Chester County Press 02-15-2023 Edition

Kennett School Board gets a first look at next year’s budget

By Chris Barber

Contributing Writer

The Kennett School Board members got a first look at the 2023-24 preliminary budget at its meeting on Monday. They were pleased to report that, as it is projected now, the tax increase for property owners will probably be less than 1 percent.

Next year’s budget was prepared by CFO Mark Tracy and presented by treasurer and board member Mike Finnegan.

The future total operating budget as shown this month is $98.1 million, with $76 million to be paid by local taxes and $22.1 million coming from state and local taxes. The increase in the bill for property owners in the district is anticipated to be .93 percent over the current year. The rate of taxation for the district is estimated to be 32.7372 mills, and the average property owner will at this rate pay $55 more than last year. An average taxpayer who last year paid $5,914 at that

rate will pay $5,969 this year. A mill is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

There is still time to find additional revenues or cost savings.

“That’s the good news,” Finnegan said, adding that significant real estate growth in the district has contributed $1.4 million to the overall assessment, keeping the need for an increase lower.

The presentation of the preliminary budget in

Kennett Square Borough honors Police Officer of the Year, Employee of the Year

Kennett Square Borough recognized its 2022 Employee of the Year and the 2022 Police Officer of the Year during a ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Steven “Monk” Melton was named the Employee of the Year. He was appointed as the foreman in the borough’s Public Works Department in 2022, and his performance in that role earned him the honor of Employee of the Year.

Jeremiah “JD” Boyer was named Police Officer of the Year because of his dedication, hard work and continuous efforts in his role as the department’s School Resource Officer at Kennett High School.

Boyer was a unanimous selection for the Police Officer of the Year honor.

Kennett Square Police Chief Bill Holdsworth also issued merit, life-saving, and appreciation certificates to police personnel for actions they took in various incidents throughout 2022.

February is only the first public presentation of the spending plan. The final approval does not come until June, Finnegan said.

Between now and the final vote, the district will be receiving information about the state education budget and what the effect

Community stakeholders

on school funding a current lawsuit that questions the fairness of distribution of state funds will have.

To date, $156,000 distributed to

area initiatives

Square Roots Collective develops community initiative

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

From its beginning, the primary work of Square Roots Collective has been

to be a weaver of threads.

As defined, its mission is to advance the community of Kennett Square so that all residents can thrive.

As applied, it incorporates

solutions to the pressing needs of the community it serves, through municipal services, infrastructure, trails and transportation, and the on-going issue of

Hoop dreams

By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer

Jordyn Palmer’s goal is to be a professional basketball player. She’s already playing varsity and getting scholarship offers as an eighth-grader, and she’s working to make her dreams come true joined the YMCA League in Jennersville, which further encouraged her interest in basketball. Then at the age of seven she joined the travel team.”

Jordyn Palmer decided at the young age of two that she wanted to be a professional basketball player.

Her father, Jermaine Palmer, was coaching basketball at the time and, like many children of coaches, she went with him a lot.

“Jordyn was almost three when I started coaching a Chester County Storm AAU basketball team,”

Jermaine Palmer said.

“She traveled with me and watched the kids I coached. Eventually she

The AAU basketball group is focused on developing youth boys and girls from 4th-11th grade in Pennsylvania’s Chester and Delaware counties, Maryland and Northern Delaware. They take pride in building player skills so they can better serve their school teams in the regular season, compete in AAU National Tournaments, and advance to the next level of competition. They

also support many young people through various mentoring programs.

Jermaine Palmer continued to coach while maintaining a job at Omega Flex, a manufacturer of corrugated flexible metal hose and braid products for the processing industries and other specialties applications.

Coaching and playing sports also requires the buy-in of the entire family.Weekends are spent traveling, and require money for hotels, meals, and paying a fee to the team, not to mention all of

equality and justice, using the fabric of placemaking, economic opportunity and collaboration.

Now, under a paradigm developed in August

of 2021, Square Roots Collective has created the Square Roots Community Initiative (SRCI), a taxexempt program that

Continued on page 4A

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Members of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce (SCCCC) gathered last week at the Technical College High School’s Pennock’s Bridge campus in West Grove, to pose for the cover of Connections, the SCCCC’s official publication, which will be published in late March. To learn more about the organization, visit www.scccc.com.

We’ll take several shots. In the past few years we have been able to reduce it,” Finnegan said. He showed a pie chart that demonstrated the biggest expense from the budget is in salaries and benefits, accounting for $60.5 million. Other major expenses are professional services, purchased services, supplies, equipment and debt. Another expense that rises every year is retirement investment for staff, which this year is 34 percent of salary but is anticipated to

increase to 38.35 percent by 2030-31.

Tracy also provided a video presentation showing what the coming New Garden Elementary School will look like both inside and out. The district has approved replacing both New Garden and Greenwood elementary schools with projects that will culminate in openings in Sept. 2026.

The planned New Garden Elementary School will have a two-story classroom area attached by ramps to an activity area that includes a library, gym, auditorium, offices, nurse’s unit and cafeteria, accord-

ing to his report. There will be increased area for parental student drop-off and bus lanes separate from car traffic.

The total cost of the twoschool project is estimated to be $110 million.

Tracy also reported that meetings will take place later this month with the New Garden supervisors and the New Garden Planning Commission.

There will be a public meeting for the New Garden PTO on Feb. 23.

A similar presentation for Greenwood Elementary School is coming in the near future.

In other business, Tracy

Jordyn Palmer...

Continued from Page 1A

the equipment required to play a sport.

It does make it easier when everyone likes basketball, which is true of the Palmer family. Jermaine explained that his mother played basketball. It does help when the grandparents have a love for the game, as well.

At 14, Jordyn stands 6-feet-1-inch, so she certainly has the height for the sport. And schools and colleges have taken notice of her.

The young athlete got a full scholarship from Westtown School in West Chester. Last season, at the age of 13, she played five grades up at the varsity level. She has four more years at Westtown. So basketball has already brought her to a great education.

Westtown’s mission statement is that the school believes it’s never too early to start the process of questioning and discovery, so Westtown students explore the answers to these questions from pre-K to twelfth grade through academic programs that are themselves grounded in inquiry, exploration, and Quaker values. They foster a culture of reflection and self-discovery in which students can ignite the unique spark that illuminates their passion and purpose.

Jermaine said that his daughter has already started to receive scholarship offers from the likes of Penn State, the University of Miami, the University of Louisville, and Rutgers

just to name a few.

“It is hard to believe they are offering scholarships to my 8th grade daughter,” he said. “Westtown has given her a great foundation in her education. She will be prepared to go on to college.”

This coming season Jordyn will be playing for Philly Rise, which is out of New Jersey. She will be playing in Virginia, Illinois, Texas and Florida. The planning has already started, and they are already putting up money for hotels.

Jermaine will be coaching varsity for the Chester County Storm, but he will also be following Jordyn and another daughter is starting basketball. He will be busy traveling with both children.

And what does Jordyn think of all of this?

“It has been an opportunity to grow and expand my horizons. Being a professional basketball player has been my dream for a long time. Basketball, family and school is what I focus on,” she said. “I see myself as a professional basketball player.” Her dad realizes what this journey has already done for her.

“It teaches her to work with a team. It teaches her integrity and how to work on her craft to be the best. It has taught her a tremendous work ethic,” he said.

Jermaine is excited for his daughter’s future, and he has another daughter and son who will follow in her footsteps.

“It has been a great opportunity for her,” he said. “She started at a young age. She is a good kid and we are blessed. Westtown has been a great prep school. When she goes to college she will know what to expect. She has always been a hard worker.”

As for Jordyn, she said, “I’m grateful for everything. I don’t know what my life would be like without basketball.”

Courtesy photo Westtown School basketball player Jordyn Palmer knew at a young age that she wanted to be a professional basketball player. Now 14, she’s working hard to make that goal a reality.

