Chadds Ford Tavern owner Phil Ferro stands by a newly refurbished bar but is still waiting for the new furniture, along with the liquor license transfer and a visit from the health inspector. He now anticipates a March opening.
It now appears the Chadds Ford Tavern won’t reopen until March. That was the word from owner Phil Ferro who’s still waiting for the new furniture to arrive. Along with the furniture, Ferro still needs the liquor license and to get the restaurant a clean bill of health from the health inspector.
That was the gist of the conversation with Ferro on Jan. 31. In November, he said he was hoping to open in January.
“The holidays and weather killed us,” he said.
Ferro, along with Chet and Raj Patel who own the Brandywine River Hotel, bought the restaurant from former owner Tommy Drane last year. Raj Patel said Ferro and The Tavern would cater events at the hotel once everything is up and running.
“He’s a very good cook,” Raj Patel said.
While the new furniture is still not in, Ferro and work crews have been cleaning and polishing remaining woodwork, including the bar with the name tags of many of the old customers.
As he said in November, Ferro wants to bring back the type of energy that The Tavern used to have, including live music, DJs, some dancing and, now, with some karaoke.
The food, he promised would be tavern fare as before, but with some modern touches. “A newer take on the old favorites,” he said.
“I want to call it the past, the present and the future of the Chadds Ford Tavern,” Ferro said.
Hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. Food prices will range from $6 to $32.
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.
The following animals are ready to be adopted from the Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester.
Webster
Webster
Looking to add a lot of love to your life? Webster is the top cat when it comes to snuggles and affection. This outgoing boy gets along well with other cats, and he should do well in a home with kids. This nine-year old truly is the cat’s meow! He can be adopted at a fee you name through Feb. 1 and then is free to adopt in the BVSPCA Kitten Bowl promotion running through Sunday, Feb 4.
Madison
Madison
After surviving homelessness and a hurricane, Madison needs a family to help her get her paws settled back under her again. She’s a sweet girl who can be little overwhelmed at first but responds to a kind and patient heart. Madison hopes to be someone’s one and only in a quiet home. The reward will be a lifetime of love and loyalty. This 2-year old can be adopted at a fee you name through Sunday, Feb. 4.
For more information, go to www.bvspca.org or phone 610-692-6113.
Hankering for History, benefitting the Chadds Ford Historical Society,will be held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 11.
• On Sunday, Feb. 11, the Chadds Ford Historical Society will be hosting their annual fundraising dining event at Hank’s Place restaurant. The fundraiser, called “Hankering for History,” will be held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. A portion of the day’s sales will be donated to the Society to support its mission of history, education and preservation. The Historical Society will be in attendance throughout Sunday’s “Hankering for History” event to share information about the Chadds Ford Historical Society and the history of the area.
Connor Mears
• Chadds Ford Township Board of Supervisors presented Connor Mears, Eagle Scout candidate from Chadds Ford Troop 31 with a proclamation in appreciation for his Eagle Scout Projects for the Harvey Run Trail. Mears’ projects serve to enhance in the beautification of the Township’s Harvey Run Trail. Mears built and installed a Purple Martin birdhouse, butterfly house, bat house and a bench with accompanying lending library.
• Mt. Cuba Center is offering classes on transforming a garden into a haven for bluebirds. The classes are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 10 at 1 and 3 p.m. The cost is $30. Attendees will also receive guides and construction plans to build a box specialized to house eastern bluebirds. To register for the class, go here.
• The Mushroom Capital goes chocolate on Feb. 11. It’s the annual Kennett Chocolate Lovers Festival at Kennett High School. The event benefits the United Way of Southern Chester County and runs from 1-3 p.m. that Sunday. Special Connoisseur tickets will allow visitors to get in at noon. General admission is $10 per person and includes six tastings (special deal of $30 for a family of four). General admission parking is $5. Connoisseur tickets allow for admission at noon for a private hour of wandering the aisles of chocolate and costs $25 per person or $45 for two people (includes beverages and parking). Advance tickets and info: www.KennettChocolate.org.
• Longwood Fire Co. is offering two free CPR classes on Monday, Feb. 19, at the station. The EMS staff will be conducting the hands only CPR classes at 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. The station is located at 1001 East Baltimore Pike, Kennett Square. The classes are open to the public and are free. Registering for the class is recommended but not necessary. To register, either go to chestercountyhospital.org/wellness, email EMS@longwoodfireco.com or call the firehouse at 610-388- 6880 or Chester County Hospital at 610-738- 2300.
• CASA Youth Advocates, a nonprofit that recruits, trains and supports volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Delaware and Chester counties, is now accepting applicants for its March 2018 training session. CASA seeks dedicated individuals who are willing to journey with a child and help them navigate the Delaware County or Chester County Dependency Court System. Applicants can apply online or by mail, and can learn more about the process as well as dates and times for March training courses by following this link: https://delcocasa.org/volunteer/casa-spring-2018-volunteer-training-schedule. This year, CASA will hold daytime training beginning March 1 through April 25, and nighttime training beginning March 19 through April 25.
