A police and public safety forum urged cooperation between local police agencies and the community. That was the basic take-away from a forum held Tuesday night in Kennett Square.
Taking part in the forum were Kennett Township Police Chief Lydell E. Nolt, Kennett Square acting Police Chief William T. Holdsworth, FBI Agent Charles Dayoub and dozens of residents of the township and borough. Retired Judge Daniel Maisano moderated the session held in the atrium of the Genesis Building in Kennett Square.
Topics ranged from communication between police and residents and response times to violent crime.
Maisano opened the evening by mentioning the hundreds of officer-involved shootings in the country during the last few years, shootings by, and of, police officers.
That issue resurfaced later in the evening when a member of the audience asked about the training police receive in dealing with officer-involved shootings.
Nolt said it’s a very emotional time whenever a police officer is killed in the line of duty. But that holds true when it’s a civilian, too.
“In my opinion, it’s a death, whether it’s justified or not…We need to stop focusing on the justification and focus on the fact that it’s death. Somebody’s family member lost his life. We need to focus on things we can do to avoid those situations,” he said.
Nolt added that the forum itself, where members of the general community have the opportunity to ask questions of police officers, is the first step in doing that.
“That prevents those types of encounters,” he added.
FBI Agent Charles Dayoub, far right, addresses the audience at the public safety forum in Kennett Square. With him are, from left, retired Judge Daniel Maisano. Lt. William Holdsworth, the acting police chief in Kennett Square, and Kennett Township Police Chief Lydell Not.
Holdsworth responded to a follow-up question about how police react to a mentally-challenged person whose actions could be misinterpreted. He said police are always looking to de-escalate potentially violent situations as best they can. The state, he said, requires annual training for that.
“We’re certainly not experts, but we do receive training and keep trying to fulfill the need we have for situations such as that,” Holdsworth said.
He added that police work with crisis intervention groups whose caseworkers respond whenever a situation requires it.
Holdsworth also said there’s nothing wrong with residents’ photographing or recording police activity, but did caution to keep a safe distance.
“Don’t interfere,” he said. “Don’t get so close that you become involved.”
Also in his opening remarks, Maisano said he doesn’t want anyone in the area to become a story about a police killing or become a story about police using excessive force.
“We believe this can be accomplished by communication, having an open dialogue like tonight’s event and by informing you, the public, what challenges our officers face day to day in keeping our community safe, and by listening to your concerns,” Maisano said.
Nolt said that good communication between police and the general community doesn’t happen by accident, that it takes hard work from civilians and officers alike.
“Strong communities don’t just happen,” Nolt said. “They are products of hard work by community members, residents and police putting the work in to maintain a healthy community.”
Holdsworth, who became acting chief in July following the resignation of former Chief Edward A. Zunino, echoed Nolt’s comment, saying, “We are only as good as our communities, and we need you as much as we need the officers that are working here.”
In response to a wide range of questions — most submitted in writing before the forum — residents were urged to keep those lines of communication open by calling police when they believe it’s necessary and not worrying about getting in trouble with the law if they report a family member’s possessing or using drugs.
When asked about areas of high crime, Dayoub, who works out of the FBI’s Newtown Square office, said those areas are Chester in Delaware County, and parts of Coatesville in Chester County.
This was the first in what the departments hope to be ongoing community forums. Maisano said they hope to hold them every four months or so, and have specific topics on the agenda. No specific dates have been set.
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.
Area residents are invited to learn how to beautify their yards while keeping waterways clean.
Area homeowners can take simple steps to improve area waterways, according to the Brandywine Conservancy.
A “Catch the Rain” workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. at the London Grove Township building will demonstrate how to reduce flooding, recharge wells, filter pollutants from oily roads, reduce summer heat, and keep water clean. Another benefit: A home’s value increases as plantings mature, according to a press release from the Brandywine Conservancy.
Presented by the Brandywine Conservancy and the White Clay Wild and Scenic River program, the presentation will stress collecting water for gardens and other outdoor uses, attracting birds and butterflies, enjoying year-round native flowers, and helping to improve the environment.
