Chester County Press 12-28-2022 Edition

Oxford Borough Council approves budget with no tax increase

By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer

There will be no tax increase for Oxford Borough residents as borough council unanimously approved the adoption of the 2023 budget and established the tax rate for next year. The tax rate will remain at 12 mills for another year.

Council member Peggy Ann Russell, the chair of the Finance Committee, thanked borough manager

Pauline Garcia-Allen, borough treasurer and assistant borough manager Arlene Harrison, and all who worked with them on the budget.

Garcia-Allen said, “We will continue to spend tax dollars wisely and study how we can communicate that effectively with our taxpayers.”

The budget will be posted online at the borough’s website at oxfordboro.org.

Council also officially accepted the resignation of

Mary-Laura Buchner-Hulse. They will be receiving letters from those residents interested in filling the position. Those letters can be sent to Pauline GarciaAllen, Borough Manager, at P.O. Box 380, Oxford, PA 19363. Council approved the motion to accept the resignation and to authorize advertising the vacancy. Council has 30 days to fill the vacancy, and the plan is to discuss the vacancy at the first meeting in January.

In other business, coun-

Popular officer retires from regional police department

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

On the frozen evening of Dec. 12, Officer First Class Mario Raimato emerged from the headquarters of the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department (SCCRPD) into retirement, and into an awaiting sea of humanity, all huddled against the bitter cold.

After a 29-year career – 25 of them spent with the New Garden Township Police and the SCCRPD – Raimato

cil held a hearing and motion to adopt an ordinance approving the adoption of the Business Improvement District Final Plan, approving the Business Improvement District boundaries, and designating Oxford Mainstreet, Incorporated as the management association to implement and

administer the provisions of the Business Improvement District Final Plan.

Council then approved a motion to authorize the agreement between the Borough and Oxford Mainstreet. Inc. for administration of the Business Improvement District.

Council also approved the following at the same

meeting:

• A hearing and motion to adopt an ordinance accepting dedication of the additional public right-ofway by Amos. G. Blank, Rebecca R. Blank, and Daniel L. Blank.

• A motion to approve the developer agreement, financial security agreement and

FROM OUR LENS

Just under the wire

Wreaths Across America honors veterans

By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer

Wreaths Across America visited the town of Oxford and surrounding areas on Dec. 17 to remember veterans with the laying of wreaths. For the last few years, Clarissa Sherrow’s name has become synonymous with Wreaths Across America, as she has worked diligently as a fundraiser and organizer for the effort since 2019.

Each December, on National Wreaths Across America Day, the mission is to Remember, Honor and Teach and that mission is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 3,700 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad.

One added bonus of the ceremony is that many small cemeteries, once forgotten or neglected, have been brought back into the spotlight, rescued and renewed as a result of this effort.

Mt. Calvary Cemetery, the final resting place for veterans of the Civil War,

Church and Rotary join to collect coats for children in need

By Chris Barber Contributing Writer

At least 300 children in southern Chester County are warmer this winter thanks to the coat collection sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Consortium in concert with the Kennett Area Rotary Alliance and the Unionville Presbyterian Church.

The Maternal and Child Health Consortium is a county-wide non-profit agency that sponsors

programs to ensure that caregivers of children have the knowledge and resources to support their healthy growth.

According to its website, the Maternal and Child Health Consortium aims to create healthier communities, reduce healthcare costs, ensure safe environments and prepare children for school success.

On Nov. 16, members of UPC joined to box up the coats they had collected and prepare them for

distribution.

The quantity was so great that the coats and the volunteers sorting them filled the chancel of the church.

UPC Pastor Annalie Korengel said the project at her church started about five years ago after the MCHC presented a program about its work during a Rotary meeting, of which Korengel is a member.

“They asked if we could help buy coats. Since I am a member of Rotary, I took the idea back to the church,”

she said.

According to Korengel, MCHC, including its nurses and social workers, handle many details of the project.

Its representatives visit families, create a list of clients who need coats and deliver the coats to those in need.

The church members and Rotary raise the money and buy the coats based on the list of genders sizes and ages provided by MCHC.

They purchase the coats from Amazon, Macys,

Boscovs, Walmart—anywhere they can get a good deal or sale.

Korengel explained, “We do not have any special deals from the sellers; we just shop around.”

Although MCHC is a county-wide agency, coats it receives from the Rotary and UPC go to recipients in southern Chester County. Other groups in other parts of the county designate for their areas as well.

“We typically like to have

DeEmilio appointed assistant principal in Avon Grove...4A

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Katrin Hoeller of Ohio and Owen Kane of Unionville wrapped up some last-minute shopping at Clean Slate Goods in Kennett Square on Dec. 24. Several stores along State Street were packed throughout the day with patrons of small business holiday shopping.

Mario Raimato:

‘My role was simply to build bridges’

Photo by Jim Coarse Local Boy Scouts and the community honored the veterans at the Oxford Cemetery by laying Wreaths during the Wreaths Across America event.

Courtesy photo Officer First Class Mario Raimato recently retired from the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department after a 29-year career.

hugged his way through a ceremonial line of 150 police colleagues, friends, family and associates, appointed and elected officials and even his pastor, Father Chris Rogers of the St. Patrick Church in Kennett Square.

Members of the Kennett Middle School unfurled a 15-foot-long paper mache banner that read, “KMS Loves Officer Raimato.” By the time he reached the last person in attendance, Raimato looked one last time at the crowd, took a mental photograph of what had just transpired, and let the emotions of the ceremony briefly overtake him.

When some in attendance were asked about the large turnout for Raimato, none were really surprised; it could be argued that since he was first hired by New Garden Police Chief Gerald Davis as a part-time officer in 1996, Raimato has been the most recognized officer in the communities – and schools – he has helped patrol and teach in over the last few decades.

“My role was simply to try to build bridges with all of our communities,” Raimato said. “Even before I became our department’s school resource officer, I patrolled West Grove and Avondale as a community liaison officer, and so much of what I did centered around communication – getting to know all of the business owners and listening to their concerns, and meeting residents on the street.

“I was trying to be the face of the department and along the way to forming connections, I formed friendships.”

A native of Kennett Square, Raimato grew up in the borough and attended St. Patrick Elementary School and later Kennett High School. After graduation, he was an accounting major at West Chester University, but along the course of his college curriculum, he took a few

criminal justice classes, that Raimato said helped “light the fire” for what he truly believed was his calling.

“Like any kid who grew up in the borough, I got to know officers Richard Posey and William Davis really well, and when I would spend summers in Cecil County, I interacted a lot with the officers from the Cecil County Sherriff’s Department,” he said. “They gave me a great foundation for knowing what a good police officer does and how he or she treats others.”

After graduating from college with a bachelor’s of science degree in liberal studies, Raimato attended and graduated from the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academy in 1993. Soon after, he was hired by Albert McCarthy as a patrol officer for the Kennett Police Department, where he stayed before joining the New Garden Township Police department in 1996 under Chief Gerald Davis.

“Chief Davis would see a need for his department and then pursue the people whom he felt could do the particular job,” Raimato said. “He first offered me a full-time job with the department, and then he asked me if I would be interested in visiting the schools as a community police officer.”

way,” Raimato said. “In my role as a police resource officer, I learned how each school works and how to deal with young people. I learned a lot from the principals I worked with, and made a lot of friends with students, too. My entire purpose of being there was to build relationships with young people, so that God forbid that something bad were to happen to them, they know that they can talk to me, because that relationship has already been formed.”

“Being in schools has allowed students to see a police officer as a human being, not just as a body in a uniform.”

Through a $60,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and a collaboration between the SCCRPD and the Kennett Consolidated School District, Raimato served as a police resource officer for the school district from 2019 to 2020, when COVID-19 halted his regular visits to students at New Garden Elementary School, Bancroft Elementary School and Kennett Middle School.

