Landenberg Life Spring/Summer 2018 Edition

Spring/Summer 2018

Landenberg Life

Magazine M agazine aga

A toast to tradition at Old Stone Cider Page 18

Inside: • Somerset Lake’s man of the races • Flora’s life on film • Q & A Kristi May Wyatt

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Spring/Summer 2018

Landenberg Life Table of Contents 10

Somerset Lake’s man of the races

18

Keeping the old ways alive

22

Profile of Flora Zanfrisco

28

The write stuff

38

How it used to be

54

Chester County Mopeds

62

Photo essay: Old Stone Cider

68

Q & A with Kristi May Wyatt

72

Camp & Education Guide

86

Adam Beck: Music without compromise

38 10

28 54 Cover design by Tricia Hoadley Cover photograph by Jie Deng

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Landenberg Life | Spring/Summer 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

Enjoying the spring and summer in Landenberg Letter from the Editor: With the arrival of warmer weather, it’s a good time to enjoy some of Old Stone Cider’s locally made beverages. A local family runs the business, which opened last year in a restored 1800s barn in Lewisville. In this issue of Landenberg Life, we feature both a story and a photo essay about Old Stone Cider, just one of the many things that make life in Landenberg so good.

We love being able to shine a spotlight on some of the people, groups, and businesses that make Landenberg so special.

In this issue, we profile David Berger, Somerset Lake’s man of the races.

For Berger, of Progressive Fitness Coaching, living in Landenberg is about giving back, and that’s just what he’s done, by creating running events that celebrate the beauty of nature and the spirit of community.

We talk to members of Chester County Mopeds about their fun activities— the group seeks, restores, and rides mopeds.

We also have a story about Adam Beck, a local musician who released a five-track EP in February. It’s a polished, mature effort that blends 1970s rock, close-knit harmonies and a dash of progressive rock.

We talk to New Garden Elementary School principal Susan McArdle about the writers luncheons that she has been hosting for students for the last seven years. During the luncheons, small groups of students share their writing with the principal—and with each other, making valuable connections in the process.

We talk to Landenberg resident Flora Zanfrisco, who hopes a film will be made about her experiences as she worked to overcome depression, anxiety, diabetes, and agoraphobia.

The subject of the Q&A in this issue of Landenberg Life is Kristi May Wyatt, the general manager of Harvest Ridge Winery. A second tasting room is scheduled to open in late April in Toughkenamon.

As always, we hope you enjoy the stories in Landenberg Life, and we look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions for stories that we might work on in the future. We’re already planning the next issue, which will arrive in September.

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Sincerely, Randy Lieberman, Publisher randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553 Steve Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, ext. 13 Cover design by: Tricia Hoadley Cover photo: Jim Coarse www.chestercounty.com | Spring/Summer 2018 | Landenberg Life

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——|Landenberg Life Fitness & Adventure|—— For David Berger of Progressive Fitness Coaching, living in Landenberg is about giving back, and that’s just what he’s done, by creating running events that celebrate the beauty of nature and the spirit of community

Somerset Lake’s man of the races

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

F

ast forward to Thanksgiving Eve 2018.

It is Wednesday, November 21, at about seven or eight in the evening, and the kitchen of your home in Landenberg or Avondale or Toughkenamon is filled with the simmering and teasing scent of what’s to grace your holiday table tomorrow. Your children are off playing with their cousins somewhere in the home, and your visiting brother or your sister or your parents have popped a good bottle of wine, in preparation for a conversation of family catch up.

Continued on page 12

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Landenberg Life | Spring/Summer 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

All photos courtesy unless otherwise noted

The annual Wild Turkey 5-Mile Race around Somerset Lake, held on Thanksgiving morning, regularly draws some unusual costumes.

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Landenberg resident David Berger serves as the race director for several road races in the Landenberg area. www.chestercounty.com | Spring/Summer 2018 | Landenberg Life

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David Berger Continued from Page 10

Then, at about the time you finish off your second glass of a decent Napa Valley 2010, you look at your brother and our sister and their spouses, all plopped deep into cushioned couches and chairs, and you begin to imagine them all dressed as turkeys.

No, you’re not inebriated.

You are merely inspired.

You ask them if they brought their running shoes with them.

They all nod, with suspicion.

And, at a little after seven o’clock on Thanksgiving morning, there you are, joined by your siblings and their spouses and your children and nephews and nieces and about 100 other locals at the Somerset Lake clubhouse – some of them dressed as turkeys – stretching in the gray fog of Thanksgiving morning.

Congratulations. You have just indoctrinated more runners into a Landenberg tradition: the annual Wild Turkey 5-Miler around Somerset Lake.

To anyone who has participated in this Road Race of the Absurd in its previous runnings, they have been assured of several things: 1) It’s a nice run that takes in the gentle peaks and hills

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The healthy Kids Running Series offers many opportunities for children from Pre-K to the 8th grade.

The first Harvest Running Festival was held last October on the Fox Chase Farm in nearby Kemblesville.

that surround the lake; 2) It’s become a family fun run of sorts, where the kids get to participate in something called Grandma’s Lost Potatoes, searching for misplaced spuds along the track; 3) it’s a guaranteed great post-race hang, with a

welcoming party back at the clubhouse that still allows them to get back home by 9 a.m.; 4) they might be up for an award for best costume, youngest or oldest to finish and least dressed; 5) they’ll make a donation that will find its way to a charitable organization in the community; and 6) they will get to see race director and fitness coach David Berger – himself a resident of the Somerset Lake community – whose infectious enthusiasm has lit the flame of this annual run since it began eight years ago.

“I began this race because it was taking me too long to get back home from the races that are held on Thanksgiving in Wilmington,” said Berger, a licensed personal trainer who owns Progressive Fitness Coaching.

“At the time, my wife wasn’t running, so she didn’t understand the dynamics of the event, that allowed me to meet my clients and run with them. I’d leave the house a seven in the morning, and I wouldn’t get back home until noon or one o’clock.

“When we moved to the Somerset Lake community, I thought, ‘This is a beautiful neighborhood. Perhaps we should start a race here.’ The development’s board was very kind to us, and that’s how it started. It’s become one

of the most laid-back atmospheres for a race that anyone could possibly imagine.”

Over the past several years, Berger has certainly made up for all of those Thanksgiving mornings he spent in Wilmington. He has organized and directed several other road races and running activities throughout the Landenberg area. Beginning on April 29 at Kennett Middle School, Berger will begin his fourth year as community organizer for the Healthy Kids Running Series, a five-week running program for children from Pre-K to the 8th grade. The program offers age-appropriate running events including the 50-yard dash, the 75-yard dash, the quarter-mile and the half-mile and the one-mile fun run.

Kids compete each week of the series for a chance to earn points, and at the end of the series, the top boy and girl with the most points in their respective age division receive a trophy. Each runner receives a participation medal and a gift bag.

The program runs on Sunday afternoons beginning at 3 p.m. until May 27, and parents can still sign their children up on the day of the event.

Continued on page 14

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David Berger Continued from Page 13

“What I try to emphasize to the parents is that it’s more about the participation than it is about athletic achievement,” Berger said. “It allows each child who participates the opportunity to measure how much they’ve improved in running every week.”

Last October, Berger kicked off the first Harvest Running Festival, which took place on the 148-acre Fox Chase Farm in Kemblesville. Advertised as “A Celebration of Human Potential,” over 200 runners participated on 5K and 21K races, on courses USATFcertified by well-known race

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The Healthy Kids Running Series will be held from April 29 to May 27, at the Kennett Middle School.

designer Dick Fitch. They began at the farm and traveled through Franklin and London Britain townships, and included Appleton Road, Elbow Lane, London Tract Road, Indiantown Road, Flint Hill Road, Stricklersville Road, Mt. Olive Road, Cavender Lane and the Geohagen Greenway Trail.

Landenberg Life | Spring/Summer 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

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David Berger Continued from Page 14

Berger said the idea to host both a road and a trail race was inspired by his entry in the Hyner View Trail Challenge in Hyner, Pa., which sponsors a variety of trail and road races. “I wanted to create a running festival that celebrated every runner who can run any of these two distances,� he said. “I’ve been doing trail races and road races for years, and they seem to have a different vibe, because there’s a different kind of people who run each race. The postparties are even different between them, as well. The Hyner Challenge is different, because it draws all types of runners together. I wanted to bring that kind of feel here, in order to merge the trail and the road groups together.�

Post-race activities for each race were held at a barn on the property, that included beverages from the Kennett Brewing Company and Levante Brewing Company, and food from Roots Natural Kitchen in Newark. Additional sponsors will include Altra Running, the Hockessin Athletic Club, Integrative Health Chiropractic Center,

Mudgear, Philadelphia Runner, Rip Roarin Productions and the Yards Brewing Company. “What I’ve really learned the most from trail running is the feeling of being one with nature,� Berger said. “These races will run past so many preserved lands. It’s a stunning course. To me, running in nature is like running in the House of God, and to give runners the same opportunity is the big goal with these races.�

For Berger, organizing the Wild Turkey 5-Miler, the Healthy Kids Running Series and the Harvest Running Festival form a connectivity between local residents. “It’s about something I refer to as ‘Run local, give local,’� he said. “It’s my way – and the way of so many others who participate in these events – of coming together as a community, and giving back.�

To learn more about these races in the Landenberg community, visit www.runlocalgivelocal.com.

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

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————|Landenberg Life Cover Story|————

Keeping the old ways alive At Old Stone Cider, historic recipes are fueling a brand-new business Courtesy photo

The Gruber family operates several businesses in Lewisville, including a new cider-making operation.

By John Chambless Staff Writer

T

here’s history in every part of the Old Stone Cider operation in tiny Lewisville – from the restored 1800s barn that’s the hub of the business, to the spreading orchard that produces heirloom apples, to the cemetery on the property that holds graves from the early 1700s.

Located perhaps 100 steps north of the Maryland state line, Old Stone Cider is marking its first year in business in May, but the recipes for making the robust alcoholic ciders are rooted in centuries of tradition.

“Every European country has its own cider tradition,” said Mary Gruber, whose family runs the new business.

“It’s pretty universal.”

Mary’s son, Evan, explained, “When the colonists came over to America, a lot of them brought apple seeds in their pockets. When you bring seeds over, you get a cross between two types of trees. Those were the first unique American varieties. Hard cider was initially the most popular alcoholic drink in the country. Every farm would have a few trees or an orchard and everyone would make

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hard cider. The colonists were suspicious of drinking fresh water.”

“You drank cider for three meals a day – even children would drink a diluted version,” Mary added. “And apples were grown to make hard cider – they weren’t grown to eat.”

Evan’s parents started a Christmas tree farm in Lewisville that has made the location an annual holiday highlight for area families. The 75-acre property in Lewisville holds three businesses – the Christmas tree farm, horse boarding facility, and the new cider business.

“This property was three farms,” Mary said. “I know that the farmhouse at the center is an 1816 two-story log house. The cider barn and farmhouse are most likely circa 1840. The farmhouse at the East end of the farm, where we board horses, is even older. It’s also a two-story log house, with later additions. There was definitely a community here in the late 1600s and early 1700s, for there to be enough people to form a church before 1720.”

The church building burned, but the cemetery remains, isolated from view but still toured by genealogists and curious visitors. The old stones in the cemetery gave the cider operation its name.

