March 12, 2026 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Around Town March 12

• They’re calling it Blue-tiful Blooms. Rare blue poppies are now on view at Longwood Gardens. The poppies are in full bloom in Longwood’s Main Conservatory. Rarely seen in the eastern US, these exceptional blooms are native to the Himalayan Mountain regions — but, with the expertise of our talented horticulturists who force these rare beauties to flower each March, and Longwood is one of the few places where you can experience such a unique event.

Former Eagles head coach DIck Vermeil and tight end Brent Celek will be honored by the Chester County History Center.

• On Friday, April 17, at 6 p.m., the Chester County History Center will host an exclusive award ceremony and fundraising dinner honoring Coach Dick Vermeil, the legendary NFL coach whose passionate leadership style revolutionized professional football, and Brent Celek, the former Philadelphia Eagles tight end whose grit and loyalty embodied the spirit of championship football for the Birds. Their achievements remind us that athletic success is not merely about individual talent, but about the values, support systems, and foundational experiences that communities like ours provide. Legendary voice of the Philadelphia Eagles, Merrill Reese will make the introductions. Tickets start at $175; get tickets here.

• The Grand is thrilled to announce that Tony Award Winner and Emmy & Grammy Nominee Kelli O’Hara will perform a program of American Songbook classics and modern Broadway favorites in Copeland Hall at The Grand on Friday, June 19, 2026. Kelli O’Hara has established herself as one of Broadway’s greatest leading ladies. The Tony Award winner, Emmy, SAG, and Grammy-nominated actress has appeared in twelve Broadway shows for which she has garnered eight Tony Award nominations. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.thegrandwilmington.org or by calling 302-652-5577.

The Doo Wop Project is coming to West Chester on March 28.

• America’s premier Doo Wop group, The Doo Wop Project, will bring their brand-new 90-minute show, Echoes of the Street, to West Chester University on Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, Philips Memorial Building, 700 S. High Street, West Chester. Tickets range in price from $26 – $36.50 at www.wcupatix.com/wculive or by phone at 610.436.2266.

• The Pennsylvania Game Commission will offer a free beginner’s archery program on April 8 from 4-6 p.m. at Oakbourne Park in Westtown Township. This activity is open to adults, teens, and children ages 8 and up, but the program is limited to Westtown residents due to limited capacity. Click here to register.

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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Chadds Ford in brief

Around Town, Headlines

It was a quick meeting for the Chadds Ford Township Board of Supervisors on Tuesday evening. Supervisors breezed through three items: a Calvary Chapel special events permit, an Open Space Plan update, and a resolution to have Keystone Collections collect the Business Privilege Tax.

• The special permit for Calvary was tabled until the workshop at the end of the month because of a slight mix-up. The township did not get the date discussed, and Calvary, in turn, did not get letters out to the neighboring property owners. According to township solicitor Mike Maddren, that should be resolved by the end of the month.

• In another issue, the board voted to send out a Request for Proposals to engage a professional planning firm to update the township’s Comprehensive Plan and its Open Space Plan.

Supervisor Samantha Reiner said, “The plans would be developed concurrently with coordinated public outreach while ensuring each plan independently satisfies the statutory requirements of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code…The updates are intended to reflect current conditions and demographics and address emerging issues such as climate resilience, infrastructure planning, and multimodal transportation.”

She added that the project would likely start in the third quarter of 2026.

• Lastly, the board voted to retain the services of Keystone Collections Group to collect the township’s Business Privilege Tax. The contract is for a period of three years with an automatic renewal unless otherwise terminated, Reiner said. Notices are to be sent out in May, and taxes are due by June 30.

About Rich Schwartzman

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New program for youth mental health

Health

New program for youth mental health

Chester County is one of six counties nationwide selected to pilot a new training program aimed at improving how law enforcement and community providers respond to youth experiencing mental health crises, county officials said.

The Crisis Intervention Team–Youth program, known as CIT‑Y, is an extension of the Crisis Intervention Team model and focuses on the growing number of young people with mental illness in the juvenile justice system. The training is sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness Keystone Pennsylvania.

The first CIT‑Y training in Chester County was held March 4–6 and brought together participants from more than 15 county departments, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations, officials said.

In a joint statement, the Chester County Board of Commissioners said the program provides law enforcement, first responders, and community providers with tools to respond to youth in crisis with compassion and effectiveness.

“Teaching effective and compassionate methods for handling the crisis needs of a young person offers a critical opportunity to make a difference in their lives,” the commissioners said. “We are honored to have been chosen by NAMI to be one of the pilot counties to implement CIT‑Y programs across the commonwealth, focusing on teens and youth.”

The CIT‑Y program is run by the Chester County Department of Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. It provides instruction on adolescent brain development, mental health symptoms in youth, and strategies for engagement and connection to appropriate services and supports, according to county officials.

Department of Human Services Director Pat Bokovitz said county staff have worked closely with NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania for several years and welcomed the opportunity to serve as a pilot county.

“Chester County is committed to ensuring that people with mental health issues are treated safely and with respect,” Bokovitz said. He also credited the work of Teyanna Brunson, the county’s Children’s Mental Health Clinical Services coordinator, in supporting the partnership.

County departments represented at the training included the Department of Drug and Alcohol Services, the Juvenile Probation Office and the Human Needs Network. Participating agencies also included NAMI Chester County PA, the Chester County ACEs Coalition, Community Care Behavioral Health, Chester County’s Teen Talk Line, the Child Guidance Resource Center, PA State Police, Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care, The Arc of Chester County, the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, the Trans‑Parent Support Group, JusticeWorks YouthCare and the Maternal and Child Health Consortium.

County officials said lessons learned from the pilot program could help inform future expansion of CIT‑Y training in Pennsylvania.