Chester County Press 12-23-2015 Edition

Chester CountyPRESS

www.chestercounty.com

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

Volume 149, No. 51

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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

New Garden, parish agree to conservation easement

A balmy holiday

What to do as the new year arrives...............1B

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Representatives from the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Wilmington, pictured with the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors and Township Solicitor Vince Pompo, entered into an agreement with the township to place a conservation easement on St. Anthony in the Hills.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer At its last meeting of 2015,

Kennett edges held on Dec. 21, the New Unionville, 54-52........6B Garden Township Board

of Supervisors introduced, discussed and gave OKs to a variety of resolutions and agreements, including the approval of the township’s 2016 budget.

Yet, it was a little more than 137 acres of township property that stole the show.

Following a public hearing, the board voted unanimously to enter

A Q&A with Santa Claus.......................4B

Calendar of Events......2B Classified....................5B Obituaries...................6A Opinion........................7A Police Blotter..............9A

Continued on Page 2A

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

A Somerset Lake resident admires the lakeside view on a recent chilly December afternoon. Don’t expect a white Christmas this year, as temperatures are expected to reach the low 60s on Dec. 25.

Discussion about full-day kindergarten attracts large crowd in Avon Grove

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

INDEX

the township into a conservation easement in cooperation with St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Wilmington, for the purpose of preserving 137.6 acres of St. Anthony in the Hills.

Appraised by Stephen B. Collins of Beiler-Campbell Realtors at $9,500 per acre, the agreement will transfer $1,370,200 to the church – half of which is expected to be taken from the township’s $2.3 million Open Space Fund, while the

The Avon Grove School District’s discussions about implementing a full-day kindergarten program continued to evolve at the Dec. 10 meeting of the committee-of-the-whole, as the school board edged closer to a decision about whether the kindergarten program

will be expanded for the 2016-2017 school year.

District officials have been actively working on issues related to full-day kindergarten in a number of different ways, and Superintendent Dr. Christopher Marchese said that the board will soon need to make a decision one way or another as to whether the district will

introduce full-day kindergarten for the start of the new school year.

“We are a the point where we need direction,” Marchese said.

Dr. Kalia Reynolds, the district’s director of elementary teaching and learning, began the presentation by reviewing results of recent surveys. She explained that out of 1,204 respondents for

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‘It’s time for a new adventure’

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Bedbugzz children’s boutique will close on Jan. 5

the in-district poll, 81 percent of the people said that they supported full-day kindergarten, while 19 percent replied that they did not.

Another survey question asked respondents what the school of choice would be for an incoming kindergarten student if the district offered full-day kindergarten for the next school year. Of the 464 people who responded to this question, 354 people, or 76 percent, responded that Avon Grove schools would be their choice. A survey of parents

of charter school or preschool students found that 77 percent of the respondents supported full-day kindergarten.

Avon Grove officials have discussed the possibility of adding full-day kindergarten many times through the years, but the financial limitations always prevented the district from moving forward. Proponents say that full-day kindergarten would offer Avon Grove students more time to work and learn, and the students Continued on Page 5A

Don’t forget Bob Morse

By Uncle Irvin

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Kathleen Caccamo, who has owned and operated Bedbugzz in Kennett Square for a decade, is closing the store on Jan. 5.

By John Chambless Staff Writer Kathleen Caccamo barely had time to switch on the lights at her Bedbugzz children’s boutique on the morning of Dec. 14 before a

customer walked in, asking, “Is it true?”

Caccamo nodded. Yes, it’s true. She is closing the much-loved Kennett Square store on Jan. 5.

For the past decade, Caccamo has been behind

the counter at Bedbugzz every single day. “I took my first big vacation this past year,” she said. “We were gone for 10 days.”

Since opening in the brand-new building in Continued on Page 3A

While eighth grader R. Scott Steele was following the achievements of the Avon Grove High School men’s basketball team, there was another basketball history maker from across the way at Kennett Area High School who in 1970 was playing NCAA Division 1 basketball at the University of Pennsylvania. His name was Bob Morse.

Morse was 6-foot-8 and a great shooter as well as all-around basketball player. Morse led the Penn Quakers to several Ivy League championships, and then on to the famed NCAA Basketball Tournament.

In 1972, Penn won the Eastern Regional Finals, advancing to the final four led by Morse’s 14-point performance against North Carolina. Morse was a Penn leader in scoring and rebounding for three years.

Uncle Irvin went to Penn in the 1950s and had just taken over as publisher of the Chester County Press.

As we relive the great Avon Grove state championship through Scott Steele’s book, we can remember outstanding athletic achievements by southern Chester County’s four small high schools.

(Uncle Irvin’s column is his opinion only, and is not a news story.)

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St. Anthony's...

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remaining half is expected to be paid from by county and state funding.

As part of the agreement, the land will continue to be owned and operated by the church as a sanctuary for inner-city Wilmington children, as a lasting legacy to the vision of Father Roberto Balducelli, who served as the founder and caretaker of the facility until his death at the age of 99 on Aug. 9, 2013.

The acreage is located in the area just southwest of the intersection of GapNewport Pike (Route 41) and Limestone Road (Route 7), just north of Somerset Lake, and sits on the headwaters of the Broad Run Creek. An additional five acres of property owned by the church, located on Limestone Road and zoned commercial, was not part of the easement agreement.

The first seeds of the collaboration between the township and the parish dated back to 2008, when Father Balducelli approached the township with the idea of entering into a conservation agreement.

In making his recommendation to the supervisors to enter into the agreement, Lukoff of the township’s Open Space Review Board, who chaired a presentation with fellow member Chris Robinson, said that the board looked at several criteria: The property’s value to the township; its environmental and ecological infrastructure; its connection and access to Greenway trails; its parcel size; and its proximity to protected land.

Proclaiming that the agreement would be a “win, win, win” for residents, the township and St. Anthony of Padua, Lukoff said that

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

the property will very easily fit into the public trail connections to the nearby development being planned by the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust [PREIT] on Gap-Newport Pike; enhance the quality of life for nearby residents; create lower dollar demands on the township than if the land were to be developed; and increase value to adjacent residential property.

Lukoff said there was an environmental factor as well in preserving the property: St. Anthony in the Hills’ property contains the headwaters of the National Wild & Scenic White Clay Creek; is a natural habitat for birds and amphibians; and in a 2010 study, was identified as an important factor in improving the water quality of nearby Somerset Lake.

“For anybody who has had the privilege to meet Father Robert, this property was his baby,” said Domenick Peronti of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. “He gave birth to it. He nurtured it, and he wanted to see it continue.

The people at St. Anthony’s feel that joining this public-private partnership with New Garden Township gives us the ability to keep that vision alive, and continue what Father Roberto drempt of.”

Township Solicitor Vince Pompo said the final negotiations in the conservation easement between the township and the parish should take between 60 and 90 days.

After agreeing to several minor revisions, the supervisors gave unanimous approval to the township’s 2016 budget, which anticipates expenditures slightly more than $21.5 million, with revenues expected to be $17.3 million. This approval follows a Nov. 23

Photo by Erin McCormick

St. Anthony in the Hills continues to serve as the vision of Father Roberto Balducelli.

meeting, when the supervisors gave their OK to the preliminary budget. On the revenue side, the township is expected to take in $4.8 million for its general fund, and $2.1 million from its sewer fund. Similarly, the largest sources of expenditures expected next year will be coming out of the township’s general fund ($5 million) and sewer fund ($4.3 million).

Although there will be a $4.2 million projected difference between expenditures and revenues on the township’s books next year, the deficit will be offset by reserve funds in the township’s sewer, airport, open space and capital reserve funds, which total more than $9 million.

Township residents will incur no increased taxes for 2016.

The supervisors also gave approvals on a series of resolutions: To authorize the township to sign the loan agreement for the construction of hangars at New Garden Flying Field; to maintain the township’s 2016 real estate tax rate at 1.62 mills; to maintain the current tax rates in the township’s real estate, amusement, earned income

for open space and local services tax categories; and to enter into a pump and haul agreement for the spray areas in zones 3 and 4 in the township.

In other business, the board agreed to extend the township’s contract with the White Clay Soccer Club for a five-year period, for the Club’s use of soccer fields in New Garden Township Park. The board also agreed that as part of its annual agreement with the Avondale Fire Company, the township will make a $179,500 contribution to the Company, while also directing a $110,500 contribution to its EMS. Solicitor Pompo provided an update on the proposed sale of the township’s sewer system.

Recently, township’s Sewer Authority Committee sent out a request for proposals [RFP] in order to determine potential interest and qualifications from outside companies. They received initial proposals from the following interested parties: Aqua America, the Pennsylvania American Water Company, and Delcora.

Pompo said that these companies will now have

45 days to submit supplemental proposals to the township. Following that, the committee and the supervisors will then have an additional 30-day period to decide which of these companies the township wishes to negotiate a definitive proposal with. After the company is selected, the township will then share the definitive terms

of the agreement with the general public, prior to the township and the company entering into an agreement.

Pompo said that if everything goes according to plan, the agreement could go before the board by May 2016.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Under the agreement, 137.6 acres of St. Anthony in the Hills will be preserved as open space, and will continue to be operated by the church.

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Local News

Oxford Borough Council approves 2016 budget

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Oxford Borough Council finalized its 2016 budget on Dec. 21, approving a $3.8 million spending plan that requires a .25-mill tax increase.

Borough council also approved the tax levy ordinance for 2016, establishing a new millage rate of 12.25 mills, up from 12

mills for 2015.

Borough officials spent the last few months looking for ways to balance the spending plan with as small a tax increase as possible. Each department head was asked to reevaluate projected expenditures in the budget line by line and curtail costs whenever possible.

Council member Sue Lombardi said that the

department heads did a good job of reducing expenditures.

Overall, year-to-year expenditures are increasing slightly, from about $3.7 million to $3.8 million.

In other business at the Dec. 21 meeting, borough manager Betsy Brantner said that she wanted to reach out to officials at Oxford Area High School

to see if there might be high school students who would be interested in working on a promotional video that showcases Oxford’s qualities. Brantner said that it might be beneficial to post this video on the borough’s website and its Facebook page.

Near the conclusion of the meeting, council members and residents thanked Randy Teel for his 16

years of service on borough council. He decided not to seek a fifth term on council in 2015.

Oxford Borough Council’s first meeting of 2016 will take place on Monday, Jan. 4, when the annual reorganization meeting is held.

Incumbent council members Lombardi and John Thompson will be sworn in for their next four-year

terms. Borough council will also welcome a new member, Peggy Ann Russell, who will also be sworn in at the Jan. 4 meeting. Borough council will also elect new officers for 2016 at the same meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in Borough Hall.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com.

Ways Lane development plan gets board approval

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Dec. 16 turned out to be a date when the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors closed one door to 2015, but opened two more to the township’s future.

At its monthly meeting, one that bid ‘Goodbye’ to long-time supervisor Robert Hammaker, the supervisors approved the township’s 2016 budget and gave the go-ahead for development in a largely underdeveloped district of Kennett Square.

After taking another look at the projected revenues and expenditures in the township’s six primary funds, the supervisors signed off on a slightly modified 2016 budget, one that shaves off about $2 million of the township’s fund balance, from $10 million to about $8 million, largely due to increased expenditures anticipated to come from open space purchases next year.

In reviewing the final tabulations, Moore said that the revenues for the township’s general fund are expected to be $3.4 million, while its anticipated expenditures are expected to be $3.9 million. Of those expenditures,

Bedbugzz...

Continued from Page 1A

October 2005, she has seen her littlest customers grow up, along with her own two daughters. “There are two kids whose nurseries I designed, and I’ve dressed them since they were born,” she said. “They’re twins, 8 years old now. Their mom’s become my dear friend.”

Caccamo announced the store closing by email on Dec. 13, and her customers have been coming in to sadly say goodbye. “People are saying, ‘I can’t believe you’re leaving,’” she said.

“My email is starting to explode.

“I’m not closing because business is bad,” Caccamo said. She’s been lured away from Bedbugzz by a company called Rockin’ Baby that manufactures and distributes children’s clothing and accessories. “Rockin’ Baby has been in existence since 2012. They’ve been selling slings and pouches that are made in Richmond, Va.,” Caccamo said. “Now it’s going around the world.

