Chester County Press 09-13-2023 Edition

is a minor setback. We’ll get him. It’s a matter of time’

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

As the twist and turn of convicted murderer Danelo Souza Cavalcante’s Aug. 31 escape from Chester County Prison is about to enter its third week, yet another bizarre series of developments were introduced on Sunday that now attach themselves to a story that has not only thrust Chester County into the national spotlight but drawn media attention from around the country.

At a press conference held at the Po Mar Lin Fire Company on Sept. 10, Pa. State Police Lt. Col.

George Bivens revealed that on the evening of Sept.

9, Cavalcante managed to puncture the designated 8- to 10-mile search perimeter – one patrolled by over 400 local, state and federal authorities – and steal a vehicle from Baily’s Dairy on Lenape Road that had its keys left in the ignition.

After stealing the vehicle – described as a 2020 Ford Transit van that was parked on the dairy farm’s property about three-quarters away from the search area perimeter -- Cavalcante drove 20 miles to an area near Phoenixville, where at 9:52 p.m., he was recorded on a doorbell camera at the home of a former co-worker in East Pikeland Township. Although the individual was not at home when

Cavalcante arrived, they engaged in a brief conversation through the doorbell camera, when Cavalcante expressed wanting to meet with the individual. After reviewing the recording

Update from the Chester County Press: Search for Cavalcante moves to South Coventry Township

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

At a press conference held at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 12, Pa. State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said there were a number of new developments in the investigation to capture escaped fugitive Danelo Cavalcante that occurred on the evening of Sept. 11 in South Coventry Township.

when he returned home, the homeowner contacted the Upper Providence Township Police at 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 10, who then informed investigators.

Mushroom Festival again brings out thousands

By Chris Barber Contributing Writer

Kennett Square proved again it is one of the most popular food fairs in Pennsylvania. Many thousands of visitors strolled State Street over the

weekend, filling their bellies with mushroom treats and their shopping bags with vendor crafts.

At about 8 p.m. along Fairview Road in the township west of Route 100, a motorist spotted a man later identified as Cavalcante, crouching near the woods. A large number of state troopers and a border tactical team were immediately used to form a perimeter in the area, and during their search, they observed footprints that matched the footprints of the prison shoes Cavalcante had been wearing. Soon after, both of his prison shoes were located. Police said that another resident in the immediate area reported that a pair of work boots had been stolen from the porch of her home.

The tracking of Cavalcante continued to the north and at 10:10 p.m., a call was received from a resident of the 3500 block of Coventryville Road indicating that Cavalcante had entered his garage while the resident was in the garage. Cavalcante then grabbed a 22-caliber Ruger rifle with a scope and a flashlight that was leaning against a wall in the garage, prompting the homeowner to draw a pistol and fire several times at Cavalcante while the fugitive fled the scene. Bivens said that he has no reason to believe that Cavalcante was injured during the shooting.

Overnight, searches were underway in the immediate area of the home that involved tactical teams from several agencies including the Pa. State Police; the FBI; the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms; Border Patrol; U.S. Marshals and police from Chester County and throughout Pennsylvania, as well as aviation resources, canines, mounted patrols and several other assets.

“Upwards of 500 law enforcement officers are engaged in securing the perimeter and conducting the searches,” Bivens said. “We are mobilizing additional resources as we speak and are planning for an extended operating period if necessary.”

The current search perimeter now includes Route 23 to the north, Route 100 to the east, Fairview and Nantmeal roads to the south and Iron Bridge Road to the west. Bivens described the size of the search area as being close to three miles east to west, and two- to two-and-a-half miles north to south, and its terrain is both hilly and wooded.

Tracking Cavalcante down, Bivens said, “is a matter

Continued on Page 2A

Penn Township supervisors delay decision on sports park bids

By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Contributing Writer

The Penn Township Board of Supervisors last month voted to not release any escrow money from the Roseview development, but at the Sept. 6 meeting, the board approved the release of $64,000, as recommended by the township engineer. This leaves $57,819.78 in the escrow account to cover the costs of remaining infrastructure work on the subdivision.

Roseview residents and the homeowners association have objected to the release of any escrow money, contending that the work remaining to be done would cost more than the total escrow. Residents have multiple complaints, with the most serious and most

expensive related to stormwater and grading.

Money is held in escrow to ensure that the developer completes all the infrastructure items on the approved subdivision plan. As portions of the project are completed corresponding amounts of money are released to the developer.

Township Solicitor Winifred Sebastian explained that the board may not withhold money for items unless they are a part of the land development plan.

“This money is only for the guarantee that the plans are constructed as shown on the plan,” Sebastian said. “We have a contractual obligation to only hold money where things that were not done, not that they were not done well.”

Photo by Richard L. Gaw Kennett High School running back Ian Guyer, seen here plunging through the defensive line in the

scored the Blue Demons’

Photo by Chris Barber

‘This

Now approaching its third week, the manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante includes a stolen vehicle, a new appearance and a new search area

Photo by Richard L. Gaw Pa. State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens spoke at a Sept. 10 press conference at the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company before dozens of local, state and national media.

Cavalcante...

Continued from Page 1A

Still images from the video showed that Cavalcante had changed not only his clothes but his appearance: he was now clean-shaven and was wearing a green hooded sweatshirt – stolen from the dairy vehicle – and a black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes.

Bivens said that authorities were also informed of another sighting of Cavalcante in the Phoenixville area that spotted him at the home of a second former coworker at 10:07 p.m. The individual was not home at the time, but a friend of the resident who spotted Cavalcante contacted the Upper Providence Township Police.

After an investigative search, the vehicle was found abandoned in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township at 10:40 a.m. on Sept. 10.

‘No perimeter is 100 percent secure, ever’

When asked how Cavalcante had man-

aged to elude his potential captors by dodging the heavily patrolled search area, Bivens said that there are a number of challenges in any investigation.

“No perimeter is 100 percent secure, ever,” he said.

“I’m not going to make any excuse. I wish it had not happened. Unfortunately, there are a lot of issues associated with that property – tunnels, very large drainage ditches -- things that could not be secured. We took on the responsibility.

“I wish that he had not been able to slip through there, but that does happen sometimes, and that’s why we don’t simply rest on our laurels and take one approach.”

Bivens said that he has increased the number of law officials on the search for Cavalcante from 400 as late as last Thursday to as many as 600 this week.

On the heels of the events of this past weekend, Bivens said Sunday that the investigation has now shifted away from the original 8- to 10-square-mile radius in the vicinity of Longwood Gardens to the northern half of Chester County. At a Sept. 11 press conference – also held at the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company – Bivens said that the investigation has gone from a containment model to one that utilizes a variety of investigative resources, with added reliance on tips it receives from the public. He said that those who live in East Nantmeal Township can expect an increased presence there, as well as other communities in northern Chester County.

While there is currently no secure perimeter, authorities are now searching the area near where the van was recovered. Bivens

Cavalcante update...

Continued from Page 1A of sweeping methodically through the woods, checking buildings and so forth. We don’t have the luxury of just charging the nearest trail and hoping that’s the direction he went.”

The township is located approximately 20 miles north of the area of Longwood Gardens, near where Cavalcante was generally hiding since his escape from the Chester County Prison on Aug. 31, and near where he stole a 2020 Ford Transit van from Bailys Dairy on Sept. 9 and drove to two homes in East Pikeland Township to seek assistance from two former coworkers who live in the vicinity.

All schools in the Owen J. Roberts School District were closed on Sept. 12.

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

said that he is confident that Cavalcante is still in Pennsylvania but said that the search for Cavalcante has the potential for being considered “a nationwide manhunt.”

“I am confident that we will identify where he is,” Bivens said. “He slipped our perimeter. He got out. We found where he abandoned the vehicle fairly quickly. I am confident that we will continue to aggressively proceed with this investigation, and we will eventually capture him.

“I am not prepared to say whether that will be today or tomorrow, I don’t know, but I hope [it is] sooner than later.”

Sept. 8 search near Longwood Gardens

While the whereabouts of Cavalcante are now being investigated in the northern reaches of the county, perhaps the most intensive track down of the escaped convict occurred on Sept. 8, led in part by two sightings authorities received that spotted Cavalcante in the vicinity of Longwood Gardens. Supported by tracking dogs, tactical units, helicopters, drones, FBI agents and S.W.A.T. teams, an upgraded roster of 400 officers from local, state and federal agencies zeroed in on an 8-square-mile stretch of woods along Longwood and Conservatory roads at the edge of Longwood Gardens. Information obtained by the Chester County Press reported that at 2:40 p.m., Cavalcante was spotted by U.S. Marshals entering a thickly wooded area near Longwood Gardens, and at 2:48, a drone captured an image of him, which was followed by additional sightings at 5 p.m. and 5:29 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., snipers began to position at the overpass along Route 926 and Folly Hill Road. At 6:35 p.m., however,

authorities shut down aerial observation and at 6:47 p.m., the ground search was concluded.

Cavalcante, 34, was convicted on August 16, 2023, of first-degree murder for fatally stabbing his 33-year-old former girlfriend Debroah Brandao in front of her children in Schuykill Township 2021 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole and was set to be transferred to a state correctional institution in four weeks.

On Aug. 31 at 8:50 a.m., Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison and was later seen walking on Wawaset Road in Pocopson Township. A video – first introduced at a Sept. 6 press conference that has since been seen by hundreds of thousands of viewers on social media -captures the unique method of Cavalcante’s escape that began in an alleyway near the prison’s ‘C’ exercise ward, estimated to be about five feet in width. At 8:51 a.m., the prisoner placed his hands on one wall, his feet on another wall and horizontally crab walked his way toward the prison roof, which he reached by breaking through razor wire.

The physical methodology of Cavalcante’s tactic was a duplicate of the one used by prisoner Igor Bolte, who escaped the prison on May 19 and was subsequently apprehended by prison officials minutes later. During Bolte’s escape, the tower officer on duty observed Bolte leaving the yard area and contacted security immediately, which led to his quick apprehension. During Cavalcante’s escape, the tower officer on duty did not observe – nor report – the incident.

At a Sept. 6 news conference, Acting Warden Howard Holland said that while the prison has about

160 cameras monitoring movement at the prison, the officer on duty did not observe Cavalcante’s escape because “we were focused on other things.”

The unidentified tower guard – an 18-year veteran of the prison – was fired on Sept. 7. Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said the investigation into Cavalcante’s escape has been referred to the state Attorney General’s Office.

‘A minor setback’

On Sept. 10, Bivens addressed what has become the topic at nearly every dinner table, restaurant and backyard conversation in Chester County since Aug. 31 – and one that has flooded the national media. Does this investigation –led by Bivens – continue to have the support of a community that has seen one five-foot, 120-pound prison escapee manage to avoid capture from hundreds of trained and experienced law enforcement personnel generously equipped with the latest in search technology?

Several recent postings on local social media outlets have been highly critical of investigators for not being able to track Cavalcante down.

“I don’t think the people are losing faith,” he said. “I think people realize that we have given this a 100 percent effort. I lead this effort and I am proud to do it. I appreciate the support we have gotten from the community. I think the community recognizes that in any kind of major operation like this, there are times when things don’t go as planned.

“This is a minor setback. We’ll get him. It’s a matter of time.”

At the Sept. 11 press conference, Supervisor Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark expressed a similar resiliency and resolve that Cavalcante will be brought to justice.

“We had proactively planned for [Cavalcante to break the search perimeter], and we have our preoperational planning set, our tactical and our technical resources, and now we’re planning for the long game,” Clark said.

“Before, it was advantage Cavalcante, while he was playing that tactical hideand-seek in the woods. Now I think it’s advantage law enforcement.”

There is now a $25,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Cavalcante. Those who wish to report a sighting or any information to authorities are asked to call the PA State Police’s tip line at (717) 562-2987.

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

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

As authorities determined the search area radius for Cavalcante, patrol cars were stationed along several key routes, including the intersection of routes 52 and 926.