The farm was overgrown in 1991, when Mark and Mary bought it and began renovations. There was a barn on the property that had been used as a dairy barn. It was in disrepair, and by the time the Grubers had discovered the world of hard ciders during a trip to Europe and decided to try their hand at making a U.S. version in 2010, the barn had to be torn down and rebuilt. The family used existing timbers in the reconstruction, and the barn has the same footprint, but today it’s a modern building that holds a ground-floor fermentation room and an upper floor where customers can discover ciders.

The family’s first attempt at making a cider “was horrible,” Evan said, laughing. “When we started, we didn’t really know much about it. My dad spends quite a bit of time working in the U.K., where it’s on tap in every pub.

I was in college and had tried some. When we started, we bought fresh, unpasteurized cider, added yeast, and it ended up tasting like watery alcohol.”

That was about nine years ago, and the Grubers discovered that to make a good cider, you need the right apples.

Modern, hybridized apples don’t have a strong enough flavor to stand up to the fermentation process.

“We knew that we needed bittersweets and bitter sharps

to make a good cider,” Mary said. “We selected trees that were going to work in this environment, did a lot of research and started planting. It was sort of a leap of faith.”

The apples grown in the orchard – almost 20 different types – aren’t the pretty varieties you’ll find in a grocery store. The historic Roxbury Russett, Harrison and Stoke Red varieties are too tart to be eaten right off the tree, but are strong enough to make a variety of ciders.

“Cider is the fastest-growing alcoholic beverage,” Mary said. The ciders most familiar to Americans are perhaps Woodchuck and Angry Orchard, which the Grubers dismiss as candy-flavored approximations of real ciders. “The first Woodchuck cider was sort of diluted beer with apple flavoring in it,” Mary Gruber said. “Pretty awful stuff.”

“Some of the cider manufacturers in this country are starting to plant and use these traditional apples, but most are using table fruit – using eating apples to make hard cider,” Mary said. “You get a very different end result.”

Evan added, “What’s happening in the industry is, they’ll make a product and then add a lot of sugar to it, or flavorings.”

For their first successful batch last year, the Grubers sold Continued on page 20

www.chestercounty.com | Spring/Summer 2018 | Landenberg Life

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Old Stone Cider Continued from Page 19

out 900 gallons by September. Customers can fill up growlers with cider, or sample the ciders in the barn. There are no off-site sales, and bottling Old Stone varieties is still a few years in the future, Evan said. This year, they have 1,200 gallons to meet demand, with larger volumes each year as trees mature.

The process of cider making is similar to making wine, Evan said. “We grow the apples, then we pick them and press them. You store the juice in tanks and add yeast. There’s more nuance than that, but that’s basically the process. Then we give it a slight carbonation.�

Old Stone is part of the Pennsylvania Cider Guild, Evan said, which provides contacts and networking opportunities, and the farm is part of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, but the family has intentionally kept Old Stone low-key up to this point. The business is open on Saturdays, and on Friday evenings as well in warmer months, offering a patio area and occasionally food trucks. There are regular customers who come every weekend, and Old Stone is getting noticed as the hub of activity in Lewisville. On a typical spring and summer weekend, perhaps 150 people will stop by. “It’s become a hangout,� Evan said. “People can walk over to fill their growlers, bring their own food and stay for a couple of hours.�

Photo by John Chambless

The Old Stone Cider name was inspired by a 1700s cemetery on the property.

The ciders tend to have a higher alcohol content – around 8 percent – and there are plenty of options for producing unique varieties. Evan said he has added blueberries, as well as oak, to see what happens. “It’s been a lot of experimentation,� he said. “There are some resources online, but at the end of

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Landenberg Life | Spring/Summer 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

the day, you just have to figure out what works.�

And with so many people knowing only the sweetened varieties of mass-production ciders, education is a constant process, Evan said. “A lot of times, people will come in and say, ‘Oh, I tried hard cider once.’ But the flavor they have in their minds is the mass-produced stuff,� he said. “When they try ours, it’s tart, or a little bitter. The flavors are more nuanced. Education is the big component. We talk through each of the varieties we have, and prime the people for thinking about cider in a different way. People’s reactions are positive. We try to always have four varieties on tap – a tart cider, a sweet cider, a dry cider, and maybe a flavored cider of some type. Usually people will find one or two that they really like. My thought is that if we can appeal to a wide variety of tastes, that’s better.�

Without the pressure of bottling or canning their ciders, the Gruber family has been able to manage the operation with only limited outside help. Lewisville is their only location. Even the barn was largely a do-it-yourself job, with a few Amish artisans brought in to help.

On their website, the family hosts a time-lapse video of the barn project. “In 2011 when we began disassembling the barn for reconstruction, we saved as many of the

original hand-hewn timbers as possible,� the site reads. “To replace rotten or unusable beams, our family collected logs from the farm, many felled in the heavy storms of the summer of 2011. These logs were milled at local sawmills and carved with a mallet and chisel to replace the missing pieces. “The stonework on the foundation was repointed and relaid with the farm’s field stone by an Oxford mason, and in the summer of 2013 we raised the beams. A roof, siding, and windows quickly followed and much of the decorative wood you see inside is recycled from the original building. We’re pleased with the fruit of our many years of work on it, and are proud to preserve this part of the local landscape. Many barns of its age are torn down or fall into disrepair as the local economy changes.�

At Old Stone Cider, though, the past coexists very well with the present. And the strength of the hearty ciders is drawing a new, vital energy to the village.

The Old Stone Cider tasting room is at 959 Chesterville Rd., Lewisville, Pa. Visit www.oldstonecider.com for more information.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

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—————|Landenberg People|—————

Landenberg woman’s dream: Her life’s transformation captured on film

By Natalie Smith Staff writer

S

ome people seem to be given more than their fair share of life’s cruelties.

To them, misfortune can become an unwelcome but wearily familiar foe, pummeling their spirit and will. If tragedies start in childhood, the trauma might lead to a self-fulfilling cycle of bad choices making bad things happen, resulting in more bad choices.

But things can change. And it’s because of the tremendous changes in Flora Zanfrisco’s life that she dreams a film will be made about her experiences.

Ask Zanfrisco about her life 10 years ago.

“I had depression. Anxiety. I had diabetes. I had agoraphobia,” she said. “I didn’t come out of my house for about a year. Because of my job -- I was a database administrator -- I was able to work at home, so that enabled me to continue to be agoraphobic. That, along with family members doing things for me when I needed groceries or whatever.” Zanfrisco’s twin daughters were about 6 at the time.

Zanfrisco was born in Italy. Her family came to the United States when she was about 9 months old and settled in South Philadelphia. In talking about her childhood, the Landenberg resident with an easy laugh and a head of barely contained dark curls is matter-of-fact.

“When I was 7 years old, I was molested by a female neighbor,” Zanfrisco said. “I was told not to tell anyone. So I didn’t. And then, when I was about 11, I was jumped and beaten for no reason by two ‘troubled’ kids,” she said.

Nor was Zanfrisco a favorite of the teachers in her Catholic school, although she didn’t understand why. “Teachers were very mean to me. They would embarrass me in front of the class,” she said. “But no matter what I told my parents, they didn’t believe me.”

The troubled young girl dealt with her pain the best way she knew how.

“When I was 12, I actually started doing cocaine and drinking, just because of the anxiety. I didn’t realize what I was doing. I just thought I was having fun, but I realize what it was now,” she said.

At 16, another assault: Zanfrisco was date-raped. “After the rape, I just became promiscuous. Men or women, I didn’t care,” she said.

As an adult, she later developed agoraphobia, a symptom of which can be an irrational fear of public spaces. “I was scared of people, I was scared of places. I was scared of everything,” Zanfrisco said.

“It ended up where I was at my office, making 100 grand a year. I would

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Landenberg Life | Spring/Summer 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

Photos by Natalie Smith

Flora Zanfrisco holds camera equipment, including a drone that she uses in making her videos for her production company, Freedom Films.

walk into the office, walk into a meeting, and I would just freeze. I couldn’t move. I would just turn around and walk out, even if I had something to say.

“My boss said, ‘Listen, just work at home.’ So I was at home for a full year, not doing anything except being in the house. I would drive some places, but I always had this fear that someone was following me, that someone wanted to attack me. With my kids in the house,

Flora Zanfrisco sits at her desk in her Landenberg home and adds notes to the storyboard she wrote for her anticipated autobiographical film.

The first page of the detailed outline that Zanfrisco wrote for a film about her life.

I was always bubbly and having fun with them. But with anyone else, forget it.”

Things finally came to a head.

“This one night, somebody came and rang my doorbell.

I was in my [home] office and my kids were watching TV, playing,” Zanfrisco recalled. “The fear that came over me because my doorbell rang. I had no idea who it was or why was somebody ringing my doorbell. I go and grab my kids from the other room, and I say, ‘Come on, let’s

get under my desk.’ Then the doorbell rings again and that brought more panic to me. I felt like I came out of my body. I could see me and the kids under my desk. The look they gave me … it was a look no mother wants to see from their kids. “‘Wow. How did I get here?’ That question I remember coming from my heart. I didn’t say it. I remember thinking it,” she said.

Continued on page 24

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Flora Zanfrisco Continued from Page 23

Right after Zanfrisco posed the question to the universe, a business card fell off her desk. It was the card of a therapist that a friend gave her. The next day, she called the therapist who was able to see her that day.

As she talked about her past, the female therapist was very “hands-on,” Zanfrisco said. “I didn’t understand what she was doing. Later I found out she was also a shaman [a priestess who channels energies].”

Zanfrisco went home and later went to sleep. The next morning, things were different.

After compulsively coloring in one of her girls’ coloring books to hearing a song on TV that started eight hours of her dancing through the house, Zanfrisco felt like a new woman.

Then the answers started coming.

“I would have questions in my head, and then the answer was there,” she said. “Whether it would be a commercial on TV, or someone would call me on the phone in that minute and answer whatever question I had in my head, or driving and seeing a sign that would answer that

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Landenberg Life | Spring/Summer 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

question. The first couple times I would go, ‘What a coincidence.’ Then there was a point when I realized, ‘This is not a coincidence.’”

Seven days a week for three months, the answers just came. During this time, Zanfrisco became a vegan and eventually ended up losing 60 pounds, “just because I wasn’t staying still.”

She also quit her job.

“I went back to work, but after all the experiences I was having during those three months, I thought there was no way I could just sit at that desk,” she said. “I need to tell people what is happening to me. I need to tell my story.

Creating databases was so meaningless to me at this point.”

For Zanfrisco, chasing after money is not how she wants to live, but not everyone understands her behavior.

“I lost friends and family members. Everyone just thought I was crazy. But it’s OK, because I’ve gained the most amazing friends,” she said. “When you truly do follow your heart, and follow just being loving and compassionate toward people, your whole life changes. And everything comes to you.”

The whole experience, Zanfrisco said, has made her more open and loving toward everyone. She became a Continued on page 26

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Flora Zanfrisco Continued from Page 24

videographer and started her own production company, Freedom Films.

Many of her videos illustrate the joy and unconditional love she’s feeling.

“I love editing. I love making videos. I love showcasing people’s talents,” she said. “I enjoy meeting all these different types of people.”