I started out just helping the co-owner, Mark Jeynes, at a couple of trade shows as a retailer and consultant.

It’s boomed bigger than they thought. He was like, ‘Please come and work for me.’”

For every item Rockin’ Baby sells, they donate an

$546,000 will be designated to pay off the township’s sewer loan, while $1.9 million of the general fund will pay for capital projects next year. About $90,000 will be targeted toward the start of a sustainable development office in the township next year, which will expect to staff one part-time employee who will work with neighboring agencies and townships to explore possible collaborations in smart growth and conservation.

While the beginning balance of the township’s open space fund is expected to be $4.6 million, it expects to spend about $2.5 million from the fund in 2016, primarily designated toward the purchase of two easements the township expects to make that total about 120 acres.

By a vote of 3-0, the supervisors approved a preliminary land development plan that calls for the construction of 38 mushroom houses on 15.5 acres between Cypress and Broad streets in Kennett Square.

The area, which if developed will comprise a total of 152,000 square feet of workspace, has been zoned for light industrial development.

The plan, originally subitem through Child Fund International to be given to needy children around the world. “They just shipped their first 20,000 units to children in Uganda,” Caccamo said. “They’ve sold, for the spring line, over 200,000 pieces. By next summer, they’ll be dropping that many donations. It’s good to be part of a company that’s giving back to the community and the world, and growing something at the same time.”

The owner of the company personally checks out the places where the clothing is made, Caccamo said, to see that the factories are offering acceptable conditions to workers.

In her new position with the company, Caccamo will be in charge of the North American sales team, traveling during the “selling season” in January and February to promote the brand throughout North America. The job will allow her to remain at home in Kennett Square, where she lives with her two young daughters and her husband, who works at Winterthur Museum.

“I’ll still be working on the Mushroom Drop and Art in the Square,” she said of two big events in the borough.

“I’m not leaving the events I helped build here in town.”

The closing of Bedbugzz and the closing of the Bove

mitted by Kennett Square Specialties [KSS] in September, received a recommendation from the township’s Planning Commission on Nov. 12, with eight conditions -- all of which will be discussed by the Commission prior to final approval.

A commitment to bring a business to the Ways Lane vicinity is likely to be welcome news to elected officials and community leaders in the Kennett Borough and adjacent Kennett Township, who have spent several years discussing ideas to stimulate the economic vibrancy of the long-time brownfield.

Despite the conditions specified by the Commission that KSS still needs to hurdle, Lou Caputo, the co-owner of KSS [along with co-owner Herb Guest], and the applicant in the submission of the preliminary plan, has told the township that should the plan receive final approval and construction begin, the project will include major improvements to the Ways Lane thoroughfare, in order to make the road more passable. The primary entrance to the proposed site will be from Cypress Street.

Caputo told the supervisors and residents that because

the business will not be a compost-based farm, it will not emit odors, but will be used to produce exotic mushrooms. KSS is one of the nation’s leading purveyors of fine exotic mushrooms and substrates, including the production of Shiitake, Oyster, Portabello, Reishi, Pioppino and Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

In other business, Township Manager Lisa Moore said the township is looking to incorporate several ordinances, which are expected to be discussed at the Planning Commission’s meeting on Jan. 12.

The first would regulate outdoor dining in the township; the second will define some terms used in township ordinances, such as “open space,” “common open space,” “passive open space,” “noise control,” and amend other definitions that the township feels need better clarification.

The third ordinance will define “municipal use” and “public use” as applied to township zoning districts; the fourth ordinance will amend the cart way width—currently at 18 feet in width—to 24 feet in width, in accordance with width regulations in place in

other municipal codes; and Chief Lydell Nolt commendthe fifth ordinance will be ed Officer Amanda Wenrich, amended in order to change who has completed a trainthe size regulation of parking ing course specializing in stalls in the township, from interview and interrogation, its current 9 1/2 feet by 17 which Nolt said will help 1/2 feet size, to 10 feet by Wenrich develop her skills 18 feet. as an investigator. Nolt The township will continue said that officers Johnathan to tighten the wording on Ortiz and Jeffrey Call have its recently passed ordinance both completed advanced that places standards on the roadside impaired driving inclusion of mixed-use and enforcement training, which town homes in the town- provides officers with tools ship. Finally, the township and resources to detect drivwill draft an ordinance that ers who are driving under regulates the type of busi- the influence of drugs and nesses that can be opened in prescription medication. the township.

Nolt also said that in light A hearing to discuss the of the recent shootings in installation of a distillery on San Bernardino, Calif., his the Miller property in the department will be supplytownship has been sched- ing an officer to Chester uled for Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. A County’s Emergency Zoning Hearing Board hear- Response Team, which will ing for the Kahn property allow the township, in the has also been scheduled for event of a similar incident, the same date, at the town- to have as many as 65 fully ship building. trained officers dispatched The supervisors approved to the site of the incident the start of a traffic impact within 45 minutes of an fee study in the township, emergency call. which will allow the townIn addition, Nolt will be ship to incorporate a per-trip conducting an emergency fee in new developments drill in the township buildwithin the township. The ing for township employees, fees will go toward payment and working to develop a for road improvements in procedure chart on how to each development. identify and address emerThe township will host a gency situations. seminar on soil preservation in January at the township To contact Staff Writer building.

Richard L. Gaw, e-mail Jewelers store in Kennett a smile. “Maybe I can raffle Kennett Township Police rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Square have been dark spots it off.” on the downtown boom in For more information, visit Kennett Square, even though www.bedbugzz.com.

Caccamo is leaving of her own accord. “It should make To contact Staff Writer everybody think of how John Chambless, email much they enjoy their down- jchambless@chestercounty.

SPECIAL SECTION CALENDAR town, and how much they com. need to support their downtown by shopping here,” she said.

ENNSBURY Bedbugzz offered gift HADDS ORD items, décor and clothing in NTIQUE ALL sizes ranging from newborn to tweens, as well as maternity clothing. All the products Quality were ethically sourced and Antiques well made, Caccamo said. & Collectibles That philosophy will dovefor over January 13 tail nicely with her work 40 years for Rockin’ Baby. But she Winter Education Guide said she will miss the relaJanuary 27 tionships she has built with Wyeth Prints, Health & Medical Guide Furniture, Jewelry, Silver, customers and friends over Prints, Coins, Toys, Military, February 10 the past decade.

Pottery, Ceramics, Glass, Camp & Education Guide “I love Kennett Square,” Rare Books, Ephemera, she said. “I love the area, but Original Art, Quilts, it’s time for a new advenOriental Rugs, Linens ture. I had to do a lot of thinking,” she said of her Over 100 Dealers decision to close the store.

“I’ll miss the people. I’ve Upper Level made a lot of friends here 610-388-1620 and I’ve loved watching the Lower Level kids grow up.”

610-388-6546 Everything in the store is Both Levels marked down substantially, Thursday - Monday and Caccamo is wondering 10-5 what she will do with the 640 E. Baltimore Pike, 219 Birch Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348 plush pink pony in the store Chadds Ford, PA 19317 that has been “well loved” by generations of children Ample Parking who come to shop with their Ask for Jeff families. “I’ve just been PennsburyAntiqueMall.com www.tayloroilandpropane.com wondering,” she said with

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

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Chester County Press

Local News Franklin Township passes 2016 budget, honors Ralph Olivier for his contributions As expected, the Franklin Townsihip Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the township’s 2016 budget on Dec. 16.

The total tax rate will be 2.495 mills.

The combined budget expenditure is $2,599,162.

Tax rates were set at 1.225 mills for the General Fund, .500 for Emergency Services, .270 for Parks and Recreation, and .500 for Open Space.

Board chairman John

Avon Grove...

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Auerbach also read a proclamation thanking Board of Supervisors member Eric Brindle, who has served on the board for seven years, and on the Planning Commission for 11 years. Brindle is retiring from public service.

Auerbach noted that Brindle implemented the deer feeder program in the township, was instrumental in the founding of the Franklin Sportsman’s Association, and “helped guide the township on a steady track during a

period of rapid growth and development.”

The meeting included a lengthy discussion of stream monitoring equipment that would keep watch on water quality issues in the township. David Arscott of the Stroud Water Center, as well as former supervisor Paul Overton, explained that the devices monitor streams for any changes so that further testing can be done. There is a stream monitoring program in place in London Grove Township, which has collected data from

several pollutant locations for about six months.

The board has said it will continue to track London Grove Township’s experience with the program before making a decision on spending $10,000 for the monitors. That cost would be incurred only in the first year. Subsequent years will require only monitoring of the results.

The board, which has considered water monitoring equipment for several years, will revisit the issue in three months.

The Board of Supervisors

organizational meeting will be held Jan. 4.

Other upcoming meetings are: Elected auditors (Jan. 5, 8 a.m.); Historical Commission and HARB (Jan. 6, 7 p.m.); Planning Commission (Jan. 7, 7 p.m.); and the Board of Supervisors (Jan. 20, 7 p.m.). For updated information on the township, visit www.franklintownship.us.

available to them to know exactly how many students will return to Avon Grove for full-day kindergarten.

As a public school, Avon Grove must accept all students within the boundary who want to enroll, even if that creates an issue of overcrowding.

School board vice president Brian Gaerity said that he would prefer planning for modular classrooms right away instead of running the risk of a serious issue of overcrowding in the classrooms.

“We’re going to have to have modulars, whether it’s in year two or year one. I think that’s the smarter way to go,” Gaerity explained.

According to district officials, there will be a potential reduction in annual expenses if they are able to reduce the number of students who attend charter schools. For each student that attends a charter school, the district must make a tuition payment— approximately $7,900 for each student. For students who need special education services, the tuition amount is nearly $21,000 per student per year. The reduction on the expenditure side would offset some of the costs of implementing fullday kindergarten.

The administration has put its support behind expanding to full-day kindergarten for 2016-2017, but some people have advocated slowing the process down. School board member Charles Beatty said that instead of making a decision about full-day kindergarten in isolation, it should be part of a larger discussion about the district’s school facilities.

“I would rather see a master plan,” Beatty said.

He noted that if the implementation of full-day kindergarten does, in fact, bring more students back to the district it will have an impact on the other schools.

Modulars are already in use at the high school.

The discussion about fullday kindergarten attracted a large audience, and many people had opinions that they wanted to share with district officials. Public comment stretched for more than an hour, with more people vocalizing their support for full-day kindergarten than those who were against it.

“We know that full-day kindergarten is right for children,” said Carolyn Hammerschmidt, who serves on the Penn London PTA. Several other residents talked about how fullday kindergarten would improve the students’ aca-

demic performance. “It’s about the kids. They are the future of our community,” said Megan Knoll.

Other people were concerned about the impact that the full-day kindergarten program would have on the budget and, consequently, on the district’s taxpayers.

Donna Dea was one of those who spoke against moving forward with fullday kindergarten at this time.

“I’m an educator,” Dea said. “I think school is important, but we only have so much money. Tax increases are an issue.”

Jim Russell questioned why only parents of schoolage children in the district were included in the survey.

He said that the surveys should have been distributed to taxpayers as well to get a better understanding of the district’s views as a

whole.

Still others called for the district to delay a decision on the kindergarten program until there is a district-wide plan in place for all the facilities.

“I agree with Mr. Beatty.

You need to look at the program as a whole before you decide anything,” said resident Rich Cohen.

Others said that the educational benefits of full-day kindergarten were worth the increase in taxes.

“As a taxpayer, I fully support [full-day kindergarten] even though it won’t benefit my kids,” said resident Brian Hammond.

According to the timeline that was released two months ago, district officials will visit full-day kindergarten programs in other districts this month and next, and they will also conduct research on

the instructional schedules in January of 2016. A series of parent informational forums will be held from January to May of next year. Registration for the kindergarten program will be underway by May,

and district officials will be working on staffing the fullday kindergarten program between April and July.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com.

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would have a stronger foundation for early academic achievement.

In Chester County, the Kennett, Octorara, Coatesville, Phoenixville school districts currently offer full-day kindergarten to students.

Marchese led the presentation about the full-day kindergarten enrollment projections. The district’s current kindergarten enrollment is approximately 228 students. Approximately 110 Avon Grove students attend charter schools, with the opportunity to attend full-day kindergarten classes as a major attraction. One of the biggest challenges facing Avon Grove officials is projecting exactly how many of those students will return to the district if it offers full-day kindergarten.

