By RobertF.O’Neill W illiam H. Ridley, of Media, was a polite man whose dignified air and waxed mustache befitted a member of the Delaware County Bar Association before the turn of the 20th century. If his early career as the county’s first African-American lawyer involved a confrontation and exchange of gunfire with Chester ruffians, then [...]
By SamBenesby sbenesby@chesterspirit.com The Delaware County Historical Society’s (DCHS) Chester Museum and Library has again become a victim of theft and vandalism when scrappers last week destroyed the facility’s air conditioning units for the third time since 2005. The latest criminal attack marked the sixth time since 2002, when it opened its downtown facility at [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com F riday the 13th lived up to its fabled reputation as an unlucky day for at least 16 Chester City employees who received their walking papers from the city’s new Democratic administration. Multiple sources [...]
By KevinKaneshiki Special to the Spirit Single Mothers Are Really Trying (SMART) recently held its first women’s support group/open house at the Booker T. Washington Community Center on Central Ave. in Chester. SMART provides services for women recently released from prison; women who are spousal abuse victims, or going through similar hardships. “I have an [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com This week, Gov. Tom Corbett and state Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9) met in Harrisburg with members of the Delaware County delegation of state lawmakers to discuss the plight of the Chester Upland school District (CUSD). “A bipartisan group of legislators from the Senate and the House had a productive meeting [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com Chester-Upland School District (CUSD) board member Cephus Richardson was joined by his three Democratic colleagues at last week’s board meeting in calling for the $5,000-a-month contract with district spokesman Joel Avery to be rescinded. Richardson said the abrupt adjournment of the Dec. 15th meeting at which the contract was approved by a [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com T he 83rd birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was celebrated on Monday, the official federal holiday, in many ways and locations throughout the City of Chester, including Widener University, New Beginnings Academy, Crozer-Chester Medical Center, and the Chester YWCA. Primarily organized by the Martin Luther King Commemorative Committee, the [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com A torrent of activity has surrounded the crisis of money and management at the Chester Upland School District (CUSD) over the past few days. State officials announced late Tuesday that a federal judge ordered the state to pay the district $3.2 million. The money is supposed to help the district meet its [...]
In Public Safety… Even though a state of emergency was not imposed in Chester as it was in 2010, violence and crime continued to pose a serious problem. The city experienced 23 murders; one less than in 2010. Although all heartbreaking for the affected families, the death of two teenagers attending a crowded birthday party [...]
By LeslieKrowchenko Special to the Spirit W hen Jesus sent his disciples “to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick,” (Luke 9:2), he didn’t just mean those with blue chip health care. In an effort to reach the uninsured and underinsured, the School of Nursing at Widener University, in partnership with CityTeam Ministries, [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com M eet Jahlil Beats, a recording artist and record producer at Roc Nation, the entertainment company whose most known investor is Sean Carter, better known as Jay-Z. Beats, whose real name is Orlando Tucker, had one simple wish this Christmas: to give back to his hometown of Chester. “I just wanted to [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com T he Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) last week filed a lawsuit against the Chester Upland School District (CUSD) and its board of directors, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education (PDE) seeking a judgment to force the immediate payment of $3.862 million in funds the school contends it [...]
By LorettaRodgers and KevinKaneshiki SPIRIT staff T uesday was quite busy for the new leaders of Chester government. It started with a public breakfast, the official swearing-in ceremonies, the quick reorganization of Council and an early afternoon luncheon. In front of a standing room only crowd, with his wife, children, and grandson by his side, [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com T he last general meeting of 2011 for the Chester Business Association (CBA) held two weeks ago at City Hall was, according to CBA President Linda Braceland, not just the last meeting of the year but also, “The end of an era.” Braceland was talking about Mayor Wendell N. Butler, Jr.’s [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com T he Pennsylvania Dept. of Education (PDE) last week denied Chester-Upland School District’s (CUSD) request for an $18.7 million advance in state subsidies that were scheduled to be paid the district in June 2012 and teachers have adopted a wait-and-see position moving forward. In a letter sent before Christmas to CUSD President [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com N o regular meeting of the Chester-Upland School Board has taken place for months without questions being raised about Joel Avery, the district’s outside contracted official spokesperson. Avery, who has been in the position for more than a year, was re-appointed at a recent board meeting for another annual term at a [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com The wonders of modern technology were displayed last week as students in grades four, five and six at the Widener University Partnership Charter School (WUPCS) participated in a special Sharing the Environment Skype program with a school in Trinidad. WUPCS students were excited as their counterparts from the Atwell/St. Mary’s School in [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com Chester City and Brookhaven Borough can be added to the list of municipalities that gave letters of intent to the Delaware County Animal Control Board, indicating their participation in the county’s proposed animal control/shelter plan. Signed by Chester Councilman John Linder, director of public safety, the letter promises the city will formally [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com The four new Democratic members of the nine-member Chester-Upland School Board blasted their Republican colleagues after the abrupt adjournment of last week’s school board meeting. That was the second time the meeting was adjourned before its planned conclusion since the new members were seated at the beginning of the month. The adjournment [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com T he Delaware County Historical Society (DCHS) has opened its Holiday Delights Train and Toy Exhibit at the Society’s museum, 400 Avenue of the States, Chester. The exhibit opened just before Thanksgiving and continues through the holiday season through Sunday, Jan. 8th. On display is a cornucopia of different toys representing past [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com A s the “old” saying goes, “You’re only as young as you feel.” Such was the case last week for those who gathered at the Mayor’s Senior Council 10th annual luncheon at the Ramada Inn, on Rt. 291, Essington. The luncheon drew over 250 people; among them was Eula Danner, who celebrates [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com I n memory and tribute to Muhammed Fareed, a man universally beloved in his community, the A-Plus Sunoco gas station at 9th and Kerlin sts. was closed Saturday, hours after he was gunned down in a robbery and less than 24 hours after people gathered there to stage a candlelight vigil. Over [...]
