Chester County Press 08-04-2021 Edition

Philips Florist celebrates 100 years

On Saturday July 31, Philips Florist celebrated the 100th anniversary of the business with a 1920s-themed celebration and car show. The event included vendors, carnival games, a food truck and raffles.

Just prior to the start of the celebration, the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce and State Representative

John Lawrence surprised owner Vicki Robinson with a special award from the Chamber in celebration of 100 years.

“I was thinking of all the special events over the past 100 years that Philips has been a part of with their flowers—weddings, proms, generations of Mother’s Day flowers and thank you

By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer

One of the memories that has stayed with Bob Adams for decades is sailing past the Statue of Liberty at dawn as he and a large group of U.S. soldiers traveled into World War II.

At two in the morning that day, Adams and a large group of U.S. soldiers started marching on to a ship called the Aquatania, a sister ship to the Lousitania

The ship held 2,000 people for that voyage.

“I remember sailing past the Statue of Liberty at dawn. I watched it until it was out of sight,” Adams recalled. “We took turns using our bunks. We went to the mess hall to eat and it was a mess. There were worms crawling in our oatmeal. The captain of the ship was alleged to have sold our food on the black

market. We were fed what was left over from hauling prisoners of war to Australia.”

On the fourth day of the journey toward the war front, they ran into a hurricane.

“That was the scariest part I can remember on that old ship,” Adams recalled. “We ran through 40-foot waves. I honestly didn’t know if we would make it. We were next to the Azores, and then

Courtesy photo

The Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce presented Philips Florist with an award recognizing the 100th anniversary of the business. Vicki Robinson, the owner of Philips Florist, is pictured with Christine Grove, Sara Seitz, Renee Huggard, Samatha Madonna, Kathie Burckman and State Rep. John Lawrence.

Raising funds for installment of memorial in Oxford park

Mount America: A foundation rises in Nottingham for veterans and families

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

Nottingham resident George Turak’s mission to bring a memorial celebrating the fallen men and women of our nation’s armed forces to Oxford is a tale that begins many years ago, when he served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War in 1969-70.

In the jungle one early morning at about 5 a.m., Turak was wounded during a battle with the Vietcong. After he recovered from his injuries and returned to the United States, Turak, a Wilmington native, became the owner of the Turak Gallery of American Art in

Philadelphia in 1973, which specializes in the purchase and sale of 19th and 20th century American art.

While he was positioning the gallery to become one of the finest galleries of

Company to host educational seminar on Aug. 14 at Stroud Water Research Center

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

On a recent summer afternoon, Hemp-Alternative Chief Executive Officer Cynthia Petrone-Hudock and her son Brad Hudock – the company’s Director of Operations and Project Management – walked a visitor through the broad sweep of their hemp fields that grow green and magnificent in Avondale.

At the Meadow Springs Farm, long rows of hemp

burst through black tarpaulin in the sun, while in a nearby barn, huge sacks of harvested hemp waited to be converted into hemp (CBD) oil and distributed worldwide for its holistic benefits as it has been reported to address chronic pain, epilepsy and inflammatory conditions.

Less than one mile away off of Spencer Road, Petrone-Hudock and her son disappeared into a 13-acre thicket of hemp,

Southern Chester County Circuit Trail feasibility study recommends major projects

Public input helps determine bicycle and pedestrian improvements to connect communities and link to the Circuit Trail network

The Chester County Planning Commission recently wrapped up an 18-month study to determine the feasibility of developing a multi-use trail connecting Chester County’s southern communities to the Circuit – Greater Philadelphia’s existing multi-use trail network.

Major project recommendations included 20 miles of bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Baltimore Pike to create a unified “Baltimore Pike Bikeway,” and two multiuse trails along the U.S. Route 1 Expressway: one in the Kennett area, and one in the Oxford area.

Commenting on the trail

study, Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz said, “In the 18 months since this study began, we have all come to appreciate, even more, the value of trails, not just for walking, biking and de-stressing, but for alternative methods of transportation.” The two recommended

multi-use trails would be coordinated with PennDOT’s current project to reconstruct the U.S. Route 1 Expressway. These two proposed trails—one 3.5 miles long and the other five miles long— would serve as stand-alone amenities addressing the region’s strong interest in recreational trails.

Additionally, further study to determine the optimal trail alignment between Schoolhouse Road in East Marlborough Township and the Brandywine Creek was recommended, as well as a loop trail in Jennersville, and a connection from Nottingham Village to

Cricut Trail...

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Nottingham County Park.

Because of early public interest in developing a trail along the US 1 Expressway, the Planning Commission has already begun working with PennDOT and other key partners to implement the recommendations and next steps from this study.

The Southern Chester County Circuit Trail feasibility study was first identified in Chester County’s Comprehensive Plan Landscapes3, as a way to provide the communities in the county’s southern region with high-quality recreational amenities and a

safe multi-modal transportation corridor like the Chester Valley Trail in the central part of the county and the Schuylkill River Trail in the north. Optimally this trail would span 20-plus miles from Oxford Borough (in the west), to Chadds Ford (in the east), where it would connect to the Circuit.

The project placed significant emphasis on collecting public input and featured numerous opportunities including two online public meetings, interviews with community leaders, focus groups, presentations at local schools, discussions with municipal planning organizations, and a public survey in English and Spanish.

“We thank everyone in the region who took part in this feasibility study, to ensure future trails in Southern Chester County connect communities, as well as join the Circuit,” added the Commissioners.

While the study ultimately determined that it is not feasible to develop a continuous multi-use trail along this corridor, it did, however, recommend several major projects as well as a number of targeted local projects.

The Southern Chester County Circuit Trail feasibility study was funded in part by a grant from the Regional Trails Program, administered by DVRPC with funding from the William

Penn Foundation. The scope of the work spanned from January 2020 to June 2021.

To learn more about this project –including the final plan– please visit

Kennett High School student receives leadership opportunity through Four Diamonds Mini-THON

Four Diamonds has selected Grace Pruitt, a senior at Kennett High School, as a member of the 2021-22 Mini-THON Student Leadership Council.

This role is given to students who excel in their local Mini-THON through their leadership, fundraising, and commitment to community service. With the goal of improving the Mini-THON program, the Student Leadership Council provides feedback and shares ideas with the Four Diamonds staff throughout the school year. Grace will serve as an advocate and leader for Four Diamonds, Mini-

THON, and the more than 90,000 students nationwide who are on a mission to conquer childhood cancer. During the 2020-21 school year, Kennett High School was among 161 schools that participated in a Four Diamonds Mini-THON event.

Mini-THONs are modeled after the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, or THONTM, the world’s largest studentrun philanthropy. Since 1993, Mini-THON has raised more than $49 million. The funds are used to drive the discovery of new and improved treatments for childhood cancer by supporting the work of

more than 90 researchers at Penn State Children’s Hospital and Penn State College of Medicine. Four Diamonds also supports families by covering all medical expenses not paid for by insurance for every eligible child.

When Grace joined the KHS Humanitarian Club as a freshman, she knew that she wanted to be involved in Mini-THON, but she had no idea that her journey would take her to where she is today. Not one to be satisfied by simply participating, Grace took on a significant leadership role during her sophomore year as the head of Donor Drive and Registration in

which she was in charge of online fundraising and dancer relations. Last year, Grace’s junior year, she was one of three co-chairs of the entire event, the first junior at KHS to earn this position. As one of the overall chairs, she managed all of the Mini-THON operations, and personally organized Donor Drive and Registration for the second year.

“After spending my sophomore and junior years working as a part of KHS Mini-THONs, the opportunity to apply for the Student Leadership Council arose,” Grace said. “It was a no-brainer for me because all of a sudden

I had the opportunity to make an impact so much larger than the one I was already making and support a cause that I have grown to be extremely passionate about. I’m really honored to be chosen for this position, and I’m so excited for the opportunity and the impact that I will be able to make.”

Grace plans to continue her involvement with Kennett’s Mini-THON into her senior year, serving as co-chair again, alongside rising senior Hayley Magaña.

Kennett High School has been a proud Mini-THON participating school for six years, raising nearly

Chester County Color 5K returns to West Chester on Oct. 9

$240,000, including an impressive total of $39,000 from the recent 2021 event. To make a donation to Kennett High School’s Mini-THON or to get more information, visit www.FourDiamonds.org/ MiniTHON to get involved.

Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline and District Attorney Deb Ryan recently announced details about the fifth annual Chester County Color 5K run and walk, raising funds to combat the opioid and heroin epidemic in the county.

This year’s Color 5K will take place at Everhart Park in West Chester on Oct. 9. Pre-race registration is open now for individuals and teams, at www.chesco. org/color5k. Race-day registration begins at 8 a.m. and the race starts at 9 a.m.