If the maximum class size is kept at 22 students, Penn London Elementary’s capacity for kindergarten is 264 students. If the maximum class size for kindergarten is increased to 24 students, the maximum capacity is 288 students, giving the district the chance to add about 60 students overall. If the district utilizes modular classrooms and limits the class size to 22 students, Avon Grove could accommodate 308 students. If the class size is increased to 24, the maximum capacity increases to 336 students, more than 100 students over the current enrollment.

The accuracy of these projections is important to the district. Marchese said that, according to the latest and best projections, there will be between 271 and 285 students enrolled in kindergarten if Avon Grove makes the switch to fullday kindergarten. If 57 of the kindergarten students enrolled in other schools return, it would bring the district’s total number of kindergarten students to approximately 290. That is very close to what Marchese referred to as “the tipping point.” Any more students than that and the district would very likely be unable to accommodate them in the existing facilities. Modular classrooms would have to be used, and that would increase the costs of starting up the full-day kindergarten program. If more students are enrolled in full-day kindergarten than the district expects, it may be necessary to increase class sizes—and few people would be in favor of that.

Marchese observed that, while the projections are based on the best information available, there simply isn’t a crystal ball

Auerbach led a tribute to Ralph Olivier, the former chairman of the Planning Commission, who passed away recently. Olivier was a member of the commission for more than 12 years, and served as chairman since 2007. He was a founding member of the Historical Architectural Review Board as well as the Historical Commission.

The township will be making a donation to Tri-State Bird Rescue in Olivier’s honor, and also planting a tree on the township property in his memory.

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By John Chambless Staff Writer

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

F.M. MOOBERRY

NINA M. BRAMBLE

ROSEMARY M. KEHOE

F.M. Mooberry died peacefully on Dec. 11 at Kendal at Longwood, where she was a resident.

F.M. was born in 1930 in Albert Lea, Minn., as that was the closest hospital to her hometown of Northwood, Iowa. She grew up active in the Girl Scouts and committed to a professional Scouting career. Graduating from the University of Iowa, she became the executive at the Shinning Trail Council in Burlington, Iowa. Her Scouting career was interrupted when she married David Mooberry in 1953 and after a short stay at Purdue, moved to Delaware. She joined the Wilmington Area Council with responsibility for Cecil County, Md. A growing family and husband’s transfers cut short the scouting career and she changed to her back-up interest, horticulture. F.M. was a guide at Longwood Gardens in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s but, returning from a move to Princeton, she became a volunteer at the new Brandywine River Museum. When Frolic Weymouth asked her, “Can’t you do something about this tiny garden and the ugly parking lot?” a new career was solidified. She decided that the garden at an institution committed to protecting the Brandywine Valley should be committed to protecting the native plants of the region. As coordinator of horticulture at the museum, she worked with 40 other volunteers and lots of truckloads of mushroom soil to create an outstanding native plant garden.

F.M.’s career as gardener, educator, designer, author, speaker, collector of seeds for commercial growers and advocate for native plants flourished. In1990, she started the Native Plants in the Landscape Conference at Millersville University that is still active today. Along the way, she discovered an unusual white seedling of Phlox paniculata that she named for her husband. Phlox ‘David’ was named Perennial Plant of the year in 2002. F.M. was also an active member of the London Grove Friends Meeting.

F.M. is survived by a very close and loving family, including her husband of 62 years; her daughter, Susan Mooberry and husband Greg Paterson of San Antonio, Texas; her son, Douglas Mooberry and wife Pat Pusey Mooberry of Unionville; and four grandchildren, Alex of San Antonio, Elizabeth of Alexandria Virginia, Jessie of Turkey, and Brinton, a senior at Lehigh University.

A celebration of her life will be held in the New Year.

Contributions in her memory may be made to London Grove Friends Meeting, 500 Street Rd., Kennett Square, PA 19348. To view her online obituary, visit www.griecocares.com.

Nina M. Bramble, 85, of West Grove, passed away on Dec. 18 at the Jennersville Regional Hospital.

Born in Houston, Texas, she was the daughter of the late Zander and Lucille James Seaton. She was a nurses aide at the Emily P. Bissell Hospital in Wilmington, Del., when she retired. Nina enjoyed gardening, cooking, traveling, and being with her family and friends.

She is survived by three sons, Henry W. McKinney III of West Grove, Harry W. McKinney and his wife Carolyn “Bunny” of Chadds Ford, and Harold “Butch” W. McKinney of West Grove; one daughter, Bonnie M. Schroder and her husband Charles of West Grove; one brother, Jack Seaton of Bear, Del.; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Nina was predeceased by one brother, William “Bill” Seaton.

A visitation with family and friends will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Dec. 23 at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home (250 W. State St., Kennett Square). Her funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the New London Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.griecocares.com.

Rosemary M. Kehoe, 84, of Cochranville, formerly of Glenolden, passed away on Dec. 14 at Twin Pines Health Care Center in West Grove.

She was the wife of the late Joseph I. Kehoe. Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Richard and Rose Hopkins Lynn. Rosemary was employed with General Electric Space Division in Valley Forge as a systems analyst. She was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Oxford, and was formerly a member of Our Lady of Fatima, Glenolden, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister. Rosemary enjoyed singing, crossword puzzles, and the Stone Harbor beaches in the summer.

She is survived by one son, Joseph J. Kehoe of Cochranville; two grandchildren, Carrie Kehoe (Ryan) and Wendy Wilroy; three great-grandchildren, Harper, Logan and Cassidy; and one sister, Marguerite (Peggy) Guimond of Hartford, Conn.

Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Dec. 18 at Sacred Heart Church (203 Church Rd., Oxford), where friends and family may visit from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Interment will be in Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Springfield. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.

Visitwww.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

DAVID J. SOLDO, SR. David J. Soldo, Sr., 63, of Oxford, passed away on Dec. 16 at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Md. He was employed with BASF Company in Newport, Del., as a power house operator, and was formerly employed with NVF in Yorklyn, Del., as a maintenance foreman. David enjoyed his Harley Davidson motorcycle and spending time fishing at his vacation home in Ocean City, Md. He is survived by one son, David J. Soldo, Jr. (Michelle) of Bear, Del.; one daughter, Nichole Foraker (George Henderson) of Colora, Md.; three grandchildren, Tyler, Kayla and Jared; nephew, Mike Drenkhahn; and loving companion, Dolores DeHaven of Oxford. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine; and son, Keith Soldo.

A viewing was held Dec. 21. Interment was private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Eli Seth Matthews Leukemia Foundation, Inc., PO Box 33 Oxford, PA 19363. Online condolences may be made at www. elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

JOSEPHINE F. FAHEY Josephine (“Jodie”) Fahey, 93, died peacefully on Dec. 20, under the care of the staff at the Linden Hall Nursing Facility and Willow Tree Hospice.

She was a lifelong resident of Kennett, and member of St. Patrick Church. She graduated from Kennett High School, attended Goldey Business (later Goldey-Beacom College), and enjoyed a 40-year career at Atlas Powder Company and its successors. Jodie was kind and generous, and she valued her many long-term relationships with early schoolmates, neighbors, relatives, and co-workers, and was cared for by and respected by dedicated friends from near and far. She was known for her amazing memory and knowledge of every aspect of her extended family’s lives, and honored her heritage by passing down a lifetime of family stories and possessions.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert E. and Kathryn Keating Fahey; and a sister-in-law, Elizabeth Mullen Fahey. She is succeeded by a brother, Edward J. Fahey and his wife Susan; three nieces, Susan Calio (James), Patricia Donmoyer (Larry), and Jane Orner (John); a nephew, Robert F. Fahey (Carolyn); two contemporary cousins, Msgr. Charles J. Fahey and James L. Keating; 10 great-nieces and nephews; and seven great-great nieces and nephews.

Friends are asked to contribute to charities of their choice and are invited to a requiem mass at St. Patrick Church (212 Meredith St., Kennett Square) at 11 a.m. on Dec. 28. Interment will be private. To view her online obituary, visit www. griecocares.com.

RUTH ELIZABETH RUBINCAN Ruth Elizabeth Rubincan, 94, of Wilmington, Del., passed away on Dec. 21 at Brandywine Nursing Home in Wilmington.

Born in Oxford, she was the daughter of the late Benjamin and Julia Janowyc Rubincan. Ruth retired from Amtek (formerly Havec) in Wilmington. When she was not working, she enjoyed spending time with her family and doing crossword puzzles.

She is survived by a great-niece, Suzanne Rubincan; greatgreat-nephew, Matthew Heinemann; sister-in-law, Madeline Rubincan; sister, Patricia Foresteri (Jack); and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Ida Swift, Alice Houck and Ella Rubincan; and two brothers, Benjamin and John Rubincan.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Dec. 26 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home (86 Pine St., Oxford).

Interment will be in Oxford Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011. Visit www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

Alleluia The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Jeff Lampl, Senior Pastor

Psalm 27:1

Youth Website: www.gzyouth.com

9:00AM and 10:45AM Worship Where the best of the past meets the best of the future!

Nursery for infant - 4 years, KidZone and Sunday school classes for all at both services!

610-869-2140 www.clcfamily.net

The Chester County Press features a dedicated church/religious page that can help you advertise your house of worship and/or business. The page is updated weekly with new scripture. Only $10 Weekly for this space.

We are offering a special discount of 25% off each and every help wanted/ classified advertisement to any business that advertises on the PRESS church page.

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Landenberg Church United Methodist

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610-274-8384 Services Every Sunday • 9:00 am

HERR FOODS, INC. NOTTHINGHAM, PA

932-9330 ENCOURAGES YOU TO ATTEND THE CHURCH OF YOUR CHOICE

P.O. Box 270 Oxford, PA 19363 Meets First and Third Thursday at 6:30p.m.

Nottingham Inn, Nottingham, PA

Dec. 24 Christmas Eve services Avondale Presbyterian Church (420 Pennsylvania Ave., Avondale) will hold two Christmas Eve services on Dec. 24. At 5:30 p.m., there will be a youth-led drama for families, and at 10 p.m., a candlelight service will be held. For more information, call 610-268-2919.

Jan. 9 Pancake breakfast Shiloh Presbyterian Church (42 S. Fifth St., Oxford) will hold a public pancake breakfast on Jan.

9 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Tickets at the door are $7 for adults, $5 for ages 4 to 11, free for children 3 and younger.

For more information, call 610-932-9256.

To submit items to the Church Calendar, e-mail jchambless@chestercounty. com. There is no charge.

Information should be received at least two weeks before the event. Not every submission can be included.

Please include the address and contact information for the church in your submission.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

7A

Chester County Press

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Opinion

Editorial

Letter to the Editor

Our holiday wish list

Fire companies need financial support from Chester County municipalities

Somewhere between the pursuit of stories and the deadlines for them lies the heart of what community journalism is all about: To be given the tiniest slice of real estate and the responsibility of documenting the life that happens there.

Every day, every week, every month and every year, we have gotten to know news makers in every crevice and corner of southern Chester County, in every industry, in nearly every walk of life and almost every sphere of influence. We have been given the responsibility to share with our readers their goals, their setbacks, their successes and their broadstroke visions. Indulge us for a moment as we engage just a few of them, in our annual holiday wish list: To New Garden Township Police Chief Gerald Simpson and his staff, we wish for you a new, state-ofthe-art police station that can carry the weight of high aspirations and even higher integrity.

To the East Nottingham Township Board of Supervisors, we wish that they are able to fill the two vacancies that currently exist with capable people who will be able to work collaboratively with the other supervisors and the staff of the township.

To Andrew Miller, the new executive director of the Kennett Flash, we wish for you a 2016 filled with an exciting line-up of performers and packed houses.

To Mike Pia, Jr. and Kennett Realty, we wish for you much progress on the planned Cannery Row development, to join with Magnolia Place and the Victory Brewing Company restaurant as the latest step in revitalizing the western edge of Kennett Square.

To Avon Grove High School softball star Maggie Balint, we wish for you one last, magical season on the Red Devil mound before you depart for the University of Oregon next fall.

