March 22, 2019 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Peter Scoville Wells

Peter Scoville Wells, aged 80, succumbed to Parkinson’s disease March 20, 2019 at Barclay Friends, West Chester, PA after a long and courageous battle.

Born in New York City to Jonathan Godfrey Wells Jr. and Eleanore Shannon Scoville, he attended Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware; he was graduated from The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut in 1956. He then attended the University of Virginia and Columbia University.

After completing his studies and traveling Europe, Peter enlisted in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Military Intelligence Corps. Following military service he joined Wall Street firm Laird & Co. before going on to Paine Webber Jackson and Curtis as Vice President-Human Resources. He later joined the New York Stock Exchange as Vice President-Executive Recruiting, retiring in 2000 as Managing Partner-Executive Recruiting at Brookman Associates in New York City.

After retirement Peter fulfilled a lifelong ambition to be an actor. Signing with a New York City agent, he appeared as an extra in The Orphan King, Law & Order SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Sex and the City. He was also a featured performer in the Bollywood movie “Tomorrow May Never Come (Kal-Ho Naa-Ho)” filmed in NYC. He described his technique as “method walking” and was celebrated for his polished, urbane, charming presence. Always a dapper dresser Peter’s customary attire included a sport coat, a silk ‘pocket square’ spilling out from the breast pocket, and a pair of colorful socks.

In 1973 he married the love of his life, Patricia Ann Trent. They traveled frequently throughout Europe and divided the remainder of their time between their New York City apartment and their 18th century Chadds Ford farmhouse.

Peter’s noteworthy ancestors include colonial leader Theophilus Eaton, co-founder in 1638 and first Governor of the New Haven Colony, and Peter C. Shannon, named first Supreme Court Chief Justice of the Dakota Territory by President Grant in 1873.

Peter enjoyed woodworking and designed and built many pieces of country-style furniture. He was also a generous supporter of the arts, and for several years Peter served on the Board of Directors of First State Ballet Theatre, retiring in 2017 due to ill health.

A member of Alcoholics Anonymous since 1970, he was strengthened and inspired by the experience, and had great affection for his fellow alcoholics. For many years he served on the Board of the Employment Project for Recovering Alcoholics (EPRA) in New York City.

Peter belonged to and supported many organizations including Squadron A, Sons of the Revolution, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Veteran Corps of Artillery, Armor & Arms Society of New York, Order of Lafayette, Quaker City Farmers, National Rifle Association, The Society of Colonial Wars in Delaware, Chadds Ford Historical Society, Brandywine River Museum of Art, Winterthur Museum, American Folk Art Museum, and The Delaware Museum of Natural History. He also served many years on the Board of Management of the 7th Regiment Armory (NYC).

Ever a student, he attended classes at the Alliance Francaise in New York City to perfect his pronunciation and expand his French vocabulary.

He is survived by his loving wife of 45 years Patricia Trent Wells, son Peter Scoville Wells Jr., brother Jonathan Godfrey Wells III and his wife Wayne Wells.

The family is especially grateful for the loving care, kindness and comfort Peter received from the devoted staff of Barclay Friends and Willow Tree Hospice.

A Celebration of Life will be held on May 4, 2019 11:00AM at Christ Church Christiana Hundred, 505 E. Buck Road, Greenville, Delaware.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations, in Peter’s memory, to Barclay Friends, 700 N. Franklin Street, West Chester PA 19380 or Willow Tree Hospice 616 E. Cypress Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348.

Final arrangements were handled by Founds Funeral Home, West Chester PA 19382.

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Roadwork for March 23-March 29

Along the Ford

PennDOT has announced the following road projects, which are weather-dependent and could affect residents in the greater Chadds Ford area during the week of March 23-March 29. Motorists are urged to allow extra time if they are traveling through one of the construction zones. Work schedules are subject to change.

