October 15, 2024 - ChaddsFordLive.com

School board preps for votes

There were no voting items on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District work session meeting Monday night, but board members are prepping for votes on several matters. Those matters include facility upgrades to three of the elementary schools for all day kindergarten and for votes on what to do about Charles F. Patton Middle School.

As previously reported, the board is scheduled to vote in February on whether to maintain or renovate the school, or to build a new one. Superintendent of Schools John Sanville gave a brief update on the timeline for a decision and said that no matter what the board decides, it’s going to be costly.

“There is no cheap option,” Sanville said. Whether we maintain the building, whether we build a new building, or renovate, it’s going to cost the district millions of dollars. That’s just a reality.”

The superintendent continued, saying that “We’re in a very good position financially.”

While school taxes have gone up during his 14 years as superintendent, the increases are less than the rate of inflation, Sanville said. He added that whether the vote is to replace or renovate, tax increases will still be below the Act 1 index.

“We’re going to do it in a way that is affordable for our community. We’re certainly in a spot where we can afford it,” he said.

There’s a Dec. 9 meeting where a draft of the options will be presented, and a special meeting on Jan. 6 with an administrative recommendation to the board. School board directors will vote on Feb. 18.

Votes on other facility-related matters are scheduled for next week’s regular board meeting.

Up for consideration are indoor design proposals for Chadds Ford and Hillendale Elementary schools, and outdoor design proposal for CFES and Unionville Elementary. All those considerations revolve around facility upgrades for full day kindergarten.

Several internal rooms at CFES will be reconfigured and two current classrooms at HES will be renovated to include a third classroom. The total cost estimate for that work is $25,425.

The outdoor work proposal includes creating construction bid drawings, managing the construction bidding process, and construction administration services. The estimated cost is $33,215, funded by the Longwood grant that was awarded to the school.

The board’s next meeting is 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21.

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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Linda S. Minckler of West Grove

Obituaries

Linda S. Minckler, 75, of West Grove, deaf Thursday, Oct. 3,, at her residence. She was the wife of Howard Minckler, who died in 2021, and with whom she shared 26 years of marriage.

Born In West Chester, she was the daughter of the late Edward Mains and the late Alma Tester Mains.

Linda was a homemaker and did volunteer work at the New London Baptist Church and the Luther House.

She enjoyed playing Bingo, reading, especially her Bible, watching TV, yard sales and being with her family and friends.

She was a dedicated member of the New London Baptist Church.

Linda was the mother of the late Telford E. Blevins Jr., and is survived by her son, Rodney A. Blevins Sr. and his wife Linda of Drumore; two sisters, Joyce Hilton of Nottingham, and Margie Randall of Virginia; two granddaughters, four grandsons, two great-grandsons and one step-granddaughter.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, at the New London Baptist Church, 226 Pennock Bridge Road, West Grove.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to the New London Baptist Church, 226 Pennock Bridge Road, West Grove, PA 19390

To view her online tributes and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com

Arrangements by the Kuzo Funeral Home, Kennett Square.

About CFLive Staff

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Dorothy Shilling of Chester County

Obituaries

Dorothy Shilling, 94, long time resident of Chester County, died Thursday, Oct. 3, of natural causes.

She was born on City Island, New York in 1929, the daughter of Martin and Beatrice Snyder.

She grew up in Chatham, N.J. with her twin sister Ruth and graduated from Chatham High School. She then attended Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, NY.

She met and married her loving husband, Abbott after WWII and had two wonderful children, Mark and Sandra. Abbott preceded her in death in 1998.

Dorothy enjoyed decorating her house, antique shopping, entertaining friends and walks through Longwood Gardens. She was a volunteer at the Chester County hospital for many years and also the Winterthur Museum.

Dorothy is survived by her children Mark (Agatha) and Sandra (Richard), two grandchildren, Margaret and Christie and two great grandchildren, Emmett and Cora.

She will be greatly missed.

Her service and burial will be private.

