Chadds Ford Life Spring/Summer 2023 Edition

Chadds Ford Life

Chadds Ford Life

Chadds Ford Climate Control: A

Chadds Ford Climate Control: A team built on traditional values

values

Chadds Ford Life Spring/Summer 2023

Letter from the Editor:

From the time he graduated from Kennett High School in 2013, Demitri Grivas was charting a singer-songwriter journey that took him to Nashville, the songwriting capital of the world, where he gathered experience as a performer and an understanding of the music world. He’s now back in Chester County performing and producing original songs. Chadds Ford Life recently caught up with Demitri to talk about his music, his creative process and a new business he recently co-founded.

Grivas’ story is just one example of the many interesting and talented people who live or work in Chadds Ford, and in this issue we highlight just a few of these individuals.

We profile artist Randall Graham, who is helping to keep the Brandywine tradition of art alive. Graham has painted landscapes, still lifes, portraits and other works of art in Chadds Ford and nearby areas for many years. His work shows his influences—which include Howard Pyle and N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth. These are some very well known names in this region, of course.

Writer Ken Mammarella takes readers inside Earth Wind Fire & Ice, a store that offers a multisensory experience.

As owner Glenda Stranahan says on the About page of www.earthwindfireandice.com, the store is a “‘please touch’ educational experience with fossils, rocks and much more for all ages.” Then there are the store’s aroma-producing items, such as essential oils, incense, herbs and candles. General stores played an important role in helping small towns across the U.S. to thrive and develop. For many years in Chadds Ford, Baldwin’s Store was a convenient stopping place for travelers throughout the region. In this issue, Gene Pisasale, a writer and historian, explores the history of Baldwin’s Store, and how it became a true Chadds Ford institution.

Writer Chris Barber introduces readers to Alex Castina, a 24-year-old who has established a coffee business called Cookie’s Caffe. The business is named for his dog and his favorite drink. For nearly the past four decades, Ray Coe has been one of the many forces behind the development of Boy Scout Troop 31 of Chadds Ford, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Writer Richard L. Gaw spoke with to Coe about his 34-year association with the troop.

The subject of the photo essay is Claire Reilly, an interior design consultant at the Ethan Allen design center in Chadds Ford.

We hope that you enjoy these stories. We’re already hard at work planning the next issue of Chadds Ford Life, which will arrive later in 2023.

Sincerely,

Randy Lieberman, Publisher randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553

Steve Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, Ext. 13

Cover photo: Richard L. Gaw

Cover Design: Tricia Hoadley

Singersongwriter Demitri Grivas

Singersongwriter Demitri Grivas

From the time he graduated from Kennett High School in 2013, Demitri Grivas was charting a singer-songwriter journey that took him to Nashville, the songwriting capital of the world, where he gathered experience as a performer and an understanding of the music world. He’s now back in Chester County performing and producing original songs. Chadds Ford Life recently caught up with Demitri to talk about his music, his creative process and a new business he recently co-founded.

Chadds Ford Life: Your first social media postings related to your music date back to 2013, when you were a senior at Kennett High School. When did you first begin to write

and perform music, and what – or who – inspired you to do so?

Grivas: When I was growing up in Chadds Ford Township, my dad Dean Grivas played drums, and he was my first musical influence. I began by playing the drums, and for a time, that was the only musical instrument I played. By the time I reached middle school, music began to be how I wanted to communicate, so I started to learn other instruments. My grandfather loved the sound of a guitar and asked me to learn the instrument for him. I just began writing songs from there, and it became how I was best able to communicate.

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Photo by Richard L. Gaw Chadds Ford Township resident Demitri Grivas.

Demitri Grivas

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You are fashioning your music in the traditional genre of singer-songwriter. Who in that genre would you call an influence, and what are the qualities and styles you admire in them?

The earliest influence of mine was John Mayer, because he is someone who writes music and is really true to making his songs take form. I also have admired Ed Sheeran, who delves into a lot of different types of music. Together, there’s so much to listen to and love. I think it’s about resonating with the emotions they are bringing to their music. There is a special talent within performing that allows you to connect with your audience on a human level. It’s not only about themselves but the stories they are telling.

At your core, are you a musician, a singer or a storyteller?

I think I am all of them. I need to see the story come to fruition,

the musical side of that is almost a different aspect of the production. Musicianship is a different entity in itself, and while you can’t have one without the others, I am a musician separately than I am a singer or a storyteller. They are different roles I step into.

How do you write songs?

As I recall one particular song, I was in my car and a song popped into my

head, and I began singing the melody. I have songs that have come from a percussion line, and some songs come from merely having to get something off of my chest. I have had some songs take 20 minutes to write and others that have taken four or five years to complete.

and

Courtesy photo

A 2013 graduate of Kennett High School, Grivas took his musical talents to Nashville for the next three years, where he performed frequently.

I haven’t figured out a routine yet, but for a long time, I would wait for the song to arrive.

After graduating from Kennett High School, you went to the songwriting capitol of the U.S. – Nashville, Tenn. Describe your experiences there.

