Incumbent argues his experience and continuing current course best bet for township’s future
[EDITOR’S NOTE:] This is the second of a series of stories about local candidates running for election this November. Falcoffs’ opponent, Scudder Stevens, was profiled yesterday.
By P.J. D’Annunzio, Staff Writer, KennettTimes.com
Allan Falcoff
KENNETT — Despite the autumn chill in the air, things are beginning to heat up; specifically in the realm of Kennett Township politics.
Board of Supervisors Chairperson incumbent Allan Falcoff is getting ready to face off against opponent Scudder Stevens— who is running to oust him from the station he has held since 2006—and explains why he is confident that this contest will result in his favor.
“My background has shown that I have the capability to work in this environment,” he said, “My engineering background has assisted in the development of the area and I enjoy working with people.”
Falcoff, whose degrees including a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and a Masters of Science degree in Administration from George Washington University, was an employee for the DuPont Company for 33 years.
After retiring from his career at DuPont, Falcoff became active in Kennett Township politics circa 2003 when he joined the Township Safety Committee. He later enlisted in the Zoning Hearing Board in 2005 until he was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2006.
Falcoff believes he has been an asset to the township in many ways, however, he considers one instance in particular to be his crowning achievement:
“My biggest achievement has instituting the accident reporting system. This has allowed us to implement major improvements on local roads,” he said, “It has allowed us to beat PennDOT over the head to get improvements on state roads and on township roads and it helps to pinpoint exactly where our problem areas are. Probably the most important thing we’ve ever done.”
The incumbent’s focus on road safety and upkeep will continue to be of considerable importance should he be re-elected.
“The one area that we’re going to be getting into in the future is redevelopment of the Ways Lane area: it’s a totally underutilized area within the center of the township, close to the borough. It doesn’t even have a road that people can travel on; the post office can’t deliver mail to it. There’s a thrust by the county to optimize the use of a corridor from the township to the borough grounded by the bypass on US-1…we want to support the county and the county redevelopment people,” Falcoff said.
This is a project that depends greatly on the continuation of his governance.
Of his rival, Falcoff was asked if there was any aspect at all in which Stevens would benefit the township by Board of Supervisors:
“No. I can’t think of a single thing,” he responded.
Falcoff is confident that what’s best for the township is the same formula of administration that he has been utilizing for the past several years; not a change in leadership.
“My platform is to continue what I’ve been doing,” he said, “My strongest suit over the last six years has been to bring people together; to try to get people that have issues and controversies with the townships and/or each other together. I think I’ve done a fairly decent job of trying to reach compromise solutions that every one can live with… I don’t think I’ll do anything differently. I think my work over the years has been quite notable.”
The accusations by Brian Gore (Our town Manager/Treasurers boy friend) are laughable and show the desperation of the Falcoff campaign. So funny how Falcoff can try to use the accomplishments of the DuPont Company to give him credibility but in the same breath try to say the family eases land for self-serving purposes. It is common knowledge that the Dupont family is one of the most generous families in the area. Giving millions to area schools, YMCA’s and almost every cause in the area…..how self serving!! Kate duPont is following in the families tradition of philanthropy by giving 100′s of hours of her time and 1000′s of dollars so that EVERYONE can have the opportunity to enjoy open space.
Have any of you been on eased land on Mike Elling’s, Allan Falcoff’s or Tom Nales property? All three current supervisors received over $100,000.00 in compensation for the eased land in their back yards which is used ONLY by them…..The two preserves near our home are used by hundreds every week and are maintained by volunteers including Kate and I. We have no regrets supporting the Land Conservancy and will continue to donate our money and time no matter who is supervisor in Kennett…..because it is the right thing to do for Kennett community. We have received $0 in compensation.
I find it very interesting that 2 out of 3 local newspapers REFUSED to run Brian Gores and Allan Facoffs latest add. When asked why they refused to run the add they said ” It was obvious the statements were false and with absolutely no merit” When Randy Lieberman owner of the Chester County Press was asked why he ran an obvious false advertisement he response was ” THIS IS HOW WE MAKE OUR MONEY” enough said….The paper is usually very unbiased so the fact that he took the advertisement just for the money was very surprising.
Helping to preserve land for EVERYONE and very proud of it !!
Alfred duPont
In response to Catherine Burkett’s post and Chester County Republican’s post, just listen to the tapes of Mr. Falcoff’s Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Oct 17th, when, in acknowledging Board shortcomings, he said the following:
“I don’t know what the State requires for a Township audit”; and
“I don’t know whether McCarthy’s credentials were checked”; and
“I don’t know why the audit was accepted since it wasn’t signed by the accountant”.
These are clear illustrations from his own mouth of his “notable work” over the past six years.
I ask for your vote for Supervisor of Kennett Township on November 8th. Give me a chance to bring transparency and light back to our local government.
Scudder G. Stevens
For the facts, see http://www.scudder4supervisor.org
By the way, the fact that the opponent mimicked Scudder’s website is not an example of Leadership. It is Follow-ship.
Vote 4 Scudder, restore Honesty to Kennett Township.
Disclosure: I am with the Scudder Campaign to return the Township back to the people.
Running on his record, seriously? His campaign literature maintains that he is responsible for creating our one man police force which as recent events have shown, is not something to be proud of. Chief McCarthy has a checkered past including well documented psychological issues, leaving his gun in an elementary school bathroom and accepting the police chief’s position in the Township while still employed by the Borough. If this is the kind of due diligence that Mr. Falcoff employs when making decisions for Kennett Township, it is indeed time for a change. We need a thoughtful and thorough Supervisor and Scudder Stevens is just the person for the job. I am voting for Scudder because I know he will take the time to make the right decision, the first time.
The creation of a local police force IS, in fact, one of Allan Falcoff’s accomplishments as Township Supervisor. The idea that Mr. Scudder has such good judgment that he would have made a better decision about the person to put in the job IS PURE SPECULATION.
Albert McCarthy is also responsible for tackling a fugitive 40 years younger than himself this past spring. See this article:
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2011/04/02/news/srv0000011310061.txt
The anonymous Chester County Republican mis-states my position. I have not attacked Chief McCarthy’s qualifications for the job; I have said, continually since the beginning of my campaign, that I would not have changed the situation that existed before the Supervisors decided, behind closed doors and virtually overnight, to form a Township police department. Hence, I would NOT have hired someone else. That is, I would have continued to rely upon State Police coverage, and upon Kennett Borough police for traffic control. After all of the problems of the last 10 days regarding Chief McCarthy’s unfortunate accident, it should be clear that one officer is not enough to do the job. Traffic enforcement is only one example of the deterioration of Township coverage. That is not to say that it is the Chief’s fault, however. It is the fault of the Supervisors in not adequately thinking through a clear and comprehensive plan for community law enforcement. Now we are in a very sad and complicated situation that will likely require adding to the number of officers employed in the Township. Fortunately, the State Police and the zoning enforcement officer remain to take care of the situation.
Scudder G. Stevens
If Scudder was really interested in what is best for Kennett Township he would have been attending meetings and would have been involved enough to have known that the costs of Borough Police Coverage were being increased to the point that it made more sense to hire our own police officer . He asserts that he will make things more open, but I question whether he has fully disclosed to us who he is and his reasons for terminating relationships with the Friends Home, the Rotarians and other organizations he has been involved with. Voters beware of who you vote into any office. How is Scudder going to work with anyone now that he has run such a negative and vitrolic campaign!
For more information about Allan, check out the Friends of Allan Falcoff website:
http://falcoff4supervisor.org/