Chadds Ford Township supervisors and state Rep. Craig Williams honored resident Akash Patel for Patel’s Eagle Scout project.
Supervisor Noelle Barbone said Patel’s project involved building and delivering two tables and four benches for township building staff and two benches for outside the building’s front door.
Akash Patel
Williams, R-160, read the proclamation of appreciation on behalf of the supervisors. That proclamation reads, in part, that the furniture will enhance the character of the township building, that residents will enjoy them for years, and that the project shows Patel’s leadership skills as he worked with fellow scouts who helped him with the project, and in dealing with township requirements.
While the project is complete, Patel, a member of BSA Troop 31, said he still needs to finish some paperwork and earn another few merit badges before finally achieving the rank of eagle scout. That should take until the end of summer, he said.
Williams — a scout leader and certified merit badge counselor — offered Patel whatever help he needs in getting those remaining merit badges.
“Whatever you have to do, feel free to find me,” Williams told Patel.
But Williams also spoke about other issues. As he did the night before during the Concord Township Council meeting, he told Chadds Ford supervisors that he had taken PennDOT’s Delaware County maintenance supervisor for a ride along Route 1 to show where that road and other roads need work.
“As you know, in Chadds Ford and Pennsbury, things are, let’s just say rough, to be kind. I made a point to make sure he saw and felt every hole in our roads,” he said, adding that the maintenance supervisor acknowledged how rough a shape the road is in.
And, as Williams said in Concord, he received a commitment of quarterly meetings and reports on what PennDOT will be doing regarding road improvements in the district.
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 Kennett Area YMCA offers a four-day water safety course for children ages 6-11 beginning Monday, June 7. There is no charge to attend, and all are welcome, but advanced registration is required. The four-day course, taught by a certified YMCA swim instructor, will help kids learn critical water safety and life-saving skills such as what to do if they unexpectedly find themselves in the water. Participants need to attend all four days of the program, which will be held from 5-7 p.m. each evening. Health and safety measures are in place to create the safest experience possible. To learn more and register, visit ymcagbw.org/watersafety. Space is limited with registration being offered on a first-come-first-serve basis.
•Concord Township will have a weeklong scavenger hunt beginning this Saturday, June 5, ending on June 12. The township website will have a list of the clues and the rules on Saturday. Find 25 things around Concord. Residents will document or take pictures of the item listed. Entries must be submitted by the end of the day on June 12. All entries must be submitted.
It’s Hot Jam time at CCarts on June 13.
•It’s a hot time in the town on June 13 as The Center for Creative Arts hosts Hot Jam 2021: A celebration of live music. Hot Jam runs from 1-8 p.m. at CCarts’ outdoor stage in Yorklyn, Del. It features eight local musical acts both large and small. Artists will play their own original music and some bands will be playing covers. The event is rain or shine. Admission is $5 at the door and free to children under 12. The proceeds from this concert will benefit the center’s efforts to expand programming to include more inclusive and accessible programs for students of all ages and abilities. The festival atmosphere includes Woody’s on Wheels beach-themed American cuisine food truck, a summer clothing drive to benefit Code Purple and Food Not Bombs who provide resources for the homeless and craft activities.
•Delaware Theatre Company announces its June lineup for the 2020/21 Season—Take 2!, a new outdoor performance series that showcases a variety of Hollywood, Broadway, and regional performers. From June 9 through June 12, the show is Robert Dubac—The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron? Showtimes are Wednesday–Fri. 6:30 p.m. and Sat. 2:30 p.m. Audience members are encouraged to bring a chair and refreshments. Performances are held in the parking lot of Delaware Theatre Company, located at 200 Water Street in Wilmington, just feet from the Riverfront. To purchase two-person or four-person boxes, call DTC’s box office at 302.594.1100 or visit delawaretheatre.org.
•The Chester County Art Association has announced that open clay studio will be resuming this summer. Beginning on June 8, open studio will be held on Tuesdays (6-9 p.m.) and Thursdays (4-7 p.m.). Reservations are required for open studio online. Each session is booked individually. The price is $15 per session. That price includes glazing and firing. All clay purchases must be made to the clay tech in cash. CCAA has 25-pound bags of red clay available for $20.
