Miffed that you missed Mardi Gras? The Kennett Flash is offering a musical alternative.
The Lowdown Brass Band is coming to the Kennett Flash.
On Tuesday, April 19, the Flash will present the Lowdown Brass Band, a horn-driven ensemble with strong roots in the New Orleans Second Line Tradition. This 10-piece group, which includes Sousaphone, trumpets, trombones and saxes, ranges from spontaneous call-and-response to bombastic brass attacks.
Reminiscent of the Rebirth Brass Band, Stooges Brass Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Bonerama, the Lowdown Brass Band, which has shared stages with Lake Street Dive, G. Love and Special Sauce, promises to get Kennett Square rocking on a Tuesday night.
Doors open at 7 p.m. for an 8 p.m. show. Advance tickets are $12, day-of-show tickets are $15. Advance tickets are available via www.kennettflash.org and www.ticketfly.com.
James H. Mosier Sr., 91, of Landenberg, died Saturday, April 16, at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. He was the husband of Frances Combs Mosier, with whom he shared 68 years of marriage.
Born in Laurel Bloomery, Tenn., he was the son of the late Wiley and Mary Riddle Mosier.
Mr. Mosier was a spot welder and General Motors Corp. in Wilmington, retiring in 1982, after 30 years of service.
He enjoyed building birdhouses, working in his garage, watching airplanes and being with his family and friends.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son, James H. Mosier Jr. and his wife Ada of Gap; two daughters, Sandy Couch and her husband Bob of West Grove, and Kathryn Waltman of Ronks; one brother, Raymond Mosier of Dallas, Texas; one sister, Shirley Hiltz of Dallas, Texas; 10 grandchildren, James C., John, Keith and Dyanna Mosier, Robert, Brad, and Samantha Couch, and Mike Dillard, Tina Palmer and Ashley Walton; 11 great grandchildren and one great-great grandson.
Mr. Mosier was predeceased by three brothers, Herbert Mosier, Sherman Mosier and Billy Mosier and one sister, Margaret Tallman.
You are invited to visit with his family and friends from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 22, at the Foulk & Grieco Funeral Home, 200 Rose Hill Road in West Grove. His funeral service will follow at noon. Burial will be in the New London Presbyterian Cemetery, Route 896 in New London.
Candidates for state Senate Marty Molly, center, and Tom Killion, right, debate at Riddle Village on Sunday, April 17. Susan Carty, the president of the Pennsylvania League of Women Voters, at far left, asked the questions.
They may be vying for the same Pennsylvania Senate seat, but Marty Molloy and Tom Killion have a lot in common.
That’s what came out almost from the beginning of the April 17 debate held at Riddle Village in Middletown Township near Riddle Hospital. The two are running to fill the state’s 9th Senate District seat vacated when Dominic Pileggi was elected to the Court of Common Pleas in November. The special election is April 26. All registered voters may vote in the special election, even though it’s being held as part of the primary election.
Both want the state to do away with, or at least modify, mandatory minimum sentencing. They want a severance tax on natural gas and both are proud to have poor ratings from the National Rifle Association.
“I love that I have a D-minus from the NRA,” Killion said when he was asked whether he would support allowing guns on state-run college campuses.
Killion, the Republican currently serving as state representative for the 168th Legislative District, said students should not be armed, but he would support armed security on campus.
Molloy said he’d work hard to receive an F from the NRA. He thinks allowing students to be armed is a “terrible, terrible idea” that wouldn’t work.
“We need a sensible gun policy. More guns mean more deaths,” the Democrat said.
They also agree that mandatory minimum sentencing is a failure.
Molloy said minimum mandatories take discretion away from judges and removes nonviolent drug offenders out of the work force because of the difficulty they have getting jobs after they serve their time.
He added that the current system “prioritizes profits over people.”
Killion agreed, saying too many people are in jail for nonviolent drug crimes.
“They shouldn’t be in jail. They should be getting treatment,” he said.
The candidates also agree that the state should be getting more money from the oil and gas industry in the form of a severance tax.
Molloy said even Sarah Palin, the former Republican governor of Alaska, signed a severance tax into law in Alaska, but that the oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania “has Harrisburg in its pocket…We’re the only state without a severance tax.”
Killion agreed there needs to be a severance tax, but said the situation is not as severe as Molloy described.
