David J. Kelly, 76, of Chadds Ford, formerly of Southwest Philadelphia, died on March 9.
Beloved husband of Sarah A. “Sally” (nee Jones); loving father of David J. Kelly (Denise), Christopher E. Kelly (Johanna), Kathryn M. Kelly, Timothy G. Kelly (Cindy) and Susan E. Jeanguenat (JJ); loving grandfather of 11 grandchildren; dear brother of Joseph Kelly, Theresa Meinert, Edward Kelly and Frank Kelly.
David was a 1956 graduate of West Catholic High School for Boys, a 1960 graduate of St. Joseph’s University, and received his Master’s Degree in chemistry from Temple University.
Relatives and friends are invited to his Viewing 6-8 p.m. Thursday, at The Donohue Funeral Home, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA, 610-431-9000 and Friday after 9 a.m. at St. Cornelius Church, 110 Ridge Road, Chadds Ford, PA 19317, followed by his Funeral Mass 10 a.m. Int. SS Peter & Paul Cem.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 or to Camilla Hall, 1145 W. King Road, Immaculata, PA 19345.
This year’s 66th Annual Chadds Ford Art Show presents the work of 70 local professional artists in a variety of media and prices this Friday and Saturday, March 20 -21st.
In addition to the many fine artists that show in the main exhibition hall, the Art Committee had added an “Art Salon- Other Points of View” which offers a more intimate view of five local contemporary fine artists.
Wall Sculpture by Rhoda Kahler
The large still life works of David Oleski, atmospheric encaustic works of Erica Brown, ceramic wall sculptures of Rhoda Kahler, oil paintings of industrial vistas by Teresa Hagg and stunning contemporary steel works by Stan Smokler will be featured in the Salon this year.
The Salon Show was curated by Lele Galer and arranged by the hardworking Chadds Ford Art Show volunteer committee. The Salon provides an opportunity to view contemporary works in the setting of a small gallery, and is just one of the many ways that the wonderfully popular annual art show is continuing to add to the art show experience. Friday Night the show opens with delicious food and music from 7-10pm, and Saturday it opens to the whole family from 10am -4pm.
John Baker with Vessels
Thursday March 19th from 4-7pm is the opening reception for the new “Past & Present” exhibition at West Chester University’s E.O. Bull Center for the Arts. This multi-media art show highlights the works of John Baker, Gus Sermas and Sally Van Orden, all of whom are studio faculty from the Department of Art & Design at West Chester University. “Past & Present” represents a forty year span of their artworks, encompassing ceramics, paintings and mixed media which were created through their years of teaching.
It is always so inspiring to see a selection of works that represent an artist’s viewpoint over time, especially if that artist is also a teacher and mentor to other artists. John Baker is famous for his vessels which often relate to his response to his travels, and “have a ceremonial context, where the bowl and the vessel were always affiliated with ritual, whether it is ceremonial or everyday appearances…..the bowl is a container, which enables me to create the imagery or the sculptural objects in the interior.” I am looking forward to hearing them talk about their work!
This past Sunday, The Brandywine River Museum of Art held a delightfully entertaining and inspiring lecture by celebrated Caldecott illustrator David Wiesner. You should check their website regularly for their guest speakers because they are always fantastic. Mr. Wiesner is famous for “Tuesday”, and “Flotsam” among many other magical titles of his picture books. Bravo to the museum for highlighting such a fascinating story teller and artist!
This weekend as a special treat for our younger artists, The Art Gallery at Franklin Commons in Phoenixville is inviting everyone to “Family Art Night” on Friday March 20th from 6:30-8pm. This fun event will encourage kids to interact with the current exhibit “The Art of Science” with scavenger hunts and some take home art projects. What a great way to encourage everyone in the family to enjoy the visual arts!
Also this weekend, in Wilmington Delaware, The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts hosts its annual meeting and Volunteer Appreciation Night on Thursday March 19th from 5-8pm. Cocktails and appetizers will be served before and after the meeting, and then the “Flashlight tour” begins with a very unique way to appreciate the new exhibit by Hiro Sakaguchi “Avert, Escape or Cope With” which features glow-in-the-dark elements that are not visible to the daytime visitor. This is also a nice time to renew your membership and take advantage of the 20% off all purchases the DCAA Alternatives Store.
