• West Chester University will hold three commencement ceremonies in May to accommodate the 2,530 students eligible to graduate: 2,125 undergraduates and 405 graduate students. The undergraduate ceremonies will be held rain or shine in Farrell Stadium at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, for the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Visual and Performing Arts; and at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 8, for the colleges of Business and Public Affairs, Education, and Health Sciences. An honorary doctor of public service degree will be presented to Karl J. Kuerner, a renowned Chester County painter in the tradition of American realism and the heritage of the Brandywine, as well as a respected instructor of art, at Saturday’s ceremony. The ceremony for master’s degree candidates will be held on Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m., in Hollinger Field House.
• More than 1,000 distinguished high school seniors have won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards. Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Corporate sponsors provide scholarships for finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage. Charles C. Lu of Garnet Valley High School, a likely business major, won the National Merit Citizen Watch Scholarship, and Alice Liu of Unionville High School, who is planning a career in science research, received the National Merit Metlife Foundation Scholarship.
While the write-in votes cast in the Republican primary for state representative in the 158th Legislative District won’t be official until mid-May, it appears that Eric Roe has won that race.
Perry Bentley, the other Republican running a write-in campaign, issued the following concession statement:
“While official results are not yet available, early returns indicate that Eric Roe was victorious in his effort yesterday. I congratulate Eric and his supporters on a hard-fought and spirited campaign…As we move forward, I want to make it clear that I pledge my full support to Eric as he works to retain this seat for our Republican Party and continue the record of positive service provided by Rep. Chris Ross….”
The three-for-one write-in campaign was made more interesting because the third person written in for the GOP nomination was Democrat Susan Rzucidlo, who ran unopposed for her own party’s nomination.
A week before the election, Democrats challenged Roe’s eligibility to run, questioning whether or not he met the state’s residency qualifications.
Chester County GOP Chairman Val DiGiorgio responded by saying that the challenge was nothing more than a ploy so that Rzucidlo would win on the Republican side.
Following Bentley’s concession, DiGiorgio issued the following statement:
“We are thrilled with the overwhelming vote of confidence that Republican voters gave Eric Roe yesterday. In Eric, we have a bright, hard-working and energetic candidate who will fight for issues that the residents of Chester County care about – holding the line on taxes, strengthening the economy and promoting job growth, funding and improving education, and lowering our property taxes.”
Included in the statement was a comment from Roe, who said he was humbled by the amount of support he received and appreciated the team effort and the positive attitude.
““It was truly a team effort, and despite being attacked by both opponents, my campaign remained positive and focused on the issues,” Roe said. “This is only the first step. I look forward to continuing to meet with voters, and with their support on Nov. 8…”
Disarray in the party’s primary began months earlier when Lenny Rivera, the candidate Republicans endorsed in January, ran into difficulty while getting signatures to get his name on the ballot. State law requires the person who collects the signatures to be holding the clipboard when people sign. Rivera admitted that he wasn’t even in the house with those signing, saying that he was, however, within walking distance.
Rivera then withdrew his name from the ballot, but said he would run a write-in campaign. A week later, Bentley started his own write-in campaign and Rivera quietly pulled out.
Roe also decided to run a write-in campaign, and the party endorsed him.
As of now, Roe and Rzucidlo will face each other 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.
For the most part, residents in Chester and Delaware counties were in step with statewide Pennsylvania results in the races for president, U.S. Senator, and attorney general in Tuesday’s primary election.
In Chester County, Hillary Clinton got the nod for president on the Democratic side with 32,985 votes, or 55.2 percent, over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who received 26,046 votes representing 43.5 percent. Business mogul Donald Trump led the Republicans with 35,577, or 46.39 percent. He was followed by Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich with 23,855 or 31.11 percent and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz with 14,996 or 19.55 percent, according to results from the Pennsylvania Department of State.
