline, Kathi Cozzone and Terence Farrell at this week’s public meeting.
camaraderie and inclusive-
ness, and thought that the same idea of shared fitness and wellness could work well in the southern Chester County community.
Earlier this year, Nurry met Michelle Vahey of VIDA Performance TRX and Lexa Chernin and Elizabeth Gehrt, the co-owners of Yoga Secrets in Kennett Square, about an idea to create a one-day retreat for women that would combine fitness, wellness, soul searching and empowerment, all in one. For those women whose lives closely resemble Nurry’s, that retreat is about to happen – an entire day whose only mission is to listen, embrace and empower.
On Oct. 20, several of the region’s most respected fitness instructors, yoga and wellness practitioners will join representatives from women-owned businesses at the EmpowHER Fitness Retreat in Kennett Square,
Collision...
391 votes, or 49 percent of the total votes, while Republican candidate Pam Benjamin earned 341 votes, or 43 percent of the total votes. After her election, Bell thanked the residents of Oxford Borough for the opportunity to serve as their mayor.
a full-day series of lectures, sessions and workshops that will allow attendees to share personal issues with caring experts; detoxify emotionally, physically and spiritually; and experience compassion, forgiveness and peace in an intimate setting.
“It was beautiful how everyone just came together and aligned and embraced,” Nurry said. “We want a sisterhood in this community. We want women to have access to all of these wonderful studios and individuals. There are so many uniquely talented women in Kennett Square, and to have them all come together will be a celebration.”
“I’ve been to similar women’s gatherings, and I’ve been blown away by the healing that can take place when women can come together,” said Chernin, whose studio on South Mill Road will host the event.
“Elizabeth and I had a plan to do a smaller retreat, but Sarah’s idea was way bigger than what we had planned,
so we knew that it was right for us to be a part of this.”
“I love the idea of bringing women together who will uplift and share and build stronger ties,” Gehrt said. “So many times, women put their own health on the back burner, because we have kids, husbands and other family that need us. We take on the role of caretaker so often, that it’s important for women to put the focus back on themselves, so that it will fill their cup.”
After a morning coffee and a healthy breakfast, EmpowHER will offer a choice of two 50-minute morning sessions that will give attendees the option of choosing a yoga or TRX class, or workshops in pure barre, runner self-defense and prehab running. Following a lunch hour that will feature organic food options from Box Lunch of Delaware, the retreat will offer two 50-minute afternoon sessions that will include a wide choice of topics on wellness, fashion, creating one’s own brand, and the need for self-care.
Secrets.
Vahey said the retreat is made even more special given that every one of the participating individuals and agencies is in close proximity to each other. The retreat is an opportunity for women to use all of these resources.
“A lot of women are afraid to ask for help if they’re struggling, and instead, they just keep saying ‘Yes’ and ‘Yes’ and ‘Yes,’” Vahey said. “Sooner later, many of them end up breaking down, but the more they open up, the more they realize that they’re not alone.
“The truth is that we’re all here to help, and in Kennett, a woman doesn’t have to reach out too far to find support.”
“We are experiencing a huge cultural shift,” Gehrt said. “Women used to have their focus at home and now we’re having all of these wonderful doors that have opened to us. Now, we need
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to learn to create balance with all of these opportunities and avenues of expression and creativity.”
The EmpowHER Fitness Retreat will take place on Oct. 20 at Yoga Secrets, 201 S. Mill Road, in Kennett Square. The retreat is open to 200 attendees. To learn more about the retreat and to register, visit www.empowher-ks.com.
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.
Continued from Page 1A hometown community. Working with the Oxford Police Department, the Borough Council and the community will be my pleasure.”
