Ernest W. Marvel, 73, of Kennett Square, died Nov. 17 at his home.
He was born in Chester, to the late Ernest M. and Florence E. (Esterling) Marvel.
He first attended the one-room school house in Ogden, Pa then moved to Garden City, where he attended Nether Providence Schools. As a teenager, he rode with the Rose Tree Hunt and the Valleybrook Hounds. Upon graduation from Williamson Trade School in 1962, he began his life’s work as a mason, eventually forming Mar-John Masonry, Inc., a highly regarded group, which continues to this day.
His passion was helping his three sons and other young masons learn the trade. As a young man, he took up saltwater fishing, spending many fine days on the ocean or bay, taking one last charter trip on his birthday in June. He had been active in Cub Scouts as well as the Indian Guides and enjoyed travelling when he was able.
Left to mourn his loss are his devoted wife, Carol (Krauss) Marvel, his loving children: LuAnn (Jeff) Jahnke, EJ (Kelli) Marvel, Andy (Kelly) Marvel and Matt (Lisa) Marvel; eight adoring grandchildren: Devin Jahnke; Alexis, Carli, Madeline, Lauren, Ashley, Justin, and Lena Jane Marvel; his sister, Cindi Marvel, his aunts MaryAnn (Ed) Brady and Joan Esterling, special in-laws Diane (Bruce) Sheaffer and Bob (Elaine) Krauss, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
The family cordially invites friends and family to join them in a celebration of his life at noon on Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Italian American Club, 30 Ways Lane in Kennett Square, where lunch will be served and memories shared.
In lieu of flowers, we would sincerely appreciate a donation made in his name to Williamson College of the Trades, 106 S. New Middletown Rd, Media, PA 19063, or to the American Cancer Society or Four Paws Rescue at 218 Pine Grove Rd, Nottingham, PA 19362
Myrtle Smith Palmer, 94, of West Chester, died Thursday, Nov. 19, at Twin Pines Health Care. She was the wife of James T. Palmer who died in 1983 and with whom she shared 32 years of marriage.
Born in Unionville, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Catherine Hollis Smith.
She was a cafeteri manager for the Red Clay School District for many years.
Myrtle was a member of the Eastern Star Chapter, NAOMI No. 20, OES.
She enjoyed playing Bingo and being with her family and friends.
She is survived by one son, Charles T. Palmer and his wife Sally of The Villages, Fla.; three daughters, DeeDee Kretzschmar of West Chester, Rene Sylvester of Kennett Square, and Cathy Palmer-Warner and her husband Michael of Rehobeth, Del.; five grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.
You may visit with her family and friends from 11 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, 250 West State Street in Kennett Square. Her funeral service will follow at noon. Burial will be in Union Hill Cemetery in Kennett Square.
Critter sale at the Brandywine River Museum of Art
Featuring snowmen, angels, bunnies, and reindeer; golfers, tennis players, and surfers; drummers, violinists, and horn players along with other themes, the annual Critter Sale at the Brandywine River Museum of Art on December 5 and 6 has great gifts for everyone on your holiday list. Crafted by hand, Critters are distinctive, artistic, and environmentally friendly. The selection includes over 10,000 Critters, all made by Brandywine’s talented volunteers.
Critters come in all shapes and sizes, from individual ornaments to large tabletop decorations and wreaths. The woods, fields, and meadows near the museum’s Chadds Ford campus are a source of Critter “ingredients.” Pine cones, acorns, milkweed cases, egg shells, dried corn cobs, yarrow, statice and other dried flowers are a few of the dozens of materials used with a focus on shape, color, and texture. Each Critter is unique and has a distinct and charming character making them wonderful as decorations and perfect as gifts.
After the sale, Critters will be available in the museum shop through January 3. All proceeds from the sale of the Critters benefit the Museum Volunteers’ Art Purchase Fund, and Art Education Programming. Each year, more than 150 volunteers work from March to December to create the thousands of Critters available at the sale and decorating several trees in the museum’s atrium, including a 20-foot tree that soars up three floors.