To Cuyler Walker, we wish a much-deserved break from the East Marlborough Board of Supervisors, which you have served for 18 years.

To Randy Teel, we also wish for a much-deserved break. He has served Oxford Borough well as a member of council for a total of 16 years.

To Christine Grove of the Oxford Arts Alliance, we wish another year of success as the smiling public face of an organization that brings so much to the Oxford area.

To the newly reconfigured Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board, we wish a year of unity and progress in maintaining the district’s high standards.

To those who build, maintain, and continue to dream big things for Goddard Park in London Grove Township, we wish for you a community garden packed with occupied plots, tended by individuals and organizations.

To Unionville football head coach Pat Clark, we wish for you and your Indians another successful campaign in 2016, but look behind you: Avon Grove, Oxford and Kennett are gaining quickly.

To Oxford Mainstreet, Inc. and Historic Kennett Square we wish much success as those organizations work to keep the business districts vibrant.

To outgoing Kennett Township Supervisor Robert Hammaker, we wish for you a little rest, but not too much of one, because the township will continue to need your counsel and dedication in new ways.

And to our readers, both on line and in print, we wish you the happiest of holiday seasons.

Letter to the Editor: Receiving proper financial support from local governments to make sure our Chester County communities are safe at all of times of the day and night is becoming almost impossible.

I was dismayed to read of the treatment fire Chief John Edwards and the East Brandywine volunteer fire company received at

a recent township meeting. More than 100 citizens turned out to support the fire and EMS organizations that safeguard their community. The reaction from the township’s elected officials was that no additional funding was coming the way of the fire company.

I know Chief Edwards and how hard he works to keep his company functioning as a professional organization.

Chief Edwards spends many

volunteer hours attempting to secure funding for essential firefighting and rescue endeavors. I know because I put in the same hours here at Longwood Fire Company.

The cost of equipment, overhead and training is extreme. At the meeting Edwards said, “But when you call 911, 100 percent of the people expect a response. These people are putting their lives on the

line. I want them to have state of the art equipment and the best possible gear. I want it for them, and I want it for you.”

I was pleased to see that the residents of East Brandywine rallied to support the fire company. It’s too bad the elected officials didn’t offer the same support.

Chief A. J. McCarthy Longwood Fire Company

Opinion

Crisis budgeting is disservice to Pennsylvanians

By Bob Dick Some crises come without warning; others are created.

By vetoing budget after budget, denying funds to schools and nonprofits, and withholding scholarships for low-income students, Gov. Tom Wolf has done everything in his power to create a crisis.

Now, nonprofits dependent on state aid are laying off staff, school districts’ borrowing costs have reached nearly $1 billion, and some districts may even be forced to stay closed after the Christmas break.

H a r d w o r k i n g Pennsylvanians deserve more than government by crisis.

Wolf claims to want compromise, yet he’s rejected offer after offer. In June, Republicans passed a budget with a $1 billion increase in spending. This included an additional $387 million for education—an increase meant to satisfy Wolf, who campaigned on boosting education spending.

Many Republicans would have preferred a much leaner budget but determined that was not a possibility. In other words, the June budget was already a compromise for many legislators.

Republicans also passed meaningful pension reform and liquor privatization in June. Gov. Wolf vetoed both, along with the entire $30.1 billion budget. He set in motion the current budget crisis to demand even higher spending and tax increases.

Then, last week, Wolf’s spokesperson hurled a slew of insults at the House Republican Caucus in an amazing display of playground name-calling. Why? The caucus dared oppose Wolf’s demand for an estimated $1.2 billion tax hike on working people.

Now, six months into Wolf ’s crisis, Pennsylvanians are feeling real pain. As a result, the urge to end the budget impasse as quickly as possible is understandable. But passing flawed legislation simply to claim an end to gridlock is not a responsible approach to governing— especially when viable alternatives exist.

Unfortunately, lawmakers have been asked to approve hundreds of pages of controversial budget legislation in a short timeframe. Hoping to capitalize on the crisis, Wolf is even making demands that were not part of the “framework”

he claims legislative leaders agreed to.

Specifically: • The Wolf-favored Senate budget includes $85 million in new spending on “walking around money,” or WAMs. • The pension bill passed by the Senate would delay pension payments, adding $500 million to taxpayers’ debt over the long term.

What’s more, the bill does not include the legally required cost estimate.

• Raising a glass to Wolf’s bidding, the Senate passed a watered-down, wine-only privatization plan. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said the plan “was not a sweeping rewrite of the state’s outdated liquor laws. It’s not even a foot in the door to privatization.”

• Wolf also demanded that the budget include massive cuts for cyber school students.

• Despite a lack of legislative support, even among Democrats, Wolf continues to demand a $1.2 billion tax hike on working families. Legislators have yet to agree on how to pay for all this new spending.

As these examples show, governing by panic increases the likelihood of passing

flawed legislation. Imagine how much a rushed budget could harm Pennsylvania families for years and even decades to come.

Instead of sacrificing our state’s future in exchange for the soundbite claim of having “ended the budget impasse,” the governor and lawmakers should focus on doing what’s best for Pennsylvania families.

Lawmakers can stop needless pain immediately and prevent long-term consequences stemming from a crisis-driven spending plan.

How? By passing a stopgap budget now and resetting the discussion on how to protect families trying to balance their own budgets.

Adopting recommendations in a report authored by Representative Seth Grove on how to balance the budget without imposing new taxes is a great place to start.

Pennsylvania needs a robust debate about the size and scope of our state budget. Let’s continue this dialogue. But let’s do it outside the shadow of a crisis, where cooler heads can prevail.

It’s not responsible to pass a budget just to “get it done.” We need to get it right.

Members of Congress need to spend more time on Capitol Hill

By Lee H. Hamilton

When Paul Ryan became House Speaker a few weeks ago, he made it clear that he has no intention of spending too much time in Washington. His wife and children are in Wisconsin, he pointed out, and he plans to commute, as he’s done since he got elected to Congress. “I just work here,” he told CNN, “I don’t live here.”

I have great sympathy for Ryan’s urge to strike a balance between family and work. It is very, very tough for every member, let alone the Speaker, to live and work far from home, and to weigh constantly whether to be in Washington or back in the district. I remember that when I served in Congress, I felt I was in the wrong place wherever I happened to be. If I was home in Indiana, I missed important

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meetings on Capitol Hill.

When I was in Washington, the calendar in Indiana was filled with events I should have been attending.

Yet while we should sympathize with the compromises members of Congress have to make between their duties in Washington and their responsibilities back home, there’s no question where they must be to discharge their public responsibilities.

If we want a well-functioning Congress, they need to be in Washington more.

When I first got elected to Congress in 1964, members didn’t have to split time between their colleagues on Capitol Hill and their families back in the district, because most of us moved our families to Washington. But over the years, the politics of the country have grown strongly anti-Washington.

Members of Congress do not want to be associated with the city. They want to show they haven’t been seduced by the lifestyle of the Nation’s Capital or

adopted an “inside-the-beltway” mindset. They take pride in rejecting the elitism of Washington. Today’s politics make it hard to argue that members should be spending more time on Capitol Hill.

Yet as Washington Post writer Dana Milbank noted recently in an insightful column on the topic, “It’s no mere coincidence that in the time this trend has taken hold, much of what had previously existed in Washington disappeared: civility, budget discipline, big bipartisan legislation and just general competence. In place of this have come bickering, showdowns, shutdowns and the endless targeting of each other for defeat in the next election.”

Expanding the Capitol Hill workweek, in other words, isn’t just a symbolic gesture. It’s one of the keys to reversing congressional dysfunction.

For starters, you have to get to know your colleagues in order to do business with them. The amenities are cru-

cial in politics, even more than in most spheres of working life. In any legislature, whether it’s on Capitol Hill or in a state capital or in City Hall, the very nature of the job is going to involve disagreement. Yet everyone there is there to solve problems together; they have no choice but to work together.

It’s hard to attack a person you know well, but even more important, getting to know one another — and one another’s families — is an essential lubricant for resolving the issues you confront together.

Second, drafting legislation is highly demanding, because the core of it involves building consensus. This takes time. It can’t be forced. Members have to have the time and room to consider the options, look for common ground, and think through alternatives. Politicians, in other words, need sufficient time to be good politicians and good legislators. The array of tough issues that face Congress can’t be dealt with by part-time legislators.

Which is what they are right now. Members of Congress work hard, but they do not work hard at legislating. They work hard at constituent relations and raising money and campaigning. Legislating, whether we like it or not, takes a five-day week, not the three they put in at the moment.

What I’m arguing for here will not be popular with members of Congress, and it certainly won’t get a warm reception from their families. But they are elected to do the job of legislating. For the good of the institution they serve and the work product they owe the nation, members need to spend more time in Washington.

Lee Hamilton is a Distinguished Scholar, Indiana University School of Global and International Studies; and a Professor of Practice, IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.

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CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

OASD votes to stay within Act 1 Index

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer Brian Cooney, the Oxford Area School District’s business administrator, offered an update to the school board about the status of the preliminary budget for 2016-2017 at the Dec. 15 meeting.

Cooney said that “huge portions of the budget” remain unclear at this time.

He pointed out that it’s challenging to attempt to project what subsidies the district will receive from the state for the next school year when the district hasn’t even received its first subsidy payment for the current school year as a result of the ongoing state budget impasse.

Cooney said that there has been conflicting information coming out of Harrisburg about the progress that is being made in the efforts by Gov. Tom Wolf and the State Legislature to finalize a state budget for the current fiscal year.

“It almost feels like one step forward, two steps backward,” Cooney said.

One piece of information that Cooney does have is that the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) rate is increasing slightly to 30.03 percent. Cooney noted that while the rate is increasing by less than one-percent, it will translate to an increase of $165,000 to Oxford’s annual budget.

The district is also anticipating an update on projected health care costs for the next school year. Cooney said that as more information becomes available, Oxford’s own budget picture will become clearer and he will offer updates to the school board.

Even though there is much work to do on the 2016-2017 spending plan, after Cooney’s report the Oxford School Board subsequently voted to remain within the Act 1 Index limit of 3.3 percent, which means that if there is a tax increase included in Oxford’s final budget for 2016-2017, it must be less than that. The state Act 1 Index establishes the maximum tax increase allowable by a school district in a given year without seeking approval for the tax increase through a referendum.

School board member Joseph Tighe, who serves on the district’s Finance and Budget Committee, said that district officials have done a good job of limiting expenditures so that Oxford can stay within the Act 1 Index despite the various budgetary challenges that the district is facing.

“I want to give kudos to the administration of the district for that,” said Tighe.

Also at the Dec. 15

meeting, the school board approved resolutions honoring two departing school board members, Donna Arrowood and Dr. Jason Brady. Arrowood served as a board member for four years, including two as president.

The resolution stated, in part: “Donna L. Arrowood has given countless hours of her time for board meetings and board-related work which has proven her commitment and dedication to the students of the Oxford Area School District….”

Brady, also a past board president, served on the board for eight years.

He was lauded for “his strong moral character and high ethical standards demonstrated in the field of education carrying strong respect among his colleagues…”

School board member Howard Robinson was selected to continue to serve as the school board’s representative on the Chester County Intermediate Unit Board.

The term is effective July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2019.

The school board will hold meetings next month on Tuesday, Jan. 12 and Tuesday, Jan. 19. Both meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty. com.

Reflecting on the past and looking to the future Penn’s Chairman highlights accomplishments of 2015 and sets goals for 2016

By Nancy Johnson Correspondent

Curtis Mason, Chairman of Penn Township’s Board of Supervisors, used the final meeting of 2015 on Dec. 9 to highlight the past year’s accomplishments and look toward the goals for the next.

A substantial start on the Red Rose Inn renovations not only made the site more aesthetically appealing, but was an important step to prepare for improvement of the notorious Jennersville Road/Baltimore Pike intersection.

Acquiring funding for the intersection project has been an ongoing priority for the supervisors. Mason announced that their efforts have brought them a “good faith” promise of $800,000 through a PennDOT pilot program. They have also applied for a grant that would

put another $276,000 toward the project.

The township was awarded a $57,000 grant by the county to update their zoning ordinances.

The process of going through the ordinances, line by line, is already well underway.

The supervisors fulfilled a promise to Penn’s residents with the acquisition of 43 acres on which they will build an active park, including lighted playing fields.

