Chadds Ford Township has a new budget for 2015 and the good news for property owners is that taxes will remain the same as they have been. Supervisors passed the spending plan during their Dec. 3 meeting.
The budget is balanced with revenues and expenses expected to be $1.46 million. The largest sources of income are the various property taxes, including the basic township tax, along with library, hydrant and open space taxes. Combined, they total $445,594.
For residents, that breaks down to 0.495 mills for property taxes, 0.12 mills for the Rachel Kohl Library, 0.228 mills for the open space fund and .095 mills for property owners in fire hydrant districts. A mill is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 in assessed property value.
Salaries for officials and employees for next year will be $1,875 per year for each supervisor; $78,000 for the township manager; $41,600 for the secretary; $48,891 for the treasurer; $8,250 for the fire marshal; and $1,500 for the roadmaster.
Roads and highway services represent the township’s largest single expense. That’s anticipated to be $346,350, but could be closer to $450,000 because of a recently discovered problem with a culvert on Heyburn Road.
Township engineer Joe Mastronardo said the culvert, near Route 1, is rotting and causing a problem with the road surface. He said repairs could cost about $100,000 that hasn’t been budgeted.
Township resident Bruce Prabel lives on Heyburn and said the problem with the road occurs at a curve. If a car is traveling too fast, the bump in the road could force it into the path of oncoming traffic.
Prabel and other residents also talked about another problem concerning Route 1 and Heyburn, involving a “No U-turn” sign facing southbound Route 1 traffic at the intersection.
As reported last month, the sign was installed in October. In order for motorists needing to make a U-turn to go north on Route 1, they now have to drive almost to Creek Road. This affects residents of Southpoint and the business owners and customers of businesses at The Commons.
Southpoint resident Gail Force said police are now ticketing drivers who make the U-turn at Heyburn.
Township secretary Matt DiFilippo said before the meeting that he’s now telling people to drive down to Ring Road and make their U-turns in the township driveway.
Other business
• Supervisors voted to advertise a hearing to consider lowering the speed limit on Brandywine Drive from 35 mph to 25 mph. During a discussion on the matter, the board members agreed to include all other residential township roads that don’t have posted speed limits. That hearing is tentatively scheduled for February.
Supervisor Frank Murphy said the original idea to lower the speed limit on Brandywine Drive was to keep the speed limit consistent with the new leg of the loop road system that’s being built as part of the Wegmans development and to maintain that if and when the Hillman Drive segment of the loop road is built.
• Resident Samantha Reiner gave a brief overview of the township’s Strategic Activities Committee, which was formed in May. Reiner, the committee chair, said the group was asked to review 13 potential projects, including developing a municipal property maintenance code, stormwater management and code enforcement.
Reiner said she’s met with Delaware County Planning officials and with a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources Stormwater Management specialist to review particulars of the committee’s recommendations and will meet with a team from the Brandywine Conservancy for further review.
Murphy said the committee was formed to look at projects from a more general perspective than the regular standing committees. He said he viewed it as a “think tank” that would be able to “think outside the box.”
• Chadds Ford Township will hold its annual Volunteer Appreciation and Holiday Open House at the township building from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 18. All residents are invited. Appetizers and beverages will be served. Non-perishable donations will be accepted for the Veterans Group. (Donors are asked to call the township at 610-388-8800 for details.)
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.
For the 29th year, the Chadds Ford Historical Society will offer its popular Candlelight Christmas Tour, a stroll into the past that helps fund the society’s historic mission.
The 2014 tour not only celebrates the 300-year history of the society’s 1714 Barns-Brinton House, but it also includes over 15 homes and historic sites in Pennsbury and Kennett Townships, all decked out in holiday style – and one of which served as a former Hollywood movie set.
The festive tour will include:
The Chadds Ford Historical Society Barn
The Barn Visitors’ Center, designed by noted local architect, John Milner, will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets for the day are available there and restroom facilities will be open for your use. Parking is behind the barn and can be utilized as a gathering spot for those who want to carpool with friends.
