To borrow from an old tune, it was “Hot fun in the summertime” for the 51st Chadds Ford Days on Saturday. People turned out despite the heat and humidity and were none the worse for wear. Re-enactors fired cannon and musket, sheep bleated, contemporary crafters sold their wares, dancers danced and kids played. Chadds Ford Days continues Sunday, Sept. 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Chadds Ford Days turns 51 Read More »
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has placed Chester and Delaware counties, under a drought, according to the Chester County Water Resources Authority.
The DEP issued a drought watch declaration this week for four Pennsylvania counties – Chester, Cumberland, Delaware and Philadelphia – due to low stream flows, declining groundwater levels, and lack of precipitation. This week’s declaration brings the number of Pennsylvania 67 counties under drought watch to 38, a Chester County press release said.
Under a drought watch, citizens are asked to voluntarily reduce non-essential water use by five percent. No mandatory water use restrictions are in place. The DEP recommends the following ways to reduce water use:
Information on drought watch and data on Chester County water levels can be found at www.chesco.org/water.
Drought watch for Chester, Delaware counties Read More »
From a climate change scientist to a chamber orchestra, Penn State Great Valley’s free, fall community event schedule has something for everyone.
Kicking off the program is a presentation by Dr. Michael Mann, one of the key warriors in the battle over the causes of climate change. A professor of meteorology and director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, Mann is best known for helping to develop the famous “hockey stick” graph, which reconstructed 1,000 years of global temperature data and showed the abrupt warming during the late 20th century, according to a university press release.
Mann will speak about his new book, “The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial is Threatening our Planet, Destroying our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy,” on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.
On Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m., author Bruce Grierson will reveal the top secrets on optimal aging and the limits of human potential when he discusses his bestseller, “What Makes Olga Run?: The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Happier Lives.”
Finally, guests will transition from spectators to participants as they interact with the Philadelphia-based Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Led by award-winning Artistic Director Jeri Johnson, the Black Pearl Orchestra will captivate audience members with the power and excitement of classical music and encourage their participation in creating music.
Since Penn State Great Valley developed an arts and culture program seven years ago, the campus has hosted a dazzling array of speakers, authors, documentary screenings, and art exhibits – all free of charge and open to the public.
“Service to the community is a vital part of Penn State’s mission as a land grant university,” Suzanne Cruit, director of community relations at Penn State Great Valley, said in the release. “We provide a variety of events and exhibits to raise the intellectual discourse in our area and encourage people see the world in a different way.”
All events will be held in the Warren V. Musser Auditorium on the Penn State Great Valley campus in Malvern. While admission is free, tickets are required. More information can be found at greatvalley.psu.edu/events.
Penn State schedules free programs Read More »
Operating on the premise that area residents are vitally linked to emergency responders, the Central Delco and Glen Mills-Thornbury Rotary clubs are sponsoring “Six Degrees of Delaware County – Honoring First Responders.”
The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, from 7 to 11 p.m. at Team Toyota of Glen Mills, 1050 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, 19342. It will offer a one-of-a-kind celebration of the heritage and community of Delaware County and will honor its first responders, according to a Rotary press release.
Proceeds from the event will support the Delaware County Heroes Scholarship Fund, the Delaware County Fallen Fire Fighter and EMS Memorial, and first responders’ training and education as it applies to people with disabilities and mental health issues, the release said.
Attendees will enjoy a fun-filled atmosphere, including live music by the Whitewalls Band, dancing, raffles, food stations, winery and brewery tastings, a Delco history display and more, all while reuniting with generations of Delco residents and making new connections.
For tickets, which cost $35 per person, click here visit www.eventbrite.com/e/six-degrees-of-delco-supporting-first-responders-tickets-24364855940. For more info & sponsorship opportunities, go to www.sixdegreesofdelco.org or contact Dan Foltz at 610-952-2922, or sixdegreesofdelco@gmail.com.
Experience ‘Six Degrees of Delaware County’ Read More »
On Labor Day, I drove back to Chadds Ford from Boston. So what’s so meaningful about that, you may wonder. After all, millions of people every day travel up and down the northeast corridor in planes, trains and automobiles – movie title or not.