The presenting sponsor for the 2021 Chester County Color 5K is the

John R. Gailey III and JoEllen Berger Charitable Fund.

“We are extremely grateful to the trustees of the John R. Gailey III and JoEllen Berger Charitable Fund for this transformational contribution,” Moskowitz said. “This lead sponsorship will truly help us to leverage even more funding as we seek to find solutions to help those suffering from opioid addiction.”

Each of the previous Chester County Color 5K events have attracted more than 1,000 participants and supporters, and raised more than $160,000. Funds raised through this year’s Color 5K will specifically

support Chester County’s innovative Community Outreach Prevention and Education – or COPE – program.

Through the COPE program, overdose survivors who are being treated in the emergency rooms at any hospital in Chester County can meet with a certified recovery specialist within an hour of entering the ER. The peer specialist engages with the overdose survivor and provides personal support and a direct connection to treatment and recovery services.

“The goal of COPE is to work with overdose survivors, helping to move them from the ER to treatment, with their approval,

regardless of insurance status,” Maxwell said. “COPE peer specialists also work with the overdose survivor’s family and friends to advise on how to navigate insurance coverage, ways to get treatment, and to provide Narcan and educate them how to use it. It has already proven to be a successful program, and money coming from this year’s Color 5K will help to expand it.”

Kichline, whose determination to address the opioid and heroin crisis in Chester County led to the first and subsequent Chester County Color 5K events, added: “Never before was a service like the COPE program available, especially to the extent that it is now. We were so disappointed to have to take a break from the Color 5K because of the pandemic, but on October 9th we will be able to once again run – and walk – to fight the devastating control that opioids have taken on so many people that we love.”

Ryan said, “Chester County had 105 people die from drug overdoses in 2020, the majority of

which involved fentanyl. These deaths were preventable with intervention and treatment. My office wholeheartedly supports the Color 5K because it’s a chance for our community to unite in a fun and healthy

way against the devastating effects of drugs.”

Sponsorship opportunities for the Chester County Color 5K are available at many levels for companies and individuals. For more information on all levels of sponsorship contact, Rebecca Brain, Chester County Public Information Officer, at 610-344-6279 or email rbrain@chesco.org.

The Chester County Color 5K is administered by the Chester County Community Foundation. All Color 5K sponsorships can be noted as 501©(3) charitable tax deductions. For all information on the 2021 Chester County Color 5K, go to www.chesco.org/color5K.

Bob Adams...

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the farmer allowed us to have potatoes. We cooked French fries in our helmets on a pot belly stove. The 379th Bomb Group arrived in Kimbolton, England by way of Scotland. Planes continued flying in from many different states.

Numerous planes were shuttled across the ocean by women pilots who landed in Greenland to refuel. It took another two weeks till we had the full complement of planes. Our first bombing mission didn’t happen until the end of June.

“Most of our missions for the first two months were targets in France where the Nazis had taken over their factories.”

The U.S. soldiers helped the Allied Forces push further and further into France, Adams recalled.

“Anything that was a factory or transportation center [had been taken over] by Nazis,” he explained. “We never bombed churches or houses. We would hear buzz bombs and rockets going off everywhere. A buzz bomb is a cheap replica of a plane with a bomb set to go off automatically in the air. They would time it so it would run out of fuel over London or some would go astray. If you heard something that sounded like a washing machine motor and it stopped, you immediately lay flat on the ground.”

He continued , “The British Isles had a lot of days in fog. Pilots would be ready to go out on a mission and then the fog was out. If you weren’t sure fog was going to lift, you scrubbed the mission.”

Adams explained that he had many close calls where he almost met his maker.

“I learned God was in control, and he had plans for me,” he said. “One time, the aircraft was fully loaded. It would take the whole runway before our plane could lift off. It was foggy that day and we were still in fog till they could get enough altitude. The pilot had to keep turning to gain altitude. The next base was five miles from ours.

“Something happened to one of our planes from the bomb group next to us. Two of them ran together. They were each carrying 12 500pound bombs on board. One plane exploded about two miles from our base, and when it went down the other one also went down about three miles from base.

“I got assigned to photograph the area where our plane went down. The place looked like a war field. There was a huge hole in

the earth where the plane went down. Debris was everywhere, covering an area of two to three acres.

About 200 yards from that hole, two firemen were trying to extinguish a fire in a haystack. I walked up to the edge of the hole, which was 30 feet deep.

“Just as I held the camera up to take a photo, a bomb exploded. The earth shook and the blast threw me backwards. I was completely covered in dirt. I couldn’t believe I was still there.

Debris went in the opposite direction and upwards of 300 feet in the air.

“I ran back to the weapons carrier and crawled underneath. I found out the next day that one of the firemen almost lost his arm. I never did get a picture of that hole. That was my first near-death experience. After that, I was more afraid and more cautious. My hearing didn’t return to normal until the next day.”

In another incident, the photographers were off to the side of the runway waiting for the planes to come back. If someone sustained a serious injury, a flare was released. The photographers would sit in a weapons carrier with a canvas top and wait for the cameras to be brought to them.

Adams recalled, “Our weapons carrier was sitting at a slight angle facing the runway. We were going up to follow the plane when, all of a sudden, there were people running from our direction. I poked my head up looking back and saw the bomber coming right at us. All I could do was duck. Our canvas top went off. We got hit from the rear by the tail of the plane. Later I discovered that the left front wheel had blown and struts from the wheel were digging into the earth like a plow.

“The plane was swinging around when the tail end of it hit the tail end of our vehicle. Me and the guy I was with both got out and ran. If I had stayed up in my seat, I’m not sure I would have survived.”

Man charged with home improvement fraud case in Kennett

Square

On July 16, a bench warrant was issued for David Hilton from District Court 15-4-04 for failure to appear in court at his preliminary hearing for an incident that occurred in Kennett Square in February of this year.

According to the Kennett Square Police Department, on Feb. 4, police officers were dispatched for a report in reference to several thefts from a property in the 100 Block of North Willow Street in the borough.

The victim stated that they hired a private contractor, identified as David Hilton, and had paid him for his services, but he never completed the work he was hired to do. Through interviews conducted by police, it was also found that Hilton had taken tools that were rented for him to finish the projects he was hired to complete.

Hilton is being charged with one count of home improvement fraud as a result of the investigation.

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During his next close call, Adams was by himself taking a camera to put into the plane.

“I got it in the plane and the crew was ready to go on their mission,” he said. “I loaded the camera into the camera well and had just walked back to the door. I was standing there getting ready to jump down. Suddenly there was a burst of machine gun fire.

“The guy from another plane had caught his sleeve in the trigger of the machine gun and it was firing. I could feel macadam chips striking me, cutting into my skin. If I had jumped one second sooner, it would have shot my legs off. It set off 50 or 60 shells before it was shut off. I know that guy felt horrible.”

The dressing down of a captain by a non-commissioned officer happened after Adams’ fourth close call.

Adams explained, “I was crossing the field going to the runway. It was night and my partner and I had four cameras to load on the plane before daylight. The same runway was used for take-off and return. There were strips on each side of the runway to separate the two. There was a crossover strip two-thirds down the runway, and a traffic light with a red or green light. Control is supposed to control the lights so you either enter or not.

“We started to cross the runway when, out of nowhere, a plane took off right over our heads, the wheels barely missing the canvas top of our vehicle. It tipped up and then down. We turned around and went to the control tower and asked who was in charge. It was the captain. I went up one side of him and down the other.

“It was probably the first time in the history of the Air Force a non-commissioned got away with dressing down an officer. Then we went to headquarters and reported what had happened. I heard later he was demoted.”

When the war came to an

end in Europe, the ground crew in England was given an option to take a sight-seeing tour over the war-torn areas in France and Germany. It was actually seeing what was gone that made it real. Adams wanted to take photos from the air and was allowed to shoot right out of the nose of the plane.

“We had our plane ready to go for our sightseeing tour,” he explained. “We were two-thirds down the runway when our left front tire blew out. The pilot had to make a split-second decision whether to stop or keep

on going. If he kept going, he would have to land with the wheel like that. He was trying to stop. We were back and forth across the runway and went in there full tilt going 40 miles per hour. I was scared. Finally, he was able to taxi around and stop and get the wheel changed and we went off

on our tour.” Adams got his photos from the nose of the plane and lived to tell about it. The war was over, but going home was still out of reach.

Part 3 of this story will appear in next week’s Chester County

its kind in the Philadelphia area, Turak championed the cause to honor the men and women of the U.S. military, and in 2008, began serving on the advisory council for the Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. He also became a volunteer for the Armed Services Council at the Union League in Philadelphia.