The Christian C. Sanderson Museum
Tour participants can park in the Brandywine Prime parking lot and walk to the Christian C. Sanderson Museum, which houses over 200 years of American History – and some of the quirkiest artifacts one could imagine. Many of those objects are from the local area and highlight items from the Revolutionary War, the Battle of the Brandywine, and also include the Civil War and both World Wars. Sanderson, a well-known teacher and fiddler, grew up with the Wyeths, and some original works of art by the Wyeth family are on display. The museum will be open from 10 pm. to 3 pm.
Downstream Farm
Downstream Farm, where “Marley and Me” was filmed, will be one of the attractions of the Chadds Ford Historical Society’s Candlelight Christmas Tour.
On nearby Meetinghouse Road, Downstream Farm is better known to locals as the “Marley and Me” House, from the Hollywood movie that was filmed on the 16-acre property. Built by the Hayes family in 1837, it retains much of its original charm. It was constructed with high ceilings and large rooms flooded with natural light, features not usually found in a typical Chester County farmhouse. There are two walk-in fireplaces, lovely exterior stonewalls, a Brandywine Creek feeding stream, and remnants of the old barn foundation, which serves as a landscape decoration.
William Brinton 1704 House
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also as a National Historic Landmark, the William Brinton House now serves as a museum and genealogical research center. This 13-acre property will open its doors to the barn, the carriage house, and even the privy, providing a unique glimpse of 18th -century English Quaker family living. It was built in 1704 by William Brinton, Jr., a Quaker who emigrated from Birmingham, England, in 1684. His family was instrumental in establishing Birmingham Township, where the stone for the post-medieval style house, still owned by the Brinton Association of America, was quarried.
Hillendale
Originally part of a 500-acre 1691 land grant by William Penn, the small, original structure of this 1780-90 home on Fairville Road underwent some add-ons, evidenced by the Greek Revival elements, which would date those additions to the mid-19th-century. In the early 1920s, the Danby family used the house as a summer property and hired renowned architect R. Brognard Okie to expand and renovate the old section of the residence. Okie was known for his use of period materials and when they were not available, he had them custom made.
Pennsbury Mill
This hydroelectric mill was built in 1919 by the owners of Hillendale to provide the power for their summerhouse. Mrs. Danby was related to Thomas Edison, and he provided the equipment to generate power. The original meters and controls are still located in a dining room cabinet in the home. It is suspected that while Okie was restoring and adding on to the main house, he added ideas for the mill since it was part of the property at the time. Later owners donated the mill to the township, and it was subsequently restored to its present state.
The Caleb Windle Farm (available by shuttle from Hillendale Elementary, due to traffic and parking issues)
This farm sits on just over two acres, down from the original 58 acres purchased for $2,820 by brothers Sharpless and Caleb Windle in March 1843. Sharpless Windle sold out to his brother early in 1844, and several months later, Caleb Windle oversaw construction of the eight-room fieldstone farmhouse that still stands. The current homeowners bought the farm in 2005 and had the kitchen redone several years later. They brought an eclectic mix of family pieces and treasures into the residence, which features a farm wagon, a rustic sleigh, and carriages as you near the front door. A restored 1911 Model T sits in the carriage house.
Chester County Barn (available by shuttle from Hillendale Elementary, due to traffic and parking issues)
This barn, which accompanied the Caleb Windle House, is featured on period land maps along with the residence. Since the needed farm animals working the land required shelter, their quarters were a first priority in erecting farm buildings. As was common in the 19th century, the barn was built from stone and tree materials gleaned from the property. These indigenous materials were also incorporated into the conical supports for an original overhanging section of the barn and the foundation and walls. A former residence of Vice-President Joe Biden’s sister, the barn provides an illustration of successful repurposing animal quarters into a home.
