Chadds Ford Township Archives - Page 3 of 3

Frank Murphy, one of the three Unionville-Chadds Ford School District directors from Region C, is leaving the board effective June 17. His departure coincides with his running for Chadds Ford Township supervisor.

He announced his resignation during the April 15 meeting and said later that he will not be voting on the budget for the next school year. The budget vote is the night of June 17, but his last meeting would be the work session the week before, he said.

According to Murphy, he accomplished what he intended to do when he first ran for the school board.

“When I ran for the board originally, it was because I was concerned about the high school renovation project and the financial decisions. The project is finished and under budget. There are no problems,” he said. “I only played a small part, but I completed what I wanted to do. I think it’s a good time to step aside.”

By stepping down in June, the board can interview candidates for a temporary appointment, he said, adding that leaving in June would be in the best interest of the board.

Murphy first got on the board in a special election to replace Ed Wandersee, who moved out of the district. He then ran again two years ago for a regular term.

He is running unopposed in the May primary to be the Republican Party candidate for Chadds Ford Township supervisor. He already planned to leave the board before the current term expired if he won the general election in November.

(He will likely be facing Rhona Klein in the general election. Klein is running unopposed in the Democratic Party primary.)

Murphy is a former township commissioner from Aston and said he’s always been interested in land development issues.

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.

Mystery monument hiding in Chadds Ford

Local News

There is mystery surrounding a 46-year-old monument in Chadds Ford that’s dedicated to the Delaware County servicemen who fought in Vietnam. The monument, a cannon on a pedestal, sits on private property along Route 202 across from Hillman Drive near a former Sovereign Bank branch building.

No one seems to recall the circumstances of the dedication, who commissioned the structure or who attended the dedication ceremony. No one seems to know what, if anything, will happen to it. Even the property owner where the monument is located was unaware of the monument until earlier this month.

The monument, with its stone pedestal in need of repair, isn’t visible from the road because it’s blocked by brush. Steve Quigley, of Concord Towing, knew of the cannon, but forgot about it until he came across the monument while he and his son were unloading some equipment two years ago.

“I saw the top of the cannon, and we trampled the weeds down…The thing was set there to honor the men from Delaware County who fought in the Vietnam War. It’s a memorial, and this isn’t the way we treat memorials,” Quigley said. “Nobody goes over there on Memorial Day to put flowers or a flag up. Everybody just ignores the thing.”

Quigley said he’s been in touch with Chadds Ford Township Manager Joe Barakat and with state Rep. Steve Barrar, R-160, of Boothwyn, to see whether the monument could be moved to a more public location where there would be better upkeep and maintenance.

Barrar was unavailable for comment, but Barakat confirmed talking to Quigley, saying the township can’t initiate anything because it’s a private property issue.

The property belongs to members of the Hineman family. Ron Hineman, of Delaware County Supply, said he didn’t even know the monument existed until reporters contacted him last week. He said he would discuss the matter with other members of the family before making any decision about moving the monument. Hineman did not respond to follow up phone calls this week.

The piece of property is a possible entry point into a parcel in Concord Township that may become a Wegman’s Market.

Many long-time residents of Chadds Ford have said they have a vague recollection of the monument, but have no recall of its original dedication on Nov. 11, 1966.

Chadds Ford Supervisor George Thorpe moved into the township in 1975 and said he knew only of the monument because he saw it while removing illegal signs one day.

On the pedestal is a plaque with a partial quote from Wendell Willkie, the 1940 Republican presidential candidate: “Freedom is an indivisible word. If we want to enjoy it, and fight for it, we must be prepared to extend it to everyone, whether they are rich or poor, whether they agree with us or not…”

The remainder of the quote reads: “…no matter what their race or the color of their skin.”