“Police work is dynamic and it’s always changing, and you need to be able to change with it and learn along the

“Mario was a part of our family, and was always there when we needed him,” said Lorenzo DeAngelis, the principal of Kennett High School and the former principal at Kennett Middle School. “He was either there to support us and lead us in the right direction. Mario really has that ‘it’ factor that melds so well with who we are as a school district and as a community. Mario was always willing to help out and be supportive and lend a funny joke when needed.

“He has a gift for being able to communicate with people, and he knows how to earn respect and show respect, and those are the two key factors in being able to build relationships.”

“Officer Raimato is beloved by KMS students

and staff,” said Jake Moore, principal of Kennett Middle School. “During his time as a school resources officer, he did everything within his power to make students (and parents and teachers) feel comfortable and safe at school.

“It is one thing to do your job well, and it is another thing to do it well with a smile.”

The connections Raimato made with students did not end at the classroom. For years, he volunteered with the school district’s After the Bell program to educate students on the role that police officers have on society. He also presented gift cards to students who demonstrated the biggest improvement in their test scores or overall GPA.

“The children who consistently demonstrate academic excellence are likely always going to get superb grades, but what about the kid who showed that he worked very

hard to improve his performance?” he said. “I told these students, ‘This is your reward for doing what you just did.’ In every classroom I ever visited, I would tell the students that knowledge is power.”

‘Build relationships with people instead’

Over the course of his four decades in law enforcement, Raimato’s path has been paved by the sage advice he has received from his superiors, among them long-time Kennett Police Chief Edward Zunino.

“Chief Zunino saw that I was writing a lot of tickets, and one day he told me, “Instead of writing all of these tickets, build relationships with people instead. It will do you a lot more good in the end.”

When Raimato and his wife settle into their new life in Kennett Square, he will dedicate one room in his new home to his career as a police officer. It will include awards, recognitions,

and yes, a recent profile in a local newspaper. One item, he said, will be most prominently displayed: the banner from his retirement ceremony from the Kennett Consolidated School District.

Raimato’s connection to the communities he served is one told in several short stories over the past 29 years that he himself narrates. As he segues into the next chapter of his life, he said that one of his initiatives is to have the ability continue to share that story with young people throughout the community at youth agencies, schools and at St. Patrick.

“I have had so many people come up to me and tell me, ‘Thanks for everything you have done for me,’” he said.

“They have told me, “You helped my family out!’ When it comes down to it, that’s what I am here for, and it’s my responsibility as a human being, and it will continue to be.”

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

‘Not just as a body in a uniform’

Photos by Richard L. Gaw Raimato was a featured speaker at the dedication ceremony for the new headquarters of the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department.

Raimato embraces Joseph Greenwalt, the acting Police Chief of the regional police department.

Members of the Kennett Middle School honored Raimato with a banner at his Dec. 12 retirement ceremony.

Oxford Borough...

stormwater agreement in relation to final plan approval of the Damico Land Development Plan, conditioned upon receipt of signed agreements and financial security documentation from Damico & Sons General Contracting, LLC.

• A motion to adopt a resolution to apply for a grant through the Pennsylvania Small Water and Sewer Program.

• A resolution to apply for a grant through the Pennsylvania H2O Program.

• An agreement with Union Fire Company No. 1 for fire protection and services in 2023.

• An agreement with the Union Fire Company No. 1 Ambulance Division for ambulance transportation and emergency service in 2023.

Coats...

Continued from Page 1A

the coats by mid-November, when the weather gets cold. It started out as a Christmas thing, but it is usually so cold by then that we decided to do it earlier,” she said.

Korengel said she was pleased with the response of her members this year. She said, “This year it was about 300 coats, I think. It was definitely way more than we have done in the past!”

• A Civic Plus proposal to redevelop and improve the borough’s website.

Police Chief Sam Iacono reported to council that the annual Christmas event during the First Friday celebration in December was successful. He also told council that Officer Shakira Greer handled the distribution of toys for children on Christmas Eve.

Iacono also thanked Garcia-Allen, State Rep. John Lawrence, and State Sen. Carolyn Comitta for securing the grant for Live Scan equipment. The Oxford Borough Police Department was awarded a $77,271 grant through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program (LLE). The LLE funding will support the cost of officer training and enable the department to add Live Scan fingerprinting capabilities at the police station.

Mayor Phil Harris also

thanked Officer Greer for all of her work on the toy drive.

“She does the shopping, wrapping, and delivery,” Harris said. “We also thank Chris Grove from the Oxford Chamber for her help in securing toys.”

The Mayor also reported that the Oxford Police Department also helped with the Wreaths Across America.

The borough’s solicitor Stacey Fuller told council she continues to work on the Moran Farm and the conditional use hearing for the project.

Junior council member Annabelle Bresler told council that a blood drive was recently held. There was also a community holiday event held for children. The Holiday Concert was also held. Students will return to school on Jan. 3, Bresler said.

The next borough council meeting will be held on Jan. 9, 2023.

Wreaths Across America...

Continued from Page 1A

World War I, World War II, including Colored Troops is one of the local cemeteries that has also gained some much-deserved recognition through the Wreaths program. This past year local scout Mason Salve, from Boy Scout Troop 13, restored the cemetery as an Eagle Scout project.

The Oxford Cemetery has been a main location for the laying of wreaths since the effort began, but this year the ceremony included Lincoln University, Elk Creek, and Fremont Cemeteries.

“It is so important for our community to learn about the involvement of so many local veterans,” Sherrow said. “This has always been a community effort. It never would have been possible without the support of so many, including individuals, families of veterans and local businesses. This year

we placed 1,300 wreaths.”

And this year, fundraising included a very successful corn hole event held at Redmen’s Hall that raised $1,800. There was also a Wreaths Across America Craft Fair fundraiser and the individual donations that support this program are vital.

Sherrow explained that beside the wreath laying ceremony the community involvement is a big part of the program.

Peters Brothers Trucking Company of Lenhartsville, Pa. delivered the wreaths to Oxford and Sherrow thanked them and others.

“We need to thank the Oxford Police Department, Chester County Sheriff’s Department, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and many, many volunteers,” Sherrow said. “And we are always

looking for new fundraising ideas and more volunteers.”

They also focus on a Gold Star family each year. This year it was the family of Cpl. Anthony Williams, who was killed in Afghanistan on March 22, 2009.

This year 2.7 million wreaths were placed at 3,702 locations. So, when one ceremony ends, a new one begins. Sherrow hopes people start thinking now about next year. Check out the website at https:// wreathsacrossamerica.org to see how to donate.

Sherrow has a place in her heart for veterans and has also organized the Veterans Breakfast each year in November. Her efforts and involvement in the community also encourages others in the Oxford area to do more for the community.

Photo by Jim Coarse

Clarissa Sherrow welcomed the community and volunteers to the Wreaths Across America event at the Oxford Cemetery.

Photo by Chris Barber

Members of Unionville Presbyterian Church gather to prepare the coats they bought for distribution by the Chester County Maternal Child and Health Consortium in mid-November.

Oxford Lions Club members ring bell for the Salvation Army

By Betsy Brantner Contributing Writer

One of the most recognized symbols of the Salvation Army is the bell ringer with a red kettle standing in front of a grocery store or shopping mall. And in Oxford, many residents are missing one of the most recognizable bell ringers, Mayor Harold “Wimpy” Gray. He rang the bell for the Salvation Army from 1965 until 2020, bring-

ing in thousands of dollars in those years for the town he loved. He was a familiar face at Redner’s Market, Wawa in Nottingham, and the Walmart in Lower Oxford, just to name a few locations. The Red Kettle campaign is the Salvation Army’s largest fundraiser, contributing thousands of dollars to programs that help people throughout the country. Last year, the Oxford Lions Club picked up the bell for Gray,

who passed away, and this year is no different.