The Tenant House (available by shuttle from Hillendale Elementary, due to traffic and parking issues)
This circa-1830 tenant fieldstone farmhouse has evolved over the years. Originally part of a 172-acre parcel, the property served as temporary quarters for families getting established in the area in the 1900s. In the 1960s, it was found to be vacant and considered haunted by local children. The acreage dwindled and changed hands often until it was purchased by the current homeowner’s husband in 1981. After being unoccupied for years, it was restored and modernized. Additions were added in a board and batten style to blend in with the original dwelling, and the kitchen was updated with cypress cabinetry and paneling, soapstone counters, and a radiant heated brick floor, giving it a period look.
1840 Farm House
Joseph Pennock, who emigrated from County Tipperary, Ireland, obtained this land parcel in 1701 from William Penn when it comprised over 500 acres. He kept the property awhile and then sold it to Samuel Levis, and he ironically ended up marrying Samuel’s daughter, Mary, in 1705. By 1710, Joseph and Mary had moved to West Marlborough Township where Joseph had acquired 1,250 acres from his grandfather. After giving 550 acres to his son, Joseph and Mary had 700 acres to start building their home, now known as Primitive Hall. By the late 1950s, the now-eight-acre property was purchased by another well-known local name, Wyeth. Originally called Greenwood Hall, this 170-year-old dwelling was thought to be a part of the Underground Railroad.
Old Kennett Quaker Meeting House
First constructed in 1710, this meetinghouse sat on land owned by Ezekiel Harlan who acquired it as part of a William Penn land grant. It was used for worship by Quakers in the area, and the adjacent cemetery is considered the starting point of the Battle of the Brandywine when shots were first fired there on Sept. 11, 1777. General Maxwell was successful in driving back the troops to the North Hills of Chadds Ford, but soldiers who were killed in the skirmish are buried in the adjoining cemetery. The Meeting House was placed on the National Register for Historic Places in 1974 and celebrated its tercentennial in 2010; it continues to be open for meeting for worship on the last Sunday of June, July, and August at 11 a.m.
The Farmhouse at Kendal
This property was purchased in 1698 from a Pennock parcel that also originated from William Penn. The farmhouse was constructed in 1727 by Daniel and Mary Webb and additions were finished by 1826. The original deed to the property will be on display, and three of the first-floor rooms and the front hall will be graced with festive holiday decorations. In 1891, the property was purchased by William Hoopes and renamed “Lawnwold,” serving as a dairy, peach, and vegetable farm that had customers who reached to New York City. Light refreshments will be served and rest facilities will be available.
The Pennsbury Inn (a shuttle will run from the Pennsbury Township Building)
Another Penn Land Grant yielded the first section of the inn when it was erected in 1714. The current owners have a complete listing of owners to the present day. Legend has it that the carved signatures that grace the building are the proud craftsmen who worked on the structure. In 1749, the owners petitioned the township elders for a permit to add a “great expansion.” The addition was halted mid-construction when the fireplace footers had not been dug deep enough, prompting the chimney that served several fireplaces to sink, twisting the structure. It took almost 10 years to right the expansion, and in 1759 a dining room and summer kitchen were also added to the structure.
Architect John Milner’s Studio (park at the Pennsbury Antique Mall, Chadds Ford Winery or Pond’s Edge business complex)
John Milner, who specializes in the restoration and recreation of 18th-century properties, will offer a tour of the offices for the 20 people who work there. Photographs will show examples of the homes he has created and those he has expanded. Interesting artifacts and antiques pieces mixed in with holiday finery will also be on display.
ChaddsFord Winery and Farmhouse
Located on a former dairy farm, the winery has incorporated its equipment, a tasting room, and a shop into the existing barn for the farmhouse. The 1700s farmhouse has later additions, as well as a contemporary kitchen, and the first floor will be decorated and furnished for the holidays by Lisa Vonderstuck of Brandywine View Antiques to resemble an 18th-century tavern. Ticket-holders will be offered a five-beverage tasting in the tasting room on the tour day. The winery is one of the oldest in this region, having started in 1982.