Capturing more rain on-site reduces drought effects and lowers water bills. The workshop will enable participants to get a free rain barrel as well as assistance in paying for environmentally-friendly home improvements. “Catch the Rain” will provide step-by-step guidance, clear estimates of costs and rebate amounts, professional site visit and design consultation, reputable installers, and maintenance guidelines, the release said.
“Catch the Rain” is possible in part with funding from the Dockstader Foundation and the National Park Service. RSVP to Beth Burnam at610-388-8396, bburnam@brandywine.org, or Shane Morgan at mpc@whiteclay.org
The voters in Pennsylvania’s House District 158 will be choosing a new state representative on Nov. 8. We have been waiting for many months to see and read Republican candidate Eric Roe’s positions. Finally, his campaign published three position papers, on “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” On Oct. 2, his party or his handlers had him take those position papers down. How can we trust a candidate who won’t or can’t honestly say what he believes and then stand behind it?
We know from his own resume that Eric has spent the last eight years working in seven political jobs in DC. He recently moved back here and rented an apartment to start what he hopes is a long political career, but the last thing we need in Harrisburg is someone who was trained in Washington.
In case you are wondering, his website statements included: “Abortion is proof that our society has failed women.” On state pensions, he said he “will fight to reduce our liability and fund it fully, preferably through a 401(k) style plan,” not understanding that the transition costs have been proven to make this impossible without unconstitutionally reducing current promised benefits. He would also burden taxpayers and school districts with yet another unfunded mandate by putting “pressure on the Pennsylvania Department of Education to change its curricula and increase awareness in our classrooms” of drug addiction. Eric Roe is too extreme for Chester County and too unfamiliar with the needs of the people.
Ironically, two very moderate issues that Republican Chris Ross was well known and liked for – namely allowing women rather than government to make their own health choices, and his strong renewable energy policies, are ones that Eric Roe opposes. Is this why he was hiding his positions now? Is this why his Party pulled them off his website? Doesn’t he have the strength of his convictions to proudly share his beliefs or is it not politically expedient to show who he really is and what he really believes?
Roe’s opponent, Susan Rzucidlo, on the other hand, has had position papers up on her website from the beginning of the campaign. She is so dedicated to transparency she gives her personal cell phone number to voters. She says it’s because if you want to represent the people, you need to be accessible to the people. Susan is a small business owner and long-time Chester County advocate for people who live with special needs, seniors and veterans, and she does care about the same issues that the voters of Chester County do – environment, property tax reform, economic fairness, and public education. Susan understands the issues facing Chester County and Pennsylvania and has earned the respect of Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike because she is willing to listen, takes time to learn the issues, and fights for people. It’s been said about Susan, “she’s not by any means a politician … but more of a reformer.”
On Nov. 8 you’ll have to decide: Do you want a candidate who hides who he is, or someone, like Susan Rzucidlo, who has a proven record of getting results and fighting for people?
Brian J. McGinnis
Chairman, Chester County Democratic Committee
• State police from the Media barracks have issued an arrest warrant for an unnamed suspect in an attempted robbery in Chadds Ford. Police only identified the suspect as a known, 23-year-old white male from Chester. According to a police report, troopers were responding to a call about a robbery at 1682 Wilmington Pike. Upon arrival, the suspect fled into a heavily wooded area. A search revealed nothing, but the victims were able to=identify the man, and a cab driver also provided key information. The incident happened 10:49 p.m. on Oct. 7.
• An 18-year-old Maryland man was cited for his involvement in an Oct. 7 accident on Conchester Highway at Mattson Road. State police said Christopher M. Holden, of Bel Air, Md., was following too closely when he struck another vehicle that had stopped for a red light. No injuries were reported.
• State police are reporting that unknown suspects entered the Garnet Valley Middle School bus parking lot shortly after midnight on Sept. 30 and caused an estimated $500 worth of damage.
• An unidentified suspect is being sought in connection with the theft of an iPad Air 2 from the Staples in Concord Township. The theft took place on Saturday, Sept. 24.
• An unnamed woman from Langhorne was cited for DUI following a traffic stop on Route 202 at State Line Road at 2:10 a.m. on Sept. 24.
