Dear Friend of the Barclay Grounds, Tonight at 7 pm in Borough Hall (401 E. Gay St.), West Chester Borough Council will be discussing whether to proceed with the first "Closing" for the purchase of the Barclay Grounds. Please come and demonstrate to your Council that you want them to "Save the Barclay Grounds!" Last month the county awarded the borough a grant of $125,000 towards acquiring the Barclay Grounds. While this was initially disappointing (as the Borough had applied for $500,000) it is less so than it at first appeared - as the County Director of Open Space Preservation had only recommended a County grant of $250K, after learning that a new grant opportunity exists for the Borough to request an additional $250K grant from the State for the preservation of the Barclay Grounds. The Borough is currently pursuing this new opportunity. The County Commissioners noted that the response to the BGPA's request to write to them, or to attend the meeting in person, had played a significant, positive role in their decision. In making their grant the County Commissioners left the door open for the Borough to come back with a second request later this year if it can demonstrate additional commitment/effort towards funding the project itself. Since the County's grant announcement the Borough has made significant progress towards this by working with key stakeholders to identify new sources of revenue (related specifically to the Barclay Grounds). And, of course, the BGPA will continue to raise funds for the preservation of the Barclay Grounds through private donations and fundraising events. We need a strong turnout tomorrow night (Council Working Session) and Wednesday night (final vote) to demonstrate to the members of the Council the broad support for Saving the Barclay Grounds! Both meetings begin at 7:00 PM. Bring a friend and double your impact! If you cannot attend in person please write or call the Council representative for your Ward ahead of the meeting (see contact information below). I look forward to seeing you there! First Ward - Bill Scott Tel: (610) 436-4644 bscott@west-chester.com Second Ward - Cassandra Jones Tel: (610) 202-4141 cljones@west-chester.com Third Ward - Brian Abbott Tel: (610) 255-7236 babbott@west-chester.com Fourth Ward - Jordan Norley Tel: (610) 389-0973 jnorley@west-chester.com Fifth Ward - Don Braceland Tel: (215) 813-8141 dbraceland@west-chester.com Sixth Ward - Stephen Shinn Tel: (302) 388-7811 Sshinn@west-chester.com Seventh Ward - Ellen Koopman Tel: (267) 992-6211 ekoopman@west-chester.com Best wishes, John Cottage (Barclay Grounds Preservation Alliance)