To Subscribe Call 610.869.5553
Riding with the wind at Brandywine Hills Point-to-Point...13A
Avon Grove tops West Chester East, 10-0...2B
A treasure hunt for antiques...1B
Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 150, No. 14
60 Cents
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Joins Bentley, Rzucidlo in crowded write-in field
Republican Committee endorses Roe as write-in candidate for 158th District By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Between now and April 26, the date the Republican Primary will narrow down the list of candidates for the House seat in the 158th District, Eric Roe will be doing a lot of walking. He’ll have to, because on
March 31, members of the Republican Committee of Chester County voted to endorse Roe as a write-in candidate to replace Kennett Square attorney Leonard Rivera, who dropped out of the race as a write-in candidate, after allegations surfaced that he did not properly acquire petition
signatures. Roe said the walking and knocking on doors he’s about to do is not the first time he pounded the pavement for a good cause. In 2008, he weighed over 315 pounds, and in an effort to lose weight, he began a rigorous commitment to fitness that saw him apply
ten-pound ankle weights and walk more than eight miles every night after work. He lost over 100 pounds in less than one year. In the next three weeks, he’s likely to lose a few more. With the support of over 75 volunteers, “I knocked Continued on Page 9A
Courtesy photo
The Republican Committee of Chester County recently voted to endorse Eric Roe as a write-in candidate for the House seat now occupied by Rep. Chris Ross.
More than five years after a car accident left her with a traumatic brain injury, Corey Beattie’s road to recovery has been paved with innovative therapy, a loving family, and an unyielding commitment...
‘Never give up, never give in’ By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer
It’s a Monday morning in mid-March and a miracle is about to happen in Marie Beattie’s kitchen. She fastens her daughter, Corey, into an innovative, free-standing harness system that has been installed in the kitchen of the home. Corey stands up steadier and straighter than she has in more than five years. The harness system moves along a track and is specifically designed for her weight so that she Courtesy photo can move the bar that is Corey Beattie has seen positive benefits from working in the Go Baby Go Café on attached to two poles that the University of Delaware STAR Campus in Newark, Del. run the length of the kitch-
en, giving her the ability to stand and walk around the room on her own. Marie says that the harness looks like something that Corey could wear while jumping out of an airplane, or perhaps zooming along a zipline, but its purpose is much more basic than that: it prevents Corey from losing her balance and falling. Marie stays close behind, but that is only a precaution. Marie tells her daughter that she has eggs, fruit, yogurt, and cereal as breakfast options. Corey chooses the cereal. But instead of Marie getting Continued on Page 4A
East Marlborough residents turn out to hear details of Route 1 improvements By John Chambless Staff Writer The crowded Route 1 corridor through East Marlborough Township is a challenge for commuters and residents alike, and an overflow crowd came to the
East Marlborough Township Building on April 4 to find out what changes are in store for the busy commercial zone. Frank Eells, project manager, said the upcoming PennDOT roadwork project will slightly widen the
roadway and smooth out the rough pavement from the Longwood Gardens overpass to the Kennett Bypass split. The most noticeable change will be three full traffic lanes in each direction. While there are three lanes already in place, the outer edge func-
tions more as a shoulder at present. When the project is finished, there will be three lanes and curbing, but no shoulder. Eells said there will be a sidewalk added to the north side of Route 1, and a portion of the corner near the
On the brink of the big time, a star pitcher prepares for her last local season By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer The March 21 softball game between Henderson and Avon Grove was postponed, but neither the imperfect conditions of Avon Grove’s home field nor the swirling early spring winds stopped new head coach Mike Deluzio from scattering his team around for an impromptu practice. Many of the faces that had become familiar to those who have followed
Avon Grove softball in recent years were noticably absent. Former coach Julie Hatfield is now operating Julie Hatfield Fitness, LLC. Gone, too, are the team’s familiar players, like Courtney Gall, Ally Volko and Courtney Coppock, who helped the Red Devils finish 20-5 overall in the 2015 season. As the cold breezes swept through the infield and Deluzio pitched from behind a protective fence in front of the pitcher’s
mound, the lone senior on the team stood at shortstop. She wore oversized sunglasses and a bright yellow jersey, on which a small green ‘O’ was imprinted. The letter, which appeared as if it were pinched on both top and bottom, was unmistakable, and to the young woman who wore it, the shirt represented both an end and a new beginning. When she arrives at the University of Oregon next fall, Maggie Balint will finally say good bye
to the fields that dot the Ches-Mont League softball landscape like poorly- manicured afterthoughts. When she committed to Oregon last September, she signed on to play four seasons at the sparkling new Jane Sanders Stadium, before crowds that will average close to 2,000 a game. She signed on to play for head coach Mike White who, in his six years as coach, has compiled a 280-83-1 record, and led the Ducks Continued on Page 2A
CVS store at Bayard Road will be shaved off to make left turns onto Route 1 easier for large trucks. There will Continued on Page 3A
Lawrence is public enemy No. 1 By Uncle Irvin State Rep. John Lawrence, who is running for his fourth term as a member of the State House of Representatives, is now public enemy No. 1 for Continued on Page 3A © 2007 The Chester County Press