In Delaware County, Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state, beat Sanders with an even higher margin. She tallied 44,909 votes, or 59.7 percent, while Sanders logged 29,903 votes, representing 39.7 percent. Donald Trump led the GOP contenders with 42,459 votes, or 52.23 percent. He was trailed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich (23,025, 28.2 percent) and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (13,098, 16.1 percent).
Statewide, Clinton garnered 55.59 percent to Sanders’ 43.54 while Trump received 56.76 percent to 19.35 for Kasich and 21.62 for Cruz.
The Senate race produced a convincing hometown win in Delaware County for Democrat Joe Sestak, which did not carry the day. Katie McGinty, Gov. Tom Wolf’s former chief of staff, earned the right to face off in the fall against U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, who ran unopposed. In Delaware County, Sestak won 64.73 percent of the vote from 44,461 supporters while McGinty received 19,256 or 28.03 percent.
In Chester County, the race resembled the state results a bit more closely with 29,384, or 50.61 percent of the votes cast for McGinty while Sestak generated 24,207, or 41.69 percent. Statewide, McGinty won 44.05 percent of the vote to Sestak’s 33.85 percent.
For the Republicans, the bid to replace embattled state Attorney General Kathleen Kane, a Democrat, resulted in a win for John C. Rafferty Jr., a 44th District state senator from Montgomery County. Rafferty easily won in Delaware County with 58,377, or 84.36 percent of the vote, and in Chester County with 54,076, or 81.54 percent. His opponent was Joseph C. Peters.
On the Democratic side, Josh Shapiro prevailed with 37,373 votes, 69.04 percent, in Chester County, and 43,873 votes representing 65.20 percent in Delaware County. Shapiro, a Montgomery County commissioner, beat Stephen A. Zappala II and John Morganelli.
For years, a former psychology teacher at Unionville High School kept a searing secret – a skill that at one time probably saved his life.
The Brandywine Valley Chorale will present Donald McCullough’s ‘Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps,’ with an introduction from a Holocaust surviver with local ties.
Decades after escaping unspeakable atrocities at Auschwitz, a notorious Nazi death camp during World War II, Joseph B. Hirt, 91, maintained his silence. Leary of broaching subjects that would generate pain for himself as well as others, he worked as an educator, a bookseller, and a court tipstaff, befriending dozens of co-workers who had no inkling of his past.
During his tenure as a teacher at Unionville High, Hirt mentored a student, John L. Hall, in the early ‘70s. Hall, who maintained a friendship with Hirt long after high school, would go on to became a Chester County Court judge in 2003. Hall eventually hired Hirt, who retired from the high school in 1993, to work as a tipstaff, the staffer who escorts jurors and witnesses into the courtroom.
Hall once recalled the first time he learned of Hirt’s war experiences, calling it “one of the most stunning conversations I’ve ever had with anyone.” With encouragement from Hall and others, Hirt began to tell his powerful story, and area audiences have benefitted since that decision. On Saturday, April 30, Hirt will take part in the Brandywine Valley Chorale’s Holocaust Cantata at Unionville High.
The Brandywine Valley Chorale will present Donald McCullough’s “Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps,” starting at 7:30 p.m. Hirt will give the introduction to the cantata, and he will attend a reception following the concert.
Hirt grew up in a Jewish family in Poland, where his father was president judge of the regional court. As Hitler’s forces advanced, Hirt’s family relocated to Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The family had plans to travel to New York, but the Germans bombed Belgrade the day before their departure. After several months, Hirt was captured while searching for food and taken to Auschwitz, where he was imprisoned for eight months, according to a Brandywine Valley Chorale press release.
McCullough’s work is an extraordinary musical journey through one of the bleakest episodes in human history, Jason Throne, artistic director of the Brandywine Valley Chorale, said in the release.
The Brandywine Valley Chorale was founded in June 2007 by a group of Brandywine Valley musicians, arts supporters and friends, BVC was created to add the art and beauty of choral music to the fine arts repertoire that is available in our area. Today, approximately 40 auditioned members strong, the group of men and women performs bi-annually throughout the Brandywine Valley. For more information, see www.thebvc.org.