Barns-Brinton House
Three hundred years ago, William Barnes had the foresight to establish a brick tavern on the main road between Philadelphia and Maryland. In 1722, the tavern received its first license to serve the public and that continued on until 1731 when Barnes died. During the next 22 years, the tavern changed hands several times until it was purchased by the grandson of one of the earliest settlers in the area, William Brinton. James Brinton held the title through the Battle of the Brandywine, when the tavern sustained damage, and his heirs continued ownership for over 100 years. In 1969, the Chadds Ford Historical Society purchased the property to restore it and showcase it as a 16th-century tavern with period furnishings. Its interior woodwork, paneling, and hardware, probably made by William Barnes, remain largely intact.
Tickets for the tour are $20 in advance or $25 per person on Dec. 6, the day of the tour. They are available for sale at the Chadds Ford Historical Society; Bryn Mawr Trust, 1620 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford; or Brandywine View Antiques, 1301 Brinton Bridge Rd, Chadds Ford, 19317. For more information, visit http://www.chaddsfordhistory.org/events/candlelight-christmas-tour/2014-the-details/.
(Left) Martin Johnson Heade, New Jersey Salt Marsh, ND, Oil on canvas. Collection Brandywine River Museum of Art. Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
(Right) George Inness, Moonrise, Alexandria Bay, 1891, Oil on canvas. Collection Westmoreland Museum of American Art.
The Brandywine River Museum of Art and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art began the process today of dividing up the art collection of publisher and American art proponent Richard Mellon Scaife. Scaife, who died July 4, bequeathed his art collection, which includes over 500 works, to both museums, specifying that it should be divided evenly between the two institutions.
The staff and board of the Brandywine and the Westmoreland are grateful and honored that Scaife chose to distinguish their museums with this generous act of philanthropy.
This unprecedented gift will add significantly to the permanent collections of both museums. After months of research and collaborative preliminary work, Thomas Padon, director of the Brandywine River Museum of Art, and Judith H. O’Toole, director and CEO of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, began the selection process by choosing the most significant paintings from Scaife’s exceptional collection. The process will continue over the coming week until its completion.
“I will miss the wonderful conversations Dick and I had about American artists, paintings or current issues in the field. He was always both insightful and well informed. He remembered my interest in his collection of paintings by John Kane and saw to it that they came directly to The Westmoreland after his passing. I am sure he would have wanted to be a fly on the wall during the selection process between the Brandywine and the Westmoreland. It was the kind of meeting of similar minds and keen wits that he would have greatly enjoyed,” states Judith H. O’Toole, director and CEO of the Westmoreland.
Scaife had a close connection to the Westmoreland since it opened to the public in 1959, including purchasing works of art for the collection and supporting various initiatives relating to education, exhibitions and a year of events during their 50th anniversary. He left the museum $5 million, which will be used towards their current Imagine What’s Possible capital and endowment campaign. In recognition of his lifelong devotion to the museum, the Westmoreland board of trustees has determined to create the position of the Richard M. Scaife director.
“Richard Scaife was a great friend to the Brandywine during his lifetime and is one of its most significant benefactors,” said Brandywine’s Thomas Padon. “The process of closely examining his entire collection recently brought to light very powerfully his passion for American art. Mr. Scaife’s paintings both enrich and enhance the Brandywine’s own holdings in many instances, such as Martin Johnson Heade and Guy Pène du Bois, bringing the first work by these artists to our collection. His interest in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century landscape and still-life paintings, in particular, aligns with the Brandywine’s holdings while at the same time broadening the collection to encompass a wider spectrum of American art. His impact on future audiences at the Brandywine is immeasurable, and we are profoundly grateful to him for his extraordinary generosity.”
“Dick Scaife joined the board of trustees of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art in 1978 and continued his association with the organization in various positions on the board for 36 years,” stated George A. “Frolic” Weymouth, chairman of the board of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. “He was a dear friend and a trusted advisor and he is greatly missed. Dick was passionate about art and preservation of the environment and, in addition to his gift of art, he bequeathed a 900-acre estate known as “Penguin Court,” located in western Pennsylvania, to the Brandywine Conservancy, along with a $15 million endowment to care for the property in perpetuity. We are honored that he chose to entrust us with this precious natural resource.”