• A Wilmington man, 40-year-old Mark T. Murphy, was riding his bicycle on Route 1 in Chadds Ford Township when he rode into a car that was turning right into the parking lot between Antica and Brandywine Prime restaurants. Police said Murphy was riding in the shoulder of the southbound lane when the car turned. He was transported to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for treatment, according to the report. The accident happened at 6:22 p.m. on Sept. 22.
• Abena Vanessa Millette, of Lincoln University, was arrested for DUI and drug possession after being stopped for traffic violations on Route 1 at Cheney Road on Sept. 20.
• Police said Nicole P. Phillips, 19, of Oxford, was following too closely when she struck another vehicle on southbound Route 1 at State Farm Drive on Sept. 12. Phillips sustained minor injuries, but there was no transport to a hospital, the report said.
Police are continuing their investigation into this Oct. 5 accident on Route 202 that sent two people to the hospital.
• Police are continuing their investigation into an Oct. 5 traffic accident on Route 202 that sent two people to the hospital. According to police, the driver of a truck with a car carrier attached was heading north on Route 202 when the driver of a southbound pickup truck, also with a car carrier attached, became distracted, swerved to avoid hitting a vehicle in front, and veered into the northbound lanes. The pickup truck hit the tractor head-on, police said, then ran off the road, went through a guardrail, and partially down an embankment in front of row of shops just north of Applied Bank Boulevard. The driver and passenger in the pickup truck were transported to Crozer hospital for treatment. The accident happened shortly before noon.
• State police from the Avondale barracks responded to a burglary report in Pennsbury Township on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 4:33 a.m. Police said someone forced entry through an office window in a structure located behind a garage; no items appeared to be missing, police said.
• Two teenagers, a 16-year-old boy from Upper Chichester Township, and a 14-year-old girl from Chadds Ford, were reported missing after taking a car from the 100 block of Painter’s Crossing without permission on Sept. 11 at 10:30 p.m. The juveniles were returned home safely at 2 p.m. the next day, and the vehicle was recovered undamaged, police said.
• Police responded to a report of a theft from a motor vehicle on Ridings Way on Sept. 9 and found two other residents who said their vehicles had been broken into as well. Suspects took two GPS units and about $100 in change, a police report said. The thefts were discovered at 8 a.m.
• State police said they cited a 24-year-old Kennett Square man for causing an accident on Route 52 at its intersection with Locust Grove Road. Police said Troy S. Springer was following the vehicle ahead of him too closely when the crash occurred on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 12:02 p.m. No injuries were reported.
• A Chadds Ford woman failed to yield to approaching traffic at the intersection of Route 52 and South Fairville Road in Pennsbury Township on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 3 p.m., said state police from the Avondale barracks. Police said Gail Ahrens, 54, was traveling west on Fairville when she struck a 2011 Toyota Sienna on Route 52. No injuries were reported, but Ahrens’ 2012 Mercedes-Benz 350 had to be towed from the scene, police said.
• State police cited a 32-year-old Coatesville man for causing a two-vehicle crash on East Baltimore Pike at McFarlan Road on Friday, Sept. 16, at 9:33 p.m. Police said Melvin L. Lopez Zuninga was traveling eastbound on Baltimore Pike and turned his 2007 Nissan Altima onto McFarlan in front of a 2013 BMW X5, which was unable to stop in time, police said.
• On Sunday, Sept. 25, at 10:59 a.m., Kennett Township Police responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of East Baltimore Pike at McFarlan Road. Police said a silver Suzuki Vitara that was stopped at the red light struck the rear bumper of a black Infiniti G35 in front of it. Minor damage, but no injuries occurred, police said, adding that the driver, Linda Bledsoe, 65 of Kennett Square, was cited for following too closely.
• Kennett Township said officers responded on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24, between 11 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. after a drone was reported looking into residents’ windows in the 400 block of Burnt Mill Road. The drone was described as white, extremely quiet, and approximately 30 to 36 inches wide. Anyone with information is urged to contact Kennett Township Police at 610-388-2874.
