The Republican candidate for Pennsylvania’s 19th District Senate seat has challenged his opponent, state Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, to a series of debates hosted by local news outlets and the League of Women Voters.
In a press release, Jack London extended the invitation, along with a list of more than 25 potential dates, to Dinniman, who has held the seat since 2006.
Reached for comment, Dinniman said he was somewhat surprised by the request.
“There is no need for him to challenge me or anyone else to a debate,” Dinniman said. “We always have debates. The League of Women Voters always schedules such debates, usually about a month before the election. I’ve always participated and hope to participate once again.”
Dinniman said in the past many Republican incumbents in Chester County have declined to participate. “I trust that Mr. London will strongly urge each Republican to participate in the debates involving their races,” Dinniman said.
In London’s press release, he said Dinniman has represented the 19th district for 10 years “but has failed to really tell us where he stands on issues that matter to the region. The voters should demand that we answer their questions and not settle for answers solely through tweets, posts, and press releases. That’s why I am asking Sen. Dinniman to participate in series of debates throughout this campaign.”
London said his background as a former police officer and professional athlete, combined with a 20-year business career in the financial sector, offered a stark contrast to his opponent, “a career politician with zero private-sector experience.”
Mary “ Betty” Bennett, 88, of West Grove, died Sunday, June 19, at Season’s Hospice at Christiana Hospital. She was the wife of Clifford “Kip” Bennett, who died on June 18, and with whom she shared 68 years of marriage.
Born in Coatesville, she was the daughter of the late Wilmer S. and Mary Walker Montgomery.
Betty was a billing clerk for Kennett Dental in Kennett Square, for 8 years retiring in 1990. Prior to that she was a billing clerk for 15 years at Jackson-Durning, MD in Kennett Square.
She was a member of the Avon Grove Church of the Nazarene . She enjoyed being with her family and friends and especially enjoyed babysitting her grandchildren.
She is survived by two sons, Robert A. Bennett and his wife Donna L. of Ocala, Fla. and Thomas W. Bennett and his wife Barbara Sue of Middletown, Del.; one daughter, Barbara Anne Gentry and her husband Bruce of West Grove; two brothers, James W. Montgomery of Warner Robbins, Ga. and Robert E. Montgomery of Akron, Pa.; nine grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
You are invited to visit with her family and friends from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, at the Avon Grove Church of the Nazarene, 240 East State Road in West Grove. A funeral service for both Betty and her husband will follow at 1. Burial will be in New Garden Friends Cemetery in New Garden.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 399 Market Street, Suite 102, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Clifford “Kip” A. Bennett, 87, of West Grove, died Saturday, June 18, at Season’s Hospice at the Christiana Hospital. He was the husband of Mary “Betty” Bennett who died on June 19, and with whom he shared 68 years of marriage.
Born in Coatesville, he was the son of the late Horace D, Sr. and Elsie Brandenberger Bennett.
Kip was a bus driver for the DuVall Bus Co. in New London, for 15 years retiring in 2015. Prior to working for Duvall Bus Co., he worked for Star Roses, Gawthrop/Delchester Oil Co. and London Britian Township.
He was a member of the Avon Grove Church of the Nazarene.
Kip was a life member of 55 years, and past chief at the West Grove Fire Co. He also had service as a past fire police captain. In earlier years he was a coach for the Avon Grove Little League
He is survived by two sons, Robert A. Bennett and his wife Donna L. of Ocala, Fla. and Thomas W. Bennett and his wife Barbara Sue of Middletown, Del.; one daughter, Barbara Anne Gentry and her husband Bruce of West Grove; one sister, Jennie Reid of Coatesville; nine grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
You are invited to visit with his family and friends from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, at the Avon Grove Church of the Nazarene, 240 East State Road in West Grove. A funeral service for both Clifford and his wife will follow at 1. Burial will be in New Garden Friends Cemetery in New Garden.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to the American Heart Association, 1617 JFK Boulevard, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19103
A sea of primary colors awaits visitors to the Chester County Balloon Festival this weekend in New Garden Township.