The following is a list of ten works (five works for each museum) selected today from Mr. Scaife’s collection:
Brandywine River Museum of Art selections
Martin Johnson Heade, New Jersey Salt Marsh, ND, Oil on Canvas, 17 ½ x 36 inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
John Kensett, Hudson River View From Dobbs Ferry, New York, ND, Oil, 23 x 35 ¼ inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
Guy Pène du Bois, The Appraisal, 1926, Oil on Canvas, 38 x 28 ½ inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
Albert Bierstadt, Coast of California, ND, Oil on Canvas, 14 x 19 inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
Theodore Robinson, Yacht Club Basin, Cos Cob Harbor, 1894, Oil on Board, 19 x 22 ½ inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
Westmoreland Museum of American Art selections
George Inness, Moonrise, Alexandria Bay, 1891, Oil on Canvas, 30 ¼ x 45 ¼ inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
William Merritt Chase, Interior, Oak Manor, 1899, Oil on Canvas, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
Jasper Cropsey, Starucca Vale, 1896, Oil on Canvas, 46 ¼ x 68 ½ inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
Guy Pène du Bois, Rose Madder Club, 1934, Oil on Canvas, 25 x 36 ½ inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
John Kensett, Twilight on the Seashore, circa 1872, Oil on Canvas, 37 x 48 inches, Gift from the Estate of Richard Mellon Scaife
At a later date, another press release will be issued with further information on the art comprised in Mr. Scaife’s collection and the distribution of these works between the Brandywine and the Westmoreland.
Brandywine River Museum of Art
The Brandywine River Museum of Art is home to a renowned collection of American art. Housed in a nineteenth-century mill with a dramatic three-story steel and glass addition overlooking the Brandywine River, the museum presents an incomparable setting for important works of art by leading nineteenth- and twentieth-century artists, most notably that of three generations of the Wyeth family. Also on view are signature works by artists such as William Trost Richards, Howard Pyle, Horace Pippin and Thomas Sully, as well as selections from the museum’s renowned holdings of American illustration. Visitors can explore the connections between art and life on guided tours of the Andrew Wyeth Studio, the N.C. Wyeth House and Studio, and the Kuerner Farm (April through mid-November).
Brandywine Conservancy
The Brandywine Conservancy (www.brandywine.org) preserves the land and water of the Brandywine watershed for the community through source water protection, farmland preservation, and work with local governments. It has permanently protected from development more than 59,000 acres in Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, as well as New Castle County in Delaware and holds more than 400 conservation easements, most from landowners who wanted to save their property’s natural, scenic and historic resources. The Conservancy was among the first land trusts in the country to be awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is currently operating out of a temporary location – Westmoreland @rt 30 – while the Museum undergoes a major renovation and expansion. Located at 4764 State Route 30, between Greensburg and Latrobe, Westmoreland @rt 30 features works from the permanent collection, monthly Pop-Up Exhibitions, Studio Workshops, hands-on art activities for children on Saturdays and Sundays, Art on Tap “happy hour” events on the second Friday of every month and more. Regular hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The annual O-gauge model train display at the Brandywine River Museum of Art is an eye-popper for kids of all ages and both genders. The display is part of Brandywine Christmas, which opens Friday.
• During its Dec. 1 organization meeting, the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board re-elected Vic Dupuis and Gregg Lindner as president and vice president respectively.
• The Concord Township Christmas Tree lighting is this Friday, Dec. 5. Santa will light the tree at 6 p.m. and will listen to wishes until 8 p.m. The event is at the Concord Community center at 45 Thornton Road.
• The annual Critter Sale at the Brandywine River Museum of Art is this weekend, Dec. 6 and 7 fro 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Nutcracker dancers from the Wilmington Ballet will also be at the museum Saturday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m.
Christmas in Miniature is now showing at the Chadds Ford Gallery.