Unionville High School is located at 750 Unionville Road in Kennett Square. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and can be obtained at www.thebvc.org or at the door.
Concord Township will become a home rule charter township beginning Jan. 1, 2017. Voters said yes to the ballot question during the April 26 primary election.
There’s going to be a new government in Concord Township and a new senator in Harrisburg.
Beginning Jan. 1, Concord Township will no longer be operating under Pennsylvania’s Second Class Township Code. Township voters, including at least one incumbent supervisor, voted to have the township operate under a new Home Rule Charter.
The vote was 2,674 for the charter, 1,833 against.
While waiting for the returns to come in after the polls closed on April 26, current Supervisors’ Chairman Dominic Pileggi said he voted for the change. Other sitting supervisors had no comment at the time, but Supervisor Kevin O’Donoghue, who is also chairman of the township Republican Party, commented Wednesday morning:
“The Concord Republican Party has supported a two-year public and transparent process to modernize our form of local government in Concord. I would like to thank the members of the Government Study Commission for their dedication, hard work, and the recommendations they delivered to our residents. The Republican Party looks forward to continuing our history of good government in Concord Township under the new Home Rule Charter.”
Concord’s GOP paid for signs and table cards urging a yes vote.
Joshua Twersky, a member of the Government Study Commission that drafted what is essentially a constitution for Concord Township government, made the following statement:
“The thoughtful, deliberate and democratic process that was conceived by our supervisors and delivered by the Government Study Commission over the last 16 months was overwhelmingly ratified yesterday by the people of Concord Township and confirmed that the Home Rule Charter is what’s best for the future of our community.”
Commission Chairman Jim Gray said, “The Charter was carefully crafted as to not increase the cost of government service and to provide future governing bodies the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions. The cost of government was one of the major themes we heard time and time again from the public. We were also mindful not to draft a charter that was based on the personalities of the current Board of Supervisors nor current conditions, but rather chose to focus on what may constrain our elected officials 10, 15, 20 years into the future.”
A seven-member transition committee — the same size as the Government Study Commission — will be formed to make sure the township’s current administrative code complies with the charter. Anything not in compliance must be changed.
Changes in government structure include going from a five-member board of supervisors, where members serve a six-year term, to a seven-member township council, where members serve four-year terms.
Council may not raise township property taxes by more than 5 percent, unless there is a supermajority — five votes — for a larger tax hike. Current township property taxes are less than a mill, but the Second Class Township Code allows for taxes as much as 14 mills without court approval.
Additionally, council members may not be township employees during their time in office and may not work for a contractor that works for the township until that council member is out of office for at least one year.
Council may not propose and vote on an ordinance on the same day.
U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, a Chadds Ford Township resident, spends part of the primary election with other Chadds Ford Republicans. Show with Meehan, right, are township auditor Joe Pileggi and Mary Kot, Chadds Ford’s Republican Party leader.Meehan defeated his challenger in yesterday’s primary.
Other regional results:
• Incumbent Republican state Rep. Tom Killion won the special election to become the state senator representing the 9th Senatorial District. Killion received 37,583 votes. His Democratic Party opponent, Mary Molloy, had 27,197 votes.
The Senate seat opened up last year when then state Sen. Dominic Pileggi ran for judge of Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. Pileggi himself was elected to the senate in a special election after the death of former state Sen. Clarence Bell.
Molloy and Killion both won their party’s primary elections and will face each other again in November. The term of office for the seat was set to expire at the end of this year.
• Incumbent U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, easily won his primary race against challenger, Stan Cascio. The vote was 65,996 to 12,095.
• Results from the Republican Party primary for state House in the 158th Legislative District will not be known until Chester County sifts through and records the write-in votes. There was no candidates named on the Republican ballot for the seat. Three candidates — Perry Bentley, Eric Roe and Susan Rzucidlo — filed wrote-in votes.
Rzucidlo is a Democrat who ran unopposed for the her party’s nomination.
Rebecca Brain, from the Chester County Department of Pubic relations, said the write-in votes won’t be fully counted for several weeks.
