June 26, 2016 - ChaddsFordLive.com

CFHS brewing up a revolutionary program

The Chadds Ford Historical Society is inviting area residents to create their own revolution – starting with a teacup.

On Thursday, July 14, the CCHS will continue its popular “Tavern Talks” series from 7 to 9 p.m.

On Thursday, July 14, “LiberTEA! EqualiTEA!” will treat participants to insight into the role tea played leading up to the Revolutionary War, educate them about how women used tea parties as a form of protest, enable them to create “Stamp Act” taxes and help debunk some 18^th-century tea myths. In the process, guests will taste some Colonial era “anti-tea” drinks and rub elbows with General George Washington (portrayed by Carl Closs), Alexander Hamilton (portrayed by Gene Pisasale) and African American Revolutionary War soldier Ned Hector (portrayed by Noah Lewis).

Regrettably, organizers said they couldn’t get the performers of “Hamilton,” the blockbuster Broadway musical, to stop by, but will offer the next best thing: “Franklin the Musical!”

A monthly, interactive presentation exclusively for adults 21 and older, Tavern Talks focuses on unexplored aspects of early American history and culture. Guests will experience history with hands-on activities, food and drink tastings, demonstrations, and more.

Tavern Talks takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Chadds Ford Historical Society’s Barns Brinton House, a restored 1714 tavern located next to the Chaddsford Winery at 630 Baltimore Pike. Admission is $15 for non-members and $10 for members. Tickets must be purchased in advance over the phone, in person or online as space is limited.

Upcoming Tavern Talks scheduled for 2016 are “Creating the Perfect (Colonial) Selfie” on Sept. 15; “Very Superstitious: Fears, False Notions and Fables” on Oct. 13; and “All Things Apple” on Nov. 10.

For more information on the CFHS or to purchase tickets, call 610-388-7376, email info@chaddsfordhistory.org or visit www.chaddsfordhistory.org.

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Valley Forge chapel seeking repair funds

Local News

The Washington Memorial Chapel – built as a tribute to General George Washington and the Continental soldiers who survived the brutal winter encampment at Valley Forge in 1778-1779 – is now fighting its own battle.

Funds needed to restore Washington Memorial Chapel are estimated at $4.5 million.

The chapel in Valley Forge Park, a place of worship and an iconic tribute to America’s patriots, is in need of immediate restoration and preservation, according to a press release from the Washington Memorial Heritage, an independent nonprofit that oversees the chapel.

Leaders of the Washington Memorial Chapel have launched a campaign to raise funds to restore the Gothic Revival building to its original glory. After an assessment in 2015, it was determined that the cost of repairs would total nearly $4.5 million. Under the leadership of Jason Griggs, the campaign chair, $500,000 was raised in an initial quiet phase among close friends of the chapel and the Washington Memorial Heritage.

The public phase, kicked off during an event earlier this month, will expand the campaign’s efforts to a wider circle.

“The Washington Memorial Chapel is a special place,” said Griggs in the release. “What most people don’t know is that the chapel is not a part of the Valley Forge National Park, despite being surrounded by it, and therefore does not receive any financial assistance for preservation. Losing this treasure would be like closing the Smithsonian and the Washington Monument simultaneously.”

Once an initial $1 million is secured to address the emergency repairs of the chapel, the campaign will transition to a wider campaign that will continue to raise funds for its preservation. This longer-term strategy will include approaching foundations that have a passion for preserving historic buildings, especially ones that are related to U.S. history and its founding leaders, the release said.

“The campaign will grow to encompass local, national, and international supporters, taking into account the close ties between the United States and France during the American Revolution and the chapel’s continuing memory of France’s support,” Griggs said in the release.

The inspiration for the Washington Memorial Chapel came from a sermon preached by the founder and first rector, the Rev. Dr. W. Herbert Burk, of Norristown. In June 1903, the cornerstone was laid on private property donated by the I. Heston Todd family. A small frame building preceded the present structure, which became known as the Theodore Roosevelt Chapel, in honor of President Roosevelt, who visited the site in 1904. The chapel was completed in 1917. It is the home of an active parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.

For more information about the Washington Memorial Chapel, visit http://wmchapel.org/heritage/ and http://www.savewashingtonmemorial.org/ to learn about the campaign.

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Killion liking the senate

Along the Ford

_1JF8135-w-woman — Killion liking the senate

The past two months have been good ones, according to Tom Killion. Killion is the former state representative who became a state senator in a special election in April.

“I’m enjoying it thoroughly. The Senate is much smaller; it’s a quarter of the size. You can get a lot more done,” Killion said in a brief interview Saturday during an open house meet-and-greet in his Concord Township office. Several dozen constituents showed up throughout the morning.

Killion said he’s already moved several bills out of committee, one of which, he said was one of his bills when he was in the House.

“I got to vote on it twice,” he said.

That bill involves the testing of perfusionists — operators of heart-lung machines during cardiac surgery. Killion said under state law, the operators must be tested and, if they fail, they can’t work. Killion said his bill allows them to be tested a second time before they’re removed.

State Sen. Tom Killion, left, with John Vernon of Aston. Vernon was showing the old hard hat he wore while an employee of Sun Ship. The hat bears the autographs of numerous politicians, including those of former Presidents Regan, Bush and Clinton.

Killion, a Republican, defeated Democrat Marty Molloy on April 26 for the 9^th Senatorial District seat previously held by Dominic F. Pileggi, who became a Delaware County Common Pleas Court judge in the November 2015 election.

He will face Molloy again in November, when the four-year term Pileggi won in 2012 expires.

Killion said his issues in the race would be the same as the ones in April. One is public safety, with a focus on heroin use in the state. He said he wants to see an emphasis on treatment for drug addiction, including a prescription drug-monitoring program.

He said student athletes become easily addicted to OxyContin when it’s prescribed for sports injuries.

“The doctors are telling us you can become addicted to OxyContin in 10 days, but some of these kids with football injuries are walking out with a 30-day supply,” Killion said.

Another issue, he said, would be gun control, though he doesn’t know how major an issue it will be when the campaigns heat up.

In a debate with Molloy before the April special election, Killion said that he’s glad he doesn’t get a grade higher than a D from the NRA, but he said Saturday he still backs the Second Amendment.

“The difference between me and my opponent is, though we’re on similar pages, is that I’m pro-Second Amendment. I think a person should be able to own a gun. Beyond that, there should be some reasonable, reasonable, controls,” he said. “My opponent is for taking away guns.”

Among those controls, he said, are a limit of only being able to buy one gun per month and requirements to report a stolen or lost handgun. Killion said he also wants to look at magazine capacity and the accessibility of “assault rifles.”

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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