•It’s an afternoon of nature, art-making, and fun for kids at Mt. Cuba Center on Saturday, Aug. 7, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. The center partners with the award-winning folk artist, Eunice LaFate, to lead a children’s art program in the center’s gardens. Kids will create a mural from natural materials and go home with their very own painting! This program is intended for ages 6 to 14 and is free with general admission. Pre-registration is required. Art supplies will be provided. Go here to register.
Tickets are now on sale for the Kennett Brewfest.
•The Kennett Brewfest is returning on Oct. 2, and tickets are now on sale. Limited tickets are available now at https://kennettbrewfest.com. All proceeds benefit Historic Kennett Square, the nonprofit that makes Kennett thrive. Historic Kennett Square intentionally creates programs and events that help Kennett become a more beautiful and welcoming community where all can belong and prosper.
•PAWS for People will hold a live in-person and online auction, “Art from the Heart,” on Aug. 9. An online preview will be held Thursday, Aug. 5 through Sunday, Aug. 8, with online bidding open from Aug. 8- 15. The in-person Art Show will be held Saturday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PAWS Office, 703 Dawson Drive, Newark, Delaware 19713. Reservations are required.
•It’s Christmas in July at Olde Ridge Village on Wednesday, July 28. Summer Santa will be visiting from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Stay tuned for more details as the merchants of Olde Ridge Village join in the party. Also, as part of Christmas in July, Giggy Bites, the pet treat shop, will be having Yappy Hour from 5-8 p.m.
•State Rep. Craig Williams is hosting a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 29, at the Brandywine Youth Center, 47 South Thornton Road, in Concord Township.
Concord Township Park and Recreation Director Allison O’Donoghue, as Betsy Ross, leads the Patriotic Pet parade at the Concord Township Dog Park on July 15. The parade had been postponed twice in previous weeks because of the threat of heavy rain.
Fun Dip, part bulldog and part boxer, struts her stuff in a lovely blue dress.
Residents place heart-shaped stickers on a township map to indicate their favorite locations in Concord Township.
It was just to gather information with no action planned for anytime soon, but more than two dozen people attended a Voice Your Vision meeting in Concord Township Tuesday evening.
It was the second of at least three such sessions for council members to hear what residents want to see in Concord. The July 20 session was on connectivity, open space, and trails.
According to Councilwoman Colleen Morrone, “We’re listening to residents to find out how we can make Concord the best it can be. So, tonight is an opportunity for them to come out and give us ideas and suggestions that they may have thought of but didn’t know how to voice their concerns.”
A previous session was held via Zoom, but Morrone said this was the chance to see and hear people in person to get their ideas face-to-face.
“People gravitate to parks and open space,” Morrone said, “but it’s important to hear what people think is important.”
Council President Dominic Pileggi likened it to connecting the dots.
It was a loose and informal session held in the township’s maintenance garage with residents offering opinions to a variety of questions posed by Councilwoman Vinita Deshmukh. Questions focused on what activities residents have seen and enjoyed in the township, what they would like to see in the future, and what locations need attention.
Responses ranged from more trail connectivity, both within the township and connections to other townships, to a continuation of some activities and the addition of others.
People said they like the Memorial Day parades, Halloween events, and the Fall Festival. One resident said he’d like to see some food tasting events, while others would like to see a community center and a community swimming pool. Other residents said there should be better access to the Rachel Kohl Library, and some would like a commercial downtown area, and others want an amphitheater.
A third Voice Your Vision session is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. July 27 at 30 Bethel Road. Once Council has gathered all the information, members will determine which ideas they think can or can’t be implemented and present those findings to the residents.
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.
Francie Chalfant shows the historical documents that were used to trace the origins of her home.
Francie Chalfant led a group of Chadds Ford history buffs on a stroll through her historical home on July 15. The land was a direct land grant from William Penn and historical evidence points to the structure pre-dating Chadds Ford itself.
“My brother Jeff found this house, which had been empty for eight years,” said Chalfant, who, with her brother, grew up just down the street from the Ridge Road property. “There was water damage, but I could afford it.” Her brother is quick to add that the place was full of bat and mouse droppings.
The house is built into the side of a hill and the main floor is decorated with maps, letters, photos, drawings, and notations – Chalfant’s curated treasure-trove of the history of the house, Chadds Ford and the Brandywine Valley.
Jeff Chalfant points out the original ceiling beams that were uncovered.
“The house was a mess,” said Jeff Chalfant, describing the white stucco exterior and pink plaster interior. He was hands-on after the purchase, working on renovating the building to make it habitable. “Underneath the plaster and lath, there were the original logs and chinking.”
