When authorities executed a search warrant in the 400 block of Line Road in Kennett Square on Friday, Feb. 13, officers found conditions so unsanitary that the residence – home to three children – had to be condemned, said New Garden Township Police.
Alejo Lourido-Santiago
The search warrant followed an investigation into possible illegal activity in the home and led to the arrest of Ronnice Osborne, 38, and Alejo Lourido-Santiago, 62, who also lived there. The New Garden Police Department, along with members from the Chester County Municipal Drug Task Force, found numerous pieces of drug paraphernalia and residue throughout the home, materials that were accessible to the children, ages 2, 7, and 15.
Police said the following items were seized: used uncapped syringes, blue wax paper bags with residue commonly used for heroin, small clear plastic bags used for packaging illegal drugs, multiple pipes, two containers with suspected marijuana inside, and a small digital scale. Officers also located a pellet gun, a large knife, and an axe handle in the bedroom, police said.
Ronnice Osborne
During the search, Osborne and Lourido-Santiago returned home and were taken into custody without incident. Investigators filed a criminal complaint, alleging multiple counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, recklessly endangering another person, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors, police said.
Police said that during the search, officers observed spoiled food, moldy mattresses, trash, and filth throughout the premises, prompting a call to the township’s Codes Department, which then condemned the residence. The minor children were turned over to a family member, police said.
Both defendants were arraigned and remanded to Chester County Prison after failing to post the $100,000 cash bail; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, court records said.
The YMCA of Greater Brandywine, a cause-driven nonprofit committed to strengthening community through programs that support youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, has added the following new association board members, according to a press release.
Paul Capelli (clockwise from top left), Patricia C. Brennan, William Harrel III, and Chad Gobel have joined the YMCA board.
These new members will be part of an expanded, 32-person Association Board following the Jan. 1, merger between the YMCA of the Brandywine Valley and YMCA of the Upper Main Line. The newly formed YMCA of Greater Brandywine unites almost all of Chester County under a single YMCA organization, serving more than 80,000 members at nine locations.
The following individuals are additions to the expanded YMCA board:
Patricia C. Brennan, CFP, CFS, president of Key Financial, Inc., a wealth management company;
Sandra L. Knapp and Donna M. Phillips are new additions to the YMCA board.
Paul Capelli, vice president of corporate communications and community affairs for QVC, Inc., a global video and e-commerce retailer;
Chad Gobel, CEO and founder of Gobel Group, healthcare philanthropy consultants;
William Harral III, former president of the Barra Foundation, which invests in innovation to inspire change to strengthen communities in the Philadelphia region;
Sandra L. Knapp, a partner at Gawthrop Greenwood, PC, attorneys at law;
Donna M. Phillips, president of Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital.
“We are excited and honored to welcome these talented business leaders to our board,” said Denise L. Day, president and CEO for YMCA of Greater Brandywine, said in the release. “Their diverse experience and commitment to serving others will inspire our organization as we work together to improve the lives of children, families and adults throughout Chester County.”
Victoria Browning Wyeth enjoys serving as an ambassador for her famous artist relatives, especially her grandfather, Andrew Wyeth, and her uncle, Jamie Wyeth.
Just as the Jamie Wyeth retrospective is taking audiences by storm, the Brandywine River Museum has announced an appearance by another force of nature in the family: his high-energy niece.
Victoria Browning Wyeth will lead a program on Friday, March 13, that promises “lively discussion” and “an intimate view” of renowned artist Jamie Wyeth in conjunction with the exhibition, a sweeping display that spans six decades. “Wyeth on Wyeth: A Family Perspective” will also offer a look inside the Wyeth art dynasty that includes her great grandfather, N.C. Wyeth, and her grandfather, Andrew Wyeth.
Victoria Browning Wyeth sits on the steps outside the Brandywine River Museum, where she will present “Wyeth on Wyeth: A Family Perspective” on March 13.
Since 2005, Victoria Wyeth’s passionate presentations have captivated crowds at the museum as well as area schools. She said that even though most of her talks have focused primarily on her grandfather’s work, when Thomas Padon, director of the Brandywine River Museum, approached her about a program to complement the retrospective, she didn’t hesitate. “I thought it sounded absolutely awesome,” she said.
She said that her grandfather’s death six years ago left a painful void and that her uncle, who understood the depth of the loss, has provided much-appreciated solace. “He’s been great,” she said, explaining that his pep talks always seem to come at just the right times.
