Chester County Press 05-03-17 Edition

Page 1

Chester CountyPRESS

www.chestercounty.com

Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas

Volume 151, No. 18

INSIDE

Twelve arrested in ICE raid at mushroom farm

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

Twelve people were arrested at a Chester County mushroom farm on the morning of April 26 by officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They were promptly taken to a federal immigration detention cenEldreth Pottery Spring ter in York, Pa., where they Open House this remain. weekend...6A The arrests, which occurred on the private property of a processing facility owned by South Mill Mushrooms on Starr Road, was the result of a visit by ICE officials, who told workers they were there to find and arrest four

Kennett Middle School puts on a big show...1B

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

undocumented immigrants. None of the 12 workers were among those whom ICE was looking for, nor did any of them work at the facility. In an interview with the Chester County Press, local immigration attorney Lindsey Sweet, of the firm Sweet & Paciorek, said that she has completed consultations with the families of three of those who were detained in the April 26 sweep. In addition, she said that a colleague from the Villanova Law School has visited the York County Prison and interviewed all 12 detainees who were arrested. Sweet told the Chester

Anyone who has driven through the intersection of Route 796 and Old Baltimore Pike in Jennersville knows that the layout is inadequate. Anyone trying to turn left has probably given up.

The intersection where the former Red Rose Inn occupies one corner has been a choke point for traffic for decades, and it’s only getting worse following the commercial expansion of Penn Township. But on April 27, local politicians and township officials held Continued on Page 2A

Highlighting diversity at Kennett High School...4A

INDEX Opinion........................7A Calendar of Events......2B Obituaries...................3B Police Blotter.................5B

Classifieds..................6B Photo by John Chambless

Rep. John Lawrence at the ceremony on April 27.

To Subscribe call 610.869.5553

workers in the immediate vicinity if they knew the four workers being sought, ICE officials then requested that all other workers in the mushroom facility put aside their work. They were subsequently asked to provide their country of origin and, depending on their answers, either remained in the building -- having proven that they were either permanent residents of the United States or had work authorization documents -or were escorted out of the building and placed in an ICE vehicle. By the end of the raid, the arrests of two men were captured on video and posted online.

The Kennett Square arrest sweep is the latest in a string of high-profile immigration busts to occur in the the Northeast since the beginning of the year. In March, nearly 250 were arrested in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. Michael Pia, the owner of the mushroom facility, told NBC-10 Philadelphia on April 28 that ICE did not make it clear whether they had a warrant to come onto the property. The Chester County Press offered the company the opportunity speak about the incident, but the company chose not to provide comment. Sweet said that the arrests Continued on Page 5A

Avon Grove moves closer Intersection improvements at to finalizing budget Red Rose Inn will A $93.8 million spending plan for the 2017-2018 school funding to support full-day kindergarten finally be happening yearandincludes a reinvestment in other educational initiatives By John Chambless Staff Writer

© 2007 The Chester County Press

County Press that none of the 12 arrested had any previous criminal records; however, she said, a few had immigration contacts for removal at a prior time. While each of the detained will be required to mount their own defenses, Sweet and Paciorek will represent two of the 12 detainees, and will file a motion to suppress any information that came out of these arrests. Sweet said that from the accounts of several people who witnessed the incident, ICE agents entered the property through a door leading to one of the mushroom houses, without requesting permission to do so. After asking

60 Cents

Avon Grove’s millage rate for the last five years proposed

Millage Rate Millage Increase Percent Increase ACT 1 Index

2013-2014 26.750 0.0000 0.000% 2.300%

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer The Avon Grove School Board authorized the advertising of its proposed $93.8 million final budget for the 2017-2018 school year at the April 27 meeting. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Marchese led the budget presentation to the board, focusing on educational initiatives, while the district’s business administrator, Daniel Carsley, outlined some of the financial details of the spending plan. Marchese said that in the last three and a half years, Avon Grove has been going

2014-2015 27.499 0.7490 2.800% 2.800%

2015-2016 28.157 0.6580 2.393% 2.400%

through a process of reinvesting in the district to balance some of the cuts that were made to programs between 2009 and 2013. The reinvestment, Marchese said, aligns with the strategic plan that Avon Grove has developed to boost academic achievement and provide students with the learning environment that they need to succeed after graduation. The reinvestment has focused on technology, curriculum and instruction, and personnel—areas where expenditures had been purposefully limited because of budget constraints. “We’ve been strate-

2016-2017 29.040 0.8830 3.136% 3.200%

2017-2018 29.7700 0.7300 2.514% 3.300%

gic when it comes to the reinvestment…to restore the district to a level that supports the intended outcomes,” Marchese said. “The primary goal of the revinvestment is to restore programs.” Overall, spending in the 2017-2018 budget is increasing by about $2.3 million from the current year. Salaries and benefits make up a bulk of the increase, due in part to the expansion to a full-day kindergarten program and the increases in the state-mandated PSERS retirement contributions. “School districts across Continued on Page 3A

‘State of the Square’ report highlights revitalization successes in Kennett Square By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Even before Historic Kennett Square’s “State of the Square” presentation started last Tuesday evening, a “Then & now” slide show that was playing on a loop in the room spoke volumes about the borough’s revitalization efforts and how successful they’ve been. One slide showed the building that in another era was the site of the J.J. Newberry Company store. Today, that location is the home to La Verona, one of Kennett Square’s many distinctive restaurants. Another slide showed a small, nondescript building. The next slide featured the impressive building that serves as the home to Genesis HealthCare, the town’s largest employer. Other slides featured buildings that have been modernized and repurposed—one houses Holly Peters Oriental Rugs and another is home to The Garage Community and Youth Center. Kennett Square has

undergone a remarkable transformation through the years, thanks to the hard work of many people and organizations in the community. While the slide show featured the town’s changes over a long period of time, Historic Kennett Square’s “State of the Square” presentation itself focused exclusively on the borough’s accomplishments of 2016. After a few introductory remarks from Historic Kennett Square executive director Mary Hutchins, board president Nicole Grebloskie offered an overview of the organization’s activities for the year. Approximately $6.2 million was spent in the business district on economic development for renovations to buildings or businesses during 2016. Kennett Square welcomed a variety of new businesses, including Anchor Life & Fitness, Marche, La Madera Bistro, Shop Mamie, and Salt & Stone. Longwood Art Gallery owners Marge Kuhn and Sheila Washington sold the business, after more than 11 years in the bor-

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Marche opened up in Kennett Square during 2016.

ough, to Megan Umbs and her father, David Umbs. Additionally, George Reinas, the longtime owner of Bove Jewelers, sold the business to Bob Strehlau, who now continues the

jewelry store’s 87-year tradition in town. Strehlau was previously a manager at Bove Jewelers, making for a seamless transition. One of Kennett Square’s strengths is its diversity,

and that is reflected in the diverse collection of businesses that the town is home to. “Kennett Square has a blend of core businesses, Continued on Page 3A


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Chester County Press 05-03-17 Edition by Ad Pro Inc. - Issuu