November 15, 2016 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Art Watch: UHS gala and art around towns

Unionville Art Gala poster 2016 — Unionville Art Gala

Exciting new art exhibitions are unveiled all week long, all over Chester and Delaware County, including the famous 41st Annual Unionville Art Gala this weekend in Kennett Square at Unionville High School.

The Unionville Art Gala is the largest group art show of the season, starting this Friday November 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday November 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This wonderful art show includes 70 professional and 50 student artists, with myriad artistic mediums including, painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry, wood carving and ceramics, as well as an art silent auction, all benefitting the education programs at Unionville High School at 750 Unionville Road in Kennett Square.

The featured artist is Lele Galer, local artist (me, actually) known for her large welded metal sculptures and heavily textured and brightly colored paintings. After heading the Art Gala for many years, as well as many public art projects and programs throughout Chester County, Lele turned to her art studio and started painting and welding metal sculpture for exhibition. “It is really an honor, and such a joy to be the featured artist at The Unionville Art Gala this year. I am joining a terrific group of acclaimed local artists, to benefit a school that I love.”

The Unionville Art Gala is one of the only shows that combines a show of student art with professional working artists. That mix is always inspiring for artists and viewers alike. Friday night’s reception is a hugely popular event from 6 to 8 p.m. with live music, complimentary food and refreshments and a lively atmosphere for the whole family. For a fun discussion about the Art Gala, go to Gene Pisasale’s website www.GenePisasale.com and check out Living History radio November 9th interview for the Art Gala. The Unionville Art Gala is a great, free art show, chaired by Carol Apicella, and one of the art highlights of the year in Chester County.

In West Chester, The Art Trust at The Meridian Bank, 16 W Market Street, opens their annual “Gifted” art show with an artists’ reception this Friday November 18th from 5 to 9 p.m. The show continues through December, and features small reasonably priced artworks from 17 selected area artists including Martin Campos, Ben Richardson and Lorraine Glessner. “Gifted” is always a wonderful show, with something for everyone, in a variety of mediums. Come meet the artists and start up your holiday shopping!

This Sunday in Kennett Square at Galer Estate Winery, 700 Folly Hill Road, November 20 from 3 to 6 p.m., multi-award winning painter Lauren Litwa Holden will show and sell her sun drenched dreamy Chester County landscape paintings. Brian Rogers, Executive Director for PA Council on the Arts wrote that her paintings “make you feel like you are floating through the air, or lying on your back on the ground, anything but firmly on your feet.”

Coleman’s Artist Studios is hosting an open studio this weekend November 19 and 20. Twelve participating local artists including : Kristen Bell, Rachel Romano, Ria Smith, Katherine Noska, Martin Pieczonka, Judy Lupas, Alicia Miller, Nicolas Burns, Carla and John Scheffer and Sandra Severson. Coleman’s studio is located at 142 Quick Street in Phoenixville.

Rachel Romano has some beautiful paintings also currently showing at Mala Galleria in Kennett Square, and Sandra Severson was part of a terrific group show at Church Street Gallery in West Chester.

Also for you artists and art teachers, The Phoenix Village Art Center has a shout out for any art teachers interested in teaching at the Center, to please contact them about the sort of class that you would like to bring to the Phoenixville area.

In Oxford to kick start the holidays, The Oxford Arts Alliance holds its annual Artisan Gift Shop November 18 through December 23 in their gallery at 38 South Third Street. Featuring myriad art and artisan artworks, this show is designed for the person who loves to buy gifts that are artistic and one-of-a-kind. A percentage of sales go to support the many free programs that are offered to the community throughout the year.

In Aston, Heron Studios continues its holiday art show and sale through this weekend only, November 19 and 20. 15 local artists will be exhibiting and selling their work that ranges from paintings, to jewelry, ceramics, wood, sculpture, fiber and more. Heron Studios is a collective of working artist studios in an old industrial building at Red Hill and Mount Road in Aston. It is a cool space with a great vibe, and draws many hundreds of art lovers and holiday shoppers every year for this great annual art event. It is just about 5 minutes off of Route 1, and they have plenty of parking.

In Wilmington, The Delaware Museum of Art continues it blockbuster show “Truth and Vision: 21st Century Realism” through January 22, one of my favorite art exhibitions of all time. The “Slow Art Tour” of this exceptional show is 1 p.m. on Sunday November 20, with a curatorial discussion of the masterpieces by Stone Roberts. On Thursday November 17 at 6 p.m., one of the exhibiting artists, Stephen Assael will discuss his work, which includes stunning drawings as well as paintings.