I originally went to Nashville right after high school in 2013 to attend a Songwriters Association convention, and I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to join in events and opportunities. I was sitting at a bar with my father and that’s when I told him, “I don’t want to go home.” So I saved up whatever money I had and came back to Nashville with two contacts, one of whom was in the music industry.

So much of the recording industry is built on establishing contacts. Talk about the challenges and successes that you experienced while in Nashville.

I started to perform regularly as part of writers’ rounds, where performers would sing their original songs to music professionals who were always looking for songs to buy. I had signed with a budding label, and I was with the company for about three years, but I quickly realized that wasn’t what I wanted to be doing.

I was young, eager, and I didn’t know what I didn’t know, but the experience taught me that I had to protect myself. Even though that relationship didn’t work out, I was writing a lot with other writers. While it sometimes felt disingenuous, it pushed me to write better for myself, and I began to write raw and honest songs.

Courtesy image

Grivas is a regular performer on the local singersongwriter scene.

Demitri Grivas

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I realized that what I had thought was going to help me was in fact holding me back, so I returned to Chadds Ford Township in 2016. I now own all of my songs.

Where are you at creatively now?

When I came back, I really wanted to secure my work ethic and ability to work with people in the music industry. What I had done in Nashville was just the beginning, and for three years after I returned, I worked as a sound engineer. During COVID-19, when I was working at a guitar center, I was also writing a lot of original music.

In addition to continuing to develop your music, you are also a coowner of a new company, where you and your business partner Tristen St. Clair produce projects ranging from music videos, short films and commercials. Talk about Creating Creative Entertainment – or CCE. Collectively, we had been doing one-off gigs in video and sound

Courtesy photo

In addition to pursuing music, Grivas is the co-owner of Creating Creative Entertainment, a Chadds Ford-based company that produces projects ranging from music videos, short films and commercials.

production, but it was Tristen who had the energy that encouraged us to combine our talents into a new company that was formed in the last year, and is now based out of my home in Chadds Ford. We got our start working with non-profit organizations and rating documentary-style videos and producing educational films.

Let’s peer into the crystal ball future. Where do you see yourself, creatively and professionally?

I would love to be able to put out more music. I am working on an album now, and already have four songs out on social media. I am using CCE to help me facilitate my music career – in audio and video. I would like to remain an independent musician, grow my catalogue and my online presence and be playing my songs on the road with a band.

What is your favorite spot in Chadds Ford?

I love the Antique Mall on Route 1. I love collecting records and they have them there.

You are throwing a dinner party and can invite anyone you wish – famous or not and living or not. Who would you want around that dinner table?

I would like to get together with Brent Rakus, who passed away when he was 40. He was a local artist, a great cook, a great host, a great DJ and he was a great friend of mine.

On the other hand, if I were to have a dinner party with my biggest musical influences, the table would have to be at least 20 feet long.

What item can always be found in your refrigerator?

Zero calorie Coca-Cola.

To learn more about Demitri Grivas and his music, visit Linktree/Demitrigrivas or follow him on Instagram. To learn more about Creating Creative Entertainment, visit www.creatingcreative.co.

- Richard L. Gaw

Rock on Earth Win a ‘please

By Ken Mammarella Contributing Writer

“Please feel free to ask us questions,” a sign at Earth Wind Fire & Ice in the Pennsbury-Chadds Ford Antique Mall says. “We love to teach.”

The store’s staff of 11 definitely does. “Fossils all have a story to tell,” said Brandon Gramlich, who traces his interest in fossils and artifacts to his father. “I explain what makes each fossil special.”

“We hear a lot of stories,” said store manager Kerry McAbee. “We all know a little.” Often more.

They’re also ready to touch – and usually let customers touch, such as when Gramlich shows off a pair of finely crafted axe heads, hundreds of years old.

As owner Glenda Stranahan says on the About page of www.earthwindfireandice.com, the store is a “‘please touch’ educational experience with fossils, rocks and much more for all ages.”

Then there are the store’s aroma-producing items, such as essential oils, incense, herbs and candles.

When the store acquires more space, it will offer sound healing, yoga and other programs, and will be filled with self-help books, such as those about the Path to Heal grid system, written and developed by the author Rebecca Cohen.

The owner’s backstory

Stranahan earned college degrees in biology and chemistry, with a goal of becoming a marine biologist. Instead, her career evolved into retailing various aspects of science.

“As a kid, I used to go out for hours with a hammer and break things,” she recalled of her early love of Mother Nature. “I had bug zoos. I lived up in trees. I was a very big tomboy.”

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Photos by Ken Mammarella

Brandon Gramlich, one of the employees of Earth Wind Fire & Ice in the Pennsbury-Chadds Ford Antique Mall.

Earth Wind Fire & Ice

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Earth Wind Fire & Ice opened in 2000 in one rented booth in the lower level of the Baltimore Pike mall, which bills itself as Chester County’s largest antiques mall. Stranahan had been working at World of Science in Delaware’s Concord Mall, and when the store closed, she used her severance to stock her new store in the mall, but its inventory quickly became too large for the booth she had.

