July 18, 2017 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Anti-gerrymandering argument continues

New Garden’s Board of Supervisors will consider a resolution next month in support of legislative efforts to create an independent redistricting reform commission in Pennsylvania

It’s part of an effort by Fair Districts PA, a nonpartisan statewide citizens group whose goal is to end gerrymandering – a term used to describe when voting districts are redrawn to benefit those in a particular political party.

David Unger, a member of the Committee for Kennett Area Democrats, presented a slide show on behalf of Fair Districts PA to the supervisors and the audience at Monday’s meeting that detailed the need for redistricting reform.

Kennett Consolidated School District, Unger pointed out, was a perfect casualty of gerrymandering because schools are in different legislative districts. Specifically, Kennett High School and Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center are in Kennett Borough, which is in the 160th PA House District, the 9th PA Senate District, and the 16th U.S. House District. Greenwood Elementary is in Kennett Township, which is in the same state House and Senate districts but is in the 7th U.S. House District. Kennett Borough is carved out from part of Kennett Township. The other half of the township is in the 158th PA House District. New Garden and Bancroft elementary schools and Kennett Middle School are in New Garden Township. All three schools are in the 158th PA House District, the 19th PA Senate District, and the 7th U.S. House District.

“You have one school district, with schools in three municipalities, split three different ways,” he said. “It’s not contiguous in the Pennsylvania House, the Pennsylvania Senate, or the U.S. House.”

Pointing to a map of the 7^th U.S. House district, Unger ran a laser pointer from Reading down to Lancaster, to New Garden, across to Delaware County, and to the other end of the district. Audience members snickered and then burst into laughter as he described the shape of the 7^th District as “Mickey Mouse kicking Goofy.”

“Our assertion is that [the 7^th District] is not contiguous nor compact,” Unger said. “So why was it able to happen?”

He asked for general support from the supervisors of nonpartisan redistricting. New Garden Township Manager Tony Scheivert said the matter would be discussed at the August meeting.

Fair Districts PA and the League of Women Voters are encouraging grassroots support of bills currently in the Pennsylvania legislature, which seek to amend the constitution of Pennsylvania so an independent commission could work on future redistricting reform.

Volunteers throughout southern Chester County and across Pennsylvania have attended municipal meetings in the hopes of having municipal officials pass resolutions in support of redistricting reform. Many have gone door-to-door, gathering residents’ signatures, to show officials that redistricting affects people of all political parties.

Municipalities that have passed resolutions include:

Downingtown Borough
East Marlborough Township
East Pikeland Township
East Whiteland Township
Kennett Square Borough
Kennett Township
Malvern Borough
Phoenixville Borough
West Chester Borough
West Goshen Township
West Nottingham Township

For more information, go to www.fairdistrictspa.com.

About Monica Fragale

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.

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10,000 Maniacs to play Mushroom Festival

Local News, Local News Kennett

032213_MLBcamohats_1191 — 10,000 Maniacs will perform at the Mushroom Festival on Sept. 9

One of the most critically acclaimed bands of the past three and a half decades, the 10,000 Maniacs, will play the 2017 Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square, on Saturday, Sept. 9, at the special events tent. The concert will be presented by The Kennett Flash and will serve as a benefit for the non-profit performing arts center and music venue, which is also located in Kennett Square.

10,000 Maniacs was founded by Robert Buck, Dennis Drew, Steven Gustafson, John Lombardo and Natalie Merchant in the fall of 1981. Jerry Augustyniak joined in 1983. Together with artists like R.E.M. they defined college rock and created the first wave of alternative rock bands and what became known as the alternative rock format on FM radio.

Writing and performing powerful, danceable and socially conscious original material in and around their hometown of Jamestown, New York the group toured extensively and produced two independently released records. By producing, manufacturing and marketing their own recordings 10,000 Maniacs was one of the original “indie” bands before signing with Elektra Records and making their major label debut The Wishing Chair in 1985 with producer Joe Boyd (Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, REM). After touring extensively with REM and throughout Europe John Lombardo left the band in July of 1986.

The Kennett Flash is proud to present 10,000 Maniacs as the featured performance at the 2017 Mushroom Festival.

Advance tickets are available through The Kennett Flash website at www.kennettflash.org and will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 21. General Admission tickets are $45, and a limited amount of VIP seating tickets are available for $65. Seating for the concert begins at 7 p.m. and the performance will start at 8.

About Press Release

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Lawrence J. Giancola of Kennett Square

Obituaries

Lawrence J. Giancola, 88, of Kennett Square, died Sunday, July 16, at his home surrounded by his family. He was the husband of Rosalind Everley Giancola, with whom he shared 59 years of marriage.

Born in Kennett Square, he was a son of the late Richard and the late Antoinette (Bendistis) Giancola. Mr. Giancola served our country during peacetime in the Army.

He was a 1951 graduate of Penn State University. Lawrence was a real-estate broker for more than 40 years and the founder and owner of Kennett Realty Co. in Kennett Square. For many years he was a justice of the peace, and for 21 years was Kennett Township’s secretary/treasurer/zoning officer.

Survivors include, in addition to his wife, two sons, Thomas Giancola and his wife Susan of Kennett Square and Robert Giancola also of Kennett Square; one brother, Walter Giancola of West Chester, and four granddaughters, Catherine, Christina, Emma and Mia. He was predeceased by one brother, Richard, earlier this year.

You are invited to visit with Larry’s family and friends from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Friday, July 21, at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. (610-444-4116) 250 W. State St. Kennett Square, PA 19348. His memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 212 Meredith Street in Kennett Square. Interment will be in St. Patrick Cemetery. Contributions in his memory may be made to St. Patrick Catholic Church 205 Lafayette St. Kennett Square, PA 19348.

To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.griecocares.com

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Clare May of Oxford

Obituaries

Clare May, 84, of Oxford, died Monday, July 17, at the Jennersville Regional Hospital. She was the wife of Ralph G. May, who died in 1994, and with whom she shared 41 years of marriage.

Born in Mountain City, Tenn., she was the daughter of the late Ferd and Maggie Warren Morefield.

Clare was the gatekeeper at the Avon Lake Sportsmen Club for many years.

She enjoyed playing Bingo, eating, going to Delaware Park, but her most cherished role was being a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Clare was a member of the Oxford Senior Center.

She is survived by four sons, R. Wayne May and his wife Cathy of Wilmington, Ronnie May and his wife Teresa of West Grove, David May of Nottingham, and Ken May and his wife Leslie of Newark; two brothers, Carl Morefield of West Grove, and Russell Morefield of Laurel Bloomery, Tenn.; three sisters, Bertie Morefield and Shirley Widener both of Laurel Bloomery, Tenn. and Katherine Wheatley of Fruitland, Md.; 10 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Clare was predeceased by one son, Steven “Tubby” May; one daughter-in-law, Ramona May, and four sisters.

You are invited to visit with her family and friends from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, July 21, at the Kennett Square Missionary Baptist Church, 408 Bayard Road, Kennett Square. Her funeral service will follow at noon. Burial will be in the New London Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Route 896, New London.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105

Online condolences may be made by visiting www.griecocares.com

Arrangements by the Foulk & Grieco Funeral Home, West Grove.