Courtesy photos

These stills were captured from a doorbell camera at one of two homes Cavalcante visited on Sept. 9 in the Phoenixville area, following his theft of a vehicle from Bailys Dairy on Lenape Road. He is seen clean shaven and wearing a hooded sweatshirt that he stole from the vehicle.

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

The search for Cavalcante intensified on Sept. 8, when more than 400 law enforcement officials searched an eight-square-mile stretch near Longwood Gardens.

Mushroom Festival...

Continued from Page 1A

It appeared to matter little that the weather bureau started issuing ominous storm warnings for Saturday and Sunday earlier in the week. And even as the days went by, while the Saturday forecast looked a little better, there were still warnings of wind and rain for Sunday.

In spite of those reports and the news that an escaped criminal was on the loose up the road at Longwood Gardens, the folks came ready to spend their money

and enjoy themselves at the Mushroom Festival.

Furthermore, as luck would have it, not one drop of rain fell.

A reported 200 vendors under tents mixed easily with their potential customers, carrying on conversations about their products and how they were made. Heard in the crowd was a woman telling her companion excitedly, “I’ve spent so much money already!”

In an era in which large numbers of people appear glued to their cell phones, there was virtually no cell phone usage going on.

Instead, people engaged in, and enjoyed, face-to-face conversations and dialogues. The objects for sale were unique, and people were eager to buy them and talk about them.

Additionally, there were numerous food and drink locations along the way offering fried mushrooms, ice cream, crab sandwiches, cool drinks and local restaurant specialties.

Both Saturday and Sunday opened up the activities with “chopped” cooking contests. Each of four or five contestants was given a “mystery bag” of foods, including mushrooms, they had to put together creatively within a half hour but they also had access to a wide variety of other choices of additional foodstuffs provided by the local Giant food store. The first day included Spam and yogurt. The second day was canned chicken and crackers. The Saturday winner was Karly Mazza of Oxford, who made what she called “portabella maitake Spam marinated taco.”

The Sunday winner was Debra Berkoski of Conestoga, who put together a ginger-chicken-lemon dish.

Concluding the crowdattracting events on Sunday was the fried mushroomeating contest, which always elicits excitement and cheers from a big audience. There were 13 contestants lined up at a long table, competing to see who could eat the most in eight minutes. The winner was Rob McGee from the Bronx, who said he took a bus down from New York City to enter the contest. He consumed more than four pounds of fried mushrooms in the allotted time, it was announced.

The sponsors and providers of the mushrooms for that eating event were Peter and Gale Ferranto, who own and operate Buona Foods. Gail is also the event chairperson of the Mushroom Festival, and she reminded her audience at the eating contest, as she does often, that the festival gives back liberally to the community, and through the years has given more than $1 million.

Uptown at the intersection of State and Broad streets was the busy center of the festival. It was the location for the raffle for the painted

Sports Park...

Continued from Page 1A

The board delayed taking action on bids for the construction of Phase Two of township sports park known as the residential activity area. The work, as bid, includes stormwater grading of the entire 37-acre parcel as well as electric, water and landscaping. Facilities include a pickleball court, multipurpose areas and driveways.

Four bids were received for the project ranging from $7.3 million to $11 million. The bids are significantly higher than the 2020 budgeted estimate of $4.5 million.

Not included in the original estimate was the grading of the entire property. It was included in the bidding process now based on the idea that it would be cheaper overall to do the grading all at one time. Then, when the township is ready to start the next phase, the site would be ready to install ballfields.

Instead of awarding bids at this time, the bids will

be reviewed to see whether the price can be reduced by removing some items. Possible reductions could be limiting the grading and changing the material for the walkway around the parking lots.

“There’s some significant numbers we think we can work with to bring that price back down,” township engineer Dennis O’Neill said.

The board has 90 days to make a decision and award the bids.

The board awarded a bid to Long’s Paving in the amount of $3,955 for repairs to Woodview Road. There is an area where the road is sinking and creating a dip that appears to be getting bigger.

The board heard from Denis Newbold, who requested the township contact PennDOT concerning the future of the Route 1 interchange at Route 796.

At first, PennDOT gave the township the option of signal lights controlling traffic, or two teardropshaped loops similar to traffic circles. At that time

ceramic mushroom, which chairman/artist Jane Henry said she believed were the most beautiful ever.

At that corner as well were the “Cute as a Button” contest, mushroom soup sales, and the souvenir shop. There was plenty of mushroom-themed clothing for sale, and it appeared from the crowd that some had already bought the shirts and hats and were wearing them for the rest of their visit.

One event that did not come to fruition was the planned mushroom picking contest. It was designed to pit mushroom harvesters against each other in rounds on Saturday and Sunday to find the “champion picker.” Festival vice president and culinary chair

Jen Basciani said there was not one application for the competition, so it had to be cancelled.

The Mushroom Festival was started almost four decades ago as a small one day celebration on State Street. Through the years it has gone through numerous changes and special features like a festival queen contest, an art show, a Ferris wheel, a parade, and even a carnival down the hill. Organizers

always find new activities and attractions to please the crowd, and the festival endures. This year and last year, the festival took place under the direction of Ferranto and president Gina Puoci. In some years, it has attracted an estimated 100,000 visitors in the course of the weekend.

the board supported the teardrop-shaped loops, but PennDOT later presented new traffic amount predictions that would require lights instead.

Newbold contends that PennDOT’s new numbers are inflated, and asked the board to withdraw its support of the signal lights until numbers can be confirmed and questions answered.

At the close of the meeting, the board heard a Kelton Road resident’s complaint about people shooting with high-powered weapons in the township. Although there is no local ordinance against shooting in the township, everyone must comply with state regulations. Sebastian suggested calling 911 if there are possible violations, such as trespassing or firing in residential areas.

Penn Township will hold its annual Fall Festival from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the township park. There will be vendors, live music, food trucks, beer and wine, treats, a children’s carnival and much more.

Karly Mazza, far right, the winner of the Saturday cooking contest, joins the hosts of the competition, from left, Kiki Aranita, Jack Mavraj, Chadwick Boyd and Jen Basciani.

All photos by Chris Barber Fried mushroom eating contestant Rob McGee, second from right, consumed more than four pounds, and was declared the winner.

The children’s entertainment area included a bungee jumper and plenty of bouncy tents for the kids.

The Ferrantos, Peter, left, and Gale, right, who sponsored the eating contest, present the trophy to Rob McGee.

Fun Gus, the mascot of the Mushroom Festival, takes a walk up Broad Street.

Fall Festival on Sept. 16 to benefit Canine Partners for Life

The free, family-friendly event includes service dog demos, a puppy kissing booth, food trucks, vendors, and more

Canine Partners for Life

(CPL) will hold its annual Fall Festival featuring cow bingo on Saturday, Sept. 16 from noon to 4 p.m. at CPL’s campus at 334 Faggs Manor Road in Cochranville. Gather the entire family for an afternoon of free fun to learn how service and companion dogs transform lives.

Start off your afternoon by meeting puppies at the ever-popular puppy kissing booth, touring the kennel, playing games in the Family

Fun Zone or watching a service dog demonstration. When you’re ready for lunch, you can grab a meal or snack from a variety of food trucks and enjoy a refreshing drink from one of our beverage vendors. There will also be CPL mission booths with opportunities to meet current graduates, a variety of vendors, music and more.

Janie Cramer, CPL’s executive director said, “Our Fall Festival is a great opportunity to learn more about our

life-changing mission, meet graduates and service dogs in training and support local vendors and food trucks. This is one of my favorite days of the year, as I look forward to connecting with longtime supporters, graduates and volunteers, and meeting new friends from our community. We have activities for all members of the family so gather everyone together and join us on Sept. 16.”

The day ends with cow bingo, which is a game of chance that pits your luck against the cow. The cow will be released at 3 p.m., and whichever square the cow heeds the call of nature on will be the lucky winner of $5,000. Tickets are $10 each, squares are randomly assigned and chances are 1 in 3,000. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by cash, check or Venmo. The winner does not need to be present to win.

This event is rain or shine. All parking will be on site, at the CPL campus.

Courtesy photos

Accessible parking is available. Personal pets are not permitted. To learn more or purchase Cow Bingo tickets, visit CPL’s website or Facebook page. There is no admission fee, however, donations are always appreciated and benefit CPL’s mission to increase the independence and quality

of life of individuals with physical, developmental, and cognitive disabilities or who are in other situations of need.

About Canine Partners for Life

Since 1989, Canine Partners for Life has placed

Franklin Fall Festival highlights community and local heroes

By HaLeigh Abbott Contributing Writer

The Franklin Township Fall Festival will debut on Sept. 16 from 12-5 p.m. at Crossan Park in Kemblesville.

The day will be packed with fun activities for kids and adults alike, and will also promote the community and honor the township's local heroes.

The event kicks off with a helicopter landing by Christiana Care LifeNet at

noon, joining vehicles on display from the West Grove and Avondale Fire companies, Avondale State Police Barracks and Medic 94. Throughout the day, visitors will explore the 100 acres of park grounds, which is home to hiking trails, a playground, basketball, tennis and pickleball courts, and a native wildflower garden. But don’t worry, you won’t have to do it all on foot - a hayride will run throughout the park offering a festive ride to your destination!

Kids will enjoy activities such as a moon bounce, inflatable obstacle course, and a dunk tank. Stop by the pumpkin patch and grab a good one to decorate at the Pumpkin Decorating table, available for free while supplies last. Kids can also grab a picture with Smokey the Bear and Sparky the Dog, who will be in attendance promoting fire safety.

Adults can enjoy browsing the vendor and information tables, offering goods and crafts for all price points

and information from various community partners. Dance along to live music throughout the day, and experience a dragon and drums performance by the Hung Wing Chinese Cultural Center. Guests can also enter a free raffle for a gas grill sponsored by Lowes, and other items that are continuing to be added. Bring your green thumb along and stop by the native wild flower garden, the Healing Garden, for a native plant swap. Here

you can swap plants with other gardeners, promoting biodiversity throughout home gardens and enriching wildlife by providing shelter and pollen for insects. The Healing Garden will have a special ribbon cutting ceremony at 12:30 p.m. for the new arbor and garden overhaul, thanks to the hard work of a local Eagle Scout project. The Healing Garden is also home to one of three little three libraries throughout the park, so bring a book to leave or

more than 800 service and companion dogs nationwide and provides support to more than 150 active teams and 60 to 80 service dogs in training. CPL is a leader in the assistance dog industry and is proud to be an accredited member of Assistance Dogs International.

Unionville Community Fair & Farm Show returns Oct. 13 to 15

The Unionville Community Fair & Farm Show will celebrate its 99th year with new entertainment and fun for all ages.

Sky High Skyler Stilt

Walker, Wonderzone Dinosaur Zoo, Ye Olde

Durty Rotten Pirate Parrot Band, and a Tractor Parade

will join past fair favorites such as the Antique Car Show, the Haunted Tent, Giggles & Grins, Dairy Cow Show, STEM & Robotics Tent, and Cow Pie Bingo. There will also be live music in the Beer/ Wine/Cider Garden and a 5k Walk/Run. You won’t

want to miss the annual cow milking contest.

The Unionville Community Fair & Farm Show wil be held on Oct. 13 to 15 behind Landhope Farms at Routes 82 and 926 in Unionville.

The Queen Pageant will be held on Sept. 28

The ever-popular puppy kissing booth will be part of the fun again this year. crafts in southeastern Chester County. Community residents can enter more than 500 categories for ribbons and cash prizes.

at Unionville Elementary School. There will be a Tailgate at the Fair KickOff Fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 12 and Friday, Oct. 13 is Senior Sneak Peek Day when seniors are admitted free. For more info and details, go to UCFair.org.

