Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 158, No. 16
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
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‘What happens in this building is most likely to impact people in their day-to-day lives’
Kennett Township names new manager By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer The Kennett Township Board of Supervisors passed a resolution at their April 17 meeting appointing Alison S. Dobbins as the township’s new manager, a tenure that began on April 22. She replaces Eden Ratliff, who served the township for four years and resigned on Feb. 1 to become the Deputy City Manager for the City of Charlottesville, Va. Interim manager Amy Heinrich will return to her
INSIDE
full-time duties as the township’s director of finance and human resources director. A long-time administrator at Drexel University, Dobbins previously served four years as the deputy chief administrative officer and most recently the acting chief administrative officer for Upper Darby Township, the sixth largest municipality in Pennsylvania. In her role, she was responsible for the implementation of the ordinances and strategic priorities of the mayor and council and helped navigate
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey visits Oxford Borough By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer
Landenberg Life
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Oxford Borough Manager Pauline Garcia-Allen delivered some exciting news to the members of borough council at last week’s meeting. “U. S. Senator Bob Casey visited the Borough of Oxford on Tuesday, April 2,” Garcia-Allen said. “We are always excited to see our representatives and show them what we are doing in Oxford.” Garcia-Allen noted that “$500,000 in grant fundAnton Fig: A career of ing has come through his collaboration...1B office.” Casey requested an update on the September fire that destroyed properties in the borough and displaced more than 90 residents. He spent time talking with the borough’s elected officials and staff, and the leadership of Union Fire Company No. 1.
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the township’s public services through the pandemic. Dobbins received her Bachelor of Science degree from Drexel University and is pursuing her MBA from Eastern University as well as ICMA (International City County Managers Association) accreditation. “I believe and care deeply about the impact that local government has on the dayto-day lives of those who live and work in our community,” Dobbins said at the meeting. “I do view the township manager position as the ultimate way to
Garcia- Allen said, “It was a unique opportunity to talk about how the community responded, what we have learned and the ongoing challenges facing Oxford and many communities. “Senator Casey and his team provided support to the borough from the very beginning of the fire, with staff here on site while emergency personnel were still extinguishing the flames. We are thankful for their continued interest and support, and for this opportunity to tell him more about all that is happening in Oxford.” Borough council also welcomed Troop 44 Boy Scouts who attended the council meeting to learn more about local government and to earn their merit badges. Council member Amanda Birdwell addressed council regarding the ACOLA (Advisory Committee on Latino Affairs) meetings.
serve, and it is one of the many reasons I am thrilled to be here tonight. “I am really excited to be able to bring the depth and breadth of the experience that I gained at Upper Darby to ensure the continued success of Kennett Township. I work best in a transparent, collaborative and inclusive environment, and what the board has created here checked all of those boxes for me. When I say that I am your manPhoto by Richard L. Gaw ager, I truly mean that I Alison S. Dobbins, most recently the acting chief am here for you. I believe administrative officer for Upper Darby Township, has Continued on Page 2A
been named the new manager for Kennett Township.
FROM OUR LENS Chester County Earth Day
Courtesy photo
Elected officials recently met with county conservationists at the former Loch Nairn Golf Club in recognition of Earth Day, which was celebrated on April 22. The 106-acre property, purchased by New Garden Township, is being converted into a passive park. Those in attendance included Chester County Commissioners Eric Roe, Marian Moskowitz and Chair Josh Maxwell; State Rep. Christina Sappey; Drew Gilchrist, Regional Advisor for the Pa. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; Kate Raman, Project Manager for Natural Lands; New Garden Township Supervisors David Unger and Ted Gallivan; New Garden Township Manager Christopher Himes; and Dave Stauffer, Director, Chester County Parks + Preservation.
Continued on Page 3A
New Garden to replace township building roof By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer At the recommendation of Township Manager Christopher Himes during his presentation at the April 22 New Garden Township Board of Supervisors meeting, the board voted in favor of having the roof of
the township building on Starr Road in Landenberg replaced at a cost not to exceed $360,137.00 -$292,123 for the new roof and an additional $68,014 for insulation and siding. The project, which will be undertaken by Jottan, Inc., a commercial roofing company headquartered in Delran,
N.J., will replace the current roof's asphalt shingles and copper metal roofing entirely with asphalt shingles. The project is scheduled to get underway this summer and will require no financing on the part of the township. Originally constructed in 2003, the 12,000 squarefoot township building
currently features approximately 13,000 square feet of roofing that displays copper metal at its entrance and at the terrace at the rear of the building. In his presentation, Himes referred to an on-site assessment conducted on July 11, 2023 by Pennoni Construction and LHL Consulting, a roofing
consultant. Their analysis revealed that several shingles on the roof have been replaced over the years due to high winds. However, their report acknowledged that most repairs were not performed correctly, leaving shingles non-staggered and in a weakened Continued on Page 2A
Kennett Brewing Company closes By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Kennett Brewing Company, the venerable basement speakeasy known for its cozy confines on Broad Street, its eclectic menu of hand-crafted beers and the generosity of its owners Mark and Jossy Osbourne, abruptly closed on April 16 after nearly nine years of operation. Word of the brewery’s closing began to quickly circulate after the company posted the following mes-
sage on its website: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of KBC just shy of our 9th birthday. Thank you to all of our supporters, regulars and loyal customers. To say we’ve been touched by many is an understatement. It’s been a wild, beautiful ride. But we’re tired, ready to close this chapter and eager to move on to the next. Cheers to all!” Soon after the announcement, KBC’s social media page was flooded with sentiments by patrons of the
establishment, who reflected on the impact it had as a hotspot for friends and conversation, a venue for hundreds of local musical acts, and as a meeting place for fund-raising events. When it first opened its doors on June 21, 2015 after more than a year of stops, starts, delays and deliberation, KBC quickly became the off-the-grid outlier of the growing brew pub scene in the Kennett Square area that has – and is still – fronted by Two Stones Brewing
Mark Osbourne, who successfully operated Kennett Brewing Company with his wife, Jossy since 2015, announced last week that the brew pub had closed Continued on Page 3A on April 16.
Photos by Richard L. Gaw
Kennett Brewing Company was one of the cornerstones of the emerging beer culture in southern Chester County.