“I am so grateful and honored to have been elected as the first woman mayor of this amazing town,” she said in an email two days after the election. “‘Service before self’ is a motto that rings true in Oxford, and I look forward to serving my Oxford mayor Lorraine Durnan Bell
Sue Weldon, a breast cancer survivor, will then deliver a 30-minute message about the importance of maintaining proper breast health. Weldon is the founder of Unite for HER, a local, non-profit organization committed to helping local women diagnosed with breast cancer or ovarian cancer navigate their way through treatment by providing complementary therapies designed to promote physical and emotional wellness.
EmpowHer will donate 100 percent of the event’s net proceeds to the organization.
Following a closing meditation by Marcy Mackey of The Bungalow in Kennett Square, Victory Brewing Company will be sponsoring a happy hour at Yoga
residents from Walnut Road and West Locust Lane took part in extended expressions of frustration. On the subject of Walnut Road, residents said they were unhappy that the supervisors voted at the last meeting to relieve the TriM company of their need to undergo a conditional use hearing for a planned building expansion. TriM submitted a plan to add space for training, but several residents said they feared increased traffic if the company engaged in activities other than training.
Board Chairman John Sarro defended the
board’s vote by saying that TriM would still have to abide by all zoning, environmental, stormwater and land use requirements.
More importantly, he said training is very important for the safety of electrical workers, and he did not want to stand in the way of their progress.
Neighbors from West Locust Lane said cars are driving too fast on their street and they want something done about it. In response, Township Engineer Jerry Baker explained that municipalities could not arbitrarily install stop signs or take other measures that would have an impact on the township’s liability. Police Chief Robert Clarke likewise said he pulls over only drivers
who are going more than 15 miles an hour over the speed limit. Residents asked that he take that down to 10 miles an hour, or lower the speed limit. The result of the conversation was the board approving $7,000 for a traffic study at that location.
In other business:
The board approved a revision in the impact fee schedule to increase the cost from $200 to $400 per unit.
The board also agreed to send the recently revised zoning ordinance to the county for review in concert with its Landscapes plan, while simultaneously permitting the board members to review the plan.
Upgrade your home
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
The EmpowHER Fitness Retreat on Oct. 20 in Kennett Square will invite women to experience a full day of wellness, fitness and healing, offered by nearly two dozen area fitness and wellness professionals. Among them will be, from left, TRX and health coach Michelle Vahey of VIDA Performance; Elizabeth Gehrt and Lexa Chernin of Yoga Secrets, and event founder and organizer Sarry Nurry.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18,
New works bring fresh perspectives to ‘Spaces & Faces’ exhibit
By John Chambless Staff Writer
The “Spaces & Faces” show at the Square Pear Gallery, which continues through the end of the month, continues the gallery’s policy of introducing artists who are new to the region, along with some local favorites.
One of the most talked-about new artists will have to be Zhanna Martin, who exhibits a striking collection of arrestingly lifelike clay faces. Capturing every detail of skin and hair and expression, they are supremely skillfully done, with a “just-about-tobreathe” level of realism that takes you by surprise. Lingering over them feels almost like an invasion of someone’s personal space.
In the front gallery, Kimberly Hoescht’s paintings of interiors make the most of glowing light and richly textured rugs and fabrics. The many angles of railing and doorways in “Hall, Interior” are fascinating, and she goes large in “A Little Night
Music,” a hotel lobby with a piano, and a sun-warmed lobby in the distance.
There’s one very strong charcoal portrait by Linda Harris Reynolds, “The Traveler,” that has a strong presence. Nearby is a nice grouping of stoneware cityscapes by Rhoda Kahler, including the ambitious, 14-piece “Cloud” and a series of six small works that have little charms all their own.
Kevin Cummins shows etchings/aquatints of Philadelphia – and one of West Chester – that capture vivid details of light and shadow, and a strong sense of a city’s energy.
Robert Jenkins has three large watercolors of abandoned industrial interiors that explore decay and grime, and hint at longago labors, now ended. His three-dimensional insect paintings on glass are featured as well, and they are a different kind of artistic sleight-of-hand.
