Chester County Press 05-02-2018 Edition

Avon Grove votes to build new high school

The school board also approves spending of up to $127 million to complete facilities projects

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

The Avon Grove School District will be constructing a new high school on the Sunnyside Road site following a momentous decision by the school board on April 26. The school board voted 9-0 on a resolution approving the construction of a new high school as a long-term solution to the district’s facilities needs— specifically the aging and overcrowded secondary schools. The resolution also calls for the district to renovate the current high school and convert it into a middle school for grades 6 to 8. Additionally, the district’s elementary schools will be realigned so that the Avon Grove Intermediate

School will serve grades two through five and Penn London Elementary will serve students in kindergarten and first grade. All the modular classrooms will be removed once all the construction and renovation work is completed. The district will also seek a new purpose for the existing middle school that will generate revenues for the district.

Superintendent Dr. Christopher Marchese said, “I am extremely excited for the Avon Grove School District community. Many countless hours have gone into this extensive facilities review, and I am pleased with the decision of the board to move forward in a way that will benefit the students of the Avon Grove School District for

many years to come. It feels really good to be a part of something that forever will leave its mark on this community.”

The decision by the school board concludes years of analysis, planning, and discussions. As far back as 2007, the school district purchased the Sunnyside Road property in anticipation of future growth needs. By 2014, district officials had begun working with financial planners and community members on developing a comprehensive facilities plan to best serve the students of Avon Grove. A Facilities Input Group comprised of a broad cross-section of stakeholders started studying the facilities needs of the district in 2016. The Facilities

Continued on Page 2A

Grillin’ and chillin’

A legacy of land: Conservation leader reflects and looks forward

Taking a selfie pays off

Kennett Square woman lands big cash prize for her photo

By John Chambless Staff Writer

It’s the sort of thing that just doesn’t happen – until it does.

Lisa Keys of Kennett Square snapped a selfie with a grilled cheese sandwich in March and entered a contest sponsored by Arnold Bread. They were looking for submissions showing people enjoying their favorite sandwiches using the company’s products. On April 24, Keys found out she was one of three winners nationwide, and she picked up $10,000 for approximately two minutes of effort.

Coinciding with National Nutrition Month in March, the Bread Selfie Challenge resulted in Arnold Bread making donations for every submitted photo to No Kid Hungry to help provide more than 42,000 meals in the United States.

Keys, who is getting used to having people congratulate her around town, answered a few questions about her very lucky photo:

Q.: How did you find out about the contest?

A.: I found out about it from a recipe contest website that I subscribe to. I also follow Arnold Bread

Continued on Page 8A

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

It is no doubt ironic, just as it is also very fitting, that the announcement of Gwen Lacy’s resignation as the executive director of the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC) after 14 years – effective April 30 – came at the very same time the TLC acquired 200 more acres of land that will be preserved forever.

In April, TLC acquired a 180-acre property located in Elk Township near the Chesapeake Bay Watershed that will become the conservancy group’s sixth nature preserve. The property, formerly owned by the Patricia du Pont Foundation, will support the work of the Foundation’s equine and hound rescue operations. It contains historic ruins and the remnants of Rogers Road, woodlands, meadows, and is traversed by a mile of the Little Elk Creek and its tributaries. TLC also recently acquired a 20-acre property located in London Britain Township, now known as Fern Hill, that borders the White Clay Creek Preserve and contains a segment of the Middle Branch of the White Clay Creek. It is the first acquisition in a series of properties that TLC is hoping to secure in the township to create a contiguous conservation corridor aligned with the White Clay Creek Preserve.

Continued on Page 5A

Local police reach out to the community

‘Coffee With a Cop’ is a low-key way to forge relationships

By John Chambless Staff Writer

The road to improved relations between the community and the police begins here, with a handshake, a cup of coffee and a relaxed conversation.

On the morning of April 30, Pennsylvania State Police Troop J from Avondale sponsored “Coffee With a Cop,” part of a nationwide program that brings police and their communities together to increase understanding. The event, held in the coffee bar area of the

Continued on Page 3A

Avon Grove approves proposed final budget

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

The Avon Grove School Board unanimously approved a proposed final budget of $97 million for the 2018-2019 school year at its meeting on April 26. The proposed budget will now be advertised for public review for 30 days before the final budget is adopted. District officials emphasized that a lot of work remains to be completed on the spending plan before it is approved. Superintendent Dr.

Christopher Marchese and Daniel Carsley, the district’s director of business administration and chief financial officer, presented the proposed final budget to the school board and the community, with Marchese focusing on the educational initiatives that the budget supports, while Carsley outlined some of the year-to-year changes in the budget. Overall, the Avon Grove budget expenditures for 2018-2019 are increasing by approximately $3.4 million over the 2017-2018 school year, when expenditures are

budgeted at $93.6 million. Carsley noted that the proposed final budget’s expenditures have declined slightly since the preliminary budget was unveiled in January.

One of the biggest items impacting the budget is the state-mandated pension costs, which will total a projected $10.9 million for Avon Grove in 2018-2019. That’s an increase of approximately $500,000 over the current year.

The district’s overall salaries, which include new positions, are increasing by

approximately $695,706 year-to-year. Health care costs are climbing by more than $800,000. With per-pupil expenditures increasing, Avon Grove’s charter school tuition costs will also be going up by approximately $400,000. Professional services are going up by approximately $624,755, and transportation costs are climbing by approximately $267,130.

Carsley noted that most of the expenditures in the budget are fixed costs that are beyond the district’s control. However, for those line items

that the district has contol over, the year-to-year expenditures are decreasing for 2018-2019.

“We take every opportunity to cut costs,” Carsley said. A tax increase of 3.10 percent will be necessary to balance the budget if it is adopted as is. According to Carsley, a 3.10 percent tax increase would amount to a $157 increase in the tax bill for the owner of a property with an assessed value of $169,900, which is average for the district.

Avon Grove...

Continued from page 1A

Input Group spent the next 16 months analyzing a variety of demographics data, student enrollment projections, and other relevant information to develop a list of building options that would address the overcrowding of schools. Avon Grove’s buildings operate at 141 percent of their functional capacity, and the high school and middle school, in particular, are overcrowded. The Facilities Input Group ultimately recommended, in September of 2017, that the construction of a new middle school be the centerpiece of a plan to address facilities needs. The plan called for an extensive renovation of the existing high school and middle school buildings to transform them into a high school with the collaborative spaces necessary to create a 21st century learning environment for students. A series of more than 20 listening post sessions took place in the last few months of 2017. The listening posts gave district officials the opportunity to not only share information with stakeholders about the district’s facilities needs, but to also gather feedback from the community about the schools.

The district’s committeeof-the-whole then met twice a month for several months to analyze all the options available to the district. During those meetings, the committee-of-the-whole made decisions that narrowed the options based on how well they met the academic and financial needs of the district. By the time the April 3 meeting took place, the school board had reached a consensus that constructing a new high school was the best option. This option was slightly less expensive than the one that the Facilities Input Group recommended that would include building a new middle school and doing a more extensive renovation of the existing high school and middle school buildings.

One result of the lengthy, meticulous and orderly process of evaluating the options that the district used in the decision-making was that by the time school board president Tracy Lisi read the two-page resolution at the April 26 meeting, it was fairly certain that five board members, at a minimum, would vote in favor of constructing a new high school. The resolution outlined the educational outcomes that are to be achieved by the project, the

Celebrate Recovery

A Christ-Centered 12 Step Program

Are you struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, anger, relationship issues, codependency, eating disorders or any of life s hurts? Do you have a loved one struggling with an addiction?

What is Celebrate Recovery? It s a program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind. It is a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our lives.

A FREE program that runs every Monday at 7:00 p.m. at Willowdale Chapel 675 Unionville Rd. Kennett Square PA For more information: cr@willowdalechapel.org Find a CR meeting near you: celebraterecovery.com

Local

benefits that the community will see as a result of those outcomes, and the physical updates to buildings that the school board is authorizing.

School board member Bill Wood made the motion to approve the resolution, while board vice president Bonnie Wolff seconded it.

District officials have been studying and discussing the facilities options for more than two years so the discussions before the vote were limited—what more, at this point, could be said that hadn’t already been said?

The Avon Grove School Board voted unanimously in favor of the resolution authorizing the construction of the new high school.

Next, the school board discussed a resolution regarding the parameters for spending for the project. The resolution that the board was voting on included the following:

“The Board of School Directors selects the $127 million funding level with a stated goal to remain within the Act 1 adjusted index limits for the district’s budget, or by employing exceptions that, if approved by PDE [The Pennsylvania Department of Education], would allow the district to set millage rates accordingly, without requiring referenda.”

School board member Herman Engel made the motion, while Wolff seconded it.

This vote on this resolution was not unanimous, however. Four board members had already made it clear during the committeeof-the-whole meetings that they were not in favor of

spending parameters that went up to the $127 million level.

When the vote was taken, the resolution was adopted by a vote of 5-4.

Lisi, Wolff, Wood, Engel, and Jeffrey Billig voted for the resolution, while school board members John Auerbach, Charles Beatty, Rick Dumont, and Lynn Weber voted against it.

Several board members in opposition to the spending parameters reiterated some concerns that had been discussed at length during the course of the facilities planning sessions—that the project will require tax increases at or near the Act 1 index limit, that the borrowing at this level would leave the district without financial flexibility for other expenses, and that the costs of the project could lead to program cuts.

Those in favor of spending up to the $127 million level pointed to the need to finally address the overcrowded and inadequate school buildings at the secondary level, as well as the need to

provide students with the facilities that will allow for STEM education and 21st Century learning to take place. It was also observed that previous boards had made short-sighted decisions to renovate buildings instead of doing what is necessary for students.

“Any tax increase places a burden on residents in the community,” said Wood. “It’s a difficult balance to strike.”

Billig acknowledged that he was disappointed that several school board members were not willing to approve the spending parameters that are necessary even though they did see the need for a new high school. He explained that if the school district ends up being reimbursed by the state through the PlanCON process, the local burden for the project will be fairly close to the $102 million to $105 million that four school board members had agreed was necessary to spend for the project.

Wolff said that with proper planning, she was confident

that the school district would be able to accomplish all the facilities improvements for less than the $127 million. Now that the school board has approved the construction of a new high school and the renovation of the existing high school into a middle school, as well as the spending parameters to accomplish this, the next steps include preparing requests for proposals for project management services, civil engineering services, and architectural services. Details about the project will be available on the district’s website at www.avongrove.org.

