Local residents and visitors to the Brandywine Valley know it as the home of the famous Wyeth family of artists and picturesque countryside, but few know the history behind Chadds Ford Days, which has been celebrated here since Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House. The area around the village of Chadds Ford was inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape Indians for centuries before European explorers arrived.…
Édouard Manet, Gustave Doré, Paul Gauguin, James Ensor, Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Rackham, Harry Clarke, Barry Moser and Robert Motherwell are among the more than two dozen artists featured in Picturing Poe: Illustrations for Edgar Allan Poe's Stories and Poems. From the seemingly straightforward to the abstract, each artist's work reflects his or her own time and personal interpretation of Poe's work. The exhibition is on…
Elizabeth B. Smith, 60, of Kennett Square, died Monday, Aug. 27, at her residence. She was the wife of Michael L. Smith, with whom she shared 37 years of marriage. Born in Chicago, IL, she was the daughter of the Late Robert J. Burke Jr. and Elizabeth Wieland. She was a homemaker and enjoyed cooking, gardening, being with her family and friends, and travelling, especially…
George Steele, 93, died in his sleep on Monday, August 20, at Crosslands, Kennett Square, where he resided for the past 17 years. He was the husband of Anna Davis Steele of Kennett Square and the late Rhoda Eleanor Brown Steele. Born in Birmingham Township, he was the son of the late Hugh Exton Steele and the late Katherine Spague Stevens Steele. As a birthright…
Decisions need to be made regarding the Chadds Ford mystery monument, the Vietnam memorial that may be the oldest of its kind in the country. Just what should or can be done remains at issue. As reported, the monument, a cannon on a stone base, was dedicated in 1966, only two years after the Gulf of Tonkin resolution that committed American fighting forces to Vietnam,…
Chadds Ford’s mystery monument may be the first memorial in the U.S. dedicated to Vietnam veterans. Yet, no one, so far, has been found with any recollection of its dedication, and public records have revealed no information. Research is continuing, but Duery Felton, of the National Parks Service, said the Chadds Ford memorial “is still in the lead” for being the oldest. The monument, a…
Republican Party vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan rallied the party faithful in West Chester while addressing a crowd of thousands at the American Helicopter museum on Aug. 21. The crowd — estimated to be 4,000- 5,000 strong — responded vocally, interrupting Ryan several times with cheers, and chants of “USA, USA.” Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney chose Ryan as his running mate more than a…
Excitement and enthusiasm are the two best words to describe the tone of Aug. 20 Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board Meeting. Superintendent John Sanville jokingly opened the meeting by reciting the three good reasons for choosing teaching as a career. “The good reasons to teach are June, July and August.” He continued his remarks with an enthusiastic report on preparation for the Aug. 27 return of…
Melissa Laurentius of Bel Air, Md. got more than she bargained for when she and her two children went to Longwood Gardens on Aug. 17. She became the one-millionth visitor to the gardens during the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Laurentius received a bouquet of flowers, a $300 gift certificate for Longwood’s gift shop and a lifetime membership for herself, husband and kids. She was also greeted…
• An eight-month-long investigation has led to the arrest of a Delaware man in connection with an armed bank robbery in Concord Township last December. Charges were filed against Jeffrey Patrick McCann, 32, of Smyrna. Police allege McCann entered the M&T Bank at 485 Baltimore Pike shortly before 4 p.m. on Dec. 30, displayed a weapon to a teller and demanded cash. A police report…
• The Clever Clover 4-H Community Club will be holding an informational meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 5 from 7-8 p.m. at the Romano 4-H Center of Chester County on Route 82 just west of the intersection of Route 82 and 322. The Clever Clovers club offers various 4-H projects throughout the year and is looking for interested youth ages 8-18 to join the club. For…