The Unionville Community Fair & Farm Show promotes community involvement in agriculture, agribusiness, handicrafts, and the arts. Celebrating its 99th year, the three-day event features the largest display of community agricultural products and home

take one home. Free snacks will be available thanks to event sponsors Herrs and Tastykake. If you’re hungry for more, food vendors will be ready to fill you up. Located right around the corner from Crossan Park, DaddyO’s will be on site for food purchases, as well as MnM Barbecue and Jersey Mike’s Subs. Follow along on the Facebook page or township page for updates and schedule of events.

Proceeds from The Unionville Community Fair & Farm Show support several community organizations each year.

CCIU and Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union offer financial workshop for E3 Program

The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) has partnered with Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union to offer a financial workshop series for Chester County Prison inmates enrolled in the CCIU’s E3 Re-entry Program (exit, enter, employ).

The first workshop in the series, “Understanding and Rebuilding Credit,” will be held at the Chester County Prison on Oct. 3 and will be facilitated by the experts from Franklin Mint Federal

Credit Union. The workshop is designed to teach E3 students about good credit and the ins and outs of credit filing, reporting timelines, scoring models and establishing and rebuilding credit. Beth Manley, adult financial education manager at Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union, shared her enthusiasm about the partnership between the CCIU and Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to support

these participants, helping to equip them with essential financial skills and knowledge that will prove instrumental in their journey towards successful reintegration,” Manley said.

The future workshops in this series will teach an array of financial topics, including investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and annuities, risk aversion strategies, overcoming debt, the lending process, budgeting, fraud prevention and keeping money safe

and accessible. E3 re-entry program coordinator Jill Stoltzfus echoed Manley’s excitement.

“This partnership between the CCIU and Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union will equip participants with knowledge and understanding about various topics involving debt, credit, investing and money management,” Stoltzfus said. “It will help individuals gain more confidence to be able to build positive futures for themselves. Education

is power, and by offering this Financial Foundational Workshop Series, we will build brighter futures for our community.”

The E3 program offers pre-release classes at the Chester County Prison for those who will soon exit the justice system and postrelease classes for those who have recently exited the justice system. Students enrolled in the program take manufacturing, thinking for a change and business readiness courses and are trained

in the areas of job readiness, social skills, positive self-change and problemsolving. After completing the program, students can participate in a job fair, where they interview with potential employers who are searching for the exact skills and training these students have acquired.

For more information about the E3 Re-entry Program for pre- and postrelease individuals, please contact Jill Stoltzfus at JillS@cciu.org.

The day ends with cow bingo.

Chester County Color 5K set for Oct. 7

Last month, Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell, and Michelle Kichline and District Attorney Deb Ryan announced details of the 7th annual Chester County Color 5K run and walk, which raises funds to combat the opioid and heroin epidemic in the county.

This year’s Color 5K will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Exton Park and along the Chester Valley Trail.

The John R. Gailey III and JoEllen Berger Charitable Trust returns this year as the event’s presenting sponsor, something it has done since 2019.

Registration for the Chester County Color 5K is open to teams and individuals at www.chesco.org/ color5k. Pre-registration is encouraged, and race day registration begins at 8 a.m., with the race starting at 9 a.m.

Moskowitz said, “Chester County is enormously grateful for the commitment that the John R. Gailey III and JoEllen Berger Charitable Fund continues to demonstrate in the fight against the opioid and heroin epidemic in our community. Its generous support and contributions allow us to leverage even more funding to help those suffering from and affected by substance use disorder.”

The Chester County Color 5K draws thousands of participants and supporters and has raised more than $200,000 since it began.

All proceeds from the Color 5K directly support Chester County’s Community Outreach Prevention and Education (COPE) program.

The COPE program was created in 2018 to steer overdose survivors being treated in any of Chester County’s hospital emergen-

cy rooms towards treatment and has proven to be a positive step in the recovery process. The COPE program is a “warm handoff” of an overdose survivor to treatment through the help of a certified recovery specialist. The specialist arrives within one hour of an overdose survivor’s arrival in the emergency room and provides the survivor with personal support and a connection to treatment.

Maxwell said, “COPE helps to connect overdose survivors 24 hours a day, seven days a week with someone who personally understands substance use disorder and the challenges to recovery – all in an emergency room regardless of insurance. COPE peer specialists also meet with friends and family to discuss treatment paths and provide Naloxone and educate them on using it. It is

a tremendous program that has guided countless people into treatment.” Kichline led the effort to establish the Chester County Color 5K in 2016 as part of her commitment to addressing the opioid and heroin crisis affecting so many in Chester County. Since then, she has seen the event grow into a positive fundraising effort that helps de-stigmatize substance use disorder and leads individuals to treatment and a hopeful path to recovery.

years, the COPE program has received more than 2,000 referrals for overdose survivors from Chester County hospitals,” said Kichline.

At every Chester County Color 5K, family and friends write personal messages to those they have lost to the disease of addiction or are still battling it.

“COPE team members have successfully engaged with 98 percent of Chester County’s overdose survivors, referred 93 percent to treatment, and admitted 72 percent. Over the past five

Ryan said, “It is a tragic truth that Chester County lost 103 people to accidental drug overdoses in 2022 since each one was preventable. Whether through the COPE program or the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI), help is available to those suffering from substance use disorder because the loss to family, friends, and our community is devastating. The Color 5K is an initiative everyone can get behind to help battle substance use disorder.”

Numerous Chester County

Color 5K sponsorship levels are available to organizations and individuals, and they are encouraged to help raise even more funds for the County’s COPE Program. Contact Rebecca Brain, Chester County Public Information Officer, at rbrain@chesco.org, for more information.

The Chester County Community Foundation administers the Chester County Color 5K. All Color 5K sponsorships and registration fees are 501(c)(3) charitable tax donations. Complete information on the 2023 Chester County Color 5K, including sponsorship and registration information, can be found at www.chesco.org/color5k.

Pennsylvania budget fails to help hard-working homeowners

By State Sen. Lisa Boscola 18th Senatorial District

The recently signed state budget fails to address Pennsylvania’s most pressing issue, which is reducing our reliance on local property taxes as the primary source for funding public

education. Pennsylvania homeowners remain overtaxed and too many school districts are short- changed by our continued use of this antiquated, unfair, and unconstitutional system. It is hardworking homeowners that are footing the bill for public education. Even worse, the bulk of

that is on a select group of property owners due to a provision in the law known as “hold harmless.”

This law enacted in 1992 ensured that no school district would receive less funding than it did the year prior, even when its student population declined. So, in school districts where stu-

dent enrollment decreased, their per-pupil state funding continued to grow. Whereas the school districts where the population grew never received enough funding to cover their growing costs. As a result, many school districts regularly raised local property taxes to make up for the state’s failure to provide needed funds.

When combining both local and state funding, Pennsylvanians pump a lot of money into public education. A 2023 report put out by World Population Review noted that Pennsylvania ranked 8th in terms of per-pupil spending. However, a 2022 WalletHub report found that Pennsylvania ranked near the bottom for the equitable distribution of its education funds. Do you know why? Only one-third of the total education spend comes from the Commonwealth, while the remaining dollars come virtually all from local school property taxes.

What’s another teeny, tiny stain? You’ve got more important things to think about—like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size.

Although the inequity of our system has been wellknown for decades, there is now a court order mandating a fix to our funding system. While the court left it to the General Assembly and the Governor to craft a solution, the decision made clear that our over-reliance on local property taxes combined with the “hold harmless” provision is at the root of the problem. Knowing about the unfairness of the system, the harm it has caused to homeowners for decades and the existence of a court order, what did Harrisburg leaders do about local school

property taxes? Absolutely Nothing. Instead, they championed pet projects that that do nothing to alleviate the crushing burden of school property taxes or fix the inequities in the system. Programs like free school breakfasts, school vouchers, increased Educational Improvement Tax Credits and more level-up funding are mere band-aids that fail to address the structural problems with our school funding system. Some officials will point to the expansion of the property tax and rent rebate program to demonstrate that they are serious about addressing the school property tax problem. Do not be fooled. The expanded program is projected to help about 10% of homeowners. Last year 277,000 homeowners benefitted from this program. The expansion might help another 100,000. Today, there are over 3.4 million homeowners in Pennsylvania and an additional 52,000 farmsteads, which means 90 percent of homeowners get no benefit. The reality is homeowners are left holding the bag again. They are forced to cough up more in property taxes as they watch the state ignore the fair funding formula, overpay for cyber charter schools, and continue the application of a law that punishes property owners in growing school districts. Band-aid approaches to education funding and “property tax relief” have made things worse and need to be replaced with real change. That means both chambers, both par-

ties, and the Governor need to sit down at the table and find a better mechanism to fund our schools. Hard working homeowners across Pennsylvania deserve the relief that comes with a total overhaul to the system. The annual budget dance demonstrates that the only thing that motivates Harrisburg is a real deadline. It is why a Constitutional Amendment ending property taxes for homeowners by a specific date and requiring the legislature to fix the broken system is the only way to hold Harrisburg leaders accountable. Twice this session, I offered such an amendment calling for ending property taxes for homeowners and farmsteads by 2028 and requiring the General Assembly to come up with replacement revenues. Both times, leaders moved to avoid a vote on the merits in a calculated move to prevent the amendment from getting to the voters.

Real property tax reform is needed now. It is time for homeowners to step forward and make clear to their elected representatives to make property tax reform – a “pet project” and hold them accountable. Demand a vote on setting a firm deadline to end our reliance on local property taxes and create a fairer funding system by a date certain. Without homeowners raising their voices and demanding accountability, Harrisburg will continue to pay lip service to this longstanding problem but offer little in the way of real solutions.

Courtesy photos

Every year, hundreds of people take part in the Chester County Color 5K, raising awareness and funds to fight the opioid and heroin epidemic. This year’s Color 5K is on Oct. 7 at Exton Park.

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF, JUST NAIL THE BIG STUFF.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

By

the numbers

38

Kudos to the Mushroom Festival organizers for planning another great event as the Mushroom Festival celebrated its 38th year this past weekend.

The Kennett Square residents and the thousands of visitors who came to town not only enjoyed a terrific food festival, they also played a part in making a positive impact on the community.

The proceeds from the Mushroom Festival are distributed to many local non-profits and organizations that help improve the lives of southern Chester County residents.

The organizations that receive support include fire and EMS companies, food cupboards and Meals on Wheels, park groups and organizations that preserve history, senior centers and early education programs. The proceeds from the Mushroom Festival serve a wide cross-section of the community.

99!

The Unionville Community Fair & Farm Show will celebrate its 99th year in 2023 with new entertainment and fun for all ages when the popular annual event returns Oct. 13 to Oct. 15.

We hope that there is good weather for this year’s festivities, and that the Unionville Community Fair gains momentum as it heads into the 100th anniversary year.

Organizers have plenty of new and fun activities and attractions planned this year, and the fair also boasts of the largest display of community agricultural products and home crafts.

Proceeds from The Unionville Community Fair support several community organizations each year. Visit UCFair.org for full details about the upcoming event.

$7.3 million

Penn Township officials recently received the bids on Phase Two of the sports park and the lowest bid—$7.3 million—was quite a bit more than the cost estimates the township was working with. The Penn Township supervisors delayed a vote on approving any of the bids. Our expectation is that the Penn Township supervisors will find ways to reduce the scope of the project so that the costs will be reduced. That’s what Penn Township officials do. They have a long history of managing the township’s business in a financially efficient way—that’s how you go nearly two decades without a tax increase.

50!

We had the pleasure of working with the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce’s on the Connections magazine. The upcoming edition, which comes out next week, highlights some businesses and organizations that are celebrating some impressive milestone anniversaries this year. BeilerCampbell Realtors, Fenstermacher & Company, PC, Kendal-Crosslands Communities, Whisman Giordano and Associates, and LCH are all profiled in Connections, and they are all marking their 50th anniversaries in 2023. 50 is a big number, and it is certainly something to be proud of. Additionally, Univest Bank and Trust Co. is commemorating 147 years in 2023 and the CPA firm of Belfint, Lyons & Shuman, P.A. is celebrating a century of public accounting. Having so many businesses and organizations reach these impressive milestones belies how difficult the feat really is. Congratulations to all these businesses.

