Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 156, No. 39
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
$1.00
KCSD officer decries shortage of bus drivers in school district By Chris Barber Contributing Writer Kennett Consolidated School District Chief Financial Officer Mark Tracy shared his frustrations about the bus driver shortage during the district’s Sept. 12 school board meeting. After the business agenda had concluded, Board President Vicki Gehrt called
INSIDE
upon Tracy to discuss what was going on with transportation. Tracy said there are just not enough bus drivers for all the runs that the school district needs. Explaining the situation several days later in greater detail, he said the district has 70 runs each day, but only 65 drivers. “There’s no typical day. Depending on who calls out, it is problem-solving
every day,” he said. Tracy cited three situations that contribute to the problem: ·. The unemployment rate in Chester County is low so there are fewer individuals applying for the job. And even for those who apply, it takes 60 to 90 days to receive the necessary training and credentials. ·. The bus driver job is two part-time shifts – morn-
Pageant kicks off Unionville Community Fair By Chris Barber Contributing Writer
A look at the heritage of Elk Township...1B
To Subscribe Call 610.869.5553
Unionville High School celebrates 15 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists...2A
The Unionville Community Fair arrived in town last Thursday, as it has with harvest season for the last 98 years. The kickoff event for this year’s Fair was the crowning of fair royalty at a ceremony in the auditorium of Unionville Elementary School on Thursday, Sept. 22. Three girls competed for the queen’s crown, and five younger girls sought the princess title. Seventeen-year-old Unionville student Ella Troiano was crowned Queen, and 15-year-old Ellie Gallo was named Princess. All contestants appeared in evening gowns, and those vying for queen presented short speeches titled, “Why You Should Go to the Fair.” Last year’s Queen Claire Rawlins was on hand to present Troiano’s crown as was last year’s Princess Lily Barsamian to bestow the princess crown. The onsite Unionville Community Fair activi-
ing and afternoon – of two hours each that leaves drivers with a gap of no income production in between. ·. In recent months, the availability of full-time work for holders of commercial drivers’ licenses has expanded so drivers take jobs elsewhere. Additionally, Tracy added, a number of long-term drivers have retired, and the COVID-19 pandemic took
Photo by Chris Barber
A Krapf bus arrives at school to pick up students for the afternoon trip home.
its toll on availability of not to rectify. At least it’s individuals for work, espe- better than last year,” Tracy cially last year. said. Continued on page 2A “It’s easy to identify but
FROM OUR LENS Autumn, now on sale
Photo by Chris Barber
Retiring Queen Claire Rawlins, right, presents the crown and flowers to the new Queen Ella Troiano.
ties at the Willowdale Steeplechase property at 101 E Street Road in East Marlborough get underway on Friday and continue through Sunday. 2022 Unionville Community fair President Ed Schultz invited the audience during the pageant to come and bring their friends for the traditional craft, agricultural and food competitions that have excited visitors for years. Schultz also mentioned the car show, food Continued on page 2A
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
As seen on a recent visit there, SIW Vegetables in Chadds Ford is now bright with the colors and flavors of the fall. The popular farm stand is located at 4317 S. Creek Road (Route 100) in Chadds Ford, and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. For more information, call 610-388-7491 or visit SIWvegetables.blogspot.com.
Ribbon cutting for outdoor classroom in Penn Township By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Contributing Writer A dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting was held for the new E. Kneale Dockstader Environmental Education Area and Outdoor Classroom on Sept. 13, at the Penn Township Sports Park. The four-acre parcel is dedicated to the preservation of the natural habitat
and the promotion of it for the purposes of environmental and scientific education. The ceremony was held after several postponements for inclement weather, with officials from the township, the E. Kneale Dockstader Foundation and the Avon Grove Library on hand. All were involved in the creation of the outdoor classroom, as were the Eagle Scouts who helped with the physical
construction. The Outdoor Classroom has seating, a lectern and black board where classes can be held in the wooded area. Students and visitors can also walk the trail in the surrounding woods to get a look at the local habitat including a previously unnamed tributary of the Big Elk Creek. The creek is now called the Kneale’s Creek after the Dockstader
Foundation namesake, E. Kneale Dockstader. The Foundation was created by South East Chester County Refuse Authority in honor of volunteer E. Kneale Dockstader. The Foundation provides grants to support environmental projects in the community. “The Dockstader Foundation we appreciate very much,” said Herb MacCombie, chairman of
the Penn Township Parks Recreation and Trails Committee. “The pandemic put everything back a bit, but we are here through the dedication of the resources by the supervisors and (the Foundation’s) funding. They say it takes a village. The people here are all active—they’re actually putting their hands and feet to work.” Continued on page 3A
Emerging leaders program highlighted at Kennett Square forum By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Christina Norland, Community Engagement Lead for © 2007 The Chester County Press Square Roots Collective, far right, moderated a “How We Build Matters” forum on Sept. 22 that introduced panelists who attended the Kennett Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program, an eight-week fellowship to cultivate and support new community leaders in the Kennett area. The panelists included, from left, Elideth Navarro, Mayra Castillo and Lee Sausen.
The entrance to the fortress that provides leadership opportunities in the Kennett Square community, once ominous and intimidating to underserved populations, continues to be flung wide open by way of inclusion, initiatives and individual voices.
Three of those voices were shared at the “How We Build Matters” speakers series event at the Kennett Square Presbyterian Church on South Broad Street before a 100-member audience on Sept. 22. Sponsored by Kennett Collaborative, the event invited three local residents to share their experiences at one such initiative -- the
Kennett Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program -- an eight-week fellowship to cultivate and support new community leaders in the Kennett area. Designed by PennPraxis, the non-profit arm of the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with Square Roots Continued on page 4A