So what will his reaction be when she’s the one doing all the talking? “I have no idea,” she said. “It’s not something we’ve discussed.” However, she laughed when pointing out that her grandmother, Betsy Wyeth, once noted: “Well, you can’t paint, but you sure can talk.”
Victoria Wyeth insisted that she’s no art historian. However, when it comes to family history, few can rival her insight – or her exuberance. In addition, her grandfather schooled her extensively in art media and techniques, she said. In her early days as a tour guide at the museum, she met with him often to discuss questions that people asked about his work.
Some would dispute her insistence that the family’s artistic gene eluded her. A photo that she took of her grandfather in Maine served as a focal point of an Andrew Wyeth Retrospective at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in 2005. She credited her grandfather’s tips about composition for improving her photography.
Victoria Wyeth, 35, no longer maintains a regular schedule at the museum. She explained that her job as a research assistant at Norristown State Hospital and the fact that she now resides with her husband in Philadelphia made that too difficult.
But when an opportunity surfaces, she’s thrilled to revisit her role as a Wyeth ambassador, she said. Anyone interested in Wyeth family secrets, should go elsewhere, she warned. The only skeletons she’s apt to reveal are the ones associated with the Wyeths’ favorite holiday: Halloween. “I share my uncle’s love of the macabre,” she said – for him, a fondness that’s communicated in some of his most celebrated paintings.
“My goal is to bring the paintings to life in a family sense,” she said. “What was going on at the time? What was it like growing up in the family?”
For example, Victoria Wyeth said she’s not surprised that birds – from a giant raven to ravenous seagulls – figure prominently in her uncle’s work. “Betsy [Wyeth] is obsessed with birds,” she said, adding that her grandmother is known for keeping binoculars around her neck to facilitate her ornithology interests.
Victoria Wyeth said she hopes to give visitors a fresh view of her uncle’s artistic evolution. “I think the most important thing is context,” she said. “Stuff doesn’t just happen; it’s shaped by events … My perspective is just what I’ve observed, and it’s a little different from other people’s [perspective].”
She said her grandmother once called her a “city slicker” because she spent her early years in Manhattan, where her father, Nicholas Wyeth, was the primary art dealer for her grandfather’s work, and her mother, Jane, was an art consultant. And although Victoria Wyeth was initially unaccustomed to the livestock that shared Wyeth properties in Chadds Ford as well as Maine, she adjusted, ultimately interacting with some that achieved fame, such as Den-Den, the subject of Jamie Wyeth’s “Portrait of Pig.”
“I grew up with my uncle and his animals,” Victoria Wyeth said, adding that it’s a special relationship, one that she enjoys discussing. “When you love someone like my uncle as much as I do, it comes out.”
Her March 13 presentation is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. But starting at 6 p.m., complimentary small plates will be available with a cash bar. Guests can tour the exhibition and other galleries after the presentation. The cost is $20 members and $25 for non-members. Seats are limited and likely to sell out. Tickets are available online, by phone at 610-388-8326, or at the museum For more information, visit http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/calendar_events.html.
“Jamie Wyeth” will be on display at the Brandywine River Museum through April 5. Located on Route 1 in Chadds Ford, the museum is open daily (except Christmas) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. General admission is $15, adults; $10 seniors (65+); $6, students with ID and children ages 6-12. Free for children ages 5 and under as well as conservancy members.
Marian B. Lewis, 92, of Kennett Square, died Monday, Feb. 16, at the Pocopson Home. She was the wife of the late Charles Hunter Lewis who died in 1956.
Born in Kennett Square, she was the daughter of the late Franklin and Mamie Merritt Bernard.
Marian served our country in the Army as a nurse during WWII. Her duties took her to England, Japan, and D Day in France. She also attended two World’s Fairs.
She had a long career as a registered nurse working in family practice in Kennett Square. She was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square. She volunteered her nursing skills for many years at the Friends Home. In her late years, she enjoyed reading, needlepoint, cross-stitch, and visits from her great grandchildren.
Survivors include one son, Douglas Lewis of Texas; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by one brother Franklin Merritt Bernard, two sons, Alan and Charles Lewis and one daughter, Yvonne Lewis Martelli.
You are invited to visit with Marian’s friends and family from 10:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square 211 South Broad Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348. A memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. Inurnment will be in Union Hill Cemetery. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Presbyterian Church of Kennett Square at the aforementioned address. Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. (610-444-4116) of Kennett Square. To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.griecocares.com
