Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 149, No. 41
INSIDE
Scudder Stevens: ‘We are out, so to speak’
Sunshine Act lawsuit against Kennett Township settled By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer The lawsuit filed by Kennett Township resident Michael Hammon that claimed Kennett Township’s three super-
It’s almost Pumpkin Carve time in Chadds Ford..........................1B
Rarely seen paintings by N.C. Wyeth on exhibit......................1D
visors were in violation of the Sunshine Act for a retirement agreement that the suit claimed was brokered in secret with former Police Chief Albert McCarthy, has effectively been settled. As a result,
those named in the lawsuit are released from any further liability. At its Oct. 7 meeting, the supervisors authorized the township’s defense counsel – The Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Risk
Management Association – to confirm the township’s position that non-disclosure provisions in township agreements are potentially subject to disclosure under the Sunshine Act and The Right-To-Know Act, and
Calendar of Events......2B Opinion........................5B Obituaries...................6A Classified....................6C
Continued on Page 2A
Keith Knauss, who has been an outspoken voice on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board, most recently during contract negotiations, announced his resignation from the board late Monday afternoon. In a note sent to his fellow board members, Knauss wrote, “I am resigning from the school board. There are a number of changes in my family life over the next year that will require the time of my wife, Mary Pat and I -- not the least of which is the upcoming birth of our first grandchild. “Some may wonder whether the recent teacher contract was a factor,” Knauss continued. “Yes it
was, but probably not for the reason one might think. I ran again for office two years ago specifically to participate in negotiating another union contract. A settled four-year contract signals that my work is done.” Knauss was a board member for two separate terms and has served a total of 10 years. In a statement issued by the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District on its website, board president Vic Dupuis said, “I am grateful for Keith’s service and dedication to this Board and the UCFSD community. Keith’s intellect, wisdom, and thoughtprovoking commentaries Photo by Steven Hoffman have been instrumental Avon Grove running back Nate Jones scored four touchdowns and ran for 227 in ensuring that the board yards as Avon Grove enjoyed a triumphant Homecoming last Saturday. Please see Continued on Page 3A
Page 1C for a story about the game and other Homecoming activities.
Township signs off on historic bridge acquisition By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
INDEX
that the board does not object to the settlement of this case. The Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Risk Management Association [PIRMA] is a municipal
Keith Knauss Avon Grove’s resigns from U-CF triumphant Homecoming School Board By John Chambless Staff Writer
A sparkling Avon Grove Homecoming...........1C
60 Cents
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Scudder Stevens, Chairman of the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors, affixed his signature to a transfer agreement on Oct. 7 that officially turned over the ownership of the historic Chandler Mill Bridge to the township, who will pay the sale price of $1 to Chester County, its previous owner. The stipulations of the agreement, which was Photo by Richard L. Gaw drafted by the county, The historic Chandler Mill Bridge has officially been sold by Chester County to include that all signage and Kennett Township for $1, for the purpose of the township owning and maintaining Continued on Page 3A
it, as well as converting the structure to a pedestrian- and bike-only bridge.
New wastewater treatment facility unveiled in Oxford
Recent infrastructure upgrades will meet the area’s future-growth needs well into the future
Two charged with stealing dog By Uncle Irvin Criminal complaints were filed against Derricka Layne Baughman, of Worton, Md., and Jessica Marie Kwash, of Halethorpe, Md., for allegedly stealing a red-and-white Boston Brindle Terrier named Rosey, valued at $550. The dog belonged to Daniel Lapp Blank, who said the defendants knew the dog was lost, mislaid or delivered by mistake and failed to Continued on Page 4A
Lawrence returns from vacation By Uncle Irvin
Courtesy photo © 2007 The Chester County Press
Oxford Area Sewer Authority members, officials from RETTEW, and various state officials were in attendance at the Oct. 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new wastewater treatment facility.
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
new wastewater treatment plant as the Oxford Area Sewer Authority reached There were plenty of yet another milestone in the smiles at the Oct. 9 ribbon- effort to meet the area’s cutting ceremony for the infrastructure needs for
decades to come. The new mechanical wastewater treatment plant, combined with an expanded wastewater storage lagoon and larger spray fields, now
gives the Oxford area a system that will be able to handle up to 1,250,000 gallons per day—a 66 percent increase in capacity. Continued on Page 4A
Our local State Representative, John Lawrence, returned from his summer vacation issuing fiction about what he has done to resolve the state’s budget impasse. The article appeared in the Sept. 30 Chester County Press. Continued on Page 3A