In Lieu of flowers please send contributions to Willow Tree Hospice: Amedisys Foundation, 3854 American Way, Suite A, ATTN.: Willow Tree Hospice of KSQ, Baton Rouge LA 70816

Arrangements by the Foulk Funeral Home, West Grove.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Blogging Along the Brandywine: An armory, Carnegie Hall and a musical saw

Along the Ford

The 2024-2025 season opening concert for the Kennett Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 13, at the Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester, has once again proven this orchestra, under the direction of Michael Hall, can compete with any of the top regional professional orchestras in the U.S. Not only by the precision and excellence of its musicians, but by Hall’s skill of blending classics with newer repertoire.

The building that is now the Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center was built in 1916 as a National Guard Armory, and for almost 100 years was home to the 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry and 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. In May of 2012, when the Guard moved to their new facility near Coatesville, the historic armory was put up for sale.

The Uptown Theatre Alliance purchased the stately brick building in December 2015, and after a major year-long renovation project by Tevebaugh Architects, the now dramatic 327- seat theater opened with a glittering gala!

During Sunday’s introduction, orchestra Board President and former Dean of the School of Music at West Chester University, Dr. Timothy Blair, divulged a surprise. In October 2025, the orchestra has been invited to play in the legendary Carnegie Hall, New York City. Coincidentally it will be the orchestra’s 85^th birthday. Much more of this in 2025.

Illustrating a penchant for blending classics with newer repertoire, Hall described the opening number Strum, as “frenetic”, and indeed it was. Composed in 2006 for string quartet and revised in 2012 for string orchestra, by 2024 Grammy Award winning violinist and composer Jessie Montgomery, the strings were alternately plucked, strummed like a guitar or bowed in dissonant harmonies and soaring melodies. Anyone new to the talent of this orchestra’s string section had no doubt of their brilliance and professionalism after the first selection.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in F Major was a nod to the classics. With Beethoven’s heavy hand on the cellos, double basses and bassoons, matching his often-dark moods, Beethoven’s symphonies resonate in your whole body. It was nothing less than glorious.

But the highlight of the concert was Samuel Barber’s (1910- 1981) Concerto for Violin. Barber grew up at 107 South Church Street in West Chester and is buried on a remote shady hillside in Oakland Cemetery north of the borough. Most everyone reading this has heard his heart wrenching Adagio for Strings if only as the thematic music in Oliver Stone’s 1986 film, Platoon.

The amazing violin soloist was Lun Li, a 28-year-old phenomenon from Shanghai, China, who holds degrees from Curtis and Juilliard and plays a 1735 Stradivarius on generous loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. A breathless and spellbound audience leapt to their feet in an ovation at the end of the moto perpetuo third movement.

Oh – but did I mention the musical saw?

Many years ago, when this writer was student teaching in the old Warwick Elementary School in Knauertown in the Owen J. Roberts School District, the historic French Creek Falls Hotel in St. Peter’s Village was an easy walk. There one could hear Aunt Lena Knauer (1887-1978), a beautiful older lady, in Victorian dress, playing a saw with a violin bow! (Don’t you dare laugh). The sound was like an angel singing. Remember the soprano doing the melody over the old Star Trek theme? It was like that.

In October 2016, thanks to a generous contribution from Chris and Beth Knauer, the new theater was named The Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center in honor of Chris Knauer’s grandmother, Laura Ellena “Aunt Lena” Kurtz Knauer.

And now you know.

PS- If you’re curious about what a saw sounds like, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE2nFMHRacg

About Sally Denk Hoey

Sally Denk Hoey, is a Gemini - one part music and one part history. She holds a masters degree cum laude from the School of Music at West Chester University. She taught 14 years in both public and private school. Her CD "Bard of the Brandywine" was critically received during her almost 30 years as a folk singer. She currently cantors masses at St Agnes Church in West Chester where she also performs with the select Motet Choir. A recognized historian, Sally serves as a judge-captain for the south-east Pennsylvania regionals of the National History Day Competition. She has served as president of the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates as well as the Sanderson Museum in Chadds Ford where she now curates the violin collection. Sally re-enacted with the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment for 19 years where she interpreted the role of a campfollower at encampments in Valley Forge, Williamsburg, Va., Monmouth, N.J. and Lexington and Concord, Mass. Sally is married to her college classmate, Thomas Hoey, otherwise known as "Mr. Sousa.”

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