Chester County Press 10-25-2017 Edition

‘Avon Grove still provides the best educational outcomes, per dollar, in Chester County’

Ed Farina, Brian Gaerity, Patrick Walker, and Bill Wood are running for re-election on a record of making investments in technology, curriculum development, music, the arts, athletics, and various other initiatives that boost academic achievement

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

The four incumbent Avon Grove School Board members who are up for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7―Ed Farina, Brian Gaerity, Patrick Walker and Bill Wood―point to investments in technology and STEM education, increased support for music, arts, and athletic programs, and the expansion to full-day kindergarten as just a few ways that students are seeing real benefits from a reasoned reinvestment in education that has been made while they’ve been on the board. They point to a 16-month effort to develop a comprehensive plan to address the district’s long-term facilities needs. They point to the graduating seniors in the Class of 2017 who earned, collectively, $4.5 million in scholarships, and know that the school district’s administrators and teachers had an important part to play in preparing the students for the future. They point to all these examples of progress as reasons why they should be re-elected so that the

progress can continue.

In Region I, voters will decide two seats on the board as Gaerity and Walker are being challenged by John Auerbach

Four school board candidates look to unseat incumbents in Avon Grove

John Auerbach, Jeff Casey, Rick Dumont, and Lynn Weber are united in their opposition to the facilities plan recommended by the Facilities Input Group

Lynn Weber

Avon Grove School Board Director Position

Educational Background

I graduated from West Chester University in 1983 with a Bachelor’s degree and received my CPA license in 2000. I have 16 years of experience in public accounting with 14 years at same firm. I also have 4 years of experience in private accounting. I am currently on the board of a nonprofit corporation. This is a volunteer position. I was also on my parish finance council for several years.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

I am fiscally conservative. I believe in budgeting and adhering to the budget while planning for the future. I believe my knowledge and experience as a CPA will enable me to be a board member that can put the school finances on a stronger footing. I believe in transparency – an item that needs to be improved with the current administration and school board. I have strong family values. I believe that the family unit is the foundation that children should learn from and rely on. I strive to lead by example.

What would be your top two priorities as a member of the school board?

I want to represent the interests of the entire community that elected me. This includes the students of the AGSD as well as the senior citizens that live in the district. I want to be part of a school board that will work to ensure that students of AGSD will receive an excellent education that will result in them becoming responsible, successful individuals after they leave AGSD. I want to restore the real estate discount plan for

Allaband looks to serve third term as New Garden supervisor

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

Two-term New Garden

Township Supervisor Stephen Allaband, who is challenging opponent Mark Tully for a seat on the board that will be decided on Nov. 7, first became involved in township politics in 1999, when it was a different place.

Acre by precious acre, the community was being gobbled up by real estate developers, who helped transform what had once

been a rural outpost of third-, fourth- and often fifth-generation families into a tract-by-tract complex of sprawling developments that drew thousands of newcomers who wanted their small slice of paradise.

That year, Allaband became a member of the township’s Planning Commission, a job he held until 2003, when he was elected as to the township’s Board of Supervisors, winning as a write-in on both the Republican and Democratic ballots, where he served from 2004 until

2009. During his first term, Allaband helped rewrite the township’s Comprehensive Plan, which was released in 2005.

“When I was on the Planning Commission, the township was issuing a certificate of occupancy every day, so we were under the pressures of significant development,” Allaband said. “The developers were coming in and taking advantage of the township, which was in a position of reacting instead of being Continued on Page 8A

U-CF School Board mulls how to invest surplus

By John Chambless Staff Writer

It’s a good problem to have, but the UnionvilleChadds Ford School Board is discussing how to properly place an unexpected budget surplus of more than $2 million.

At their meeting on Oct. 23 at Unionville Elementary School, the board heard an outline of possible ways to use the $2,196,090 that arose chiefly due to a reduction in healthcare

claims of $925,000, as well as a special education control point of $945,000.

Last week, the board discussed three options, but the leading one is transferring the whole surplus over to the capital projects budget. Transferring the full amount gives the district the most flexibility. The board is considering its options, and the issue will be voted on in November.

Board member Gregg Lindner said, “This is an unusual thing to hap-

pen in the years I’ve been on the board.” He said he welcomed the additional revenue, but asked if the board could see a mid-year budget statement so they could determine which areas had shortfalls or surpluses before the money is moved. District superintendent John Sanville said that an up-to-the-minute statement would be provided to the board before next month’s vote.

Board member Robert Sage said that the money

was welcome, but unexpected. “About a third of this was due to health care claims, and that’s not something you could predict in a budget cycle,” he said.

“There’s been some concern at other school districts about budgeting too conservatively. This is not an item that was budgeted conservatively. Health claims are going to go up and down.”

The board approved the purchase of a replacement pickup truck for the

Continued on Page 8A

seniors who volunteer for hours spent in the schools and library. This will allow for more interaction between the younger and older generations. There is much to be learned from all age groups. I want to restore, maintain and update the school facilities. The current school board has allowed the school buildings, especially the high school, to deteriorate. The roof in the high school has been leaking for many years. The bathrooms are in dire need of repair and replacement. These

East Marlborough’s Halloween joke?

Apparently, East

Township has more police cars than police officers and they are playing Halloween tricks with their extra cars, along with scarecrow cops. East Marlborough Police have been parking these old cars, with a dummy behind the wheel, in areas of the township where crimes may likely be committed and on roads where motorists may be speeding. My wife and I spotted a police car and dummy at the wheel on the side of School House Road recently. Seriously, as funny as this method sounds, it’s being used all over the United States to deter crime and speeding at little or no cost to taxpayers. We read of widespread use of these old police cars,

Continued on Page 4A

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and Lynn Weber. In Region II, Farina is being opposed by Rick Dumont, while in Region III voters will decide between Wood and Jeffrey Casey.

The single biggest issue as Election Day approaches is how the school district is going to address its facilities needs, but Farina, Gaerity, Walker, and Wood don’t view the upcoming election as simply a referendum on a particular facilities project.

“It’s certainly an issue, but the election is about more than that,” said Gaerity.

Wood added that ensuring that the school buildings are in good condition is one important consideration, but it’s just one in a long list of ways that the district needs to address the needs

of students. They don’t want to see the district go backwards when it comes to academic achievement and opportunities for students. They want Avon Grove to continue to provide the best education possible for students while also making sure that property taxes are kept as low as possible for residents― especially senior citizens and those on fixed incomes.

“It’s about making sure that we’re making smart investments,” said Gaerity. “We are spending our money very wisely. Avon Grove still provides the best educational outcomes, per dollar, in Chester County.”

While the four incumbents aren’t currently united in support of one particular facilities plan, they do share concerns that the team of candidates challenging them will reduce spending on educational programs, including cuts to arts,

music, and athletics, to the detriment of students. They worry that the progress that has been made because of the hard work of administrators and teachers, the academic achievement that was made possible through a rigorous curriculum, will be lost because the decisions being made will no longer support the learning environment that has been built up since the district brought in Dr. Christopher Marchese as the superintendent in 2013.

And while the team of incumbents has not voted for or supported a particular plan, they have gone on the record as saying that the school district must take action to improve the facilities―both in the short-term and the longterm. Two years ago, the district formed a Facilities Input Group comprised of a broad cross-section of stakeholders to analyze the

facilities needs and to look at the various options.

Last month, the district’s Facilities Input Group concluded more than 16 months of work by delivering a recommendation on how to address the district’s facilities needs to the school board. The recommendation, which was identified as Option 1C during the meeting, calls for the construction of a $64.4 million middle school on the Sunnyside Road site that the district already owns. Another $75.9 million would be spent on an extensive renovation of the high school and current middle school building that would include the addition of new core spaces like a gymnasium, cafeteria, and library that would link the buildings and create a new Avon Grove High School campus that would support 21st century learning for all the district’s students. In total, the facilities projects would cost an estimated $140 million.

The school board is expected to spend the last part of 2017 and the first part of 2018 discussing the merits of the plan recommended by the Facilities Input Group. The board could decide to pursue Option 1C as it is, which seems unlikely, or change it in one of a thousand ways before architects actually do the design work on the renovation or new construction projects.

Walker, Wood, Gaerity and Farina believe that a small but vocal group of people have been spreading misinformation about the facilities plan―particularly the costs for the projects―in an effort to scare residents into voting for the challengers.

“We haven’t decided to spend a lot of money on any project,” Walker said, explaining that the biggest misconception in the campaign is that the school board has already decided on a particular building project.

“No decisions have been made yet,” Walker said.

Wood added that there are details in the option recommended by the Facilities Input Group that he has concerns about.

What is clear to the incumbents is that the school board has a responsibility to address the long-term facilities needs of the district―whatever that plan turns out to be.

The high school was originally built in 1957, while the Middle School was constructed four years later. Both buildings are overcrowded and don’t have the spaces that are necessary for a 21st century curriculum.

“We need more space,” Walker said.

“We also need a different kind of space,” Gaerity added, explaining that the instructional spaces that students need, especially for technology and engineering courses, are very different from what students used to need.

“Students need to work collaboratively now,” Wood said. “You can’t fit the same number of students in the classroom.”

The high school is utilized at 142 percent capacity. There are more than 1,800 students in the building, and the enrollment capacity should be around 1,250. That means that the hallways are uncomfortably crowded when classes change. That means that the core spaces like the cafeteria, the gym, and the library are strained to the breaking point. The auditorium at the high school is the only theater in the district, and it isn’t large enough to meet the needs of students and the community. The high school has a strong drama and music program. Wood explained that the spring musical performances last year involved 185 students from across the district. But only so much can be done with the auditorium’s current limitations.

Additionally, the high school needs significant upgrades. The roof needs to be replaced. Farina,

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items as well as many others need to be fixed now instead of waiting until 2023 as is being discussed in the current school board.

What are your thoughts on how the school district might address its facilities needs?

The existing buildings need to be evaluated and repaired. I do not believe we need a new middle school building particularly with a trend of declining enrollment. Instead our focus should be on restoring, maintaining, and updating the existing buildings. The condition of the high school especially needs to be addressed immediately. The current high school students should not have to attend a school with a leaking roof and deteriorating bathrooms. The current board through the Facilities Input Group (FIG) has used the last 18 months to evaluate the school facilities. An alternative to building a new school was not fully explored. Initially the public was told that the current high school could not be renovated or expanded.

