August 28, 2018 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Edward Vail Wandersee, formerly of Chadds Ford

Edward Vail Wandersee, 84, of Jenner’s Pond Retirement Community in West Grove, died peacefully on Aug. 27.

He is survived by his wife Kathleen (nee Cole) and his four daughters: Roxanna of Melbourne, Fla., Robin and her partner, Matthew Ellis of Aston, Nicole and her husband, Stewart Fiori of Chadds Ford and Karin of Chadds Ford. He also is survived by two granddaughters, Abigail Rathgeber of Houston, Texas and Emilyn Rathgeber of Tampa, Fla .and a sister, Judith Dagley Flaherty of Los Angeles.

A native of Chicago, Ed received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in business from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After a two-year period in the U. S. Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, he went on to a 35-year professional career in marketing with E. I. DuPont Company including six years in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ed was also active in many local organizations. This includes four years as president of U-CF School Board, eight years as chairman of the Pennsbury Township Board of Supervisors and president of the Chadds Ford Historical Society for five years. He also served in the Concordville-Chadds Ford Rotary. He continued his volunteer involvements at the retirement community of Jenner’s Pond where he and his wife had lived for 9 years. He served on the Residents’ Council and the Advisory Board and as editor of the community newsletter.

Services and interment will be private.

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School is back in session

School & Education

_1JF7802-Chad — Chad the Charger welcomes students to the first day of class.

Classes have resumed for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and Shawn Dutkiewicz, principal at Chadds Ford elementary is eager for the new academic year. He said a focus this year is on enhancing students’ social and emotional growth, but also on increasing the quality and quantity of STEM, science, technology, engineering and math.

“A morning meeting is intended to foster strong positive relationships amongst all members of the classroom,” he said. “The meeting time allows students to share things about themselves, celebrate things happening in students’ lives and in the classroom, build teamwork skills, and resolve any emergent issues that may arise. Additionally, our staff developed a problem-solving approach intended to support students as they work through challenges and mediate disagreements with peers.”

He said there’s a four-step approach in which “the class is able to model and role play scenarios to best understand and apply the steps.”

He also said there’s excitement about implementing personal growth journals used in classrooms. The journals “help to connect many of the social-emotional initiatives that we do at Chadds Ford while providing students with time to reflect about their own learning.”

On the STEM side, Dutkiewicz said, teachers created a curriculum bridge during the summer and each class will have new lessons to work on. There’s also a makeover in the tech lab. The school is moving away from single-user computer stations to what he called “ a more progressive format that is focused on collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking.”

There’s also going to be an outside STEM area and greenhouse set up with help from Longwood Gardens.

“So, we begin another school year with a sense of excitement for all of the new things to come,” he said.

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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Ed Wandersee, principled gentleman, dies at 84

Local News, Local News Birmingham, Local News Chadds Ford, Local News Pennsbury, Local News Pocopson

Former school board president, a supervisor in two townships and chairman of the Chadds Ford Township Zoning Hearing Board Ed Wandersee died Monday, Aug. 27 of congestive heart failure. In addition to government service, Wandersee was also a longtime active member and president of the Chadds Ford Historical Society.

He would have been 85 this coming Sept. 15. He is survived by his wife, Kathy Wandersee, four daughters and several grandchildren.

Ed Wandersee served for more than 30 years in service to the community, in both governmental and nongovernmental capacity, but resigned from governmental activity when he and Kathy moved to Penn Township in 2009.

His impact on Chadds Ford Township was strong, according to those who served with him. Former Chadds Ford Supervisor Deborah Love is one of those people.

“Ed was quite a gentleman. I am honored to have worked with him as a Unionville-Chadds Ford school board member and Chadds Ford Township Zoning Hearing Board chairman. His decisions were always well thought out and most importantly fair. Our community felt the loss when he moved out of Chadds Ford, but his positive impact will always be felt. Thank you, Ed,” she said in an email after learning of his passing.

George Thorpe, another former supervisor who dealt with Wandersee also recalls his positive approach.

“He was a tireless volunteer in all capacities in which he served. He was a thoughtful contributor to all projects, keeping the good of all residents in mind as the basis for his decisions. He felt it necessary to think about that good for everybody, not just some,” Thorpe said. “We’ve lost that today.”

Bob Reardon served with Wandersee on the Chadds Ford Zoning Hearing Board. He said Wandersee was “a consummate gentleman who provided good leadership. He truly cared about the community and always acted on principle.”

Kathy Howley said Wandersee was instrumental in helping her develop as the township manager in Pennsbury when he was a supervisor there in 1978.

“He taught me how to write minutes. He was a stickler who taught me to be concise. If I didn’t do it right, he would redo them,” she said.

