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JANUARY 20, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXX • NO 48
Church Collects Food For Octorara Food Cupboard BY FRANCINE FULTON
Because the Octorara Area Food Cupboard (OAFC) has been challenged to meet the hunger needs of local families during the coronavirus pandemic, Church of the Ascension Episcopal Church in Parkesburg holds monthly food drives to help keep the pantry’s shelves filled with nonperishable food items.
William McWatters, a physics teacher at Octorara Junior-Senior High School in Atglen, recently received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
William McWatters (back, third from left) is the faculty adviser for Octorara’s Physics Fight Club team, which previously competed in Warsaw, Poland. Teams members include (back, from left) Ryan Bagget, Ryan LaRue, Ethan Whitney, (front) Kyle Quinn and Colin Murphy.
Octorara Physics Teacher Earns Presidential Award BY FRANCINE FULTON
he Octorara Area Education Association recently announced that William McWatters, a physics teacher at Octorara Junior-Senior High School, has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). The award, created in 1983, is the highest honor conferred by the U.S. government specifically to teachers of math and science. After being nominated for the award by Octorara teacher Jen Watson, McWatters had to take part in an extensive application process that began in the summer of 2018. In addition to written documents, he had to submit a video of himself teaching a class, along with a self-evaluation. “It ended up being 27 pages of written work,” he explained. “I was not done until spring of 2019. In the
See Food Cupboard pg 2
He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in physics from the University of Delaware and his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in educational leadership from Wilmington University. “When I was doing oil changes and flat (tire) repairs for $9 an hour, no one thought I would go on to earn multiple degrees in physics and eventually be recognized by the President of the United States,” McWatters commented. McWatters offers advanced science courses at Octorara, as well as dual-enrollment courses in conjunction with the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. He is also the faculty adviser for Octorara’s Physics Fight Club team, which competes annually in the International Young Physicists tournament. Octorara’s team is the fourtime defending national champion under McWatters’ guidance, and the team has competed in Singapore, Beijing and Warsaw.
Father John Van de Paer, who previously served at Our Lady of Consolation (OLC) Parish in Parkesburg, was honored on his 100th birthday with a parade in Arlington., Va., where he now lives. Born in Belgium on Nov. 29, 1920, Van de Paer, known affectionately as Father John, was ordained a priest with the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1947. His missionary work led him to the United States a year later,
Business Directory . . . . . .3
See Octorara Teacher pg 3
See Father John pg 2
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .6
LeeAnn Johnson (left) and Paula Shelton accepted food donations for the Octorara Area Food Cupboard during the monthly drive-through food drive held at Church of the Ascension Episcopal Church in Parkesburg.
Father John Celebrates 100th Birthday
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Parkesburg Says GoodbyeTo Thadeus “Bud” Wilde . . . . . . . . . . . .2
BY FRANCINE FULTON
Lions Club Announces Holiday Contest Winners . . . . . . . .4 Community Calendar . . . .5 House Of Worship . . . . . . .6
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fall of 2019, I was named one of Pennsylvania’s three finalists. I was informed in early August of 2020 that I was the winner.” McWatters received a congratulatory letter from President Donald Trump and a financial award. Because of COVID-19, a virtual award ceremony was held in August. “They have not given any information yet, but there was a promise to bring us to Washington the next time they have an in-person event; that may still happen,” he noted. McWatters did not follow the traditional career path. After failing out of college at age 18, McWatters worked at a tire center for about a decade before starting college again at age 27. “In the interim of those 10 years when I was a college dropout, I coached a lot of sports teams - Little League Baseball and basketball and soccer,” he noted. “I really enjoyed it, so when I decided to go back to college, I wanted to be a teacher.”
Drive-through food drives are held on the second Saturday of each month at the church, located across from Minch Park, from 10 a.m. to noon. During the food drive on Jan. 9, church volunteers Paula and Jack Shelton and LeeAnn Johnson were on hand to accept donations. Local residents stopped by to drop off canned goods, including cases of peanut butter, baked beans and spaghetti sauce, as well as cereal and pasta. In addition, a representative from Parkesburg Library, where donations for the cupboard are accepted on a daily basis, delivered food donations to the church.