Morgantown/Honey Brook JUNE 17, 2026
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 7,480 HOMES
Growing Up in Elverson BY LOGAN MOYER
S 1954
REACHING
MORE THAN
BY LOGAN
OUR COMM
UNITIES SINCE
S
7,480 HOME
t k Derby Se Annual Duc SERVING
MAY 6, 2026
VOL XXXIV
• NO 14
Southeast C PFB Region of Promotes Waterway g Well-bein
MOYER
BY JEFF FALK
of al east por tion he annu o T he south i a i s t h e m o s t r an B i r d s b o ir of a Pe n n s y l v ated part S t re e t Fa dense ly populy rural state. But will those and Duck Derby predominantl Satur’t mean all far to be held on from that doesn 30, have to travel outdo or day, May 4 p.m. reside nts ylvani a’s 10 a.m. to Park, enjoy Penns activities. in Main Bird St., recreational main initiatives of One of the 226 N. Water and Boat lvania Fish Birdsboro. s , the the Pennsy (PFBC) is to provide A s alway Commission natural fun in and the day te highlight of Duck and promo will be the p.m., around water.really need to make u“I think we Derby at 3:30e will of all the opport when peopl people aware them,” said Andy Derby th of the banks of and Duck th around “sponsors” sses line the outreach the nities Street Fair to the to ro ed been Creek busine 2025 Birdsbo the Hay rdized award g ducks. Local Desko, who’sion coordi nator for ter & ees at the plastic money for Ark Encoun winnin are all standa watch 1,800 d u c k s Attend n of the d the prize t of prize and educat The ducks A few days Creation Museum d east Regio KY every year. zers will have donate amoun line. weighte the South years. “We want Williamstown, and reused the finish organi winners. The on how much is 18 “race” toward intere sting,” said before the derby, all the ducks the PFBC for folks to them will depend uce out the money really lay introd zes r. There “It’s ually to help d. Derby , who organi backyards. their sponso s individ Nicole Sapna oro borough worker and match them to deter mined donate ds from the DuckLibrary. right in their s (to water) out Procee Area to-beaware they dump event. “Birdsb are many accesse the Boone are cross the The first may not be bridge, and in ducks to very last will benefit not sold online but , stand at the trash bags of ducks there. People boat accesses near numb er of s are library as the are three large there’s a wooden chute finish line, as well finish line, will Ticket le in advance at the that there to inspire people to pg 2 be availab the creek ... (the ducks) down, and duck to cross the See Duck them. I want opportunities.” rd prizes will s th the Region that funnel get into the single be the winners. Cash check out Southeast to Tour ed just The PFBC’s they have considered.” Fruiter Yooperac Island headq uarterLititz, at shoot to be office is Mackin town of Michigan: Peninsula the of Road, north & Upper ker Valley 255 W. Bruba ell Forge Lake. , nd Lititz, at SpeedwRegion office July 2 east Thursday, 8 a.m. to Pirates The South Pittsburgh Phillies open from lphia which is Mond ays throu gh at Philade as the 4 p.m. on ily serves Fridays, primar tion enforc eregula and PFBC, rules uarter s for ment headqoffer some services does MOYER it ries but LOGAN BY Minist ies. Anchored and amenit ch and educa tion back to sful first year, er” event As outrea Desko does work After a succes“Food Truck Takeov ay, May 16, from its periodicoordi nator, is bringing High School on Saturd e Lititz office • Recharg that out of the spends the majority Twin Valley Relax • Refresh inaugural event ing cally, but he time in the field and 3 to 8 p.m. the ministry held its while educatproof his work Last year, to provide family fun zation, which ed around water. was design the nonprofit organi Nearly 800 people Boat pg 4 See Fish and including people aboutnce to those in need. of food trucks, people event. variety vides assista takeover. be a wide last year’s how many visit attended the really didn’t know , a board member There will candy vendor from Scan QR Code, cotton ours.com “We just said Donna Larson pg 3 the er FunCountryT 3-2086 See Takeov would come,” or call 717-822026 for a FREE Menu! Tour
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July 7 -10
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ring ONLINE Sp NDAR LE EVENT CA s y.com/event
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for Prepares Ministries er Anchored od Truck Takeov Second Fo
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ix cows per person. That is what graduate Sloane Wolfe said it means to grow up in Elverson when she spoke at Twin Valley High School’s graduation ceremony at Santander Arena on the morning of June 6. “Our town of just 1,330 people, most people hear that and think that they understand rural life,” she said. “Fields, livestock, space and quiet, but rural life to me means so much more than that.” Wolfe related her experience of working at a roadside strawberry stand during summers to growth, stating that the strawberries grew from little white flowers to green berries before reaching their final form as the red, juicy strawberry. “No matter how far they travel, their sweetness carries the memory of life in rural Berks County,” she said. “But much like strawberries, we can grow, reach, explore the world, and still belong.” She said that no matter where her and her fellow graduates go, whether it be college, the workforce,
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Madelyn Vandergoes, valedictorian
Sarah Lerch, salutatorian
local or thousands of miles away, the lessons learned in rural Berks County and Twin Valley will always follow them. This year’s graduating class is an accomplished one. Of the school’s 253 graduating students, 116 were either members of National Honor Society or graduated with distinguished honors. Those in the class who are attending a postsecondary institution have
earned $19 million in merit aid, along with an additional $120,000 of locally sourced scholarships. The latter figure is the largest in Twin Valley history. “That reflects this community’s deep commitment to investing in the future of its young people,” Twin Valley High School principal William Clements said. The Class of 2026’s senior officers were Josh Cullen, president;
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BY LOGAN MOYER
Daniel Boone’s graduation ceremony was held at the district’s stadium on
See Daniel Boone pg 4 June 5.
You are random. That is what somebody told Owen J. Roberts (OJR) High School valedictorian Alejandro Vidal in the middle of a conversation weeks ago. At first, Vidal didn’t think the description fit him. “For four years, I’ve had the same routine,” Vidal said at the school’s 71st annual graduation ceremony, held at the football stadium on June 5. “Wake up with just enough time to get ready ... walk into the same building, sit in the same seats, see the same faces, follow the same bell schedule day after day after day. How was I random?” Then, he thought about it. Vidal harkened back to receiving an envelope weeks ago, which contained a list of achievements that his eighth-grade self felt he needed to accomplish to be considered a success. He then spoke of different experiences from his four years of high school, including sneaking into Phoenixville Area High School’s senior prom with his older brother as a freshman, being the DJ for a Halloween party at a last-minute notice and going skydiving. “The person who wrote that letter would have struggled to recognize the person standing here today,” said Vidal, who will head to Penn State in the fall to study mechanical engineering. Vidal challenged his peers to escape their comfort zone and try new things, likening his See OJR pg 2
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Daniel Boone Celebrates Graduation Moments matter. That was the message from Daniel Spotts, a new graduate of Daniel Boone Area High School, while speaking at the school’s graduation ceremony on June 5 at the district’s stadium in Birdsboro. Spotts said the inspiration for his remarks came from his lacrosse coach, who used the phrase regularly. “At the time, I never realized how meaningful such a simple
OJR Celebrates 71st Graduating Class BY LOGAN MOYER
See Twin Valley pg 2
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VOL XXXIV • NO 20