There are several of Lele Galer’s metal heart sculptures that are bent and a little ragged, but holding strong. Brad Earl’s acrylic
paintings of city storefronts are wonderful and warm, capturing the elegant architecture of a bygone era. Each one glows with sunlight and deep shadow, making them look almost three-dimensional.
There’s one strong painting of an atmospheric gallery interior, “Absorbing the Johnson Collection,” by Heather Lynn Gibson, that captures visitors in mid-gaze. It’s a strong composition that leaves you wanting to see more from the artist.
“Spaces & Faces” continues through Sept. 29 at the Square Pear Gallery (200 E. State St., Kennett Square). Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@ chestercounty.com.
Anson B. Nixon Park will be the site of La Communidad Hispana’s fourth annual community 5k, family walk and kid’s dash on Sept. 21.
LCH is a local community health center that provides integrated health and human services for all, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
“This event reflects our mission as an agency that embraces and celebrates all,” said director of development LeeAnn Riloff. “With a new course that will take runners on a scenic route through and around the park, along with cash prizes, a live mariachi band, and family health activities, we know there is something for everyone.”
music by Mariachi Flores.
The kid’s dash will start at 9 a.m., immediately followed by the 5K start, and then the walk start at 9:05 a.m.
Students majoring in public health at West Chester University will have health activities during the event. Awards and announcements will take place at 10:30 a.m., including awarding cash prizes for the first ($250), second ($100), and third ($50) place winners. Team prizes will be given out to the largest team, largest family team, and most team spirit.
our staff and the greater community come together to celebrate LCH.”
start
course at last year’s LCH community 5K, family walk and kid’s dash.
The event -- along with local grants, private donations, and federal funding -- helps to provide services for more than 8,000 residents of the southern Chester County community who receive services from the LCH health centers in Kennett Square and Oxford, and the Women’s Health Center and Dental Center in West Grove. Lead sponsors include Coatesville Youth Initiative, the Chester County Community Foundation, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union, Phillips Mushroom Farm, and The Tri-M Group. To pre-register, visit https:// lacomunidadhispana.org. Run or walk to support
Registration begins at 8 a.m. in the park, with live
“This is a really fun morning for the community,” said Steve Castellano, LCH’s director of business operations and interim president and CEO. “We love seeing our supporters, our members,
Runners
the
Painted clay sculptures by Zhanna Martin.
‘Absorbing the Johnson Collection’ by Heather Lynn Gibson.
A cityscape by painter Jack Gianguilio.
A sun-warmed interior by Kimberly Hoechst.
A charcoal portrait by Linda Harris Reynolds.
‘New Indian in Town’ by Brad Earl.
An industrial interior watercolor by Robert Jenkins.
JASON A. LECHETTE
Jason Anthony LeChette, 23, of New London, passed away unexpectedly in the early morning of Sept. 5.
He was the beloved son of Rick and Kathy LeChette, and cherished brother of Eric LeChette and his wife, Kelli.
Jason was thrilled to recently become an uncle for the first time with the birth of Bryce Edward LeChette, son of Eric and Kelli, and was joyfully looking forward to being the “fun uncle” for Bryce. Jason loved hunting and fishing with his lifelong friend, Dilan, with whom he formed Fully Flocked, a goose hunting guide service. Jason loved bowling, and was thrilled to travel to Las Vegas in 2017 with his family and lifelong friend Adam to bowl in the USBC Nationals.
Jason was born on Christmas Eve 1995, and thoroughly enjoyed celebrating his birthday with the Christmas holiday. He was a 2014 graduate of Avon Grove High School and a 2015 graduate of the nursing program at TCHS in New London. His interest in nursing started with a lifethreatening illness in November of 2011, when he was 15. He was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia and received a bone marrow transplant at A. I. DuPont hospital after completing a grueling series of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. He fought valiantly through this illness while receiving school instruction in the hospital, then later at home, due to his need to be protected from exposure to infections. He was able to return to school and was eventually hired as a nursing assistant at A.I. DuPont, where he was loved by the young patients and staff. He was hired as a corrections officer at Chester County Prison in July of 2018, and quickly became a respected and admired member of the staff. He was training to apply for a position on the prison CERT team at the time of his death.
