June 3, 2016 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Berta Underwoodof Oxford, formerly of Kennett Square

Berta Underwood, 89, of Oxford, formerly of Kennett Square, died Thursday, June 2, at the Ware Presbyterian Village. She was the wife of William H. Underwood Sr., who died in 2012, and with whom she shared 65 years of marriage.

Born in Vilshofen, Germany, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Hedwig Soldner Schwoegler.

She was the head cook at the New Garden Elementary School, retiring in 1990 after 28 years of service.

Berta enjoyed traveling, gardening, especially the beauty of flowers, and spending time with her family and friends.

She is survived by three sons, William H. Underwood, Jr. and his wife Charlene of West Chester, Donald H. Underwood and his wife Nancy of Waco, Texas, and Mark A. Underwood and his wife Barbara of West Grove; two daughters, Judith Lichtenwalner and her husband George of Richland, and Joyce Jackson of Nottingham; one brother, Otto Schwoegler of Wilmington; one sister, Annamarie Widemann of Wilmington; 11 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.

A Graveside service will be held privately at a later date.

Online condolences may be made by visiting www.griecocares.com

Arrangements by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home in Kennett Square.

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Roadwork for week of June 4

Along the Ford

PennDOT has announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect residents in the greater Chadds Ford area during the week of June 4 through June 11. Motorists are urged to allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones.

Guiderail installation on Route 322 in Upper Chichester Township will require closure of the right lane between Route 452 and Highland Avenue. Crews are scheduled to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, and Thursday, June 9.

Painting of Smith’s Bridge over the Brandywine Creek will require the closure of Smith’s Bridge Road between Creek Road and Route 100. The weather-dependent work is scheduled to continue until 5 p.m. on Monday, June 27, according to DelDOT. Detours will be posted.

Green Valley Road in Newlin Township is closed and detoured between Powell and Brandywine Creek roads due to structural deficiencies at the Green Valley Road Bridge. No repair date has been scheduled.

Work is continuing on the project to widen Route 202, which is scheduled for completion in August 2016. Motorists should expect delays for traffic pattern shifts in Tredyffrin and East Whiteland townships.

The Westtown School will close Westtown Road between Oak Lane and Westtown Way for a bridge replacement from Monday, June 13, through Friday, July 22. Detours will be posted.

Sign structure inspection will require a lane closure on Route 202 southbound between Boot Road and Paoli Pike on Tuesday, June 7. The work is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Utility installation will require a lane closure on Price Street between East Everhart and Brandywine streets in West Chester Borough. Crews are scheduled to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Wednesday, June 8.

Route 1 in Concord Township will be the site of utility installation through Sept. 1. Lane shifts will be needed on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Mainline Health Care project between Brinton Lake Road and Applied Card Way.

Work will also continue on the Speakman Covered Bridge in East Fallowfield and West Marlborough townships. Frog Hollow Road between Concord Bridge and Strasburg roads will be closed and detoured until the estimated completion date of Sept. 20.

Burnt Mill Road in Kennett Township remains closed and detoured between Norway and Spring Mill roads while advance work continues on repairs to the Burnt Mill Bridge, which was closed on April 24, 2014. PennDOT reported progress last month on scheduling the work.

Work is continuing on the Birmingham Road Bridge in Birmingham Township, which closed in September due to structural damage. Posted 24-hour detours will be in effect between Lambourne Road and Stoney Run Drive. The completion date has been extended from Aug. 31 to Sept. 20.

Daylong lane closures will be in place on Route 100 in Uwchlan and West Whiteland townships from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the installation of aerial fiber optic lines from Monday, June 6, through Friday, June 10. The work covers an area between Swedesford Road and Sheree Boulevard.

Also on Route 100, the portions of the southbound highway in West Goshen and West Whiteland townships will be subject to lane closures; crew will be conducting sign structure inspections on Monday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Intermittent lane closures will be need on southbound I-95 between the Philadelphia County and Delaware state lines for patching. The work is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7. The northbound section will require intermittent lane closures on Thursday, June 9.

On Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the right lane will be closed on I-76 west between Belmont Avenue and the Route 202 interchanges in Upper Merion Township for overhead sign inspection.

From 9 p.m. on Monday, June 6, to 1 a.m. on Tuesday, June 7, the right lane will be closed on I-76 east between I-676 and South Street for a bridge inspection. Another is scheduled from 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, to 1 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8; the left land will be closed on I-76 east between I-676 and South Street. And on Tuesday, June 7, from 1 to 5 a.m. the left lane will be closed on I-76 west between South Street and I-676 for a bridge inspection, and one is also scheduled on Wednesday, June 8, from 1 to 5 a.m. that will close the right lane on I-76 west between South Street and I-676.

If you want to report potholes and other roadway maintenance concerns on state roads, call 610-566-0972 in Delaware County or 484-340-3200 in Chester County, or visit www.dot.state.pa.us and click on “submit feedback.”

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Burglary at Concord Pep Boys

Police

Pep-Boys-suspect-photo — State police are looking for this suspect in a burglary at the Pep Boys in Concord Township.