But her ultimate dream is to have a large-scale movie made about her experiences. “It’s not about fame. It’s just the message I want to get to people. [For them] to realize there is so much more, and the potential that everyone has just by shifting their consciousness.

“It’s the messages. From being molested, to being raped, to being a drug addict to being bisexual to having all these different types of relationships, to having this amazing experience. And to changing from agoraphobic to where I’m at now,” she said. “The messages -- spirituality or whatever you want to call it. I don’t even like to say God, because that brings religion into it. God is consciousness to me.”

Her absolute certainty in the inevitability of the film has given her a life’s purpose, Zanfrisco said. “I don’t know how the universe is going to give it to me, it doesn’t say. It does tell me to keep going and keep flowing. That’s how I can be so sure this movie will be made, because of the experiences I’ve had. So I know. I just don’t know when.”

She’s hoping her now-teenage children will learn by example.

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After a life marked by sexual assault, drug abuse, depression and agoraphobia, a spiritual awakening brought Flora Zanfrisco out on the other side.

“The way I see it, I’m teaching my kids to follow their heart and not money,” she said. “I’m teaching my kids to follow their dreams, to not think they have to get a job, they have to get married, they have to have a house with a picket fence and a dog. Unless they want those things.

“No dream is too big. If you can dream it, you can do it.”

——————|In the Spotlight|——————

The write stuff

New Garden Elementary School principal Susan McArdle has been hosting writers luncheons for students for the last seven years. During the luncheons, small groups of students share their writing with the principal—and with each other, making valuable connections in the process

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

A

dam walked into the classroom carrying a tray of food—a pizza, a banana, and some chocolate milk. A good lunch, to be sure, but the first grader was much more excited to share a riddle that he had written with New Garden Elementary School principal Susan McArdle. The principal greeted him warmly and encouraged him to wait until the other students arrive to read the riddle. Having the students share their pieces of writing with each other is an important feature of the writers luncheons that McArdle holds for students each month during the school year.

The writers luncheon in March, the one that Adam was in, illustrates why McArdle has been hosting them for the last seven years.

“I decided to start the writers luncheon because writing is an excellent communications tool,” explained McArdle. “All the kids need to be able to express themselves. Students have great ideas, but sometimes they can’t get it down on paper.”

The writers luncheon is more than just another way to help students improve their writing skills. It’s also another way for McArdle to make important connections with the firstthrough fifth-graders at New Garden Elementary.

One day each month, McArdle blocks out about three hours of her day to oversee the luncheon and work with the students. They eat together, they talk, they discuss writing.

Music is sometimes playing in the background. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere for the Continued on page 30 Narella read from her stor

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All photos by Steven Hoffman

New Garden Elementary School principal Susan McArdle said that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a joy to host students in the writers luncheons.

om her story, which included a lot of specific details.

Dominick wrote a story about what he will be like when he is 100 years old. www.chestercounty.com | Spring/Summer 2018 | Landenberg Life

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The write stuff Continued from Page 28

principal to get to know more about the students. Teachers in the school select a student to participate in the writers luncheon. The teachers also help the students pick the one piece of their writing to share during the luncheon. The students will read their work and then get feedback from the other students who are there.

The students enjoy the writing session; their principal might enjoy it even more. McArdle is always impressed by the creativity of the students.

“The joy for me,” McArdle said, “is to see the children enjoy writing. They select the piece of writing that they share with us. You never know what ideas they are going to come up with.”

McArdle has been a principal in the Kennett Consolidated School District for the last 12 years, first at the Mary D. Lang School (before it was transformed into a kindergarten center) and the last seven years at the New Garden Elementary School. She started her career as a first grade teacher and taught everything from first through eighth grades at various

In addition to their lunches, the students can enjoy a snack in the writers luncheons.

points. Now that she’s in the principal’s office—a place that generations of students were taught to approach with apprehension, if not outright fear—McArdle strives to maintain a strong connection to the students.

She wants the students to feel comfortable around her, and to trust her, so that they can always know that they Continued on page 32

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read their work to each other. Then the students will offer suggestions and comments about a particular piece of writing—which is often a common feature of writing workshops for high school or even college students.

Many different styles of writing will be shared during the writers luncheons. The youngest students might bring a very simple piece of writing that, for example, expresses how they feel, or one that offers some basic details about

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can talk to her. In explaining her philosophy, McArdle pointed out that the last three letters in “principal” are “pal.”

“I want positive relationships with the students,” she said. “When I walk into a classroom to observe the education that’s taking place, you can tell that the students are comfortable with me, and that they know that they can talk to me. I think that’s really important, and it speaks to the culture in the school. The kids always come first.”

It’s easy to see how the writers luncheon fits right in with that concept of putting students first. Because the students meet in such a small group for the writers luncheon, there are opportunities for them to really interact with each other.

The first graders arrive first. They come in and start to eat their lunches. They might also spend a few minutes drawing or working on a decoration. There’s a bulletin board in the room where the decorations from the writers luncheons are displayed. The first graders begin to

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The write stuff Continued from Page 32

themselves. Older students might share genre pieces or recent classroom assignments that they would like to improve. All the fourth- and fifthgraders in the school utilize TDA, Text Dependent Analysis, where they read a passage and then analyze it.

McArdle will sometimes help guide the discussions by asking specific questions to the students. Because the groups are always small, students who might not feel comfortable volunteering answers when they are part of a larger class might be more comfortable in this kind of setting.

It’s such a relaxing atmosphere that all the students seem to be comfortable. That doesn’t change when second graders start arriving at the luncheon. There is overlap in the lunches, so students from different grades get to eat with each other and share their writing with each other.

Dominick wrote a story about what he will be like when he is 100 years old. It’s an assignment from one of his classes.

Another first grader, Tre, wrote a fictional story that included references to “The Cat in the Hat,” but also included Mr. Larry, the school custodian.

It was written during the week-long celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday.

Narella read her story about a personal experience that she had. McArdle observed that it included a lot of good details, and asked the students why details are important to a story.

Adam shared a riddle with the other students in the class.

Adam read his riddle to the class, and the other students were able to guess that he was writing about The Sphinx.

The principal asked the students if they like to write. They all raise their hands.

Some students in the writers luncheon Continued on page 36

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The write stuff Continued from Page 34

will be advanced writers for their grade level, and will enjoy the experience of showcasing their best work; other students might need extra help with their writing, and they benefit from getting positive feedback and helpful advice from their peers.

McArdle really sees a benefit from the younger students being able to get to collaborate with the older students.

“It’s good for a first-grader or a second-grader to see what a fifth-grade piece of writing looks like,” she explained.

The students also get to eat with others who are in different grades, which has obvious social benefits.

McArdle believes that all students, regardless of their skill level, learn from the experience.

New Garden Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 450, so not all the students will be a part of a writers luncheon each year, but over time McArdle gets to form connections with many of them through the luncheon.

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“It’s about equity and inclusion,” McArdle said. “I try to see one student from every classroom at each writers luncheon. I want to see many different students be a part of this.”

McArdle takes a picture of each of the students during the luncheon. One of the teachers at New Garden Elementary serves as a webmaster for the school’s website, and posts the pictures so that parents and the Kennett school community can share in the experience.

The writers luncheon is just one of the ways that McArdle and the staff builds relationships with students throughout the school year.

In January, the school organized its first International Night, where different stations were set up to showcase the foods and the culture of various countries around the world.

“We always want to look for ways for families to feel connected to the school,” McArdle said. “I’m all about building positive relationships with all our students and our families.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@ chestercounty.com.

—————|Landenberg People|—————

This winter, a Landenberg Life writer joined a New Garden Township historian in a conversation with 93-year-old Ed Laffert and his wife, Ruth. What they received was an invitation – and the gift – of stepping back into Landenberg’s past

How it used to b 38

Landenberg Life | Spring/Summer 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

M

den Lafferty n–

o be

Ed Lafferty, then and now.

y wife has this thing that she does whenever we drive together in southern Chester County past residential developments where rolling hills and fields and history used to reside, or where in the pursuit of progress, one remaining nugget of the community’s past is left forlornly, like an old stone house.

On these drives, she has the ability to erase the scramble of modernity, and imagine these rolling hills and fields and history as they originally were, the way they look in the old photographs of the mills and the railroads and the schools and the churches and the people. She owes this vision, in large part, to a sense of idealism that allows her to turn back time and live in the snapshots that capture Landenberg in the sepia tones of its past.

In contrast, I can’t see past last week. Believe me, I’ve looked at the exact same sights she has, and all I see are houses and gas stations and all of the sped-up machinations of Right Now, and any attempt I make to get into the Jedi-focus Zen of time travel is interrupted by the ring of a cell phone.

I am a victim of time blindness. I am tethered to the familiar and the known. I have never looked into a historic photograph of Landenberg at the turn of the last century and imagined myself to be the third logger from the left.

One afternoon this past winter, however, I began to see southern Chester County’s past, in a way I had never seen before. **** There was an aerial map of New Garden Township, circa 1937, that rested on a table in the den of the home shared by Ed and Ruth Lafferty in Landenberg, as well as a scattering of black-and-white photographs that depicted life in the township nearly 80 years ago.

I was there as a guest of the Laffertys and Chris Robinson, a New Garden Township historian who wanted to learn more about the history of the Kaolin area, where Ed Lafferty has lived since he was born on November 24, 1924.

Throughout the course of a 90-minute conversation, the map was pointed to and the photos were picked up and examined, but soon, it became apparent that Ed Lafferty really didn’t need the map or the photographs as reference points, because the entire journey of his 93-year-old life was still fresh and in color in his memory.

Continued on page 40

www.chestercounty.com | Spring/Summer 2018 | Landenberg Life

39

Ed Lafferty Continued from Page 39

As it began to carve out its identity, those who settled in New Garden Township at the turn of the 20th Century were both humbled and invested in the natural resources that dominated the terrain. From granite found within its northern ridge, clay deposits under its southern plain, and water power coursing through its pitched hills, the towns of Toughkenamon, Kaolin and Landenberg became industrial centers. Mills, mines and quarries were still fairly prominent, but were slowly surrendering to mushroom farming, which was boosted by modern innovation, access by railroad to metropolitan centers and the influx of immigration.

The Laffertys were part of that wave of immigrants, having come to the United States from Ireland in the late 1800s.

Ed Lafferty was born in a home built in 1770 that still stands on property that is known now as St. Anthony in the Hills, that was purchased at auction by his father, Frank Lafferty, in 1910. Robinson showed Lafferty

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photographs of the home, and immediately, Lafferty pointed to windows and doors that he remembered as a child. He told the story of tossing a cat out of one window, “and darned if that cat didn’t always land on its feet,” he said.

“I lived in that house until I was five years old,” Lafferty said, but said no more. It was the start of a pattern of story bits he offered throughout the visit that were dropped like pieces of bread along a trail. Although Ruth filled in facts from time to time, it was up to us to go digging, not him.

“Why were you only there for the first few years of your life?” Robinson asked.

“Because my mother died,” Lafferty said.

Anna Lafferty died in 1928, and two years later, her husband Frank died, leaving the eight Lafferty children orphaned: Ed; his brothers Phil, Frank and Joe; and sisters Mary, Hanna, Christine and Rita. For the next several years, the children lived on a nearby farm owned by their grandparents. Lafferty attended elementary school at St. Patrick’s in Kennett Square and graduated from Kennett High School in June 1943.