Now we are told that both are possible, but that we need a new middle school. It feels like we are reliving the mega school scenario all over again. The community was told that the individual elementary schools could no longer be used. The complex on 896 was then built.

Now the charter school uses the old elementary schools as an excellent option for children in the Avon Grove School District.

We need to focus on what is most important to the students. It is not brand new buildings but rather good teachers, innovative programs, extracurricular activities including sports and the arts. The latter should not be forced to fight for funding because so much of our school budget has been redirected to a new middle school.

Rick Dumont Avon Grove School Board Director Position

Education and Background

I am a graduate of Christiana High School in Newark, Del. Shortly after graduating from High School, I enlisted in the United States Air Force where I obtained the rank of sergeant. I served four years of active duty and one year with the Delaware Air National Guard. After I received an Honorable Discharge from the military, I enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Delaware. I graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in International Relations.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

Being a parent and currently having a child in school is a key attribute for serving the community as a School Director. For many years, my wife and I have been involved in a variety of school-related activities and youth sports in the Avon Grove School District. I am very familiar with the facilities, curriculum, and teachers in the district. I have also attended board meetings and understand,

from a parent’s perspective, the challenges facing our school community.

Another key attribute is my professional experience. In addition to my leadership experience in the military, I have worked for both large and small companies. I have been with my current employer for 14 years as an Information Technology professional. Throughout my professional career, I have been part of diverse teams who successfully solved complex problems in a fiscally responsible manner.

Finally, I am committed to public service. School Directors must be committed to serving their community. It is a stressful position that requires a willingness to work with everyone in the district to provide our children with an excellent education and taxpayers with fair representation from their elected board members.

What would be your top two priorities as a member of the school board?

My top priority will be to work with stakeholders to provide a high quality education for every child in the district. This means providing adequate funding and support for great teachers, giving teachers the classroom tools they need to help students succeed, providing adequate support for the new full-day kindergarten program, and improving district facilities.

My second priority will be to ensure the entire community is represented on the school board. Many members in our community do not currently have children in the Avon Grove School District, but they pay taxes to fund our schools. Throughout the campaign, I have been asked by numerous residents to make sure their voices are heard by the school board. Over the past four years, they believe that their opinions are no longer taken seriously but instead ignored. This must change. In order to solve the challenges facing our district, everyone must feel like they are a part of the solution.

What are your thoughts on how the school district might address its facilities needs?

I do not support the current facilities improvement plan “Option 1C” under consideration by the board. The two primary shortcomings of this plan are the delayed improvements to the high school and the enormous cost. First, Avon Grove High School students should not have to wait until 2023 for much needed improvements such as a new roof. Second, the financial impact to our community is significant. Moving forward with “Option 1C” will add $10 million of debt per year to the district’s budget for the next 20 years ($200 million

in total). The tax increases needed to support this much debt will hurt both families and students. We cannot to continue to ignore the facility needs of our district. I believe a more financially sustainable approach is needed to restore and expand our existing facilities to meet the academic and extracurricular needs of current and future students. I will work with the school board to make this happen.

John T. Auerbach

Avon Grove School Board

Director Position

Education/background

I graduated from Avon Grove High School in 1985 and obtained a BS Degree in Chemical Engineering from Penn State. During my career, I have supported pharmaceutical manufacturing in roles that included planning and executing large capital projects, supervising manufacturing operations, and facilities management.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

I am an engineer who enjoys problem-solving and thrives on conquering difficult challenges in a team environment using a methodical, analytical, and collaborative approach. During my time in pharmaceutical manufacturing, I participated in the transformation of operations that were forced to continuously reevaluate to survive. Our success was due to the ability to identify and strengthen elements supporting our core objectives while eliminating waste and shedding things that did not add value. While a school system is not a production facility, the concept of evaluating elements, policies and decision making in a critical manner versus one driven by emotion has merit. Each choice we make should answer “yes” to the question ‘Is this the best way to use our limited resources to benefit our students?’

What would be your top two priorities as a member of the school board?

I want to help reset our priorities so the students of today have a better Avon Grove than those of yesterday. I want to ensure that we immediately work to address areas of neglected maintenance, particularly at the High School, that have existed for far too long. The roof leaks, the bathrooms are terrible - conditions that have existed for many years. I want to do this with an understanding that we need to do more than just maintenance but it starts there. If the roof of your house started leaking how many years do you think you might wait to fix it?

We need to evaluate our current and future spending critically. I want to do this while protecting what is critical to a well-

rounded school experience that includes band, sports, choir and other programs. Avon Grove’s budget has grown at an alarming rate over the past 4 years. The massive borrowing associated with the path currently being considered will put us in a position where the revenue needed for the programs mentioned above will be consumed by debt service or a heavily burdened community will be required to pay even higher taxes. Borrowing scenarios show us paying this debt until 2042.

What are your thoughts on how the school district might address its facilities needs?

My experience on the Facilities Input Group (FIG) gave me a greater understanding of the status of the Avon Grove school facilities and what has been done in other areas where business heavy communities like West Chester have built enormous facilities for the number of students using them. I did not support the recommendation of the FIG because I believe we did not fully explore alternatives that could have better balanced the needs of our schools with the burden we are asking of the community.

I would like to develop a solution that focuses on the specific needs that have been identified for the schools versus one that says our school must be a certain size or that the middle school must include grades 6-8 right now. This limited thinking excluded many other possibilities from even being developed. There are significant issues, particularly in the high school that can be addressed through a combination of maintenance, renovation, upgrade and even expansion. The FIG exercise showed that we could build on the high school in a direction (towards the middle school) that was not thought possible early in the process. It also showed that we have the financial capacity to borrow over $50 million without increasing taxes thus making it possible to make meaningful improvements now. Developing the details of these options will require engineering support and a school board that will be open to consider them. That is not possible with the current board in place.

Jeff Casey Avon Grove School Board Director Position

Educational Background I graduated from Allentown High School located in Monmouth County. New Jersey in 1985 and four years later earned

a B.S. Degree in Marketing from West Chester University.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

I have worked in the financial sector for over 25 years, and have been involved in the Avon Grove community serving many years on the London Grove Township Golf Committee. I also come from a family of educators including two principals. I believe that my experience in the banking industry will be an asset on the school board and I pledge to do all I can to bring a balanced fiscal plan back to the Avon Grove School District. Over the past four years, the current school board has increased the district’s budgeted spending by 22.6 percent, which has resulted in yearly tax increases accumulating to 10.84 percent in tax payment years 2014-2017. It is clear that a more balanced financial approach is needed.

What would be your top two priorities as a member of the school board?

If elected, I will help drive the development of a realistic 5 to 10 year financial plan that includes the repairing and/or expansion of our schools in a responsible manner. I will invest in classrooms and give teachers the support and tools they need to help every child succeed including additional support for extracurricular activities and special needs children and parents. I fully support programs such as freshmen sports and the arts because I believe they are key to a child’s education. They help to deliver a well-rounded experience & instill values such as setting goals, building leadership skills, and building relationships with coaches and mentors.

I will work to provide a safe and well-maintained school environment that supports learning for today’s students. I believe this can be done without the proposed aggressive borrowing which will result in exponential property tax increases and putting the programs mentioned above at risk. I am very concerned about our current debt service growing from $30 million this year to over $235 million if the current board is reelected and approves the Facilities Input Group (FIG) recommendations. Adding the tax increases needed to support the new school to what has already occurred, quickly ramps up to a 25.84 percent tax increase from years 2014 through 2022. At a 3 percent rate each year thereafter, by 2027 our

taxes would have increased by more than 40 percent from 2014. The current FIG recommended debt service runs through 2042!

I will build a stronger relationship with Avon Grove Charter School (AGCS) administration and board. I will work with the school board to establish open lines of communication and openly support the Avon Grove Charter School leadership. Collaboration with the charter school will help the community understand the important roles that both the AG schools and the charter school play in promoting educational excellence in our district. AGCS provides an important choice for parents.

I also want to work to improve School Board and Administration transparency by providing the public with presentation materials in advance of school board meetings. I will support the use of business intelligence software to publish key academic and financial performance data. I will also hold leaders accountable for academic progress and management of district resources.

And finally, I will give everyone a chance to be heard since I will be representing Region III and all of its voters, parents and children. To accomplish this, I would like the AG residents to have the opportunity to regularly meet with the board members in a relaxed, social environment to talk to them about what’s on their mind.

What are your thoughts on how the school district might address its facilities needs?

The existing buildings need to be evaluated, repaired, and renovated wherever necessary. Although I don’t agree with all of the FIG’s facilities recommendations, I would leverage as much of the objective facts as possible to re-energize a new fact finding initiative. I would explore alternatives to building a new middle school but first and foremost, I would repair and renovate the high school, as I believe this is our top priority. We owe it to our current students to provide a safe and well-maintained environment in which to learn.

Avon Grove incumbents...

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who serves on the district’s Facilities Committee, explained that the gym floor in the high school has not been refinished in the last 30 years. Farina also recalled a time when he was new to the board and the Chester County Intermediate Unit was asked to come in to do an assessment of the facilities. It was discovered that at some point in the past, one of the two boilers at the high school had stopped working and had never been repaired. Farina explained that without hot water, a school can’t be open for students, so if anything happened to that one, functioning boiler, the school wouldn’t even be able to serve students.

Regardless of who is serving on the school board, the high school building will require a significant investment to meet the needs of students.

The middle school is about 50 students over functional capacity and is utilized at 106 percent capacity. The high school requires 12 additional portable classrooms to accommodate students, while the middle school has eight portable classrooms.

“Portable classrooms are a great option, but they are only a temporary option,” Walker explained. For Avon Grove, there is nothing temporary about the portable classrooms.

The plan recommended by the Facilities Input Group would also increase the number of athletic

fields for the secondary schools―an important benefit because the fields are currently being overused as multiple sports teams use them.

