The following animals are ready to be adopted from the Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester.
Hulk
Hulk
No way you’re ever getting this happy boy angry. Handsome Hulk is a sweet pup who has nothing but love to give. He gets along well with other dogs and would love to meet your pup at the shelter before going home. He’d love his future furry housemate to enjoy playtime as much as he does. You can adopt Hulk for a fee you name through Sunday, Sept. 19.
Ghost
Ghost
Nothing Scary about sweet little Ghost. The perfect combo of playful and snuggly, Ghost will be the best new BOO for a very lucky family. You can adopt Ghost for a fee you name through Sunday, Sept. 19.
For more information, go to www.bvspca.org or phone 484-302-0865.
Bikers start out from Taylor’s Service Center on the ride to and from Conowingo Dam as part of the Do It for Dave suicide awareness event.
Close to two dozen motorcyclists took off from Taylor’s Service Center in Pennsbury Township Sunday as part of a suicide awareness event in honor of Dave Taylor Jr. Most of the riders wore black T-shirts with the motto: “Do It for Dave” on the front. On the back was a teal and purple yin/yang symbol and the words “Where there is darkness, there is light.”
The riders left the service station shortly after 10 a.m. and returned from the ride to and from the Conowingo Dam for a 1 p.m. gathering at the Pennsbury Township Park.
Dave Taylor Jr. He was 21 years old.
There was live music and speakers on suicide awareness, the impact on survivors, mental health, and stories about those who took their own lives. There was also a silent auction. Money raised is to be donated to one of two organizations. One is To Write Love on Her Arms. That organization is a nonprofit whose goal is to present hope for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury, and thoughts of suicide. The other organization is a newly created nonprofit named for Dave Taylor.
But the day — coming two days after World Suicide Prevention Day —was inspired by Dave Taylor Jr. whose father, Dave Sr., owns and operates the service center on Route 1 at Fairville Road across from Chadds Ford Elementary School.
Helen Taylor still chokes up when speaking of her 21-year-old son who died in February of 2020.
“I had to learn a new way to deal. He’s still with me,” she said. “For a year-and-a-half, I stared at the walls crying. My son helped everyone. You could call him at 2 or 3 in the morning, negative 8 degrees out, but he’d go out and help you. So, instead of keep asking myself ‘Why me,’ I asked what he would want. I can hear him saying I never wanted to do this. I don’t want any other family to feel this. The only way to do that is through awareness.”
She added that she deals with the grief by “knowing he’s still here.” She also said she chose the motorcycle run event because “He would have loved this.”
Chadds Ford’s Andy Bell knew the younger Taylor and confirmed his generosity, his desire to help others, and his skill on a motorcycle.
“He was just the nicest guy. He would do anything for you. Kind. You should have seen him ride a motorcycle. He’d get on a motorcycle and stand that thing up and go for about a mile on one wheel,” Bell said. “I was in shock when I heard he was gone. I couldn’t believe it.”
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.