With a plan now in place, district officials are looking forward to the next phases of the facilities project, and to the day when a new high school will open in Avon Grove.

“This facilities project,” said Lisi, “will be a longterm investment in our community.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com.

Christian Life Center in New London, was the first event of its kind for the troop.

Trooper Reginald Easterling, Jr., organized the event at the request of Avondale Station Commander Michelle Swantner. The church site was chosen because it’s near the camp used for Camp Cadet each summer – a program where area youth can enjoy summer camp under the guidance of police officers. Last summer, the weather was bad for the graduation ceremony from the camp, so the church opened its doors, and the pastor gladly welcomed the police back again for this week’s meet-and-greet.

“It’s an opportunity to sit down and talk to members of the community and build relationships,” Easterling said. “We encourage our troopers to get out of the car and talk to people. As far as the State Police, we cover all the townships that don’t have their own police departments. Our area can be more rural, more spread out. We want to be approachable.

“A lot of times, police meet people at their worst situations, so we’re trying to come up with an opportunity to meet over a cup of coffee and talk about whatever they’d like,” Easterling said. “Ninety percent of society is made up of good people. But we run into that other 10 percent more. We just try to meet people where they’re at, and have a good relationship with everybody.”

Lieutenant Swantner said a similar program

is held once a month in Coatesville. “I got stationed in Avondale at the end of June of last year,” she said. “Trooper Easterling is my community service officer. I said we should try to do this program and start getting out into the communities. And he made it happen.

“Chester County has a very diverse community,” she said. “This is a way of starting, by meeting maybe the families who attend the church here, and then get it out by word of mouth.”

Swantner has been in law enforcement for 24 years, and said she is acutely aware of the shift in public attitudes toward the police, particularly in the wake of arrests that turned tragic, and their instant spread on social media. Many communities have a policy of not talking to the police, which only exacerbates the crime and other problems in those neighborhoods.

“In my years of being in law enforcement, times definitely have changed,” she said. “The respect that we used to get is not there as much as it was. But as Station Commander, it’s great to receive an email or leter thanking police for what they did.”

Swantner cited a recent 911 call from a grandmother in the Oxford area who was taking care of her daughter’s children, ages 4 and 9, when the 4-yearold, who is autistic and non-verbal, was distraught and unable to calm down.

The grandmother called the Avondale barracks in desperation, but Corporal Timothy Greene responded to the scene and saved the day by opening the sippy cup that the child wanted. That may seem like a

misuse of police efforts but the incident has gotten widespread social media coverage.

“It was a good experience for the 4-year-old and the 9-year-old,” Swantner said. “The mother was very thankful and called us on Monday to thank us. She also put a message on social media, thanking Corporal Greene. He told her, ‘These are the things that make our day.’ When you get to do something to put a smile on someone’s face, it’s wonderful.”

Also at the morning program was Laurie Shannon-Bailey, the founder of a new organization, the Coatesville Area Juvenile Alliance, a faith-based group that is seeking to mentor atrisk teens in Coatesville in conjunction with other counselors and probation officers. Officers from Troop J are involved in the group, which began organizational meetings last fall. The group is deciding which young people will be the focus of the program, she said. Hopefully, the program will be up and running in the next few months, adding another layer of guidance to young people – some of whom may have already been arrested for minor offenses – as they seek a better path.

Shannon-Bailey said, “I see positive energy in the city, but we have a lot of

challenges. There is little or no quality recreation for the youth. It’s a huge problem. It’s hard to convince a business owner to come in, because the market is not there yet. We’d like to have a restaurant, we’d like to have more than one coffee shop.”

The monthly “Coffee With a Cop” programs in Coatesville are going a long way towards smoothing tensions in the city, she said, adding that a March basketball game between officers and young people was a great ice-breaker. The public attitude toward police “is getting better,” she said. “We’re better than we were, and these kind of events are a big help. We want to have more conversations about what people are concerned about.”

One of the people who organized the basketball game was Todd Hood, who was sharing coffee with the officers in New London on Monday. He’s part of the Bridge Academy in Coatesville, and attends Providence Church, which is involved in guiding the city’s youth. “It feels good to give back,” he said. “I grew up in the system, spent a lot of time in jail, a lot of time in the streets. I’d like kids to open their eyes and see that it’s not the way to go. What turned me around was my sobriety from alcohol. I visit a couple of rehabs each

month and try to share my story. I’m about to celebrate 22 months sober, and it feels amazing.”

Trooper Kelly MacIntyre, who co-directs Camp Cadet each August, said that when she is able to meet people who are not in a crisis, the conversations usually turn to “their kids,” she said. “They tell me about their family, how their day is going. They’ll ask me about what I do on patrol. My favorite thing is to talk to people about their kids.”

Late in the morning, a few dozen 3- and 4-yearolds from the New London Christian Preschool, which is based at the church, came over to see the police officers. Easterling and MacIntyre explained what they carried in their belts, what their jobs are, and reassured the children that the police are here to help.

One young boy raised his hand and told Easterling, “My daddy likes your TV show.” Easterling laughed and thanked him, not going into the fact that he is not on “Cops.”

“We love kids,” he said. “We want you to come over and talk to us when you see us. You are all good boys and girls, so you don’t have to be afraid of us.”

One boy raised his hand and said, “When I grow

up, I want to be a police officer.”

“Well, that’s great,” Easterling said, smiling.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

New director and CEO appointed at Winterthur

The Board of Trustees of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library has announced the appointment of Carol B. Cadou as the first Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur.

The newly endowed title is named in honor of the first director of Winterthur. Cadou, currently Senior Vice President, Historic Preservation and Collections at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, will succeed David P. Roselle in late spring, when Roselle retires after ten years as director. Cadou has more than two decades of experience in the

museum field and earned her master’s degree from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, co-sponsored with the University of Delaware.

Cadou said, “I am honored and delighted to be chosen for this position. Henry Francis du Pont had a remarkable vision for the role of his collections in telling the American story. I look forward to working with the highly engaged Board of Trustees and talented staff to bring those compelling stories to a wide range of visitors, and to broaden Winterthur’s educational outreach as we build a

future for the study of America’s past.”

Cadou began her career at Mount Vernon in 1999, subsequently holding the positions of Robert H. Smith Senior Curator, Vice President of Collections, and, since 2014, Senior Vice President, Historic Preservation and Collections. She has championed and directed Mount Vernon’s preservation and collections goals and objectives to ensure the long-term physical and financial sustainability of George Washington’s historic architecture, collections, gardens, landscapes, and rare

breeds.

Cadou was responsible for oversight of the Donald W. Reynolds Museum in addition to managing the care, administration, and exhibition of Mount Vernon library holdings. She played a crucial role in the planning and construction of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, working closely with architects, designers, and contractors.

She has curated numerous exhibitions at Mount Vernon, lectures frequently and is the author of several publications.

Carol B. Cadou

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

While the discussion about the parking garage project once again dominated Oxford Borough Council’s most recent meeting on April 16, council also handled a full agenda of additonal items.

Oxford Borough Council unanimously authorized the borough engineer, Spotts, Stevens, and McCoy, to put the 2nd Street utility project out to bid. The project includes improvements to the water mains and

stormwater lines in the area of 2nd Street.

Borough council approved the appointment of John Reynolds to serve as the borough’s emergency management coordinator. An effort is underway to enlist a borough resident to serve as the deputy emergency management coordinator.

Oxford Borough Council gave the go-ahead for borough solicitor Stacey Fuller to advertise three ordinances that would authorize the borough to take access

easements through the condemnation process. The borough needs the access easements as part of the effort to construct a parking garage on the parking lot between 2nd Street and 3rd Street. Fuller explained that the borough has had varying degrees of success in negotiating for each one of these three access easements, but may need to proceed with the condemnation process in order to secure the access easements that they need. The easements are owned by PGH Properties, CD Holdings,

and 221 Locust Street LLC, respectively.

Borough council approved advertising zoning amendments to ordinances pertaining to decks and outdoor cafe permits.

Oxford Borough is once again making an attempt to improve its sidewalk ordinance, hoping to craft regulations that will provide safe sidewalks throughout the borough while simultaneously not overburdening the property owners who are responsible for repairing and replacing the sidewalks and curbs on

their properties. Council president Sue Lombardi said that the borough has taken steps to ensure that the inspection of rental properties includes evaluating the condition of the sidewalks to make sure that they are compliant with the codes. Borough council authorized the advertising of a new sidewalk ordinance so that the public can review it.

Borough council members briefly addressed some concerns raised by residents regarding the new parking permits that are required to use on-street parking in some residential neighborhoods. Any resident with an issue can discuss the situation with the borough’s new Parking Committee, which is tasked with, among other things, ensuring that parking issues are resolved in a consistent manner so that all residents are treated fairly.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty. com.

“It’s part of our long-term plan to extend our footprint west and south in the county, and it speaks to Gwen’s leadership that we are able to knit together some of the smaller parcels, in order that these new corridors be created,” said TLC board chairman Peter Doehring, TLC board chairman. “If we can continue to find and work with townships south and west of us, we can replicate the great partnership that we have now with Kennett Township, for instance.”

Since beginning as the founding director in 2004 of what was to become TLC, Lacy has been defined by her passion and yes, at times, her dogged determination to facilitate the greening of southern Chester County, and the results are splayed out like a canvas of preservation: 1,248 conserved acres; six public nature preserves; $15 million leveraged for land conservation projects; $4 million earmarked for land purchases and easements; an intricate trail system that serves as an outdoor classroom for the public; and a permanent imprint of vision, education, partnership and acquisition that honors the natural, scenic, historic and agricultural resources.

In addition, Lacy, the TLC board and its staff spearheaded a capital campaign that raised more than $1.7 million in cash and inkind donations to purchase TLC’s new headquarters and create the Chandler Mill Interpretive Center and Nature Preserve. Just beyond the TLC offices is the historic Chandler Mill Bridge,

which the TLC helped protect with the help of Kennett Township – its new owner –who is financing a portion of a rehabilitation project that will reopen the bridge as a bike- and pedestrian crossing, that will serve as a key link in the 12-mile Kennett Greenway.

“This position has been the focus of my life, and the expression of my deepest values, for the past 14-plus years,” Lacy said. “It’s never a good time to leave. There will always be just one more conservation project, one more historic preservation site, one more trail, one more amazing outreach program.

However, at this juncture I am confident that, given the caliber of the individuals on the TLC team, I am leaving TLC in the best hands imaginable.

“It has been a privilege to have been a part of TLC from its inception and to have consciously chosen my life’s work, which is both my passion and my purpose.”