In Quarryville, The Charles X. Carson Octoraro Art Association will exhibit in a group show in the Carlson Room of the Quarryville Library, in Quarryville, PA from November 16th through January 4th. The artists’ reception for the show will be this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., hosted by the Quarryville Library Art Committee. The show offers a range of media including watercolor, oil, acrylic. Mixed media and ceramic work.

About Lele Galer

Lele Galer is an artist who has chaired numerous art shows, taught art history and studio art, public art and has chaired, written and taught the Art in Action Art Appreciation series for the UCFD schools for the past 12 years. She worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and wrote for the Associated Press in Rome. She has been dedicated to Art History and art education for most of her adult life. Lele and her husband Brad own Galer Estate Winery in Kennett Square.

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Rafferty announces run for judge

Local News Kennett, Local News Pennsbury, Local News Pocopson

It’s only been a week since the 2016 election, but at least one person is already looking ahead to the May 2017 primary election.

Pocopson Township resident Sean C. Rafferty has announced his bid to run for district justice. Rafferty will crossfile as both a Democrat and a Republican for the primary. He hopes to replace retired Judge Daniel Maisano for District Court 15-3-04, which covers Kennett Square and Pocopson, Newlin, East Marlborough, Kennett, and Pennsbury townships. Maisano retired in January.

Rafferty, who’s lived in Pocopson Township for almost 25 years, does not have a law degree, but completed in June 2016 the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts Magisterial District Court Judge Certification Program and is certified as a magisterial district court judge.

A former police officer, he said he’s seen a number of other retired officers do well as district judges. Rafferty thinks one of the reasons is that there are lawyers who treat the role of district judge as a part-time job.

“This will be my full-time job,” he said. “This will be my only job.”

Rafferty’s background includes more than 25 years in law enforcement. He served as a special investigator for the state of Pennsylvania, and served with the Port Authority and Tredyffrin police departments. He has also been an undercover narcotics officer with the Camden County Prosecutor’s office while on loan from the Port Authority.

He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Widener University, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from West Chester University, and an associate’s degree in administration of justice from Delaware County Community College. Additionally, he attended the Camden County and Montgomery County Police Academies and earned his certification as a police officer in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Rafferty was twice elected as vice-president and once president of the Tredyffrin Township Police Association.

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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UHS band triumphs with ‘Tribal Voices’

Arts & Entertainment

The 2016 Unionville High School Marching Band savors its second-place finish at the Cavalcade of Band championships. — The Unionville High Marching Band savors its second-place win at the Cavalcade championships.

The Unionville High School Marching Band won a second-place finish in the Yankee Division at the Cavalcade of Bands Championship this past weekend, achieving the highest score of any marching band in Unionville High history.

Held at the Hershey Park arena, the competition included the Unionville band’s performance of its 2016 show, “Tribal Voices.” The musicians and color guard also earned the High Music Award in their division. The band’s score of 97 out of 100 marked its season’s best as well as a school record, said a band press release.

The UHS Marching Band is comprised of 69 high school students and 13 middle school students. Throughout this season, the band transformed themselves into a precise, professional and synchronized unit. They also learned the rewards of striving as a team toward a shared goal, the release said.

“Tribal Voices” is an exciting, colorful and action-packed performance that pays homage to the voices of America’s tribal heritages. The show ultimately is about how the tribal energy, sounds and ideologies of the past provided the “Tribal Voices” shared by us all and created a sense of community in today’s world, the release said.

The award-winning performance may be viewed at https://youtu.be/CG9DyqKyIPg.

About CFLive Staff

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Conservancy seeks flood of Brandywine votes

Local News, Local News Birmingham, Local News Chadds Ford, Local News Concord, Local News Kennett, Local News Pennsbury, Local News Pocopson

Members of the esteemed Wyeth family found artistic inspiration in its scenic, rippling currents; George “Frolic” Weymouth, the co-founder of the Brandywine Conservancy, made his home at a crook aptly named “Big Bend;” more than 500,000 area residents rely on it for drinking water, and countless others enjoy it for a variety of recreational pursuits.

The Brandywine Creek is shown from the Lenape Bridge in Pocopson Township.

