April 23, 2025 – ChaddsFordLive.com

Frances “Sue” Cassedy Hutton of West Chester

Frances “Sue” Cassedy Hutton, 100, of West Chester, died Thursday, April 17, at Chester County Hospital, one day short of her 101st birthday. She was the wife of the late Robert Earl Hutton, with whom she shared 60 years of marriage up until he died in 2006. Born at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., she was a daughter of the late Frances Justice Hannold Cassedy and the late James Alvin Cassedy.

Sue graduated from Nottingham High School in Syracuse, N.Y., and from the College of Home Economics of Cornell University in 1946. She married Robert Earl Hutton on June 29, 1946, at the South Presbyterian Church in Syracuse. Sue and Bob had two sons, Kenneth Robert Hutton and the late Thomas James Hutton. The family of four lived in Auburn, New York, Pottstown, Kennett Square, New Fairfield, Conn., and Somerset, Mass.

Sue and Bob traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe. In 2004, they moved to Kennett Square, temporarily, before becoming residents of Jenner’s Pond Retirement Community in West Grove, where they enjoyed becoming active in their new community.

During Sue’s earlier years, she was a volunteer with Red Cross blood drives at Cornell. After her sons were both in school, she resumed volunteering at Pottstown Hospital and then at Danbury, Connecticut Hospital, where she was also president of the Auxiliary. Sue also volunteered at Fall River’s Charlton Hospital, where she served for 30 years, including being president of its Auxiliary. In addition, she was a docent at the Rhode Island School of Design Art Museum in Providence, Rhode Island.

At Jenner’s Pond, she was a member of several committees. She enjoyed gardening, flower arranging, reading biographies, history and art books, visiting art and other museums, and attending plays, classical and pop music concerts. She enjoyed summers at Skaneateles Lake in New York.

Sue will be remembered for always sharing her appreciation of art and music.

In addition to her son, Ken Hutton and his wife, Jeanne, she is survived by two granddaughters, Christie Hutton Conn and Amy Hutton Spaziani (Charles); and three great-grandchildren, Cassedy, Tony, and Clara. She was predeceased by her husband and son, Thomas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Sue’s memory to the Cornell Library alumni.library.cornell.edu/give-library.

Arrangements are by Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. of Kennett Square. (484-734-8100). To view Sue’s online obituary and leave condolences for the family, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.

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Police Log April 23: Fatal crash, thefts

Police, Police Log

Pennsylvania State Police

Media Barracks

• State police are investigating the case of a fatal one-car crash in Chadds Ford Township early Easter morning. A 17-year-old woman from Brookhaven was killed when the car she was in crashed into a telephone pole at the intersection of Routes 1 and 202 at approximately 3:37 a.m. The driver, a 19-year-old man from Media, was taken to Paoli Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call the Pennsylvania State Police, Media station, at 484-840-1000.

• Two car dealerships, one in Chadds Ford, were ripped off in March when someone pretending to be from Jeff D’Ambrosia Volkswagen in Downingtown fraudulently ordered $982 worth of parts from Audi of West Chester in Chadds Ford. D’Ambrosia was charged with the order that included brakes, brake linings, and wires. Police are investigating the incident that was reported on March 12.

• A 31-year-old man from Wilmington was arrested for shoplifting at Wegmans on April 21. The suspect wasn’t identified in the report, but he is accused of stealing almost $59 worth of fruit, peanut butter, and beverages.

• Someone posing as an FBI agent ripped off Trail Creek Outfitters in Concord Township. According to the police report, the unknown suspect phoned the store and instructed the manager to buy $1,845 worth of gift cards and send them to him. Police investigating.

• Police said Larry A. Mutschler, 38, was cited for following too closely following a two-vehicle crash on Route 202 near Isaac Bullock Lane on March 5 shortly after 9:30 p.m. According to the police report, Mutschler was driving south on 202 when he struck the rear of another vehicle that was stopped at a light. The report also said Mutschlder left the scene, and that the investigation led to him being found driving under the influence of alcohol.

Kennett Square Police Department

• Police said Alexander Xoi-Pop, 19, of Kennett Square, was arrested and charged with strangulation, aggravated assault, and other related assault charges, following an altercation, during which he allegedly punched a female victim in the face, which caused her nose to bleed all over her shirt. During the investigation, officers observed markings on the female victim’s neck, which she stated were from an argument that occurred two days prior when Xoi-Pop had strangled her. The marks on her neck were consistent with someone grabbing her by the throat. Alexander Xoi-Pop was taken into custody and transported to Central Booking at Chester County Prison.

• On March 30, at approximately 9:23 a.m., borough police officers were dispatched for an erratic driver. The witness and reporting party stated that the suspected vehicle failed to remain within its lane boundaries on multiple occasions while traveling southbound on N. Union Street and made an illegal left-hand turn at a steady red light onto E. Cypress Street. Police made contact with the driver, who they identified as Jaclyn Carpenter, 36, of West Chester, in the 600 block of Millers Hill. Officers said they observed indicators suggesting intoxication, and field sobriety tests showed impairment. She was taken into custody for suspicion of DUI and submitted to a chemical test of her blood. Carpenter was processed and later released pending issuance of a summons.

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Spending money at UCF

School & Education

The Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board voted to spend almost a quarter of a million dollars on facility upgrades during the April 21 board meeting. Directors voted unanimously on four projects.

Board members voted to convert the high school auditorium’s house lights from dimmable 500-watt incandescent bulbs to dimmable 50-watt LED lamps.

Director Rashi Akki explained that the new lights are easy to care for.. Switching to the lower wattage, she said, will “reduce the load on electricity, but it will also reduce the load on replacement. The [new] lights will have a much better lifetime. This is a really good move for us.”

An estimated 80-85 percent of the current bulbs are burned out. Changing them can be precarious because they are 40 feet up.

The cost is $64,098; $40,398 for the bulbs and $23,700 to have them installed.

Directors also voted to spend $24,956 to replace the electronic control gas system at the bus garage. Again, the cost is two parts: equipment and labor. The equipment cost is $12,106, and another $12,850 is to have the equipment installed, tested, and certified.

Akki said the current system is already broken, so the district has been dealing with a workaround solution. The work will take a few months, so now is the time to get what’s needed to be ready for the next school year.

All-day kindergarten, which is to start next school year, is going to cost. But Akki said the bids for the new furnishings have come in below the $35,000 budgeted for each of the four elementary schools.

The total cost is $102,141. The breakdown per school is $23,940 for Chadds Ford Elementary, $29,555.22 for Hillendale, $17,820.51 for Pocopson, and $30,825.60 for Unionville.

Pocopson and Unionville Elementary Schools will be getting an upgrade to their water fountain/hydration stations at a cost of $39,226 total. Akki said the current systems are 20 years old, and the newer filters are smaller and have lights to indicate when the filters should be changed. “They will also help reduce both the lead and the PFAS.”

PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, synthetic chemicals that can contaminate drinking water

The work will be done in-house to save costs, Akki said.

At the end of her facilities report, Akki said there has been a lot of discussion on choosing an architect for the middle school project. She said Director of Facilities James Whitesel has a team pulling together all the architects from whom the district will be soliciting bids.

“I think we’re making really good progress on that,” she said.

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