“We are very grateful for everything Gwen has done,” Doehring said. “We really view Gwen’s work here as the creation of a legacy that people in the community will enjoy for years to come. We’re excited about what Gwen and the TLC have done, and what they will continue to do.

“We have a very engaged board that represents a cross section of the community, and over the course of the past year, we’ve filled some key positions with people who bring to TLC lots of experiences from working with lots of organizations – some from schools and non-profit agencies, for instance, so we’re fortunate

Chester County Press

to be able to pull together a team.”

During the transition process, Doehring said that while the TLC is still focused on its core principles, its top priority remains finding opportunities to purchase land, in a piece-by-piece approach that, over time, grows exponentially.

“Individually, these parcels [the TLC acquires] may not be significant, but when you take them as a whole and add them to the parcels that have already been conserved, it creates a conservation corridor that has the potential to go well beyond a municipality,” he said. With more land comes the need for more staff to maintain it, Doehring added.

“The landscape of conservation has changed over the years,” he said. “We’re no longer at the point where you can run a conservancy with one or two people. You need a team and you need to be organized, and one of the things we wish to expand is in the form of partnerships with other conservancies in the region that we feel we can complement. And hope that they can draw on what we’ve learned and accomplished, as well.”

In recent years, the TLC has not just created a foothold as one of the leading conservation centers in Pennsylvania, but a spawning ground for young conservationists, who have taken on nearly every aspect of TLC operations, from education to grant writing to special events coordination. Preservation coordinator Abbie Kessler joined TLC in 2015 with a background in archaeology and history. From nearly her first day on the job, she has coordinated easement projects to conserve both natural and historic resources.

“I came in with an understanding of easements from a historical perspective, and under Gwen, I’ve been able to expand my knowledge,” she said. “I’ve been able to learn a ton from Gwen, and I will be handling a lot of projects that began with her, like trail projects, acquisitions and easements.

“When Gwen began the TLC in 2004, she was the only employee, and over the past 14 years, she’s taken a small land trust group and taken it to where it is now, with a staff of ten and over 1,000 acres preserved.

“That’s a huge legacy to leave, and it is all because

of her.”

Lacy said that each project she and her staff have approached over the past 14 years has been defined by both purpose and people, as seen in collaborations the TLC has cultivated with property owners, appointed and elected leaders in local municipalities, and conservation experts. However, if there is one project that remains the most personal to her, it was the work TLC did to preserve 74-acre Barnard’s Orchards, a fourth-generation family farm on Route 842 near Kennett Square.

“Our work at Barnard’s Orchards was something that brought the entire community together,” she said.

“It supports generations and it is such an integral part of the community. To be able to keep that going meant a lot to me. Coming from a farm family myself, it warmed my heart.”

On a recent vacation in Arizona, Lacy met with landowners about conserv-

ing 500 acres in the desert, deemed too little acreage for the larger regional land trust.

“Conservation is in my blood. It’s part of my DNA,” said Lacy, who will continue to be associated with TLC through November, and is planning to establish a conservation advocacy LLC in the future. “This transition is, in part, to continue to follow my passion and purpose. What I have learned in my time at TLC is all about advocacy – it’s about the preservation of the land and creating legacies and preserving quality of life.

“I love the saying, ‘Civilizations are lost in groups, but they are regained one-on-one.’ I think that quote bodes well for the future of conservation, because it’s all about the one on one process, working with people to preserve land for the benefit of everyone.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

First annual Brandywine Backyard BBQ Festival sizzles

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

While the late April weather may have chilled hundreds of festival-goers to the bone, the persistent cold that swept over New Garden Township Park last Sunday had a sweet, tantalizing aroma to it that called to mind barbecue dinners on hot summer days.

The first annual Brandywine Backyard BBQ, hosted by the Boy Scouts of America Chester County Council and New Garden Township, was highlighted by the work of nearly one dozen chefs, who entered into the Brandywine Backyard Challenge Rib & Chicken competition, which was sanctioned and judged by the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

A grand champion award and five other awards that ranged from $100 to $1,000 were distributed. The festival also included craft and food vendors,

children’s activities, skill demonstrations and archery by local Scouts, live music by Younger Than Charlie, The Late Ambitions, and Ole 442, and a “Scout Chicken Challenge” open to children from the ages of 6 –16.

The Brandywine Backyard BBQ Festival served as a benefit for Friends of Scouting in  Southern Chester County and Cecil County, Md., the proceeds of which will help defray the cost of scouting for financially-disadvantaged scouts through the Friends of Scouting Program. Specifically, it assists scouts in the Kennett Consolidated, UnionvilleChadds Ford, Avon Grove, Octorara, Oxford and Cecil County School Districts. It will also make local camp improvements and create awareness of scouting’s benefits.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

3p

Toward a tumbledown of change

Last week, in a Montgomery County courtroom, a jury found the comedian Bill Cosby guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault, related to Cosby’s role in his drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand, a Temple University administrator, in 2004, at Cosby’s home in suburban Philadelphia. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled, but it is likely that Cosby, 80, will spend ten years in jail for his crime.

That the incident and subsequent trial both took place in our region of the world is of little importance, because when it comes to sexual assault, there aren’t geographic boundaries, just as there have seemingly been very few guardrails to prevent the behavior that ends in the sexual assault of a woman, nor a collective and calamitous voice that begins to shame perpetrators out of their protective cocoon and into the open.

Until now.

The silent seasons of shame are over.

The camera is on, and so is the microphone.

The door, once slammed shut to the narrative of truth, has been pushed wide open, and it’s naming names.

Grief has become testimony.

The trial and sentencing of Cosby – who has been accused by 35 women for crimes similar to the one perpetuated on Constand, for decades – is the exclamation point at the end of one sentence in a story that has just stopped long enough to take on and take down a once trusted father figure of significant idolatry. Yet the truth is this: Cosby is just another name on a police blotter of a movement, one that now has a hashtag. It has mounted a firestorm on some of our most recognizable names – a list that extends from Hollywood and media power brokers to the gluttony of elected officials who have been accused of wrongdoing, that extends in a long line from the House to the Senate to the White House.

While the #MeToo movement has been groundbreaking in its strength, it has also been revelatory in the way it continues to unfold, because it now includes the rest of us, those who have never had to live through sexual assault. It invites us to the courtroom and to the interview; it provides a Twitter feed into what the room looked like, what was spoken and what resulted, and the unimaginable and lingering truth of a nightmare.

Everyone knows now. Ignorance can no longer be tolerated.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the story now owns the surging acceleration of a tidal wave, with nary a signal that the tide will fall. It’s no longer just A-listers, but men and women from every country in the world, and very likely, some of the stories come from Chester County, in the towns and neighborhoods where we all live.

It is exposing the guilty and surrendering the victimized, and as this movement continues to galvanize – as it continues to recruit the silent – we are best advised to engage in its momentum, because truth and revelation has a way of dividing the good from the evil, on its way toward a tumbledown of change.

Resources

#MeToo Movement www.metoomvmt.org. Domestic Violence Center of Chester County www.dvcc.com.

Rape Crisis Center/Daemion Counseling Center www.daemioncounseling.org.

Protection from Sexual Intimidation/Chester County www.chesco.org.

Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County www. cvcofcc.org.

Chester County Press

Costs for Oxford’s proposed parking garage project are rising

Letter to the Editor:

Allow me a few comments on the parking garage issue as it was debated on April 16 at the Oxford Borough Council meeting, and wellreported in last week’s Chester County Press

First, I thought Council President Sue Lombardi did a masterful job moderating what could have been a disruptive session.

Second, because the costs of this project are rising,

the figures in the current issue of the Oxfordian are in error. The projected debt for Oxford has now doubled from $1.5 million to $3 million, and the total cost has escalated from $7.5 million to $8 million. These numbers are likely to grow in the future.

Third, if this enterprise is the money maker its backers claim, why does it not attract private investment? I have talked before in this space about Oxford’s

unfortunate experience with municipal socialism. As one example, see the crushing debt from the sewer expansion.

Finally, if current parking revenues without the garage continue to beat estimates, why mortgage them for 20 years to pay for a parking building that will have its own maintenance expenses? There are competing uses for that revenue, one of which is to hold down, or even reduce, our borough

property taxes that are now by far the highest in Chester County. My hunch is that the bids for this building will exceed our estimates, and that the interest rate for $3 million dollars will go up—not down. If all that holds true, who will have the courage to blow the whistle on this venture before it gets out of hand?

Pennsylvania’s townships demand immediate special legislative session to tackle volunteer fire

Township officials across the state passed a resolution today demanding that Gov. Tom Wolf call a special legislative session to address the volunteer crisis affecting local fire and emergency management services (EMS).

The resolution was unanimously adopted during the business session of the 96th Annual Educational Conference of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS), which took place April 22-25 in Hershey.

PSATS President Shirl Barnhart kicked off discussion about the volunteer firefighter crisis by calling attention to the problems that township supervisors face in keeping their residents safe and protected at a time when volunteers are dwindling and costs are soaring.

In recent decades, he said, volunteers at fire companies have dropped from 300,000 strong in the 1960s and 1970s to below 50,000 today, a sobering statistic that threatens the volunteer model for providing this vital public safety service.

“If state and local governments don’t find a way to recruit and retain these very necessary volunteers, communities will be forced to pay nearly $10 billion a year for fire service, according to figures cited by the state fire commissioner,” Barnhart, a supervisor and volunteer firefighter in Morgan Township, Greene County, said.

He ended his address by requesting that the governor call a special session of the legislature to act immediately on the volunteer fire crisis.

“We have been dealing with the crisis involving fire and EMS for too long,” he said. “It’s time that our hard-working fire companies and volunteers receive the attention and recognition they deserve from Harrisburg.

“This is not to distract from the current opioid crisis . . . it is related,” Barnhart continued. “We are talking about the need for first responders. They are the front lines of the opioid battle, and we can’t afford to lose any more foot soldiers if we are going to be able to respond to overdose calls.”

and EMS crisis

More than 3,000 township officials and their guests gathered for the 96th Annual Educational Conference of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, held April 22-25 in Hershey. In addition to hearing from guest speakers, township officials discussed issues and proposed legislation, attended educational sessions and the state’s largest municipal trade show, met with their legislators, and elected officers.

united in their belief that the government closest to the people is the most efficient and responsive.

“In study after study, when people are asked which level of government they trust the most, local government is the winner, not by a little bit, but by a lot,” PSATS Executive Director David M. Sanko said. “In fact, the closer the level of government to the people, the more confidence they have.”

