The WC Press Harvest Issue - October 2013

VOICE OF THE BOROUGH  SEPTEMBER 2013

The Harvest Issue

This is Your Computer

This is Your Computer With A Solid State Drive

Any Questions?

Ask Your Doctor about Upgrading to an SSD Today

In the middle of the block at 28 South High Street  computerwc.com  610.431.0400  support@computerwc.com

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salon & boutique

clothing  accessories  styling  coloring  extensions  up dos

Our mission at Jaramillo Images Hair Salon & Boutique is to offer the highest quality of services to our guests utilizing advanced levels of expertise, experience and environment. Jaramillo Images has been in business since 1996. We are fully committed to providing expertly crafted, innovative and artistic services.

104 E Gay St  610.701.7017  jaramilloimages@gmail.com

Mention this ad for a $150 Keratin Treatment!

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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We’ve moved!

Same quality, New Facility! dog training And coming soon...

pet grooming!

Tobys K9 Kamp.com 610-430-1330 6

15 South Bolmar Street the wc press | voice of the borough

1227 WEST CHESTER PK 610-436-5222

Fall Fest – Brats & Beer Traditional Bratwurst

Dinner Every Wednesday 5-10pm

Paulaner Oktoberfest

23oz München Mugs Every Day

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the wc press | voice of the borough

The Press

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few Publisher Dan Mathers Dan@thewcpress.com

Graphic Designer Nazarena Luzzi Castro nazluzzidesign.com

Advertising Manager Nick Vecchio Nick@thewcpress.com

Columnists Chelsea Durning cdurning@thewcpress.com DJ Romeo romeo@thewcpress.com Mimi Zaborowski mimizab@thewcpress.com Jennifer Ozgur jozgur@thewcpress.com Clare Haggerty chaggerty@thewcpress.com

Copy Editor Kehan DeSousa kdesousa@thewcpress.com Contributing Editors Molly Herbison mherbison@thewcpress.com Jesse Piersol jpiersol@thewcpress.com Contributing Photographers Luke Darigan lukedarigan.com Andrew Hutchins afhutchins.com Editorial Intern Gabrielle Dallazia Photography Interns Paul Imburgia Annie Tennyson Rachel Crew Marketing Intern Gina Mattioni

presented by High Street Caffe

Published By The WC Press 13 South Church Street West Chester, PA 19382 thewcpress.com 610-344-3463 The WC Press is a monthly magazine distributed free of charge to more than 250 area businesses. For a free digital subscription, visit thewcpress.com.

For more information about specific distribution locations visit thewcpress.com/distribution.

Worth Noting...

Our no-nonsense table of contents 15. WC By the Numbers Our monthly infographic on farming 17. Owner of the Month Kevin Kelley knows his meat 19. Local Talent Chef Anne Moriarta runs the kitchen at Chefanti 21. The Take-Home Chef Chelsea Durning’s cooking column 23. Farm to Table A guide to sourcing locally with Roots Café 31. Bartender of the Month Joe Godio talks about Doc Magrogan’s 35. Thornbury Farm CSA Supporting Local Agriculture 41. Beyond Books & Booze Clare Haggerty’s look into student life 43. Children in Tow Jennifer Ozgur’s guide to family-friendly fun 45. Harvest Festivals Celebrating the bounty of the season 57. Games Give PhotoHunt and IconPop a shot 61. The Country Mix DJ Romeo’s harvest themed playlist

Happy Hour

7 Days a Week creole fusion gourmet takeout takeout craft beer $35 prix-fixe menu Jazz on Tuesdays 322 s HigH street 610-696-7435

HigHstreetcaffe . com OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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From the Editor...

Let me be honest for a second

www.pjspub.com | 610-235-4200 1347 Wilmington Pike, West Chester, PA

I almost never buy organic, and when I do, it’s always because buying organic is the easiest option. The reason I don’t? I am lazy and cheap.