• Roadwork continues on the Conchester Highway. Merion Drive— between Marlborough Lane and the Conchester in Concord Township — will be closed for approximately two months beginning Monday, March 25, to allow crews to complete widening on the eastbound side of the Conchester Highway. During the closure, motorists will be detoured on Marlborough Lane, Cambridge Drive and Conchester Highway. Residents will continue to have access to properties on Merion Drive up to the intersection.

• Reconstruction on the Conchester Highway will also close Merion Drive— between Marlborough Lane and Cambridge Drive — through April 30.

• Road reconstruction will close Spring Valley Road— between Conchester Highway and Concord Road — in Concord Township through April 30, 2020. Detours will be posted.

• Lane restrictions on the Conchester Highway, between Routes 1 and Clayton Park Drive will continue through Oct. 20, 2020 for reconstruction and widening.

• Utility work will cause lane closures on Limestone Road— between Route 41 and Southwood Road in New Garden Township — March 26-29.

• Lane restrictions with flagging are scheduled on Newark Road— between Daniel Drive and Maple Lane in New Garden Township — on Monday, March 25, through Friday, March 29, from for tree clearing operations related to a project to improve traffic flow and safety at the intersection of Newark Road and Hillendale Road. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work zone because slowdowns will occur during construction.

• Utility work will cause lane closures and detours on Gay Street— between High and Church streets in West Chester — through May 31.

• Power line replacement will cause lane closures on Pocopson Road between Street Road and Parkerville Road in Pennsbury Township through June 1.

• Motorists will encounter periodic lane closures on Route 1, between Greenwood and Lenape roads in Kennett Township — near Longwood Gardens — for overhead bridge repairs through the end of May.

• Utility installation will cause lane closures along Old Kennett Road, between Burnt Mill and 9 Gates roads in Kennett Township, through March 29.

• The Route 82 — Creek Road— bridge in Kennett Township remains closed indefinitely. Construction to replace the bridge is expected to begin Monday, March 18.

• Barrier installation continues to cause indefinite lane closures on Brandywine Creek Road, between Green Valley and Powell roads, in Newlin Township.

About CFLive Staff

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Mixed Media: Students learn art and English

Arts & Entertainment

Kennett hosts events focused around local K-12 student artists. Kudos to a new program put together by Chester County Art Association and Mary D. Lang Elementary Center to provide free art activities for children in families who are learning English as a second language. “The idea is that kids get to practice their English words in a fun and playful environment, and they are given English art words tied to each project,” says Wendy Kershner of Chester County Art Association, “We’re working on funding to be able to offer these at all the elementary schools throughout the county.” The next session in Kennett is March 28th from 6-7:30 p.m. and the last session is Thursday Night, May 30th. This partnership between CCAA and KCSD represents how art can inspire and enrich the community in unexpected ways.
Kennett Square is preparing for their Fourth Annual Student Art on The Square, organized by Linda Theis of Kennett Jewelers in cooperation with Historic Kennett Square, and Pop Up Art KSQ who will be providing an installation for the entrance of the event. Stop by the American Legion in Kennett Square on March 30 – 31st from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. to check out a showcase of student art ranging from sculpture, to painting and so many mixed media projects in between! Participating schools include: Kennett Consolidated School District, Unionville/Chadds Ford School District, Avon Grove School District, Octorara School District, Oxford School District and Sanford School. Each year I’ve attended this event, I’ve been blown away by the talent and I suspect this year will not disappoint! See you there.
This Saturday from 7 -10 p.m. Delaware Contemporary hosts “Art and Soul Art Auction and Contemporary Affair” to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Delaware Contemporary. VIP pre-party from 6-7 p.m. Advanced tickets are not available at this point, but tickets are available at the door. This disco era 40th anniversary party and fundraiser features a ton of artists! Including: Margo Allman, Ruth Ansel, Dennis Beach, Gina Bosworth, Seonglan Boyce, John Breakey, Moe Brooker, Jeffrey Chapp, Caroline Chen, Graham Dougherty, Timmy Graham, T.A. Hahn, Wendy Hatch, Nanci Hersh, Natalie Hutchings, Tendai Johnson, Michael Kalmbach, Haeley Kyong, Michael Lindeman, Virginia Lockman, Henry Loustau, Wes Memeger, Shawn Pinckney, Rick Rothrock, Tia Santana, Lynda Schmid, Connie Simon, John Singletary, Sanaz Sohrabi, Stan Smokler, Han Wang, Simone Welsh, Zhihui Xie, and Colleen Zufelt.
Online bidding for art is available through the Delaware Contemporary website. Enjoy catering by Cafe Gelato, fantastic music by seven piece band, Special Delivery. Also, grab a drink at the open bar with speciality cocktails designed by Art Squad member and mixologist, Ted Wilson.
As always, tune in to Art Watch Radio on WCHE 1520AM every Wednesday from 1-1:30 p.m. Tune in next week as Rhoda Kahler interviews Artistic Director-Alexandra Drobac Diagne from the Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival. Until next week!

