Chester CountyPRESS
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Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 152, No. 44
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
60 Cents
Incumbent, newcomer campaign for District 13 Representative seat People before politics: Sue Walker charges toward Harrisburg By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Sue Walker, the Democratic candidate for State Representative in District 13, has lived with her husband, Mike, and their two sons, Zach and Ryan, in Franklin Township for the past 20 years, and by all accounts, her life and the life of her family is firmly entrenched in the economic, educational and social fabric of Chester County. The boys went through a public education here, and for the past 14 years, Walker has worked in the
Avon Grove School District as a volunteer coordinator, Title I instructor for reading remediation, and currently manages the high school library. Even the family’s two dogs, Lucy and Brody, are Great Danes, the official state dog of Pennsylvania. Yet, during the late evening of Nov. 8, 2016, as she and Mike watched the results of the presidential election at their Landenberg home, the “Jersey” in Walker came out. “When Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency, I wasn’t Continued on Page 5A
Lawrence wants to make state government work better for citizens By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Courtesy photo
Sue Walker has lived in Franklin Township for the past 20 years.
Courtesy photo
State Rep. John Lawrence discusses a piece of legislation on the floor of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
On Oct. 24, Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law Act 102 of 2018, legislation that was sponsored by State Rep. John Lawrence that protects victims of domestic violence by changing how alimony is paid during a divorce. Lawrence started working on the legislation after one of his constituents made him aware of a major shortcoming with the existing law, which left open the possibility that a victim of domestic violence could be
ordered to pay alimony to their abusive spouse, even if the abuser had pled guilty to the crime. Act 102 of 2018 ensures that these victims will not have to pay their convicted abuser. When Lawrence first ran for office, it was because he wanted to make the state government work better for citizens. Act 102 of 2018 is an example of that: A small, but not insignificant, piece of legislation that will improve the lives of Pennsylvania residents. “We try to make sure that government works Continued on Page 4A
Group will lead 700 runners at annual Mushroom Cap 13.1 half marathon on Nov. 3 Turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday, Nov. 4
INSIDE
Southern Chester County Connections magazine
A guide to elections...6A-9A
local
The Weekly Fight: Shared pain, collective healing
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer As the autumn sun first began to emerge just before the start of the first KSQ Mushroom Cap 13.1 on Oct. 15, 2016 at Kennett Stadium, about one dozen members of the Weekly Fight, a local nonprofit organization created to benefit war veterans and their families, stood still while one member held the American flag high in front of him. Then they took off, down the crimson lanes of the high school track, leading 700 other runners out into the Kennett Square morning and through the countryside of southern Chester County. It was a partnership of newcomers: a newly-formed
INDEX Opinion..................6A, 9A Calendar of Events.....2B Obituaries...................3B Classifieds................6B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Continued on Page 2A
communities, in an effort to help maximize their civilian potential.
Students produce video urging others to ‘See Something, Say Something’ By John Chambless Staff Writer
Pushing the frontiers of energy production...1B
group of former veterans, running at a brand-new half marathon and its charitable organization, Run2Shine, Inc. In 2017, their numbers grew to 20 competitors, and on Nov. 3, as the annual Mushroom Cap 13.1 celebrates its third year, the legion of participants with the Weekly Fight will include 32 veterans and their families. “Being a part of the Mushroom Cap 13.1 every year continues to create an awareness of who we are,” said retired Marine Sergeant Major Marty Kenny, who started The Weekly Fight in 2016 after one of Kenny’s Marines committed suicide Courtesy photo after battling with Post- Formed in 2016, The Weekly Fight helps to forge a bond between veterans and their
a national non-profit organization founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012. As part of their message, “See Something, Say Something” has inspired schools nationwide to adopt practices that may head off a school shooting. At Unionville High School, a group of students, teachers and administrators
have put together a video that, in just over two minutes, lays out the message: The catastrophic conseLet a trusted adult know if quences of ignoring warning you hear or see a student signs from troubled students making threats. A video have been seen far too often. posted on the UnionvilleIn the wake of school shootChadds Ford School District ings nationwide, there are website last week begins reports that the shooter had with a tracking shot of the posted online threats, said school cafeteria and library, something that other stuand then cuts to students, dents heard, and then gone teachers and administraon to commit violence. tors speaking directly to the Sandy Hook Promise is camera. “If you hear rumors or threats,” one student says, followed by another saying, “or see any inappropriate posts on social media,” and then a third student saying, “We need you to come forward.” The video later features adults such as district superintendent John Sanville, who says, “We need everyone to work together.” It’s a somber but inspiraStudents worked for three weeks to produce a video tional two minutes, and it highlighting the ‘See Something, Say Something’ probenefits from the fact that the gram in Unionville-Chadds Ford schools.
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project was largely studentled and student-produced. John Nolen, the district’s assistant superintendent, said last week, “The school
district’s Wellness Council reviewed several resources that provide similar services. This resource provides Continued on Page 2A
Supervisors playing Russian Roulette By Uncle Irvin Many townships in southern Chester County are risking public safety by not engaging legitimate local police protection. The list includes, in no particular order, East Marlborough, London Grove, Penn, Lower Oxford, and East Nottingham. Technically, East Marlborough supervisors claim to have a local police force, an operation that once used old police cars with police mannequins in them as visual deterrents. New Garden and West Grove Borough have established a regional force that is ready and able to absorb London Grove and Penn. Continued on Page 4A
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