• An annual tradition is underway at the Chadds Ford Gallery. Christmas in Miniature runs through the end of the month. This is the 33rd year for the event that features smaller works of art for more affordable prices. The works of more than 90 renowned artists, local and national, will be on display for sale.
• Brandywine Baptist Church is presenting a Christmas celebration with the choir, guest musicians, and artisans on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. There will be a light fare following the program. The event will be held at the church, 1463 Baltimore Pike in Chadds Ford. All are welcome. For more information, please call the office at 610-459-1302 or visit www.brandywinebaptist.org.
• The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Community Coat Drive is underway and is collecting new and gently used coats, jackets, gloves, mittens and snow pants. All items should be clean and in good condition. Donated items can be dropped off in the lobby of any of the U-CFSD schools until Thursday, Dec. 18. This is a great opportunity to clean out your coat closets and help a very worthwhile cause! For more information call 610-455-0341 or email katienichols@verizon.net or diplacido6@verizon.net.
• Registration for YMCA of Greater Brandywine winter sports leagues and clinics begins Dec. 15 and runs through Jan. 18. Register before Dec. 21 for a $15 savings. A variety of sports leagues such as basketball, indoor soccer, floor hockey, indoor flag football and volleyball are available at different branches and open to youth ages 3 to 14. The leagues run from Feb. 2 to March 28. While membership is not required to join the leagues, full-privilege members may join any branch league at the membership fee with no extra charges. Register online at www.ymcagbw.org or contact your local branch for more information.
• The Chester County Pops Orchestra will present its first public holiday concert, one performance only, at Unionville High School on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. “Holiday Pops,” conducted by Joseph Gehring, will feature a wide array of your favorite holiday fare, as well as the vocal talents of East Ward Elementary Chorus, conducted by Danielle Cullen. For the price of a ticket — $15 for an adult, $12 for a senior (62 plus) and free for children — a concertgoer will enjoy another fabulous Chesco Pops performance, and support the school district’s educational programs and activities. Tickets are available online at www.chescopops.org, at the door or call 610-594-9178.
• Coinciding with the Chester County Art Association’s “$300 and Under Exhibit,“ a holiday market will be held on Friday, Dec. 19, from 2 to 6 p.m. to celebrate the holidays in festive Viennese style. Director Karen Delaney, who lived in Vienna, Austria for two years, is bringing her memories of their wonderful Kriskindlmarkt (holiday market) to CCAA. There will be handcrafted items for sale as visitors snack on cookies, sip mulled wine and listen to seasonal piano tunes. Bring your own favorite holiday mug from which to sip. Go to http://www.chestercountyarts.org/exhibitions.html to RSVP.
• The Chester County Fund for Women and Girls’ 2015 annual grants cycle begins this week and will result in awarding $255,000 total in grants this year; a teen girls’ advisory board helps select the grant recipients. The grant application and guidelines are posted at www.ccwomenandgirls.org. The deadline to apply is Jan. 23.
A gray November sky and a dusting of snow behind the Gilpin House at the Brandywine Battlefield Park make for a wintry scene and maybe a portent of things to come.
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.
Meet Leche. This beautiful kitten is four-five months old, and is completely white. Leche is incredibly rare, because he is a male, white, blue eyed, and is not deaf which is common for the combination. His left eye is blind from an old infection, but he has not let that slow him down or dampen his loving personality. Leche was found on a golf course very scared, very skinny, and with an upper respiratory infection. He is such a calm little man, loves to be held, and would do well in a quite home. Are there any warm laps available for this handsome cuddle bug? Come meet him today, and fall in love as we have.
Gerald Charles Dickens, an English actor and the great-great-grandson of literary master Charles Dickens, will perform a one-man show of A Christmas Carol at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 1 and 6 p.m.
Charles Dickens originally toured the U.S. in 1867, reading his literary works before spellbound audiences. According to Gerald Charles Dickens, his great-great-grandfather adored theater and initially wished to be an actor.
Today, his great-great-grandson brings A Christmas Carol to life as he laughs, leaps, and laments his way through depictions of 26 characters of the tale. He uses only a table, wing chair, and hat rack as props.