About Caroline Roosevelt

Caroline Roosevelt is a writer and artist based in Kennett Square, PA. She received her B.A. in Art History from Connecticut College and a Post Baccalaureate certificate from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She has previously written art coverage in Seattle, WA and Philadelphia, PA. She currently co-hosts Art Watch radio on 1520 WCHE.

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YMCA offers videos to keep kids in sports

Health

The YMCA of Greater Brandywine believes that team sports are an important way to help kids develop, not only physically, but in learning important life skills, such as leadership, teamwork, good sportsmanship and responsibility. However, a report by the Aspen Institute indicated 70 percent of kids drop out of sports by the age of 13 because they say it’s not fun anymore.

To help combat that trend, the YMCA of Greater Brandywine, in conjunction with Director Chris Logan Harley and Uptown Entertainment Alliance, put together a series of videos entitled, “Don’t Spoil the Fun!” to highlight the importance of keeping fun in youth sports leagues, so that kids of all ages want to keep playing for life.

The video series highlights some of the ways parents, specifically, can have an impact on their child’s sports experiences by their own negative behavior, with too much emphasis on competition and winning.

“These videos are so cleverly done and with humorous overtones, they really get parents thinking about their actions and the impact even little things have on their kids,” said Andi Youndt, senior vice president and COO of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine. “Keeping kids playing will help them stay healthy, help them learn how to play with others and become good citizens. The lessons and habits they learn now will stay with them for life.”

YMCA parent, Kelly Richardson, shares the story of her 18-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, who started playing basketball at the YMCA when she was in sixth grade. “She played for a couple of sessions with different coaches and it was instant love, not instant player,” Kelly said. “Thankfully, she played for coaches who remembered they were young and fun was important.” Mackenzie’s love for the game grew into a passion as she is still playing years later, and will be joining Immaculata University’s basketball team in the fall.

As Kelly continues to remind her daughter, and YMCA coaches everywhere repeat to their players, “Work hard. Have fun.”

YMCA Youth Sports Coach Todd Kinkus, who’s been coaching at the Y for more than seven years, says, “Compared to lots of other sports teams, the Y’s youth sports league program is more of a community experience. It offers good examples for kids and it provides a good foundation for sports — not just in terms of winning and losing — but for the foundation of the player. I really enjoy the chance to see each child’s growth when that light bulb goes off. I’m excited when I hear from a parent that their child is having a great time and loving playing. That’s probably the biggest thing I get out of being a coach—knowing that the child and their parents have a great experience and want to come back,” he says.

Registration is underway for spring youth sports leagues through Sunday, March 31. Options available at most branches include soccer (ages 3-12), basketball (ages 3-15), t-ball (ages 4-5) and coach pitch baseball (ages 6-7). Click here for more information and to register.

View the videos.

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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