Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 156, No. 49
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
$1.00
Simpson retires as chief of regional police department By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Gerald R. Simpson, whose ingenuity and long-range vision helped create the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department (SCCRPD) for which he served as Chief of Police, officially retired from the department at the close of business on Dec. 9, follow-
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ing a 39-year career. The announcement was posted on the SCCRPD’s social media page: “Chief Simpson wants to thank the [Public Safety] Commission for the great opportunity to serve the residents of New Garden, West Grove and Avondale as the Regional Departments’ first Chief of Police,” the announcement read. “There
Lieutenant Joseph Greenwalt has been named Continued on page 2A Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Gerald Simpson, who served as the Police Chief for the New Garden Township and Southern Chester County Regional Police departments since 2010, officially retired on Dec. 9 after a 39-year career in law enforcement.
Kennett Square merchants open up for ‘Tinsel on the Town’ By Chris Barber Contributing Writer The Kennett Square merchants hosted an evening of shopping and Santa visits on Dec. 9 with “Tinsel on the Town.” On Friday evening, promptly at 4 p.m., Kennett Square’s State Street became a mall for easy strolling with businesses opening their doors and greeting guests. The festivities continued well past the usual closing times for most merchants. From Center Street on the west to Broad Street on the east, the sidewalks and streetlights were adorned with lights and decorations for the holiday season. Food and drinks were flowing, and parents of young children were shuttling their
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were many accomplishments including having the department become accredited by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. “The [Public Safety] Commission wants to recognize Chief Simpson for his vision and efforts in helping to establish the Regional Police Department and having it become the respected department it now is.”
bundled offspring in strollers along the sidewalks to see Santa. As the hours moved toward 6 and 7 p.m, the crowds increased, but they were no rival for the thousands who showed up for the Tree Lighting parade on Black Friday, Nov. 25. Still, there was enough going on for visitors to find at least an hour’s worth of entertainment and buy a few bags of reasonably priced gifts. Santa Claus, who was positioned with his wife in chairs at the corner of State and Union streets, said he had a healthy line of visitors coming along to share their wishes for most of the evening. He added that he has been working at the downtown Creamery on Birch Photo by Chris Barber Street, which also has been Young Roman stares, nose to glass, captivated as the electric train circles in the Continued on page 3A
window of Mrs. Robinson’s Tea Shop.
FROM OUR LENS Tree lighting in Landenberg
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
The McNelis family of Lincoln University was among the many families and friends who were in attendance at a craft fair and Christmas tree lighting at The Landenberg United Methodist Church on Dec. 10. The event invited several local craft vendors to showcase their talents, and offered a sweet bar and free hot chocolate, children’s activities, Christmas carols and an opportunity for visitors to make a donation to the Toys for Tots campaign.
New turf for Kennett’s fields By Chris Barber Contributing Writer Kennett High School’s Legacy Fields are getting new artificial turf. The board accepted the bid for $1.97 million from Land Tek Group for a project to replace the 14-year-old ground cover as well as for several other additions. Kennett Consolidated School District Director of Facilities George Wolhafe announced that there were three bids at the Dec. 5 board meeting, of which Land Tek Group was the lowest bid. Also included in the project to replace the artificial turf of the three athletic fields at Birch and South Walnut streets are turnstiles for the high school and Legacy Fields, wider steps to the field at the high school, bleacher screening at the high school and ADA-compliant ramps at the high school. The work is scheduled to
begin in May of 2023 and will be completed by the end of July. The general lifespan of artificial turf is 15 years, Wolhafe said. Additionally, Kennett’s grounds are tested for safety and maintained every year, he said. Members of the board inquired about the composition of artificial turf as the motion was placed on the table for a vote. Wolhafe said below the faux grass is a composition of sand and crumbed rubber. The new turf is generally the same composition as it was 14 years ago, although manufacturing improvements may have been made in the past decade-and-ahalf, he added. The sand-and-rubber composition materials tend to soften the falls of the athletes, Wolhafe said, responding to a question from board President Vicki Gehrt. Board member Ethan Cramer, who was formerly Continued on page 3A
Kennett Square Borough finalizes budget for 2023 © 2007 The Chester County Press
Kennett Square Borough Council last week unanimously approved a spending plan for 2023. The approved budget yields approximately $5.1 million in borough revenue, which includes taxes and fees, and nearly
$4.5 million in total grant revenue. The net tax impact of the 2023 budget is an increase in taxes of 8.1 percent. The approved budget reflects a substantial investment in capital improvement projects and
infrastructure upgrades after several years of only modest increases. The 2023 budget includes funding for capital projects like the long-planned reconstruction of Birch Street, as well as improvements to sidewalks, streets
and alleys, repairs to fire hydrants, and relining of sewer pipes. Approximately $1.5 million is being allocated for the modernization of the police station. By allocating funding for these investments, the borough is leveraging its
own resources to maximize grant funding opportunities from federal, state, and county sources. Detailed information about the 2023 budget is available on the borough’s website at www.kennettsq. org.