The Kennett Library will introduce its new brand design to the public on Monday, Sept. 19, Tom Swett, the library board president, announced in a press release on Monday, Sept. 12.
The Kennett Library, which still bears Bayard Taylor’s name, will host an open house on Monday, Sept. 19, to debut a new brand design.
An open house will be held from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the library, which is located at 216 E. State Street in downtown Kennett Square. Refreshments will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. by the newly-formed Friends of Kennett Library, the release said.
“Our new look,” Swett said in the release, “is important for so many reasons. The future of Kennett Library has enormous promise. While we are an institution with a great history, the digital age is changing the way all of us read, gather information and learn – especially young people. Our new logo clearly depicts this transition.
“We are also very much in need of a new library building,” Swett continued,” and our new look will help us attract the attention, involvement, and support to help us plan and build a new library center that our entire community can enjoy and be proud of for generations.
“Most people don’t know that the Kennett Library is one of the most visited places in all of Kennett – attracting well over 100,000 people a year to the downtown area. A new facility – a larger, first-class library center – could increase that number dramatically. Our new brand will help us to be seen as a stronger and more valuable part of the entire community we serve.”
Beginning at Monday’s open house, visitors will be able to see new library signage on windows and doors, new lobby displays featuring Bayard Taylor, a well-known local literary figure from the 19th century, and several ways that the new name and brand will be used to promote the library to current and new users, the release said.
Visitors will also notice that the former name, Bayard Taylor Memorial Library, remains on the building. When the new library is underway, the library’s board hopes to name the new site after Taylor.
The Mushroom Festival has released the names of winners from the various competitions held during its 31st annual event this past weekend.
In the Amateur Mushroom Cook-off, Sunnyside of ‘Shrooms by Sherry Kozlowski of Morgantown, W.Va., took first place. Three Ways Mushroom Breakfast Tostada Crisp with Citrus Chipotle Sauce, created by Areli Biggers of Hopkinton, Mass., earned second, and Mushroom Biscuit Egg Sandwich with Mushroom Ragu by Christine Familetti of Broomall came in third.
Contestants faced 96-degree temperatures during the Amateur Fried Mushroom Eating Contest, but still met the challenge. First place went to Dave “Termite” Wood, who devoured four pounds of Buona’s breaded fried mushrooms. The Local Champion (and second-place overall finisher) was John “Tank” McDowell with 3.5 pounds. Dave “US Male” Goldstein was the third-place eater with 3.25 pounds, and Tyler “Fungi-Ty” Smith was the runner-up Local Champion with 1.5 pounds consumed.
At the Soup and Wine Event, The Restaurant at the Desmond won in the soup category, and Galer Vineyard & Winery earned best wine. In Mushroom Judging, Giorgio Mushrooms won for its Agarigus Till.
Among the Painted Mushrooms, the artist winning the “People’s Choice Award” was Raven Porter for her Kennett Square-inspired mushroom, “Home is Where the Mushroom is,” sponsored by The Center for Orthodontic Excellence. She also received the highest bid in the Painted Mushroom Silent Auction. The second highest bid was, “La Mancha” by Jennifer Lex Wojnar and sponsored by Terri Lynn’s Critters Pet Sitting Service. “Reverence for Life” by Caitlin Daugherty, sponsored by Kennett Design, earned the third highest bid.
At the Mushroom Run and Fun Gus Walk, Angel Rodriguez took the overall male win, finishing the 5K race in 16:25. The overall female 5K winner was Bridget McCarron in 21:40.
The results of the Cute-As-A-Button (Mushroom) Baby Photo Contest are still being tallied. Organizers suggest checking the festival website – mushroomfestival.org – in a week.
Mushrooms in all shapes, tastes and sizes dominate Kennett Square's signature festival.
For the 31st year in a row, ‘shrooms ruled in Kennett Square as thousands flocked to the “The Mushroom Capital of the World” for its signature event.
La Michoacana Homemade Ice Cream Shop attracts customers with some unusual flavors, including a mushroom ice cream bar.
Under sunny skies, the Mushroom Festival, which kicked off with an evening parade on Friday, Sept. 9, boasted a diverse array of mushroom specialties, ranging from standard culinary fare such as breaded mushrooms to more offbeat offerings like mushroom ice cream bars. In addition, visitors could purchase clothing mementos that ran the gamut from mushroom t-shirts to socks and jewelry.