The sky’s the limit when the ever-expanding Chester County Balloon Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this coming weekend.
A variety of balloons in varied colors and shapes will dominate the Chester County Balloon Festival.
Organizers say the eagerly-anticipated event has experienced incredible growth the past few years, offering a host of family-friendly activities. It will return to New Garden Township’s Flying Field in Toughkenamon, starting on Friday, June 24.
In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers of Annonay, France, made the first successful balloon flight in a balloon filled with smoke from a straw-fed fire. More than two centuries later, people continue to be fascinated by what has become a recreational and competitive sport.
The three-day schedule highlights more than 20 hot air balloons, which will take flight twice per day; an evening balloon glow featuring Special Shaped Balloon Rodeo; untethered and tethered balloon rides; and a walk-thru balloon. For a complete schedule of events, click here.
In addition to a host of balloon-related activities, visitors can enjoy features such as Saturday night’s fireworks, food offerings, remote-control plane demonstrations, live music, monster truck rides, and even a wine and beer garden.
For those we want to head down instead of up, Blue Horizons Dive Center of Glen Mills will offer a free, introductory-level diving experience (try-Scuba) to anyone over the age of 12. Try-divers will receive instruction as well as a chance to apply their new skills by hopping into the pool and swimming around underwater.
On Saturday and Sunday morning, balloon launches will begin at 5:30 a.m.; admission and parking will be free for the morning launches.
The Chester County Balloon Festival is a nonprofit organization with proceeds going to the Chester County Hero Fund and other local community groups.
Advance tickets are $30 per adult for the weekend ($15 for children) or $10 for an adult ($5) per child for a one-day pass. During the festival, the prices are $45 per adult for the weekend ($15 for children) or $15 for an adult ($5) per child for a one-day pass. To purchase tickets, click here. Helicopter and hot-air balloon rides can be reserved for an extra charge, as space permits.
New Garden’s airport is located at 1235 Newark Road, a short distance from Route 1.
Farmers' Road in Painters Crossing is making a detour and shutting down on Saturday, June 25.
After three years in Painters Crossing shopping center, Farmers’ Road is making a detour. The restaurant that opened in 2013 and offered what owner Courtney Rozsas called “better for you, farm-fresh fast food,” is closing on Saturday, June 25.
It’s the second Chadds Ford restaurant to close in less than two weeks.
Rozsas said in an email sent through Sevag Public Relations of Lancaster, “We have had a wonderful three years in our Chadds Ford location. I am so grateful to be a part of such a warm, inspiring community and to have met so many amazing customers along the way. We plan to focus our efforts on expanding the brand and are actively scouting new drive thru locations.”
The release also said Farmers’ Road will open a pop-up juice and snack bar in collaboration with Joseph Anthony Retreat Spa & Salon on Route 1 in Glen Mills.
During the restaurant’s last week, some specials are being offered. On Tuesday, June 21 there will be a complimentary sweet treat with Buffalo Blue wrap. Wednesday, will feature half off off wraps for lunch and dinner. Thursday is a “sip and savor,” a free all-natural soda with purchase of any sandwich. Kids eat free on Friday and Saturday, the last day. There will be free 12-ounce shakes with no purchase necessary.
Farmers’ Road opened in spring of 2013. Rozsas said at the time she chose the location because she grew up in Western Delaware County.
“I’m from the area and I love the area. I thought it was perfect, a no-brainer…I used to go to the movies here,” she said at the time.
Her idea was to offer healthy farm fresh food in a fast food manner. She said that the many farms in Western Delaware County and Southern Chester County offered her a wealth of resources.
On June 8, Anthony Stella, of Chef Anthony’s Italian Market announced his shop in Olde Ridge Village was closing.
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.
First-prize winner Joshua Stafford (from left) gets a hug as Charles Miller from Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, and Tom Warner, Longwood's performing arts manager, watch.
