Oxford Borough to have current borough hall appraised
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
Oxford Borough Council has authorized borough manager Brian Hoover to get an appraisal on the current borough hall at 401 Market Street.
A new borough hall is being constructed as part of the larger parking garage project, and the borough will be moving its offices to the new location sometime early in 2020. At some point, borough officials will need to decide what to do with the cozy but woefully overcrowded building that doesn’t offer much in the way of 21st-century amenities.
At the Oct. 21 council meeting, council member Ron Hershey said that getting an appraisal is a necessary first step in the process of deciding what to do with the borough hall. Council then unanimously authorized Hoover to move forward with the appraisal.
With regard to the parking garage project, Oxford Borough Council approved the payment of $520,959.80 to CPS Construction Group for work related to the construction of the parking garage and borough hall. This is the eighth in a series of payments for the project, which is one of the largest in the borough’s history.
Oxford Borough Council also approved a $59,411.47 agreement with Oxford Union Fire Company No. 1 for services in 2020, as well as a $36,797 agreement with the Oxford Union Fire Company No. 1 Ambulance Division for services for the next year.
Borough council also signed off on allowing Hoover to submit a grant application for $1.3 million in funding from the Multimodal Transportation Fund. The funding would be utilized for infrastructure improvements to Nottingham, Franklin, Garfield, and Broad streets, as well as a portion of South
Street. Hoover said that the borough previously submitted an application for grant funding through PennDOT for this same infrastructure work. The most likely scenario, Hoover said, is for the borough to not receive the full amount of funding through either grant program—but the hope is that between the two grant programs, enough funding will be secured for the borough to proceed with the project.
For the second time in three months, Oxford Borough Council discussed a resolution that would add clarity to how Oxford Borough Council fills a vacancy when a council member resigns. This has been an issue in Oxford Borough since July 15, when council made an appointment to fill a vacancy following the resignation of Phillip Hurtt—and numerous residents subsequently expressed their concerns about the process that was used. Council accepted Hurtt’s resignation
Avon Grove has the lowest per-pupil expenditures in Chester County
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
At the Oct. 24 school board meeting, Avon Grove superintendent Dr. Christopher Marchese reported that the school district now has the lowest per-pupil expenditures in Chester County.
Marchese explained, “Each year during our budget planning meetings, we report to the board about our ranking among Chester County School Districts with regard to per-pupil spending. For the last several years, Avon Grove
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
Public safety, sidewalks, the borough’s debt, and views on economic development were a few of the topics addressed by candidates for Oxford Borough Council during a forum on the Ware Presbyterian Village campus on Oct. 22.
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
The respective campaigns of Republican Michael Noone and Democrat Deb Ryan to become the next District Attorney for Chester County could not have begun any more differently.
When Ryan approached Barnaby’s in West Chester on the cold evening of Feb. 7 to officially announce her candidacy, the only sounds that could be heard were from passing cars on High Street. When she entered the popular hotspot, however, the contrast in sound was immediate and jarring. Ryan was surrounded in every direction by law enforcement officers, elected officials, county executives and general public well-wishers, all of
Six candidates are vying for three seats on council, while two other candidates are running for a twoyear unexpired term
There are six candidates competing for three seats on council, while two other candidates are vying for a two-year unexpired term that opened up in July. No matter how the election on Tuesday, Nov. 5 unfolds, there will be some new faces on borough council starting in 2020. Council vice president Peggy Ann Russell is
for
whom had come to support her efforts to defeat longtime DA Tom Hogan, who was pursuing his third term. While estimates of the crowd size varied, the exact numbers didn’t matter. What did matter was that for many
the only one of three incumbents seeking re-election, as longtime council members Sue Lombardi and John Thompson opted not to run again after 12 and eight years on council, respectively.
The Oct. 22 forum offered the candidates an opportunity to share their visions for Oxford with the community. There are three Republicans running for the three seats on borough council: Mary Lou Baily, Philip Harris, and Michele Rich-Ianieri.
The three Democrats competing for those seats are
Noone and Ryan contend for county’s District Attorney seat
in attendance, this event served as the refueling station for a locomotive that was churning over the county, one that was now ushering Democrats to top positions in county,
Kathryn Goodley Cloyd, Mary Higgins, and Russell.
For the two-year unexpired term, the Republican nominee is Randy Grace, while the Democrat on the ballot is Richard Winchester. All four Democrats in the race have aligned their campaigns under a “Vision for Oxford” banner, while Baily and Harris have linked their campaigns.
The forum, which was moderated by the League of Women Voters of Chester County, started with the candidates taking turns making
Oxford Borough Council candidates take part in forum
two-minute opening statements. Next, the candidates took turns responding to questions that were posed by the moderator, but submitted by audience members, with 90 seconds allotted for each answer. The candidates then made a closing statement to conclude the forum.
The questions focused on the following: the priorities that each candidate would have if they were elected to council; the biggest challenge currently facing the borough; how each candidate
Avon Grove School Board election features contested races in all three regions
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
The upcoming election on Nov. 5 will have a tremendous impact on the future of the Avon Grove School District. There are five school board seats that are up for election in Avon Grove, and a total of eight candidates who are vying to fill those seats—five incumbents and three newcomers who earned a spot on the November ballot by winning the nomination in the Primary Election. At stake is the majority control of a school board that has
been divided, 5-4, on most important issues during the last two years.
In Region I, which is comprised of Franklin Township and London Britain Township, incumbent Charles Beatty is seeking another term on the school board. He is being challenged by Dr. Dorothy Linn, a retired school superintendent.
In Region II, which is comprised of Penn Township, New London Township, and voting district #1 of West Grove Borough, there are three candidates vying for two
Michael Noone, the Republican candidate for Chester County District Attorney, was the keynote speaker at the ceremony to open the new facility
the Southern Chester County Regional Police in September.
Photos by Richard L. Gaw Deb Ryan, the Democratic candidate for Chester County District Attorney, spoke to an enthusiastic gathering at her campaign kick off in February.
Turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday, Nov. 3
on the evening of July 15, and then appointed Randy Grace to fill the vacancy that same evening. Many people in the community felt that it would have been better if the borough notified residents of the vacancy and allowed some time so that others who might be interested in filling the vacancy could apply.
In response to the residents’ concerns, a resolution establishing a rule about how vacancies should be filled has been under consideration by borough officials.
Council vice president Peggy Ann Russell said that the resolution would clarify the need to allow all borough residents to express interest in filling the vacancy before an appointment is made.
The ensuing discussion highlighted some of the unusual circumstances that led borough council to accept a resignation and appoint a replacement in the same evening. Hurtt’s resignation letter came just before the July 4 holiday. The council members were all aware that a vacancy was coming for nearly two weeks before they had their regular meeting to
vote to formally accept the resignation. During that time, a council member reached out to Grace to let him know about the vacancy because he had previously served on council for four years. Having the opportunity to appoint an experienced person to fill the vacancy was sufficient to convince enough council members to make the appointment that same evening.
The quick appointment may have had the unfortunate appearance of backroom cronyism, but Grace pointed out that he is a registered Republican, and the person on borough council who approached him about the vacancy is a Democrat. Politics didn’t factor into the appointment, and neither did cronyism.
Grace said that in the aftermath of the appointment, he was singled out for attacks because of the borough council’s decision. He simply wanted to help out.
“I’ve had my integrity and good name slandered online,” Grace said, adding that he felt like the resolution under consideration was directed toward him. He also said that he felt as if he was left out on an island in the aftermath of the appointment.
“I’m so sorry that you felt that way,” Russell replied earnestly. She added that she worked on council with Grace and knows that he is dedicated to being a good council member.
“There is so much evidence that you love this community,” Russell said.
Council members Sue Lombardi and Ron Hershey both emphasized that while residents can object to the process that was used to fill the vacancy, there was definitely nothing wrong with accepting a resignation and appointing a replacement on the same evening.
“We didn’t do anything wrong. We followed state code,” Hershey said.
“We did not do anything wrong,” Lombardi added. “It may not have been a popular decision. Legally, what we did, we were within our rights to do.”
As the discussion continued, it was noted that the state law allows a borough council to accept a resignation within 45 days of receiving it. Once the resignation is accepted, that starts the 30-day clock to fill the vacancy.
Timing was a major factor in the decision to make an appointment on July 15. In
Jennersville Hospital ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. will be held at
Hartefeld National Golf Club 1 Hartefeld Drive Avondale, PA 19311
the future, armed with the knowledge that the current council members now have, a borough council could delay when they formally accept the resignation as a way of giving people more time to apply to fill a vacancy once it is publicly announced.
It was ultimately decided that a resolution isn’t the best way to proceed since any new resolution can’t include language that would be in conflict with the current state regulations. Borough council was in compliance with state regulations when the vacancy was filled on July 15, so a new resolution would not prevent a similar occurrence from happening again.
In his report to council, police chief Sam Iacono noted that police officer Thomas McFadden has reached 37 years of service time in the Oxford Police Department.
Sue Walker, a district director for U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, made a brief presentation to update Oxford residents about Houlahan’s activities since being elected as the representative in Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District in 2018. The Congressional District includes all of Chester County, the city of Reading and its southeastern suburbs in Berks County.
“Rep. Houlahan takes the
representative title very seriously,” Walker said. “She wants to be a voice for everyone in the district.”
Walker noted that this portion of Chester County, including the Oxford area, had previously been part of a congressional district that was represented by Lloyd Smucker. The boundaries of the 6th Congressional District were redrawn in 2018 to include all of Chester County. When Houlahan took office at the start of 2019, she established new locations for district offices.
Walker explained that one office is located in West Chester at 709 E. Gay Street, Suite 4, while the other office is located in the City of Reading at 815 Washington Street. She said that the offices are staffed during regular hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and there are
extended office hours each Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Walker said that the staff is always willing to schedule a time to discuss any issues that have come up for constituents.
Walker encouraged constituents to visit Houlahan’s website, or to follow the Congresswoman on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and to reach out to one of the offices with any concerns or questions.
So far, Houlahan’s office has been able to clear about 650 cases on behalf of constituents. Houlahan has written letters of support that have helped groups in the district to secure funding— the Brandywine Conservancy and Stroud Water Research are two examples.
Several council members noted that Houlahan has already helped out as the Oxford Area Sewer Authority negotiates with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the status of a loan repayment plan. The Oxford Area Sewer Authority secured funds through the USDA to expand the wastewater treatment plant. The council members expressed their gratitude for Houlahan’s assistance.
To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com.
Photo by Steven Hoffman Oxford Borough Hall
District Attorney...
Continued from Page 1A
regional and national government. Ryan’s kick-off served as the latest whistle stop.
To add even more fuel to the train, shockwaves reverberated throughout Chester County politics when Hogan announced on July 3 that he was stepping away from his campaign for a third term as DA to spend more time with his family.
In direct contrast to the fanfare of Ryan’s announcement, Noone, the second-in-command at the DA’s office for the last seven years, quietly announced his candidacy.
“In life, sometimes opportunities set themselves in unexpected ways, and I view myself as someone who steps up when those opportunities present themselves, whether it’s stepping into a tough case or stepping into the position of District Attorney,” Noone said.
“It is often a natural progression for someone who is essentially the vice president of the department to seek the higher office.”
While the course of their respective political affiliations are different, the campaigns of Ryan and Noone form a slight overlap of similarity. Both enter the DA race with resumes stacked with qualifications and experience: Noone has over 20 years of legal experience, and as Hogan’s second-in-command, he oversees an $8 million budget and an office that handles 7,000 cases a year and works with more than 100 attorneys, detectives and staff. He also serves as the co-chairman of the county’s Overdose Prevention Task Force and Elder Abuse Task Force.
Ryan, currently the county coordinator for the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative at the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, Inc., is campaigning on 15 years of experience as a criminal prosecutor. She began her career as an assistant DA at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and later became Deputy District Attorney for the Chester County DA’s office.
Both Noone and Ryan -who are running their first campaigns -- have also received high praise from local law enforcement groups, who have followed up with endorsements: the Chester County Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 11, has endorsed Ryan, as has former District Attorney Joe Carroll, a Republican.
Noone has received endorsements from the Chester County Police Chiefs Association, the County and State Detectives Association of Pennsylvania, and the International Police Association for Region 13, among others.
While the changing winds of the voting public in Chester County may be on
the back of Ryan’s campaign, there are very few other intangibles in this race that come into play. It frees up Noone and Ryan to put the emphasis of their campaigns solely on the key
ing with the DA’s office, in ways that are innovative,” he said. “We have worked together through effective communications. We have an understanding of who the most likely offenders are,
“Law enforcement is the ultimate team effort and, working together, the police and the DA’s office have been able to drive down the homicide rate in this county, and that is remarkable for a county of over a half million people.”
- Michael Noone, Republican candidate for Chester County District Attorney
issues affecting the future safety of Chester County residents: the rising use of opiates; combating child and elder abuse; enforcing laws that properly prosecute criminals; and removing guns from the hands of the wrong people.
Tackling Rise Opioid Abuse and Child Abuse
When it comes to understanding the growing scourge of opioid abuse in Chester County, very few lawmakers know more than Noone, who has served as the co-chair of the DA’s Overdose Prevention Task Force for the past several years and given more than 100 presentations on behalf of the task force across the county. Last year, the county saw a 22 percent reduction in the number of drug overdose deaths than the previous year, but Noone said that it’s a percentage he said will continue to fall, providing the DA’s office continues to partner with the more than 50 local organizations and agencies it works with.
“We have to approach this from all disciplines – law enforcement, prevention education and health,” he said. “In terms of accidental drug overdose deaths so far this year, we’re about where we were last year, but there is so much work to be done. Every one of those numbers is a human life, who has hopes and dreams and people who love them.
“It helps to educate people as to how we got here, how serious the problem is, and reduce the stigma for people who are struggling. There are about 35,000 people in this county who identify themselves as recovering from substance abuse, and that’s actually a positive message, because people know that they can save their life.”
Noone also noted the efforts made by the District Attorney’s Office to reduce the number of deaths due to gun violence in the county. He said that up until a murder-suicide occurred in London Britain Township recently, there had not been a murder in Chester County in 2019.
“When you look across the county, you begin to see the efforts of the police to prevent crime by work-
For
administration.
“With respect to the child abuse allegations, there is clear evidence that demonstrates we have seen an increase that is unconscionable,” said Ryan. “There has been a neglect in the District Attorney’s Office in taking care of the people who are running that unit, which is in my opinion, the most difficult unit in the entire office.
she will merely keep the seat warm and offer no new initiatives. Noone adamantly rejected the speculation that he is running in order to further Hogan’s objectives.
“I am not a seat-warmer for anyone,” Noone said.
equally regardless of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age or income level,” as stated on her campaign website.
and we are aware of all aspects that contribute to gun violence.
“Law enforcement is the ultimate team effort, and working together, the police and the DA’s office have been able to drive down the homicide rate in this county, and that is remarkable for a county of over a half million people.”
On the issue of combatting child abuse in the county, Noone said that the DA has increased the number of staff in the office’s child abuse unit. It’s a subject he knows very well; in 2012, Noone, serving as first assistant under Hogan, successfully prosecuted the murderer of three-year-old “Scotty” McMillan.
On Feb. 6, 2018, the DA’s Office released a press release that stated that the office’s Child Abuse Unit had handled a record number of child abuse cases in 2017 – rising from 1,681 in 2016 to 1,924 in 2017. To handle the increase case workload, the release stated that the DA’s Office doubled the number of prosecutors and detectives working on child abuse cases, and added staff members to record incoming reports.
“When it comes to child abuse, I have handled some of the worst cases of child abuse as first assistant, and I am committed that as first assistant to make sure that I handle the tough cases in the court room,” he said. “I will do the same as district attorney. It’s a job that you lead by example.”
In the first paragraph of Ryan’s priorities for the office of District Attorney on her website, she is defined as the “Tough, Experienced and Fair District Attorney we need to bring a new era of Smart on Crime criminal justice reform in Chester County.”
In the second paragraph, it reads the following: “Chester County has seen an unacceptable increase in drug overdoses, homicides, suicides and gun violence. Over the last eight years, we have had the highest increase in child abuse allegations in our county’s history.”
In the length of one sentence, Ryan refuted the progress the District Attorney’s Office – and Noone – has claimed to make during the Hogan
“We have neglected an entire child population, and that is unconscionable,” said Ryan, who called for the hiring of more qualified staff and devoting more resources to handle the increased number of child abuse cases.”
While Ryan is running against Noone, a key component of her campaign is directed at Hogan, whom she criticized on several counts, mostly in what she sees as the DA’s efforts to micromanage criminal investigations during the time of Hogan’s tenure, which she said has complicated law enforcement’s ability to do their own job. She called it an example of “grandstanding.”
“I am seeking the office because I want to be the person who is ultimately responsible for law enforcement in this county, work with the local and state police and work with the community, to make sure that Chester County is a safe place to live, work and raise a family.
“It is my name on the ballot, and no one else’s.
I respect Mr. Hogan and the opportunity he has given me, but I am the one who is running for District Attorney.”
Changing Demographics
Whether it is deemed a cloud or a silver lining –a tidal wave change or a temporary aberration -- the changing demographics of Chester County have become a major presence on Chester County politics in the last few years. After
“I respect what law enforcement does. They are out there every day putting their lives on the line to protect us. We need to let them do their job. We are experts in our own areas, and while we need this collaborative effort, we also need to remain in our own lanes.”
- Deb Ryan, Democratic candidate for Chester County District Attorney
‘Fractured Relationships’
“One of the reasons I got involved in this campaign was at the request of law enforcement friends, who are very dissatisfied at the way this office has been run, and they are looking for new leadership,” she said. “There have been fractured relationships with law enforcement over the county [with the District Attorney’s Office] during the eight years Hogan has been in office.
“I respect what law enforcement does,” she said. “They are out there every day putting their lives on the line to protect us. We need to let them do their job. We are experts in our own areas, and while we need this collaborative effort, we also need to remain in our own lanes.”
Ryan links Noone as a coconspirator in the way the DA’s office has been run.
“There have been many instances where Mike could have attempted to prevent some of the things that have happened, or at least expressed his opinion in order to repair these relationships.”