The incumbents say that they wouldn’t support anything extravagant when it comes to building or renovating a school. They noted that the plan ultimately recommended by the Facilities Input Group is very similar to a recommendation by another committee that studied the district’s facilities more than a decade ago―which suggests, at the very least, that the upgrades that are being deemed necessary today have been needed for a very long time. In fact, Avon Grove officials were on the verge of approving a major construction project back then, but enrollment stabilized and the project was delayed when the economy slumped and revenues for the school district declined.

Another delay in addressing the district’s long-term facilities needs could have a big impact on students and the community.

“What it comes down to,” Farina said, “is are we going to address the facilities needs or not?”

Farina said that district officials have looked at other school districts’ renovation projects to get a better understanding of all the options.

One thing that concerns Farina is the suggestion that the district could get by with some simple upgrades that would be comparatively inexpensive.

“It will take considerable

upgrades,” Farina said. “It’s not just fixing a roof.”

The incumbents also pointed out that while their opponents have been critical of the plan recommended by the Facilities Input Group, they have not provided details of any alternative that would address the district’s needs.

“As far as I can see,” Gaerity said, “our opponents do not have a different solution. What are they going to do? We don’t know. I have heard no specific ideas from them.”

They pointed out that John Auerbach, one of the candidates, was on the Facilities Input Group for 18 months but offered no other solutions even though he had a voice throughout the whole process. In the end, they said, Auerbach ended up not even voting for a plan―abstaining when the Facilities Input Group took its vote to make a final recommendation to the board.

The candidates are well aware of the impact that any construction project would have on district residents. They want to minimize the tax impact to residents. They point with pride to the record that they have as board members for making fiscally responsible decisions. They’ve negotiated teachers’ contracts that have been fair to both teachers and taxpayers. The school district’s retirement costs have increased dramatically over the last decade, but those costs are mandated by the state. But those costs have been absorbed without skyrocketing tax increases. Over

Live Every Day. See Every Moment.

a ten-year period, Avon Grove’s taxes increased by 21.91 percent, which is the fourth-lowest percentage millage increase out of the school districts in Chester County during that time.

“Where we’ve been able to control costs, we’ve controlled costs,” Gaerity said. “We don’t take tax increases lightly.”

Another area where the incumbents draw a distinction between themselves and their opponents is there volunteerism with the schools, which started before they were even school board members.

Wood said that they have all put in the time and effort to understand the educational needs of students.

Walker observed that the other team of candidates in the race don’t show up regularly at curriculum or policy or budget meetings where a lot of important work gets done.

“They are not there,” he said.

“We were volunteers before we joined the board, we will be volunteers after we leave the board,” Gaerity said. “We’re very involved with the Avon Grove School District.”

The incumbents also say that they have a good record of supporting the Avon Grove Charter School. In the past, the relationship between the school district and the charter school has had its rough spots, but in recent years the relationship has been much more stable.

“We already support the Charter School,” Walker said.

Wood, who was appoint-

Uncle Irvin...

Continued from Page 1A some without dummies, in Sarasota, Fla., for example.

As well as being devious, East Marlborough should be part of a regional police force with Kennett Square and Kennett Township.

(This is part of an occasional column written by Uncle Irvin. As always, the column is the opinion of Uncle Irvin, and is not a news story.)

ed to fill a vacancy on the board in September of 2016, said that some of his goals moving forward are to work to increase community involvement, communications, and transparency. He’s been working for more engagement with the large Latino community in the district.

Walker said that more community engagement is a goal of his as well.

“We’re trying to do outreach to all the communities in the district,” he said.

Farina, a board member for four years, said that he is proud that the district is now following a curriculum review cycle that ensures that the curriculum and the teaching methods that are used are constantly updated. They also instituted an instrument renewal program, mostly at the high school, that ensures that the instruments used by students are being replaced as needed.

Walker, who like Farina, joined the board four years ago, said that it’s the teachers that have the biggest impact on the education of

the students. He is proud of the fact that the district has been able to reach contracts with the teachers’ union that is affordable for taxpayers, but also provides teachers with fair salaries that will keep them in the district.

“In the past,” he explained, “we were training teachers and then they were leaving to go to other school districts. Now, we are keeping them.” They currently have a teachers’ contact in place that allows the district to make other investments that benefit students without overburdening taxpayers or jeopardizing programs.

“I think we’ve done a lot of good things,” said Gaerity, who is completing his first full term on the board. “I’m very happy about full-day kindergarten. I’m glad that we were finally able to make that happen. I’m proud that we’ve been able to invest in the students in the way that we have.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com.

Franklin supervisors hear from Avon Grove Library representative

By John Chambless Staff Writer

The Franklin Township Board of Supervisors heard from a representative of the Avon Grove Library at their meeting on Oct. 18, who addressed plans for the library’s future.

Shelly McCoy gave the board the library’s annual report. For 2018, the library is asking municipalities for a $5 per capita contribution. Based on the 2010 census, the township has 4,350 residents. The contribution was $21,750 in 2017, which equates to $5 per resident. According to the annual report, Franklin is the only township that pays the full amount.

Board chairman John Auerbach asked for a copy of a workable budget, which McCoy said she would provide. Auerbach said he is concerned that the library’s purpose is not as important as it once was. McCoy responded that, as times change, so has the library’s function. It is becoming a community hub, an information and resource center, with daily activities for community members. The library is looking to improve their limited space and provide for more quiet areas for people to read and study. They have taken on the ESL training since the neighboring Garage Community and Youth Center has lost some of its funding. The board members thanked McCoy for her volunteer efforts.

Township Manager Joan McVaugh updated the board on four zoning issues:

6 Meadow Wood Lane – The new owners are working hard on the prop-

erty and mowing is in process.

308 Heather Hills – The bank has taken back the house and no improvements have occurred. The property has weeds growing almost as tall as the house.

Township solicitor Mark Thompson said that the township could hire someone to mow the grounds and place a lien against the property to recoup the costs.

McVaugh said she will have the Zoning Officer send a violation letter immediately.

534 Church Hill Road – The owner is continuing to work on getting the chicken coop resituated to the back yard. The issues in Lexington Point have been resolved. The entire report can be reviewed on the township website (www. franklintownship.us).

Historical Commission chairman Paul Lagasse said that a local resident has spent several years updating and expanding the information on burials in the Kemblesville United Methodist Church cemetery online at www. findagrave.com. She would welcome help in her work from members of the community, Lagasse said, and the Historical Commission will be posting more information on the township website soon.

A report from the Franklin Sportsman’s Association said that archery season began on Sept. 16 and closes Nov. 25. It reopens on Dec. 26 and closes Jan. 27. Shotgun season opens Nov. 27 and closes Dec. 9. It reopens on Dec. 26 and closes on Jan. 27.

The board unanimously approved the installation of new guiderails on Laurel

Bridge and South Guernsey roads, awarding the work to Morgan Rail Inc., for $43,772.75.

The board also discussed revised plans to improve the municipal building. The new plan will include renovating an area that was formerly used to store antiskid/salt mixture into office space. This will avoid having to shore up the existing wall that was damaged by the salt. It also eliminates some of the obstacles the township would face if it were to add a mezzanine level for filing storage.

McVaugh said she will seek a revised scope of work from the architect. No date has been set for the start of renovations. The board members would also would like to move forward with a plan to fix the driveway and building to solve the problem of water entering the township building. This will be a part of the 2018 road program.

During an initial budget discussion, McVaugh presented the board with a draft budget for discussion and said that the preliminary budget must be approved and authorized to advertise at the Nov. 15 supervisors meeting. The board discussed the need to fix the Hess Mill Bridge in the next three to four years and how to fund that project, as well as the 2018 road program, improvements to Crossan Park, and the upcoming winter.

For updated township information, visit www. franklintownship.us.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty. com.

Early budget work and presentation about Future Ready PA Index tops Oxford School Board agenda

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

The Oxford School Board meeting on Oct. 17 included a report about the new Future Ready PA Index, some preliminary work on the budget that will be adopted next June, and a brief consent agenda highlighted by personnel items.

Dr. Margaret BillingsJones, the district’s assistant superintendent, made a presentation about the Future Ready PA Index, which will be the new measure for school performance. The Future Ready Index will be utilized beginning in the fall 2018, using data from the 2017-18 school year.

Future Ready PA Index increases the emphasis on student growth measures, and incentivizes a focus on all learners and is less sensitive to demographic variables. It also measures English language acquisition among English Language Learner students. The Future Ready Index will take into account student achievement, student growth, career readiness, advanced coursework, postsecondary transition, attainment of industry credentials, STEM initiatives, targeted growth for English Language students from the 2017-2018 baseline.

The state goal, BillingsJones said, is to reduce by half the number of nonproficient students by the 2029-2030 school year.

District officials are beginning the work on the budget for the 2018-2019 school year. Brian Cooney, the district’s business administrator, told the school board that the state has established a 2.4 percent statewide Act 1 Index for the 2018-2019 school year. The adjusted Act 1 Index for Oxford is 3.3 percent. Cooney said that Jan. 25, 2018 is the deadline for the school board to vote on whether it intends to stay within the Act 1 Index. Exceeding the Act 1 Index would require the district to seek approval of the budget increase via a referendum in the spring Primary Election, which is why a decision must be made in January as to whether the district intends to stay within the Act 1 Index or not.

In another budgetary matter, the school board set the per-pupil allocation at $170, which is the same as the current year. The per-pupil allocation establishes how much money is provided to each school building for supplies like pens and paper.

In his Chester County School Boards Legislative Council report, school board member Robert Tenga talked about how state lawmakers

still have not approved a revenue package that would balance expenditures in the state budget that was due on June 30. Tenga also discussed several recent court decisions that could impact Pennsylvania school districts. One such case saw a court ruling that the Upper Merion School District violated the uniformity clause in the Pennsylvania Constitution when it selected only commercial properties for reassessment.

During public comment, John Giles, a resident of East Nottingham Township, asked the school board to consider allowing an armwrestling club at the high school. His son would like to start the club, and he has gathered signatures of more than a dozen students who have expressed a similar interest so far.

