A Community Space to Reset Together
+ celebrating good citizens + gaming for adults + middle school sans asbestos
It’s been quite a couple of weeks watching people immune from consequence “move fast and break things” with abandon. We don’t really know the consequences of (*waves arms*) this. 🥴 But in the face of upheaval, community cornerstones can offer respite and resilience.
Rachel Doucette hopes to create such a space to reset and build community relationships in her new(ish) yoga studio, The Yoga Space Chadds Ford, on Route 1.
Doucette offers yoga classes and occasional special events like sound baths, yoga for families, mommy and me classes, and holiday specials. Just as important to her, she hopes to become a place where locals can come to reset and find comfort in a space shared with neighbors.
I'd been searching for the right yoga studio for a while with no luck. Everything was too far away, not quite my vibe, or a little too "woo wooey" for me. The Yoga Space classes offer a Goldilocks mix (IMO) of strength, stretching, and sweating. Insider tip: The lavender-infused towelette at the end is the icing on the cake! 🪻
The Yoga Space has a growing community of regular attendees who create a warm and welcoming space to connect with neighbors and support a flourishing small business. As a mom to UCFSD students, I knew I found my spot when I received the notification that my class was pushed back two hours in response to the school district's late start a couple of weeks ago. Doucette is clearly locked into serving her members where they’re at. 🥰
One of my favorite benefits of supporting our Chadds Ford businesses is their ability to respond to our needs and circumstances so quickly and fluidly. It just makes sense when we work together to make our community work for us.
I recommend checking out the new(ish) studio if you haven't tried it yet. Rachel opened the doors in March of 2024, so the space hasn't yet reached its first birthday. That celebration is coming soon.
In addition to the regular schedule, she’s offering Valentine’s Day Glow Yoga in collaboration with Dough Sweet1, another local business that matches the festive sweetness of Valentine’s Day perfectly.
Even when the world isn’t on fire, it’s always a good time to give yourself an hour of reflection and relaxation to reset. Bring your mat (or borrow one from the studio if you don't have your own), and create some space to catch your breath and stretch your muscles. Your body and brain will thank you. Hope to see you there!
Celebrating our local residents!
The Chadds Ford Township Residents Association (CFTRA) announced its 2024 Citizen of the Year, Helen Sipala. You can read more about it in Chadds Ford Live.
The annual award honors a Chadds Ford resident who made a significant volunteer contribution to the township throughout the years. This year, the CFTRA honored Helen Sipala for her work with the Chadds Ford Area Women’s Club and her efforts to preserve Painter’s Folly and its place in the history of the Brandywine School of Painting and legacy of Andrew Wyeth.
Helen has been a member of the Chadds Ford Area Women’s Club for over 50 years and served as President twice. The CFAWC was established in 1967 to promote social and community engagement for women. The heart of the organization are its monthly meetings which have an educational or entertainment component. For 24 years Helen has been solely responsible for planning the programs for these meeting which she’s accomplished with great flair and creativity.
Much like the programs Helen hosted, the Chadds Ford Township Residents Association seeks to create stronger bonds between residents and support for the local businesses in Chadds Ford. CFTRA is a volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan civic organization whose mission is to create a strong sense of community within the township, support its residents and businesses, and help retain the area’s unique historical quality and rural character.
In December, I shared about their annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony that drew over 120 people. You’ve probably also seen their signs for volunteer roadside clean up events. We could all use some good neighbor vibes and IRL connection. If you haven’t already, check out the CFTRA.
And if you know someone who deserves to be honored for their commitment to community building in Chadds Ford, nominate them for the 2025 award! I was part of the team from the Rachel Kohl Library that nominated Ted Varney for the award in 2020, and he got it! You never know what impact your small actions might have - at a tree lighting ceremony, cleaning up on the side of the road, at a local picnic, or writing a letter of recommendation to help recognize your neighbor for the great work they do.
Speaking of bragging about your neighbors…
Do you know a stellar senior who lives in Chadds Ford? CFTRA also offers an annual $1,500 scholarship award to a high school senior who lives in our township. CFTRA is currently seeking applications (through March 31). If you know someone who wants to apply, they can check out the requirements and download an application.
