No time frame as yet for second phase of COVID-19 vaccinations. (Image from Chester County's vaccine webpage.)
While it’s been reported that the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has not gone as quickly as anticipated, health officials in Delaware County are gearing up for Phase 1B priority group, according to a press release. However, there’s no time frame on when the second phase will begin.
Currently, people in the Phase 1A group — healthcare workers, EMS workers, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, and medical examiner and funeral staff — are receiving vaccinations.
“Due to the limited supply of the vaccine, healthcare workers, EMS staff, long-term care facilities, and medical examiner and funeral staff are the priority for vaccination distribution. Delaware County is committed to ensuring safe and timely distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination and continues to work with the County’s hospitals and the Chester County Health Department to administer the vaccine as quickly as possible. As of Jan. 4, 4,435 COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the county, which is a similar rate compared to neighboring counties,” the release said.
Phase 1B will include childcare staff, corrections staff, county, and municipal administration staff, educators/education staff, firefighters, food and agriculture staff, grocery store staff, law enforcement, manufacturing staff, transit staff, U.S. Postal Service employees, and residents age 75 years and older.
The Chester County Health Department (Delaware County does not have a health department) has updated its home page and vaccine webpage to include information and links for residents to learn more about the vaccine phases and to indicate interest in receiving a vaccine.
After years of controversy and talk, the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District community is three weeks away from learning what the high school’s new mascot will be.
UHS Principal Jimmy Conley said during the School Board’s Jan. 4 work session, “The Washington football team and the Cleveland Indians certainly have a new model here as they look to select their new mascots for their organizations.”
He then commented that the district’s process in getting rid of the Indian mascot “speaks to how we are as a community” since every stakeholder had the opportunity to voice their opinions.
Patrick Crater, the supervisor of athletics, said the two finalists are Longhorn or Stampede — out of 500 submissions.
Crater explained that the Stampede is a thoroughbred horse that reflects the region’s equine community and heritage. “The thoroughbred is bold, spirited, intelligent, and athletic, and a horseshoe can be used in a Unionville branding package. The Longhorn represents the Buck and Doe Run Valley Farm owned by the famous King Ranch in the mid-1900s,” adding that “The longhorn is intelligent, adaptable, and no two longhorns are alike, which is a nice way to represent all students in our schools.”
Pat Clark, UHS football coach, said there was passion on both sides of the mascot issue, those wanting to retain the Indian and those wanting to retire that image as a mascot.
“We knew we had to put together a committee that would be respectful of our community, and of our voices, and do a good job,” Clark said.
The presentation included comments from several students on the mascot committee as well as Christa Fazio, the district’s communications coordinator. Fazio said two subcommittees are currently working on the logo and how to promote the new mascot before the Jan. 25 reveal.
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.
Per state law, townships in the state held their annual reorganization meeting on Monday, Jan. 4. Most of the townships have the same chairman and vice chairman for their boards of supervisors as they had last year.
Chadds Ford
Frank Murphy and Samantha Reiner were, again, voted in as chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. Mike Maddren was reappointed as township and township Planning Commission solicitor, and Mike Schneider of Pennoni Engineering was reappointed as township engineer. Maryann Furlong was reappointed as township manager/secretary with Jonathon Sharp appointed assistant manager. Tom Comitta was also reappointed township land planner, and the Brandywine Conservancy was reappointed as the township’s open space, recreation, and trails consultant.
Supervisors also voted to request $10,000 from Delaware County as part of the County Aid 2021 Road Program.
Concord Township
Dominic Pileggi was again elected president, with John Gillespie and John Crosson elected co-presidents. Hugh Donaghue was reappointed township solicitor, Nate Cline, of Pennoni Engineering, was reappointed township engineer, and Tom Comitta reappointed to be Concord’s land planner. Also, Amanda Serock was reappointed as township manager at a salary of $123,000.
Council members voted to request $20,000 from Delaware County for Concord’s road program and extended the township’s COVID Emergency Declaration through April.
Birmingham Township
It’s status quo in Birmingham Township. Scott Boorse and Mike Shearin were re-elected chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. Kristin Camp was reappointed as solicitor and Quina Nelling as township manager.
Pennsbury Township
Aaron McIntyre is chairman of the Board of Supervisors this year, and Wendel Fenton is vice-chairman.
East Marlborough Township
Robert McKinstry was elected chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and Kathryn Monahan was elected vice-chairman.
Kennett Township
Richard Leff will continue as the chairman of the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors, and Whitney Hoffman will continue as the vice-chairman.
Pocopson
Ricki Stumpo is chairman and Elaine DiMonte is vice-chairman.
Newlin and West Marlborough townships have not yet responded.
