Kaboburritos, a Mexiterranean grill that recently debuted at The Market at Liberty Place in Kennett Square, will host a grand opening on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The array of culinary options available at The Market at Liberty Place in Kennett Square is about to increase, according to a press release.
The Market at Liberty Place in Kennett Square announces that several new eateries will join its mix.
Kaboburritos, a Mexiterranean grill, recently debuted and will host a grand opening on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festivities will include a ribbon-cutting at 3 p.m., DJ Dre’ Money with music from 1 to 4 p.m., and giveaways throughout the day, the release said.
Owner and operator Carlos Vargas offers fresh traditional chicken Döner kabobs. Customers can enjoy this meat, which will be cooked on a rotating, vertical broiler in front of guests, on a wrap, pita, rice, salad, or it can be served “Mexican style” on a burrito, taco, or quesadilla. Additional protein options include beef, pork, shrimp, and falafel. In addition, the menu features a number of Mediterranean and Mexican side dishes and appetizers, including hummus, feta and olives, pita chips, falafel, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Kaboburritos also features a variety of vegetarian options.
“The Market is a great community gathering location and that’s what I love about it,” Vargas said in the release. “With a variety of shops and options, guests can come with their families and enjoy a great time.”
Saturday, Oct. 1, will mark the opening of M n M BBQ, Catering, & Smoked Meats. Owned by husband and wife Joe and Melissa Dea, it will feature traditional BBQ menu items such as BBQ ribs, chicken, and pulled pork, as well as side items like potato salad, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and more. All items will also be available for takeout; for more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/MNMCATERINGLLC/.
“We make comfort food right, and we love to make our customers happy,” Joe Dea said in the release. “We are excited to bring BBQ and smoked meats to the Kennett Square area all year long. We are also looking forward to being a part of The Market at Liberty Place and work with all of the other businesses within The Market!”
The Market at Liberty Place is located at 148 West State Street in downtown Kennett Square. It serves as an upscale farmers market with a mix of vendors for freshly prepared foods, grocery items, wine, beer, and more. Sugar Daddy’s Bake Shoppe is expected to join the mix on Nov. 1.
For more information on The Market at Liberty Place, visit www.themarketatlibertyplace.com. The Market also has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Updated at 2:50 p.m. to add comment from Borough Manager Joseph Scalise
Two returning issues dominated the Kennett Square Borough Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 19, one prompting a vote reversal and the other several apologies.
Kennett Square’s Borough Council votes to support an attempt to repeal the Sterling Act, but not at the City of Philadelphia’s expense.
The first item that represented a repeat involved the Sterling Act, a measure passed by the state legislature in 1932 that has enabled Philadelphia to tax suburban residents who work in the city without remitting any portion of the wage fee back to the residents’ municipalities.
At its Aug. 1 meeting, the council voted 4 to 3 not to pass a resolution supporting a statewide effort to repeal the law, estimated to cost the borough about $12,000 a year. After considerable debate, Councilmen Geoffrey Bosley, Danilo Maffei and Doug Doerfler voted in support of the measure, arguing that it would serve the borough.
But Councilman Ethan Cramer advocated the importance of not undermining the area’s main urban center, and Councilman Jamie Mallon noted that if the effort succeeded, Philadelphia would need to close the gap, potentially subjecting residents to an even higher tax.
Although Councilman Wayne Braffman joined Cramer, Mallon and Councilwoman LaToya Myers in voting against the measure, he said he remained troubled by it and crafted a compromise. His resolution added language that suggested that life in Kennett Square is “significantly affected by the success of the City of Philadelphia” and that the remittance of funds to the residents’ municipalities be done “in a manner which does not result in any net loss of revenue” to Philadelphia.
Braffman suggested that lawmakers could find a way to support Philadelphia without pitting it against its suburban neighbors. The council voted 5 to 1 – with Council President Danilo Maffei out of town and Councilman Jamie Mallon dissenting – to support the amended resolution. Mallon said he believed that the borough’s vote would simply be added to the “yes” column and that Braffman’s changes would not get any attention.
The second recurring topic stemmed from a decision that occurred at the council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 6, a vote that deviated from procedure and that later prompted Andrew J. Fronig, who had chaired the borough’s Historic Architecture Review Board (HARB), to resign.
Fronig addressed the board at Monday night’s meeting to express disappointment with the way the process for granting a demolition permit for 515 S. Broad Street was handled – and to explain the history of the request. He said the HARB, which had not placed the issue on the Sept. 6 agenda, requested more time to review the situation, which Borough Council granted.
Then, later in the meeting – after Fronig had left – the property’s owner, Patrick Taylor, voiced dismay about the delay, accusing the council of putting people at risk because the building was in danger of imminent collapse. Moreover, Taylor said his efforts to keep people out, including fences and signs, had failed.
Taylor’s remarks prompted more discussion, and a new vote. Maffei said he believed that council should follow procedure, giving the HARB the time it needed to conduct a thorough analysis, but several council members echoed the sentiments of the majority that safety should not be compromised, voting 6 to 1 to grant the permit.
At Monday night’s meeting, Braffman, Cramer and Mallon all offered personal apologies to Fronig. “We viewed it as a public safety issue,” Council Vice President Geoff Bosley added. “We didn’t mean it as disrespect.”
Disputing the safety issue, Fronig pointed out that the building has been in the same condition for three decades. “I will note the building’s still standing,” he said. He also said that the permit was not put on the agenda by the HARB, another deviation from procedure, and he wondered whether Taylor, a former council member, got special treatment.