Other treasures unearthed included a piece of a newspaper from 1850, allowing them to conclude that was the year the logs had been covered. In addition to the clues the house held, Francie Chalfant did her own research.
“On library microfilm, I found the original 1699 land grant,” Chalfant took a brief pause, then said, “The original owner was John Chalfont.”
The revelation that her own ancestor had owned the structure was followed by more research. “The grant was made on Dec. 4 — there would have had to be a structure already here because they couldn’t have built this in the winter.”
Her theory that the structure pre-dates the land grant was confirmed by carbon dating which put the original construction date circa 1660. After
The logs with the original limestone mortar are a focal point for the home’s living area.
conferring with historians such as Peter Craig of the Swedish-American Society and Frank Eld, an expert on Finnish log cabin, the Chalfants determined that their structure was a German log cabin and that it was originally used as a trading post and storage facility for beaver pelts.
“See the bits of red in the rocks,” Chalfant points out as we walk down to the original stone basement. “They are garnets and are all through the rocks.” The clue hints that the stone’s origins might have been the Bethel mines in today’s Garnet Valley.
“Continual research, next is Kaolin,” Chalfant responds when asked about her plans for the future. The soft, white clay was available locally and used to create pottery. In addition to adding to the museum in the living area of her house, Chalfant rents the lower floors of the original structure to guests via Airbnb and owns and operates VanCortlandt Farms, a dried flower business in Spokane, Wash.
Karen Myers lives in Pocopson Township and has written for several local publications. A strong supporter of our community, Karen has served on several non-profit boards, such as Pocopson Elementary PTO, The United Way of Southern Chester County, Chester County Art Association and Tick Tock Early Learning Center. She received her M.B.A. from the University of Delaware and worked in marketing and operations with a focus on banking.
•Police said they arrested Felicia Etter, 34, of Wilmington, on retail theft charges after she reportedly stole $700 worth of merchandise from Target in Concord Township on June 25. According to the police report, stolen items include clothing, magazines, baby items, toys, and other miscellaneous items.
•State police are investigating the theft of hygiene and cosmetic products from the CVS in Concord Township on July 9. The stolen items are valued at $224. Police are looking for an unidentified male and female who fled in a dark-colored minivan with Delaware tags.
•Donald H. Ward II, 58, of Bernardsville, N.J., was cited for failing to stop at a stop sign on Route 202 near State Farm Drive on July 18, which led to a car-motorcycle crash. The motorcyclist, a 61-year-old man from Garnet Valley, was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for treatment of injuries.
Avondale Barracks
•State police arrested a 46-year-old man from West Chester for DUI following a traffic stop in Kennett Township on July 17. Police stopped the 2015 Jeep for speeding at Waywood Road and E. Baltimore Pike at 6:58 p.m. The driver was not named in the report.
•An 18-year-old male from Oxford was arrested for drug possession at Schoolhouse Road and E. Baltimore Pike. Police said they made the arrest following a vehicle search after a traffic stop on July 9. The driver consented to the search, according to the police report.
•Gerardo Cervantes-Mejia, 36, of Avondale, was arrested for criminal trespass in London Grove Township on June 25 but was also charged with drug possession when suspected methamphetamine was found while he was searched at Chester County Prison in Pocopson Township.
•A 55-year-old man from Sicklerville, N.J., and a 41-year-old woman from Atglen, were arrested on drug charges in Pennsbury Township on May 22. The arrests came after a traffic stop on Route 1 at Brinton’s Bridge Road.
•Police said they arrested a 20-year-old woman on retail theft charges on June 8. The woman, not named in the report, is accused of trying to steal two vacuum cleaners valued at $270 each and two cases of diapers.
•Michelle Gondek, 48, of Coatesville, was cited following a one-vehicle crash on N. Chatham Road in West Marlborough Township on July 17. The police report said Gondek was driving too fast for conditions and failed to negotiate a left-hand curve in the road near Wertz Road and struck a utility pole. The report also said Gondek fled the scene.
Kennett Square Police Department
Oscar Lemus-Rojas, 26, of Kennett Square, was arrested and charged with DUI and related traffic offenses after a traffic stop was initiated because of heavy front-end damage and a missing passenger headlight on the vehicle he was operating, police said. The incident occurred on July 4, at approximately 2:20 a.m., in the 500 block of Ridge Avenue, Kennett Square Borough. The report said officers saw an open can of an alcoholic beverage in the vehicle and noticed indicators suggesting intoxication. Field sobriety tests showed impairment. He was taken into custody for suspicion of DUI and submitted to a chemical test of his breath, which indicated a blood alcohol level of 0.149 percent.
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.
As the Kennett Library breaks ground on its new facility next month, its trustees will also be searching for a new executive director.