He said there is an impact fee for drilling in the state and that he has been able to get some of that money for projects in his legislative district.
A major area of disagreement concerns liquor store privatization. While Killion favors privatization, saying it would bring more jobs and revenue into the state while providing the customer with more selection, Molloy is strongly opposed.
Molloy called privatization the “Walmartization” of liquor stores where they don’t pay a living wage.
Killion said the current system for alcoholic beverages is out of touch with reality. People have to go to different types of stores to get beer, wine and spirits, and they can be prosecuted — or have their property confiscated — if they bring in alcohol from other states.
The candidates disagreed on where Pennsylvania ranks when it comes to funding public education. Molloy said the state ranks 44th in the country. That, he said, puts the burden of raising taxes on the local school districts.
Killion said the state has increased spending on education by 28 percent in the 10 years he’s been in office.
The Chester and Delaware County chapters of the League of Women Voters put on the debate.
The 9th Senate district includes Chadds Ford, Thornbury, Concord, Edgmont, Middletown, Bethel, Aston, Upper Chichester, Lower Chichester, Nether Providence, Chester Heights, Rose Valley, Brookhaven, Upland, Parkside, Chester, Eddystone, Trainer and Marcus Hook in Delaware County and Newlin, Pocopson, East Marlborough, Pennsbury, Kennett Township, Kennett Square, Birmingham, Thornbury, Westtown, West Goshen and East Goshen in Chester County.
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.
To Neighbors, the Chadds Ford Community, the Businesses, and Friends:
What was planned to be a beautiful unique spring event offering treasures, antiques and a beautiful spring day setting of food and music turned into a very, very unexpected amount of attendance, traffic issues and regrettable impact to the community. In the year past, there was nowhere near the attendance and we did not even use the large parking field that was for this year’s event. We prepared by having the police at the parking entrance but since we had no idea of the exponential attendance since the last event ( the Barn Market was also part of Chadds Ford Days in September), we had to call the state police the day of to assist. By the time they were here, the gridlock had occurred and people took it upon themselves to walk along the highway and park in areas not permitted. That was our mistake. Our organized large events always have additional police presence and traffic control, and we simply did not know that so many people would attend.
We know for our large events that have been around for 50 years that attendance can be high. We simply had no idea that this event would draw similar attendance with the power of the social media reach.
We know that having the state police at Route 1 and Route 100 and potentially in other areas to be identified with their input, along with secondary parking with shuttle service to ensure people are off the roads and safe are critical improvements. We will also have no-parking signs made and provided to all neighbors and businesses in the community.
These solutions do not take away from the impact of Saturday to the community. There are no excuses here only resolution and commitments. We learned the power of social media, and we are very very sorry that this impacted the neighbors, the businesses and the community. We sincerely apologize for the unexpected response and we are 100 percent committed to resolving this for this and any other events.
With my sincerest apologies and appreciation of our town and community,
Kendal Reynolds
President, Chadds Ford Historical Society
Employees of Asplundh Tree Service inoculate one of the ash trees against the Emerald ash borer at Newlin Grist Mill .
Newlin Grist Mill in Concord Township is vaccinating trees on the property; some, anyway. About a dozen ash trees are being inoculated against the Emerald ash borer, a beetle-like pest that will kill the trees.
“They’re already in Chester County and, if they’re not here, they’re coming here,” said park Director Tony Shahan.
The Emerald ash borer — Agrilus planipennis — is a bright metallic green beetle that implants its eggs into ash trees. Over the course of a growing season, the implanted larvae eat through the host tree’s vascular system, ultimately destroying the tree.
“It’s been moving in from Western Pennsylvania for several years now,” Shahan said. “It’s almost here. We’ve been wringing our hands for several years, wondering what’s going to happen when it gets here. It’s in Chester County and will get here quickly.”
He said the borer has about a 90 percent kill rate. If enough trees are damaged or killed, Shahan said, that would leave the grounds open for more invasive plants, something he wants to avoid.
While there are hundreds of ash trees on the property, only 12 — those that are healthy and in areas that people visit most — are being inoculated, at least for now. Those areas are from the visitors’ center to the mill’s dam, and across the street at the mill site.
That’s phase one. Phase two would be to remove selected ash trees and replace them with other species.
The inoculations cost about $8 to $10 per inch of tree diameter. Asplundh Tree Service and Arborjet — a plant health solutions company — are donating their services to the Grist Mill and, according to Shahan, have agreed to donate those services for nine years.
