Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 158, No. 42
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
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Candidates share campaign agendas at chamber luncheon By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer All political road signs in southern Chester County guided more than 150 area business owners and entrepreneurs to the Mendenhall Inn on Oct. 17, where they heard eight candidates for political office discuss their agendas related to business and the economy at the 2024 Signature Annual Luncheon, presented by the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce
(SCCC). Appearing at the event were U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pa.’s 6th Congressional District and her Republican challenger Neil Young; State Sen. Carolyn Comitta of the 19th Senate District; Mike Woodin, who is challenging John Kane for the Pa. 9th Senate District; State Representative John Lawrence of the 13th District; State Representative Christina Sappey of the 158th
Legislative District and her Republican challenger Tina Ayala; and State Rep. Craig Williams of the 160th Legislative District. Invited candidates Duane Milne, a Republican vying for Comitta’s seat; Democrat Christian Luna, who is challenging Lawrence; and Democrat Elizabeth Moro, Williams’ opponent, were not present at the event. The luncheon’s Diamond Partners included Constellation and
INSIDE East Marlborough
Township officials discuss potential tax increase By Monica Fragale Contributing Writer
Chadds Ford Life Magazine
East Marlborough residents questioned supervisors at the last township budget meeting about a proposed tax increase that would more than double a property owner’s township taxes in 2025. “You don’t want to kick the can anymore,” one of the residents said at the Oct. 16 meeting. “It seems like we ought to know where the can is at this stage.” The township millage is
Kennett riding a four-game winning streak...1B
proposed to be increased from 2.183 mills to 4.883 mills. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. That means owners of a property assessed at $231,587 could expect to pay an additional $625 in township taxes in 2025, according to township data. The next township budget meeting will be Oct. 23 from 6-8 p.m. at the East Marlborough Township building. The supervisors had
Longwood Gardens, and Comcast served as its Platinum Partner. The candidates focused on several issues facing their respective districts, Chester County and the
Commonwealth. While she applauds the state for its thriving economy and low unemployment, Houlahan said that many businesses are struggling to fill skill jobs, particularly in STEM
fields. “STEM is literally everywhere we look,” she said, espousing her Mathematics and Statistical Modeling Education Act bill, which Continued on Page 2A
FROM OUR LENS Forty years of open space and conservation
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
David Hawk of the New Garden Township Historical Commission led a hike last Saturday morning as part of a commemoration that celebrated the 40th anniversary of White Clay Creek Preserve. The event, which was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, included exhibits from area conservation and outdoor recreation groups, historical and nature-themed walks and activities for children. The 1,388acre preserve is located in London Britain Township and shares a boundary with the White Clay Creek State Park in Delaware.
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The newcomers
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Neil Young and Tina Ayala represent a new arrival of Republican candidates who are campaigning against the grain of a county that continues to go blue, with powerful messages that call for change
Neil Young: Campaigning Tina Ayala: Woman for tighter borders, domestic in red runs for the 158th District energy, educational reform By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer The mode of transportation middle school teacher and first-time candidate Neil Young has been using to navigate his way through Chester and Berks counties is a standard school bus, painted white, that is averPhoto by Richard L. Gaw aging between 700 and 800 Young’s campaign travels throughout the 6th District miles a week. His name is streamlined in on a school bus that averages between 700 and 800 miles a week.
Tina Ayala, a West Bradford resident and the Republican looking to win the District 158 seat for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, hopes to defeat incumbent Christina Sappey -- who has served in the role since 2018 – on Nov. 5. Ayala lists her main commitments to her potential
constituents front and enter on her website: “Improve schools, promote school choice, and ensure educational excellence; support local businesses and initiatives to foster job creation; and address the needs of constituents through active public service and empathetic leadership.” Ayala’s main motivation for running, she said, is her family. As a wife and Continued on Page 3A
Kennett School Board delays update of Title IX policy By Chris Barber Contributing Writer
© 2007 The Chester County Press
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By Gabbie Burton Contributing Writer
The Kennett School Board grappled with several policy items at its Oct. 14 meeting, including one that appears to give the right of transgender females to participate in girls’ sports. A transgender female is an individual who was born with a male body but identifies as a female.
Title IX is a federal law that forbids discrimination against individuals based on, among other things, their sex, religion or race. It was passed in 1972. It was expanded by the Biden administration in April to include gender identity. As an alternative, the board unanimously approved a resolution to proceed with its earlier Title IX anti-discrimina-
tion policy, which does not include the expanded transgender rights. Meanwhile, according to an Associated Press report in an NBC article, the Biden administration said the rule change didn’t apply to sports participation – just educational opportunities. School District solicitor Jeffrey Sultanik was on hand to explain. He
said that a federal judge in Kansas recently issued an injunction against the application of the provision in his state. The provision has also been opposed in Louisiana and Kentucky. He said that, elsewhere in Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro took the position that the state would control its own regulations. Some institutions and
states have redefined the definition of “law” to address “regulations” instead, which would preclude application of Title IX. Sultanik continued with his explanation that the outcome of the reactions by states and a variety of courts is not clear, hasn’t happened yet, and may even be affected by the Continued on Page 4A