Mary M. Scott, 96, of Kennett Square, died Sunday, June 12, at Linden Hall Nursing home in Kennett Square. She was the wife of W. Robert Scott, her college sweetheart, who she married in 1945, and with whom she shared 57 years of marriage. He died in 2003.
She was born March 28, 1920 to the late Nicholas and Mary Madden, in Philadelphia, where she grew up. She was very proud to tell you that she attended and graduated from Girl’s High.
Mary graduated from West Chester College with a major in English and a minor in math.
Mary was a teacher in the Kennett School system for many years, retiring at the age of 70. Her passion after retirement was the Kennett Garden Club, the Junior Gardeners, and as a board member of the Kennett Symphony Orchestra. She also loved spending time with her family, and listening to classical music.
Mary is survived by four children, David and his wife Christine of Connellsville, Kenny of Kennett Square, Judi and her husband Francis of Lewes, Del., and Joan of Coppell, Texas.
You may visit with her family and friends from 10: to 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, , at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, 250 West State Street in Kennett Square. Her funeral service will follow at 11. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Route 82 in Kennett Square.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests a contribution be made to The Kennett Symphony Orchestra, P.O. Box 72, Kennett Square, PA 19348
Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board directors are preparing to vote next week on the final budget for the 2016-2017 school budget.
Board members voted on a proposed final budget last month, a budget that would increase school taxes an average of 2.77 percent between Chester and Delaware County residents. However, during the June 13 work session, Business Manager Bob Cochran offered another option that would result in an average increase of 2.66 percent.
Details of the latest option were not discussed and the proposal will not ne on the board’s website until Friday, June 17.
The proposed final budget calls for a property tax increase for Chadds Ford Township residents of 3.06 percent. The option presented Monday reduces that increase to 2.93.
Board President Vic Dupuis said he was glad to see the increase dip below the 3 percent mark.
School Board Vice President Jeff Hellrung said there would be a motion Monday on the budget that was proposed as final last month, but there could also be another motion for the new option.
The June 20 meeting will be in the district office beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Also that night, the board will vote on whether to award several bids for work at several district locations.
One such bid calls for spending $57,300 for paving, seal coating and line striping at the high school, as well as Hillendale and Chadds Ford Elementary Schools.
Another bid would have the district pay $13,350 to change the parking lot lighting at Patton Middle School. Building and Grounds Director Rick Hostetler said they want to switch to LED lighting, which would save on electricity costs. The LEDs also last about three times longer than the metal halide lights that are currently used.
The board also voted during the work session to hire Devin Layton as the new vice principal at Charles F. Patton Middle School. Principal Tim Hoffman referred to her as “the cream of the crop” of all the candidates.
“Her personality will be a great match for our kids and our district,” Hoffman said. “I couldn’t be more happy to introduce her.”
Layton will replace Jim Fulginiti, who retires at the end of July.
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.
Noelia Scharon and her nephew, Tony Nieves, stand next to the brightly-colored mural that adorns a wall of Tropical Homemade Ice Cream, which just opened in West Chester and features ice cream from Kennett Square's La Michoacana.
Entrepreneurial dreams can come true: Just ask the co-owner of Tropical Homemade Ice Cream, a new shop that debuted in West Chester on Sunday, June 12.
Tropical Homemade Ice Cream will offer West Chester residents a taste of the popular creations from Kennett Square’s La Michoacana.
Noelia Scharon, who shares ownership of the store with her nephew, Tony Nieves, was one of the founders of La Michoacana Homemade Ice Cream, which opened in June 2003 in the 200 block of East State Street in Kennett Square.
Since then, the Kennett Square business has not only flourished, but it also spawned Michoacana Grill, a restaurant a few blocks away in the 200 block of South Union Street. But Scharon said she had always longed to open a business in what she considers her hometown, and her partners – Manuel and Martha Rodriguez and Juvenal Gonzalez – gave her their blessing.
In fact, La Michoacana Homemade Ice Cream will supply Tropical Homemade Ice Cream, located at 125 N. Church Street, with its products: handcrafted popsicles, water ice and ice cream. Scharon said her La Michoacana collaborators understood her interest in establishing a West Chester venue and were happy to extend their reach without any additional commitment.
Noelia Scharon shows off the shop’s brightly-colored t-shirts, which were designed by her nephew.
“I was born in Puerto Rico,” Scharon explained, “but I grew up in West Chester, and my sons were born here. To me, this is home.”
Scharon remembers the day nearly 15 years ago when she decided she did not want a permanent career in the mushroom industry. She convinced Gonzalez and the Rodriguezes that the area lacked the kind of ice cream and water ice that is popular in tropical countries and that they could fill the void.
The foursome committed themselves to 80-hour-plus workweeks and opened La Michoacana Homemade Ice Cream – named after Gonzalez’s home state in Mexico – in June 2003 in the 200 block of East State Street. In addition to standard vanilla and chocolate, it offered flavors that included passion fruit, guava, rice pudding, avocado and toasted coconut. Containers of cinnamon and chili powder for dusting on the ice cream rest on the counter, beckoning the more adventurous palates.