Chemicals are being injected into the tree’s vascular system — the xylem and phloem — that carries water and nutrients up to the leaves and sugars and other metabolic products down from the leaves, according to Grist Mill Naturalist Jessica Shahan.
Those layers, she said, are very thin and lie just under the bark of the tree.
Officials at Newlin will evaluate the trees’ condition to see what else could or should be done.
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.
Runners set their sights on helping to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy during the 2016 Unionville Run for Our Sons.
Children, parents pushing strollers, and even a few eager canines dashed across the finish line to resounding applause on Saturday, April 16, at Charles F. Patton Middle School.
Under sunny skies, more than 500 racers assemble at Charles F. Patton Middle School for the 2016 Unionville Race for Our Sons.
The event was the Seventh Annual Unionville Run for Our Sons 5-K, a race that raised more than $48,000 to fund research for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a debilitating disease that affects approximately one in every 3,500 boys born each year.
Parents, children, students and school staff from all over the Unionville area gathered at 8 a.m. for the race, and the crowded lot was buzzing with enthusiastic runners and volunteers.
The race originated in 2005 through Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), an organization focused on raising awareness and funding research of muscular dystrophy, and has since spread to cities and towns across the country.
Volunteers Delaney Crosley and Dina Spyropoulos pose with Joanna Johnson (right).
A local couple, Joanna and Paul Johnson, became involved with PPMD after their sons, Henry and Elliot, were diagnosed with the disease in 2007. Joanna Johnson teaches Spanish at Unionville High School. The Johnsons, who have organized the Unionville version of the race for the past seven years, were impressed with this year’s turnout.
More than 500 registered runners and 75 volunteers –many of whom were students – participated. Those who could not run the full 5-K took part in a 1.5-K Fun Run. Plenty of activities and attractions were available before and during the race, including a clown, games, music, raffle baskets, and prizes and giveaways, some of which were donated and set up by the Philadelphia Union soccer team.
The National Art Honor Society ran a face-painting booth, and both the National Honor Society and the UHS track team supplied many of the volunteers.
Though putting together a 5k is certainly not a simple endeavor, Joanna Johnson said that she was up for the task. “At this point, after seven years of doing this, we’re a well-oiled machine,” she said. “No one really knows how much work goes into planning a 5k, but for us it’s just so important that it’s worth the extra effort.”
For race results, click here. For those who were unable to attend but would like to support the cause, an online auction is open until 9 p.m. on Monday, April 18. Items include gift certificates for treats ranging from spa services to golf outings and tickets to local attractions, including Longwood Gardesn, the Phillies, Twin Lakes Brewery, AMC movies theaters and more. For a full list, visit http://stores.ebay.com/unionvillerfos.
Morgan Carter is a creative writing student interning with Chadds Ford Live. She loves tea, long walks on beaches, and baking – provided there is a recipe on the back of the box. She lives in Chadds Ford with her parents, three siblings, and two spunky parakeets. Morgan is very excited to be a part of the Chadds Ford Live team, and hopes to pursue a career in writing after graduating from college.
This year the primary election is on April 26. For those of us who live in Pennsylvania’s 9th State Senate District, there is also a special election to fill a vacant seat that day. All registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, will be able to vote in the special election. The winner will go immediately to Harrisburg to represent you for the remainder of 2016.
I am supporting Marty Molloy to be our state senator.
When Marty gets to Harrisburg, he will work to increase the amount of state funding for the general education fund. That is the fund that actually goes toward educating students. Marty’s opponent proudly voted for the Corbett administration’s cut of $1Billion to education. Marty has the endorsement of PSEA, the teachers’ union.
By working to increase state funding of local schools, Marty Molloy will be working to keep your local property taxes from rising.
Marty Molloy will fight in Harrisburg to protect women’s right to make their own health care choices. Marty’s opponent has repeatedly sponsored and voted for legislation that unconstitutionally limits a woman’s access to health care. Marty has the endorsement of Planned Parenthood.
Marty Molloy will work for sensible gun laws in Pennsylvania. Unlike his opponent, Marty Molloy has joined recent public gun safety rallies organized by the Chester County Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence and Delaware County United for Sensible Gun Policy. Marty Molloy has been endorsed by the Chester County Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.
