Morgantown/Honey Brook JUNE 24, 2026
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
REACHING MORE THAN 7,480 HOMES
VOL XXXIV • NO 21
OJR Growing Up in Elverson Celebrates ONLINE 71st Summer S Graduating Class BY LOGAN MOYER
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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,
BY LOGAN MOYER
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; See Twin Valley pg 4
MCC
Daniel Boone Celebrates Graduation BY LOGAN MOYER
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 R129153
Daniel Boone’s graduation ceremony was held at the district’s stadium on
See Daniel Boone pg 2 June 5.
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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 3
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