Dr. Richard E. Orose, 67, of Avondale, died July 9, surrounded by his family at Christiana Hospital in Newark.
He was a Villanova University and Hahnemann School of Medicine graduate. Rich served at St. Agnes Hospital in South Philadelphia, as an attending physician and later in private practice for 23 years. Rich’s personal interests included traveling, cooking, and caring for his family.
Rich provided careful attention, a positive outlook, and healing capability to every patient, through hospital rounds, house calls, or middle-of-the-night calls. Rich also served as scoutmaster of Cub Scout Pack 500, scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 464, Havertown and a medical officer and consultant for Resica Falls Boy Scout Reservation.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Patricia (Prosperi); his sons and daughters-in-law Richard and Kelly, Chris and Mariah, Jonathan and Aneta, and Jamie and Rachael; grandchildren Richard, Ceallaigh, Jonathan, Kora, Jackson, and Juliette; great grandchild Jakob; niece, Jenifer (Brian) Sullivan, and great nephews Jacob and Jason. Also surviving is extended family in Hungary.
He was preceded in death by his father, Imre; his mother, Elizabeth; in-laws David Jr. and Alma Prosperi; and brother-in-law, David Prosperi III.
You may visit with his family and friends from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Thursday, July 14, at the Assumption BVM Church, 300 State Road in West Grove. His funeral mass will follow at 11. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to one of the following charities: Indiana University – South Bend, School of Medicine, 1234 Notre Dame Ave., South Bend, IN 46617; Villanova Singers, 800 E. Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA 19085; Covenant House – New York, 460 W 41st St., New York, NY 10036; Covenant House – Philadelphia, 31 E. Armat St., Philadelphia, PA 19144.
Three hit movies that celebrate Chinese and South American cultures will draw connections to the multicultural exhibition “Made in the Americas: The New World Discovers Asia” at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.
‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ will open the film series at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.
Museum officials announced a new summer film series – “Motorcycle Diaries” (Diarios de motocicleta); “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (Wo hu cang long); and “Like Water for Chocolate” (Como agua para chocolate). The films will be shown on selected Wednesday evenings in July, a museum press release said.
Opening the series on Wednesday, July 13, is “Motorcycle Diaries.” a 2004 Argentine film directed by Walter Salles. It follows two friends going from Brazil to Peru by motorcycle, in 1952. Future revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevera (Gael Garcia Bernal) is on a break before his last semester of medical school; his friend is biochemist Alberto Granado (Rodrigo De la Serna). They encounter peasants, observe the exploitation of labor by industrialists, and eventually reach a leper colony. After witnessing these great disparities, Ernesto forgets his own comfort and sides with the sufferers.
The second film, on Wednesday, July 20, is “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” a 2000 Chinese film directed by Ang Lee. It’s set in 19th-century Qing Dynasty China. A martial arts warrior (Chow Yun-Fat) gives his sword to his lover (Michelle Yeoh) to deliver to safekeeping, but Green Destiny is stolen. Their search to find it involves distinctive battle scenes of Zen warriors floating through the air and introspection about pain, revenge, and duty.
The third film, on July 27, is “Like Water for Chocolate,” a 1992 Mexican film directed by Alfonso Arau. Tita (Lumi Cavazos) is forbidden to marry her true love, Pedro (Marco Leonardi), because as the youngest daughter, tradition dictates that she must care for her mother. Pedro weds her older sister, Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi), though he still loves Tita. The situation creates much tension and tests their love, and Tita’s emotions surface through her cooking.
The movies will be shown at 6 p.m. in Winterthur’s Copeland Lecture Hall, and the cost is $5 per member, $8 per nonmember. Reservations are suggested by calling 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883 (reservations are available only by phone). Admission also will be sold at the door.
Non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks may be purchased at the Winterthur food cart in the lobby. Outside food or beverages strictly prohibited. “Made in the Americas”is on view at Winterthur through Jan. 8. For more information, visit winterthur.org.
Dorothy Elizabeth Weeks, 96, of West Grove, died Saturday, July 2, at her residence. She was the wife of Alexander H. Weeks, Jr., who died in 1996 and with whom she shared 54 years of marriage.
Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Ola P. and Hanna Thackeray Benn.
Mrs. Weeks was a cafeteria worker at the Avon Grove Elementary School for 20 years, retiring in 1982.
She was an active member of the West Grove United Methodist Church, where she was also a member of the United Methodist Women’s Society and the Christian Friendship Class.
She was a member of the Kennett and the Oxford Senior centers.
Mrs. Weeks enjoyed crafts, sewing, bowling, playing Bingo, going out to dinner and going to the beach on vacation.
She is survived by one son, Alexander H. Weeks, III of West Grove; three grandchildren, Barbara Ann Lindenlauf, Stacy Lynn Estle and Alexander H. Weeks, IV; five great grandchildren and one great- great grandson.
You may visit with her family and friends from 10 to 11 a.m. on Friday, July 29, at the West Grove United Methodist Church, 300 N. Guernsey Road, West Grove, Pa 19390. Her memorial service will follow at 11. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to the West Grove United Methodist Church, 300 N. Guernsey Road, West Grove, PA 19390
Steve Walton, 55, of Kennett Square, died Thursday, July 7, atPenn Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia.
Born in West Chester, he was the son of Eddie and Jackie Warrick Walton.
He was a superintendent at Norwood Industries in Malvern, retiring after over 25 years of service.
Steve was a past president and coach at the Avon Grove Little League. He maintained the Little League fields and also the Avon Grove Athletic Fields.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, spending time at his cabin in the mountains, sports, especially little league, youth and high school sports, but most of all, he enjoyed being with his family and friends.
In addition to his mother and father, he is survived by one son, Zach Walton of West Grove; two daughters, Tara Walton Homer and her husband Kevin of West Norriton, and Tracey Walton of West Grove; three sisters, Sherri Walton Foster and her husband Phil of Chadds Ford, Suzanne Walton Testa and her husband Robert of Toughkenamon, and Kathleen Walton Laviani of Honeoye Falls, N.Y.; five nephews, Garrett Ockum, Michael Testa, Matt Foster, Dominic Testa and Louis Laviani; three nieces, Bennett Ockum, Kristina Testa and MacKenzie Foster, and his dog Jax.
You are invited to visit with his family and friends from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 12, at the Unionville Presbyterian Church, 815 Wollaston Road (Route 82 & Wollaston Road) in Unionville. His funeral service will follow at 11. Burial will be in the London Grove Friends Cemetery, Route 926 & Newark Road in London Grove.
In lieu of flowers a contribution may be made to the Avon Grove Area Little League, P.O. Box 70, West Grove, PA 19390 (In the memo line, put in memory of Steve Walton) or to the Walton family made out to Tara Homer, 333 Wendover Drive, West Norriton, PA 19403 to help defray medical and funeral expenses.
As the monster known as social media spreads its tentacles, members of law enforcement want to educate the public about its sinister underbelly.
Facebook’s reported reach of 1.55 billions users in 2015 quadruples the entire U.S. population.
Like many drugs, technology can foster addiction and abuse, according to James A. Dill, who spent 30 years in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Dill, the speaker at a recent daylong Chester County law-enforcement seminar, cited dozens of examples from national headlines to prove his point.
A 26-year-old Illinois resident dubbed the “Twitter Pimp” was arrested in 2012 for using social media to recruit children for sex trafficking.
In 2014, a California woman was charged after using spyware products that enabled her to eavesdrop on another person’s conversations.
A University of Kansas student was held hostage this year and beaten for six days by a man she met on Tinder, a dating app.
A Canadian teen committed suicide in 2012 after being blackmailed into exposing herself on a webcam.
A woman in Ohio was arrested in 2016 after she used the live-streaming app Periscope to broadcast a rape her friend was committing, telling police she got caught up in all the “likes” she was receiving.
Internet growth continues to explode. Facebook reportedly logged 1.55 billions users in 2015. “That’s four times the population of this country,” Dill noted.
Google, which also operates Google+, has increased its reach with YouTube.