In 1999, Turak and his wife Michelle purchased the 127-acre Gray Horse Farm in Nottingham, a peaceful setting adjacent to the Octoraro River. In 2009, the Turak’s hosted Robert Daniels, who was then the head of the Union League Armed Services Council.

After admiring the expansive views from the farm, Daniels turned to Turak.

“George, you’ve been back from the war for 40 years. Don’t you think it’s time to put up a flag?” Daniels asked.

Soon, at the property’s highest elevation point, a 40-foot-tall flag pole proudly displayed the American flag, but the flag was merely the beginning.

On a visit to Washington, D.C., Turak met with a Colonel who had been involved with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, an organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military personnel through fly fishing.

“I told him, ‘We are surrounded by the Octororo River, and I have always wanted to help veterans and their families,’” Turak said.

A welcome sanctuary for veterans and their families

The veterans quickly arrived at the farm, equipped with fly fishing poles and their families. Eventually, the Turak farm became the home for a local U.S. Navy Sea Cadet Corps training area; and the Turaks hosted Veterans Day celebrations with visiting dignitaries. Through the powerful network of military families and organizations, the word had gotten out: Gray Horse Farm transformed itself into a welcome sanctuary and ceremonial home for veterans and their families.

“Chris Clemens, who was a chopper pilot for the Philadelphia Police Department, would bring his wife and three kids to our Memorial Day Sunday,” Turak said. “On one visit here in 2014, his sons created a drawing of the hill with the flag on it as part of a school art project. On the back of the paper, the kids wrote, ‘Mount America.’”

For the Turaks, it was time to collate all of these separate events, collaborations and initiatives under one umbrella. In 2019, the Mount America Foundation was formed.

A nonprofit 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, the Mount America Foundation serves veterans, active duty and National Guard/Reserve service members, first responders and their families – as well as honors the families of those who paid the ultimate price. Through its efforts and partnerships with other organizations, the Foundation provides programs that help reconcile the physical and emotional effects of combat to foster hope,

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understanding, and success.

Over the last few years, the Foundation has hosted soldiers from The Walter Reed Hospital for fishing outings on the river; as well as Gold Star families and dignitaries from nearly every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

On Sept. 12, the Turaks will host a service that will honor the veterans and those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

At the very top of the hill at the Gray Horse Farm stand seven bronze Soldiers Crosses spaced 21 feet apart and four feet in height. Each memorial depicts the boots, helmet and weapon of a fallen soldier. Created by Vietnam War veteran, Purple Heart recipient and sculptor Andrew Chernak, the Soldiers Crosses memorials have been placed by the Foundation at military bases, veterans cemeteries and parks. (The Foundation also presents Gold Star Mothers plaques to honor mothers of veterans who have lost their lives in service that are also sculpted by Chernak.)

Recent proposal to West

Nottingham Township

The Turaks are now in the early stages of what may establish Oxford as the location for the next permanent installment of a Soldiers Cross.

Two weeks ago, Turak approached West Nottingham Township secretary-treasurer and Supervisor Candace Miller and township Codes and Zoning Officer Terri Dugan with the idea to honor the local fallen men and women of the military by placing a Soldiers Cross at the Oxford Area Recreation

Authority Park, located at 900 West Locust Street in Oxford.

“George came to the township a few months ago and said he would like to donate one of the monuments to the township to place in its park,” Miller said. “We do have a park in our township that is owned by Chester County, so when I told him that we would need approval through the county and wouldn’t know how long that would take for approval, I also said that West Nottingham is a member municipality in the Oxford Area Recreation Authority, and we have a beautiful park on West Locust Street, where it would benefit all of the residents in the Oxford area and be in a central location.

“George went to the park and came back and told us he thought the location would be fantastic.”

Miller and Dugan took the proposal to the Oxford Area Recreation Authority Board of Directors in June, where it was accepted.

“We then let George know and he said, ‘Okay. I am going to start fundraising and raise money to get this project underway.”

For a contribution of $1,000, each donor will have his or her name, the name of their business or the name of a fallen friend or family member inscribed on the bronze memorial – personally inscribed by Chernak on the memorial’s helmet. Each helmet may contain as many as 10 names; so far, Houser’s Family Auto Center in Nottingham has contributed $1,000 toward the memorial.

Turak said that he wants the installation and dedication of the memorial to occur before

the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

The dedication of the Turaks to do the work necessary to provide veterans and their families with activities, comfort and reassurance can best be summarized by the story of a young nurse, who when she first arrived at the Gray Horse Farm was traumatized by the effects of the many soldiers she saw pass away in front of her on the operating table. While her trauma is still very real, Turak said that he and Michelle are delighted by the connection the nurse has made to the farms’ many cats.

“She came to us in a shell, and to see her now, petting and talking to the cats, smiling and opening up to people,

means the world to us,” Turak said. “Having been a wounded solider and in a hospital for three months, I understand what she has seen, felt and experienced.

“Being allowed to give back to people who have given so much of themselves – and to honor those who have died on the battlefield and their families – means so much to us, but more to the people we have met and continue to meet.”

To learn more about the Mount America Foundation and to make a contribution to the Soldiers Cross memorial at the Oxford Area Recreation Authority Park, visit www.mountamerica.org.

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

Philips Florist...

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bouquets,” said Christine Grove, executive director of the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce. “Even in times of sadness, Philips Florist brightened the day.”

Dennis McCartney of Landhope Farms, who is president of the Oxford Chamber, commented that Philips Florist was a beacon

for all small businesses to not only survive, but thrive, over the past 100 years.

State Rep. Lawrence presented Vicki and her team with a citation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The day also featured a car show. Winners of the car show included the following:

• Best of Show – Mike Kilby (Chevy Coup 1938);

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where tall stalks approaching ten feet high will eventually be harvested and turned into industrial hemp fibers that can be used in the manufacturing of apparels, fabrics, paper and building materials – as well as furniture, automotive parts, insulation, ropes and cords, bioplastics and yes, even jewelry.

At first glance, it would be perfectly acceptable to refer to the Hudocks’ initiative as maverick, out-of-the box and, as it says in the company’s title – alternative -- but for the three-yearold Hemp-Alternative, the reality is that it is riding the crest of a giant wave of government legislation which has flung the doors of hemp production wide open to a population that has begun to see its benefits.

After a hiatus of almost 45 years, the 2014 Farm Bill reintroduced industrial hemp production in the United States through State pilot programs. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) authorized the production of hemp and removed hemp and hemp seeds from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) schedule of controlled substances. It also directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue regulations and guidance to implement a program to create a consistent regulatory framework around production of hemp throughout the U.S.

More than 500,000 acres of licensed hemp being grown in U.S.

The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill led to a surge in hemp cultivation in the U.S. In 2019, the number of acres devoted to the growing of licensed hemp grew to 511,442 across 34 states, more than quadruple the number of acres licensed from the previous year. State licenses to cultivate hemp were issued to 16,877 farmers and researchers, a 476 percent increase over 2018, and as of June 2020, industrial hemp farming became legal in all states except Idaho and Mississippi. While these are encouraging numbers, questions about the hemp industry – as well as skeptics who scoff at its environmental and physical benefits – still

• People’s Choice – Larry Brown (Ford Anglia);

• Best Antique – Andrew Barclay (Dodge Sedan 1925);

• Best 1950s – Phil Webb (Chevy Nomad);

• Best 1960s – Ken Dubree

(Ford Galaxy 1964)

• Best 1970s – Tom Leo (Plymouth Barracuda 1973)

Flickerwood Wine and Twisted Treats partnered for a Speakeasy, in keeping with the 1920s theme.

abound. On Aug. 14, HempAlternative will present “Developing Industrial Hemp Markets and Supply Chains,” at the Stroud Water Research Center, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hosted by the Center, the event will provide guests with tours of the fiber and grain field tours, as well as a full line-up of lectures by experts in the field of hemp and its increasing role in the marketplace. Among the seminar’s many speakers will be Stroud Water Research Center

Executive Director Dr. David Arscott; Jamie Hicks, director of cultivation at Hemp-Alternative and coowner of Meadow Springs Farm-Hicks Brothers, LLC; culinary medicine specialist and TV host Jessica DeLuise; and Terry Moran, vice president of production and operations at International Hemp.

For Petrone-Hudock, her extensive background in healthcare IT led her to want to know more about hemp as a possible alternative solution with a focus on geriatric patients and their chronic pain. After investing in New Frontier Data – a data analytics company that focuses on the cannabis industry -- she and her husband saw Jamie Hicks at a Pennsylvania hemp conference – a long-time friend and colleague. Soon after, she and Hicks began Hemp-Alternative in 2018.

