Local Students to Compete in the Chester County Spelling Bee

The Chester County Spelling Bee for 2016 will be held on February 8th starting at 9 a.m. and will see the 55 students who qualified compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The event to be streamed live on CCiTV, will take place at the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s Educational Service Center located at 455 Boot Road in Downingtown.

The CCIU coordinated competition was open to all students enrolled in any Chester County school and had not reached their 15th birthday by August 31st, 2015. Each school could send one student to the Chester County Bee.

“Each of the participants is the winner from his or her school’s local spelling bee and each school is permitted to determine its own qualifying structure for its entrant, provided it follows the eligibility requirements,” said Ashley Boyd, CCIU special events coordinator.

New Drinking Water Certification Program Offered by DCCC

Starting from Tuesday, February 23rd, a new drinking water certification program is on offer from Delaware County Community College.

The program is certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and prepares entry-level operators for certification and employment. The minimum requirement for operator certification is a high school diploma or GED.

DCCC’s program which is divided into two 90-hour sessions offers all the coursework and module review needed for students to pass the licensing exam for DEP certification. Candidates who are successful must enroll for certification level 1 and 2.

Courses will be held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m.at the Marple Campus on 901 S. Media Line Road in Media. The cost of the certification is $950 per semester, or $1750 for both semesters if paid in advance. For more information call Mary Kay McClatchy at 610-723-4010.

New Members Voted Onto the Uptown! Board

Uptown! Entertainment Alliance has announced the addition of new members to its Board of Directors. During the December meeting, Sue Lapin, Kane Bender, Don Scholl, William Winters, Chris Lang, and Chris Howe were unanimously voted onto the Board.

The main goal of UEA, which was established six years ago, is  ‘Bringing a Theatre to Downtown West Chester’ to create a cultural hub for residents within walking distance of the borough’s lively restaurant, pub and shopping district.   

The UEA has already reached an agreement from the State to purchase the Armory as well as zoning approval from the Borough Council, with plans to open the theater later this year. Homsey Architects have been hired by Uptown to design the performance hall, Bancroft Construction to manage the project, while Clair Solutions has the task of designing the stage, screen lighting and audio systems.