The Phoenix Wheel, a Jersey Shore icon, comes home | Inquirer Chester County
Plus, New Bolton Center Hospital is looking to add an animal composting facility.
Hi, Chester County! 👋
More than a century after it was built in Phoenixville, the Phoenix Wheel is returning home. Also this week, Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center Hospital wants to add an animal composting facility, the farmer who helped grow Chesco into the wealthiest county in the state is stepping down from his longtime role, plus, a West Chester joint has one of the region’s best breakfast sandwiches, according to The Inquirer’s food writers.
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An iconic piece of Asbury Park history is returning to its birth place in Phoenixville thanks to an effort to rebuild the 133-year-old Phoenix Wheel.
Dating back to 1893, the wheel was created by borough steelworkers as an amusement park ride, and predates its better-known cousin, the Ferris wheel.
It went on to become a fixture in Asbury Park for nearly a century, before being taken down in 1988. After sitting untouched for years, the Schuylkill River Heritage Center in Phoenixville spearheaded an effort to return the wheel to its original home, where it’s being erected adjacent to borough hall.
The wheel is quickly coming together, with a ribbon-cutting planned for early June.
The Inquirer’s Brooke Schultz explores the wheel’s history and the effort to bring it back.
📍 Countywide News
In case you missed it, Karen Barsoum, Chester County’s director of voter services, announced last week that she will resign in June, following a turbulent time at the county’s elections office.
After 50 years at the Chester County Economic Development Council, much of it as executive director, Gary Smith announced last week that he will be retiring on July 1. During his decades-long tenure, Smith, who grew up on a farm above Broad Run Creek, helped support the county’s growth into the wealthiest in the state, attracting builders and investors, and software, finance, and biotech employers. The Inquirer’s Joseph N. DiStefano recently sat down with Smith to discuss his childhood on the farm, how he helped Chesco thrive, and where he sees more room for growth.
Pennsylvania House members last week approved new regulations for data centers that would require their owners to pay for the increased costs associated with their energy demands. The bill, which now heads to the state Senate, comes at a time when the county is seeing an uptick in data center proposals.
Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture expanded a quarantine order aimed at controlling phorid flies, a pest often associated with mushroom farming. The flies aren’t harmful to humans but can destroy mushroom crops, a major industry in Chester County. The department is providing $1 million in grants to help farmers control the flies.
💡 Community News
The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center Hospital wants to add a composting facility to its West Marlborough Township campus to sustainably dispose of its patients’ remains. While no plans have been submitted yet, the center has begun discussions with the community for an enclosed 6,900-square-foot space that would turn deceased animals into fertilizer.
West Vincent Township’s board of supervisors will consider an application at a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Monday for a residential development with 28 single-family homes and 46 townhomes near the areas of Pottstown Pike, Birchrun Road, and Lexington Boulevard. The developer, Pulte, submitted updated plans for the development last month after a Planning Commission review in February.
Heads up for drivers: Starting Monday, Route 926 between Concord and Northgate Roads in Thornbury and Westtown Townships will be closed weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through May 8. During that time, Aqua Pennsylvania will be doing utility construction. Hilton Road between Walter and White Horse Roads in London Grove Township will be closed starting Monday for a bridge replacement project. Work is expected to last until mid-July. Stormwater pipe work is getting underway on Bell Tavern Boulevard, which will be reduced to one lane between Route 113 and Bell Tavern Road in East Caln Township, causing delays during roadwork. The project is expected to take four weeks.
The Federal Transportation Safety Board recently released its findings from an investigation into a plane crash two years ago that killed then Octorara Area School District board president Sam Ganow, who was also the pilot. The Feb. 1, 2024, crash in West Caln Township was likely caused by “inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to water-contaminated fuel, and his subsequent loss of control,” it found. Ganow was the sole occupant of the twin-engine Gulfstream American GA-7. (6abc)
In the latest edition of The Inquirer series “How I Bought This House,” reporter Dugan Arnett delves into how a couple’s unusually, but intentionally, timed search helped them land a more spacious house under asking price in Malvern. Marissa Diorio and Dean Koch began their search for a new home during the holidays last year, finding one that met a number of their requirements, like being single-family, not having an HOA, and having a partially built fence.