A recent poll by Susquehanna Polling and Research, for example, found that 71 percent of Pennsylvanians believe that the government closest to the people governs best.

While bureaucracies, gridlock, and partisan bickering in Washington and Harrisburg have left the public jaded, Sanko said, people continue to trust their local officials because they are accessible.

Yet, decisions made in Washington and Harrisburg continue to threaten the existence of townships and other local governments, he said.

“Harrisburg and Washington are trying to balance their budgets on our backs by pushing more and more unfunded mandates in our direction and forcing us to increase taxes,” he said.

In other resolutions enacted to guide the association’s legislative priorities, the more than 3,000 officials at the conference stood

He cited the burdensome and costly commercial requests that townships are saddled with through the unintended consequences of the state’s Right-to-Know Law, as well as the billions of dollars in stormwater mandates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as examples of unfunded state and federal mandates placed on townships.

He also pointed to a proposal in Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget to include a $25 per person tax on municipalities that rely on State Police for primary coverage, a plan that concerns many PSATS members.

“Sure, $25 doesn’t seem like a lot of money, especially when you’re talking about public safety, but where will it stop? One hundred, 200, 300 dollars per person?” he asked. “And what will happen when the state decides to charge all communities, even those with local police, for other State Police services like the crime lab, the helicopter, or the fire marshal?”

Instead of continuing to hit local governments with unfunded mandates, Sanko said, state leaders should be providing help — in the way of relief and legislation — to tackle real problems facing communities, such as boosting volunteerism in local fire departments.

The barrage of federal and state mandates, both proposed and in effect, threaten to push local government onto a fast track to fiscal distress, Sanko said.

“When you start adding them all up,” he said, “a couple billion for stormwater, a couple hundred million for police services, more billions for fire services, it gets kind of scary.”

Sanko urged lawmakers in Harrisburg and Washington to remember that local government is a cornerstone of our nation’s democracy and, as such, its survival requires unity rather than acrimony and all levels of government working together as partners instead of adversaries.

“Federal and state officials need to value and appreciate their municipal partners,” he said, “and realize that certain services, like land use planning and community safety, are best provided at the local level. The days of treating local government like a giant ATM machine need to end.” In addition to discussing these and other legislative priorities of the association, conference attendees heard from Sen. Pat Browne, chair of the Pa. Senate Appropriations Committee; Rep. Dave Reed, Pa. House Majority Leader; Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine; Kim Bracey, executive director of the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services; and other state cabinet-level officials during the three-and-a-half-day event. Keynote speakers included Daniel Rodriguez, former New York City police officer and 9/11 survivor, and Col. Arthur J. Athens, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), director of the James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors represents Pennsylvania’s 1,454 townships of the second class and is committed to preserving and strengthening township government and securing greater visibility and involvement for townships in the state and federal political arenas. Townships of the second class cover 95 percent of Pennsylvania’s land mass and represent more residents — 5.5 million — than any other type of political subdivision in the commonwealth.

Saying that the quality of the school district has a direct impact on the community, Marchese outlined the importance of educational initiatives that the school district has implemented to improve student performance.

Marchese explained that the district officials have worked diligently over the last five years to restore many of the program reductions that took place through the 2011-2012 school year, and to also add or expand other programs that benefit students. Marchese said that the implementation of a fullday kindergarten program was a positive step for Avon Grove. The district has also been developing and implementing new curriculum, as well as a multi-tiered system of support for students who need it. The district has taken steps to put more technology in students’ hands, and to incorporate technology into the instruction in all content areas.

These initiatives, Marchese said, have resulted in academic gains for students—math scores on PSSA tests have increased over the last three years as a result

of the curriculum improvements. SAT scores in content areas where new curriculum has been introduced have also increased.

Marchese said that it’s important for the district to continue to invest in initiatives that will produce results for students.

Several school board members expressed concerns about the tax increase, and encouraged the administration to look for ways to reduce it before a final budget is adopted.

Carsley said that there are still a number of unknowns about the 2018-2019 budget, including the state subsidy that the district will receive.

Based on the funding formulas that are used, the proposed state budget includes a modest increase for Avon Grove, but the district doesn’t factor in that increase until the state budget has been finalized.

Even if Harrisburg lawmakers approve a state budget by the deadline of June 30, school boards usually have their own budgets finalized before the state funding is approved.

“There is optimism that we may have a budget at the state level by June 30,”

Carsley said.

Another issue that remains unresolved for Avon Grove

and could impact the 20182019 budget is the Jennersville Regional Hospital’s appeal to have its tax status changed. Under the previous for-profit owner, Jennersville Regional Hospital ranked among Avon Grove’s largest taxpayers.

New parent company Tower Health is seeking to have the hospital be tax exempt because it is not a for-profit entity.

The school district won the first level appeal, but may not win future appeals.

As of right now, the district has projected that it could lose $381,000 annually in revenues if the Jennersville Regional Hospital is given tax-exempt status.

Marchese pointed out that the loss in revenues keeps accumulating because the revenues generated by the parcels would be lost year after year.

“We have to prepare for that potential loss of revenue,” Marchese said. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

The school board voted 9 to 0 in favor of approving the proposed final budget so the budgeting process to continue, but there could be additional discussions if the tax increase remains at 3.1 percent.

“There is still much work to be done on the budget for 2018-2019,” Marchese said.

The Avon Grove School Board is slated to approve a final budget for 2018-2019 on June 7. The school board’s next meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 24 at the Avon Grove Intermediate School audion.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com.

Contest... Continued from page 1A

on Instagram and saw it there, too.

Did anyone convince you to enter?

My daughter enjoyed creating the photo with me and encouraged me to enter it, but mostly the incentive came from the contest itself. For every entry, Arnold donated 20 meals to No Kid Hungry. Win or lose, how could one not support something like that?

Are you the kind of person who enters contests regularly, or was this a rare exception? I love to enter recipe contests, and just recently started doing some food photography contests. I like contests that are judged on skill and creativity.

What brand of bread did you decide to use for the photo?

I used Arnold Country Buttermilk bread for my photo. It’s one my family loves! I love that it has no high-fructose corn syrup and is made with real buttermilk. It also makes a great sandwich.

How did you pick the kind of sandwich?

The recipes I create are inspired by people I love. My mom used to make this delicious version of a grilled cheese sandwich for me when I was a kid, called “Mozzarella en Carozza.” I babysit my grand-daughter every week and I now make this same sandwich

for her. She loves it.

Do you regularly eat that kind of bread anyway?

Yes, but I also really love Arnold’s whole grains bread, too.

How did you get the idea for the pose and location?

It was just a regular day, and my family and I were hanging out, having lunch. The photo is honestly a real slice of our lives. We got lucky with the fun cheese pull. It was just a quick, fun moment.

How many attempts at the selfie before you got it right?

We took a quick two or three photos because Annabelle (my granddaughter) just wanted to eat her grilled cheese.

So you submitted the image in March and

learned you’d won in April. What was your reaction?

“Wow!” I was so excited to win $10,000 for capturing a fun moment with my favorite girls and honoring my mom in the process. I felt very lucky because there were a lot of great submissions.

What was your family’s reaction?

They could not believe that I won $10,000 for taking a selfie! It is hard to believe. Of course, everyone is thrilled.

Will your image be turning up in advertising?

Arnold Bread has only shared my image on their own Instagram page

How are you planning to use the prize money? I will most likely put it away for Annabelle’s education.

Villa Maria tops Unionville, 1-0

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

With Maddie Frich in the circle for Unionville and Alyssa Viscardo in the circle for Villa Maria, both teams played with a sense of urgency because they knew that runs would be hard to come by during their game on April 23.

So when Unionville’s Analise Griffiths led off the bottom of the first inning with a double that dropped just inside the right field line, it was no surprise that she quickly stole third base. Madeline Boorse walked, and then she quickly swiped second base, putting runners at second and third before the Villa Maria pitcher had retired a batter.

But Viscardo showed why she’s one of the toughest pitchers in the area, coaxing a pop up to first base and then striking out two hitters to keep the Indians off the scoreboard.

In the second inning, Avery Jones and Griffiths hit backto-back singles with two outs. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, but Viscardo once again came up

Alyssa Viscardo throws a four-hit shutout

with a big strikeout to keep the game scoreless. Frich, meanwhile, was doing her part to make this an interesting pitchers’ duel?she kept Villa Maria’s hitters offbalance with a good assortment of pitches. Frich surrendered a single in the first, a walk in the second, and a single in the fourth, but Villa Maria couldn’t get a runner into scoring position. Unionville played good defense, too. One highlight was a diving stop by second baseman Amanda Panati in the third inning. Panati made a nice backhand flip to get Marissa Bruder at first base.

Villa Maria made some good plays defensively, too. Left fielder Emma Holyoke made an incredible running catch on a ball hit into the gap by Anna Deshaies. It would have been a certain double to start Unionville’s third inning had it dropped in.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the fifth inning.

Villa Maria put its leadoff hitter on when Emma Woodcock walked. She advanced to second on a groundout. Villa Maria’s

Alison Bedics then dropped a bunt. Bedics beat the throw at first base as Woodcock raced around third and tried to score on the play. Unionville first baseman Jane Dreher threw the ball to catcher Grace Salisbury in plenty of time to tag the runner out at the plate. Bruder singled next, moving Bedics to third. Bruder promptly attempted to steal second, and when she was safe there Bedics raced home to give Villa Maria a 1-0 lead.

Armed with a lead, Viscardo did what good pitchers do?she shut down the opposition, retiring Unionville in the order in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. She whiffed the final two hitters of the game to close out the 1-0 victory. On the day, Viscardo struck out nine batters, passing the 100-strikeout mark on the season in just her eighth start.

Unionville’s record is 8-5 after the game against Villa Maria. The team will take on Downingtown East on May 3.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@ chestercounty.com

With a little help from his friends

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

For two consecutive nights last week, the Kennett Flash was the scene of a sold-out spiritual gathering, with all of the informality of a pass-theguitar hootenanny. It was a two-night retreat of tears, smiles and remembrances, and even though the man for whom all of this love was given was not there, his presence was all over the room.

On April 24 and 25, two dozen musicians celebrated the life of singer/songwriter Billy Penn Burger by opening up his extensive music catalog and ripping through two 21-song, two-set concerts that drew overflow audiences on both nights.

In between songs, several musicians reflected on the man they called “ a selfless musician,” “a generous friend” and someone “who touched all of our lives.”

