Clifford P. Hemphill, 66, of Kennett Square, died Thursday, June 8, at his home.
Clifford P. Hemphill
He is survived by his mother, Pauline Blake, and three siblings, Mark, Michael, and Dorian Lelli. Clifford grew up in, Kennett Square, and attended Kennett High School.
After graduating in, 1968, he then went onto, West Chester University, where he left after his junior year. Cliff lived in, Miami Beach, Fla. in the late 1970s and then moved to Malibu, Calif., and lived there for a couple of years, before moving toVenice Beach, Calif. He eventually returned to, Kennett Square in 1985.
Cliff enjoyed music, and had a great appreciation for nature, where he felt the happiest, and at peace. He also enjoyed the beach and loved swimming in the ocean. During Cliff’s high school years, he played, soccer, basketball, and baseball, and was very good at all three sports. In college, he played, soccer.
Cliff was fortunate to have many friends and was well-liked, and he had a great sense of humor.
He had a successful painting business for 16 years and had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects.
Cliff was an avid reader of esoteric books, his favorite author was, Zecharia Sitchin. He was an extremely giving person and would do anything for people without expecting something in return. Cliff was a very spiritual person. He will be deeply missed by his Family and friends.
There will be a mass at 11 a.m. Friday, June 23 at St. Patrick’s Church. 212 Meredith Street, Kennett Square. Burial will be private.
Immediately following the mass, there will be a gathering to celebrate Cliff’s life.
While there’s been movement on the township level to get local governments on board with an effort to end gerrymandering in Pennsylvania, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania has now filed a suit claiming the 2011 redistricting maps were drawn unconstitutionally.
The 42-page complaint was filed this morning in Commonwealth Court. According to a press release, individual voters have joined the League in its suit, which says the current district maps reflect “partisan gerrymandering.”
The suit calls partisan gerrymandering “one of the greatest threats to American democracy today” and contends the practice to be illegal and previously “condemned” by both the U.S. and Pennsylvania Supreme Courts. It defines the practice as “when the political party in control of redistricting redraws congressional or state legislative districts to entrench that party in power and prevent voters affiliated with the minority party from electing candidates of their choice. The result is that general election outcomes are rigged — they are predetermined by partisan actors sitting behind a computer, not by the candidates, and not by the voters.”
According to the League, the state’s elected officials in 2011 “manipulated the congressional district boundaries to entrench a majority Republican delegation in Congress and minimize the ability of Democratic voters to elect U.S. House representatives.”
A map of Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District is described as looking like “Goofy kicking Donald.”
The year 2011 was the last year congressional lines were redrawn and followed the 2010 census. Those new boundaries were designed to favor the Republican Party, according to the suit.
“In 2012, Republican candidates won only 49 percent of the statewide congressional vote, but remarkably won 13 of 18 — or 72 percent — of Pennsylvania’s congressional seats. In 2014 and 2016, Republican candidates retained the same 72 percent share of Pennsylvania’s seats, even while winning only 55 percent and 54 percent share of the statewide vote.”
The suit further says the new lines packed Democratic voters into five districts that were already heavily Democratic, and “cracking the remaining Democratic voters by spreading them across the other 13 districts.”
“This lawsuit is intended to protect the rights of all voters, regardless of party affiliation,” said Susan Carty, president of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. “The creation of ‘safe’ seats for either party undermines the ability of all voters to elect representatives of their choosing. We are suing to make sure that elections will be decided by the voters, not by partisan politicians.”
Article II, Section 16 of the Pennsylvania Constitution says districts in the state “shall be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable….Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district.”
Pennsbury Township is divided into two Congressional Districts, the 7th and 16th. And under the current map drawn in 2011, counties like Montgomery are chopped up across as many as five districts, cities like Chester are split in two, and “district shapes are a mockery, with the Washington Post nicknaming Pennsylvania’s 7th District “‘Goofy kicking Donald Duck.'”
“Pennsylvania’s leaders were deliberate and successful in discriminating against voters when they designed this map,” said Mary Elizabeth Lawn from Chester. “After decades of living in one district, in 2011 my community was split up into multiple districts and now members of my community are basically casting wasted votes.”
Previously, too, all of Pennsbury was in the 16th District.
The group Fair Districts PA has been making presentations to local municipalities to get them on board with the push to change the makeup of the committee that draws the congressional lines. Currently, that committee is a five-member panel comprising representatives of the state House and Senate majority and minority leaders and a fifth member who is agreeable to those four. If they can’t agree, the fifth member is appointed by the state Supreme Court.