Now, I could use this space to tell you about how important it is to buy organic and how I do it all the time, but I’ll spare you that because it’s blatantly false. The meat I purchase comes from an industrial farm where the animals are likely stuck in a cage that doesn’t allow them to move for the entirety of their sad, sad lives, and I’ll bet my corn is so genetically modified that Squanto wouldn’t even recognize it. I don’t garden, I’m not part of a community supported agriculture group, I’ve never shopped at a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe’s, and I have no idea where this ham sandwich I’m eating came from… but I wish I did.

That’s why I find the stories in this magazine so interesting.

It’s not because I can relate to them, or because I can see myself in them. I can’t. The people we’ve written about this month are as much like me as the players I cheer for every Sunday. They are remarkable and their achievements deserve to be noted as such.

Take Randall Spackman for instance. He owns and operates Thornbury Farm CSA [which you can read about starting on page 35]. I’m sure operating a farm is already intensely time consuming, but in addition to that, Randall actually runs a landscaping business to help pay his bills. Thornbury Farm is passion project; Randall grits it out on that plot of land, not for the money, but for the idea. And, thanks to him the people of this community have access to high-quality, local produce that not only tastes better, but it makes you feel better, too.

Or, take Dan Cellucci. As the executive chef and owner of Roots Café, he has set out to run a successful restaurant using only local ingredients. Our story [which starts on page 23] briefly touches on the fact that sourcing locally is difficult, but I don’t think that begins to describe just how challenging Dan’s job really is. We’ve watched Dan the past year as he’s taken over the space Gilmore’s used to occupy and started serving dinner, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone look quite so tired quite so consistently. As if opening a restaurant isn’t hard enough, Dan doesn’t have the luxury of some of the restaurant industry’s reliable standbys. He can’t just count on a huge shipment of produce arriving every day as needed. He can’t just call in an order the morning of. His menu and his week must be planned out well in advance according to what’s available. Yet, despite all the challenges, Dan remains passionate and optimistic. I think that’s incredible (and the food ain’t bad either).

Now, I may not purchase all my produce from five miles down the road, but I do agree with Dan and Randall on one thing: local is better. In my eyes, it’s far more important than buying organic. After all, half the time your organic head of iceberg lettuce has been wrapped in oil-derived plastic and shipped all the way across the country on an oil-fueled truck. While I can’t claim to buy everything locally, I’m making a conscious effort, and maybe someday I’ll be able to spend all my money right here in West Chester. In the meantime I’m going to keep looking to guys like Dan and Randall to lead the way. -DM

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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clothes

unique as your baby

available at

132 N High Street 610.431.2739 penwickdesign.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

To the Editor...

Reactions to the September Issue I have enjoyed reading and seeing how well this magazine has flourished but I am taken back at how you would allow that ad on page 34??? [Feminique’s Free Vibrator Day ad] Is this the direction you are taking this magazine ???? Shall we advertise blow up dolls next…..?? To me there are certain “flyers”, magazines , hand outs (normally given out around Philly) that promote this but I hope you’re not turning this magazine in to that….. –Mike Sorry to hear you were upset by the advertising–we all define our own line of personal decency. And, while I respect how you feel, I disagree: the way we see it, that was a local small business promoting an event that brought hundreds of people to downtown West Chester. In fact, other businesses on that block were happy to see a boost in foot traffic during the day of the event last year.

Additionally, we feel this is tame considering where we started. In fact, starting with the very first issue we published more than two years ago, the owner of the business in question wrote a sex advice column for our magazine. If you found the words, “Free Vibrator Day” offensive, you’d have HATED that column.

As we’ve tried to cater to our readership more closely, we removed that column and have filled the rest of the magazine with what we consider to be high-quality content. I hope you found the other 79 pages to be more to your taste. –Dan I was really impressed with the latest fashion issue. The models and photos of them were outstanding. Beautiful women and striking poses. Well done. I always learn something new about WC or about an event coming up I would not want to miss.

I was talking to my good friend and neighbor Kathy Vaughan about sharing a good martini one day soon and she shared you had enlightened her to the wonderful world of Tito’s vodka! Obviously you are man of many talents.

Looking forward to the next issue. –Mary Mundth I can’t take credit for those photos or layouts. Sure, maybe I can spot a talent, but it’s the amazing people we’ve been working with who’ve elevated this product to new heights. All the credit for the beauty of last issue goes to Justin Muir and Nazarena Luzzi Castro.