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.
Richard S. “Dick” Shoemaker, 84, of Westtown Township, died April 25.
He was born in 1932 in Canton, Ohio to the late Carl and Esther (Mathias) Shoemaker.
Richard was predeceased by his loving wife, Marian (Stauffer) Shoemaker. Richard and Marian were longtime residents of Chester County, living in Westtown for nearly 60 years.
He retired from Boeing Aircraft Co. to become national service manager for Marc Andy Printing Coy.
Richard is survived by his daughters, Kathleen Renee Brooks (Gene) and Michelle Diane Berquist (Mike); son Richard M. Shoemaker (Diane); grandchildren Michael J. Berquist, Christopher Shoemaker, Deanna Brooks, Danielle Gray and Katlyn Shoemaker; and great-grandchildren Jaida , Andrew, Ryan, Noelle and Mason.
He was predeceased by his sister Donna Sadler and brothers Carl Shoemaker, Alfred Shoemaker, and Ronald Shoemaker.
Richard enjoyed traveling, gardening, swimming, art and attending a fitness club.
Richard and Marian were active members of Gradyville United Methodist Church in Gradyville.
Relatives and friends are invited to his Visitation 10-11 a.m. Thursday, followed by his Funeral Service, which will be performed by Charles Shorter 11 a.m. at The Donohue Funeral Home, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA 19382, 610-431-9000. Interment Edgewood Memorial Park, Glen Mills.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to friends and family for their love and support during the past year. God took the strength of a mountain, the majesty of a tree, the calm of a quiet sea, the comforting arm of night, the depth of a family need, then God combined these qualities. He knew His masterpiece was complete and so, He called it….”DAD!”
• An April 19, three-vehicle accident in Concord Township left one driver injured and cited for careless droving. A police report said Steven K. Steel, 28, of Elkton, Md., suffered a medical condition that left him unable to stop before striking a vehicle that was already stopped for a red light at Route 202 and Naaman’s Creek Road. That second vehicle hit another vehicle in front of it.
• Christopher Edwin Vega, 24, of Felton, Del., was determined to be DUI after he was stopped for numerous traffic violations, a police report said. The traffic stop was made April 24 at 2:44 a.m.
• A three-vehicle, rear-ender accident left one driver injured and another cited for careless driving. State police said Jennifer L. Paolella, 40, of Media, was cited in the April 21 accident when she failed to stop for traffic and hit a second vehicle, which, in turn, hit a third. The driver of the second vehicle sustained minor injuries, the police report said.
• On April 21 at 2:35 a.m., Kyle Esray Baker, 24, of Glen Mills, was determined by Pennsylvania State Police to be driving under the influence, a police report said. The arrest was made at the Brinton Lake Wawa in Concord Township.
• Lasana Wesseh Fofanah, of Newark, was arrested for DUI following an April 10 traffic stop on Route 202 at Smithbridge Road, a police report said. The traffic stop was made at 2:51 a.m.
• New Garden Township Police arrested a Delaware man in connection with a series of thefts at 4:17 a.m. on April 11. According to a report, police arrested Brandon Buckman, 28, of New Castle, after they spotted a package with another person’s address and he was unable to explain why the package was in his vehicle. It was later determined that the packed had been removed from the victim’s porch without permission. After obtaining a search warrant, police said they found other stolen items in Buckman’s vehicle. Buckman was arraigned on charges including DUI, theft, and related offenses. He was remanded to Chester County Prison after failing to post $7,500 cash bail.
• Samuel Espinosa-Delgado, 36, of Avondale, was arrested for DUI and resisting arrest after New Garden Township Police observed the vehicle he was driving cross a double yellow line in the 8900 block of Gap Newport Pike at 11:43 p.m. on April 15. According to the police report, Espinosa-Delgado almost struck a patrol car head-on. Police said he was uncooperative, attempted to flee from the officers, and had to be restrained.
• State police are investigating the theft of an MIT class ring and two sets of earrings believed stolen on April 2 during a residential move on Heyburn Road. The items were taken from a box in the master bedroom.