The proposed change expressed in HB 722 and SB 22, calls for an 11-member committee with four members of the largest political party, four from the second largest political party and three others who are either third party — such as Libertarian or Green Party — or independent.
In the immediate area, Kennett Square, along with Kennett, Pocopson and East Marlborough townships resolved to support those legislative efforts. East Pikeland, Malvern, and Downingtown have also signed on, as have East Whiteland, London Britain, Phoenixville, West Goshen and West Nottingham. West Chester reported it out of committee and the final vote will be next Wednesday, June 21, according to Fair Districts PA.
The issue never came to a vote in Newlin Township because a motion on the matter wasn’t seconded. (See https://chaddsfordlive.com/2017/06/15/newlin-drops-vote-on-gerrymandering/) Pennsbury Township supervisors resolved only to favor efforts to bring redistricting into conformity with the state Constitution.
There have been no formal presentations to the Chadds Ford Township Board of Supervisors or to Concord Township’s Township Council.
The lawsuit was filed against the state and state leaders in their official capacities. “While most of the officials were not involved in drafting the 2011 plan, they would be responsible for implementing a new map should the court strike down the current map,” the League said in its press release. In addition to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the state’s General Assembly, respondents include Gov. Tom Wolf, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Turzai, President Pro Tempore Senator Joseph B. Scarnati III, Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortés, and Commissioner of the Bureau of Commissions and Elections Jonathan Marks.
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.
Newlin Township residents who packed the board of supervisors meeting Monday night expressed their displeasure when two-thirds of the supervisors failed to support a motion that would put an anti-gerrymandering resolution to a vote.
“Isn’t it important the township support this?” asked Newlin resident Marilyn Tully asked after board Chairwoman Janie Baird made a motion that was not seconded.
Gerrymandering is a term used to describe how voting districts are redrawn to benefit those in a particular political party.
The motion would have supported an effort by Fair Districts PA and the League of Women Voters to amend the constitution of Pennsylvania so an independent commission could work on future redistricting reform, according to Fair Districts PA, which is a statewide group dedicated to reforming the redistricting process.
Monday was the third time that Lucy Oblonsky and Pamela Reischauer, local representatives of Fair Districts PA, had appeared before Newlin’s supervisors.
Supervisor Bob Pearson said he didn’t second Baird’s motion because he didn’t feel that it was a township matter.
“It’s a congressional matter,” he said.
When resident Lou Sears questioned why Oblonsky and Reischauer had to appear three times before a resolution, Baird explained that she and Pearson had both separately attended Fair District PA’s meeting in May to learn more about the subject.
Newlin resident Fred Roberts suggested the independent commission idea might best be put to a statewide referendum, something that Supervisors’ Vice Chairman William Kelsall said he would support.
“I do believe it’s a state matter,” Kelsall said. “If you bring it back (as a referendum), I’d support it.”
After the meeting ended, the supervisors met in executive session over a personnel matter, and the residents and Fair Districts PA representatives gathered outside to talk more at length about the anti-gerrymandering efforts.
Newlin is part of the 7th U.S. Congressional District. During the meeting, Oblonsky described the district as having 26 split townships.
“Newlin was moved from District 16 because of gerrymandering,” she said. “It wasn’t done for the benefit of Newlin. We’ve been packed and cracked.”
We’ve gotten 336 signatures in Newlin Township, including some tonight,” Oblonsky added. “That’s more than 27 percent of your residents. People are asking you to speak up for your community. Last month some people in the room expressed concerns that it’s a partisan issue. It’s not.”
Reischauer held up a map of Newlin Township decorated with red, blue and white push pins representing the Republican, Democratic and Independent voters who signed the petition supporting an end to gerrymandering in the township.
Ninety-six percent of the people they talked to supported their efforts, Reischauer said. Twenty-five people said they opposed what Fair Districts PA was doing.
Municipalities supporting the resolution from Fair Districts PA
The following Chester County municipalities have passed resolutions “supporting legislative efforts for a constitutional amendment that would, among other reforms, assign the decennial task of both senatorial and representative redistricting to an independent citizens’ redistricting commission”:
Pennsbury Township Board of Supervisors passed a watered-down version of the resolution saying only that they support efforts to ensure compliance with Article II, Section 16 of the PA Constitution.
That section states: “The Commonwealth shall be divided into fifty senatorial and two hundred three representative districts, which shall be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable….Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district.”
Monica Thompson Fragale is a freelance reporter who spent her life dreaming of being in the newspaper business. That dream came true after college when she started working at The Kennett Paper and, years later The Reporter newspaper in Lansdale and other dailies.