Five-year collaboration

What began as a partnership between Hicks and Petrone-Hudock is now a five-year collaboration between Hemp-Alternative, Meadow Springs FarmHicks Brothers, LLC, the Stroud Water Research Center and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering & Commerce at Thomas Jefferson University to study the cultivation, soil health, environmental impact and manufacturing of industrial hemp fiber.

At the core of the partnership between these organizations is the need to provide education to everyone, particularly those already in the agricultural industry. Petrone-Hudock said it was one of the topics she brought up during a recent meeting she had with State Sen. Elder A. Vogel, Jr. of Senate District 47, who also chairs the State’s Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee.

“Sen. Vogel told me that

dairy farms are struggling across the state, and far too many sixth-generation farmers are losing their farms,” Petrone-Hudock said. “In 2019, we did see many farmers choose to save their farms by growing hemp. What is missing is this mechanism that helps them transition into an industry like hemp and develop the tools of the trade.

“Can you take someone who has never grown hemp before and give them a transition plan to get there? We believe we can.”

At the Stroud Center, its hemp research is attempting to understand how the widespread adoption of this crop may affect our landscapes, particularly the impact or benefit for water quality and quantity in our freshwater ecosystems that are an integral part of the agricultural landscape. Arscott said that the seminar will address the qualities of hemp, what products can be made from it, and what environmental research is being done to guide the understanding and impact of the plant.

“I feel the event is coming together as a soup-to-nuts opportunity to learn about the agronomic practices needed to grow hemp, the processing of the material to make it usable for a wide diversity of products that can be made from it, and the challenges that face the system,” he said. “I think the marketplace for hemp products in general is growing and people are being made more and more aware of hemp products. They’re seeing hemp seeds that they can put on their salads or add it to their smoothies, but what people are not yet recognizing is that hemp is not yet a domestic product.”

Brad Hudock said the hemp industry has already begun to gain the attention of one long-term customer: Those under the age of 30.

“The combination of the wellness side and the industrial side of hemp is something that we as a generation are able to express personally, because we’re a generation who tends to be more accepting of new initiatives,” he said. “Research and learning more is attracting Millennials to want to know more.”

While the Aug. 14 seminar will shed light on the current state of the hemp industry and its opportunities for future growth, the truest measure of progress

will be seen in whether the “alternative” label will eventually disappear. To Petrone-Hudock, who also serves on the Pennsylvania Hemp Steering Committee and the Chester County Agricultural Council, progress – and general immersion into the marketplace of Chester County and beyond -- will be measured by the degree of supply chain investment and the demand for the product.

“The hemp industry is like crossing a river, but

the rocks are moving,” she said. “It is an emerging industry in a regulatory hotbed. Every day, there are new discoveries, new disappointments, and you have to wake up in the morning and start all over again with the same excitement, ambition and mission.

“Just like the crop itself, every avenue and piece of the plan and every cultivar has a path of its own that you can go down in order to seek out and determine opportunities.”

To register for the Aug. 14 seminar – visit bit. ly/3ze2n7j. To learn more about Hemp-Alternative – visit www.hemp-alternative.com. The Stroud Water Research Center is located at 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, Pa. 19311. To learn more about the cannabis industry, visit New Frontier Data at https:// newfrontierdata.com.

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

Oxford Area Recreation Authority receives grant to create a natural playground

The Oxford Area Recreation Authority has received a grant from the E. Kneale Dockstader Foundation in the amount of $6,500 to help create a natural playground and stabilize the nearby trail.

The natural playground will be located on the Authority’s property along Oaks Road in East Nottingham Township.

Separated from the active recreation facilities at the Oxford Area Regional Park by the Route 1 bypass, the Oaks Road site is targeted primarily for passive recreation features.

Currently, visitors may enjoy the existing picnic area or walk through the wooded grove. The addition of the natural playground will offer youngsters

an opportunity to play outdoors in an open environment where imagination is encouraged.

The property has a long history as part of a working farm, which leads to the playground theme “Down on the Farm.”

Rather than commercial play equipment, features will be constructed primarily from natural materials and repurposed items that might be found in a barnyard whenever possible.

There will be ample opportunities to climb and slide as the natural contours of the hillside will be used.

An Authority committee is currently working on playground design, and exploring a variety of ideas including a living maze, hopscotch slates, bamboo

wind chimes, a hillside tunnel and much more.

Funding from the Dockstader Foundation grant will help cover materials and construction equipment. Much of the work will be done by volunteers with assistance from member municipalities.

The Oxford Area Recreation Authority is composed of representatives from East Nottingham, West Nottingham, Elk and Lower Oxford Township and Oxford Borough.

Member municipalities contribute $1 per capita to the authority annually to cover park maintenance costs. Expansion and other expenses depend on grants, donations, park rental fees, and revenue from Authority organized events.

Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce establishes new education and scholarship fund

The Chester County Community Foundation recently announced the creation of a new fund established by the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce (SCCCC).

The SCCCC Education & Scholarship Fund will offer education and scholarship funds to graduating high school seniors. Scholarships will range from $500 to $1,000. The fund agreement was

signed by members of the Chamber leadership and Chester County Community Foundation staff at the clubhouse at Hartefeld National, a premier golf club located in Avondale.

Cheryl B. Kuhn, the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce president and CEO said, “Our Chamber was founded almost 100 years ago, and we are delighted by how much we have grown,

changed, and adapted to support Southern Chester County’s businesses community. We are proud to be able to formally give back to our local students through educational scholarships. It is our goal to continue to support our local youth who are the future of the global business and non-profit world we live in.”

To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit https://chescocf.org/fund/

scccc-fund/ or send a donation to SCCCC Education & Scholarship Fund c/o The Chester County Community Foundation, 28 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382.

Pictured from left to right are Betsy Niedziejko, chairman of the board of Southern Chester County

Chamber of Commerce, WSFS

of SCCCC; Karen

Foundation; and

Water Authority.

Two garages of empowerment

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

~ Albert Pike

Just for a moment, imagine a young person not in the form of a burgeoning adult but rather as a masterpiece in the making that is perched on an easel, in a studio space dotted by artists’ paintbrushes all thick with paint.

Now imagine that the young person lives in southern Chester County.

The work is still incomplete, but look around at the unfinished art. In a role that had once been exclusively reserved for parents and teachers, the studio is now a crowded space, an entire community of artists and architects gathered in a collaborative endeavor to develop the lives of young people who are both educated and kind, curious and empowered, and whose sphere of influence extends to his or her peers and the world beyond.

In 2001, local business leader and visionary Mike Bontrager partnered with other members of the Kennett Square community to form The Garage Community and Youth Center in an effort to empower youth to pursue their potential. Housed in a former garage on Union Street, a second center opened in West Grove in 2011, and over the last 20 years, those who have been associated with The Garage –tutors and mentors and volunteers – have applied the brushstrokes needed to nurture the journeys of thousands of young people in our community.The Garage Community & Youth Center can be measured by the many lives they have helped to inspire over the past two decades, but when whittled down, it is an achievement that happens quietly, with little fanfare. That said, please allow this newspaper to open the doors of The Garage Community & Youth Center locations and provide evidence of their impact:

• It is seen in their emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) programming that encourages young people to strengthen their critical thinking skills.

• It is seen in their Girls and Boys programs, which promote personal, intellectual, social and emotional development.

• It is seen in their community service activities that encourage young people to imagine themselves as not just an individual but as a part of a broader world.

• It is seen in the work of their volunteers who assist students with after-school homework, including developing their English language skills.

• It is seen in their Nutrition Kitchen, that provides meals for students twice a week that are made on site at the Garage locations, and teaches them the fundamentals of food preparation.

• It is seen in their Self Care program, that provides students with therapeutic tools to navigate complex emotions and feelings and form practical healthy relationship skills with oneself and others.

• It is seen in their Motivating, Advancing, Powerful Students (MAPS) and TRAILS programs, that advise and counsels students as they prepare for life after high school, that provides assistance in submitting college applications, resume writing, networking and obtaining information about academic scholarships.

• It is seen in their Career Compass program, an eight-week paid summer internship experience that connects students to businesses and organizations that are linked to their career interests and aspirations.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of The Garage Community & Youth Center, the Chester County Press thanks Executive Director Kristin Proto, former Executive Director Patti Olenik, and the staff, mentors and volunteers for the contributions they have made to our young people, to the community, and to the thousands of masterpieces it has lent a brushstroke to.