They also got an education in all things mushroom. Brent Stinson, a third-generation member of John R. Stinson Sons Inc., a mushroom business in Avondale, was one of many industry representatives displaying different mushroom varieties and fielding questions.
He said the most common inquiry involved smell, with many visitors wondering how workers could tolerate it inside the confined quarters of the growing houses. He explains that the smell comes from the composting, not the mushroom-growing itself. “There’s no smell in the buildings,” he said.
Two-year-old Luca Motoc of Wilmington enjoys the coloring opportunities the Mushroom Festival provided.
Kathi Lafferty, the festival coordinator, credited the festival’s success with the hundreds of volunteers, many of whom went above and beyond. For example, the night before the festival began, she said she tried to order extra fans for the culinary tent and the mushroom industry tent, recognizing that the mushrooms would not hold up well in the intense heat that was forecast.
Lafferty said the tent company had exhausted its supply of fans because of a high number of weddings. So members of the mushroom community opted for Plan B, she said, somehow producing generators at the 11th hour to air-condition both tents. “I’m just blown away by what they were able to accomplish,” she said.
She said she wouldn’t hazard a guess about the attendance total. She said that although she heard the figure 100,000, she couldn’t verify that, explaining that because the wristbands are good for two days, it’s impossible to know many visitors returned the second day.
“I know it was a huge crowd, especially on Sunday,” she said, adding that she expected the proceeds to exceed last year’s. “I think most people were happy with the event. It was definitely a success as far as I’m concerned.”
Brent Stinson, a third generation mushroom grower, fields questions in the industry tent.
Although it took Joe and Betsy Walsh of West Chester 31 years to make it to the festival, they will be back. “I think it’s great,” said Joe Walsh, acknowledging that he was most excited about the food while his wife preferred the shopping.
Rachel and Mario Motoc of Wilmington have been attending for several years, and this year their 2-year-old son Luca was particularly enchanted by the many children’s diversions. “We both love mushrooms,” Rachel Motoc said. “And we love the fact that the festival is so family-oriented with activities for all ages.”
As he surveyed the crowd, Tom Sausen, a board member of Historic Kennett Square and chairman of its Economic Development Task Force, said he was enjoying the day. “It’s another great event for Kennett Square,” he said.
Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick agreed. Despite the crowds, he said the police reported no arrests and no problems.
Kennett Square Police Lt. William T. Holdsworth said a few EMS calls occurred inside the festival for items such as a twisted ankle or heat-dehydration. “It ended up being a long but very good weekend,” he said.
Chris Kratz (left) and Lexi Reilly were among the Kennett High student volunteers manning the entrance to the Mushroom Festival.
Regrettably, not all participants got their full entertainment quotient. At the entrance booth, Kennett High students Lexi Reilly, a 12th-grader, and Chris Kratz, who’s in 11th grade, were busy collecting the $3 admission fee and handing out wristbands, part of a huge contingent that makes the festival possible.
The Mushroom Festival is an all-volunteer organization whose proceeds are distributed to a wide variety of charities and organizations benefiting the residents of Kennett Square and the surrounding communities. From the 2015 festival, $85,000 was given back to the community in the form of Mushroom Festival grants to 47 local nonprofits. In total, the festival has given more than $805,000 back to the community since 2000, according to its website.
Both Reilly and Kratz are members of the cross-country team, and they participated on Sunday morning in the Mushroom Run and Fun Gus Walk along the Red Clay Creek. Asked whether they would be able to walk around and enjoy the festivities after their volunteer shift ended at 1:30 p.m., they both shook their heads. “I have homework,” Reilly said. “So do I,” Kratz added.
Note to teachers: Maybe next year’s festival, which annually aims to educate consumers about the health benefits of mushrooms as well as to promote tourism in Southern Chester County, could offer students a lesson on public service – in lieu of homework.
The festival dates back to 1986, when a small group of enthusiasts decided to spotlight the fact that Southern Chester County boasts the largest concentration of mushroom-growing operations in the country. Together, they produce about 65 percent of the mushrooms consumed in the U.S., according to the festival’s website.
Since then, the festival has mushroomed from a two-block-long, single-day event to a weekend extravaganza that stretches more than a mile with culinary events, growing exhibits, contests, children’s entertainment, musical performers, and more.
