By Karen Cresta, Staff Writer, The Times
POCOPSON – The Pocopson Board of Supervisors held their April meeting last Monday evening and addressed gun use and regulation after the previous month’s meeting was attended by Anton Andrew, the Democratic local attorney who is challenging Republican Stephen Barrar for the 160th state House seat.
Anton previously shared with the supervisors and residents of Pocopson, a proposed resolution for firearm regulations, such as preventing the sale to those convicted of violent hate crimes or requiring trigger locks in homes with children. Anton called upon the support of the township to reduce gun violence. The supervisors had the township solicitor review the proposed resolution and drafted a statement in response.
The statement began by recognizing and affirming the Second Amendment rights of citizens to bear arms. It continued to say, “However, in recent days the Board of Supervisors has also heard concerns from its residents regarding safety, particularly of children, in regard to firearms use and regulation. The Board of Supervisors does not have legal authority to enact local ordinances addressing firearm use and regulation. As such, it urges its fellow elected officials in the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the United States Congress to give careful and thoughtful consideration to monitoring the enforcement of existing firearm regulations and the necessity of new regulations related to firearms use, ownership and procurement. The Board of Supervisors reminds its residents of the importance of open communication of their concerns regarding firearm regulations to their state and federal elected representatives, who are the elected officials responsible for enacting laws and regulations for firearms use, ownership and procurement.”
Chairwoman Ricki Stumpo mentioned that the statement is published on the township’s web site at www.pocopson.org.
In other news, a township resident, Loraine Lucus, read a statement during the public comments section of the meeting regarding the ever-present agenda item – the future of the Barnard House.
Lucus read from the statement, “I and several others in Pocopson and neighboring townships, as well as across the nation, are descendants and relatives of Eusebius and Sarah Barnard and have a strong interest in the future of the Barnard House…Relatives and friends of the Barnard Family would like to propose an option and enter into negotiations for their pledge of the restoration, maintenance and usage of the house as a Quaker Heritage Center of the Pocopson Township. We admire the hard work and efforts the Pocopson Historic Committee has completed on the Locust Grove Schoolhouse over the years by maintaining and improving a historic structure with little financial impact to the township taxpayers. Our intent is to follow a similar approach.”
Lucas said that there is an understanding with the Kennett Underground Railroad Center (KURC) and the occupancy of the Barnard House for its park office and started the process to “secure in writing the county’s previous approval of that arrangement…that removes financial burden to the township.”
Supervisor Elaine DiMonte informed residents that the feasibility study regarding the future use of the historical home also includes the current township building. A public meeting for input would be scheduled and options on including the history from 2008 of what has been done to the Barnard House would possibly be featured on posters. The architects may do a presentation from the study – but the logistics are still being discussed. The public meeting will be announced soon.
“We were hoping the meeting would be in May, but it will probably be in June,” said Stumpo.