Schools should treat the CDC and AAP guidelines as mandates for ensuring safety

Letter to the Editor:

As COVID-19 makes a resurgence in Pennsylvania, parents and educators face a dangerous reopening of schools. Many students are not vaccinated, and younger ones don’t even have that choice. Adults want to assure safety of students and their families, but how can we, when the pandemic still rages?

Responding to the highly contagious Delta variant, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics

(AAP) have published new school guidelines to reduce COVID’s spread. Sadly, many Pennsylvania school districts are planning to ignore the recommendations of these experts. Studies show that COVID19 spread rapidly in schools in the past year, and it will spread even faster if schools drop the precautions the CDC calls for. Great Britain has seen cases climb from near zero back to its peak levels — and the U.S. is less vaccinated than Britain. And

remember the big picture: COVID-19 has killed nearly 28,000 Pennsylvanians so far. Instead, schools should treat the CDC and AAP guidelines as mandates for ensuring safety. The guidelines are clear on several mitigation factors: Universal masking, strong indoor ventilation standards, social distancing to the greatest extent possible — in short, multiple layers of protection from this deadly virus. Of course, requiring full vaccination for staff and eligible students would make

this all much, much easier. If we follow the advice of the experts, we will save thousands of lives from illness and death, and provide strong guidance for future generations.

Steve Haase

Jim Lertola

Amy Rittle Pennsylvanians Against COVID

Ray Rogers

Labor/Human Rights Advocate

Penn Township Park

By Marie-Louise Meyers

I’ve gotten to know the Park by Heart the contours and the views; out of the nebulous zone of the Pandemic tree-lined avenues, fluttering leaves which gives us a chance to breathe; the ups, the downs, the turn-arounds, nothing less would do

until I’ve done a mile or two. Even the exercise equipment gets my endorsement, a safe substitute for the Y during the Pandemic for those of us who try to keep current for body and mind’s sake without breaking our neck. It never pulls us up short like a dead end, but is a continuous blend-

ing of thought waves as if in a spell, more like a lark than a stab in the dark as around and around we go in the Park looking for that special tree which gives our heart rate a leap. What a relief in the Summer Sun, but we’re not undone even in Winter Time

Nurses care for us – it’s

when the evergreens are dressed in Christmas finery, as we slow down to make the hill for the third time to reflect on the year ending. How sheltering are they then from the wind and whatever Life has in store, perhaps promising more of what we once had before. Forever blending, World without ending.

time we stand up and do more for them

By State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski

“I can work in a gas station and make more money than being a nurse in a nursing home. I want my residents to spend their final years with dignity and respect. COVID didn’t start this crisis; it just shined a light on it.”

– A Certified Nursing Assistant from Lackawanna County addresses a House Democratic Policy Hearing on working conditions in long-term care homes

Nurses were already just about the hardest-working people in the world. No matter if they work in a longterm care center, an intensive care ward or a private practice everyone knows nurses are the ones really getting the work done – but the problem is those nurses aren’t getting paid for that work the way they deserve to be paid.

Having worked as a registered nurse in hospital settings for 27 years, I can attest a nurse spends about 75 minutes with a patient. A nurse sees the truth behind

the diagnosis. A nurse sees the reality of a treatment. A nurse is a caregiver, a counselor, an advocate.

Then COVID-19 came, and a nurse’s job got a lot harder – and more dangerous. Almost 4,000 health care providers died of COVID-19 since March 2020. More than two-thirds of them were people of color. Overwhelmingly the people who did the most hands-on patient care are the ones who caught the virus.

Seventy-five minutes a patient. More in long-term care homes.

For a while the news was getting better. Case counts were dropping. Deaths were dropping. We were getting vaccines in arms faster than almost any state in the nation and we were getting back to close to normal.

And now the Delta Variant is bringing the risk back, and the unvaccinated are refusing to believe it’s real until they’re dying in a hospital bed, unable to even say goodbye to their loved ones – but comforted by nurses. Long-term care workers

and nurses everywhere are standing up for fair wages, safe workplaces and to have more tools to take care of our grandparents and parents –and someday, us.

House Democrats are proud to stand with these care workers, but we want to do more than just stand behind them – we want to lead for them.

Thanks to President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan – Pennsylvania got more than $7 billion in COVID19 relief, and our PA Rescue Plan is fighting to ensure these funds from Washington get to the people who need it most – including working Pennsylvanians.

We’ve got a plan that invests more than a half-billion dollars in direct care workers. Investing in training – including helping to repay the student loans of care workers who stay here at home. Delivering long-overdue pay raises for those working directly with seniors in their homes. Investing in the local businesses connecting workers with people in need.

It just makes sense, and

it helps our seniors stay in the homes they spent a lifetime building – where the outcomes are better for everyone.

We can invest these dollars and truly make a difference. In our nurses, in job creation, in helping businesses – in a better tomorrow for everyone and an economy built from the bottom up. Sadly, the Republican majority in Harrisburg put most of the money away in a government vault for a “rainy day” – but could you even want to imagine a bigger storm than COVID-19? Lives have been lost. People are suffering. Our PA Rescue Plan is how we recover from the virus, restore our economy, and reimagine a better future for us all – especially the hardworking nurses and care workers who want nothing more than to be able to do their jobs and be there for our loved ones.

State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski serves the 114th Legislative District in Lackawanna County.

Chester County treasurer announces changes made to antlerless deer licenses

Hunters statewide may now begin applying for antlerless deer licenses by mail. Chester County Treasurer Patricia Maisano, whose office processes state hunting license and permits, noted changes made to the 2021 licensing year, including an increase in the fee for the antlerless license, and an increase in the personal license limits.

“Some hunters who have come into the Treasurer’s Office to purchase their annual hunting license have had questions about the changes that have been approved for the 2021 licensing year,” said Maisano.

The cost for the antlerless

deer license has increased to $6.97 for residents, and $26.97 for non-residents. Checks should be made payable to “Chester County Treasurer.”

“We urge all applicants to make sure their checks are filled out correctly. If they are incorrect, it will cause a delay in the processing of the application,” noted Maisano. “We do our best to contact the applicant if there is an issue, in hopes that it will be corrected quickly and the license issued.” We ask that the hunter’s include their CID # and DOB on the memo line of their check.

The second change to the 2021 antlerless licensing is

the increase in the personal license limits. All hunting license holders, excluding mentored permits, may now apply for and obtain up to six antlerless deer licenses before the start of hunting season; for any Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) in which licenses remain available.

“This doesn’t mean that hunters can apply for all six licenses at once during the open round,” said Maisano. Hunters may submit one application each in the opening round, the unsold first round and unsold second round. Multiple applications may be submitted at once when over-the-coun-

ter sales begin on Sept. 13 for WMUs where licenses remain.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has set the antlerless deer license allocations at 70,000 for WMU 5C and 29,000 for WMC 5D which covers Chester County.

For more information and a copy of the antlerless deer license application, go to www.chesco.org/treasurer or contact the Chester County Treasurer’s Office at 610-344-6370, email treasurerdept@chesco.org. For further clarification, please visit the PA Game Commission website – www. pgc.pa.gov.

Kohler Crushed Stone Showers By Home Smart

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All of the design and product selection is done in your home, saving you time and ensuring the choices work perfectly with your space. We offer senior & military discounts as well as other discounts plus financing so a shower remodel is affordable on any budget.Don’t cover your problem up with a tub or shower liner. Design your bathtub or shower replacement with our trained and certified Specialists at a price you can afford.

“Great experience with Home Smart. I collected a couple quotes for a bathtub/surround replacement. Home Smart offered the most aesthetically pleasing option at a competitive price. They also beat the installation lead time estimate by ~4 weeks. Ken and Tony came and efficiently completed the install. My house is old and there were challenges to work with, but they worked through them and in the end, product looks really great. Thanks!”

Stars, 374 reviews

Prehistoric cave art installation on display in Kennett Square

It took nine months, 5,000 sheets of paper, 170 students, three teachers and one amazing vision to transform three classrooms at Upland Country Day School into a prehistoric cave.

The vision came from Caroline Lathan-Stiefel, a famed large-scale sculptural installation artist whose work has appeared in museums, hotels and galleries across the country. Lathan-Stiefel assumed the role as lead teacher in Upland’s Art Department last year and its program has flourished under her leadership.

“A lot of people think Upland is a hockey

school, but we also have incredibly talented teachers working within our Art, Music and Theatre Departments,” said Lori Yingling, the director of admissions. “This includes Mrs. Stiefel, whose dedication to experiential art has sparked so many of our students’ creative interests.”

Lathan-Stiefel helped students gain inspiration from prehistoric caves, specifically the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves in France, by showing students videos of the 44,000-year-old cave paintings. Her vision became a reality through an all-school

effort. Children in first through sixth grades made stalactites for the ceiling, painted and crinkled up thousands of pieces of paper to create the wall structures and traced their hands in various places throughout the space.