Chester championship tradition continues! A celebratory victory parade will be held Saturday (Dec. 10th) for the Chester Panthers football team that clinched the 2011 Delco Youth Football League’s Junior Division Championship last week. The parade starts at 1 P.M. from Memorial Park to Chester City Hall. Congratulations to players Brandon Harper, Kahaliir Barrett, Donte’ Brown, Khaleef [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com F ollowing the swearing-in of new Chester-Upland School Board members, Democrats Charlie L. Warren, II; Anthony Johnson, Bette McClairen and Cephus Richardson, the school board proceeded with its annual reorganization meeting. In what can only be described as highly contentious, Republican Wanda Mann, in a party-line vote of 5-4, was re-elected president [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com T he holiday shopping season has begun and unseasonably warm sunlit skies seem like the perfect backdrop for shoppers to go anywhere. There is merchandise in malls and they are crowded. There is merchandise in Chester but empty streets and closed storefronts show no signs of the healthy foot traffic during the [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com F ormer CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson and her husband, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Joseph Wilson, Monday afternoon, captivated a standing room only audience at Widener University. The pair gained notoriety after Plame’s name was made public through a leak to the media and the couple accused the administration of President [...]
By BriannaLopez Special to the Spirit C hester talent was on display recently at the fifth annual Talent Show hosted by Widener University radio personality Walter “Master Blaster” Jordan a/k/a Walter Jay and the station, WDNR 89.5 FM, at Widener’s Alumni Auditorium. Presenting awards and showcasing acts ranging in age and genre, Chester proved to [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com T he “We Are the 99%” sign Ieasa Nichols was wearing when she addressed Chester City Council last week might have given the impression that she was part of the “occupy” movement – but that was [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com A t the Delaware County Thanksgiving food drive on Friday, Family and Community Services Executive Director Alan Edelstein said the need for food “is just as important as breathing.” Such was the underlying thinking among food drive volunteers who unloaded vehicles of canned goods and other items at the Mount Zion [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com L ast week’s Chester-Upland School Board meeting started in business-like fashion, but three-fourths of the way through the final public comment section, pandemonium broke out and the meeting was abruptly adjourned. For the second time in as many weeks, several residents publicly called for the immediate resignations of board President Wanda Mann [...]
By LeslieKrowchenko Special to the Spirit T he Thanksgiving hymn “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” includes the line, “God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied.” CityTeam Ministries and its partners did their part to insure the turkey, side dishes and dessert for the holiday are supplied. More than 80 businesses, schools, [...]
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) awarded a $1 million grant to Philabundance, the largest hunger relief organization in the Delaware Valley to support and improve the hunger relief system. The majority of the grant will be applied to the proposed new community food center the organization hopes to open in Chester. The center, proposed [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com Several residents attending last Thursday’s Chester Upland School Board study session held hand-made signs calling for the resignations of Board President Wanda Mann and Solicitor Leo Hackett. “We want to call attention to what has not been done,” said Hilda Campbell. “These people are wasting money and our children are not getting [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com C ommunity Action Agency of Delaware County Inc. (CAADC) hosted its 32nd Annual Meeting Luncheon and Awards last week at the Springfield Country Club to recognize volunteers, clients, and companies for their community service. State Sen. Edwin “Ted” Erickson (R-26), who represents Delaware and Chester counties, and John A. Dowd, director of [...]
