What we’re talking about this week:
Apartments planned for the old Daily Local property. Property developer, Toll Brothers is proposing a new seven-story, 325-unit apartment building on the roughly five acre lot on the corner of Bradford Ave. and Strausburg Rd. While, the project is technically in East Bradford, the project has a lot of West Chester residents concerned about the effect on traffic in the area. Strains on resources could also emerge. West Chester would be responsible for providing police and fire protection for the new development. Residents concerned about the project are encouraged to attend the next East Bradford Township planning meeting on January 23 at 7 p.m. in the East Bradford Township Building.
‘Tis the Season of Giving – Back. Did you know 12% of all giving happens in the last three days of the year? Now that we’ve got your attention, Chester County Community Foundation doesn’t think this has to be the case. To help you get a jump on giving back, they have compiled a list of organizations looking for volunteers in the coming year including 24 in West Chester. Don’t worry if you’ve maxed your budget over the holidays, these organizations are looking for time not money.
Local girls speak up. Area high school students participated in the annual Janet Walton Girls Public Speaking Contest. The contest open to girls grades 9-12 has been a local tradition for over 75 years. Each contestant reads a short, published piece that has never been delivered in public. This year’s winner was senior Maggie Driscoll who performed an excerpt from “Be An Artist, Right Now” by Young-ha Kim.
Homeless (or-not-so Homeless) students at West Chester University. Concern for 26 students left on campus during the holiday break rose after a blog on the West Chester Press documented their situation. Fortunately the students’ plight had already been identified and addressed by the University who issued a response to the blog. All students will have accommodations, meals and transportation available to them during the holiday shutdown.
Suspect behind bomb scare at Henderson arrested. Last week two area high schools (East and Henderson) suffered back to back bomb scares. Now the Daily Local is reporting a suspect behind the Henderson scare has been arrested. While neither incident turned up any evidence of a bomb both resulted in a lot of inconvenience including missed classes, cancelled activities, unwarranted searches and unnecessary stress for students and faculty.
#ParentsThatHostLosetheMost – Often debated among parents of high school students, is it better to host the underage drinking party and know what’s going on or stick to the rules and hope you’ve prepared them for potentially difficult situations? WCASD clearly sides with the latter and warns parents there are severe consequences for providing alcohol to minors.
Plus, if you’re interested in getting involved, I believe there are still opening on several Borough committees. Check the website for details and read our article on the Sustainable Advisory Committee, West Chester’s newest advisory committee.