Whether it is real or imagined in politics, there is the long-held myth that believes that when a second-in-command takes over for his or her predecessor, that he or
a 200-year run as the dominant party in the county, the Republicans were soundly defeated in 2017, when four Democrats were elected to county seats. After Ryan Costello decided not to run again for his seat in the U.S. House, Democrat Chrissy Houlahan earned an easy victory in 2018, at the same time Democrat Christina Sappey defeated Republican Eric Roe for a seat in the Pa. State House.
Noone said that he is unfazed by these voting trends.
“I focus on my qualifications and what I can control and what I control is my record and what I bring to this position,” Noone said.
“I am not a politician. I am a prosecutor. The shifting demographics is beyond my control. What I can focus on is my approach to what affects the citizens of this county. It’s not about the politics of that person. It’s about the qualifications, record and experience of what that person will bring to that office.”
If she is elected as District Attorney, Ryan said her main objective will be to bring integrity and transparency to the office, while also repairing relationships with law enforcement. She also said that she wants to ensure that everyone who comes in contact with law enforcement is treated
She also wants to create an office that is more reflective of the changing demographics of the county, and will not allow disparities in the treatment of defendants based on who represents them in court, or their income level.
“I don’t think that office is representing the population well,” she said. “What I hope to do is hire people who are like minded who care about effectuating justice for the right reasons and in the right way, and show a more diverse people who handle these cases.”
While Noone and Ryan are both first-time candidates, it is largely and unofficially assumed that they both have taken on respective roles. Ryan, the Democrat, is seen as the challenger and Noone, the Republican who is second in line to Hogan, is thought of as the incumbent. If Noone has an advantage, it is that he is already familiar with the protocol of the office, and if he is elected as the new District Attorney, he said a changing of departments will not be required.
“If I am elected, I will know what it is like to run that office,” he said. “There will be no learning curve when I take that office.” Noone said that at its core, the Office of the District Attorney has one key mission.
“I like having a job where the only thing you have to focus on is doing the right thing,” he said. “When you are the District Attorney, your focus is on doing the right thing. You get to help victims, and you get to hold people accountable for violating the law and jeopardizing the safety of others.”
Ryan saw her February kick-off campaign in West Chester not only as a moment when she announced her candidacy, but as a tell-tale confirmation that the changes seen in Chester County politics over the past few years have fully taken hold.
“That [event] demonstrated the desire for new leadership in this area,” Ryan said. “I have received a lot of endorsements from a lot of law enforcement agencies, who have been incredibly supportive, and it’s encouraging that they have faith in me, because these are the men and women I have worked with throughout my career, and will continue to work with.”
To learn more about the campaign of Michael Noone, visit www. MikeNoone.com. To learn more about the campaign of Deb Ryan, visit www. debryan4da.com.
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.
would handle disagreements about issues; how each candidate would communicate to residents about borough issues so that the public is informed; and how Oxford Borough can address traffic issues.
Through the opening and closing statements and the responses to questions, the audience learned about each of the candidates.
Here’s a look at what each candidate said (candidates are listed in alphabetical order):
Mary Lou Baily is the Main Street Manager for Oxford Mainstreet, Inc. and is responsible for overseeing all the downtown events. Her duties allow her to work closely with volunteers, business owners, Borough Council, Oxford Police Department, the Union Fire Company, and many others to plan the events. She also currently serves on the borough’s Planning Commission. Baily believes that her experience will benefit her in the role as a borough council member.
She talked about her background and love for the Oxford community. Baily was born and raised in southern Chester County and is a graduate of Avon Grove High School. She earned an architecture degree from Temple University, and moved to Washington D.C. to follow her passion for working for non-profits.
After marrying her husband and having their first son, they rediscovered the joys of life in southern Chester County, and in particular
Election 2019
they fell in love with Oxford.
“We chose to put down our roots here in Oxford,” Baily said.
She said that one of her priorities as a council member would be to ensure that the streets and neighborhoods remain safe. She would encourage neighborhood developments, perhaps through the Elm Street program, which promotes neighborhood development similarly to how the main street program promotes the business district.
Baily said that she wants to continue building a business-friendly environment by crafting regulations and communicating a clear process to new businesses. A strong business district will, in turn, reduce the tax burden on all residents by boosting borough revenues.
Baily pointed out that another advantage of focusing commercial and industrial growth in Oxford Borough is that it allows the townships to maintain more open space, which is important to the quality of life of residents because so many people value the rural character of the area.
Kathryn Goodley Cloyd also expressed her enthusiasm for the small-town charm of Oxford.
“I’ve lived in many places, but Oxford is my favorite place,” she said, explaining that she moved to Oxford after serving in the United States Army. Cloyd has been a resident of Oxford Borough for 31 years, and raised her family here.
She was very involved as a volunteer in Oxford schools, and only started thinking about a run for a seat on
Oxford Borough Council after attending a Sidewalk Committee meeting and learning of the plight of homeowners who were faced with replacing sidewalks and curbs within the year. After listening to the residents’ concerns, she was motivated to work on her own to find several grants that provide funds for this type of project.
“I presented my research to council, which ensured that further action would be taken,” Cloyd explained.
“The result is that the borough has submitted a request for $1.8 million in grant money for sidewalks and curbs in the affected area. I pledge to continue to press for grants that will directly help residents.”
Cloyd said that if she is elected, she would work with the other members of borough council to improve the outreach to Oxford residents because the community is strengthened when more citizens are involved in the decision-making process.
She said that when the new borough hall opens, parking should be made free to those wishing to attend council meetings. As a council member, Cloyd said, she would work with the other council members to deliver “careful incremental progress.”
Cloyd identified safety issues and sidewalk improvements as priorities. Speeding in town is always a concern, she said.
Of all the candidates running in this election, the person with the most experience as a council member is Randy Grace. He previously served a four-year term on council, and earlier this year he was appointed to fill a
vacancy. He is seeking to win the seat that has two years left on the unexpired term.
Grace works as a data center operations manager for a company in Exton, and he and his wife, Lori, also own a business, the Maroon Hornet, in downtown Oxford.
Grace talked about his record as a council member, noting that in three out of the four years that he was on council, they were able to adopt a budget without a tax increase. During his time on council, Grace served as the chairman of the Public Works Committee and was a member of the Police and Public Safety Committee. With his previous experience on council, Grace is already very knowledgable about the budget and how it is developed. He is a proponent of revitalization
in the downtown, and as a business owner himself, he understands what the other business owners in town are experiencing.
Grace said that it is important for the borough to continue improving public safety, and he would like to see even more police patrols in the downtown area.
He said that the next council must come together to help make the parking garage a success as a boost for economic development.
“If we don’t do that, we’ll all feel the pain of it,” he said.
Philip Harris is a lifelong resident of the area, who was born in Unionville. He explained that his family extends back six generations in southern Chester County. He works at a wholesale distribution company, and he
explained that one thing he learned from his experience in sales is the importance of building relationships.
Harris said that mounting debt is the biggest challenge that the borough faces, and a balance must be struck between progress and financial responsibility. He pledged to be fiscally conservative in using taxpayer dollars.
Harris said that he would prioritize establishing a capital reserve fund for the parking garage so that money is there for when maintenance costs arise and debt-service payments need to be made. He would also like to see the borough adopt an investor’s package to help streamline the process for people who want to be involved in commercial
Paid for by Friends of Hunter Tower
Mary Lou Baily Michele Rich-IanieriKathryn Goodley Cloyd
Philip Harris
Peggy Ann Russell Mary Higgins
All the Oxford Borough Council candidates can play a part in moving Oxford forward
Kudos to the Oxford Borough Council candidates who took the time to participate in a meet-the-candidates forum last week.
It would have been great for more residents to attend the forum, but for those people who were there, it was an opportunity to learn more about the candidates who want to serve as council members, and the ideas that they have to improve the lives of residents in the borough.
As Philip Harris, one of the candidates, noted, a lot of good ideas were discussed during the forum.
Harris, for example, was right when he said that Oxford needs to be a town of inclusion.
Michele Rich-Ianieri was right when she said that the borough needs to focus on public safety issues, and to do what is necessary to ensure that Oxford is a safe place for children to grow up.
Randy Grace was right when he said that the next Oxford Borough Council needs to work together to ensure that the parking garage project produces the desired result of boosting economic development.
Richard Winchester was right when he talked about the need to take a regional approach to address regional issues like water, sewer, and policing. Cooperation between Oxford Borough and its neighboring municipalities will be very important in the coming years.
Mary Higgins was right when she said that it’s important for borough residents to know that the borough codes will be enforced fairly and equally.
Kathryn Goodley Cloyd was right when she talked about the need to get more people involved with the local government. Oxford is stronger if more people are involved.
Mary Lou Baily was right when she talked about the need to continue to revitalize the business district to ease the tax burden on borough residents and decrease the developmental pressures on neighboring townships.
Peggy Ann Russell was right when she said that a priority should be bringing more “unity” to the “community.”
The election will take place next Tuesday. There will be “winners” and there will be “losers,” but the better result would be for there to be no losers at all. The eight people who took part in the forum, the people who have spent their time and energy campaigning, all care about Oxford, and they have something to give to the community. There is a place for all eight people to serve the borough in some capacity.
Four of the eight candidates will become council members in January. But there are positions on a variety of committees that need to be filled. Volunteers are needed in numerous areas throughout the borough. There are problems to be solved, and all eight of these people can help move Oxford Borough forward.
Linn seeks a seat on Avon Grove School Board
Dear Neighbor,
My name is Dorothy Linn and I am running for School Board Director in the Avon Grove School District (AGSD). I am a 20-year resident and a proud grandmother of four young children who live in the community, two of which are current students in AGSD and two future students.
I have over 30 years of experience in public education, retiring five years ago as Superintendent of a public school district in Delaware consisting of over 10,000 students, 14 schools and a
budget of $200 million. To be effective in this position, I balanced and responded to the complex and diverse needs of students, parents and community stakeholders. The same careful balance and thoughtful responsiveness required for my success as a Superintendent will allow me to effectively serve our community as a school board director. I will bring the skills and experience necessary to help unify our current school board, listen to all voices, and find reasonable ground for compromise. It is essential we maintain the focus of what we as a
community want in a school district and school board. It is critical to be fiscally responsible while planning for what is best for our students, parents and community. Listening to one another and respecting opposing viewpoints, while still working towards a common goal is ultimately what I feel we need to work towards for the benefit of our children and teachers and community.
Letter to the Editor:
We are running for re-election as School Board Directors in the Avon Grove School District, Region III. We have each raised our respective children here, watched them graduate from Avon Grove, and are proud to be residents of this vibrant community. We are committed to Avon Grove students and residents. Our record shows that we support high-quality education for students and respond to the needs of the community. After listening to feedback from local residents, we worked with
administration to reconstitute a volunteer senior tax rebate program, increase communication from the District, and open the high school track to the community.
In April 2018, we were part of the 9-0 unanimous board vote to deliver a fiscally responsible, sustainable solution for our school buildings. This comprehensive plan addresses the continued increases in student enrollment, solves overcrowding, and makes safety a priority with the elimination of all 26 (or more) modular classrooms. Any reversal or pause to this plan (as proposed by our chal-
As a community volunteer and lifetime educator, I will bring a sincere passion to the role of School Board Director. I have seen firsthand how highquality educational experience support students for a lifetime of success.
On Nov. 5, I ask for your support and your vote.
I encourage community members to vote based upon a candidate’s qualifications, experience, abilities and values. It is essential to put aside partisan politics when it comes to school board elections. It is important to model to our students how adults can find commonality and maintain the health of our community when making decisions for their education.
Dorothy Linn, Ed.D
Wolff and Engel seek re-election to Avon Grove School Board
lenger) will result in the loss of the millions of taxpayer dollars already invested and put our students’ education at a disadvantage.
Based on our qualifications, experience, and demonstrated impact, we are asking for your vote. In addition to currently serving on the Avon Grove School Board, we have a combined 58 years of experience working with and in schools.
Bonnie is a former elementary and special education teacher, active Girl Scout & Boy Scout volunteer and the Chester County Intermediate Unit Board President. Herman is a current middle school teacher in the Kennett Consolidated School District, husband to an Avon Grove teacher, and teaches English language skills to students in China during the summer. As committed volunteers, and lifelong educators, we bring the needed experience and vision to the Avon Grove School Board. On Nov. 5, vote for Bonnie Wolff and Herman Engel.
Excellent public schools will benefit the entire community
In Avon Grove, support Dorothy Linn on Election Day
Letter to the Editor:
I overheard a fellow retiree recently bemoan school taxes since his children are grown. I see public education, and the costs, as probably the best investment I can make for my future well-being, as well as the future of my family regardless of the age of my children. Of course, many studies have proven a strong causation, and not just a correlation between strong public schools and property values. When I sell my house in the future to downsize, I want to make as much as possible on the sale.
Christina Fanning is the right choice for the Avon Grove School Board
Letter to the Editor:
In the 20 years I have known Christina Fanning, I have always found her to be practical, engaging, a great listener as well as a great problem-solver. She is a very successful biopharmaceutical account manager for a global scientific company and her role is to build strong relationships, gain consensus where all viewpoints are considered and solve complex problems within realistic timelines and budgets. For these reasons, I fully support her to be elected to the Avon Grove School Board for Region III. Christina is supportive of building the new high school and will work to ensure the high school and middle school projects are completed within the budget. She is also extremely supportive of ensuring proper funding for our teachers and the supplies
they need. She will be an advocate for member voices in the community, including retirees and seniors. What she opposes is the divisiveness on the school board where the current fivemember liberal majority of Billig, Lisi, Wood, Wolff and Engel acts as a rubber stamp for the administration. The mentality is, if taxes aren’t raised to the maximum allowed under ACT 1, then “money is being left on the table.”
Christina rejects this philosophy and will fight to protect our hard-earned dollars. She opposes enacting additional earned income taxes as well. She consciously has decided not to have a site on social media due to the vicious nature of the trolls spreading false information. If you disagree with the current majority, you are attacked. We all know it.
Instead, Christina prefers to simply have in-person conversations. She is incredibly responsive and is more than willing to discuss your questions and concerns. Please reach out to her at Christina. Fanning2019@gmail.com. The stakes for the Avon Grove School Board could not be higher in this election. Endless maximum tax increases, including new proposed earned-income taxes, will be our future if we do not elect responsible members who prioritize the true needs of the school district with respect to what we, as taxpayers, can reasonably afford. For Region III, Christina’s opponents are running as a liberal package deal. Please consider your vote carefully and select only one candidate for Region III: Christina Fanning.
Matt Franklin London Grove
I strongly believe that Dorothy Linn, the candidate for the Avon Grove School Board in Region 1, is best prepared to deliver on excellent public education.
Dorothy Linn has the educational experience and training to provide child in the Avon Grove School District with a great education. She also has the fiscal experience to deliver strong public education in a cost-efficient manner understanding the situation of retirees, grandparents, parents, and students. Her opponent, Charlie
But excellent public schools benefit me in many other ways. Education of the entire community is the best path for a strong economy, not just locally, but throughout the country. I look to today’s Avon Grove students to become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and innovators. Many will become technicians and trades craftsman that I rely upon for plumbing, HVAC, electrical and automotive work. And of course, I desperately need health care professionals and scientists to improve the quality of my life today and down the road as well as providing for my family and future generations. All these people require an excellent elementary and secondary education.
Beatty, follows the teachings of people like Teri Adams of the Independence Hall Tea Party who states “our ultimate goal is to shut down public education.” I want, need, and demand an educated community delivered through strong public schools. And I fully understand the significant return on value from investing in public education. Indeed, there are few investments that would make such a positive impact on my quality of life. Dorothy Linn is the person to deliver that value.
Bob Weidenmuller Landenberg
Former supervisor who should know better
Letter to the Editor:
Campaign season is upon us once again. Many thanks to the Chester County Press for publishing a wide range of letters last week, and continuing to do so during the week prior to Election Day. Unfortunately, one of the letters that was published last week contained false information. The author, Nan Latimer, who is a former Franklin Township Supervisor, should have known better. In her letter, Ms. Latimer stated that the current board “Rolled out the
Letter to the Editor: I LIKE LEFF. I have been a volunteer for Kennett Township committees going back more than 20 years. Six years ago, Rich Leff became a Township Supervisor. I like Rich Leff because he’s cost
red carpet for a hostile mushroom expansion.” Nothing could be further from the truth, and Nan knows it! When presented with the plans for the mushroom expansion, all five members of the board voted “no.” The mushroom company went to the Pennsylvania attorney general, who declared that the township ordinance was in violation of the state constitution, and that if the township did not correct its ordinance as stipulated by the attorney general then the state of Pennsylvania would sue the township. The board had no
conscious, he’s data driven, and he uses sound judgement. He’s all business and no drama, and I like that. I am voting for Rich Leff on November 5, and you should too.
choice but to comply with the attorney general’s mandate. Nan also suggests that the current board supports “cheap over-development.” Nan is well aware that this is false as well. Not one single new development has been added to Franklin Township in the six years that I have been on the board. In fact, additional land in Franklin Township has been preserved during that six-year period, bringing the total of preserved land to 34 percent, which is above the Chester County target of 30 percent. The current board has been working very hard to keep Franklin clean and pristine. Franklin Township voters should feel proud and confident in keeping the current board’s responsible, law-abiding approach to governing intact, by voting for David Snyder and Brent Van Lith to fill the seats on the board for the next six years.
Bonnie Wolff and Herman Engel Avon Grove School Board Region III
Joe Duffy Kennett Township
David Paul Snyder Franklin Township
Experience matters
Letter to the Editor:
My name is Jeff Billig. My running mate Tracy Lisi and I are running for re-election to the Avon Grove School Board.
At our last school board meeting, a resident made a public comment about being tired of all the division associated with this election. This is something we can all agree with. It’s time to end the negativity, raise the discourse and unite the community. And if a community can’t unite over our children’s education then what will it unite over? Tracy and I have relentlessly delivered you the facts about our school district for months now. It’s why we’ve been saying the truth matters. As we look ahead, it’s time to remember there is so much more that unites us than divides us. It’s time to focus on the positive experiences that make us Avon Grove.
On the day of the primary election in May, when I walked down stairs to leave very early that morning, I saw a picture board prepared by my wife and daughter the night before. It was accompanied by a simple note – Dad, this is your resume for school board! On that board was a visual of my life and a humbling reminder of my positive experiences in Avon Grove as a husband, father, coach, volunteer and advocate. It’s these experiences that make me qualified to continue serving this community as a school board member.