Jason was athletic his entire life, playing Little League baseball for Avon Grove, and later football in middle and high school, prior to his illness. He worked hard and was able to return to the football team in his senior year.
Jason was preceded in death by his grandparents and his cousin, Edward Wooding. He is survived by his parents; brother; nephew; and many cousins, aunts and uncles.
MYRANELLE MARY SHEETS
Myranelle Mary Sheets, 94, of Oxford, passed away on Sept. 14 at Ware Presbyterian Village in Oxford.
She was the wife of the late Arthur Jack Sheets. Born in Chilhowie, Va., she was the daughter of the late John Henry and Mattie Belle Richardson Roland. Myranelle was employed as a seamstress at Bainbridge Naval Base in Port Deposit, Md.; Tiddies Sewing Factory of Quarryville; and West Grove Knitting Mill, where she retired in 1985. She was a farmer in Nottingham. She was a member of Nottingham Missionary Baptist Church. Myranelle enjoyed sewing, crocheting afghans and gardening.
She is survived by three daughters, Linda Sheets of Allentown, Anna Faye Miller (Raymond) of Rising Sun, Md., and Beverly Sheets of Nottingham; one son, Timothy J. Sheets of Nottingham; three grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one sister, Mabel Phipps; and one brother, Harold Roland. She was preceded in death by a grandson, Timothy Sheets II.
A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 18 at Nottingham Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery (303 W. Christine Rd., Nottingham). In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Willow Tree Hospice, 616 E Cypress St., Kennett Square, PA 19348. Visit www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.
AARON M. SHOOP
Aaron M. Shoop, 84, of Lincoln University, passed away on Sept. 10 at Twin Pines Health Care Center in West Grove. He was the husband of the late Clarabell J. Thompson Shoop. He was the son of the late Ira and Anna Frame Shoop. He served in the U.S. National Guard. Aaron retired from Super Fresh in Oxford after many years of service. Aaron lived in Lincoln University most of his life. He was a 50-year member of Ocklokonee Tribe No. 212 I.O.R.M., and Past Great Sachem of Pennsylvania. He was a longtime bingo caller at the Red Men Hall in Oxford. He was a hard worker and enjoyed gardening.
He is survived by one daughter, Judy L. Shoop of Downingtown; three grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and two brothers, Ben Shoop (Shirley) of Delaware, and Clyde Shoop (Catherine) of Oxford. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Patty A. Sheets. A graveside Red Men service will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 21 at Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery (3815 Newark Rd., Oxford). Family and friends may visit from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. (86 Pine St., Oxford). A Red Men service will be held at 7 p.m. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.
Obituary submissions
The Chester County Press publishes obituaries, free of charge, for those with a connection to southern Chester County. Obituaries appear on the Wednesday after they are received, space permitting. They also are posted on www.chestercounty. com. Photos should be sent as .jpg attachments to the obituary text. To submit an obituary to the Chester County Press , email the information to: jchambless@ chestercounty.com.
YOLANDA D’AMICO FIDANZA
Yolanda D’Amico Fidanza, 90, of Avondale, passed away on Sept. 12 at Jenner’s Pond in West Grove. She was the wife of the late Alexander “Sunday” Fidanza, who passed away in 1980, and with whom she shared 30 years of marriage. Born in Prescott, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Angela Carulli D’Amico. She retired from Hercules in 1994, and was tax collector for New Garden Township from 1982 to 2005.
She is survived by four children, Barbara Fidanza Martz of Cochranville, Alexander “Sonny” Fidanza, Jr. of Avondale, Karen Fidanza Schwartz of Newark, Del., and Steven Fidanza of Avondale; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Alexander “Alex” Fidanza; two brothers, Alfred “Babe” D’Amico and Anthony “Tony” D’Amico; and two sisters, Jeannette Filiaggi and Edith Ciarrocchi.