Oxford Lions Club member Dudley Cummings was seen one cold morning at Walmart, ringing the bell and trying to stay warm.

“I have to stop for a few minutes and warm up inside,” he said. “But I’m happy to ring the bell no matter how cold.”

For years another familiar face for the Salvation Army was Artemis Anderson, who

DeEmilio appointed assistant principal at Fred S. Engle Middle School

At the school board meeting on Dec. 15, 2022, Avon Grove School District’s Board of School Directors approved the appointment of Mark DeEmilio as an assistant principal at Fred S. Engle Middle School. DeEmilio has served as an assistant principal in the Oxford Area School District since 2017. Prior to becoming an administrator, DeEmilio was a health and physical education teacher and also served as a middle school athletics director.

As part of its Comprehensive Facilities Plan, Avon Grove School District’s former high school, located on State Road, is currently being renovated to become a larger middle school building for the district. When the renovated school opens at the start of next year, it will include students in grades 6-8, as opposed to the current structure of grades 7-8. This additional assistant principal position was approved to assist with the administration and grade realignment of the new middle school.

DeEmilio will begin his duties with Avon

helped out while she was the treasurer for Oxford Borough.

The bell-ringing is over for this season, but donations are needed year-round for the work that Salvation Army does.

Besides helping out at Christmas, Anderson said, “The Salvation Army has done many things in the Oxford area. They supplied bookbags and school supplies to students, bought Christmas presents for students who would otherwise go without, send students to Camp Ladore in the summer, and also assist residents with rent, heat, electric and prescriptions.”

Donations are needed all year long, Anderson added.

“At this time of the year we are always looking for more bell-ringers, but we need donations all year to help the residents of Oxford and all around the country,” she said.

Your gift to the Salvation Army supports local families this season and beyond. So, you can put a present under someone’s tree today and a roof over someone’s head tomorrow by going online and making a donation at give.salvationarmyusa.org

It was bittersweet to see new faces and continue to mourn the passing of Mayor Gray, but it was another reminder of how one man can change the world and leave behind a positive legacy.

It wasn’t just about mak-

ing a brighter Christmas for some, although the Salvation Army certainly does that. It was also about feeding the hungry, keeping the lights on and a home heated, and a roof over the heads of those that need a helping hand.

Gray said to many who listened to him as they put money in that red bucket, “I always knew “things” would get better. He may have meant that for a population that still is waiting for equality, but to anyone who knew him, he wanted things to get better for everyone no matter their color.

And he imprinted that les-

son of humanity upon the Oxford Lions Club, who wouldn’t let that Salvation Army Bell go silent in the town of Oxford.

The Oxford Lions Club is looking for members. If you are interested in joining the Oxford Lions Club, call Mike Baker at 484-644-0943 or Wendy Smith at 484-4596940 for more information.

The Lion’s Clubs are a community service organization that provide services and programs at the local and international levels. They donate all money that is raised to charities in Oxford and around the world.

Courtesy photo

Dudley Cummings, and other Lions Club members are ringing the Salvation Army bell this year in front of Walmart and other local businesses.

Grove School District on Jan. 2, 2023.

Mark DeEmilio

A New Year and new beginnings

When 2023 arrives in a few days, Kennett Collaborative will start the New Year with a new executive director.

The new year is an excellent time for new beginnings, of course, and we wish Daniel Embree the best of luck as he takes the reins of Kennett Collaborative. The organization underwent a period of transformation under the guidance of Bo Wright, the pre-

vious executive director.

Wright guided Kennett Collaborative for nearly three years, and during that time the organization expanded its scope from the days when it was called “Historic Kennett Square.”

Wright also oversaw Kennett Collaborative’s efforts to provide assistance to businesses during the pandemic.

Embree brings his own set of experiences to the role. Since 2018, Embree

has served as director of national programs for the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in New York City.

Prior to that, Embree managed youth programs for the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where he designed curriculum, created successful marketing campaigns to grow engagement and income, and coordinated cultural exhibitions featuring diverse artists. We wish him well as he leads Kennett

Collaborative through the next chapter.

Similarly, we wish police lieutenant Joseph Greenwalt well in his new role as Acting Chief of Police for the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department. Greenwalt is a 15-year member of the department, and has served as a police officer, corporal, sergeant and lieutenant.

Police Chief Gerald R. Simpson retired earlier this month after a 39-year career

Way to go, Avon Grove Lions and KVIS & Coe

Oxford Neighborhood Services needed help for the Christmas Room that makes the holidays a little brighter for local families that are struggling. Supplies, especially clothing and toys, were running very low with days to go before Christmas.

Services made a plea for more help.

The Avon Grove Lions Club responded with a donation of $1,000 for new clothes and toys. KVIS & Coe Insurance in Oxford was so moved by the group’s generosity that they decided to match the

donation. Some other individual donations came in as well, and soon six shopping carts filled with clothing and toys were delivered to the Neighborhood Services Center so that the organization could help put presents under the Christmas trees for local children.

Letter to the Editor

Removing Krasner is not justified under the Constitution

Letter to the Editor:

I was disappointed in the editorial (December 7 Chester County Press) supporting efforts by our State Representatives John Lawrence and Craig Williams to remove Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner from office through the Commonwealth’s impeachment process.

The editorial fails to make the case that removing Krasner is justified under the Constitution, that doing so will have any meaningful effect on crime in Philadelphia, and that the impeachment process isn’t a distraction from efforts to make our communities safer.

I unite with the author’s horror at the crime statistics reported for Philadelphia for 2020 and 2021. Death, injury and other losses for the victims of crime are unacceptable. But the Press offers no data on whether Philadelphia’s post-Covid pandemic experience is out of line with that of other cities. Nor is there any effort to assess the performance of

and demands on the District Attorney’s office relative to the city’s police department, court system and other social services.

The editorial may be relying on an academic journal article by former Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan, whose results have been disputed by a number of other scholars and are inconsistent with published research that finds either no statistical (or a somewhat beneficial) impact of so-called progressive prosecutor policies on postCovid crime statistics.

Larry Krasner has been Philadelphia’s District Attorney since 2018. He’s not asking for my vote in Chester County (and I’m not sure I’d vote for him if he did), but Philadelphia voters supported him by substantial margins, most recently in the 2021 primary and general elections.

The Pennsylvania Constitution allows the Senate, after impeachment by the House, to remove a civil officer for “misbehavior in office or of any

infamous crime.” The House impeached Krasner not because he committed any crime or otherwise attempted to enrich himself, but because it disapproves of the policies he has implemented and, arguably, because influential members of the Republican Party do not like him.

I’d rather see members of our General Assembly (and the Press!) supporting and building consensus around strategies that can return Philadelphia to the prepandemic pattern of falling crime rates.

David R. Ross West Nottingham Township

in law enforcement. It was Simpson who had the ingenuity and long-range vision to help launch the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department that today serves the residents of New Garden, West Grove and Avondale. Simpson was the first police chief of the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department and deserves a lot of credit for achieving the nearimpossible. Establishing a regional police department

is no easy feat. Simpson will be missed, for sure, but a very professional police department is still in place.

Kennett Collaborative and the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department are just two of the local organizations that are undergoing changes as the new year gets underway. We wish them well in 2023.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Yes, Oxford, there really is a Santa Claus!

Letter to the Editor:

As our hearts break for those in the midst of war, starvation, and political turmoil, a siren blows in Oxford on Christmas Eve morning. One checks her phone to see what WebCad Active Incidents has posted. Suddenly, she realizes that it is 9 a.m., the magic hour for Santa to be joining with the Oxford Police Department and Mayor to deliver Christmas presents to children who have been very good during this hectic year.

Two and one-half hours

later, she hears the siren and Christmas carols coming down her street. She opens the door. The temperature outside is 10 degrees, the real feel is minus 6 degrees. This did not stop Santa – of course he is used to this kind of cold, but not necessarily his helpers.

