Octorara townlively.com
MAY 17, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXIII • NO 11
“Miss Maureen” named YMCA Volunteer of the Year reading among the Y’s toddler and prekindergarten classes. Fox and volunteers from each of the branches of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine were honored during a “Breakfast of Champions” event held on April 18 at the Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester. Octorara YMCA teacher Allison Thaler nominated Fox on behalf of that YMCA location’s staff. Thaler’s nomination letter stated, “Maureen has a warm smile, a genuine love for our students and the appreciation of our students and staff. Thank you, Miss Maureen, for teaching our students to love books.” Fox, who is known as “Miss Maureen,” not only reads to the children at the YMCA, but also selects 40 books from the library’s collection and brings them to the location for use by the youngsters. “I go in on the third Wednesday of the month and read stories to the three different classrooms - two pre-K classes and one toddler. I do stories and songs and little finger plays,” Fox said. “When I get there, I switch out the 40 books and take the old ones back to the library and reshelve them.”
BY FRANCINE FULTON
“It was a really nice surprise because I love working with the kids,” said Maureen Fox from Atglen Public Library (APL), who was named Volunteer of the Year by the Octorara YMCA & Program Center, where she holds a monthly story time program that promotes
Maureen Fox (right) accepts the award from Loraine DiSciullo, senior director of early childhood development at the YMCA of Greater Brandywine.
See “Miss Maureen” pg 2
Participants in the ceremony were (from left) Beverly Runk, Steve Shivery, Angie Wallace and Paul Shivery.
Playground dedicated in Christiana he Christiana Lions Club recently installed new playground equipment at the Lions Community Park, 325 N. Bridge St., Christiana. The playground was made possible through a donation by Lions Club member Steve Shivery in honor of his late mother, Barbara Lou Shivery, who loved to visit the park and watch her children play. Because it was a rainy day, the dedication ceremony on April 30 was moved indoors into the Lions Club building. In attendance at the event were members of the Shivery
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family, including Steve’s daughter, Grace, who assisted with the project; Steve’s sisters, Beverly Runk and Angie Wallace; and Barbara’s husband, Paul. “(Barbara) was ready and willing to help anyone any way she could,” said Steve’s wife, Jewel, during the ceremony. “Her love of Christiana has been carried on in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and it is in her honor that we dedicate this playground today.” The three siblings then unveiled a sign that will be placed at the playground. It reads, “This playground dedicated in memory of Barbara
Lou Shivery (1937-1989) for the children of Christiana and her own great-grandchildren who play here.” Lions Club third vice president Ben Scheffel explained that the new playground equipment, which features multiple sliding boards and a climbing wall, was installed by King’s Swings. “Rubber matting (was added for safety) because they wanted it to last a long time,” Scheffel said. “Steve, who owns Shivery Funeral Home, had some young men that work on his team, and they did a lot of the grounds work, planted grass seed and hauled in dirt (after the installation).”
BY FRANCINE FULTON
In keeping with its mission to “restore and protect the natural resources of the scenic Octoraro Creek,” the Octoraro Watershed Association (OWA) recently sponsored two projects - an Earth Day cleanup and a stream study. Thirty-seven participants took part in the cleanup around the Octoraro Reservoir on April 15, including OWA members, members of Andrews Bridge Foxhounds, volunteers from Allan Myers construction and people from the community. This is the seventh year that the
effort has been held. Three groups in five locations collected 1,500 pounds of trash, which included 400 pounds in Chester County and 1,100 pounds in Lancaster County. Participants met at Jim Neary’s Bait & Tackle in Kirkwood, where they received supplies and directions to the work areas and enjoyed snacks that were provided by Kreider’s Market, Kirkwood. “Picking up trash is not onerous when done with friendly and knowledgeable companions,” said OWA member Rupert Rossetti, event organizer. He noted that eagles and other birds were sighted during the cleanup.
See Playground pg 6
See OWA pg 10
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BY FRANCINE FULTON
OWA holds stream cleanup, water study