“I was sixteen years old and heard the news on the

radio that Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor,â&#x20AC;? Lafferty said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was no family discussion as to what to do, but I knew that I had to do something.â&#x20AC;?

While his brother Joe served as a Marine in Guam and Iwo Jima, and his brother Frank served in the Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Division in Germany, a childhood hand injury prevented Lafferty from seeing battle service. One month later after he graduated from high school, he found himself in Mississippi as a watchman for the Military Police, where he oversaw the supervision of prisoners of war.

After 33 months of service, Lafferty attended Goldey Beacom College while working part-time as a grocery clerk and delivery boy in Kennett Square. He moved on to work on the paint line at the General Motors Plant, where he stayed for a year, before launching his own mushroom growing and composting business, joining his brothers Phil and Frank, who had done the same. In fact, 72 years later, P A Lafferty and Sons, the business Phil began in 1946, is now run by Philâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sons Ed, Steve and Phil, Jr., and their mother Marjory still lives on the property. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people used to ask me why I chose to grow mushrooms for a living. I used to tell them, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It was because mushroom growers seemed to have the most money.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I used to shoot craps with a guy Continued on page 42

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Ed Lafferty Continued from Page 41

on Sundays, a mushroom farmer.

Man, he would peel those twenty dollar bills out like nobody’s business.”

Lafferty met his wife Ruth at a firehouse carnival in Hockessin, and they married in 1952.

Together they had five children, four whom are still living: Edward, Jr., in North Carolina; Karen, in Newark; Colleen, in Kennett Square; and Lynn, who lives near Baltimore.

There is a running joke in New Garden Township that says if you toss a rock in any direction, you are liable to hit a Lafferty. The tendrils of the family tree are vast and thick, and they generously

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Ed Lafferty Continued from Page 42

overlap with the history of the area.

Robinson pointed to the map. A family of Laffertys settled there, he said. They owned property there. The farm was located here. The Lafferty history is the history of the Kaolin community, Robinson said, and the conversation had given him a further appreciation of 20th-Century development in Kaolin, Landenberg, Toughkenamon and Avondale.

Ruth then opened up several photo albums, and it seemed as if the entirety of the Lafferty family’s history tumbled out, dating back to Ed’s childhood: nephews and cousins and children and grandchildren, weddings and military pictures and senior proms and Christmas mornings. Each photograph, many of them delicate to the touch and faded around the edges, told the story of how a family carved its legacy into the landscape of southern Chester County. As the photographs flipped before Ed Lafferty, something purely magical began to happen. It was as if he had managed to remove his 93-year-old body from his

wheelchair, flex his tired arms and legs and leap headlong into the recorded document of his entire life.

He remembered swimming in the clay pits in the vicinity of Somerset Lake.

He remembered walking across the Broad Run Trestle that made up part of the Landenberg Railroad. He remembered attending a sale barn on Thursday nights that served as the big social activity of the community.

He remembered converting discarded orange crates into little forts.

The photographs had done their job. They had invited Ed Lafferty to be young again, and he vanished sweetly into them. **** So back to this thing that my wife does.

I asked her how she is completely able to separate the present from the past, whether it be in a landscape or an archival photograph.

“It’s because I feel like I’ve lived at the time some of those photographs were taken, so it’s easy for me to imagine all of it,” she said. “You just need to see beyond what’s there now and think of how it used to be.”

Continued on page 46

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45

Ed Lafferty Continued from Page 44

Photo by Chris Robinson

The home where Ed Lafferty lived until he was five years old still stands.

For several days after my conversation with Laffertys, the power of the photographs that I saw that helped take Ed Lafferty back to his past had not left me, and combined with my wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s encouraging words, every developed notch of New Garden Township I drove past became a test for me. For weeks, I came up short at every turn I took. Again, all I saw was what was there.

On Sunny Dell Road, across from the St. Rocco Parish, there is a boarded up and neglected stone house that still stands as a testament to the history of Landenberg. I am unaware of its origins, who may have lived there at one time and how it generally figures in the townshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals to help preserve it, in the same way that the efforts of the Historical Commission have helped to save several structures just like it.

On a particular morning this past February, I drove through a persistent snow on Sunny Dell Road that gave my view a snow globe effect. To my left, I saw that the cross at the very top of St. Rocco had disappeared from sight, but to my right, much to my surprise, a billow of

46

Landenberg Life | Spring/Summer 2018 | www.chestercounty.com

fireplace smoke began to rise through a chimney at the abandoned stone house, and outside, a carriage and horses stood near a freshly-sawed cord of wood.

I pulled off to the side of the road, not understanding what I was seeing. The stone house suddenly turned into the warm sepia brown tones of an old photograph. A family lived inside of it. There were no more boards on its windows, and it was free to escape into for those who have the vision to do so.

The author wishes to thank Ed and Ruth Lafferty for the invitation to speak with them, Tom Lafferty of P A Lafferty and Sons for clarification of dates and facts, and Chris Robinson for the invitation to join him.

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

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Jenny Chen Pediatric and Family Dentistry: enny Chen Pediatric and Family Dentistry is a multispecialty dental practice with a highly visible location at Old Baltimore Pike and Guernsey Road in West Grove.

The practice offers pediatric, family, and cosmetic dentistry, and has specialists in orthodontics and implant dentistry.

“From the moment our patients Àrst arrive here, our goal is to provide them with a comfortable, relaxing experience,” said Dr. Jenny Chen, who provides top-quality care along with her husband, Dr. Michael Lemper, and their team at the West Grove ofÀce and their ofÀce in Willow Street. For a decade, they have built a thriving practice that has seen long-term loyalty from parents, children and grandchildren.

Dr. Jenny, as she prefers to be called, was a dentist in Beijing, China, before coming to America 20 years ago to pursue a Ph.D. in experimental pathology at the University of Texas.

After earning her degree and preparing to be a scientist, she decided that she wanted to pursue her Àrst love, dentistry. She then obtained her DMD from the University of Pennsylvania school of Dental Medicine, where she met her husband, Dr. Mike.

After several years of honing her skills as an associate in busy Philadelphia practices, Dr. Jenny came to Chester County to open her own practice. Dr. Jenny is skilled at all aspects of general dentistry, including cosmetic dentistry, root canals, crowns, bridges, and restoring implants. The aspect of Dr. Jenny most loved by her patients, however,

L to R: Tracy Nino and Dr. Jenny Chen

is her friendly, humorous, easygoing manner, which often calms the fears of the most severe dental-phobic patient.

Many patients who have avoided seeing the dentist for years out of fear have come to Dr. Jenny and now will receive dental care from no one else. She truly treats her patients as part of the family.

A unique feature of Dr. Jenny’s practice is that it provides comprehensive dentistry for all ages, and to this end has both a board-certiÀed pediatric dentist and board-certiÀed orthodontist on staff. It is unusual for a dental practice to provide this kind of specialized care for everybody in the family. Dr. Ahmad F. Charkas is the orthodontist, and he provide comprehensive orthodontic care for children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Charkas is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and is Invisalign certiÀed. Dr. Jenny’s husband, Dr. Mike, is the pediatric dentist, and is trained and experienced in providing dental services for all children, including those with severe dental disease, anxiety, behavioral issues, and special health care needs. Dr. Mike is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.

Almost the entire staff speaks Spanish, Dr. Jenny said.

“People appreciate that you try to communicate in their language,” she said. “We have brochures and information in Spanish to explain everything about a procedure.” About half of the service’s clients are Spanish-speaking, she said. A very warm and welcoming environment exists among staff and patients. “The staff treats each other as family, and we treat our patients as family,” says Dr. Jenny.

Many people avoid the dentist due to barriers involving

Back Row, L to R: Dulce Villagomez, Dr. Jenny Chen Front Row, L to R: Diana Fraticelli, Tracy Nino

Expert Dental Care for the Entire Family insurance and economics. At Jenny Chen Pediatric and Family Dentistry, they try to make dental care available to as many people as possible. “We take a wide range of insurance and coverage through almost every network.” Among the many insurances accepted are the full range of PA Medical Assistance and CHIP programs for children. “We want to help the children who need us most”, Dr. Mike says, “and we want to erase the typical barriers to care that many children face. All children have the right to see the dentist and have happy and healthy teeth”.

In addition to accepting a wide range of insurances Dr. Jenny is willing to work with you to implement the best treatment plan for your budget. “Some dentists examine a patient and give them a very expensive treatment plan, which is either all or nothing, and no other options. This naturally scares the patient and prevents them from undergoing much-needed dental

L to R: Dulce Villagomez, Mati Ortiz, Dr. Ahmad Charkas

care. We work with a patient within their budget or insurance limitations and prioritize. You can get a few teeth Àxed this year, and a few next year” Dr. Jenny says.

Another aspect of the practice that Dr. Jenny is proud of is her willingness to squeeze in emergencies. A wide range of emergency dental services are offered, and often people can be seen on the same day as they call. Tooth pain can be very serious, and we want to help as much as we can. To this end, the practice offers convenient hours including evenings and Saturdays.

The practice stays up-to-the-minute with technology as well, Dr. Jenny said, including the i-CAT, a three-dimensional dental imaging tool that allows the doctors to examine teeth and surrounding structures with amazing accuracy. Because the i-CAT allows the staff to view a patient’s oral structures from different angles on a monitor, the doctors can create more comprehensive treatment plans. This is extremely useful for implant placement, and the practice has an implant specialist for complex cases, including multiple implants for denture stabilization. “This advanced x-ray system allows us to take 3-D photos, whereas previously we were only able to diagnose from 2-D images,” Dr. Jenny said. “With this technology, we have a better understanding of the patient’s anatomy and dental problems, and can more accurately recommend procedures.

Very few general dentists have this technology. Everything’s very advanced in our ofÀce. We’re constantly looking for new technologies.”

Jenny Chen Pediatric and Family Dentistry is open Monday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, visit www.SmilesInPA.com.

Serving the Community www.SmilesinPA.com Jenny Chen Pediatric and Family Dentistry West Grove, PA • 610-869-0991 207 N. Guernsey Road For our friends in Lancaster County:

Lancaster County Pediatric and Family Dentistry Willow Street, PA • 717-464-0230 325 Carol Lynn Drive Se habla Español L to R: Tracy Nino, Dr. Jenny Chen, Ed Beltran

—————|Around Landenberg|—————

Chester County Mopeds Group seeks, restores, and rides mopeds All photos courtesy photo

Chester County Mopeds traces its origins to July of 2016.

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By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

Chester County Mopeds has restored about three dozen mopeds so far.

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or the members of the Chester County Mopeds club, it all starts with the thrill of the huntâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;long trips to check out mopeds that have been stored in garages, sheds, or barns for years, waiting for someone to come along and restore them. Or the members scour online resources to find mopeds that are for sale to anyone willing to pay to take on the task of refurbishing them.

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A friendly group of people belong to Chester County Mopeds.

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Mopeds Continued from Page 55

According to Rob Frazer, a resident of Landenberg, once a new moped is acquired the fun really starts.

He and some of the other members will have a work night at one of their garages, meticulously going through the process of restoring and refurbishing the mopeds, one by one. When the bikes are restored and repaired, and ready for the road, the members will take them out for a ride through the rolling hills of the Chester County countryside.

Frazer explained that the mopeds are typically made with good metal and high quality materials, and when they are repaired and cleaned up, they can still look really sharp.