On opening day, a steady stream of customers deliberate over the diverse selection of flavors.
As word of mouth spread about the mouth-watering offerings, Scharon said the business developed some diehard fans, who still travel regularly for more than an hour to stock up on their favorites. The most popular of the unusual flavors is corn ice cream, she said. Mushroom ice cream is featured during Kennett Square’s annual Mushroom Festival.
Because the business is seasonal – typically shutting down from November to March – the group opened Michoacana Grill, a Mexican-style restaurant, in October 2011. Not surprisingly, it features signature La Michoacana popsicles.
For now, Scharon said she plans to divide her time between West Chester and Kennett Square, a regimen that guarantees long days. She acknowledged that she wished there were more hours in the day, but she said she intends to do her part to ensure that both businesses are successful.
On opening day, she expressed gratitude to the many relatives and friends who helped her get the business ready, from assisting with the setup and décor to designing brightly-colored staff t-shirts. Many also effectively served as marketing ambassadors; although the debut was advertised only through social media, a steady stream of customers kept the employees busy on Sunday.
Noelia Scharon, co-owner of Tropical Homemade Ice Cream, says she particularly loves the toucans created by her brother for the shop.
One of them, Kseniya Hess, surveyed dozens of offerings – many created with fresh fruit – before settling on coffee ice cream. She said she had been dining with a group of friends, when one of them, Nick Barba, ran into Scharon’s son Andres, who told them the shop had just opened.
Barba grew up in Kennett Square so he was already a Michoacana fan – he ranks the lime and mango water ices among his top favorites – and so he encouraged the group to take a short detour. Hess, who lives nearby the shop, was glad that he did.
“I’m really excited to have this close by,” she said.
Brian Farrell, another opening-day customer, immediately gravitated to the corn ice cream, Michoacana’s best-selling flavor. “Try it with some cinnamon and chili powder,” Scharon suggested.
Farrell explained that he knew about the unconventional flavor because he also grew up in Kennett Square and was a frequent patron of La Michoacana Homemade Ice Cream during high school. Farrell brought three friends with him from outside the area. They were sufficiently impressed that Farrell got his reward: One of his friends insisted on paying.
Scharon said she plans to keep hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; however, they could change. She said it typically takes a half-hour to close, and if customers show up, they’ll be served.
“We’re going to let the public decide when we’re going to close,” she said. “I’m just so excited that this is really happening. It really is a dream come true.”
State police and Concordville Fire and Rescue respond to a two-car accident on Route 1 at Heyburn Road on Monday, June 13. State police have not yet issued a report on the accident, which happened about 9:30 a.m., but observers said they saw no one transported or treated for injuries at the scene.
• State police from the Media barracks responded to a June 5 roadside domestic dispute on Route 1 at Conchester Highway and wound up charging the 22-year-old woman with harassment and the 23-year-old man with disorderly conduct. Police also arrested the man after discovering there was an active warrant for him in Delaware. Police said minor injuries were reported. No other details were given other than the incident happened at 8:23 p.m.
• State police from the Avondale barracks said José Manuel Rodriguez-Zamores, 36, of Toughkenamon, was arrested for DUI following a traffic stop for an equipment violation on June 17. Rodriguez-Zamores was also charged with possessing an open container. The incident happened at 1:19 p.m. on Newark Road at Maple Lane in New Garden Township.
• Kennett Square Police cited James Heller, 30, of West Chester, and Melissa McCabe, 28, of Yardley, for disorderly conduct after they were observed engaging in sexual activity in a vehicle in the parking garage at 100 E. Linden St. on Wednesday, May 4, at 11:28 p.m.
• New Garden Township police, on Friday, June 3, arrested Rafael Ortega, 45, of New Castle for DUI after observing him cross a double yellow line and running onto the shoulder of Newark Road, a report said. Ortega reportedly told police that he was lost and did not realize he had entered Pennsylvania. According to police, Ortega exhibited signs of impairment and that he failed a field sobriety test. The incident happened at 4:27 p.m.
• New Garden police said they arrested John Mancino Jr., 86, of Coatesville, for DUI on June 3. A report said police responded to a call saying a car was being driven without tires on Scarlet Road. They found the vehicle off the roadway, just south of the railroad tracks on only its rims that were ground down to the brake pads. Police were unable to administer a field sobriety tests, the report said, but a breath test revealed impairment.
• A domestic dispute in New Garden Township resulted in the arrest of Jose Zavala, 32, of Kennett Square. Police said Zavala punched the victim the face and threw her into objects that led to injuries of her nose and face. The incident happened on May 3 at 8:09 p.m. in the 300 block of Cedar Springs Road. The defendant was released on $35,000.00 bail while awaiting a preliminary hearing. The incident happened May 30.