Concert organizers said that the first show sold out in days – several people were turned away – which created a need for a second show, which also quickly sold out and required the Flash to add additional seats. Planning for these shows began last November to serve as a tribute to Burger, who died on Jan. 6, 2018. Although the twist of fate led to these shows being a celebration of Burger’s life, and not just his songs, musician Dennis Melton said that the concerts are proof that a person’s artistic contributions last forever.

“Just about all of the people involved in these shows have added Billy’s songs to their concert and recording repertoire,” Melton said. “Many of the people involved have gotten to know Billy’s music all the more through the preparation for these concerts. For me, I have focused on his songs in a way that I never did before – the meaning of the stories, the depths of his emotions, and the simple

twists of his songs.”

Before the start of the second show, Burger’s daughter, Rae Wixom, admired the sold-out audience that occupied nearly every corner of the venue. “I think my dad would have been honored and humbled by the turnout, and from the beautiful memories that are coming from these shows,” she said.

“It’s really the only way to celebrate his life. Other than our family, music was my father’s entire world. He was happiest playing, and I remember waking up on Saturday mornings and hear my father playing his guitar.”

Before he kicked in to Burger’s “In Love This Way,” musician John Lilley reflected on the moment he rekindled his friendship with Burger, who had largely abandoned music at the time of their reunion in order to focus on other obligations. Lilley spoke about how much he enjoyed Burger’s songs, and how he encouraged him to pick up the guitar again, to write and perform.

“[Billy’s] heart has made me a better person and his heart made all of you here better as well, because he touched all of our lives,” Lilley said. “That’s what Billy was about, and he had all of that.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

STEPHEN L. KRAUSE

Stephen (Steve) Louis Krause, 75, of Landenberg, died at home on April 22, with his two beloved dogs nearby. Born in Madison, Wis., and raised in Landenberg, he was the son of Robert Louis Krause and Janet Summers Krause. A 1961 graduate of Avon Grove High School, he was an outstanding athlete. He played baseball for Avon Grove and for the University of Delaware. He also played for Landenberg, in the Delaware Semi-Pro League. His professional career included many endeavors: raising Christmas trees on a family tree farm in Landenberg, working on a drilling rig, running a logging and skidding operation in Kane, Pa., and driving tour buses and long-haul tanker trucks. He was also proud to have been a school bus driver for Swisher’s. Steve had many hobbies, such as gardening, hunting and woodworking, but his true love was being outside on the farm and in the woods.

He is survived by his son Stephen R. Krause and his wife, Trish, and their son, Stephen, of Fort Myers, Fla.; his son John (JC) A. Krause and his wife, Aimi, and their children Chase, Grady, and Alexia of Novato, Calif.; and daughter Heidi E. Sasso and her son, Sereno, of Newark, Del. He is also survived by a sister, Janet (Nan) Taylor and her husband Tom of Maryville, Tenn.; and a sister, Ellen Casson of Wilmington, Del. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Philip Krause; his wife, Judith Riley Krause; and his daughter, Kimberly Celloto. Also mourning his loss are his grandchildren; his wife’s daughter Catherine Williamson and her husband Brian, and children Kyle and Patrick; his nephews, Robert and Ben Taylor; his niece, Wendy Krause; and extended family and many friends.

A celebration of his life will be held June 2 at 1 p.m. at the family farm (239 Mercer Mill Rd., Landenberg). In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial donations be made to the Brandywine Conservancy, or to the Avon Grove High School Scholarship Fund, designated for the Robert and Janet Krause Memorial Scholarship. To view his online tribute and to leave a memory with his family, visit www. griecocares.com.

But, as

TheChesterCountyPressfeaturesadedicatedchurch/religious pagethatcanhelpyouadvertiseyourhouseofworshipand/or business.Thepageisupdatedweeklywithnewscripture.Only$10 Weeklyforthisspace. Weareofferingaspecialdiscountof25%offeachandeveryhelp wanted/classifiedadvertisementtoanybusinessthatadvertiseson thePRESSchurchpage. For more information or to place

FREDERICK N. WHITE, JR.

Frederick N. White, Jr., 82, died peacefully at his home under hospice care on April 22 after a brave battle with a stroke for almost two years. On the third day, his soul was returned to God.

Frederick was born in 1935 in Philadelphia to Frederick Norman White, Sr., and Elizabeth Verner Fowler. He graduated from Miami Edison High School in 1953 and from Temple University in 1958. He moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for IBM. In 1963, he worked as a contractor in the intelligence field and was deployed to South America. He entered the U.S. government service in 1967. He became Assistant Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1974. Fred became Assistant Director of the U.S. Secret Service in 1980. For three years following the tragedy at Waco, he was detailed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to assist in the rebuilding of its management structure. Fred retired from the Secret Service in 2000. He immediately went to work as senior investigator for the United States Congress. He retired from that position in 2003 and moved to Kennett Square.

Fred was Worshipful Master of Semper Paratus Masonic Lodge No. 49 in the District of Columbia in 1974. He was a member of the Vestry of St. Paul’s Rock Creek Church in Washington, D.C.

Fred is survived by his loving daughters, Kimberly Ann Warsaw (husband Jay) of Dallas, Texas, and Karen Joan Gemmell of Boca Raton, Fla.; four grandchildren; his sister Bette Jean Woodall (husband Richard A.), of Atglen; and nephews Robert A. Woodall (wife Elise), Richard F. Woodall (wife Kristine), and Frederick Norman Woodall (wife Susan).

A funeral was held April 30. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Church of the Advent Memorial Fund, 201 Crestline Drive, Kennett Square, PA 19348. To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, visit www. griecocares.com.

ROBERT F. BAUGHMAN, SR.

Robert F. Baughman, Sr., 87, of Oxford, passed away on April 25 at Masonic Village Home in Elizabethtown, Pa.

He was the husband of Jane Marie Baily Baughman of Oxford. Born in Cochranville, he was the son of the late Ferree and Reba Hogg Baughman. He farmed in Oxford and was a manager for Capital Bakers in Baltimore before retiring as manager for Washington National Insurance in Coatesville. After retirement he was employed part-time for McLeod Auto Sales and Pinno Pontiac, both of Oxford, and Ramsey Ford of Rising Sun. Robert was a member of the First Baptist Church of Oxford and the Christiana Lodge No. 417 F.&A.M. He enjoyed traveling, camping, hunting and gardening. He especially enjoyed growing tomatoes.

He is survived by his wife; one son, Robert F. Baughman, Jr. (Lisa) of Florida; three daughters, Jennifer Lucas (Richard) of Rising Sun, Md., Kathy Ham (Lawrence Angelini) of Columbia, Pa., and Laura Kasting of Pickens, S.C.; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; and one sister, Joyce McDowell of Oxford.

A funeral was held April 30. Interment was in Oxford Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Masonic Village Lafayette West, 600 Freemason Dr., Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

JOSEPHINE D. OSBORNE

Josephine D. Osborne, 91, of Freedom Village at West Brandywine and formerly of Kennett Square, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on April 20. She was the wife of J. Fred Osborne, with whom she shared 73 years of marriage. Born in West Jefferson, Ashe County, N.C., she was the daughter of the late Avery L. and Bessie (Graybeal) Sapp. With a lifelong passion for her Christian faith, Jo was a devoted and cherished member of the First Baptist Church of Kennett Square for over 68 years. She served on many boards of the church, but was most proud of her work for the Woman’s Missions Board of the First Baptist Church.

Surviving, in addition to her husband Fred, are two sons, Dennis Osborne and his wife Geri of Christiana, and Mark Osborne of Glen Mills; former daughter-in-law, Gabriella Osborne; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brother, Dumas Sapp. A funeral was held April 26. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the ABW Woman’s Mission of First Baptist Church of Kennett Square, 415 West State St., Kennett Square, PA 19348. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

THOMAS H. LESS

Thomas H. Less, 85, of Chadds Ford, passed away on April 25 at Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester.

He was the husband of Rose Verratti Less, with whom he shared 64 years of marriage. Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Edmund Less and the late Victoria Szwajkowski Less. He was an industrial engineer, working at ALP Lighting in Pennsauken N.J., retiring in 1998. Thomas was a member of St. Cornelius Catholic Church in Chadds Ford, and the American Legion. He enjoyed boating, cooking, fly-fishing and being with his family.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Thomas J. Less and his wife Sharon of Elverson, and Robert D. Less and his wife Maryellen of Phoenixville; two sisters, Rosemarie Dempsey of Oceanside, Calif., and Marcia Mason of Philadelphia; and four grandchildren.

A visitation will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. May 2 at St. Cornelius Catholic Church (160 Ridge Rd., Chadds Ford). His funeral mass will follow at 10 a.m. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square. In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to St. Cornelius Catholic Church, 160 Ridge Road, Chadds Ford PA 19317. To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, visit www.griecocares.com.

May 4

Rummage sale

West Grove United Methodist Church’s spring rummage sale will be held May 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and May 5 from 9 a.m. to noon. The sale offers gently used clothing and household items. On Saturday, a grocery bag may be filled with items for $2. Leftover items are donated to Mission Santa Maria. The United Methodist Women use the proceeds to fund needs in the church and the community. To donate items for the sale, visit the church from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from April 30 to May 3. The sale is held indoors. The church is at 300 N. Guernsey Rd., West Grove. Call 610-869-9334 or visit www. westgroveumc.org.

May 4

Family Night Union Methodist Church (321 Fremont Rd., Nottingham) is holding a Family Night on May 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with a free taco dinner and fellowship. Everyone in the community is invited.

May 12

Pancake and omelet breakfast Shiloh Presbyterian Church Community Outreach Center (42 S. Fifth St., Oxford) will host a pancake and omelet breakfast on May 12 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tickets at the door are $7 for adults, and $5 for ages 4 to 11 (children 3 and younger free). The menu includes French toast, bacon, sausage, biscuits, potatoes, sausage gravy, juices, coffee and more.

May 26 Buffet breakfast Oxford United Methodist Church (18 Addison St., Oxford) hosts its monthly buffet breakfast for the community on May 26 from 7 to 10 a.m. The menu includes buttermilk pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, fruit, sausage and bacon, roasted potatoes, sausage gravy and more. Tickets at the door are $7 for adults, $3 for

Armstrong launches local programming

Armstrong has announced that local programming is coming to cable channel 100 on May 4. Armstrong Local Programming is locally produced, offering original content highlighting the community, including Cecil, Harford, Chester and York counties. Shows focusing on music, art, sports, points of interests and community events will be featured.

Ryan Sexton, a local programming producer, was hired in June 2017. His role is to capture local interest content in the community.

