Royal Paper Ready To Introduce Its New Chester County Facility

WEST WHITELAND TOWNSHIP, PA – Royal Paper Products is pulling up stakes and moving — but the vans didn’t have far to travel.

After 65 years on North Caln Road in the Coatesville area, Royal is ready to welcome guests to its new Exton area facility on Clover Mill Road in West Whiteland. It is holding a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday.

The company makes more than 1,000 disposable products for the foodservice, hospitality and janitorial industries.

The new production plant and headquarters is located on 22 acres, giving the company ample room for its 45 employees and providing 16,500 square feet of much needed office space.

Read more:  http://www.dailylocal.com/business/20150610/royal-paper-ready-to-introduce-its-new-county-facility

Coatesville To Celebrate 100 Years As A City

Chester County’s only city will commemorate its 100th anniversary with the Coatesville Centennial Celebration at the city’s train station located at Fleetwood Street and North Third Avenue, at 10 a.m. on April 27.

Coatesville is named after Moses Coates, a farmer and postmaster who in 1787 purchased land that now makes up the center of the city, according to http://www.Coatesville.org. A village in the area where Coates purchased land came to be known as Coates Villa, and in 1867 it merged with the neighboring village of Midway to form the Borough of Coatesville. On April 27, 1915, a majority of the borough’s residents voted in favor of granting city status to Coatesville.

The centennial celebration will begin with a performance by the Coatesville Area Senior High Marching Band. During the celebration, Aja Thompson, a CASH graduate and Coatesville Youth Initiative volunteer will read her poem, “I Love and Miss You, Coatesville.”

The winner of the Coatesville Centennial Logo Design Contest will also be announced at the event. The contest was open to students in the Coatesville Area School District, and challenged them to design a new logo to represent the city of Coatesville. The winning logo will be featured on signage, event flyers and street banners for the centennial celebration.

Read more:

http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20150419/coatesville-to-celebrate-100-years-as-a-city

Witnesses Testify At Richard Como’s Preliminary Hearing

WEST CHESTER, PA – The criminal case against former Coatesville Area School District Superintendent Richard Como opened a new chapter Friday in a lengthy preliminary hearing at the Chester County Justice Center.

The former superintendent, who abruptly retired at the start of the 2013 school year amid the discovery of racist and sexist text message exchanges with the district’s athletic director, faces a slew of felony theft charges resulting from a nearly yearlong grand jury investigation that concluded late last year.

On Friday prosecutors from the Chester County District Attorney’s Office called several witnesses in an effort to put forward enough evidence to send the case to trial.

Como is accused of defrauding the district out of thousands of dollars during his time as superintendent. While a large portion of the alleged thefts revolve around the purchase of championship football rings, many of the charges stem from a series of alleged smaller thefts that plagued the district for years.

Read more:

http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20150227/witnesses-testify-at-richard-comos-preliminary-hearing

Coatesville School Board President Resigns

Caln Township, PA – Amid speculation that the Chester County District Attorney’s grand jury investigation of two former district administrators is nearing completion, Coatesville Area School Board President Neil Campbell resigned from his post Tuesday.

“This decision was difficult as I enjoyed representing the district as well as members of the community,” Campbell said in his statement addressed to the school board dated Nov. 25. “I truly appreciate those that elected me to serve and it was an honor.”

Campbell’s resignation was announced before the school board meeting commenced. His resignation was effective immediately, according to school district officials.

Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20141126/coatesville-school-board-president-resigns

2 Coatesville Administrators Placed On Leave Amid District Lawsuit Action

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Caln Township, PA – Two Coatesville Area School District employees were placed on administrative leave last week at the same time the school board filed a lawsuit against two former administrators.

Assistant superintendent Angelo Romaniello and facilities worker Matthew Como, the son of former superintendent Richard Como, were placed on administrative leave effective last week.

Romaniello’s attorney, Robert Donatoni of West Chester, declined comment on the employment status of his client Friday. Attorney Paul Rubino, who’s representing Matt Como, also declined comment.

CASD superintendent Cathy Taschner did not release the names of the employees in the message sent to parents Thursday night. School district officials responded Friday to a right-to-know request submitted by the Daily Local News checking on the employment status of Matt Como and Romaniello.

Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20141122/2-coatesville-administrators-placed-on-leave-amid-district-lawsuit-action

Several Factors Led To No Slayings In Coatesville In 2013

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

COATESVILLE, PA  –   Coatesville, long considered the hotbed of crime in Chester County, went without a homicide in 2013 after seeing six, including three in 10 days, the previous year.

Law enforcement officials are attributing the drop to an intense targeting of high-risk criminals and to factors outside their control – such as the weather.

“You don’t know which one of those was the silver bullet that really caused this drop,” Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan said Thursday. “So your only real choice for law enforcement is to keep all of them up for as long as you can.”

What happened in Coatesville mirrored trends in much larger cities across the country. Philadelphia had 247 killings last year, a 25 percent drop from 2012. In New York and Chicago, the fewest homicides were recorded since 1963 and 1965, respectively.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140104_Several_factors_led_to_no_murders_in_Coatesville_in_2013.html#Bf4Uy35BFgHSCPUv.99

Coatesville Schools Don’t Provide Requested Information

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The clock expired Thursday for the Coatesville Area School District to respond to three Right-to-Know requests submitted last month by the Daily Local News, a sister paper of The Times Herald.

The newspaper made the requests in response to the abrupt departures of former Superintendent Richard Como and former Director of Athletics and Activities Jim Donato.

Those requests, because the district hadn’t replied within 30 days of when it first said it needed more time to check on the legality of releasing the information, were deemed denied Thursday.

On Sept. 10, school board solicitor and attorney James Ellison advised the Daily Local the district needed an additional 30 calendar days beyond the usual five business days public entities have to respond to the newspaper’s Right to Know request.

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/social-affairs/20131014/coatesville-schools-dont-provide-requested-information

Coatsville Area School District In Crisis After Racially-Charged Rext Messages Surface

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The abrupt departure of the Coatesville Area School District superintendent and another senior administrator came two weeks after numerous exchanges of inappropriate and racially-charged text messages were discovered on their district-issued cell phones, and multiple sources have indicated that school board officials were not only aware of the exchanges, but were prepared to allow the pair to remain in their positions until the conduct prompted a criminal investigation, the Daily Local News has learned.

The Coatesville Area School Board is expected to formally vote to approve the resignations of former Superintendent Richard Como and former Director of Athletics and Activities Jim Donato at Tuesday’s public meeting.  Como announced his “retirement” through a letter posted on the district’s website on August 29. Reports of Donato’s resignation surfaced several days later.  Both came unexpectedly during the first week of the school year.

Text messages exchanged from school-issued cell phone numbers between Como and Donato contained repeated use of a commonly known derogatory phrase referring to African American or black individuals.  In one instance, the term was used 14 times in one conversation.

The school district has not commented on the resignations, but two sources with knowledge of the situation said the departures were the direct result of discoveries found on Donato’s cell phone. More disturbingly, the sources said the school board was made aware of the text messages and was prepared to allow Como and Donato to remain in their positions until the transcripts were leaked to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, prompting a criminal investigation.

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/social-affairs/20130923/coatsville-area-school-district-in-crisis-after-racially-charged-text-messages-surface

Superintendent, Athletic Director Out In Coatesville

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Coatesville school board officials Tuesday announced that the district’s superintendent and a senior athletic director had resigned – and that they could not comment further because of an ongoing investigation by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

In a brief statement, board officials said Richard Como, the superintendent, and Jim Donato, Coatesville Area Senior High School director of athletics and activities, had submitted letters of resignation.  The board is to vote on those letters Sept. 24.

Como initially announced his retirement two weeks ago in a post on the district website.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20130911_Superintendent__athletic_director_out_in_Coatesville.html#ViyjYV7yX25EU21A.99

Coatesville Hopes To Boost Downtown Revitalization

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

COATESVILLE, PA — City Council is updating the city’s revitalization plans.

Council members unanimously voted to establish the Coatesville Downtown Revitalization District during an Aug. 12 meeting, with Councilman Ed Simpson and Vice President Joseph Hamrick absent.

Council President David Collins said the purpose was to target a specific area around expansion and redevelopment projects currently planned for the city.

Collins said this area will be essential to attracting new business enterprises, encouraging commercial development and expansion, improving the aesthetic appearance of the existing architecture, and building a stronger sense of community pride.

Read more:  http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20130819/NEWS01/130819663/coatesville-hopes-to-boost-downtown-revitalization#full_story

Steel For I-81 Rebuild Sourced From Pennsylvania Steel Mills

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Dauphin County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In about a month, the massive bridge beams being manufactured for the emergency Interstate 81 rebuild project will be coming from beam fabricator High Steel Structures in Lancaster.

