Harry Hess, 86, of West Grove, died Monday, Dec. 10, at Sunrise at Westtown. He was the husband of Anne Bartholomew Hess, with whom he shared 49 years of marriage.
Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Edwin L. Hess and the late Alma Mattern Hess.
Harry was a salesman at Urie & Blanton in Wilmington retiring in 1994.
He was an avid fisherman and he also enjoyed the shore and being with his family and friends.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Katherine Solomon and her husband David of West Grove, and one granddaughter.
He was predeceased by one brother, Lewis Hess.
His service and burial will be private.
To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.greicocres.com
Arrangements by the Foulk & Grieco Funeral Home, West Grove.
Robert Taitt Mantell Sr. 90, of Kennett Square, died Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester. He was the husband of the late Alice M. Ohlfs Mantell, who died in 2015, and with whom he shared 60 years of marriage.
Robert Taitt Mantell Sr.
Born in Philadelphia, in 1928, he was the only child of the late Raymond A. Mantell and the late Anne Taitt Mantell.
He joined the Army but later joined the Air Force Reserves and retired after 20 years of service as a major.
Robert Studied at Lehigh University and joined the Theta Delta Chi Fraternity. He graduated in 1952.
Following college, he began work at Scott Paper Company where he met Alice Ohlfs.
Robert and Alice were married in 1955. The two had three children, Robert (1957), John (1959) and James (1960).
Robert enjoyed going to his uncle’s house on the Sassafras River with friends and family; where he developed a love for the Chesapeake Bay.
In the early 1990s, he realized his dream of having a home on the river. He bought a cottage at Hack’s Point off the Bohemia River in Maryland. He was a member of various boating organizations including the Power Squadron Boating Club and was passionate about boating.
Alice and Robert got their real estate licenses and began a career shift in their mid-50s.
Robert loved traveling with his wife, utilizing plane rides from the Air Force as well as going on cruises.
Robert was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. He was also an active member of the Kennett Senior Center and enjoyed going to their social events, and the Chadds Ford Historical Society.
Robert enjoyed meeting daily with his friends in the Kennett Koffee Klatch. He would spend his mornings with the Koffee Klatch and/or at daily prayer meetings and then go home and sit by his picture window. He enjoyed watching the seasons change through the window in his Kennett Square home.
He was a former Pennsbury Township supervisor.
Robert had a love of philanthropy – he donated to many foundations but particularly religious and nature conservation groups. He also loved animals and had many family pets.
Robert really loved children, especially being with his great-granddaughters.
Robert was predeceased by his son, John R. Mantell in 1987.
Robert is survived by his two sons, Robert T. Mantell Jr. and his wife Kathleen of New London, and James F. Mantell along with his wife, Annie of Morton; four grandchildren and two-great grandchildren.
You are invited to visit with Robert’s family and friends on Friday, Dec. 14, from 10 to 11a.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square, 211 S Broad St., Kennett Square, PA 19348. Services for Robert will begin at 11. Interment will take place at Union Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be mailed to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Attn: Membership Department, 6 Herndon Avenue , Annapolis, MD 21403.
To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.griecocares.com
James Whitesel, the school district's manager of buildings and grounds, briefs residents on the current draft of the lang range plan.
About 45 Unionville-Chadds Ford School District residents took part in what was billed as a community conversation regarding the district’s Long Range Facilities Plan Monday night. Some residents who attended were less than satisfied.
Chadds Ford resident Mark Stookey, who was denied certain documents regarding the plan after filing a right-to-know request, said the meeting was “disappointing.”
“While seeking input from residents is a positive, much of the time was wasted discussing the replacement of roofs, chillers, and toilets — the merit of which nobody disputes. The district provided no new information on the controversial aspects of the proposal for new outdoor facilities and made no real attempt to justify major investments in fields and tennis courts. The presenters were unable to answer substantive questions,” Stookey said after the meeting.
Assistant Superintendent of Schools John Nolen leads a discussion on the long-range plan with one of the break-out groups during Monday night’s community conversation on the proposed plan.
As previously reported, Stookey appealed the district’s partial denial of his Right-to-Know request and the Office of Open Records ruled in his favor, but the district is appealing that decision to the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. His primary concern, he’s said, has been to get information on one part of the plan that calls for upgrading the athletic facilities.
“My suggestion for a comprehensive evaluation of the $2-plus million proposal for a double wide artificial turf field was met with silence. The district claims the new field has favorable economics, will save untold student time and has a positive health and injury profile, but has failed to back up these conclusions with data. In short, the Community Conversation was another superficial attempt by the district to sell their plan, rather than a true engagement with the community about needs and alternatives,” he said.
Fellow Chadds Ford resident Mike Ashmore was also critical. “From my perspective, the meeting was only marginally useful. There were very limited opportunities to ask questions and get answers, and the discussion groups were all about individual likes and dislikes,” he said.
He specifically mentioned concerns over spending for the athletic fields.
“Two projects — double turf field and tennis courts — received the most attention. Those in favor related benefits from all-weather use of turf fields ‘stacked’ uses, and associated time savings for students. Speaking as a biased participant, however, they spoke only of wants rather than needs. Those opposed wanted justifications for the costs and more thorough analyses of the needs and alternatives.”
James Whitesel, the district’s supervisor of buildings and grounds, began the session with a brief review of the current draft of the plan. Attendees then broke out into three groups to hear more specifics and offer their suggestions. Their responses are to be taken into consideration before the board votes on the plan.
Whitesel said the plan gives the school board and administration a chance to look at the facilities and its needs over a 10-year-period and that it is deliberately flexible.
“The plan was never meant to be static,” he said. “It’s meant to be fluid.”
The plan itself covers 10-year period broken down into three sections, years one through three, years four through six and years seven through 10. According to School Board Director Vic Dupuis, other elements of the plan need to be addressed beginning January and February because they need to be factored into the 2019-2020 budget. He said that action on the fields would take place during the fourth year, but prep work would start in the third.
Overall, the plan calls for maintaining $223 million worth of facilities. Expenses anticipated for the first three years of the plan would be $12 million, or $4 million each year for those first three years.
During those first three years, roughly $1,740,000 would be spent on the high school, $4,500,000 on the middle school, $1,070,000 at Chadds Ford Elementary School, $2,850,000 at Hillendale, $450,000 at Pocopson and $599,000 at Unionville Elementary School. An additional $780,000 would be spent on other district-wide projects.
The entire plan, as proposed, would cost $23,485,000 over the 10-year-period.
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.