Mt. Cuba Center hosts the Lady Bug Crawl on June 11 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
•It’s the Lady Bug Crawl at Mt. Cuba Center on June 11 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The crawl brings performers from The Ladybug Festival to Mt. Cuba for a music-filled evening in the gardens. Enjoy food, drinks, and a variety of live performances as you “crawl” through the gardens. Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for kids 6-17, those 5 and younger get in free. Admission for members is free with advanced registration. The rain date is Thursday, June 17also 5:30-8:30 p.m. For a performance schedule and to buy tickets, go here.
A Boy Scout places a flower at the grave of a U.S. military veteran during a Memorial Day ceremony at Brandywine Baptist Church.
New Kennett Township Police Chief Matt Gordon is congratulated by Judge Jacqueline Carroll Cody after being sworn in.
Kennett Township’s newest police chief was officially sworn in Wednesday morning in front of a crowd of more than 100 police officers, detectives, SWAT team members, fire and emergency personnel, Kennett Township staff, the township’s first police chief, and others.
“You need not read Matt [Gordon]’s resume to recognize his skill and confidence as a leader,” Kennett Township Manager Eden Ratliff told the standing-room-only crowd at the Creamery of Kennett Square. “While this document may tell you that he served as an aircraft fighter and rescue specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps, it will not tell you about his humility to serve this community.
“While it will show you the accomplishments such as the squad training and completion of the FBI National Academy … it fails to truly reveal his passion and commitment to public service,” Ratliff said. “For those nuances, you need only speak with him briefly, and soon you will understand why we are honored to have him be the chief of police for Kennett Township.”
The ceremony was filled with accolades for the man who has been serving as Kennett Township’s interim police chief since November 2019 but who had been part of the department for years before that. Many of those who were involved in or attended the ceremony – including Chester County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jacqueline Carroll Cody, who administered the oath of office – were people who have been a part of Gordon’s life and career along the way.
“I’ve known Matt since we worked on the drug court team back in the 1990s,” she said. “Matt’s work ethic, his integrity, and most important his understanding of the human spirit will serve this (area) very well.”
Gordon’s resume includes not only Kennett Township but also the Parkesburg and Coatesville City police departments, the Chester County Detectives in major cases and organized crime, and the Chester County Regional Emergency Response Team, where he currently serves as the deputy SWAT commander.
During a speech filled with humor, humility, emotion, and thanks, Gordon shared not only humorous memories – such as the time he was working as a new officer in Parkesburg and encountered a Chester County detective twice in consecutive days during a speeding detail — but also the impact that those he encountered on the job had on him.
“You don’t get to this position by yourself, and I certainly didn’t,” Gordon told the crowd. “I’ve learned much from much of the people in attendance today.”
He praised the officers and staff in the police department, recognizing them for the extra work and shifts they took when the department was short-staffed in 2019, as well as the township supervisors and staff for supporting the department. He recognized the 11 officers now in the department and talked about the importance of diversity in police enforcement, something “we in Chester County law enforcement have acknowledged and worked toward making sure our police departments mirror the communities where we work.”
“We are fortunate to now have 11 officers,” Gordon said. “Two of our officers are female – Det. Amanda Wenrich and Officer Elysia Simmons. Three of our officers – Miguel Juarez, Pedro Melendez, and Jonathan DeLeon – are native Spanish speakers. Cpl. Jeff Call, Officer Adam Cramer, Officer Colin Vannicolo, Officer Robert Dowd, Officer Brian Bolt, and myself round out the department.”
He had the crowd chuckling when he jokingly pointed out another statistic – that four of the officers including the chief are left-handed – “which means that one-third of our police department are in their right minds.”
Much of Gordon’s speech was spent thanking everyone from former coworkers to county dispatchers to SWAT colleagues, area police chiefs and fire company personnel. His speech became emotional when he thanked his own family, including his daughter Reese, who stood with him during the swearing-in.
“I know and I feel that Kennett Township is fortunate to have Matt Gordon as chief of police, leading our department for many years to come,” Kennett Supervisors’ Chairman Richard Leff said. “Thank you, Matt, for everything you’ve done.”
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.
