Morgantown/Honey Brook /townlively
MAY 20, 2020
IN THIS ISSUE: PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES MEALS page 6
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXVIII • NO 17
MONDAY • MAY 25 • 2020
National
EMS Week
• mail a card • create a banner and deliver it when restrictions are lifted • connect with EMS organizations on social media and leave an encouraging message • leave a message on your own social media page expressing your gratitude • donate to an organization that supports EMS groups • schedule a time to drop off a meal when restrictions are lifted • volunteer (off-site tasks may be available while restrictions are in place) • simply say
thank you
REMEMBER AND HONOR
Moving Forward Together Fairmount Resident Shares Family History By Ann Mead Ash
Four years before C.J. Kurtz of Morgantown (affectionately known as “Pop”) died in 1999, he had asked his son Paul Kurtz, now a Fairmount resident, to promise to write a book based on his red notebook, which contained details of the family history. Paul spent five years researching the family genealogy and history his father had recorded, but he still was not sure the information would make a good story. Instead of giving up, Paul took a hard look at who his father was. “Pop’s life is like a puzzle, and I am putting the pieces together,” said Paul, who began to see purpose in the work as he wrote the narrative. “Pop and Mom (Elsie Kurtz) always put family first,” he said, adding that the family story is one of continuing
to move forward in unity. “It is a story of overcoming difficulty,” he shared. On March 10, just six days before the Fairmount campus closed to outside visitors, Paul held a book signing where he introduced “Plow, Pulpit, People: We Called Him Pop” to a gathering of about 20 people in the Crest View Gathering Room on the east side of the Fairmount campus. Paul opened the multimedia presentation with a recording of his uncles singing, “Brothers five still alive, let us tell our story … as we blend these melodies singing to His glory.” Pop was born in 1901 near Morgantown. He married Elsie in 1923, and they operated a farm in the Elverson and Morgantown area. In 1931, Pop was ordained as a minister at the Conestoga Amish Mennonite Church. In See Family History pg 4
By Francine Fulton
Paul Kurtz, author of “Plow, Pulpit, People: We Called Him Pop,” introduced his book via a multimedia presentation to a gathering of about 20 people in the Crest View Gathering Room on the east side of the Fairmount campus on March 10.
By Francine Fulton
By Francine Fulton
Parents looking for activities for their youngsters to enjoy during the stay-at-home order are invited to try some nature-related crafts suggested by Dawn White, environmental educator and education programs coordinator at the Green Valleys Watershed Association (GVWA). One activity White suggested is making paper bag bird puppets using small brown paper bags, utilizing construction paper to make different types of beaks, feathers and wings. “Let kids create birds by coloring the bag and then gluing each body part on and a few feathers,” she said. See GVWA pg 2
One activity that children can enjoy at this time is a nature scavenger hunt, where they can search for plants found in nature.
Bridge Of Hope Continues To Serve Even though the state of Pennsylvania is under a stay-at-home order, Bridge of Hope Chester County remains active in its mission to serve families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. As part of the program, each Bridge of Hope client receives support from a group of six to eight trained, churchbased Neighboring Volunteers. “We are considered an essential business, so we have been working through this from the beginning,” noted Kathy Beiler, director of strategic engagement. “More than ever the families in the program really need Neighboring Volunteers. Neighboring Volunteers make the difference by offering encouragement, connections and resources.” See Bridge Of Hope pg 3
HIGH 5 Soccer Goes Virtual
Nature-Themed Crafts, Scavenger Hunt Ideal For Children
When the Glenmoore Eagle Youth Association (GEYA) canceled the spring session of the HIGH 5 Soccer program for special needs players due to the COVID-19 pandemic, coaches Matt and Jenn Wagner were determined to find a way to engage the players on a weekly basis. During the time that HIGH 5 Soccer would ordinarily take place at GEYA’s Fellowship Field in Chester Springs, players are instead taking part in online soccer sessions via Zoom. The program began on April 11 and will run at 3 p.m. each Saturday through May 30. During the virtual program, which lasts between 15 and 20 minutes, soccer players take part in modified versions of their favorite
soccer games, while wearing their HIGH 5 T-shirts. “We missed seeing our HIGH 5 players and buddies and getting out into the sunshine to play soccer. We See HIGH 5 pg 3
Coach Matt Wagner leads weekly virtual HIGH 5 Soccer sessions via Zoom for players with special needs.
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