January 14, 2021 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Lorine Ragon of Kennett Square,

Lorine Ragon, 84, of Kennett Square, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, with her children by her side.

Lorine married the late Jimmy Ragon in 1951. He was the love of her life and they shared 53 years of marriage before he died unexpectedly in 2005. Besides Texas, they made homes in Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Italy, Louisiana, and California. They traveled the world extensively visiting six of the seven continents.

Born and raised in Marshall, Texas, Lorine met Jimmy on a blind date, and they married six weeks later. Her adventurous spirit was the perfect complement to Jimmy’s nomadic career as a civil engineer. While raising three children in those early years Lorine completed college. She made sure that her studies never interfered with the time that she gave her children by attending evening classes. She graduated from the University of Delaware in 1970 with a degree in education and taught fifth grade math and science in Wilmington, until the family moved to Italy in 1973 so that Jimmy could manage the construction of an Astra-Zeneca chemical plant outside of Milan.

Moving to Italy with three children was a challenge but Lorine met it with the courage and grace she demonstrated throughout her life and turned that challenge into an opportunity for adventure. Besides traveling large parts of Europe with the whole family jammed into a small station wagon, other highlights included negotiating the purchase of a whole turkey (including the head) from a local butcher for an American-style Thanksgiving dinner, racing home across the Swiss Alps in record time to meet the Sunday driving curfew due to the oil shortages of the 1970s, and savoring all the varieties of Italian red wine.

Upon return to the United States Lorine pursued her real estate license and was a successful realtor for B. Gary Scott Realty. In her free time Lorine was an avid gardener who fought, and most-often won, the constant battles with the local deer. She was an extremely competitive bridge player and continued to travel across the world.

Whenever Jimmy and Lorine visited far-flung places they always returned home with a small cache of local mementos and interesting stories of the different cultures that they shared with the family. After Jimmy passed, Lorine continued her world-wide travel with friends from Pennsylvania and family from Longview, Texas creating new memories and experiences.

More than anything Lorine was a devoted grandmother to her six grandchildren who she adored and doted on from the moment they were born: Caitlin Graney, Erin Graney, Daniel Graney, Sam Obaditch, Emily Obaditch, and William Obaditch. She passed on her love of games to her grandchildren by regularly beating them in poker, Mexican Train, dominoes, rummy, and pinochle. She made costumes, traveled with two Flat Stephanies and one Flat Steven, and dug worms for fishing trips. Her grandchildren will forever remember all the themed Christmas Eves at her house including Hula Hoop Christmas, Harmonica Christmas, and Paper Plane Christmas just to name a few.

Lorine was a strong woman of faith and never doubted that after this life she would join her beloved Jimmy in Heaven singing in perfect key to honor our Savior.

Lorine is survived by her three children: Cheryl R. Graney and her husband, Daniel, of Glen Mills, Jon C. Ragon and his wife, Angela, of Kennett Square, and Susan Obaditch and her husband, Jeremy of Montclair, N.J. She is also survived by her brother Richard Brown of Marshall, Texas, and her beloved aunt, Jean Keasler of Longview, Texas.

Due to pandemic restrictions services will be private.

In lieu of flowers please donate to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675, or online at https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.

To view her online tribute and to share a memory with her family, please visit www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com

Arrangements by the Kuzo Funeral Home, Kennett Squa

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Lorine Ragon of Kennett Square, Read More »

Vaccinations continue despite shortage

Health

Delaware County is continuing to vaccinate specific personnel cited in the Phase 1A portion of the program despite a shortage of vaccine.

There’s no time frame yet for the Phase 1B of COVID-19 vaccinations. (Image from Chester County’s vaccine webpage.)

“Due to the limited supply of the vaccine, healthcare workers, EMS staff, long-term care facilities, and medical examiner and funeral staff are the priority for vaccination distribution,” a press release said.

To date, 12,343 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, the release said, which is similar to other counties.

“Delaware County is committed to ensuring a safe and timely distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination and continues to work with the County’s hospitals and the Chester County Health Department to administer the vaccine as quickly as possible,” according to the release.

With no health department in Delaware County, the Chester County Health Department is coordinating all efforts.

“Delaware County and the Chester County Health Department are eager to move to Phase 1B as quickly as possible, however, we must be sure we can do so without being limited by our vaccine supply,” the county said.

