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JANUARY 20, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXVIII • NO 51
GSV Half/10K Introduces New Race Director Allison Cuthie Will Take Over 2021 Event BY ANN MEAD ASH
Among the Twin Valley High School FFA stuedents who collected Christmas trees for recycling on Jan. 9 were (from left) Seth Kochel, Alexis Cochran, Austin Hittle, Emma Mae Jones and Anna Posh.
Twin Valley High School FFA members, with the help of family members, collected Christmas tees from the community and brought the trees back to the high school for the wildlife and to create mulch.
Twin Valley FFA Makes Good Use Of Recycled Christmas Trees BY FRANCINE FULTON
lthough the pandemic has canceled many of their community service projects, members of the Twin Valley High School (TVHS) FFA were able to once again hold their Christmas tree recycling program. As part of the annual event, FFA members collected trees from the community and brought the trees back to the high school for the wildlife, as well as to create mulch. “Twin Valley FFA has been doing this (activity) for over 30 years. It was started by my predecessor Ron Frederick,” explained current FFA adviser Harold Dietrich. The community was invited to drop off their Christmas trees at two locations in Robeson Township. “We collected at Robeson Elementary (Center) and at Plow Farms tree farm,” Dietrich pointed out. “Most of the trees collected at the Robeson Elementary (Center) probably came from Robeson Township;
all been curtailed by the pandemic, including crafting and gardening with the senior residents of the Heritage at Green Hills in Shillington. Career Development Events (CDEs), which are contests where members compete to test their skills learned through agricultural education instruction, have also been postponed or canceled. “We have not been able to do any face-to-face community service activities. We have not been able to do CDEs,” noted Dietrich. “For all recreational chapter activities we must follow COVID guidelines masks, (6 feet of) social distancing and no food or snacks. We also are not allowed any field trips or guests as part of the COVID restrictions. It has been very difficult to plan and execute FFA activities, because so much of what we do involves interactions with other people.” For more information about the TVHS FFA, readers may visit www.tvffa.theaet.com or join the Twin Valley FFA Facebook group.
See Race Director pg 3
Runner Allison Cuthie will take over the helm of the Garden Spot Village Half Marathon and 10K for 2021.
VEP Seeks Volunteer Tutors Virtual Training Scheduled
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Community Calendar . . . .2 Twin Valley Student Collecting Pop Tops For Charity . . . . . . . . . . . .2
BY FRANCINE FULTON
Those who have made a New Year’s resolution to be more active in their communities are invited to consider becoming a tutor with the Volunteer English Program (VEP) of Chester County. Prospective tutors are invited to attend the next tutor training session that will be held via Zoom on
Goats Feast On Christmas Trees . . . . .4 House Of Worship . . . . . . .9 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . .10
See VEP pg 3
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however trees collected from Plow Farms could come from anywhere, but likely were purchased at Plow Farms.” On Jan. 9, 50 trees were collected from the drop-off stations and brought back to the school by FFA students with the help of adult volunteers, including students’ parents and grandparents. “The trees were placed in the school district’s woodlot, where they serve as winter habitat for birds and small mammals such as rabbits or squirrels,” Dietrich explained. “In the spring, the trees will be chipped for mulch to be used in the FFA garden at the high school.” Dietrich said that the FFA has not seen an increase in number of trees collected. However, the number of trees collected did decrease two years ago with the introduction of the spotted lanternfly. “(The number) has not gone back up since,” said Dietrich. The TVHS FFA generally takes part in many activities, which have
Holding a safe but in-person event was a top goal for Allison Cuthie, associate director of development with Garden Spot Village (GSV) and now race director for the GSV Half Marathon and 10K scheduled for Saturday, March 27, beginning at 8 a.m. at GSV, 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland. “As a runner, I really want people to have the opportunity to run,” shared Cuthie, who noted that race volunteers, most of whom are GSV residents, have been open to safe ways they can help out so the event can be held. The 2020 race was held in a virtual format. Former race director Scott Miller, chief marketing director at GSV, began working with Cuthie more than a year ago to prepare her to take over the race, which has been a tradition in the area for more than
a decade. “I spent time … observing everything (Miller) and staff members were doing so I was familiar,” recalled Cuthie, who said when it was time to start planning the 2021 event, Miller asked if she was ready to take over. Well aware that the year would bring challenges, Cuthie took on the role. To overcome those challenges, Cuthie has been meeting with the GSV infection prevention specialist