Stephen Michael McClaskey, 58, of West Chester, a true man of God who fiercely loved and provided for his family, died Sunday, Feb. 14, at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
Stephen Michael McClaskey
He was the husband of Judith Wells McClaskey.
Born Dec. 10, 1957, in West Chester, he was the son of the late Grover Cleveland McClaskey and the late Elaine Burns McClaskey.
He was a graduate of Daniel Boone High School, a graduate of Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, and a graduate of Oakland University in Michigan with an M.B.A. in accounting. He earned his CPA certification in 1988.
From 1979 to 1985, he worked for DuPont. From 1985 to the present, he was self-employed and served as CFO for World Travel Inc.
He was a member of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Thornton, where he managed finances and taught Sunday School for over 20 years. He loved coaching Basketball Youth League and was a Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board Representative. Stephen was politically astute and outspoken. He was an avid golfer and loved his K-9 companions.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Natalie A. McClaskey of West Chester, David T. McClaskey of Philadelphia, and Daniel L. McClaskey of West Chester; siblings, Richard McClaskey (Debbie) of Phoenix, Az., Kathy McKinnon (Mike) of Pittsburgh, Michael McClaskey of Arizona; and nephews James Davidson and Devon Bridegam.
He was preceded in death by his sister, June Bridegam.
A visitation and memorial service was held on Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Thornton. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, N.C., 28607 or PSU Thon, 210 HUB, University Park, Pa., 16802.
Arrangements were made by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. of West Chester: www.DellaFH.com.
At its two-hour meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 16, Kennett Square Borough Council handled a far-reaching agenda, figuratively traveling back in time as well as across the border.
Kennett Square Police Chief Edward A. Zunino (left) and Mayor Matt Fetick (right) flank the borough’s two new officers, George Carlson and Mark Todd.
The topics included snow-removal complaints, a possible partnership with a region in Mexico, the borough’s gateway role in the Brandywine Battlefield, and ways to improve communication with residents.
The first order of business involved the swearing-in of two new full-time police officers. Mark Todd, a 2005 graduate of Oxford Area High School and 2009 graduate of Cecil College, comes to the borough after working in the West Nottingham, West Fallowfield, and Oxford police departments.
George Carlson, who graduated from Octorara Senior High School in 2002, earned his Act 120 certification in 2007 after taking courses at West Chester and Penn State universities. He worked previously in West Grove and Coatesville.
Mayor Matt Fetick said both officers completed their Civil Service applications more than two years ago and remained on the borough’s list of eligible candidates. He said the borough was fortunate they were still available when positions became available.
He noted that the vacancies existed because two of the borough’s officers left to take prestigious positions with the Chester County Detectives. “That says a lot about our police department,” he said.
Jeannine Speirs, a planner with the Chester County Planning Commission who chairs the Brandywine Battlefield Task Force, gave an enthusiastic presentation about the borough’s importance in tracking the history of the battle.
Calling Kennett Square Borough one of the gateways for interpreting the battlefield, she explained that research conducted through the first phase of a grant shows troop movement and encampment around the borough.
She said the county has received another two-year grant to continue the analysis aimed at pinpointing the troops’ activities and whereabouts. Identifying significant, historic locations will assist municipalities with land planning and conservation efforts, she said.
Speirs stressed that the county is not seeking funds from the borough, just two volunteers who share “the enthusiasm to figure out what happened here.”
Several council members applauded the idea. “I think it’s a great plan,” said Ethan Cramer, adding, “I’m sorry we lost the battle.”
Speirs responded that some historians now feel that it might have been a draw since the British failed in their goal, which was to get Washington.
Resident John Thomas also endorsed participating in the research. “I will put my hat in the ring,” he said. “I think it’s a great project.”
In other business, Fetick said the borough had been approached by representatives from Moroleon, a region in Guanajuato, Mexico, about a “twinning arrangement.” He explained that a number of residents travel back and forth between there and Kennett Square.
Fetick said the goal would be a cultural, collaborative exchange. Council unanimously voted to extend an invitation for a group to visit on April 29. A formal agreement could be memorialized after that visit.