Phase 1B includes childcare staff, corrections staff, county, and municipal administration staff, educators/education staff, firefighters, food and agriculture staff, grocery store staff, law enforcement, manufacturing staff, transit staff, U.S. Postal Service staff, and residents age 75 years and older.

The COVID-19 vaccine is not a cure for the virus, the press release said. It is another tool against COVID-19, so people should continue to practice other mitigation efforts, such as wearing a mask, hand washing, and physical distancing.

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Vaccinations continue despite shortage Read More »

Around Town Jan 14

Along the Ford

View-of-garden-design_51588 — Learn garden design at Mt. Cuba Center on Jan. 23and 30.

• Mt. Cuba Center is planning an in-person Garden Design workshop from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23 and Jan. 30. Lee Armillei, a professional landscape designer, shows how to analyze a site, draw a basic plan, and use design principles for laying out paths, planting beds, and other garden features. Through lectures and drawing exercises, students explore design options, assess landscape materials, and employ a process that results in a practical planning document for their individual landscape project. Please bring your lunch. (Class size is limited.) The cost is $165. For more information and to register, go here.

• Victoria Wyeth, the granddaughter of the late artist Andrew Wyeth, will hold a virtual gallery talk about her grandfather and his work on Monday, Jan. 25, from 7-8 p.m. The program will be held on Zoom. Cost is $20 for Brandywine River Museum of Art members, $25 for nonmembers. To purchase tickets, go here.

• National History Day competition is March 26 and 27, and the Chester County History Center is looking for participants, volunteers, and judges. NHD is traditionally held at Chester County History Center, but this year the contest with be virtual. National History Day is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Md. It operates an annual project-based contest for students in grades 6-12, where students can present their historical research and thesis in a welcoming and competitive environment. To sign up and learn more, go here. http://chestercohistorical.org/nhd-judge-and-volunteer-registration

• The Residence at Chadds Ford is holding a virtual cooking demonstration at 1 p.m. on Jan. 20. Learn how to make some winter soup, then stop by the facility to pick up a sample to try at home. Curbside pickup is 3-6 p.m. on the 20^th. Contact Cindy Graul at 610-222-3333 or at cgrauk@resdencechaddsfoirs.com for the link. The Residence at Chadds Ford is at 1778 Wilmington Pike (Route 202).

• Go behind the steam next month at the Marshall Steam Museum. It’s the Golden Age of Radio, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. The museum will be taking a close look at our Westinghouse Radio and its connection to bringing radio into the mainstream. The guest speaker is Donna Acerra, Professor of Communication at Northampton Community College. She was recently co-curator of “Don’t Touch that Dial: 100 Years of Radio” with the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, Pa. Learn about the beginning of the “Golden Age of Radio.” For more information, contact Allison Schell at education@auburnheights.org

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

Around Town Jan 14 Read More »

Cannabis ordinances brewing

Local News Chadds Ford, Local News

Chadds Ford Township Planning Commission members are likely to start considering ordinances regarding marijuana businesses in 2021. The subject came up in general conversation following the reorganization portion of the commission’s Jan. 13 meeting.

Commission member Timotha Trigg said he wanted the commission to begin work on an ordinance — or a series of rules — that would cover medical marijuana dispensaries, recreational sales, and grow sites. She said neighboring townships have already done that, and she wants Chadds Ford to have ordinances in place.

Commission Chairman Craig Huffman agrees that discussions on such ordinance should be on the agenda every month.

“We need to be forward-looking on what might be coming next,” he said.

Pennsylvania’s Municipalities Planning Code requires that all municipalities need to have statutes to accommodate all legal businesses. With medical marijuana legal, the township must account for that to control where they may locate. And with the governor and lieutenant governor being strong proponents of recreational adult use, consideration needs to be given to that as well.

During the reorganization part of the meeting, Huffman was elected chairman for another year, and Valerie Hoxter was elected vice-chairman. Mike Schneider, of Pennoni Engineering, Mike Maddren, and Tom Comitta were reappointed as commission engineer, solicitor, and planning consultant. All three hold those same positions with the township Board of Supervisors. Commissioners also appointed Jonathan Sharp as commission secretary.

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.

Cannabis ordinances brewing Read More »