Now, the Brandywine Creek needs the public’s assistance to elevate its iconic status even further. The creek is in contention for designation as 2017 Pennsylvania River of the Year, and the Brandywine Conservancy, which submitted the nomination, is hoping that area residents will cast their votes here.

For the past 20 years, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has annually recognized one river as the River of the Year. This recognition is done to raise awareness of the important recreational, ecological, and historical resources associated with the state’s rivers and streams.

The River of the Year is celebrated throughout the year. Events have included paddling trips, a speaker series, cleanup days, photography contests, and more. The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, administers the River of the Year program, and partnering with community groups, organizes the celebratory events, including a paddling trip, according to the POWR website.

Not surprisingly, the conservancy believes that the Brandywine bests its three competitors in myriad ways. Votes may be cast online now through 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, and are limited to one vote per email address.

At 315 miles in length, the Allegheny River in western Pennsylvania may beat the Brandywine in size, but it doesn’t flow through rich farmland, down steep wooded valleys, past historic villages and mill towns and nationally acknowledged historic landmarks. Similarly, the Loyalhanna Creek, which passes through the center of the City of Latrobe, and the Perkiomen Creek in Montgomery County can’t boast the Brandywine’s rich history.

So if you’ve ever enjoyed a lazy day tubing down the Brandywine or simply savoring its spectacular vistas, the conservancy would like to see the POWR website flooded with votes.

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Dead tree to live on at CFES

School & Education

_1JF9878-Greg-with-sawmill — Greg Flegal uses his portable sawmill to cut planks from the trunk of a dead mulberry tree. Fifth-grade students at Chadds Ford Elementary School, who will help turn the planks into a bench, look on.

A dead mulberry tree on the grounds of Chadds Ford Elementary School will live on as a bench in the school’s fifth-grade hallway. At least that’s the plan.

According to Principal Shawn Dutkiewicz, it’s all part of the school’s Fifth-Grade Leave Behind Project, where fifth-graders leave something at the school as part of their legacy before they start middle school.

“The tree will live on,” he said.

Chadds Ford resident Paul Koch, who is well known for making wooden bowls, will lead the project. He told the students that there’s no guarantee what the final outcome would be because plans can change when working with wood.

On Nov. 14, builder Greg Flegal, who attended CFES, brought his portable sawmill to school grounds and cut the tree into planks.

Once the planks are prepped and cut to size, two will be used for the seat and back, and a third will be cut to form two supports. Under Koch’s supervision, the students will sand the planks and coat them with polyurethane.

In addition, artist Diane Micklin will paint a picture of the school on the backrest. Photos of the three fifth-grade classes will also be put on one side of the backrest. On the other side there will be three photos of the students when they were in first-grade.

About Rich Schwartzman

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Pocopson child-care center passes final hurdle

Local News, Local News Pocopson

Although several residents voiced objections, the Pocopson Township supervisors signed off on the final land development plan for a child-care center in the Riverside at Chadds Ford subdivision.

Pocopson Township Supervisors Alice Balsama (left) and Elaine DiMonte review documents during their meeting on Monday, Nov. 14.

With Supervisors’ Chairwoman Ricki Stumpo absent, Supervisors Elaine DiMonte and Alice Balsama listened for about half an hour at their 40-minute meeting on Monday, Nov. 14, as residents expressed concerns about the impact that the Ducklings Early Learning Center on Winston Lane would have on traffic and safety in their community.

According to the plan, the 10,000-square-foot, child-care facility will operate with about 128 children and 15 teachers and will be open five days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Riverside community is located off of Pocopson Road between Routes 52 and 926.

After the preliminary plan was approved with numerous conditions in the spring, the Riverside homeowners’ association filed its first legal challenge to the decision, a suit that was consolidated with a second filing that focused on the final approval, which occurred in July. Chester County Court Judge Jeffrey R. Sommer dismissed the HOA’s claims last month.

Township solicitor Amanda Sundquist explained on Monday night that because the plan had already been approved, the signing simply represented an administrative process. “They don’t have discretion at this point” to do anything else, she said of the supervisors.

Echoing a letter submitted by Scott Kirkland, the Riverside HOA president, Riverside residents Bruce Hwang and Mike Scott urged the board to request a traffic study, pointing out that the last one was prepared in 2003. They also raised fears about the proximity of the egress and ingress for the center to a school bus stop.

The supervisors said they understood the residents’ apprehension but said that all steps had been taken to ensure that problems had been addressed, sentiments that were echoed by Kevin Matson, one of the township’s engineers.