Her merchandise budget has grown with the floor space. In 2022, she spent $140,000 at the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase, one of world’s two largest shows of that type, one that takes over the city (“the parking lots are filled with tents”) and is her major source for items to sell.

“I buy until I have no more money and then I don’t go and look anymore because it’s not safe to continue to look,” Stranahan said. This year, with prices disturbingly higher, she spent only $70,000, because she wants her wares to be affordable.

On a recent day, this amethyst and calcite crystal was the store’s costliest item.

“At one time, Native American jewelry used to be a nice price,” Stranahan said. “You could own things. Now, it is so expensive. You have to be wealthy to own anything anymore. But I like to keep my prices down the best I can. Because I want people to have stuff that they love.”

From 75 cents to $10,000

On any given day, the prices for Earth Wind Fire & Ice store items range from 75 cents to as high as $10,000 –from small tumble stones to calcite crystals and Bolivian amethyst.

The store also sells Native American artifacts, handcrafted jewelry, modern carvings, picture sandstones and pottery from Mexican villages.

Stranahan devotes several weeks each year hand-picking each item in Tucson, and it might take weeks more to unpack the large pallets of purchases still at her home near Gap.

Stranahan and her husband, Joseph, have recently moved from Guthriesville.

“I said to my husband that I could no longer live in my current house,” she said. “My husband said, ‘Why don’t we downsize?’ I answered him, ‘You downsize. This is my stuff. The kids can downsize when I am dead.’

“We moved, so I have a bigger house, and this way I can fit my stuff into it. Whatever I like goes up.”

The store’s name breaks down into the provenance of most items (earth), one of the protectors in Stranahan’s Lakota heritage (wind) and the sparkliness of the gems and crystals (fire and ice).

Staffer Brandon Gramlich displays axe heads that were made as many as 1,500 years ago in what is now Tennessee.

Earth Wind Fire & Ice

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Herbs and yoga

Although crystals and other items treasured for their metaphysical properties are increasingly popular, Stranahan said she’s not a metaphysical person.

“I like the scientific value, and I’m a plant healer. I’ll go to plants before I go to a doctor,” she said, such as favoring echinacea and eyebright for sore throats.

Staffer Rinn Stuart set up the herbal space in the store. “I had a lot of medical issues that doctors couldn’t solve,” she

explained. “I started reading and fell in love with being able to heal my own body.”

Her daily regimen includes lion’s mane and reishi mushroom capsules, ashwagandha, dandelion root, chamomile, calendula and mullein leaf.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, McAbee said they have seen more people seeking the comfort of nature.

Becca Martz and Ray Dobies met at the store, and they are now partners in life and a venture called the Om Collective.

“Ray and I formed the Om Collective for healing work,”

Geodes are like tiny caverns filled with colorful crystals.

The Mexican village of Mata Ortiz is known for its distinctive pottery, rooted in its heritage.

Staff member Rinn Stuart is the designer of the herbal section of the store.Earth Wind Fire & Ice also includes an inventory crystal skulls.

Local artisan Mark St. Clair made these wooden pieces.

said Martz, who considers herself a star child and believes potential customers can sense the crystals that will resonate with them.

“The Sound Om is the vibration of the universe, and we do sound-healing events throughout the community and energy healing, such as reiki,” she said. She also teaches kundalini yoga and returned to India for several months this year for a trip that also explored tantra yoga.

With Earth Wind Fire & Ice serving as a spiritual guidepost for her customers, Stranahan continues to encourage them to explore and discover themselves.

“I used to tell kids, ‘There are treasures all around you,” she said. “You must use your eyes and look.”

Tumble minerals are in full supply at Earth Wind Fire & Ice.

Chadds Ford Climate Control: A team built on traditional values

When Ken Blackburn first began Chadds Ford Climate Control in 2007, the company was made up of a fatherand-son team and one truck. Through partnerships and a commitment to excellence, the company is now a mediumsized heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical company with 46 team members and 38 trucks.

The company’s commitment to its staff is often reciprocated toward the community.

“Many of our team members began their careers as assistants, and haven’t yet finished school, so we have provided funding to help them along the way,” Ken said. “As a result, they tend to appreciate their education more and over time, they develop not only their skills, but a deeper association with our customers. A team member called me recently and told me that one family needed a hot water system installed but just didn’t have the funding for it.

“We came up with a solution to install the system for them. It’s this sense of giving back that has become part of the culture of who we are.”

Yet, while Chadds Ford Climate Control may have grown in size, the very same traditional values that formed the company 16 years ago remain the same: delivering quality products that the company stands behind; offering the personal, gothe-extra-mile service from its skilled and hard-working team; and giving back to the communities the company has served.

The story of Chadds Ford Climate Control is not only told by its tremendous growth but by its decision to combine with family-owned and operated Breeding & Day, EA Harvey and Moon Plumbing and Services that now places 75 years of quality under one roof and expands the company’s services throughout Chester County, Delaware County and northern Delaware.

