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Chester County Press

Uncle Irvin: Balloon festival caused no problems

06/30/2015 02:02PM ● By Richard Gaw


Uncle Irvin has lived less than half a mile from the New Garden Flying Field on Newark Road, north of Old Route 1, for more than 40 years, and has never had a negative experience with traffic or noise.

In fact, no one who lives close to the Flying Field has ever made a formal complaint to the New Garden Supervisors like Christine Witherspoon's prepared statement that was read to the supervisors at their recent meeting. Witherspoon is, or was, the wife of former New Garden Supervisor Warren Reynolds, who is serving a jail term for child pornography. Witherspoon will also be a beneficiary of a $2 million open space land easement on her farm -- one that dates back several generations in the Reynolds family -- that was recently approved by the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors.

Witherspoon's criticism of the Balloon Festival and the airport had no other sponsors.

Her characterization of "natural noise amplification by the quarry" and the alleged "terrorizing of dogs and horses" is demonizing the Balloon Festival, and is nothing but a self-serving harangue that had no part in a public meeting and has absolutely no merit.

(Uncle Irvin's column is his opinion only, and is not a news story.)