She turned to non-profit work after her first daughter was born and spent the next 13 years in that field.
But while you can take the girl out of journalism, you can’t take journalism out of the girl. Offers to freelance sparked the writing bug again started her fingers happily tapping away on the keyboard.
Monica lives with her husband and two children in Kennett Square.
The following animals are ready to be adopted from the Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester.
Porto
Porto
Porto was found on an airport runway about to be shot by authorities before a rescuer intervened. He truly got a second chance but needs a family to make it complete. He loves people and other dogs. Porto’s adoption fee is “name your price” through Friday, June 16, then, if not adopted yet, he’ll be at the BVSPCA Mega Adoption Event: www.megaadopt.com.
Finch
Finch
We’re smitten with so many kittens. Finch is one of the many kittens frolicking in the BVSPCA kitty cottage. He started life as a wee stray one and was raised to adoption age in a loving foster home. He hopes to be adopted at “name your price” through Friday, June 16, then, if not adopted yet, he’ll be at the BVSPCA Mega Adoption Event: www.megaadopt.com.
For more information, go to www.bvspca.org or phone 610-692-6113.
Enchanted Summer Day at Winterthur is Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• It’s Enchanted Summer Day at Winterthur on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Little ones are encouraged to dress up as pixies and fairies for dancing, singing, and playing games in Winterthur’s award-winning children’s garden Enchanted Woods. Children can make their own flying Bee Buzzer, Colorful Critter necklace, Silly Spider ring, or decorate a Fluttering Frisbee. They’ll even learn how to germinate a seed in their very own Mini-Sprout House. Storyteller Terry Colonna will regale children with exciting tales as she strolls the garden from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Magic Tad will captivate young pixies and fairies with his mesmerizing works of magic. Activities are free for members and children under 2 and are included with general admission.
• The award-winning Clover Market will be popping up for the first time in Kennett Square on Sunday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shine. The event will be held in the Genesis HealthCare parking lot at 600 S. Broad Street, and will feature more than 100 vendors with antiques, vintage, and finely handcrafted items along with a lineup of food trucks, sweet treats, beer by Victory Brewing Company, wine from Paradocx Vineyards, and music in the afternoon by local favorites Couple Days. Also included are free kids crafts by the Handwork Studio and the Chester County Arts Association, a photo booth from Tiny Tin Photo Booth, face painting, and “meet and greets” with the adoptable animals from Finding Shelter Animal Rescue (no onsite adoptions permitted). More info can be found at www.theclovermarket.com and http://historickennettsquare.com.
• The Brandywine River Museum will present Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect, a new, once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of iconic works by this master painter. The first major career retrospective of Andrew Wyeth since his death in 2009, this exposition features over 100 works spanning the entirety of the artist’s career: from the early watercolors that established his reputation to his final painting, Goodbye, completed just a few months before his death. Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect commemorates the centennial of the artist’s birth and provides the most in-depth presentation of the renowned artist’s diverse and prolific practice to date. The exhibition will be on view to the public from June 24 through Sept. 17, before traveling to the Seattle Art Museum in October.
• The Friends Folk Club will present an “unplugged” performance by The Sin City Band on Saturday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. The Sin City Band has been playing Americana, roots, and folk music throughout the Delaware Valley since 1974. They have been ambassadors of “genre-blending” from The Grand Bahamas to The Grand Opera House, from New England to Colorado and from Wilmington to Oxford. The concert will be held at the Oxford Friends Meeting, 260 S. 3rd Street in Oxford. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15. Children 12 and under are free. Refreshments are available at a reasonable price. For more information, call 610-869-8076.
• Youth ages 8 to 18 are invited to join Chester County 4-H on a candy-making adventure. The candy making day camp will be held June 30, from 9:30 a.m. to – 3 p.m. at the Penn State Extension Chester County 4-H Office. The cost of the program is $35. Participants will learn various candy-making techniques and leave with various sweet samples of their work. Participants should bring a bagged lunch and are encouraged to bring an apron. All other supplies will be provided. Please notify us if your child has any food allergies before the class. Registration for Candy Making and all Summer Specials are processed in the Penn state Extension/Chester County office. The registration form and more details are available at http://extension.psu.edu/4-h/counties/chester/news/2017/2017-4-h-summer-camps or by calling the Extension Office at 610-696-3500.
• The Kennett Area Senior Center sponsors free Medicare counseling sessions every Thursday during the month of June from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sign up to meet with a Department of Aging volunteer from APPRISE who can help you with any questions you have about Medicare and your individual coverage. Please call the KASC at 610-444-4819 to make an appointment.