Meeting presentation illustration

Breslin Architects provided sketches of the future New Garden Elementary School, which KCSD CFO Mark Tracy used in his video presentation at the school board meeting on Monday.

reported that the district is ready to sell a 7-acre plot of land that sits on the edge of

the Kennett Middle School property. It used to be a farm, but it is now deserted

and in partial dilapidation. The board still has to determine the details of the sale.

Avon Grove administrators present at Keystone State Literacy Association Conference

EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

Continued from Page 1A

Borough officials thanked the award recipients for their professionalism and dedication to the Kennett Square community.

Dinniman raises $112,000 to champion diversity initiatives

Andrew E. Dinniman, the former State Senator and County Commissioner, continues to work to improve the Chester County community.

He recently surpassed his goal of raising $100,000 to create the Dinniman Together Fund: Diversity Inclusion & Equity Endowment at West Chester University. A total of approximately $112,000 has been raised so far.

The focus of the fund is to promote diversity and equity through a renewed emphasis on our common humanity. This announcement coincided with the anniversary of the final public speech of Frederick Douglass, which was held on the campus of West Chester State Normal School on February 1, 1895. More than a century later, the Dinniman Together Fund will continue the conversation by providing resources to support an annual gathering where the research and teaching knowledge of WCU faculty, past and present, may be shared with the greater Chester County community.

At West Chester University, Dinniman received the President’s Medallion for Service in 2015 and was named emeritus director of the Center for International

As a result of the measurable literacy growth of learners throughout the district during the COVID19 pandemic, Avon Grove School District (AGSD) literacy leaders were selected to present at the Keystone State Literacy Conference (KSLA), held recently at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.

The theme for the 2022 conference was “Literacy Lessons,” which provided the opportunity for AGSD’s Kristin Bulgarelli, Kim Hall, Kelly Harrison and Patti Schmaltz to showcase the lessons learned and results achieved throughout their literacy initiative. The district consistently works to ensure that literacy is the foundation for all learning. In fact, the theme of “Illuminating Literacy” has been a staple for AGSD for several years. The literacy theme became more strategic in the 2021-2022 school year, as the need to address learning loss grew apparent after the pandemic. At Penn London Elementary School and Avon Grove Intermediate School, the district made efforts to provide professional development to teachers, which improved instructional practices.

Bulgarelli and Janine Presloid, a literacy consultant from the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU), teamed up to provide a presentation titled, “Differentiating Professional Development: Make a Difference When Developing Readers” at the conference. Their session demonstrated how the CCIU and AGSD partnered to support teachers in grades 3-4 by using data to plan for and deliver intentional, flexible, smallgroup instruction framed through the science of reading.

Hall, Harrison and Schmaltz provided a one-hour overview of the systematic process used in a large K-2 building to provide differentiated professional learning opportunities for English Language Arts (ELA) teachers. The collaborative approach increased reading scores and created significant

improvements in reading classrooms throughout the school.

The Keystone State Literacy Association annual conference is an exciting opportunity for professional development, networking and sourcing materials for classroom use. The conference con-

sists of a broad audience, including classroom teachers, reading specialists, curriculum specialists, administrators and other educators.

To learn more about the Keystone State Literacy Association Conference, visit: https://ksla.wildapricot.org/Conference.

Programs and Educational Development in 2021. During his time there, he taught undergraduate courses including African American History, Racial and Ethnic Understanding, and Global Studies, as well as graduate courses in public policy. He has served as director of both the Ethnic Studies Institute and the Center for International Programs. In October of 2022, the West Chester Area Chamber of Commerce presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Janine Presloid and Kristin Bulgarelli presented “Differentiating Professional Development: Make a Difference When Developing Readers.”

Courtesy photos

Avon Grove’s literacy leaders at the KSLA conference (left to right) are Kelly Harrison, Kristin Bulgarelli, Patti Schmaltz and Kim Hall.

Courtesy photo

Former State Sen. Andrew E. Dinniman delivered the third annual Dr. Clifford E. DeBaptiste Frederick Douglass Institute Lecture titled, “The Life and Legacy of Frederick Douglass in the America of 2022.”

Square Roots Collective...

Continued from Page 1A

funnels the income from The Creamery of Kennett Square and at least two future venues – all nonprofit organizations -- into the vital fabric of Kennett Square.

“The idea of the initiative is to create sustainable community benefits through for-profit entities and have those profits help to fund non-profit initiatives,” said Luke Zubrod, Square Roots Collective’s chief of staff, who serves on SRCI’s board with SRC’s Finance Associate Stephanie Almanza. “Wherever there is an existing or emerging partnership that advances the common good tends to be where we look to place funds.”

The work of the SRCI is already underway. Eight local agencies have so far become beneficiaries of $156,000 in total funding disbursed in 2022:

• Borough of Kennett Square: $48,000

• Kennett Trails Alliance:

$25,000

• Voices Underground:

$25,000

• United Way of Southern Chester County: $20,000

• Brandywine Red Clay

Alliance: $20,000

• Lincoln University

Foundation of

Pennsylvania: $10,000

• Good Samaritan

Services: $5,000

• Kennett Collaborative: $3,000

While The Creamery now serves as SRCI’s sole

income generator, the profits of two venues, once completed, will be folded within the initiative.

The Star & Lantern, a cocktail bar for which construction was paused due to structural deficiencies with the historic property, will open in the Creamery’s boiler room and represent the work of the Voices Underground project, a SRC partnership with Lincoln University and Longwood Gardens that promotes the history of The Underground Railroad as part of a larger mission of promoting racial healing through storytelling.

“The entire theme of this concept, from the art on the wall to the names of the cocktails to the stories on the menus, is to encourage curiosity around the history of The Underground Railroad,” said SRC founder Mike Bontrager in a 2021 interview.

Another of SRCI’s income source will be the Birch Street Inn, now in

the design stage, which will eventually open as a 14-room boutique hotel and restaurant.

On Feb. 8, Zubrod was joined by Greg Thompson, the co-executive director of Voices Underground, at a presentation before the Kennett Borough Council about the economic, historic and community benefits of The Star & Lantern and the SRCI. In response, the Council has lent their support to the continued restoration of the Creamery and Star & Lantern and is encouraging the commonwealth to provide grant funding from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.

“The Borough is thrilled to support this project, recognizing the substantial benefits to residents of the Borough by creating a robust engine for local economic growth and a true community anchor for continued Borough of Kennett Square collaborations and cultural pursuits,” wrote

Borough Council President Doug Doerfler in a Feb. 8 letter to Steve Heuer, director of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of the Budget Bureau of Revenue, Capital and Debt. “We applaud SRC for spearheading this impactful redevelopment project and for working in close collaboration with local stakeholders.

“It is our hope that the associated RACP request will be carefully considered and ultimately approved for this important project.”

“The community has cause to be excited about the work on Birch Street, because it is fundamentally a project for their benefit,” Zubrod said. “When people visit The Creamery to enjoy a beer alongside their neighbors, the profits help fund a trail and address numerous other needs within our community.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Photos by Richard L. Gaw

The Star & Lantern, a cocktail bar currently under construction at The Creamery of Kennett Square, is part of an initiative by Square Roots Collective that, once completed, will funnel income from the venue into local agencies in the Kennett Square community.

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KACS to hold 12th annual Empty Bowls event on Feb. 24

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

in February of 2020, she told the audience that 550 community households were using the services of the KACS Food Cupboard every month.

When Reynolds speaks to the audience who attends KACS’ 12th annual Empty Bowls event on Feb. 24, she will inform them that

550 has grown to 748, and shows very little signs that it will ever decrease.

Sharp against these alarming statistics and in the growing reality that reports a surge in homelessness in Chester County, the importance of the agency’s largest fundraiser is not lost on Reynolds.