A funeral was held Sept. 17. Interment was in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square. To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.
EVERARDO DURAN-TRIGUEROS
Everardo Duran-Trigueros, 60, of Landenberg, passed away on Sept. 8 at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
He was the husband of Graciela Arevalo-Nunez, with whom he shared 38 years of marriage. Born in Yuriria, GTO, Mexico, he was the son of the late Magdaleno Duran and the late Guadalupe Trigueros. He was a member of St. Rocco Catholic Church. Everardo enjoyed dancing, leisure times, and being with his family and friends.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by six daughters, Maria D. Duran of West Grove, Alma R. Duran of Oxford, Graciela Duran of Landenberg, Cecilia Duran of Landenberg, Alexis Duran of Landenberg, and Monica Duran of West Grove; eight brothers, Jose Luis Duran of Kennett Square, Roberto Duran of Landenberg, Cesario Duran of Florida, Leonel Duran of Texas, Miguel Duran of Kennett Square, Juan Duran of Oxford, Antonio Duran of Oxford, and Manuel Duran of Mexico; seven grandchildren; and one great grandchild.
A funeral was held Sept. 13. Burial was in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square. To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.
ASSUNTA TOTO
Assunta Toto, 94, of West Grove, passed away on Sept. 13. She was preceded in death by her husband, Giuseppe Toto, with whom she shared 62 years of marriage. Born in Catignano, Italy, she was the daughter of the late Alessandro and Grazia (Di Lorenzo) Di Zacomo. She was a homemaker and helped maintain the family mushroom business.
Assunta is survived by her children, Maria Drumheller (Don), Remo Toto (Diane), Luigi Toto (Michele), Justin Toto ( Mary), Nancy Austin (Lewis), and Rosalia Di Benedetto; 14 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Amalia. She was preceded in death by two sons (Gino and Gabriele Toto) and a grandson. (Eric Toto). She was also preceded in death by her seven siblings, all of Italy. Friends and family are invited to attend Assunta’s visitation on Sept. 20 from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. at Assumption BVM Church (300 State Rd., West Grove). Her funeral Mass will be immediately following the visitation. In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to Ware Presbyterian Village, 7 East Locust Street, Oxford, PA 19363, Attn: Employee Fund. To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.
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The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently announced that 22 Unionville High School students have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. This is the largest group of semifinalists to be recognized at the school.
“We are so proud of the 22 students who have been recognized as National Merit Semifinalists,” said Jimmy Conley, UHS principal.
“Through their efforts over the past four years, these young men and women have distinguished themselves as leaders in the classroom, as well as in all facets of life at Unionville High School. These talented 22 seniors are a great example of the kind, hard-working, and
Unionville High School celebrates National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
dedicated young people which comprise the Class of 2020.”
Approximately 16,000 Semifinalists were named in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. More than 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a
National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships in which
students are entered by taking the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT) - one that serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year.
Finalists typically represent 1 percent of the total initial entrants and are chosen based on their test scores, academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, and honors and awards received.
This year’s honorees are: Lyndsey Barrett
Rachel
Kennett defeats Unionville, 27-13, behind Cox’s rushing
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
The campuses of Kennett and Unionville high schools are separated by a distance of about three miles – a six-minute drive through the borough -- but for their respective football programs in recent seasons, it is a separation measured in light years.
From the time Kennett reinstituted football in 2005, the Blue Demons had accumulated a zero and 14 record against their crosstown rivals, and while the Indians have been racking up Ches-Mont divisional championships and postseason berths, Kennett has often been relegated to the role of “also-ran” and “spoiler.” In short, they have been known as the other football team in town.
All of that ended last Friday night in spectacular fashion, as the Blue Demons beat Unionville, 27-13, on Unionville’s home field, giving Kennett a 4-0 start on the 2019 season and a firstplace position in the ChesMont American division.
