Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Hershey holds onto his seat on Oxford Council; Kennett Square president loses his seat
The following are results of Chester County municipal races, according to unofficial returns:
Kennett Square
In an eight-way battle for four seats on borough council, winners were Democrat incumbent LaToya Myers with 569 votes, Democrat Brenda Mercomes with 546 votes, Democrat incumbent Ethan Cramer with 523 votes, and Democrat Peter Waterkotte with 524 votes. Current Council President Dan Maffei lost his bid for re-election with 473 votes, according to unofficial returns. There were 292 write-in votes cast.
West Grove
In West Grove, William Temme with 241 votes, David Prosser with 217 votes, and Christopher Freese with 195 earned seats on borough council, outscoring Troy Mix with 183 votes and Barbara Wood with 178.
Oxford
In Oxford, Borough Council President Ron Hershey held onto his seat with 415 votes. The other winners were Robert Ketcham with 468 votes and Amanda Birdwell with 498 votes. They defeated Phillip Hurtt with 405 votes, Randy Grace with 311 votes and Geoffrey Henry with 367 votes. Henry, Hershey and Grace were seen as favoring the building of a new traffic garage-plus-municipal building, while Ketcham, Birdwell and Hurtt have expressed more caution in moving ahead.
Downingtown
Incumbent Patricia McGlone received 473 votes and Council President Anthony “Chip” Gazzerro received 490 votes, securing their west ward seats over Republican challenger Caryn Menna, who received 306 votes.
McGlone, a Democrat, is a former elementary school teacher and political consultant. McGlone has worked in the communication office for the Downingtown Area School District as the director of public relations since 2004. Gazzerro, a Democrat, is the owner of Progress Plumbing and Heating.
Incumbent Ann Feldman, a Democrat, who is the owner of Artful Stitch, secured her east ward seat with 534 votes over challenger James Bruton, who received 385 votes. Bruton, a Republican, is a financial advisor for Bruton Financial Partners.
Coatesville
Deborah Bookman, who cross-filed, received 915 votes and Democrat Kathy Hopton received 717 votes, securing their at-large seats over Republican Casey Hogan, who received 238 votes. Incumbent Carmen Green, a Democrat, who is a store manager, secured her seat in the fourth ward with 205 votes. Republican challenger John Guerrera, who is a real estate broker, received 149 votes.
Caln
On the township board of commissioners, incumbent Josh Young received 1,705 votes, incumbent John Contento received 1,581 votes and Lorraine Tindaro received 1,358 votes, securing their seats over Republican challenger Joseph Reich who received 934 votes. Young and Contento had cross-filed and Tindaro is a Democrat.
Westtown
Scott Yaw has defeated incumbent Tom Haws in a close race for one of three seats on the Westtown Township Board of Supervisors. Yaw captured 1,243 votes, or almost 53 percent, with Haws trailing with 1,113 votes or 47 percent.
Haws has been heavily involved in the conditional use hearings concerning planned development at the Crebilly Farm site. Supervisors are expected to vote on the development sometime early next year.
East Fallowfield
In East Fallowfield, Democrats Wilson T. Lambert Jr, and Joe Heffern, earned supervisor seats, defeating Republicans Josh Herman and Sharon Scott. Lambert earned 885 votes and Heffern earned 900 votes, according to unofficial returns.
London Grove
In London Grove Township, David Connors, who cross-filed, and Republican John Lee Irwin, earned supervisor seats. Rich Ruggieri III, a Democrat, came up short, garnering only 135 votes.
East Marlborough
In East Marlborough Township, Democrats Julia McGovern Lacy and Robert McKinstry Jr. earned seats on the board of supervisors, defeating Republicans Tom Simpers and longtime incumbent Eddie Caudill. Lacy was the top vote-getter at 1,126 while McKinstry Jr. earned 1,104 votes, according to unofficial re-
turns.
New Garden
In New Garden Township, incumbent Republican Stephen Allaband defeated Democrat Mark Tully, 929 votes to 748, according to unofficial returns.
Easttown
In Easttown Township, it appears Democrat Michael Wacey earned one of two seats with 90 percent of the vote in. Battling it out for the other seat were Brandon Adams, Betsy Fadem and Fred Pioggia.
Willistown
In Willistown, with 92 percent of the vote in, it appears Democrat Barbara Handelin defeated Republican George McHuge by a narrow margin for a seat on the board of supervisors. With only four of seven precincts counted at press time in West Whiteland, Democrat Theresa Santoleri led with 61 to 38 percent and had garnered 1,086 votes. Her opponent, George Turner had collected 685 votes.
East Whiteland
In East Whiteland, Scott Lambert and Rich Orlow, a pair of next-door neighbors in the Spring Mill Farms subdivision, ran against each other to serve as township supervisor.
With four of six precincts reporting by press time, Democrat Lambert had earned 838 votes, compared to 560 voters who cast their ballots for Republican Orlow.
Prior to the election, Democratic challenger Lambert described his relationship with Republican incumbent Rich Orlow as cordial.
“Rich is a fine neighbor and he has a good family,” Lambert said. “We have discussions – but not about politics.
“I have a different vision of the township than Rich. It’s not a personal issue.”
“I don’t want to be in the position of dividing a neighborhood,” Orlow said before the vote. “It’s non-eventful for any relationships in the neighborhood. I wouldn’t let it affect me.
“Life will go on,” Orlow said, when asked what will happen after one neighbor receives a nod from the electorate.
London Britain
In London Britain, Democrat Aileen Parrish defeated Republican Russell McKinnon, 673 votes to 396 for a seat on the board of supervisors.
New London
In New London, Republican Gerald Porter, with 889 votes, defeated Democrat Liz David, who received 665 votes, for a seat on the board of supervisors.
Lower Oxford
In Lower Oxford, Republican Kevin Martin defeated Democrat Julie Brady, 202 votes to 132, for a seat on the board of supervisors.
Penn Township
In Penn Township, Republican Curtis Mason defeated Democrat Gabe Passero, 835 votes to 624, for a seat on the board of supervisors.
New Garden Referendum
In a ballot question to create a .1 mil dedicated Kennett Library tax, the measure passed 1,014 to 651. It will cost the average New Garden household 39 cents/ week or $20.48/ per year.
New Garden has the largest population of any of the eight municipalities the library serves, yet it gives the least per resident.
Jeff Yetter, library board of trustees vice president, said the small dedicated tax will help fund library operations, which have been in the red since the state cut off funding for English as a second language, five years ago.