The group traces its origins to July of 2016, when Dan Lyons, a resident of Unionville, received a telephone call from his 80-year-old mother telling him that one of her neighbors had a moped and didn’t know what to do with it. Would Lyons be interested in fixing it up?

Lyons and one of his sons went over to take a look at the bike—an Italian model manufactured by Piaggio Ciao. The moped had originally been purchased in Italy, but was eventually put in a shed and was not used regularly for years.

Lyons has a mechanical background and soon had the moped in good running order. One day shortly thereafter, he rode the moped over to Brian Cheyney’s house. When Cheyney took a moped out for a ride, he, too, was hooked. Chester County Mopeds was slowly starting to take shape.

Whenever people saw Lyons or Cheyney or Frazer out for a ride, the mopeds attracted a lot of interest, and the group grew to include more members.

It’s easy to understand why there would be interest in the bikes. The mopeds themselves are very cool-looking, and they offer a lot of fun. Mopeds became increasingly popular in the U.S. in the late 1970s, as gas shortages pushed consumers to seek out other, less expensive modes of transportation.

Consequently, a lot of the mopeds that the group is able to track down now date back to the late 1970s or early 1980s, when they were being produced in large quantities.

Lyons said that most of the mopeds are purchased for between $75 and $600, depending on how much Continued on page 58

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There is a process to repair and refurbish the mopeds.

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repair work will be necessary. The conditions of the mopeds vary greatly when they are first found by one of the members.

According to Frazer, the group members are actually happier if the mopeds arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in good condition when they Some of the mopeds need a significant amount of Club members lovingly restore the mopeds to how they first get themâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that raises the work to get them restored, while other mopeds are once looked. Authenticity is important. level of difficulty in restoring in better shape when they are purchased. it, and they like the challenge.

When they start to work on a moped, the first step is there are scratches, or repaint the bikes entirely if the damto clean it and analyze the amount of work that will age is significant enough. A member will take the engine be necessary. In some cases, a bike might need simple off and check out the condition of the wires. Once all the repairs to get it to run, but in other cases, it could require individual parts are thoroughly cleaned, an assessment a major overhaul. of what that particular moped will need can be made.

The work includes cleaning and de-greasing the mopeds.

Mopeds are relatively simple machines, and the work on One of the members usually needs to fill in paint where an engine and other parts can sometimes be completed in

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These professionals will pack your items with the utmost care, arrange to have them moved by a reliable moving company, then unpack them and place them in your new home where you desire. If you are downsizing, they can help you arrange a sale of your goods or assist you in donating to the charity of your choice.

Once out of your old home, they can clean-up and make repairs so the house is ready for the new owners, or to be put on the market.

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just an afternoon.

Some of the parts may be worn or damaged beyond repair, so the next step is for one of the members to start scouring the Internet to find the parts that are needed.

Part of the fun for members of Chester County Mopeds is working on refurbishing the bikes.

“What’s amazing is that you can still get the parts,” Brian Cheyney explained. no more than 25 or 30 miles per hour, so the members The goal, according to the group members is to restore avoid heavily traveled roadways. Safety is always the top the mopeds to how they might have looked when they first priority for Chester County Mopeds. rolled off an assembly line many years earlier.

The club always welcomes new members. Each person “We like to go for an authentic look,” explained Lyons. finds a way to make a contribution, based on his particular So far, the club has restored nearly three dozen mopeds. skills and interests. Lyons, for instance is very mechanicalWhen the mopeds are completely refurbished, they are ly inclined. Fraser is very good at fine-tuning the mopeds. ready for the road. The top speeds of the bikes are usually Continued on page 60

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Mopeds Continued from Page 59

Cheyney handles the graphics and designs the t-shirts for the group.

The youngest member right now is Tiernan Daly, who serves as the unofficial supply change manager for the club. “I’ve been able to learn a lot about mechanics,” he explained of the experience working with the other club members.

When a person joins the club, what they find is that everything about the process, from the search to the purchase to the restoration work to the riding is fun. The club members say that they really enjoy spending time together working on the mopeds or riding.

They also make a habit out of stopping by local eateries in the area, which isn’t bad, either.

The club is also always willing to help moped enthusiasts out.

They have parts that they can sell if someone is in need of a specific part, and they’ll even help make repairs if someone is having difficulty.

“We’ve helped out a lot of people,” Lyons explained.

The club has a website, chestercountymopeds.com, as well as a Facebook page for anyone who is interested in more information.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@chestercounty.com.

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——|Landenberg Life Photo Essay|——

The traditions of cider The traditions woven into the Old Stone Cider operation in tiny Lewisville reach back hundreds of years, to a time when brewing cider was a mainstay of the colonists in a fledgling America.

Situated on a 75-acre tract that borders Maryland, and housed in a rebuilt 1800s barn, Old Stone Cider crafts a range of ciders with flavors that go beyond the super-sweet, mass-produced varieties.

When you taste one of their ciders, you are getting a sample of apples Continued on page 64

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that would have been familiar to the colonists, but have largely fallen out of common usage.

The small business has been in operation for about a year, tucked away inside the building that has become a destination for curious visitors in the warmer months. With a patio and an indoor seating area, the landmark red barn has become the hub of Lewisville. Gleaming Continued on page 66

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taps and tanks show how new the Old Stone Cider operation really is, but the welcoming nature of the Gruber family is already drawing a crowd.

Limited production keeps Old Stone products very special, and they are available only at the one facility. It’s part of the family’s mission to spread the word about the range of ciders, and they’re happy to explain each available flavor and help visitors find something they like.

And in that way, they keep a little bit of history alive.

John Chambless

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—————|Landenberg Life Q&A|—————

Kristi May W General Manager, Harvest Ridge Winery Ever since it burst onto the regional winery scene in 2010, the Harvest Ridge Winery has become known for its homespun, bottle-by-bottle approach to making wines, as well as its cozy, “Welcome Home” style tasting room at its headquarters in Marydel, Del..

Now, under the leadership of owners Chuck and Chris Nunan, a second tasting room is scheduled to open in late April in Toughkenamon. As the new facility was nearing completion, Landenberg Life met with Harvest Ridge Winery General Manager Kristi May Wyatt in early March to discuss the tasting room’s plans.

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Landenberg Life: Where is the Harvest Ridge Winery Tasting Room in Toughkenamon in terms of construction, and when can the general public begin to enjoy the facility on Newark Road?

Wyatt: We’re heading toward the end of our construction period, and over the next few weeks, we’ll finish all of our flooring and plumbing. We’re expecting to begin welcoming our first visitors in late April.

What can visitors to the wine tasting room expect to see, taste and experience when they visit here?

When you walk up to the building, they will see that it will closely resemble the design and functionality of the tasting room we have in Delaware. First, visitors will walk in and see a 40-foot-long bar they can meet and greet friends at. There will be comfortable chairs and couches throughout for people to enjoy over a glass or a bottle with friends. A great aesthetic touch will be seen in furniture made from old oak wine barrels and tables made from old doors. We also hope to offer our guests a regular lineup of live music.

We’re definitely about the whole experience, because when you come to a winery tasting room, it’s not just about the wine. It’s about having a fun time and liking the people who are here. We have a great team, and they have a lot of fun.

All photos by Richard L. Gaw

Kristi May Wyatt, general manager of harvest Ridge Winery, at the winery’s new tasting room in Toughkenamon.

Wyatt There will be other selling points as well, right?

Absolutely. Our tasting room hosts will educate our guests about the winery, walk them through how our grapes are grown and cultivated into wine. All of us have great stories to tell, because we’ve been in the vineyard and we’ve rolled up our sleeves.

Yes, our guests can come in for a wine tasting, but with all of these comforts of home, they can also choose to accompany their wine tasting with a meal.

We have already lined up a food truck and local restaurants like the newly-opened Liliana’s Pizza and Grill, just next door to the tasting room, who will deliver excellent food right to the tasting room.

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Kristi May Wyatt Continued from Page 69

The new Harvest Ridge Winery tasting room will feature a 40-foot-long bar, which will be staffed by friendly and knowledgeable servers.

Talk about the original seeds of the idea that enabled this tasting room to open in Toughkenamon.

Our plan was always to eventually be in Toughkenamon. When we started Harvest Ridge back in 2010, we ended up in Delaware because Chuck and Chris already had the farm in Marydel, and yet, this is where we’re all from. Chuck and Chris have lived in New Garden Township for over 35 years, and I graduated from Avon Grove High School, lived in West Grove, and I’ve worked in New Garden Township for the past 20 years. We’re excited to have a place where we already know so many faces, and see many of them join new friends we’re anxious to meet.

How will this tasting room help serve as an economic driver for Toughkenamon, as part of a goal to make the town a destination spot?

I have worked with the Nunan family at Servpro for over 12 years in Toughkenamon, and together, we have always believed that there is so much potential here. And it’s starting to happen. Liliana’s Pizza and Grill has opened up right next door. Primo’s is here, and a florist has recently opened a business here.

I can totally visualize this as a walking town, the way Kennett Square became several years ago.

We are partnering with New Garden Township and the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department on National Night Out this year, and we’re expecting to do our annual Christmas tree lighting again in December. We’d like to think that the tasting room will become just the newest part of that incremental growth.

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Kristi May Wyatt

There’s another usable space behind the main tasting room in the building, that is also being renovated. What will it be used for?

That space will serve as our event and banquet room. It can hold up to 75 people, and we’ll do the normal wine-and-cheese pairings and wine dinners there, but it can also be rented for private parties or small wedding receptions.

What are your responsibilities as the general manager of the Harvest Ridge Winery?

I will be the tasting room manager for the new location as well as continuing to manage the wholesale of our wines and ciders to restaurants and stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. At the Toughkenamon tasting room, Laura Bienkowski is the event coordinator, so we will work very closely on all the fun things happening on and off site.

This tasting room puts Harvest Ridge Winery into a thicket of a region that is increasingly becoming known for its wineries. You’re about to join a neighborhood that also includes Penns Woods, Chaddsford, Galer, Va La and Paradocx, to name a few. How will expanding to Chester County help further the branding of Harvest Ridge Winery?

I think joining that eclectic group is going to bring more to Harvest Ridge Winery, to the township, to the county and to the communities that surround us.

We’re excited to continue to build a relationship with our partners in the local winery business, as well as with the breweries in the area, whom we’ve also gotten to build friendships with through the production of our Rebel Seed Cider.

Continued from Page 70

The tasting room will also feature Harvest Ridge’s Rebel Seed, a hard cider.

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Talk about the Harvest Ridge Winery Wine Club.

We pride ourselves on our wine club in Delaware.

They are some very loyal people who support us, and it’s largely done through word-of-mouth advertising. We’re proud to announce that we will also have a Pennsylvania Wine Club and Cider Club at our new tasting room in Toughkenamon, where members will get to attend exclusive member events.

Picture a Saturday night this summer at the Harvest Ridge Winery tasting room in Toughkenamon. What do you see in your mind’s eye? Paint that picture for the readers of Landenberg Life.

I picture groups of friends, because everyone who comes in will be our friends. They are who we are and what we will always be, because without our friends, we’re nothing. I picture one group over here, getting a little loud and laughing. I see other groups sitting at the tables, and the music playing, and our team helping to serve people behind the bar.

Where is your favorite spot in Landenberg?