Seventh, eighth and ninth graders became sound collectors.

“Our Upper School students spent months testing out ways to create sounds, ones that were both naturally occurring and ones they created using different environmental objects, like tapping a stick against a tree or dripping water into a bucket,” said music teacher Katrina Dobrzelewski. This includes recordings that the students collected from around campus combined with animal sounds (inspired by the animals depicted in the cave), and other musical elements. The students then edited and layered these sounds together into a soundscape that plays continuously in the cave, creating an incredibly immersive experience for visitors.

“The cave is so cool, and the soundtrack just really brings it to life,” said recent graduate Gracie Rea.

The Kleberg Cave was unveiled to students and faculty on May 20. In a year when any sort of travel was impossible, Upland students were transported back in time.

Student Lila Goeller

expressed the serenity this type of project gives her, “using chalk pastels that just glide across the paper, that I can blend with my fingers, it calms me down and is just really relaxing and fun,” she said. “Art class is my favorite time of day. I like that you can’t really make a mistake in art. You can just do whatever you want, you don’t even have to be good at it.”

Upland’s dedication to the arts comes at a time when many other schools throughout the country are eliminating art programs. Upland is committed to its art programs and teaching students the concept of aesthetic literacy. Every day, it aspires to

be all that school should be with curriculum based off of what it labels as “The 4 A’s,” academics, arts, athletics and attitude. The arts are not extracurricular at Upland Country Day; they are integral to the complete education it provides to students in Pre-K through 9th Grade. Their robust program includes visual art, vocal and instrumental music and drama — all essential manifestations of the human spirit.

Head of School Dr. Dan Hickey encourages any students or families interested in an art centric education to consider Upland.

“At Upland, you will find equal parts purpose

and joy,” he said. “You will find a rigorous academic program supported and bolstered by a caring faculty and a culture of collaboration and collegiality among students. You will find an emphasis on character development cultivated in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and through service. You will find rich exposure to the arts and creative life. You will find what school should be.” Tours of the cave are available by appointment this summer, Monday through Thursday, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. To schedule an appointment, contact Lori Yingling at Lyingling@ uplandcds.org.

The Palette & The Page plans First Friday exhibit and opening reception

The First Friday Elkton Art Loop event at The Palette & The Page features an opening reception, book signings, and music by John Palombo from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event takes place on Aug. 6.

“Captured Essentiality” will feature the photographs of Ann Gonzalez and turned wood pieces by Lauren LaBare in the Special Exhibit Gallery at The Palette & The Page from Aug. 3 through Aug. 27.

The Downtown Elkton Art Loop will offer attendees the chance to meet the artists and the authors, J.L. Jackola and Frank Hopkins, who will be signing their books.

Gonzalez is a local Cecil County photographer

who shoots a variety of subjects. She’s taken photography courses while studying for her history degree with Northeastern University and with the Visual Communications Program at Cecil College.

Whether it’s capturing the beauty in decaying military housing or a family of geese on a local trail, her goal is to share with you the emotion she felt when she decided that moment was important enough to bring back to you. She is the mother of two young children.

LaBare has been in the tree care business with her husband, Mert, for over 20 years. Lauren has a keen eye for beauty, and with that, she and her husband create beautiful and functional turned wood pieces. Lauren is a mem-

ber of the Chester County Craft Guild, a chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. Several of her pieces have been donated and auctioned off to support local non-profits, and she continues to give her time and share her talent with them. Lauren and her husband create exquisite pieces in hopes of sharing a different type of beauty in trees.

Hopkins writes realistic crime novels and short stories portraying social and political issues. He has published five novels, including The Counterfeit Drug Murders which was awarded third place in the novel category by the Delaware Press Association in their 2021 Communications Contest. His book, Abandoned Homes: Vietnam Revenge Murders , won first place in the mystery/thriller category in

the Maryland Writers Association 2018 novel contest. He has also published The Billion Dollar Embezzlement Murders, The Opportunity, and Unplanned Choices.

Frank’s collection of short stories, First Time, was awarded second place for a single author collection in the Delaware Press Associations 2017 Communication contest.

Jackola is a Delaware native and University of Delaware alum who discovered her passion for writing in grade school when she wrote a short story that earned her a spot in a local writing workshop. She’s been creating fantasy worlds ever since. She has released four books to date. Her debut novel, Ascension , Book One in her Unbound Prophecy series, Descent, Book Two, Book Three Surfacing and Book Four

Submerged. When she’s not weaving tales, she can be found curled up with a good book, logging miles in her running shoes, or spending time with her husband and

three children. The Event is free. The Palette & The Page’s regular hours, other than First Fridays, are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.

Obituaries

ANNA SKLARSKY HERRSCHAFT

Anna Sklarsky Herrschaft, age 95, of Hollywood, Fla., passed away on July 28. She was the wife of the late Joseph C. Herrschaft, with whom she shared 55 years of marriage before he died on Dec. 19, 2005.

Born in Bens Creek, Pa., she was the daughter of the late John Sklarsky and the late Susanna Ferchalk Sklarsky.

Anna managed the cafeteria for Bishop McDevitt High School for many years and was a homemaker. She also was both a Cub Scout and Girl Scout den mother and an avid bowler. She was a longtime member of St. Stephens Orthodox Church in Philadelphia.

She is survived by two sons, Ronald Herrschaft (Tanya) of Avondale, and Richard Herrschaft (Theresa Sutton) of West Chester; one daughter, Joanne Gottlieb of Hollywood, Fla.; and seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by four brothers and three sisters.

Her funeral mass of Christian burial was held at The Episcopal Church of the Advent in Kennett Square.

Interment will be in Longwood Cemetery in Kennett Square.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Pretty in Pink Foundation at www. prettyinpinkfoundation.org.

Arrangements are being handled by Matthew Grieco of Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. (1800-FUNERAL).

To view her online obituary, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.

CARTER JAMES BISHOP

Carter James Bishop, 9, of Oxford, passed away on July 24. Born on May 31, 2012, he was the son of Alexander and Melissa Hensley Bishop, both of Oxford.

He lived a life that was too short, but his life was one of joy, laughter, love and kindness. Carter was a goofball at heart. He was always quick to make a funny face and talk in a goofy manner. He was always smiling and always laughing.

Carter was like no other. He had a heart that would rival world leaders who cared for many. He was a lover of animals, and he was like a textbook of biological information. Carter was quick to make a joke, quick to bug his big sister, quick to protect his little sister, quick to love his mother and father, and quick to say, “I’m a banana.”

Carter loved his video games, never wore a shirt and proclaimed his love for his mother.

He loved his macaroni and cheese—a steady diet would have suited him just fine. Carter was loved by all he came in contact with. He met his mother’s intention to have him be a gentleman and his father’s intention to have him be strong. Carter James Bishop was loved and loved many. His memory will be honored every day by all of those who loved and adored him.

He is survived by his parents; his number-one homie, Don Ryan; two sisters, Makayla Bishop and Jeri Ryan; grandparents; Bonnie Nelson, Randy Hensley, Connie McCoy, Michael Ryan, Mimi Jessica Bishop and Andrea Ryan; and one uncle, James Bishop. He was preceded in death and greeted with open arms by his grandfather, Jerry Nelson and great-grandfather, Don Walliegh.

Funeral services were held on July 30 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home in Oxford.

Interment will be in Oxford Cemetery.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

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LANCE HUNTER BUTLER, SR.

Lance Hunter Butler, Sr., a loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away at the age of 83 at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, Pa. on July 19.

Lance was born on Nov. 10, 1938 to Frank and Beatrice Butler. He grew up on their farm in Swedesboro, NJ. Lance graduated from Gettysburg College in 1962. On June 16, 1962, he married Eleanor Schoeller, to whom he had dated since high school. They raised three children, Kristen, Heather and Lance, Jr.

Lance was a high school science teacher and football coach before he began his 29-year-career as a human resources manager with the DuPont Company. He later worked for International Paper as a senior employee productivity consultant. With the DuPont Company, the Butler family lived in Seaford, Del. and Easton, Conn., but it was Kennett Square that they called home for over 40 years.

Lance loved football and baseball. He played football at Swedesboro High School and Gettysburg College. He was an avid Eagles, Phillies and Green Bay Packers fan. Each fall, Lance could be seen wearing his Green Bay Packers jacket. Having been raised on a farm, he enjoyed gardening and yard work.

Lance was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Beatrice and sister Lura.