“I was really hoping that you would consider this club,” he said, explaining that he thinks that there are currently no high schools in Pennsylvania with such a club.

On Nov. 14, the Oxford School Board will hold both its work session and regular meeting. The work session begins at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com.

Chester County Press Opinion

Editorial Letter to the

Editor

The most important steps at the Kennett Library Support Magisterial District Judge Scott Massey

You write a sentence in your native language and it flows gracefully from the pen and onto the page. You read a paragraph in your native language and it seems like an effortless exercise.

For the past 38 years, men and women have been entering the Kennett Library and taking the steps to its lower level, in an effort to learn what most of us take for granted every day of our lives.

Chances are that everyone who has descended and ascended those steps in an effort to improve themselves through the library’s Adult Literacy Program will say that although they were among the hardest steps they have ever made, they have also been the most rewarding.

Since 1979, the ALP has provided free educational instruction to more than 7,000 adults from 55 different countries in five continents, who seek to improve their levels of English proficiency, necessary to better immerse themselves into the fabric of life in the United States.

The ALP provides English as a Second Language (ESL) and adult literacy instruction for each student to achieve the literacy levels required to become more skilled in the workplace, to communicate more effectively in the family and to participate with greater ease in the community.

Soon after Lucero Cortés arrived in the United States from Mexico in January 2015, she too began descending those steps at the Kennett Library. She took both English as a Second Language and GED class at the ALP, taught to her by Lorena Baeza, who was instrumental in motivating Lucero to complete all the tests for her diploma. Lucero studied further with ALP tutor Thomas Cosgrove, working for a whole year in order to successfully pass all four tests.

Recently, Lucero Cortés obtained her General Equivalency Diploma (GED), which required her to study for and pass four exams: Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Math. She is now enrolled as a student at Delaware County Community College.

The ALP at the Kennett Library is now at a potential crossroads; due to a reorganization in funding and priorities from the federal Department of Education, the ALP no longer qualifies to receive state and federal adult education funds. The majority of its funding comes from The United Way of Southern Chester County and the library itself, as well as funding from foundations, United Way donor designations, and corporate and private donations.

We offer here no apologies for idealism so sound the hyperbole: The truest definition of a country’s greatness should not be measured in its GDP, or by the accumulation its military firepower, but by the degree to which its proverbial hand stretches out to help those in need. The opportunities afforded to Lucero Cortés are a measure of this country’s greatness; it would be nothing short of a national crime of indecency if those like Lucero are denied such opportunities in the future. For the past 38 years, the smallest sliver of our country’s definition has been told in the more than 7,000 people who have descended – and ascended – those steps toward a better life at the Kennett Library. We encourage you to help them continue to make those steps. Donations to the Adult Literacy Program at the Kennett Library can be made by contacting the library at 610-444-9118.

Chester County Press

Letter to the Editor:

I wish to voice my support for Magisterial District Judge Scott Massey as he pursues his second term at District Court 15-3-05. Judge Massey brings more than five years of experience as Magisterial District Judge and 15 years of experience in law enforcement. He has proven himself to be effective, efficient, engaged with our community, and economical in the expenditure of our tax dollars during his years of service to us.

As a transplant to Chester County, I was fortunate

enough to meet and get to know Judge Massey some years ago. His calm nature, integrity, and sound instincts on how to manage people and handle often challenging or contentious situations set him apart from his colleagues. He brought these qualities to the bench at the Oxford District court as he capably handled tens of thousands of cases with fairness, judicial presence and superior knowledge of the fine points of the law. His efficient nature has allowed him to implement improvements to his court by streamlining processes,

Stephen

upgrading technology, and improving service and productivity for the best use of our taxpayer dollars. Further, he remains at the top of his game by constantly improving himself and his own performance through his involvement with the Magisterial District Judge Association of Chester County, Special Court Judges Association of PA, and Chester County Chiefs of Police Association.

Most importantly, Judge Massey engages in service our community. He is nonpartisan in service to all in our community. Judge

Massey understands his job goes beyond the bench. He is involved with and supports local non-profit organizations like the Oxford Senior Center, SCCEMS Medic94, Lighthouse Youth Center, Neighborhood Services, and Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet. Continue the trend with a public servant who has experience, integrity, judicial presence, and demonstrated ability to serve us efficiently and effectively.

Vote for Judge Scott Massey on Tuesday, November 7.

A. Sheppleman for Magisterial District Judge

On Nov. 7, you have the absolute right to vote for a Judge that will proudly serve the District of Elk, New London, Penn Township, Nottingham and Oxford. I will be that proud candidate on the ballot as an Independent. It is important to know that a Judge should be independent—one that is neutral and detached from any political influence. One that will be faithfully

invested in the community, fair with the people, and firm on crime! One that will keep Integrity, Compassion and Justice in the courtroom for all whom enter. With my 20 years of experience in the courtroom and as a police officer, I have demonstrated the temperament needed to manage a courtroom. My experience in patrolling, resolving disputes peacefully, protecting vic-

tims’ rights, and arresting and prosecuting criminals to keep our streets safe makes me uniquely qualified. Please recognize that my opponent will be on the ballot as a Democratic/ Republican. This is nothing more than a political strategy used to bank on voters that are “pulling straight ticket.” My opponent has stepped away from his own registered party to play politics. This is not what

Vote to keep

our community needs. Our community deserves an independent judge that will work full time in upholding the law and keeping our community safe. An Independent vote is not a “throw away vote.” It is a step in the right direction—away from politics as we know it. Thank you, and I look forward to serving our great community.

Stephen A. Sheppleman

Avon Grove school board intact

Letter to the Editor:

Dear citizens of Avon Grove School District: Do you want our wonderful school community to thrive and grow? Then please be sure to vote on November 7 to keep our incumbents on the school board. It’s important because of the comprehensive facilities plan. We need to make sure our schools are not over-

crowded and inadequate as we go into the next 30 years.

A recent letter to the editor called the proposed facilities plan “extravagant.” But it’s not extravagant to make a forward-looking plan that corrects decades of trailers, overcrowded facilities, and crumbling wiring. Please don’t vote for candidates who will de-fund our schools. Instead, ask yourself:

Do you believe that ALL children deserve a highquality PUBLIC education?

Would you like your property values to remain high because our district offers an excellent, communitysupported public school system?

Would you prefer that your own future physician, contractor, accountant, engineer or member of congress has a strong edu-

cational background? Please VOTE to keep our incumbent school board members (Gaerity, Walker, Farina, & Wood)! Your vote can help ensure the future human capital of our state, the property values of your neighbors, and a strong, educated community.

Beth Morling and Darrin Pochan, Landenberg

Donze will get my vote

Letter to the Editor:

As a 30-year resident of Pennsbury Township and a licensed attorney and law professor, I would like to offer my perspective on the race for Magisterial District Judge for our community.

I have reviewed the legal credentials of both candidates and Jane Donze will get my vote. This is a judicial position.

Having tried and argued cases since 1983 and now as a law professor, I know firsthand that experience isn’t just important, it is essential. Donze has been representing clients in our courts for over three decades and thus has the seasoned judgment and legal expertise required to serve our community in the most informed way possible -- to listen to witnesses and apply the rule of law to the

facts of the case in a thoughtful and practical manner as each case uniquely requires, both criminal and civil.

Further, as a former prosecutor, public defender, and civil litigator, Donze’s experience is aligned with the important functions of a District Judge. There is no short cut to wisdom and that’s what we need from our judges. Donze’s 30 years of vital

legal experience represents more than a generation of legal service and equips her to serve our community as District Judge in the best possible manner.

To me, the choice is clear—I am voting for Jane Donze and respectfully urge my fellow citizens to do the same.

Paul L. Regan Pennsbury Township

Support Parrish and Whetham for London Britain supervisors

Letter to the Editor:

A very important election will be held on Tuesday, November 7. I would like to endorse Aileen Parrish and Chris Whetham, who are campaigning to be supervisors in London Britain Township. Both candidates are dedicated to preserving the Open Space Program, which will help to retain the rural character of London Britain Township.

Aileen Parrish has served on the Board of Supervisors for 20 years, during which time she worked on the township Open Space pro-

gram. During Aileen’s tenure as Supervisor, 15 properties in the township have been eased and preserved with the open space funding partnering with nine of those conservation efforts. Aileen is fiscally responsible and transparent. Chris Whetham has served on London Britain’s Planning Commission for the past 12 years. He has preserved his own 28-acre farm, so that it will never be developed. Chris has also served on the Comprehensive Plan Committee, helping to guide the township in a

responsible way to manage growth.

If elected as supervisors on Nov. 7, Aileen Parrish and Chris Whetham have pledged to continue their

work to retain the rural character and scenic beauty of the township.

Stephanie A. Town Landenberg

Chester County Press

Local News

Kennett Consolidated school board candidates

When voters go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7, they will be making a number of decisions about who will be representing them on the Kennett Consolidated School District’s school board for the next four years.

In Region A, Mark Bowden, the award-winning author, is seeking his first term on the school board. He is the only candidate to earn a place on the ballot in the race to represent the Borough of Kennett Square on the school board.

Kendra LaCosta, the current school board president, is seeking her second fouryear term on the school board from Region B (New Garden Township). LaCosta is being challenged by Paola Rosas.

In Region C, which is comprised of Kennett Township and portions of East Marlborough Township, there are two seats that will be decided. Voters will choose from among three candidates who are vying for seats on the school board. Heather Schaen is running for a fourth term on the board. She has served as school board president several times during her 12-year tenure on the board.

Bill Brown is running with Schaen in his bid for a first term on the school board.

Vicki Gehrt, a teacher and administrator for 46 years, is seeking to win one of the Region C seats.

Region A (vote for one)

Mark Bowden

Education/background:

BA Loyola University of Md. 1973; journalist, author, adjunct professor at Loyola for 9 years, and Distinguished Writer in Residence (and adjunct professor) at The University of Delaware from 2011 to 2017.

How many years have you lived in the school district?

Three in Kennett. Before that, 23 in Avon Grove and Oxford.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

I have broad experience as a journalist and author, and 16 years of teaching at the college level. All five of my children attended public schools in southern Chester County.

What would be your top two priorities as a member of the school board?