• Between Monday, April 18, and Sunday, May 15, Kennett Square Police said five incidents of institutional vandalism and criminal mischief occurred in the parking garage located at 100 E. Linden Street, where fire-extinguisher boxes were broken into and the fire extinguishers were set off. Following an investigation, police filed charges in the juvenile system against six juveniles from Kennett Square: two 12-year-old males, two 13-year-old males, a 14-year-old male and a 14-year-old female. In addition, four other juveniles – a 12-year-old male, two 13-year-old males, and a 15-year-old male –all from Kennett Square, received citations for disorderly conduct.
• Sean Keeley, 20, of Kennett Square, was cited for disorderly conduct following a traffic stop at West Cypress and South Union Streets on Tuesday, May 10 at 10:34 p.m., said Kennett Square Police.
• Kennett Square Police arrested Christina Wanner, 43, of Avondale, for DUI, DUI-controlled substances, and traffic-related offenses following a traffic stop in the 700 block of West State Street on Thursday, May 12 at 1:14 a.m.
• A traffic stop by Kennett Square Police on Friday, May 13, at 12:10 a.m. led to the arrest of Jason Duncan, 22, of Kennett Square, for DUI, DUI-controlled substances, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and traffic-related offenses. Police said the stop occurred at East South and Taylor streets.
• Kennett Square Police arrested Vanessa Ray, 25, of Kennett Square, for DUI following a traffic stop in the 100 block of Race Street on Saturday, May 14, at 9:39 p.m. The stop followed a report of an erratic driver at South Union and Cypress streets, police said.
• Mayo Baratas, 36, of Toughkenamon, was arrested by Kennett Square Police for DUI following a traffic stop in the 100 block of Waterworks Drive on Monday, May 16, at 8:59 p.m.
• Kennett Square Police cited Carol Ann Davis, 43, of Kennett Square, for criminal mischief and criminal trespass for an incident that occurred on Monday, May 16, at 10:21 p.m. in the 300 block of East Linden Street.
• On Tuesday, May 17, a 12:24 p.m., Kennett Square Police received a report that a victim was punched several times in the face and head while sitting in a vehicle parked in the 500 block of Magnolia Street on Monday, May 16, at 9:20 p.m. The assailant was described as a male about 17 years old, thin, with braces and wearing a hat and hoodie. An investigation is continuing, police said.
• On Wednesday, May 18, at 8:22 p.m., Kennett Square Police received a report from a resident of the 100 block of South Willow Street regarding a phone call from a subject asking for verification of personal information to process an award of $250 in gift cards from the Melnet Company. Police said the phone number has been a source of fraud-related calls, and an investigation is continuing.
• Kennett Square Police arrested Nicholas Cerrato, 19, of Kennett Square, for simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct and underage drinking for an incident that occurred on Thursday, May 19, at 1:01 a.m. in the 100 block of West South Street. Police said Cerrato had several outstanding bench warrants, and he was released to constables for transport to Chester County Prison.
• On Friday, May 20, at 10:16 p.m., Kennett Square Police received a report from a resident of the 300 block of Walnut Court Way regarding a purse stolen from a vehicle parked in the 400 block of McFarlan Road and a credit card that had been fraudulently used at the Walmart in Earl Marlborough to purchase two Sony PlayStations valued at $698. An investigation is continuing, police said.
• Kennett Square Police cited Jose Gutierrez-Quintino, 22, of Kennett Square for disorderly conduct and Clifton Richard, 29, of Kennett Square, for public drunkenness after officers responded to a report of a fight in the 500 block of South Walnut Street on Sunday, May 22, at 5:06 p.m.
• Kennett Square Police received a report on Monday, May 23, at 10:30 a.m. from a resident of the 600 block of South Broad Street regarding the fraudulent use of a debit card at kohls.com in the amount of $294.39. An investigation is continuing, police said.
• A 28-year-old Kennett Square resident was cited for retail theft on Friday, May 27 at 11:40 p.m. Kennett Square Police said James Maguire left a business in the 100 block of South Mill Road without paying for a Smart Socket valued at $39.99. Police said a subsequent search revealed that he had also stolen a stylus pen valued at $6.99.
• Seth Nadu, 21, of Quarryville, was cited for disorderly conduct following a traffic stop at West Cypress Street and South Mill Road by Kennett Square Police on Sunday, May 29, at 3:41 p.m., according to a Kennett Square police report.
• Kennett Square Police cited Daniel Simpers, 23, of Oxford, for criminal mischief after he damaged the driver’s-side mirror on a vehicle parked in the 700 block of South Washington Street on Sunday, May 29, at 4:03 p.m.
• Sometime overnight on Monday, May 30, someone stole an audio cable, a phone-charging cable, a $40 Sovana Bistro gift card and an expired Pennsylvania driver’s license from a vehicle parked in the 600 block of Magnolia Court. Kennett Square Police said the victim was unsure if vehicle was locked; an investigation is continuing.
• On Tuesday, May 31, at 10:08 a.m., Kennett Square Police arrested Ricardo Reyes-Miguel, also known as Maximo Serrano-Martinez, 39, of Kennett Square. Police said Reyes-Miguel had a warrant from Maricopa County, Ariz. Unable to post the $15,000 bail set by the on-call magistrate, Reyes-Miguel was transported to Chester County Prison, police said.