Critters have been an important part of A Brandywine Christmas for more than 40 years. The annual exhibition features the spectacular O-gauge model train display with trains running on nearly 2,000 feet of track, a display of antique dolls dressed in beautiful period clothing, as well as the thousands of Critters on display. The exhibition runs from November 27 through January 3. The museum will stay open until 9 p.m. on Thursday evenings, December 3, 10 and 17, with musical performances and creative art activities for all ages. The café will be open until 7:30 p.m., serving a special dinner entrée. A variety of activities and programs will take place throughout the holiday season.
The annual critter sale is scheduled for December 5th and 6th from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day at the Brandywine River Museum of Art.
The Brandywine River Museum of Art features an outstanding collection of American art housed in a 19th-century mill building with a dramatic steel and glass addition overlooking the banks of the Brandywine. The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors ages 65 and over, $6 for students and children ages 6; free for children 5 and younger and Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art members. The museum is located on U.S. Route 1 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. For more information, call 610.388.2700 or visit us on the web.
Students and staff at TCHS Pennock’s Bridge Campus accept a $5,000 donation from FMFCU for Holiday Hope Chest. Left to right: Marissa Nadachowski, Hailey Maxwell, Leon Spencer, Michael Sheils, Noah Ramagano, Brian Hughes, Patty Knecht.
It was only the second week of November, but the spirit of the holidays was already palpable at the Technical College High School (TCHS) Pennock’s Bridge Campus. Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union (FMFCU) sparked the excitement when they presented $5,000 to representatives of the Holiday Hope Chest, an annual charity event orchestrated by students and staff from Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) schools and programs.
The Holiday Hope Chest event provides a free day of shopping to Chester County residents in need. Families are referred by community organizations and given a voucher to shop at the “store,” which offers new and gently used items such as toys, books, accessories, electronics and clothing.
Students in the Allied Health program at TCHS raise thousands of dollars for the event every year, but this year they are on track to raise more than ever, thanks to the generous donation from FMFCU.
Michael Sheils, branch manager of the credit union’s Kennett Square location, presented the check. About the donation he said, “A big part of what the credit union does is support the communities that we’re in. We’re a very local financial institution. As a not-for-profit financial institution, the money that we make after we cover our overhead goes back into the membership and our partner organizations in some way, shape or form, and this is one of the ways that we’re able to contribute.”
Sheils is grateful to Leon Spencer, the school-to-careers specialist at TCHS Pennock’s Bridge Campus, for alerting FMFCU to the need and giving them an opportunity to participate. “We’re just happy to be a part of the event,” he says.
The students of the Allied Health program are also glad for the chance to help out. Seniors Noah Ramagano and Hailey Maxwell explained that their instructor, Danielle Sheffield, arranges many opportunities for students to get involved in the community, but it’s up to them to decide if they’ll participate.
Senior Marissa Nadachowski calls the opportunity to help local residents in need “amazing.” She says, “We’re going to give them a great holiday, which everyone deserves.”
The Holiday Hope Chest event was founded by the former director of the CCIU’s Practical Nursing Program, Patty Knecht, and her husband Duane several years ago. Since that time, it has grown from a small grassroots movement to a beloved community program with two store locations and many collection sites across the county. Last year a total of 336 families were helped by the Holiday Hope Chest. Several different CCIU programs now participate in the facilitation of the event, and every year the number of community partners grows.
If you are interested in partnering with Holiday Hope Chest this season, please contact Patty Knecht for the TCHS Brandywine store location at pattyknechthhc@gmail.com or principal Brian Hughes for the TCHS Pennock’s Bridge site at brianh@cciu.org.
About the CCIU:The Chester County Intermediate Unit is an educational service agency that exists to provide quality, cost-effective services to the community and its residents. The Chester County Intermediate Unit administers instructional, enrichment and administrative programs and services to Chester County’s 12 public school districts and to over 45 private and parochial schools in the county. These programs include instructional, remedial and enrichment services for regular and special education students. Other IU services support teachers, school administrators and school directors. The diversity of CCIU programs enables IU staff to interact with school district personnel at all levels and to maintain a cohesive educational network throughout Chester County.