Sexton is a graduate of Cecil College with an associates of science degree in visual communications. Since June, he has built relationships with such community organizations as Milburn Stone Theatre, Harford

County Public Library, Chester County Council of Boy Scouts of America and Oxford Arts Alliance. He has produced several shows that have been shared through Armstrong’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

Sexton is integrating his programming into the community channel on Channel 4 and 100, which is known as the A-Channel. Armstrong’s A-Channel will continue to feature ads and messages throughout the day when local programming is not scheduled. Find more of Armstrong’s local programming on YouTube and Facebook by searching ArmstrongOneWire.

If you have a show idea or would like to be a host, contact Sexton at rsexton@ agoc.com.

Through May 5

Teresa Haag in West Chester Church Street Gallery in West Chester hosts a solo show of multimedia paintings by Teresa Haag through May 5. Visit www. churchstreetgallerywc. com.

Through June 2

‘Wyeth to Warhol: Modern Masters’ Somerville Manning Gallery (101 Stone Block Row, Greenville, Del.) will present the exhibition “Wyeth to Warhol: Modern Masters From Past and Present” through June 2. The show juxtaposes the artworks of N.C., Andrew, and Jamie Wyeth with the artists of their respective eras, including current. Along with paintings by N.C. Wyeth will be works by Maurice Prendergast and Childe Hassam, William Merrit Chase, Edward Redfield and Hugh H. Breckenridge, Jane Peterson, Arthur Dove, Milton Avery, Andrew Wyeth, Hans Hofmann, Robert Motherwell, David Hockney, Wolf Kahn, Jamie Wyeth and Andy Warhol, along with Bo Bartlett and Robert Cottingham. Visit www.somervillemanning.

com for more information.

May 4 to 26

Harry Dunn tribute

The Sunset Hill Fine

Arts Gallery (23 N. High St., West Chester) will host an opening reception for “A Tribute to Harry Dunn” as part of the West Chester Gallery Walk on May 4 from 5 to 9 p.m. The show will feature nearly 100 of Dunn’s colorful, nostalgic and whimsical paintings, representing 50 years of his career. The show continues through May 26. For information, call 610692-0374 or email sandy@ sunsethilljewelers.com.

May 4 to 25

Mary Pritchard solo show

The Station Gallery (3922 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Del.) hosts “Variations,” a show of new pastels by Mary Pritchard, from May 4 to 25. A reception with the artist will be held May 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. Call 302-654-8638 or visit www.stationgallery.net.

May 4 to 30

Brett Walker solo show

The Blue Streak Gallery (1721-1723 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, Del.) will host a show of new paintings by West Chester artist Brett Walker from May 4 to 30.

An opening reception with the artist will be held May 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. Walker will also appear at the gallery for a book signing and talk on May 10 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Call 302-4290506 for more information.

May 4 and 5

‘Madagascar’

Kennett Middle School (300 E. South St., Kennett Square) will present the musical adventure “Madagascar: A Musical Adventure,” based on the DreamWorks animated film, on May 4 at 7 p.m., and May 5 at 1 and 7 p.m., in the school gym. Tickets at the door are $6 for adults, and $4 for students and seniors.

May 6

Record show

The Keystone Record Collectors monthly show will be held at Spooky Nook Sports Lanco (1901 Miller Rd., East Petersburg, Pa.) on May 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dealers and collectors will be selling records, CDs, DVDs and music memorabilia from all eras. Admission is free. Call 610-932-7852 or visit www.recordcollectors.org.

May 11

Charlie Zahm concert

Charlie Zahm returns to The Friends Folk Club on May 11 with fiddler Tad Marks. The concert features folk songs of 1960s and the songs of John Denver. Attendees are asked to bring nonperishable food items which will be given to local food cupboards. Tickets are $15 and will be available at the door (children 12 and younger are free). Doors open at 7 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m. The concert will be held at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church (116 Lancaster Pike, Oxford). Call 610-869-8076, email friendsfolkclub@ aol.com or visit www. charliezahm.com.

May 11

Senior Center breakfast

The Oxford Area Senior Center (12 E. Locust St., Oxford) is hosting a breakfast

details.

for the community on May 11 from 7 to 10 a.m. The menu includes scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, dried beef gravy and more. All you can eat is $8 at the door. For more information, call 610-932-5244.

May 12

Shredding event

Patton Middle School in Kennett Square will be the site of a free shredding event sponsored by the UnionvilleChadds Ford Education Association on May 12 from 9 a.m. to noon. The public is welcome to bring papers and documents for professional shredding.

May 12

Market Day in Oxford

Tractor Supply Company (321 N. Third St., Oxford) is showcasing local crafters, artisans and growers during its spring Market Day on May 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Crafters and growers will display their goods for sale in tented areas in front of the Tractor Supply store. There will be a bake sale from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bulldog BBQ from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a booth sponsored by Cat Crusaders from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 610-932-6049 for

May 19

Sky tour

Members of the Chester County Astronomical Society will guide visitors of all ages through the night sky on May 19 starting at 8:30 p.m. Bring a small flashlight, dress for the weather, and meet at the Tino Leto Athletic Fields (North Walnut Street, near the main Nixon Park entrance). Several telescopes will be set up for viewing, and the night sky will be explored using a green laser light. Everyone is welcome. For more information, contact Don Knabb (observing@ccas.us or 484-888-1831). For park information, contact Pete (610-444-4479 or pjkjr7@ gmail.com).

Kennett Flash schedule

The Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square) hosts regional and national artists. Tickets are available in advance at www. kennettflash.org, or at the door. Snacks and beverages are sold, or guests can BYOB. The schedule includes: Yarn (May 2, 8 p.m., $18 and $22); Kofi Baker’s Psychedelic Trip: Tribute

to Cream (May 3, 8 p.m., $24 and $28); “The Music of Michael Davis” with the Bullets and Betty and the Bullet (May 4, 8 p.m., $16 and $20); Raymond the Amish Comic (May 5, 8 p.m., $16 and $20); Mutlu (May 6, 7 p.m., $20 and $24); Steve Katz, founding member of Blood, Sweat and Tears (May 11, 8 p.m., $24 and $28); First Impression: Progressive classic rock tribute (May 12, 8 p.m., $15 and $18); Brendan James with Pete Muller (May 15, 8 p.m., $30 and $35); Matthew Ryan with Sammy Kay (May 16, 8 p.m., $15); Mason Porter and Friends present Bob Dylan Birthday Bash (May 18, 8 p.m., $18 and $22); Jim Kweskin (May 19, 8 p.m., $25 and $28); Open Mic with Julia Johnson (May 20, 7 p.m., $4); Chloe Likes Olivia with Sandboxing and The World Without Us (May 25, 8 p.m., $10 and $14). To submit items to the Calendar of Events, e-mail jchambless@chestercounty. com. There is no charge. Not every submission can be included. Items should be submitted at least two weeks before the event.

Obituaries

Continued from Page 2B

RUSSELL L. PHILLIPS

Russell L. Phillips, 85, of Nottingham, passed away on April 24 at Twin Pines Health Care Center in West Grove. He was the husband of the late Cecilia Beattie Phillips with whom he shared 55 years of marriage. Born in Boone, N.C., he was the son of the late Frank John and Lillian Eldreth Phillips. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Russell was employed as a truck driver with Yellow Freight in Lancaster, and H.W. Givens, Glen Roy and Brown’s Express of Oxford. He was a member of the Teamsters Union. He enjoyed horses and playing cards. He is survived by two daughters, Sherry L. Phillips and Sharon Kulp (Thomas) all of Nottingham; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Velma Phillips of North Carolina and Peggy Mabe of Nottingham. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Essie Stoker and Connie Keys; and five brothers, Paul, Vernon, Gene, Clifford and Grant Phillips.

A funeral was held April 28. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, PO Box 15120, Chicago, IL 60693. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

ELWOOD SINSON

Elwood “Woody” Sinson, 89, of West Chester, passed away on April 23 at his residence.

He was the husband of Johanna Novack Sinson, with whom he shared 60 years of marriage. Born in British Guyana, he was the son of the late Henri Sinson and the late Marie Viret Sinson. Woody was a chemical engineer at Astra Zeneca, retiring in 2005. He had also worked for the DuPont Company and ICI. He was a member of St. Patrick’s Church in Kennett Square. He enjoyed watching golf, was an avid gardener, enjoyed going camping, sailing, fishing, barbecuing at the Ponderosa, and being with his family and friends.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by four sons, Stephen E. Sinson (Crystal Stanley) of Cochranville, David Sinson of Seattle, Wash., Philip Sinson of West Chester, and Timothy Sinson of Flagstaff, Ariz.; one daughter, Nannette O’Donnell of West Chester; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by one daughter, Anne S. Williams; one grandson, Mathew Sinson; and several brothers and sisters.

A visitation will be held May 2 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home (250 W. State St., Kennett Square). His funeral mass will follow at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Church (212 Meredith St., Kennett Square). Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Kennett Square. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to the Dominica Hurricane Maria Relief Fund (dominicarelief.org). To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, visit www.griecocares.com.

BEATRICE MAE CAROZZO

Beatrice Mae Carozzo, 93, of Kennett Square, passed away on April 28 at Twin Pines Health Care Center.

She was the wife of the late Joseph Carozzo, who passed away in 2009. Her first husband, Augustine Carozzo, passed away in 1953. Born in Nesquehoning, Pa., she was the daughter of the late William E. Bond and the late Beatrice May Maurer Bond. She was a homemaker. She was a member of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church in Avondale. She enjoyed singing, going to the Brown Derby on Fridays, and she especially enjoyed being with her family and friends.

She is survived by one daughter, Catherine Taylor and her husband Charles of Avondale; two sons, William A. Carozzo and his wife Barbara of Kennett Square, and Augustine V. Carozzo and his wife Nancy of Kennett Square; 11 grandchildren; 19 greatgrandchildren; and one great-great-grandson. She was predeceased by her brothers and sisters, Dorothy Wildoner, Ruth Hiffelfinger, Peggy Lapata, Tom Bond, Janet Davis and William Bond.

A visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. May 3 at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church (8910 Gap Newport Pike, Route 41, Avondale). Her funeral mass will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 399 Market Street, Suite 102, Philadelphia, PA 19106. To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, visit www.griecocares.com.

GEORGE TICE

George Tice of West Jefferson, N.C., passed away on April 18 at Forsyth Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Born in 1956 in West Grove, he was a resident of Oxford in his early years. He attended Oxford area schools. He lived in Elkton, Md., for a short time before moving to West Jefferson, N.C. He enjoyed and took pride in his vegetable gardens every summer, growing award-winning cabbages. He enjoyed NASCAR, hunting, and vacationing at the Outer Banks. He also loved the mountains where he resided. One of his favorite things was spending time with family. He was employed at NVF Company in Kennett Square for a short time before moving to North Carolina.

