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Chester County Press

Editorial: Keeping our neighbors warm

11/20/2018 01:28PM ● By Richard Gaw

Keeping our neighbors warm

The continuing legacy of what the Kennett Library has come to mean to the communities it serves took another bold step forward on Nov. 10, when it served as the home base for the distribution of 300 new winter coats and 600 books to children in the area. International Paper, Janssen of Johnson & Johnson and the library's Adult Literacy Program served as sponsors for Operation Warm, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing brand new winter coats to children in need. The library was filled with members of the community, library board members and staff, all of whom graciously served as volunteers.

It was a full day for the children, who not only walked away with two new books and a warm winter coat, they also participated in a variety of activities at the library, ranging from Origami, rock-painting, face-painting, making sun-catchers and tissue-paper mosaics, board games and a participatory music program.

The library's link with Operation Warm will not only help children keep warm this winter, it will gain a new customer base, whose lives will get to grow and mature at the same rate as the new library, poised for construction at the Bayard Taylor Commons just down the street from the current library.

The rebirth of Birch Street

On Nov. 21, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Creamery of Kennett Square will officially reopen its doors again after a nearly year-long closure. For reasons known only to its management, the facts of this decision to shut its doors remained, for the most part, cloaked in mystery, not only to this newspaper but for thousands of its most ardent customers, who struggled to find the facts but never heard them. While we are likely never to hear the full extent of these reasons, the Creamery's re-opening signals that Birch Street, once an underutilized avenue on the outskirts of the borough, is primed to become the borough's new center of attraction. The Creamery won't be doing this alone; next door, Braeloch Brewing is putting the finishing touches on a concept that will soon add one more notch to Kennett Square's emerging reputation as a craft beer mecca.

For those community members who will be at home preparing their Thanksgiving Day feast and not able to attend the Creamery's newest debut, it will be again be the host of the Kennett Square Holiday Village Market on Dec. 1-2 and 8-9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors will enjoy a curated open air artisan market filled with unique holiday gifts ideas, handcrafted by local and regional artisans and vendors, as well as children's activities, live music and craft beers.

So welcome back, Creamery. While you have been Kennett Square's greatest vanishing act over the past few years, you have also become one of the town's most precious gifts – a gemstone forever being polished to perfection. You are part of what we call Home.