Connect Chadds Ford is a civic-minded community newsletter, focused on Chadds Ford and the Brandywine Valley. Through values of transparency, accountability, connection, and delight, Connect Chadds Ford is about building the community we hope to share with our children and neighbors. Drop your email below to subscribe to the weekly newsletter!
๐ Put on the outfit and get out of the house ๐
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Quick Note! Primaries are next week! Do you have a plan to vote? If not, you should make one! All the details you need to vote in PA are here. If you're an independent, you can't vote next week. If that pisses you off, it should. The political leaders maintaining the status quo should go kick rocks... and also change the rules. "Pennsylvania is one of just eight states with a fully closed primary system, which means that only voters registered as Democrats or Republicans can participate in their respective partiesโ spring elections." Let's be better. Ok... onto the "funner" stuff. ๐Follow Nike's advice and Just Do It. This weekend, there's some really good stuff happening around town that's worth putting on your fancy pants or a sundress and skipping out of your house. This is NOT the weekend to Netflix and chill. The weather forecast is stunning, so no excuses. ๐ To what, might you ask, do I owe the occasion of planning your weekend for you? Let's dive in. ๐ฅฐ Friends and fellowship on Friday at The CrownOur neighbor friends fighting the good fight for the preservation of land, water, and less traffic are hosting a gathering at The Crown to talk shop and just chat with neighbors. We don't have many opportunities to meet up and hang out face-to-face with folks, so don't pass this up if your calendar has space. Park your car in The Crown parking lot, which is already paved, so you can talk about how not to pave more giant parking lots along Route 202 that we probably donโt need. ๐ All the details about how to RSVP, what's included, and why it matters are here. Sneak peeks into local artist studiosThis weekend, the County Studio Tour fills art studios throughout the Brandywine Valley and beyond. Studio 53 in West Chester is one of the closest participating studios to Chadds Ford. I had a chance to interview Rachel Coleman, host of Studio 53 and local fluid artist, about the event. She had so much insight to offer about bringing art into our homes, the emotions it evokes, and the special feeling we get when we can connect with the artists behind the work. Get all the details and make a plan to visit one (or more) of the studios this weekend. Is Walkable Chadds Ford on hold?You've probably noticed that the big trucks parked at the township have rolled out, and Walkable Chadds Ford looks... not very walkable yet. ๐ I reached out to the township. Lacey Faber, Township Manager, said the project is waiting on a subcontractor to complete ADA ramp work. Progress is stalled until that step is complete. They anticipate work will resume on May 18. We all know construction always has unexpected delays. Fingers crossed it gets back in motion soon. ๐ค๐ป Speaking of walkingThe next Walking Club meet-up is May 20 at 1 pm at Brinton Run Preserve. Details here. Put it on your calendar so you don't forget. Delco Gives gave to the Library! ๐The library won a prize! Thanks to you all - the library's community supporters - the Rachel Kohl Community Library raised nearly $2,000 from the Delco Gives fundraising event. That amount included a $500 bonus for being the fastest organization to receive 10 donations at 5 pm on Thursday. Your fast fingers literally paid off! ๐ฐ A sincere thanks to everyone who donated!! The library relies on community donations to keep chugging along and serving the community. ๐ญ Ponder ThisIn this section, I share book recommendations, articles, podcasts, and other links I think Chadds Ford neighbors might find interesting. Let me know what you think. โฎ๏ธ On creating the United Nations during WW2 in the service of global peaceful coexistence, Heather Cox Richardson writes: Roosevelt explained: โThe structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one Nation. It cannot be just an American peace, or a British peace, or a Russian, a French, or a Chinese peace. It cannot be a peace of large Nationsโor of small Nations. It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world." We aren't the world, but the principle applies to communities from tiny to worldwide, including Chadds Ford (and our surrounding neighbors). Our community's peaceful coexistence doesn't rest on one person, one party, one type of neighbor, one group, or one neighborhood. It must be a cooperative effort of the whole community. We're best off when we work collaboratively, embrace the contributions of neighbors with different backgrounds and skills, honor multiple perspectives, and find the value in each of our unique histories. โ๏ธ Catholic Church hosting a rave (in Nov 2025). This is fascinating to me to see how the church has worked to become culturally relevant for young people after what felt to me like so many decades of diminishing cultural relevance. โก PA House Bill I can get behind! โจ Loving Connect Chadds Ford โจWhile I donโt have any secrets behind paywalls, did you know you can choose to become a paid subscriber if you value Connect Chadds Ford and itโs within your budget? No pressure, but if you feel compelled to upgrade to a paid subscription, I wonโt be mad. And if youโre already a paid subscriber, thank you so much! I really appreciate it.
Looking aheadHere are a few events you might want to add to your calendar. Several require registration in advance. Double-check dates and times in case theyโve changed since I shared. Weekend Plans
Mark Your CalendarsA few more exciting and important events to put on your calendar now so you donโt miss this!
Other events to add?In the comments, feel free to share any other events happening in and around Chadds Ford that you think our neighbors will enjoy! Got a question or a comment? Hit reply to this email. It comes right back to my inbox. ๐๐ป Did you get this from a friend and want to sign up yourself? If so, you can get more information and sign up here! From your Chadds Ford Neighbor, Jen |
Jen Panaro | Connect Chadds Ford
Connect Chadds Ford is a civic-minded community newsletter, focused on Chadds Ford and the Brandywine Valley. Through values of transparency, accountability, connection, and delight, Connect Chadds Ford is about building the community we hope to share with our children and neighbors. Drop your email below to subscribe to the weekly newsletter!