However, as for having excellent taste in booze and being a man of many talents, well, you got me there! And, you know what’s the best part about Tito’s Vodka? It’s made right here in ’Merica... at least until Texas succeeds in seceding. –Dan

Cut-A-Thon

Sunday, October 6 10am – 2pm All Hair Cuts $20 All proceeds will be donated to the Andrew L. Hicks Jr Foundation

Zumbathon Will be taking place in the parking lot under a tent during the same time as the Cut-A-Thon

$10 Zumba All Day

OMG! The new issue is fantastic!! It really looks great, love all the fashion :) –Ashley Tischler Typically, I’m pretty well against exclamation marks, particularly using more than one per sentence, but this email is just so happy and bubbly that I can’t help but smile :) Thanks so much for the kind words!!! Congrats from all of us on getting married ♥♥♥ Just wanted to tell you how AMAZING the issue looked!!

You guys did such a super great job! Looking forward to the fashion show!! :) Have a fun long weekend! ;) –Ilysa Biles Do all boutique owners write in this manner?

Thank you for all of your help Ilysa! Have a Happy Labor Day!! –Kristy Mak Guess that answers that question. [ JK You know we love you!]

1009 West Chester Pike 610.436.6464 OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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S

AU C E Y

12 E Ma r k e t S tr e e t

, We st C

10-69 PA 6 he ster,

6-977

0

Happy Halloween from Saucey!

12 E Market Street | 610-696-9770 facebook.com/sauceycrew

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the wc press | voice of the borough

@sauceypizzawc

WC BY THE NUMBERS:

THE HARVEST EDITION 1,733 FARMS

&

in Chester County

$440,169,000

sales of crops

83%

of farm operators live on the farm they operate

WHO OWNS FARMS? - farmers!....well, apart from the obvious

166,891

ACRES

of land in farms

MUSHROOMS

21.5% FEMALE

account for

1,442

family or individuallly

127

13.8% 35-44 YEARS

31,051 102,863

harvested cropland

pasture land

$345,915,000 OF THAT TOTAL

They don’t call us the mushroom capital for nothing!

HOW OLD ARE THEY? 117,145

come from nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, sod, and mushrooms

78.5% MALE

owned by a partnership

total cropland

$402,195,000

13.6% 70 or more

THE REST COMES FROM livestock, poultry, and their products

29% 45-54 YEARS

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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Owner of the Month Kevin Kelley’s been managing meat markets for the better part of his life.

Story Aryn Gallagher Photo Luke Darigan Voted Best Meat Market and Deli in West Chester four consecutive years, this hidden gem is definitely worth visiting. Whether it’s a turkey around Thanksgiving or a signature roast beef sandwich during lunch, Colonial Village Meat Market won’t disappoint.

Kevin is not just the man behind the counter–he’s mainly the man behind the scenes, running around to pick up fresh produce and filing paperwork. A deli man at heart, he worked at Colonial Villages for years before buying one in West Chester. If anyone knows the importance of fresh products and customer service, it’s Kevin. After preparing the store for the Saturday rush, he had a few minutes to chat with us.

How long has Colonial been serving the community? This store has been here since 1972. I bought it in 1993.

And Rich, he’s an owner too? Has he been here the whole time? I opened the place with another guy, and we hired Rich

a year before he bought into the business, so he’s been here basically as long as I have.

Where were you before Colonial? I ran the front end of a small Shop n Bag down on 60th Street in West Philadelphia.

Are you originally from the Philadelphia area? I’m from Delaware County, but I went to Drexel University.

What does a typical day look like for you? Well, I sit here at my desk with my feet up for the first couple of hours... no, I come in and I do a produce order and field any questions from anybody here. After I do the produce it’s around lunchtime when everything sort of ramps up. Our lunch business has greatly improved over the last five years.

Since you made renovations to the place, right? Yeah, we remodeled the store and put in a pretty big kitchen, and we’re ready to make sandwiches and stuff like that, so it’s definitely helped our business.