A global search for dominance of a legendary, 55-ton instrument came down to an agonizing hour for five contestants and a couple hundred spectators at Longwood Gardens on Saturday, June 18.
Michael Barone (left), a radio show host who emceed the event, chats with Greg Zelek, who won the audience prize.
At stake was a literal, 10,010-pipe dream: the $40,000 Pierre S. du Pont Prize in the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, a first-place award that includes a contract with Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists as well as a performance date at Longwood Gardens.
“My heart is pounding pretty fast,” said Paul B. Redman, Longwood Gardens’ executive director. Redman echoed the sentiments of many in the sold-out audience as a panel of judges weighed the outcome, following 45-minute concerts from each of the five finalists.
In the end, Joshua Stafford, a 27-year-old with degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and Yale School of Music, took top honors. Stafford is the director of music at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown, N.J., where he conducts multiple choirs.
The Firmin Swinnen Second Prize of $15,000 went to Alcee Chriss III, 23, an Ohio resident and alumnus of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Colin MacKnight, 22, who is in his final year of the accelerated bachelor’s and master’s degree program at The Juilliard School, earned the Clarence Snyder Third Prize of $5,000.
Alcee Chriss III shows off his second-place prize to his proud relatives.
A new Audience Choice Prize of $1,000 represented an extra bonus for those fortunate enough to snag tickets to the finals, which sold out three months ago. It went to Greg Zelek, 24, a Juilliard graduate who serves as music director and organist at the Episcopal Church of St. Matthew and St. Timothy in New York City.
Redman explained that the competition grew out of a desire to connect the organ, one of du Pont’s passions, to contemporary audiences, ensuring its longevity. The first contest was held three years ago, and work will soon begin on the third in 2019.
“I think it goes without saying that we have the 10 best emerging organists in the world here in our ballroom,” Redman told the audience, applauding the contestants as well as the many individuals who made the event possible.
Finalists Joshua Stafford (from left, top row), Michael Hey and Colin MacKnight chats with members of the audience as the judges deliberate.
Chief among them was Cynthia du Pont Tobias, a niece of Longwood’s founder who headed the Competition Artistic Planning Committee. She pointed out that many people worked behind the scenes for several years to bring the competition to fruition.
Du Pont built Longwood’s elegant ballroom, where the competition took place, in 1929 to house his custom, world-renowned, 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ. At the time he was overseeing the construction, he was also in charge of both General Motors and the Du Pont Company.
“Tonight is another exclamation point in Pierre’s legacy,” said Nathan Hayward III, past president and trustee emeritus of Longwood’s board.
Hayward noted that while many landowners of du Pont’s stature built fences and walls around their estates to keep people out, du Pont wanted his wealth to be shared. “That was his joy,” said Hayward.
Guests inspect the Longwood Organ, a 10,010-pipe instrument that weighs 55 tons.
Du Pont would have likely been overjoyed to hear the caliber of Saturday night’s contestants. The process began with a group of six distinguished audition jury judges, who sorted through blind submission tapes from hopefuls aged 18 to 30 representing 10 different countries. The qualification round ended with the selection of 10 rising stars who began competing for the top prize on Tuesday, June 14.
A different set of judges, including Peter Richard Conte, Longwood’s principal organist, and Dong-ill shin, an internationally acclaimed organist from South Korea, presided over two days of preliminary rounds. Following 30-minute concerts by each contestant, the judges chose five finalists, who faced off on Saturday, setting up the nail-biting hour-long wait for their decision.
Redman acknowledged that the competition inspired him to make a wardrobe change. “They wear really fun socks,” he said of the contestants, later revealing his own pair that sported concentric circles of vivid blue and turquoise.
Colin MacKnight, the third-place winner, gets a chance to relax after his performance.