My first priority is to learn. I want to better understand the district, its successes and its problems. Beyond that I have no agenda. I want to do what I can to help us make smart decisions for students and teachers. I believe strongly in the mission of public education, to make sure that all of our children receive

the best education we can give them.

Region B (vote for one)

Kendra LaCosta

Education/Background:

BS Degree from the University of Oklahoma in finance and politics.

Upon graduation, I spent 15 years with MBNA before taking some time at home with my three children. I returned to work part-time for a consulting firm, DecisivEdge, for 9 years, and recently transitioned in March of 2017 to a Product Manager role with OneMain Financial.

Years in the school district:

That’s easy to remember—we moved to our home in the district on my youngest daughter’s second birthday in 2004. So we have been in the district for 13 years.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

Most importantly, I care deeply about the success of our district and our commitment to prepare every student to succeed. I have been committed to not only attending but actively participating in all committee meetings, getting to know the staff, teachers, parents and students to become aware of any gaps we may have in realizing our mission. I question what we do, and why we do it. Finally, I try to balance the needs of all stakeholders within our community but ultimately ensure that every decision is best for the students.

What would be your top two priorities as a member of the school board?

The role of schools has changed in the last 20 years. We have always been entrusted to provide a quality education to all. Now in addition to that, we are responsible for student safety while they are under our care. We are responsible for their physical and mental health and well-being. Great strides and new tools have become available to help gifted children, children with special needs, children who do not speak English in the home, children applying to college and children struggling to succeed. With those new tools come great expectations to employ them to further every child’s success. The technology available to teachers and students alike changes every day. So my top two priorities will balance each other. The first would be to provide the support necessary to the administration to maximize the potential of every child, while never losing sight of those kids who don’t “fit into a bucket.” The second priority speaks to the fact

that while the national and state economy are recovering well, we have still not regained our former baseline in property values, and therefore rely mainly on our taxpayers to provide anything additional. We need to attract and retain great teachers and staff, give our students what they need to succeed, and do so in a fiscally responsible manner.

I think it is important to state that I do not have an “agenda.” I am purposefully not running on a platform of changes or promises. Most of the school board’s decisions relate to the budget and planning. Others are reactive in nature as items are recommended by the administration or raised by the school community. With all of those decisions, we require thought and deliberation. None of those decisions are taken lightly, and our Board has been very successful today because no one member is pursuing his or her own personal aims for the district. I have been so proud of the way that we work together for our students, and all that we have been able to achieve.

Paola Rosas

Education/background: Some college (experience in education comes as an involved parent).

How many years have you lived in the school district? 11.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

I am very involved in the community with different organizations. I’m very much in touch on what’s going on in our community.

What would be your top two priorities as a member of the school board?

Improving communication, increasing transparency and clarity between the administration and teachers, students and the community.

Region C (vote for two)

Bill Brown

Education/background:

I grew up in North Star a small community just outside of Hockessin, Del. I went to Alexis I. duPont High School for two years and graduated

from The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ. I spent the first two years of my college education at Clemson University in South Carolina and graduated with a BA in History from Widener University in Chester, PA.

My professional background started in credit card banking and continued into bank technology development. I managed credit card lines of business for 13 years focusing on fraud, disputes and risk with multiple banks. I then decided to get into process automation technology and build the technology solutions that I wanted as a business manager. My roles included process management, product management, product marketing and management consulting for the last 15 years.

How many years have you lived in the school district?

My family moved to the Kennett Consolidated School District (KCSD) in 2001. We moved to Kennett area to be part of the KCSD. My son Evan spent 13 years in the district starting with kindergarten at Greenwood Elementary then moving onto Kennett Middle School and graduating from Kennett High School in June of 2017. My daughter Julia, currently a junior, is in her 12th year in the district and is a proud member of the Class of 2019.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

I am an interested and involved parent that will strive to work with the administration to make the system even better for all families in our community. With your vote, I promise to partner with the current Board to review, maintain and improve the academic and extracurricular processes expected by students and parents. I will also use my cost management and process experience to maximize the value and minimize the costs to the taxpayers of KCSD Board decisions. I feel so strongly about working with and not against the current board that I decided to run with Heather Schaen, a current board member in Region C.

What would be your top two priorities as a member of the school board?

I want the school district to provide a robust and positive learning environment for all of the students and be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers by maintaining costs where necessary and reducing costs where appropriate to minimize school taxes.

Heather Schaen

Education fr om the University of Delaware and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. I have 15 years of teaching experience from Christina School District and Kennett Consolidated School District teaching at Greenwood Elementary and Kennett Middle School. I have served on numerous Kennett Consolidated School District committees, not only as a teacher, but as a parent, and as a school board director. I have served on the PTO Board as vice president, report card committees, strategic planning committees, and the new building committee (for the Middle School). I have served on the KCSD School board for the last 12 years as president, vice president and curriculum chair in addition to serving as personnel chair during the selection process of hiring our current superintendent.

How many years have you lived in the school district?

After teaching in the district for several years, I realized that Kennett Consolidated School District was an incredibly special place and my husband and I moved our family from Delaware so our children would be able to attend the schools in which I taught. We have lived in the district for almost 20 years. Our oldest is a senior at Lafayette College and we have twin daughters who are both seniors at Kennett High School. All of our children have attended kindergarten through senior years at Kennett.

What are your key attributes that qualify you for a position as a school board member?

My key attributes are having a genuine concern for the best interests of what is best for students and our community as a whole. I have no allegiance or ties to any other district. For me, it is Kennett from start to finish. My priority is, first and foremost, what is best for the students of Kennett and also what is reasonable and fiscally responsible to and for our taxpayers and community. In addition, I will bring a sense of continuity and continued shared vision to our district especially in time where we have the potential to have four new seats.

I have the experience as a board director to help lead and guide the KCSD board when we will be faced with many transitions over the course of the year.

As far as my priorities as a board member go, it is important to remember that is best not to have a personal agenda, but to work to carry out the mission of the whole set forth by our community and school district. So with that said, every year we have established a KCSD Board “forward” instead of a “retreat” meaning to go forward instead of backward to establish board goals for our district. These goals are shared goals by all of our board directors and are not personal goals. The first and most important goal is always how to better

educate and prepare our students for the future with regards to improving our academic achievement while being fiscally responsible to our taxpayers. With that in mind, we are also focused on ways to better our communication systems with all stakeholders so that our processes and information are more readily available and transparent to all. One of our board goals has been to improve our district pride and we have thus established an “all in” theme as our mantra to move forward and encourage more involvement with our student body. We know our staff and administration are “all in” and we have encouraged students to get “all in” and write goals to be more involved with their education and social activities at school.

Dr. Vicki Gehrt

Dr. Vicki Gehrt is a candidate for School Director for the Kennett Consolidate School District. She has been a resident of the Kennett community for the past 14 years and is a grandparent and great aunt of children attending the Kennett schools. She is a heralded educator honored for many achievements and innovative practices and, a person who is actively involved in local community service. She received her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware and has served as an educator for the past 46 years as a teacher and administrator. She can offer a high level of engagement to the duties of a School Board Director. She has a wealth of knowledge to share in school finance, teaching and learning . She has a style of civility, respect and professionalism with all constituencies and has a commitment to bi-annually reviewing enrollment patterns in the elementary schools.

She is fully supportive of the Kennett schools and believes that it is a community of high performing, committed and caring staff and students. The district has provided a superior level of educational opportunities for generations of Kennett Square residents. Her vision is to build on the great legacy of the school district while mindful of tax burdens on the community.

Vicki Gehrt is committed to serve the community with a strong focus to support all students and all staff in the school district. Her financial expertise with her many years in four school systems gives her the understanding of the importance of fiscal responsibility and the balance necessary in providing quality schools and services to the community.

Allaband...

Continued from Page 1A

proactive. When I came onto the Commission, one of my goals was to limit these waivers and enforce the ordinances that were on the books, in an effort to keep residential growth from spiraling out of control.”

As he campaigns for what could be his third term on the board, Allaband said the incentive that got him into local politics 18 years ago -- to keep the township from being turned over to overdevelopment -- remains at the top of his platform.

“In 2003, we began the Comprehensive Plan rewrite and did a public survey,” he said, “and respondents overwhelmingly wanted to preserve ground and limit the pressures of development. The township purchased several parcels in order to buy the development rights and limit residential growth. As we plan the rewrite of the Plan, the most recent survey is not that much different than it revealed in 2003.”

During his second term as supervisor, Allaband spearheaded the passage of the Open Space Referendum, and worked with township

volunteers to start and build a trail system on lands that the township purchased with open space money, including the Landenberg Junction Trail, Laurel Woods Trail, and the Mill Race Trail, which are all part of the township’s Greenways and Trails Plan that was adopted in his first term.

While championing efforts to preserve open space, Allaband said that the township must continue to call for the improvement of its infrastructure -- mainly, continue to push PennDOT to modernize state roads throughout the township,

chiefly along Newark Road, in order to meet the needs of a changing constituency. The PennDOT improvements currently occurring at the intersection of Newark Road and Route 41 are a good start, but the township, Allaband said, must decide whether it wants to play a waiting game with PennDOT to repair the troublesome intersection of Baltimore Pike and Newark Road, or whether it wants to make the repairs on its own, with the help of state grants. Once was the time in New Garden Township when choosing to pay for a proj-

ect of this kind on its own would leave supervisors scrambling through budgets to come up with funding, but beginning in 2018, the township and its supervisors will be alleviated somewhat from the headaches associated with major spending. By the end of 2017, the township will make a $29 million deposit [minus a $1.7 debt service] from the sale of its sewer system to Aqua Pennsylvania, a pricetag that Allaband said will go a long way to help fund several projects on the township’s To-Do list. Allaband said that between $300,000 and $400,000 is likely to be directed toward the improvement of three township bridges, which include Bancroft Road Bridge, Egypt Run Bridge and Chambers Road Bridge.