As those figures continue to rise, the number of companies controlling massive amounts of data continue to shrink, Dill said, explaining that Facebook, Google and Twitter keep swallowing up ancillary services. Twitter bought Periscope, Google purchased YouTube, and Facebook now owns WhatsApp and Instagram, among others.
In the process, these giant corporations are collecting mind-boggling amounts of data from their users, Dill said.
“You’ll never see a teen getting an ad for Depends on Facebook,” Dill said, stressing the importance of being stingy with personal information and judicious in your acceptance of online “friends.”
Dill’s presentation, entitled “The Darker Side of Technology: Human Trafficking, Sexting and Sextortion and Swatting” occurred courtesy of the Chester County STOP Grant Project. Its sponsors included the Chester County Commissioners, the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County, and police associations.
Although the presentation was given to members of law enforcement, a group that included police officers, prosecutors, probation officers and deputy sheriffs, Dill said members of the public could benefit from knowing about the dangers lurking beneath the Internet’s positive uses.
For example, families need to make sure they are not issuing an invitation to crooks by posting vacation photos during their trips. “That’s a burglar’s dream come true,” said Dill. “Wait till you’re home to post them. Otherwise, you’re proclaiming: ‘This house is empty.’”
The ability to track locations is becoming easier, he said. With the Internet of Things (IOT), more inanimate objects, such as cars, fitness trackers, medical sensors and appliances, are connecting to the Internet. He said a colleague thought she was sharing her running routes with a friend through a fitness device only to learn that someone had masqueraded as the friend, who didn’t even own a fitness tracker.
The uses for Twitter can vary from helping people avoid a traffic jam to ensnaring them in a sex-trafficking ring.
Photos can also be problematic, he said. Many smartphones embed geo-data into the photos, which then get uploaded to sites such as Flickr or Picasa, where someone with nefarious motives could use the shot to find others taken by the same person, images that could eventually lead to a residence. To prevent this, Dill advises turning off “location services” on the phone’s camera and removing the exchangeable image file format (EXIF) information on the photo-sharing site.
Of the more than 130 million images containing child pornography that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children examined since 2002, one in four was initially posted by the minors themselves, Dill said.
He added that young people’s sexting, derived by combining sex and texting, continues to skyrocket, fueled by peer pressure and failure to recognize the long-term consequences. A 2013 poll of 500 children found that 60 percent had been asked to send a sexual image and 38 percent complied, Dill said.
Parents need to educate themselves and their children, who can also be victimized by sextortion, which occurs when they are blackmailed into performing sex acts online. Human trafficking often gets its start with sextortion. In 78 cases reviewed by the Brookings Institute, investigators found 1,397 victims, Dill said, adding that prosecutors estimate the total number of victims may be as high as 6,500.
Dill said some teens, who have grown up with technology, have myriad ways to fool parents, such as using dual social network profiles, clearing browser history, and using a proxy server. Parents should familiarize themselves with some of the acronyms that teens use, such as GNOC (get naked on camera), PIR (parent in room) and KPC (keeps parents clueless.)
Stressing that social media is not a fad, but rather a fundamental shift in the way people communicate, Dill said it’s important for people to proceed with caution when sharing information and to know what’s out there. He referenced dozens of sites that specialize in everything from connecting sex partners to fostering anonymous global chats to encouraging cyberbullying.
Dill acknowledged that Facebook and other social media sites offer a fantastic tool for staying in touch with friends and family, as long as they are used intelligently. He said the fastest-growing demographic on Twitter is the 55- to 64-year-old age bracket while Facebook and Google+ show the highest growth among 45- to 54-year-olds, generations that are struggling to keep up with their children and grandchildren.
“Use social media with your eyes open,” he said, adding that he’s learned to fear Facebook more than the National Security Administration.
Like most of the people who participated in the seminar, Chester County Deputy Sheriff Janis Pickell said she learned some things she didn’t already know. She said she appreciated Dill’s emphasis on knowing what’s out there so that you can be informed and proactive.
“You can never have too much education,” Pickell said. “It’s particularly important for parents to know how to protect their children.”