“The Empty Bowls concept is the best metaphorical way to teach the community that we have hunger here – that we have food insecurity here – that there are families that go to sleep without food,” she said. “It's a metaphor for a conversation that is often hidden and quiet.”

Hosted by St. Michael Lutheran Church in Unionville, the proceeds from the event will go directly to help fund several components of KACS’ mission that includes providing healthy and nutritious food to over 2,000 individuals a month, and providing case management services from the agency’s Emergency Assistance team.

Founded in 1990 by Michigan art teachers Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom, Empty Bowls – now an internationallyknown fundraiser – not only assists food-related charities around the world,

it allows wood turners, glassblowers, fiber artists, metal smiths, painters, sculptors and volunteers to create distinctive bowls for the event. In preparation for the upcoming event, 350 bowls are being made by ceramics students in the Kennett and Unionville-Chadds Ford school districts, pottery students from the Kennett Area YMCA, and 50 bowls by volunteer artisans at Centered Clay Studio in Kennett Square, who are contributing clay bowls.

While the lunch session is sold out, limited seating remains for in-person dinner that begins at 6 p.m. and includes a light meal of soup, salad, bread, dessert and a handmade bowl. For those participants looking to grab-and-go, they can order take-out meals for pick-up between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., and will also include a handmade bowl.

With a sponsorship goal of $70,000, KACS is also seeking additional supporters at several sponsorship levels ranging from $250 to $5,000.

While the proceeds from this year’s Empty Bowls will allow KACS to help

pay for crucial services for the immediate future, it will be a welcome but small dent in the rising costs needed for the agency to support an underserved and often neglected community whose numbers show no signs of reversing.

In its last fiscal year from Oct. 2021 to Oct. 2022, KACS provided crisis support, housing and access to food for 1,648 households – nearly 5,000 individuals – throughout southern Chester County.

Several factors are contributing to the surge in the community’s need for KACS’ services: the continuingly adverse affects of a pandemic; severe weather incidents that have devastated homes and apartments and left residents homeless; the rising cost of living; and the fluctuating, post-COVID-19 economy that continues to affect the job market.

The annual event, Reynolds said, is a forum that illuminates the truth of what has become a crisis.

“When we have Empty Bowls, we drive this reality forward through these facts, and also use art to help tell the story as well,”

she said. “We have had years of social groups and school districts become a part of something that is important, because everyone can relate to being hungry, to the feeling of what happens when one’s stomach growls.

“This event wakes up people’s humanity, and while it informs attendees about the issue of food insecurity, it also allows us to celebrate this greater community that comes together that makes the bowls, becomes a sponsor and attends the event. This is the ripple effect of a conversation that needs to become louder and one that more people need to hear.”

Tickets for KACS’ Empty Bowls event are $35 per person. For more information and to obtain tickets, contact 610-9253356, x. 123, email kecia@ KACSimpact.org, or visit www.kacsimpact.org.

St. Michael Lutheran Church is located at 109 East Doe Road, Unionville, Pa. 19375.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Photos by Richard L. Gaw

Rep. Christina Sappey joined a group of volunteers from Kennett Area Community Service and Centered Clay Studio in Kennett Square on Feb. 10 to create clay bowls that will be distributed at the agency's 12th annual Empty Bowls event on Feb. 24.

Kecia Crowl of Kennett Area Community Service lends her creativity to the cause.

On the evening of September 26, 2022, Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) executive director Leah Reynolds met before the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors. She came with a seven-page PowerPoint presentation, telling statistics and a fair request.

The agency’s resume was thick with progress:

In 2022, as southern Chester County’s only agency of its kind, KACS provided housing and crisis support, food and a path forward for 1,648 households and 4,601 individuals who live in the Oxford Area School District, the Avon Grove School District, the Kennett Consolidated School District and the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.

Reynolds provided the New Garden board with a general overview of the agency and the myriad of services it provides to both the underserved and unserved of southern Chester County: its Food Cupboard, its Emergency Assistance programs and its Bridges Out of Poverty workshops, that help

More and more dots

those in poverty to build their resources for a more prosperous life for their families and themselves.

During her presentation, Reynolds told the board that KACS provides food, emergency assistance and crisis services to over 5,000 residents of New Garden Township which as of the 2020 Census, had a population of just over 11,000. The numbers – at the time of the presentation and even now – are shocking, indicating that just under half of those who live in the township require KACS’ services to be able to eat and be housed in adequate shelter in the event of emergency.

She told the board that the agency provides financial assistance for rent, utility bills, and other basic living expenses to prevent homelessness, eviction, or utility shut-off for families in need.

At the conclusion of her presentation, Reynolds requested to the board that KACS become an annual line item in the New Garden Township budget and annually receive $25,000 from the township it serves.

Reynolds’ request was denied. In a township that continues to be flush with cash as a result of the $29.5

million sale of its wastewater system, its board turned its back on over 5,000 people who live in the same municipality as they do, who were voted into office to serve all of the people who live there.

On the evening of October 19, 2022, Reynolds conducted a similar presentation before the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors. During 2022, KACS provided food, emergency assistance and crisis services to nearly 500 residents in the township. Again, she requested that a $25,000 annual line item be created by the township that would be directed to the agency.

After donating $5,000 to KACS the year before, the township voted in favor of reducing their contribution to zero. In the richest municipality in Pennsylvania, not one dime went to the agency.

These are just two examples of a brazen and blind neglect being demonstrated by local municipalities toward KACS, and the deafening silence of their non action has never been more reverberating than now. In the last two years – due in large part to COVID-19,

large-impact weather-related events, inflation and an economic downturn – KACS has seen a 40 percent increase in the number of families who request the agency’s services.

In the days and weeks following the devastation of Hurricane Ida in September of 2021, KACS dipped deeply into its budget to pay for hotel stays for those whose dwellings were severely flooded at the Avondale Apartments.

Hard against this reality, nearly all of KACS’ $2.9 million budget revenue comes from donations from individuals, businesses, sponsorships and faith-based organizations; grants; fundraising events; and Chester County government.

In marked contrast, perhaps the most inspiring sight in southern Chester County currently visible –one that best imagines a new tomorrow for its many communities, families, students and schools – is the emerging structure that will be known as the Kennett Library & Resource Center, on State Street in Kennett Square. If there is a second story to how this new library will serve as a

Commentary

major resource for education, communication and civic pride, it is found in the dedication and vision of the Library’s Board of Directors and its “Imagine a Place” campaign staff that has raised over $18 million toward its $21.7 million goal.

In the Library’s successful public sector campaign, it appealed to all of the seven municipalities the Library serves to contribute what became an accumulated total of $2.4 million toward the construction of the new facility, that included Kennett Square Borough and the townships of Pennsbury, Pocopson, East Marlborough, Newlin, West Marlborough, and yes, New Garden and Kennett.

As spelled out in its 57-page 2020 impact study, the Library’s fundraising campaign efforts have been due in part by the power of its message that looks at the new Library from an economic and socio-economic view, municipality by municipality.

On pages 4 and 5 of KACS’ latest annual impact report, there is a map of southern Chester County that measures the truest impact of the agency. On it are

hundreds of small dark blue dots, one for every household that receives assistance from KACS. With each passing year – as the economic pendulum continues to turn in directions still unknown – the dots on the map of southern Chester County will likely continue to grow in number, and with it, so will the need to feed more families, house more families and teach more families.

It is time that our municipalities – in recognition of their residents who benefit from the tireless services of KACS – enact an across-theboard annual line item system of contribution to Kennett Area Community Service, one that encompasses each of the key areas that the agency serves.

It is time that all of our municipalities recognize and address not just the future impact of what will become our community’s greatest library, but the future impact of our greatest resource. The dignity of human life.

Learn more. Visit www. KACSImpact.org.

