Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 157, No. 2
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
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Kennett School District showcases degree programs for state education secretary By Chris Barber Contributing Writer Kennett Consolidated School District administrators and others touted their newly minted student degree programs by hosting Pennsylvania Education Secretary Eric Hagarty at a roundtable event in the high school on Monday morning. The Secretary sat absorbed in presentations by Superintendent Dusty Blakey, members of Blakey’s
INSIDE
staff and board, participating students and several institutional leaders who contribute to the programs. The master of ceremonies was Kennett Consolidated School District communications specialist Nikki Laws. Beginning this academic year, the high school piloted degree programs which aim to enhance student preparations for future vocations. According to a press release from the district, the school offers courses and activi-
ties which include college coursework, job shadowing, internships and work experience. There is also a partnership at Kennett with West Chester University called the “PRIZE” pipeline program, which enables students who are interested in a teaching career to begin preparations while they are in high school. In this program, they take courses and activities in high school that work toward that goal.
Unger to serve as New Garden board chairman in 2023 By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
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New Garden Township Supervisor David Unger was named as the board’s chairperson for 2023, at the township’s annual reorganizational meeting on Jan. 3. Unger replaces board member Steve Allaband, who served as chairman during 2022. Kristie Brodowski, who served as vice chairperson in 2022, will retain her role in 2023. The five-member board will be rounded out with Ted Gallivan and Troy Wildrick. Unger and Brodowski were elected to their sixyear posts in November 2019, defeating Richard Ayotte and Randy Geouque, and became the first duo of Democrats ever elected to the board. Currently, Allaband is the lone Republican supervisor on the board. During their two years as supervisors, they have overseen the two-phase development of New Garden Hills – formerly Saint Anthony’s in the Hills – that will convert the 137-acre property into a township park, complete with a 1.5-mile nature trail, entertainment and activity areas and playgrounds. Unger and Brodowski also helped secure the township’s 2021 purchase of a 105-acre parcel in the
West Chester University, in turn, enrolls students who have already received some training and classes, puts them on a road to student teaching at Kennett, Continued on Page 2A
Photo by Chris Barber
Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Eric Hagarty chats with students in the Media Communications class at Kennett High School and teacher Scott Bosch looks on.
FROM OUR LENS The Longhorns’ stampede marches on
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
The Unionville Longhorns varsity boys’ basketball team stretched their overall record to 9-1 with a 62-31 victory over Oxford on Jan. 5. For a complete summary and additional photos, see Page 1B.
Continued on Page 2A
Friends, community rally to support the Barnsley Road Antique Market owners after a devastating fire By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer The Barnsley Road Antique Market was destroyed by a devastating fire on Christmas Eve. The shop in Oxford, which offered a large selection of antiques, collectibles, gifts, and treasures of all kinds, also served as a home for owners Jean Barker and
Larry Beckenstrater. A GoFundMe effort is now underway as friends, customers, and the community rally to offer support and a little assistance to Barker and Beckenstrater during their time of need. “They lost the shop, they lost the house, they lost everything,” said Lisa McMillan, a friend of the owners.
McMillan said that customers have grown to love the Barnsley Road Antique Market during the last four years because they could always find new and interesting treasures of all kinds. There are three ways to help the shop’s owners recover. Contributions can be made through the GoFundMe on the popular crowdfunding site. A
simple keyword search of “Barnsley Road Antique Market” locates the page. Your donations will go directly to Barker and Beckenstrater to help them recover from the terrible ordeal. The GoFundMe page also offers another way to help: “If you would like to contribute funds via cash or check and not through
a third party, an account has been set up for Jean Barker at Prescence Bank, 126 South 3rd, Street in Oxford, Pa., 19363. They will deposit funds directly into her account.” Additionally, checks can be made payable to Jean Barker and mailed to the shop’s address at 441 Barnsley Road, Oxford, Pa. Continued on Page 2A
Winter Park at The Creamery opens in Kennett Square By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Throughout its history, Square Roots Collective has developed venues, events and initiatives all designed to move the community of southern Chester County forward. Their latest project, unveiled last Friday afternoon, will not only move local residents forward, but backward and side to side, Photo by Chris Barber all while wearing ice skates. On Jan. 6, the first skatWinter Park at the Creamery opened on Jan. 6 at The Creamery in Kennett Square.
ers enthusiastically took to the new Winter Park at The Creamery, a 41’ x 83’ skating rink whose surface is made of a substance called Glice, a Swiss-engineered synthetic product that has been installed at over 2,000 ice rinks throughout the world. Depending on the usage, location and level of maintenance, the life-span of the product is around 12 years, and all Glice sheets are reversible which can significantly expand the life Continued on Page 3A