Another time of tears on the cheek as the neighbors witness Santa chatting with children as they each receive a gift. How blessed we are – you may call it lucky if that is your choice of word – to live in a Borough, a state, a country that is living in such conditions so that Santa feels

safe on our streets.

A special thank-you to Officer Shakira Greer who invites Santa, helps with the wrapping and all that comes behind that fun part of the plan. Thank you to our Mayor, Phil Harris, for handing out each package with Santa and the team.

Thank you to our Police Chief Iacono and each member of our Police Department who keep our streets safe so that Santa feels safe! May you be blessed!

Peggy Ann Russell Oxford

A Toast to the New Year

By Marie- Louise Meyers

Who knows as we turn from the old year, facing a new one, what joy or anguish awaits us?

We already know how many names we’ve scratched off our Christmas List, the ones no longer present and the ones unaccounted for since Covid-19 took center stage taking its toll.

As our numbers in years grows larger, and more and more baggage accumulates, we are still charged with making the new ones count for something meaningful wherever our talents may lie, digging deeply into the resources of our trades or craft or imaginative forays into the unchartered day.

Even Good Will can be ascribed on every Face which internalizes the true meaning of the holidays, Faith and Charity to lift us from the defeatist column to the elitist

Every day we can make an effort to spread the fact that we can never be defeated

unless we allow it to happen.

I still remember my Dad’s inviting smile, hand-outstretched, my Mother’s cookies in readiness to fill the bill for winter time chills, and every teacher we ever had knew when the season arrived how Good Wishes were packed deliciously inside.

They knew what uncertainty was, two World Wars, a Pandemic and a Depression, but carried on while we were Believers then, and will always be!

The only true coping mechanism is to do more than just hope, but embark on a journey of enlightenment, build bridges to a better outcome.

If we don’t have the resources to have floor to ceiling celebratory rites with ostentatious displays, we might light just one candle to keep the faith. How much pain can we as a Nation contain as much as people hereabouts can change their aim

from self-destruction to let’s construct!

Singing brings unison, and we all have a role to play, both alto and soprano or even playing an instrument! What does fully present really mean?

Just fill Story Time with sunbeams and dreams, and nightmares will go away for children who have suffered so during this Pandemic.

In spite of how Technology has become almost god-like in its appeal, eyes buried into cell phones and what to make of the latest Apps, we all have a singular role to play in the human dilemma:

ice breaker, code breaker or home make; we all have a chance to mold Life each day, making it better and brighter for every one, and for those who have gone astray, a turnabout could lead to a singular display of good intentions enlisting everyone to do the same.

There is one clear note which promises an end to much of human suffering the ability science has to alter DNA with Code breakers so incurable diseases may not defeat even the young by revising the DNA sequence with CRISPR as well to prevent so many gross deformities.

Let the night wind disclose the mystery of life ever-lasting feel the vibes from the silver tongues of trees, let the church bells peal out good cheer not misery, and all over the globe look to the stars as they unfold to every one as though a celestial centerfold of belonging from the youngest to the oldest.

A Toast to the New Year! There are no shortchanged methods to Good Will it takes a spark to teach the world at large for we are truly the Host, each and everyone of us.

Oxford Neighborhood

Courtesy photo Pictured are Linda Staffieri and Brian Coe from KVIS & Coe Insurance Services

Way to go, Avon Grove Lions and KVIS & Coe. in Oxford. Brian Coe is also a member of the Avon Grove Lions Club, which contributed to this last-minute shopping spree for Neighborhood Services Center.

In the Spotlight

LIVING HISTORY

Lenape Forge: A link to our industrial heritage

By Gene Pisasale Contributing Writer

Forges were used throughout the 13 colonies to produce sturdy tools, beams, rods, plates and many other products. As Pennsylvania was one of the early leaders in iron production and the nation became more industrialized, forges took on more importance in our economy. One local forge which had its origins linked to transportation is running strong after nearly a century of operations and remains a vital contributor to the aerospace and power generation industries, as well as the U.S. military.

Lenape Forged Products Corporation operates on 42 acres situated along the Brandywine River in West Chester. The building containing its main operations first served as the Lenape Powerhouse for the West Chester Street Railway Company. According to Don McKay, the Railway Company constructed the Lenape Power House in 1903 to p rovide electricity for its trolley line extension between Lenape and Kennett Square. It was strategically located along the Wilmington and Northern Railroad line to allow for delivery of coal

which it burned to generate power. The building was subsequently purchased in 1923 by C.B. Fairweather and converted into a producer of steel plates and renamed the West Chester Pressed Steel Products Company. The firm created a variety of products including boiler plate connections, manholes and transformer plates. A later name change to the Lenape Hydraulic Pressing and Forging Company accompanied its venture into supplying wheels to the automobile business.

By 1938, the firm was producing pressed and forged steel accessories for the oil and chemical industries, as well as for pressure tanks and power boilers. Its products were reported to be shipped to every state in America as

well as to many Canadian provinces. The company changed hands in 1965 and was renamed Lenape Forge. The complex there today includes 135,000 square feet of production space, two office buildings, a laboratory, a parting, forging and forming department, as well as a heat-treating department, welding, grinding and numerous other operations.

Now known as the Lenape Forged Products Corporation, part of the Aerospace and Specialty Metals Group, the company provides high quality, specialty products created by a team of highly trained metallurgists, engineers and technicians utilizing 2,000- and 5,000-ton hydraulic presses. The website indicates that the main business is the manufacture of custom forgings made to rigorous specifications in a wide variety of materials and configurations.

As you drive by Lenape Forged Products, the red brick building makes you think you’re passing a business which had its heyday decades ago, but it remains quite strong— and is growing. Products

for the U.S. Navy, missile defense, commercial space launches and ones for the U.S. Army are all created here. In addition, items for the power, tolling, heat-treating and machining industries are produced within the walls.

A closer look reveals that Lenape Forged Products has supplied internationally known aerospace companies with items for space launch rockets and rocket vehicles. The company states that their alloy steel shaped nozzle forgings have been used since the 1980s on the Delta family of rocket motors. They supply North American rocket motor companies with copper, nickel, titanium and carbon alloy components in America’s space efforts which are recognized as the top ranked in the entire world.

For the defense industry, Lenape Forged Products is a critical producer of materials for nuclear submarines, surface warships and terrestrial weapons

systems. In a nation always needing power, Lenape Forged Products creates custom forged ball valves for nuclear generating stations. This field requires exactness and component reliability which are crucial to the safe and efficient operations of generating stations across America. Other products include openings and passageways for a variety of industrial applications, something it has been doing since 1934. Heat treatment of materials is also done to rigorous customer specifications.

From chemical plants and medical laboratories to missiles and nuclear submarines, Lenape Forge has for years created products which function to demanding specifications under often harsh conditions. A sign hangs on the side of their building which shows the business remains strong: “Lenape Forged Products Corporation— Help Wanted: Apply Within.” With so many

abandoned manufacturing plants across our nation, it is refreshing to see one nearby that is still thriving. Something else is there which is quite encouraging: “Made in USA.” So, as you drive by the plant, with its rustic-looking windows, realize that you’re passing a facility which has fueled America’s growth and kept our country safe for the last century—and will continue doing so for years to come.

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

A Lenape Forged Products sign touts the Made in USA products.

by Gene Pisasale

Photo Courtesy Don McKay

A 1907 postcard of West Chester Street Railway with the Lenape Power House in the background.

Photo courtesy Chester County Historical Society

The Lenape Power House.

The red brick building housing Lenape Forged Products.

Photo courtesy Lenape Forged Products

A large slide press with freshly created product.

One of the old doors of entry into Lenape Forge.