A piece from the DayDrawing Project by Christopher Wood - Danziger Collection at Gallery 222
Did you include seeing more art as one of your New Year resolutions? If yes, you have to see the new show coming to Gallery 222 in Malvern this month. The “101 Artists Selected from the Fred Danziger Collection of Contemporary Art Showing”, or as Danziger has said, “The Fred (as it is becoming known) has it all!” The show opens this Thursday, January 6th and runs through the 30th.
Mrs. Cardinal by Rachel Altschuler – Danziger Collection at Gallery 222
This jammed packed show will feature the works of over 100 artists and all are pieces from Danziger’s personal collection. They have been purchased from a variety of galleries over the past several years and cover a wide array of styles including abstraction, photorealism, conceptual and a whole lot more. Danziger shared the following on social media, “Gallery222 in Malvern has generously agreed to host this non-sales oriented exhibition of over 100 contemporary artists for the month of January 2021. The idea to take the collection out of my studio where it is normally displayed was inspired by the disruptions to the art world during the pandemic. So many exhibits are now ‘virtual’ only. Shows have been cancelled, museums closed. What is at stake? For art to flourish, it needs to be seen. Virtual exhibits are at best, an adjunct to the real thing. We should not allow art to become nothing more than screen images. Too much is lost in the translation. A picture of a slice of cherry pie is not the same as a piece of cherry pie itself! The same with art… it needs to be experienced in person. It needs collectors, galleries and museums and art schools for the ‘art spirit’ as Robert Henri called it, to grow and thrive.”
Improv #44 by Ana Vizcarra Rankin – Danziger Collection at Gallery 222
Artists in the show hail from around the US including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Texas, Ohio, California, Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina. It promises to be an excellent survey of contemporary art. Danziger will be at the gallery during business hours throughout the run of the show, with easel and paints, developing his own work. “As I work here, framing, varnishing, and preparing the works for display, I want to invite you all to visit the show where I will be present, working on my own things. Yes, social distance and masks are needed- but I will be there: with the collection!” Make a point to see this eclectic show and talk with Danziger about his acquisition process, his own painting, or anything else related to art. For more information visit Gallery 222 here.
PuffedUp by Kirk McBride at Station Gallery
Station Gallery in Delaware will be kicking off the New Year with its “Winter Group Show” featuring works by a new gallery artist, Temre Stanchfield, along with paintings by Kirk McBride, Abigail McBride and more. Stanchfield’s landscapes come alive with her soft color palette. Her detailed flora and fauna paintings are reminiscent of vintage works you’d find in a beautiful European antique shop. It’s all about the life cycle for her. Kirk McBride’s work is inspired by light. Living on Maryland’s Eastern Shore provides him with ample scenes to capture, “Everything has a moment when light and shadow create something breathtaking to view.” As a plein air painter, McBride looks forward to his travels to paint seascapes, mountains, and landscapes but is also comfortable painting city scenes, cars, architecture and the human figure. Abigail McBride paints primarily on location too. She enjoys documenting moments in time via landscapes and is an accomplished portraitist as well. It should be an exciting show to see. For all the details, visit here.
There is still time to catch the tail end of some December shows including Barbara Moore’s Fine Art Gallery’s Christmas in Miniature Art and Moore… which has been extended through January 9th. Visit on the web here.
Frida Kahlo at Reading Public Museum
“Gifted” at The Art Trust in West Chester remains on view until January 15th. Visit here to peruse small works by several local artists. Delaware Art Museum’s show, “Layered Abstraction: Margo Allman and Helen Mason” closes on January 17th.
Other events worth checking out: At BRM, Victoria Wyeth will be sharing her personal thoughts on the art of her grandfather, Andrew Wyeth during a virtual gallery talk on Monday, January 25th. To register for this event, visit here.
Reading Public Museum is hosting a small photography show titled “Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray” and is offering a virtual tour of it on its website. Click here to view an intimate look at Kahlo through the photographic lens of her long-time friend and lover, Nickolas Muray.
A native of Philadelphia, Constance McBride lived in Arizona for 16 years, where desert observations made a transformative impact on her work as a research based visual artist. Passionate about contemporary art, she was actively engaged in the local arts community. She served as a board member for several art organizations, managed an artist collective/gallery space, curated and juried several exhibitions and wrote for two arts publications in Phoenix. She taught ceramics at Shemer Art Center and Museum and exhibited her work both locally and nationally. McBride returned to Pennsylvania in 2018 and resides in Chester Springs with her husband and two dogs. In West Chester, she serves as a board member at The Art Trust Gallery at Meridian Bank and teaches ceramics at Chester County Art Association. She also teaches at Clay on Main in Oley, PA. She is a member of American Craft Council, Philadelphia Sculptors, and Women’s Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter.
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.
