Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 158, No. 29
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
$1.50
Township to enter negotiations with school district for land transfer to Kennett Trails Alliance By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer In response to the Kennett Consolidated School District Board’s decision on July 8 to negotiate to transfer a portion of its Legacy Field property to the Kennett Trails Alliance,
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the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors voted at the July 17 meeting to authorize the township to enter into negotiations with the school district for an easement or land transfer for the property, which is on Kennett High School property and located in the
township. Situated at the corner of South Walnut and Birch streets in Kennett Square, Legacy Fields is used by the school for its soccer, field hockey and lacrosse teams, as well as by several area athletic organizations. At the edge
Don’t miss The Train Show by Chris Barber
of the park along the Red Clay Creek, however, the property contains thick vegetation which, as was stated at the July 8 meeting, the Alliance wishes to use as a connector to its 14-mile Kennett Greenway and become the future site of a public outdoor class-
room for environmental that will recognize towneducation. ship residents for merit and valor performed for or on Hicks awarded behalf of the township. township’s first medal Each medal will contain of merit the township seal that will be suspended from a white In other township busi- ribbon that will contain ness, the board voted in three green vertical stripes Continued on Page 2A favor of establishing awards
FROM OUR LENS Climb ‘up on the roof’ in West Chester
Make-A-Wish Foundation visits a local child...1B
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New principal for Pocopson Elementary...1B
Photo by Chris Barber
Don’t miss the Train Show, featuring the local comings and goings of trains on the local tracks of southern Chester County. Chris Barber’s 33 photos capture scenes of trains, their workers and their environment. The show continues through the end of July at the Market at Liberty Place in Kennett Square.
Storm takes out power, downs trees, closes roads throughout county By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Soon after a severe storm with winds registered at more than 55 miles per hour touched down in Chester County on July 16, the whir of generators began to hum at homes and businesses in a desperate effort to turn chaos into normalcy. Tree surgeon vehicles joined public works teams from area municipalities and PECO trucks to form entire fleets of emergency
service along sloppy roads that were clogged with debris and overtaken by fallen trees that took down power lines, shut down roads and severely damaged vehicles. With their access to the internet out, employees from Chadds Ford to Oxford drove to libraries and coffee shops far beyond the damage of the storm, where they booted up their laptops in order to keep up with their workload. Restaurants and café
owners without generators sorted through their refrigerators, determining what food could be salvaged and Continued on Page 3A
Photos by Richard L. Gaw
Newark Road in Toughkenamon was just one of several roadways that was closed after a severe storm struck Chester County on July 16, when downed trees left thousands of homes and businesses without access to power.
Local author showcase highlights four-volume anthology
Braving Veracity: Creating space and support for local women writers By Gabbie Burton Contributing Writer
© 2007 The Chester County Press
Courtesy photo
“Up On the Roof,” West Chester’s premier fundraising event sponsored by the West Chester Downtown Federation and Gawthrop Greenwood will return on Sept. 14 for its 22nd year at the Chestnut Street Garage in West Chester. The event will benefit the historical, cultural and economic significance of the borough. To learn more and obtain tickets, visit www.wcdf.org/ upontheroof.
The six writers who were in attendance at the Hockessin BookShelf on July 20 were there for one primary reason: they have been or are about to be published in Braving Veracity, an anthology series created
by Candida “Dida” Gazoli to support local women and non-binary writers, “who have poignant truths to share about themselves and their family life.” Gazoli started the Braving Veracity project in 2020 to create a platform for women’s voices. Braving Veracity Vol. 1 was released
in July 2020, Vol. 2 in April 2021 and Vol. 3 in July 2023. The fourth installment of the anthology is currently set for release in late August to early September. “What the anthology became is a platform for painful stories, poignant, but difficult stories to share,” Gazoli said.
Each edition of the anthology centers on a shared theme with Vol. 3 focusing on the influence of men in the writers’ lives. Kennett resident Monica Fragale has contributed a piece entitled, “Inside the Elephant’s Shoes,” about how her life changed when her husband became quad-
riplegic. Heather Drake of Landenberg wrote a piece titled, “Daddy’s Girl,” about her father relapsing when she was a teen. “What’s great is all these women sharing our truths, and it is unapologetic and just so raw and beautiful,” Fragale said. Continued on Page 2A