Megan Walters, who has spent the last four years heading the library, recently submitted her resignation, according to a press release from the library’s board of trustees. She will remain at the Kennett Library until her tentative last day on Aug. 27 before heading to Florida to become a library director on a military base, according to a press release.
Megan Walters
“Megan brought so much to the library,” said Jeff Yetter, the Kennett Library Trustees president. “Her youthful spirit and energy helped move the library from a traditional library to a community center.”
He called Walters “instrumental in helping the library grow,” and said she was “an enthusiastic participant in the development of plans for the new Library and Resource Center.
“She was dedicated to making the library a welcoming place for everyone from new immigrants to teens who had never stepped foot in our building. The community has benefitted greatly from her vision and leadership.”
That is a theme that the board of trustees hopes to find in the next executive director. Yetter said the board hopes to hire a new director by the end of the year.
“We have set up a candidate review process that includes members of our community,” he said in a recent interview. “We want this to be an inclusive process so that candidates for the job will know that the library is a resource and a staple in our community. We want to take our time and find the right candidate to lead the library during this very exciting time.”
Yetter said that in the interim, trustees and library staff will continue building on Walters’ work.
“We have a very good working board dedicated to the library and the new building project,” he said. “Several of them have already stepped up to help during this time.”
Walters said in the press release that she was grateful for the library’s many supporters.
“I have lived in Kennett Square longer than I have lived anywhere else, and will always hold this area and the people in a special place in my heart,” she said. “While I will miss the area, travel is in my blood, and I feel like it is time to take on a new challenge.”
Dan Pennacchia, a part-time programming assistant at the library, said Walters was always open to hearing new ideas from the staff.
“We’ve done tons of different things,” Pennacchia said about library happenings during Walters’ tenure. He mentioned a “Stranger Things” watch party that the library held two years ago, where they streamed a new episode of the popular Netflix series each week.
“There’s just a lot of different things we’ve been able to do that she’s been on board with,” he said.
The Kennett Library serves the borough of Kennett Square and the townships of East Marlborough, Kennett, Newlin, New Garden, Pennsbury, Pocopson, and West Marlborough.
On Aug. 12, ground will be broken on the $18 million building, which will feature among other things the library, a 110-seat auditorium, Maker Spaces, meeting and study rooms, and more.
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.
Mrs. Christine Elizabeth Troilo (nee: Paisley), 95, of Bear, died peacefully in her daughter and son-in-law’s home on July 14. Born in West Jefferson, N.C. on Aug. 8, 1925, she was the daughter of the late Walter and China (McMillan) Paisley. On March 31, 1945, she married the love of her life, Gerard D. Troilo. They were blissfully married for 71 years before he died in 2016.
Christine Elizabeth Troilo
Mrs. Troilo was a graduate of Avon Grove High School in the class of 1943. She was a longtime member of Assumption BVM Church in West Grove. Some of her favorite past times included boating on the Chesapeake with her husband and family, wintering in Ft. Myers Beach, Fla., reading, watching or attending baseball games, and gardening. But what she enjoyed the most was spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Mrs. Troilo is survived by her children, Joseph D. Troilo and wife Pauline of Avondale, Gerard S. Troilo and wife Cathy of The Villages, Fla., and Cindy T. Zerillo and her husband James of Bear; her grandchildren Jason, Joey, Justin, Jeff, Bryan, Jackie, Jessie, and Michael; her great-grandchildren Colin, Caroline, and Wyatt; and her sister Shirley Byrd of Delaware. In addition to her husband and parents, Mrs. Troilo is also preceded in death by her beloved son Garrett Michael Troilo, her brother Dean Paisley and sister Logene DiStefano.
Friends will be received on Tuesday, July 20 from 10 a.m. until the start of mass at 11 a.m. at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, 300 State Road, West Grove, PA 19390. Interment will follow at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square. Please visit Mrs. Troilo’s online memorial by going to www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.
The Kennett Township supervisors will hold their first hybrid meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shutdown of in-person meetings last year.
The July 21 meeting will be held in-person but also feature an option for people to join remotely via the Zoom app, Kennett Manager Eden Ratliff said in a press release Wednesday.
“We are working hard to ensure next Wednesday’s meeting will be hybrid – both in-person and Zoom,” Ratliff said. “Please understand that the technology of the public meeting room was not designed for this level of interaction, so your grace and patience are appreciated as we work in this transitional time.”
It will take place exactly a month after the township office reopened to the public.
On the agenda are a presentation of the township’s Environmental Advisory Council, the 2021 paving program bid, staff reports, and more.
In recent months, supervisors and township staff had talked about the possibility of upgrading the technology in the public meeting room to offer both in-person and remote access to meetings. The supervisors had held meetings via Zoom since early last year because of the pandemic.