Perelman Building located on the corner of Pennsylvania and Fairmount Avenues
Bruce Mau doesn’t want to live in a world where the racial and economic boundaries determine a person’s future. What is the number one predictor of SAT scores for students? Zip code, he said. Mau set out to change the prospects for members of the human race.
“Don’t watch the news” he told a group previewing his exhibit that opens Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He explained that one might get discouraged listening to reports of wars and violence, but that the human race has never had a better chance of improving its entire lot. There are more educated and affluent people than in the history of the world, and what is needed are the tools to support aspirations.
Over many years of design, Mau put together rules used to create systemic change. One exhibit wall lists each rule, but as Mau said, you have to apply the rule to understand it. “Don’t be cool” is one of those 43 rules. His Rule 15, “Ask stupid questions,” put the audience at ease.
Applying the rule is what Mau brought to Arizona State University. Yes, you can learn mathematics, physics, and astronomy. If you really want to teach and learn, purposeful learning motivates and creates a new learning milieu. So if a student enters saying that they want to travel in space, all of the details of math, physics and astronomy will be gobbled up in the mission.
Michael Crow became president of Arizona State University in 2002. He recognized that the current university model was upside down. Access needed to be increased. He brought in Mau to set it right. Now all employees of Starbucks can get credits toward an undergraduate degree at ASU.
The exhibit, “Work on What You Love,” shows 11 projects over Mau’s career. Although Mau didn’t want to have a retrospective, the display of 11 of his projects gives insight to a global thinker and doer. He worked with the countries of Guatemala and Panama to produce works that would help each country tell the story of who they are and visualize where they are going.
He describes his career: “Who is Bruce Mau? Have you seen Bruce Mau? Get me Bruce Mau. Get me someone like Bruce Mau. Who is Bruce Mau?”
Mau is fearlessly reinventing himself. His current project is unfolding at the exhibit itself. The Personal BlackBox “gives people ownership, security and control of their personal data.” Consumers’ preferences are being collected with every purchase, every mouse click. The PBB is a trust that collects and protects the data of its members.
The mechanism of collection will be used at the exhibit itself. Visitors will be able to see an analysis of what parts of the exhibit they paid the most attention to. When applied to the larger world, the individual will have access to his own information, not a third party who sells it. “Imagine seeing yourself in your personal digital mirror and managing your data to reflect yourself more accurately.”
Work on What You Love button designed by Bruce Mau.
The unifying concept of Mau’s work is that doing what you love will have a good end result. Throughout his career, he sought collaborators who would help him implement his dreams. Rule 23 “Stand on someone’s shoulders. You can travel farther carried on the accomplishment of those who came before you. And the view is so much better.”
Bruce Mau in front of the wall of books he designed.
Mau never finished college, but has educated himself with his projects. The first wall of the exhibit displays 200 of the books he designed. He put three copies of each book in his personal archive for his children. The first wall is his daughter’s collection. Collaboration with the authors was an education, one which led to a project with architect Frank Gerhy. Rule 1 “Allow events to change you.” The rule might be changed to “Allow an exhibit to change you.”
The exhibit is in the Perelman Building located across the street from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mau will be running workshops during the run of the exhibit Nov. 21, through to April 3, 2016. For details visit http://philamuseum.org/brucemau and click the “Workshops” tab.
Emily Myers has lived and worked in Chadds Ford for over thirty five years. She founded the parent company of Chadds Ford Live, Decision Design Research, Inc., in 1982. ChaddsFordLive.com represents the confluence of Myers' long time, deep involvement in technology and community.
Myers was a founding member of the Chadds Ford Business Association and currently serves on its board of directors. Her hobbies include bridge, golf, photography and Tai Chi.
She lives with her husband, Jim Lebedda, in Chadds Ford Township.