• On Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 2:27 p.m., a white GMC U-Haul with a height of approximately 12 feet struck the bridge on East Hillendale Road, which has a 9-foot-6-inch clearance, said Kennett Township Police. The top of the truck sustained severe damage and needed to be towed, but no injuries occurred, police said. The driver, Gary Kammerer, 65, of Kennett Square, was cited for failing to obey traffic control devices and will have to pay for damages, police said.
• Michael V. Cappalo, 38, of New Castle, is accused of pushing a cart containing two bulk-sized Tide laundry detergent bottles past the cashier at the Walmart in East Marlborough Township and loading them into his vehicle on July 28, said state police from the Avondale barracks. Police said Cappalo was subsequently apprehended and charged with retail theft.
• On Saturday, Sept. 3, at 8:46 a.m. at the same Walmart, state police said a black male who was bald and weighed approximately 200 pounds shoplifted an LED TV and home security system. Police said the man fled south on Route 1 in a white Nissan Altima that had a partially obscured license plate. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 610-268-2022.
• New Garden Township police arrested Tyler Dali, 21, of Newark, with possession of marijuana following a traffic stop near Southhampton Parish Road shortly after 10 p.m. on Sept. 26. A report said police saw a green leafy substance and smelled marijuana. Dali turned over a marijuana cigarette and was taken into custody without incident for possession of marijuana, the report said.
• Jose Aguilera-Pantoja, 35, of Avondale, was arrested on charges of simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct following a domestic abuse complaint, according to New Garden Township police. A report said Aguilera-Pantoja and the victim began arguing after he began drinking and doing drugs. Aguilera-Pantoja left the residence, but returned a day later and was taken into custody without incident, police said. He was remanded to Chester County Prison after failing to post 10 percent of his $25,000 bail. The incident happened on Sept. 27.
• New Garden police arrested Lance Read, 37, of Krum, Texas, for DUI following a report of a possibly intoxicated person being in an idling tractor-trailer on Penn Green Road. A report said Read was visibly intoxicated and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and person. Read was taken into custody for DUI. He was remanded to Chester County Prison after failing to post the $5,000 cash bail.
• DUI charges were filed against Evaristo Rodriguez, 47, of New Castle, after police found his vehicle blocking a traffic lane at West Cypress Street and Cedar Springs Road. New Garden police said Rodriguez could not explain why he was parked in the roadway, and he showed signs of intoxication when asked to exit his vehicle. He was taken into custody, arraigned, and released after posting 10 percent of a $5,000 bail.
The Nicholas Newlin Foundation is calling all visual artists, poets and musicians to share their visions of the Newlin Grist Mill and surrounding park for “Lenses on Newlin,” an annual community art show.
Artists’ interpretation of the Newlin Grist Mill are being sought.
Artists are invited to submit their original artwork, drawing inspiration from the unique environmental and historic components of the 160-acre property, said a foundation press release.
A panel of judges will review submissions, and selected pieces will be publicly exhibited in the Visitor Center at Newlin Grist Mill. The judges will choose a winner in two categories, amateur and professional, each of whom will receive a cash prize of $50. People’s choice winners in each of those categories will have their works featured on the Newlin Grist Mill website.
Entry forms and accompanying submissions must be dropped off at Newlin Grist Mill with a non-refundable application fee of $5 per piece. The deadline for submission is Oct. 19, at 5 p.m. Artists chosen to display will have the option to sell their work during the art show exhibition, with Newlin Grist Mill retaining 15 percent of the sales to help fund future programs at the site.
This year, a new digital component is being added to the art show and contest. Instagram users can submit photographs by tagging them #lensesonnewlin, and selected photos will be displayed in a digital slideshow in the exhibit gallery. The Instagram contest will offer a $50 cash prize to the judge’s choice, and the digital people’s choice winner will have their photo featured on Newlin Grist Mill’s website.
“Lenses on Newlin” will open to the public on Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. The show will run through Dec. 31 and is free during regular Visitor Center hours. More information about the art show, submission guidelines, and submission forms can be found at www.newlingristmill.org.