Tickets are available for the performance only, or may be purchased in a package that includes general admission to the museum. Performance-only tickets are $15 per member; $18 per nonmember; and $10 children under 12. Package price (performance and general admission) is $35 per nonmember, and $20 for children. Call 800-448-3883 or 302-888-4600 to purchase tickets.
Both performances will be held in Copeland Lecture Hall in Winterthur’s Visitor Center. The Visitor Center Café will stay open till 6 p.m.
• A domestic dispute on Thanksgiving Day resulted in the woman throwing knives at the man. No identities were revealed. The victim suffered minor lacerations to the back, but refused medical attention, police said. The accused was charged with simple assault in connection with the Nov. 27 incident on James Getty Lane in Concord Township. The victim also faces harassment charges, police later said.
• A 26-year-old man from King of Prussia left his vehicle unlocked at Painters Crossing Condominiums overnight on Dec. 2 .The next morning, police said, he discovered that shoes, a crocpot and a wallet had been stolen.
• An October burglary in Chadds Ford Township was just reported. Police said a home on Carnation Lane was broken into sometime between Oct. 9 and Oct. 13. According to the report, several items of jewelry were taken after the forced break-in. The investigation is continuing.
• Various items of hairdressing equipment were stolen from a vehicle parked in the lot at the Painters Crossing Condominiums, police said. The theft happened sometime between 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 1 and 2:45 p.m. on Dec. 2.
• State police from Troop K, Media barracks, are investigating a reported theft in Concord Township on Nov. 28. Police said a 58-year-old man reported that personal property, including a wallet, was stolen. The incident happened in the 300 block of Smithbridge Road.
• Someone entered an unlocked motor vehicle parked on Clayton Park Drive and stole groceries valued at $100, according to a police report. Police said the incident happened sometime between 5 p.m. on Nov. 29 and 9 a.m. on Nov. 30.
• A resident of Roswell, N.M. lost an estimated $950 in clothing when someone entered his unlocked car that was parked at the Hampton Inn in Concord Township. A black tuxedo and a tan leather coat were taken, according to police. The incident happened sometime between 9 p.m. on Nov. 13 and 12:41 p.m. on Nov. 14.
• A 24-year-old woman from Wilmington was injured in a two-car accident on Route 1 and Brinton Lake Road on Dec. 1. The severity of the injury was unknown, according to the police report. Police said the woman was a passenger in a car driven by Mohd K. Amoorah, 25, also of Wilmington, who was cited for making an improper left turn. According to police, Amoorah failed to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.
• Police arrested 55-year-old John Thomas Farren, of Newark, for DUI on Nov. 21. Police said Farren was stopped for traffic violations at 9:28 p.m. at Routes 1 and 202.
• Marla Brown, 39, of Paoli, was arrested for DUI in the parking lot of the Concordville Inn, according to a police report. The arrest was made at 2:41 a.m. on Nov. 21, the report said.
• Four people, including a 4- and a 6-year-old girl, were taken to the hospital following a two-vehicle accident on Smithbridge Road in Concord Township on Nov. 25. According to a police report, the injuries were listed as minor to moderate. One of the injured, Patricia Shaw, 51, of New Castle, was also cited for making an improper left turn, the report said. According to the police, Shaw, with two juvenile passengers, was heading west on Smithbridge when she tried to make a left hand turn onto Kirk Road, but failed to yield to oncoming traffic.
• Police charged a driver for failing to drive at a safe speed following a one-car accident at the intersection of Featherbed Lane at Route 322 in Concord Township on Nov. 27. A report said David Tapia-Espinoso, 22, of Oxford, was heading west on 322, failed to stop for a red light, veered to the left and crashed into a guiderail. Neither the driver nor his two passengers were injured in the incident that happened at 12:39 a.m.
• Police arrested 32-year-old Jay Edward Unger, of York, with DUI after a traffic stop on Route 202 at Dilworthtown Road. According to a police report, Unger was stopped for violations of the state vehicle code at 11:07 p.m. on Nov. 27.
