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Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 153, No. 42
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
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Former Kennett Meeting reveals new details Township supervisor about possible sale of found stealing Chester Water Authority Water costs for rate-payers in the county could double if the campaign signs Chester Water Authority is sold to Aqua, a for-profit company By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
Former long-time Kennett Township Supervisor Michael Elling was issued a police criminal complaint by township police on Oct. 10 for stealing campaign signs promoting Dr. Richard Leff for his reelection to the township’s board of supervisors. In an affadavit filed by Detective Amanda Wenrich of the township’s police department on Oct. 10, Elling, an 87-year-old resident of Kennett Township, removed four “We Like Leff” campaign signs from the intersection of Bayard and East Hillendale roads in the township on Oct. 4, Continued on Page 2A
By Marcella PeyreFerry Staff Writer
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Former Kennett Township Supervisor Michael Elling was issued a police criminal complaint by the Kennett Township Police Department for stealing campaign signs belonging to Dr. Richard Leff, a candidate for reelection to the township board, on Oct. 10.
At a public meeting on Oct. 10, at the Penn Township building, Francis Catania, solicitor for the board of the Chester Water Authority, gave an update on the possible sale of the authority and the legal issues that are pending. He also highlighted the impact that sale could have on county residents who do not currently get their water from the Authority. The Authority was formed in 1939. It uses water from the
Octoraro Reservoir and the Susquehanna River. Although 79 percent of the Authority’s customers are outside the city of Chester, Chester is represented by three board members, along with three members from Delaware County and three members from Chester County. When Aqua’s first offer to buy the Chester Water Authority came in 2017, the offer was received unsolicited, and the board unanimously rejected it as not in the best interest of the rate payers. Since then, the City of Chester, which has a history of heavy debts, has put up an effort to sell the Authority.
“They believe they can sell us because they incorporated us,” Catania said. “Chester never put any money into us, it was the rate payers. The only money ever used to operate was paid by the rate payers. The Water Authority Board believes it is a trust.” Catania said that in 2018, the Board offered the city $60 million for any interest it may have in the system with the condition that the property go into trust for 40 years. This was rejected. “Aqua filed suit. Chester said they will not accept a settlement Continued on Page 2A
ELECTION 2019 Election Day 2019: Oxford field hockey...9A
Here’s a look at what voters will be deciding when they go to the polls on Nov. 5 By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
Election Day is now less than three weeks away. When voters go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5, they will be making decisions on a variety of county-wide races, including the highly contested race for three seats on the Chester County Board of Looking at the roots of Commissioners, the conthree fairy tales...1B tests to elect a new district attorney and a new sheriff, and several county row
offices. At the local level, there are various school board races as well as contests for seats on borough council. Township residents will be selecting supervisors to fill the seats that are up for election this year, as well as tax collectors and auditors. On Election Day, the polls are open in Pennsylvania from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Republicans still hold an edge in the number of registered voters across the county—148,629 to
138,281 at the time of the Primary Election, but the margin has been narrowing in recent years. In 2018, Democrats made historic gains, winning all the county row offices that were on the ballot that year. Will this be the election when Democrats win two of the seats on the three-person Chester County Board of Commissioners? The Primary Election results suggest that it’s at least possible. During the Primary Election in May, more
Democrats went to the polls than Republicans. There were 30,070 ballots cast on the Democratic side, while Republicans cast 26,272 ballots. Total voter turnout across the county was at 19.60 percent. Democrats turned out at 21.75 percent, while Republicans turned out at 17.68 percent. Many of the races throughout Chester County could be tight enough to be decided based on get-out-the-vote efforts. The Chester County Press
started its election coverage in the Oct. 9 edition, and there are stories about a few contested races in this edition as well. The election coverage will continue in the coming weeks, with a focus on some of the more highly contested races, but for now here’s a quick overview of some of the contests that will be decided by voters on Election Day: In the race for three seats on the Chester County Board of Commissioners, Continued on Page 3A
Library spokesman: New Addiction conference building will pay homage to to offer help, hope and healing local history and culture The average East Marlborough family would pay $72 per year By Chris Barber Correspondent Goddard Park marks 10 years...6B
INDEX Opinion.......................7A Obituaries...................2B Calendar of Events......3B Classifieds..................4B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Kennett Library Board Vice President Jeff Yetter brought plans for a new building project to the East Marlborough Board of Supervisors meeting on Oct. 7. The strategy of the campaign, he said, is to present the proposal to each of the eight municipalities in southern Chester County served by the library, and outline how the board intends to raise the funds for the new building. As he had in previous visits to other townships, Yetter outlined the costs and appealed to East Marlborough to pay its share.
In the case of East Marlborough, he announced the need for an imposition of a dedicated .3 mill tax over a three-year period that would yield a total of $211,147. Over the threeyear period of the tax, it would amount to an average cost of $72.28 per family per year. A mill is a tax of $1 for each $1,000 of assessed property. An alternative, he said, would be for the township to send the money over from its general fund. The new library is destined to be constructed on the lot just west of the Kennett Y in Kennett Square, across Willow Street. Already, he said, some funding and grants
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have been received, and proceeds from the sale of the present building and land on Way’s Lane in Kennett Township will go toward the new building as well. In order to remain qualified for certain grants, construction must begin by next August, he said. Yetter said the new, two-story structure would have areas for movies, meetings and public performances. In contrast to the present location on State Street that has virtually no dedicated parking, the new property would have its own 37-space parking lot. In recognition of the geography of the library’s Continued on Page 2A
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Pastor Dan Nicewonger of First Baptist Church of Kennett Square, together with Andy Rumford and Luis Tovar of Kacie’s Cause, are sponsoring “Help for today...hope for tomorrow,” a three-day conference on Oct. 18 to 20, that will explore the role that faith, hope and love play in recovery from chemical dependency.
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Several months ago, Pastor Dan Nicewonger of First Baptist Church of Kennett Square had lunch at La Verona with Andy
Rumford, the founder of Kacie’s Cause and Luis Tovar, the organization’s president. Also seated at the table was Rev. Donald Coombs Jr., the Director of Continued on Page 5A
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