“This win is going down in the history of Kennett
football,” said second-year head coach Lance Frazier, moments after the school’s raucous student section stormed the opposing team’s field in victory. “You want your players to believe in themselves, and then you begin to see them believe that you believe in them … and then anything becomes possible.”
Kennett’s victory came
with heaping portions of sound defense, a nearly impenetrable offensive line, and the punishing work of running back Garrett Cox, who rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns.
After a 33-yard field goal by Stefan Twombly staked Unionville to an early 3-0 lead with 5:55 left in the first quarter, Kennett tied the score 3-3 on a 34-yard field goal by Ryan Barker with 2:35 left in the quarter thanks to three Cox runs, including a 48-yard scamper.
On its next possession, Unionville started from its own 36-yard line, and moved to midfield on a strike from quarterback Blake Charlton to Declan Boyle. A 21-yard pass to Connor Schilling moved the ball to Kennett’s 24-yard line, but two penalties called back completions to Bryce
Whitlock and Boyle. A pass to Boyle got the ball to the 13-yard line, but a fumble on the next snap was recovered by Kennett’s Tommy Patrisi.
On Kennett’s third play from scrimmage, a pass from quarterback Sam Forte was picked off by Sean Kelly, which set up a go-ahead, 27-yard field goal by Twombly with 3:22 left in the first half. With 1:22 left in the half, however, Cox put Kennett on top 10-6 with a 54-yard touchdown run that saw him sprint up the sideline virtually untouched – wrapping up his 127-yard rushing effort in the first half. While the overflow crowd was just settling into their seats for the start of the second half, Charlton broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run with ten minutes left in the third quarter, giving
Unionville its last lead of the night, 13-10. On Kennett’s next drive, Forte moved his team from its own 37-yard line to the Unionville 37-yard line, a drive that ended with Cox’s 36-yard touchdown run up the middle with 8:27 left in the third quarter, giving Kennett a 17-13 lead. With 24 seconds left in the quarter, a 22-yard field goal by Barker extended the Blue Demons’ lead to 20-13. On the ensuing kickoff to begin the fourth quarter, Schilling set up the Indians with a 59-yard return, but on fourth and eleven on Kennett’s 29-yard line, Charlton was tackled by Kennett’s Zack Good for a loss, which promptly – and ironically -led to a 79-yard touchdown strike from Forte to a wideopen Good with 8:37 left in the game, to round out the
game’s scoring and secure Kennett’s victory.
Frazier gave credit to his team’s offensive line for their work in helping to free Forte and create holes for Cox to use. “He’s about what every great athlete is about,” Frazier said of Cox. “With the best athletes, nobody sees what they go through in the preparation they put in before they hit the field. He cares enough about the game that he will never disrespect the game.”
Kennett will carry its undefeated record into its Homecoming game against winless Sun Valley on Sept. 20, while 2-2 Unionville hosts 2-1 Coatesville on Sept. 20.
To email Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.
Unionville quarterback Blake Charlton rushed for a 51-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Second-year head coach Lance Frazier has led the Blue Demons to an undefeated start to the 2019 season, which will continue on Sept. 20 against Sun Valley as part of the school’s Homecoming activities.
Photos by Richard L. Gaw Led by quarterback Sam Forte and running back Garrett Cox, Kennett engineered a 27-13 victory over their crosstown rival Unionville on Sept. 13.
Sept. 21
Wellness Community Picnic
Penn Township Park will be the site of the 15th annual Health and Wellness Community Picnic on Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date Sept. 22). The free event features free food, children’s activities and games, health screening information and more.
Sept. 21
One-room School
Reunion
The Upper Oxford Oneroom School Biennial Reunion will take place Sept. 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Manor Church (at Street and Faggs Manor roads). Anyone who attended any of the five Upper Oxford one-room schools before 1954 is eligible to attend. Bring a covered dish to share and any memorabilia. There is a history room exhibit on display. To make a reservation, call Kathryn Steele at 610-869-0718.
