Catherine L. Lucas, 60, of Kennett Square, died Monday, May 14, at her home surrounded by loved ones.
Catherine L. Lucas
She was the daughter of the late Garfield and Edna Davis, widow of Billy Ray Lucas, mother of the late William H. Lucas, and sister of the late James G. Davis.
She is survived by her loving partner Raul Ocasio-Torres; four daughters – Rebecca Lucas, Patricia Basham, Rosalie Pedroza-Ocasio, and Hepzi Ocasio; one son, Michael Lucas; sixteen grandchildren – Alexander, Summer, Daniel, Shelley, Jonathan, Kevin, Abigail, Michael Jr., Seth, Lyndsey, Chad, Yasmin, Jacklyn, Rafael, Nathaniel, and Ezekiel; and twenty-two great grandchildren; three brothers – William R. Davis, Stephen R. Davis, and Kenneth M. Davis; three sisters – Shirley J. Maxwell, Stella R. Kline, and Martha F. Lloyd. And many other nieces, nephews and loved ones.
Memorial service and gathering will be held Sunday, June 3, at 2 p.m. at 431 Cedar Spring Rd., Kennett Square, PA 19348. If it rains, the service and gathering will be held at Calvary Baptist Church, 218 Ellicott Rd., Avondale. Service and gathering are open to all family and friends.
To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.griecocares.com
Arrangements by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, Kennett Square.
Thomas (Tom) Michael Singleton, 45, of Pittsburgh, died Sunday, May 13, at his residence. He was the son of Mike and Lucy Singleton of Parkesburg, Pa.
Thomas Michael Singleton
Tom was a self-employed master carpenter who enjoyed his time with family and friends.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by his son US Army SSgt. Jason Brenneman and his wife Anna their two children Zayne and Leila (Tom’s grandchildren), his daughter Elise Willits and his brother Michael Christopher Singleton, Michael’s wife Kimberly Ann and their children Christopher, Michael and Casey.
His service and burial will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to PA Adult & Teen Challenge, c/o Finance Department, P. O. Box 98, Rehrersburg, PA. 19550.
To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.griecocares.com
Arrangements by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, Kennett Square, PA.
Chadds Ford Township supervisors Tuesday gave final approval for a proposed planned residential development along Oakland Road. The PRD, known as Wonderland Farms, calls for 22 new single-family homes on the west side of Oakland Road and 12 twin units on the east side.
Harrier LLC, a Grace family business entity, is the developer. The development is just south of Brinton’s Bridge Road.
Supervisors gave preliminary approval for the plan in December 2016, but that was delayed because of an appeal in Common Pleas Court. The township and applicant reached a settlement, and the preliminary approval became official in January of 2017.
The final approval of the PRD comes with a series of conditions. Among those conditions are a requirement that the developer gives $3,000 per new dwelling to the township. Those funds shall be used as the supervisors see fit, according to the resolution.
Other conditions require active recreational open space be provided for both sides of the development and that a gazebo or other type of shelter is installed on the west side. Running and walking trails must also be constructed.
The applicant is also required to install a raised pedestrian walkway across Oakland Road connecting the two sides of the PRD.
There is also a four-bedroom limitation on the 12 twin units.
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.
This weekend marks the kick-off of the County Open Studio Tours starting with Chester County. You have plenty of ways to curate your schedule, plenty of conduits to take, with 154 artists spread over 64 studios. Not even the most diligent of art walkers could make it to every site location so I recommend choosing either a theme, or geographical location to so that you can really enjoy art at your leisure.
First off, Art Trust Gallery in West Chester is currently hosting a Chester County Studio Tour preview exhibition. This would be a great way to dip your toe in the pool, or decide how you want to set up your Studio Tour weekend. This exhibition runs through June 1st, so if you miss the tour, you can also catch up on some of the art here.
Chester County Studio Tours will be operating on Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The brochure, which is available online, kindly breaks up the locations by: Northern Chester County, Southern Chester County, into West Chester borough, and differentiates between private studios and public galleries and establishments.
There are several of our regularly covered establishments featured along the way. In Northern Chester County, check out Chester Springs Studios and Gallery 222. In Southern Chester County, pop by Chester County Art Alliance, Street Road Gallery, Square Pear Gallery and Oxford Art Alliance. These all have my stamp of approval, which is why I single them out.