The company’s manufacturing facility — one of three in that city and four in the state — stands in sharp contrast to the fallen production factories that dot parts of the rust belt as it loops through Pennsylvania.

The steel industry was once a giant in Pennsylvania, and not just in Pittsburgh, Johnstown or Bethlehem, cities whose names are synonymous with steel.

While many of the heavy industrial mills closed — and indeed, Bethlehem Steel ceased to exist in 2003 — steel manufacturing is still a part of the state’s industrial landscape.

Read more:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/all_in_family_steel_for_i-81_r.html#incart_river_default

Former Coatesville City Manager Discusses His Termination

Editor’s note:   Sounds so familiar!

COATESVILLE, PA — More than five weeks after he was fired, former City Manager Gary Rawlings discussed recently why he was let go, the situation with the city’s police department and other issues.

City Council never provided the public with a specific reason as to why they terminated Rawlings on June 11. Rawlings said he, too, was never provided with a reason from council for his eventual dismissal.

“I was never given a reason and can only assume,” said Rawlings, who served as manager for 13 months.  “I guess it was that they were unhappy with my style.  But I tried to draw a line between my responsibilities and theirs based on the city charter.  When it came to personnel matters, I told them they had to stay out of it or else they could get in trouble.

”Rawlings said council was “too involved” in the day-to-day management in the city.  He said the council never set goals for him even though it was part of his contract.  He said council should “set goals and then step back” when hiring a city manager.  He said the next manager will also need more time to develop.

“Thirteen months is not enough time to judge someone’s management style,” Rawlings said.

Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20120723/NEWS01/120729924/former-coatesville-manager-discusses-his-termination&pager=full_story

Coatesville Applies For Velodrome Grant

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

COATESVILLE, PA — City Council will once again file for county grant of up to $1 million for infrastructure including parking for the proposed Velodrome project.

Last year, the city filed for a similar grant, but did not receive it, because of the uncertainty surrounding the project at the time, City Manager Gary Rawlings said. He said now the project is closer to the beginning of construction and the feels more confident that the project will come to fruition.

In December of 2010, the Redevelopment Authority and the project developers at that time were reportedly closing in on a deal to sell the land at the corner of Lincoln Highway and Route 82 known as the Flats. Since then, the window for an agreement of sale has been extended numerous times and there have been no signs of an agreement.

However, in late 2011, new developers signed onto the project and the former developers left the group.

Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20120401/NEWS01/120409959/coatesville-applies-for-velodrome-grant&pager=full_story

Downingtown Christmas Parade And Coatesville Historic District House Tours This Weekend

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The Downingtown Christmas Parade will start at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 10th and will run along Lancaster Avenue.  For more information,  call 610-269-4203 or visit their website www.dtownchristmas.com

The Coatesville Lukens Historic District Holiday House Tour will take place today, December 9th from 4pm to 7pm.  The event is free.  Donations are requested.  For more information, call 610-384-9282 or check out their website www.lukensnhd.org.

Coatesville Area School District Eying Four-Day Week

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The Coatesville Area School District is taking a unique approach to avoid layoffs and program cuts.  The district is proposing a year-round four-day school week.

Under Coatesville’s plan, high school students would have their day extended forty-five minutes and elementary students would have their day extended eighty minutes.  Making this change would save the Chester County school district $1.7 million a year.

Coatesville Area School District has 11 schools and nearly 7,000 students.

First Suburbs Event: April 14th‏

Too many of our towns struggle with concentrated poverty, low tax bases, high property taxes and insufficient revenues to maintain quality public services and schools.

Join us in a public meeting to call for fairness in housing policy and balance in our region!

Public Meeting on Regional Opportunity

with HUD Region III Administrator, Jane Vincent, and other regional policy-makers

When: Thursday, April 14 7:30-9:00 PM

Where: J.P. Mascaro & Sons Building

2650 Audubon Road

Audubon, PA 19403

RSVP: FirstSuburbsProject@gmail.com

Featured Presenter: David Rusk, Regional Policy Consultant and Author

The Borough will be coordinating transportation for those who do not wish to drive to Audubon on April 14^th. We will have two buses departing Borough Hall that evening and anyone who is interested should let Ginny Takach (gtakach@pottstown.org)  know as soon as possible.