It’s New Garden Township Park. I lived in the township for nine years, and it’s where I take my children. They are

able to take their shoes off and wade in the streams in the park. It is a very special place for us.

Which guests would you invite to your dinner party?

It will be my family, because they’re the most important part of my life. The dinner party would also allow me to invite those in my family whom I miss, so I’d like to invite my grandparents to sit around that table with us. My mommom was an amazing cook, so she would probably be the one cooking for everyone, and we would just help and eat.

What kind of food or drink can always be found in your refrigerator?

If I had to select one item, you will always see butter in my refrigerator. It’s my favorite condiment, and I put it on a lot of food. You’re also likely to find a lot of bottles of Ranch dressing.

The new Harvest Ridge Winery tasting room will be located at 1140 Newark Rd., in Toughkenamon. The hours of operation are scheduled to be from Thursday to Sunday.

To learn more, visit www.harvestridgewinery.com, and check out the winery on Facebook for constant postings and updates.

Richard L. Gaw

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Choosing a camp Make the right choice for a super summer experience

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ccording to the American Camp Association (ACA), more than 12 million children attend summer camps, offering a return to outdoor fun, sports, swimming, and activities; and a much-needed respite from social media, smart phones, internet, and television.

So, how can you make sure that you are finding the perfect camp for your child? According to Andy Pritkin, past ACA president, there are several surefire ways you can find the camp that is the right fit.

ASK ABOUT ACCREDITATION. American Camp Association gives the “stamp of approval” for high-quality supervision, program and facility. Their accreditation program is designed to educate camp owners and directors in the administration of key aspects of camp operation, most importantly program quality and the health and safety of campers and staffs. You can find accredited camps by zip code online atwww.acacamps.org.

TAKE ME THROUGH A CAMP DAY. Does the camp provide an extensive menu of activities to fit the needs or interests of every child, or are they more restrictive to cater to a certain skill set? Do the campers get to choose electives or is there a set schedule they must follow? How does the camp find its teachers, and are the curriculums set or are they fluid based on the needs and wants of the campers? What about field trips, special, events, and swim instruction? If you are investing in making this special for your child, you need to make sure your child will get the most of out of their experience.

IS IT ALL FUN & GAMES? Camp is all about having fun, but is the camp providing more than just baby sitting?

What will your child take away from the experience?

Does the camp incorporate youth development into their programming? Do they have a philosophy on what children should get out of their camp experience? Do they promote social skills, team playing, positive self-esteem, long-lasting friendships? After all, camp is a significant financial investment and you want to make sure that investment gives you long-lasting results.

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FIND OUT WHO’S IN CHARGE. Who is directly interacting with your child? The best camps have teachers and college students running their programs with high schoolers assisting. Ask about the average age of counselors and how the camp staffs their leadership positions. You want to feel comfortable and confident that your child is not only happy, but also protected and well cared for. You also need to know that throughout the summer, the staff will keep you informed and updated on everything that is going on.

STOP BY FOR A VISIT (OR TWO). You should never choose a camp based solely on the website or brochure if possible. Meet the director in person, for it is their personality and philosophy that trickles down to the rest of the camp. Walk around the camp and take a look at the bunks, the pools, the playing fields, the theater. If your tour invokes excitement and happiness for your child, you know you have made the right choice.

CALCULATE THE COSTS. There are camps for every budget, but just like anything, you usually get what you pay for. Find out about discounts and the refund policy, and make sure you know all the costs before you sign on the dotted line, including busing, field trip fees, and extended care expenses.

NEVER SETTLE. You are spending you hard-earned money to give your child a super summer; don’t hesitate to inquire about concerns regarding bus transportation, dietary restrictions, allergies, or special needs. Remember without campers, there is no camp, so a quality camp will do its best to cater to your needs.

ASK AROUND. Speak to friends who attend the camps you are considering, or ask the camp if you can contact local families with like-aged children. “Word of Mouth” is often more impactful than a snazzy website or marketing materials.

Camp is a big decision for your family on a financial and emotional level, so take your time, do your homework, and trust your instinct. Then when school’s out, there will be no doubt that your child will enjoy a super summer.

Summer camps offer fun and learning The Arc of Chester County 900 Lawrence Dr., West Chester Paradise Farms in Downingtown is the location for week-long day camps this summer. Camp Safari and Teen Camp offer children and teens a camp experience regardless of disability. Call 610-696-8090, ext. 240, or visit www.arcofchestercounty.org.

Brandywine Creek State Park The park offers a variety of day camps for ages 4 to 14.

Visit www.destateparks.com/summercamp. Located at 41 Adams Dam Rd., Wilmington, Del. Call Claire Mickletz (302-655-5740, or email Claire.Mickletz@state.de.us).

Brandywine YMCA Day Camp Founded in 1958, the facility is located at 3 Mount Lebanon Rd., Wilmington, Del. Contact Ivy Sheehan (302-478-8303 or email isheehan@ymcade.org).

British Soccer Camps International coaches lead practices and sessions that are focused on developing techniques and skills needed to reach the next level. Located at the Tatnall School (1501 Barley Mill Rd., Wilmington, Del), Wilmington Christian School (825 Loveville Rd., Hockessin, Del.), and Upland Country Day School (420 W. Street Rd., Kennett Square).

Contact Chris Stevenson (877-439-9195 or email cstevenson@challengersports.com).

Camp Arrowhead Summer camps are offered in five sessions for grades 2 to 11 at a wooded site on the Rehoboth Bay. Day and overnight camps are offered. Call 302-945-0610 or visit www.camparrowhead.net.

Cecil College Summer camps are offered this summer for ages 6 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 to 17, with outdoor activities and exploration of career pathways. Call 410-392-3366, ext. 628, or visit www.cecil.edu/youth.

Centreville Layton School Summer Program 6201 Kennett Pike, Centreville, Del. A summer program is offered for youngsters in June and July, for pre-K to eighth grade, and middle and high school students. Call 302-571-0270 or visit www.centrevillelayton.org.

The Chester County Intermediate Unit Students entering sixth through ninth grade can explore careers such as animal science, game design, and culinary arts in July. There are locations in Phoenixville, West Grove and Downingtown. Call 484-237-5525 or visit www.cciu.org/summer.

Delaware Aerospace Academy Children in grades 1 to 10 can take summer camps focusing on science and technology, engineering, mathematics and space exploration, with a variety of packages available at Newark or Smyrna, Del., locations. Call 302834-1978 or visit www.dasef.org.

Delaware Museum of Natural History 4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Del. Thirty two summer camps are offered for ages 2 to 12, exploring the natural world. Call 302-658-9111 or visit www.delmnh.org.

Fairwinds Farm 41 Tailwinds Ln., North East, Md. Horse Camp to learn the basic skills of horsemanship is offered on weekdays this summer. Call 410-658-8187 or visit www.fairwindsstables.com.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Four resident camps and three day camps are open to girls entering grades 1 to 12 this summer, focusing on a wide range of outdoor skills and interests. Visit www. gsep.org/camps.

Hockessin Athletic Club 100 Fitness Way, Hockessin, Del. Summer camps are offered for ages 3 to 12, with swimming, crafts, sports, games and volunteering. Call 302-766-7482 or visit www.hachealthclub.com.

Newark Day Nursery and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center For campers spending the warm summer months at our five-acre property, we offer a fun, active atmosphere. Our program is primarily recreational in nature, however we plan themes, events, and projects to support childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need for summer learning. Located at 921 Barksdale Rd., Newark, Del. Contact Dane Hutchinson (302-731-4925 or email dhutchinson@newarkdaynursery.org).

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New Garden Flying Field Future Aviators Summer Camp is offered for ages 7 to 15 in July and August. Call 610-268-2619 or visit www. newgardenflyingfield.com.

Paradise Farm Camps Summer programs are divided into three camp groups: Junior Camp (ages 5-7), Day Camp (ages 8-12), and Teen Leadership Program (ages 13-16). Children are assigned to their groups based on age and grade, and each group has four instructors assigned to it. We maintain at least a 1:6 counselor/camper ratio at all times. Located at 1300 Valley Creek Rd., Downingtown. Call 610-269-9111.

Saginaw Day Camp 740 Saginaw Rd., Oxford Camps are available from June 19 to Aug. 18 for first to 11th graders. There is an open house on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call 610-998-1281 or visit www.saginawdaycamp.com.

Sanford School 6900 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, Del. The school offers day camps for ages 3 to 14, with sports and arts camps for ages 8 to 14, and specialty camps in tennis and Coach Hutchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sports Camp. Visit www.sanfordschool.org.

Tatnall School 1501 Barley Mill Rd., Wilmington, Del. Summer camps are offered for ages 3 through 12th grade.

There are sports camps, an on-site pool, music classes, science and technology classes, dance camps and more.

Bus trips to local attractions are available. Call 302-8924347 or visit www.tatnall.org.

Total Sports Camp Total Sports Camp is a structured and highly energetic program geared towards the recreational athlete.

Instruction is interspersed with games and skills contests and tournaments. Theme weeks provide the basis for the weekly sports and include 76ers week, Phillies week, Union week, Eagles week, two All Sports weeks and a new Baseball Stadium Trip. Located at 1426 Marshallton Thorndale Rd., Downingtown. Contact Mitch Bernstein (610-466-7100 or email mbernstein@unitedsports.net).

West Chester Parks and Recreation Summer Camps Summer Day Camp for ages 5 to 10 is offered from June 19 to Aug. 11, with a variety of bus trips and other options. Call 610-436-9010 or visit www.west-chester. com.

West Chester Studio for the Performing Arts Classes are offered at the Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester. One-week classes in acting, 76

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p & Education Guide improvisation and music are offered. Call 484-995-2915 or visit www.westchesterstudio.com.

Western Family YMCA Camp Wahoo As with any YMCA program, the purpose of YMCA Day Camp is to help members -- in this case, preschoolers to teens -- grow spiritually, mentally, and physically. Located at 2600 Kirkwood Highway, Newark, Del. Call Sharon Stull at 302-453-0123, or email sstull@ymcade.org.

West Fallowfield Christian School A wide variety of summer camp opportunities are available for ages 3 through the 10th grade. Call 610-593-5011 or visit www.wfcs.org.

Wilmington Friends School A camp for ages preschool to ninth grade has one-week sessions from June through August, with a variety of activities and themes. Call 302-576-2998 or visit www. wilmingtonfriends.org/summercamp.

YMCA Camp Tockwogh An overnight camp on the Chesapeake Bay offers summer camps in one-week or two-week sessions from June 25 to Aug. 18, for children who have completed grades 2 to 9. There is a wide range of camp sites, age groupings and themes. Visit www.ymcacamptockwogh.org.