Rachel Romano Studio
Artist Rachel Romano will be featuring her studio along the walk. I intend to make this a stop on my tour. I have run into Rachel at a few recent art events including PA Made of Steel at The Hill School, and her recently curated successful show at Oxford Art Alliance, Imaginari, which brought together two dimensional, three dimensional artists and poets for a beautifully collaborated exhibition.
She will be showing off her new studio digs as stop #1 on the tour at Spring City Mill Studios. This location hosts 11 studios with 14 artists. Stop by to view abstract painting, sculpture, celestial watercolors, tapestry weaver, photography and more. Also sign up for a free art raffle which includes a chance to win 28 works of art (2 from each artist) if you come both days.
If you have yet to check out Phoenixville, this is a perfect opportunity to do so. Take in six different studios of the following contributing artists: Teresa Haag, Thomas Ransom, Siobhan Bedford, Heather Pasqualino, Nell Hasinksi, and Gretchen McGinnis. You may recognize the name Teresa Haag from her recent exhibition at Church Street Gallery in West Chester. Beyond Phoenixville, other destination towns in Northern Chester County are Chester Springs, Malvern and Downingtown. Check out Lynette Shelley at Ivystone Studios!
Ivystone Studios – Artists Remo, Justin Smith and Lynette Shelley
Moving down to Southern Chester County, the participating towns include West Chester, Kennett Square, Oxford, Cochranville, Chadds Ford, West Grove, Landenberg and Hockessin, Delaware. Kennett Square, my stomping grounds, features the Square Pear Gallery, Neilson Carlin’s studio, and Annie Stracks’ studio.
I have long admired Neilson Carlin’s work, and had the honor of interviewing him on Art Watch Radio last year, but I have yet to visit his studio space where he has also established the Carlin Academy of Fine Art which focuses on teaching realistic drawing and traditional oil painting techniques of the masters.
As I mentioned in an earlier column and promised to revisit, Street Road Gallery in Cochranville, will be unveiling their new mural by acclaimed illustrator Luyi Wang. Fingers crossed, the weather will behave. Hopefully we’ll get a break in the clouds to view this piece!
Take part in the interactive online element of the Chester County Studio Tour. After your tour, vote for your favorite artist on the Chester County Studio Tour online. Chester County Studio Tour will give $500 to the winning artist.
If you happen to take photos along your way and want to share them in next weeks’ column, please email me at caroosevelt@gmail.com. I look forward to running into you at a few of the stops and chatting art.
Speaking of art talk, tune into Art Watch Radio WCHE 1520AM next week when Andrew Snyder, artist and West Chester University Professor, hosts Nancy Campbell, Wayne Art Center Executive Director. Until next week!
I have lived in Birmingham Township for twenty-three years, but until this past Sunday, I had never attended our neighborhood’s Willowdale Steeplechase. A large reason for this is that Willowdale is a “Mother’s Day Tradition,” which means it always occurs on Mother’s Day. Until their deaths, I traveled with my family to spend the day with my mother and mother-in-law and the rest of the family.
As a newbie to Willowdale Steeplechase, I was grateful for the wonderful signage throughout the grounds and the easy-to-hold-and-refer-to program booklet. The booklet helped me get my bearings and understand when a scheduled event was happening and where.
Willowdale shares similarities to Point-to-Point and Radnor Hunt but is more intimate and casual. There is a tailgate competition, an antique car display and kids’ and canine activities all day. The organizers’ goal is to provide a day of fun as well as bringing the community together to support three worthy causes: clean water, veterinary excellence and services for children with special needs. The 26th Running of the Willowdale Steeplechase Race benefits Quest Therapeutic Riding Services, Inc., The Stroud Water Research Center and The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine at New Bolton Center.
Associate Race Director Lisa Hatcher points out the unique aspects of Willowdale Steeplechase, stating, “Attendees can freely move from one section to another without a specific-colored ribbon.” Another plus for Willowdale is that guests can view the races from almost any location on the field.
This year boasted the biggest field of horses competing in six races for over $100,000 in prize money. Organizers changed the order of the races this year to build excitement throughout the day. Race Chairman W.B. Dixon Stroud, Jr. explained, “Having the hurdle races first makes changing of the jumps on the course in between races quicker and smoother. Also, with the new order, the bigger solid timber fences and intimidating water jump are saved for the grand finale.”