Lele Galer is an artist who has chaired numerous art shows, taught art history and studio art, public art and has chaired, written and taught the Art in Action Art Appreciation series for the UCFD schools for the past 12 years. She worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and wrote for the Associated Press in Rome. She has been dedicated to Art History and art education for most of her adult life. Lele and her husband Brad own Galer Estate Winery in Kennett Square.
While the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board is in negotiations with the teachers’ union, offering a 2 percent pay hike, the board gave one administrator an 8 percent raise.
Board members voted 6-1 Monday to extend the contract of Assistant to the Superintendent Ken Batchelor through 2020. The new deal will bring his salary up from $178,199, to $193,199.
The lone vote against the $15,000 per year raise came from Director Carolyn Daniels, who said her vote was no reflection on Batchelor’s performance, but that it was a bad time for such an increase because of the negotiations with the union, the Unionville-Chadds Ford Education Association.
Director Keith Knauss defended the raise for two reasons. He said Batchelor has been doing two jobs since Sharon Allen-Spann, the former director of personnel, resigned two years ago, and because Batchelor is highly sought after when other school districts are looking for a new superintendent.
“I’m willing to pay market price to keep Ken,” Knauss said.
Salaries and negotiations were talking points well before the vote on Batchelor’s new contract.
School Board Director Gregg Lindner reviewed with the public the same information on negotiations that was covered in a March 13 press conference. He and fellow Director Keith Knauss said at the time that they support the current 2 percent offer made to the union.
The two sides are currently 3 percent points apart in their talks. The board is offering a 2.08 percent raise each year for three years, while the teachers are asking for 5.01 percent per year during the same period.
Union President Scott Broomall addressed the board during the first resident comment period, saying it was wrong for the board to call a press conference at 10:30 a.m. last Friday to talk about the negotiations while he was in class and unable to respond to reporters who were contacting him for comment.
He also said there was another oddity in the timing of the press conference.
“It’s a bit odd that the district goes public when the sides are only about 3 percent apart and there’s still three-and-a-half months to go [before the current contract expires]. This has done nothing but make the process more contentious,” Broomall said. “I don’t know what the agenda of the board is in going public, but it certainly wasn’t to work with us to reach a settlement.”
He said the board “demonized and manipulated” the teachers’ 5 percent proposal in the eyes of the public.
“You attacked the very professionals who make this a premier school district,” he added.
“The proposal put forth by the teachers would cost the taxpayers about $125 more a year,” Broomall continued. “That’s $10 a month. Thirty-four cents a day. That seems more than reasonable for a district of our caliber. That’s cup of coffee a week.”
Broomall received a standing ovation from fellow teachers after he spoke. (See photo.)
Knauss said the reason for going public was to bring the public up to speed, adding that it’s important for taxpayers to know that compensation for teachers makes up roughly 50 percent of the district’s budget and influences another 20 percent of spending.
Director Kathy Do said she’s confident that the board and the teachers will come to an equitable agreement.
Fellow Director Jeff Hellrung said he supports the board’s goals and the job being done by the negotiating team, which is made up of Lindner, Knauss and board President Vic Dupuis.
Other business
The board acknowledged the resignation of several district employees, including Unionville High School Principal Paula Massanari. Her resignation is effective at the end of the school year.
Superintendent John Sanville said Massanari has always reflected statements made in her initial employment package, that she has an “innate ability and desire to make a difference.”
“She’s a transformational leader with the drive and commitment to make a great high school even better,” he said.
Sanville also joked that he had no idea Massanari was considering retirement because she showed none of the signs. She continued to arrive early and stay late and “she didn’t stop laughing at my jokes.”
Photo: Unionville – Chadds Ford Education Association President Scott Broomall, seated, gerts a standing ovation from teachers after he addressed the the school board.
Andrew N. Steele, 27, of Landenberg, died suddenly on Sunday, March 15, in Paradise, Pa.
Andrew N. Steele
Born in West Chester, he was a son of James L. and Kimberly (Willard) Steele. Andrew loved playing guitar and enjoyed all types of music. He was an avid reader of world history, enjoyed hiking at the White Clay Creek Preserve and loved animals, especially his German shepherd.
Andrew attended Wilmington Christian School and Kennett High School. He was a compassionate, gentle and kind soul. He will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Survivors include, in addition to his parents, one brother, Jamie Steele and his wife Catherine of Seattle, Wash.; aunts and uncles, Bob and Donna Willard and Jeff and Kathy Willard and several cousins.
