October 12, 2015 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Knauss resigns from school board

Keith Knauss is no longer a member of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board. Knauss announced his resignation in an email to the administration and fellow school board directors in an email over the weekend. The resignation was effective immediately.

In the email, Knauss said there were several reasons, some personal some not.

One issue was the recent contract with the teachers’ union. He said, “Some may wonder whether the recent teacher contract was a factor. Yes it was, but probably not for the reason one might think. I ran again for office two years ago specifically to participate in negotiating another union contract. I expected it would take many additional months, but it didn’t. A settled four-year contract, regardless of the terms, signals that my work is done.”

The personal reasons were all positive, he said. Knauss cited one child graduating, a second getting married and a third, living in San Francisco, is in the process of making him a grandfather. With his wife ending her term as president of a nonprofit, he will have time to travel.

He said he can look back on his 10 years on the board “with a smile,” saying he “played a small part in moving the district from a good one, to a great one,” but added he didn’t do it alone.

“I’ve been honored to work with so many talented school directors, administrators, teachers and support personnel. It’s been a great ride,” he said.

In a brief telephone interview, Knauss added that there are many good people in the district who can do a great job on the board.

Board President Vic Dupuis said, “I am grateful for Keith’s service and dedication to this Board and the UCFSD community. Keith’s intellect, wisdom, and thought-provoking commentaries have been instrumental in ensuring that the Board considered many options on many issues. He will be missed but we wish him and Mary Pat a future filled with good things.”

The board will appoint a replacement who will finish Knauss’ term, according to school Superintendent John Sanville.

Knauss was representing Region A, East and West Marlborough Townships.

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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At Tyler Arboretum, pumpkins will prevail

Arts & Entertainment

Happy Pumpkin Girl — A young girl shows her enthusiasm during the 2014 Pumpkin Days at Tyler Arboretum. This year's family-friendly festivities are scheduled for Oct. 17 and 18. Photo courtesy of Tyler Arboretum

As many area residents already know, Tyler Arboretum’s Pumpkin Days represents a beloved fall ritual at one of the oldest and largest arboreta in the northeastern U.S.

A plethora of pumpkins will mark the 37th Annual Pumpkin Days at Tyler Arboretum on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11. — A plethora of pumpkins will mark the 37th Annual Pumpkin Days at Tyler Arboretum on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18.

Now in its 37^th year, Pumpkin Days will welcome attendees who once came as children and are now bringing their own kids to the family-friendly festival. It will be held rain or shine on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

“Pumpkin Days first began in 1978 and is Tyler’s oldest, most-loved community event. What started as a group of young families getting together to celebrate fall while helping Tyler has blossomed into one of our most successful events,” Gary Bloomer, Tyler Arboretum’s communications manager, said in a press release. “In 2014 we hosted 3,200 visitors in two days.”

Visitors of all ages can enjoy two full days of activities, including picking out a prized pumpkin, listening to live music, assembling a scarecrow to take home, viewing the fall foliage from a hay wagon ride, or racing through an inflatable obstacle course. This year for the first time, a selection of food trucks will be on site, including Bonjour Creperie and Sweet Box Cupcakes, the release said.

Thanks to support from Wawa, general admission to Pumpkin Days is free for Tyler Arboretum members; no pre-registration is required. Non-member admission is: $11 for adults, $7 for children ages 3 to 15, and free for children under 3. In addition to numerous free activities, including crafts, games, demonstrations, and musical entertainment, a handful of activities will require tickets available for sale inside the event.

To avoid congestion on Painter Road and Barren Road, ample, free parking will be available at the nearby Penn State Brandywine campus, 25 Yearsley Mill Rd, Media, 19063. Visitors will be able to catch the free shuttle bus, which can accommodate strollers. Parking at the arboretum will be reserved for visitors with disabilities, the release said.

Tyler Arboretum, which boasts 650 acres of meadows, wetlands, and unbroken forest accessible through more than 17 miles of hiking trails, is located at 515 Painter Road, Media, Pa., 19063. For more information, call 610-566-9134 or visit www.tylerarboretum.org.

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La Comunidad Hispana team wins state award

Health

The social assistance team at La Comunidad Hispana (LCH) recently received the 2015 Coverage Champion Award for Primary Care Excellence (APEX) from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC), an LCH press release said.

Staff members from La Comunidad pose with the award: Eduardo Valdivieso (from left), case worker; Margarita Garay Zarco, human resources, education and workforce development director; Amy Lambert, director of business operations & programs; Alisa Jones, president & CEO; Yessenia Tavarez, case worker; Rocio Rodriguez, member relations specialist; Anel Medina, medical case worker; Cristina Gonzalez, lead case worker; and Maria Mata, case worker. — Staff members from La Comunidad pose with the award: Eduardo Valdivieso (from left), caseworker; Margarita Garay Zarco, human resources, education and workforce development director; Amy Lambert, director of business operations & programs; Alisa Jones, president & CEO; Yessenia Tavarez, caseworker; Rocio Rodriguez, member relations specialist; Anel Medina, medical caseworker; Cristina Gonzalez, lead caseworker; and Maria Mata, caseworker.