Reflecting on the SBA’s commitment to minority-owned businesses during Black History Month

By John Fleming SBA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator

Over the past two years, thanks to laws and policies championed by the BidenHarris Administration, the U.S. Small Business Administration has made incredible progress reaching minority and underserved entrepreneurs. Under SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas-Guzman, our little federal agency continues to offer big support for existing businesses and startups through our traditional products and services as well as new opportunities promised in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The SBA is delivering on those promises. Just last year, Administrator Guzman signed a Strategic Alliance Memorandum with the National PanHellenic Council, or “Divine Nine,” to help

bring more SBA resources within reach for underrepresented communities, furthering our commitment to build equity and close historic wealth gaps that have held back America’s minority entrepreneurs, their families and communities for generations.

I recently attended the opening of the Baltimore Metropolitan Women’s Business Center at Morgan State University, one of many historically Black colleges and universities partnering with the SBA to grow women’s business ownership. Currently, SBA has 10 centers affiliated with HBCUs in North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi and Maryland, all with a history of educating African Americans and service to their communities, continuing the SBA’s policy of investing in those who invest in others.

The SBA is also assisting

grantees of the BidenHarris Administration’s Community Navigator Pilot Program, an American Rescue Plan initiative reducing barriers to critical support for small business owners, including veterans, women, rural communities, and commu-

nities of color. Community Navigator provides $100 million in funding to 51 “hubs” to work with more than 400 local community “spokes” to connect entrepreneurs with federal, state, and local resources.

The SBA’s T.H.R.I.V.E.

Emerging Leaders

Reimagined provides upand-coming small business leaders with tools, knowledge, and access to the best and the brightest minds in economic development to help them accelerate their growth and help them become competitive in an increasingly global

economy.

These are just a sampling of the good work the SBA and the BidenHarris Administration are doing for America’s entrepreneurs. Learn more regarding loan eligibility, programming and services by visiting www.sba.gov.

Underage drinking citations in Pennsylvania

Over the past five years, underage drinking citations statewide totaled 45,402. In Pennsylvania, an underage drinking citation is issued to anyone under the age of 21 who is caught possessing, consuming, transporting, purchasing or attempting to purchase any alcoholic beverage. These numbers do not include driving under the influence citations.

The infographic highlights key data and demographics about underage drinking in Pennsylvania. Download a high-resolution version of the graphic.

In the Spotlight LIVING HISTORY

by Gene Pisasale

The Mansion House at Radley Run: A Brandywine Valley icon

By Gene Pisasale Contributing Writer

If you have spent much time in and around West Chester, you likely have at least heard of the Radley Run Country Club.

Popular with local residents for decades, the club holds a treasure which is part of our local history. The Mansion House at Radley Run, constructed in the late 18th century, has seen its share of events, standing as soldiers clashed nearby at the Battle of the Brandywine.

Like many historic structures, the Mansion House is showing signs of wear after more than 250 years. One group dedicated to historic preservation has taken a keen interest in refurbishing it and is hoping that citizens will help maintain an important part of our heritage.

According to the Pennsylvania Golf Association, more than 60 years ago, Z. Edmund Prince, a Kennett Square real estate developer, approached Nicholas R. du Pont with an interesting idea: developing a country club community in the Brandywine Valley, near West Chester.

Du Pont was interested, and in 1963, the two men purchased approximately 1,200 acres, most of it in the

former Mather estate, a tract of land which extended into four different townships of Chester County.

The land they chose has ties to many early settlers. According to the Mansion House Foundation, the parcel presently comprising the Radley Run Community was originally part of a 1,000acre tract purchased from William Penn in 1686 by John Cornwell and William Hudson. In 1722, two smaller tracts were divided off, with 312 acres purchased by Samuel Painter, Sr. and 250 acres purchased by John Collier. In 1747, the Collier tract was again divided after the death of John Collier, with George Gilpin purchasing 118 acres “in trust and for the use of” his brotherin-law, Samuel Painter, Jr. Today the Mansion House sits on this 118-acre tract.

The Mansion House was constructed in several stages, with the original house built in 1770 by James Painter (one of three sons of Samuel Painter, Jr.) and his wife Jane. The structure was a two-story brick house constructed with “ballast brick” which came from England in the holds of vessels.

His grandson, also named James, expanded and greatly widened the structure to include a third story in 1847.

Nearby was a one-story log cabin where the indentured servants lived. The log cabin today is a two-story stone house. The main house measured 30 feet by 30 feet and had a stone kitchen.

Over the ensuing century and a half, the property remained in the Painter family’s possession until 1897 when Charles E. Mather, an insurance broker from Philadelphia, purchased it from William Thatcher Painter. Mather changed the two-story building into an elegant establishment for entertaining hunting parties. He was a Master of the Radnor Hunt and imported a pack of 65 hounds previously owned by the Duke of Rutland in England. Mather transformed the Painter property into a hunting establishment which was known as “Brandywine Meadow Farm.”

Around 1900, Mather built a three-story portico with huge Ionic columns on the south façade of the building. He later added a 42 foot by 24 foot brick ballroom to the east gable end. Changes to the property included the introduction of formal gardens and landscaping, the conversion of one structure into a hunting stable and the building of an elaborate kennel.

The Mansion House served as the headquarters of the Mather Hunt until 1963, when the estate was sold and turned into the Radley Run Country Club (RRCC). The Mansion House today still shows the impressive white columns out in front of its entrance, their elegance an invitation to come inside. Walking around the interior, visitors can sense the beauty of bygone days in the ballroom and adjacent bar area, but can see that the structure needs a bit of work.

Through the windows one gazes back through three centuries of time looking at several historic buildings nearby, including the serpentine Collier House dating to the mid-1700s and a stone fulling mill used in wool making operations.

Many homes surround the open space of the Country Club, but only about 35 percent of area residents are members. Some of them may not be aware of just how historic a setting this is. Within the center of the Radley Run community are eight significant structures. Four are designated as historic buildings. Three

of these four, including the Mansion House, are owned by the RRCC.

Historic sites require ongoing preservation and periodic restoration. The high cost for this is beyond the revenues of most country clubs. Recognizing that additional funds were needed to restore the buildings, local residents and RRCC members formed the Mansion House Foundation (MHF), a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the structure which has been an important part of the legacy of Chester County. The focus of the MHF is restoration of the Mansion House and education of the public regarding its importance along with the nearby historic structures.

Approximately 25 percent of the Mansion House and the surrounding gardens have been restored. Four educational/fundraising events have already occurred, and

more are expected in the future. The MHF is seeking a listing on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Radley Run Historic District. Current plans include continuing the restoration and having it serve as an ongoing place for community education.

The Foundation team is working to restore the Mansion House to its former glory, establishing it as an educational landmark and a setting for tours (available by appointment) and public gatherings. They welcome inquiries and support from people around the region interested in maintaining a vital part of our heritage.

The MHF can be reached at via e-mail at mansionhousefoundationatrrcc@

gmail.com to schedule tours and other activities. Visitors can see the building and adjacent structures at 1100 Country Club Road in West Chester. The website is www.mansionhousefoundationatradleyrun.org.

Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer based in Kennett Square. His ten books focus mostly on the Chester County/midAtlantic region. His latest book is Forgotten Founding Fathers: Pennsylvania and Delaware in the American Revolution. Gene’s books are available on his website at www.GenePisasale. com and on www.Amazon. com. He can be reached via e-mail at Gene@ GenePisasale.com.

Photo courtesy Phyllis Recca Date stone at the Mansion House at Radley Run.

Courtesy photo

Charles Mather’s Brandywine Meadow Farm house—Radley Run Mansion, circa 1903.

Photo courtesy Phyllis Recca (2016)

The old stone house (circa 1700s) which is adjacent to the Mansion House at Radley Run.

Photo courtesy Gene Pisasale The stately columns at the entrance to the Mansion House.

Photo courtesy Gene Pisasale

One of the recently refurbished rooms inside the Mansion House.