LILLIAN MARIE ANKNEY

Lillian Ankney, a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and a friend to many, passed away on Dec. 17, 2022 at the age of 78. She was born in Philadelphia, raised in Clifton Heights, Pa., raised her family in Secane, Pa. and spent the remainder of he life in Oxford.

Lillian is the daughter of the late Louis and Lillian Hartman (Lohn). She was married to the late Jerry P. Ankney.

She is survived by her sister, Virginia Holt of Oxford and her children, Jerry Ankney and his wife Jennifer Ankney of Hermitage, Tenn., Kevin Ankney and his wife Roxanne Brown-Ankney of Annandale, VA and Dawn Poole (Ankney) and her husband Paul Poole of Lancaster, Pa.

She is also survived by five grandchildren, Joshua, Miranda, Clark, Jerry and Jamie Ankney.

Lillian met Jerry while they both worked at The Niemeyer Corporation. They married and she stopped working to raise their three children but was active in the Our Lady of Fatima school and church, where her children went to school. Later in life, Lillian worked in the school cafeteria at Cardinal O’Hara High School for 25 years. She loved working there with her co-workers and seeing the children everyday.

Lillian was active in life and dedicated herself to helping others. If you needed help, someone to talk to or to be driven somewhere, she would drop everything to take care of you.

She was a huge Phillies fan and was so happy to see them in the World Series this year.

She loved her children and grandchildren and she will be missed.

Services will be held at a later date.

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

JENNIE G. MOUNT

Jennie G. Mount, of Kennett Square, passed away on Dec. 18, 2022, at her residence at Brandywine Living. She was 94.

Born in Long Branch, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Fornarotto and the late Antoinette Gammaro Fornarotto. After high school Jennie went to work at J.J. Newberry’s where she met her future husband Howard Mount. After marriage, they lived in New York and Massachusetts before they settled in Kennett Square in 1967.

Jennie was a teachers’ assistant for the Kennett Consolidated School District for 24 years, retiring in 2001.

She was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church.

Jennie enjoyed spending time with her family, watching her grandsons play baseball and soccer and watching the Phillies on TV.

She was predeceased by her husband Howard who passed in 2003. She is survived by one son, David N. Mount and his wife Antoinett of Landenberg; one daughter, Annmarie M. Stigale and her husband Richard of Landenberg; one brother, Nicholas Fornarotto and his wife Marie of West Lang Branch, NJ; four grandchildren, Brian Mount, Michael Mount, Matthew Mount and Kyle Stigale and four great-grandchildren, Brie Mount, Brylee Mount, Bevin Mount and Michael Mount.

She was predeceased by one sister, Josephine Guidetti.

You are invited to visit with her family and friends from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at the Kuzo Funeral Home, 250 West State Street in Kennett Square. Her funeral mass will follow at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 212 Meredith Street in Kennett Square. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Route 82, in Kennett Square.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to St. Patrick Catholic Church, 205 Lafayette Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348.

To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

RUTH ANN LATHROP

Ruth Ann Lathrop (nee Kronenwetter) was born on Jan. 28, 1934, and passed away on Dec. 15, 2022, after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. She was 88.

Ruth is preceded in death by her husband, Dr. John B Lathrop, DDS. They shared 49 years of marriage. She is also preceded in death by her sister, Joan Tompkins and her parents, Margaret (Bloom) and Harold Kronenwetter.

Ruth is survived by her sons, John B. Lathrop Jr. (Stacy) of Nottingham, and James D. Lathrop (Dana) of Chesterfield, MO. Ruth had three grandchildren, Zachary, Abby (Jacob Towler), and Nicholas.

Ruth was born in Emporium, Pa. and went to Emporium High School, where she met John. She attended Penn State University, was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, named Homecoming Queen in 1956 and graduated with an education degree. Ruth taught physical education, loved sports and was an advocate for women in sports and a trailblazer to get women involved in sports in the 1950s and 1960s. John and Ruth lived for many years in West Chester, where they raised their family, regularly boated on the Chesapeake Bay, and enjoyed traveling abroad.

Ruth had a number of careers throughout her life. She was a high school teacher, an executive for the American Red Cross and a successful realtor. She was fortunate to be the marketing manager for Stoltzfus Enterprises during the development of the Summerfield community in Elverson, Pa. Ruth never met a stranger and loved meeting all of the new faces and families moving into Summerfield. She was named “Best Salesperson” in Chester and Delaware counties in 1993. She enjoyed planning activities for the neighborhood and getting the community involved in social events and fundraisers.

Ruth volunteered frequently. She worked on cruise ships doing crafts, loved teaching flower arranging and spent many years volunteering for the American Red Cross.

Ruth spent the last few years of her life at Tel Hai Retirement Center. The family is thankful for the nurses and caregivers that helped her through the challenging last years of her life.

A memorial service for Ruth will be held at Tel Hai Retirement Center in Honey Brook, Pa. on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, at 3 p.m. A celebration of life will be held at the Summerfield Community Center, Elverson, Pa., on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or to the Greenmoore Farm Animal Rescue, 246 Clonmell Upland Road, West Grove, Pa. 19390.

To view here online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

JOHN T. O’CONNELL

John Thomas “Jack” O’Connell, of Harbeson, Del., passed away peacefully on Dec. 6 at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was 84.

Born in Pottsville, Pa., he was the son of the late John O’Connell and the late Gertrude (McLaughlin) O’Connell. He was the husband of the late Julia Theresa O’Connell, who died in 2017, and with whom he shared 51 years of marriage.

Jack graduated from West Catholic High School in 1958 and earned his associates degree in accounting from Goldey-Beacom College.

The family raised their four children in Unionville. Jack retired in 2006 after 30 years at Amtrak. Jack and Julie retired to Harbeson, Del. where they enjoyed many years. Jack came to be known as the “grill master” at all neighborhood parties, he was the go-to guy when needing something fixed, and was a great friend to many.

Jack was an avid Nascar, Phillies, Flyers, and Eagles fan. He never missed a race or a game. He enjoyed making “bets” with his son, John every Sunday, and going to the Dover races with his brother, Jimmy twice a year along with many other events. He loved his family more than anything and it showed in all he did.

He is survived by two daughters, Terry O’Connell of Felton, Del. and Julie Anne Wentzel (John) of Oxford; two sons, Paul O’Connell (Tracy) of Springfield, Pa., and John O’Connell of Pottstown, Pa.; five grandchildren, Brennan, Jack, Justin, Julia, and PJ; one great-grandson, Jace; and one great-grandson on the way, Bodie; his brother, James (Patty) and sister, Anne. He leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and good friends. He is predeceased by his sister, Maryellen Morrissey, along with his parents, John and Gertrude O’Connell, and his nephew, Tommy Morrissey. A mass of Christian burial was held at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Kennett Square. Interment will be in St. Patrick Cemetery.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org/donate.

Arrangements are being handled by Matthew Grieco of Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. To view his online obituary, please visit www.griecofunerals.com.

Obituaries

DOUGLAS W. MCDOWELL

Douglas W. McDowell, of Oxford, passed away on Dec. 11, 2022 at Union Hospital in Elkton, Md. He was 57.

He was the husband of the late Lori Skelton McDowell, with whom he shared 25 years of marriage.

Born in West Grove, he was the son of Joyce Phillips McDowell of Oxford and the late Paul H. McDowell.

Douglas was employed as a supervisor at Chester County Prison for over 30 years.

He was a member of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Oxford.

Douglas was an avid hunter.

He is survived by his mother and three children, Katherine Engelhardt (Matthew) of Elkton, Md., Kristine McDowell of West Chester and Paul McDowell of Newark, Del. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Kinsley Engelhardt and Benjamin Engelhardt and two sisters, Donna K. McDowell and Denise M. McDowell, both of Oxford.

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.