The year also brought two new businesses to the township -- Penn Medicine and Project Cure.

For 2016, Mason announced that for the 19th straight year, there is no township tax increase. He said that improving the Jennersville Road/Baltimore Pike intersection is the number-one priority for the upcoming year.

Continued work on the

Red Rose Inn site as a new community building, and development of a plan for the active park, are also high on the list. Improvements are also planned for the existing passive park. Additional children’s play equipment, an adult fitness area, and an expansion of the walking path are all under consideration.

Events in Penn’s park will continue to be free, and will be expanded. A Public Safety Day/Shredding Event will lead off on Saturday, April 16, featuring safety information for all ages – from car seat fitting to cybersecurity and document shredding. Other events throughout 2016 include a Summer Kick-Off Concert in June, the 12th Annual Picnic and Health & Wellness Fair in September, a Halloween event in October, and a Holiday Open House in December.

Nottingham essay contest celebrates American Education Week

In celebration of National Education Week, held from Nov. 16 to 20, Nottingham Elementary School students participated in an essay contest on the themes of “If I was teacher for the day” or “If I was principal for the day.”

Pictured, from left, are principal Lisa Yingst, third-grade winner Matthew Lilly, fourth-grade winner Ryan

Owens, and assistant principal Matthew Hovanec. Matthew and Ryan each received an

award certificate and had the opportunity to spend lunch with the Nottingham administration.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

Chocolate Lovers Festival coming up in February to benefit the United Way

Calling all chocoholics!

Hundreds of chocolate treats, including cakes, brownies, candies, cookies and cupcakes, will be available for tasting at the 2016 Kennett Chocolate Lovers Festival benefiting United Way of Southern Chester County.

Bring family and friends and sample as many chocolate items as you wish. General admission starts at 1 p.m. The $10 per person includes six tastings (or $30 for a family of four). General admission parking is $5. Connoisseur tickets allow for admission at noon for a private hour

of wandering the aisles of chocolate. Tickets are $25 per person, or $45 for two people (includes beverages and parking).

If you are a great baker or chef, you can donate your best chocolate desserts to support this event and for a chance to win ribbons and prizes. Contestant categories are professionals, amateurs and students (ages 12 older). There is no cost to enter. Entries must have a chocolate component and be shelf-stable, but need not be original. For official rules and to enter, visit www.

kennettchocolate.org. Entry deadline is Feb. 17.

The United Way of Southern Chester County serves the residents of the Avon Grove, Kennett, Oxford, and Unionville-Chadds Ford school districts. More than 30 health and human service programs receive support from UWSCC. The festival will be held Feb. 21 from 1 to 4 p.m.

(Connoisseur tickets at noon) at Kennett High School (100 E. South St., Kennett Square). Advance tickets and information are available at www.kennettchocolate.org.

‘Sherlock & the Beanstalk’ coming to KHS stage The Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society (KATS) is returning to brighten up January with their annual British panto production.

This year, it’s “Sherlock and the Beanstalk,” a mixup of classic whodunit and fractured fairy tale, centered on Sherlock

Holmes and his efforts to find out who has stolen the Magical Harp.

The production has the audience boo the villain and cheer the heroine, sing along with the “Silly Song” and take part in the freewheeling comedy that is the second-oldest British

pantomime in America.

The performances are held in the auditorium of Kennett High School on Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m., and Jan. 23 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $5 and $10.

For reservations and more information, visit callkats.tix.com.

IRS PHONE SCAM The New Garden Township Police Department is investigating a theft from an elderly resident who lives in the Somerset Lake community.

The victim contacted the police after becoming suspicious of a phone call that was supposedly from the IRS. The victim told police that on Dec. 14 at about 9 a.m., he answered a phone call from a person identifying themselves as an agent of the IRS and that the victim was going to be arrested by the IRS for tax evasion. The suspect then advised the victim that he could avoid prosecution if he immediately paid money that was due.

The suspect instructed the victim to remain on the phone while giving instructions to go to two financial institutions to withdraw money from his bank account. The suspect then instructed the victim to go to five different locations to send the money to a designated location through MoneyGram.

After the final transaction, the victim’s losses amounted to more than $10,000.

Within an hour after the phone call concluded, which took place over an eight-hour period, the victim became suspicious and contacted the police. The victim added that the suspect called both his home number and cell phone number. The victim also said the suspect had a thick foreign accent.

Police advised anyone who receives suspicious calls to immediately hang up. The IRS will not call anyone and demand payment on the spot.

Visit the police website at

www.ngpd.org for crime alerts and tips.

SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN Oxford Police charged Carrington James “CJ” Walls, 29, of Oxford, with sexual abuse of children on Dec. 17 after a year-long investigation.

He was charged with solicitation of sexual rape, communication with a minor for sexual abuse, solicitation of sexual abuse of children to obtain child pornography, sexual abuse of children and corruption of minors. He was already in Chester County Prison on drug charges. He was arraigned before District Judge Scott Massey, with bail set at $100,000. Borough police were assisted in the investigation by the Chester County Detectives and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS On Nov. 14 at 10:25 p.m., Kennett Square Police cited Marcus Alvarado-Loma, 26, of Kennett Square, for public drunkenness after he was found asleep in the back seat of a running vehicle with the door open and his legs hanging out. He was released at his residence.

DRUG CHARGES On Nov. 1, Wayne F. Warwick was charged by Oxford Police with possession of a controlled substance, possession or distribution of small amount of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On Nov. 23, Scott A. Cole was arrested by Oxford Police for possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia and retail theft.

CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

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CARS VANDALIZED Overnight on Nov. 15, windows were broken out of two vehicles parked in the 100 block of Elm Alley, according to Kennett Square Police.

GUNS STOLEN IN BURGLARY A home at 344 Camp Bonsul Road in Elk Township was burglarized on the morning of Nov. 2, and several long guns were stolen, along with loose change, according to Pennsylvania State Police Avondale.

ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT On Nov. 2, Drew A. Henderson was charged by Oxford Police with simple assault and disorderly conduct.

On Nov. 7, Archie A. Barlow was arrested by Oxford Police and charged with harassment and terroristic threats.

On Dec. 12, Oxford Police arrested Sergio BedollaVega for simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

On Nov. 13, a 13-year-old boy was charged by Oxford Police with terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and harassment.

On Dec. 9, New Garden Township Police got a report of ongoing harassment at a home in the 100 block of Hillside Lane. The victim said that Tera Brady, 39, of Coatesville, had continued to send text messages to him, despite being told by police twice to stop.

Brady was cited for harassment by communication.

On Dec. 1, Herbert C. McClain was arrested by Oxford Police and charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct.

10A

CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

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Section

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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Ring in the new year at these special events

By John Chambless and Richard L. Gaw Staff Writers When it comes to ushering in the new year, you can either go big, or you can stay home.

If you decide to step out for a special celebration on Dec. 31, there are plenty of nearby options, whether it’s a romantic night for two or a family party with the kids.

For many years, the Hionis family name has been synonymous with fine dining and hospitality, and this New Year’s Eve at the Mendenhall Inn (Route 52, Mendenhall), presented by Lou Hionis and his talented group of chefs and hosts, promises to keep the family’s high standards for quality alive.

The New Year’s Eve Gala, to be held from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom, will feature a five-hour premium open bar, continuous pourings of merlot and chardonnay through dinner, a champagne toast at midnight, a DJ and dancing.

or visit www.station52.com.

At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, in the heart of Kennett Square, a 500pound stainless steel mushroom glittering with thousands of lights will be lowered with a countdown to the new year.

It is the finale of Midnight in the Square, Kennett Square’s family-style New Year’s Eve bash with music, food and fun.

Midnight in the Square includes: Children’s activities starting at 6 p.m. on South Union Street, near The Garage, with face painting, balloon art, games and live entertainment; the raising and lighting of the mushroom at 8 p.m. in the center of Kennett Square so that young children can experience the Mushroom Drop a little earlier; food trucks from across the region on State Street beginning at 6 p.m; and a heated party tent open at 9 p.m.

The $10 cover charge includes access to the tent all evening, New Year’s Eve hats and noisemakers. Kennett Brewing Company and

The Mendenhall Inn is offering a New Year’s Eve Gala in the Grand Ballroom.

Did we mention the food?

After sampling a one-hour cocktail and hors d’oeuvres introduction -- which will include a crab cake station -- guests will enjoy the inn’s award-winning mushroom bisque soup, Ceasar salad, and center cut filet mignon and stuffed shrimp with crabmeat imperial. After dinner, coffee and dessert stations will feature a decadent array of sweets, including peanut butter mousse, chocolate royale, key lime tarts, a bananas Foster flambe station, and more. The cost of the entire evening is $109.95 per person, inclusive.

If you’re not up for driving home afterwards, make your reservations now to stay at the inn overnight for only $139.

For more information and reservations, call 610-388-2100.

Just down the street from the Mendenhall Inn, Station 52, the newly opened casual dining spot (at 323 Kennett Pike), will offer its own New year’s Eve Party from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., which will inclue a four-hour open bar, dinner buffet featuring a wide variety of casual food, a soft pretzel bar, a DJ and dancing.

Tickets in advance for $50 each ($60 at the door). For more information, call 610-388-1033,

Flickerwood Winery will have food and beverages for sale; and the Funsters take the stage at 10 p.m., and are scheduled to play until 1 a.m.

General admission is a donation of a non-perishable food item for the Kennett Food Cupboard. There will be a $10 cover charge for access to the heated tent. Parking is available at the Exelon parking lot. Free shuttle buses will bring guests from these parking lots to Broad and State streets, and return guests from this location to their cars after the Mushroom Drop.

Alcohol is not permitted on the streets.

For more information, visit www.midnightinthesquare. com.

You could put together an early New Year’s Eve by visiting the Brandywine River Museum of Art (Route 1, Chadds Ford, www. brandywine.org) for the annual “Brandywine Christmas” exhibit. There will be a landscaped, operating O-gauge model train display, a collection of rare antique dolls dressed in vintage clothing, thousands of whimsical Critters (ornaments and decorations handcrafted by Brandywine volunteers from natural materials) displayed on towering trees, and special events. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $6 for students and children ages 6 and older (free for children 5 and younger and members). The museum is open until 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.

You could take a short drive to Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www. longwoodgardens.org), where the picturesque gardens will be filled with the sounds of the season, with special New Year’s Eve performances from 2 to 9 p.m., including strolling musicians, the venue’s historic organ, a barbershop quartet and more. Open Air Theatre fountain shows, set to holiday music, will run on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and every five minutes from 3:30 to 10 p.m. Timed tickets are required. Admission is $27 for adults, $24 for seniors, $13 for ages 5 to 18, and free for ages 4 and younger.

Here’s a different way to spend your New Year’s Eve with friends: From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Timber Lanes (1800 Baltimore Pike, Oxford) is offering a bowling special that includes four hours of bowling for you and your friends, plus shoe rental, one pizza and a pitcher per lane, all for $115.16.

Noisemakers, hats and other New Year’s regalia will be provided.

You can also keep the Christmas spirit alive a little bit longer by taking a free drive through the annual light display at the Herr’s Headquarters (20 Herr Drive, Nottingham, www.herrs.com). The large display will be open from dusk through dawn on Dec. 31, and continues through Jan. 3. There is no charge.

Make reservations now to spend your New Year’s Eve at Brandywine Prime: Seafood

The Mushroom Drop is the highlight of the Midnight in the Square celebration in Kennett Square.

There will be fireworks at Penn’s Landing at 6 p.m. and midnight on Dec. 31.

and Chops @ Chadds Ford Inn (1617 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford), located in the 300-year-old inn, in the heart of Chadds Ford. Dinner will be served from 5 p.m. until the last seating at 10:30 p.m. A DJ will be spinning familiar tunes and house music from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., and the tavern area will be open for dancing, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight.

After ringing in the new year, stick around for Brandywine Prime’s famous New Year’s Eve brunch from 12:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. The buffet will include artisan meats and cheeses, smoked salmon, bagels, eggs, bacon, country sausage, eggs Benedict, pasta salad, mini sandwich wraps, fresh fruit and more. The cost of the entire package is $49.95 per person, plus gratuity. For reservations, call 610-388-8088, or visit www.brandywineprime.com.