“I’m here to support the twinning arrangement,” said Teno Zurita, a borough resident who also lives about five miles from Moroleon.
Council also heard from attorney William J. Shehwen III. He represents Mike Scali, who is under contract to purchase 120 E. State St. Shehwen explained that Scali, who wants to put a restaurant in the building, needs a resolution from the borough so that he can apply for an economic development liquor license, which would be non-transferable.
“This would go a long way to developing that property,” Shehwen said. The building has been vacant since Jack McFadden purchased the building in late 2006, and his plans for a restaurant failed to materialize. The resolution will be discussed further at the next council meeting on March 7.
Councilman Wayne Braffman reported on a “slow but steady approach” to improve communication with residents and create a more collaborative government. Among the ideas under consideration are upgrades to the website that would give residents financial updates, background on agenda items in advance of meetings, and detailed descriptions of boards and commissions to help residents select areas for volunteering.
Also under consideration is the creation of a form that could be used to solicit suggestions, “a pathway to allow any resident with an idea to bring it forward to us,” Braffman said. That suggestion sparked discussion about who would receive the form and who would be responsible for follow-up, details that are still in flux.
Continuing the theme of residents’ feedback, Fetick responded to earlier complaints from a handful of residents about inadequate snow-removal and failure to tow illegally parked cars during the blizzard. He said that mistakes were made and that efforts were underway to ensure they wouldn’t occur again.
He also reminded residents about the Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Genesis HealthCare building, 101 E. State St. He urged residents to take advantage of the chance to discuss topics of interest with borough officials.
In his report, Council President Danilo Maffei said numerous vacancies exist on borough boards and commissions, including the Landfill Authority, the Shade Tree Commission, the Zoning Hearing Board, and the Property Maintenance Appeals Board. Anyone interested in serving should send a letter of interest to Borough Manager Joseph Scalise, he said.
A map described as ‘a work in progress’ shows that the borough is included within the boundaries of the Brandywine Battlefield.
Kennett Township has purchased 45 acres of land at a cost of almost $750,000 for a township-owned park, but the final cost may only be 10 percent of the price.
Township Manager Lisa Moore announced the deal during the Feb. 17 supervisors’ meeting, though the board did discuss the matter in a roundabout way in October. She said details couldn’t be released at the time because the deal hadn’t been finalized. The township closed on the property Friday, Feb. 12.
Anticipated uses for the park include trails, flower meadows, a dog park, a butterfly garden, and a place where kids can throw Frisbees and footballs and kick a soccer ball, Moore said. It will be open from dawn to dusk.
This will be the first park owned by Kennett Township. While Anson B. Nixon and Pennock parks are in the township, Kennett does not own them.
The property — known as Barkingfield Farm —is adjacent to the township’s maintenance garage location at Bayard and Hillendale roads. Moore said the sale was a collaborative effort between Kennett’s Land Conservation Advisory Committee, Michael Pia Jr. and Stephanie Pia, the Deleeuw family, and The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County.
The total site is 56 acres. The Pias will keep 11 acres, and the township will get the rest. The price was $748,374, but according to Mike Guttman, the township’s grants program coordinator, the township is applying for grants from the state and Chester County totaling more than $673,000. Those grants would cover 90 percent of the purchase price.
Another first involved in the deal was the use of transfer of development rights, a move that Moore said would allow a high-density development in another “more suitable” area of the township.
Pia purchased the rights for the entire 56 acres, but will transfer those rights to a property on North Walnut Road for a multi-use development.
Citing the grant applications and transfer of development rights, Supervisors’ Chairman Scudder Stevens said the deal represents “a significant change in the way the township does business.”
That new way of doing business was also displayed in some resolutions passed by the board, resolutions to apply for grants involving other projects.
The supervisors approved a resolution to apply for a PECO grant for a nine-station fitness circuit system at Pennock Park. The grant — a joint application with the township and the Kennett Area Park and Recreation Board — is for $10,000 split between the two parties.