“In addition to allocating some money toward improvements of road and street infrastructure [from the $29 million], I would like the township to target funding for the revitalization of Toughkenamon, including the addition of sidewalks and curbs,” he said. “I am currently working with Representative Eric Roe and State Senator Andrew Dinniman to explore opportunities for Toughkenamon. It needs commitment from the township in order to improve it. There are some lots than can be in-filled. If the township makes these repairs and changes zoning, there will be property transactions in Toughkenamon, which will create opportunities.”

Allaband, a member of the Commissioners for the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department, said that a sizable chunk of the $29 million -- between $4.5 million and $6.5 million, early estimates say -- will go toward the construction of the police department’s future headquarters on GapNewport Pike. The design, currently being developed by the Wilmington-based architectural design firm Tevebaugh Associates, will be an 11,716-square-foot, single-story, L-shaped facility. Construction is expected to begin in 2018, and it is estimated that construction should be completed by October 2018.

“With the regional police department, we’re proving that when you consolidate your police resources, it can help the community and provide even better service than before,” said Allaband, who applauded the regional police’s efforts in immersing themselves within the local community.

As he campaigns for what may become his third term on the New Garden board, Allaband defines his role as someone who has keen understanding of township ordinances, a strong knowledge of its history, and the experience of more than 35 years working in the private sector.

“I have a very large commitment to the community that I would like to continue for another six years,” Allaband added. “I think the township is on the edge of a lot of initiatives, with open space preservation, agriculture, as well as some commercial development, conservation efforts, infrastructure improvements, as well as its revamped regional police department.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Continued from Page 1A

maintenance department in the amount of $33,296, and accepted a credit of $39,848.46 from Columbus Construction arising out of renovation work at the middle school.

In a discussion of policies toward the end of the meeting, a policy regarding use of electronic devices through the school wifi was analyzed by Sage.

“I’m concerned about the broadness of the language about things that we are prohibiting in the use of district technology,” he said.

“If you look at court cases around First Amendment and freedom of expression for students, there’s a balance that the courts have tried to strike between the free expression of students and the school’s interest in maintaining an orderly environment. As I read this policy, it seems that we have not struck that balance properly.”

As an example, he cited the policy’s banning of “use of technology resources to transmit words, videos or other depictions that are obscene, indecent, rude, profane or advocate illegal drug use,” he said. “Court cases have covered all of these words, but not ‘rude.’ I think the use of that word is overly broad and prohibits speech, which frankly, for teenagers, is quite common,” Sage said.

“I want to also call your attention to prohibiting the use of technology resources for political lobbying or campaigning, not including student elecions,” Sage continued. “So if a student wanted to use technology resources to comment on one of our board proceedings, which are political, that would be prohibited. Again, I think that’s an overly broad statement. If you go through the policy, every one of our kids has violated it. Having a policy like this is really unhelpful. It can seem arbitrary if we go to enforce it. This policy also covers our staff, and I wonder if they have read this policy and understand what restrictions they are under.”

Sage also pointed out wording in the policy that was unclear, such as prohibiting students from meeting someone they have met online. “I’m not sure why that’s the school’s business, as to who a student meets when they are using school equipment,” he said. “Perhaps it’s referring to dating, but a student could use this technology to set up an appointment with another student to talk about later school start times, for instance. So that’s an overly broad statement.”

Board president Victor Dupuis asked Sanville if the board could look over the details and perhaps revise them, and Sanville agreed. Several board members thanked Sage for his thoroughness, and Dupuis suggested getting student input regarding the policy when it comes to “rude” content. “We want to get this right,” he said. “We can take this as an opportunity to engage other voices in the district.” For updated district information, visit www.ucfsd. org.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty. com.

Bishop Shanahan 56, Oxford 27

Big plays propel Bishop Shanahan to a win over Oxford

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

The 2017 edition of the Oxford Hornets might not be the best football team in school history—let someone else take up a debate between different teams in different eras—but can there be any doubt that the current squad is the most entertaining one to ever wear the maroon and white?

Oxford’s season started with back-to-back wins that came in the game’s final minute—a 34-27 win over Henderson and a 42-35 victory over Twin Valley— and the excitement hasn’t stopped yet. Oxford scored 55 points in wins over Kennett and Sun Valley, and 46 more in a victory over Phoenixville. Losses to Rustin and Great Valley came by scores of 42-36 and 36-28. The only uninspiring

effort came in a loss to Unionville. So it was hardly surprising when the Hornets and Bishop Shanahan Eagles combined for 49 points and approximately one million yards of offense in just the first two quarters of their Oct. 20 game.

Oxford struck first, marching 57 yards on the game’s opening drive as Brandon Holz reached the end zone on a nine-yard touchdown run.

Bishop Shanahan answered right back after a 72-yard kickoff return set the Eagles up deep inside Oxford territory. Bishop Shanahan moved the chains once, but they were soon facing a fourth-and-goal situation from the seven.

Bishop Shanahan head coach Paul Meyers opted to go for it, and quarterback Andrew Smyth made that decision look good when

he found wide receiver Tom Waite in the end zone for a seven-yard TD.

On the first play in the second quarter, Smyth hit wide receiver Steve Sweeney in stride with a pass over the middle. Sweeney raced down the field for a 72-yard score, giving Bishop Shanahan a 14-7 lead.

On Oxford’s next drive, quarterback Chandler England connected with Brandon DeShields on a nice 33-yard gain that moved the ball inside the five-yard line. England capped the drive two plays later when he fought his way into the end zone, tying the game at 14-14.

Sweeney scored his second touchdown of the game with 5:46 left to play in the second quarter when he scored from 15 yards out. Less than two minutes

later, after Oxford went three-and-out, Sweeney scored again, this time on a dazzling 54-yard run, giving Bishop Shanahan the 28-14 edge.

Oxford responded on the very next play as Holz raced 62 yards for a score. It was 28-21.

Bishop Shanahan got the ball to start the third quarter, and they kept making big plays. Smyth completed a 30-yard pass to Zane Monroe, and a few plays later the quarterback found Monroe again for a 16-yard touchdown, giving the team a 35-21 lead.

Oxford’s comeback bid took a hit shortly thereafter as a pass by England was tipped by a defender and was picked off near midfield by Waite, who raced all the way back for a touchdown. To make matters worse for Oxford, two of its key contributors—England and running back Tim Faber— were injured on the play that Bishop Shanahan increased

its lead to 42-21 on.

In the fourth quarter, Holz scored on a five-yard TD run, making it 42-27. But Bishop Shanahan tacked on two more touchdowns—one on a five-yard run by Smyth and another on a 25-yard touchdown run by Dan Dibeneditto that closed out the scoring. Dibeneditto had an excellent game on offense, defense, and special teams for Bishop Shanahan.

With the season now nine weeks old, teams are seeing injuries mount. Oxford head coach Mike Means said that some of the team’s key contributors are among those who are banged up. Oxford has won games by being more physical than their opponents, but the game got out of hand against Bishop Shanahan because Oxford had a tough time matching Bishop Shanahan’s physicality.

“We’ve made a lot of strides in three years, but if we’re going to get to the next

level we’re going to need to match that physicality,” Means said. Bishop Shanahan now has a 7-2 record, while the Hornets’ record stands at 5-4. Oxford will have a chance to secure a winning record and perhaps earn a playoff berth when the Hornets travel to Octorara on Friday, Oct. 27. Means said that a victory over Octorara would be important for the program. Octorara is 2-7, but Means said that they weren’t going to take any team lightly after the loss to Bishop Shanahan.

“We’re not going to overlook any team,” Means said. “We’re going to be missing some key players. Hopefully, we’re going to have some of our guys back in there, but if not we’re going to need some of our young guys to step up. We have a next-man-up mentality.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chester county.com.

Go goats: Brush removal company wins ‘Shark’ competition

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

Petunia, Pumpkin, Ralph, Ricky, Pluto, Remington, Porter, Pandora, Primrose and Petey were among the 23 employees of Green Grazer Goats who worked to clear the thick brush behind the Luther House in Jennersville recently.

Although they occasionally took breaks, there were no complaints, no requests for additional vacation days and no demands that their bosses – Kalyn Butt and Kevin Conner – review their compensation package. Instead, they plodded on silently, yard by yard, working and eating beneath the October sun. Each employee persisted with the slow, plodding consistency of goats chewing their way through a patch of ground because, well, that’s what they are.

They’re goats, and they now belong to a company that’s about to get a whole lot larger.

On Sept. 26, following a three-minute presentation by Butt and Conner, Green Grazer Goats won the Emerging Enterprise Center’s Swim with the Sharks Video Pitch Competition, winning more than $22,000 in cash and services. In addition to a cash prize of $14,500, Green Grazer Goats received $3,125 in legal fee services from Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor, LLP; $2,500 in professional services from William Humphreys & Co.; $2,500 in professional services from Placers; a six-month membership in the Emerging Enterprise

Center Virtual Incubation Program, valued at $1,800; a New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Marketing Package, valued at $1,400; and a one-year membership in the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, valued at $350.

Based in Wilmington, the Emerging Enterprise Center helps start-up business owners learn essential entrepreneurial skills, grow their business and develop a long-term, sustainable model.

“They gave us certain criteria in terms of what they were looking for, not only about our business, but specific plans for our future,” Butt said. “I looked at the criteria and I laid out every single thing I thought was important for them to know about us, particularly our value proposition –the reason why someone should choose managed goat grazing over other services, like landscaping and the use of herbicides.

“I had to cut it back because I only had three minutes to speak, so we had to fine tune exactly what it was that I thought was important for everybody to know about managed goat grazing.”

When she was a teenager, Butt belonged to Future Farmers of America, and when she turned 16 years old, she asked for a goat for her birthday.

“I was researching them, and I’d read that people were using goats to clear brush to reduce the capacity of wild fires to spread,” said Butt, 24, a graduate of Wilmington University.

“It was an amazing idea, and in my teenaged, harebrained mind, I wanted to

start a business and work with goats and call it Green Grazers. Everyone thought I was crazy, and I thought I was crazy, too.”

Butt and Conner began the Chester County-based company six months ago, and it’s caught in a groundswell movement towards environmentally friendly businesses. All across the nation, managed goat grazing services are moving herd after herd to help eradicate invasive plants like florabunda rose, poision ivy and kudzu vine. It’s not only better for the environment, it’s saving money. Nationwide, taxpayers and private landowners spend $34 billion a year on reducing invasive plants on private properties, municipal land and farmland.