State police are investigating a burglary at the Pep Boys on Route 202 in Concord Township.

According to a press release, the suspect was seen in the parking lot at the Wyndham Garden Hotel and walking up to the Pep Boys. He used a hammer to break the front entrance door and stole approximately 100 packs of cigarettes, a register that contained Pennsylvania State Inspection and Emission stickers and other miscellaneous items. The suspect then left the building and returned to the parking lot of the Wyndham Garden Hotel.

The suspect vehicle appeared to be a white or grayish four-door sedan, which fled north on Route 202. The incident happened about 1:30 a.m. on June 1. Anyone with information pertaining to this investigation please contact Trooper Wiley at Pennsylvania State Police Media Barrack at 484-840-1000.

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Pop-up beer garden opens in Kennett

Business

_1JF7554-bar — The Creamery, a pop up beer garden, is now open for business.

Call it adaptive reuse, or maybe “tactical urbanism” or maybe even “brew-vitalization,” but all describe the conversion of an old creamery at 401 Birch Street in Kennett Square into a pop-up beer garden.

Transforming the worn-down old building into The Creamery came through the efforts of owner Mike Bontrager and his project manager, Sandra Mulry.

That “tactical urbanism,” according to Bontrager, “is when you get short-term zoning, but prove out a concept. We want to prove that there are good things that can happen here on Birch Street.”

Plans are for The Creamery to be open Thursday through Sunday between now and the end of September.

Cap 1: Matt Ticknor, left, and Michael Kelly, of the Kennett Square Mohicans are in their old style uniforms in honor of Theodore Pennock, one of the brothers who founded the original creamery in 1902 and who played with the original Kennett Square Mohicans. The current team plays “1864” style baseball with the old rules where pitching is underhand and a batter is out if an infielder catchers a groundball on one bounce. — Matt Ticknor, left, and Michael Kelly, of the Kennett Square Mohicans are in their old style uniforms in honor of Theodore Pennock, one of the brothers who founded the original creamery in 1902 and who played with the original Kennett Square Mohicans. The current team plays “1864” style baseball with the old rules where pitching is underhand and a batter is out if an infielder catchers a groundball on one bounce.

Bontrager got the idea a year ago while visiting his daughter in Washington D.C. He said there are many such beer gardens in Philadelphia and other large cities in the country and thought it would be a good idea for the borough.

As he and Mulry developed their plans and researched the old building, they learned that brothers Charles and Theodore Pennock built the old creamery and founded the Eastern Condensed Milk Co. in 1902. The creamery closed in 1909 and was later acquired by Sealtest, a Philadelphia dairy and ice cream company.

Chester County Commissioner Terrance Farrell was also on hand. He jokingly took off on the tactical urbanism phrase, saying it really meant “beer ninjas.”

“But my word, which has been proven throughout the county, is brew-vitalization,” Farrell said.

He explained that there are a number of new beer operations in the boroughs of Kennett and West Chester as well as Phoenixville that have proven successful and bring life into those areas.

“It’s exciting that somebody like Mike and Dot [Bontrager’s wife] were willing to take a risk. I’m pleased to be here on behalf of the county to celebrate with Kennett,” Farrell said.

Mary Hutchins, executive director of Historic Kennett Square, called Bontrager a “visionary to be able to picture this beautiful garden in this rundown, underutilized industrial space. We are grateful to him and his team for putting this engaging space for the community together.”

David Fierabend and Molly Lux, of the Groundswell Design Group, play some checkers during the opening of The Creamery. Groundswell did the design for the beer garden.

Hutchins added that while it’s a temporary beer garden, “we hope it’s permanent in the redevelopment of Birch Street and that it will become a vital part of Kennett Square.”

Bontrager also reflected on the education he received. “As we learned the history, there were just more and more stories that came out of this place. It’s great to be here in a place that celebrates history and celebrates what Kennett Square was.”

One of those stories is baseball-related.

Theodore Pennock was also a member of the Kennett Square Mohicans, an old-time baseball team. He was also the father of Herb Pennock, a Hall of Fame pitcher who played for the old Philadelphia Athletics, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Herb Pennock was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948.

Several members of a modern-day Kennett Square Mohicans were on hand in uniform to celebrate the opening of The Creamery.

The Creamery will serve beer, wine and spirits, with an emphasis on craft beers. Food is also available, with prices ranging from $3 for a Bavarian pretzel to $14 for a “Double Biergarten Burger.” There will also be brats, hotdogs, salads, mushrooms and chicken.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday. However, alcohol service hours are 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, 2 p.m. to midnight Saturday and noon to 10 on Sunday.

Below: Mike Bontrager and Sandra Mulry cut the ribbon to open The Creamery.

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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CFBA gets traffic plan updates

Along the Ford

_1JF7537-Mark — Mark Eisenhardt, vice president of The Henderson Group, explains the plan for the Hillman Drive extension, the final leg of the loop road around the intersection of Routes 1 and 202.