Seniors entertained by popular gospel group The Gospel Disciples recently performed at the Edgmont Senior Apartments as part of a variety of recreational and entertaining programs for seniors in the facility. The group, together since 1980, was founded originally by five members from Chester’s Shiloh Baptist Church Male Chorus. Since then, and added additional members, [...]
By JohnLolley and KevinKaneshiki SPIRIT staff writers Ever since the 2009 general election, when John A. Linder and Portia West became the first Democrats elected to Chester City Council since 1992, Chester Democrats have had nothing but momentum. On Tuesday, voters decided they wanted a fresh face to lead city government and Chester Democratic candidates swept [...]
By KevinKaneshiki kkaneshiki@chesterspirit.com C hester’s Department of Parks and Recreation hosted the Kings Mentoring Kings workshop last Saturday at the City Hall Community Room. It aimed to educate young men about the value of self-sufficiency and raise awareness about the need for positive male role models in face fatherlessness in many households. The workshop, the [...]
There have been many positive changes in the City of Chester since the start of the 21st century. Most of these have occurred during the tenure of Mayor Wendell N. Butler, Jr. with the support of City Council, other leaders and public/private partnership investments. Recreation and Youth Activity 1. The George Carter Center (Boys & [...]
Editorial We can’t sugar-coat this. There’s simply no other way to say it: leadership of the Chester-Upland School District must change! The current school board president, Wanda Mann, appears to be very popular in the community. She won her ballot spots in both the Republican and Democratic primaries so, in theory, she’s a shoe-in for [...]
Editorial T o be sure, the City of Chester is known for many things, most prominent among them is basketball and politics. From this current issue, you can see the level of political interest and debate is high. That’s good. Self-determination and public discourse are the underpinnings of democracy. But cutting through the emotion and [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com After six years of intense preparation, the Empowerment Resurrection Center (ERC) opened its doors in Chester last week. Located at 1350 Edgmont Ave. at University Technology Park II on the campus of Widener University, the ERC is a drug rehabilitation provider offering tailored programs for people suffering from substance dependence. “This is [...]
SPIRITstaff report newsdesk@chesterspirit.com The candidates for Chester mayor and City Council squared off in a debate last Thursday. The debate was formatted by the League of Women Voters (LWV) but actually organized from start to finish by a group of four young men, all professionals, whose only motivation was to allow people to [...]
By DesireGrover Special to the Spirit D uring the summer months Chester is notoriously in the news for the wrong reasons. It is during the summer that many negative things are said about youth and the city overall. It sometimes gets to the point where one might ask, “Can anything good come out of Chester?” [...]
By LorettaRodgers lrodgers@chesterspirit.com A neighborhood reunion of Chester’s Second Ward was recently held at the Ballrooms at Boothwyn in Upper Chichester. Organized by Joan McCracken Bonaquisti, Bob Crowley and Chas McLaughlin, more than 80 former residents of the area surrounding the former St. Robert’s Church and School, Goodwill Fire Company, and the Bus Barn, [...]
By BriannaLopez Special to the Spirit E nvironmental stress has been one of the leading causes of health concerns for long-time Chester residents who believe air quality and pollution are the reasons. To explore the topic, the Chester Environmental Partnership (CEP) held a public meeting last Thursday at Faith Temple Holy Church, 1005 West 7th [...]
SPIRITstaff report newsdesk@chesterspirit.com C andidates running for mayor and City Council in Chester will square off in the only public debate scheduled in the election season on Thursday, Oct. 27th at Widener University’s Lathem Hall. The debate will pit incumbent Republican Mayor Wendell N. Butler, Jr. against freshman Councilman John Linder, the Democratic candidate. Last [...]
O ctober is American Pharmacists Month and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) says people should consider partnering with their pharmacists to help combat and control diabetes. According to a 2011 report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost 25.8 million people, or 8.3 percent of the U.S. population, have diabetes. Last year [...]
By Eric Berman, DO, MS People with diabetes have too much sugar in their blood or not enough insulin to change that sugar into energy. There are 23.6 million people in the United States who have diabetes. More than five million people don’t even know they have diabetes. There is no cure for [...]
Editorial I n what can only be described as “sinister and unfair,” the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed, and Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law, a piece of legislation known simply as, “Act 24.” From what we can tell, Act 24 requires all current school employees with certain criminal records to formally identify themselves, even though [...]
Editorial S o the community will finally get an opportunity to hear, side-by-side, the thoughts, ideas, emotions and philosophies of the men and women running for mayor and seats on Chester’s City Council. The debate next week is being coordinated by the League of Women Voters and sponsored by a host of politically-savvy youth and [...]
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