He is survived by his wife, Brenda Tice of West Jefferson, N.C.; stepson Jason Bare of North Carolina; his father, Dallett Tice; four brothers, Robert Tice of Port Deposit, Md., Roger Tice of Coatesville, Victor Tice of Oxford, and Dale Tice of Havre de Grace, Md.; two sisters, Elaine Keen of Oxford and Pennie Weiss and companion William Raither of Rehoboth Beach, Del. He was preceded in death by his mother, Sadie Tice; his daughter, Melissa Deanne; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held May 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Chatter Room in the Ox Haven Apartments Complex, 301 Conowingo Circle, Oxford. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 15829, Arlington, VA 22215.

Congresswoman Adams to speak at Lincoln Commencement

Congresswoman Alma S. Adams will speak at Lincoln University’s 159th Commencement ceremony on May 6.

Adams was elected to her second term representing the 12th Congressional District of North Carolina on Nov. 8, 2016. After winning a special election in November 2014, Adams was sworn inimmediately as the 100th woman elected to the 113th Congress.

Rep. Adams sits on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Agriculture Committee, the Small Business Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee. She currently serves in several leadership positions, including Assistant Whip for the Democratic Caucus, Vice Ranking Member of the Small Business Committee, and ranking member of the Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulation.

She is the founder of the first Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus and she is part of the Congressional Black Caucus, among several other caucuses. Throughout her career, Adams has promoted quality education for all students, such as spearheading legislation to boost funds for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, providing nutritious breakfasts in schools, and supporting increased pay for teachers.

“We are honored that Congresswoman Adams -- the nation’s leading Congressional

advocate of Historically Black Colleges and Universities -- will deliver this year’s Commencement address,” said Dr. Patricia Pierce Ramsey, provost and vice president for

Academic Affairs.

“This will truly be a historic day with Congresswoman Adams – founder of the first Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucu -- adding to the Lincoln University legacy of ‘firsts.’ She will be the first Congresswoman upon whom a Lincoln University honorary doctorate will be conferred; the degree will be conferred by the first alumna President, Dr. Brenda A. Allen, and the degree will be conferred at Dr. Allen’s first Commencement as President of the University. I’m so proud to be able to be a part of this historic event.” Adams earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from North Carolina A&T State University, a Historically Black University in Greensboro, N.C. She earned a Ph.D. in art education and multicultural education from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

make known the same and all persons indebted to the said decedent to make payment without delay to: Mary M. Kreider, Executor, c/o Attorney: Winifred Moran Sebastian, Esquire, 208 E. Locust Street, P.O. Box 381, Oxford, PA 19363, Phone: 610-932-3838 4p-18-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

to reserve a space

ESTATE OF Bennett, Verl Penrose, late of West Whiteland Township, Chester County, Deceased. Letters Testamentary on the estate of the above named Bennett, Verl Penrose having been granted to the undersigned, all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the said decedent are requested to make known the same and all persons indebted to the said decedent to make payment without delay to: Michael C. Bennett, Executor, C/O Attorney: Good & Harris, LLP,132 West Main Street, New Holland, PA 17557, Attorneys: Good & Harris, LLP 4p-18-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF Mary C. Quinn, late of London Britain Township, Chester County, Deceased. Letters Testamentary on the estate of the above named Mary C. Quinn having been granted to the undersigned, all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the said decedent are requested to make known the same and all persons indebted to the said decedent to make payment without delay to: Paul C. Quinn, Executor, c/o Attorney: Winifred Moran Sebastian, Esquire, 208 E. Locust Street , P.O. Box 381, Oxford, PA 19363 4p-18-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Letters Testamentary have been granted to Diane Crawford, Executrix for the ESTATE OF SAMUEL B. DUNLAP, whose last address was Oxford Borough, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Any person having a claim to this Estate is asked to make same c/o Matthew J. Canan, Esquire, The Law Offices of Matthew J. Canan, 137 E. Locust St., PO Box

Sheriff’s

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 5p-2-1t

Elite Pallets, Inc. has been incorporated under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988. John A. Novello, Esquire, 221 North Olive Street, Media, PA 19063 5p-2-1t INCORPORATION NOTICE

Cheers4Charity, in accordance with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1988, filed Articles of Incorporation on 3/17/18 and was incorporated effective 3/17/18. The purpose for which it was organized is to create and manage events to raise money for local public charities in order to enable them to have a greater impact on our local community. 5p-2-1t FICTITIOUS NAME REGISTRATION An application for registration of the fictitious name SiteWatch, 36 Newport Dr, Wayne, PA 19087 has been filed in the Department of State at Harrisburg, PA, pursuant to the Fictitious Names Act, Act 1982-295. The name and address of the person who is a party to the registration is Christopher R Gutteridge, President, North Atlantic Partners, Inc, 36 Newport Dr, Wayne, PA 19087. 5p-2-1t ESTATE NOTICE Notice is hereby given that Letters Testamentary have been granted to Katherine A. Loffredo , Executrix for the ESTATE OF Whitenack, Lillie G., dec’d.,Late of Honey Brook , Chester County, Pennsylvania. Any person having claims or demands against the Estate are requested to make known the same and all persons indebted to the said decedent to make payment without delay c/o Good & Harris, LLP, 132 West Main Street,, New Holland, PA 17557, Attorneys: Good & Harris, LLP

5p-2-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

SALE NO. 18-5-297 Writ of Execution No. 2016-00825 DEBT $320,926.99

PROPERTY situate in the New Garden Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

BLR# 60-5-36.1

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: OCWEN Loan Servicing, LLC VS

DEFENDANT: DAVID A. NELSON and DONNA M. NELSON

SALE ADDRESS: 506 Newark Road, Landenberg, PA 19350-9358

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: PHELAN HALLINAN DIAMOND & JONES, LLP, 215-563-7000

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 4p-25-3t

Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, May 17th, 2018 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, May 17th, 2018 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, June 18th, 2018. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, June 18th, 2018. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 18-5-318

Writ of Execution No. 2017-07910

DEBT $1,656,116.93

PROPERTY situate in the Kennett Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

BLR# 62-7-49

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. VS DEFENDANT: KEVIN C. SHEGOG a/k/a KEVIN SHEGOG and CHARLOTTE E. SHEGOG a/k/a CHARLOTTE SHEGOG

SALE ADDRESS: 812 Merrybell Lane, Kennett Square, PA 19348-2735

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: PHELAN HALLINAN DIAMOND & JONES, LLP, 215-563-7000

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM.

CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 4p-25-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, May 17th, 2018 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Penn-

sylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, June 18th, 2018. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 18-5-328 Writ of Execution No. 2011-12582 DEBT $24,562.44

PROPERTY situate in the Highland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

BLR# 45-3-68.1

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: Mtglq Investors, L.P. VS DEFENDANT: DIANA L. SCOTT

MOULTON a/k/a DIANA MOULTON, ALFRED J. MOULTON, and TODD SCOTT a/k/a D. TODD SCOTT

SALE ADDRESS: 3543 Limestone Road, a/k/a 501 North Octorara Trail, Parkesburg, PA 19365-9546

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: PHELAN HALLINAN DIAMOND & JONES, LLP, 215-563-7000

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 4p-25-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, May 17th, 2018 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, June 18th, 2018. Distribution

Singerly Fire Company Banquet Hall

300 Elkton Newark Road Route 279 Elkton, MD

Check www.SWNetwork.org

will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 18-5-331 Writ of Execution No. 2017-10473 DEBT $250,080.37

PROPERTY situate in the Parkesburg Borough, Chester County, Pennsylvania

BLR# 8-5-443

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: PNC Bank, National Association VS DEFENDANT: SCOTT SCHILLER

SALE ADDRESS: 412 8th Avenue, a/k/a 412 West Eighth Avenue, Parkesburg, PA 19365-1360

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: PHELAN HALLINAN DIAMOND & JONES, LLP, 215-463-7000

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 4p-25-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, May 17th, 2018 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, June 18th, 2018. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 18-5-320 Writ of Execution No. 2017-10553 DEBT $162,726.48

PROPERTY situate in East Nottingham Township

TAX Parcel #Tax ID/UPI Parcel No. 69-02R-0020/69-2R-20

IMPROVEMENTS: a residential dwelling.

PLAINTIFF: Roundpoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation VS DEFENDANT: DONNA L. STARCHESKI

SALE ADDRESS: 423 5th Street aka 423 South 5th Street, Oxford, PA 19363

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: KML LAW GROUP, P.C., 215-627-1322

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 4p-25-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, May 17th, 2018 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the

Urban planner tells local leaders to build incrementally

Before nearly 100 township and borough officials, business leaders, professionals and community members on April 24, Chuck Marohn, founder Mike Fazio, a junior at Oxford Area High School, qualified for the PIAA state swimming championships for the second year in a row.

and President of Strong Towns, gave a “curbside chat” about how to build strong and resilient towns. Marohn was the featured speaker at a presenta-

tion hosted by the Safety, Agriculture, Villages & Environment, Inc.’s (S.A.V.E.) , which was held at Dansko’s LEED certified corporate head-

Fazio recognized for accomplishments at

PIAA state swimming championships

At the championships, which took place

at Bucknell University on March 14, Fazio captured fourth place in the 200 freestyle and ninth place in the 100 freestyle. The Oxford Area School District recently recognized the accomplishments

of Fazio, with superintendent David Woods and Oxford Area High School Principal James Canaday talking about Fazio’s achievements during the April 17 school board meeting.

kenamon

TAX Parcel #Tax ID/UPI Parcel No. 60-01Q-0006/60-1Q-6

IMPROVEMENTS: a residential dwelling.

quarters in Jennersville. Marohn began his career in the state of Minnesota as a licensed engineer, but eventually shifted to urban and regional planning, before practically reversing his approach to helping towns across North America become financially more successful. Using photographs and graphs, Marohn urged that townships and municipalities should grow incrementally, and stressed the importance of adapting to community needs and feedback when making small investments in towns where the core infrastructure has already stood the test of time.