***UPDATE: The June Planning Commission meeting that had the loop road on its agenda was postponed. The new date is Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m. End UPDATE***

Members of the Chadds Ford Business Association were updated on plans for both the proposed Hillman Drive extension and the Route 926 Bridge project during their June 2 lunch meeting held at the Pennsbury Township municipal building.

Frank Eells, an engineer with Gannett Fleming, spoke about the bridge project, which is supposed to start early next year, and Mark Eisenhardt, vice president of The Henderson Group, spoke about the Hillman Drive extension, which is also known as the loop road.

Eisenhardt said talks about the loop road system around the intersection of Routes 1 and 202 have been going on since Henderson bought the properties on the Chadds Ford side of Route 202 almost 30 years ago. Since then, three legs of the project — State Farm Drive, Brandywine Drive and Applied Bank Boulevard — have already been built. All that’s remaining is the leg through the Henderson-owned Chadds Ford Business Campus.

That final portion of the road would extend Hillman Drive from its current intersection with Route 202, through the business campus, then up to Route 1 across from Hannums Harley Davidson at Brandywine Drive.

Henderson is willing to build the road “on our nickel,” Eisenhardt told the business crowd, instead of the project’s being paid by taxpayer dollars if PennDOT did the work. He added that PennDOT already has the project funded for 2018.

Bill Bunch of William Bunch Auction and Appraisal said he likes Henderson’s approach.

“Henderson is more sensitive to community needs than PennDOT, at least in my opinion,” Bunch said.

According to the plans, residents of Painters Crossing Condominiums would access the extension through a private driveway that Henderson would build. That driveway would take motorists around one of Henderson’s buildings and then connect with Evergreen Place, where they would turn left to get to the loop.

Because Evergreen Place is the only point of ingress and egress for residents of the Estates at Chadds Ford, a roundabout would be built to slow traffic and prevent large truck traffic.

“It [the roundabout] would make it a nightmare for a truck,” Eisenhardt said.

The intersection with Route 202 would be re-striped so that there would be dedicated lanes for left turns, right turns and through traffic. The intersection of Route 1 and Dickinson Drive would also be changed, according to the proposal.

A pork chop-shaped island would be installed so that drivers could no longer turn left onto Route 1 from Dickinson, making that area safer.

When the township will make a decision is unclear. The township Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the plan again on June 8. It’s up to the commission to give supervisors a recommendation on whether or not to approve the project. Henderson would then go before the Board of Supervisors for approval once the Planning Commission makes its decision.

Eells said the Route 926 Bridge project is scheduled to begin early next year and take about a year, but detours would only be about six months, from March until Labor Day.

“There will be considerable penalties if the contractor doesn’t complete the project on time,” he said.

The project has been planned since 1999 to reduce the number of times flooding closes the approaches to the span over the Brandywine Creek.

Eells explained that while the bridge stays above water, it’s the approaches on either side that flood. The plan calls for raising the approaches to the bridge by about eight feet.

He added that had the road been built according to the proposed plan, flooding there would have only occurred three times since 1999, instead of the multiple times it has flooded.

Detours would take drivers around the area using Routes 52, 202 and 1.

About Rich Schwartzman

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Museum to celebrate creativity on First Sunday

Arts & Entertainment

Give and Take Jugglers crossing Brandywine B — The Give and Take Jugglers are scheduled to traverse the Brandywine during PNC Arts Alive First Sundays for Families at the Brandywine River Museum of Art on Sunday, June 5.

The Brandywine River Museum of Art will celebrate creativity on Sunday, June 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. during this month’s PNC Arts Alive First Sundays for Families.

The Give and Take Jugglers will perform a scenic balancing act on Sunday, June 5, at the Brandywine River Museum of Art. — The Give and Take Jugglers will perform a scenic balancing act on Sunday, June 5.

Among the myriad activities planned are an interactive and comedic circus arts performance by the renowned Give and Take Jugglers; a performance by Ballet X, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company; and family art offerings.

The Give and Take Jugglers are scheduled to give a juggling performance at noon followed by a “pop-up” show by BalletX at 1 p.m. At 1:30 – weather permitting – the jugglers will traverse the Brandywine on a long wire.

BalletX is scheduled to perform at the Brandywine River Museum of Art on Sunday, June 5. — BalletX is scheduled to perform at the Brandywine River Museum of Art on Sunday, June 5, at 1 p.m.

The museum started offering free admission to visitors all day on the first Sunday of every month in February. Previously, the hours for the monthly free-admission program were limited to the morning.

These First Sundays for Families, scheduled through Nov. 6, feature special hands-on creative art activities sponsored by PNC Arts Alive and designed to engage visitors of all ages, a museum press release said.

First Sundays for Families is funded by PNC Arts Alive, a multi-year, multi-million dollar initiative of the PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. The goal of PNC Arts Alive is to help area residents gain access to the arts and to help arts organizations expand and engage audiences.

The Brandywine River Museum of Art features an outstanding collection of American art housed in a 19th-century mill building with a dramatic steel and glass addition overlooking the banks of the Brandywine. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas, the museum is located on Route 1 in Chadds Ford. For more information, call 610-388-2700 or visit brandywinemuseum.org.

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