Chadds Ford Climate Control is committed to providing safe and viable solutions to create a comfortable, efficient environment in homes and businesses. Equipped with the latest technology and proven procedures, its certified technicians design, build, install, retrofit, maintain and repair heating a cooling systems, including ductless and geothermal, air quality improvements, thermostats, back up generators, water heaters, as well as provide all electrical and plumbing needs.

‘The culture of who we are’

Chadds Ford Climate Control also supports its team members by sponsoring their education at technical schools.

The traditional values that guide Chadds Ford Climate Control are not only seen in the quality service they provide, but throughout the communities they serve. Before they are part of the Chadds Ford Climate Control team, they are members of their own team – their own families – and while they are seen at work they are also seen at the many events and organizations that the company supports. Just as you may greet them at the grocery store, they are also at Unionville Recreation Association baseball games, VFW chapter events, the Kennett Run, the Kennett Mushroom Festival, the Unionville Community Fair and the Chadds Ford Historical Society Pumpkin Carve, where the company took home the prize for best-carved pumpkin one year.

The company’s commitment to community – and families -- doesn’t end there. Ken Blackburn serves on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, where Chadds Ford Climate Control has lent its support to the organization’s development of 40 townhomes in West Grove, where they provide the installation of HVAC units and plumbing, and donate HVAC units to every fifth home.

The company’s humanitarian reach – one built on traditional values -- even extends beyond Pennsylvania.

“We heard about an older couple in Delaware who had no heat in their home and no money to pay for a new system,” Ken said. “When you hear of a situation like that, you ask, ‘How can we help these people out?’ We created a safe environment for them to have heat in their home for the winter.

“Whenever we have the chance to give back, we do.”

Chadds Ford Climate Control is located at 144 Fairville Road, Chadds Ford, Pa. 19317. To learn more, visit www. chaddsfordclimatecontrol.com or call 610-388-9333.

Baldwin’s Store: A Chadds Ford institution

By Gene Pisasale

Contributing Writer

Villages and small towns across America developed and thrived over the years partly due to the presence of an establishment which met the needs of local citizens: the general store. These places offered a wide variety of merchandise, from groceries to items for the home.

For Chadds Ford, a popular establishment was Baldwin’s Store. Situated along Route 1, Baldwin’s was a convenient stopping place for many travelers through the region. A review of the history of the building which housed the store over the decades gives readers a “look back” to when carriages were still used for transportation, prices were often quoted in nickels and dimes and the general store had “everything you needed” for your home.

The building which became Baldwin’s Store dates to the late 19th century, circa 1870, according to an historical summary submitted to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Henry Graham Ashmead in History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, lists Richard Jacobs (R.J.) Baldwin as the original proprietor of the store which first operated as a post office

and later as a store in 1878. The Baldwin family was well known in the area. R.J. was a very ambitious man. He became interested in politics and later leased the store to his brother Henry and subsequently to his own son Richard Lindley Baldwin. R.J. was also a successful real estate and insurance agent. He held numerous political positions, including Recorder of Deeds, Commissioner, Pennsylvania state Senator and eventually Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. R.J. helped to establish the Pennsylvania Game Commission; he passed away at the age of 90 in 1944.

In My Childhood Days Around Chadds Ford, Mabel Baldwin Lawrence reminisces about Baldwin’s Store, which was also her home.

“It seemed like a Baldwin ran the store for many years,” she wrote. “It was a very large country store and carried a little of everything besides groceries. Connected to the general store was a thirteen-room house and bath. We had nine bedrooms. Some of the store help usually lived with my father, mother, my three brothers and me.”

R.J. Baldwin.

Karen Furst mentions that as of 1905, there was a meeting hall on the upper floor and family members lived in an adjacent house. In “Chadds Ford: History, Heroes and Landmarks,” Carla Westerman states that the store was “a large rambling building next to the Chadds Ford Inn. Originally the store had a mansard roof and was similar in design to the Inn.”

General stores are much less common today, replaced by supermarkets and retailers like Wal-Mart and Home Depot, but they were beloved venues from the 19th to the mid20th century. They were places where you could shop and the person behind the counter knew your name- and often asked about how your family was doing. At a time when most people in small towns knew practically everyone who lived there – Baldwin’s Store in Chadds Ford was a symbol of small-town America.

Although it ran successfully for many years, on May 1, 1915, tragedy struck. A fire began in a nearby barbershop and spread to the adjacent Arment home and Baldwin’s store, burning them to the ground. Richard Lindley Baldwin, who lived there with his family, safely evacuated them – then ran into the Post Office to save the mail and stamps. The country store where people had shopped for decades was gone. The

event was the catalyst for a subsequent move to rebuild. Baldwin’s Store reopened in 1916 and later included a new name out front: the Battlefield Tea Room. A period photograph shows that automobiles had not yet taken over; two oxen are standing in front of Baldwin’s Store on Route 1. Although the sign “Baldwin’s Store” still hung out front above the steps leading inside, the “Tea Room” sign with its big, bold lettering grabbed viewers’ attention. It indicated that the locals were proud of their store and their town, saying: “This is Chadds Ford.”