In 2019, I’ll celebrate 36 years since my wife and I went on our first date, 30 years in the working world, 27 years of marriage, 22 years as a parent, 18 years as a resident and tax payer in the Avon Grove School District and four years since my wife was declared cancer-free. There’s a lot of life experience gained from these events. That experience matters! Our experience matters!
For Tracy and me, serving on the school board is another of those life experiences. It’s been rewarding, difficult and most humbling. We’ve learned to appreciate more than ever that there are no easy answers and no simple fixes. We’ve learned to make the best decisions we can make while balancing the needs of all the people we represent.
Making decisions about spending our tax dollars, educating our kids and laying the foundation for the future of our community is a huge responsibility. We’ve heard repeatedly
this past year, I just don’t know who to trust. That’s understandable when the boundaries of truth have been stretched to limits like we’ve never seen from websites, social media, blogs and the list goes on.
We’re asking you to trust us. We’re asking you to trust our experience. We’re asking you to trust your interactions with us. After all, we’ve knocked on your doors, been invited in to your homes, answered your questions, changed some of your minds and agreed to disagree with others – and we’ve done these things respectfully and truthfully. We’ve made ourselves available to the community, made a case for what we believe in, why we think it makes sense and how it will impact you. We’ve said repeatedly, if you don’t vote for us after you have all the facts, we can live with that. What we can’t live with is not voting for us because you have the wrong information.
Like all of you reading this letter, Tracy and I are trying to pay our bills, raise our kids to be good adults, take care of our families, save for retirement, do our fair share and be good citizens. Ask yourself this question, why would we support a financial plan of the school district that takes more money out of our wallets if we didn’t believe that plan was the most fiscally responsible way to deliver a quality education for years to come? The answer is, we wouldn’t! No reasonable person would. The decisions made in the school district in the next four years will shape the educational and financial trajectory of this community for a generation. Don’t buy in to guess work, give in to blame or accept fear in our community. Follow the facts. Trust in the rigor of a good process. Trust your judgement when looking at our experience and ability to guide this school district forward.
Please envision my resume so wonderfully laid out for me by my family in May as the foundation that forms your decision on election day. Please trust our experience as the basis for being good stewards of your family’s education and your money. Please vote for Jeff Billig and Tracy Lisi on Nov. 5.
Respectfully.
Jeff Billig Avon Grove School District Region 2
Letter to the Editor
Attempt to take over the Chester Water Authority is profit-motivated
Letter to the Editor:
As we wait for the Chester County Commissioners to fill the vacancy on the Chester Water Authority (CWA) Board, we can assume the appointment will come with continued suspicion of Aqua’s influence. There were numerous lawyers in the Delaware County court room last week representing the City of Chester and Aqua, trying to convince the judge to remove his injunction so the City could proceed with the sale of the assets of the CWA to Aqua. It is difficult to imagine how a financially distressed city can afford to pay for thousands of hours of legal services to help Aqua achieve their goal of
taking over the CWA. Maybe the City doesn’t have to pay these legal bills.
Aqua’s May 8, 2017, unsolicited offer to the CWA included a “Government Stakeholder Benefit: The City of Chester and both Chester and Delaware Counties would benefit from this transaction in the following way(s): …A sale would provide the City and the Counties with a meaningful share of net proceeds…” But here we are today, with legal actions from the City and Aqua that would give all of the proceeds to the City, instead of proportionately to all three jurisdictions. Yet, our Chester County Commissioners have not taken a legal position to
defend the autonomy of the CWA, a fiscally responsible local municipal water authority that has provided safe drinking water for generations of citizens throughout southern Chester County, Delaware County, and the City of Chester. Maybe our Commissioners see a benefit to Aqua’s success in these legal actions. We have repeatedly asked Governor Tom Wolf to explain why he supports the legal position of his Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Act 47 consultants who have paved an unprecedented path that would allow the City to sell the assets of the CWA. This legal position was memorial-
ized in a letter dated May 23, 2017, from the Act 47 hired law firm of NcNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, and is now playing out in the Delaware County courts, but Governor Wolf has yet to provide us with an acceptable response. Maybe the Governor doesn’t have a good response. If your readers care about the profit-motivated attempts to take over the CWA, a trusted custodian and protector of these local natural resources, maybe they can get answers from our Chester County Commissioners: 610-3446100 or from Governor Wolf: 717-787-2500.
Blair Fleischmann Oxford
‘Record is clear,’ candidates says
Letter to the Editor:
The following letter by Hunter Tower, a candidate for Kennett Township Supervisor, is in response to his opponent Dr. Richard’s Leff’s letter that appeared in the Oct. 23 edition of the Chester County Press In Leff’s letter, he criticized Tower’s response the an article that appeared
in the Oct. 15 edition of the Press, detailing the theft of four of Leff’s campaign signs by former township supervisor Michael Elling. The record is clear. I sent out exactly how I felt about this ordeal right after I heard about it and the fact that we had no previous knowledge and no connection to this whatsoever. It’s a shame Richard Leff and his cam-
paign have to run a smear campaign to win votes, when in fact he let fraud occur under his watch for which there is now a criminal investigation AND also raised our property taxes by 475 percent WITHOUT letting Township residents know about the planned tax increase in advance.
If that’s Richard Leff’s view of “full transparency,”
it’s an insult to hard working taxpayers. I am fully dedicated to transparency – and reducing the unfair tax burden imposed on residents by Richard Leff -- and I ask for your support on Nov. 5.
Former District Attorney endorses Ryan
Letter to the Editor:
On Nov. 5, Chester County voters will elect a District Attorney. I know from having held that office for 10 years the power and responsibility that goes with the position. As the chief law enforcement officer of the county, the DA can help keep our citizens safe and bring comfort to the victims of crime. But mistakes, poor working relationships with law enforcement agencies, a callous attitude towards victims, premature press conferences, and decisions based on personal or political consequences can unfairly and irreparably damage lives.
I also know the qualifications of both candidates, having hired and reviewed the performance of both while they worked as assistant district attorneys for me. I also have the benefit of hearing from many of my friends in law enforcement about the perfor-
mance of the candidates since I left office.
Based on that knowledge of the office and the candidates I strongly urge voters to elect Deb Ryan as our next District Attorney. I note that the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, Chester County FOP Lodge 11, State Police FOP Lodge 66 (Chester County) and the East Whiteland Police Association are among the many endorsements Ms. Ryan has received as well.
We need a new culture in the District Attorney’s Office, something only Deb Ryan can provide. Ms. Ryan recognizes that becoming the chief law enforcement officer of the county makes her a servant, not a king; and that the power she controls as District Attorney belongs to the people she serves. She won’t hold press conferences that potentially damage investigations, taint trials, or ruin the reputations of innocent people. She won’t
consider the potential personal or political consequences of the decisions she makes or use her office for self-promotion. She will hold all criminals accountable but be ethical and even-handed every step of the way. She will repair damaged relationships with law enforcement agencies, pursuing the shared goals of public safety and justice with no concern about who gets the credit. She will treat crime victims with the compassion and support they deserve. And she will hire, train and lead a staff that abides by the same standards. I trusted Ms. Ryan’s judgment when she worked for me, and my successor did as well: he promoted her to supervisor of the Child Abuse Unit and named her Prosecutor of the Year. With 15 years of experience as an assistant district attorney, she has a proven record – recognized by colleagues, police officers and victims – as an excellent trial
lawyer and tough prosecutor. She has obtained stiff penalties for those who deserve them and can distinguish between those who will always pose a danger and should be confined as long as the law allows, and those who can be rehabilitated through our treatment courts and other sentencing options. She has an intuitive understanding of what victim/ survivors need, and the ability to teach that skill to others. Tough, smart, ethical and compassionate is a great combination. It’s why I was always proud to have her represent me in the courtroom. It’s why she earned the police endorsements I mentioned earlier. Now, she should be the leader. She’s earned it. Vote Deb Ryan for District Attorney.
Joseph W. Carroll Chester County District Attorney January 15, 2002 – January 2, 2012
Support Van Lith and Snyder on Election Day
Letter to the Editor:
My name is Brent Van Lith and I am running for the Board of Supervisors in Franklin Township. I have worked with the current board of supervisors and the township staff for the past four years as a member of the township Planning Commission. I have found the staff and the board of supervisors to be friendly, kind, helpful, hard working, and dedicated to keeping Franklin Township running smoothly. Joan McVaugh, Jeffrey Eastburn, Sharon Norris and Jeff Vogels do a tremendous job for the residents of the township.
During my career as a civil engineer, I have designed, constructed, maintained and administered roadway and building contracts. When looking at a roadway program it’s important to take a risk management approach in order to make the most of the dollars available. I plan to take this same approach with issues facing the township
to ensure that the township responsibly spends your tax dollars to maintain our roads, provide emergency services, improve traffic safety and manage land development. I have found some interesting similarities among the opinions of my election opponents. The chant is “Comprehensive Plan must be revised,” “Rolled out the red carpet to Gourmet” and “No more secrets and open up the government.” First, the comprehensive plan was last revised in 2009 and work to update it has begun. The first goal laid out in the plan is growth management and states: “Manage growth in Franklin Township to ensure that natural and historic resources are preserved to the maximum extent possible.” The entire comprehensive plan follows from there with the second section being “rural character and rural landscape.”
Anyone wanting to change the comprehensive plan must therefore not want to manage
growth and preserve the rural character and rural landscape of Franklin Township. It is also interesting to note that 34 percent of the township has already been preserved, which is above the Chester County target of 30 percent. Next, “rolled out the red carpet to gourmet” is simply not true. The current board did not roll out any red carpet. I know this first hand as a member of the planning commission. The issue with Gourmet’s Delight Mushroom Company lasted a long time and was forced to a conclusion by the Attorney General of Pennsylvania who stated that the township ordinance that was being used to stop Gourmet was “illegal discrimination” and that if the ordinance wasn’t corrected, the State of Pennsylvania would sue the township. At this point, anyone wanting to continue to fight would have to fight the state of Pennsylvania and spend untold amounts of money to come to the same conclu-
sion. The fact that Franklin Township did not spend that money shows how the current board is not careless with taxpayer money.
Lastly, “no more secrets and open government” is what the township had to battle years ago when another supervisor was in charge. Lucky for the residents, he resigned from the board shortly after
being re-elected, and he only served nine months of his six-year term. This past supervisor blasts out e-mails regularly making claims that are unfounded, easily researched, and easily dismissed. They seem to come from a man who has dedicated his time to trashing good people. Interestingly, that man is the first name on the comprehensive plan that he complains about. He is the one who wrote the plan that he says needs to be rewritten. Please vote on Nov. 5 for David Snyder and Brent Van Lith for the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors so that we can add to the list of accomplishments already achieved by the current board and township staff.
Letter to the Editor:
First, I want to thank all my supporters that have elected me as your Avon Grove school director for two terms. I am honored to have served you for these past 8 years. Many have stated that if I am re-elected, I will vote to kill the facilities project and cost taxpayers millions of dollars and months of time in wasted design and planning.
This is not true. I voted for this project along with all the other board members. We need to execute it in a way that sets the proper educational priorities using the funds available. I know my supporters will look at my record and know that I have worked hard for strong schools by advocating for best practices along with fiscal restraint here in Avon Grove. If I have the honor of being re-elected, I will
Hunter Tower
Candidate for Kennett
Township Supervisor
An op-ed by Josh Maxwell and Marian Moskowitz
“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink,” forebodes The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. What Coleridge suggests is that despite being surrounded by abundance, many times people cannot benefit from it. We’d like to expand that idea and suggest it includes that despite being surrounded by abundance, people have no voice in how that abundance is used.
One example of this in Chester County also ironically involves water—the Chester Water Authority (CWA), a municipal authority organization dating back to 1866 that serves public water to 200,000 people in Chester County, Delaware County and the City of Chester.
Right now, we are in the
Letter to the Editor:
middle of a battle. It is a battle over who has control over the water and whose voices will be heard. A private company, Aqua PA, Inc,. wants to purchase CWA. Sadly, this sale does not have any benefit to the residents but does present possible disastrous drawbacks.
In September, we had the opportunity to visit the Chester Water Authority’s water treatment plant to learn more about this important public authority’s processes. What struck us was the deep concern, great knowledge, and outstanding professionalism of the management and staff of CWA. Their ultimate goal is to provide quality water at a fair price to residents—not to provide profits to shareholders. CWA water mostly comes from the Octoraro Creek, which
feeds the Octoraro Reservoir in Chester County, and some from the Susquehanna River. In addition to clean, quality drinking water, CWA owns and maintains 2,000 acres surrounding the two billiongallon Octoraro Reservoir. It is a beautiful, natural open space that is home to wildlife, such as bald eagles and herons. CWA even works with the PA Game Commission to offer turkey hunting. From fishing to hiking, most of the lands are open to the public for enjoyment and recreation. There is a very real fear that if Aqua PA buys CWA, they will be able to sell the preserved land for development both residential and commercial, and residents will no longer be able to use the land for recreational purposes.
Aqua PA has a history of buying local water authorities across Pennsylvania, and they are infamous for buying high and passing on the price to residents by sometimes doubling their water rates. In May 2017, Aqua PA made an unsolicited offer to buy CWA. In a unanimous decision by the CWA board, this offer was rejected.
Any sale is decided by CWA’s nine-person board comprised of three people appointed by the Chester County Commissioners, three people appointed by the Delaware County Commissioners and three people appointed by the City of Chester. Currently, there is a vacancy on the board for one of Chester County’s seats. Many of the Chester County municipalities affected
by CWA, including Oxford borough, Penn Township, Lower Oxford Township, East Nottingham Township, West Nottingham Township and others have sent letters to the commissioners requesting that they appoint board members that will oppose the sale of CWA. According to transcripts of phone messages by former Chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party (and former Chairman of the Chester County Republican Party), Val DiGiorgio, the Republican party was in full support of the sale and tried to influence CWA board votes to make sure it went through (transcripts and audio available on chesterwater.com). Thankfully, the ethics of the CWA board members prevented that from happening in 2017.
If the CWA board approves the sale, we believe residents are likely to see rate hikes and possibly the loss of access to the Octoraro Reservoir for recreation. That would be detrimental to Chester County families. These sentiments were echoed at the Penn Township Supervisors’ Town Hall on Oct. 10. Residents and local government officials alike were very concerned that their voices were not being heard.
As Chester County Commissioners, we will do everything in our power to stop the sale of CWA. If not already done, will appoint board members to Chester County board positions on CWA who would reject the sale. As your Chester County Commissioners, your voices will always come first.
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, get out and vote
Throughout my years as a student in Avon Grove School District, I have been taught to get involved, and to be an active member of our community. Over the years, I have sought many ways to give back to my community, including volunteering for different community events. My experience in Avon Grove is why I am running for a seat on the school board. I want to give back to the wonderful school district that nurtured me as a student. During the primary, I made statements that were critical of the current facilities plan. I believe, like many in our community, that the total cost of this plan would be too much
of a financial burden for many in our community. The magnitude of this financial burden continues to concern me, and I wish the board at that time had spent more time evaluating the “renovate and expand” option. We are past that; the cost of turning back is too great now. The best we can hope for now is to elect school board directors that can better balance the needs of students and teachers with the wants of the school administration and try and minimize the tax burden associated with those decisions. We have a school administration that continues to propose ideas that are not actual needs of the students and teachers, e.g. an Early Learning Center, a Community Health Center,
a Field House, and a duplicate competition Stadium. The Community Health Center has finally been removed from the plans, but the other items are still on the list as options that if not built as part of the current project will likely be built in the future. Converting the current Middle school to a new District Office is also being discussed as a future project. I have been criticized by my opponents and their supporters regarding this position change, and they continue to assert that the current facilities plan will be rolled back unless they are elected. This is not true, and the negativity that is created from this positioning of “us vs. them” is tearing our community apart. I would think
that voters would appreciate my open mindedness and my willingness to listen to the residents and rethink my position, so it aligns with the reality of what is happening now. I know that this is a quality that I look for in my elected officials. I would like to add that I am completely shocked by how some in our community have acted. Over the past several months, I have been constantly bullied on social media and have had private pictures taken from my personal Facebook page and disseminated through various parent networks. I have even been harassed at my place of employment. Making fun of my appearance, criticizing my limited life experience, and mocking what
I do for a living is not how I would expect adults to act. How would you feel if your 23-year-old son or daughter tried to get more involved in the community, ran for a local office, and was exposed to this kind of harassment? We need to set a better example for our children. We need to show them that we will support them when they choose to get involved, not tear them down.
The biggest difference between me and my opponents is the following: Do you want the school district to continue to tax the community to the maximum allowed under the Act 1 index and build a budget based on the maximum amount of money available from taxpayers and then identify ways to spend it (Tax to the max), or do you want to make a budget based on the true needs of the school district and them manage taxes to deliver that amount of money? There is a huge difference between those two philosophies, and I am committed to finding a balance that works for everyone in our community. Thank you and please vote for Charlie Beatty (Region I), Mark Stewart (Region II), and Christina Fanning (Region III), on Nov. 5.
Respectfully, Mark E. Stewart Jr Candidate for Avon Grove School Board Region II
Four candidates seek seats on Franklin Board of Supervisors
By John Chambless Staff Writer
Two seats are up for election in Franklin Township, where Democrats David Gerstenhaber and Mary McVeigh, and Republicans David Snyder and Brent Van Lith, are vying for positions on the Board of Supervisors.
Three members of the current board endorsed Snyder and Van Lith in a recent letter to township residents. “We strongly endorse David P. Snyder for re-election as a Franklin Township Supervisor, and Brent Van Lith for election to the Board of Supervisors,” read the message signed by current supervisors John Auerbach, Donna Dea and Steffen Torres. “We have worked with David and Brent over the past three to six years on many complex issues, and find them both to be extremely competent, efficient, effective, and easy to work with. They each exhibit a unique set of skills that provide a major benefit to Franklin Township.”
In campaign literature, Snyder and Van Lith summarized their qualifications:
David P. Snyder (Repu blican). Since moving to Southern Chester County in
2000, Snyder has been involved with helping local schools and keeping townships looking their best. In 2013, he was elected to the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors, where he still serves. While on the board, he has supported projects that repair and/ or reconstruct multiple key roadways in the township, including the widening and the addition of striping and safety upgrades to many of these roads. He supported the construction of the salt shed at the township building to better manage winter storms, and the enactment of a volunteer service tax credit. This was accomplished without a tax increase. He is seeking a second term to continue keeping taxes low while maximizing the life of local roads. He has been living in Franklin Chase for the last 12 years with his wife, Patricia, and their two boys.