• A Springfield Township woman was transported to Riddle Memorial hospital after a one-car accident on Kirk Road in Concord Township. Police said Kathleen M. Carroll, 60, lost control of her car and hit an embankment. She was cited for driving at an unsafe speed, the report said.
• Driving at an unsafe speed is also believed t be the cause of an April 20 accident on Naaman’s Creek Road. Police said they cited Carl B. Douglas, 50, of Garnet Valley, after he rear-ended another vehicle that had slowed for traffic at 8:49 a.m. The victim was injured, but there was no transport, police said.
• Gerard Goubeaud, 37, from New Castle, and Dorothy Livesay, 39, of Middletown, Del., were arrested for retail theft, according to a police report. Police said loss prevention employees at Wegmans caught Goubeaud and Livesay stealing $62 worth of merchandise from the Chadds Ford store on April 21.
• Len Roberson, 24, was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana after a traffic stop on Route 202 in Concord Township on April 9, a police report said.
• State police filed DUI and drug possession charges against Robert Martin Fell, of Wilmington, following an April 8 traffic stop on Route 202 at Hillman Drive. A report said he was stopped at 1:47 a.m. for traffic violations and determined to be driving under the influence and in possession of marijuana.
Painting by Evan Walsh 5th Grade New Garden Elementary, Kennett Square show
The big news for art events this week is happening in Kennett Square with two community art shows this weekend that will delight the whole family. Art on the Square is a large annual outdoor art show and sale with over 35 participating artists and craftspeople exhibiting their work this Saturday April 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A portion of Broad Street will be closed to traffic, to allow for leisurely access to the art event, but remember that you still have to pay for parking in Kennett on Saturday, so bring your quarters!
Two of the featured sculptors are John Rush and Jeff Bell, both of whom exhibited recently at The Delaware Museum of Natural History, and Jeff Bell will be a juried artist at Stan Smokler’s studio in The Chester County Studio Tour this May 21-22. There will be painters, ceramics artists, jewelry artists and much more. What a perfect way to enjoy a Kennett Square Spring Saturday!
When you are visiting the Art on the Square, make sure to check out the American Legion Building at Broad and State Street which houses The Student Art Show. The student exhibition is all weekend long, Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Student Art Show showcases artworks from four area high schools: Kennett Consolidated School District, Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, Oxford School District and The Sanford School.
Art teachers from each of the schools picked artworks from students K-12 to represent their art curriculum in a variety of mediums. What a wonderful way to highlight the creativity of students of all ages!
Linda Thies is the coordinator of the Student Art Show, and she explains that this art show is really a passion of hers because it is so important to encourage children in the arts, and “it is really such a big deal for the kids.” Linda asks everyone to “come out in support of our kids and show your community spirit!”
While you are in Kennett Square, make sure to stop into Mala Galleria and The Longwood Art Gallery on State Street before their respective shows close for April. Each gallery presents a curated mix of local artists at reasonable prices, in many mediums. The botanical paintings at Mala this month are particularly captivating. Next Friday, both galleries start new shows for “First Friday”, so stay tuned!
This weekend at Galer Estate Winery in Kennett Square, there is an exhibit and sale of Chinese Ink Brush Painting this Friday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., by Jennifer Yuan and the Guanghua Art Group. On Sunday, May 1st, painter Cheryl Schlenker shows and sells her vibrant paintings at Galer Estate from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., in conjunction with the Brandywine Artisan Wine Trail’s celebration of the artists of The Chester County Studio Tour in May.
Ten Gallon Hat Winery has teamed up with The Visual Expansion Gallery to be a new gallery site for the exhibition of fine local art. To see what other wineries are showcasing Chester County artists in May, check out http://www.brandywineartisanwinetrail.com
The Chester County Art Association is exhibiting student art throughout this weekend at their main building on Bradford Street in West Chester. The Chester County High School Art Show will be on display in both the Allison and Huston Galleries through April 30. Admission is free, and the art work is inspiring. While you are at the Art Association make sure to check out their lists of summer classes, and consider becoming a member so you can get the scoop on gallery exhibitions and events throughout the year as well as discounts on classes and art purchases.
