February 6, 2014 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Paul R. Scarborough II of Chadds Ford

Born in Wilmington, lived in Claymont and with a studio in Chadds Ford, artist Paul Scarborough, 69, died Monday, Feb. 3 after his unsuccessful battle with melanoma.

While his friends are many, his life was too short. The gentle giant gave more than he took. His paintings reflected his thoughts, people, places andfthings he knew and loved, while the elusive, but always there, little red bird that flew round and about.

Predeceased by his parents Paul R. And Virginia Cochran Scarborough, sister Linda and brother David, Paul is survived by his family, Barbara Noble-Moore, daughter Dawn and her husband Jon Jackson, of Chadds Ford, sons David Noble, Larry Noble and his wife Ann of Heber Springs, Ark. To Paul, the best invention in God’s world were his grandchildren Jaime Ann, Kendel Lyn, Virginia Lee, Thomas Jonathan Jackson, Ava and Isla Noble, his Aunt Jean Cochran, cousins Bitsy, Diane and Danny Cochran of Rehoboth Beach, cousins Jerre Petrie, Wisconsin, John Lennon, Alabama and Dan Lennon, Montana.

A special thank you to: Dr. William Cohen at Aston Medical, Dr. Raymond Vivacqua at Associates in Hematology-Oncology at Brinton Lake, the Oncology, Radiology and ICU Staff at Crozer Hospital, Dr. Jeffrey M. Farma and Dr. Richard Schmidt at Fox Chase, Coleen Jones, Daniel Mitchell and “Arvin,” (his physical therapist) at Shipley Manor, to Hardcastle’s Gallery, Strodes Mill Gallery and Chadds Ford Gallery for their support and to special friends Judy and Mike Duross, Capt. Mike and Sue Linton.

Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Gebhart Funeral home, 3401 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, DE 19703 from 6-8 p.m. a Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, P. O. Box 202, Chadds Ford, PA 19317.

For condolences, visit gebhartfuneralhomes.com 302.798.7726

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Margaret Ament DiCristofaro of West Grove

Obituaries

Margaret Ament DiCristofaro, 86, of West Grove, died Thursday, Feb. 6, at her home. She was the wife of the late John L. DiCristofaro who died in 2009 and with whom she shared 60 years of marriage.

Born Sept. 21, 1927, she was a daughter of the late Leon K. and Ethel Moore Ament.

She graduated from Avon Grove High School in 1945 and Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing in 1948. She was a member of the West Grove United Methodist Church.

Survivors include two sons, John S. DiCristofaro (Janis) of Wilmington and F. Glenn DiCristofaro of Charlotte, N.C.; one brother, Ronald K. Ament of New London; seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Friends and family are invited to attend Margaret’s graveside service 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, at Faggs Manor Cemetery 505 Steet Rd. Cochranville, PA 19330. Contributions in her memory may be made to the West Grove United Methodist church 300 N. Guernsey Rd West Grove, PA 19390. Arrangements are being handled by the Foulk & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. 610-869-2685 of West Grove. To share a memory with her family, please visit www.griecocares.co

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Paul Scarborough dies

Local News

Popular Chadds Ford artist Paul Scarborough died in the early hours of Monday, Feb. 3. He was 69.

He is survived by his long-time friend and companion Barbara Moore, director of the Chadds Ford Gallery, her children and grandchildren to whom he will always be “Grampa Skip.”

Born in Claymont, he became well known for landscapes with his signature element, a cardinal. At each of his exhibitions, knowing fans would always play “find the cardinal.” In a 2009 interview with Chadds Ford Live, he said the cardinal was his own self-representation, a way of putting himself in his paintings.

A former draftsman and member of the pipefitters union, his interest in art began in the third grade and developed over the years. Part of his professional development paralleled the use of the cardinal, he said at the time of that 2009 interview.