While that didn’t go down well in the beginning, Howley said she learned to appreciate Wandersee and the good relationship that developed. That relationship carried over into personal friendship with both Ed and his wife to the point where Kathy Wandersee convinced Howley to be a volunteer at the Chadds Ford Historical Society. The two Kathys even co-chaired a Chadds Ford Days.

In addition to being a supervisor in two townships and on the ZHB in Chadds Ford, Wandersee also served on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School. His colleague other board, Timotha Trigg, also said he’ll be missed.

“Ed was a dedicated community volunteer who served as president of the school board for a number of years, chaired the Zoning Hearing Board here in Chadds Ford, served as chairman of the Pennsbury Township Board of Supervisors for eight years and president of the Chadds Ford Historical Society for five years. I remember someone pointing to a small figure in one of Paul Scarborough’s paintings and saying, ‘That’s Ed.’ You know you’re a fixture of the community when you show up in a Scarborough painting. Ed was a natural leader and a very decent man. He will be missed,” she said.

Trigg added that Wandersee’s dedication to education went beyond the bureaucracy of the school board.

“Ed was known for dressing up as John Chad, which really demonstrated his passion for education in general and his interest in increasing the awareness of our local history,” she said. “When he visited Chadds Ford Elementary in his John Chad attire, it really brought the John Chad story to life.”

Superintendent of Schools John Sanville also has good memories of Wandersee.

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Ed Wandersee. He will be remembered for the statesmanlike manner in which he conducted himself as a board member and president. He was a tireless advocate for our community and U-CF. He will be missed.”

Kathy Wandersee said the burial will be private with local family members. A graveside ceremony is planned for October when out of town relatives can attend.

About Rich Schwartzman

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Heat advisory remains in effect

Along the Ford

A heat advisory is in effect for our area beginning Aug. 28 at noon. Extreme heat and humidity are expected through Aug. 30, resulting in Heat Wave #4 of the season. Temperatures will be in the 90s but will feel hotter with the heat index reaching 100-105 degrees. It will be oppressively humid and an Air Quality Alert is in effect as well for sensitive groups including young children and seniors and anyone suffering from asthma and various heart and lung conditions.

Delaware Council reminds residents of the county’s Heat Plan which includes tips and resources the county offers to help vulnerable residents, particularly the elderly, stay safe during the hot summer season. Both the Office of Services for the Aging and the county Office of Adult and Family Services offer assistance to elderly and vulnerable residents throughout the summer.

“It’s important for our residents, particularly the elderly, young children and those with health challenges to say cool, stay hydrated and stay informed,” said Delaware County Council Chairman John P. McBlain. “The fact is that heat is dangerous, and it can kill, or cause heat stroke or heat exhaustion.”

Residents are urged to visit the county’s website to read the 2018 Heat Plan and learn about the resources the county provides. Residents should take precautions during heat waves and high humidity, to check in with the elderly and disabled family members and neighbors who are at greater risk for heat-related illnesses.

COSA’s Heat Plan includes a Heat Information Line, extended hours at Senior Centers, and educational information on heat safety tips, dehydration, and safe use of fans. In the beginning of the summer, COSA purchased 250 cooling fans and 100 were donated by PECO, which were delivered to the county’s eight senior centers for distribution to seniors needing cooling assistance. Seniors interested in receiving a free fan can contact COSA at 610-490-1300.

The Delaware County Heat Plan calls for senior centers and adult day care centers to extend their hours, to offer water and non-caffeinated beverages throughout the day, and to reinforce with service-provider drivers to check on consumers. Care managers are asked to identify “at risk” consumers who are homebound, living alone or have a prior history of inadequate cooling in their home.

It is also important to remember the safety of pets during the warmer, more humid months as animals respond differently to heat. “It’s not just the ambient temperature but also the humidity that can affect your pet,” said McBlain. “If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly. Please also remember to not leave anyone in a car, including your pets and make sure they have plenty of water and shade.”

On any day when temperatures reach 90-degrees, it is especially important for young children and older adults, as well as people who have heart and breathing problems or are on certain medications, to pay close attention to what they are doing and how they feel during hot and humid weather.

People need to drink before they feel thirsty and if someone experiences signs of heat exhaustion, drinking water is not enough to reverse the symptoms. Individuals might need medical help.

COSA’s Heat Information Line at 610-872-1558 is a recorded 24-hour phone service that runs June 1 through Sept. 30, providing residents with heat advisory updates and information. People who need additional assistance can contact a COSA’s Information and Assistance service at (610) 490-1300. For more information, and to read the county heat plan, visit http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/heatinfo/HeatPlan2018.pdf