Tuesday’s fire at a Wallace Avenue shopping center left a number of borough businesses homeless. Mayor Josh Maxwell offered thanks to the volunteers who helped battle the blaze, as well as those who offered food and beverages to the volunteers. He said the borough was already at work, looking for places to house the displaced businesses. Photo: courtesy Josh Maxwell.
DOWNINGTOWN — Mayor Josh Maxwell said Wednesday that he and the borough would work to find new homes for the businesses burned out of their shops Tuesday by a devastating fire at a Wallace Avenue shopping center.
Maxwell, who rushed to the scene of the fire, offered thanks and praise to the nine local fire companies that fought the blaze, as well as other local businesses who stepped up to feed the tired and hungry first responders. Maxwell said that the borough is already working to find new locations for the businesses displaced by the fire.
Maxwell’s statement, issued Wednesday afternoon:
“My thoughts and prayers, along with the entire Downingtown community, are with the dozens of business owners and employees who were affected by the largest fire in Downingtown in over 10 years. Downingtown Borough staff are already looking for vacant locations nearby that could be available immediately for these businesses.
“Yesterday, shortly before 5 p.m. something went wrong that caused a fire that spread through a shared attic. Within 15 minutes the Downingtown Police Chief contacted me and before I could get to the scene over 150 volunteers from 9 different fire departments had left work and started fighting the flames. Miraculously, the building was vacated quickly and the shared efforts of the massive fire fighting operation kept the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings.
“Although late yesterday afternoon, something went terribly wrong, everything that followed; including the response by the Downingtown Fire Department, local restaurants sending over food for volunteers and EMTs constantly monitoring the health conditions of those risking their lives fighting the flames, represented what well-prepared team in the face of a tragedy can accomplish.
“Someone yesterday leaned over to me and said about the volunteer fire fighters that had showed up, “Wow, when you need them, you really need them.” Absolutely true.
“If you see a firefighter or an EMT make sure you shake their hand. They did a tremendous job.
“If you have the chance to visit Margo’s Ice Cream, Pj Whelihans, Lione’s Pizza, Cocco’s Pizza, Wawa on Wallace Avenue, Wegman’s Downingtown, Victory Downingtown or Station Taproom, thank them for taking care of our exhausted emergency services team last night.
“My heart goes out to those whose livelihood was affected by this fire. As a community we will do our best to take care of you. Everything that followed the start of the fire made me very proud to be Mayor of this amazing community.
“We have a lot of good neighbors here.”
Can we please report issues in Coatesville and not locations like Downingtown. What about the 2.5 percent tax increase that the morons from the school board just approved? How in the hell can a joke of a school district actually charge us more for such garbage of an education?
You have a point and you’re wrong.
Where you have a point: our coverage of the Coatesville area has been, to be blunt, lousy of late. Our local writer faded from the scene and we’re searching for a replacement. So, anyone looking for writing/reporting work should contact me at mike@chescotimes.com
Where you’re wrong: the CASD school board gave PRELIMINARY approval to a 2.4% hike — below the Act 1 limit for the first time in recent memory — despite having been left a fiscal mess by previous boards and administrations.
While the district is being forced to adopt some fairly radical fixes — I don’t think anyone likes the idea of privatizing custodial services — I don’t know that they have much of a choice here. Some numbers could also change before the final adoption next month, so, again, if you’re not happy, go to a board meeting, ask questions and get answers for yourself.
From here, it looks like the board picked the least awful option (and they could have done a lot worse), keeping the tax hike relatively in line with neighboring districts (Unionville, just down Route 82, is increasing taxes 2.09% — despite being in much better financial condition, as an example).
Mike, frankly I think you are wrong, and that the latest CASD property tax hike should be afforded significantly more weight and acknowledgement in terms of public reporting.
Look at the performance of the CASD schools based on the Pa. Depart of Ed’s latest school performance profiles (2013-2014), on a scale of 1-100, where 75/100, by the State is considered passing:
Caln Elementary 58.5;
Coatesville HS 62.5;
East Fallowfield Elementary 74.9;
Friendship Elementary 67.6;
Kings Highway Elementary 79;
North Brandywine MS 72.3;
Rainbow Elementary 59.5;
Reeceville Elementary 67.3;
Scott MS 62.4;
South Brandywine MS 72.7.
The return on investment (ROI) to CASD taxpayers and families, in terms of quality education in the area is abysmal at best, and the above data highlights this, especially where as you fully know, CASD taxpayers pay a significantly relative higher premium in property taxes, but have significantly less quality educational choice. Take for example, even CASD’s crown jewel Kings Highway Elementary, which has the potential to become an incredible elementary school, but is tied to a struggling school district, and currently sits in a very dilapidated building, which lacks properly working AC units, etc.
Understood that the school district is attempting a turn-around, but the data remains, the relative under-performance of the CASD speaks volumes. The trend has already started where CASD taxpayers have really had enough, and are looking elsewhere to not only to educate their children, but to a locale where their tax dollars can have a more significant return.
You make valid points on return on investment — and keep in mind, I pay taxes in both Unionville and Coatesville (the latter as my wife and I own a commercial building in the district). But, again, what other path should the school board have taken at this point?
After more than a decade of mismanagement (and many would argue longer) this district is where it is. A fix will not and cannot happen quickly, but it seems fair to acknowledge a move in the right direction, doesn’t it?