Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 158, No. 36
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
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Preliminary air quality pilot study for New Garden Township
Hydrogen Sulfide levels as much as 33 times higher than acceptable limit By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer During the summer of 2022, in response to a rising number of complaints by area residents about the effect that the odors emitted from nearby mushroom composting facilities were having on their health and their household appliances, New Garden Township partnered with Dr. Lorenzo Cena, Ph.D., M.S., the Director of Environmental Health Program and associate professor at West Chester University to commission a one-year study from Feb.
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2023 to Feb. 2024. The study was intended to measure the air quality near these mushroom farms; specifically, whether ammonia, methane and Hydrogen Sulfide met or exceeded acceptable levels as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). On Sept. 4 before a large audience at the New Garden Township Buidling, Cena shared his study's findings that revealed Hydrogen Sulfide levels were recorded to be as much as 33 times higher than the recommended levels established by the
DEP for the general public, who specifies that concentrations of the gas over the course of one hour should not exceed 0.1 ppm, (parts per million) and that concentrations over a 24-hour period should not exceed 0.005 ppm. In contrast, the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety recommends occupational levels not to exceed 10 ppm and an exposure time to not exceed 10 minutes. In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permits concentrations of up to 20 ppm in the
There were superheroes everywhere at Camp Dreamcatcher this year. The Mushroom Festival When the 134 children extravaganza...1B and young adults arrived at the camp on August 18, they were greeted by a group called the Philadelphia Avengers, and these costumed heroes like Captain America, Deadpool, Elsa and Uma took pictures with the kids, played games, and joined
in for some playground adventures. This fun set the stage for a week filled with therapeutic and educational programs as the real superheroes of Camp Dreamcatcher—the camp counselors, the volunteers, and the kids themselves— joined together to explore new horizons, grow, and thrive in the physically and emotionally safe space that is Camp Dreamcatcher. Campers like Crystal look forward to the week-long camp session all year long.
Voices Underground appoints a new executive director...5B
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Superheroes at work and play at Camp Dreamcatcher By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
© 2007 The Chester County Press
workplace. As he introduced his presentation, Cena provided a summary of what exposure to various levels of Hydrogen Sulfide has on those who are exposed to it. Low concentrations – from 0 ppm to 10 ppm – create a strong odor of rotten eggs and cause irritation of the eyes and the respiratory system. Elevated concentrations – from 10 to 50 ppm – may cause dizziness, nausea and headaches, and for those who are exposed to Photo by Richard L. Gaw levels of 50 ppm and high- West Chester University Professor Dr. Lorenzo Cena er, they may be susceptible gave the results of a preliminary air quality control
Courtesy photo
Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick came to the rescue by quickly organizing a blanket drive and by delivering sleeping bags to the camp. He is pictured with Patty Hillkirk and Taj Brown, who has been a participant at camp for 28 years.
“Camp is just a beautiful place,” she said. “It’s a time when I can actually be myself.” When executive director Patty Hillkirk founded what would become Camp Dreamcatcher 28 years ago, she was hoping that it would serve as a positive force in the lives of youngsters who have been impacted by HIV or AIDS. Today, it is the only free therapeutic program for children who are coping with the impact of HIV and AIDS on the East Coast. During the first camp week in 1996, there were 53 children who took part in the programs. That was also the year that Hillkirk started building a team of volunteers who would provide so many therapeutic and educational programs—and so much love and support—to the children, year after year. Some of the volunteers from the early years, and even some of the campers, are still involved with Camp Dreamcatcher 28 years later. Not all superheroes wear capes. The longtime volunteers and the children who have now grown up to become counselors for a new generation of youngsters are worthy of the lofty description, too.
report for New Garden Township on Sept. 4.
FROM OUR LENS Wings of Progression
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Beth Clevenstine, left, the makerspace coordinator at The Garage Community & Youth Center – pictured with The Garage’s executive director Kristin Proto – is in the early stages of creating “Wings of Progression,” a 12’ by 65’ mural on the east wall of The Garage’s Avondale facility, together with several dozen students at The Garage and community members. The artwork, due to be completed next spring, will include images of hands, butterflies, students’ drawings, and will also incorporate gold-glazed terra cotta tiles and glass mosaics.
Tyson started coming to camp when he was 7. He is now employed as a teacher for pre-K students and is an assistant director at Head Start. He still comes back to camp every year to help others. “It’s important to give back,” he said. “I really appreciate all the relationships here, and I’m trying to make the world a better place.” This year, Hillkirk said,
there were 110 children between the ages of 5 and 17, and another 24 campers who are older and take part in the campers-to-counselors program. There is as much of a need for this kind of camp as there has ever been. “There are 20 kids who have never been to camp before,” Hillkirk explained. “We’re definitely seeing an increase.” Continued on Page 3A
WHYY hosts discussion on immigration, mushroom industry and the economy By Gabbie Burton Contributing Writer On the eve of the 39th Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square last weekend, WHYY-FM’s Studio 2 podcast hosted a presentation at the Kennett Library on Sept. 4 that wove together the issue of immigration and the area’s thriving mushroom industry, illustrating how the labor needs of the local mushroom industry highlight the flaws of the country’s federal immigration policy. The 90-minute event, entitled “Immigration, Mushrooms and the Impact on Chester County’s
Economy,” was moderated by Studio 2 podcast hosts Cherri Gregg and Avi Wolfman-Arent and included immigration attorney Nancy Ayllon-Ramirez; Zeke Hernandez, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and author of the new book The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers; and Guy Ciarrocchi, former president of the Chester County Chamber of Commerce. “We are going to ground the immigration debate in one community, this community, Southern Chester
County which, as I’m sure all of you know, is America’s mushroom capital,” Wolfman-Arent said at the start of the event. “For decades, the people who’ve worked in these mushroom picking and packaging facilities have largely been immigrants. So today we’re going to ask, ‘Why did they come here? How and what happens, or what would happen to this community if America’s immigration system would change dramatically?’” Ayllon-Ramirez shared her family’s story and connection to the mushroom industry, that began soon
Photo by Gabbie Burton
WHYY-FM’s Studio 2 podcast hosted a presentation at the Kennett Library on Sept. 4 entitled “Immigration, Mushrooms and the Impact on Chester County’s Economy,” that brought panelists together to discuss how the labor needs of the local mushroom industry highlight the flaws of the country’s federal immigration Continued on Page 5B policy.