While you are in West Chester, go in town on Friday to see the last day of the “For Real” exhibit at The Art Trust Gallery at Meridian Bank, 16 West Market Street. “For Real” shows the unique work of Trompe l’Oeil artists, who artistically depict objects so that they appear real. The show is fun and engaging, and will be gone after Friday!
Around the corner on Church Street, The Church Street Gallery shows clay sculptor Rhoda Kahler’s “Tactiles” exhibit through Saturday. A terrific feast for the eyes, if you haven’t seen this show yet, you should really stop in.
In Chadds Ford, “First Sundays” are celebrated at The Brandywine River Museum of Art this Sunday May 1st with free admission to the museum and wonderful family programming from 11 a.m. to -2 p.m.. Check out the stunning The Poetry of Nature: The Golden Age of American Landscape Painting. Listen to a live musical performance by Dana Lyons, go on a Garden Tour or participate in an arts and crafts project. This is a great way to introduce your family to the rich heritage of art and nature at The Brandywine River Museum of Art.
To commemorate the museum’s Board Chairman and Founder, an exhibition of the artwork of George A. “Frolic” Weymouth will be on display at the museum April 29 until June 5. If you have not joined the museum as a member, consider becoming a member this weekend, in honor of this great man, whose passion and vision helped preserve our area’s natural and artistic beauty for generations to come.
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.
After nearly a half-hour of spirited discussion, the Pocopson Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at its meeting on Monday, April 25, to approve a preliminary land development plan for a daycare center in the Riverside at Chadds Ford subdivision.
Pocopson Township Supervisors Elaine DiMonte (from right) and Alice Balsama listen as Amanda Sundquist, the township’s solicitor, reads the conditions imposed on the proposed daycare center in the Riverside community.
At two previous meetings, the supervisors heard a host of concerns, mainly centered on parking and traffic, from residents of Riverside. The 10,000-square-foot center is planned to accommodate 128 children and 15 teachers and would be open five days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“Parking is a major issue,” said resident Anne Egger, echoing the comments of other residents. She also pointed out that traffic in the development is “already a nightmare” from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.
Supervisor Alice Balsama said she wanted the residents to know that the decision to OK the plan was not taken lightly. Balsama said the supervisors went back to the township solicitor, engineer and planning commission. “We have taken their counsel,” she said. “We’ve spent considerable time on this.”
The supervisors imposed 19 conditions on the developer, the Riverside Daycare Partnership, which were read by township solicitor Amanda Sundquist. They included provisions such as adding a fence as a buffer for one neighbor, prohibiting parking on Riverside streets, adding a crosswalk at the proposed driveway, requiring a traffic circulation plan, and mandating off-site parking for special events.
Sean Rafferty, a longtime member of the Pocopson Township Planning Commission, suggested that the supervisors didn’t have much leeway. The daycare center was part of an agreement made by a previous board to settle a 2004 lawsuit.
Litigation is likely to resurface as plans for the Ducklings Early Learning Center on Winston Lane move forward. The Riverside Homeowners’ Association, through its attorneys, Adam G. Marcus and Robert Hoffman, have argued that the plan doesn’t meet the township’s zoning requirements and plan to challenge the legality of the approval.
The supervisors also heard concerns from residents that Denton Hollow Road would become a speedway again during the closure of the Route 926 bridge. A number of residents reported significant traffic woes when the Route 52 roundabout was under construction, and motorists used Denton Hollow as a detour. Resident Peggy Conaway asked whether a section of the road could be closed or made one-way during the construction.
At a recent meeting, PennDOT representatives said the Route 926 bridge project is scheduled to begin early in 2017, after at least 14 years of delays. If the project goes as planned, the construction will take a year, but detours will last only six months. Moreover, access to businesses in the area of the bridge, adjacent to Creek and Pocopson roads, will be kept open.