Wild Animal on the Loose (Shelter in Place!)

By Marie-Louise Meyers

He left behind a trail of bodies in Brazil, in Pennsylvania with his ruthless enterprise. Under the guise of a human, diminutive in size, a “cat walk” up the prison enclosure to leave behind all human aspect as if born to the song of the wild!

Round and round in a circular motion within an 8-10 mile radius bounded by routes 52 and 926, not following any preset rules he has evaded the law in every which way. Blank faces at the conference table, each one looking to the other for support, something to say

to soothe the public, who have lost their faith, only to receive calls day and night: “Shelter in Place! Life derailed for residents around when guards failed to read messages sent through the signs and symptoms, even a Lookout Man around the corner of the exercise space, a desperate man with nothing to lose but the “human aspect!” He skims over the surface of the woods, keeping Longwood captive even with all kinds of apps and tracking devices heat and humidity overcomes even the dogs, disrupting predictable life at home, school, business,

still recovering from loss of revenue with the Pandemic intruding, corrupting Longwood’s innocent beauty when trail cameras capture him with back pack and hoodie, income lost at the cost of a convict. While they throw a net around him he seems to be groundless, glossing in and out confusing, infiltrating the animal world with his wit to survive, only the wild raccoon wears a mask with its human hand, the skunk who deposits “perfume” to confuse even the dogs’ sensitive nose, turned away in disgust.

Only the owl with its 180 degree swivel head can

Opinion

keep track of of the small man with a subliminal presence swallowing him whole for he has no soul, with a breach of etiquette he lays low in the midst of the baptismal font in the creek, ready to confess his sins?

Unlikely!

Even the copperhead swims when its hot and dry, disappearing into the leaf scattering mold over the surface.

Where is the cougar when you need him or the feisty fisher cat always ready to attack?

Which fountain at Longwood did he bathe in last?

Rain will wash away the scent today, but not his sins which are too great to contemplate!

Unearthing our potential

By State Rep. Mike Armanini, 75th Legislative District

Historically known as a hub of industrial innovation, Pennsylvania is now poised to enter a new era of economic prosperity through the mining and refinement of rare-earth minerals.

As global demand for these critical elements skyrockets, the Commonwealth has a unique opportunity to leverage its rich geological endowment to not only boost its economy but also contribute significantly to technological advancements and our nation’s security.

Rare-earth minerals –a group of 17 elements – play a pivotal role in modern technology. They are crucial to manufacturing consumer electronics, renewable energy systems, and advanced defense technologies. Electric vehicles, rechargeable batteries, wind turbines, smartphones, laser and missile guidance, and even medical devices depend on these minerals for their functionality.

With the nation’s increasing focus on electrification and technological innovation, the demand for rare-earth minerals has reached unprecedented levels.

As the United States has only one percent of

the world’s reserves of primary rare earth mineral sources – those being reserves readily mined in traditional manners – our nation is profoundly net import reliant. The current rare-earth supply chain is heavily concentrated in a handful of countries, primarily China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where extraction occurs under lax environmental regulations, often resulting in ecological devastation and human rights violations.

Additionally, in the event of geopolitical tensions or disruptions, the United States could find itself compromised and unable to maintain crucial defense capabilities. The inherent risk in depending on foreign sources of rare earth minerals cannot be overstated.

To mitigate this risk, our country must develop a robust domestic rare-earth minerals industry. By investing in exploration, mining and refining capabilities within its borders, our country can establish a secure supply chain that reduces reliance on external sources. This effort is not only an economic opportunity, but a matter of national security.

While the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not have a history of rare earth

mineral mining, we may hold the key to untethering our nation from foreign dependence. Efforts to revitalize old mines and find new uses for mine drainage will simultaneously catalyze economic prosperity, right the environmental wrongs of the past and offer new opportunities for our citizens.

Despite the name, rareearth minerals are not rare in the earth’s crust, but they are widely dispersed in low concentrations. This being the case, the process of mining primary sources in Pennsylvania is economically impracticable.

Pennsylvania’s rich history with the coal and steel industries, however, has produced a unique and economically viable opportunity by creating an abundant reserve of secondary sources of rareearth minerals.

According to industry experts at Penn State University, the decline of the coal mining industry has left behind 184,000 acres of abandoned mine lands, including more than 9,500 acres of coal refuse piles across the western and northwestern portion of the state. The volume of coal waste harbored within Pennsylvania is considerable, estimated to range from 200 million to 8 billion cubic yards

in total. Locked within the unwanted leftovers of decades of industrial mining is a vast opportunity for the Commonwealth –significant quantities of rare-earth minerals that can be processed in an environmentally friendly and economically feasible way. Existing mine lands and waste are ready to be mined again and refined, cleaning up our environment and providing the resources to power our future.

With proper investment, innovation and strategic planning, Pennsylvania can reinvigorate our manufacturing industry, generating much-needed employment opportunities for its citizens, particularly in areas that have suffered economic decline. The emergence of our rare-earth minerals industry will empower struggling families with a renewed sense of purpose and financial security, ultimately forging a stronger sense of community.

By seizing this opportunity, the state will become a beacon of innovation, create jobs, and bolster national security. With the right strategy, support, and know-how, Pennsylvania can contribute significantly to securing the future of the United States while uplifting its own citizens on a path toward hope and prosperity.

Barton: legislation will increase campaign finance transparency

Rep. Jamie Barton said he is circulating a co-sponsorship memo for legislation to increase campaign finance transparency by requiring campaigns and campaign organizations to itemize

reimbursements on campaign finance reports.

“It is a matter of transparency and accountability to require that campaign reimbursements made back to individuals are specifically

itemized. This portion of Pennsylvania’s campaign finance law is in dire need of moving out of the shadows,” Barton said. “Donors give to campaigns with the expectation that their funds are going to be used for legitimate campaign expenditures and they deserve to know specifically how that money is being spent.”

Currently, Pennsylvania’s campaign finance law only requires campaign finance reports to list an expense as a reimbursement, without the need to itemize the nature of the reimbursement on the public report. To receive

an itemized accounting of reimbursements – should it not be voluntarily provided in the filing – a person must request the itemized list through the Pennsylvania Department of State.

“My legislation will end the cumbersome process of finding out what is behind a generally reimbursed campaign expenditure,” Barton added. “Not only will this legislation provide transparency and accountability, but it will create a better process for understanding how campaign money is spent by requiring itemization up front, in the campaign finance filing.”

In the Spotlight

‘We call it the safest place on Earth’

For the last 27 years, Camp Dreamcatcher has been a positive

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

For seven sun-splashed and fun-filled days in August, more than 100 youngsters from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region enjoyed the programs and activities offered at Camp Dreamcatcher, the only free therapeutic program for children who are coping with the impact of HIV and AIDS on the East Coast.

Taj Brown, a 45-yearold volunteer who serves as a village chief during the week-long camp session, explained that the campers can take part in all the usual summer camp activities like swimming, riding go-karts, playing basketball or participating in outdoor games. But at this camp those fun activities are augmented by a wide variety of therapeutic programs and counseling sessions aimed at helping the children overcome the challenges they face during their daily lives.

“We had the therapeutic part down right away b ecause that’s Patty’s expertise,” Brown said.

Patty Hillkirk, Camp Dreamcatcher’s founder and executive director, said that this year’s camp offered the youngsters 120 therapeutic sessions, 50 educational programs, and 150 recreational programs. More than 170 volunteers, including medical personnel, professionals, and community members worked to deliver a fun and memorable experience for the campers. Those numbers only begin to tell the Camp Dreamcatcher tale, though. It’s the feeling of togetherness and belonging that so many of the campers talk about that really begins to tell the Camp Dreamcatcher story. It’s a story that spans 27 years—and counting. It’s a story about a family that includes more than 6,000 children and hundreds of dedicated volunteers who have formed bonds with each other.

“The kids tell me that camp is the only place where they feel comfortable sharing their feelings about HIV and AIDS,” Hillkirk said. “We provide an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance. The kids can let down their walls. Our counselors provide unconditional love to the campers.”

Camp Dreamcatcher has been a part of Brown’s life since he was still a teenager in 1996 when his pastor’s wife told him about a camp that was starting to help children infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS. Twenty-seven years later, he’s now one of the many longtime volunteers who have watched the initial group of campers grow into adults and maybe have children of their own. In some cases, the campers today are the children and grandchildren of campers who attended in the 1990s or early 2000.

Brown said that they get to spend time with children—especially during the week-long camp session,

youngsters who have been impacted by HIV or AIDS but also for retreat s and get-togethers throughout the year. The adult volunteers can model good behavior for the children to learn from.

“Be kind, work hard, and be helpful,” Brown explained.

As C.J., a teen camper who has been coming to Camp Dreamcatcher for years explained, “I come back because camp is a big family. Everybody cares about each other.”

Brown, who started coming to Camp Dreamcatcher when he was still a teen, said that the goal is to create a safe and supportive environment for each camper.

“We call it the safest place on Earth,” Brown said.

The Camp Dreamcatcher story

A decade before Hillkirk founded Camp Dreamcatcher, she volunteered with the Red Cross as a therapist and worked with adults who were living with HIV and AIDS. There were limited treatments available for AIDS patients at the time. Hillkirk had had a friend who had been diagnosed with AIDS. And, as a trained therapist, she understood the devastating impact that AIDS was having on children and families. These children could benefit from counseling and therapy, but in many cases this help wasn’t available to them. A seed had been planted.

Years passed. And then, in 1995, Hillkirk saw a “60 Minutes” report about a camp in New York State that served children impacted by AIDS. Hillkirk recalled seeing the faces of the children and hearing their stories. She was moved—and she was motivated to do something to help children.

Shortly after the report aired, one of Hillkirk’s friends called her. There wasn’t even a discussion. The friend told her, “You have to do something.”

Just a few days later, some friends at the Pennsylvania Gestalt Center told Hillkirk the same thing: She had to do something. Hillkirk couldn’t stop thinking about the children in the “60 Minutes” report.

So Hillkirk did something.

By the summer of 1996, she had founded what would become Camp Dreamcatcher, a therapeutic community for children coping with HIV and AIDS. There were 53 children at that first summer camp. That was also the year that Hillkirk started building a team of volunteers who would provide so many therapeutic and educational programs—and so much love and support—to the children. Some of the volunteers from the early years, and even some of the campers, are still involved with Camp Dreamcatcher 27 years later.

Camp Dreamcatcher evolves to meet changing needs

From the very begin-

ning, Camp Dreamcatcher focused not only on HIV and AIDS, and the need for each child to maintain a healthy lifestyle that included taking all the necessary medications, but also on all the other issues that the children might face in their lives—bullying, peer pressure, loneliness, poverty, and grief, among them.

While there have been some important medical advancements that allow children who have AIDS to live much longer and more productive lives, there are still many challenges that they face. Some of the campers have lost loved ones and deal with grief. Some live in poverty. Others are targets for bullying in school as they work to overcome the challenges of living with AIDS.

Camp Dreamcatcher has evolved each year to meet the changing needs of youngsters. During the camp, children can take part in therapy sessions with highly trained therapists and talk about their concerns and fears. These programs and offerings at the camp are as important as ever. When this year’s camp took place from Aug. 20 to Aug. 26 on the Camp Saginaw property outside of Oxford, there were more participants than last year, including a significant number of first-time campers.

Hillkirk said that there were 30 new campers among the 106 participants in this year’s camp. Out of the 30 first-time campers, 20 were between the ages of 5 and 8. This illustrates the existing need for this kind of camp.