Fronig said the HARB has handled 30 applications since its inception, mainly for minor requests, such as signs and additions. “This is the first time we’ve been asked to preserve a piece of history,” he said, referencing the 1870s timber-frame building, once owned by the well-known Gawthrop family. “We weren’t given the opportunity to do that.”
Borough Manager Joseph Scalise said the permit was added to the agenda by Rusty Drumheller, the borough’s code enforcement officer. Scalise explained that Drumheller made the request because the HARB had recently changed its meeting date, making it unable to respond within the required 30-day window. Without any official action during that timetable, the permit would have been automatically approved, Scalise said.
In other business, the council approved a request from the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County to place purple ribbons in select locations in October to observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Kennett Square Police Lt. William T. Holdsworth reported that the borough would soon have three officers certified to conduct truck weight enforcement. Borough Mayor Matt Fetick said he hoped that word would get out that the borough has stringent regulations and that violators would be fined.
Giving an update on the borough’s finances, Scalise noted that the fund balance is slowly improving every year. “We’re not where we want to be,” explained Bosley, adding that the borough has “made really strong strides.” Scalise said the 2016 quarterly financial reports are available in the borough’s public Dropbox site here.
Finally, Councilman Doug Doerfler extended thanks to all of the borough staff and hundreds of volunteers who contributed to another successful Mushroom Festival.
Concord Township resident Dave Cleary has announced his candidacy for state representative of the 160th Legislative District. He is running as an independent against State Rep. Stephen Barrar.
Cleary ran against Barrar is 2010, also as an independent. In that three-way race, Barrar took 18,000 votes, Democrat Nick DiGregory had 7,700 and Cleary came away with 1,300 votes.
Born in North Dakota, Cleary said he went to the U.S. Naval Academy and became a naval flight officer. He has a master’s degree in business administration.
In announcing his candidacy, Cleary said, “ I am running for the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives as an Independent candidate. I have chosen not to align with a political party because the political party candidates have become too aligned with their parties’ agendas. They have forgotten that they are elected to represent the people. It’s time to return our government to the people.”
He said he would reduce taxpayer cost for state government, lead discussions aimed at ending the problems of drugs and guns and promote ethics in government by holding the state Ethics Commission and Judicial conduct system accountable for serving people with integrity.
During his 2010 campaign, Cleary advocated regional governance by consolidating municipalities to form more effective local government and provide for better police protection.
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.
Tom Swett, president of the Kennett Library Board of Trustees, enjoys showing off the library's new tribute to Bayard Taylor, the library's former namesake.
A place for encouraging colorful, creative ideas? The inspiration for an exciting, intellectual flight of fancy? A representation of a transformative experience?
The Kennett Library’s new logo is displayed prominently in the front windows of the building.
Those are just some of the connotations that the Kennett Library hopes to reinforce with visitors through its new brand logo, which was unveiled on Monday, Sept. 19.
Tom Swett, the library board’s president, said he has been constantly surprised that people could look at the same design and see so many different things. But Carl Francis, a strategist hired by the board to help map out the library’s long-range plans, said that’s precisely why it works.
“Everybody’s experience with the library is different and so each one brings something different to the interpretation,” Francis said during festivities to celebrate the new look.
Swett said he associates the logo with transformation; however, he might be guilty of some bias. One of the board’s most ambitious long-term goals is to oversee the construction of a new facility. Growth has rendered the present location in the 200 block of East State Street in Kennett Square inadequate.
The logo inspires different interpretations, which is what it should do, its creators said.
“We believe that this new brand will become a key element in laying the foundation for a multi-year program to plan, finance and build a new library center,” Swett said.
In addition to the new logo, featured prominently in the library’s front windows and throughout the interior, a new lobby display features Bayard Taylor, a well-known local literary figure from the 19th century and the library’s former namesake. The commemoration is literally anchored by a large rock that Taylor acquired in 1844 during his many travels.
“I like it,” library patron George Harper said of the logo. “Green is a restful color, and it’s not busy. It reminds me of seagulls.”
Harper, an acknowledged history buff who lives in the borough, said he also appreciated the tribute to Taylor. As Harper read about Taylor’s accomplishments, he shook his head. “I’ve traveled a lot and I’m 78, but I haven’t done half of what he did,” Harper said, pointing out that Taylor died at the age of 54.
Tom Swett, the Kennett Library board president, shows off an 1844 rock that is part of a tribute to Bayard Taylor.
Swett said that even though the board made a decision recently to simplify the library’s name, it had no intention of losing its connection to one of the borough’s most famous citizens, the author of 64 books who served as a diplomat and ambassador. In fact, that’s why the building still bears Taylor’s name, Swett said. He added that once a new location is selected, it would include a strong Taylor presence.
In the meantime, Swett said he’s thrilled with the progress that has occurred since the beginning of the year. He described the mostly new 15-member board as qualified, committed and collegial. He said the library is pursuing the possibility of building a dual-purpose facility that would house borough offices as well as the library in a downtown location.
The Kennett Library serves residents in East Marlborough, Newlin, New Garden, Kennett, Pennsbury, Pocopson and West Marlborough townships and Kennett Square Borough. In 2015, 116,217 residents visited the library, checking out a variety of materials that totaled 178,484, according the library’s 2015 Annual Report, the first annual report in many years, Swett said.
Swett said as the library continues to move forward, he hoped the public would continue its much-needed support. He said visits, volunteer hours, and donations would advance the effort to build a new facility that would ultimately make the community proud.
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.