In response to a question from Hwang about what recourse residents would have if problems occurred once the facility were built, Matson said the residents could petition the township for relief.

“The burden would be on the township,” said Balsama.

Sundquist added that once the facility has been constructed, the school district would address any complaints regarding the bus stop.

The Pocopson Township supervisors say a feasibility study should help determine the fate of the Barnard House, a former Underground Railroad stop. — Pocopson supervisors say a feasibility study should help determine the fate of the Barnard House, a former Underground Railroad stop.

As usual, the Barnard House appeared on the agenda. DiMonte reported that a request-for-proposal for a feasibility study was ready for release. The supervisors voted to prepare the RFP at their Sept. 26 meeting. They said they hoped it would definitively answer questions about whether the early 1800s building is suitable for township offices.

The building has generated controversy off and on since its purchase from the county for $1 in 2008, a sale that precluded renting the building for profit. It was originally envisioned as the home of the Kennett Underground Railroad Center as well as the township’s offices.

Escalating renovation costs and several professionals’ suggestions that the building wasn’t suited to municipal use put plans for the township’s administrative offices on hold. The KURC is expected to occupy part of the building as soon as a lease agreement is finalized.

In other business, the supervisors heard from Chris Larsen, one of the township’s representatives on the Kennett Library board. He said he was pleased that his township colleague on the board, Brad Peiper, had set up an information booth on Election Day to explain how the library is addressing its need for a new building, having outgrown its space in the 200 block of East State Street in Kennett Square.

Larsen explained that the board has been soliciting feedback from area residents about what they’d like to see in a new library. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the library is hosting a presentation to update residents on the project’s progress at 7 p.m. in the Monroe Nute room of the Kennett Fire Company at 301 Dalmatian Street in Kennett Square. The public will learn the preliminary results of community input.

In addition, Larsen said the architects would discuss initial space planning concepts for the new building and illustrate how it would fit on the proposed site, a borough-owned property known as the Weinstein lot, located at the intersection of East State and South Willow streets. Larsen said the survey is available online at http://www.KennettLibrary.org.

Finally, the board authorized Susan Simone, the township’s secretary, to send a letter to the Westtown Township Board of Supervisors to share their concerns about the traffic impact of a Toll Brothers subdivision planned for Crebilly Farm, a 330-acre property adjacent to the already-congested intersection of Routes 202 and 926.

DiMonte pointed out that the development, which could generate nearly 400 homes, would adversely affect residents in Pocopson and Birmingham townships. She noted that the majority of Westtown residents live on the other side of the major intersection, unlike neighboring townships to the west.

She added that she hoped residents would attend the Westtown Township Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 16, to make their concerns known. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Stetson Middle School on Route 202.

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Photo of the Week: Moon Over the Ford

Photo of the Week

_1JF9837_HDR_editSupermoon — Photo of the Week: Moon Over the Ford

The Nov. 13 supermoon rises over the Kuerner Farm in Chadds Ford Township.

About Rich Schwartzman

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Pizza chain to spread charity MODness

Local News

MOD Pizza is teaming up with CASA Youth Advocates to launch its annual Spreading MODness campaign.

The chain will donate $1 for every MOD-size pizza sold at its Glen Mills location to CASA Youth Advocates from Nov. 22 through Nov. 27. MOD Pizza Glen Mills is located at 1751 Wilmington Pike, according to a MOD Pizza press release.

“We couldn’t be happier to have been chosen by MOD Pizza as part of their Spreading MODness campaign this year,” CASA Youth Advocates Executive Director Anne Shenberger said in the release. “With the holidays fast approaching, a usually joyous time can oftentimes be difficult for children in the foster care system.”

Since 1992, CASA Youth Advocates has worked to ensure that each child in Delaware County’s child welfare system has a safe, permanent, and nurturing home. Delaware County CASA recruits and trains volunteer court-appointed special advocates to advise the courts on the best interests of an abused or neglected child, with support and guidance from CASA’s professional staff of social workers and attorneys.

In 2015 CASA expanded services to Chester County children. For more information, visit www.delcocasa.org.

“Our birthday is always a special week. It is a time when we spotlight the idea that ‘simply doing the right thing’ – taking care of one another and our communities – can have a lasting impact,” Ally Svenson, co-founder of MOD Pizza, said in the release. “Moments of generosity and gratitude happen daily in our stores, and we want to pay that forward to our communities.”

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