Butt said that hiring a managed goat grazing service costs $1,500 less per acre to clear brush than using a standard

landscaping company. Green Grazer Goats has done work for Manfredi Mushrooms in Toughkenamon, the Turkey Point Vineyard in Northeast, Md., as well as several Chester County property owners and farms.

Butt said that most of the funding from the competition will go toward the purchase of 25 new goats, which will bring the company’s “employee” base close to 60, which will allow Butt and Conner to manage two herds. Additional prize money will be spent for the purchase of solar energizers, electric fencing and posts and stakes, and additional veterinary care.

“There are so many eco-friendly aspects to using goats,” she said.

“Goats create a very small carbon footprint, do not require toxic chemicals, and in fact, goats stabilize the soil, rather than help

erode it, which can happen with standard removal processes, using machinery like landscaping and the use of herbicides.

“As a bonus, our customers get to look at goats instead of listening to gas-powered machines all day.”

To learn more about Green Grazer Goats, visit greengrazergoats on Facebook, or call 484-643-6939.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Expand your horizons at the Oxford Arts Alliance

By John Chambless Staff Writer

As always, the annual Juried Exhibition is one of the most intriguing of the year at the Oxford Arts Alliance, with artists from near and far exhibiting some fresh new works.

The first place winner is Kristen Peyton’s “Quadrant Panes,” a huge oil of windows reflecting inner and outer light. It’s bold and confidently painted. But it’s matched in impact by the much different black-and-white charcoal portrait by John Famulare of Little Falls, N.Y. The woman depicted in closeup is rendered with photorealist detail, with every pore depicted perfectly. It’s a tour de force.

Lele Galer’s large oil “Nightscape” has a nice depth and texture, drawing your eye into the shadowy forest. Kennett Square artist Tracey Rothenberger takes a similar subtle approach with equally strong results. Her brown/gray expanse of marshy ground and overcast sky, done in oil and wax, magically reveals more subtleties the longer you look at it. The second place winner is “The Many Faces of the Great Spirit” by Carl Cellini of Maple Glen, Pa.; and the third place winner is “MARC Train,” a color photo by R.G. Edmonson of Hyattsville, Md., with railroad gates in the foreground and the streak of a passing train behind them.

There’s a crisp light and color in “Benjamin Franklin Bridge” by West Chester artist Mark Bockrath, as well as Philadelphia artist Elizabeth Heller’s cityscape, “47th and Kingsessing.”

Local artist Vicki Vinton gets an honorable mention and strikes a blow for

powerful abstraction in her mixed-media painting “3x3.” Kennett Square sculptor/painter Katee Boyle shows “Artifacts, Noble,” an evocative metal sculpture that’s roughly stitched pillows, topped with a hand-forged headdress – all battered and worn by the ages and showing a hard-fought patina.

The turned wood vessel by George Radeschi of Bedford, Pa., is a showstopper – an intricate assemblage of various woods, magically sculpted

and polished into a huge urn shape. Robert Schwieger of Plainfield, Ill., gets points for the range of mediums in his “Cat Tails,” a reflective rectangle of overlapped patterns and objects that he has achieved with a combination of screenprint on glass.

More modestly, Jeff Dion’s small woodland oil view, “Valley Green May 31, 2017,” has a marvelous light through the leaves and a dappled forest floor. And don’t miss Joshua Schaefer’s tiny oil painting of a

Oct. 25

‘Arsenic & Old Lace’ auditions

Avon Grove Community Theater will hold auditions for the classic comedy

“Arsenic and Old Lace” on Oct. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Kemblesville United Methodist Church.

Rehearsals will begin the first week of November.

Performances will take place on March 23, 24 and 25, 2018 at Street Lamp Productions, Rising Sun, Md. If interested, or for more information, email Director. Arsenic@gmail.com.

Oct. 28-29

Nickerson-Rossi Dance

Nickerson-Rossi Dance will perform on Oct. 28 and 29 at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center

(226 N. High St., West Chester). “Mainstage” is a theater presentation with students in performance alongside professional dancers. Performances are Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., and Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $27 for adults, $22 for students, and $13 for ages 13 and younger, and are available at www.uptownwestchester. org, at the box office or by calling 610-356-ARTS.

Nov. 3

Veterans luncheon

The Kennett Area Senior Center (427 S. Walnut St., Kennett Square) hosts its annual Veterans Day luncheon on Nov. 3, with a program at 10 a.m., followed by lunch. All veterans eat free. Others ages 60 and

older are $2 (under 60, $6). For reservations, call 610444-4819 by Oct. 23.

Nov. 3

Mason Porter in concert

The Friends Folk Club will host the band Mason Porter in concert on Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Oxford Friends Meeting (260 S. 3rd St., Oxford). Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 (children 12 and younger free). Refreshments are available. For more information, call 610-869-8076 or email friendsfolkclub@aol.com.

To submit items to the Calendar of Events, e-mail jchambless@chestercounty. com. There is no charge. Not every submission can be included. Items should be submitted at least two weeks before the event.

Through Oct. 28

Jeff Schaller ‘Pleasure Principle’ Church Street Gallery (12 S. Church St., West Chester) hosts “Jeff Schaller: The Pleasure Principle,” a show of new paintings, through Oct. 28. Visit www. churchstreetgallerywc. com.

Through Oct. 30

Don Shoffner solo show Sunset Hill Fine Arts Gallery (23 N. High St., West Chester) will host a solo exhibit of paintings by Don Shoffner through Oct. 30. Working in watercolor and India ink, his works depict fall and winter Chester County scenes in subdued hues.

Through Oct. 28

Rhoda Kahler and Mitch Lyons

The Station Gallery (3922 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Del.) presents “Twogether,” a show by ceramic artist Rhoda Kahler and clay monoprint artist Mitch Lyons, through Oct. 28. Call 302-654-8638 or visit www.stationgallery. net.

Through Oct. 31

Philip Jamison and John Rush Mala Galleria (200 E. State St., Kennett Square) presents presents paintings by West Chester artist Philip Jamison and woodworking by John Rush through Oct. 31. Call 202-591-6548 or visit www.malagalleria.

com.

Thr ough Nov. 10

Albert Gans

The Oxford Arts Annex (19 S. Third St., Oxford) presents a solo show by local painter Albert Gans through Nov. 10. Visit www.oxfordart.org for more information.

Through Nov. 5

Jill Beech at Bookplace Bookplace (2373 Baltimore Pike, Oxford) presents “Anything Considered,” a solo exhibit by Jill Beech, through Nov. 5. The book shop and gallery is open Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Call 717-715-4775 or visit www.bookplaceoxford. com.

LowDown Brass Band slates free show Nov. 1

LowDown Brass Band will perform a free concert at the Kennett Flash on Nov. 1 at 8 p.m., thanks to a donation from The Hadley Fund. They will be supported by Gruv, a group of students from Kennett High School, who will open the performance. Additional donations to The Kennett Flash will be accepted at the performance.

LowDown Brass Band (LDB) synthesizes the gritty sounds of Chicago with the high-energy

Arts Alliance

Continued from Page 1B

Phoenixville’s Michael Hill dazzles with “Provincetown Breakers,” a super vivid acrylic of rocks, a marsh and distant town

second-line street beat of New Orleans. Fresh off their appearance at The 2017 Chicago Jazz Festival, LowDown maintains a constant performing and touring schedule throughout North America.They are releasing their self-produced full length studio album, “LowDown Breaks,” that combines the hip hop sound with multiple world music and jazz styles. Due to venue capacity, people will be admitted on a first-come, first-

under a brilliant blue sky. Joseph Bellofatto of Burke, Va., shows impressive classical technique with his richly textured pencil drawing, “Resurrection Angel,” and Kristine Miller-Siple gets a nice impact in her shoe portrait, “His,” that does much to suggest the unseen owner of the footwear.

The Third Annual National Juried

served basis. Make reservations at www. kennettflash.org to attend the show. Reservations are held until 15 minutes before showtime. At that time, additional entries will be admitted based on capacity.

Lowdown Brass band will also be hosting a free workshop on the afternoon of the performance at The Garage Community Youth Center. For more information on the workshop, visit www. garageyouthcenter.org.

Exhibition continues through Nov. 10 at the Oxford Arts Alliance (38 S. Third St., Oxford). Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended hours on the first and third Friday of the month until 8 p.m. Visit www.oxfordart.org.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@ chestercounty.com.

EDWARD CIRESA

Edward Ciresa, 79, of Landenberg, passed away on Oct. 12.

Born in Union City, N.J., Edward was the son of the late Oscar Ciresa and the late Mary Smith Ciresa. He worked in sales for many years and eventually retired as the president of leather goods for Bond Street Limited. Edward also proudly served in the United States Army National Guard as an anti-aircraft artillery gun crewman. One of Edward’s biggest passions in life were his racehorses. He was the owner of an accomplished thoroughbred, Presidentialaffair – a horse that was trained by Edward’s son, Martin. Another of Edward’s greatest joys throughout his lifetime was his wife, Claire Schwerzler Ciresa, with whom he shared nearly 60 years of marriage before Claire’s passing in April of 2017.

Edward is survived by two sons, Matthew and Martin Ciresa; one daughter, Pamela Lee Weber; four siblings; and six grandchildren.

To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, visit www.griecocares.com.

MARIANNE THERESA POWELL

Marianne Theresa Powell, 84, of Oxford, passed away on Oct. 7 at home.

She was the wife of the late William J. Powell, Jr., with whom she shared 53 years of marriage. Born in River Rouge, Mich., she was the daughter of the late Edmund and Margaret Antaya Gratz. Marianne was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Oxford. She enjoyed her grandchildren, knitting afghans and baking cookies. She is survived by seven daughters, Margaret and Howard Jamison of Kennett Square, Lynn and Stephen Murphy of Oxford, Catherine and David Maule of Bel Air, Md., Teresa Sciglitano of Conowingo, Md, Cynthia Morotto of Douglassville, Patricia and Kurt Ekdahl of Lincoln University, and Christine and John Lucas of Elkton, Md.; 16 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Colleen Anne Powell; and son-in-law, Chuck Morotto.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Oct. 20. Interment was in All Saints Cemetery in Wilmington, Del. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome. com.