Would you have guessed that…
Mahjong Club is one of the most popular programs at the Rachel Kohl library? I haven’t attended, but I hear it’s a huge hit!
Join other Mahjong players on Tuesdays at 1 PM to check it out. All skill levels are welcome, including beginners. If you own an American Mahjong set, the library asks that you bring it with you, though it is not required. Each weekly session lasts for two hours.
The library also has a thriving knitting club, pastel art classes, an upcoming lecture on Lincoln’s murder, afternoon and evening book clubs, and so much more. Check out their full program menu for February!
Libraries are one of our last true “third spaces,” places where people in the community from all walks of life can meet and hang out for free (thank you capitalism 🤪) . There’s never a better time than now to meet new people and try a new game with no pressure. Have you played before?
Middle school sans asbestos? Seems reasonable 👍🏻
The school board will be voting soon (Feb 18, 2025) on how to address the age and degradation of the middle school building (more on that in the January 2025 newsletter). At a minimum, the building needs nearly $70 million in major maintenance over the next twenty years to serve our students (surely with plenty of disruption, no matter how hard they work to limit it).
Alternatively, the district can renovate the school ($113 million) or replace it ($120 million).2 For an extra $7 million, it seems silly to renovate instead of replace, so it seems like it will come down to $70 million to maintain or an extra $50 million to build brand new with modern architecture, more natural light, and far less disruption to classes. Doing nothing is not an option.
The district has assured taxpayers this investment in our children and their education doesn’t require a tax hike (i.e., no tax increases above the standard Act 1 Index adjustment authorized by the state). If construction blows past the budget, the district would be required to modify the project to keep it within the Act 1 limitations or use a referendum to ask taxpayers directly for approval to exceed the projected budget. In short, the Board has a strong incentive to ensure the budget is accurate and feasible (because no one wants a referendum… so much work 😬).
Some argue that a lack of referendum is a lack of accountability. That’s not accurate. The Act 1 Index provides, by definition, a base level of accountability. It’s a state guideline that prevents school districts from increasing taxes above and beyond a figure approximating impacts of inflation. Only when a district wants to exceed that built-in accountability limitation will a referendum be required.
It’s also worth noting that financial models and projections are very malleable! Most people in finance will tell you some version of “You can make the numbers say anything.” That might sound shady, but it’s not. Financial models include all sorts of assumptions and predictions.3 Small changes in interest/discount rates and cash flow assumptions can produce significant swings in final valuations, especially over long time periods.
As I mentioned above, the school district has every incentive to get this right. Board members live in the district and are taxpayers, just like you and me. They have skin in the game. And no one… no one... wants to endure the administration and advocacy of a referendum if they can avoid it!
Community members without access to the full suite of information the district used to calculate the model can build their own models. Transparency and good faith discussion are fruitful. But any model will always (even under the best of intentions) be subject to the sensitivity of assumptions and bias inherent in every financial analysis.
The district has a lot to lose in getting their model wrong. The citizen scientists and mathematicians among us… not so much. Just something to keep in mind as we all do our best to be critical thinkers and make informed decisions about how we advocate for government spending of taxpayer dollars.
As for me, I’m rooting for a new middle school to give our future leaders, dreamers, and achievers a beautiful space that will align with our district’s aim to remain a top school in Pennsylvania. Let’s dress for the job we want, and ensure our middle school looks like the educational leader we want it to continue to be.
Last but not least
If you made it this far, thanks!! Did I miss anything? What else would you like to see in a monthly community newsletter? I’d love to hear your ideas so I can ensure this space is something that helps us grow and connect as neighbors.
My boys have had Dough Sweet, and they definitely approve!
See the middle school feasibility study page for more information on the project.
For the middle school project, financial analysts are predicting 20 years into the future. We barely know what next week will look like, let alone 2045!! This is an “educated guess” exercise; no one has a Magic 8 Ball to model “the truth.”