They also approved applying for another grant, for $50,000, through the Pennsylvania Municipal Assistance Program, which would cover the cost of developing alternative transportation — bicycling and walking paths — in the township and Kennett Square Borough as part of the Brandywine Creek Greenway Project.
Both resolutions passed 3-0.
Stevens said inter-municipal cooperation between Kennett and other neighboring municipalities is a way to join forces in applying for grants and sharing services.
“It’s a new way of looking at common problems,” Stevens said.
Earlier in the evening, Dan Maguire, the supervisor of technology services for the Kennett Consolidated School District, gave a brief presentation on how the school district is working to improve communication with the township.
He said the district is involved in a project to bring free high speed Internet to the entire community and that the district’s website is being improved to make it more appealing.
Those improvements, based on feedback from a community survey, include weather and emergency notification, improved site navigation, and parent and community resources.
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.
The 91-year old Unionville Community Fair was saved from possible extinction last night when Deb Deckman stepped forward and agreed to serve as the fair board’s next president.
Deb Deckman, the incoming board president, is shown with her son, Hunter, and her husband, Matthew.
Approximately 50 people attended an emergency meeting at Willowdale Chapel, called specifically to find a president and a treasurer for the board of directors.
“We were facing a deadline to fill these positions by next Wednesday,” explained outgoing Board President Danielle Chamberlain, or we couldn’t continue. “When the current board meets for the last time, we need to elect a new board,” she said. A probable person to fill the treasurer position has been found, but was not identified at the meeting.
Deckman lives in West Grove but has deep roots in Unionville and the fair. Her husband Matthew’s grandparents were part of the fair since the beginning. Grandmother Laura (Case) Deckman was the fourth Unionville Fair Queen, and many fairgoers remember Fred Deckman’s homemade matchbox cars. Matthew Deckman’s parents are Joe and Lori (Johnson) Deckman, both Unionville grads. Joe Deckman introduced Fred and Laura Deckman when the fair was dedicated to them a few years back.
“My family is all about getting involved and giving back to the community,” Deb Deckman said. “When we heard the dire straits the fair was in, we knew we had to get involved.”
Already busy with kids, a full-time job as a financial planner, and volunteer responsibilities with the Avon Grove Area Little League, Deckman said she is happy to carve time into her schedule to oversee the administration of the Unionville Community Fair.
Pam Eppinger will serve as the fair’s first paid manager, a position designed to take some pressure off board members.
The second bit of good news last night was the announcement of a first-time-ever paid fair manager, Pam Eppinger. Eppinger knows the Unionville School District well, having provided educational support to students in the district.
Reigning Fair Queen Shannon White’s attendance at the meeting reinforced the fair’s importance to the community and continuing its legacy. Chamberlain pointed out that White recently competed against 59 other fair queens in Hershey, demonstrating how Unionville’s fair is tied in to an even larger community of civic-minded people.
Many of the board members have served for many years, and their children are no longer in school at Unionville. “A younger generation needs to be involved and eventually take over responsibility for the fair,” said Board Member Debbie Schultz. “It is possible to take a little part or a big part, but we do need people who can devote time all year long.”
Schultz said it was encouraging to see younger people in the audience, willing to get involved. Tapping into an even younger age group, Deckman’s 9-year-old son, Hunter, is excited and raring to go. “I want to help with cow pie bingo!” he exclaimed.
Lora has a passion for art, gardening, yoga, music and dancing. She continues to research the life of locally born abolitionist and 1998 National Women's Hall of Fame inductee Mary Ann Shadd Cary. She is a dedicated community volunteer, working with the American Association of University Women, Wilmington, DE branch (programs chair), Chadds Ford Historical Society (former board member) and Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
Lora lives in Birmingham Township with her husband Bill and son Brad. Daughter Erika lives in Pittsburgh with husband Bob and baby Wilhelmina. She is a former French, Spanish and ESL teacher, bilingual life insurance underwriter and public relations coordinator for Delaware Art Museum and Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
Come meet all the wonderful animals available now for adoption at the Brandywine Valley SPCA. All featured pets are “Name Your Price” adoption fee until Monday Feb. 22. Not ready to adopt? Then sponsor a pet and provide a safe place for our companions to rest until they find their forever homes. Help us give them a second chance at a fresh start.