LISA ANGST LONG KOWALSKI

Lisa Angst Long Kowalski, a resident of Nottingham, passed away on Dec. 22, 2022 at her home. She was 65. She was the wife of Scott Patrick Kowalski. Born in Lansford, Pa., she was the daughter of the late John “Bud” and Alice Tomchany Angst.

Lisa owned the accounting practice of LA Long & Associates, PC located in southern Chester County, which specialized in business and individual taxation. She sold the business and retired in 2020 after 35-plus years of service. After retiring, she started DDL LLC., designing and hand-manufacturing jewelry.

Lisa served as chairperson and treasurer for the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce. In addition, she served as chairperson and as a board member of both the Jennersville YMCA and the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival. Lisa also served on the boards of many other area organizations over the years.

Lisa was a world champion trapshooter, gaining her category title four times in her shooting career. She also enjoyed traveling and was always up for an adventure.

She is survived by her husband; two step-daughters, Carrie Haywood of Rising Sun, Md. and Valerie Skellie of Wilmington, Del.; two nieces, Addie Manis and Nellie Manis; and one nephew, Charles Manis.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

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

AIDA RIVERA AGRON

Aida Rivera Agron passed away on Dec. 14, 2022 at her residence in Avondale. She was 91.

Born in Añasco, Puerto Rico, she was the daughter of the late Jose Rivera and the late Claudina Agron.

Aida was a homemaker and she enjoyed dancing, singing, and being with her family and friends. She was always happy and had a big smile on her face.

She loved the Lord and was a Catholic.

Aida is survived by her children, Luis Agron of Puerto Rico, Ruben Agron of Florida, Evelyn Agron (Daniel Valentin) of Kennett Square, Migdalia Agron of Puerto Rico, Nereida Agron of Puerto Rico, Aida Agron of Avondale, Vilma Agron (Manuel Figueroa) of Puerto Rico, and Ivan Agron (Lissette Valentin) of Puerto Rico. She is also survived by her brothers, Roberto Arroyo and William Arroyo, both of Puerto Rico, 15 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by four children Ivette, Orlando, Ovelia and Edemira; one brother, Miguel Agron, and four sisters, Naty Rivera, Maria Rivera, Monse Rivera and Amelia Rivera.

Her funeral mass was held on Dec. 20 at the St. Rocco Catholic Church. Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Route 82, in Kennett Square.

To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh. com.

M. RUTH KILBY

M. Ruth Kilby, of Nottingham, passed away at the Maple Farms Nursing Facility while surrounded by her children on Dec. 13, 2022. She was 85.

Born in Oxford on July 29, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Charles Browning and Mabel Cregger Browning Keys.

Ruth was a dedicated mother, first and foremost.

She treasured her children and embraced every moment with them, especially during family and holiday celebrations. She enjoyed reading, had a deep love for dogs, loved watching Hallmark movies and enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren participate in sports and school activities. She led a faith-filled life and was dedicated to her church.

Ruth retired from Ware Presbyterian Village in 1999 after 23 years of service as a physical therapy aide.

She is survived by her three sons, David Kilby (Donna), Daniel Kilby (Kathy) and Charles Kilby and her two daughters, Kimberly Kilby McCardell (Randy) and Beth Kilby Dolinger.

She is also survived by her 13 grandchildren, Derek Kilby, Laura Cheek, Hannah Linde, Daniel J. Kilby, Randi Warren, Noah McCardell, Kirstan Dolinger, Meredith Hostetter, Daniel Dolinger II, Camryn Kilby, Colin Kilby, Connor Kilby, Carson Coale, her 16 great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews she loved dearly. She is also survived by her brother, Charles Browning, Jr. (Bobbie).

She was preceded in death by her husband Wiley Kilby, Jr., her son, John Russell Kilby and her grandson, Jason D. Kilby. She was also preceded in death by her sisters, Edith Griest and Charlotte McCardell, and a brother, James Browning.

A celebration of life service was held on Dec. 16 at Wesley Church in Quarryville. Burial will be a private gathering for immediate family.

The family would like to thank the staff at Lancaster General Hospital with a special thank you to the staff at Maple Farm Nursing Center for their attentive care.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Hospice and Community Care 685 Good Drive, Lancaster, Pa. 17601.

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

SARA H. BLANTON

Sara H. Blanton, of Chadds Ford, passed away on Dec. 19, 2022. She was 77.

She was the beloved wife of M. Stuart Blanton.

Born in Shelby, NC in 1945, she was the daughter of Sarah and Harold Hamrick and grew up with her three brothers after her father passed during her youth. She graduated from Shelby High School in 1963 and Peace College in 1965, where she earned an associate degree and met her husband, Stuart, who was attending NC State.

After Stuart and Sara’s marriage they moved to Greenville, NC where they had their first son, Kevin S. Blanton. Sara’s second son, W. Brendan Blanton, was born four years later in Kinston, NC. The family moved frequently and had residences in Wilmington, Del., Kinston, NC, Wilmington, NC, Unionville, Pa., Kingwood, Tex., and Chadds Ford, Pa.

Sara was a devoted mother and wife, always taking delight in helping her sons with projects, family dinners, and attending her sons’ activities. She had many hobbies including quilting, cross-stitching, fishing, and painting. She was very creative and always had a talent for making beautiful paintings, quilts, and works of art. She also enjoyed spending time with the many friends that she met through these hobbies. She looked forward to yearly vacations at the Outer Banks of North Carolina where she met many friends and loved spending time relaxing by the ocean.

Nothing brought her more joy than spending time with family. She was happiest catching up with her family and visiting with her grandchildren. In addition to her family, Sara always took joy in caring for and spoiling her three dogs, Pfeffer, Marley and Maisy. Her warmth, kindness, and loving care will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing Sara.

She is survived by her husband, M. Stuart Blanton of Chadds Ford; her brother, Larry Hamrick Sr. of Kings Mountain, NC; her son and his wife, Kevin S. and Mellissa Blanton of Collingswood, NJ; her son, W. Brendan Blanton of Wilmington, Del.; and five grandchildren, Natalie, Erik, Meghan, Zane and Cassidy Blanton.

Her services will be held privately at a later date.

In her later years, Sara had ongoing struggles with several major illnesses. Her courageous battles with mental health and cancer were truly an inspiration for many. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), PO Box 49104, Baltimore, MD 21297. https://www.nami.org/ About-NAMI/Donate-to-NAMI

To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.

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, January 19 th, 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 Tuesday, February 21, 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. 23-1-13 Writ of Execution No. 2015-07056

DEBT $332,403.08

Property situated in the NEW GARDEN TOWNSHIP, CHESTER County, Pennsylvania, being

BLR # 60-2-93.8

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: a residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.

VS DEFENDANT : RICHARD WANNEMACHER, JR. A/K/A RICHARD WANEMACHER and NANI WANNEMACHER A/K/A NANI SHIN-WANNEMACHER

SALE ADDRESS: 800 Sunrise Drive, Kennett Square, PA 19348

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 12p-28-3t

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, January 19 th, 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 Tuesday, February 21, 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. 23-1-19 Writ of Execution No. 2021-06386 DEBT $90,682.41

ALL THAT CERTAIN tract of land situated in the Township of West Sadsbury, County of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, more particularly bounded and described as follows:

BEGINNING at a corner in the Limestone Road, a corner of land now or late of Earl Crawford; thence leaving said road by said land, South eighty-eight degrees and fifty-six minutes West; one hundred and twenty feet to an iron pin a corner of said land, being on the east side of a twenty foot wide alley; thence along the east side of said alley, North one degree four minute West, thirty-six feet to an iron pin; thence along the south side

of another alley, twenty feet in width, North eighty-eight degrees and fifty-six minutes East, one hundred and twenty feet to a corner in the Limestone Road; thence along in said road, South one degree and four minutes East; thirty-six feet to the place of beginning.