“When I paint something, I paint it with the thought of living it. I paint something that I feel is a part of my traveling in the local area. My style has developed to a point where, I think, it’s become a much more personal look at the way I see things in the local landscape. This has been distilling down for a number of years,” he said. “I want to make a person get absorbed into the painting and not just look at it and miss the thought I was trying to put into it.”

Mr. Scarborough underwent cancer surgery at Fox Chase in the fall of 2013, yet attended the opening of his own exhibition the next night via the video/computer technology of Skype.

Some of his work will be on display at the gallery in the exhibit “energy” beginning Feb. 7.

Visitation is planned for 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the Gebhart Funeral Home in Claymont. In lieu of flowers, people are asked to make a donation to the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, PO Box 202, Chadds Ford PA 10317.

His obituary can be found here.

Reader Comments from Facebook

Kathryne Arroyo OMG. One of the nicest people you would ever meet. Kind and generous. I am stunned

Alex Razze Another Chadds Ford icon, I will always love your art Paul. RIP

Colin Courtney Loved his last show.

Scott Hamilton I have many fond memories of fishing trips with Mr. Paul (as we called him) when I was a kid. What a terrible loss.

Hamilton Chris Love you Mr. Paul. Rest in peace.

Peggy Hecksher Such a gentle man. We treasure our paintings of yours. You will be greatly missed!

Molly Dixon Loved his paintings and playing “find the cardinal”

Nanette Meyers Houser So very sorry to hear – what a great man and artist!

Nancy Griffin-Gober OMG. I have a painting he gave me. Loved when he came in to the chadds Ford Wawa was one of the nicest person and a great artist.

Margaret Deibert Tifer So young, he will be sadly missed. My Condolences to his Family & Friends..

Rita Lamb Thompson Very sad. Such a great talent lost.

John A. Koninis Sr. My condolences to Barbara and family. Paul and I have been friends for many years,I will miss our coffee every Friday John & Stacy

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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Gun range application withdrawn

Local News

An application for a private gun range on Smithbridge Road was withdrawn after the applicant heard the only person to testify against his plan.

“That was an incredible presentation,” said Brad Bernstein. “If my wife heard that she’d slap me upside the head.”

He then withdrew his request.

Bernstein was responding to testimony from Cecil Morgan, of Foothill Path, who cited multiple reasons that the Chadds Ford Board of Supervisors should reject Bernstein’s plan for a pistol range on his property at 1201 Smithbridge Road.

Morgan, who referred to himself as a Vietnam veteran who still jumps at the sound of gunfire, collected 31 signatures from neighbors in the area who opposed the range and cited a variety of reasons against it.

He said it violates the Pennsylvania law that requires a safety zone of 150 yards around homes and other buildings where weapons can’t be fired and he cited a number of other safety concerns.

Morgan said his house was only 30 yards away and that ricochets and overshooting a target could lead to problems for bicyclists and horseback riders who are frequently in the area. They could also injure or kill pets and wildlife.

If the board allowed the range, Morgan was asking for a number of conditions including insurance policies for up to $2 million in damages in the event of loss of life and that there would need to be a certified instructor on the premises who was equally insured.

He added that there was a public indoor range — Target Master — just a mile away on Route 202.

Prior to the hearing, Bernstein said, “It would be nice to go into my yard and shoot a couple of magazines without needing to go to a range.”

Bernstein said he’s been going to an outdoor range about 45 minutes away.

He testified that his proposed range was about 30 feet long and that targets would be in front of a berm that was 30-40 feet high.

The board closed the hearing right after Bernstein withdrew.

Other business

• Supervisors voted to forward a request for a zoning change to the township Planning Commission and the Delaware County Planning department.

K. Hovanian Homes wants to build a 114-townhome community on the 21-acre parcel along Brandywine Drive between Hannum’s Harley Davidson and Painters Crossing shopping center.

That parcel is currently zone PBC —planned business center. The site would have to be rezoned residential for multi-home use before the plan could go forward.

• Board members also set a hearing date for a liquor license transfer for Not Your Average Joe’s restaurant going into Glen Eagle Square where Outback used to be. The hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., right before the start of the March 5 supervisors meeting.