Brent Van Lith (Repu blican). A licensed profes sional engineer, Van Lith has had a 23-year career in civil engineering. With more than 20 years in road design and construction, he has the experience to maximize the life of township roads and buildings. He has managed projects that have exceeded $40
million. He has served the township by volunteering his time and acting as a Planning Commission member. He has also worked on improving township ordinances. Because he has worked on land development projects in multiple municipalities, he understands how ordinances should work together to provide fair and common sense practices. He has lived in Franklin Township for seven years with his wife, Nadia, and their two children.
In text outlining their platform, Snyder and Van Lith wrote, “Dave and Brent are both fiscally conservative. They believe in low taxes and small government. They also believe that the primary function of local government should focus on the core functions of the township: Road maintenance, emergency service, traffic safety, and land development/zoning. They both share a deepseated belief that just as families must live within a reasonable budget, so must our government. Dave and Brent believe firmly that government should be as transparent as possible. If elected, they are committed to promoting government transparency in Franklin Township.”
In statements sent to the Chester County Press the two Democratic candidates summarized their platform:
I’m running for supervisor because we need to better manage the tax burden on our township, preserve our rural character, and develop a strategy for the future via a “Comprehensive Plan.” Taxes, by far, are the biggest issue in Franklin Township. And our current board majority is making decisions that are going to impact our already significant tax burden. Most offensive is our board majority’s decision to roll out the red carpet for Gourmet’s Delight and their planned five-acre compost facility in Franklin Township. Not only has the board majority chosen the hostile position against Franklin Township residents, in favor of a London Grovebased business, but they are planning, at taxpayer expense, road work to facilitate the high volume of truck traffic around the facility.
One of the best, low-cost ways to keep taxes from growing is managing development. Managed development and maintaining our open space means less wear and tear on our infrastructure, less congestion on our roads, and less stress on
our schools. Whether it’s by standing up to hostile encroachment from business like Gourmet’s Delight, enforcing our zoning, or holding developers accountable, we can reduce the longterm tax burden on our residents.
Finally, we can’t make effective, strategic decisions unless we create a new comprehensive plan for Franklin Township. This plan should be drafted with input from residents, and we should commit to updating it every ten years at minimum. Our current outdated plan from 2006, developed during the housing boom, would have allowed for one thousand extra homes in Franklin and doubled the size of the township. Our board majority has decided it is not necessary to replace a plan which didn’t work back then and doesn’t work now. I disagree.
Mary McVeigh (Dem ocrat). I have lived in Franklin Township for over 30 years. I raised my kids here, I managed my business here, and I retired here. I’m running for township supervisor because I am concerned about the board’s growing lack of transparency and lack of communication with our residents.
Residents I have
spoken with do not know that the current board majority dramatically diminished our park fund by redirecting $170,000 per year in cell phone monopole revenue to the general fund. They don’t realize the impact sales of large parcels of land like Chisel Creek golf course could have on our community. Our residents also don’t know that some of our home owners are facing a 25 percent reduction in property value because of direct decisions our board majority has made. Our current board majority, however, sees open communication as an unnecessary step. They feel that they know what is best for us. I support making it easier for our township residents to get the information they need. We should livestream all township meetings, and distribute complete and detailed information before those meetings. We also need a township newsletter that fosters community awareness and offers all that residents need to know in one place: community news, events, issue information, budget summaries, and meeting minutes. Franklin is a township with so much potential, and I look forward to working with my neighbors to make Franklin an even more beautiful and dynamic place to live.
David Gerstenhaber
(Democrat).
Election 2019
In Penn Township, three supervisor candidates vying for two seats on board
By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Staff Writer
There are three candidates running for two spots on the five-member Penn Township Board of Supervisors.
At the top of the ballot is democrat Victor Mantegna, a current board member who has served three, six-year terms, and has been vice-chairman of the board for nearly three years. Before becoming a supervisor, he was a planning commission member for three years, serving as vice chairman and then chairman.
“The reason I got involved is that my wife Lisa and I were starting a family and I was taught as a child to give back to the community,” Mantegna said. “I started attending meetings as the only person in the audience. That was when it was a three-member board.”
After he became a supervisor, Mantegna approached the work diligently.
“I liked it,” he explained, “and I understand it well. I prepare myself, I read the documents before the meetings.”
Mantegna has worked for the Avon Grove School District for the past 22 years as an electrician. The potential construction of a new high school in the township is a major concern for area residents.
“It is definitely not a conflict. I know what is expected as a Pennsylvania township supervisor, guided by the municipal planning code, and I know it very well,” Mantegna said. “What helps is my 18-plus years of experience knowing the law, knowing the ordinances, knowing the subdivision, and knowing the limitations of a supervisor. I will make sure if this comes to fruition, the new school is safe, is built correctly, does not negatively impact traffic, does not negatively impact close neighbors, and is good for our students for many, many years.”
There are several other issues that are coming up in Penn Township’s immediate future.
“Fixing the intersection, that was only phase 1,” Mantegna explained. “We’re still working on the Red Rose Inn to turn that into a quasi-township museum, the new active recreation park on the other side of the bypass, then we have Big Elk coming in, and that’s another 55-andolder community. We’re fighting the hostile takeover of Chester Water, because that is going to impact many, many people in our township. All of our age-restricted communities have to be on public water, which means Aqua - they will not be able to afford these types of increases.”
The majority of the Penn Township Board is typically Republican, but Mantegna does not see party politics as a major factor in his work as supervisor.
“At this level in a township, party should not have anything to do with it. You’re here to serve the township, and care for the health, safety and welfare of all the residents. The party really shouldn’t have anything to do with it at this level,” Mantegna said.
Mantegna’s running mate is Republican Laura Sperratore. Sperratore said, “I don’t consider myself very political. I’m registered as a Republican. I own a business down in Delaware County and Victor and I have known each other for quite a few years. I’ve been coming to the meetings for many, many years and for me it’s not about politics—it’s
about getting the work done, coming together regardless of what your political party is, and finding the best solutions for the community.”
A ten-year resident of the township, Sperratore operates a fuel and HVAC business with her husband. This is her first bid for an elected position.
“I’ve been active in the community, active at all the events and just wanted to give back to the community,” she said. “I’m a meeting maker, I’m involved, and I’ve stayed involved. You come here, you almost always see me.”
There are several upcoming township issues Sperratore would like to address. “I think, obviously, we really need to support our residents with the whole Aqua issue. There’s work to be done with the intersection, and this new park which happens to be right outside my community. I’m pretty excited about that,” she said. “We might be able to do more around emergency services in the area since there are so many age-restricted communities.”
Sperratore believes she has many assets she can bring to the position of supervisor. “I build relationships, I’m a great problem-solver. I’ve worked with many types of organizations and worked with people across many socio-economic groups,” she said. “I love Penn Township, I love the fact I’m kind of secluded where I’m at, but I’m close to several great restaurants, Longwood Gardens, Lancaster, yet I’m still close to getting to work. I have all the amenities right here.”
Another feature Sperratore brings to the table is youth. If elected she would be the youngest member of the board.
“I think it’s important for the township to have a succession plan. They’re not old, but we are getting older. We need to have people in place who are learning how to run the township effectively and keep it as it is right now, and keep it growing in the right direction, and the only way to really do that is to start training new people. I do that in my professional life,” she said.
The second democrat on the ballot is Ronald Hill. Originally from Arizona, Hill has been a resident of Penn Township since 2011.
An engineer, Hill moved east for work, and found Penn Township to fit the needs for his family. “We found a school district that’s great in Avon Grove, the taxes are low here, and we found a large piece of land,” he said.
Hill was appointed to a fouryear term on the township’s Planning Commission that concluded in early 2018. He was then elected to a position as Inspector of Elections.
While on the planning commission, he suggested the design of the Dunkin’ Donuts building be changed from the original submission. “I had seen there were other designs
that fit better with the character of the township,” he said. Hill also helped with revisions to the zoning ordinance, including regulations for ham radio operators in the township. “It was going to be an issue for those using antennas. Keep it maintained, people don’t want to see a billion cell towers all over the place, yet we don’t want to restrict the rights of homeowners,” he said.
“One of the other things that is going to come up quickly is the plan for the new high school. “Being an engineer, I’d be reviewing the details to make sure it makes sense,” Hill said. “I think it’s important that we build a new high school, but it’s also important that we make the high school last. We don’t want to see the district have to come back in 10 or 20 years and say either we undersized the high school or the building is falling apart because the land wasn’t suitable.”
Hill added, “My primary goal is to help finish the park off Route 1. I was on the Planning Commission when we made that purchase and unfortunately the board hasn’t gotten through the stages to get the park up and running. I would like to see that happen.”
On several occasions the board of supervisors has said that they want to be able to build the new park through grant funding. “Obviously, we would like to see that be the primary source of funding, but I’m willing to spend some of the money in the Penn Township coffers in order to generate a park we should be able to bring revenue into the township with,” Hill said.
Hill is also supporting Chester Water Authority in its efforts to avoid being taken over by forprofit company Aqua. “If the water and sewer are taken over and we are forced onto municipal (systems) then we would lose that freedom.”
Although he is a registered Democrat, Hill does not see party affiliation as a major issue. “At the municipal level there’s really nothing,” he said. “Here, we’re concerned about the residents. We’re not concerned about the labels.” Hill points to his planning commission experience as just one of the assets he brings to the job. “I’m the kind of person who gets into the details,” he said. “As an engineer, that’s something you have to do— pay attention to the details. I am somebody who works hard. I’m somebody who chose Penn Township. I love it here and I’ve worked with the board previously in my role on the Planning Commission. I know the folks here so I’m excited to help serve the residents.”
A common thread among all candidates is the recommendation for all residents to come out to vote.
“Local elections are sometimes decided by one vote, so it’s very important to come out and vote,” Sperratore said.
Courtesy photo
Three candidates are vying for two seats in Penn Township. Victor Mantegna, a democrat, is running with Laura Sperratore, a republican. Ronald Hill, a democrat, is in the race as well.
Election 2019
School Board...
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seats. School board president Tracy Lisi and school board member Jeffrey Billig are both seeking a second term on the board, while Mark Stewart Jr., the Republican nominee, is hoping to join the board for the first time.
There are three candidates vying for two seats that are up for election in Region III. Two longtime incumbents, Herman Engel and Bonnie Wolff, have linked their campaigns as they seek reelection, while Christina Fanning is hoping to
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ranked 11 out of 12
Chester County school districts in this category. This is a data point that the administration and Board is proud of because it speaks to our responsible approach in delivering education to our students. I would like to share that Avon Grove School District now is the lowest of all Chester County School Districts in per-pupil expenditures. Why is this important?
Because this data point shows the hard work of the administration in bringing forth an educational plan that is fiscally responsible. Avon Grove has invested properly in our students to ensure that a high-quality educational program is available for them year after year.”
unseat one of the incumbents. Region III includes London Grove Township, Avondale Borough, and Voting District #2 of West Grove Borough. With contested races in all three regions, the Primary Election in May provided some clarity, as one candidate from Region II failed to earn a spot on the November ballot. Additionally, Lisi and Wolff, who had both crossfiled, managed to secure the nominations on both the republican and democratic side. This means that on Nov. 5, they will receive a vote whenever anyone in their respective
He added, “When the district is frequently critiqued for its spending and millage increases, one must pause and understand that despite those increases, we continue to do it at a low cost, and now that cost is lowest in our county.”
Avon Grove’s per-pupil expenditures are $15,368 per student, slightly less than the Oxford Area School District’s per-pupil expenditures of $15,687 annually. Great Valley, which has the highest perpupil expenditures among Chester County schools, spends about $8,000 more per student.
This is based on Annual Financial Report (AFR) data compiled by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The figures are from the 2017-2018 fiscal year, which is the most recent data that is currently available.
regions casts a straightparty vote for Democrats or Republicans. One reason that the Avon Grove School Board races are so hotly contested is the ongoing process of designing and planning for the construction of a new high school—the largest project in school district history. Avon Grove is far along in the planning process, and has invested a lot of time and money—millions of dollars—to reach this point.
To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty. com.
In the past, Marchese has often talked about how Avon Grove ranks in the top half of county school districts when it comes to student performance, but in the bottom half when it comes to perpupil expenditures.
“I would like to thank our board members who support the Avon Grove School District and continue to stand behind the educational plan for the district. I would like to thank our parents and our community who are partners with us. I would like to thank our CFO Dan Carsley and his business office team for their excellent management of our operations. I would like to thank our administrators, faculty and staff for their day-to-day effort in making Avon Grove the best it can be for the students we serve.”
Avon Grove...
East Marlborough board readies for three-seat election
By Chris Barber Correspondent
The ballot on Nov. 5 in East Marlborough includes four candidates for two seats that have expired, and one for an unexpired term. A township supervisor’s term is six years.
In the case of the unexpired term, people who have been chosen by boards for those positions must run and be elected in the next election to maintain their seats. In contention for the concluding terms of John Sarro and Richard “Buzz” Hannum are Republicans Sarro and Shelley Mincer, and Democrats Robert Jerger and Eric Matuszak. Sarro is the current chairman of the board, and Hannum has declined to run for another term.
Incumbent Republican Bruce Jameson will face Democrat Kathryn Monahan for Jameson’s unexpired term.
The candidates are uniformly concerned about growth. East Marlborough, once a quiet country municipality, has become a popular destination for residential and business growth. The issues that accompany that growth and their solutions concern many, including the candidates.
Democrat Jerger, 35, lives in the southeastern section of the township and is a business owner. He said he considered responsible land development and preservation of natural resources to be an important issue. “The continued growth in the township will increase its population very quickly,” he said. “We need to look at our place in the region and form a plan to manage our part of the region’s growth, so our township’s resources and natural
landscape is not overwhelmed.”
Dialogue and bipartisanship are also important to him. “We are all here, alive and working together,” Jerger said.
Democrat Matuszak, 57, of Longwood Village, is a sales support specialist for a wine importer and distributor. He said he values managing residential and commercial growth to ensure the quality of life and the integrity of the township’s roads and public works. Matuszak is aware of the coming PennDOT improvements to Route 1 and is concerned about the impact on travelers.
“PennDOT will initiate improvements to the Route 1 corridor, and it is my sincere hope that the local leadership will provide the necessary checks and balances to minimize any inconveniences to constituents,” he said. On bipartisanship, he said, “I welcome free exchange of ideas and finding common ground that benefits the whole rather than the few. I understand that bipartisanship thrives on listening and compromise.”
Republican Shelley May Mincer, 66, lives at Traditions at Longwood and is a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Fox and Roach Realtors. She is a lifelong resident of East Marlborough. She has held board positions with the Pennsylvania and Chester County Legal Secretaries associations and the Freedom Valley Girl Scout Council. She currently serves on the East Marlborough Zoning Hearing Board and the building committee for the future Unionville Post Office building. Mincer is concerned about traffic volume, and feels that traffic-calming measures and
safety improvements along Route 82 in front of Unionville High School can help.
Growth is also on her mind. “The township has been actively involved in recent new construction, regulating traffic and obtaining land for future parks and recreation without impacting our taxes – no new taxes,” she said.
She said bipartisanship is important in order to solve problems within the community, and for a better understanding of all issues.
Republican Sarro, 56, lives in Willowdale. He is a semiretired business owner. He said he is committed to keeping the township a desirable and safe place to raise children. He also works to preserve as much open space as possible, to improve safety and reduce congestion on the roads, as well as deliver services while keeping taxes low.
“East Marlborough has become a major cut-through from surrounding areas as the population of Chester County continues to grow,” he said. “We must stay focused on controlling and slowing down traffic. An important project will be a major reconfiguration of Route 82 in front of Unionville High School and Middle School. These improvements will calm traffic and will be funded by a $750,000 grant obtained by the township.
“Bipartisanship is essential to the functioning of our democracy,” he added. “Partisanship should never be a factor in local government.”
Republican incumbent Bruce Jameson, 54, is a corporate lawyer with Prickett Jones and Elliott. He lives in Cedarcroft in Bayard Taylor’s reconstructed
former barn. He said he believes in preserving the rural and historic nature of the township in a responsible way that does not impair residents’ private property rights.
“There are still a fair number of large and small, undeveloped, privately-owned tracts of land in the township. As the owners of those properties age, there will be incentives for them to sell the land to developers who in turn will seek to subdivide, clear-cut and build higher density developments on those properties,” he said.
“The township supervisors and residents demonstrated significant foresight back when they proposed and passed the open space referendum and, as a result, much land is now protected. However, the township now needs to be proactive in identifying remaining properties and
utilizing open-space funds to preserve, to the greatest degree possible, the remaining wooded and farm lands in the township.”
On bipartisanship, Jameson said, “Very few people will agree exclusively with the official platform position of one party or the other on every issue. Reasonable minds can differ on the best way to accomplish jointly held objectives. Given that, bipartisanship in government is necessary in a country of 327 million people, and a township of 7,000.”
“East Marlborough Township is a beautiful and charming community,” she said. “With the recent and planned increase in residential development, it is up to the township supervisors to make sure that growth is accompanied by plans that address the needs and concerns of those township residents most impacted.” Monahan is a strong proponent of bipartisanship.
“In any dispute, my goal is not to impose my point of view, but to collaborate with others to reach an agreement in which everyone’s needs are reasonably well met,” she said. “Taking a position and not be willing to listen to other people’s points of view, or to compromise, makes no sense to me.”
Democrat Kathryn Monahan, 59, of Walnut Walk, is a sales representative for Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson. Citing the growth that has followed approved plans to add about 350 new homes between Route 926 and Route 1, she said the growth will result in a substantial increase in use of the roads. She plans to focus on road improvements to preserve and enhance community quality and safety.
Fitzgerald and Maddox pursue campaigns for county Sheriff
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
The nearly 90 deputies that make up the Chester County Sheriff’s Office provide a substantial level of services, including the apprehension of individuals with outstanding warrants; providing transports to prisoners; providing security for the Chester County Courthouse, the county government building and the building where the county Commissioners are housed; participating in the county’s civil and criminal services process; conducting Sheriff’s sales of real estate property; and appearing regularly at community events – often with the department’s K-9 unit.
for 26 years, where he was involved in counter-terrorism investigations, domestic terrorism, undercover operations and law enforcement activities.