CONTAINING fifteen and seven- tenths perches of land, be the same more or less, by a survey of January 8, 1957, by Jerre P. Trout (registered Engineer)

PREMISES BEING KNOWN AS: 642 NORTH LIMESTONE ROAD, PARKESBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 19365

BEING Uniform Parcel Identifier No. 36-5-78.

TITLE TO SAID PREMISES IS VESTED IN ELWOOD RONALD GRAY and MARCELLA GRAY A/K/A MARCELLA C. GRAY BY A DEED DATED June 1, 1961 AND RECORDED JUNE 2, 1961 IN DEED BOOK C33, Page 201.

ALL THAT CERTAIN TRACT OF LAND SITUATED IN WEST SADSBURY TOWNSHIP, CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, BOUNDED AND DESCRIBED ACCORDING TO A NEW SURVEY MADE BY J.W. HARRY, C.E., OCTOBER 20, 1945, AS FOLLOWS:

BEGINNING AT A SPIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LIMESTONE ROAD, A CORNER OF REMAINING LAND OF THE GRANTOR HEREIN AND DISTANT 282.96 FEET SOUTHWARDLY FROM A STAKE AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF LAND OF H. DONOVAN QUEEN, MEASURING ALONG THE MIDDLE OF THE LIMESTONE ROAD; THENCE ALONG THE MIDDLE OF THE LIMESTONE ROAD SOUTH ONE DEGREE FOUR MINUTES EAST, ONE HUNDRED FEET TO A SPIKE ANOTHER CORNER OF REMAINING

LAND OF THE GRANTOR HEREIN; THENCE LEAVING SAID ROAD AND ALONG SAID LAND PASSING OVER A STAKE ON LINE SIXTEEN AND SEVENTY-FIVE HUNDREDTHS FEET FROM THE LAST MENTIONED POINT SOUTH EIGHTY-EIGHT DEGREES FIFTY-SIX MINUTES WEST, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FEET TO A STAKE ANOTHER CORNER OF REMAINING LAND OF THE GRANTOR; THENCE STILL ALONG THE SAME NORTH ONE DEGREE FOUR MINUTES WEST, ONE HUNDRED FEET TO A STAKE; THENCE STILL ALONG THE SAME PASSING OVER A STAKE ON LINE TWELVE AND EIGHTY-SEVEN HUNDREDTHS FEET FROM THE NEXT MENTIONED POINT NORTH EIGHTY-EIGHT DEGREES, FIFTY-SIX MINUTES EAST, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FEET TO THE PLACE OF BEGINNING.

CONTAINING TWELVE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF LAND MORE OR LESS.

PREMISES BEING KNOWN AS: 614 NORTH LIMESTONE ROAD, PARKESBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 19365

Being Uniform Parcel Identifier No. 36-5-79

TITLE TO SAID PREMISES IS VESTED IN MARCELLA GRAY A/K/A MARCELLA C. GRAY AND ELWOOD RONALD GRAY BY DEED DATED OCTOBER 17, 1960 AND RECORDED ON MAY 31, 1961 IN DEED BOOK C33, PAGE 47.

ALL THAT CERTAIN tract of land situated in the Township of West Sadsbury, County of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, bounded and described according to a new survey made by J.W. Harry, C.E., October 20, 1945, as follows:

BEGINNING at a spike in the

middle of Limestone Road, a corner of remaining land of the grantor herein and distant 282.96 feet southwardly from a stake at the south west corner of land of H. Donovan Queen, measuring along the middle of the Limestone Road; thence along the middle of the Limestone Road south one degree four minutes east, one hundred feet to a spike another corner of remaining land of the grantor herein; thence leaving said road and along said land passing over a stake on line sixteen and seventy-five hundredths feet from the last mentioned point south eighty-eight degrees fiftysix minutes west , one hundred twenty feet to a stake another corner of remaining land of the grantor; thence still along the same north one degree four minutes west, one hundred feet to a stake; thence still along the same passing over a stake on line twelve and eighty-seven hundredths feet from the next mentioned point north eightyeight degrees, fifty-six minutes east, one hundred twenty feet to the place of beginning.

CONTAINING twelve thousand square feet of land more or less.

PREMISES KNOWN AS 606 NORTH LIMESTONE ROAD, PARKESBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 19365

TITLE TO SAID PREMISES IS VESTED IN MARCELLA GRAY A/K/A MARCELLA C. GRAY BY DEED FROM MARCELLA C. GRAY DATED OCOTBER 6, 2004 AND RECORDED OCTBER 20, 2004 IN DEED BOOK6312, PAGE 2266.

BEING Uniform Parcel Identifier No. 36-5-80

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 12p-28-3t

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, January 19 th, 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 Tuesday, February 21, 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. 23-1-23 Writ of Execution No. 2022-01502 DEBT $80,961.31

ALL THAT CERTAIN property situated in the Township of Oxford, n the County of Chester and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, being described as Follows: UPI: #57-3-22 being more fully described in a Deed Dated July 22, 1986 and recorded March 29, 1994 Among the land records of the county and state set forth above, in Deed Volume 3730 and Page 0081.

UPI: #57-3-22

PLAINTIFF: Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee for Morgan Stanley ABS Capital I Inc. Trust, Series 2007-SEA1

VS DEFENDANT: Billy Ray Rowe a/k/a Billy R. Rowe, solely in his capacity as Executor of the Estate of Hazel M. Cooper a/k/a Hazel Mae Cooper a/k/a Hazel Cooper a/k/a Hazle Cooper, deceased

SALE ADDRESS: 300 Village Road, Cochranville, PA 19330

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: STERN & EISENBERG, PC 215-572-811

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 12p-28-3t

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, January 19 th, 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

Local News

Penn Township supervisors adopt budget

By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Staff Writer

A public hearing was held immediately before the Dec. 7 township meeting for public input on a new stormwater ordinance in Penn Township. The existing stormwater section of the township’s subdivision ordinance was removed and the new ordinance put in place as a separate ordinance.

The Penn Township Board of Supervisors also adopted the 2023 budget as it had

been advertised. There is no tax increase for the township in the coming year. It has been 16 years since the last tax increase.

On hand for the meeting was Lt. Dan Steele of the Pennsylvania State Police Troop J Avondale Barracks, to give an update to the supervisors.

Steele reported that the station received nearly 1400 calls for Penn Township in 2021 for the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 7. This year, there have been 1280 calls

in the same time period. This includes 73 vehicle crashes in 2021 and 68 in 2022.

”I think we’re trending in the right direction,” Steele said.

Steele noted that there were a rash of catalytic converter thefts, but arrests have been made related to that problem. Another issue that recurs in Penn Township is soliciting at the shopping center. People are asked to report these cases to the State Police and not

Schoessler and DiFrancesco named Rotary Students of the Month

The Rotary Students of the Month from Oxford Area High School are Luke Schoessler and Siena DiFrancesco.

Schoessler has played varsity tennis. He is also a member of the Science National Honor Society, and English National Honor Society. He has also

Office, both located in the Chester County Justice Center, 201 W Market Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Schedules of Distribution on Tuesday, February 21, 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. 23-1-27 Writ of Execution No. 2019-00303 DEBT $218,039.23

ALL THOSE CERTAIN LOTS OR PIECES OF GROUND SITUATE IN THE TOWNSHIP OF KENNETT SQUARE, CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA:

TAX PARCEL NO.: 6204 00390000

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: a residential property

PLAINTIFF: Finance of America Reverse, LLC

VS

DEFENDANT: KAY LYNN COOPER A/K/A KAY L. COOPER A/K/A KAY LYNN COOPER LUTSKY

SALE ADDRESS: 616 Millers Hill, Kennett Square, PA 19348

PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY: ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC 855-225-6906

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 12p-28-3t

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, January 19 th, 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 Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Distribution will be

been a member of Helping Hands.

He plans to attend college and major in computer science, but also has an interest in finance. His hobby is computer programming.