The license is coming from the former Olive Branch on Route 202, but the approval for that license was written with only that location in mind. The applicant wants those site-specific restrictions removed. One of those restrictions is that there be no alcohol service in an outdoor seating area.

• Supervisor George Thorpe was absent from the Feb. 5 meeting.

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Concord postpones Maris Grove decision

Local News

Ericson-Sr-Living — Concord postpones Maris Grove decision

Concord Township supervisors postponed for two weeks a decision on the next two buildings planned for the Maris Grove retirement community.

Erickson Living Management wants to begin work on Neighborhood 3 with the first two of four new buildings that will complete the original plan of three neighborhoods of 500 housings units each.

The Planning Commission recommended approval and the board was set to vote on the matter during the Feb. 4 meeting when a neighbor said the height of one 4-story building exceeded their original agreement with Erickson that limited the building to three stories.

Supervisors’ Chairman Dominic Pileggi told the parties the township was not party to their agreement and that they should get together to review details. The board will hear the matter again on Feb. 11.

The new L-shaped buildings, if approved, would add 164 units to the community.

Two other buildings still need to go through the land development process before the third neighborhood can be completed.

Other business

• Supervisors approved a resolution expressing sympathy for and recognizing the service of Rachel Kohl who recently died. The community library is named after her.

• Township Manager Bob Willert said during the meeting that Concord has spent $62,000 on salt and $43,000 on plowing so far this winter season. The township is low on salt but is expecting another shipment before the storm forecast for the weekend of Feb. 8 and 9.

• The board has scheduled a conditional use hearing for a Dunkin’ Donuts proposed for the shopping center at Route 1 and Cheney Road. The hearing is set for 6:45 p.m. on Feb. 25.

Pileggi said he is not yet certain whether this facility would replace the current donut shop near Route 202 or if it would be a second Dunkin’ Donuts in the township.

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Birmingham in Brief

Local News

While Birmingham Township took in more revenue than anticipated and spent less than was budgeted, the winter weather is taxing the snowplowing budget. Township Manager Quina Nelling told supervisors on Feb. 3 that plowing in December and January has cost more than $100,000. The township only budgets $100,000 for a full year.

Supervisor Bill Kirkpatrick jokingly commented that would mean no more snow this year. He was then advised that another storm is expected this weekend. His smile went away.

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Around Town Feb. 6

Along the Ford

Courtesy image: Rose O’Neill (1875-1944), Gas, 1905, pen and ink on paper, cartoon for Puck, collection of the Brandywine River Museum, museum purchase, 1989.

• It’s “Romance and Rumor” at the Brandywine River Museum from 6-9 p.m. on Feb. 14. Come and see if those rumors are true. Wander through the galleries and hear tall tales and true stories behind selected works in the museum collection. Cash bar and small plates available for purchase. Enjoy music by The Midnighters, an acoustic duo who will perform throughout the evening. Tickets are $12 for members, $15 for adults; $20 for member couples and $25 for non-member couples. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-388-8326.

• The Kennett Area Senior Center sponsors an afternoon tea party on Tuesday, Feb. 11 from 2:30 – 4 p.m. In addition to a variety of fine teas, delicacies will be served. The theme will be “A Salute to the Presidents”. The cost is $10 for members and $12 for non-members. Please call the KASC for reservations 610-444-4819.

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Police Log Feb. 6: Accidents, DUI, theft from vehicle

Police

• State police from Troop K, Media barracks, cited a 38-year-old woman from West Chester for following too closely after an accident on Hillman Drive near Route 202 in Chadds Ford Township. A police report said Christine Mackrell rear-ended another vehicle that was stopped at the intersection shortly before 5 p.m. on Jan. 31. No injuries were reported.

• Jessica Murphy, 26, of Glen Mills, was charged with DUI and drug possession after her vehicle was stopped for traffic violations on Route 1 at Brinton Lake Road on Jan. 31.