For a decade, he led flanks of Marines. As an FBI agent, he led small and large teams of investigators on cases that also involved anywhere from 20 to hundreds of police departments. Somewhere in between, he spent 15 years as a coach, commissioner and referee with the West Chester United Soccer Club.
kids, and it makes no sense for them to stay.
“Every time they leave, we need to start back at square one.”
For the past two decades, Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh has provided direction for her office in all of these capacities, and when she announced that she would not seek reelection for a sixth term, it opened up an opportunity for several candidates to potentially replace her. As local campaigns wind down to the Nov. 5 election, the names of two candidates – Republican Jim Fitzgerald and Democrat Fredda Maddox – will be listed in voting booths. Recently, the Chester County Press spoke with Fitzgerald and Maddox about their respective campaigns and their aspirations for the job, should they become the next Chester County Sheriff. Jim Fitzgerald, Republican As he entered the race for Chester County Sheriff, Jim Fitzgerald brought with him one of the most diverse and impressive resumes of any candidate in the recent memory of county politics. During a 40-year career, Fitzgerald served active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps for 10 years and was a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
As he moves his campaign forward in the final weeks before the Nov. 5 election, Fitzgerald, now retired from the FBI, sees the position he aims to assume next January as a perfect fit to use his training and experience to achieve the goal of doing the office’s primary job: To keep Chester County safe.
“It’s appropriate for a sheriff to have the most trained people he can have, because the truth is that today’s sheriff is tomorrow’s police officer,” Fitzgerald said. “In many ways, the Sheriff’s Office is contributing to the overall law enforcement effort in the county.”
Achieving that goal, Fitzgerald said, must involve being able to retain Deputy Sheriffs for a long enough period of time so that the department can provide a stable personnel, rather than a revolving door of law enforcement officials. It begins with finding the resources to pay Deputy Sheriffs a competitive salary, he said.
“Deputy Sheriffs are grossly underpaid, which significantly compromises safety and security,” Fitzgerald said. “If we are unwilling to pay reasonable wages, then we will not be able to keep them for long. I can train them and make them very good at what they do, but as soon as they have an opportunity to make twice what they make now, they will leave. They have wives, families and
Fitzgerald said he will also address other top priorities if he’s elected, which will include conducting a review – and possible updating -- of the department’s policies and procedures, “to make sure the department is in compliance with current law, and to ensure to the maximum extent that the department is mitigating risk,” he said. “The goal here will be to contribute collaboratively to the overall law enforcement of the county, without overstepping our bounds and remaining a part of the team.”
Ultimately, he would like to see the county fund the Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit.
“Every police chief I’ve spoken to has sung the praises of the contributions that the dogs make, and most police do not have the manpower or the budget or perhaps the patience of maintaining a K-9 unit,” he said. “It has been my experience that there are a lot of special events that should have our K-9 patrol out there in front of the public.
“The problem is a budgetary challenge – deputy sheriffs aren’t paid to work weekend, and when do most of these events occur? On the weekend.”
If elected, Fitzgerald will enter the office and get an advance information about the operation, and its personnel, but doesn’t advocate an entire top to bottom remake of the department.
“Trying to institute tons of change all at once is not an effective technique and I don’t feel a burning desire to put my mark on the office,” he said. “My job is to conduct the mission of the office.
“The day after the election, I will not work for one party or the other,” he added. “Rather, I will work for the 500,000 people (who live in Chester County). Because I’m not a
politician, I tell people that I don’t want their vote any way I can get. I tell them I want their vote because they have thought about their vote and have determined in their best judgement that I am the most qualified candidate for the job.”
Fredda Maddox, Democrat When West Chester attorney Fredda Maddox ran unsuccessfully to serve on the Court of Common Pleas in 2011, the tenor of county politics at the time was that the Democratic Party hid in the lengthy shadows that the Republican Party in Chester County gave off.
It had been that way for 200 years.
Now, as she campaigns to replace Republican Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh for Chester County Sheriff, she does so on the wings of a changing political tide in the county, one that has shifted dramatically and brought for Democrats to county seats, seen the election of Chrissy Houlahan and Christina Sappey and is now witnessing the formidable campaign of Deb Ryan for District Attorney.
In the remaining days that lead to the Nov. 5 election, Maddox feels the wind blowing in her favor.
“The Democratic Party is completely energized,” she said. “I can certainly see a vast change in energy from 2011 to what I see now. The energy is unreal. I was so used to seeing handfuls of people at Democratic events, and now, they are standing in the hallways.”
It’s not just the changing course of county politics that Maddox sees in her favor. In addition to being a practicing attorney for the past 20 years, she was one of the first women to serve as a Pennsylvania State Trooper in the county, and was
a narcotics agent for the Bureau of Narcotics in the Pa. office of Attorney General, where she also served in the Bureau of Criminal Investigations as a Special Agent.
While the hardened skills Maddox has learned throughout her career in law, criminal investigations and law enforcement will lend themselves to the requirements of county Sheriff, there is another part of the job that has its roots in simple connections.
“Given my background, not only will it be an honor to work with law enforcement, to work with the judges and to make sure that the courthouse continues to safe, I want to use my new position to help dispel the myth that the Sheriff’s Office is about guns and badges,” Maddox said. “I want to expand the Sheriff’s Office to allow for community building, to make visits to nursing homes and schools, as well as to continue to work with law enforcement.”
For Maddox, the challenge of being the county’s new Sheriff will be to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the often underserved communities in the county, many of whom she has represented as a public defender. Maddox sees a major responsibility of the office as beginning conversations that she feels have been muted for too long. In 2016, during a time that saw the deaths of several African-American men at the hands of police in America, she contacted District Attorney Tom Hogan and several other leaders, calling for solutions.
“I said, ‘Let’s get beyond black and blue,” Maddox said. “Black lives matter. Blue lives matter. What can we do to get beyond that? How can we utilize some of the deputies to help mentor young people?”
Beyond her lengthy resume, Maddox is, by her own definition, “a team player and a consensus builder” who said that if elected, she will work as an advocate for all
citizens, especially those who lack access, resources and opportunity.
“You have people of color who are afraid to call the police when crime happens in their community. I tell them the only person you can call is the police,” she said. “I tell them that they need the police, and the police need Latino, black and all people in the community to pick up that phone and tell them what’s going on. That’s the only way we can work together through collaboration to solve crimes. We can’t live in isolation. We all need each other.”
Although she is running as a Democrat, Maddox is running in name only, and that her role as Sheriff will be to serve her department and the community, regardless of party affiliation.
“I am neither red nor blue, but purple,” she said. “It is unfortunate in this country that you have to run under a party. I put people, in many instances, above party. When you wear a law enforcement uniform, you are there to serve the people.” Maddox may be knocking on doors during a different political climate in Chester County, but no matter the shifting of political winds, she is engaged in the process.
“When I was just kicking off my campaign for the Court of County Pleas in 2011, I went to my father and told him that people were telling me that I was a Democrat and this is Chester County, not Philadelphia, and that I have no chance to win,” Maddox said. “He looked at me and said that I may not have a great chance of winning, but the moment I put my hat into this ring, I gave myself a fifty percent chance of winning.
“’Before you ran, you had no chance,’ he told me. ‘You take the chance that you’ve been given, and you give it everything you’ve got.’” To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@ chestercounty.com
Bruce Jameson Eric Matuszak John Sarro
Kathryn Monahan Robert Jerger Shelley Mincer
Jim Fitzgerald
Fredda Maddox
activity in the downtown.
“I also want Oxford to be a town of inclusion,” Harris said, noting that the community is very diverse.
Mary Higgins moved to Oxford four years ago, which gives her a different perspective, she said.
“I see our borough with what I call ‘beginner’s eyes,’” Higgins said, pledging to work to ensure that the local government works for all borough residents.
“I stand for a government that stands for you,” Higgins told the audience. “I promise to be fiscally responsible with your tax dollars.”
Higgins said that her priorities as a council member would be to bring people together in the spirit of cooperation and to have equitable enforcement of the borough codes. Higgins explained that she has heard from some residents who think that the borough codes are not enforced equally, making them feel less important than other residents.
She said that one of her goals is to help strengthen the bonds in the community.
“We need residents and businesses on the same side of the table,” she explained.
Higgins has a background as a Unitarian Universalist minister. Before that, she served as the Ombudsman for the City of Charleston, South Carolina. In that role, she served as the bridge between the city government and the citizens.
Michele Rich-Ianieri said that she never had any aspirations to run for an elected office, but then she did not
like the process that Oxford Borough Council used when making decisions about the parking garage project. She didn’t think council members listened to the concerns of residents, especially when it came to concerns about the costs of the project.
“I’m running because creative budgeting and positive thinking can work, but then someone must be accountable,” she said.
Rich-Ianieri has been a resident of Oxford Borough since 2004, and she works in human resources.
As a council member, she pledged she would support efforts to alleviate the financial burden on residents by being careful with the spending of taxpayer dollars. She would like to increase the productivity of revenue-generating departments in the borough.
She also wants the borough to take steps to address public safety issues, including property crimes.
Rich-Ianieri said that she would like Oxford Borough to utilize methods of communication like text message alerts and email lists, to communicate with borough residents, similar to how the Oxford Area School District does.
Peggy Ann Russell is the vice president of borough council. It’s been a busy four years, and when responding to the question about priorities after serving on council for four years, she said that it’s hard to narrow them down to just three.
Russell said that after some of the divisiveness surrounding the parking garage discussions, it is important to “bring unity back to this community.”
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Russell noted that it was never a goal to run for political office, but she was encouraged to do so by a number of residents, and she launched a write-in campaign during the election four years ago. Now, if she gets re-elected, she will be one of the most experienced members of council.
Russell is retired from Prudential Insurance, where she worked as an agent. She earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from Lincoln University, and a master’s degree in spiritual direction with a post-graduate certificate in pastoral counseling from Neumann University. She moved to Oxford Borough in 1981 and has been involved in a number of different organizations. She is a founding member of ACE Anti-Human Trafficking Alliance of Oxford and has been an associate with the School Sisters of Notre Dame since 1990.
Although she consistently voted against the parking garage project, one of the reasons she wants to serve another term is to ensure that there is some continuity on council so that completion of the project can be handled in the most financially responsible way possible.
Although Russell said that she never intended to enter politics, during her closing statement, she demonstrated some political astuteness by not just talking about herself, but instead focusing her comments on how all four democratic candidates fit together as a team with a vision for the future of Oxford. She promised that the slate of candidates would be ready to hit the ground
running on Jan. 6, 2020, if they win the election and are sworn in that evening.
Dr. Richard Winchester emphasized the need for fiscal responsibility and honest government, which are two of the tenets of the democrats’ platform.
The retired Lincoln University professor decided to run for the two-year unexpired term following Oxford Borough Council’s decision on July 15 to make an appointment to fill a vacancy on the council just an hour after formally accepting the resignation that created the vacancy.
Winchester and his wife Connie moved into Oxford Borough five years ago, but they have strong connections to the community that go back nearly five decades.
Winchester was a history professor and a vice president for academic affairs with Lincoln University between 1961 and 2000.
Winchester said that the next borough council must be financially responsible when making decisions because Oxford is grappling with a number of financial challenges. The expenditures that went into the parking garage project leaves the borough with less financial flexibility.
The Oxford Area Sewer Authority is facing financial issues that could impact the borough and its residents. Water rates are a concern, too, especially if Aqua does eventually purchase the Chester Water Authority. Infrastructure upgrades are needed, too.
“We need to be fiscally responsible. The garage is up now, so we need to pay the bills,” Winchester said.
He added that another priority for borough council must be to work toward improving the safety for pedestrians. Speeding traffic is one concern. Another is that many borough residents walk to the shopping centers on the edge of town.
The lack of sidewalks for a stretch of that area makes the walk unsafe.
Winchester said that some of the issues with the biggest impact on Oxford Borough, such as how to meet the sewer and water needs of the area, or how to best provide police protection to the community, can be addressed with the cooperation of the neighboring municipalities.
“The issues are regional,” Winchester explained, “and we need to think regionally about them.”
He said that improving cooperation between the municipalities would be one of his goals.
“We need their cooperation on a lot of issues,” Winchester said. One illustration would be talking to Lower Oxford Township about installing sidewalks for the stretch of Third Street near the shopping center.
“We also need to regionalize the police,” Winchester said, explaining that the borough has a good police
department. When emergency calls occur, the Oxford Police must respond when the call goes out, even if it’s in Lower Oxford Township or East Nottingham. The borough shoulders the burden for these costs, even though the incidents they are responding to are taking place in a neighboring municipality.
Harris also agreed with the idea of pursuing regional policing as an option. It was just one of several instances in which the candidates agreed with each other on important issues. Higgins even commented at one point about how there is more agreement than disagreement about Oxford’s future.
“I don’t think there is anyone sitting up here today who doesn’t want the town to thrive,” Higgins said.
“We’ve heard some great ideas tonight,” Harris said. “Win or lose, I will support any one of these people. This is about Oxford. Let’s bridge the gaps…and fight for Oxford.”
The forum concluded with a reminder for everyone to go out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor @ chestercounty .com.
Richard Winchester Randy Grace
Oxford Halloween Parade delights the crowd
By Chris Barber Correspondent
Several thousand spectators packed Oxford’s Third Street from one end of town to the other on Thursday evening for a parade that’s the most extravagant of the season. Even before the procession kicked off at the south end of town, chatter was going through the crowd -- “Is Lincoln coming? Are the Jackson scarecrows marching again?”
The answer to both was “yes.”
Spectators took their places three deep along the sidewalk shortly after 6 p.m. As the time grew close, parade co-chairman Jim McLeod looked down at his watch and commented that his events always start on time. At 6:30 p.m. on the dot, the red and blue police car lights started blinking as the parade started moving.
The ideal weather helped prompt the upbeat mood.
Co-chairman Chris Grove said, “How many years has it been since the weather was this good?”
McLeod, who collected the marchers’ applications with Grove ahead of time, said there were 60 floats, bands, company trucks and other marchers already signed up -- and that wasn’t counting the walk-on families and individuals.
The participants brought a varied show which began with Oxford’s Union fire trucks having just returned from covering a fire in Bart Township. Then came the Penn’s Grove Middle School and Oxford High School bands. Several youth dance and dramatic groups made brief stops in front of the reviewing stand to show their talents, and interspersed with them were many families and individuals who dressed up for the walk.
Included prominently -and graciously received by the crowd -- was the large Jackson family, consisting of relatives of all ages dressed as “unscary” scarecrows. The
Unionville Equine veterinary center brought up the rear with a horse, a cow and a goat.
But by far, the star of the show was the Lincoln University Marching Band. The drumbeat and accompanying cheering from the crowd could be heard several blocks away from the reviewing stand as they marched northward. The band stopped at several intervals to present their show, and the crowd greeted the spectacle with their appreciative applause and hoorays.
Dressed in their signature orange and navy uniforms, the Lincoln musicians were full of exuberance. The band was led by its energetic drum major, who was flanked by two banner holders in silver leotards. Throughout their show, they were often airborne and moved in perfect sync.
The marchers were judged by a three-person group on the reviewing stand at Locust Street. These are the winners, as reported by the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce: Best overall: Lincoln University Marching Band
Best floats: 1. Diamond Divas; 2. Oxford Little League; 3. Unionville Equine Best performance: 1. KMC, 2. Oxford Area High School Marching Band; 3. Streetlamp Productions
Best businesses: 1. Sonny Bea’s; 2. Cameron’s Hardware; 3. Linda Ingenthron State Farm Insurance Agent
Best individual group or float: 1. Farmer Jackson; 2. Trash Truck; 3. Cat and Mouse; and 4. Edward Scissorhands.
Photos by Chris Barber
The Lincoln University Marching Band drum major leads his musicians up Third Street.
The Oxford Area High School Band.
La Comunidad Hispana marchers carried giant letters to advertise their health services.
The Jackson Family poses in their scarecrow costumes.
The junior cheerleaders showed their enthusiasm.
The Diamond Divas softball team marched in a variety of themed costumes.
The Oxford Center for Dance had a witch theme.
Unionville Equine veterinary center brought up the rear with a cow, a horse and a goat.
KENNETH
T. O’NEIL
Kenneth Thomas O’Neil, 67, of Nottingham, passed away on Oct. 23 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. He was the husband of Jane Louise Stiefel O’Neil, with whom he shared 38 years of marriage. Born in Patterson, N.J., he was the son of Thomas Edward and Joyce Sibilio O’Neil of Myrtle Beach,
AVONDALE
Avondale Presbyterian Church
420 Pennsylvania Avenue
610.268.2919
www.avondalepc.org
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother 8910 Gap Newport Pike 610.268.0296
www.stgabrielavondalepa.org
KENNETT SQUARE
Bethel AME Church
300 E. Linden Street
610.444.2974
www.bethelameckennsq.org
Bible Evangelical Church of Kennett Square
500 E. Cypress Street
610.467.1081
www.bibleevangelicalchurch.org
Episcopal Church of the Advent
401 N. Union Street
610.444.4624
www.adventks.org
First Baptist Church of Kennett Square
415 W. State Street 610.444.5320
www.firstbaptistkennettsquare.com
Greater Works Ministries 553 Rosedale Road 610.444.5581
www.gwministries.net
Kennett Square Missionary Church 408 Bayard Road 610.444.0867
www.kennettsquarebaptist.com
Kennett Square Presbyterian Church
211 S. Broad Street
610.444.5255
www.pcks.org
New Garden Memorial U.A.M.E
309 E. Linden Street
610.444.3357
www.uamechurch.org
Second Baptist Church of Kennett Square
132 S.
S.C. Ken graduated from Temple University School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia in 1978. He was employed as a pharmacist with Rite Aid for 41 years, most recently in Oxford. He enjoyed fishing and woodworking, and was an avid Eagles and Phillies fan.
He is survived by his wife; parents; two daughters, Jessica Fisher of Utah and Megan O’Neil Galbreath and her husband Jared of Peach Bottom; four grandchildren; three brothers, Wayne O’Neil of Arizona, Scott O’Neil of Virginia and Craig O’Neil of Lampeter; and two sisters, Sulyn Kuykendall of Colorado and Holly O’Neil of Philadelphia.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home Inc. (86 Pine St., Oxford), where friends and family may visit from 1 to 2 p.m. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, PO Box 15120, Chicago, IL 60693. Online condolences may be made at www. elcollinsfuneralhome.com.