Tinker bell
Tinkerbell
I’m a short hair brown tabby with white paws who’s a bit on the big side. I’m four years old and was surrender to the shelter on Jan. 13. I’m still shy and tend to get scared easily, especially at sudden loud noises. I might take some time to get adjusted to a new environment and a quieter home with an experienced cat owner would be preferred. I’m not the best cat when it comes to children (again, loud noises make me jumpy). Once I get to know you, I’ll warm up to right away. Come down to Brandywine Valley SPCA and ask about me.
Mary Jane
Mary Jane
You’ll be in love with me, because I’ll be your main thing. I’m a 3-year old brown tabby that made my way to the shelter as a stray on Jan. 15. As a stray, I’ve become conscious about my surroundings, so it may take some time for me to interact with you. Once I get to know you, I’ll start to warm up to you. I would prefer a quiet home but I could get used to other cats. Come down to Brandywine Valley SPCA and ask about me.
Lizzy
Lizzy
I’m Lizzy and I arrived as a stray to the shelter on Jan. 13. I’m a 6-year spayed female and I’ve also been declawed. I’m a bit on the small side but I play that up with how cute I am. I’m normally timid and I’m not a fan of loud noises but I enjoy one-on-one interaction. I would prefer a quieter home. Come down to Brandywine Valley SPCA and ask about me.
Click HERE to learn about all of our cats at our Pennsylvania Campus.
Lily
Lily
I’m Lily and I arrived at the shelter around Christmas. I started off pretty shy being in a new environment around new people but I quickly opened up and love to play. I have three things in life that matter the most to me; eating, sleeping and going on walks, in no particular order. I’ve been to a volunteer’s home and proven to be calm in a house environment and completely housebroken. Come down to Brandywine Valley SPCA and ask about me.
Greg
Greg
I’m chock full of expressiveness and personality, not to mention I’m handsome to boot (at least that’s what everyone tells me). I have a distinctive golden coat that compliments my good looks and charm. I’m a free spirit and love to play and always wanting to run around and explore new things. I get along well with other dogs and can thrive in a single home or family environment. Come down to Brandywine Valley SPCA and ask about me.
Simba
Simba
I’m brushing up, I’m looking down, I’m working on my roa—err, bark, I meant bark. I’ve been told that I’m a sweet boy and I’m very responsive to commands. I’m on the bigger side so I need someone who’s big and strong like me. I can tolerate other dogs and I’m not too bothered by cats either; I’m an easy-going guy. I think it’s because I have soft green eyes and most of the staff and volunteers get lost in. Come down to Brandywine Valley SPCA and ask about me.
Click HERE to learn about all of our dogs at our Pennsylvania Campus.
• The old song said it’s “Summer in the City,” but now it’s time for chocolate in the borough. The annual Chocolate Lovers Festival, a fundraiser for the United Way of Southern Chester County, is this Sunday, Feb. 21 at Kennett High School. Hundreds of chocolate treats including cakes, brownies, candies, cookies and cupcakes will be available for tasting. Bring family and friends and sample as many chocolate items as you wish. General admission starts at 1 p.m. and costs $10 per person, which includes six tastings (special deal of $30 for a family of four). General admission parking is $5.
• Ever wonder how Chadds Ford got its name or who “Hank” is from Hank’s Place? Chadds Ford’s history, which dates back to the 1600s — is the topic for the first of this year’s Spring Lecture Series at the Chadds Ford Historical Society (CFHS), Tuesday, Feb. 23. This lecture — Chadds Ford Then and Now — reveals the stories behind the properties, what they looked like “then” and “now,” discovered by CFHS board member Phyllis Recca as she spent the summer of 2015 researching over 40 sites using historic images from the CFHS and documenting how they look today. Free for CFHS member, the cost is $10 for nonmembers.
