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

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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.”