Marty has the endorsements of state’s Sierra Club, Conservation Voters of PA, and Clean Water Action because of his stands on the environment, clean air, clean water and the protection of open spaces.
On many other issues, Marty Molloy is the candidate who best represents the views of the citizens of the 9th State Senate District in Chester and Delaware Counties. For more information on Marty Molloy, see his website www.marty4pa.com. Marty’s website also has a map of the 9th District, in case you want to check if you live in his district.
On April 26 vote in the special election for Marty Molloy to be your State Senator!
Beth Alois, Thornbury Township Beth Alois is the first vice-chair of the Delaware County Democratic Committee
Aspiring chefs scurry to assemble winning ingredients for a Bento box during the Chester County Culinary Challenge, held last week at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center.
The diverse ingredients included seared salmon, soba noodles, chocolate truffles, high-energy competitors, fledgling judges, and a drill sergeant.
Chris Calhoun, the Desmond Hotel’s executive chef, briefs contestants in the Chester County Culinary Challenge.
“Two minutes left,” shouted Christopher Calhoun, the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center’s executive chef, immediately eliciting a chorus of groans.
The contestants couldn’t say they hadn’t been warned. Michael Chain, the Desmond’s general manager, had cautioned the audience of about 100 on Tuesday, April 12, not to confuse Calhoun with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, known for terrorizing aspiring chefs on TV.
“He can make him look like Mother Teresa,” Chain noted, adding that Calhoun gets lots of practice. Events modeled after “Chopped,” a show on the Food Network, have become frequent occurrences at the hotel.
Dawn Dowling from the Brandywine River Museum examines a potential ingredient for her team’s Bento box.
At last week’s Chester County Culinary Challenge, as the timer neared the one-hour deadline, the participants were too intent on completing their creations to do anything but rev into high gear. The gathering represented a creative networking opportunity hosted by the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, co-sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Events Magazine.
“We did an event last year with a cooking component,” explained Nina Kelly, marketing and communications director for the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau. “It was so popular that we decided to make it the focus. It’s a lot more fun than just handing out business cards.”
Chester County Commissioners Michelle Kichline (from left), Kathi Cozzone, and Terence Farrell savor the taste of judging.
Representatives from many of the county’s premier attractions participated, including Longwood Gardens, the American Helicopter Museum, the Brandywine River Museum, and QVC. In addition, employees from area hotels from Exton to Valley Forge to Philadelphia had a presence, as did caterers and event planners from private firms as well as local companies like Vanguard.
Before turning the crowd over to Calhoun, Susan Hamley, executive director of the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, welcomed them. “We’re all happy you’re here in beautiful Chester County,” she said. “ We think it’s a pretty special place.”
Judge Daniel Love of Catering By Design evaluates the finished entries.
And for those who want to learn more about just how exceptional it is, the tourism bureau’s website now enables users to search for specific attractions ranging from wineries to historic sites, said Courtney Babcock, sales manager for the bureau.
Then it was time for Calhoun to take the spotlight, and he explained the procedure to the attentive chef wannabes. Each team was instructed to choose a captain – or chief delegator – and a name for the group. Each team’s table, which included a cooking station, contained a Bento box and a plate of ingredients, which could be supplemented at a couple of condiment stations in the room.
An array of Bento box ingredients await the culinary magic of the contestants.
Despite the goal of preparing a Bento box lunch, a single-portion takeout meal popularized in Japan, Calhoun encouraged the groups to think outside the box, creating “a fun, cute little lunch.” For example, the rice could be transformed into a Panda bear. The results would be judged on a host of criteria, such as presentation, execution, aroma, flavor, appearance, and difficulty, he said.
Once Calhoun issued the go-ahead, the clock starting ticking and controlled chaos ensued as the teams got organized and began madly slicing, dicing, and chopping.
‘Ray’s A’s,’ the first-place team, celebrates its victory at the Chester County Culinary Challenge.
Contestant Dawn Dowling from the Brandywine River Museum helped her group rule out one accessory ingredient. “I have no idea what this is,” she said, holding up a clear, vacuum-sealed, unmarked package with black contents.
Nearby, Robyn Morgan explained the origin of her team’s name: Wingin’ It. “I work for the Helicopter Museum,” she said with a smile.