KEVIN ARNOLD, KNOWN SURVIVING HEIR OF GERALD R. ARNOLD, STEVEN ARNOLD, KNOWN SURVIVING HEIR OF GERALD R. ARNOLD, ALESIA MILLS, KNOWN SURVIVING HEIR OF GERALD R. ARNOLD, AND UNKNOWN SURVIVING HEIRS OF GERALD R. ARNOLD

SALE ADDRESS: 565 Cullen Road, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania 19352

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: McCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 215790-1010

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 4p-25-3t

Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, May 17th, 2018 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, June 18th, 2018. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 18-5-335 Writ of Execution No. 2017-10267 DEBT $427,421.31

PROPERTY situate in Village of Tough-

PLAINTIFF: Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC VS DEFENDANT: JESUS BERTHA RODRIGUEZ

SALE ADDRESS: 1185 Newark Road, Toughkenamon, PA 19374

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: KML LAW GROUP, P.C., 215-627-1322

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 4p-25-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Carolyn B. Welsh, the herein-described real estate will be sold at public sale in the Chester County Justice Center at 201 W Market Street, 3rd Floor, Room 3300, West Chester, Pennsylvania, as announced on Thursday, May 17th, 2018 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, June 18th, 2018. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 18-5-336 Writ of Execution No. 2010-00913 DEBT $555,772.81

PROPERTY situate in the Kennett Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

PLAINTIFF:

Trust VS DEFENDANT: DAVID J. CRANSTON

SALE ADDRESS: 203 Blue Spruce Drive, Kennett Square, PA 19348-4108

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: PHELAN HALLINAN DIAMOND & JONES, LLP, 215-563-7000

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time and place of sale. Payment must be paid in cash, certified check, or money order made payable to the purchaser or “Sheriff of Chester County”. The balance must be made payable to “Sheriff of Chester County” within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale by 2PM. CAROLYN B. WELSH, SHERIFF 4p-25-3t Sheriff Sale

Be inspired to improve patient outcomes, and join the talented people of Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing, our state-of-the-art, comprehensive physical rehabilitation unit.

• BSN preferred for RNs

• Full- and Part-time available

• Weekend Differential available for all positions

• Shift Differential for Evening & Night positions

• Part-time positions are benefit eligible!

Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing Tower Health’s nationally recognized flagship institution, Reading Hospital has served the local community since 1867. We’re a Magnet® designated facility with many specialties, including a dedicated rehabilitation hospital, and we are committed to delivering the region’s highest quality care through leading-edge technology. Reading Hospital Rehabilitation at Wyomissing is a 174,000-square-foot, three-story, freestanding rehabilitation facility and the only hospital in the region to be accredited by both the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and The Joint Commission. Now, as part of Tower Health, potential with us is greater than ever. For current openings and to apply, visit our career site, select Reading Hospital, and search via Wyomissing, PA in the location field.

AleaderinroseproductionontheEastand Westcoasts,Star®RosesandPlantshasbeen breeding,introducingandgrowingplantsfor morethan110years.Withgreenhousesand corporateheadquartersinWestGrove, Pennsylvania,Star®RosesandPlantsismost knownforbringingthebreakthroughKnock Out®FamilyofRosestomarketin2000.More

thanjustarosecompany,Star®RosesandPlantshasintroduced manyuniqueandnotablewoodyornamentalandperennialplantsto theindustryaswell.

Weareseekingafull-timeFacilityManagertoberesponsiblefor providingvariousmaintenancefunctionstoensuretheeffectiveand efficientoperationofour4-acreautomatedgreenhouse/propagation facility,andanarrayoffieldmaintenancesystemsandequipment. Abilitytomulti-taskandbeextremelyorganizedisaplus. Associatesdegreeand/ortechnicalcertification,plus4-6yearsof experienceorequivalent.

Experienceoperatingvarioustypesofequipment,suchas tractors,forkliftsandfront-endloaderinadditiontoplumbing,heating, airconditioningandelectricalsystemsmaintenanceisrequired.

Celebrate National Nurses Week with us!

MAY 6-12, 2018

A Brief History of National Nurses Week

1953

Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a "Nurse Day" in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made.

1954

National Nurse Week was observed from October 11 - 16. The year of the observance marked the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's mission to Crimea. Representative Frances P. Bolton sponsored the bill for a nurse week. Apparently, a bill for a National Nurse Week was introduced in the 1955 Congress, but no action was taken. Congress discontinued its practice of joint resolutions for national weeks of various kinds.

1972

Again a resolution was

presented by the House of Representatives for the President to proclaim "National Registered Nurse Day." It did not occur.

1974

In January of that year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proclaimed that May 12 would be "International Nurse Day." (May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale.) Since 1965, the ICN has celebrated "International Nurse Day."

1974

In February of that year, a week was designated by the White House as National Nurse Week, and President Nixon issued a proclamation.

1978

New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared May 6 as "Nurses Day." Edward Scanlan, of Red Bank, N.J., took up the cause

to perpetuate the recognition of nurses in his state. Mr. Scanlan had this date listed in Chase's Calendar of Annual Events. He promoted the celebration on his own.

1981

ANA, along with various nursing organizations, rallied to support a resolution initiated by nurses in New Mexico, through their Congressman, Manuel Lujan, to have May 6, 1982, established as "National Recognition Day for Nurses."

1982

In February, the ANA Board of Directors formally acknowledged May 6, 1982 as "National Nurses Day." The action affirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating May 6 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses."

1982

President Ronald

Reagan signed a proclamation on March 25, proclaiming "National Recognition Day for Nurses" to be May 6, 1982.

1990

The ANA Board of Directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week-long celebration, declaring May 6 - 12, 1991, as National Nurses Week.

1993

The ANA Board of Directors designated May 6 - 12 as permanent dates to observe National Nurses Week in 1994 and in all subsequent years.

1996

The ANA initiated "National RN Recognition Day" on May 6, 1996, to honor the nation's indispensable registered nurses for their tireless com-

mitment 365 days a year. The ANA encourages its state and territorial nurses associations and other organizations to acknowledge May 6, 1996 as "National RN Recognition Day."

1997

The ANA Board of Directors, at the request of the National Student Nurses Association, designated May 8 as National Student Nurses Day.

Celebrating Nurses Week 2018

Celebrate National Nurses Week with us!

MAY 6-12, 2018

CCIU Practical Nursing Program helps to meet growing demand

The program graduates 23 new LPNs

Friends and family congratulated 23 new licensed practical nurses (LPNs) on their graduation from the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) Practical Nursing Program (PNP).

The graduates were composed of fulltime students from the Downingtown program.

The ceremony began with Frank McKnight, the principal at the Technical College High School (TCHS) Brandywine Campus, welcoming and congratulating the graduates on their achievements.

The full-time cohort is

the 121st class to graduate from the Downingtown program.

The Practical Nursing Program’s director, Nancy Haughton, presented the graduates, including the Downingtown cohort valedictorian Lauren Kolachny and salutatorian Lei Li. Downingtown’s class president Ulonda Brazzle lead the class in the Practical Nursing Pledge and then introduced the guest speaker, Kimberly Ratcliff, BSN, RN who is the Director of Nursing at Wellington at Hershey’s Mill. In her remarks, Ratcliff discussed that the sense of service that

drew the PNP graduates would serve them well as leaders. She called for the graduates to be servant leaders in the organizations they will go on to serve to help improve patient care and uphold the high standards they learned in PNP.

Following Ratcliff’s remarks, seven students were inducted into the National Association of Licensed Practical Nurses, Inc. Honor Society.

To learn more about the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s Practical Nursing Program, visit www. chestercountynursing. org.

Elaina Johnson, Valerie

Ashleigh Johnson, Courtney Taylor, Jenna Corcoran, Shanice

Esther Saah and Ulonda Brazzle.

Row

What Makes a Good Nurse?

Nurses are special people skilled in both fast-paced settings and more intimate moments with patients and their families.

They take pride in remaining calm under pressure and collaborating with physicians to make decisions that have long-lasting impact.

Read on for some key personality traits of nursing professionals. If you’re considering becoming a nurse, try to emulate these characteristics as you build your skillset.

We all likely have interacted with a high-quality nurse, either directly or indirectly. What makes them so relatable to patients? What personal characteristics make them great at their jobs? Nurses depend on physicians for the directives they must carry out. We put a great deal of trust in our nurses to responsibly and competently execute a quality care plan. If you’re a nurse, you understand the importance of not only following best practice standards, but also the importance of delivering excellent care to patients through compassion and empathy.

Self-Directed

Compassion

The nurse-patient relationship is unique. Patients depend on nurses to deliver critical care in sometimes harrowing situations.

Nurses are highly collaborative but able to take charge when needed. On many shifts, nurses may be responsible for multiple patients in various rooms. Being able to create an effective plan to care for these patients is critical

to a nurse’s success. Nurses must be focused and careful when it comes to administering IVs, dispensing medication or delivering news. The best nurses are confident in themselves and skilled in taking control of high-stress situations.

Relationship-Focused Nurses continuously work with medical professionals from across the organization. This includes physicians, technicians, office staff and administration. A nurse who struggles with relationship-building can hold the team back in delivering outstanding patient care. Being relationshipfocused means taking the time to learn about

others around you. Talk with people with sincerity and authenticity

– and watch your relationships thrive. This goes for colleagues, community partners and, of course, your patients.

At Tower Health, we are inspired to change the lives of our patients every day. Discover the true essence of compassionate care that is focused on healing, and join the talented team of RNs, PCAs, and MAs practicing within the dynamic, highly advanced environment of Tower Health. In addition to a culture that promotes advancement, you’ll enjoy a diverse experience which offers training to new specialties and abundant opportunities to grow in your career. Learn more and plan to attend our upcoming: RN, PCA & MA Meet and Greets

Tuesdays, May 8th through May 29th

8 am - 10 am and 4 pm - 5:30 pm

Meet and Greets will be held at all Tower Health hospitals:

Reading Hospital • 300 S. 6th Avenue, M Building • West Reading, PA

Brandywine Hospital • 201 Reeceville Road • Coatesville, PA

Chestnut Hill Hospital • 8835 Germantown Avenue • Philadelphia, PA

Jennersville Hospital • 1015 West Baltimore Pike • West Grove, PA

Phoenixville Hospital • 140 Nutt Road • Phoenixville, PA

Pottstown Hospital • 1600 E. High Street • Pottstown, PA

• Pre-registration is not required.

• Upon arrival at your facility of choice, ask for the HR Department at the front entrance. For current openings and to learn more about us, visit: careers.towerhealth.org

Can’t make the Meet & Greet?

Attend our Virtual Career Fair on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 11:30 am - 12:30 pm For details and to register, visit: http://bit.ly/2HP0F5z 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm For details and to register, visit: http://bit.ly/2HVUZEl

Advancing Health. Transforming Lives. Tower Health