You are invited to visit with Andrew’s family and friends from 10 to noon Friday, March 20, at Willowdale Chapel 675 Unionville Road Kennett Square, PA 19348 (The church is located near the corner of Routes 82 and 926, one mile north of Route 1) A funeral service will follow at noon.
Interment will be in New London Presbyterian Cemetery. Contributions in memory of Andrew may be made to County Corrections Gospel Mission, “City Gate” P.O. Box 1136, Coatesville, PA 19320.
Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. (610-444-4116) of Kennett Square. To view Andrew’s online tribute, or to share a memory with his family, please visit www.griecocares.com
Intellectual Disability Awareness Month will feature a new traveling exhibit that recalls the complex and often tragic history of Pennhurst State School and Hospital, located in Spring City, a Chester County press release said.
An official presentation of the exhibit and a reception will take place at the Government Services Center in West Chester on Thursday, March 19, from 6:30 until 8 p.m. It will be displayed at various locations throughout the county until May.
Built on a 634-acre lot 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia, Pennhurst admitted the first patient in 1908. For almost 80 years, the institution housed more than 10,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These residents were segregated from society, ignored, and often abused. The Pennhurst story is a poignant reminder of past errors, helping to ensure these mistakes are never repeated.
The exhibit, funded by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, is a three-part series: “A World Apart,” “The Fall of Pennhurst,” and “The Legacy of Pennhurst.” Each series consists of four panels depicting the institution’s history on a timeline. Along with the panels is a small kiosk where spectators may view photos and a 1968 television expose, by former NBC newscaster Bill Baldini, on conditions at Pennhurst.
In 1977, a U.S. district judge ruled that the conditions at the institution violated patients’ constitutional rights, and 10 years later, Pennhurst closed its doors. In the years since, there has been significant progress in society’s acceptance and understanding of this population. Today, Chester County’s Department of Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities promotes inclusion, compassion, and respect for this population, striving to support and empower individuals with intellectual disability.
The Pennhurst presentation on March 19 is free and open to the public at the Government Services Center, 601 Westtown Rd., West Chester. The exhibit will be on display there until April 11. It will also be displayed at the Chester County Library in Exton from March 20 until April 30. It will be at The Arc of Chester County in West Chester on May 1.
Chadds Ford is a treasure, but it can be so much more. That’s why I’ve decided to run for supervisor. Our historic and alluring hometown is something to behold, yet its potential remains untapped. I believe that Chadds Ford can become an even greater place to live, play and visit by focusing on three key priorities: Establishing a “walkable” historic corridor; creating more opportunities for families, friends and visitors to gather; and promoting preservation while accommodating safe and sustainable growth. None of this can be achieved without the type of accountable and responsible leadership that I can help to provide the township.
I enter this campaign with the experience and background that can offer a strong compliment to the current and, frankly, impressive Board of Supervisors. (In fact, I had the pleasure of attending Samantha Reiner’s first meeting as supervisor and found her and her colleagues well-prepared, inquisitive, and eminently sensible.) I can bring a valuable and healthy perspective informed by more than 20 years of practicing law; leading compliance, ethics and environmental sustainability programs for a large, global company; and serving on the boards of several non-profit organizations. A place like Chadds Ford can thrive through diverse, pragmatic and strong leadership. Difficult questions associated with growth, open space, and community health and safety will only be solved through consensus building, relevant experience and sound judgment. That’s what I hope to deliver as a supervisor.
My campaign will be about effective and trusted leadership, not partisan ideology. While I am new to elective politics, I am not new to the township. My wife, three sons and I have lived in Chadds Ford since 2002, save for a three-year overseas assignment to the United Kingdom. I would like nothing more than to give back to this special town we call home. I am not deterred by the perceived challenge of electing a “Democrat” to township government. People do not vote out of habit, but rather with their hearts and minds. Therefore, over the coming months, I plan to talk to as many of my fellow residents as possible; involve new people in the process; share my views on the opportunities and challenges we face; and present my experience for what it is and is not. I trust and hope that the people of Chadds Ford will decide that what I can offer the township is valuable and worthy of their vote: passion, commitment and a fresh, accessible voice for our entire community.
Alan B. Horowitz Candidate for supervisor
Chadds Ford Township
