Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 158, No. 34
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
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Kennett Fire & EMS Regional Commission proposes $907,000 budget increase for 2025 By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Begun in 2018, the Kennett Fire & EMS Regional Commission (KFERC) is an inter-municipal fire and emergency services collaborative effort that has provided the operational and financial steerage for the Longwood Fire Company No. 25, the Kennett Fire Company No. 1 and the Po Mar Lin fire companies in six municipalities -- East Marlborough, Kennett, Kennett Square Borough,
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Newlin, Pennsbury and Pocopson. Five of those municipalities remain; Kennett Square Borough left the KFERC earlier this year. Since that time, like nearly every other fire and EMS collaborative entity across the U.S., the KFERC has had to adjust its budgets against the hard realities facing the fire and emergency services industries – the rising costs of equipment, the additional expenses for each individual response and the shrinking number
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
The Kennett Fire & EMS Regional Commission met on Aug. 22 to discuss proposed increases to its 2025 budget.
The Chester County Prison— One year after Cavalcante
The constant whirring of circling helicopters. A line of police and other law enforcement vehicles suddenly whizzing by. Roads barricaded. The frequently shifting search “perimeter.” Longwood Gardens and schools closed. Fields harvested early to eliminate hiding An interview with spaces. Neighbors afraid Avondale Borough’s to get the mail, walk the mayor...1B dog, or—worse yet— return home from vacation or get something from their shed. Danilo Calvalcante was
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Part One in a two-part story
By JP Phillips Contributing Writer
convicted of first-degree murder for brutally stabbing his then-girlfriend in front of her two young children in the Phoenixville area. He was apprehended in Virginia in April 2021, and sent to Chester County Prison to await trial. He was convicted on August 22, 2023, and was housed there until Aug. 31, when he “crab-walked” his way out of the prison and into the national spotlight. He successfully evaded capture and put real fear into the hearts of Chester County residents for two weeks. The search centered on the
FROM OUR LENS For our safety, for our communities
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On Aug. 20, members from the District Attorney’s Office and the Chester County Detectives attended the West Chester Emergency Responders Night alongside other law enforcement, first responders, and members of the West Chester Borough and West Goshen police departments.
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Atkinson named as newest Oxford Area School Board member By Gabbie Burton Contributing Writer The Oxford Area School Board held a special meeting on Aug. 20 to elect Andrew Atkinson as its newest board member, filling a vacant seat on the board left by Kaitlin Bell. The meeting began with an impassioned public comment session from community members endorsing or disapproving of the potential candidates. The board then officially accepted the resignation of Bell
before moving on to the new candidate nominations. Two nominations were put forward for approval by the board: Atkinson and Connie Mola-Gerlach, who were each asked the same six questions from school board President Jenifer Warren. Among them, she asked why they were interested in the position; what they felt the greatest challenges facing public education and the Oxford Area School District were; and how they saw themselves working as a team member. Current board mem-
bers also had the opportunity to ask additional clarifying questions of either candidate after their initial questioning. After questioning concluded, Atkinson was voted onto the board by a 4-3 vote. The “aye” votes for Atkinson came from Warren, Debbie Vendrick, William Kloss and Tenille Dewees, while the ‘nays’ came from Mike Blessington, Jennifer Kehs and Mark Patterson. In an interview with the Chester County Press, Atkinson shared why he expressed interest in filling the
vacant position on the school board. As a parent of children in the school district, Atkinson said that he kept updated on school board developments and was encouraged to apply to fill the vacancy by friends and family, and that his goal as board member is to be a good team player and listen to people both on and off the board about their concerns for the schools. “I feel like I’m pretty levelheaded and I have friends on all sides of the political aisle so I thought, ‘Why not put my name in and see what
happens?’” Atkinson said. Atkinson said that his family has lived in the area since 1986 and that he has been a homeowner in Oxford since 2005. Atkinson’s background is in education, and he has been a government teacher at Avon Grove High School since 2002. Atkinson also previously served on the Oxford Borough Council from 2007 to 2011. The Oxford Area School Board will hold their next work session meeting on Sept. 10 and their regular meeting on Sept. 17.
Kennett Township board gives approvals at Aug. 21 meeting By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
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of fire and EMS volunteers. It was against these hard realities that a $1.25 million budget for 2025 – including a $907,000 increase for the three fire and EMS units – was proposed at an Aug. 22 meeting held at the Kennett Township Building.
The Kennett Township Board of Supervisors approved the following agenda items at their Aug. 21 meeting: • Approved the amended Parkside preliminary/ final land development
plan in order to construct a 16.1-acre residential and commercial development on the east side of Walnut Road, in accordance with the traditional neighborhood development statutes identified in the township’s zoning ordinance. The proposed development includes seven single-family dwelling units, 72 multi-family
attached dwelling units, 104 apartment units, three detached garages and two commercial/retail uses. The preliminary/final subdivision and land development plan for Parkside was originally approved with conditions by the supervisors on March 20 and now reflects design changes to the plan that include the
elimination of age restricted housing in the development, and transfer of development rights. • Approved a sewage facilities planning module for the Parkside residential and commercial development, that will see the addition of a gravity sewer collection system that will flow to a proposed pump station on
development lands. Sewage flows will be conveyed via a force main along North Walnut Road to the existing Kennett Square Borough collection system, with treatment and disposal at the Kennett Square Borough Wastewater Treatment Plant. The planning module also indicates potential for Continued on Page 4A