Photo courtesy Gene Pisasale Wrought iron Brandywine Meadow Farm sign.

Photo courtesy Gene Pisasale

The fulling mill (foreground) and the serpentine Collier House.

Obituary submissions

The Chester County Press publishes obituaries free of charge for funeral homes with active advertising accounts only. Others with a connection to southern Chester County are charged a modest fee. Obituaries appear on the Wednesday after they are received with a Monday 5 p.m. deadline. They are also posted on www.chestercounty.com. Photos should be sent as .jpeg attachments to the obituary text. To submit an obituary to the Chester County Press or for a rate quote, email the information to editor@chestercounty.com.

MARY JANE FRAVER

Mary Jane Fraver, 94, of Cochranville, passed away at home on Feb. 8, 2023. She was the wife of the late Wilmer E. Fraver. Born in Russellville on September 17, 1928, she was the daughter of the late Fred and Helen McCrabb McComsey.

Mary Jane was a member of Beulah Baptist Church. She enjoyed walking, sewing, knitting, cooking and baking.

She is survived by her two children, Perry Fraver (Wanda) and Patti Farmer (Richard) both of Kirkwood; five grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Mary was preceded in death by a son, Wilmer E. Fraver, Jr. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Beulah Baptist Church, 3815 Newark Rd., Oxford, Pa. 19363.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.

Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

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ROBERT MONTGOMERY THOMPSON

Robert “Bob” Montgomery Thompson, 74, of West Grove, passed away peacefully at his home on Feb. 2, 2023 while surrounded by his loved ones. Bob was born on July 11, 1948 in West Grove to the late John and Nancy McFadden Thompson. He is survived by his wife Emma Roark Thompson, with whom he shared 40 wonderful years of marriage. They were blessed with two loving daughters, Natalie Thompson (Jeremy) of West Grove and Megan Griffin (Patrick) of Avondale. He was a proud grandfather of two grandsons, Jeremy Ruff and Patrick Griffin. He is also survived by his two siblings, Betty Jane Michels and William Thompson.

Bob is preceded in death by his brother, John D. Thompson.

Bob ran and operated his own excavating business, Thompson Excavating, for many years. He was a classic car and tractor enthusiast and attended many shows and fairs. He enjoyed farming on his own property and tinkering on his farming equipment. He and his wife both loved long countryside drives on Sundays and his favorite treat was strawberry ice cream sundaes. Bob was an avid animal lover and would never hesitate to help an animal in need. He was always in the mood for a good laugh whether it was watching comedies or sitting around with friends telling jokes. He thoroughly enjoyed family gatherings and traditions and loved spending time with his grandchildren who will greatly miss him. Bob will be fondly remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and dear friend.

A memorial service was held on Feb. 10 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.

Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Diabetes Assoc., P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, Va. 22116-7023.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Chapmond and Lester named Rotary Students of the Month in Oxford

Oxford Area High School students Jessica Lester and Erin Chapmond were recently honored as the Oxford Rotary’s Seniors of the Month.

Chapmond is a member of the National Honor Society, as well as the English and Science National Honor Society. She is also a member of the Helping Hands Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Academic

Competition Team, and Choral Ensemble. She will also participate in the upcoming Sponge Bob the Musical, with performances taking place on March 2, 3 and 4.

Chapmond has been accepted to Purdue, Penn State and Texas, and plans to pursue a degree in biological engineering.

Chapmond’s hobbies include music, singing, and

she plans to take instruction in guitar the next semester. She likes biology and cooking with her mother.

Lester is a member of the Interact Club, National Honor Society and the Science and English National Honor Societies. She is a member of Helping Hands. She plays flute in the marching band. Reading is one of her

favorite hobbies. Her planned field of study is marine biology. She hopes to attend either Penn State or the University of Miami. Her plan is to eventually become an aquatic animal veterinarian.

Lester said her four years at Oxford have given her many great opportunities and she enjoyed a great school experience.

Obituaries

DOROTHY LOUISE WALTZ

Dorothy Louise (Fisher) Waltz died on Feb. 8, 2023 in Oxford,. She was 93.

She was born in 1929 in Washington, D.C. to Clarence, a patent attorney, and Alma Fisher, a homemaker. She attended Paul Junior High School in D.C., where she met a fellow flute player who would become the love of her life. Dot attended business college and was briefly married before marrying William R. Waltz in 1951. Bill’s work as an electrical engineer took them from their home in Maryland to southern New Jersey and then to Phoenixville, where they lived for 37 years.

Dot managed a busy household with seven children, several pets, and a large house, yard, and garden. Chores, allowances, lessons, schoolwork, and summer activities were organized and overseen with military precision. Prior to retirement in 1988, she excelled in her work as an office administrator and executive secretary at the Phoenixville Hospital, the American Baptist Convention, Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, and St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Dot was an active volunteer in the Phoenixville Hospice program and a long-time volunteer driver with the American Cancer Society. She was active in several United Methodist churches in the Phoenixville area, most recently in the Valley Forge United Methodist Church, where she served for many years as a trustee and mem-

bership secretary. She frequently reached out to family, friends and neighbors with visits, cards, baked goods, and the occasional pointed letter to the editor on their behalf. She always looked out for the underdog.

Upon retirement, Bill and Dot enjoyed their family, friends, and activities at the Phoenixville Senior Center, several riverboat cruises, and the local dinner theatre. They moved to Ware Presbyterian Village in Oxford in 2003, where they enjoyed making new friends and attending holiday events in their finest festive attire. Upon her husband’s death in 2016, after almost 65 years together, Dot carried on with grace, resilience, and equanimity. She was an engaged citizen and a voracious reader.

Dot was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She will be deeply missed by seven children, Robin L. Hess (Jay) of Indianapolis, Ind., Rev. William D. Waltz (Barbara) of Cinnaminson, N.J., Gail Glass Wagner (Robert) of Collegeville, Pa., Jonathan S. Waltz of Hampden, Maine, Kathryn J. Red (Douglas) of Prescott, Arizona, Eric M. Waltz (Lisa) of Red Oak, Texas, and Alison J. Bergman (Barry) of Great Falls, Va.; eighteen grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her older sister, Jean Skillman. Services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Oxford Senior Center, 12 E. Locust St., Oxford, Pa. 19363. Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

NANCY M. BARTRAM

Nancy M. Bartram, of Oxford, passed away on Feb. 9, 2023 at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del. She was 81. She was the wife of the late Bob Bartram and was preceded in death by her first husband, Frank Kaschalk. Born in Johnstown, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Robert and Grace Marsh.

Nancy was a member of the Oxford Church of the Nazarene.

She enjoyed sewing, gardening, cardinals, spending time with her grandchildren and her fur baby Gizzy and her grand fur baby Benny. She also loved her companion of eight years, Bill Bradley. She was a social butterfly and had many friends.

Nancy is survived by her daughter, Christel Preece (Scott Phillips) of Oxford; five grandchildren, Kansas, Austin and Bianca Preece; Ashton and Braelyn Phillips, a sisterin-law, Barbara Roberts; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by one son, Randolph Kaschalk, nine brothers, and one sister.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Oxford Church of the Nazarene, 116 E. Locust St. in Oxford, where friends and family may visit from 10 to 11 a.m.

Interment will be in Oxford Cemetery.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Courtesy photo

The Oxford Rotary honored Jessica Lester and Erin Chapmond as the Students of the Month. Pictured, at left, are Chapmond with her parents, Kevin and Kathleen, and Dr. Ray Fischer, Oxford Rotary president, while on the right are Jessica Lester with her parents, Laura and Greg.

AUCTION NOTICE

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Closing on March 22, 2023 at 10 AM.

