Octorara townlively.com
JULY 5, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXIII • NO 18
Chester County 9-1-1 telecommunicator receives scholarship BY FRANCINE FULTON
Children read to Cookie and Linda Felty at the Parkesburg Free Library.
Library patron Iris Freeland (left) and Linda Felty with Cookie
PAWS for Reading offered at Parkesburg Library BY FRANCINE FULTON
hildren are invited to read to a canine friend as part of the PAWS for Reading program offered on the third Tuesday of the month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Parkesburg Free Library. Patrons may sign up for a 15-minute session with a therapy dog provided by PAWS for People, a nonprofit organization based in Delaware. During the most recent session, Linda Felty visited the library with her dog, Cookie. “(PAWS for People) asks us to volunteer, and they (make a schedule) of where they want us to go,” said Felty. “We went to Barnes & Noble in Christiana, Del., to visit the shoppers, to a nursing home and a summer school program for children who are disabled in Garnet Valley. We also went to Lincoln University’s Mental Health Day. (Cookie) gave love to the students, and they enjoyed giving her some treats.” Felty noted that PAWS for People dogs also visit prisons, hospitals and cancer centers. “They love it when we bring the dogs. They like to be able to pet on them,” said
(Retirement Community), and they have a magnetic paw above the door, so you know who is willing to have us come in,” Felty explained. “I was there one day, and they had a therapy mini pony. He walked around, and people were so excited.” She said the use of therapy animals has proven effective in many cases. “I read a story about a child who lived through a school shooting and had not spoken since the event,” she shared. “The local firehouse opened up for therapy dogs to come in for the kids. The parents took their son, and he laid down (with) the dog and told the dog everything.” At the Parkesburg Library, a youngster, despite her initial reluctance, was able to read comfortably with Cookie. “Her grandmom said she doesn’t read out loud and is very nervous (about reading). (Dogs) are nonjudgmental, so she did a fabulous job,” said Felty. Parkesburg Free Library is located at 105 West St., Parkesburg. For more information about library activities, visit www.parkesburglibrary.org or search for “Parkesburg Free Library” on Facebook.
Kate Speidel
telecommunicator as her first job out of college. “I was getting a broad major and seeing where life took me,” said Speidel when describing her decision to apply for her position with the DES. “I use (my major) every day. I am working and talking with people on the radio and the phone who are dealing with crisis.” See Scholarship pg 6
Octorara Area Food Cupboard seeks donations BY FRANCINE FULTON
The Octorara Area Food Cupboard (OAFC), 714 Main St., Parkesburg, is in urgent need of nonperishable food donations, as well as local groups that are willing to conduct food drives for the organization. OAFC, which serves individuals and families in need in the greater Octorara area, accepts donations during its operating hours, which are on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
and 2 to 5 p.m. “Cereal, boxed pasta, spaghetti sauce and stuffing are the biggest needs,” said OAFC director Judy Dougherty, noting that other needed donations include pancake syrup, cake mixes, brownie mixes and crackers for soup. Local gardeners are also invited to donate harvested vegetables to the food bank throughout the summer. “We would like the fresh stuff to come in on Tuesdays, which gives us two days to (distribute) it,” Dougherty noted. See Food Cupboard pg 2
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Felty. “(Cookie) is so funny. After a while, she will get comfortable, and she will roll over so people can rub her belly.” Children who may be uncomfortable reading aloud or those who are struggling with reading are encouraged to read to a therapy dog. “Sometimes they get nervous because she is a big dog, but when she sits down, they are calm,” Felty said. Felty, who works as an elementary school counselor in Harford County Public Schools in Maryland, adopted Cookie with hopes to someday bring her to school. “I wanted a Labradoodle because they are so great about being therapy dogs. They have the personality for it,” she said. “It took us about a year and half to go through the classes. I did get trained to go to a library, and there are certain things they tell us like to bring a blanket for her to lay on and to take some books with us. They have special training if you are going to the cancer center. When we went to a school, we sat in a circle, and the kids thought it was wonderful.” She noted that PAWS for People provides therapy cats, dogs and rabbits. “ We go to Jenner’s Pond
Kate Speidel graduated in 2018 from West Chester University with a degree in psychology, but she was unsure of what job she would be interested in pursuing after school. As it turned out, Speidel has found a rewarding career as a 9-1-1 telecommunicator with the Chester County Department of Emergency Services (DES) and was recently named a recipient of the Gold Line Telecommunicator Scholarship by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). The scholarship is awarded to 9-1-1 professionals across the country for their exceptional “hard work, commitment and dedication to public service.” The scholarship provided for Speidel’s attendance at, plus a $1,000 travel stipend to, NENA 2023, the group’s annual conference and expo held in June in Grapevine, Texas. Speidel began working as a 9-1-1