• The Delaware Center for Horticulture has received recognition from the Delaware Nursery & Landscape Association as the winner of its Landscape Award in the Commercial category. The award-winning project provided landscape design for a redeveloped section of The Flats neighborhood at North Union Street on the west side of Wilmington. The design, which DCH installed in October 2016, included Cornus sanguinea ‘Arctic Sun’, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’, and Sedum ‘Red Carpet,’ among other plants, such as milkweed and coneflowers, which serve as both host and food plants for butterflies. DCH offers public landscape design and consultation services for groups, governments, and organizations looking to beautify their public spaces. For questions or more information about these services, contact Ann Mattingly, Director of Programs, at amattingly@thedch.org.
• La Comunidad Hispana is offering Zumba Fridays from 5-6 p.m. every Friday through March. Classes are free for adults of all levels and no registration is required. People who attend four sessions get an LCH T-Shirt or water bottle. LCH is located at 731 W. Cypress Street in Kennett Square. Contact Laura Mackiewicz at 610-44-7550 X256 or lmackiewicz@lchs.org
• Delaware County Council is reminding all dog owners to join them in protecting their pets with a current or lifetime license which is required by law. The 2018 dog licenses are now available at the Treasurer’s office at the County Government Center in Media and at other locations throughout the county. Dog owners can apply for the license online and their license will be mailed to their home within seven business days. The state fee for an annual license for a spayed or neutered dog is $6.50; for all other dogs, the fee is $8.50; a lifetime license for spayed or neutered dogs is $31.50, and $51.50 for all others. Discounts are available to senior citizens 65 and older and people with disabilities.
Chester County Commissioners Terence Farrell, Kathi Cozzone and Michelle Kichline hit the treadmill in Eagles gear to kick off the WalkWorks ChesCo! 2018 program – contributing to the County’s goal of five billion steps by the end of 2018.
At their Sunshine Meeting public work session this week, the Chester County Commissioners, along with Health Department Director Jeanne Casner, announced this year’s WalkWorks ChesCo! goals and challenged all county residents to increase the number of steps collectively taken from one billion to five billion by the end of the year.
In addition to upping the step count, a new goal has been set for a minimum of 5,000 registrations on the WalkWorks ChesCo! website to track and tally the steps taken towards the 5 billion step goal.
“As of January 29th, Chester County has cumulatively taken nearly 1.7 billion steps, and 2,900 people have registered to track their steps,” said Casner. “Our new goal is ‘5 & 5’ – five billion steps and 5,000 registrations by the end of 2018. It’s a good balance of being a stretch, but one that we believe can be achieved with effort.”
WalkWorks ChesCo! is a program that promotes, educates and empowers county residents to adopt a healthier lifestyle one step at a time by creating more places for walking, supporting and promoting walking groups, coordinating walking challenges – and importantly – creating the website that allows everyone to track and tally their steps. It is the County’s response to the national Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, a two-year competition that empowers cities and counties across the nation to create a positive health impact. At the end of 2016, the county was selected out of 400 applications as one of 50 members of the HealthCommunity 50 and received $10,000 in community seed funds to establish WalkWorks ChesCo!
Such was the success of the first year of WalkWorks ChesCo! that the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge judging panel awarded Chester County an interim Spotlight Award this week which includes an additional $10,000 to support and promote the program for year-two.
“Last year we set a goal to take one billion steps from the WalkWorks ChesCo! launch in April to the end of 2017, and Chester County residents didn’t disappoint,” said Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell, who first brought the national challenge to the attention of his fellow commissioners. “From nearly 80 walking challenges between communities like Coatesville and Phoenixville and between businesses and work environments, to tremendous school support, senior center support and health center support, the steps kept rolling in until we reached nearly 1.5 billion by December 31st.
“Public survey feedback has given us the confidence to stretch ourselves even further through 2018, and we will become even more creative in the ways in which we encourage more walking opportunities and incentives,” Farrell added.
One of the key components of the WalkWorks ChesCo! program is the specially designed website that tallies all steps taken by residents who register to participate. The website, www.chesco.org/walkworks, syncs with most devices and mobile apps that already track steps and it also allows users to convert other physical exercise into steps to be manually added.
“Walking is the most simple and inexpensive form of exercise and can happen in towns, on trails, in our parks and even in the home,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Michelle Kichline. “The beauty of WalkWorks ChesCo! is that it doesn’t just direct people to get out and walk, but it creates and highlights walking opportunities like safe walking trails established in our town centers, and maps of established trails throughout the County. It also encourages partnerships with health organizations, physicians, schools, senior centers, chambers of commerce, non-profits, scout troops and many other community and civic organizations – all in an effort to increase physical activity.”
Commissioner Kathi Cozzone added, “The benefits of walking are many. Yes, it is simple and all you need are a comfortable pair of shoes, but it also helps to improve a person’s mental health, reduce chronic disease risks and, of course, burn calories. And as the County strives to develop more walkable communities in our boroughs and the City of Coatesville, walking is becoming an additional – and healthy – method of transportation.”
If judged the most successful Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge program, Chester County will receive $500,000 which will be used to further enhance health programs for all county residents. The Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge is a partnership established between the Aetna Foundation, the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Counties.
More information about the WalkWorks ChesCo! program and how to register can be found at www.chesco.org/walkworks.
