Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 151, No. 1
INSIDE
60 Cents
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Oxford Borough trims funding for fire, EMS services By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
Oxford Borough Council decided to trim the funding for fire, ambulance, and EMS services as it was finalizing the budget for 2017. By a vote of 5-0 at its last Looking ahead to a big year of art at the meeting of 2016, council Brandywine...1B decided to provide $50,000 in funding to Union Fire Company No. 1 of Oxford, a slight year-to-year decrease, and less than the $55,000 that had been requested by fire company officials for 2017.
After some more discussion, council members decided to fund the ambulance division at $10,000. There had been a request for a significant increase in funding—to $22,000— for the upcoming year because of an increase in call volume. Oxford Borough provided more than $12,000 to the ambulance division for 2016, so the 2017 figure is a slight decrease as well. There is a formula that is used to calculate the level of funding that is requested. That formula includes the
Avon Grove falls to Pope John Paul II by five points...6A
municipality’s population, assessed property values, and the number of emergency calls. Oxford Borough manager Brian Hoover explained that the borough doesn’t have to rely on the formula, which would often result in yearto-year increases, but can decide on a set amount of funding for each budget. With limited revenue increases, balancing the annual spending plans is a challenge for Oxford Borough officials. They approved a budget for 2017 with no tax increase—the second time in three years that that has happened. But balancing the budget requires a number of difficult budgetary decisions. Oxford Borough officials talked about how the number of calls in the borough is higher than the neighboring municipalities. A significant number of calls in the borough come from the Ware Presbyterian Village.
Residents young and old welcome the new year in Kennett Square
Continued on Page 2A
The Southern Chester County EMS Medic 94.
Mark your calendar for June 18
Clover Market to set up shop in Kennett Square By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Sharon Little slates Kennett Flash show...5B
INDEX Police Blotter...............5A Opinion........................7A Calendar of Events......2B Obituaries....................3B
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Classifieds..................6B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Founded in 2010, the Clover Market is a seasonal, open-air market featuring a rotating lineup of more than 100 vendors offering antiques and collectibles, vintage jewelry and clothing, handmade items and original art, gourmet food trucks, free children's crafts and live music. And beginning on June 18, the market is coming to Kennett Square. Over the past six years, with shows in walkable communities such as Bryn Mawr, Chestnut Hill and Collingswood, N.J., the market has revolutionized the “all-in-one-basket”
approach to outdoor shopping, and regularly attracts thousands of visitors. The goal is simple: To provide opportunities for independent and local artisans and dealers to connect with customers and with each other. Because the market is located near main street shopping locations, it’s a natural link to the many businesses that are often just down the street. Just how the Clover Market in Kennett Square came to be was a case of great minds thinking the same ideas at the same time in different places. For several years, Clover Market founder Janet Long and her market manager, Pat Norton, had been looking at
Kennett Square as a potential future destination. The buzz was also coming from a local source. “I was initially approached about Kennett Square by Tara Dugan, the owner of Scout + Annie and worKS,” said Long, who knew Dugan from past shows at Clover markets. “Tara also sits on the board at Historic Kennett Square, so she was able to connect me to her colleagues there to explore the idea. “Since I live on the Main Line, I was aware of Kennett Square through social media, and a number of my vendors who live in the area tell me about the great things happening Continued on Page 2A
Thousands of people celebrated the arrival of 2017 in Kennett Square.
By John Chambless Staff Writer In an event that gets bigger every year, thousands of people turned out to welcome the new year in downtown Kennett Square during “Midnight in the Square.” Continued on Page 4A
Eight players and one coach heading into the Kennett Old Timers Baseball Hall of Fame By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Baseball has a long and rich history in Chester County, and each year the Kennett Old Timers Baseball Association honors those local players who have shined on the baseball diamond by inducting a new class into its Hall of Fame. This year’s group of inductees includes Mike Burton, Patrick Doran, Larry Lark, Clint Rector, Tim Rector, Ken Simon, Tim Sipes, and Kevin Sprague. George Starr is being honored with a Special Recognition Award for Community Coaching and Administration. The new class of inductees will officially join the 272 current members of the Kennett Old Timers Baseball Hall of Fame at the 37th induction ceremony at the Red Clay
Guest speaker Chris Wheeler
Room in Kennett Square on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. Starr is well known in the local community after serving as a math teacher in Kennett High School from 1955 to 1986. He grew up playing baseball at Branch Township High School. He was a pitcher, and also played the infield and the out-
George Starr
field. In 1946, he played against Curt Simmons in the American Legion State Championship game. Simmons would go on to have an outstanding career in the major leagues as a starting pitcher. While he was a teacher at Kennett, Starr coached the baseball team from 1955 through 1969, and guided the team to a league cham-
Mike Burton
pionship in 1963. This year’s group of inductees would make a fine team for any manager to fill out a lineup card with, excelling at all facets of the game. Mike Burton was an accomplished player who enjoyed success on local baseball diamonds and in college. Burton grew up Continued on Page 3A
No Uncle Irvin this week Uncle Irvin is hibernating. His column will resume early in 2017.