• On Nov. 30 about 1:45 a.m., police said neighbors observed two suspects enter the garage of a home in the 200 block of Winston Lane in Pocopson Township. The suspects, one of whom was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and the other a dark-colored sweatshirt, fled with about $25 worth of change from one of the vehicles, police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 610-268-2022.
• A 43-year-old Thorndale woman was cited after she allegedly caused an accident on Ponds Edge Drive in Pennsbury Township on Nov. 20 at 8:48 a.m. Police said Michelle L. Swords was traveling south on Ponds Edge when she attempted to turn her 2007 Toyota Highlander into a driveway and struck a northbound 2009 Honda Odyssey. Police said Swords sustained injuries of unknown severity.
Yarn bomb aficionado Sharon Silverman gets ready to transfer the snake from her car trunk to the museum.
A slithering 40-foot-long creature has established temporary residency at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, but if the thought of a mammoth reptile makes you recoil, this one offers a more positive spin.
Created entirely of yarn – about 9,000 yards’ worth – this fuzzy critter is hanging from the ceiling near the front entrance of the Delaware Museum of Natural History, complementing the museum’s latest special exhibit, “Titanoboa: Monster Snake.”
Sharon Silverman puts the finishing touches on the grizzly bear’s snowflake encasement.
The display is part of a collaborative fiber arts project spearheaded by Sharon Silverman, a Birmingham Township woman who had an interest in yarn bombing – a trend of using vibrant fibers to enliven public spaces. Considered a more civilized form of street art than graffiti, yarn bombs often show up unannounced in places that might benefit from an explosion of color.
Occasionally the embellishments aren’t welcomed, but many are commissioned by entities such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Silverman, who had no designs on a potentially unappreciative venue, said she approached Halsey Spruance, executive director at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, where she once worked.
Silverman said Spruance not only embraced the idea, but also suggested a snake, which then begat the addition of other adornments. Outside the museum, multiple sculptures and signs received creative yarn treatments, such as the grizzly bear’s crocheted snowflake coat – consistent with nature, no two are alike – and the Galapagos tortoise’s bold patchwork carapace.
“I wanted to create something whimsical and captivating to promote the fiber arts and encourage people of all ages to look at their world in a new way,” said Silverman, adding that she appreciated the support and enthusiasm she received from Spruance and the museum’s staff. “It’s because of their hard work that everything has gone so smoothly.”
Silverman said the yarn used for the project, most of which is acrylic, was donated in part by Plymouth Yarn in Bristol. Other donations came from volunteers, who sent in segments for the snake and other elements from as far away as Hawaii.
Daniel McCunney (left), the museum’s communications manager, and intern Helen Bilinski show off the tortoise’s new shell.
A proponent of recycling – the snake is filled with used newspaper and plastic bags – Silverman said she plans to reconfigure the crocheted creations into blankets, which will be donated to the Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children in West Chester.
Anyone interested in learning more about the project should plan to visit the museum on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. Silverman, the author of five books on crocheting, will be on hand to answer questions and teach visitors how to “finger crochet.”
Silverman said she hopes the project might inspire other ones. “I’d love to do this for other institutions,” she said.
The Delaware Museum of Natural History is located at 4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, De., 19807. The exhibit will be on display through Jan. 26. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.delmnh.org or call 302-658-9111.
The regular December meeting of the Concord Board of Supervisors was brief and uneventful. More significant meetings are scheduled for later this month.
Supervisors will hold their preliminary budget preview at 5 p.m. on Dec. 9 and then vote on the 2015 spending plan a week later during a 6 p.m. meeting on Dec. 16. They will also conduct an ordinance amendment hearing that date on whether to increase the township amusement tax.
During the Dec. 2 meeting, the board voted to accept the resignation of Bruce Bilotti from the Planning Commission and the Building Board Code of Appeals.
Supervisors also passed a resolution honoring the Brandywine Youth Club 100-pound varsity football team — the Bulldogs — for winning the Burt Bell Football Championship in November.
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.