A guide to area schools DELAWARE PRIVATE SCHOOLS Archmere Academy 3600 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, 798-6632, archmereacademy.com Caravel Academy 2801 Del Laws Road, Bear, 834-8938, caravel.org Hockessin Montessori 1000 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, 302-234-1240, thehms.org Independence School 1300 Paper Mill Rd., Newark, 302-239-0332, theindependenceschool.org Layton Preparatory School 6201 Kennett Pike, Centreville, 655-3280, laytonprep.org

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The New School 812 Elkton Road, Newark, 456-9838, thenewschool.com Red Lion Christian Academy 1390 Red Lion Road, Bear, 834-2526, redlionca.org Salesianum School 1801 N. Broom St., Wilmington, 654-2495, salesianum.org Sanford School 6900 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, 239-5263, sanfordschool.org St. Andrew’s School 350 Noxontown Road, Middletown, 378-9511, standrews-de.org The Tatnall School 1501 Barley Mill Road, Wilmington, 998-2292, tatnall.org

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Tower Hill School 2813 W. 17th St., Wilmington, 575-0550, towerhill.org Ursuline Academy 1106 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington, 658-7158, ursuline.org Wilmington Christian School 825 Loveville Road, Hockessin, 239-2121, wilmingtonchristian.org Wilmington Friends School 101 School Road, Wilmington, 576-2900, wilmingtonfriends.org

DIOCESE OF WILMINGTON Padua Academy 905 N. Broom St., Wilmington, 421-3739, paduaacademy.org St. Elizabeth High School 1500 Cedar St., Wilmington, 656-3369, sehs.org

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St. Mark’s High School 2501 Pike Creek Road, Wilmington, 738-3300, stmarkshs.net

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Delaware College of Art and Design 600 N. Market St., Wilmington, 622-8000, dcad.edu Delaware State University 3931 Kirkwood Hwy., Wilmington, 254-5340, desu.edu Delaware Technical Community College 400 Stanton-Christiana Road, Newark, 454-3900; 333 Shipley St., Wilmington, 571-5300, dtcc.edu

Goldey-Beacom College 4701 Limestone Road, Wilmington, 998-8814, gbc.edu Neumann University One Neumann Drive, Aston, Pa. 19014-1298, 610-558-5616 or 800-9-NEUMANN, www.neumann. edu/visit Springfield College 1007 Orange St., Wilmington, 658-5720, springfieldcollege.edu University of Delaware Main Campus in Newark; Wilmington Campus, 831-2792, udel.edu Widener University School of Law 4601 Concord Pike, Wilmington, 477-2100, law.widener.edu Wilmington University 320 Dupont Hwy., New Castle, 356-4636; 31 Reads Way, New Castle, 655-5400; 3411 Silverside Road, Wilmington, (877) 967-5464; 651 N. Broad St., Middletown, (877) 967-5464;

PENNSYLVANIA HIGH SCHOOLS Avon Grove School District

375 South Jennersville Road West Grove, PA 19390 610-869-2441 Avon Grove High School (610-869-2446) 257 East State Road, West Grove, PA 19390 Fred S. Engle Middle School (610-869-3022) 107 Schoolhouse Road, West Grove, PA 19390 Avon Grove Intermediate School (610-869-2010) 395 South Jennersville Road, West Grove, PA 19390 Penn London Elementary School (610-869-9803) 383 South Jennersville Road, West Grove, PA 19390

Kennett Consolidated School District

300 East South Street Kennett Square, PA 19348 610-444-6600 Kennett High School (610-444-6620) 100 East South Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Continued on page 80

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Kennett Middle School (610-268-5800) 195 Sunny Dell Road, Landenberg, PA 19350 Bancroft Elementary School (610-925-5711) 181 Bancroft Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Greenwood Elementary School (610-388-5990) 420 Greenwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center (610-444-6260) 409 Center Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348 New Garden Elementary School (610-268-6900) 265 New Garden Road, Toughkenamon, PA 19374

Oxford Area School District

125 Bell Tower Lane Oxford, PA 19363 610-932-6600 Oxford Area High School (610-932-6640) 705 Waterway Road, Oxford, PA 19363 Pennâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grove Middle School (610-932-6615) 301 South Fifth Street, Oxford, PA 19363 Hopewell Elementary School (484-365-6151) 602 Garfield Street, Oxford, PA 19363

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Elk Ridge School (610-932-6670) 200 Wickersham Road, Oxford, PA 19363 Jordan Bank School (610-932-6625) 536 Hodgson Street, Oxford, PA 19363 Nottingham School (610-932-6632) 736 Garfield Street, Oxford, PA 19363

Unionville-Chadds Ford School District

740 Unionville Road Kennett Square, PA 19348 610-347-0970 Unionville High School (610-347-1600) 750 Unionville Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Charles F. Patton Middle School (610-347-2000) 760 Unionville Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Chadds Ford Elementary School (610-388-1112) 3 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317 Hillendale Elementary School (610-388-1439) 1850 Hillendale Road, Chadds Ford, PA 19317 Pocopson Elementary School (610-793-9241) 1105 Pocopson Road, West Chester, PA 19382 Unionville Elementary School (610-347-1700) 1775 West Doe Run Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348

Chester County Intermediate Unit

Educational Service Center 455 Boot Road, Downingtown, PA 19335 Telephone: (484) 237-5000 Chester County Technical College High School Brandywine Campus 484-593-5100 443 Boot Road, Downingtown, PA 19335 www.tchsbrandywine.org Chester County Technical College High School Pennock’s Bridge Campus 610-345-1800 280 Pennock’s Bridge Road, West Grove, PA 19390 www.tchspennocks.org Chester County Technical College High School Pickering Campus 610-933-8877 1580 Charlestown Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460-2371 www.tchspickering.org

NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS Assumption B.V.M. School (610-869-9576) 290 State Road, West Grove, PA 19390 Bethany Christian School (610-998-0877) 1137 Shadyside Road, Oxford, PA 19363 CFS, The School at Church Farm (610-363-7500) 1001 East Lincoln Highway, Exton, PA 19341-2818 Episcopal Day School (610-644-6181) Church of the Good Samaritan 212 West Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, PA 19301 www.goodsamdayschool.org Kimberton Waldorf School (610-933-3635) 410 W. Seven Stars Rd., P. O. Box 350, Kimberton, PA 19442 Landenberg Christian Academy (610-255-5805) P.O. Box 397, Kemblesville, PA 19347 www.lca-pa.com London Grove Friends Kindergarten (610-268-8466) 500 West Street Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Malvern Preparatory School (484-595-1131) 418 South Warren Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355 Sacred Heart School (610-932-3633) 205 Church Road, Oxford, PA 19363 Upland Country Day School (610-444-3035) 420 West Street Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348 Villa Maria Academy Lower School (610-644-4864) 1140 King Road, Immaculata, PA 19345-0600 West Chester Christian School (610-692-3700) 1237 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380

West Chester Friends School (610-696-2962) 415 North High Street, West Chester, PA 19380 Westtown School (610-399-0123) 975 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA 19382 White Clay Learning Center (610-880-0114) 250 New Garden Road, Toughkenamon, PA 19374 whiteclaylearning.org

CHESTER COUNTY CHARTER SCHOOLS Avon Grove Charter School (Early Learning Center) (610-255-5325) 1769 New London Road, Landenberg, PA 19350 www.agcharter.org Avon Grove Charter School (West Grove Campus) (484-667-5000) 110 East State Road, West Grove, PA 19390 www.agcharter.org

AREA COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES Cheyney University of PA (610-399-2220) 1837 University Circle, P. O. Box 200, Cheyney, PA 19319-0200 Delaware County Community College (Marple Campus) (610-359-5000) 901 South Media Line Road, Media, PA 19063-1094 Delaware County Community College (Brandywine Campus) (610-723-1100) 455 Boot Road, Downingtown, PA 19335 Delaware County Community College (Brandywine Campus) (610-723-1100) 455 Boot Road, Downingtown, PA 19335 Delaware County Community College (Exton Campus) (610-450-6500) 912 Springdale Drive, Exton, PA 19341 Delaware County Community College (Pennock’s Bridge Campus) (610-869-5100) 280 Pennock’s Bridge Road, West Grove, PA 19390 Immaculata University (610-647-4400) 1145 King Road, Immaculata, PA 19345 The Lincoln University (484-365-8000) 1570 Baltimore Pike, Lincoln University, PA 19352 Penn State Great Valley (610-648-3200) (School of Graduate Professional Studies) 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, PA 19355 Valley Forge Christian College (610-935-0450) 1401 Charlestown Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460 West Chester University of Pennsylvania (610-436-1000) University and High Streets, West Chester, PA 19383

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WEST FALLOWFIELD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

FUTURE AVIATOR’S SUMMER CAMP

The Future Aviator’s Summer Camp

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2018 will be the 10th year for the Future Aviator’s Summer Camp. It has been very exciting to see the growth of the program at New Garden Flying Field, New Garden Township. In 2009 we started the FA Camp to be a week of nonstop excitement where aviation fun and discovery are combined for an unforgettable experience.

Camp week exposes youth to all aspects of aviation while providing a path for youngsters to cultivate a passion for flight. Since 2009 the program has grown from 28 campers to 160 campers last year. Attracting kids from all over the US, the Future Aviators Summer Camp has become a recognized program by many as a unique and must attend summer camp for ages 7-15. We are proud to say that we have created a program that positively impacts youth where many of our campers have gone on to earn their private pilots license and attend college with aviation focuses in engineering, airport management, professional pilot, and the military. Registration is currently open for July 9-13 and August 6-10.

Little Falcons Preschool visitation day scheduled at West Fallowfield Christian School A preschool visitation day for parents and their child (ages three, four and five) will be held on Wednesday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Prospective and registered families are invited to attend. The open house will have a theme from the book titled, “If You Give a Moose a Muffin.” It will include circle time, classroom exploration, a craft and time to meet the teacher. Please register for this event by calling the school or emailing Mrs. Christen Wayman at cwayman@wfcs.org.

Beginning this fall, the Little Falcons Preschool program will be offered full-day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. The multi-age classroom will feature hands-on curriculum that incorporates reading readiness, math skills, language arts, pre-handwriting, science, arts & crafts, music & movement, drama, devotions, Bible, Spanish buddies with our eighth grade students and an introduction to sign language. Students learn through center time, discovery play, and hands-on activities, as well as fine and gross motor skill development. Small class sizes allow for individual attention. Children age three and four have a half-day option.

West Fallowfield Christian School is currently accepting applications for its Little Falcons

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Preschool class. For comparable tuition rates and more information, readers are encouraged to call the school at 610-593-5011 or visit the school’s Facebook and website at www.wfcs.org. The school is located at 795 Fallowfield Rd. in Atglen. Visit us and see the difference!

OXFORD CENTER FOR DANCE

Oxford Center for Dance

Presents...

Summer Camps 2018 Beauty and the Beast July 23rd to 27th, 9am-2pm & Super Heroes August 6th to 10th, 9am-2pm DANCING - GAMES - CRAFTS - and MORE!!!

Contact the Studio for more information Oxford Center for Dance 2371 Baltimore Pike, Oxford, PA 19363 610-932-3267 • Kofke89@gmail.com

LANDENBERG CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL

Wilmington Friends School encourages students to explore Wilmington Friends School encourages students’ inclination toward exploration from the very earliest years in the Reggio Emilia inspired preschool; throughout elementary school in the lower school maker space and 5th grade Genius Hour; and into middle and upper school with independent studies, student travel, the IB, and courses offered through the Malone School Online Consortium.

It’s not a surprise that deepening understanding through exploration and investigation is central to learning at WFS. In Quaker education, the intellectual/academic foundation is defined by questioning, discovery, and relevance. In fact, a principle of Quakerism that has a defining influence on the Friends educational philosophy is “continuing revelation,” the idea that truth is continually revealed through seeking, experience, and reflection.