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WILLIAM C. RIALE

William “Bill” C. Riale, 71, of Cochranville, passed away on Oct. 13. Born in West Chester, William was the son of the late Stuart Riale and the late Frances R. Couden Riale Ayres. He was the beloved stepson of the late James C. Ayers and beloved brother to the late Doris R. Riale Hipp. William, or “Bill,” as he was affectionately known, worked in manufacturing and loved making Americanmade products. He was also a Sergeant of the U.S. Army and proudly served in the Vietnam War as a radio operator stationed in Germany.

William had a special affinity for anything auto – especially motorcycles. He reveled in taking motorcycle trips with his cousin. William was also a collector of baseball cards, coins, record albums and stamps. Bill enjoyed baseball, drag racing, NASCAR, movies, photography and playing video games. What Bill loved most of all was family life. Spending time with animals, nature and his loved ones was what made him the happiest. In his later years, William found peace and friendship within the local chapter of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

William is survived by his sister, Mary E. Moore and her husband John; his nephew, Jamie Blain; two nieces, Dawn Tribuno and her husband Albert, and Sherry Price and her husband Randolph; his aunt, Josephine Couden; his cousins, William, Roy, Patty and Becky Couden; several grand-nephews and nieces, along with great-grand-nephews and nieces.

A funeral service was held Oct. 20. In memory of William, contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675; or the Brandywine Valley SPCA, 1212 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester, PA 19380. To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, visit www.griecocares.com.

MARGARET T. EHLICH RADAY

Margaret T. Ehlich Raday, 98, of Kennett Square, died on Oct. 19 at Brandywine Senior Living At Longwood in Kennett Square. She was the wife of the late Charles L. Raday, who died in 2011, and with whom she shared 69 years of marriage. Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Albert and the late Mary (Bacher) Ehlich. Margaret was proud to be a bookkeeper in several industries throughout her life, working for the Arthritis Foundation in the 1960s, then Ross Inventories in New Jersey and finally H&R Block. Margaret and her husband, Charles, also dedicated many years of service to the American Legion, Eden-Stanley Post 294, and were recognized with honors for their contributions. Most important in Margaret’s life was her family.

She is survived by her daughter Carol A. Haaf and her husband William of Kennett Square; three grandchildren, Deborah H. Tandarich, William C. Haaf (wife Deborah) and Joel D. Haaf (wife Ya Yung Cheng); and three great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by one brother and two sisters.

A visitation will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. (250 W. State St., Kennett Square). A ceremony celebrating her life will follow at 7 p.m. Interment will be in Washington Crossing National Cemetery at 11 a.m. Nov. 3 in Newtown, Pa. Contributions in her memory may be made to the United Way of Southern Chester County, 106 W. State St., Kennett Square, PA 19348. To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, visit www.griecocares.com.

WILLIAM J. MARSDEN, JR

William J. Marsden, Jr., of Avondale, 62, passed away on Oct. 14 following unexpected cardiac arrest.

A Wilmington attorney, he is survived by his wife of 37 years, Ellen Jones Marsden; his children, Benjamin (Britta), Margaret and Emma; as well as his sisters, Jo Ann Andren and Gloria Stavropoulos (Pete); and a devoted circle of extended family, colleagues and friends.

William was born to William John and Muriel Smith Marsden in Tenafly, N.J. He graduated from Haverford College in 1978 and then worked as an intern for the Friends Committee on National Legislation in Washington, D.C., where he met Ellen. William graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1983 and began working with the firm of Potter, Anderson & Corroon focusing on intellectual property law.

In 1999, William opened Fish and Richardson’s Delaware office as its only attorney and one of three employees. In the 18 years that followed, William expanded the office to employ dozens of attorneys and staff. Integrity, judgment and good humor were his hallmarks. According to his colleagues, he was the personification of all that is best in an American lawyer.

William’s joy was landscaping his farm in New Garden Township. He was a devoted steward of the farm on which his children are the fifth generation. His volunteer responsibilities ranged from serving on Haverford College’s Board of Managers to chairing New Garden Township’s Zoning Hearing Board. Additionally, William enjoyed golf, was a curious and adventuresome traveler, and a lover of the arts, history and culture. His entire family depended on him, and his children and a host of nieces and nephews will lovingly remember him as the master of fun and games.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to London Grove Friends Kindergarten (London Grove Monthly Meeting, 500 West Street Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348). To view William’s online tribute and to share a memory with his family, visit www.griecocares.com.

WILLIAM E. HOPKINS, JR.

William E. Hopkins, Jr., 89, of Avondale, departed this life at Twin Pines Health Care Center in Chatham on Oct. 19, surrounded by his loving family. He was the husband of Frances (Babe) Ruello Hopkins, with whom he would have shared 60 years of marriage on the date of his death. Born at Chester County Hospital, he was the second son of the late William E. Hopkins, Sr., and Ruth Hughes Hopkins. A graduate of Kennett High School, class of 1946, he was a lifelong resident of Chester County. He was a heavy equipment operator for L.H. Taylor until becoming roadmaster of London Grove Township, retiring in 1999. He was not only very family oriented, but also very civic minded. He served as president of the Avondale Fire Company from 1993 through 1997, and was “Santa” for many years for various organizations and private parties. He also volunteered at Chatham Acres Nursing Home, now Twin Pines Health Care Center. One year he had a birthday party for the residents, and for several years took the residents to the Avon Grove Lions and Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast. He was Past Grand Knight of The Knights of Columbus, Council 3858, and president of the Avon Grove Optimist Club, 1964 and 1965. In 1992 he was honored as Man of the Year by the Avon Grove Lions Club. And in 1994 he was honored by the Chester County Commissioners and received their Community Service Award.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Lisa Pratt and her husband Kenneth of Avondale; and a son, William E. Hopkins III (Skip) and his wife Wendy Kimmel of Wynnewood. He also leaves behind four grandchildren, Tyler K. and Conner W. Pratt, and Morgan L. and William E. Hopkins IV (Liam). He is also survived by his brother, Robert J. Hopkins of Oxford. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his younger brother, Kenneth J. Hopkins. A visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Oct. 25 at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home (250 W. State St., Kennett Square). His funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Men of Malvern, 315 South Warren Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355. To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, visit www.griecocares. com.

and

Administrators, c/o Attorney: Ira

Binder,

Oxford,

19363 10p-11-3t NON PROFIT INCORPORATION NOTICE DR. CHARLOTTE WEAVER FOUNDATION, INC. has been incorporated under the provisions of the PA Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1988. Daniel P. Mannix, Esquire, Butler, Griffen & Mannix,18 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382

10p-25-1t INCORPORATION NOTICE STAR WIRELESS OF PA INC. has been incorporated under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988. 10p-25-1t

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that Articles of Incorporation have been filed with the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for the purpose of obtaining a Certificate of Incorporation pursuant to the provisions of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended. JFC Flooring, has been incorporated under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended. D. Keith Brown, Esquire, Stuckery and Yates, Two North State Street, P.O. Box 70, Newtown, PA 18940

10p-25-1t COMPLAINT IN ACTION TO QUITE TITLE Court OF COMMON PLEAS OF CHESTER COUNTY CIVIL DIVISION DOCKET NUMBER : 2017-05455-RC SUMMER 16, LLC VS DARFORD TYRONE SAUNDERS BEY, Individually and as Trustee of the DARFORD SAUNDERS-BEY HEIRS TRUST, AND DARFORD SAUNDERSBEY HEIRS TRUST AND ANY AND ALL UNKNOWN PERSONS FOUND IN POSSESSION OF 122 NORTH STREET, PHOENIXVILLE, PA NOTICE

If you wish to defend, you must enter a written appearance personally or by attorney and file your defenses or objections in writing with the court. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgement may be entered against you without further notice for the relief requested by the plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you. YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS PAPER TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LAWYER, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW. THIS OFFICE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT HIRING A LAWYER. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO HIRE A LAWYER, THIS OFFICE MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION ABOUT AGENCIES THAT MAY OFFER LEGAL SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE PERSONS

AT A REDUCED FEE OR NO FEE.

LAWYERS REFERENCE SERVICE, CHESTER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION, 15 W. GAY STREET-2ND FLOOR, WEST CHESTER, PA 19380 (610) 692-1889 10p-25-1t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writ directed to Carolyn B. Welsh, Sheriff, will be sold at public sale, in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 West Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, announced on Thursday, November 16th, 2017 at 11AM prevailing time, the herein-described real estate. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file in her office located in the Chester County Justice Center, Office of the Sheriff, 201 West Market Street, Suite 1201, West Chester, Pennsylvania, a Schedule of Distribution on Monday, December 18th, 2017. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedule unless exceptions are filed hereto within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 17-11-647 Writ of Execution No. 2017-05277 DEBT $331,166.44

PROPERTY situate in the London Britain Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania BLR# 73-06-0002.030

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: Bank of America, N.A. VS DEFENDANT: JENNIFER HERR and JASON P. MALONEY

SALE ADDRESS: 126 London Tract Rd, Landenberg, PA 19350-1024

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: PHELAN HALLINAN DIAMOND & JONES, LLP, 215-563-7000

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and

place of sale. 10% payment must be paid in cash, certified check or money order made payable to the purchaser or Sheriff of Chester Co. The final payment must be made payable to Sheriff of Chester Co. & is due twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 10p-25-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate By virtue of the within mentioned writ directed to Carolyn B. Welsh, Sheriff, will be sold at public sale, in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 West Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, announced on Thursday, November 16th, 2017 at 11AM prevailing time, the herein-described real estate. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file in her office located in the Chester County Justice Center, Office of the Sheriff, 201 West Market Street, Suite 1201, West Chester, Pennsylvania, a Schedule of Distribution on Monday, December 18th, 2017. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedule unless exceptions are filed hereto within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 17-11-657

SALE ADDRESS: 4 Olympia Avenue, West Grove, PA 19390-9538

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: PHELAN HALLINAN