The township building is at 801 Burrows Run Road. The Zoom link can be found on the meeting agenda on the township’s website, Kennett.pa.us.
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.
The following animals are ready to be adopted from the Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester.
Cecil
Cecil
Cecil is a spirited, playful kitty looking to be the newest addition to a fun family. Keep him busy with trips outside on a harness and leash, dangly toys, and lots of pouncing practice. While he’s not much of a snuggler, Cecil makes an excellent shadow and will follow his humans from room to room to be as close to them as possible. Because Cecil can play rough and excites easily, potential adopters should be mindful of this if there are real little ones (pets and humans) in the home. Keeping his claws trimmed, providing a couple of scratching posts, scheduling lots of playtime, and getting him outside will keep him calm and content. If you’re looking for a dog in a cat’s body – Cecil is the one for you. You can adopt him for a fee you name through Sunday, July 25.
Joey
Joey
Low key and laidback, mellow fellow Joey would make an excellent addition to a loving home. He has an infectious smile and if that big grin isn’t enough to get you grinning, he doesn’t walk, he prances. Joey appreciates the simpler side of life and enjoys leisurely strolls and the occasional romp with other pups in playgroups. If you have other dogs, Joey would love to meet them before going home with you. Joey qualifies for the shelter’s “Large and No Charge” adoption special which waives the fee of all adult dogs (1-plus year and 4o-plus pounds) running through July 25.
For more information, go to www.bvspca.org or phone 484-302-0865.
What makes a life-long Republican leave the Republican Party? Just look at the latest state budget.
I was a registered Republican for over 30 years. Now, I’m a registered Libertarian. Folks often ask me why I switched. There are several reasons, but most fall into the category of disappointment with the utter failure of Republican candidates to live up to Republican principles once they get into office. Certainly, governing often requires compromise with folks on the other side of the aisle. I understand that sometimes, you have to take one step backward to take two steps forward. However, I have found that even when Republicans don’t need to compromise, they still fail to meet the standard expected by voters who are loyal to them and their party.
If you ask any Republican what distinguishes the Republican Party from the Democratic Party, one of the most common things you’ll hear about is “Fiscal Responsibility”.
This year, the Republican-led Pennsylvania legislature passed a budget that is anything but fiscally responsible.
I believe that “fiscal responsibility” means holding the line on spending increases to keep them at or below the TABOR (Tax-Payers Bill-Of-Rights) index. That number, which is derived from the rate of inflation and the population growth rate, is currently 1.79 percent for the state of Pennsylvania. Yet, the latest budget, passed with the approval of a majority of Republicans in Harrisburg, increases spending by 8.8 percent.
If you believe that it’s OK to increase spending faster than the rate of inflation, there’s a good chance that you are a Democrat. If you believe that it’s OK to increase spending at or below the rate of inflation, there’s a good chance that you are a Republican. And if you believe that our goal should be to decrease spending and shrink the size of government, (channeling Jeff Foxworthy here) you JUST might be a Libertarian.
Yes. We have a Democratic governor, but the Republican majorities in the House and Senate are overwhelming. There’s simply no excuse for these legislative bodies to allow spending to increase by almost five times the TABOR index. The pandemic is ending and the best thing that government can do to get us back to normal is to simply get out of the way.
I also believe that fiscal responsibility means paying off debt, as quickly as possible, to minimize interest expenses. When you have the power of taxation, combined with the ability to underfund pensions to balance the budget, it simply doesn’t make sense to put money into a “rainy day” fund earning a lower interest rate than you are paying on any other debt. Yet, the latest budget, passed with the approval of a majority of Republicans in Harrisburg, puts $2.5 Billion into the “rainy day” fund while the state still has a variety of unpaid debts and a $70 billion pension shortfall.
Most, if not all, of these debts have an effective interest rate that is greater than the rate of inflation. The state’s pension debt alone has an imputed interest rate of 7.25 percent and it’s highly unlikely that the rainy day fund is earning interest at a rate that is greater than inflation.
Ironically, a lot of our state’s debts were incurred in direct violation of Article VIII, Section 7 of the state constitution which basically says that the state can’t incur any long-term (not paid off in the same fiscal year) debt without a public referendum.
Maybe my memory is bad, but I don’t remember any such voter referendums since, well, as long as I can remember. Yet, the state has borrowed money from a variety of sources, including uncertain future Tobacco Settlement Funds. But ignoring the state and federal constitution is a whole different category of Republicans’ grievances with elected Republicans that I’ll dive into on another day.
Dan Truitt
West Chester Dan Truitt is a former state representative for the 156th Legislative District that includes Birmingham Township.