One reason for the organists’ fancy footwear involves the attention their feet get during the deft pedaling that many organ compositions require. In the case of Saturday night’s event, which was live-streamed, cameras captured much of that action, revealing brightly-colored stripes and argyles, the perfect complement to knock-your-socks-off performances.
Redman said one of Longwood’s goals is to expand the audience for quality organ music. He said that he was pleased that several hundred people viewed the event from afar – video that remains on Longwood’s website for anyone who wants to recreate the excitement. To view the drama, click here .
He was also thrilled to learn that many people in the audience had come from out of state, some traveling from as far away as Michigan and North Carolina.
One of those visitors was Martha McCoy. She said she and her husband, who live in Louisville, Ky., timed a trip to the area to visit friends in Wilmington so that they could attend the finals.
“It lived up to its billing – and more,” McCoy said, adding that they’d love to repeat the experience in three years. “As long as we have a place to stay,” she added jokingly, raising her voice enough that her hostess could hear her.
Carolyn S. Guerrina, 73, of Cochranville, deid Friday, June 17, at the Christiana Hospital. She was the wife of Louis E. Guerrina who deid in 2011, and with whom she shared 44 years of marriage.
Born in Waynesboro, she was the daughter of the late Joseph E. and Anna Curfman Shively. Carolyn graduated from Waynesboro High School in 1960 and Shippensburg University in 1964. After college she taught first grade in New Castle, Del. She met her husband to be shortly afterward and they married in 1967.
A member of the St. Malachi Catholic Church and Choir, Brandywine Conservancy, Cheshire Hunt Conservancy, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Havre De Grace Decoy Museum and Buck & Doe Trust; she actively supported the Brandywine Conservancy, S.A.V.E, Longwood Gardens, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Misty of Chincoteague Foundation.
Carolyn was a compassionate friend to animals and enjoyed her home where she raised her children. The supportive neighborhood on White Horse Road and the surrounding countryside was also of great value to her. With her husband, she enjoyed traveling near and far, experiencing the local culture and customs. Since her husband’s passing, she has gotten great enjoyment from spending time with her grandchildren and friends.
Carolyn is survived by son Michael, daughter Karen, son-in-law Grant DeCosta, daughter-in-law Anna, grandchildren Luke, Ella and Matthew, brother Curtis Shively, sister-in-law Susan, niece Rachel, nephew Stuart, and her beloved cat Wendell.
You are invited to visit with her family and friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, 250 West State Street in Kennett Square, and again from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June, at St. Malachi Catholic Church, 76 St. Malachi Road in Cochranville. Her funeral mass will follow at 11. Burial will be in the adjoining church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Brandywine Conservancy, P.O. Box 141 Chadds Ford, PA 19317 or St. Malachi Catholic Church, ℅ Our Lady of Consolation Church, 603 West Second Ave., Parkesburg, PA 19365.
Louise LeBron Patton, 84, of West Grove, died Tuesday, June 14, at her residence. She was the wife of Thomas G. Patton Jr., who died in 2013, and with whom she shared 58 years of marriage.
She was the daughter of the late Otto and Helen MacMillan LeBron. She was born in New Orleans, La., and grew up in Baltimore, Md.
Louise Patton was a homemaker, and she enjoyed sewing, gardening and working with therapy dogs. She was a member of Willowdale Chapel. She was very active in church ministries throughout her life, everything from visiting the sick to prayer groups.
She is survived by three daughters, Elizabeth Patton of Lancaster; Anne Bailey of West Grove; and Cynthia Patton of West Grove; and one grandson, Andrew Bailey of Wilmington.
She was predeceased by one brother, Otto K. LeBron, and one sister, Mary Frances Haslett.
A memorial service in celebration of the lives of Louise and the late Thomas Patton will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, July 2, at Willowdale Chapel, 675 Unionville Road in Kennett Square. Her burial in Union Hill Cemetery will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to Willowdale Chapel, 111 Marshall Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348 or to Canine Partners for Life, P.O. Box 170, Cochranville, PA 19330.
