March 25, 2026 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Walk for Paws set for April 25

img_8779-1740238003 — Walk for pets coming April 2.

The Brandywine Valley SPCA will hold its annual Walk for Paws fundraiser Saturday, April 25, at West Goshen Community Park, bringing together pet owners and supporters for the organization’s largest community fundraising event.

Now in its more than 30th year, Walk for Paws features a variety of activities for families and dogs, including a 5K color run, a 1K walk, a dog lure course, a pet costume contest, yoga with puppies, yard games, inflatables, live music, and adoptable animals.

Dogs are welcome to participate in many of the activities, including the 5K run, 1K walk, and lure course.

This year’s special guest is Eddie of Eddie N’ Chooch, a local influencer known for sharing the stories of his rescue dogs, Chooch and Cici. Eddie and his team will take part in the walk in remembrance of Chooch, who died last May.

Fox 29 News anchor and reporter Dawn Timmeney will return for a second year as emcee. Eddie and Timmeney will lead the 1K walk around the park and serve as judges for the pet costume contest.

Participants are encouraged to register in advance and begin online fundraising to support the more than 70 animals the Brandywine Valley SPCA assists each day. Registrants may join Eddie’s team, Timmeney’s team, form their own team, or register as individuals.

Pre‑registered participants are eligible to receive a Walk for Paws T‑shirt. More information and registration details are available at WalkforPaws.com.

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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Pennsbury ZHB grants variance

Local News, Local News Pennsbury

pennsbury_township_sharpened_1200w — Pennsbury ZHB grants variance

It was a brief zoning hearing, but Pennsbury Township’s Zoning Hearing Board granted the variance that David and Lisa MacMain requested. The hearing lasted no more than 20 minutes.

The MacMains live at 357 Chandler Road, at the corner of Chandler and Pocopson roads, and is designated a Class 2 Historic Resource in the R-1 Zoning District. The family wants to convert and slightly enlarge their garage — currently used only for storage, according to David MacMain — into general living space.

“It’s just some additional living space,” David MacMain said. “We find ourselves on that side of the house a lot, which is where the kitchen is and where we drink our coffee.”

Township code requires a 50-foot side yard setback, but the work would require encroaching into that 50-foot space. However, according to attorney Ryan Jennings, the encroachment would be de minimis, by no more than 10 feet. In fact, he said later, the encroachment would likely be no more than three or four feet. Also, that encroachment only involves one corner of the garage’s area on the east side of the house.

David MacMain explained the project to supervisors during the March 18 Board of Supervisors meeting, which was also attended by members of both the Planning Commission and the Historic Commission. Both of those groups — through members Kay Ellsworth and Judy Wilson, respectively — told the supervisors that they support the request, and both commissions provided letters of approval for the project. The supervisors followed suit by saying they support it as well.

About the only point of concern was exactly how much space was needed. At the end, ZHB solicitor Ed Foley used a four-foot maximum encroachment as one of the conditions for approval.

The request passed unanimously, 3-0.

About Rich Schwartzman

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Police Log March 25: Thefts, PFA violation

Police, Police Log

Pennsylvania State Police

Media Barracks

• Lululemon in Concord Township was robbed again on March 17. No suspects were mentioned in the report, but the perpetrator(s) allegedly got away with $1.652 worth of clothing.

• Ross B. Waetzman, 55, of Garnet Valley, was cited for sideswiping a pedestrian. Waetzman reportedly fled the scene, continuing south on Naaman’s Creek Road.

• A 35-year-old man from Garnet Valley was arrested for shoplifting at Wegmans on Feb. 20. The arrestee was not named in the report, but he reportedly stole $282 worth of merchandise. He was apprehended in the parking lot.

• Police said Benjamin Freeman was arrested for violating a PFA, protection from abuse. According to the police report, Freeman used an online advertisement to have a third party transport the 81-year-old female victim from Chadds Ford to a fake court hearing using a false subpoena. The third party was unaware of the PFA and was released, but Freeman was later contacted, arrested, and committed to the Delaware County Prison

Avondale Barracks

Gabrielle Poteat, 27, of Wilmington, was arrested for DUI with drugs on view following a traffic stop in Pennsbury Township on Feb. 3. No reason for the traffic stop was given in the report, but Poteat was arrested for DUI. The incident happened at Route 1 and Fairville Road at 1:40 a.m.

Kennett Square Police Department

• Police said Santos Doaz-Vazquez was in custody after failing to show up for a preliminary hearing on June 14, 2023. On April 5, 2023, at approximately 7:05 p.m., police were requested by the Kennett Township Police Department to assist with a traffic stop in the area of the 700 block of West Cypress Street in the borough. The traffic stop was initiated for a vehicle traveling West on West Cypress Street, which is a one-way roadway, eastbound. KTPD advised that when they originally made contact with the operator of the vehicle, later identified as Santos Diaz-Vazquez, an open container of beer was observed in the vehicle. Kennett Square police conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, which was completed and failed. Subsequently, Diaz-Vazquez was taken into custody by KSPD for suspicion of DUI. A chemical test of his breath was completed with a result of 0.194 percent blood alcohol level. He was processed and released at his residence in Avondale. Charges were filed at District Court 15-3-04.

• An arrest warrant was issued for Harley Kevin Busse on March 17. On Dec. 22, 2025, at approximately 4:03 p.m., police were dispatched to a business in the 600 block of W. Cypress Street for a report of fraudulent checks totaling approximately $10,000 attempting to be cashed at two different financial institutions in Florida. Upon further investigation and the issuance of search warrants to the financial institutions, police identified Busse, 51, of Tampa, Fla, in the video surveillance footage attempting to cash both fraudulent checks.

About Rich Schwartzman

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