As the knives clanged and whisks whirred, Desmond employees walked around to offer assistance. “You’re being judged on the cleanliness of your table,” one worker whispered as she surveyed a particularly messy workstation. Uh-oh, said Kelly Savage of QVC before bursting into laughter.
Hands fly as the deadline looms for completing the Chester County Culinary Challenge.
Despite an occasional moment of panic – Is the salmon overcooked? Is someone cutting the peppers? – frivolity reigned.
“We’re having a really good time,” said Brendan Shuff, an event manager for Event Strategy Group in Plymouth Meeting. “We’re all working together.”
Pam Wynne, a project manager for Meetings Professional International, said the event offered a positive way to connect planners and venues. “It’s a great, low-key way to network,” she said.
Completed Bento boxes are put on display.
“This food smells amazing,” said Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline as she began to survey the completed entries. Kichline, who served as one of the judges, had a specific job: assess doneness. “I just have to determine whether everything was cooked properly; that seems easy enough,” she said.
Commissioner Kathi Cozzone agreed, concluding that her own task was a bit more esoteric. “I’m supposed to evaluate balance,” she said, explaining a quest for the proper proportion of salty, sweet, bitter and sour flavors. “I guess I’ll figure it out.”
Commissioner Terence Farrell received a less demanding job. “I’m just here to taste,” he said.
An oversized gift box from QVC attracts admirers at the Chester County Culinary Challenge.
Calhoun, an inveterate taskmaster, said he was impressed with the results. “I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he said. “The teams that won were separated from the others by just one point.”
As he perused the judge’s tally sheet, he said the first-place winner, despite getting a five-point deduction for blowing the deadline, managed to pull ahead with its scores for convenience – defined as ease of eating – and balance.
Cornering the winner’s market was Ray’s A’s, a group of five that contained three Vanguard event planners. The inspiration for the moniker came from the group’s gender imbalance: Ray Smith was the only male.
No one left the event empty-handed. In addition to the first-, second-, and third-place prizes, which ranged from an oversized container of Herr’s snacks to stays at the Desmond, all participants received mementos, such as aprons and cutting boards. And a handful of the luckiest won raffle prizes, such as a gift certificate for the Whip Tavern in West Marlborough Township.
But it was Kathleen Fowler of Embassy Suites who may have walked away with the evening’s most coveted raffle item: a giant gift box prepared by staffers at QVC. The contents were so jam-packed that they dwarfed one of the larger offerings among them: a Keurig coffeemaker.
The theme of this year’s Annual Gala fundraiser at the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center (AHMEC) on Saturday, April 30, honors the men and women who served in the U.S. Army’s Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units that lasted from 1945 until 2006.
The gala will also pay tribute to the long-standing television program, “M*A*S*H” (1972-1983), that depicted life in the 4077th MASH unit during the Korean War and starred Alan Alda, Mike Farrell and Loretta Swit, among others.
“For the past three years AHMEC has selected themes for the annual gala tied to our collection and our mission,” Marc Sheffler, chairman of AHMEC’s Board of Directors, said in an AHMEC press release. “Nothing in the public’s mind epitomizes the use of helicopters to save lives like MASH. The theme also recognizes one of the greatest television series in history and allows us to have fun with the decorations, menu and guest impersonators.”
The formal evening begins at 6 p.m. with an open bar featuring cocktails and the martini from Hawkeye Pierce’s still. It continues at 7:30 with fine dining followed by music and dancing, Hawkeye Pierce and ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan impersonators, silent and live auctions, and presentation of the AHMEC Achievement Award to Sikorsky’s Autonomous Blackhawk.
“The gala promises an evening of fun and excitement from the signature drink greeting guests as they check in to the elaborate buffet courtesy of the Desmond Hotel,” Sheffler continued in the release. “There will be a special exhibit on medical memorabilia from a local collector, and the live and silent auctions feature some incredible items, including behind-the-scenes tours of the Air and Space Museum and the Barnes Museum, and a meet-and-greet with Frankie Avalon.”
Tickets cost $125 per person and $1,000 per table of 10, and can be purchased by calling the museum at 610-436-9600 or via PayPal on the website at www.americanhelicopter.museum.
The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center, located at 1220 American Boulevard, West Chester, is the nation’s premier aviation museum devoted exclusively to helicopters. Established in 1996, the nonprofit organization collects, restores and displays rotary-wing aircraft, including over 35 civilian and military helicopters, autogiros and convertiplanes.