The following units will be sold because of nonpayment of rent pursuant to the Pennsylvania Self Service Storage Facilities Act. Auction bidding and additional information about the contents, including photographs, is available on www.ibid4storage.com. Sale and payment will take place at the storage facility. Containing: Furniture, household items, totes, clothing, and boxes Unit # 1203- Gladys Taggart Watson DEStorage.com Newgarden reserves the right to withdraw any storage unit from sale or cancel the sale without prior notice.

ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of KRISTIE LYNN FERGUSON, Late of Honey Brook, Chester County, PA, Letters of Administration on the above

Estate have been granted to the undersigned, who request all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent to make known the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment without delay to Tammy Lynn Ferguson and James J. Ferguson, 84 6 Point Court, Honey Brook, PA 19344, Administrators, Or Attorney: Leonard B. Edelstein, Esquire. Edelstein Martin & Nelson, LLP 123 South Broad Street, Suite 1820, Philadelphia, PA 19109 2p-1-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of Marie H. Spencer, Late of West Grove, PA , Chester County, PA, LETTERS TESTAMENTARY on the above

Estate have been granted to the undersigned, who request all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent to make known the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment without delay to Executor: Judith Hoopes, C/O Attorney: Ira D. Binder, 227 Cullen Rd, Oxford, PA 19363

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ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of Mary Ann Spellman, Deceased. Late of Chester Springs, PA. Letters Testamentary on the above estate have been granted to the undersigned. All persons having claims against or indebted to the estate should make claims known or forward payment to, Gary Spellman, Executor, 2447 Chester Springs Rd., Chester Springs, PA 19425 or to their attorney Scott D. Bloom, Esq., Law Office of Scott D., Bloom, 1033A Mill Creek Dr., Feaster-

ville, PA 19053. Foreign Registration Statement 2p-1-3t

NOTICE

PENN TOWNSHIP ZONING

HEARING BOARD

NOTICE is hereby given that the Zoning Hearing Board of Penn Township will hold a Public Hearing at the Penn Township Municipal Building, 260 Lewis Road, West Grove, Pennsylvania, on March 6, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at which time the Board will hear the following matter:

In re: Application of Jesse and Valerie Stone seeking variances from the 15 foot rear yard setback and from the 25 foot side yard setback, and from the 25% maximum impervious cover limit so as to add a residential swimming pool, coping, patio and pool equipment resulting in a 10 foot rear yard, a 16 foot side yard, and total impervious cover of 40.96%, on property located at 2 Allsmeer Drive, West Grove, PA (UPI#58-3-362) in the Township’s RS-Residential Suburban Zoning District.

If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend the public meeting scheduled above and require an auxiliary aide, service or other accommodation to participate in the proceedings, please contact the Township Secretary at (610) 869-9620 to discuss how Penn Township may best accommodate your needs. Edward M. Foley, Solicitor, Brutscher, Foley, Milliner, Land & Kelly, LLP, 213 E. State Street Kennett Square, PA 19348 2p-8-2t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF Diana C. Hoopes, late of New Garden Township, Chester County, Deceased. Letters Testamentary on the estate of the above named, Diana C. Hoopes having been granted to the undersigned,

all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the said decedent are requested to make known the same and all persons indebted to the said decedent to make payment without delay to: C. Barclay Hoopes, Jr., Executor, c/o Attorney: Winifred Moran Sebastian, Esquire, 208 E. Locust Street, P.O. Box 381, Oxford, PA 19363, Phone: 610932-3838

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DISSOLUTION NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the shareholders and directors of Country Butcher Fine Foods, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, having its registered office at 145 South Walnut Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348, has filed Articles of Dissolution – Domestic Corporation with the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Board of Directors is now engaged in winding up and settling the affairs of the corporation under the applicable provisions of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended. NEIL E. LAND, ESQUIRE, Brutscher, Foley, Milliner, Land & Kelly, LLP, 213 East State Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348

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ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of Doris S. Dempsey, Late of Oxford, PA, LETTERS

TESTAMENTARY on the above Estate have been granted to the undersigned, who request all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent to make known the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment without delay to Michael L. Dempsey 204 Roneys Corner, Oxford, PA 19363, dempseym@ comcast.net, Executor.

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ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of Jane B. Baughman, Deceased. Late of East Nottingham Township, Chester County, PA. Letters Testamentary on the above estate have been granted to the undersigned. All persons having claims against or indebted to the estate should make claims known or forward payment to, Jennifer Lucas, C/O Attorney: Michael S. Grab, Esquire, Nikolaus & Hohenadel. LLP, 327 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512

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ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of Robert C. York, Deceased. Late of East Nottingham Township, PA. Letters Testamentary on the above

estate have been granted to the undersigned. All persons having claims against or indebted to the estate should make claims known or forward payment to, Robert A. York, C/O Attorney: Michael S. Grab, Esquire, Nikolaus & Hohenadel. LLP, 327 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512

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PUBLIC NOTICE

AT&T is proposing to install a monopole telecommunications tower at 940 Unionville Wawaset Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348; 39° 54’ 11.9” N, 75° 43’ 17.1” W. The overall height of the tower will be 36.6 meters above ground level (178.0 meters above mean sea level).

The tower is anticipated to be lit and marked as described: Dual Lighting-Red and Medium Intensity White Lights (L864). Specific information regarding the project is available by calling ACER Associates (856-809-1202) during normal business hours. Any interested party may submit comments with Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) on the impact of the proposed action on any districts, sites, buildings, structures or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under National Historic Preservation Act Section 106. Interested persons may review the application for this project at www.fcc.gov/asr/applications by entering Antenna Structure Registration (Form 854) file no. A1238151 and may raise environmental concerns about the project under the National Environmental Policy Act rules of the Federal Communications Commission, 47 CFR §1.1307, by notifying the FCC of the specific reasons that the action may have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Requests for Environmental Review must be filed within 30 days of the date that notice of the project is published on the FCC’s website and may only raise environmental concerns. The FCC strongly encourages interested parties to file Requests for Environmental Review online at www.fcc.gov/ asr/environmentalrequest, but they may be filed with a paper copy by mailing the Request to FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. A copy of the Request should be provided to Acer Associates, LLC, Attention FCC filing, at 1012

Industrial Drive, West Berlin, NJ 08091. 2p-15-1

PUBLIC NOTICE OF MUNICIPAL ACTION

Pursuant to Section 108 of the Municipalities Planning Code (“MPC”), notice is hereby given that on February 8, 2023, the Board of Supervisors of London Grove Township (the “Board”) enacted Ordinance No. 222-2023 (the “Ordinance”), amending the following sections of the London Grove Township Zoning Ordinance: Section 27-202, to amend the definition of a “Convenience Store”, to add definitions for “Personal Service Establishment”, “Fuel Canopy”, “Sign, Fuel Canopy” and “Sign, Price”, and to delete the definitions of “Use, Retail Products” and “Use, Retail Service”; Section 27-903.B.1, to replace the term “personal service shop” with “personal service establishment” in the list of uses permitted by conditional use in the CV-Chatham Overlay District; Sections 27-1002.2.A, 27-1002.1.C and 27-1002.2.E, to allow outdoor seating as an accessory use at a restaurant and fast food restaurant in the C-Commercial Zoning District by right; Section 27-903.B, to allow a “Convenience Store” use by conditional use in the CV-Chatham Overlay District; and Sections 27-1002.1 and 27-1202.1, to allow a “Convenience Store” use by right in the C-Commercial Zoning District and I-Industrial Zoning District. The Ordinance also adds a new Section 27-1844, to add regulations for a “Convenience Store” use, and a new Section 27-2208.A, to add signage regulations for a “Convenience Store” use that provides vehicle fueling stations and a car wash. The full text of the Ordinance can be reviewed by members of the public during normal business hours at the London Grove Township administrative offices, located at 372 Rose Hill Road, Suite 100, West Grove, PA 19390. This publication is intended to provide notification of the Ordinance and any person claiming the right to challenge the validity of the Ordinance based on a procedural defect shall be dismissed, with prejudice, as untimely if not filed within the thirtieth (30th) day following the second publication of this notice. This notice shall not be construed to abrogate, repeal, extend or otherwise modify the time for appeal set forth in § 1002-A of the MPC, 53 P.S. § 11002-A, and 42 Pa. C.S. § 5571.1. This notice is filed on behalf of Two Farms, Inc., d/b/a

Royal Farms, with address of 3611 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21211.