Visit WFS for campus tours and information at the upcoming Spring Fling on Saturday, May 19 from 12 to 2pm.

There will be kids games, food trucks, ice cream and more! Please register by visiting our web site at wilmingtonfriends. org, or contacting the Admissions Office at admissions@wilmingtonfriends.org or 302-576-2930.

Where classmates are like family... ...where excellence is achieved.

Providing students with a strong educational foundation rooted in a biblical worldview.

Call today, 610-255-5805 and arrange for your Pre-School, Pre-K or Elementary School tour!

109 Gypsy Hill Road • Landenberg, PA 19350 • www.lca.pa.com www.chestercounty.com | Spring/Summer 2018 | Landenberg Life

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A summer of creativity at Oxford Arts Alliance The Oxford Arts Alliance’s summer camps run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Art Annex (19 S. Third St., Oxford) unless otherwise noted. Camps start June 18 and run all summer. Music camps are also available. More information can be found at www.oxfordart.org/ summer-camps.

Dive Into Art JUNE 18 -JUNE 22, AGES 5-7 We’re going 20,000 leagues under the sea to use the mystique of the ocean for creating art. Dive in and spend a week making all kinds of nautically based artwork with us.

Sight and Sound JUNE 25 - JUNE 29, AGES 5-7 Did you hear that? Let’s paint it!

Campers will paint like Kandinsky and use the sounds of music to influence their artwork. You’ll also make your own instruments.

Aspiring Artists JUNE 25 - JUNE 29, AGES 11+ Join us for a week of portfolio preparation! We’ll work on refining our art style by exploring different techniques, mediums and methods to enhance our artwork. Students will experiment using different types of paints, charcoal, oil pastels, collage, sculpting and they will work from observation. Whether it’s for practice, or to submit to an art program, by the end of the week each student will have the key components of a fine arts portfolio.

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surfaces. Have fun and get messy with monoprints, collographs, Japanese suminagashi and garataku techniques, block printing, gelli prints and more.

Clay Camp JULY 23 - AUG 3, AGES 6+

Jewelry Design Camp JULY 9 - JULY 13, AGES 11-14 Did you know you could make jewelry from paper? In this fun and exciting camp, you will spend the first two days learning how to make your own paste paper and a book pendant then in the next two days, learn to create paper beads and wire jewelry using the paper you made!

Bring your imagination and be prepared to play and experiment with color, texture and glitter.

POP! Art Camp JULY 9 - JULY 13, AGES 8-10 Make Pop art the likes of which Andy Warhol himself would paint in this camp. We will be making everything from Pop art to comic book art and beyond so join us and lets make some pop art masterpieces!

Color Explosion!

Students will be introduced to clay in its natural form as a locally available material that has been geologically formant by millennia of weathering, and the students will actually process a number of regional clays. A variety of traditional techniques such as coil, slab in a pinch will be explored by both groups, and the older students will have the opportunity to try throwing on the electric potters wheel.

Numerous decorative methods will be explored throughout the week. Firing and other finishing techniques will be explored, time and weather permitting, including pit firing/horsehair firing combinations and raku-like effects as well as acrylic painted surfaces for the non-functional bisque ware. We will have a group exhibition to showcase our campers work in the Art Annex on Sept. 8.

Art in Action!

AUG 6 - AUG 10, AGES 8-10 Get rid of those brushes and get messy! In this camp, artists will take the creative process to a new level and ditch your usual art supplies to paint like Pollock.

JULY 16 - JULY 20, AGES 5-7

RE-Creative

Embark on a journey through new art-making avenues such as weaving, printing, painting and 3-D that center around learning about color.

AUG 13 - AUG 17, AGES 8-10

Art Around the World

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t throw that away, make art with it! Join our recycled art camp for your chance to turn all kinds of recycled materials into works of art.

JULY 23 - JULY 27, AGES 5-7 Hop into a jet and travel the world of art! We will be creating art and fun from around the world. Grab your art supplies and come visit North America, France, Italy and Russia for a week long art vacation at the OxAA.

PRINT! JULY 30 - AUG 3, AGES 8-10 What do furry stuffed animals, fish, shaving cream, gelatin, Legos and rubber erasers all have in common? These things, plus many more everyday items, can be used to create exciting and expressive prints. Join us this week as we learn about the limitless possibilities of creating art with ink, paint and many types of printing www.chestercounty.com | Spring/Summer 2018 | Landenberg Life

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All photos courtesy

Music without compromise

Adam Beck steps out on his own with an EP of original songs

By John Chambless Staff Writer

A

dam Beckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decades of musical experience come shining through in every moment of his first solo album. The fivetrack EP, which was finished last winter and made available in February 2018, is a polished, mature effort that blends 1970s rock, close-knit harmonies and a dash of progressive rock. With another five tracks ready to be mixed and added to the ones that have been released, Beck is poised to make a major statement as a solo artist after decades of chasing fame as a member of various local bands.

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Adam Beck Continued from Page 87

But first he has to negotiate his way through a business landscape that looks very different from the music business of two decades ago.

Settling into a comfortable chair in his home recording studio in Landenberg, Beck was beaming about the new project and eager to share his new music with the world – however he can manage it.

Beck grew up in Newark, Del., and said his grandfather on his mother’s side has some jazz musical experience, but his mom didn’t pursue her guitar playing past college.

“We always had a piano in the house,” he recalled. “My brother studied piano and went to Boston Conservatory for music. My mother was a nurse and my father worked in a sheet metal local, so I got a lot of, ‘You Continued on page 90

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Landenberg United Methodist Church Stop by to eat some great BBQ chicken.

Eat-in, Take-out or Drive Through.

Famous Chicken BBQ

Adult Dinner: Half Chicken, Baked Potato, Green Beans, Roll & Dessert Adult Tickets: $10 • Half Chicken: $6

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2018 • 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. Tickets sold at the door (first come first served basis) or pre-purchase your tickets by calling Lydia 610-274-8335 LOCATION OF CHURCH: at the intersection of Penn Green Road and Landenberg Road, across the street from the Landenberg Store.

JUST LOOK FOR THE CHICKEN PIT, AND SMELL THE CHICKEN. YUM YUM

Adam Beck Continued from Page 88

need to go to college.’ College didn’t last too long for me,” Beck added, smiling.

By the age of 12, he had been taking music lessons and discovering the classic music of the Beatles and Beach Boys. Now 44, Beck recalls the day he went to a friend’s house, and his friend’s older brother was jamming along to Led Zeppelin’s ‘Black Dog.’ “I thought ‘This is really cool.’ They gave me ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ and I knew this was what I wanted to do. It was a pivotal moment in my life,” he said.

His parents indulged him with an electric guitar and he started writing his own songs right away. By his late teens, he had joined his first band, Daydream, a trio. That led to a constant succession of open mic nights and bar gigs with a blues band, Adam Beck and the Feel, that played up and down the busy Main Street of Newark and surrounding area, but eventually imploded, Beck said, possibly because the members were trying to live together and too much togetherness was not a good thing.

Then Beck formed The Rising as a showcase for his originals, then Modern Exile in 2010, which played regionally but again never quite solidified for the long term.

“I can’t keep track of all the bands,” Beck said. “A band would break up and within a couple of months I’d have a new lineup. We’d always played cover songs for people, but they’d be the B-sides, the things we liked to play. I never got into the cover-band thing, where you play the music the way people want to hear it. I didn’t set out to just placate the crowd, which might not have been the smartest thing to do when you think about the business side of things,” he added, smiling.

During the happier years of 10 to 20 years ago, Beck was busy most weekends. He has a few stories to tell, such as the time a drunk woman bit him on the leg while he was on stage in Newark. But the Deer Park gigs – in the days before the restaurant was cleaned up as much as it is now – stand out in his memory as a great bond between audience and band. “Man, those were some good times,” he said.

Beck, who now works full-time as a mechanic at Winterthur, gets a beautiful workplace, and his home, which sits on a wooded cul-de-sac, is ideal for having

OVER 45 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Trailer Repair Truck Accessories Trailer Hitches Welding • UHAUL 9140 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale, PA

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recording sessions. Beck and his wife, Carol, have a 3-year-old daughter, Charlotte.

With all the connections Beck has formed in the regional music business, he has sat in as a bassist for Fat Daddy Has Been, as well as the Elktones, touring with the latter band from Florida to Boston. Then there’s Old Baltimore Speedway, a country band that Beck is part of that’s “More palatable to a bar crowd,” he said. “We were playing alt-country or old-school stuff.”

While Beck has been the nominal leader of all of his bands, the EP release came about after his wife encouraged him to step out and put his own name forward for the project. “I looked around for the right players. I’ve played with a lot of great musicians. Brett Kull, the guitarist on the new album, was with a band called Echolyn that was signed to Sony. It’s been wonderful working with him and the rhythm section – Steve Politowski on drums and Dustin Samples on bass. It’s a blessing to get these guys together. That rhythm section is like lightning in a bottle.

Matt Urban and Paul Ramsey played drums on the songs ‘To You’ and ‘Plateau,’ respectively.”

The musicians share a common bond of progressive music, exemplified in Beck’s list of favorite artists – 1970s Genesis, Yes, Rush, Peter Gabriel, but also Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, along with jazz. The blend can be heard in his new music, delivered with a crisp tenor voice that has just the right edge of rasp. The deep harmonies, ringing guitar and meticulous musicianship are front and center, and the progressive influence is heard in Beck’s lyrical phrasing. The guitars are interlaced – not showy, but given room to breathe. All five tracks are immediately likeable and leave you wanting to hear more.

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Adam Beck Continued from Page 91

Beck, however, is facing a dwindling number of clubs that book live music, the collapse of the traditional record label system that he grew up with, and the world’s dependence on downloads that don’t pay artists enough to live on. Today, every artist is his own recording engineer and distributor, but that means that too many people are trying to do just that.

“It’s impossible for a musician on my level to get any traction,” Beck said with a sigh. “Anybody can record a song now and put it out. The system is so flooded.”

People don’t go out to hear music in clubs like they used to, “and they don’t want CDs either. People are going to digital. But streaming doesn’t pay anything. You get like a fraction of a cent,” Beck said.

Beck had two previous albums with Modern Exile and two with Old Baltimore Speedway, and he’s comfortable with the way things used to be: People came to a club, heard the music they liked, and bought a CD or record to take home. Today, people expect their music to be free.

“It’s very weird,” he said.

For now, Beck’s new material is hosted on Bandcamp. com. Beck is committed to playing as many shows as possible, but the new material is too complex for the solo guitarist format he’s accustomed to playing in clubs.

So he’s getting ready “to go out there and do it the oldschool way. You have to get out and play if people are going to see you. I do have a repertoire of singer-songwriter stuff. If I do a cover song, though, I do it my way, like I wrote it. It’s great when you can find a room where people are listening,” he said, instead of a bar where people are shouting over each other.

“When you’re part of a band, it’s just a matter of leaning over and turning up the amps,” Beck said with a grin. “But playing with a band in a good room, with attentive listeners, is really inspiring and engaging.”

For now, Beck is proud of the EP and is looking forward to sharing it with audiences however he can. His daughter Charlotte is already a fan. “She loves the EP,” he said. “It’s all she wants to hear in the car. She knows all the words, and has started to sing them with me.”

For more information, and to hear the EP, visit www. adambeck.bandcamp.com, or www.adambecksings.com.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

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