• Registration for Spring 2016 Youth Sports leagues and clinics at the YMCA of Greater Brandywine is underway and runs until March 27. Sports offerings include basketball, soccer, cheerleading, floor hockey, tennis, volleyball, T-ball, coach pitch baseball and flag football for kids ages 3 to 18 years. Membership is not required to join these leagues and clinics. The season runs from April 18 to June 18. Financial assistance is available. For more information visit your local YMCA of Greater Brandywine branch or YMCA Youth Sports.
• The final draft of a proposed Home Rule Charter for Concord Township is now available for public review. A copy can be found on the township’s website at www.twp.concord.pa.us/home-rule-info Members of the Government Study Commission will hold four public educational meetings to explain the proposal and answer questions at Rachel Kohl Library on April 3 and 13 at 10 a.m. and April 14 and 18 at 7 p.m.
• If you enjoy being outdoors and want to learn more about gardening with native plants, the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art wants you. Volunteer gardeners are being sought to help tend to the gardens around the museum. Gardeners work nearly year round in the various aspects of tending the gardens. Previous gardening experience is helpful but not required; on the job training provided. To learn more, contact Mark Gormel, horticultural coordinator, at mgormel@brandywine.org or 610-388-8327.
• The Kennett Area Senior Center sponsors an afternoon “Sunday Dinner with Friends” on Sunday, February 28 from 1 – 3 p.m. Come enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal and live entertainment provided by The Dixie Demons! The cost is $10 per person. Everyone is welcome, regardless of age. Please contact the senior center at 610-444-4819 a week in advance for reservations.
• Uptown! Entertainment Alliance, bringing a theater to West Chester, recently announced the promotion of Angela Scully to executive director. Scully, a self-taught artist, joined Uptown! in 2013 as development director and quickly rose to accept more and more responsibility with the organization. She has been instrumental in partnering with local artists and securing collaborations with The Resident Theatre Company, Sara Michaels, Michael Windish and Yajaira Paredes Productions.
• Orchids have always held a place of distinction at Longwood Gardens, especially during its annual Orchid Extravaganza. This exhibition, which runs through March 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., celebrates the beauty and variety of orchids with an artful display that includes a towering 12-foot-tall archway, a spectacular cascading orchid curtain, and hundreds of vibrant barerooted Vanda orchids hanging from the Silver Garden ceiling. For more information, visit http://longwoodgardens.org.
• The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation and Chester County’s Decade to Doorways Community Partnership are teaming up to host a free movie screening of “Time Out of Mind.” The acclaimed film, which stars Richard Gere as a homeless man in New York City, will be shown at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville on March 9 at 7:05 pm. The public is invited to view the film and better understand homelessness in Chester County, as well as what is being done to end it. To reserve your free ticket, click here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/time-out-of-mind-free-movie-screening-tickets-21290408184.
• Christiana Care Health System’s Center for Heart & Vascular Health is offering a support group for people who have received or plan to receive implantable cardioverter defibrillators. The free sessions are held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the John H. Ammon Medical Education Center at Christiana Hospital, 4755 Ogletown-Stanton Rd., Newark, Del. The meeting includes a topic-based presentation and an opportunity for questions. Family members are welcome to attend. To register, call 800-693-CARE (2273). The group’s next meeting is Tuesday, March 8.
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute announced that Charles Frick, of Chadds Ford, a member of the class of 2016 majoring in electrical and computer engineering, was named to the university’s Dean’s List for academic excellence for the fall 2015 semester. The criteria for the WPI Dean’s List differ from that of most other universities, as WPI does not compute a grade point average. Instead, WPI defines the Dean’s List by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.
• Katja Hansen, Annalisa Szymanski and Marissa Walsh, all of Chadds Ford, and Emily Kamelhar of West Chester earned dean’s list honors for the Fall 2015 semester at Saint Joseph’s University. Hansen is studying interdisciplinary health services; Szymanski studies business intelligence and analytics; Walsh studies food marketing; and Kamelhar is a food marketing major.