Last Saturday, ticket holders began arriving when the gates opened at 10 a.m. Children’s games were in place and the shops were open. The Jack Russell Terriers were assembled and preparing for their race. Everyone was hoping that the mist and light drizzle would disappear and leave us with beautiful skies. That did not happen. The rain continued and the temperature never moved out of the bone-chilling range.
Bette and Roger McConnell of Unionville staked out their usual spot to watch the Jack Russell Terrier Races. They placed their lawn chairs midway along the racetrack so they could see the dogs blasting out of the starter boxes and reaching the finish line. Although there were some exceptional dogs who caught the zooming, battery-operated “fox tail” almost immediately, some of the dogs stopped or wandered off to see what else there was to explore in the field.
Volunteers Jessica Stinson, a West Chester University student and Madeline Fanning, an incoming Freshman at Duquesne University, bravely sit at the Sun Screen Station, and try to stay warm.
According to Hatcher, pre-sale tickets were “phenomenal,” and parking sold out ahead of race day. “Because of the weather, we didn’t know if people with tickets would come or not, but they did!” All of the horse races and other scheduled events, including The Miss Nancy Nicholas Memorial Side Saddle Race, went off without a hitch despite the rain. “There were no accidents and the vendors did great!,” says Hatcher. Diehard Willowdale Steeplechase fan Mark Dance of Unionville and his friends stayed until the bitter end. Says Dance, “We considered it a challenge to persevere. The day was still fun, and we accepted the rain as an invited guest.”
The Willowdale Steeplechase Race–a Mother’s Day tradition since 1993. I hope it is a new one for me.
Lora has a passion for art, gardening, yoga, music and dancing. She continues to research the life of locally born abolitionist and 1998 National Women's Hall of Fame inductee Mary Ann Shadd Cary. She is a dedicated community volunteer, working with the American Association of University Women, Wilmington, DE branch (programs chair), Chadds Ford Historical Society (former board member) and Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
Lora lives in Birmingham Township with her husband Bill and son Brad. Daughter Erika lives in Pittsburgh with husband Bob and baby Wilhelmina. She is a former French, Spanish and ESL teacher, bilingual life insurance underwriter and public relations coordinator for Delaware Art Museum and Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
Chadds Ford’s Jonathan Jackson was one of six Lycoming College student-athletes who earned a slot on the 2017 MAC Spring Sportsmanship Team. A four-year letter winner for men’s lacrosse, Jackson was a significant contributor as a defensive midfielder the past two seasons, appearing in 41 career games and posting 11 career groundballs and causing eight turnovers. He had career highs of seven ground balls and four caused turnovers as a senior.
Carl J. Morefield, 87, of Broomall, formerly of West Grove, died Sunday, May 13, at the Broomall Presbyterian Home. He was the husband of Theresa Tait Morefield, who passed away this February 13, and with whom he shared 59 years of marriage.
Carl J. Morefield
Born in Laurel Bloomery, Tenn., he was the son of the late Ferd Morefield and the late Margaret Gentry Morefield.
Carl was a maintenance worker at South Mill Mushrooms, retiring in the late 1980s, after 15 years of service.
He enjoyed deer hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family and friends.
Carl is survived by one son, Carl E. Morefield and his wife Leona of Colorado Springs, Colo.; one daughter, Margie Brackin of West Grove; one brother, Russell Morefield of Laurel Bloomery, Tenn.; three sisters, Berti Morefield of Laurel Bloomery, Tenn., Shirley Widner of Laurel Bloomery, Tenn. and Kathryn Wheatly of Salisbury, Md, and nine grandchildren.
He was predeceased by one daughter, Jodi Morefield; one grandson, Raymond Brackin, and three sisters.
His Graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, May 18, at the Oxford Cemetery, 220 North Third Street (Route 10), Oxford.
If the unofficial vote totals hold, Democrat Anton Andrew will challenge incumbent Republican Steve Barrar for the state’s 160 Legislative District House seat in November.
Barrar ran unopposed in the Republican primary, garnering 3,375 votes in Delaware County and 1,001 in Chester County.