The Brandywine Conservancy has been awarded a grant of nearly $500,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The Brandywine Conservancy has received a nearly $500,000 grant to improve regional water quality.
The funds will be used to protect and restore water quality in a 15.5-square-mile area of farmland in the headwaters of the Brandywine Creek’s west branch to benefit local residents and downstream communities. The conservancy will collaborate on the project with the Stroud Water Research Center and Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, working together with farmers in Salisbury Township in Lancaster County and Honey Brook Township in Chester County, a conservancy press release said.
The Brandywine and its tributaries are a major source of drinking water for more than a half million people, including the communities of Downingtown, Coatesville, and West Chester in Pennsylvania, as well as the city of Wilmington. The Brandywine also provides water for commercial, agricultural, and industrial uses.
Using the grant funds, the partners will work with farmers in this predominantly Plain Sect community to provide technical assistance and promote and implement agricultural best management practices (BMPs) that increase profitability while protecting and restoring the water quality of the Brandywine at its source, the release said.
These BMPs may include stream bank fencing to keep livestock out of streams, managing barnyard run-off, assisting with manure management, installing stabilized stream crossings, and planting trees along the stream corridors, all to help keep sediments and pollutants out of the streams.
The project aims to restore dozens of streams in the Brandywine headwaters area currently listed as “impaired” by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Restoring these headwater streams to “unimpaired status” will have a significant positive impact on downstream users and result in measurable water quality improvements over time, the release said.
The Brandywine Conservancy protects water, preserves land, and engages communities, using a multi-faceted approach to conservation. The conservancy works with private landowners who wish to see their lands protected forever, and provides innovative community planning services to municipalities and other governmental agencies.
The conservancy currently holds 471 conservation and agricultural easements and has facilitated the permanent preservation of more than 62,000 acres of land. For more information, visit brandywine.org.
Mary Almonte, wife of the Rev. Marcos Almonte, and her three children ring the Remembrance Bell 15 times.
Chadds Ford remembered the fallen during a Sept. 11 ceremony at the Brandywine Battlefield Park Sunday.
The brief half-hour ceremony featured the ringing of the Remembrance Bell, as swell as comments from state Rep. Stephen Barrar, R-160, the Rev. Marcos Almonte — pastor at Brandywine Baptists Church — and Carl Closs, as Gen. George Washington reading Washington’s letter to the Continental Congress following the 1777 defeat at the Battle of Brandywine.
Almonte gave a remembrance prayer in honor of those who fell at Brandywine as swell as those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
A color guard offered a musket salute to the fallen.
Barrar praised former President George W. Bush for his reaction following the 2001 attacks for vowing to fight to preserve freedom. Barrar referred to the attacks in New York, at the Pentagon and the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania as “a day our nation saw evil at its worse,” adding “We will prevail over the evil that exists.”
Almonte’s wife, Mary Almonte, and his three children rang the Remembrance Bell brought to the ceremony courtesy of Brother David Schatter, a Franciscan monk from Delaware.
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.
Kennett Township has become the 25th area municipality to join the Brandywine Creek Greenway Partnership, and area residents are invited to celebrate and learn about the project.
An open house will be held at the Kennett Township building on Wednesday, Oct. 5, to discuss the Brandywine Creek Greenway Partnership.
On Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., Kennett Township will host a public open house at the township building. Brandywine Conservancy staff will provide a brief presentation to introduce the Brandywine Creek Greenway regional planning initiative. Maps will be on display around the room for review, and representatives from the community will be available to answer questions, a township press release said.
The open house is intended to encourage residents, business owners, and others to learn more about local and regional greenways and to share their local knowledge. In 2010, the Brandywine Conservancy received a generous grant from the William Penn Foundation to initiate planning of the Brandywine Creek Greenway.
A Concept Plan was completed in 2012, and a more detailed Strategic Action Plan was completed in 2014. Since 2014, the Brandywine Conservancy has been actively partnering with 24 municipalities in Chester and Delaware counties to implement projects identified in the Strategic Action Plan, the release said.
The Brandywine Creek Greenway is envisioned as a 30-mile long conservation corridor of varying widths along the main stem and upper east branch of the Brandywine Creek from Chadds Ford Township in western Delaware County to Honey Brook Township in northern Chester County. It includes an interconnected system of open space, parks, natural areas, creek access points, riparian buffers and pathways that link the Brandywine Creek with local communities.