At The Gables at Chadds Ford (423 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford), Michael Stegossi will be playing dinner music on the piano from 5 to 8 p.m. Call 610-388-7700 or visit www. thegablesatchaddsford.com.

Feel like taking a short drive? Philadelphia will ring in 2016 not once, but two times, during the SugarHouse New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Delaware River Waterfront.

With shows at 6 p.m. and midnight, revelers of all ages will have a chance to celebrate.

There are plenty of great places to watch the spectacular show.

The Market at Liberty Place (148 W. State Street in Kennett Square) will be ringing in the new year from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Dec. 31, with live music, drink specials and raffles all night long. For additional information, call 610-925-3411, or visit www. themarketatlibertyplace.com.

Get a front-row view from the Blue Cross RiverRink WinterFest, a holiday popup at Penn’s Landing. Before the show, lace up a pair of skates and do a few laps on the regulation-size ice rink, grab a warm beverage in the Lodge or relax in front of a fire pit and enjoy waterfront views. The Party on Ice from 5 to 8 p.m. is perfect for families. And the festivities inside the Winterfest tent add a cozy touch to the holiday celebration.

You can also game your way into 2016 at Dave & Busters on the Delaware River Waterfront. Bring the family for a fun night of games, dinner and entertainment before getting a front-row indoor seat for the early fireworks show at 6

p.m. ($50 per person, including a $40 Power Card; $25 per person without Power Card).

For more information about New Year’s Eve events in the city, visit www.visitphilly.com.

If you have young kids who can’t stay up too late, you can ring in 2016 at the Please Touch Museum (4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, www.pleasetouchmuseum. org). Doors open at 9 a.m.

At 10 seconds to noon, count down the seconds to the big ball drop. There will be a seecond countdown at 1 p.m. The museum closes at 3 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served in Hamilton Hall for the countdown. Advanced tickets are solely for discounted pricing.

Purchasing an advanced ticket does not mean you’ll be able to avoid a line or be granted early access. Dress for the weather, because the line will stretch out the door before the event. Online ticket purchases are available through Dec. 30, for $25 each.

Of course, New Year’s Day

Philadelphia, and the “Miss Fancy” Brigade – the LGBT group comprised of the leading female impersonators in Philadelphia.

Next comes the Fancy Division, with their sequinstudded lavish costumes and feathered glamour, followed by the men of the Wench brigades in bonnets and bloomers, waving multi-tiered parasols.

Then it’s the Comics, who parody current political issues and pop culture. Finally, after all 17 are judged, the String Bands will march down Broad Street.

For the best view, the Grand Stand entertainment zone, on Dilworth Plaza at 15th and Market streets, will feature more than 1,200 ticketed bleacher seats. Additional drill spots are located at the Union League at Broad and Sansom streets, and at Broad and Carpenter streets.

Tickets for the Mummers Fancy Brigade Finale at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (11th and Arch streets in Philadelphia) are on sale.

The Mummers will strut in Philadelphia on Jan. 1.

in Philadelphia means the Mummers, and you can catch all the action in person. The 2016 Philadelphia Mummers Parade will pay tribute to the city’s cultural and ethnic diversity by stepping off on Jan. 1 with a new Philadelphia Division.

Mummers fans from near and far are invited to Broad Street where the Mummers Parade kicks off at City Hall an hour earlier than in previous years – at 9 a.m. Spectators can enjoy the parade from three performance zones as more than 10,000 glittering and colorful Mummers strut and dance down Broad Street. The parade route will take the performing groups down Broad Street from City Hall to Washington Avenue.

The 2016 parade features six divisions, including the new Philadelphia Division, with the San Mateo Carnavaleros, a group of vibrant costumed dancers leading off the parade, along with the Second 2 None drill team from West

Reserved, center section tickets for the noon family show and the 5 p.m. judged show are $25; reserved seats and the two side sections are $20. Tickets for groups of 15 or more are $18 and $23. Children ages 3 and younger are admitted free. Food and refreshments are available at both shows. To order tickets, visit www.comcasttix.com or call 1 800-298-4200.

Another family-friendly activity is MummersFest at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where visitors can make crafts, try on authentic Mummers costumes for pictures, and watch the clubs rehearse their drills. There will be 30-minute backstage tours of the show props and floats.

MummersFest hours are Dec. 31 from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the door of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, at the Independent Visitors Center and via ComcastTix, for $4 per person.

For more information, visit www.phillymummers.com.

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CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

Through Jan. 10 ‘A Longwood Christmas’ Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square) hosts “A Longwood Christmas” through Jan. 10. The gardens are decorated inside and out with lights, lighted fountains, thousands of poinsettias, and decorated trees in the Conservatory. Admission is by timed admission ticket only, with tickets issued for a specific date and time. Visit www.longwoodgardens.org.

Through Jan. 7 ‘A Brandywine Christmas’ The Brandywine River Museum of Art (Route 1, Chadds Ford) hosts its annual holiday display through Jan. 7. There will be a landscaped, operating O-gauge model train display, a collection of rare antique dolls dressed in vintage clothing, thousands of whimsical Critters (ornaments and decorations handcrafted by Brandywine volunteers from natural materials) displayed on towering trees, and special events. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $6 for students and children ages 6 and older (free for children 5 and younger and members). For more information, call 610-3882700 or visit www.brandywine. org.

Through Jan. 3 ‘Holidays at Hagley’ Hagley Museum and Library hosts “Holidays at Hagley” through Jan. 3. The event spotlights Eleutherian Mills, the original du Pont family home, decorated for the holiday season. This year’s display, “A Feminine Touch,” will feature decorations of embroidery and lace, a traditional pastime for the women of the du Pont family and the women of the time.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The house will be decorated with dried flowers, fruit, greenery, and

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

other natural materials. The Belin House Organic Café will be serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum is located on Route 141 in Wilmington, Del. The GPS address is 201 Hagley Creek Road, Wilmington, Del. For more information, call 302658-2400 weekdays or visit www.hagley.org.

Jan. 16 Kennett Old Timers Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet The 36th annual Kennett Old Timers Baseball Hall of Fame Banquet will be held on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 in the Red Clay Room of the Kennett Fire Co. at 6 p.m. Tickets ($36) can be purchased at Burton’s Barber Shop at 105 W. State St. or call 610-444-9964. The Guest speaker will be Chris Wheeler, the longtime Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster and ambassador.

Feb. 8 to 26 Free tax help for seniors The Kennett Area Senior Center (427 S. Walnut St., Kennett Square) sponsors free tax assistance to middle and low-income taxpayers, with special attention to those 60 and older. AARP volunteers will be available for appointments on Feb. 8, 16 and 23; and Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26. The times are from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and are by appointment only. Call 610-444-4819 to schedule an appointment.

Kennett Flash schedule The Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square) hosts regional and national artists. Tickets are available in advance at www. kennettflash.org, or at the door.

Snacks and beverages are sold, or guests can BYOB. The schedule includes: The Remedy (Dec. 23, 8 p.m., $12 and $15); Arden Kind, the Subterraneans and Route Seven (Jan. 2, 8 p.m., $12 and $14); Fabio Mittino and Bert Lams (Jan. 5, 8 p.m., $20 and $23); Davey Dickens Jr. and the Troubadors (Jan. 8, 8 p.m., $15 and $17); No Stringz Attached “Cargasm” with Joy Ike (Jan. 9, 8 p.m., $10 and $15); The Collingwood (Jan. 15, 8 p.m., $12 and $15); Sounds of Society: Chicago tribute band (Jan. 16, 8 p.m., $22 and $25); Jane Lee Hooker with Vinyl Artifacts (Jan. 22, 8 p.m., $15 and $18); The Dupont Brothers with Nicole Zell (Jan. 24, 7 p.m., $12 and $15); Francis Dunnery (Jan. 30, 8 p.m., $27 and $32); Sin City Band (Feb. 6, 8 p.m., $12 and $14); Jeffrey Gaines (Feb. 12, 8 p.m., $20 and $25); Hello I Must Be Going: Phil Collins tribute band (Feb. 13, 8 p.m., $20 and $25).

To submit items to the Calendar of Events, e-mail jchambless@ chestercounty.com. There is no charge. Not every submission can be included. Items should be submitted at least two weeks before the event.

Herr’s Headquarters (20 Herr Drive, Nottingham), has a large, outdoor light display that is open from dusk through dawn through Jan. 3. There is no charge. Visit www.herrs.com for more information.

Through Dec. 31 ‘Along the Way’ Longwood Art Gallery (200 E. State St., Kennett Square) is hosting “Along the Way,” a solo show of local places by local artist Sue Ciccone, through Dec. 31. For more information, call 610-444-0146 or visit www. longwoodartgallery.com.

Through Dec. 31 ‘Christmas in Miniature’ Chadds Ford Gallery (1609 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford) continues its “Christmas in Miniature” show of small

works for holiday giving through Dec. 31. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Call 610-388-2412 or visit www. awyethgallery.com.

Through Dec. 27 Crafts at Bookplace “Ceramics, Glass and Jewelry” continues through Dec. 27 at Bookplace (2373 Baltimore Pike, Oxford).

Hours are Friday from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Call 717-715-4775

for more information.

Through Jan. 13 ‘Gifted’ The Art Trust Gallery (16 W. Market St., West Chester) presents “Gifted,” a show of original art by regional artists for holiday gift-giving, through Jan. 13. Hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 484-467-1664 or visit www.thearttrust.org.

Through Jan. 16 John Suplee ‘Places’ The Church Street Gallery (12 S. Church St., West Chester) will exhibit “Places,” paintings by John Suplee, through Jan. 16. A cocktail reception will open the show on Dec. 11 at 5 p.m. Visit www.churchstreetgallerywc. com.

To submit items to the Art Spot, email jchambless@ chestercounty.com. There is no charge. Not every submission can be included.

Items should be submitted at least two weeks before the event.

West Chester University will host 900 students and faculty from colleges and universities in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland at the Region Two festival of the 48th annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), from Jan. 12 to 16.

This is the second of eight consecutive weekly celebrations of excellence and achievement of theater in higher education. Individual participants and full-scale productions are eligible for awards recognizing excellence in the art and craft of theater.

Individual awardees and representatives from selected productions will be brought to Washington, D.C. for an expense-paid trip to the national festival, April 12 to 16 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing

Arts. A comprehensive listing of awardees will be announced in mid-March 2016.

Productions invited to be showcased at the Region Two festival are presented by Albright College (“Clybourne Park” by Bruce Norris), Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (“Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom” by Jennifer Haley), Howard Community College (“Argonautika” by Mary Zimmerman), Indiana University of Pennsylvania (“Soldier’s Heart” by Tammy Ryan), Millersville University of Pennsylvania (“Bury the Dead” by Irwin Shaw), Robert Morris University (Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labours Lost” adapted by Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers), SUNY Oswego (“The Bacchae” by Matthew Gasda, adapted from

Euripides), and West Chester University of Pennsylvania (“Ghosts” by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Richard Eyre).

The eight invited productions were selected from 49 eligible productions from the region.

Now in its 48th year, the national festival will bring together award recipients from regional festivals around the country to the Kennedy Center, April 12 to 16. The national festival includes master classes with leading artists from the American theater, an opportunity for the student participants to engage with colleagues from across the nation, attendance at productions at leading Washington D.C. theaters, interviews, and auditions for scholarship and residency opportunities, and the national award ceremony.

‘Sleigh Ride’ by Alice Woodward is among the works featured at the Chadds Ford Gallery’s ‘Christmas in Miniature’ exhibit through Dec. 31 (see listing).

West Chester University to host American College Theater Festival

Variety Show needs talented performers

The Avon Grove Community Theater is planning its 2016 Variety Show on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m., and the organizers are looking for community members to take a turn on the stage.

In-person auditions will be held Dec. 29 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at the Kemblesville United Methodist Church (1772 New

London Rd., Landenberg).

Musicians, actors, singers, gymnasts, jugglers, magicians and talented people of all ages are being sought for the family show. Those auditioning must make reservations by visiting www.actheater.org.

To submit an audition video (deadline Dec. 29 at midnight),

email Karen at lassofthewind@ yahoo.com.