He is survived by his wife Eleanor, his three children, Kristen Butler Kaminski, Heather Butler Tessier and Lance Butler, Jr., their spouses and partners, and his beloved grandchildren, Nathaniel Butler, Samantha Tessier, and Chase Butler.

In lieu of gifts and flowers, please consider a donation to the Compassionate Care Fund at Masonic Village Elizabethtown, One Masonic Drive, Elizabethtown, Pa. 17022.

Per his wishes, there will be no funeral. There will be a celebration of life held at a later date. The family wishes to thank the caring doctors and staff at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown for the excellent care both Lance and Eleanor have received.

Executrix or Attorney: Elle Van Dahlgren, Esq., Elle Van Dahlgren Law, LLC, 20 Montchanin Rd., Suite 1000, Greenville, DE 19807. 7p-21-3t ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF Elmer F. Laffey, also known as Elmer Francis Laffey, late of West Fallowfield Township, Chester County, Deceased. Letters Testamentary on the estate of the above named Elmer F. Laffey 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: John Laffey and Robert Laffey, Co-Executors, c/o Attorney: Winifred Moran Sebastian, Esquire, 208 E. Locust Street, P.O. Box 381, Oxford, PA 19363

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ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of Richard I. Wade, Late of Landenberg, PA. LETTERS TESTAMENTARY on the above Estate have been granted to the undersigned, who request all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent to make known the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment without delay to Margaret H. Wade (604 Sandys Parish Road, Landenberg, PA 19350) and Andrew Wade, Sr. (4 Hagley Lane, Newark, DE 19711) , Executors, Or Attorney: Elle Van Dahlgren, Esq. (20 Montchanin Road, Ste. 1000, Greenville, DE 19807).

BID NOTICE

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Penn Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania is accepting sealed bids for Snow Removal in the Township for the 2021-2022 season. Bid packages are available at the Township Building, 260 Lewis Road, West Grove, PA 19390 or online at the township website at www. penntownship.us. BID NOTICE/ BID ADVERTISEMENT Penn Township, Chester County is requesting bids from qualified Contractors for Snow Removal. This includes furnishing all labor, equipment and materials required to conduct snow removal satisfactorily and safely. The Township reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids in whole or in part and to waive any informality the Township may determine necessary. In awarding a bid, the Township may consider, but not be limited to, any of the following factors: qualifications, price, experience, solvency, safety record, financial standing with the Township, warranties, references, insurance bonding, compliance record, delivery date, and past and present service of Contractor. Contractors shall be current on all amounts due to the Township prior to the Township entering into any contract agreement. The Township’s Bid Specifications are available at the Township Office, on the Township website at www.penntownship.us, or by email directed to office@penntownship.us. Bids will not receive consideration unless submitted in accordance with the following instructions: Proposals must be signed, sealed, and plainly marked: Penn Township Snow Removal Bid 2021-2022. There will not be a mandatory pre-bid meeting; however, written questions should be directed by mail or email to Karen Versuk, 260 Lewis Road, West Grove, PA 19390 or kversuk@penntownship.us. Bids will be accepted until and opened at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 18, 2021. They will be presented for review and qualification to the Board of Supervisors at their Regular Meeting scheduled

on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. The Township reserves the right to reject any and all bids or any part of the bid or to waive any minor discrepancies in the Bid specifications when deemed to be in the interest of the Township. Specifications may be obtained at the Township Office Monday through Thursday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 7p28-2t

ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of, Late of ZELL, MARY F. dec’d. Late of Oxford Borough, Chester County, PA. LETTERS TESTAMENTARY on the above estate have been granted to the undersigned, who requests all persons having claims against the estate of the decedent to make known the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment without delay to: William C. Fenstermacher, Jr., Executor, 944 Marlboro Spring Rd, Kennett Square, PA 193488p8p-4-3t

INCORPORATION

NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT Articles of Incorporation were filed with and approved by the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the 21st day of April, 2021, for the purpose of creating a business corporation which has been incorporated under the provisions of the Business Corporation Law of 1988. The name of the corporation is Casmos Cafe Conshy, Inc. 8p-4-1t

NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Oxford Borough Council, Chester County, Pennsylvania, at a public meeting scheduled on Monday, August 16, 2021, commencing at 7:00 p.m., to be held at the Borough Building, 1 Octoraro Alley, Oxford, Pennsylvania, will conduct a public hearing to consider and possibly enact an ordinance amending Chapter 1, Administration and Government, of the existing Code

A Day of Promise Golf Tournament will help local families experiencing homelessness

A Day of Promise Golf Tournament sponsored by The UFinancial Group is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 13 at the Kennett Square Golf & Country Club.

All proceeds raised will help fund Family Promise of Southern Chester County programs and services to assist local families experiencing homelessness.

The event begins at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start.

Family Promise helps families in crisis to rebuild their lives by providing emergency housing, food, and intensive social services.

“The harsh reality is there are children right here in my community that have no place to call home,” shared Vic Dupuis, the managing senior partner of The UFinancial Group. “UFinancial is deeply committed to being a part of the solution to end family homelessness…because every child deserves a home.”

Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Choice of individual and scramble format competition. Golf foursomes are $750 and individual golfers $200, which includes greens fee, cart, refreshments, golf contests, lunch, and dinner. Sponsorship packages ranging from $500-$3000 are available. For additional information, including online registration and sponsorships packages, please visit www.familypromisescc.org or call (610) 444-0400. All are welcome to participate, but space is limited.

of the Borough of Oxford, a caption and summary of which follows. The ordinance can be examined at the Chester County Law Library, 201 West Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania and the Borough Building at the above address during regular business hours. Copies of the ordinance may be obtained at a charge not greater than the cost thereof.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF OXFORD, CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 1, ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNMENT, PART 5, FIRE DEPARTMENT, SECTION 1-502, AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES OF FIRE COMPANY, OF THE CODE OF THE BOROUGH OF OXFORD.

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 1, Administration and Government, of the Code of the Borough of Oxford, Part 5, Fire Department, §1-502, Authorized Activities of Fire Company, to add new subsection E regarding operation at non-dispatched events when permitted by official action of the Borough Council following a request by Union Fire Company No. 1.

SECTION 2. Provides for the severability of unconstitutional or invalid provisions of the ordinance.

SECTION 3. Repeals ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with any provisions of this ordinance.

SECTION 4. Provides that the amendment shall be effective as by law provided.

If you are a person with a disability wishing to attend the aforementioned meeting and require auxiliary aid, service or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please contact the Borough secretary at 610-932-2500 to discuss how your needs may best be accommodated.

OXFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL, GAWTHROP GREENWOOD, PC, Stacey L. Fuller, Solicitor 8p-4-1t

NOTICE

The London Grove Township Zoning Hearing Board will conduct a public hearing on, Thursday, August 26, 2021

at 7:00 p.m., in the London Grove Township Building, 372 Rose Hill Road, West Grove, PA for the following purpose: 321 Purple Martin Lane- To hear the appeal of Daniel O’Brien and Lyndsey Rogers for a rear and side yard setback variance (27-503.E) to add a shed to their property. This property is in the Rural Residential (RR) District. William Grandizio, Chairman Zoning Hearing Board 8p-4-2t

Sheriff Sale of Real Estate By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Fredda L. Maddox, 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, August 19 th, 2021 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, September 20th, 2021. 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. 21-8-89 Writ of Execution No. 2008-03252 DEBT $167,417.10

ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or parcel of land situated in the Township of East Nottingham, County of Chester, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, being more fully described in Deed dated August 27, 2019 and recorded in the Office of the Chester County Recorder of Deeds on August 29, 2019, in Deed Book Volume 9989 at Page 2087, Instrument NO. 11685061. Tax Parcel No. 69-7-106