A photograph circa 1928 shows the rebuilt store with two fuel pumps out front- one for gasoline, the other for kerosene. As automobiles were quickly replacing the horse and carriage, gasoline was becoming a necessary commodity.

Local resident Florence Betts Brosch, who was the daughter of the town doctor, recalled “The tea room… was very special when I was a little girl because when important people came to visit, we might entertain them there.” A more recent photograph from 2015 shows Thomas B.T. Baldwin, Sr. (grandson of Richard J. Baldwin) holding a 1920s-era photograph showing two men on horses facing each other in the street out in front of the store.

The Baldwin’s Store, circa 1905.

Baldwin’s Store

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Over the subsequent years, the building housing Baldwin’s Store changed hands and names several times. It was re-born as a cigar shop, dress shop, real estate office, an antique store and other venues. A major renovation was done in 2005 and the building reopened as The Bistro restaurant. That establishment was later sold. Its most recent reincarnation is Antica, the Mediterraneanstyle restaurant which has become quite popular. Numerous Wyeth paintings hang on the walls; an outdoor patio seats guests in good weather. Inside is a reminder that

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Photos: 1) Remnants of Baldwin’s Store and adjacent buildings after the fire which occurred on May 1, 1915.

2} A public notice for the reopening of Baldwin’s Store following reconstruction, courtesy Christian Sanderson Museum.

3) The Baldwin’s Store, circa 1928, showing the “Battle Field Tea Room: This is Chadds Ford” sign.

Baldwin’s Store

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the building has a long heritage: the same photograph Thomas B.T. Baldwin Sr owned and donated to the establishment.

Preserving historic buildings is important to maintain the heritage of each community. Credit goes to the Chadds Ford Historical Society for providing many historical images. Through the efforts of concerned citizens—and in this case business owners—sites like the building which housed Baldwin’s Store remain a vibrant part of the landscape, for all to enjoy.

Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer based in Kennett Square. His ten books focus on the history of the Chester County/mid-Atlantic region. His latest book is Forgotten Founding

The Antica Restaurant, circa 2015

Fathers: Pennsylvania and Delaware in the American Revolution. Gene’s books are available through his website at www.GenePisasale.com and on www. Amazon.com. He can be reached via e-mail at Gene@ GenePissasale.com.

Thomas B.T. Baldwin, Sr. with historic photograph of Baldwin’s Store.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

SOARING H

He was 20 years old.

An Eagle Scout

As a fledgling you joined our troop, Young, Eager and Full of Wonder. Your parents, leaders and fellow scouts took you under their wings. With their help you began to grow, to learn, and to expand your world. As the years have flown by you have experienced many things as your feathers have grown in. Now, after much testing of your young wings, with your parents, leaders and fellow scouts as witness, you spread your wings as your Eagle Badge is presented, and take to the heavens, soaring high and free.

Robert S. Hinderliter, Troop 31 of Chadds Ford

In order to truly comprehend the deep and passionate commitment that Ray Coe has had with Troop 31 of Chadds Ford – to understand how scouting has become one of his life’s purposes -- one must trace far beyond his 34-year association with the troop. Properly told, this story begins halfway around the world in Vietnam 53 years ago, when Raymond Coe from Delaware County found himself – with no leadership training -- as a loader, driver and tank commander for the U.S. Army in the DMZ near the Michelin Rubber Plantation, 72 kilometers northwest of Saigon.

It was there in Vietnam where Ray Coe’s endless reel of trauma began. He witnessed one of his Army buddies climb up a coconut tree in order to pluck a coconut from its vine and enjoy the sweet fruit. He did not hear the screams of his troop to come back down – that the coconut could be a booby trap – and seconds later Coe watched his comrade blown out of the tree and fall 50 feet to his death.

The reel continued. On one patrol, Coe was scanning the remains of a Vietnamese encampment that had been set afire and for reasons he still does not understand, he stopped still instead of choosing to step further. He then looked down at the ground and found that his feet were mere inches from a booby trap.

“One day, I went to a makeshift church that was set up at one of the American outposts, and I asked God that if He got me out of there I would do anything that He wanted me to do – anything He wanted for me,” Coe said. “I soon left to come back home, but for years and years, I wondered what in fact I was supposed to do to pay God back.

“I wondered if he had even heard me.”

Years later, as a married father, Coe fought to shut down the spools of film that had compiled over the years of his experiences in Vietnam, but the machine would never turn off in his mind. He sought peace from the nightmares. He waited for God to show him how He wished to be repaid as part of the covenant Coe made that day in the church.

In 1990, Coe followed his son Andrew to Boy Scout Troop 31 of Chadds Ford so that he could spend quality time with him during the boy’s time as an Eagle Scout. He discovered the impeccable sweetness of experiencing life and moments soft against nature. He embraced the trails and the

For nearly the past four decades, the development of Boy Scout Tro 75th anniversary this year. Toget

Photo by Bill Tsai

HIGH AND FREE

Ray Coe has served as the scoutmaster for Troop 31 Chadds Ford for the past 24 years and has been associated with the organization since 1990. pungency of the campfires and the allegiance of an organization whose mission is to carve out portals of integrity and decency for young men to follow.