The Democratic Party primary was contested with Andrew endorsed by the Kennett Area Democrats in Chester County, while Cathy Spahr was endorsed by the Delaware County Democratic Committee. Vote totals were in accord with the county endorsements.
The unofficial totals show Andrew with 2,157 votes, split 1,400 from Chester County and 757 from Delaware County. Spahr took a total of 1,875, 1,510 from Delaware County voters and 365 from voters in Chester County.
Andrew is an attorney, a former public defender in Miami, Fla. In Delaware County, he established the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Supportive Services Center, with the aim of helping women- and minority-owned small businesses compete for large construction and transportation contracts, according to his campaign page.
He is a founding member and trustee of The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County and was behind the effort to get several local municipalities — including Kennett Square and Pocopson Township — to adopt resolutions calling on state and federal officials to adopt stronger gun control measures.
Barrar has served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 1997.
Vote totals remain unofficial until verified by the counties.
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.
• Police said Lauren H. Ryan, 28, of King of Prussia, was cited after a one-car accident in Pocopson Township on April 26. According to the report, Ryan was westbound on Lenape Unionville Road just before 9 p.m. when the Volvo S80 she was driving traveled off the roadway and struck a bridge abutment. The driver reported that she swerved to avoid hitting a deer, police said.
• State police said an unknown male suspect took a cell phone from a shopping cart used by a 71-year-old Chadds Ford man who was shopping at the East Marlborough Walmart on May 4. No other details were released.
• A 17-year-old from Boothwyn faces charges after he intentionally drove his pickup truck through a field on Cossart Road at Fairville Road in Pennsbury Township on May 4. A report said the teen caused $60 worth of damage to the field.
• State police said a 27-year-old woman from Allentown was injured in a May 10, in a one-car accident and cited for excessive speed. The accident happened at 1:48 p.m. on N. Chatham Road. The driver, identified as Alyssa J. Bauer, was transported to Jennersville Hospital. According to the police report, Bauer was driving north on Chatham at a high rate pf speed when she lost control of the 2006 Ford Taurus. The car spun clockwise, she overcompensated causing the car to spin counterclockwise, police said. The Taurus then crossed into the southbound lanes, left the roadway and struck a fence but continued to slide backwards into wetlands. The tires dug into the soft surface causing the car to go airborne and flipping onto its passenger side. It came to rest on its roof.
Southern Chester County Regional Police
• Jose G. Lopez-Nunez, 26, of Toughkenamon, faces harassment charges after he allegedly threatened to a 21-year-old female with his fists, police said. The incident occurred April 5 at 8:44 p.m., in the 200 block of Maple Lane, New Garden Township.
• Leonel Garcia-Garcia, 21, of West Grove was arrested and charged with DUI and related traffic offenses after the 2002 Chevrolet he was operating was stopped for erratic driving, according to a police report. The incident occurred at 2:17 a.m. on April 1 in the 8900 block of Gap Newport Pike, in New Garden Township. Police said they observed indicators suggesting intoxication and field sobriety tests confirmed impairment.
• Hannah C. Rash, 18, of New Castle, was arrested and charged with DUI and possession of controlled substances, and a traffic offense, after the Hyundai she was operating was stopped for an equipment violation, police said. The incident occurred on March 31 at 1:33 a.m., in the 1800 block of Baltimore Pike, in New Garden Township. Police said they detected the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle when the approached Rash.
• According to a police report, Zeiban Mondragon-Reza, 25, of Toughkenamon, was arrested on DUI and drug charges, after the 2014 Chevrolet he was driving was stopped for swerving out of its lane of travel on multiple occasions. The incident occurred on March 31 at 1:33 p.m., in the 1200 block of Baltimore Pike, in New Garden Township. Police said smoke was billowing from the vehicle and that they could smell the odor of marijuana as they approached the car.
• Police said Edward J. Ienner Jr., 52, of Landenberg was charged with terroristic threats and harassment, following a series of threatening text messages and voicemails that he is alleged to have sent to the victim over a 13-hour period, March 28 and 29. The victim was able to provide police with the actual messages sent by Ienner. An arrest warrant was obtained and Ienner surrendered to police on March 30. He was arraigned and released on $10,000.00 unsecured bail pending a preliminary hearing.