All the programs at the camp are free. Camp Dreamcatcher has evolved to include not only the week-long camp, but a variety of other initiatives, including a mentoring program, HIV and AIDS outreach and education programs, teen leadership retreats, and a highly successful camper to counselor program. Hillkirk is always evaluating the programs and offerings to make sure that the needs of the youngsters are being met. For this year’s camp, they increased the number of therapists working to facilitate groups from 8 to

11.

They also hired a consultant to teach some of the Camp Dreamcatcher leaders about restorative practices. The staff learned how to utilize circles to resolve conflicts. As anyone who has attended a summer camp will attest, conflicts are going to happen when you have more than 100 children together in one place. Instead of having adults act as the authority to settle disputes, they join a circle. Each person involved explains what happened and what needs to happen to make things better. The ideas is that, instead of having an authority figure settle disputes, the people involved work toward a solution on their own.

Hillkirk said that this year’s camp provided 100 restorative circles facilitated by the camp’s leadership team to build connections and resolve conflicts.

“Everybody has an equal seat at the table,” Hillkirk explained. “It was remarkable to see the circles and how they worked at the camp. Our hope is that the kids will be able to take what they learned out in to the world.”

‘Make the world exactly the way you want it’

Each camper and volunteer has a unique story about how he or she first found Camp Dreamcatcher, but many keep coming back year after year for similar reasons. Simply put, it’s a family.

In his first years as a camper, C.J. formed a friendship with Myles, one of the other campers. They were elementary school students when they met, and now they are teenagers. Camp is something that they look forward to. C.J. and Myles have participated in the leadership-in-training program and next year they will be old enough to serve as counselors.

Jack said that he has watched C.J. and Myles mature year after year. Once, they were children who would take forever to complete a simple chore. Now, they are young adults who are showing their growth every day.

C.J. credited Jack, one of the Camp Dreamcatcher

volunteers, with helping to open his eyes to nature.

Jack is a registered nurse who serves on the Camp Dreamcatcher Board of Directors. He is part of the dedicated team of volunteers that has donated more than 240,000 hours in service to the children through the years.

Hillkirk said that Camp Dreamcatcher’s work wouldn’t be possible without so many talented and giving volunteers. The unconditional love that the volunteers offer to the campers is important.

Jack said that he another one of the volunteers will occasionally meet C.J. to go for a hike in the Ridley Creek State Park. The bonds that are formed help everyone get the most out of the week-long summer camp. The older campers help the younger campers get acclimated to the environment.

The goal is to provide as much support and as many opportunities to the youngsters as they can. While the organization has continually evolved through the years, adding programing and training, especially for the older campers, the core mission remains the same.

“This is a place where you can make the world exactly the way you want it to be—at least for a week,”

Jack said.

Remembering Ginny Ginny Fineberg, one of the organization’s earliest and most dedicated supporters, passed away in the fall of 2022. Fineberg was a familiar presence at the camp, and she was really missed at the first large gathering of the Camp Dreamcatcher family since then.

Fineberg’s connection to Camp Dreamcatcher dated back to 1997, when Hillkirk contacted her to see if Sandpiper Embroidery could donate some hats with the Camp Dreamcatcher logo. Sandpiper Embroidery was Fineberg’s successful business.

Fineberg not only donated the hats, she wanted to also meet the kids and find out more about the organization’s mission.

That started what Hillkirk called a “legacy of love and dedication to the children and volunteers.”

Over the next 26 years, Fineberg served Camp Dreamcatcher in a variety of roles, including as a counselor, a village chief, a board member, and, ultimately, as board president. She was a tireless advocate for the kids

force in the lives of

Ginny and friends at camp.

Rae Rae Adams is pictured at a wish log ceremony while wearing a shirt that Ginny Fineberg made for her

Courtesy photos

Camp Dreamcatcher founder Patty Hillkirk pictured with Ginny Fineberg and Ginny’s beloved dog Brealey.

DR. HAROLD MARLIN WYNNE

After a long illness, Dr. Harold M. Wynne, 93, former Superintendent of UnionvilleChadds Ford School District, passed away on Sept. 2, 2023 at Ware Presbyterian Health Center in Oxford.

Harold is survived by his wife Nancy Maurey Wynne, with whom he shared 73 years of marriage.

Born in Pottstown, Pa., he was the son of the late Harold Mengle and Florence Houck Wynne.

Although born in Pottstown, he lived with his mentor Frederick Thrasher, professor of criminology at New York University from the age of twelve until he graduated high school in Manhasset in Long Island, N.Y. This period had a great influence on his life.

In 1953, he received his degree in education from Kutztown University and became a fifth-grade teacher at North Coventry Elementary School. During his undergraduate years, he met and married Nancy, a Penn State University student at the time.

After serving as North Coventry Elementary principal from 1958 to 1964, he entered the newly formed Owen J. Roberts School District as curriculum coordinator. Harold obtained a doctorate of education from Lehigh University in 1968.

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The following year, Harold accepted the position of superintendent of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and he and Nancy and his four children relocated to the West Chester area.

After 17 years as superintendent, his passion for boating led to early retirement. He enjoyed many happy hours exploring the rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and floating at anchor with his first mate, Nancy.

In 1990 the opportunity arose to go back to his first love, teaching and he became an adjunct instructor for “Evaluation and Measurement,” a foundation of education at West Chester University.

Harold is survived by his wife; four children, Gregory Wynne (Connie Wynne), Jeffrey Wynne (Cindy Ruggirello), Laurie Wynne and Kristen Friend (Jason Friend); four grandchildren, Brandon Wynne (Alessandra), Daniel Wynne, Nicole Wynne and Hannah Friend and one deceased grandchild, Gregory Wynne, Jr.; and two great-grandchildren, Skylar Wynne and Shane Wynne.

Family will say good-byes privately.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org. Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.

Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

FRANCIS E. STUART

Francis E. Stuart passed away on Sept. 1, 2023 at the Chester County Hospital. He was 86. He was the husband of Annamarie Siano, with whom he shared 56 years of marriage.

Born in Cameron Pa., he was the son of the late Francis Stuart and the late Mary Potempa Stuart.

In his youth, he pitched in local baseball games in and near his hometown. He served his country in the U.S. Army Reserve for six years. After working at Boeing-Vertol in Philadelphia, he became a shift leader at Dupont Experimental Station for 16 years while raising a family. He was an avid gardener, growing a robust variety of vegetables and fruits which were canned and preserved to feed his family. Chickens were also raised to add to his family’s nutrition. For leisure, he enjoyed fly-fishing, engaging the art of tying flies for his tackle box. He also enjoyed hunting pheasants with his Brittany spaniel.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son, Christopher F. Stuart, DC and his wife Tamara of Mickleton, N.J.; one daughter, Susan P Stuart of West Palm Beach, Fla., one sister, Nancy Weible of Brookville, Pa. and three grandsons.

A funeral mass was held on Sept. 11 at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Church in Avondale.

Burial will be in Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Springfield, Pa.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, P.O. Box 96280, Washington, D.C. 20077 or online at donorrelations@arthritis.org.

To view his online tribune and to share a memory with his family please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh. com.

Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo Funeral Home in Kennett Square.

Judith Ann Case, known affectionately as Judy, was a force of nature.

Born on Sept. 6, 1955 in West Grove, she carried a spirit with her throughout her life that could not be contained by a small town.

She passed away in Riviera Beach, Fla. in the early morning hours of Aug. 16, 2023 due to complications from a stroke. Judy was a beautiful, intelligent, selfless, and generous woman who left an indelible mark on everyone she encountered.

Judy Ann Jennings was born to Edith and Marvin Jennings, raised alongside her siblings Patricia, Diane, James, Rodney, Michael, and Tammy.

Judy was a woman of exceptional abilities and talents. She was a natural born entrepreneur, recognized for her savvy business acumen from a young age. Her father saw her potential and trusted her to manage the books for their family mushroom-growing business while she was still in high school. She was also tasked with managing a busy luncheonette in town simultaneously, demonstrating a drive and entrepreneurial spirit that would become a hallmark of her life.

Judy studied business at Millersville University where she was an excellent student, but she quickly recognized her future was calling her back to the business world. At the tender age of 18, Judy co-owned Mcdowell Mushroom Transportation. For many years, the company thrived under her leadership, buying, selling, and delivering the highest quality mushrooms from the top area growers to markets on the east coast and as far west as California.

Always looking forward, in the late 1980s, Judy decided to pivot her career and moved to Delaware to become a licensed realtor. While going to school, she utilized her dancing talents to teach aerobics at a health club. She lit up every class with her radiant energy, and her classes were always full because she made them fun. Judy received her real estate license in 1990 and quickly made a name for herself in the industry, earning many sales awards while making many new friends along the way.

BURFORD F. THOMAS

Burford F. Thomas, 75, of Parkesburg passed away on Sept. 9, 2023 at Hershey Medical Center.

Born in North Carolina, he was the son of the late William and Charlotte Fetters Thomas. Burford was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served during the Vietnam War.

He was formerly employed as the manager of the body shop for Paul Stine Chevrolet in Selinsgrove, Pa.

He was a member of the American Legion Post 865 in Christiana, Pa.

He enjoyed hunting and fishing.

He is survived by one daughter, Megan E, Hecht and her husband, Daniel of Cocoa Beach, Fla., three sisters; and many nieces and nephews.

Burford was preceded in death by a brother and sister.

Services are private.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

JUDITH ANN CASE

One extraordinarily lucky friend she made early on was quickly captivated by her. Their friendship soon transformed into much more, orchestrated by God. That friend was her future husband, Chris.

Her unceasing success led her to another opportunity and became the new homes sales manager for a local home builder in Delaware, contributing significantly to their success and enormous growth during her 18-year tenure until 2009.

Judy’s professional journey did not stop there. She worked in a medical office for five years before retiring to Florida. In retirement, she became a companion for the elderly, where she was adored for her genuine care and unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life.

Judy’s personal life was as vibrant and varied as her professional life. A talented dancer, she won many disco contests with her brother Mike in the 1970s. She had a white, three-piece suit and platform heels to go along with it from time to time. An animal lover, she rescued numerous dogs from troubled environments and gave them the loving home they deserved. She was an avid fan of tennis and golf, taking in live events from the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament to the PGA Tour. Judy had a love for music. She especially loved live music, attending dozens of concerts from Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, Temptations, Tina Turner, Brooks and Dunn, and many more. You name them, she likely saw them. Not one to just stay in her front row seat, where she was most of the time, she once hopped on stage and sat on the piano bench with Billy Joel without getting asked to leave. She always took the experience to another level.

A lover of cars and excitement, she enjoyed the purchase of many cars over the years. With the help of her brothers, she got her blue Chevy II SS ready to compete in a race at Cecil County Raceway and won. She has been seen doing donuts and peeling out in the center of town in a ‘67 Corvette, or screaming while doing 150 mph in a Lamborguini across Octoraro Lake with her brother Jim. Not wanting to exclude her dogs from the fun, Judy also spent many sunny days pulling her labs on knee boards behind her ski boat, just at a safer speed.

Judy was known for her intelligence, and was especially good with numbers. She enjoyed the occasional gambling

and used that skill to excel at blackjack. Highly capable of doing it for a living, it was just a another hobby and fun for her. On one trip to Las Vegas, Judy played in a little poker game with Bill Gates in the middle of the night while her husband Chris was sound asleep. Judy loved traveling. Her eyes lit up when the plane was taking off into the sky, and she couldn’t wait to get there. She enjoyed many trips from the mountains to the islands with many friends and family along for the ride. But more than that, she was selfless and generous, always looking for ways to reward herself, her friends, and her family. She believed in living life to the fullest, always seeking new experiences and adventures. Judy didn’t wait for things to happen, she made them happen every day.

Judy is survived by her forever loving husband of 28 years, Christopher, her siblings Patricia, James, Rodney, and Tammy, and the many lives she touched with her vibrant spirit and generous heart.

She was predeceased by her parents, Edith and Marvin, her stepfather Clyde Wilson, and her siblings, Diane, Michael, and Judy’s twin sister who survived only a few months after birth.