Soon after, Coe became an assistant scoutmaster in the troop and in 1999, took over the reigns of scoutmaster, a role he has held ever since.

“I had been serving with the scouts for a few years, when all of a sudden the light went on and I knew that scouting was what I supposed to do – what I had promised God,” Coe said. “Being associated with Troop 31 has given me a sense of accomplishment and more importantly, a sense of giving back to others.”

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s, Ray Coe has been one of the many forces behind roop 31 of Chadds Ford, which is celebrating its ether, that’s a lot of journeys that last a lifetime

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Ray Coe

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Troop 31 of Hamorton

For the past 34 years, Coe has kept up his end of the bargain he made that day in Vietnam and been one of the mainstays of a troop that in the course of its 75-year history has helped to nurture the lives of well over 1,000 young boys in the Chadds Ford community.

Troop 31, originally known as “Troop 31 of Hamorton,” began on May 31, 1948, when the troop committee met for the first time in the living room of Allen E. Lawrence. Under the guidance of Scoutmaster George Bagnall, Bob Saunders and Dick Voytilla, the troop raised money that allowed the troop to purchase canoes and other equipment needed to begin a canoeing program.

While the Brandywine River still serves as the primary waterway for the troop’s canoeing excursions, they have also braved the currents of the Delaware River, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Throughout the years, camping has played an instrumental role in the development of Troop 31, but it began not in the wilderness but at the home of Howard Smith on

Brintons Bridge Road, as well as at the Wyeth property. As the unit expanded, so did the number of expeditions; over the last 50 years, the troop has set up camps at Lums Pond in Delaware; Assateague, Hibernia Park and Bull Run in Virginia; Gettysburg Park, French Creek and Nottingham Park in Pennsylvania; Lake Placid in New York; and the Pine Barrens in New Jersey, among many other locations.

While the number of scouts in Troop 31 continues to grow – it currently consists of nearly 70 boys from age 11 to age 18 – and the pathways of its adventures continue to widen, the key mission of each scout is to work toward achieving Eagle Scout status, the highest rank of Scouts BSA. The requirements are strict and challenging: a scout must be active in the troop for at least six months as a Life Scout; show dedication to Scout Oath and Scout Law; provide references from family, work, church, and other community groups; earn 21 merit badges; serve a minimum of six months in a leadership position; propose, plan, and carry out an Eagle service project; attend a scoutmaster conference; and pass a board of review.

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Ray Coe

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Earning Eagle Scout rank shows that a scout embodies the Scouts BSA qualities of trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, friendliness, courteousness, kindness, obedience, cheerfulness,thriftiness,bravery, cleanliness and reverence. For every tendril of support Troop 31 has received over the years, it has doubled down on the service it has provided to the community of Chadds Ford. Through its various services projects – which have ranged from handling parking duties at Chadds Ford Days to planting trees to clean-up

projects along Route 1 to collecting clothes – each member learns the power of giving back.

“There are two things that in my mind are most important to impart to our Eagle scouts,” Coe said. “The first is that they become good people by living by the scout oath every day, and the other is to become leaders in life. It is our job to give them leadership opportunities and coach them through that.

“I am really lucky because these scouts have been great kids, and I’ve had some great assistant scoutmasters who have been of great inspiration and help. I have had such great long-term help that I have never felt like I was responsible for carrying the entire load of the troop and its mission.”

In this modern age of smart phones and easy accessibility to technology, Roe said that he encourages parents to “get their kids off of cell phones and their video games and go out and play” before they attend summer camp.

“Back before all of this technology became a way of life for everyone, my scouts back in the 90s weren’t affected by the summer heat,” Coe said. “These kids today are having a difficult time adjusting to the heat. On the opposite end, we have upgraded the way we communicate through technology and videos for our meetings and for our teaching, and for some reason, it seems to go over better than hearing someone talk in front of them for 45 minutes.”

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Photo by Richard L. Gaw

While the Brandywine River still serves as the primary waterway for Troop 31’s canoeing excursions, they have also canoed along the Delaware River, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.

“Navigating Care with a Personal Flair”

Ray Coe

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‘Joy and Purpose’

Over his 34 years in scouting, Coe has seen hundreds of young boys grow up to become leaders in their community. One of them is Andrew, who later graduated from Penn State and spent three years as a Peace Corps teacher.

“When Andrew returned home, almost immediately he went right back into scouting, and has served on the Boy Scouts Council and achieved everything imaginable as a scout leader,” Coe said. “Over these years, I have had quite a few boys come into scouts as rather quiet and shy and reluctant to participate, and through the encouragement of their parents and once we got them rolling, we have begun to see them evolve.

“I always tell parents to join their children on our outings, because I guarantee them, they will never regret one moment they get to spend with them.”

A popular slogan for scouting has been “Be prepared.” For the past several years, Coe had been looking for just the right person to succeed him as scoutmaster for Troop 31, after he steps down in early 2024. After a long search, he found him – Zach Davis, the leader for Pack 231 and a former Eagle Scout.