The Variety Show will be held at the Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (109 Gypsy Hill Rd., Landenberg) on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 ($20 for families of five or more). Visit www.actheater.org for more information.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

Q&A: Santa Claus After his big night, he looks forward to a nice long rest

By John Chambless Staff Writer If you think you’ve had a busy holiday season, just imagine how Santa Claus feels.

Earlier this month, we had a quick conversation with him while he was taking a quick cocoa break at his home near the North Pole. It was, he said, a chance to put his feet up and talk about how he gets ready for Christmas day each year. He couldn’t remember how long he’s been making his epic trips around the world, but chuckled and admitted, “It’s been a mighty long time.”

First of all, do you mind being called Santa, and not Mr. Claus?

Oh please, call me Santa.

That’s what the wife calls me. Mr. Claus makes me sound so formal. Around here, all my elves call me Mr. C., but they know I’m not really a tough boss.

After all, I give them nine months of vacation every year.

Nine months? So you gear up for Christmas in about three months?

Yep, that’s about right.

Of course, I keep an eye on things all year long, but the really busy production season is about three months. After Christmas Eve, it’s time to kick back and relax. And believe me, we need it. The lists seem to get more complicated every year!

Do you miss the days when a child’s list might

include just a doll, or a sled, or some candy?

Oh, yes. Things used to be much easier. People seem to have gotten the idea that Christmas is about getting much more than they can actually use. The funny thing is, children who get maybe one or two things appreciate what they have so much more.

I hear from parents that their children just go blank after 10 presents or so, and sometimes they don’t even play with the presents they do get, because they have so much!

That’s a problem, certainly. Speaking of Christmas lists, there are lots of ways for children to get them to you.

What’s the best way?

I do have a lot of delivery systems. I take lots of emails these days, which is fine. But I kind of prefer the old way, when a child takes a pen and paper and thinks about each item.

Some of the handwriting is hard to decipher, but I have a few helpers up here who specialize in figuring out what every child is trying to say. And spelling definitely does not count, by the way. Sincerity does count.

So how have you and the team adapted to getting high-tech gifts delivered?

Oh, I have my connections (laughing). In the old days, we could make most of the toys right here in the shops.

That’s back when toys were made of wood, or

simple materials. We used to have a whole factory that turned out things like dolls and train sets and sleds. But as things got more complicated, we’ve had to look farther afield.

If we can get a gift up here, we can get it delivered on Christmas Eve. That’s the magic part that nobody else can do!

Of all the movies and TV shows that have been made about you, which ones are the most accurate?

Well, I do enjoy watching those -- most of them, anyway. Some of them are, shall we say, a little silly. I do have a team of reindeer, and elves, and a sleigh that uses quite a bit of Christmas magic. But let’s just say that parts of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” are purely fictional (laughing).

Your name gets used an awful lot in advertisements this time of year, and you get blamed for making kids hyper. How do you answer critics who say you’ve become a symbol of greed?

Hmm. What I like to say is that Santa is a symbol of giving. I’m a way for people all over the world to put a face on the spirit of Christmas. I’m much more than a gift-giving machine, you know. I represent the real gift of the season, which I think we all know about. There’s a lot of talk about believing at this time of year. And that’s what Christmas is

about, really. Believing in me, and believing in things a little bit bigger than me.

And I’m not to blame if people get a little excited about that! I get excited at Christmas time, too.

Thanks. That’s a nice way of putting it. OK, some quick questions.

What’s your favorite snack?

I’d have to say that any kind of cookie with chocolate in it is my favorite! But if children would leave out some chips and pretzels, that would be a welcome break. I do eat an awful lot of sweets on Christmas Eve! Do you really know if kids are sleeping?

Oh yes. We have ways of finding that out.

Do you ever give coal to naughty children?

There are no naughty

children. Just some who have made some mistakes and need another chance, that’s all.

How does the sleigh get around the world in one night?

That’s a trade secret.

So you are the one and only Santa? What about all the Santas we see this time of year?

They’re my helpers, just like the elves are my helpers. It’s a big job, and Santa needs a little assistance, you know.

Do you ever do a little freelance delivering?

Say, if a child doesn’t get a list to you, but you still know what they want?

Yes, I can’t help myself. Sometimes I do come through with a little Christmas miracle of my own. But don’t tell anybody!

Do you know what I

want for Christmas?

Have you told me?

Well, I’m a bit too old to make a Christmas wish list.

Listen, you are never too old to believe. That’s been true for as long as I’ve been Santa. And long before that.

So what do I want?

Hmm. I’d say you’ll get exactly what you want this year. How about that for an answer?

That’s perfect. Thank you, Santa.

And thank you. I’ll be seeing you on Dec. 24.

But remember to be good all year, you hear?

Oh, I will. Merry Christmas, Santa.

And merry Christmas to you, too.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, e-mail jchambless@ chestercounty.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

Behind McGlone and Kelly, Kennett edges Unionville, 54-52

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Balance, John Wooden was once quoted as saying, is the most important component in basketball, but were the great coach to have witnessed the first four games of this year’s Kennett High School basketball team, he would have seen a glaring lack of it.

In a recent loss to Sun Valley, for instance, Coach Brian Urig’s team took a 31-24 lead at halftime and proceeded to cough it up in the second half, on continued, brazen attempts to drive the lane when there was no lane open enough to drive, and forced passes that led to turnovers and steals. Watching a basketball coach witness his team fail to execute proper balance is like experiencing a gentleman slowly becoming a madman and Urig, with an 0-4 record, seemed headed for such a transformation.

Then came Kennett’s Dec. 17 game against rival Unionville, when a new kind

of Kennett team emerged, and its leader was point guard Connor McGlone.

Behind McGlone’s 17 points and patient floor leadership, Kennett got in the win column for the first time this season, with a gutsy, stick-it-out 54-52 win against arch-rival Unionville, before an exuberant crowd at the Indians’ home court.

After a first quarter where both teams traded off baskets – which included three-pointers by Kennett’s Matt Kelly, and Unionville’s Kyle Goodier and Drew Menninger – Kennett clung to a slim 15-14 lead. A long three-pointer by McGlone gave Kennett an early lead in the second quarter, which he extended less than a minute later when he drove coast to coast after a steal, scored on the layup, was fouled and converted the free throw to give his team a 21-16 lead.

Later in the second quarter, Unionville’s Jared Hockenberry exchanged words with Kelly, which led to Hockenberry’s flagrant technical and subsequent

ejection. Hockenberry’s dismissal ignited a fire in the belly of the Kennett squad, who went on a quick run that was highlighted by a threepointer by William Ward and a driving layup by Kelly with 3:30 left in the quarter, leading to Kennett’s 30-19 lead at halftime.

“Matt played very, very well today,” Urig said of Kelly. “He brings a lot of intensity and emotion to the game. He knows what this rivalry means. The best thing about Matt today is that he was engaged in the whole game. He wasn’t caught up in the moment. He used his emotions in positive ways to fire up his teammates and battle through this.”

As the second half began to unfold, what a battle it became. In the process of outscoring Kennett 18-11 in the third quarter, Unionville found its outside shooting, with clutch jumpers from reserves Scottie Miller and Andrew Burich contributing to those by starters Pat Clark, Jr., and Austin Fullington.

With Kennett’s lead down

Unionville’s Kyle Goodier is defended by Kennett’s Mitchell Kosara in third-quarter action.

Photos by Richard L. Gaw

Connor McGlone scored 17 points in leading Kennett to a 54-52 win over Unionville on Dec. 17.

to four points in the closing minute, however, McGlone drove the lane, scored, was fouled and converted his free throw to give Kennett a narrow 41-37 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Let the record books show that McGlone scored just three points in the fourth quarter, but record books are merely a numerical thumbprint, and do not convey the ball control and leadership McGlone displayed in leading his team to victory. While Fullington exploded with 12 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, McGlone kept his team’s cool.

With six minutes left and holding to a one-point lead, McGlone found Tyler Nunn for a three-pointer, and on Kennett’s next possession, he scored on a three-point layup to give Kennett a 50-43 lead.

“There is no question in my mind that Connor McGlone is one of the top

point guards in the area,” Urig said. “He makes good decisions. He has a knack for the game. He knows when its time and when it is time to set up. He’s in total control out there.”

With 2:27 left in the game, Clark’s jumper near the key tied the game at 50, and after Urig called a timeout, freshman guard Mitchell Kosara drove the lane for a twisting reverse layup to give Kennett a twopoint lead with less than a minute left. On Kennett’s next possession, Fullington fouled Kelly, who made one of two free throws. Although Fullington scored on a weakhanded short jumper, Kelly was fouled on the in-bounds play and made one of two free throws to seal the win.

“We’ve shown things in bits and pieces in our first few games, but we’ve never been able to sustain it, and even though we hit a lull we were able to make plays, which is something

we haven’t yet been able to do,” Urig said. “Basketball is a game of runs, and when Unionville was making its run [in the second half], we were able to make a couple of plays to keep them at bay, which is what we hadn’t done so far this season.”

In addition to McGlone’s team-high 17 points, Kelly had 14 points for Kennett, followed by Nunn’s nine points. After Fullington, Unionville was led by Clark with 12 points, and nine points by Goodier.

Kennett, now 1-2 in the Ches-Mont American Conference and 1-2 overall, hosted West Chester-Rustin on Dec. 22, and will again travel to Unionville to play the Indians at Unionville Christmas Tournament on Dec. 29. Unionville, now 1-2 in the conference and 2-5 overall, traveled to Sun Valley on Dec. 22.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@chestercounty.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

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8B

CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

Nottingham Elementary School always filled with holiday spirit The holiday season saw two successful giving projects at Nottingham Elementary School. The school’s 11th annual canned food drive resulted in a donation of 732 cans and boxes of food to the Oxford Presbyterian Church food cupboard for food baskets

for needy Oxford families.

Each year Nottingham collaborates with the Oxford Neighborhood Services Center to provide extra support to families in need during the holiday season.

Neighborhood Services provides needy families with a no-cost

gift shopping opportunity through its Christmas Room program.

This year Nottingham donated over 150 gifts to the Christmas Room.

The drive was organized and coordinated by guidance counselor Nadine D’Angelo.

Courtesy photos

Pictured with items donated by the Nottingham Elementary School community for the Christmas Room at the Oxford Neighborhood Services Center are, from left, guidance counselor Nadine D’Angelo, who coordinated the drive, principal Lisa Yingst, fourth graders Hannah Martin, Ella Merritt and Jacob Higgins, and Assistant Principal Matthew Hovanec.

The annual holiday canned food drive at Nottingham Elementary School resulted in a donation of 732 cans and boxes of food to the Oxford Presbyterian Church food cupboard for food baskets for needy Oxford families. The items were picked up and delivered by volunteers with the Chester County Food Bank. Pictured front from left are third-grader Anthony Cataldi, principal Lisa Yingst, instructional support teacher Lori Saporosa, who has coordinated the drive for 11 years, third-graders Aaliyah Myers and Jaymie Schmitz, and assistant principal Matthew Hovanec.

Holiday pocket park opens in Kennett Square Visitors to Kennett Square can meet in a holiday pocket park that has been created in the borough.

The park, located behind the borough’s Christmas tree on State Street, has turned a once-empty alley into an outdoor living room through the holiday season.

“It’s really spectacular at night,” said Tara Dugan of Scout & Annie, a State Street business overlooking the tree and park. She spearheaded the project, with the help of volunteers.

“It’s really charming, and a great place to sit.”

It features handmade benches, a faux fireplace on a brick building façade, and twinkling lights strung overhead.

“I loved the idea of doing a little living room outdoors,” said Jenna Otto, a landscape architect student at Temple University and intern at Longwood Gardens who helped design the pocket park and the Christmas tree in her spare time. “We wanted a place where people could meet and gather.”

That place, now using the hashtag “meetmebythetree,” grew out of a conversation Tara Dugan had with another merchant on a dreary day in February.

“We were looking at the tree area and thought it should be a communityminded space,” she said.

Mary Hutchins, the executive director of the Historic Kennett Square main street organization, brought the plan up at a borough council meeting.

Courtesy photo

The area near the Kennett Square Christmas tree has a home-like touch this season, thanks to some community volunteers.

