Chester CountyPRESS
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Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
INSIDE
Volume 152, No. 45
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
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Kennett Square Rainy day, big turnout Borough unveils preliminary budget for 2019 By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Kennett Square Borough officials unveiled the preliminary budget for 2019 on Monday night. While the spending plan is still a work-in-progress, with more than a month left before a final budget is adopted, it appears that a tax increase could be necessary—although it’s not a certainty at this point. “There are challenges to this budget,” said council member Wayne Braffman, who serves on the borough’s Finance Committee. He explained that there is currently a $200,000 gap between expenditures and revenues based on the first draft of the budget. The
Finance Committee has been holding extra meetings to look at various options to close the deficit. The borough hasn’t raised taxes in four years, Braffman said, and they will make every effort to limit the tax increase if one is necessary this year. Borough manager Joseph Scalise said that the borough’s staff is looking at ways to balance the budget. These ways could include increasing taxes; decreasing services; decreasing the contributions to partner organizations; identifying new revenues; and utilizing some of the borough’s reserves. Scalise pointed out that a combination of all or some of the options could Continued on Page 3A
No tax increase planned in East Marlborough Third annual Mushroom for 2019 Cap 13.1 attracts nearly 800 competitors Photos by John Chambless
Voters lined up early in Penn Township and across the region on Nov. 6. State Rep. John Lawrence said there was a line out the door when polls opened at 7 a.m., and by 8 a.m., more than 250 people had voted. Predictions for a record mid-term election turnout nationally were on everyone’s mind, and volunteers in the OxGrove Democrats tent at the township building thanked voters and handed out stickers to everyone.
Cecil County Life magazine
By John Chambless Staff Writer
During a marathon Board of Supervisors meeting on Nov. 5, East Marlborough Township Manager Laurie Prysock had some good news for taxpayers in the township. For 2019, there will be no tax increase, and the preliminary budget is balanced, with $2.8 million in income and expenses, she The historical legacy of said. “We put together a World War 1...4B budget that’s based on an estimated assessed value of $703,524,430. It is a balanced budget of $2.8 million in income and expenses,” she said. “Our millage remains the same. We do not need to raise taxes in order to meet the expenses, based on the projections.” While there are a few details to work out, the proposed 2019 budget will be posted for public inspection in the coming weeks, and the board will vote for Pop-Up Art in Kennett approval at their December Square...5B meeting.
Prysock said there are some big expenses projected for the township, but the costs will be offset in most cases by grants. “Among the big projBy Richard L. Gaw cobalt gray sky that emptied marathon early Saturday ects for 2019 is $50,000 to Staff Writer a persistent soft rain, 755 morning, and onto a matrix demolish the former fire stahalf-marathon and relay of local streets, roads and tion building at the entrance At 8 a.m., an hour when runners poured through the neighborhoods. to Unionville Park, $60,000 most of Kennett Square was start of the third annual By race’s end, however, to replace the roof on the still asleep, and beneath a Mushroom Cap 13.1 halfContinued on Page 6A township building, $15,000 for the first of three years of curb repairs at Willowdale Crossing, $60,000 for the Mill Road Bridge, and $100,000 for the East Locust Lane bridge, and then $61,000 for Cedarcroft Road. Those last two are the township match for the grants that we’ve received for those,” Prysock said. “There’s also $50,000 in engineering fees built in for the crosswalks at the high school and middle school, which is also our match for that construction grant.” The township sewer budget is also balanced for Photo by Richard L. Gaw 2019, with no increase in Runners started their 13.1-mile journey at last Saturday’s third annual Mushroom Continued on Page 3A
Senior Center honors veterans at annual luncheon
INDEX
By Chris Barber Correspondent
Opinion.......................7A Calendar of Events.....2B Obituaries...................3B Classifieds................6B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Cap 13.1 half-marathon, that began and ended on Birch Street.
The mood was patriotic and respectful at the annual Kennett Area Senior Center Veterans Luncheon on Nov. 2. Friends and senior center members paid tribute to several dozen veterans who Photo by Chris Barber had served and continue World War II veterans Al DiNorscia, 92, and Tilly to serve their country durD’Andrea, 93, give a thumbs-up during lunch at the ing this tradition that has Kennett Area Senior Center. continued for more than
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a decade. The center celebrates it on a date that is on, or near, the anniversary of the end of World War I, which occurred on Nov. 11, 1918. Program director Andrea Durynski is charged with running the event every year. She said she’s always energized by the project, and she begins decorating and setting the agenda weeks ahead of time. This includes making trips up
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to the attic to bring down adornments to create the mood for the luncheon, setting out military displays, urging musician Hal DeHaven play the piano, inviting local veterans and obtaining speakers. This year, the keynote speaker was U.S. Army E-4/Specialist William Todd, who is currently a student at West Chester University majoring
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