“Zach is a fantastic guy and I know he will do a superb job,” Coe said. “My motivation is that I have seen so many troops fail when a long-time scoutmaster leaves, and that is the last thing I want to happen to Troop 31.”

On the very rare occasions when Coe recalls that moment in Vietnam when he made a promise to God, he looks back over his experience with Troop 31 as a gift that has continued to enrich his life and meaning.

“I really feel that I have gotten just as much joy and purpose from being associated with Troop 31 as the hundreds of kids we have seen pass by our way over that time,” he said. “When you are burdened with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder like I have been, having purpose in life is really important. I can’t tell you how many former veterans I have spoken to who have told me that they have a difficult time finding a reason to go on. I tell them, ‘Find something that gives you a reason to keep moving forward.’”

Boy Scout Troop 31 of Chadds Ford is embarking on a camping trip to Camp Shenandoah in Virginia from May 19-21.

Scoutmaster Ray Coe plans on being there.

To learn more about Boy Scout Troop 31 of Chadds Ford and to see more of Bill Tsai’s photos, visit www.troop31chaddsford.com.

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

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Since its founding in 1948, Troop 31 Chadds Ford has helped nurture the growth of more than 1,000 scouts.

Randall Graham: Keeping the Brandywine tradition alive

By Gene Pisasale Contributing Writer

With a very long roster of talented artists who have painted in and around the Brandywine Valley for decades, one might wonder: “Is there anything new to see by a local artist?” With Randall Graham, the answer is clearly “yes.”

Graham has painted landscapes, still lifes, portraits and other works of art in Chadds Ford and nearby areas for many years. His influences include the best known names in the region – Howard Pyle, N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, as well as internationally renowned painters like Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer and Norman Rockwell. With these influences and a strong dedication to his realistic style, Randall has captured breathtaking scenes throughout the region, gaining a name for his expertise and accomplishments.

Randall Graham was born in Malvern, studied at the Carlin Academy of Fine Art and also with artist Bo Bartlett. He later moved to West Chester, where he currently resides with his family. Randall is open to capturing a wide range of scenes and topics all around the Brandywine Valley and his extensive catalogue of paintings attest to that. His works include paintings of N.C. Wyeth’s studio, George “Frolic” Weymouth’s property called Big Bend, the Andres Farm House, trees along the Brandywine and many others. One of Randall’s favorite activities is painting outdoors or “plein air,” where the beauty of each scene “comes alive” for him to portray on his canvas. He

is also one of the few artists who doesn’t mind painting in the rain. Randall actually enjoys capturing scenes through raindrop-covered windowpanes or simply sitting inside his mini-van while he paints a nearby scene to give the subject a completely different “look.” Similar to “plein air,” he calls this technique “en rain air.” His paintings done with this method have a unique aspect to them – and definitely attract the attention of the viewer.

Two of Randall’s works, “Andres Farm House” and “Eternal” reveal his admiration for the paintings of Andrew Wyeth. Both paintings are done predominantly in subtle

“Brandywine River Tree” by Randall Graham.

tones of tan, brown and charcoal gray, with the starkness of each scene seeping through the canvas to almost permeate the space around the viewer. The subtleties of this style were explored for years by Andrew Wyeth, but here Graham shows the art world that he, too has something to contribute. Graham’s style is both realistic and somewhat abstract, imbuing each scene with just enough interpreta-

tion to give it a life of its own. In “Andres Farm House,” his brushstrokes on the farmhouse wall seem to sweep toward the viewer.

In “Eternal,” sunlight blazing through two uncovered windows is a torch that enlightens the room. Randall’s appreciation for the works of both N.C. and Andrew Wyeth

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“N.C. Wyeth studio” by Randall Graham.

Randall Graham

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is demonstrated by the fact that he teaches workshops at their historic studios.

Randall’s works have been shown in exhibits at many well-known venues including Winterthur, the Brooklyn Art Library, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Rehoboth Art League, the Chadds Ford Historical Society and others. He has won many awards, including Plein Air Salon “Best Floral”, the Chester County Art Association “Excellence Award” and Malvern Plein Air Invitational “Best in Show Award.” Randall remains quite active in the local art scene, teaching classes at his own studio in Malvern and also at

the Brandywine River Museum of Art, Valley Forge and the Wayne Art Center. For more information, visit his website at www.randallgraham.com.

Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer based in Kennett Square. His ten books focus mostly on the history of the Chester County/mid-Atlantic region. Gene’s latest book is Forgotten Founding Fathers: Pennsylvania and Delaware in the American Revolution. Gene’s books are available through his website at www.GenePisasale.com and at www.Amazon.com. He can be reached via e-mail at Gene@GenePisasale.com.

“Andres Farm House” by Randall Graham.

“Eternal” by Randall Graham.

Photos by Jie Deng

Text by Richard L. Gaw

Claire Reilly and the emotion of her design

In her role as an interior design consultant at the Ethan Allen design center in Chadds Ford, Claire Reilly uses her uses her impeccable eye for color, texture and symmetry to turn her clients’ homes into personal showcases of expression.

