Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 159, No. 13
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
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Oxford officials discuss senior housing proposal, police staffing
Another vacancy on East Marlborough Township Board of Supervisors
By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer At the most recent borough council meeting, Oxford officials discussed a proposed project in a neighboring municipality, police department staffing, and an initiative that will make local lawns healthier for people, pets, and wildlife alike. Matthew McKeon, a rep-
INSIDE
resentative for Providence Place, a senior living community that is proposed for neighboring Lower Oxford Township, introduced himself to council members. “I’d like to ask if I could be on the agenda each month as a scheduled visitor, just to make sure we are moving forward in a collaborative effort between two municipalities,” he said. Lower Oxford’s solicitor is currently reviewing
the plans for the development, but due to the close proximity of the property to the borough it is expected to bring up concerns from Oxford Borough officials as well. Borough Manager Pauline Garcia-Allen briefly explained that the borough has a waterline easement on that property, and she said the borough’s interest would also need to be protected.
Borough solicitor Stacy Fuller said the borough would need well-head protection for the borough-owned Well No. 8. This will be discussed in upcoming meetings. In other business, Oxford Borough Police Chief Sam Iacono explained that a police test was administered on March 8. He said that three people applied Continued on Page 2A
Pathways to citizenship: Second in a series
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New London Township resident receives Volunteer of the Year Award……6B
A third East Marlborough supervisor has now resigned within the past year. The board voted 3-0 to approve John Auger’s resignation at their March 12 meeting. Absent were Auger and Supervisor Jake Elks. Auger first joined the board in July of 2024, after he was appointed to
replace Eric Matuszak, who resigned May 5, 2024, and whose term doesn’t expire until Jan. 2, 2026. Kathryn Monahan was the next to leave after Matuszak. She resigned Sept. 5, and the board approved James Chance as her replacement at the Nov. 4, 2024 meeting. Both Chance and whoever the board appoints as Auger’s replacement will serve the remainder of this year; both seats are up for a Continued on Page 2A
‘I see my life then and I see my life now’
Josy Flores: Planting seeds in America Blair honored at national music convention…..2A
By Monica Fragale Contributing Writer
By Gabbie Burton Contributing Writer
When Josy Flores first immigrated to the United States in 2009, she never expected to one day own a restaurant. She knew her life was changing for the better, but she never knew just how much. Now 16 years later, she’s the proud owner of Flowers Café in Oxford, which opened in October of 2024. When Flores was just 21, her father, who was living in Avondale, secured her green card so she could come join the rest of the family here. However, Flores couldn’t just up and leave her hometown of Pachuquilla, Mexico. She had her family to think about: two young daughters and her husband, Miguel. Flores immediately started working to get the residence extended to her daughters, who were just toddlers at the time. She successfully secured green cards for the young girls, something she emphasized was extremely “lucky.” However, her husCourtesy photo band, Miguel, was not as Assisted by her family and other partners, Josy Flores fortunate. has owned Flowers Café in Oxford since its opening in October of 2024.
FROM OUR LENS The eyes of the artists
Courtesy photo
The public is invited to the opening of “The Artist,” a new gallery show by local photographer Jie Deng and other artists at the Kennett Library on April 3, beginning at 5 p.m. that will include a gallery talk from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Other artists in the exhibit will include Rebecca Adler, Lauren E. Peters, C.C. Czerwinski and Katee Boyle. The show will extend through April 30 at the library. To learn about the participating artists, visit https://ccls.libcal.com/event/14093542
Continued on Page 3A
Wizards fill the house with silliness and fun at UHS basketball show By Chris Barber Contributing Writer
Photo by Chris Barber
A Wizard player gets silly on the floor.
The Harlem Wizards, a team of talented basketball-playing performers, brought lots of silliness and entertainment to town last Saturday during an event benefitting the UnionvilleChadds Ford School District.
Historically, the Wizards focus on fundraising events for non-profits and school organizations, and they have been doing it since 1962, according to the organization’s published history. Their show is similar to the famous Harlem Globetrotters, a worldfamous team of talented players that show off amaz-
ing tricks on the court while bringing joy to their audiences. At the Unionville High School gym, the Wizards put on their show and delighted the attendees while a large portion of the proceeds from the show benefitted the UnionvilleChadds Ford Education Continued on Page 3A
Township to add new traffic signal – again – at Five Points intersection By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
© 2007 The Chester County Press
A peculiar set of circumstances happened on the way to Kennett Township shoring up plans last week to install a permanent traffic signal at the Five Points intersection. The township’s Board of Supervisors gave approval at their March 19 meeting to
countersign a 25-year-old, previously dormant easement with property owners at the corner of Old Kennett Pike and East Hillendale Road to construct a traffic signal at the edge of their property. The construction of the signal in the vicinity will be the township’s third attempt in less than a year. On Sept. 5, 2024, a traffic
signal pole came down at the intersection after being hit by a large truck. After being replaced by a used traffic signal pole, the new pole was struck again on Feb. 27 by a large truck and replaced on Feb. 28 with a pedestal-style pole, but on March 6, it was leveled by a large truck, leaving its foundation severely damaged, which prohibits installation
of another pole in the same location. The new pole will be located within the limits of the existing easement. “Back in 1999-2000, the township determined that a traffic signal was warranted at the intersection, but in order to construct the signal, easements in each of the quintets was required from the adjacent property
owners,” said Public Works Director Ted Otteni. “Over that time, the township has had several difficulties with the traffic signal at that respective corner.” Upon checking to see if an easement exists for that corner, Otteni said that the property owners did sign the easement in 1999, but the township had failed to Continued on Page 2A