Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 155, No. 51
INSIDE
A river runs through an historic region...1B
22nd annual Little Lincoln Gettysburg Address Contest...4B
Chester County seeks volunteers for authorities, boards and commissions...5A
INDEX Opinion.......................5A Obituaries........2B,3B,5B
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Classifieds..................4B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
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Capital campaign continues toward $21.1 million goal
Celebrating the season Kennett Library in Kennett Square & Resource Center begins construction By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
week that is projected to be completed by the Spring of 2023 – is a two-floor, Throughout the last year 33,425 square-foot facility of their nearly 20-year that will feature 15 meetjourney to construct a new ing rooms, maker spaces library, the visionaries for children and adults, an responsible for raising the outdoor terrace, a 110-seat Photo by Chris Barber funds for what will become auditorium with a stage Carolers from Kennett High School entertained the visitors at Kennett Square’s the Kennett Library & and, in a wider sense, serve Tinsel on the Town on Dec. 10. The shops were open, there were vendors on the Resource Center have asked as a new and revolutionstreets, and Santa Claus was available for pictures with children. thousands in the community ary complex of learning, “To Imagine a Place.” resources and opportunity The “place” they are that will forever change For the moment, however, began his new job on Nov. 22 munity has responded. Now referring to – which began how libraries have been the only physical represen- after several years as a library that the earth has begun to a construction process last traditionally defined. tation of that vision is in executive in Oklahoma, where move, I think more people the form of a fenced-in con- he was involved with three will come to understand struction site at the corner library projects, including the what an extraordinary new of State and Willow streets $30 million construction of a resource is being built in in Kennett Square, just new library in Moore, Okla., Kennett Square. This is a down the street from the expected to open in 2023. 22nd Century investment – In many ways, however, the for our children’s children.” current library, an 11,000 square-foot building that site of bulldozers and conIn order to engage and has served the community tractors in hard hats along inform the entire eightState Street is merely the municipality area that since 1961. “Having gone through the latest chapter marker in the both uses and supports the revitalization of a library in realization that a new library library, a marketing camtwo other large communities in Kennett Square is on the paign has been developed to like this, I have seen how horizon. keep the public in the loop much it galvanized these “These are exciting about the library’s progress Photo by Richard L. Gaw communities around the times, but we still have through frequent mailings, Celebrating the start of construction on the new Kennett Library & Resource Center are, from left library becoming the ‘third a long way to go,” said e-mail blasts, a marketing to right, Collis Townsend, trustee and chair of the place’ in people’s lives after Collis Townsend, Trustee video and an online newsImagine Campaign Cabinet; Jeff Yetter, board presi- ‘work’ and ‘home,’” said and Chair of the Imagine letter that is distributed dent; Mary Hutchins, campaign administrator; and Kennett Library Executive Campaign Cabinet. “I am every week. new executive director Christopher Manna. Continued on page 3A Director Chris Manna, who thrilled by how the com-
Medic 94 service continues uninterrupted despite looming closure of hospital By Chris Barber Contributing Writer Medic 94, the advanced life support system that responds to life-threatening accidents and sudden illnesses in southern Chester County, will continue its service uninterrupted despite the imminent closing of its landlord, Jennersville
Hospital, on Jan. 1, 2022. The Medic 94 unit is housed in the east end of the hospital, as it has been for 38 years, and its vehicles function as emergency rooms on wheels. Medic 94 paramedics drive to serious incidents and often accompany the patients to hospitals, administering care in the ambulances that have arrived on the scene as well.
On Sept. 27, Tower Health, Jennersville’s owner, announced the impending closing of the hospital. Then on Nov. 22, Tower announced a deal with Canyon Atlantic Partners to purchase the hospital and keep it open. That was a relief to Medic 94 CEO Bob Hotchkiss, who, as soon as the closing
was announced, had been strategizing ways for his unit to continue operations. But on Dec. 8, bad news arrived again when Tower announced that the deal with Canyon had fallen through. Not only would Jennersville close on Dec. 31, but Brandywine Hospital in Caln would also close on Jan. 31, 2022.
Hotchkiss, who has been with Medic 94 for 30 years – 23 of them as CEO -- issued this public statement on Dec. 18: “Let me assure the community that we serve, Medic 94’s service will be uninterrupted across southern Chester County, as it has been for 38 years. We have Continued on page 2A
Oxford Police Tighe selected Department returns as president of Oxford hybrid police car to Ford By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer Oxford Mayor Phil Harris told council that the Ford hybrid they had purchased for the police Department has been in the shop more than out. “After months of work, we finally got Ford to agree to buy back the hybrid police car,” Harris explained. “We learned the hard way that hybrids don’t work for emergency vehicles. Ford fully reimbursed the borough and gave the department a brand new car, not a hybrid. And since the hybrid had cost more than the car it was replaced with, the borough received the difference.” The problems for the police department occurred because the police vehicle is kept running and not shut down when in use, so the police can utilize all the
accessories needed on a police car, such as the computer and other technical equipment. Also at the council meeting, Oxford Mainstreet, Inc. Executive Director Brian Dix informed council that the Shoebox Theatre project has been briefly put on pause until they receive more information about the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Grant through the Budget Office of Pennsylvania. The grant is expected to be awarded around the first of January. Dix also informed council that the event applications will be coming to council at the first of the year. First Fridays are expected to return in April. The application of Presbyterian Homes, Inc. (Ware Presbyterian Village) requested an indefinite continuance of the pending Zoning Hearing Board application related to the
proposed independent living apartment building. The borough has consented to the continuance. Public Works Director John Schaible said the department is ready to handle snow removal when it is necessary. “Our snow equipment is ready to go, we have salt in our shed and we are ready for winter weather,” he said. He also announced that the department would be performing Christmas tree collection after the holiday. He explained that all decorations, lights, etc. must be removed from the trees and they should be placed curbside. They will be picked up on Mondays along with branches and brush. Leaf pickup can only be done after November if leaves are placed in biodegradable bags. Each bag should weigh less than 20 pounds. No household Continued on page 4A
School Board New board members also named By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Joseph Tighe was once again selected to serve as the president of the Oxford School Board during the reorganization meeting at the district’s Administration Building on Dec. 7. The meeting began with a roll call of the five members of the board— Tighe, Jennifer Harrison, Mark Patterson, Howard Robinson, and Robert Tenga—who are in the middle of their terms on the board. Judge Scott Massey, who presides in the District Court in Oxford, administered the oath of office to the four newly elected school board
members—Michael Blessington, Kristen Dean, William Kloss, and Jennifer Kehs. Dean is beginning her second full term on the Oxford School Board after being elected in November, while Blessington, Kloss, and Kehs are all newcomers to the board. Once the new members were sworn in, they took seats at the table with their new colleagues to handle the remaining items on the evening’s agenda. When the floor was opened for nominations for board president, Tighe was once again nominated by his colleagues. The school board voted 6-2 in favor of having Tighe continue to serve as president. Continued on page 2A