“LCH’s award reflects the true impact that we make in Southern Chester County,” said Paul Huberty, chairman of the board of directors, said in the release. “The work of LCH’s social assistance team led to coverage for thousands of Southern Chester County residents.”

In 2014 alone, LCH provided 12,128 assistance visits to people who needed help obtaining health insurance.

Alisa Jones, president and CEO, said she is very proud of the LCH staff that work every day to navigate the unique challenges of the health insurance marketplace on behalf of non-English speakers, new immigrants, and other community members new to the insurance process.

“By providing families resources, access, and support to obtain health insurance coverage, we are strengthening the community as a whole,” Jones said in the release.

Social assistance team members and Certified Application Counselors Maria Mata, Anel Medina, Cristina Gonzalez, Rocio Rodriguez, Yessenia Tavarez, and Eduardo Valdivieso were recognized at the PACHC Conference APEX Awards luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

About Press Release

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Op/Ed: Vote for Hoffman in Kennett Twp.

Opinion

As Southern Chester County continues to grow, public safety concerns in Kennett Township are understandably growing as well. Township crime and traffic violations are still at relatively low levels, but they are increasing. Fire and emergency services are also concerns.

Until a few years ago, Kennett Township relied almost entirely on the state police for first-response enforcement. But the state police have themselves become increasingly stretched thin over time, and anyway they have no power to enforce local ordinances. For fire and emergency services, Kennett Township relies on volunteer departments, often with overlapping jurisdictions, which can create confusion and problems for residents.

The best long-term solution is probably some kind of regional authority for police, fire, and emergency services, centered around the major population center Kennett Borough, with whom the township already has some resource-sharing arrangements. However, previous township administrations never seriously pursued any kind of regional planning, so any such solution is still probably years off.

In the meantime, Kennett Township created its own police department. The basic idea was sound, but unfortunately previous administrations provided little oversight or accountability. Meanwhile the township donated millions of dollars for the equipment of local volunteer fire and emergency companies without carefully assessing whether this truly reflected Kennett Township’s fair share of these costs, or truly met the township needs.

These problems continued until Scudder Stevens and Richard Leff took control of the board. They acted quickly to bring accountability and new leadership into the police department, The new police chief, Lydell Nolt, now commands three additional officers focused solely on township safety.

The new supervisors are now also working with our fire and emergency services to make them more effective and responsive, and to reduce overlap and associated taxpayer costs. They have retained consultants to analyze how to make these improvements, and are actively looking for grants to help implement them.

This Nov 3, there is another election for Kennett Township Supervisor. Only one candidate, Whitney Hoffman, fully endorses Stevens’ and Leff’s new public safety agenda. She also has ideas of her own on how to encourage more regional cooperation in this area. Let’s keep moving forward. On Nov. 3, please vote for Whitney Hoffman.

Jeff Yetter

Kennett Township

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William C. DuRoss “Bill” “Chub” of Wilmington

Obituaries

William C. DuRoss “Bill” “Chub”, 74, of Wilmington, died Thursday, Oct. 8, at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, DE. He was the husband of Margaret “Peg” Teague DuRoss, with whom he shared 35 years of marriage.

Born in West Chester, he was the son of the late Joseph and the late Mary (Fanning) DuRoss. Mr. DuRoss served our country from November 1958 to February 1962 in the US Army.

He was a mechanic for over 40 years working for Hagley Museum/DuPont and Deldot/State of Delaware, retiring in 2005

He was a longtime member of Holy Child Catholic Church and St. Patrick Church in Kennett Square. He owned a 6 pound cannon and was a member of Brandywine Creek Gun Fighters. He enjoyed dancing, hunting, fishing and was a collector of old guns. He enjoyed playing the drums and listening to the oldies. He also enjoyed spending time with his family, cookouts and holiday dinners.

Survivors include in addition to his wife Peg, daughters, Bernadette Miller (Paul), Lisa Ann Allen and her fiancé Jim McCraw of New Castle; twins sons, William Charles DuRoss, Jr. and John Joseph DuRoss both of New Castle,; five sisters, Peg Efta of New Castle, Mary Beale of New Castle, Ann Petty of North Carolina, and Edna Smith (John) of Pennsylvania and six grandchildren. Stepchildren Paul Lozier, Sandra Johnson (Wally), Linda Markham (Tom), and a host of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son Michael, a brother Joseph and three sisters, Francis, Catherine and Jean.

You are invited to visit with Bill’s family and friends from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. (610-444-4116) 250 W. State St. Kennett Square, PA 19348. His funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic 212 Meredith St., Kennett Square. Interment will be in St. Patrick Cemetery

To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.griecocares.com