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Classifieds

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Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce recognizes outstanding service

The Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce kicked off the year with clear and actionable goals at its annual meeting, that was held on Jan. 19 at Hartefeld National Golf Club.

Speakers at the event included Tim Moore, the immediate past chairman, who shared strategic accomplishments and initiatives; 2023 chairman Doug Doerfler, who shared his vision and objectives; and SCCCC President and CEO Cheryl Kuhn, who recognized the service of the agency's members.

The business of the chamber included the official passing of the gavel from Moore (Constellation Energy) to Doerfler (WSFS Bank). As Moore reflected on 2022, he said it was a year to “grow, adapt and prosper.”

Moore noted the chamber’s work with ChristianaCare, and he presented a call to action for members to get involved in committees as an invaluable way to do business and move the organization forward.

Doerfler shared his excitement for the opportunity to again serve as chairman. Doerfler previously served in 2018, and so he is well versed and ready to carry out the vision for a value-driven year to lead, educate, connect and advocate.

The organization’s three main objectives for 2023 are to implement the member roadmap which will provide a more targeted path for members; to enhance the chamber’s mission through continued partnerships with business organizations, non-profits, local, state and federal officials; and to continue on the path as a leader in community efforts such as the Southern Chester County Digital Equity Coalition, Kennett High School’s degree program, county-wide workforce development and training, and more.

Recognizing individual members for their valuable contributions is an essential part of what SCCCC stands for. The 2022 presidents of the chamber’s three referral and networking groups were recognized for leadership and service: Ed Rahme, (Ed Rahme Architect), of BizNet, Kim Marucci, (Leading Forward), of CONNECTIONS , and Jonathan Orose, (Jonathan P. Orose - Springer Realty Group), of G.R.O.W. Presidents are elected annually by group members. They are tasked with directing 24 sessions over the course of the year where participants network and exchange referrals, hold member presentations, and provide opportunities to build their organizations

through education.

The chamber presented Eric Kuhn, board member (Pillar Real Estate Advisors, LLC), as “Volunteer of the Year” for delivering outstanding service and support to the chamber in 2022, and Houston Baker, Fulton Bank Brandywine Division, received “Closer of the Year,” for successfully bringing in the most new members over the previous 12 months.

“We are proud to present awards to our members who volunteer and support the Chamber,” said Kuhn. “Members who can make time for us while they conduct business is an invaluable asset. Their passion and commitment allows us to thrive as an invaluable resource across Southern Chester County and beyond.”

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Cheryl B. Kuhn, president and CEO of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce with 2020 chairman of the board James E. Turner of Chester Water Authority, 2015 chairman of the board Anthony J. Poluch, Jr. of UNIVEST, 2018 and 2023 chairman of the board Doug Doerfler of WSFS Bank, 2022 chairman of the board Tim Moore of Constellation Energy, and 2019 chairman of the board Erik Gudmundson of Pegasus Technologies, LLC.

Cheryl Kuhn, the president and CEO of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, is pictured with 2023 Volunteer of the Year Eric Kuhn, Pillar Real Estate Advisors, LLC.

Courtesy photos

2022 chairman of the board Tim Moore of Constellation Energy with 2023 chairman of the board Doug Doerfler of WSFS Bank.

more about the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, visit www. scccc.com.

Alma Newlin Educational Fund 2023 scholarship applications available

The Health and Welfare Foundation of Southern Chester County, which administers the Alma Newlin Education Fund, is reminding students of the pending deadline for submitting applications for the one time undergraduate

The deadline for healthcare education grants is Feb. 28 health care scholarship.

The purpose of the scholarship is to assist 1) graduating high school seniors who are preparing for careers in the human health care field; 2) adult students seeking higher education in human health

care; or 3) previously awarded students in undergraduate studies, seeking post-graduate education in human health care.

The Alma Newlin Educational Fund was established in 1990 through a generous bequest from

Mrs. Alma Newlin, a longtime resident of Kennett Square. Areas of intended fields of study awarded in the past include nursing, radiation technology, occupational, physical and speech therapies, premed, pre-dentistry and

other related human health sciences.

The scholarship considers students who reside in the Avon Grove, Oxford, Kennett, Octorara, and Unionville-Chadds Ford school districts, and carry a 3.0 unweighted GPA.

Applications are available online at www.HWFSCC. org under the funding link.

The deadline for submitting applications is Feb. 28, 2023 (all required documents submitted electronically on or before Feb. 28).

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Delaware Park Casino & Racing offers exciting gaming action with the most in-demand slot machines and live table games on two spacious levels, a Poker Room, full college and professional sports betting, many dining options, seasonal live Thoroughbred horse racing and year round simulcasting. We are currently in the middle of a $10 million refresh of our main casino floor, creating a polished, contemporary environment for a

superior guest experience. The sleek, new layout will feature a brighter color pallet, modern chandeliers and new dining and gaming areas. In addition to a more efficient retail space, the Player Rewards Club is getting a new home in the center of the casino. A Noodle Bar, large, open concept High Limit bar and updated restaurants will also complement the High End Blackjack Tables and Midi - Baccarat pit.

In addition to the $10 million property reinvestment, Delaware Park Casino & Racing has been devoted to community partnerships. Over $45,000 thousand dollars has been donated to the

Boys and Girls Club of Delaware, Meals on Wheels Delaware, Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, Food Bank of Delaware and Faithful Friends

Animal Society, representing a combination of unused slot voucher collections and cash contributions from the Casino. Last fall, we also sponsored the WSTW Feed A Friend campaign, WJBR Turkeython and Nemours Fund for Children’s Health, as well as sent a group of team members to help build for Habitat for Humanity, with more scheduled to assist the Food Bank of Delaware

this month. Delaware Park Casino & Racing is excited about all these new developments and invite you to come check us outparking and admission are always free!

Delaware Park is located minutes south of Wilmington and the Delaware Memorial Bridge and just north of the Maryland state line on I-95 at exit 4B. For more information, visit delawarepark. com.

Railroad depot to historical venue: the Newark History Museum

By Gene Pisasale

Contributing Writer

Walking inside the Newark History Museum, you experience a unique part of local heritage: you’re in an old train depot which operated for decades. The Pennsylvania Railroad Station at 429 South College Avenue served customers along the busy northeast corridor between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Designed by architect S.T. Fuller, the building was constructed in 1877 for just over $9,000 by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad to replace an earlier structure. Operating for nearly a century, it was closed in the 1970s and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982; an historical marker nearby tells the story. The building was purchased by the city of Newark and is being used by the Historical Society to showcase people, places and events important in Delaware history.

The Museum itself is a time capsule taking visitors back to the late 19th century, when train travel was the fastest way to go. The structure is beautifully restored, with its steeply sloping roof, dormers and brickwork all superbly intact. Situated alongside the tracks, it feels like you can catch the next train when it stops for passengers. The interior provides an eclectic walk through local history, with numerous exhibits showcasing things dating from the late 1700s up through the 20th century.

Newark’s heritage is a multi-faceted story. According to the Museum website, it had its beginnings in the early 1700s, with development of a small English, ScotsIrish and Welsh hamlet along two Indian trails and the line where the Christina and White Clay Creeks moved toward the Delaware River. The area served travelers from Maryland and nearby regions to Philadelphia.