MICHAEL W. OKONSKI
Michael William Okonski, 87, of Aston, passed away on Oct. 25 at his daughter’s home in Oxford.
He was the husband of Janet Ann Allen Okonski, with whom he shared 57 years of marriage. Born in Chester, he was the son of the late Michael and Catherine Kish Okonski. He graduated from Chester High School Class of 1950. He was a veteran and engineer of the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War. Michael was employed as a boilermaker with Sun Oil Company, retiring in 1995. He was a member of the Sapphire Club of the Sun Oil Company. He was an avid fisherman and made his own fishing lures. He enjoyed fly fishing, woodworking and the outdoors. He enjoyed watching baseball and football, and was an avid Phillies and Eagles fan.
He is survived by his wife; one daughter, Michele Fleming (Rick) of Oxford; one granddaughter, Juliette Fleming; one sister, Anne Steciw of Chester; and a special nephew, Robert Allen and family of Aston.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Oct. 30 at Sacred Heart Church (203 Church Rd., Oxford), where family and friends may visit from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Interment will be in Lawn Croft Cemetery in Linwood, Pa. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, PO Box 15120, Chicago, IL 60693; or the American Lung Association National Direct Response Headquarters 1200 Hosford Street, Suite 101 Hudson, WI 54016-9316. 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
St.
www.stpatrickkennettsquare.org
Unionville Presbyterian Church 815 Wollaston Road 610.347.2327
www.unionvillepresbyterianchurch.org
Willowdale Chapel 675 Unionville Road 610.444.2670 www.willowdalechapel.org
WEST GROVE and SURROUNDING AREAS
Assumption BVM Church 300 State Road 610.869.2722
www.assumptionbvmwestgrove.org
Avon Grove Church of the Nazarene 240 State Road 610.869.9500 www.avongrove.church
West Grove Presbyterian Church 139 W. Evergreen Street 610.869.9458 www.westgrovepres.org
West Grove United Methodist Church 300 N. Guernsey Road 610.869.9334 www.westgroveumc.org
Willowdale Chapel–Jennersville 111 Vineyard Way, Jennrsville 610.444.2670 www.willowdalechapel.org
Landenberg United Methodist Church 205 Penn Green Road, Landenberg 610.274.8384 www.landenbergchurch.com
Christian Life Center 125 Saginaw Road, New London 610.869.2140 www.CLCFamily.church
New London United Methodist Church 1010 State Road, New London 610.869.8129 www.umc.org
St.
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.
PATRICIA S. ALLEN
Patricia S. “Pat” Allen, 84, formerly of Mt. Gretna, Oxford, and Halifax, Pa., went to be with her Lord and Savior on Oct. 22. Pat was a 1953 graduate of the Cornwall High School. She received her BS in home economics from the University of Delaware and her MS in education from Christopher Newport College. As an Army officer’s wife, Pat lived in many locations, including Rhode Island; Germany; Taiwan; El Paso, Pittsburgh, and Newport News. She taught Sunday school with her husband, Jim, at Sun Valley Baptist Temple in El Paso, Texas. Later, Pat served as administrative assistant for her husband’s insurance company, James R. Allen Agency, in Russellville, Pa. After retirement, Pat lived in Halifax, Pa. She enjoyed visits from family and friends, road trips, church services, television shows, good meals, and her internet radio. Most of all, Pat enjoyed telling others about her Lord Jesus.
Pat was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Katherine Sweigart; and her husband, Lt. Col. James R. Allen, who passed away on their 44th wedding anniversary. She is survived by her three sons, Michael S. and his wife Karen of Mt. Gretna; David W. and his wife Mary-Ann of Richardson, Texas; J. Stephen and his wife Holly of Halifax; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A private burial will be held. Pat will be laid to rest with her husband in Oxford Cemetery. The family would like to express gratitude for the kindness and care given by Kindred Hospice and Healthcare, and to the many friends and loved ones who helped care for Pat in her final years.
PATRICIA AUGUSTINE
Patricia Augustine (nee Kirlin), 82, of Kennett Square, passed away on Oct. 22 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.
She is survived by her adoring husband, Andrew J. Augustine III, with whom she shared 61 years of marriage. Born in 1937 in Philadelphia, Patricia was the daughter of the late John Kirlin and the late Clementine Ferretti Kirlin. She graduated in 1954 from West Catholic Girls High School. She went on to work for the Kennett Consolidated School District, where she was a Teacher’s Aide at Kennett Middle School.
For service information and the full-length obituary, visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.
ANTHONY P. DIMUCCI
Anthony Paul DiMucci, 62, of Newark, Del., passed away on Oct. 21 at home. He was the husband of Sharon Botts DiMucci, with whom he shared 28 years of marriage. Born in Elmer, N.J., he was the son of the late Henry and Clara Morroni DiMucci. Anthony was employed with General Motors Boxwood Plant, Wilmington, Del. He retired in 2008. He was a member of the United Auto Workers Local 435, Wilmington, Del. Anthony enjoyed golf, traveling to Italy, skiing, and was an avid reader. He is survived by his wife; one daughter, Taylor M. DiMucci of Newark, Del.; and one brother, Michael DiMucci of Bridgeton, N.J. A memorial service was held Oct. 29. Interment will be in Oxford Cemetery on Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to The American Cancer Society, PO Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123. Online condolences may be made at www. elcollinsfuneralhome.com.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10
Nov. 2
Oxford food tasting event
Oxford Area High School
(705 Waterway Rd., Oxford)
will host an Oxford food tasting event on Nov. 2. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., and tastings will be offered from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Crafters and vendors will be on hand, and there will be live music. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for ages 4 to 10. The event is sponsored by Shiloh Presbyterian Church. Proceeds benefit the church’s Community Outreach Center programs. For information and tickets, call 610-932-9256.
Nov. 5
Ham supper
The Avon Grove Lions Club will host a ham supper on Nov. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chester County Technical College/High School (280 Pennocks Bridge Rd., West Grove). Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12. Tickets will be available at the door. Takeout orders will be available from 5 to 6 p.m. (containers provided). Proceeds benefit the Lions Club.
Nov. 9
Fall Shred It Day
The Penn Township Building (260 Lewis Road, West Grove) will be the site of a Fall Shred It Day on Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be drop-off stations for paper shredding, electronics recycling and medication disposal. Visit www.penntownship.us for updates.
Nov. 9
Veterans breakfast
The Oxford Senior Center (12 E. Locust St., Oxford) will serve a free breakfast for all veterans and a guest on Nov. 9 from 7 to 10 a.m.
Nov. 11
Veterans Day dinner
Oxford United Methodist Church (Market and Addison streets, Oxford) will hold a Veterans Day roast beef dinner on Nov. 11 at 5:30 p.m. Veterans are free (guests $8). Call for reservations at 610-932-9698 before Nov. 4.
Kennett Flash schedule
The Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square) hosts regional and national artists. Tickets are available in advance at www. kennettflash.org, or at the door. Snacks and beverages are sold, or guests can BYOB. The schedule includes: Lennon Live: John Lennon tribute (Nov. 1, 8 p.m., $20 and $25); open mic with Vassal (Nov. 3, 7 p.m., $5); Sonny Landreth with Cindy Cashdollar (Nov. 8, 8 p.m.); Eric Gales (Nov. 12, 8 p.m., sold out); We Kids Rock Guitar Showcase (Nov. 13, 6:30 p.m., $5); Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys (Nov. 14, 8 p.m., $20 and $24); David Grier with Mark Unruh (Nov. 15, 8 p.m., $25 and $30); Lucy Wainwright Roche with Katie Barbato (Nov. 16, 8 p.m., $25 and
$30); open mic with Scott Birney (Nov. 17, 7 p.m., $5); Albert Castiglia (Nov. 21, 8 p.m., $20); Andrew Lipke and band (Nov. 22, 8 p.m., $20); Live at the Fillmore: Allman Brothers Tribute (Nov. 23, 7 and 9:30 p.m., $35 and $40); The Bryan Tux Complex (Nov. 24, 5 p.m., $15 to $25); The Rock Orchestra performs “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” by Genesis (Nov. 29, 8 p.m., $20 and $25); Livingston Taylor (Nov. 30, 8 p.m., sold out); The Levin Brothers featuring Pete and Tony Levin (Dec. 3, 8 p.m., $35); 3 Stories High reunion show (Dec. 6, 8 p.m., $20 and $25); Nik Everett’s 35th anniversary celebration concert (Dec. 7, 8 p.m., $20); The Suitcase Junket (Dec. 12, 8 p.m., $20 and $25); John Flynn’s holiday benefit for Camp Dreamcatcher (Dec. 13, 8 p.m., $25 and $30).
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.
Help Reins of Life change lives at Nov. 2 benefit
Reins of Life in Landenberg accomplishes plenty of little miracles through its therapeutic horseback riding program, but bringing the joy of riding to people facing life challenges requires plenty of support.
Reins of Life launched its therapeutic riding program in 1993, becoming one of the first of its kind in Chester County. The facility on Crestwood Road in Landenberg serves children and adults with special needs, as well as life challenges. Participants never age out of the riding program.
For 26 years, Reins of Life has worked to achieve physical development, socialization and learning through equine activities and riding, as well as instill a sense of success, confidence and accomplishment in riders. Therapeutic horseback riding is available to children, young adults, and adults with special needs such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida, as well as developmental delays.
Reins of Life also offers riding to children, young adults, and adults who are struggling with life challenges such as grief, depression, trauma or anxiety, as well as those dealing with the loss of a family member, pet, friend, a difficult situation at school, or social skills
Children and adults experience the benefits of equine therapy at Reins of Life in Landenberg.
issues.
There’s also a sibling riding program, in which siblings can experience the thrill of horseback riding together, when other physical activities may not be suitable.
On Nov. 2 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., the community is invited to help support Reins of Life at the 2019 Mane Event, held at Deerfield Country Club in Newark, Del. Tickets include hors d’oeuvres; beer, wine and soft drinks; and a sit-down dinner.
There will be a cash bar for mixed drinks. Pianist Michael Marini will perform, and there will be both live and silent auctions of items and experiences, including a European vacation package. Tickets are $85 per person, or $90 at the door ($160 per couple in advance, and $180 per couple at the door). For tickets and more information, call 610274-3300 or visit www. ReinsofLife.com.
ASK OUR TEAM WHY
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Find out how to keep your heart healthy at one of our free educational seminars. Register today at Brandywine.TowerHealth.org/Seminars or call 610.383.8057
The tribute group Lennon Live, with lead vocalist Scot Michael Arch (above) will be at the Kennett Flash on Nov. 1. Tickets are available at www.kennettflash.org. Advance tickets are $20 and tickets at the door will be $25.
LAW PC, 204 N. Union St., Kennett Square, PA 19348 10p-23-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the
Office within ten (10) days thereafter.
SALE NO. 19-11-561 Writ of Execution No. 2019-04934 DEBT $80,348.79
ALL THAT CERTAIN TRACT OR PIECE OF GROUND SITUATE IN THE TOWNSHIP OF NEW LONDON, COUNTY OF CHESTER AND COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA BOUNDED AND DESCRIBED ACCORDING TO A FINAL SUBDIVISION OF LAND BELONGING TO EDWARD M. LAFFERTY, JR., MADE BY RO-
LAND A. DUNLAP DATED MARCH
7, 1983, LAST REVISED MAY 17, 1983 AND RECORDED IN CHESTER COUNTY AS PLAN # AS FOLLOWS TO WIT:
BEGINNING AT A SPIKE ON THE TITLE LINE IN THE BED OF STATE
ROAD (LR 15008), A CORNER OF LANDS NOW OR LATE OF DONALD KELL; THENCE FROM THE BEGINNING AND EXTENDING ALONG STATE ROAD, NORTH 36 DEGREES 30 MINUTES 00 SECONDS EAST, 199.10 FEET TO A POINT, A CORNER OF LOT #2 ON SAID PLAN; THENCE LEAVING STATE ROAD, CROSSING THE EASTERLY SIDE THEREOF AND EXTENDING ALONG SAID LOT #2, THE THREE (3) FOLLOWING COURSES AND DISTANCES; (1) SOUTH 25 DEGREES 48 MINUTES 00 SECONDS EAST, 428.01 FEET TO A POINT; (2) SOUTH 36 DEGREES 30 MINUTES WEST, 86.66 FEET TO A POINT; AND (3) NORTH 53 DEGREES 30 MINUTES WEST, 80.00 FEET TO A POINT IN LINE OF LANDS OF DONALD KELL, AFORESAID; THENCE EXTENDING ALONG SAID LANDS, THE TWO (2) FOLLOWING COURSES AND DISTANCES; (1) NORTH 36 DEGREES 30 MINUTES 00 SECONDS EAST, 61.59 FEET TO A POINT; AND (2) NORTH 48 DEGREES 44 MINUTES 02 SECONDS WEST, RECROSSING STATE ROAD, 300.00 FEET TO THE FIRST MENTIONED POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING.
TAX PARCEL # 71-1-52.1B
PLANTIFF: Branch Banking and Trust Company VS
DEFENDANT: Jo Anne W. Norris a/k/a Jo Ann W. Norris
SALE ADDRESS: 1121 State Road, Lincoln University, PA 19352
PLANTIFF ATTORNEY: McCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC 215790-1010
N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 4PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 10-30-3t
Sheriff Sale of Real Estate
By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester,
Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribu-
tion on Monday, December 23rd, 2019.
Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.
Sale No. 19-11-563
Writ of Execution No. 2019-04671 DEBT $140,166.56
ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PIECE OF GROUND WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE IN THE TOWNSHIP OF NEW GARDEN, COUNTY OF CHESTER AND COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, BOUNDED AND DESCRIBED ACCORDING TO A FINAL SUBDIVISION PLAN OF PALMERS RUN, MADE FOR LEWIS L. AND FRANCES P. PALMER, BY GEORGE E. REGESTER, JR. & SONS, INC., REGISTERED LAND SURVEYORS, KENNETT SQUARE, PA, DATED 10/19/1982 LAST REVISED 2/2/1983 AND RECORDED AS CHESTER COUNTY PLAN #4275, AS FOLLOWS, TO WIT:
BEGINNING AT AN IRON PIN ON THE TITLE LINE IN THE BED OF PUBLIC ROAD (T-390) KNOWN AS WALNUT RUN ROAD AT THE NORTHWESTERLY CORNER OF THIS ABOUT TO BE DESCRIBED LOT AT THE SOUTHWESTERLY CORNER OF LAND NOW OR LATE OF FRANK S. RZUCIDCO; THENCE EXTENDING ALONG THE SAME CROSSING THE EASTERLY SIDE OF SAID ROAD NORTH 84 DEGREES 52 MINUTES 00 SECONDS EAST, 730.50 FEET TO A POINT AT THE NORTHWESTERLY CORNER OF TRACT #3, AS SHOWN ON SAID PLAN; THENCE EXTENDING ALONG THE SAME SOUTH 05 DEGREES 04 MINUTES 30 SECONDS EAST, 200.00 FEET TO A POINT AT THE NORTHEASTERLY CORNER OF LOT #2, AS SHOWN ON SAID PLAN; THENCE EXTENDING ALONG THE SAME SOUTH 84 DEGREES 52 MINUTES 00 SECONDS WEST, CROSSING THE EASTERLY SIDE OF SAID PUBLIC ROAD T-390, KNOWN AS WALNUT RUN ROAD 730.50 FEET TO A POINT ON THE TITLE LINE IN THE BED OF THE SAME; THENCE EXTENDING ALONG THE SAME NORTH 05 DEGREES 04 MINUTES 30 SECONDS WEST, 200.00 FEET TO THE FIRST MENTIONED POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING.
TAX PARCEL NO. 60-5-96.4
PLANTIFF: NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC D/B/A MR. COOPER VS DEFENDANT: JEFFREY E. HOOPES & TINA M. HOOPES A/K/A TINA HOOPES; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
SALE ADDRESS: 150 Walnut Run Road, Landenberg, PA 19350
PLANTIFF ATTORNEY: RAS CITRON, LLC 855-225-6906
N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 4PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 10-30-3t
Sheriff Sale of Real Estate By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, December 23rd, 2019. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.
SALE NO. 19-11-5 64 Writ of Execution No. 2017-06157
ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or piece of ground situate in the Township of New Garden, County of Chester and State of Pennsylvania bounded and described according to a Plan of “Sherwood Pines” Sections I and II, made by George E. Regester, Jr. and Sons, Inc., Registered Land Surveyors, Kennett Square, PA, dated 4/6/1982 and last revised 7/7/1982 and recorded 12/1/1982 in Chester County Plan No. 4203, as follows, to wit:
BEGINNING at a point on the cul-desac, at the end of Little John Circle, at a corner of Lot No. 19 on said Plan; thence extending from said beginning point along Lot No. 19, South 06 degrees, 50 minutes 33 seconds East, 176.82 feet to a point on the Northerly right of way line of the Route 1 By-pass; thence extending along the same, the two following courses and distances; (1) South 83 degrees 09 minutes 27 seconds West, 115.20 feet to a point and (2) South 89 degrees 29 minutes 00 seconds West, 183.86 feet to a point, a corner of Lot No. 1; thence extending
along the same, North 67 degrees 03 minutes 18 seconds East, 185.75 feet to a point, on the cul-de-sac at the end of Little John Circle, aforesaid; thence extending along the same, the three following courses and distances: (1) on a line curving to the left, having a radius of 50.00 feet, the arc distance of 135.86 feet to a point of reverse curve: (2) on a line curving to the right, having a radius of 25.00 feet, the arc distance of 21.03 feet to a point of tangent and (3) North 66 degrees 00 minutes East, 6.66 feet to the first mentioned point and place of beginning.
BEING Lot #20 on said plan.
BEING Parcel Number: 60-1-37.22/6001-0037.220
PLANTIFF: Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee for Structured Asset Mortgage Investments II Inc., Greenpoint Mortgage Funding Trust 2006-AR3, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-AR3 VS DEFENDANT: Glenn Hall & Joann Hall
SALE ADDRESS: 5 Little John Circle, Avondale, PA 19311
PLANTIFF ATTORNEY: ECKERT SEAMANS CHERIN & MELLOTT, LLC 215-851-8429N.B.
Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 4PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 10-30-3t Sheriff Sale of
Obituaries
JEAN LOUISE FERRONI
Jean Louise Ferroni, of Chatham, passed away on Oct. 25 at her home. She was 94 years old. Born in West Grove, she was the daughter of Horace Melvin Frank and Stella Graham Frank. She was the beloved mother of Faye L. Ferroni, John A. Ferroni and James Ferroni; grandmother of three; and sister of Sonny Frank. She is also survived by many great-grandchildren. A viewing will be from 10 to 11 a.m. with a funeral service at 11 a.m. on Nov. 2 at Chatham United Methodist Church, 3215 Gap Newport Pike, Chatham. Burial will follow the funeral service in Unionville Cemetery. A luncheon will be at the church hall following the cemetery service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Chatham United Methodist Church, or to Unionville Cemetery, P.O. Box 394, Unionville, PA 19375. Visit www.longwoodfuneralhome.com.
RICHARD E. RIBLETT
Richard Edward Riblett of Wilmington, Del., and Kennett Square, passed away peacefully on Oct. 23 at Penn Medicine Hospice in West Chester, PA. He was 76. Richard was a fun-loving and doting father and grandfather. He is survived by his daughter, Ellie (Scott) and his three granddaughters. He is also survived by his beloved fiancé, Pam Jordan and her children Kathy (Scott), David (Susan), Scott (Teresa), Michael (Betsy), and her nine grandchildren. He is also survived by his older sister, Frannie. Richard was born in Beaver Falls, Pa., to Harry Calvin Riblett, Sr., and Anna Allen Riblett in 1943. In 1946, the family moved to Delaware and settled on Riblett Lane. Richard found his love of flying as the son of the owner of Superior Airways Flight School. After beginning his flying career as a helicopter pilot in the National Guard, Richard enjoyed his profession in international corporate aviation. An avid collector of all things automotive, Richard possessed an unwavering interest in mechanical objects, antique tools and restoration projects. He had a fondness for watercraft, stemming from youthful summers spent sailing and waterskiing with his older brothers, sister and their adventuresome friends at their cottage on the Chesapeake Bay. He loved to nourish his loved ones with delicious meals peppered with life lessons about the importance of honesty, unpretentiousness and integrity.
A visitation with the family will be held at 2 p.m., with a memorial service at 3 p.m., on Nov. 2 at Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church (500 McKennans Church Rd., Wilmington, Del.). There will be a reception immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Penn Medicine Hospice at Chester County, 400 East Marshall Street, West Chester, PA 19382; or The Kennett Food Cupboard, 136 W. Cedar Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348. Visit www.longwoodfuneralhome. com.
Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348
with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.
Sale NO. 19-11-576 Writ of Execution No. 2019-05250 DEBT $89,290.89
ALL THAT CERTAIN messuage and lot of land
SITUATE on Maple Alley, In the Borough of Kennett Square, County of Chester, and State of Pennsylvania, bounded and described as follows, to wit:
BEGINNING at a point in the North side of Maple Alley at a corner of lands of Lewis Burwell and the premises herein conveyed; thence along the North side of Maple Alley North sixty-five degrees, East twen ty-six feet eight inches to a corner of land now or late of Charles Giambastiani; thence along said Giambastiani land, North thirteen and one quarter degrees West, twentythree feet to a corner of land of said Charles Giambastiani and other land of M. Emma Taylor, formerly Mary A. Taylor; thence along Taylor land, South seventy-six and three quarters degrees West, twenty-seven feet, six inches to a stake a point of Intersection of other land of Lewis Burwell, and the premises herein conveyed; thence along the said Burwell land, South thirteen and one quarter degrees, East twenty-six feet, three inches to the place of beginning.
CONTAINING six hundred sixty-one and eight tenths square feet, be the same more or less.
UNDER AND SUBJECT TO the same rights, privileges, agreements, rightsof-way, easements, conditions, exceptions, restrictions and reservations as exist by virtue of prior recorded Instruments, plans, Deeds of Conveyance, or visible on ground.
Parcel ID: 0303 00320000
Fee Simple Title Vested in Richard Tackett by deed from Richard Angelo Johnson and Barbara A. Johnson aka Barbara Ann Randolph, dated 9/9/2015, recorded 11/25/2015, in the Chester County Clerk’s Office in Deed Book 9223, Page 262 as Instrument No. 11444830. Note: Barbara A. Johnson, life tenant, joins in conveyance to extinguish her interest.
PLANTIFF: Village Capital & Investment, LLC VS
DEFENDANT: Richard Tackett & Vanessa Tackett
SALE ADDRESS: 407 East Maple
PLANTIFF ATTORNEY: STERN & EISENBERG P.C. 215-572-8111
Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 4PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 10-30-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, December 23rd, 2019. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days therea
Sale No. 11-19-583 Writ of Execution No. 2018-12629 DEBT $133,107.27
ALL THAT CERTAIN lot, piece, or parcel of land situate in the Township of Londonderry, County of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, Bounded and described as follows, viz; Beginning at a post in the public road, a corner of land late of Abraham Chandler; thence by the same south 52 ½ degrees east 17 perches to a post in the public road; thence along the same by land now or late of Ebenezer Booth, South 76 ½ degrees west 21.8 perches to a post in line of land now or late of Joseph Ramsey, and by the same North 26 ½ degrees east 17.4 perches to the place of beginning.
Containing 145 square perches by the same more or less.
Title to said Premises vested in James C. Ayers, Frances R. Ayers and William Riale a/k/a William C. Riale by Deed from Latta E. McClellan and Musetta E. McClellan dated June 28, 1977 and recorded June 30, 1977 in the Chester County Recorder of Deeds in
MARY CAROLINE REED HOPKINS
Mary Caroline Reed Hopkins was born on April 20, 1928 in Boston, Mass., to Virginia Rodman Reed and Frances (Bus) Cables Reed. She passed away on Oct. 18.
She is survived by her children, Randolph Byrd Hopkins of Little Rock Ark., Virginia Laurel Hopkins of Kennett Square, Elizabeth Bond Hopkins Renaghan of North Falmouth, Mass., and Naples, Fla.; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her younger sister, Elizabeth Anne (Betsy) Wilson. She was predeceased by her son, William Reed Hopkins.
Mary attended the Shipley School for Girls in Bryn Mawr, Finch Junior College in Manhattan, and graduated from Smith College in 1951. She married Byrd Hopkins in 1951 while she was in college and he was in the Navy. In Hampden, Mass., Mary was active in the school PTAs and town hall meetings. In the late 1960s, she took a job with the Northern Educational Service (NES) in Springfield, Mass., where she was a counseling coordinator between the public schools and disadvantaged students. A few years later, she was an active protester against the Vietnam War.
Beginning in the early 1960s, Mary regularly attended the Friends’ Conference on Religion and Psychology and studied Jungian psychology. She also became a Quaker, joining the Mount Toby Monthly Meeting. From 1977 to 1981, she worked as a medical social worker for Sacred Heart Hospital in Chester, and in private practice. After leaving the social work profession, she developed a series of slide lectures on female symbols and the lack of a female iconography created by women; she presented these talks in many forums, including Quaker, feminist, and Jungian groups. An active Friend as well as a feminist, Mary was involved in groups which were trying to develop a more woman-centered meeting. Mary’s papers and writings are in the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore Library. A Celebration of Life for Mary under the Care of Kendal Monthly Meeting will be held on Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. in the Kendal Auditorium. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Kendal Reserve Fund. Visit www.longwoodfuneralhome.com.
Legals
Book 51, Page 374.
Tax Parcel # 46-4-16
PLANTIFF: U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, in trust for registered holders of First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust, Mortgage Loan Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2007-FF2 VS DEFENDANT: Mary E. Moore a/k/a Mary E, Blain, known heir of William Riale a/k/a William C. Riale, Deceased, Unknown heirs, successors, assigns and all persons, firms, or associations claiming right, title or interest from or under William Riale a/k/a William C. Riale, Deceased, and Unknown heirs, successors, assigns and all persons, firms, or associations claiming right, title or interest from or under James C. Ayers, Deceased
SALE ADDRESS: 101 Baker Road, Cochranville, PA 19330
PLANTIFF ATTORNEY: MILSTEAD & ASSOCIATES, LLC 856-482-1400
Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 4PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 10-30-3t
Sheriff Sale of Real Estate
By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, December 23rd, 2019. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days therea
Sale No. 19-11-585
Writ of Execution No. 2019-04198 DEBT $98,070.30
PROPERTY SITUATE IN TOWNSHIP OF EAST NOTTINGHAM
TAX PARCEL # 69-2-90.3
Continued from Page 2B
PATRICIA L. FISHER
Patricia L. Fisher, 72, of Chiefland, Fla., formerly of Elkton, Md., passed away on Oct. 25 at home.
She was the wife of the late Edwin Wayne Fisher, with whom she shared 37 years of marriage. Born in Chester, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Sara Fulmer McElwain. Patricia retired from DuPont Company in Wilmington as a service engineer. She enjoyed nature and traveling. She is survived by her two stepdaughters, Kimberly Kramer (James) of Lancaster, and Rebecca Fisher of Dallastown; stepdaughter-in-law, Heather Fisher of Delta; seven step-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; and one brother, Robin McElwain. She was preceded in death by a stepson, Edwin Wayne Fisher, Jr.; a stepgrandson, Jacob Mathew Fisher; and brother, Raymond T. McElwain.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 4 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. (86 Pine St., Oxford), where friends may visit from 10 to 11 a.m. Interment will be in Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome. com.
RUSSELL WEAVER
Russell Weaver, 94, of Rising Sun, Md., passed away peacefully on Oct. 22, with family by his side. He was born in Sturgills, N.C., in 1925 to the late Martin Luther and Ollie Lavina Kilby Weaver. Russ was one of nine children. He was preceded in death by Norma, his beloved wife of 67 years; brothers Worth Weaver, Thornton Weaver, Harmon Weaver and Kyle Weaver; sisters Carrie Weaver Beck and Mary Weaver Jackson; and son-in-law James W. Rierson, Jr. Surviving to cherish the memories and share his stories are sons David Weaver and wife Carol, Terry Weaver and wife Clara, Michael Weaver and wife Sue; daughter Patricia Rierson and partner Eric Roach; 11 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
Russ was a friend to many and a true family man with a strong work ethic. A carpenter by trade, his work was always in demand and admired. He enjoyed several hobbies, but hunting and fishing were at the top. A World War II veteran, he will be interred with military honors in Delaware Veterans Memorial Park on Nov. 1 at 11 a.m., with a luncheon to follow at Cherry Hill United Methodist Church in Elkton, Md. In lieu of flowers, consider plants or items for a memorial garden planned to honor Russ and Norma. To leave condolences, visit www.crouchfuneralhome.com.
SOLD AS THE PROPERTY OF: JOSEPH A. KELLY and TONYA K. KELLY
IMPROVEMENTS thereon: Residential Dwelling
PLANTIFF: MIDFIRST BANK VS DEFENDANT: JOSEPH A. KELLY & TONYA K. KELLY
SALE ADDRESS: 142 Wedgewood Road, Oxford, PA 19363
PLANTIFF ATTORNEY: KML LAW GROUP, P.C. 215-627-1322
Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 4PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 10-30-3t
Sheriff Sale of Real Estate
By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, December 23rd, 2019. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days therea
Sale No. 11-19-586 Writ of Execution No. 2019-04440 DEBT $105,248.99
ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or piece of ground with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, hereditaments and appurtenances, situate at 202 East Linden Street, Borough of Kennett Square, Chester County, Pennsylvania, being Parcel #2 (erroneously set forth in previous deed as Parcel #3) owned by Douglas R. Barr.
TOGETHER with all and singular the buildings, improvements, ways, streets, alleys, driveways, passages, waters, water-courses, rights, liberties, privileges, hereditaments and appurtances, whatsoever unto the hereby granted premises belonging, or in anywise appertaining, and the reversions and remainders, rents, issues, and profits thereof; and all the estate, right, title, interest, property, claim and demand whatsoever of the said grantor, as well at law as in equity, of, in and to the same.
Fee Simple Title Vested in Brosius Rising II, LLC by deed from Richard Angelo Johnson and Victoria Thomas, Husband and Wife, dated 12/15/2017, recorded 12/19/2017, in the Chester County Clerk’s Office in Deed Book 9670, Page 19 as Instrument No. 11583608.
Tax Parcel # 3-3-37.4
PLANTIFF: LendingHome Funding Corporation VS DEFENDANT: Brosius Rising II, LLC
SALE ADDRESS: 202 East Linden Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348
PLANTIFF ATTORNEY: STERN & EISENBERG P.C. 215-572-8111
Ten percent (10%) of the purchase
BEGINNING at a point set in the South street line of East Linden Street, 45 feet wide, said point of beginning being North 73 degrees 30 minutes East 19.98 feet from an iron pin set at the intersection of the said South street line of East Linden Street with the Easterly street line of North Broad Street, 50 feet wide, also said point of beginning being the Northeasterly corner of lands of Parcel #1, owned by Douglas R. Barr; thence leaving said point of beginning and by the South street line of said East Linden Street, 45 feet wide, North 73 degrees 30 minutes East 22.87 feet to a point set for a corner of this and the Northwesterly corner of lands of Parcel #3, owned by said Barr; thence by lands of Parcel #3, owned by the said Barr, South 17 degrees 05 minutes East 80.49 feet to an iron pin set in line of lands of Parcel #5, owned by Douglas R. Barr; thence by lands of Parcel #5, owned by said Barr, South 73 degrees 07 minutes West 24.1 feet more or less to a point set for a corner of this and the Southeasterly corner of lands of Parcel #1, owned by Douglas R. Barr; thence by lands of said Parcel #1, owned by Douglas R. Barr, by line being partly by center line of a division wall separating the residences erected herein, North 16 degrees 20 minutes 20 seconds West 80.68 feet to the first mentioned point and place of beginning.
Downingtown artist creates painting for St. Anthony’s Lodge
Artist Adrian Martinez has created a painting to celebrate the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony’s Lodge in Downingtown.
“I was asked if like to do a painting of the centennial,” Martinez said. “I said ‘I would love to, it would be an honor.’ For a number of years I lived in the Johnsontown section of Downingtown, close to St. Anthony’s. My family spent our summers at the lodge’s pool.”
Martinez is an internationally known artist who has had a number of shows throughout the region. His most recent series of paintings depicted Humphry Marshall, an important 18th-century botanist, and was displayed at the Chester County Historical Society for a year. Martinez is currently working on paintings of the Battle of Brandywine.
“The lodge didn’t give me any limitations on the painting or any instructions,” Martinez said. “They had hundreds of black and white photographs of members, families go back three or more generations there, and events held at St. Anthony’s. The officials believed those snapshots would give me a feeling of the total history of the organization.
Those photographs gave Martinez the idea for a painting. “I saw an image of a St. Anthony’s Day parade from the 1930s. The scene was a procession from the
old church to the lodge,” he said. “This procession took place yearly for 50 years. I thought, ‘Why not capture members from all generations in one procession?’ Some of the snapshots were small and blurry, but I decided to use specific individuals. How could I resist those great Italian faces? It was difficult but I wanted to capture them.”
Martinez made a large sketch and shared it with the board of St. Anthony’s.
“The reaction was amazing,” Martinez said. “Members were recognizing their grandfathers and parents and siblings. The response was very moving. I made the focal point of the painting a member with a huge ribbon on his suit. He was leading the procession in maybe the 1930s. I didn’t know who he was but later found out
he was one of the founders of St. Anthony’s. He was a translator for those in the community who didn’t know English. He was an important community person.”
By looking at the photographs, Martinez said he began peeling back layers of history. “The process for this painting went far beyond what I imagined,” he said. “When I do projects, I immerse myself in the subject matter, and with St. Anthony’s, this process was both exciting and rewarding since I have such a strong connection to the subject matter.”
Martinez’s painting will be publically unveiled at a dinner at St. Anthony’s on Nov. 8. He will be speaking during the function. The painting will then be displayed in the lodge.
Visit www.adrian martinez.com.
Winterthur commemorated on postage stamp
People across the United States will soon get a glimpse of the gardens of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library as part of a new Postal Service series of stamps that celebrates 10 classic American gardens.
“Winterthur is extraordinarily pleased to be so honored by the Postal Service and grateful that it will share the beauty of our historic gardens with the nation,” said Carol B. Cadou, the
Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur. “I believe our founder, Henry Francis du Pont, would have been very proud to have Americans everywhere see his stunning landscape designs.”
Du Pont personally designed the 70-acre naturalistic garden that surrounds his former home. The garden is renowned for its distinctive color schemes, remarkable specimen trees, and unique palette
of plants, which created an aesthetic that was unique among American gardens of its time.
Winterthur also includes a formal garden designed by du Pont’s close friend, the pioneering woman landscape architect Marian Coffin. The stamp features a photograph of azaleas blooming around the reflecting pool in the Coffin-designed garden.
“The Winterthur garden is Mr. du Pont’s masterwork, so it is a
remarkable artifact,” said Chris Strand, director of garden and estate at Winterthur. “We manage it carefully to preserve the design intent and skill of Mr. du Pont and the many staff who have cared for it for over a century, and we love sharing that vision with visitors every day.”
The pane of 20 stamps features ten different photographs of botanic, country estate, and municipal gardens, taken between 1996 and 2014.
The gardens include:
Norfolk Botanical Garden (Virginia); Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens (Ohio); and Winterthur Garden (Delaware).
Biltmore Estate Gardens (North Carolina); Brooklyn Botanic Garden (New York); Chicago Botanic Garden (Illinois); Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (Maine); Dumbarton Oaks Garden (District of Columbia); The Huntington Botanical Gardens (California); Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (Florida);
Adrian Martinez drew on 100 years of history for his painting installed in St.
Anthony’s Lodge in Downingtown.
Kennett moves to 9-1 with a 31-0 romp
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
For a stretch of seasons in the not-so-distant past, parking for Kennett High School home football games seemed in great supply. But as the Blue Demons and the visiting St. Mark’s Spartans stretched and limbered on the Kennett Stadium turf last Friday night, the streets and parking lots around the school were jammed to beyond a reasonable capacity.
The increased attendance could easily be chalked up to the fact that it was Senior Night for both the players and the school’s band, but even more prominent a reason was that Head Coach Lance Frazier’s team had an 8-1 record heading into the Oct. 25 non-league game, and that while the team has been led by its playmakers, the success of this year’s team has largely been due to the commitment of its unsung warriors in the trenches – its offensive and defensive lines.