“The plan was to do something special around the tree,” said Leon Spencer, president of Kennett Square Borough Council. After hearing about the idea for benches, he suggested approaching the carpentry department of the Technical College High School’s Pennock’s Bridge campus, where he serves as the School to Careers specialist.

“Having the opportunity to build these benches feeds in to what we are all about,” Spencer said. “We are here as best we can to serve the community.”

Teacher Gary Schmaltz and his carpentry students created the benches in about a week and a half. Students from both the morning and afternoon sessions built them, according to Spencer.

In early fall, Otto, Dugan and Claire Murray from HKS met to start working on the pocket park and the tree. Otto, who is pursuing her master’s degree and who has a background in display design, drew the designs.

Otto and her husband Trevor built the fireplace and searched for mantels at antique stores. Otto’s mother, Elana Dabkowski, also helped her daughter with the project.

Hannah Kelleher, who works at Philter’s, helped with the A-frame chalkboard and fireplace as well, providing the final touches, according to Murray. Other volunteers included Joe and Sandra Mulry.

The borough’s public works staff hung the lights that provide a twinkling ceiling for the pocket park.

Throughout the remainder of the holidays, the pocket park will continue to play host to story times by the library and mini-concerts by visiting musicians at The Flash, according to Dugan, as well as continue to provide a place for people to sit and relax.

It will remain until the tree is taken down in early January. “If all goes well, we’ll set it up again next year,” Dugan said.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

Oxford student-athletes named to All Ches-Mont League teams Oxford Area High School student-athletes were recently named to the All Ches-Mont League teams for the fall season.

In boys’ soccer, junior Ryan Hannum was named to the first team and junior Matthew DeHaut and sophomore Jacob O’Connor were named to the second team, while junior Dylan Repetto earned an honorable mention.

In field hockey, senior Katie Dodson and junior Sarah Johnson were named to the first team and seniors Brooke Hostetter and Julie Hubley and junior Rachel Hannum named to the second team, while senior Sarah DeHaven received honorable mention.

In football, senior Connor Hilaman was named to the

first team and seniors Dan Green and Mike Williams and junior Josh Freese were named to the second team.

Honorable mentions went to Mike Williams and juniors Troy Brown, Timithy Davis, Nolan Benke and Robert Civitella.

In girls’ soccer, junior Sarah Shirk was named to the first team and senior Erin Oechsle and sophomore Tara Bender to the second team, with honorable mentions earned by seniors Mackenzie Ehrhart and Tayler Kidder.

In volleyball, sophomore Logan Wolfe was named to the first team and senior Taylor Jones to the second team, with senior Jordyn Reith and junior Madeline Hamilton receiving honorable mention.

Courtesy photo Among the Oxford Area High School student-athletes named to the All-Ches-Month League teams for the fall season are, front from left, sophomore Logan Wolfe, first team volleyball; junior Madeline Hamilton, honorable mention volleyball; junior Ryan Hannum, first team soccer and sophomore Jacob O’Connor, second team soccer; middle from left, senior Katie Dodson and junior Sarah Johnson, first team field hockey; senior Brooke Hostetter and junior Rachel Hannum, second team soccer; top from left, junior Josh Freese, second team football; juniors Troy Brown and Robert Civitella, honorable mention football; and senior Dan Green, second team football, with Athletic Director Michael Price.

Unionville Equine Associates founder receives award A recently retired practitioner whose support and guidance of new veterinarians and students helped shape many successful careers was recognized for his influence when the American Association of Equine Practitioners presented its 2015 Distinguished Educator–Mentor Award to John W. Lee, Jr., DVM. The award honors an individual who, by his or her actions and commitment, has demonstrated a significant impact on the development and training of equine practitioners through mentoring. Dr. Lee was honored Dec. 8 during the President’s Luncheon at the AAEP’s 61st Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nev. A 1974 graduate of Cornell University, Dr. Lee founded Unionville Equine Associates in Oxford, where he practiced from 1983 until relocating to New Mexico in May. During this time, he nurtured the

confidence and development of his young team members gradually by presenting challenges in a manner that encouraged independent thinking while honing their craft. Dr. Lee also promoted a healthy growth trajectory by helping his team develop professional connections throughout the industry and by presenting opportunities for career advancement.

His influence also extended to students through institution of a formal internship/ externship program at the practice and his enthusiasm to share his joy of veterinary medicine and serve as a source of advice and support to the many high school, college and veterinary school students who shadowed Dr. Lee on ride-alongs.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse.

Courtesy photo

Dr. Lee (right) receiving his award from 2015 AAEP president Dr. G. Kent Carter.

CHESTER COUNTY PRESS

9B

Penn’s Grove Middle School names top students Penn’s Grove Middle School teachers nominate Students of the Month for each grade level

team based on their academic achievements and participation in class and school activities.

Courtesy photo Penn’s Grove Middle School eighth grade Students of the Month for November are pictured with assistant principal Kristen Chastain. The students are (front from left) Clarke Staley, Peter Estrella, Saul Torres, Carson Redd and James Hill; standing from left, Christina Jimenez, Katherine Hayes, Sarah Wood, Elizabeth Estes, Jariana Villalobos, Grace Kearney, Crystal Martinez and Chastain.

Pictured with assistant principal Kristen Chastain, Penn’s Grove Middle School seventh grade Students of the Month for November are, front from left, Carlos Lara, Nick Washington, Jose Garcia and Joseph Morton; standing from left, Elizabeth Smoker, Grace Renninger, Lauren Neskie, Casandra Huichapa, Brianna Trimmer, Darrelle Zavala, Hannah Jones and Mrs. Chastain. Liliana Reyes is not pictured.

Courtesy photo On Dec. 20, 2015, a group of O-Xtreme All Star Cheerleaders from Xtreme Tumble and Cheer in Nottingham teamed up with the Oxford Borough Police Department to give out Christmas gifts to several families throughout the Oxford Borough. The gifts included 21 bicycles donated by an anonymous donor (above), and numerous toys and gifts donated by Chester County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 11. They drove around town, stopping at several residences and surprising children with the gifts.

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MSRP: $32,100 SALE PRICE: $30,933 CONSUMER CASH: $750(2) SELECT MKT: $750(3) Y/E BONUS TAG $1000(3) BUY FOR

28,433

$

ECOTEC Turbo 1.4L DOHC 4cyl, 6sp Auto, Back-Up Camera, OnStar with 4G LTE, 34 HWY MPG

2.4L 4Cyl, 6- Speed Automatic, Power Windows and Doors, 18” Alum Wheels, Onstar with 4G LTE WIFI, 32 HWY MPG

3.6L V6 eng, 6-Speed Automatic, 8 Passenger Seating Onstar w/ Turn by turn Nav. 24HWY MPG

NEW 2015 SILVERADO 1500

NEW 2015 SILVERADO 2500 HD

ALL NEW 2016 SILVERADO 1500

DOUBLE CAB W/T 2WD

14 in stock with similar savings |

Current GM Lessees

SIGN & DRIVE LEASE FOR ONLY

Stock #51076

MSRP: $32,860 SALE PRICE: $31,247 CONSUMER CASH: $1500(2) DEC BONUS CASH: $750(3) DOWN PAYMENT ASSIST: $500(5) BUY FOR

269/MO $28,497

$

FOR 36 MONTHS $0 DOWN PAYMENT

4X4 W/T LT DOUBLE CAB

6 in stock with similar savings |

DOUBLE CAB 2WD ALL STAR PKG

26 in stock with similar savings |

Stock #51496

Current GM Lessees

MSRP: $49,930 SALE PRICE: $46,998 CONSUMER CASH: $2,000(2) DOWN PAYMENT ASSIST: $500(5) Y/E BONUS TAG $2,500(3)

BUY FOR

SIGN & DRIVE

6.0L V8, 6 Spd Auto, Z71, OFF ROAD PACKAGE, Trailering Equipment, Chrome Assist Steps, 4G LTE Wi-Fi

80

2012 CHEVY IMPALA LS

2014 CHEVY SPARK 2LT

Was $13,500 now $10,300 2014 CHEVY IMPALA 2LT

Was $12,000 now $9,600 2015 CHEVY TRAVERSE LT

Was $25,000 now $20,700 2013 GMC TERRAIN AWD SLT

Was $27,500 now $25,250 2015 CRUZE LT SEDAN

Was $22,300 now $19,995 2012 BUICK REGAL TURBO

Was 16,900 now $14,400

all power equipment, 52K miles, #50893A

Leather & loaded, Only 13,000 miles #5555

Leather & Loaded, 28K miles, #5544

Premium, Leather & Loaded, 32K miles, #5583

Was $18,000 now $16,900 2013 CHEVY CAMARO SS

Automatic, Loaded!, 22,000 miles, #60239A

Was $25,500 now $24,650 2014 CHEVY CAPTIVA LS

All power equipment, 32K miles, #5561

FOR 36 MONTHS $0 DOWN PAYMENT

Automatic, All power, Leather, 43K miles #5560

All power equipment, Only 16K miles, #5570

All power equipment, Only 21K miles, #5564

2015 CHEVY MALIBU 2LT

Leather & Loaded, 17,000 miles, #5576

Was $18,000 now $16,750

2015 CHEVY SILVERADO REG CAB

4x4 Long Box, All power, 2,000 miles!, #51503A

Was $31,800 now $29,495 2013 CHEVY EQUINOX LT

IRV DAVIS

All pwr equip, Rear camera, 40K miles, #5553

Was $17,500 now $15,995

Was 19,000 now $15,800

2000

*

(Landenberg) Special Finance Manager IrvD@diverchev.com

1.9% APR ON CERTIFIED

PRE-OWNED IMPALA, LACROSSE AND ACADIA. *WITH APPROVED CREDIT. 36 MONTHS FOR TIERS S,A,&B1-4 CUSTOMERS ONLY. OFFER GOOD ON CRUZE.

1.Rebates: Not Compatible with Lease or 0% Finance Offers. 2. Consumer Cash on Select In Stock Vehicles Only 3. December Bonus on Select in stock vehicles only. Is compatible with most other Incentives including GM Employee Buying Programs. 4. Select Market Bonus Cash & Bonus Cash: Residency Restrictions Apply. (5)Down Payment Assistance (6)Monthly payment is $13.89 for every $1,000 you finance. Example down payment: 6.4%. Must finance through GM Financial or Wells Fargo. Some customers will not qualify Not available with lease and some other offers. Take delivery by 1/2/16. (7) To qualified applicants through Wells Fargo or GM Financial. Stand Alone offer - Not compatible with any other incentives except Courtesy Transportation Program. (8). Selct In stock vehicles only. *Ultra Low mileage Lease offer to Very Well Qualified Applicants through GM Financial. Includes $1400 CCR Incentive $500 Lease Loyalty & $2500 Bonus CCR. Tags & Taxes are extra. Residency Restrictions apply. See dealer for details. Expire 12/31/2015. See Dealer for complete details.

DiverChevy.com Shop 24-7 at

BUY FOR

• 2-YEAR/24K MILE STANDARD CPO MAINTENANCE PLAN • 12 MONTH/12K MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY • 5 YEAR/100K MILE POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY • 172 POINT INSPECTION AND RECONDITIONING PROCESS • 0% APR ON SELECT CERTIFIED INVENTORY • WE BUY CLEAN USED CARS WHETHER YOU TRADE OR NOT

PRICED TO GO!

OVER KELLEY BLUE BOOK

LEASE FOR ONLY

4.3L V6 engine, 6-Speed Automatic, Rear Park Assist.

Trailering Equipment, OnStar with 4GLTE WIFI

IN STOCK

GET UP TO

MSRP: $38,820 SALE PRICE: $36,521 CONSUMER CASH: $1,000(2)

41,998 $329/MO $35,521

$

4.3L V6 engine, 6-Speed Automatic, Tubular Assist steps, Trailering Equipment, OnStar with 4GLTE WIFI

$

Stock #60219

MARK THOMPSON (Kennett Square) Sales Consultant markt@diverchev.com

SCOTT FISHER

(West Chester) Sales Consultant scottf@diverchev.com

WE WANT TO BUY YOUR USED CAR, TRUCK, SUV, OR CROSSOVER CALL DOUG DIVER: (302) 275-2897 FOR A NO OBLIGATION QUOTE

Call us Today!

302.575.0161 866.712.1696