By 1758, the bustling crossroads received a Charter from King George II; Newark was official-

ly born. Entrepreneurs built numerous mills, including ones producing cotton, paper and flour along the creeks over the years. The Museum displays an important link to our country’s inception: a book open to a page highlighting the Battle at Cooch’s Bridge, which occurred on September 3, 1777. Cooch’s Bridge was the only battle during the Revolutionary War fought on Delaware soil.

A Museum exhibit mentions Deandale as Newark’s first industrial neighborhood. Joseph Dean was an Englishman who came to America and made a fortune in the wool business.

The Dean Woolen Mill became a major supplier to the U.S. Army during the Civil War. Joseph Dean’s son William purchased property nearby and named streets after family members. A fire later destroyed the facility. A fiber mill was subsequently built on the site, which became the American Hard Fibre Company that produced vulcanized fibre used in luggage, waste cans, gears, bearings and other applications. The firm was merged into the National Vulcanized Fibre Company, which had its headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.

The plant operated until 1991; the former mill site was renovated and made into offices, apartments, a restaurant and retail shops.

The area’s roots include a link to nearby Chester County, Pennsylvania from which the New London Academy moved.

The school was renamed the Newark Academy and would eventually become the University of Delaware. In 1837, the

Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroadlater the Pennsylvania Railroad- linked Newark to points around the region. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, predecessor of CSX, came in 1886. Industrial concerns including the Curtis Paper Company and others helped to diversify the local economy. The town’s population grew rapidly through the 1920s; a large retail market developed with the University and industrial expansion. The Great Depression slowed economic growth, but the pace of development increased substantially during World War II and the post-war years. Several Du Pont facilities opened in the 1940s; in 1951, Chrysler built its Newark Assembly Plant.

The Newark History Museum provides interesting “slices” of many stories. You’ll see a large neon sign from a local icon- Minster’s Jewelers- which operated in downtown since 1895. It closed in 2018 after serving customers for 123 years. Another neon sign next to it is from the State Theater, which opened its doors in 1929. Built in a neoclassical style, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Museum has two of the original seats from the theater in its collection. Sadly, the building was razed in 1989.

Curator Mary E. Torbey stops and smiles at each exhibit as if they were old friends. A catalogue from

Newark College from 1838- 1839 courtesy of the Lamborn family is in one cabinet. An Estey Pump Organ made in the 1870s stands along one wall; it was originally used in Ott’s Chapel, donated to the Museum in 2008. Women who enjoy seeing personal items from yesteryear will delight at finding a parasol from the late 1880s in one corner, a Fader family bodice and skirt circa early 1900s nearby. A Newark High School Spirit exhibitcomplete with mannikins in school uniforms- is around another corner.

Kaitlyn Tanis, President of the Newark Historical Society has put together a fascinating museum with the help of her team; Torbey says they are always considering new

additions to the collection for future exhibits. Walking around the building, one appreciates the historic train station setting and the numerous artifacts which bring it to life. They are filled with so many memories, shared by the hundreds of people who come to see the displays, re-living parts of their past.

Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer

based in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. His ten books focus on the Chester County/mid-Atlantic region. His latest book is Forgotten Founding Fathers: Pennsylvania and Delaware in the American Revolution. Gene’s books are available through his website at www. GenePisasale.com and on www.Amazon.com. He can be reached via e-mail at Gene@GenePisasale.com.

The Newark History Museum.

Historical marker at the Newark History Museum.

Deandale exhibit at the Newark History Museum.

A National Vulcanized Fibre label.

Notable members of the Newark business community including the Dean family.

Minsters Jewelers and State Theater exhibit at the Newark History Museum.

Two seats from the old State Theater in Newark.

Curator Mary E. Torbey with Estey Pump Organ at the Newark History Museum.

BAG SALE

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

DOORS OPEN AT 8 AM.

Register for your "time slot" online.

Registration begins at midnight on Sunday February 19th. First Come, First Served. It's that time of year again! Time for our semi-annual bag sale. This is the best end of season sale around. Fill one of our large shopping bags for only $25. All sale items will be clearly marked "bag sale." These are the best deals of the year so don't miss out.

A True Game Changer in Upscale Resale Today

If you're looking for designer brands at unbeatable prices, Designer Consigner is the place to go. At Delaware's premier upscale resale boutique for men and women, shoppers have come to know Designer Consigner for the labels they lust for at prices they love.

The business started in 2009 as a small, grassroots shop, and quickly grew into the famous destination boutique that it is today. With nearly 3,000 consigners across seven states, our inventory of designer brands is never lacking. We pride ourselves on being the only consignment shop in Delaware that gives consigners access to an online account where they have complete autonomy and can see their items selling in real time. And while Designer Consigner adheres to a strict list of brands that are accepted, the prices are literally unbeatable. The shop has won numerous awards, including being voted "Best of Delaware" Best Bargain Shopping for men and women by Delaware Today Magazine, year after year.

But aside from the brands, Designer Consigner has become synonymous with sales. The unique marketing initiatives are aimed to cultivate a shopping experience like none other. Wondering why you might see 300 customers in line outside? Twice a year, Designer Consigner holds its famous Bag Sale, where $25 will get you everything you can fit into a shopping bag. And the thrills aren't limited to semi-annual sales; if there's an upcoming holiday, you can be sure there will be a corresponding sale -- from Presidents' Day to Black Friday and everything in between. Not to mention every Wednesday is "Wine Down Wednesday," when shoppers enjoy complimentary wine while they shop - and the store is open late.

And if crowds aren't your thing, Designer Consigner is happy to host a private "Girl's Night Out" exclusive shopping party for you and your crew. We'll supply the wine and hors d'oeuvres, and you supply the guest list.

Visit the only Men's Consignment Store in DE. And guys, you won't be disappointed. You'll find the same deals on designer brands - everything from Armani to Robert Graham, Hermes to Hugo Boss. Assuming you'll find what you' re looking for in half the time of your female counterpart, there's a nice size flat screen TV inside, so you'll never miss the game!

St. Patty’s Sale 1 DAY ONLY

March 17 10-6

“The Luck of the Dice” Throw the dice for your discount!

Your Home, Your Way, Inside & Out

March brings spring and the urge to refresh our indoor and outdoor spaces. From your own design inspiration to professionals who can offer expert advice, measurement, and installation, 2023 brings focus back to home. to you. You can redesign your entire home without ever leaving. A design professional will come out to your home with gorgeous, high-performance fabric swatches and help you select just the right color and pattern for your projects.

It can be quite daunting to get started tackling “Dream Home” projects. Is it time to redo that old favorite couch in the living room? Or, finally find fun new outdoor pillows to display for spring? Maybe it’s time to finally find the right sheer or texture for draperies in the great room.

If there’s one thing everyone can agree on in the post COVID world, it’s that being comfortable in your own home should never be taken for granted. With free in-store design services to brighten your home and bring your vision to life, a one-stop-shop with over 35 years experience is continuing to inspire Delaware residents with the tools needed to reinvent their homes. With an endless array of design elements, walking into the Interior Alternative is like being a kid in a candy store.

You’ll find thousands of indoor and outdoor fabric selections broken into categories such as ultra-high performance, classic velvet, bold boucle, caterpillar-like chenille, faux-suede, natural cotton, linen and more. All these amazing choices to go along with designer-direct prices.

Prefer to shop from home? The staff can bring their expertise right

We offer customized creations for drapery/window treatments, sofas/sectionals, bedding, headboards, cushions and pillows for the home. You can call us anytime (302-454-3232) and we will help make your dream home a reality. We do home appointments, instore appointments, and walk-ins.

Many of our high performance, best selling Private Label Dorell fabrics are available both in the store and on TheFabricOutlet.com. Our Dorell Private Label develops an abundance of new products each year and many of the items at the Interior Alternative cannot be found anywhere else in the country.

Whether you are an experienced Interior Designer or looking to redesign your home for the first time, the Interior Alternative is a must-stop-shop before tackling any home decor project. Our staff are trained and excited to help you redesign the home of your dreams without breaking the bank.