Judy was a beacon of love and positivity, an embodiment of selflessness, and a model of hard work and dedication. She lived her life with passion, energy, and a ceaseless desire to learn and grow. Her spirit will continue to inspire and motivate all of whom were fortunate enough to know her. Judy’s life was a testament to the power of determination, the importance of generosity, and the beauty of living life on one’s own terms. She will be deeply missed but her legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew her. So here’s to Judy—a dynamic and beautiful woman who lived life like a disco ball, spinning and sparkling and always keeping the party going. May we all dance a little harder, laugh a little louder, and live a little fuller in her honor.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local animal shelter in Judy’s honor.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the care of Yates Funeral Home & Cremation Services. You may visit www.YatesFuneralHome.com for more information.

DONALD FRANCIS TAYLOR

Donald Francis Taylor, a resident of Milton, Del. and formerly of West Grove, passed away on Sept. 6, 2023 at Wilmington Hospital with the family by his side. He was 89. He was the husband of Mary Jane Woodward Taylor, with whom he shared 25 years of marriage.

Born in West Grove, he was the son of the late David Kinney and Virginia Whiteman Taylor.

Don was a graduate of the University of Delaware where he received his engineering degree. He was employed as an engineer for Dupont and Hewlett-Packard. Don was also a township engineer and building inspector for many local townships.

He was a member and lay leader of Zoar United Methodist Church in Millsboro, Del. He was also a member of Fort Miles Delaware Historical Society and a lifetime member of the West Grove Fire Company.

Don was an antique car enthusiast, and a member of the Historical and Vintage Car Club of Delaware and the H.H. Franklin Car Club of America. He enjoyed flying his powered parachute and also enjoyed motorcycles, but his family was what mattered most to him.

He is survived by his wife; 11 children, Mary Anne Steel (Richard) of New London, Donald T. Taylor (Marlene)

Obituary submissions

The Chester County Press publishes obituaries free of charge for funeral homes with active advertising accounts only.

Others with a connection to southern Chester

County are charged a modest fee. Obituaries appear on the Wednesday after they are received with a Monday 5 p.m. deadline. They are also posted on www.chestercounty.com. Photos should be

sent as .jpeg attachments to the obituary text. To submit an obituary to the Chester County Press or for a rate quote, email the information to editor@ chestercounty.com.

of Cochranville, Joseph E. Taylor (Brenda) of Hawkins, TX, J. Francis Taylor (Michele) of Lincoln University, Kathy Pendleton (Joe) of Souderton, Ruth Aguiar (Ron) of West Grove, Marie Zedalis (John) of Lansford, Daniel E. Taylor (Krista) of New London, Anna Beauchamp (Mike) of Havre de Grace, MD, Thomas P. Taylor (Becky) of Cochranville and Jeanie Mattson (Richie) of West Grove; 29 grandchildren; and 31 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Shirley Kavanagh Taylor; two children, Patty Jo Lawless and Mike Taylor; two grandsons, Matthew Zedalis and James Lawless, two great grandchildren, Bryson Jones and Taylor Jones; and four siblings, Elizabeth, Dora, David and Jimmy. Family and friends may call at Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc., 86 Pine St., Oxford on Saturday, September 16 from 9 to 11 a.m. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m.

A memorial service is being planned at Zoar United Methodist Church in Millsboro, Del. for a later date. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Don’s memory may be made to The West Grove Fire Company, www.wgfc.org or Zoar United Methodist Church, c/o Carisa Daisey, 24463 Gravel Hill Road, Millsboro, Del. 19966.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome.com.

COLEAN WILLIS

Colean Willis, of Oxford, passed away on Sept. 6, 2023 at Ware Presbyterian Village. She was 87.

She was the wife of the late Chester Willis.

Born in Cabbage Branch, Tenn., she was the daughter of the late Arthur J. and Mary Opal Hollaway Brewer.

Colean was a member and co-founder of the Bible Church of Jesus Christ in Elkton, Md.

She was the first bookkeeper for Ware Presbyterian Village in Oxford and retired in 2001 after 17 years of service.

Colean loved animals, singing, walking, clothes shopping and she especially loved her family. She was a religious Christian woman and lived for her eternity.

She is survived by her six children, Doris Jean Mock and husband, Stephen of Oxford, Dwight Willis of Shade Gap, Douglas Willis and wife, Margie of Columbus, OH, Stephen Edwards and wife, Carol of Quarryville, Sandra Scotten of Ackron, Pa. and Diane Edwards of Aberdeen, Md. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, one sister, Arzella Mast of Mt. City, Tenn., and a sister-in-law, Betty Pate.

She was preceded in death by two sons, Calvin Willis and Millard Willis.

Funeral services were held on Sept. 12 at the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford.

Interment will be in Faggs Manor Cemetery, Cochranville.

The family extended its gratitude to Willow Tree Hospice and Ware Presbyterian Village for all the loving care.

Arrangements are being handled by the Edward L. Collins, Jr. Funeral Home, Inc. in Oxford. Online condolences may be made at www.elcollinsfuneralhome. com.

ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of James L. Woodward

aka James L. Wooward, Jr., Deceased. Late of Paoli, PA. Letters Testamentary on the above estate have been granted to the undersigned. All persons having claims against or indebted to the estate should make claims known or forward payment to Michael J. Woodward, Executor, c/o John R. Lundy, Esq., Lundy Beldecos & Milby, PC, 450 N. Narberth Ave., Suite 200, Narberth, PA 19072. 8p-30-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF Carl Campbell of Oxford Borough, Chester County, Deceased. Letters Testamentary on the estate of the above named Carl Campbell having been granted to the undersigned, all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the said decedent are requested to make known the same and all persons indebted to the said decedent to make payment without delay to: Karen C. Henry, Executor c/o Winifred Moran Sebastian, Esquire ,208 E. Locust Street, P.O. Box 381 Oxford, PA 19363, 610-9323838

9p-6-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF VIRGINIA H. KELLY a/k/a VIRGINIA KELLY, DECEASED.

Late of East Nottingham Township, Chester County, PA, LETTERS of ADMINISTRATION on the above Estate have been

granted to the undersigned, who request all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent to make known the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment without delay to CAITLIN KELLY, ADMINISTRATRIX, 300 E. Evans St., Apt. L139, West Chester, PA 19380, Or to her Attorney: ANITA M. D’AMICO D’AMICO LAW, P.C., 65 S. Third St., Oxford, PA 19363 9p-6-3t

NOTICE OF SERVICE

In The First Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada

In and for STOREY COUNTY

Case No: 22 RP 00003 1E

Dept. 1

Plaintiffs: STOREY COUNTY, et al., vs JONATHAN EDWARD ARNOW, as Trustee of the TESSA ARNOW TRUST, et al., Defendants.

THE STATE OF NEVADA SENDS GREETINGS TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT: NOTICE! YOU HAVE BEEN SUED. THE COURT MAY DECIDE AGAINST YOU WITHOUT YOUR BEING HEARD UNLESS YOU RESPOND WITHIN 20 DAYS. READ THE INFORMATION BELOW.

TO THE DEFENDANT: A civil Complaint has been filed by the plaintiff against you.

1. If you wish to defend this lawsuit, you must, within 20 days after this Summons is served on you, exclusive of the day of service, file with this Court a

written pleading* in response to this Complaint. 2. Unless you respond, your default will be entered upon application of the plaintiff, and this Court may enter a judgment against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint, which could result in the taking of money or property or the relief requested in the Complaint. 3. If you wish to seek the advice of an attorney in this matter, you should do so promptly so that your response may be filed on time. You are required to serve your response upon plaintiff’s attorney, whose address is Jeffrey L. Hartman, Esq., HARTMAN & HARTMAN, 510 W. Plumb Lane, Suite B, Reno, NV 89509 Telephone: (775) 324-2800.

D. Jeffery Hindle III, Clerk of the Court

Date: November 30, 2022

Defendants to be Served by Publication RANDALL R. RUCH or GERALD WILLIAMS, Trustees of THE SCHUYLKILL VALLEY SPORTING GOODS, INC., PROFIT SHARING PLAN NOTICE OF PENDING ACTION

To: All Defendants – Nevada List /Non-Nevada List

The Defendants are named as parties in Civil Action, case no. 22 RP 00003 1E, pending in Storey County in the First Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada. The Civil Action requests a determination that the interests of the Defendants in Deeds of Trust recorded April 8, 2008 as document num-

bers 108878, 108879, 108880, 108881, 108882, 108883, 108884, 108885, 108886 and 108887, be deemed conclusively satisfied and extinguished under NRS 106.240 and other applicable law. Inquiries should be directed to Jeffrey L. Hartman, Esq. at 510 West Plumb Lane, Suite B, Reno Nevada 89509, 1-775324-2800. 9p-13-4t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF JANICE I. MOULDEN, DECEASED. Late of Oxford Borough, Chester County, PA LETTERS of ADMINISTRATION on the above Estate have been granted to the undersigned, who request all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent to make known the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment without delay to ADRIANNE R. KINSEY, ADMINISTRATRIX, 2425 W. Parris Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808, Or to her

Attorney: ANITA M. D’AMICO, D’AMICO LAW, P.C., 65 S. Third St., Oxford, PA 19363 9p-13-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF THOMAS NELSON STEVENS a/k/a THOMAS N. STEVENS, DECEASED. Late of London Grove Township, Chester County, PA LETTERS of ADMINISTRATION on the above Estate have been granted to the undersigned, who request all persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent to make known the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payment without delay to DIANE F. STEVENS, ADMINISTRATRIX, 3 Williams Way, Avondale, PA 19311, Or to her Attorney: ANITA M. D’AMICO, D’AMICO LAW, P.C., 65 S. Third St., Oxford, PA 19363 9p-13-3t

INCORPORATION

NOTICE

ANDIA PRESTIGE SERVICES, INC. has been incorporated under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended. 9p-13-3t

NOTICE

OXFORD BOROUGH RESIDENTS

At its regularly scheduled meeting on September 11, 2023, the Oxford Borough Council accepted the resignation of Amanda Woolston from Council. Any registered electors in the Borough of Oxford interested in being considered to fill the vacancy until January 2025 created by this resignation should submit a letter of interest to the Borough via email or mail at: Email: manager@oxfordboro. org, Mail: 1 Octoraro Alley, PO Box 380, Oxford, PA 19363, Council will consider the applications of those interested and expects to appoint the new member of Council at its public meeting on October 2, 2023.

Pauline Garcia-Allen Borough Manager 9p-13-1t

Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Fredda L. Maddox, the hereindescribed real estate will be sold at public on-line auction via Bid4Assets, by accessing URL www.bid4assets.com/ chestercopasheriffsales, on Thursday, September 21st , 2023 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, October 23rd , 2023. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

Sale No. 23-9-262

Writ of Execution No. 2015-03579 DEBT $474,464.24

Property situate in the BOROUGH OF OXFORD, CHESTER County, Pennsylvania, Being BLR#6851

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: a residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON F/K/A THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF ABFS MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2002 2 MORTGAGE BACKED PASS THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 20022 VS DEFENDANT: HENRY J. RUFFENACH

SALE ADDRESS: 224 Penn Avenue, Oxford, PA 19363

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: BROCK & SCOTT, PLLC, 844856-6646

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time of the on-line sale. Payment must be made via Bid4Assets. The balance must be paid within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale via Bid4Assets. FREDDA L. MADDOX, SHERIFF 8p-30-3t

Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Fredda L. Maddox, the hereindescribed real estate will be sold at public on-line auction via Bid4Assets, by accessing URL www.bid4assets.com/ chestercopasheriffsales, on Thursday, September 21st , 2023 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, October 23rd , 2023. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

Sale No. 23-9-263

Writ of Execution No. 2023-01406 DEBT $14,243.09

ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or piece of ground situate in Elk Township, Chester County, and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, bounded and described in accordance with Survey made by S. Pusey Morrison, Registered Surveyor dated 12/28/1955 as follows, to wit:

BEGINNING at the mouth of Run at Frankford Cave in the centerline of Big Elk Creek; thence leaving said creek and passing over a corner marker 250 feet distant by land of Stokes B. Lewis, South 31 degrees 30 minutes West 1,023 feet to a public road; thence extending along the centerline of said public road North 12 degrees 30 minutes West 150.6 feet to a stake and North 9 degrees 30 minutes West448.8 feet to a stake; thence leaving said road and by land of E.G. Walters North 1 degree 15 minutes West 549.7 feet to a point in the center of Big Elk Creek; thence extending along the center of said creek South 67 degrees 28 minutes East 716.4 feet to the first mentioned point and place of beginning.