Sept. 22
Crab Feast
A crab feast hosted by the Oxford Rotary Foundation will be held Sept. 22 from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Wellwood in Charlestown, Md.
There will be all-youcan-eat steamed crabs and shrimp, Maryland crab soup, fried chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad and cole slaw, cookies and brownies.
A cash bar will be available. Tickets are $60 per person in advance, $65 at the door (12 and younger $20). Online tickets are available at oxfordrotaryfoundation.
com. For more information, call Jim McLeod at 610-256-5794.
Sept. 28
Apple Festival
The Oxford Presbyterian Church Apple Festival in Oxford Memorial Park takes place on Sept. 28. The event takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be dozens of vendors, games for children, and entertainment. For more information, visit www. opcapplefestival.org.
Oct. 19
Jenner’s Pond craft show
The annual Arts and Crafts Festival will be held in Jenner’s Pond Retirement Community in Jennersville on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More than 43 artisans will be selling in the interior public areas of the Alison Building (2000 Greenbriar Lane, West Grove). Items include handcrafted jewelry, paintings, home décor, woodcrafts, needlework, Christmas décor, pottery and more. There is also a used book sale and bake sale, as well as prize drawings. All proceeds go to the Jenner’s Pond Benevolent Care Fund. Call 610-620-4325 or 610-345-0377 for more information.
To submit items to the Calendar of Events, e-mail jchambless@ chestercounty.com.
There is no charge. Not every submission can be included. Items should be submitted at least two weeks before the event.
Plantation Field Equestrian Events to honor Unionville equestrian legends
Beginning with renowned three-day eventing rider Bruce Davidson, organizers of the Plantation Field International CCI4-S, being held Sept. 19 to 22, plan to honor exceptional local equestrians at a Sunday brunch during the event.
The brunch, presented by The National Bank of Malvern, will be open to those who already hold a sponsor ticket, or tickets are available for purchase and will take place in the VIP area overlooking the show jumping arena.
With more than 100 years as home to Mr. Stewart’s Cheshire Fox
Hounds, the Unionville area is steeped in equestrian history. It has long been an equestrian destination and home to top riders and trainers from a variety of equine disciplines including eventing, dressage, show jumping, racing and fox hunting.
Two individuals, Ann Hambleton and Lucy Glitters, compiled a list of accomplished members of the Unionville equine community. Each year, someone from this list will be honored at the Plantation Field International. The first recipient will be twotime World Champion, five-time Olympian
and U.S. Eventing Association Hall of Fame legend Bruce Davidson.
Denis Glaccum, president of Plantation Field Equestrian Events, Inc., said, “This list includes 51 appearances in Olympic, Pan American and World Championship competitions by local individuals and their horses. The list continues with 13 champion steeplechase jockeys and two champion steeplechase trainers, and 29 Eclipse awards won by horses training on Unionville hills. The most prestigious timber race in the world, The
Maryland Hunt Cup, has seen 36 winners train in Unionville.” Davidson will be honored during Sunday brunch at the Plantation Field International Three-Day Event on Sept. 22. For more information, email info@plantationfield. com.
Wine fest on Oct. 13
On Oct. 13, more than 1,500 oenophiles will help uncork the cure to cancer as they celebrate the 28th Annual Wine Festival at Historic Dilworthtown. The festival features more than 100 wines, craft beers, food prepared by Montesano Brothers Catering and local food trucks, a silent auction, shopping opportunities in the Gallery of Artisan Vendors, live music by the Vince Brown Band, a performance car show, and more. Proceeds benefit patients of The Abramson Cancer Center at Chester County Hospital and Penn Medicine at Home. The Wine Festival will be held Oct. 13 from noon to 4 p.m. at Historic Dilworthtown (1390 Old Wilmington Pike, West Chester). General admission tickets are $45 until Oct. 5, and $50 afterwards. Visit www.2crushcancer.com or call 610-431-5054.
