Morgantown/Honey Brook townlively.com
JULY 19, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXI • NO 24
Boone Area Library welcomes new director BY FRANCINE FULTON
The essay contest winners were (from left) Christopher Landis Jr., Archisha Charkraborty, Abigail Smith, (not pictured) Nithya Vanacharla, Simran Sahoo and Yunni Wawrzyniak.
Independence Day observed at Hopewell Furnace BY FRANCINE FULTON
atriotic music and the recitation of the Declaration of Independence were featured during a celebration held on July 4 on the front lawn of the Ironmaster’s Mansion at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. The event also included the reading of winning essays as part of a contest that invited local middle and high school students to address the question, “What Does the Phrase ‘Created Equal’ Mean to You?” The National Park Service and the Friends of Hopewell Furnace presented the program, which was held to commemorate the 247th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Crystal Williams, acting site manager for Hopewell Furnace, provided the welcome, which was followed by “The Star-Spangled
winners’ representatives, which included park staff members. Simran’s essay talked about people who still fight for equality in America. “As I shuffle through flashcards of the eight characteristics all living things need to survive, (I wonder) where the cards ‘equality’ and ‘kindness’ went,” the essay stated. “What gives me hope, however, is that there are still so many of us that live life with kindness, and so, we all have the power to be kind.” In her essay, Archisha talked about true equality. “To me, (created equal) means that every human being is born with inherent worth and dignity, regardless of race, gender, religion, or any other characteristic,” she stated. “It means that everyone should have an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams and aspirations without facing discrimination or prejudice.”
Mirielle Vasselli is the new director of the Boone Area Library in Birdsboro.
far as collection development and things like that, but I think (working at a community library is) a lot more interesting,” said Vasselli. “A lot of the books in here I would actually read. Theological books are very dense and very long. Now, when I See Boone Area Library pg 2
Chester County commissioners award grants The Chester County commissioners recently approved the awarding of $2.5 million in open space preservation and park improvement grants at the commissioners’ public meeting. The grants are made available through Chester County’s Preservation Partnership Program, which offers funding to municipalities and nonprofit land preservation organizations. The commitment of county funds will help leverage an additional $15 million of non-county funds. A total of 15 grants will be awarded this year.
Local grant recipients included East Coventry Township, which will receive $50,000 for the acquisition of 1.7 acres to add to its 160-acre publicly accessible Nature Preserve. North Coventry Township will receive $41,312 for the Riverside Park river access improvements, including the installation of an adaptive kayak launch on the Schuylkill River, providing river access to those with physical disabilities and those using mobility devices, and the replacement of the existing, deteriorated concrete boat launch.
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Banner” led by Molly Herman and the presenting of colors by Girl Scouts from Daniel Boone Service Unit 763 and Boy Scouts from Pack and Troop 595. The ceremony also included the singing of “America the Beautiful” by Amelia Shelgren. Essay contest winners were invited to read their entries at the event. High school winners were Simran Sahoo, first place, Downingtown STEM Academy; Abigail Smith, second place, Owen J. Roberts High School; and Christopher Landis Jr., third place, Daniel Boone Area High School. Middle school winners were Archisha Charkraborty, first place, Lionville Middle School; Yunni Wawrzyniak, second place, Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center; and Nithya Vanacharla, third place, Lionville Middle School. Archisha, Christopher and Abigail were on hand to read their essays. The other essays were read by the
After working as the circulation librarian at the Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N.J., Mirielle Vasselli, the new Boone Area Library director, said she was pleasantly surprised when she visited the Birdsboro library for the first time. “It was so much larger than it looks from the outside,” she said. “I walked in and (saw) the bookstore room, which is so expansive, (and) the kids’ area was great and the teen room is amazing. The fact that there were so many computers and so many resources and the collection - I was very impressed.” Vasselli, who was actively looking for a new position, came across the job opening at the Boone Area Library online. She interviewed in May with the library’s board of trustees, and her start date was June 26. She said that working in an academic library is very different than leading a community library. “The principles remain the same as
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Oxford Produce Auction
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