IN THIS ISSUE: OAHS SENIORS OF THE MONTH HONORED page 5
Oxford DECEMBER 26, 2018
VOL XXVIII • NO 48
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
ACE Anti-Human Trafficking Alliance of Oxford will hold a one-hour candlelight vigil on Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. The event will take place at the corner of Third Street and Route 472 at 6 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a candle. Some candles will be available. The event will be considered the monthly meeting. There will be no meeting on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. For more information, readers may call 610-932-0337.
OASD Holds Dance Competition pg 5
Students Join Safety Patrol pg 2
Event Benefits Nonprofit Organizations pg 6
Group For Caregivers To Start Meeting By Marcella Peyre-Ferry
BINGO, BUFFET
The Order of the Redmen Ocklokonee 212 will hold a New Year’s Eve bingo on Monday, Dec. 31, at the Redmen’s Pavilion, 114 Brick Road, Oxford. Doors will open at 5 p.m. A buffet will be available at 7 p.m., and bingo will start at 8 p.m. There is a cost per person. For tickets, readers may call Gail Moore at 610-932-5133. PROGRAM FOR WOMEN
Faith Bible Chapel, 140 Bernard Ave., Cochranville, invites ladies from all denominations to a 12-week ladies’ Bible study. The topic will be “The Parables.” The informal discussion group will meet from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Wednesdays beginning on Jan. 16, 2019. The church is located off Route 41, a quarter-mile south of Route 10 in Cochranville. For more details, readers may call Faith Bible Chapel at 610-593-6333 and leave a message for Shirley. More information about the church is available at www.fbchapel.org.
The Avon Grove Library, 117 Rosehill Ave., West Grove, invites children to practice their literacy skills by reading aloud to a therapy dog on the first Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to noon. The next scheduled session will be held on Jan. 5, 2019. Ten-minute slots are available for reading aloud to Cooper or Wesley, the library’s Paws for Reading canine partners. Advance registration is required. To register, contact 610-869-2004 or lsherwood@ccls.org.
“Messiah” Sing-Along Set The Chester County Christian Chorale will present the 32nd annual Chester County “Messiah” Sing-Along on Friday, Dec. 28, at 7 p.m. at Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church, 1121 Octorara Trail, Parkesburg.
Area residents are invited to attend to sing or listen during the performance. Participating singers, who do not rehearse in advance, will be accompanied by a professional 16-piece orchestra. The sing-along will also feature professional soloists, including Heidi Shannon, soprano; Heidi Kurtz, mezzo soprano; Timothy Bentch, tenor; and Mark Moliterno, bass. The guest conductor will See “Messiah” Sing-Along pg 7
See Support Group pg 7
Therapy Dog Provides Emotional Support And More By Francine Fulton
Local nursing home residents, young library patrons and college and elementary school students have all benefited from visits by Lily, a sweet English setter/border collie mix, who is a certified therapy dog and the wellness and stress relief dog for Chester County. See Therapy Dog pg 4
Liz Alakszay and Lily, a certified therapy dog, visit sites throughout Chester County, including nursing homes, schools and libraries.
A “Messiah” Sing-Along, sponsored by the Chester County Christian Chorale, will take place on Dec. 28 at Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church in Parkesburg. The
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Betsy Bradford (left) is a co-facilitator along with Ellen Neff (not pictured) for a new Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers Support Group that will begin meeting on Jan. 5, 2019, at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Oxford, where Mary Ann Mertz (right) is pastor.
A new Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers Support Group, presented by the Alzheimer’s Association, Delaware Valley Chapter, will be offered in the church house at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Oxford. Meetings will take place on the first Saturday of each month at 10 a.m., beginning on Jan. 5, 2019. “Were going to start on Saturdays, but if the group feels that is not going to meet their needs then we’ll take a consensus of the group and see what they prefer,” said Betsy Bradford, who is co-facilitator for the group along with Ellen Neff. The aim of the group is to help caregivers build a support system with people who understand the difficulties they are facing. Group members can
exchange practical information on caregiving challenges and possible solutions, as well as talk through issues and ways of coping. They may also simply share their feelings. The group will also help people learn about helpful resources in the community. “Every quarter we’re required to have an educational session, but between times we are whatever the group needs,” Bradford said. “We’re not leaders; we’re facilitators. We’re going to share differences and commonalities and try to support one another.” Both Bradford and Neff are nurses and have experience with the issues caregivers are facing. Bradford, who is also on the church’s health care ministry team, is a retired nurse who worked in geriatrics and has experience with veterans’ support groups, plus she has a personal interest in the topic.