Enjoy a day of music and art in Oxford

The second annual Connective Festival is now just ten days away. The 2019 Connective Festival, which takes place on Saturday, Aug. 3, features Blind Melon and family favorite Trout Fishing in America, as well as many other diverse acts that will be performing on three different stages in downtown Oxford. The first event was wonderful—everyone who attended had a good time, and the organizers have worked hard to make sure that the second event is even better.

More than 40 artists will be showcasing their work. There will be interactive music and art activities, plus plenty of food trucks, craft beers, local wine, and more. The gates open at 10 a.m.

One step forward, one step back

As a result of the past few election cycles, the contingent of elected officials in southern Chester County has slowly become a little more diverse. For many years—for many, many years, a large percentage of elected officials in southern Chester County were older, they were white, and they were male. Even as the communities themselves grew more diverse, local governments did not reflect those changes. 

But then there was some progress, especially in the last decade. But for every step forward, it seems, there’s a step backward. 

When Michael Watson resigned in East Nottingham Township, one of the younger supervisors in the area was lost. 

Oxford Borough Council became less diverse when Phillip Hurtt tendered his resignation recently.

There aren’t many female supervisors in the area, so when Shelley Meadowcroft stepped down as a supervisor in East Nottingham, it was a loss.

Look, it would be foolish to suggest that local residents would be better served simply because of the presence of more minorities in local government. The talent, intelligence, honesty, and dedication of each individual elected official determines how well he or she serves in their roles. But it would certainly be best if the various school boards, borough councils, and supervisor boards were truly representative of the communities that they serve. Hopefully, over the course of the next few election cycles, the diversity of the elected officials in the area will continue to grow.

Penn Township intersection improvements soon to be completed

For folks who regularly travel through the intersection of Route 796 and West Baltimore Pike, the major upgrades that are currently taking place to the intersection met an obvious need. The intersection has long had traffic flow issues. Even so, construction work at any busy intersection can create a nightmare for motorists.

It is not surprising that the intersection work is being completed in a such an efficient and smooth manner. Penn Township has long been one of the best-managed townships in the area, and this project is another illustration of that. The intersection improvement project should be completed within a month or so, and while there will always be some disruptions and delays with a project like this, those disruptions have been kept to a minimum. Kudos to everyone who played a part in making sure that the project went as smoothly as it did.