But that is just the point. None of us would be able to do these jaunts if it weren’t for all the unsung souls who make it possible. We see the state police and are thankful for them when we break down; yet get an adrenaline rush of fear when we see ones lurking on the side clocking our speed as we pass. We probably recognize the construction people too again with some ambivalence – yes, repair these roads – but “not while I’m on it.” However, when do we consider the guy pumping gas on the New Jersey Turnpike or the woman scrubbing the toilets in those restrooms we take for granted until we need one? Or how about the Starbucks team steaming coffee nonstop and the fast food handlers who face long lines for hours on end? We take for granted so many people who serve us.
When I was a short order cook at a custard stand while in college, I knew my work had an end point. It was not easy. The people could be rude, the lines were long and I dreamt of twirling custard cones and frying hamburgers. It was hot, but I didn’t have to clean the bathrooms. So when I see all the service people we count on, I wonder what are their lives like, and what are their dreams? I try not to be one of the rude customers that I have encountered.
Yet, beyond having compassion for the people who help us, we also need to realize there is no way we can really get along without them. In other words, there really is no rugged individualism — we rely on others all the time. We at least see the lady cleaning the bathroom even if we don’t really take note of her, or the barista. Let’s take the analogy further – to the clothes we wear and the food we eat – to the laborers in the fields bent picking strawberries or lettuce or whatever; to the sewers and spinners of the fabric that covers us. So yes, these were my reflections on labor as I drove home on Labor Day.
** The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of Chadds Ford Live. We welcome opposing viewpoints. Readers may comment in the comments section or they may submit a Letter to the Editor to: editor@chaddsfordlive.com
Dr. Kathleen Curzie Gajdos ("Kayta") is a licensed psychologist (Pennsylvania and Delaware) who has worked with individuals, couples, and families with a spectrum of problems. She has experience and training in the fields of alcohol and drug addictions, hypnosis, family therapy, Jungian theory, Gestalt therapy, EMDR, and bereavement. Dr. Gajdos developed a private practice in the Pittsburgh area, and was affiliated with the Family Therapy Institute of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, having written numerous articles for the Family Therapy Newsletter there. She has published in the American Psychological Association Bulletin, the Family Psychologist, and in the Swedenborgian publications, Chrysalis and The Messenger. Dr. Gajdos has taught at the college level, most recently for West Chester University and Wilmington College, and has served as field faculty for Vermont College of Norwich University the Union Institute's Center for Distance Learning, Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also served as consulting psychologist to the Irene Stacy Community MH/MR Center in Western Pennsylvania where she supervised psychologists in training. Currently active in disaster relief, Dr. Gajdos serves with the American Red Cross and participated in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts as a member of teams from the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Now living in Chadds Ford, in the Brandywine Valley of eastern Pennsylvania, Dr. Gajdos combines her private practice working with individuals, couples and families, with leading workshops on such topics as grief and healing, the impact of multigenerational grief and trauma shame, the shadow and self, Women Who Run with the Wolves, motherless daughters, and mediation and relaxation. Each year at Temenos Retreat Center in West Chester, PA she leads a griefs of birthing ritual for those who have suffered losses of procreation (abortions, miscarriages, infertility, etc.); she also holds yearly A Day of Re-Collection at Temenos.Dr. Gajdos holds Master's degrees in both philosophy and clinical psychology and received her Ph.D. in counseling at the University of Pittsburgh. Among her professional affiliations, she includes having been a founding member and board member of the C.G. Jung Educational Center of Pittsburgh, as well as being listed in Who's Who of American Women. Currently, she is a member of the American Psychological Association, The Pennsylvania Psychological Association, the Delaware Psychological Association, the American Family Therapy Academy, The Association for Death Education and Counseling, and the Delaware County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board. Woven into her professional career are Dr. Gajdos' pursuits of dancing, singing, and writing poetry.
Mind Matters: Labor on Labor Day Read More »
