Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 159, No. 3
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
$1.50
WCU professor delivers final New Garden Township air-quality study The report magnifies revelations shared at a Sept. 2024 presentation that reported high volumes of Hydrogen Sulfide detected near mushroom composting sites By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Reflective of the oneyear findings he and his graduate students uncovered from February 2023 to February 2024, Lorenzo Cena Ph.D., M.S., the director of environmental health and associate professor at West Chester University,
INSIDE
New full-day kindergarten in UCFSD...4A
delivered his final air-quality study for New Garden Township to the township’s Board of Supervisors on Jan. 8. The entire 83-page report – which is available on the township’s website at www. newgarden.org. – measured ammonia, methane and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) emissions from outdoor
fresh mushroom production (FMP) facilities throughout the township in order to determine whether they achieved acceptable levels as established by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The study was in response to the township receiving several complaints by its
residents over the past years regarding the persistent odors that regularly permeate from the township’s mushroom composting plants, their concern for what the effect of these gases have on their overall health and the extent to which Hydrogen Sulfide levels were damaging their household appliances.
Guest Column
Standing united against DCNR’s ‘bait and switch’ in plans for Big Elk Creek Preserve By Andrew Dinniman
succeeded in uniting the community against their The Pennsylvania plans for the Big Elk Creek Department of Natural Preserve. Resources (DCNR) has Municipalities includ-
In the introduction to the report, Cena wrote that his study served to break ground on a littleresearched topic. “Residents in New Garden Township and surrounding fresh mushroom production (FMP) facilities have lodged complaints about the rise of these emission for decades,” he stated.
“Among their concerns are health, inability to enjoy their property due to overwhelming smells and metal corrosion observed on surfaces and equipment around their property. “There is little research which studies residential well-being and the impact on health that chronic Continued on Page 2A
FROM OUR LENS Captain Clutch
ing Elk, Franklin, London Britain, East Nottingham, Oxford, Lower Oxford, and Upper Oxford have Continued on Page 3A
Murder most foul and delicious at Chaddsford Winery...1B Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
An overflow audience of more than 500 local residents, elected officials and representatives from various area conservation groups filled the Avon Grove Charter School auditorium on Jan. 10, 2024 to voice their continuing opposition to a proposed plan by DCNR to develop significant infrastructure at Big Elk Creek State Park.
Kennett High School’s Conner Schumacher scored 25 points – including crucial free throws in the fourth quarter – to help give the Blue Demons a come-from-behind 54-53 win over Downingtown East on Jan. 11. For a complete game summary and additional photos, see Page 6B.
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Sosangelis selected to chair East Marlborough Township board
© 2007 The Chester County Press
By Monica Fragale Contributing Writer Ellen Sosangelis became the official head of East Marlborough Township’s Board of Supervisors at the Jan. 6 reorganization meeting, and John Sarro became the vice chair. Sosangelis, then the vice chairwoman, became the acting board chair when then-chairwoman Kathryn Monahan resigned from the board of supervisors last September. Sarro has pre-
viously served as both the chairman and vice chairman of the board of supervisors. Act 69 of 1933 sets the first Monday of the new year (or the first Tuesday, if the former is a holiday) as the day for township supervisors to reorganize their boards. The board also voted to have Supervisor John Auger serve on the Unionville Area Regional Planning Commission, Sosangelis and Auger serve as East Marlborough’s representa-
tives to the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, and Supervisor Jim Chance serve as the voting delegate and alternate for the township on the Kennett Fire & EMS Regional Commission. Other appointments made at East Marlborough’s reorganization meeting include the following: • Neil Lovekin as township manager, secretary, and administration open records officer;
• Peter Barsz as treasurer; • Jeffrey Simpson as public works director and roadmaster; • Robert C. Clarke Jr. as police chief, emergency management coordinator, assistant fire marshal, and police open records officer; • Charlie Shock as codes and zoning officer; • The firm of Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees as township solicitor; • Berkheimer as tax collector and sewer user fee collector;
• Vandemark & Lynch as engineer; • Margaret Egli and Corinne Raphel Sweeney as Kennett Library Board representatives; • Mary Ann Gorko as registered elector; • United Inspection Agency as fire marshal; • The firm of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic as township wastewater engineer; and • The firm of Glackin, Thomas and Panzak as landscape architect consultants.
East Marlborough Township changes meeting day By Monica Fragale Contributing Writer East Marlborough supervisors voted on Jan. 6 to switch their monthly township meeting from the first Monday to the second Wednesday of each month. The reason, according to township manager Neil Lovekin, is to allow East Marlborough staff extra
time to close out the prior month’s financing. The next supervisors meeting will be Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. Moving the supervisors meeting, Lovekin said, gives “township staff and the treasurer time to close out the month so we have accurate numbers for you. It’s just kind of is a better reflection as to month’s
end.” It would also bring East Marlborough more in line with other municipalities that meet later in the month. “The other advantage,” according to board vice chairman John Sarro, “is it won’t interfere with Labor Day or Memorial Day.” It was originally proposed to move to the second
Monday. However, according to Chairwoman Ellen Sosangelis, that day each month would conflict with both Unionville-Chadds Ford and Kennett Consolidated school board meetings. In other business, the supervisors: • Held executive sessions on Dec. 2, 2024 and Jan. 6, 2025 to discuss personnel
matters. • Appointed John Cox to the East Marlborough Historical Architectural Review Board. • Appointed Morgan Bratton to the Environmental Advistory Council. • Approved the third escrow release for Longwood Gardens’ sewer expansion project.