Yet for Reilly, interior design has always imagined on a 3-D screen, tweaked, agreed upon and then perfectly placed in a home. Rather, it is about the art of digging and discovery – a collaborative search to create the intangible connection that brings the personality of the client forward.

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“Design is an emotional process for me, a search who was raised in West Chester and educated at the Art Institute of New York City. “I try to tap into those emotions and make my relationship with a client more about an experience. I get to know him or her as someone far more than just a client looking to brighten up a living space, by tapping into their personal vibe and getting an understanding of who they are.”

“I think the most important component of being a great interior designer is in how she or he develops relationships with clients,” said Kelly Simkovich, Ethan Allen’s design center leader who works with Reilly and Ethan Allen’s team of design consultants Rienn Hennessey, Joseph Panzer and Abigail Wise. “When Claire meets with someone, she immediately connects with them. No matter their age or gender,

understanding what they truly want their spaces and their homes to represent.

“My approach to interior design is very similar to the method by which we should view art, which is to feel it,” Reilly said. “I want people to walk into a room that I have designed and have an emotional reaction to what they see, and for my clients, I want to be able to create a space that is far more than just furniture in a room.”

To learn more about the interior design work of Claire Reilly, visit clairecaeleydesigns on social media or visit www.EthanAllen.com/ChaddsFord. Ethan Allen is located at The Shoppes at Olde Ridge Village, 100 Ridge Road in Chadds Ford. www.chestercounty.com

Coffee with inter from a man Coffee with inter from a man

By Chris Barber Contributing Writer

Coffee’s place in life for most people is a morning wake-up shot or a dinner wash-down after dessert. For aficionados, however – sometimes called “javaphiles” – their favorite cup holds a kaleidoscope of flavors and strengths which they take pleasure in exploring.

Locally, the go-to resource for a wide variety of coffees and flavors from all over the world is Alex Castina.

At 24, he has created a business called Cookie’s Caffe, named for his dog and his favorite drink. Castina, 24, is a graduate of Unionville High School and the University of Alabama with a degree in marketing. Cookie’s picture is prominent on the packaging of his products.

He is now supplying a customer base of about 100 with coffees he roasts himself in an enterprise that he considers quite satisfying for himself and beneficial to the region.

“I never enjoyed having a normal job doing the same thing every day and nine-to-five,” he said. “I always wanted to do my own thing, and I always liked cooking and fooling around with food.”

Castina operates out of his father’s basement, roasting beans to order depending on what his customers request. For those customers who live close, he delivers the products in person. For others who live farther away, he sends it.

One thing Castina has found especially interesting – and what drives him – is that different coffee beans from different parts of the world have varying flavors depending on the climate and geography of origin. He deals with coffee international brokers from whom he obtains the raw [green] beans and roasts them in the machine whose controls he operates.

The name of his machine is an Aillio Bullet.

“It’s kind of like a spinning drum that heats up and shoots the exhaust out the back,” he said.

The longer the beans cook, the darker they become and the less delicate their flavor is. The beans and their flavors come from everywhere. “I get beans from at least 12 nations including Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Zimbabwe – just about every country in Central and South America as well as Africa,” he said.

Castina added that beans from Africa have a somewhat fruity flavor, while those from South America can be thought of to taste more chocolaty or bitter. The longer they roast, the more “toasty” and burned they taste and the less delicate they remain.

“Most aficionados like their coffee lightly roasted. It’s like a steak. If you cook a filet well done, what’s the use of having a filet?” he said.

When he was asked if he adds flavors like fruits,

Photo by Chris Barber Alex Castina is marketing coffee with flavors from throughout the world. He has named his business after his dog, Cookie.

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vanilla or chocolate, he said he does not. He believes the coffee beans have flavors of their own which conjure up the tastes and environments in which they grew. He sees the artificial flavorings as a contamination of their nature.

Castina markets his coffee online through Reddit network and by word of mouth. He said potential customers can survey his selections and make purchases by going to his website at COOKIESCAFFE.com. The prices are slightly lower than the wider market, and individuals have the luxury of customizing their desired blend.

• Treating ALL Pediatric Fractures

• Concussion Evaluation and Management (ImPACT Trained)

• Coordinate rehab protocol with School Athletic Dept./ ATC

• Common Spine Conditions

• Back Pain/Strain/ Overuse Acute and Chronic

• Scoliosis

• Pars defects

• Common Knee

Conditions/Injuries

• ACL sprain/tear

• Osgood-Schlatter disease

• Patellofemoral syndrome

• Common Hip Conditions/Injuries

• Hip Dysplasia

• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)

• Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE)

• Shin Splints

• Leg-Length discrepancies

• Perthes

• Common Ankle Foot Conditions/Injuries

• Achilles sprain/tear

• Sever's disease

• Overpronation

• Clubfoot

• Flat foot (Fallen Arch)/ Hollow Foot (High Arch)

• Toe-Walking

Scott Ritterman, M.D.Nikos K. Pavlides, M.D.Linda P. D'Andrea, M.D.

Glenn E. Lipton, M.D.James T. Guille, M.D.