Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 157, No. 14
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
$1.50
Kennett Y cancels summer swimming at outdoor pool to members and the public By Chris Barber Contributing Writer The Kennett Y outdoor pool is no longer a swimming resource for its members and the public. In a written response to a query letter from Y member Linda Cangi, YMCA executive director Nic Legere wrote, “We feel that the best path forward is to
continue down the path of operating the pool site as a summer camp and swim team destination.” He added in his letter that he had considered many different operating models. The pool was originally built during the late 1960s as a community pool in Kennett Square and was later leased to the Y for operations at $1 per year.
It sits along South Walnut Street across from Kennett High School’s Legacy Fields. When asked by the Chester County Press for an in-person response, Legere declined to answer questions, referring all inquiries to Y of Greater Brandywine Vice President of Marketing Jenny James Lee.
Lee reiterated the points made by Legere in his letter to Cangi – a letter which he copied to Linda’s son, Mike Cangi, and to community activist Nick Perigo. Lee said the main reasons for the closing the pool to membership and public pass use is that the physical complex is in a flood plain, and that there is difficulty finding staff – including
lifeguards. An additional reason she gave was declining membership and usage at the outdoor pool in the past few years. She said the pool will not sit idle this summer, however. Lee mentioned the coming use by a federally funded camping partnership with the Kennett Consolidated
School District at Bancroft Elementary School, which the Y will run. Those campers whose parents choose to bring them will be offered “Fabulous Fridays” swimming at the outdoor Kennett Y pool. Children enrolled in the Y summer camp will use the pool daily for free swimming as well. Continued on page 2A
INSIDE ChristianaCare provides new details about plans for a neighborhood hospital at West Grove Campus Following extensive planning and community listening sessions, ChristianaCare shares plans for a new hospital that includes emergency and inpatient care ChristianaCare officials have now provided new A life of tragedy and details about the plans to achievement...4A restore needed health care services to the southern Chester County community at its West Grove Campus, formerly Jennersville Hospital. ChristianaCare will open a neighborhood hospital that includes 10 emergency department beds and 10
Unionville tops Avon Grove in baseball...1B
inpatient beds. The neighborhood hospital will offer emergency care, behavioral health emergency care and provide diagnostic capabilities including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), X-ray and laboratory services. The emergency Courtesy photo department will treat com- ChristianaCare anticipates an opening date for the West Grove campus in late mon emergency care needs 2024, although the date is subject to change due to the significant work that will be Continued on page 3A
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Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Similar to schools all over the nation, an American flag has been flying at half staff at the Kennett Middle School since the March 27 mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn. that left three nine-year-old children and three adults dead of gunshot wounds by a shooter who was armed with an AR style rifle, an AR style pistol and a handgun. Last week’s murders marked the 130th mass shooting in the U.S. so far in 2023. According to figures from the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 600 mass shootings in the U.S. in each of the last three years.
required to renovate the facility to bring it up to current standards.
Honoring Oxford’s best The Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce honored the Ambulance Division of Union Fire Company No. 1, the Southern Chester County EMS – Medic 94, Landhope Farms, and Bethany Atkinson during its annual awards dinner on April 1 The Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce (OACC) handed out two Organization of the Year Awards—to the Ambulance Division of Union Fire Company No. 1 and the Southern Chester County EMS – Medic 94—and honored Landhope Farms as Business of the Year and Bethany Atkinson as Citizen of the Year during the annual Awards Dinner Dance on April 1. The event took place at The Barn of Nottingham with more than 200 business leaders, community leaders, elected officials and community members in attendance. Unlike other award events, the OACC surprises the recipients with the award. Dennis McCartney of Landhope Farms, who is also the OACC president, served as the master of ceremonies and welcomed the guests to the special event. He joked that the most
The Ambulance Division of Union Fire Company No. 1.
popular phrase among business owners has been “help wanted.” McCartney said that it was a night to celebrate the award recipients and to celebrate the Oxford community. Shelley Meadowcroft, who nominated Bethany Atkinson for the Citizen of the Year Award, talked about the selfless service Bethany provides to many nonprofits in town. Although not born and raised in Oxford, Bethany married into the Oxford community when
she married Andrew Atkinson and has made an impact from the start. Bethany was surprised that her parents and children were in attendance to see her accept the award. OACC vice president Crystal Messaros presented the two Organization of the Year awards. With the effects of the pandemic coupled with the closure of Jennersville Hospital, the area’s emergency services have been stretched like at no other time in recent history. As Continued on page 3A
Oxford Borough Council discusses OAHA request and MS4 plan public meeting © 2007 The Chester County Press
By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer The Oxford Area Historical Association (OAHA) recently signed an agreement of sale to purchase the
Union School building at S. Fifth and Hodgson streets. The organization has outgrown the space they are currently in, and they have been looking for a new location for several years. OAHA had previously
contacted Oxford Borough asking for some funding to help pay for the purchase of the former Oxford Area School District administration building, and at a recent council meeting, Oxford Borough officials discussed
this request. Council members expressed a desire to donate something to OAHA, but wouldn’t make a commitment at this time due to their upcoming participation in the STMP, Strategic
Management Planning Program. Council is intent on setting up a capital fund, and sorting out the many funding requests for numerous local agencies. Continued on page 2A