Supervisor Elaine DiMonte, the township’s PennDOT liaison, said she has learned that the township’s options are limited when it comes to redirecting traffic. She said she is reaching out to contiguous townships. “I think we have to have one voice [in communications with PennDOT],” she said, explaining that she fully understands residents’ fears.
“I want to do more research,” DiMonte said, promising to explore any remedy that is “within the law.” Rafferty and Conaway both offered to assist.
In his report, Public Works Director Mark Knightly said work was completed on the $50,000 project to stabilize the embankment on West Creek Road ahead of schedule. He also said the township sold a chipper for $16,000, which was twice the expected bid.
The supervisors said the Barnard House continues to be an ongoing topic of discussion. The historic building, once a stop on the Underground Railroad, was originally envisioned as the home of the Kennett Underground Railroad Center as well as the township’s offices; however, the building’s layout and renovation costs have derailed the municipal option for now.
The focus right now is on installing a security system – the last step needed to enable the KURC to occupy the building – and making a decision on replacing windows before a Keystone grant deadline expires.
Supervisor Alice Balsama said she studied the contract from the Protection Bureau and felt that although the overall price was attractive, some of the contract provisions were not favorable for the township. For example, if the township opted to terminate the five-year deal, it would need to pay 80 percent of the balance of the entire term. The supervisors agreed to have the township solicitor review the contract in hopes of renegotiating it.
Supervisors’ Chairman Ricki Stumpo, who had been researching cleaning services for the public bathroom in the Barnard House, said she learned that the township does not have that obligation. The contract with KURC states that it will maintain the shared public spaces.
Supervisor Elaine DiMonte said the board was waiting to hear back from the county solicitor and two members of the Chester County Planning Commission regarding options on the use of the Barnard House after a recent meeting with them. When the county sold the building to the township for $1 in 2008, it imposed a number of restrictions on its use.
DiMonte explained that the supervisors wanted information on the permitted uses before making a decision about the level of repair needed for the windows. “We’re up against the grant. We need to do something quickly,” she said. “I don’t want to throw that money away if we can use it for the windows.”
The supervisors agreed to contact the county, explain the urgency, and see if a decision could be expedited.
In other business, the supervisors all agreed to reinstate the Parks, Recreation and Trails Committee, recently disbanded due to apathy, because a group of residents expressed interest in serving on it. Tom Bierl will serve as chairman, and he will be joined by Flo Costello, Leah Zuo, Jesse Noa, Justin Colella and Matt Seindenberg.
Another unanimous vote involved the appointment of two representatives to serve on the Kennett Public Library Board of Trustees: Brad Peiper and Chris Larsen. The township has been without representation on the board for several years.
Just in time for purchasing Mother’s Day gifts, Pocopson Elementary School is hosting its annual Art & Garden Event.
Flowers for purchase will bloom profusely at the Art & Garden Event at Pocopson Elementary.
Months in the making, this year’s fundraiser will be held Saturday, April 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school, 1105 Pocopson Road.
The day will begin with Fun Run registration (pre-registration is preferred) at 9 a.m. at www.pes.ucfsd.org, click on the Art and Garden link. The Fun Run for kindergarten through second grade will start at 9:30 a.m.
Following the run, Pocopson’s gymnasium will overflow with crafts, ranging from whimsical student entries to professional creations. Participants can also partake of a silent auction or choose from a massive amount of plants for purchase.
During the afternoon, a succession of entertainment events will be available, ranging from an ATA Karate Interactive Performance to a performance from the DoCairde Irish Dance Company to a Make-Your-Own-Tutu adventure.
Any parent interested in entering their child’s name in the lottery for the free Art and Garden Art Beat Session should click here. The theme this year is “Spring in Bloom” and will be held in the Art Room at 2 p.m. There will be 20 winners selected from the lottery, and they will be notified on Wednesday, April 27.
All proceeds from Art and Garden go directly to the Pocopson Elementary School PTO and are used for educational enrichment opportunities for students.
