IN THIS ISSUE: STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM PLANNED page 5
Octorara JANUARY 15, 2020
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXIX • NO 51
NEW PAGE!
The Community Courier is teaming up with Engle Printing & Publishing Co., Inc.’s other community newspapers - the Merchandiser, Advertiser, and Pennysaver - to create one go-to spot to engage with the community on Facebook. The community newspapers’ new Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/ townlively. Community members may follow the new page to stay connected to the areas where they live, work, and play through nonprofit news, community happenings, local sports coverage, and much more. The Facebook page supplements EPC’s www.townlively.com website, where readers can find digital editions of the newspapers, read articles, learn about community events, and more. BREAKFAST BUFFET
The Oxford United Methodist Church (UMC), 18 Addison St., Oxford, will host its monthly all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 7 to 10 a.m. The breakfast will include French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, bacon, sausage, oven-roasted potatoes, specialty breads, and chipped beef and sausage gravy on alternating months. Separate costs have been set for adults and for children ages 3 to 10. Tickets may be purchased at the church office in advance or at the door. All proceeds will benefit the church’s general fund. Individuals whose birthday is in January may show identification for a free breakfast ticket. For more information, readers may call 610932-9698 or visit www.oxford1851.org. PANCAKE BREAKFAST
will hold a pancake breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 7 to 11 a.m. at Penningtonville Presbyterian Church, 406 Main St., Atglen. Admission will be free, but freewill donations will be accepted. UPCOMING MEETING
Members of the Historical Society of Salisbury Township will meet on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. at the White Horse Township Building, 5581 Old Philadelphia Pike, White Horse. The topic will be “Show and Tell.� All are welcome. For more information, readers may call 717-442-4071 or visit www.salisbury twphistory.org.
Sierra Club To Host Polar Bear 5K pg 3
Therapy Dog Provides Hope And Comfort By Francine Fulton
When Lara Dushkewich and her husband, Tom, rescued Freddie, a boxer/beagle mix, from a North Carolina shelter, she never expected that Freddie would become a therapy dog bringing hope and comfort to senior citizens and to victims of domestic violence. Lara learned about Freddie’s natural calming tendencies while visiting her grandmother in a nursing home. “The first week I had him when he was about a year old, I brought him to see my grandmother, who was recovering from an illness at the nursing home,� Lara recalled. “He walked right in and had an instant connection with my grandmother. My grandmother went through the
various stages of ability - (using a) cane, a walker, a wheelchair and then (becoming) bedridden. Through all of that, he was gentle and he didn’t need treats to get him to sit and stay. He learned through his engagement with my grandmother. He was not adopted to be a therapy dog, but he became one.� Freddie, now 11, who was certified in 2014 through Therapy Dogs International, regularly visits the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County (DVCCC), where Lara is a board member and an active volunteer who has been certified to meet with clients. Freddie is also a frequent visitor to The Hickman, a senior living community in West Chester. On Dec. 4, DVCCC marked Freddie’s 200th official visit as a therapy dog to the facility. To celebrate the day, the staff
members and shelter residents presented him with a special liver muffin cake. According to Melissa Baxter, DVCCC’s chief operating officer, Freddie is a welcome visitor who is loved by children and adults alike. “Freddie’s many visits to DVCCC over the years have brought comfort to scores of survivors of domestic violence and their children,� she said. “Freddie’s kind and gentle manner just draws people in. The love he shares and comfort he provides is heartwarming and, I believe, healing. It was an honor to share this special milestone with Freddie and Lara.� Lara said that bringing Freddie to the organization is very rewarding. “(I enjoy) seeing the smiles that he brings when he walks into the room, the children that run up to him, the survivor See Therapy Dog pg 3
Freddie, accompanied by his owners, Lara and Tom Dushkewich, recently made his 200th visit as a therapy dog to the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County.
Volunteers Sought To Help Deliver Meals On Wheels
Vintage “Base Ball� Team Welcomes Players
By Ann Mead Ash
In 2019, Paradise Area Meals on Wheels celebrated 40 years of existence. The organization is located in a room in the Together Community Center (TCC), 3293 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. Since the program is affiliated with Lancaster Meals on Wheels, meals provided by the Lancaster program are delivered to TCC each Monday through Friday. One hot meal and one cold meal are included for each recipient for a total of up to 30 clients. Two drivers pick up the meals and deliver them in accordance with a route schedule for that day.
The
Marie Glass (left) and Debbie Groff of Paradise Area Meals on Wheels are looking for a few volunteers to deliver meals to recipients in the greater Paradise area. Meals are provided for a nominal fee. “(Clients receive) five ounces of meat, See Meals On Wheels pg 6
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough A Honeymoon in the Hills Is Much More Than a Walk in the Woods
Requests From Your Guests Things Your Family and Friends Want You to Know (But Are Too Polite to Say)
Local Wedding Spotlights
Members of the Brandywine Base Ball Club of West Chester are actively recruiting players, umpires, scorekeepers and spectators for the upcoming season. The club plays the game according to 1864 rules. By Francine Fulton
The Brandywine Base Ball Club of West Chester is currently seeking players for its upcoming season. The team, which formed in 2013, portrays the game of “base ball� as it was played
(and spelled) in 1864 by competing with other vintage clubs in the Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball League. An informational meeting about the Brandywine Base Ball Club, which is a nonprofit organization, will be held on Sunday, Jan. 19, beginning at noon at See Base Ball pg 7
è ê y y ê è è …
2020
Wedding Planner
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
The
2020
Wedding P lanner theweddingplanneronline.com
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER JAN. 15, 2020
Postal Patron
OCC
Atglen Boy Scout Troop 20
Chester County OIC Offers GED Classes pg 2 Commissioners Take Oath Of Office pg 2
Pick up your
FREE guide at your local Turkey Hill! R054117