A new indoor pickleball facility opened Saturday at Ashbridge Square in East Caln Township. Located at 945 E. Lancaster Ave., Ace Pickleball has 12 courts, offers all-day open play, and designated spaces for beginner, intermediate, and advanced players.
Speaking of pickleball, Honey Brook Borough’s public pickleball courts open for the season today.
🏫 Schools Briefing
Great Valley School District’s board unanimously approved a new Club America chapter, a spinoff of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization, earlier this year. But the Inquirer’s Maddie Hanna found that the national organization may be overstating its reach in Pennsylvania, especially the Philadelphia area. Turning Point claims there are a growing number of chapters statewide, but some local schools listed as having one, including West Chester East High School, say they don’t. Hanna delves into the discrepancy.
Avon Grove School District will expand its Dual Language Immersion program over the next two school years, with plans to reach fourth graders this upcoming academic year, and fifth graders the following year. The program gives enrolled students the chance to learn another language and become bilingual. So far, 195 students have enrolled.
Owen J. Roberts School District is hosting a special school board meeting Monday at 6 p.m. at the high school and via Zoom to discuss and vote on the replacement of the three synthetic turf fields and the running track.
🍽️ On our Plate
The Inquirer’s food writers recently put together a list of the best breakfast sandwiches in the region. Among them is The Biscuit Lady’s “borderline unwieldy” sausage or bacon, egg, and melted cheese served on a house-made buttermilk biscuit. For those looking for something a little more unusual, The Inquirer’s Michael Klein recommends ordering the “Uptown Girl,” which adds peanut butter and jelly for a “salty-sweet, gloriously messy bite.” The popular Plymouth Meeting eatery recently opened a location in West Chester.
Food hall Wonder has added Indian cuisine thanks to the recent in-house creation of Dabba. The eatery, launched in select locations last week, including West Chester, dishes up things like samosas, chicken tikka masala, paneer tikka roll, butter chicken, and lamb vindaloo.
🎳 Things to Do
🍿 Tarzan: The Disney film gets the stage treatment. ⏰ Most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, April 3-26, times vary 💵 $31.60-$41.80 📍SALT Performing Arts, Chester Springs
🎸 EUROPA: The seven-piece group will perform some of Carlos Santana’s biggest hits. ⏰ Saturday, April 4, 7:30 p.m. 💵 $24.50-$40 📍The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville
🏇 Brandywine Hills Point to Point: Now in its 83rd year, the event includes steeplechase races, a foxhound parade, and more, all to benefit the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance. ⏰ Sunday, April 5, noon 💵 $40 per car 📍Myrick Conservation Center, West Chester
🥚 Easter Events
Valley Township Easter Egg Hunt ⏰ Friday, April 3, 3 p.m. (Rain date: April 4) 💵 Free 📍Rainbow Elementary School, Coatesville
Bunny Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt ⏰ Saturday, April 4, 9 a.m. for breakfast, 11 a.m. for the egg hunt 💵 $5 for children ages 2-9, $10 for everyone else 📍Penningtonville Presbyterian Church, Atglen
Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt ⏰ Saturday, April 4, 10 a.m.-noon 💵 Free 📍DeChantal Field at Immaculata University, East Whiteland Township
Caln Township Egg Hunt ⏰ Saturday, April 4, allotted times for different ages groups, starting at 1 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Caln Municipal Park, Thorndale
Coatesville YMCA Easter Egg Hunt ⏰ Saturday, April 4, 1-3 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Coatesville YMCA, Coatesville
New Garden Township Easter Egg Hunt ⏰ Saturday, April 4, 1 p.m. 💵 Free 📍New Garden Park, Landenberg
🏡 On the Market
Located in the Coldstream neighborhood in Tredyffrin Township, this five-bedroom Colonial is a blend of classic and contemporary. The first floor features a dining room, a den with built-ins, a window seat, and a dry bar; a living room with vaulted ceilings and a brick fireplace; and a family room with vaulted ceilings. It also has a bright kitchen with skylights, a 9-foot island, two-tone cabinetry with quartz countertops, and high-end appliances. All five bedrooms are upstairs, including a primary suite with two walk-in closets, a double-sink vanity, and a large, tile shower. Other features include a finished basement with a bar, a backyard patio, and a covered front porch.
See more photos of the home here.
Price: $1.25M | Size: 4,107 SF | Acreage: 0.73
🗞️ What other Chester County residents are reading this week:
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