EXCEPTING therefrom and thereout all that certain lot or piece of ground which William R. Claypoole and Joyce Claypoole, his wife by deed dated 06/01/1979 recorded in Deed Book Z54, Page 450 conveyed unto James R. Perkins and Sandra J. Perkins, his wife, as follows, to wit:

BEGINNING at a p.k. nail set in the title line of public road

L.R. 15008 known as State Road leading the Northeasterly direction to Thunder Hill Road and the Southwesterly direction to Pennsylvania Route 472 said p.k. nail marking the Northwesterly corner of this about to be described tract and a corner of lands of Ida Walkers, said p.k. nail also being set in the approximately township line dividing Elk Township and New London Township; thence leaving said p.k. nail point of beginning, leaving the title line of said public road and by the approximate township line passing along Big Elk Creek South 72 degrees 53 minutes 44 second East 540.00 (erroneously omitted in prior deed) feet to a point set for the Northeasterly corner of this and the Northwesterly corner of Lot No. 2 on said plan; thence leaving Big Elk Creek and by said lands of Lot No. 2 37 degrees 12 minutes 30 seconds

West 706.29 (erroneously omitted in prior deed) feet to a spike marking a corner of this and set in the title line of public road

T307 (erroneously stated at T 503 in prior deed); thence by said title line North 10 degrees 06 (erroneously omitted in prior deed) minutes 11 seconds West 150.00 feet to a spike; thence leaving the said title line and passing by land of Ida Walters, North 06 degrees 14 minutes 16 seconds West 577.08 feet (erroneously omitted in prior deed) to a p.k. nail, being the first point and place of beginning

Tax Parcel : 70224

PLAINTIFF: ELK TOWNSHIP VS DEFENDANT: CURTISHA

HICKS AND WILLIAM T. STER-

LING

SALE ADDRESS: 1204 Old Forge Road, Oxford, PA 19363

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: LAMB

MCERLANE, 610-701-3260

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time of the on-line sale. Payment must be made via Bid4Assets. The balance must be paid within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale via Bid4Assets. FREDDA L. MAD-

DOX, SHERIFF 8p-30-3t

Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Fredda L. Maddox, the hereindescribed real estate will be sold at public on-line auction via Bid4Assets, by accessing URL www.bid4assets.com/ chestercopasheriffsales, on Thursday, September 21st , 2023 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will

file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, October 23rd , 2023. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

Sale No.23-9-265

Writ of Execution No. 2022-08546 DEBT $109,360.76

ALL THAT CERTAIN , MESSAGE, LOT OR PIECE OF LAND SITUATE ON, IN THE BOROUGH OF AVONDALE, COUNTY OF CHESTER, STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, BOUNDED AND DESCRIBED, AS FOLLOWS, TO WIT:

All that certain messuage and lot of land, situate in the Borough of Avondale, County of Chester and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, bounded and described as follows:

Beginning in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue on the Northern side of Fifth Street; thence by land of the Presbyterian Church along the middle of said Pennsylvania Avenue, North nineteen degrees West fifty feet; thence by land late of Almena R. Webb, now of Robert H. Heess and Mary P. Heess, his wife, North seventh one degrees East two hundred feet; thence South nineteen degrees East fifty feet to the North side of Fifth Street aforesaid; thence along the side of said Street, South seventy one degrees West two hundred feet to the place of beginning.

Excepting thereout ten feet in width across the Northeast end to the use of the public as an alley or street.

BEING THE SAME PROPERTY CONVEYED TO JESUS SALUD

CANO WHO ACQUIRED TITLE BY VIRTUE OF A DEED FROM ABEL CANO RAMIREZ AND JESUS SALUD CANO A/K/A

JESUS S. CANO ZAVALA, DATED JULY 24, 2009, RECORDED AUGUST 6, 2009, AT DOCUMENT ID 10951388, AND RECORDED IN BOOK 7742, PAGE 983, OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF DEEDS, CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PARCEL NO.: 4132

PLAINTIFF: US Bank Trust National Association, Not In Its Individual Capacity But Solely As Owner Trustee for VRMTG Asset Trust

VS

DEFENDANT: Jesus Salud Cano

SALE ADDRESS: 501 Pennsylvania Avenue, Avondale, PA 19311

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: MANLEY DEAS KOCHALSKI LLC 614-220-5611

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time of the on-line sale. Payment must be made via Bid4Assets. The balance must be paid within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale via Bid4Assets. FREDDA L. MADDOX, SHERIFF 8p-30-3t

Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Fredda L. Maddox, the hereindescribed real estate will be sold at public on-line auction via Bid4Assets, by accessing URL www.bid4assets.com/ chestercopasheriffsales, on Thursday, September 21st , 2023 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, October 23rd , 2023. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

Sale No. 23-9-270

Writ of Execution No. 2023-01748

DEBT $209,861.23

ALL THAT CERTAIN tract of ground situate in East Nottingham Township, Chester County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania being Parcel 2 as shown on the minor subdivision plan for property of Melvin R. Ludwig and Grace G. Ludwig, husband and wife, prepared by Franco R. Bellafante, Inc., the said property being more fully bounded and described as follows, to wit:

BEGINNING at a spike in Township Road 314, at 33 feet wide (known as The Oakes Road), the said spike being an angle point in the easterly line of lands of Claire S. Herr and Robert H. Herr, her husband and the northwesterly comer of Parcel 1 (one) of lands, now or formerly of E. Willard Bailey and Elwood R. Morris, and wife; thence from the said point and place of beginning, along Township Road 314 and the easterly line of lands of Claire S. Herr and Robert H. Herr, her husband, North 01 degree 43 minutes 50 seconds West, 200.00 feet to a point; thence leaving Township Road 314 and leaving the easterly line of lands of Claire S. Herr and Robert H. Herr, her husband, along lands of Melvin R. Ludwig and Grace G. Ludwig, husband and wife, by the following two (2) courses and distances (1) North 88 degrees 16 minutes 10 seconds East, 227.10 feet to an iron pipe and (2) South 01 degree 43 minutes 50 seconds East, 212.76 feet to an iron pipe set in the northerly line of Parcel 1 of lands, now or formerly of E. Willard Bailey and Elwood R. Morris, and wife; thence along the northerly line of Parcel 1 of lands, now or formerly of B. Willard Bailey and Elwood R. Morris and wife, North 88 degrees 30 minutes 50 seconds West, 227.46 feet to the first mentioned point and place of beginning.

Being the same premises which Louise D. Guss by Deed dated 4/30/2019 and recorded 5/7/2019 in Chester County in Record Book 9920 Page 392 conveyed unto Curtis W. Gill, in fee.

Containing 43,560 square feet of land.

BEING UPI 6966.1

PLAINTIFF: Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, its successors and assigns VS

DEFENDANT: Curtis W. Gill

SALE ADDRESS: 119 Oaks Road, Oxford, Chester County, PA 193634014

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: BAR-

LEY SNYDER 717-231-6615

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time of the on-line sale. Payment must be made via Bid4Assets. The balance must be paid within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale via

Bid4Assets. FREDDA L. MADDOX, SHERIFF 8p-30-3t Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Fredda L. Maddox, the hereindescribed real estate will be sold at public on-line auction via Bid4Assets, by accessing URL www.bid4assets.com/ chestercopasheriffsales, on Thursday, September 21st , 2023 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, October 23rd , 2023. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 23-9-273

Writ of Execution No. 2018-11548 DEBT $367,144.70

PROPERTY SITUATE IN NEW GARDEN TOWNSHIP

TAX PARCEL #60-040-171/ 60-4-l 71

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: a residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: M&T BANK VS DEFENDANT: BOUBACAR TOURE

SALE ADDRESS: 106 Birkdale Circle, Avondale, PA 19311

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: KML LAW GROUP, P.C. 215-6271322

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time of the on-line sale. Payment must be made via Bid4Assets. The balance must be paid within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale via Bid4Assets. FREDDA L. MADDOX, SHERIFF 8p-30-3t

Sheriff Sale of Real Estate

By virtue of the within mentioned writs directed to Sheriff Fredda L. Maddox, the hereindescribed real estate will be sold at public on-line auction via Bid4Assets, by accessing URL www.bid4assets.com/ chestercopasheriffsales, on Thursday, September 21st , 2023 at 11AM. Notice is given to all parties in interest and claimants that the Sheriff will file with the Prothonotary and in the Sheriff’s Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Monday, October 23rd , 2023. Distribution will be made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

SALE NO. 23-9-274

Writ of Execution No. 2022-01513

DEBT $55,607.53

PREMISES "A"

ALL THAT CERTAIN messuage and lot of land situate in Penn Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, bounded and described as follows, to wit:

BEGINNING at an iron pin and running thence by land now or late of Oscar G. Hoopes, South 62.25° East, 7.70 perches to a stone in a public road leading from Kelton to New London, thence along said road, South 28 ° West, 8.14 perches to a stone in said road; thence leaving said road and by land now or late of the Milton Hoopes Estate, West, 8 perches to an iron pin; thence by land now or late of Oscar G. Hoopes, North 23.75° East, 11.68 perches to the place of BEGINNING. CONTAINING 77.79 square perches of land, more or less.

PREMISES "B"

ALL THAT CERTAIN piece or parcel of ground situate in Penn Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, bounded and described according to a preliminary subdivision plot plan of property owned by J. Lambert Smith to be conveyed to Christopher Shipp made by George E. Register, Jr. & Sons, Inc., Registered Land Surveyors, dated 10/31/1973, last revised 2/24/1977, as follows, to wit:

Tax Parcel # 58-5-7

PLAINTIFF: FIRST HORIZON BANK, A TENNESSEE BANKING CORPORATION SUCCESSOR BY CONVERSION TO FIRST TENNESSEE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

VS DEFENDANT: Juan A. Ortega SALE ADDRESS: 360 South Jennersville Road, West Grove, PA 19390

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: LAW OFFICE OF GREGORY JAVARDIAN, LLC 215-942-9690

N.B. Ten percent (10%) of the purchase money must be paid at the time of the on-line sale. Payment must be made via Bid4Assets. The balance must be paid within twenty-one (21) days from the date of sale via Bid4Assets. FREDDA L. MADDOX, SHERIFF 8p-30-3t

Classifieds

Auto Auction 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer Vin# 1GNDT13S522363582 to be sold on September 13, 2023 @ 9:00 AM, Chew’s Towing, Inc. 722 Market St Oxford PA 19363

Rentals: OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of full/ partial week rentals. FREE Color

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Miscellaneous:

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Camp Dreamcatcher...

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at Camp Dreamcatcher. Fineberg and her own children, Cindy and Dan, created thousands of Camp Dreamcatcher t-shirts, blankets, backpacks, hats, jackets and other items over the 26 years. At camp, she formed strong bonds with the children. Hillkirk said that Ginny had a terrific ability to identify what was special about each camper.

“She was remarkable,” Hillkirk said. “She embodied our mission to provide a

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loving, accepting, compassionate, inclusive and safe Home for children coping with HIV/AIDS.”