After the traffic jams subsided and play began, the overflow home crowd witnessed what has become the new normal for the program – a 31-0 thrashing of St. Mark’s, behind the running of Garrett Cox and big plays by wide receiver Kalen Frazier and quarterback Sam Forte. It was another huge night for Cox, who entered the game with 1,270 rushing yards on the season, which he soon eclipsed on his way to becoming the single-season and career leader in rushing yards in school’s history, and scoring two touchdowns as well.
The Blue Demons jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a 30-yard field goal by kicker Ryan Barber with 6:52 left in the first quarter. After a St. Mark’s fumble on its next possession was recovered by Kennett’s Andre Hertz at the 32-yard line, Cox broke free for a 63-yard touchdown run up the sideline with 3:23 left to give the Blue Demons a
10-0 lead.
After inheriting the ball on its 33-yard line after a Kennett punt, a pass attempt by Spartan quarterback Christian Colmery was picked off by Frazier with 1:38 left in the first half that gave the Blue Demons the ball at Kennett’s 29-yard line. Forte passes to Richie Hughson and Frazier moved the ball to the 41-yard line, which was followed by a 50-yard strike from Forte to Frazier that moved the chains to the St. Mark’s 21-yard line.
With 37 seconds left in the first half, Forte connected again with Frazier, this time for a 31-yard touchdown pass that gave Kennett a 16-0 halftime lead.
After a scoreless third quarter, Kennett recovered a St. Mark’s fumble deep in Spartan territory early in the fourth quarter that led to Cox’s second TD of the game – a two-yard carry with 9:23 left in the quarter that extended Kennett’s lead to 23-0.
Kennett wrapped up its scoring on a fumble recovery and touchdown run by Vincent Cresci with 9:08 left in the game.
Having wrapped the 2019 regular season with a 9-1 record, Kennett heads into the first round of the District 1 Class 5A playoffs as the number two seed, and will host the 3-6 Chichester Eagles (Boothwyn) at Kennett Stadium on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.
Behind a strong offensive line, Kennett quarterback Sam Forte engineered four scoring drives in the game.
The Kennett defense stymied St. Mark’s offense the entire game, leading to fumble recoveries and interceptions.
Photos by Richard L. Gaw
Kennett’s Garret Cox prepares to go out for a pass during the Blue Demons’ 31-0 defeat of St. Mark’s on Oct. 25. During the game, Cox became the school’s singleseason and career leader in rushing yards.
CLINICAL EXPERTISE
Joint Replacement Surgery, Revision Joint Replacement Surgery, Fracture Care
EDUCATION/TRAINING
Undergraduate–Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
M.D.–The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL
Internship–Rhode Island Hospital/Brown Medical School, Providence, RI
Residency–Rhode Island Hospital/Brown Medical School, Providence, RI
Fellowship–Rhode Island Hospital/Brown Medical School, Providence, RI–Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship–Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA–Hip and Knee Reconstruction
CERTIFICATION
Board Eligible–American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
AAOS–American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
AAHKS–American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
OTA–Orthopaedic Trauma Association
INTERESTING FACT
Dr. Ritterman spends his free time
Two views of the region at Barbara Moore Fine Art Gallery
By John Chambless Staff Writer
As a pairing, Signe Sundberg-Hall and Carol Mangano are a nice complement to each other in the new exhibit at the Barbara Moore Fine Art Gallery in Chadds Ford. In “The Nearby Wild –Impressionistic,” the two artists draw inspiration from the same region, but they have distinct approaches, and the show balances their styles in an appealing way.
Sundberg-Hall’s “Gypsy Clouds at Sunset” has a just-right glow and a huge scale, with a sweeping cloud formation reflected in the still water of the marsh below. The interplay of sky and marsh is also featured in “Across the Pond,” which gets drama out of nature in a more subtle way.
The artist works smaller in three nighttime views and one autumn contemplation, “September On the Water,” as well as in the glowing cloud view, “Sunset Over Star Farm.”
“The Skies of Doe Run” is a large marshland view in which the earth and sky are evenly matched in their drama and scope.
Carol Mangano works in a bolder, splashier style. Her acrylic paintings pop while Sundberg-Hall’s
oils quietly whisper. Mangano’s “Howard Pyle Studio” is a vivid floral in which the colors outside the window are nearly as eye-popping as the blooms indoors. Flowers boldly take center stage elsewhere as well, as in “Sunflower Conversations” and “Afternoon Setting on Brandywine,” “Flowers and Blue Pitcher” and “Daisies and Delphiniums.”
The fruit in “Copper Pot and Figs” has a
crimson vitality, and “Nectarines at Millburn Market” revels in rich, red tones.
There’s an appealing energy when Mangano steps outside of flowers, too, as seen in the woodland views “Brandywine Winter” and “On the Brandywine.”
“The Nearby Wild – Impressionistic” continues through Nov. 6 at the Barbara Moore Fine Art Gallery (1609 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford).
To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@ chestercounty.com.
‘Above the Treetops’ by Signe Sundberg-Hall.
‘Across the Pond’ by Signe Sundberg-Hall.
‘Copper Pot and Figs’ by Carol Mangano.
‘On the Brandywine’ by Carol Mangano.
‘Howard Pyle Studio’ by Carol Mangano.
‘Sunset Over Star Farm’ by Signe Sundberg-Hall.
Celebrating Community Service.
Five compete for three U-CF School Board seats
By JP Phillips Correspondent
Five of the nine School Board seats are on the ballot in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.
Rashi Akki in Region A (East and West Marlborough) and Victoria Baratta in Region B (Newlin, Pocopson, and Birmingham) are running unopposed and, unless there is a robust write-in campaign, will join the board in December. Contacts: rashi.akki@ aggridenergy.com and torybaratta@gmail. com.
Region C (Chadds Ford and Pennsbury) has five candidates vying for three seats: Jen Brown, Steve Jones, John Murphy, Erin Talbert, and Jon Trigg. Voters select three.
Jen Brown has lived in Chadds Ford Township for nearly five years. Besides parenting, she cites her experience with various positions, mostly in pharmaceutical market research and commercial analysis. She volunteers in the district and has served on the U-CF Wellness Council which spearheaded two important district programs (including the predecessor to “Safe2Say,” an anonymous tip line to report potentially dangerous situations).
“The current board goals are well defined and focused in the right areas to maintain the high-quality education in our district,” Brown said. “To that end, I believe focusing on the long-range financial plan as well as evolving wellness initiatives will help us achieve the board goals.” Contact information: jennifer_s_ brown@outlook.com.
Steve Jones is a U.S. Navy officer veteran who has lived in Chadds
Ford for eight years. He is an information technology architect for Fortune 100 firms, and has mentored hundreds of college graduates. Jones said that his motivation in running is to help improve student readiness for challenges in the workplace, college, or vocational programs of their choice. He supports sound financial management, maximizing the educational value of every dollar spent. In addition to educational improvements, Jones supports student wellness/ social development initiatives that would keep students more connected to family, friends and teachers, and less connected to phones, devices and social media. Jones said, “I would advocate for continued focus on academic excellence, which has made U-CF one of the toptier public schools in the country.” Contact: Stevejonesmns@gmail. com.
Incumbent John Murphy , first elected to the board in 2015, is a veteran and has lived in Pennsbury Township for 14 years. He has extensive experience in the financial and legal services industries and is currently a project manager. He feels his analytical approach to solving problems, as well as his experience leading cross-functional teams and meeting project deadlines, helps the board. He notes that he is a parent and taxpayer, and takes those perspectives with him when considering board issues. “We must continue to achieve excellence while also being mindful of the community’s resources and ensure we are efficient with those resources,” he said. “Secondly, we must continue to focus on the mental well-being
and coping skills of our students. Our students demand a lot of themselves, and we must ensure that they learn traits such as resiliency and grit, so that they can learn from their successes and their failures and ultimately succeed after they graduate.” Contact: jmurphy@ucfsd.net.
Pennsbury resident Erin Talbert has lived in the district for almost five years. In addition to parenting experience, she cites her abilities to balance many stakeholders and her skills as a business consultant, advising clients on communications, strategy and change management. She said that her experience in marketing, contracting and sales at AstraZeneca helped hone skills in strategic planning, budgeting and people management which will benefit the board. “I’m committed to understanding and balancing the needs and concerns of students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and residents,” she said. “We all have stakes in providing our children with the best public education possible. On the school board, I plan to act as an informed, thoughtful and decisive intermediary, as well as foster increased understanding of diverse stakeholder interests. I also believe that the most important asset in the equation to deliver top-tier education is the teachers and staff that perform the daily
task of educating and inspiring. To that end, I plan to prioritize hiring and retaining the very best teachers.” Contact: erin.talbert@gmail. com.
Jon Trigg has lived in Chadds Ford with his wife, Timotha, for 34 years, and all four of their children attended U-CF schools K through 12. Trigg believes this experience with the school system will serve all stakeholders well. He additionally cites his 30 years of experience in organizational leadership positions, including running the Siemens One digital hospital business, and his current vice president position at a non-profit that focuses on improving healthcare quality globally. “Our schools are doing an excellent job preparing students for college, but we can do it more efficiently and even better,” he said. “Early literacy and improved writing skills development are key areas for added focus. We can also provide more foundational educational experiences that will advantage students well after graduation. This can include instruction
and guidance in collaboration, time management, leadership, and practical financial and legal understanding.”
Contact: jwtrigg@ gmail.com.
Former board president Vic Dupuis, who is not running for re-election, spoke positively about his experience in a statement to The Chester County Press “Certainly, the most important achievement of any school board is the hiring and retaining of an outstanding superintendent, and then working with that individual to build a strong team of administrators, faculty and support staff. Mission accomplished here with Dr. John Sanville and his outstanding organization. We have also worked together to develop fair and financially balanced budgets, including meaningful and productive labor contracts, through a very positive and responsive process with our faculty and staff. Finally, I believe we have set a new standard for future boards in terms of peaceful, consensus-
building governance. We have sought to understand one another before seeking to be understood, and in so doing have often found consensus on issues and decisions that could have easily eroded our district into rancorous debate and disagreement.”
Dupuis also spoke about the other retiring board members, Bob Sage from Region B, and Carolyn Daniels and Gregg Lindner from Region C. “Carolyn, Bob and Gregg all held various committee chairmanships, and for each, one was most significant. For Gregg, it was working with Rich Hostetler and then James Whitesel as chair of the Facilities Committee. For Carolyn, it was working with Ken Batchelor and then John Nolen as chair of the Curriculum, Education and Technology Committee. And for Bob, it’s been working with Justin Webb in the design and execution of our district technology plan and the Board Technology Committee. All three played vital roles in these capacities, and worked very well with their administrative counterparts.”
New CFE principal named, and U-CF provides construction updates
By JP Phillips Correspondent
The Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board approved Danielle Clark as the new Chadds Ford Elementary School principal during their Oct. 14 work session. According to the district’s press release, she worked for the PennDelco School District as a teacher, president of the teachers’ union, instructional coach and, most recently, the dean of students. Clark’s employment is effective Dec. 19, for a salary of $132,500.
Supervisor of Building and Grounds, James Whitesel, provided an update on the LongRange Facilities Plan (LRFP). This year’s programs included $4.7 million in projects, including the replacement of artificial turf on the athletic field, Pocopson Elementary roof work, the Patton library and Unionville Elementary renovations, the Patton
Danielle Clark
gym floor refinishing, the chiller at Pocopson, and the 40-foot retractable nets on the junior varsity fields.
Previously approved projects for 2020 total $6.7 million and include the Patton cafeteria and kitchen renovations, the Chadds Ford Elementary wastewater treatment plant replacement, and the added grass and doubleartificial fields that will go to bid in January. Whitesel said that these field projects should start in the spring and be ready for September 2020, “if all goes well.”
Also included are 80 parking spots off Doe Run Road, which will eliminate the need to
park at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church. Finally, Whitesel said that the Route 82 trafficcalming construction -- spearheaded by East Marlborough Township and funded by a grant -- will be done over the summer. Whitesel’s presentation can be found on the UCFSD. org website, under “departments,” then “buildings and grounds.”
Director of Business and Operations, Bob Cochran, said that a $1.2 million operating surplus was uncovered by the 2018-19 audit, and gave the board three options for that money. During the Oct. 21 meeting, the board voted to move $1.0 million to the capital reserve that finances future building projects.
The board discussed a proposal to designate Brandywine Virtual Academy (BVA), operated by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU). Currently, the district has from 25 to 50 students attending
either brick-and-mortar or cyber charter schools. Based on state law, U-CF must pay their average cost to educate a child -- around $15,000 -- to the attending school. The BVA, in contrast, would only cost the district $5,100 per student.
“Special education would be even a greater savings, if we could get a curriculum that would be appropriate,” said board member and curriculum and instruction chair Vic Dupuis. “It also allows us to have a little more academic engagement in the rigor of the cyber charter program, and finally, it allows students to receive a Unionville diploma, which is a winwin for the district and for the students.” The proposal will be voted on during the November board meeting.
The October meetings featured robust discussions about the Keystone exams, and whether students need incentives to do their best to pass the test. Effective
for the class of 2022, the state will require students to pass the Algebra 1, Literacy, and Biology Keystones (or alternative assessments) to order to graduate.
Unionville has required a passing grade since the Keystones were introduced several years ago. Last year, the state broadened the options of alternative assessments. The board will vote to approve those options at the November board meeting, but were struggling with whether or not to add a student incentive for passing.
Assistant Superintendent John Nolen said that currently, 90 percent of students pass the Keystone exams, mostly well before 10th grade, when they take classes on the tested subjects.
Concerned that students wouldn’t put in their best effort, the administration initially recommended allowing seniors to skip final exams if they pass the Keystones or
equivalent assessments, a proposal supported by some members including board president Jeff Hellrung. Many other board members thought no incentive was needed and it would not send the right message to students. Hellrung talked about the previous state test (PSSA), and how the district saw “a gradual erosion on performance to the extent that UHS was put on the state’s watch list.”
“The solution to that was exempting seniors from finals, and we did that reluctantly, and the reaction to that was the performance came up and we got off of the watch list,” Hellrung said. “So, we do have the history of that being a workable incentive, but an incentive that concerns some of us.” Currently, all seniors take their finals. The administration will collect student and teacher feedback and will either suggest an incentive or present the policy without one next month.
Rashi Akki
Victoria Baratta
Erin Talbert
Jen Brown
Jon Trigg John Murphy
Steve Jones
La Communidad Hispana gets quality awards
On Oct. 17, La Comunidad Hispana (LCH) in Kennett Square announced several awards. Federico Ceppa, MD, Director of Primary Care, received the Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award during the annual Pennsylvania of Community Health Centers (PACHC) Conference.
“This award celebrates Dr. Ceppa’s leadership in coaching our clinical staff to adapt to teambased care this year,” said Steve Castellano, LCH interim president and CEO. “The same team of health center staff takes care of the same patients, so they establish a strong relationship over time and can easily coordinate care needs. Team-based care has been shown to improve patient health, and it is a more
sustainable, effective way of receiving health care. We have seen wonderful improvements for both our patients and our staff in its first year at LCH.”
Ceppa has led the health center in trying new approaches for improving patient outcomes. For example, in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson, LCH patients with diabetes are now utilizing text message reminders and two-way communication with their providers. Ceppa is also the main provider for LCH’s outreach wellness checks, where a care team travels to local worksites in mushroom farms and businesses to provide free vital signs screenings and counseling to employees.
“There are community members out there that have no idea that they have high blood pressure
or sugar levels until we see them,” said Barbara Mancill, director of quality care and population health. “This program has literally saved lives.”
In addition, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) distributed more than $2 million in financial awards to 37 health centers across Pennsylvania. LCH received funding for six of the eight categories: Clinical Quality Improvers ($9,774), Health Center Quality Leaders ($22,024), Access Enhancers ($5,000), Health Disparities Reducers ($30,000), Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality ($5,000), and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition ($30,000).
Local veterans to be honored on Wreaths Across America Day
This year, National Wreaths Across America Day will be held on Dec. 14.
Locally, a ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Oxford Cemetery (220 N. Third St., Oxford), followed by the placement of more than 1,300 wreaths on the graves of veterans.
Wreaths Across America Day is open to anyone who would like to attend. The ceremony will feature speeches by local veterans, and help is needed to place the wreaths on the tombstones.
Funds are being sought to meet the goal of purchasing 1,300 wreaths.
Each handmade, fresh wreath costs $15. Almost $19,000 is needed to make the event happen. For more information, contact Clarissa Sherrow and Mike Peak, location coordinators, at www. wreathsacrossamerica. org/PAOXCE, email csherrow@zoominternet. net, or call 484-645-4513.
Libraries awarded more than $60,000 for upgrades
The Oxford Library and the Tredyffrin Township Libraries were awarded more than $60,000 in total state funding for vital infrastructure and building upgrades, state Senator Andy Dinniman recently announced.
“Libraries are central to our communities as places for learning, growth, refuge and the ability to improve and enlighten oneself in a warm, safe environment where all the knowledge is free for the borrowing,” Dinniman, who serves as minority chair of the Senate Education Committee, said. “These grants will help ensure that our libraries continue to meet the growing needs of the Tredyffrin and Oxford communities.”
The Keystone Grants for Public Libraries
are administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Bureau of Library Development.
The Chester County awardees are as follows:
$50,000 for the Tredyffrin Township Libraries to replace firstfloor lighting with LED.
$10,392 for the Oxford Public Library to replace the water heater, gas boiler and air handler in the original library building.
The Tredyffrin and Oxford Library projects come as part of $3.25 million in total grant funding awarded to 19 public libraries in 12 counties across the Commonwealth.
The competitive grants are funded through the Keystone Recreation,
Park and Conservation Fund, established by act of the General Assembly in 1993. The public library portion of this program is funded from a portion of realty transfer taxes. Grants of up to 50 percent of eligible costs (or $750,000) may be used for planning, acquisition, construction and rehabilitation of public libraries, and must be matched dollar-fordollar. Matching funds may include cash and in-kind contributions, federal funds, and other state funds. Examples of fundable projects include, but are not limited to: ADA upgrades, new roof, replacement windows, energyefficient upgrades to HVAC systems, facility expansion and new construction.
Federico Ceppa, MD, received the Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award.
