Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 158, No. 11
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
$1.50
KCSD superintendent to retire in July By Chris Barber Contributing Writer Kennett Consolidated School District Superintendent Dusty Blakey will retire on July 26, a full five years before the end of his contract. That contract was approved by the board unanimously last July, and extended his position through the academic year ending in 2029. His announcement was mentioned briefly by the school district’s Human Resources Director Chris
Marsala as she listed the retirements and hires. Board President David Kronenberg later addressed the news in greater detail during the March 11 meeting at the Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center. Kronenberg at first thanked Blakey, 60, for his service, noting that Blakey had come at a difficult time when COVID-19 was about to strike the nation and its schools. He also brought the district through the process of planning for two new elementary school build-
ings and even implemented all the necessary precautions when escaped prisoner Danilo Cavalcante was on the loose in the area. Kronenberg said that Blakey always had the priority of the students in mind. Moving forward, he added, the board will provide opportunities for community input about what they are looking for in Blakey’s successor. The board members approved a contract with the Chester County Intermediate Unit that helps them seek a
new superintendent. Kronenberg said as well that he has five priorities with respect to Blakey’s retirement: 1. He is committed to working with Blakey throughout the time he remains in his position; 2. He is dedicated to clinging to the mission statement of the district and will use it as his guide; 3. He is committed to the programs the district has established and will work toward their goals; 4. He is committed to the
INSIDE Kennett Township
approves two waivers for construction of new KACS site
Unionville advances in the state playoffs...1B
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
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The Kennett Township Board of Supervisors approved two motions at their March 6 meeting related to the Kennett Area Community Service’s (KACS) planned new facility on West Cypress Street in Kennett Square Borough. The first motion grants approval of the development plan for the agency’s proposed onestory, 29,527-square-foot building, 14,135-square Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled feet of which will be used debuts this week...1B for professional offices and 10,392 square feet that will be designated as a food cupboard. Each project will be completed in phases, and an additional 5,000
Continued on Page 2A
Photo by Chris Barber
Kennett Consolidated School District Superintendent Dusty Blakey will retire on July 26.
FROM OUR LENS Shifting history
Courtesy photo
On Feb. 28, Longwood Gardens moved the historic Cox House -- a home that once served as a stop on the Underground Railroad – by a distance of 100 feet, in response to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation project to widen Route 1. Using steel cables, the process of moving the Cox House involved creating a similar foundation that duplicates the original size and configuration. The house is named for John and Hannah Cox, Quaker farmers and social justice reformers who lived in the house from 1829 until 1880 and used their home as a haven for escaped enslaved persons and assisting freedom-seekers along the Underground Railroad.
Continued on Page 2A
Oxford Borough Council focuses on Water Department’s Capital Improvement Plan By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer There are 22.3 miles of water mains and 140 hydrants in the Borough of Oxford. Maintaining those water mains, treating water, and supplying the water to the homes of the residents
of the borough is a huge job, and Oxford Borough Council is moving forward with a Water Department Capital Improvement Plan. Terry Funk, P.E., senior project manager from Gannett Fleming, was on hand at the March 4 council meeting to update borough council on future plans
regarding that plan. Funk thanked council for approving them as the water engineer for the borough. She also emphasized the appreciation to the Water Department staff and borough manager Pauline Garcia-Allen for their collaboration. “You should be proud of
the borough water staff. Their institutional knowledge has been an asset for me. I have enjoyed working with them and your Borough Manager,” she said. Gannett Fleming has just completed a 10-year water capital improvement plan. That plan will be done in
two-year increments, with a focus on grant funding. Much of the first year could involve engineering, and one of the first projects will be a treatment plant. “We are focused on additional supplies of water due to the continued growth of Oxford,” Funk explained. Continued on Page 2A
Two UHS students among top 300 scholars in the 2024 Wings for Success merges with The Regeneron Science Talent Search
March 11 ceremonies open locations in Kennett Square, Exton
Wardrobe to open two stores in county By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
© 2007 The Chester County Press
square feet is being proposed to be constructed at a late date. The total 5.61-acre site – located in both Kennett and New Garden townships -- will also include parking area improvements, as well as public water and sewer service. Access to the proposed property will be from two entrances on West Cypress Street, with one in New Garden and the other in Kennett. The proposed building and most associated parking will be located in Kennett Township, and the remainder of the parking, the sewer connection, and the proposed driveway access to West Cypress Street will be located in New Garden Township.
continuity and stability for the school district; and 5. The board will work with the Chester County Intermediate Unit to find a replacement. Blakey came to the district as its eighth superintendent in January of 2020. Six weeks into his tenure, he was faced with the challenges of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Morgan State University, Blakey obtained a master’s
Two longtime leaders in the fight against clothing insecurity and empowering people toward financial independence are merging, as Wings for Success becomes part of The Wardrobe (formerly Career Wardrobe).
Now called The Wardrobe, the business is located at two locations in Chester County – in the New Garden Shopping Center and the Exton Square Mall. Grand openings were held at both locations on March 11. While Wings For Success has been serving clients for 25 years, the merger will Continued on Page 3A
District officials also honored four employees who are retiring after a combined 109 years of work in Unionville-Chadds Ford schools
By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer The Unionville-Chadds Ford school community had plenty of reasons to feel proud as the February meeting of the school board unfolded—the district honored two high school students for impressive academic achievements and celebrated four longtime employees who are retiring.
But, during the meeting, district officials also heard from several parents and students who are concerned about proposed changes to the middle school’s Academically Talented and Gifted Program offerings. During Superintendent Dr. John Sanville’s report to the school board, a spotlight was shone on Lilly Zhang and Arjun Praphulla Suryawanshi, two
Unionville High School students who were selected by the Society for Science for inclusion among the top 300 scholars in the 2024 Regeneron Science Talent Search. Sanville explained that Suryawanshi and Zhang were among thousands of students who submitted original scientific research in the Regeneron Science Continued on Page 3A