• No details were reported, but police said several items were stolen from a vehicle parked at Painters Crossing sometime between 3 p.m. on Jan. 15 and 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 19.

• Two people were reported injured in a three-vehicle accident on Smithbridge Road in Concord Township. According to a police report, James A. Miller, 48, of Boothwyn, and James J. Hackett, 71, of Aston were taken to Riddle Memorial Hospital with minor injuries; the third motorist was not injured. The report said Miller was traveling west on Smithbridge, going 40 mph, when he swerved into the oncoming lane and struck Hackett’s car that was heading east. The third car, also traveling eastbound, then hit Miller’s vehicle. The accident happened 7 a.m. on Jan. 23. Miller was cited, as was the third driver, Michael L. Resciniti, 33, of Pasadena, Md.

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Frugality and foresight keep Concord thriving

Business

Dom-P-52 — Frugality and foresight keep Concord thriving

Frugality and foresight keep Concord thriving

Concord Township Supervisors Dominic Pileggi and Dominic Cappelli told members of the Chadds Ford Business Association that sound decisions have made the township a place where people want to live and do business.

The pair addressed the CFBA during the association’s monthly luncheon.

Taxes have not risen in the township in four years and the population has been growing steadily for more than 20 years. The current population of 18,000 is four times what it was in the 1990s.

Pileggi said Concord’s tax assessment is $1.5 billion with almost half, $700 million being commercial. Costco, he said, pays between $300,000 and $400,000 in school taxes each year and that the Garnet Valley School District couldn’t wait for the store to open.

Concord does have a dedicated open space tax — instituted four years ago when taxes were last raised — and one-third of the township’s annual take goes to open space. Another third pays for The Concordville Fire Co. and the Rachel Kohl Library, while the remaining third “pays the bills,” Pileggi said.

He added that the immediate budget concern regards salt and snowplowing for the rest of this winter season. They are already over budget because of the storms so far.

Pileggi brought people up to date on the Wegmans’ development; the the developer would break ground soon after getting the needed permits and probably be finished in the fall of 2015.

In addition, another medical facility will be going up on Route 1. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has purchased the old Ethan Allen property and will construct a two-story, 40,000 square foot office building.

Also planned for the Route 1 area is a 90-home carriage house development behind the Concordville Town Centre.

Pileggi said the supervisors received a lot of criticism for the billboard that went up on Route 202 at the north end of the split near Chadds Ford. He explained, however, that several other townships are spending millions of dollars to fight against billboards, but Concord thought giving into this one was prudent.

He said there were actually five separate requests for billboards in different locations, but supervisors were able to get the others tossed out.

“The board prides itself in being practical. We won’t spend excessive amounts on litigation,” he said.

Pileggi also brought up the 320-acre Woodlawn Trustees property that was the focus of so much controversy the last two years. While Woodlawn withdrew its application for a zoning change, it could still come back with plans to build under current zoning.

If that would happen, he said, it’s conceivable for the property to be sold with the ability to build a 220-home development in a 40-acre PRD district and subdivide the rest of the property with 1-acre zoning by right.

“We’d be hard pressed to say no,” he said.

He added that it would cost the township $15-$20 million to buy the land, which is beyond the township’s borrowing capacity and would force taxes to be tripled.

Cappelli gave a brief history of Concord, noting it was the first place in the country to harvest mushrooms and that it was the original home of Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

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Adopt-a-Pet Feb. 6: Fargo

Along the Ford

Fargo-cropped — Adopt-a-Pet Feb. 6: Fargo

This handsome guy came to the shelter as a stray. We named him Fargo and he’s approximately 2-4 years of age. Fargo is a very sociable guy and currently in a foster home where he is living with two dogs. He is litter box trained and loves to sit at the window to look outside. His foster mom says he’s the best cat ever. If you would like to meet Fargo please contact the CCSPCA at 610-692-6113 ext 224 and we will set up a day and time for you to meet Fargo.

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