PLAINTIFF: Lumis Investments, LLC

19-6-0.750-T KELLY JOHN LOT 19 SGL WD MBL HM $2,583.23 EAST VINCENT MOBILE HOMES

21-5-3.250-T SMITH EDWARD LOT 833A SGL WD MBL HM $2,269.02

21-5-8.610-T SANTOS TIMOTHEA MITCHELL LOT 861A SGL WD MBL HM

$3,060.76

21-5-8.730-T ROMEU THOMAS S LOT 873B SGL WD MBL HM

$2,220.16

21-5-8.850-T SEAVERS LLOYD & MARY ANN LOT 885C DBL WD MBL HM $3,091.10

21-5-4108.21B-T COPELAND DOUGLAS LOT 821B DBL WD MBL HM $3,401.42

21-5-4108.33B-T GONZALEZ ELIA LOT 833B SGL WD MBL HM $2,239.86

21-5-4108.53B-T DINICOLA BRENDA LOT 853B SGL WD MBL HM $5,850.78

HONEY BROOK TOWNSHIP MOBILE HOMES

22-8-3.700-T CRUICKSHANK KEVIN THOMAS & ELAINE LOT 11 DBL WD MBL HM $2,668.32

22-8-9.650-T GOSSERT KARA MEDLEY JASON LOT 143 SGL WD MBL HM $1,674.98

22-8-16.125-T SKOWOOD ERIC LOC ON DBL WD MBL HM $3,898.14

22-8-20.550-T PINKERTON HOWARD & BARB LOT 141 DBL WD MBL HM $12,917.48

22-8-23.975-T HAGAMON VINCENT LOT 9 SGL WD MBL HM $4,600.15

22-8-81.016-T ZIEGLER JAMES A LOT 16 SGL WD MBL HM

$2,236.54

22-8-7701.011-T CLARK CHARLES LOT 11 DBL WD MBL HM $1,731.10

22-8-7701.039-T FOGLIO CARA LOT 1039 DBL WD MBL HM

$4,958.32

22-8-7701.084-T CHRISMAN ROBIN LOT 84 SGL WD MBL HM $1,286.32

22-8-7701.088-T REFAAT

PATRICIA LOT 88 DBL WD MBL

HM $4,063.73

22-8-7711.012-T FORTUNE

JAMES & MARY LOT 1012 DBL

WD MBL HM $3,790.66

22-8-7711.036-T ABEL DAVID MOORE SONIA LOT 1036 DBL

WD MBL HM $4,535.03

22-8-7711.038-T SPOTS

MICHAEL & DIANE LOT 1038

DBL WD MBL HM $4,079.82

22-8-7711.043-T HERRING

DUSTIN LOT 1043 DBL WD MBL

HM $4,797.48

22-8-7711.049-T HALDAWAY

CRYSTAL SNYDER EDWARD LOT 1049 DBL WD MBL HM

$3,312.26

22-8-7711.052-T BRANSFORD

ZACARY BRANSFORD

ELIZABETH LOT 1052 DBL WD MBL HM $3,628.76

22-8-7711.061-T ROBINSON

WILLIAM & BARBARA LOT 1061

DBL WD MBL HM $2,348.34

22-8-7711.065-T FERGUSON

JAMES & TAMMY LOT 1065 DBL

WD MBL HM $4,018.79

22-8-7711.067-T MARTINEZ

ROGELIO ASHTON NAOMI LOT 1067 DBL WD MBL HM

$7,559.39

22-8-7711.089-T CONLEY

CATHERINE LOT 1089 DBL WD MBL HM $1,544.28

22-8-7711.095-T LAWVILLE

JOSEPH M LOT 1095 DBL WD MBL HM $6,190.67

22-8-7711.112-T MCMAHUN

GERALD LOT 1112 DBL WD MBL HM $4,249.68

22-8-7711.128-T SHEARMAN

VIVIAN LOT 1128 DBL WD MBL HM $4,021.80

22-8-8501.A30-T HORNER

TIFFANY LOT 30 SGL WD MBL HM $2,300.99

22-8-851A.020-T KOVACH

TRACY KOVACH APRIL LOT 20 DBL WD MBL HM $5,156.80

22-8-851A.092-T LEVESQUE

MATTHEW & BRENDA 92 ERICA SGL WD MBL HM $2,614.09

22-8-851A.153-T MORT

NICHOLAS LOT 153 DBL WD MBL HM $3,904.21

22-8-851A.170-T DIEUGENIO

MATTHEW LOT 170 DBL WD MBL HM $3,527.33

22-8-851A.178-T NOLES

RONALD JR LOT 178 SGL WD MBL HM $1,428.38

22-8-851A.204-T STEPHENS

JOSEPH LOT 204 DBL WD MBL

HM $5,923.53

22-9-21.800-T COLLINS RANDY & KATHY LOT 4 DBL WD MBL HM $4,610.97

SCHUYLKILL MOBILE HOMES

27-2-93.038-T GREENHALGH

DENISE LOT 38 SGL WD MBL

HM $3,642.40

27-2-93.040-T DEBUS EUGENE LOT 40 SGL WD MBL HM

$3,086.16

27-5-42.031-T FLANNERY

THERESA LOT 31 SGL WD MBL HM $2,636.32

27-5-42.055-T BASARA DAVID LOT 55 SGL WD MBL HM

$1,937.67

WEST CALN MOBILE HOMES

28-2-7.450-T MUSSER BRIAN K LOC ON DBL WD MBL HM

$4,544.17

28-2-8.525-T OHAGAN CHRISTOPHER LOC ON DBL WD MBL HM $3,008.32

28-5-6.700-T RESSLER ALAN & PAM LOT 57 DBL WD MBL HM

$2,175.09

28-5-22.102-T COX BARBARA JO LOT 102 SGL WD MBL HM

$2,340.18

28-8-7.950-T MCKENZIE THOMAS MCKENZIE MEGAN LOC ON DBL WD MBL HM

$2,881.75

28-8-9.975-T PHILLIPS PERRY LOC ON DBL WD MBL HM

$3,420.07

WEST BRANDYWINE MOBILE HOMES

29-4-3.850-T DAVIS RALPH & DENISE LOT A-7 SGL WD MBL HM $4,520.03

29-4-5.050-T BALANOW RICHARD LOT T-7 SGL WD MBL HM $2,494.46

29-4-11-T MYER VINCENT LOT D-1 SGL WD MBL HM $4,396.67

29-4-14.550-T BORRERO HERSON R ABREU FLOR A LOT K-3 SGL WD MBL HM $2,525.46

29-8-7.450-T DELGADO VALERI LOT 20 SGL WD MBL HM $2,322.74

EAST BRANDYWINE MOBILE HOMES

30-3-0.750-T LAMBERT RONALD R & LYNNE S LOT 15 SGL WD MBL HM $3,840.44 UWCHLAN MOBILE HOMES

33-7-2.400-T NARANJO JESSICA LOT 52 SGL WD MBL HM $2,402.01

SADSBURY MOBILE HOMES

37-2-2.250-T ZONETTI ANGELO LOT 502 SGL WD MBL HM $3,313.63

37-2-4800.105-T RODRIQUEZ MARILU LOT 105 SGL WD MBL HM $6,990.21

37-2-4800.505-T SETH APRIL LOT 505 SGL WD MBL HM $1,639.71

EAST CALN MOBILE HOMES

40-2-0.100-T HUERTA RALPH HUERTA LYNNE LOT 38 SGL WD MBL HM $2,400.85 WEST FALLOWFIELD MOBILE HOMES

44-4-1.200-T PEACE GARRY LOT 102 SGL WD MBL HM $2,908.73

44-4-2.450-T LAUNI FLORENCE LOT 128 SGL WD MBL HM

$2,087.12

44-4-3.100-T HERNANDEZ LUIS TENORIO LOT 126 SGL WD MBL HM $2,992.23

44-4-14.09D-T SMITH ROBERT & JULIA R LOT 113 DBL WD MBL HM $4,346.70

44-4-1301.004-T ORNELAS IRENE LOT A-13 SGL WD MBL HM $2,334.01

44-7-2.150-T RODRIGUEZ MARIA DE LA PAZ ESCOBAR LOT 17 SGL WD MBL HM $2,331.72

44-7-2.600-T SAVINO MICHAEL P LOT 10 DBL WD MBL HM $5,471.08

44-7-118.009-T FONSECA MIQUEL & PAMELA LOT 9 SGL WD MBL HM $3,112.68 HIGHLAND MOBILE HOMES

45-3-0.125-T BEAVER KEITH LOT 2 SGL WD MBL HM $2,462.94 EAST FALLOWFIELD MOBILE HOMES

47-4-4.750-T FABRIZO KAREN FABRIZO CHARLES LOT 19A SGL WD MBL HM $5,525.43 WEST BRADFORD MOBILE HOMES

50-5-1609.03B-T NUQUI DENISE C NUQUI MAGNO M JR LOT 903-B DBL WD MBL HM $3,354.69 WEST GOSHEN MOBILE HOMES

52-5-2.300-T CONTRERAS MIGUEL LOT 22 SGL WD MBL HM $2,644.68 PENN MOBILE HOMES

58-3-4.875-T BROOKS CHRISTOPHER LOT 197 SGL WD MBL HM $1,864.77

58-3-5.150-T FLORIA ARNEL OXFORD VILLAGE LOT 64 SGL WD MBL HM $2,322.03

58-3-10.850-T KENNEDY JOHN LOT 156 DBL WD MBL HM $2,965.11

58-3-11-T JACKS TONYA HAITH BERNARD LOT 187 SGL WD MBL HM $3,735.64

69-2Q-6.550-T

72-2-0.150-T