DiFrancesco is involved in marching band, the academic team, Crocheting

made in accordance with the Schedules unless exceptions are filed in the Sheriff’s Office within ten (10) days thereafter.

Sale No. 22-4-134

Writ of Execution No. 2020-03164 DEBT $145,079.15

Property situated in the LOWER OXFORD TOWNSHIP, CHESTER County, Pennsylvania, being BLR# 56-7K-9

IMPROVEMENTS thereon: a residential dwelling

PLAINTIFF: Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee for Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Series 2004-OPT1, Asset Backed Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2004-OPT1 VS DEFENDANT: John Higgins

SALE ADDRESS: 4651 Forge Road, Nottingham, PA 19362

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 12p-28-3t

PUBLIC NOTICE

POCOPSON TOWNSHIP ZONING HEARING BOARD

NOTICE is hereby given that the Zoning Hearing Board of Pocopson Township will hold a Public Hearing at the Pocopson Township Municipal Building, 664 South Wawaset Road, West Chester, Pennsylvania, 19382, on Monday, January 9, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at which time the Board will hear the following matter:

Application of James Guinan and Meghan Guinan seeking a variance from the 100 foot setback requirement for swimming pools under Zoning Ordinance Section 250-94.A(3) so as to allow a 40 foot setback; and seeking a special exception from the 15% maximum impervious coverage limit under Zoning Ordinance Section 250-19.C(3), so as to allow 20.4% coverage, both so as to allow for the construction of a residential swimming pool, spa, pool deck, pool equipment pad and stormwater

Club, Environthon and stage crew. She also works two jobs, one at Vixen Hall Kennels and the other on a farm where she pursues another interest, horseback riding. She also plays piano and flute.

She plans to attend college where she will major in zoology.

give them any money.

Another issue he touched upon was speeding. Steele encouraged the township to purchase a portable radar speed sign that lets drivers know when they are exceeding the speed limit. The information it can gather also helps the police determine where speeding is occurring and what time of day it tends to occur. This can help the police station cars near problem spots when they will be most effective.

Historic Commission member Scott Steele reported receiving a donation of a Jennersville chair to be put on display at the Red Rose Inn. The painted rocking chair joins three other Jennersville chairs in the Historical Commission collection. Jennersville chairs were manufactured locally in the early 1800s and have a unique shape to the back and legs.

Near the end of each year, the township drafts a “State of Penn Township” report

which can be found in full on the township website. In the past year, the township has been awarded over $2.3 million in grant funds. There have been notable steps made in construction of the new Penn Township Sports Park, including the new outdoor education center. Other notable events of the last year include the opening of the new Avon Grove High School, and many community events that took place in Penn Township.

Legals

infiltration facilities on property located at 3 Taylor Chase Lane, West Chester, PA (UPI #63-4167.2A) in the Township’s RA - Residential and Agricultural zoning district.

If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend the public meeting scheduled above and require an auxiliary aide, service or other accommodation to participate in the proceedings; or if you wish to participate remotely, please contact Susan Simone at 610-793-2151 to discuss how Pocopson Township may best accommodate your needs. Edward M. Foley, Solicitor Brutscher, Foley, Milliner, Land & Kelly, LLP 8 pt 213 East State Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348 12p-28-2t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF KENNETH M. QUEPPET, DECEASED. Late of New London Township, Chester County, PA, LETTERS TESTAMENTARY 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 E. BEILER, EXECUTRIX, c/o Joseph A. Bellinghieri, Esq., 17 W. Miner St., West Chester, PA 19382, Or to her Attorney: JOSEPH A. BELLINGHIERI, MacELREE HARVEY, LTD., 17 W. Miner St., West Chester, PA 19382

12p-14-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF DONALD D. RUSSELL a/k/a DONALD D. RUSSELL, JR., DECEASED. Late of New London Township, Chester County, PA LETTERS TESTAMENTARY 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 JAMES J. RUSSELL, SR., EXECUTOR, 145 Garden Station Rd., Avondale, PA 19311, Or to his Attorney: ANITA M. D’AMICO, D’AMICO LAW, P.C., 65 S. Third St., Oxford, PA 19363

12p-14-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF MARILYN M. CROSSAN, DECEASED. Late of New Garden Township, Chester County, PA LETTERS TESTAMENTARY 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 JANET L. GIFT, EXECUTRIX, c/o Denise A. Kuestner, Esq., 1818 Market St., Ste. 2430, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Or to her Attorney: DENISE A. KUESTNER, LANGSAM STEVENS SILVER & HOLLAENDER, LLP 1818 Market St., Ste. 2430, Philadelphia, PA 19103 12p-28-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF TANYA MARIE WALSH, 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 ELAINE S. REIFSTECK, ADMINISTRATRIX, c/o Mary Ann Plankinton, Esq., 3711 Kennett Pike, Ste. 100, Wilmington, DE 1807, Or to her Attorney: MARY ANN PLANKINTON, GAWTHROP GREENWOOD, P.C., 3711 Kennett Pike, Ste. 100, Wilmington, DE 19807 12p-28-3t

ESTATE NOTICE

Estate of Daniel E. Cosenzo, Jr., Late of East Nottingham Township, Chester County, Deceased, LETTERS of Administration in the estate of the above-named Daniel E. Cosenzo, Jr. having 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 Christopher Cosenzo, Administrator, C/O Attorney: Winifred Moran Sebastian, Esquire, 2078 E. Locust St., P.O. Box 381 , Oxford, PA 19363 610-932-3838 12p-28-3t

PUBLIC NOTICE PENNSBURY TOWNSHIP

ZONING HEARING BOARD NOTICE is hereby given that the Zoning Hearing Board of Pennsbury Township will hold a Public Hearing at the Pennsbury Township Building, 702 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, on Monday, January 23, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at which time the Board will hear the following matter: In Re: Application of 519 Bal-

timore, LLC seeking special exceptions for permission to change one nonconforming use to another under zoning ordinance Section 162-2203.C2; and to enlarge a building housing a nonconforming use under Section 162-2203.B; a variance from the prohibition against more than one principal use of a property under Ordinance Section 162-702.A; and variance from Section 162-1204-a of the Rt. 1 Corridor Overlay District; and variances from the restrictions against a commercial sign in the R-4 Residential District under Ordinance Sections 162-702 and 162-2100 et. seq. so as to allow a commercial sign; including variances so as to allow one externally illuminated free-standing business sign on property in the R-4 Residential District, including Sections 162-2102.B; Section 162-2103.E.6.a.; Section 1622105; and Section 162-2107.c.1. all on property located at 519 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA (UPI # 64-3-48.25) in the Township’s R-1 Residential Zoning District.

If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend the public meeting scheduled above and require an auxiliary aide, service or other accommodation to participate in the proceedings, please contact Kathy Howley at 610-388-7323 to discuss how Pennsbury Township may best accommodate your needs. Edward M. Foley, Solicitor Brutscher, Foley, Milliner, Land & Kelly, LLP, 213 East State Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348 12p-28-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE

OXFORD BOROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION AND TASK FORCE MEETINGS.

The Oxford Borough Planning Commission will hold its regular January public meeting on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 starting at 6:30 p.m. to be held at Borough Hall, 1 Octoraro Alley, Oxford, Pennsylvania. This will replace the previously scheduled meeting on Tuesday January 24, 2022, which is canceled.

If you are a person with a disability wishing to attend the aforementioned meeting and require auxiliary aid, service or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please contact the Borough secretary at 610932-2500 to discuss how your needs may best be accommodated. OXFORD BOROUGH, GAWTHROP GREENWOOD,

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P.C., Stacey L. Fuller, Solicitor 12p-28-1t

Courtesy photo

Oxford Rotary President Dr. Ray Fischer with Ross and Shelly Schoessler and their son Luke, and Trina and Bernie DiFrancesco with their daughter Siena.

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