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Chester CountyPRESS

www.chestercounty.com

Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas

Volume 156, No. 46

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

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Local incumbents earn mid-term victories By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Over the last several months, heightened by the polarizing climate of social media and hard line issues, the national political spotlight trained its headlights on Pennsylvania, where two crucial and high-voltage elections were settled on Nov. 8. In a race characterized by vitriol and radically oppos-

INSIDE

ing views, Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman defeated his Republican opponent, celebrity television physician Dr. Mehmet Oz, to earn a seat in the U.S. Senate, a victory that helped Democrats maintain a slim majority in the upper chamber. In a campaign where oversight of the 2020 presidential election and abortion rights took center stage, Democrat and state Attorney General

Josh Shapiro defeated Republican Doug Mastriano to become the next governor of the commonwealth. While each of these races still leave the dusty residue of political divide in their wake, mid-term elections in Chester County proved to be far less controversial and unsurprising, as all four incumbents defeated their challengers. In unofficial election results tabulated by Chester

Enjoy upcoming holiday events in Kennett Square...1B

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No tax increase expected for Oxford Borough By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer

Veterans celebrated with a breakfast for those who served...6A

County Voter Services and listed on Pennsylvania. totalvote.com. as of Nov. 15: • In the race to represent the 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat Chrissy Houlahan, who has served the district since 2019, defeated Republican challenger Guy Ciarrochi, earning 58 percent of the vote to win a third term.

No tax increase is expected for Oxford Borough for next year. Residents can take a closer look at the preliminary budget at Oxford Borough Days, which will be held on two days this year. Oxford Borough Days are set for Dec. 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in conjunction with Country Christmas and then on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Borough Hall. This gives all residents an opportunity to ask questions about anything in the Oxford Borough. Residents are encouraged to attend and light refreshments will be provided. It is a great time to view the preliminary borough budget for next year and see where tax dollars go. Borough Council discussed the 2023 budget and officials are not expecting a tax increase for 2023, in spite of inflation and a slowing in the housing market. Borough Manager Pauline Garcia-Allen noted that home sales were down and earned income revenues may also be down. “However, we have met with all of our departments and, after a careful scrutiny, expect no tax increase,” she explained. She did mention that staffing, legal costs, and codes are expected to be higher next year. “We will be looking at our fee structure for codes department to see how we compare to other municipalities and if we are covering our costs,” she explained. The borough has been very proactive in researching grants that can cover costs, and are still waiting to hear from a number of grant submissions. Fuel costs are also expected to continue to rise.

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

FROM OUR LENS Planting in perpetuity

Photo by Shane Morgan

A group of New Garden Township residents volunteered their time on Nov. 5 to participate in a riparian buffer planting project at Saint Anthony’s in the Hills, which is now owned by the township. The project includes the planting of 400 trees, 125 shrubs, as well as the installation of 65 live stake plants that will create a nursery and be used to fight against potential streambank erosion in the three-acre area. The project was coordinated by township resident Stan Lukoff and his Penn State Master Watershed Stewards team; Shane Morgan, management plan coordinator at the White Clay Wild and Scenic River Program; the Chester County Conservation District and many other supporters. It was entirely funded by $33,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts.

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Penn Township supervisors approve proposed budget for 2023 The township has once again approved a spending plan without an increase in taxes By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Staff Writer The Penn Township supervisors approved the proposed budget for 2023 at their Nov. 1 board meeting. The new budget totals $1,970,800. There will once again be no increase in taxes. About one-third of the

budget expenses for next year will be designated for general government and another one-third for public safety. The remainder is split between public works and culture/recreation. The budget will be advertised in the Chester County Press and is available to view at the township offices during business hours. The

budget will come back to the board for final approval in December. The Historical Commission report noted that tours at the Red Rose Inn have been well received. There will be one more tour this year on Dec. 11. After a winter break, tours are expected to resume in April. There are openings on

a survey to residents in the Kelton area. The company’s reasoning is that residents are more likely to read and reepond to a message from the township than one from Aqua. “I think it’s disingenuous,” Supervisor Laura Sperratore said, explaining a reason for the supervisors to reject the request.

The fruits (and veggies) of their labor:

Kennett Community Grocer making steps and strides toward future opening By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

the Historical Commission, and volunteers are being sought to fill those positions. Anyone interested in serving may contact the township office, a commission member or a supervisor for more information. In other business, the board rejected a request from Aqua to use the township name and address on

From the moment local resident Britton Mendenhall first conceived of a community-owned grocery store in the Kennett Square vicinity in 2018, the evolution of the Kennett Community Grocer has been managed in the Courtesy art same way a farmer oversees Launched in 2018, Kennett Community Grocer has launched several initiatives designed to eventually the growth of his or her proopen a food co-op to serve the southern Chester duce: one seed, one planting and one season at a time. County community.

For Mendenhall and her colleagues who have continued to push the concept forward – at meetings and events, through social media and in membership campaigns – eventually opening the doors to a food co-op has been the equivalent of a soil tilling intended to provide accessible, local and natural foods to the community; encourage sustainability and healthy eating; and provide affordable options for

lower-income families. The organization’s annual meeting, held Nov. 3 at Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery, provided overwhelming evidence that the message has reached the community. The current list of member-owners in the concept stands at 275, and form just a small notch in a three-stage set of goals that will hopefully see the opening of the Kennett Continued on page 3A