The greenway partnership is dedicated to conserving natural resources, helping people connect to the Brandywine Creek, and building healthy sustainable communities.
This initiative will build upon Kennett Township’s comprehensive plan, open space, recreation and environmental resources plan, and other relevant municipal planning documents. A Project Portfolio for Kennett Township will be created and used to prioritize and promote land conservation and trail planning efforts, the release said.
It’s back-to-school season, and parents are planning for how to help their children have success this coming year. The fuel your child needs to keep running at peak efficiency is vitally important to their classroom success – in other words, they need to eat healthy food. A good school lunch should include a lean source of protein, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Here are two weeks’ worth of healthy and easy-to-assemble lunch ideas you can put together to make sure your kids get their proper nourishment during the school day.
Monday: Tuna and Lettuce on Whole Wheat Bread
Make sure this lunchtime staple is as healthy as possible by adding a light amount of mayo along with chopped up celery, and some lettuce. Put a handful of baby carrots on the side with a low fat dressing.
Tuesday: Peanut Butter and Jelly
This classic lunchtime sandwich has stood the test of time, and for good reason. PB&J is a great energy meal. The peanut butter combined with whole wheat bread forms a complete protein. Opt for additive- and preservative-free jelly or jam options. Go easy on the jelly – it’s filled with sugar. Add one whole banana on the side.
Wednesday: Yogurt with Fresh Fruit
Plain yogurt provides a complete source of protein by itself, and you can also add some raisins, strawberries, blueberries, almonds, walnuts or other healthy toppings. It’s always better to add your own fresh toppings rather than buy the variety that has fruit on the bottom, which is a tiny, goopy sugar bomb. Add a small side of whole grain cereal, or whole grain-based trail mix, for a healthy side dish.
Thursday: Egg Salad
Chop up a few hard boiled eggs with celery and add lettuce, then spread it on a whole grain roll. Assemble a small side salad of cucumber, tomato and onion.
Friday: Veggie Sushi
This is a fun Friday treat! It just requires a little effort. Brush sesame oil and salt on a toasted nori sheet, and then press cold sushi rice on top in a thin layer. Roll in avocado slices, shredded carrots and cucumber sticks, then slice into sushi rolls. You can add some low sodium soy sauce.
Monday: Whole Wheat Pasta Salad
Whole wheat pasta can be combined with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other veggies to create a healthy source of carbs to help energize your child for the rest of the school day. Add a few cubes of cheese on the side for some added protein.
Tuesday: Power Pitas
Take whole wheat pitas and stuff them with vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, leafy greens or lettuce. Put some corn and beans, which form a complete protein, on the side.
Wednesday: Bean Dip
Mix together some black beans, garlic, tomato and spices and put a small handful of whole grain chips on the side. You can also include some vegetable dippers like baby carrots or celery stalks. Or, you can use this dip as a spread on a sandwich.
Thursday: Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
Chop up leftover chicken and mix it with mayonnaise – go light on the mayo to keep the fat content down. You can also mix in chopped celery or pickles to give it a little extra crunch. Pack it up with a couple leaves of romaine lettuce, and your child can have some fun at lunch by building these wraps themselves. Just make sure to give them a spoon for dishing out the chicken salad, and show them how to do it beforehand.
Friday: Healthy Mini-Pizzas
Two options here: Take a whole wheat tortilla, top it with tomato sauce and some shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese and baby spinach. Microwave it so the cheese melts, then roll it up, cut it into little rolls and place it in a travel container. Or, take whole wheat pita bread and add tomato sauce. Pack your child whatever healthy toppings they’ll go for – bell pepper, broccoli, mushroom, olives, pineapple… whatever they’ll eat. Pack all the components separately to allow your child to build his or her own.
Crozer-Keystone Health System’s physicians, specialists and advanced practitioners are committed to improving the health of our community through patient-centered, quality care across a full continuum of health services. Crozer Brinton Lake is Crozer-Keystone’s comprehensive outpatient care facility in western Delaware County, offering primary care, specialty services, outpatient surgery and advanced cancer treatment.
Contact us: 300 Evergreen Drive, Glen Mills, PA 19342 http://www.crozerkeystone.org/Brinton-Lake 1-855-254-7425