Over the edge

The spirit of Camp Dreamcatcher can be found in dedicated volunteers like Rae Rae Adams. Her dedication seemingly has no bounds. This year, Camp Dreamcatcher is bringing a different kind of fundraiser to Kennett Square when, on September 29, volunteers who want to support the mission of the organization can take part in a rappelling adventure. The volunteers

will be rappelling down the Franklin Center Building all through the day. Camp Dreamcatcher is partnering with Over the Edge, a special events company that provides signature events for non-profit organizations across Canada and the United States, for this fundraiser. Of course, the success of the event depends upon Camp Dreamcatcher supporters being willing to go “over the edge” for the cause. According to Hillkirk, when the Over the Edge fundraiser was announced, Rae Rae was the first person to volunteer to rappel

down the side of Kennett Square’s tallest building in order to raise money to help children.

Adams wrote the following about why she volunteered for the Over the Edge fundraiser: “I would do anything for the Camp Dreamcatcher organization. The love and purpose of life I receive from the children, the staff, and volunteers, is emotionally overwhelming. Anything I do to give back can’t compare to the joy and sense of well-being I receive in return.”

In addition to the dedicated family of volunteers, Camp Dreamcatcher also

Remembering ‘Bill the barber’

For over 50 years, Bill Bilger—“Bill the barber”—owned a bar-

bershop in Oxford. It was our pleasure, in August of 2020, to report about Bill

reaching the 50-year milestone. We recently learned that Bill Bilger passed

away. We are reprinting the 2020 story that ran in the Chester County Press here:

‘Bill the barber’ celebrates 50 years in Oxford

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

Bill Bilger had a decision to make.

After completing the training to become a licensed barber, he had been working for other barbers for more than five years. Now, he wanted to have his own barbershop, but where would that be?

One opportunity that Bilger was considering was in Wellsboro, Pa., a small borough in Tioga County. The other option that he was considering was a barbershop in Oxford—about as far as a person can get from Wellsboro while still staying in Pennsylvania.

Bill and his wife Carrie couldn’t decide between the two opportunities. So he decided that he would flip a coin. When the coin landed in Oxford’s favor, the decision was made.

“I guess it was meant to be,” Bill said during an interview last week. “I’ve been happy here.”

Bilger will mark his 50th anniversary in Oxford during the first week in September—an impressive milestone for any business.

During those 50 years, Bilger has earned a moniker that a lot of his customers know him by.

“Bill the barber—that’s what they call me,” he said with a laugh.

For people like Matt Elberson, Bill the barber is the only one to turn to for a good haircut and some friendly conversation. On a recent summer afternoon, Elberson was in Bill Bilger’s barbershop at 107 South Third Street in Oxford. He has been coming here for 16 years, and he was happy to talk about why he thinks Bilger’s oldfashioned barbershop has succeeded for half a century.

“This is the best place to get your hair cut in Chester County,” Elberson said. “I won’t get my hair cut anywhere else.”

With his good-humored personality and experience, it’s easy to understand the foundation that he has built his business on for all these years. Bill said that it’s always important to give a customer a good haircut and then to also treat each person with respect. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the President of the United States or a trash collector—Bill maintains that he treats everyone fairly—and equally.

“When they come through the door, they are all the same to me,” he explained. “They are all important in their own way so I treat them all the same.”

Bilger, who grew up in Bucks County, explained how he decided to become a barber in the first place.

“I was out of high school and decided I wanted to take up a trade,” he said. One day, he went to a local barber to get his hair trimmed. The barber who was cutting his hair that day told him, ‘The barber business has been good to me. You should think about it.’”

He went home and talked to his parents. Soon, he was being trained as a barber at the Tri-City Barber School.

Once he was licensed, he worked for a few other barbers as he learned his trade.

Then, with the help of a flip of the coin, he made the most important decision of his professional life— he decided to pursue the opportunity to own a barbershop in Oxford. Bilger recalled that he had some friends who resided in or nearby Oxford, and he had been hunting and fishing in the area a few times. There were six or seven other barbershops in town back then, so there was no guarantee that the new guy could even make the cut. But he was skilled at his craft, he was friendly, and he was willing to work the long hours necessary to run his own business.

Early in his career, Bilger said, he got some good

advice about running a barbershop. It starts with the most important thing: Do a good job of cutting hair. Another helpful tip is to always be cleaning when you’re not clipping because cleanliness is very important in this line of work. Another tip that he found helpful is to try to be visible to the community if you’re not cutting hair. That way, people know that the barbershop is open and that appointments are available.

For the first 24 years in Oxford, Bill’s barbershop was located at 37 South Third Street. He moved to the location at 107 South Third Street 26 years ago. He said that he liked both those locations, and is really thankful that he ended up opening his barbershop in Oxford all those years ago.

“I really just wanted a barbershop that families could come to,” he said.

Bill and his wife live in Bartville, Pa. in Lancaster County—about nine miles from the shop in Oxford. He said that owning a barbershop provided a good life for he and his wife while they raised their daughter, Lisa. He still looks forward to coming to work every day. When asked what he likes best about his job, he replied, “Just one thing? I like everything about it.”

Barwell named 2023 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar

Kiera Barwell, a resident of West Chester, is one of 213 students nationally who was recently named a 2023 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

Barwell is a member of Beta Psi Pi, Delaware County Community College’s Chester County Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society of associate degree-granting colleges. She is majoring in graphic design and is pursuing an associate degree in arts. She is also involved in service to her local community. In 2022 she earned

a Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor awarded by Girl Scouts of the USA. For her Gold Award project, Barwell designed and built a human foosball court at Shadyside Park in West Bradford Township. The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps scholars defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. This year’s scholars were selected from more than 1,100 applicants by a panel of independent judges. Scholars are selected based on outstanding scholastic achievement, community service and leadership potential.

“We are very proud that one of our students has been recognized with this prestigious national award,” said Delaware County Community College president Marta Yera Cronin, Ed.D. “Kiera’s selection as a Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar is an outstanding accomplishment and a reflection of her strong academic work and her commitment to her community.”

A total of $213,000 will be awarded this year through the Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation provides $200,000 in funding for the scholarships, with $25,000

benefits from the support of businesses and leaders in the community.

Sponsors for the Over the Edge event include Genesis HealthCare, which is offering the use of its building, Philly AIDS Thrift, LBG Properties, Taylor Oil and Propane Inc., The Market at Liberty Place, ANCHOR Life + Fitness, S & T Bank, New BDB Company, Aardvark Pest Control Services, Kennett Square Lions Club, AMSkier Insurance, Citadel Credit Union, Cope Construction and Renovation and the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Kennett Square.

“I’m overwhelmed by the support of the community,” Hillkirk said.

People who are interested in taking part in rappelling and raising the $1000 sponsorship should go online to https://fundraise.givesmart. com/vf/DREAMOTE, where there is an application form.

For more information about Camp Dreamcatcher and the upcoming Catching Dreams Over the Edge event, visit www.campdreamcatcher.org.

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

Certainly one of the favorite aspects of the job for Bilger is the conversations with people in the shop. He likes to talk about hunting, fishing, or anything else that his clients are interested in talking about. He does try to avoid politics as a topic of conversation, but other than that the conversations in the barbershop can go off in many different directions.

“I get along well with my customers,” he said. “We discuss all kinds of things.”

Some of Bill the Barber’s customers have been getting their hair cut in this barbershop for decades. He considers a lot of his customers to be friends.

Bilger has seen a lot of hairstyle trends come and go during his time in the business. He has met many people. Still, he is quick to point out that even though he knows 50 years has passed since he came to Oxford “It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long for me.” Because he has liked the

work environment so much, he doesn’t have any plans to stop cutting hair.

“I’m going to tell you something about barbers,” he said. “They will stay in the profession for as long as anyone.”

One example is Jack Winchester, one of the barbers who worked for Bilger, who kept cutting hair until he was 72. Bill the barber said that he is perfectly happy with his career and his life.

“If I had it to do over again, I would do the same thing. I have no regrets at all,” he said.

Bill Bilger’s barbershop is open each Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are also available. The telephone number is 610-932-4120.

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

set aside for members who are veterans or active members of the United States military. The remaining amount is supported by donations to the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and provides seven Global Leaders of Promise Scholarships, earmarked for international students.

“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, president of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrow’s leaders of the global community.”

Courtesy photo Bill Bilger

Courtesy photo

Delaware Community College student Kiera Barwell was recently named a 2023 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar.

Strong defense contributes to Blue Demons’ comeback

Good’s late TD interception leads Kennett to 15-14 win

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

When Head Coach Lance Frazier’s Kennett High School football team left the J. Oscar Hicks Stadium at Henderson High School at halftime last Saturday, they had every reason to be dejected, for the simple reason that scoreboards do not lie.

Henderson 14, Kennett 0. Scoreboards do not pack up and go away at halftime, however; they remain clicking red numbers until a game’s conclusion, and at the end of Kennett’s dramatic, 15-point, second-half comeback, the scoreboard also told the tale.

With Kennett down 14-9 deep in the fourth quar-

ter, defensive back Jackie Good intercepted a pass by Henderson quarterback Braeden O’Connell and took it 55 yards to the house for a go-ahead touchdown that gave the Blue Demons a 15-14 lead with just 2:15 left in the game. It was a dramatic finish to an earlyseason divisional contest, and one that now leaves Kennett (2-1 overall) undefeated in the Ches-Mont American.

Good’s late-game theatrics upstaged a beleaguered start for the Blue Demons.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Warriors got on the scoreboard on the third play from scrimmage of the second quarter when O’Connell fired a 32-yard touchdown strike to wide

receiver Ryan Sellers with 11:12 left in the half. Down 7-0, the Blue Demons then began to engineer a drive that was thwarted by two costly penalties that gave them a fourth-and-31 near their end zone. A punt by quarterback Chase Patalano was partially blocked and recovered by Henderson at the 28-yard line, but after the Warriors regained possession, O’Connell was sacked by Kennett defensive lineman Jackson Lower to kill the scoring threat.

With 2:10 left in the first half, Kennett coughed up a fumble on the 34-yard line that gave Henderson the ball at midfield. O’Connell’s 20-yard pass to running back Evan Kearney moved the ball to the 30-yard line.

A carry by running back Jake Brice gained four more yards, and a pass to Seamus Murphy got Henderson to the 18-yard line. With 43 seconds left in the first half, O’Connell found Aaron Nelson in the end zone that gave the Warriors a 14-0 lead at halftime.

The game was moved to Henderson’s home field after the originally scheduled game on Sept. 8 at Kennett Stadium was postponed due to the continuing concern over the manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped from the Chester County Prison on Aug. 31.

The Blue Demons finally cracked the scoring column in the third quarter, when

with 8:47 remaining, running back Ian Guyer sprinted 56 yards to get the ball to the Henderson 3-yard line, and with 8:31 left in the quarter, Guyer again took the ball for a TD plunge that cut Henderson’s lead in half.

Later in the third quarter, Kennett again mounted a drive that was highlighted by a 35-yard pass from Patalano to Xavier McGreal that moved the ball to the Henderson 15-yard line with 3:28 remaining. On the next snap, however, Patalano’s toss was picked off by Jake Ball that gave Henderson possession near its own end zone. A costly penalty moved Henderson

to the two-yard line, and with 1:28 left in the quarter, O’Connell was sacked in his end zone for a two-point safety that pulled Kennett to within five points, 14-9, that along with a rash of rally-killing penalties on Henderson, set up Good’s late-game, game-winning interception in the fourth quarter. Kennett will travel to Bayard Rustin on Sept. 14, while Henderson (1-2 overall), now 0-2 in the Ches-Mont American, will host Sun Valley on Sept. 14.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Two Kennett defenders help break up a pass attempt to Henderson’s Evan Kearney in third quarter play.

Photos by Richard L. Gaw

Supported by his team’s strong second-half defense, Kennett quarterback Chase Patalano led the Blue Demons to a come-from-behind 15-14 win over Henderson on Sept. 9.

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