Where do most of your lunch-hour customers come from? They come from a lot of local office buildings around town, and a lot of car dealerships.

What’s something on your menu that everyone should try at least once? Our chicken salad is phenomenal. If you haven’t had it, you have to try it. It’s like crack.

What’s so special about your shop that keeps people driving right past Wawa to come here? Colonial has always been about freshness. We hang our hats on having fresh products, but more important than anything else is customer service. I stand on my soap box with everyone I hire. They leave their troubles behind and put a smile on their faces. Customers don’t need a robot. People come back when the service is good.

You seem to hire a lot of college-aged employees. Is that a coincidence or is there just a flood of students from the university looking for jobs? I think for as long as I can remember the labor pool has been for college-aged kids.

Do you find that people are still stumbling upon this place even 30 years later, or are most of your customers repeat offenders? We do still get a lot of new customers who never knew we were tucked away back here. A lot of it has to do with advertising.

We advertise a lot, and those ads definitely bring a lot of people to us.

Seems like there’s always people buzzing around the store. Do you ever have times where you don’t have much going on? Well, if I had any free time, this office would probably be a lot cleaner…

Twenty years is a long time to run a business, especially one with little downtime. Somebody said if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. WCP

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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211 E Market St  610.429.0467

www.chefanti.com

Busy Week Ahead?

Let Chefanti do the cooking!

Fresh, healthy, order-ahead, familystyle meals available for take-out or delivered to your door.

Order online for one night or the whole week!

“Grab & Go” Lunch Available M-F, 11:30am-2pm 18

the wc press | voice of the borough

Local Talent Chef Anne Moriarta of Chefanti wants to simplify your dinner routine Story Dan Mathers Photo Andrew Hutchins Chefanti is trying to change the way busy people eat dinner, and Anne Moriarta is channeling her years of fine dining experience to create healthy, seasonal, pre-planned, takeout meals for families on the go.

Have you always been a chef? In my first life, when I got my bachelors degree in Colorado, I got an equine degree, because I said I was done with that life. My father was a hotel chef, my mother was a GM in a restaurant. I grew up doing it. So, I went to school for horses. I played polo, I went fox hunting.

If it has to do with horses, you name it, I did it. I did that until I was 30.

What does a degree in equine science get you? It opens the door to get you a little higher up into the horse world, as opposed to being just a groom. So, I managed a couple barns, actually a few up here in Chester County, the Unionville area, doing fox hunting and steeplechase racing, but then I was 30 and I was like, “Holy crap, I need to make some money.”

So what’d you do? Well, I went to culinary school at the Art Institute of Atlanta, and I spent the next 13 years doing everything. I worked my way up the ladder. I did everything from simple, Southern, superhigh volume–like 15,000 people a week in a scratch kitchen–breakfast lunch and dinner.

I’m sorry. Did you say 15,000? Yes, yes.

It was ridiculous, and I ran that place. But, I’ve also run places that were very fine dining, white tablecloths, six guys on one plate making it super cool, super nice.

Was that what you were doing before you opened here? Well, when the economy went into the dumps, actually, just after 9/11, I went corporate. I went for that security, and I worked for Seasons 52.

What’d you do for them? Well, first I opened a restaurant for them in Atlanta, and then when they said they were opening another in King of Prussia, I said I wanted to be the executive chef up here.

Why’d you want to come back up here?

Well, when I was in Atlanta, I was a chef, but up here I had the opportunity to become the executive chef. The chef is in charge of the food, but the executive chef runs the whole culinary operation, staff and everything–it was a great opportunity. But, in the end, a lot of it was that I loved this area.

How long were you there? Let’s see, I moved up in October of ’09, I spent a few months in the Cherry Hill location before we

opened in March of 2010, and I was there until the end of this past November.

Why did you decide to leave? Well, part of it was that I worked like a crazy person–80 to 90 hours a week–for someone else. When a close friend passed away, it made me realize that life wasn’t all about work, it wasn’t all about money. Sure, now I’ve opened a business, so I’m still working a lot of hours, but I have more of a life now than I ever had before. Plus, now I’m my own boss, not just a cog in some $8 billion-dollar company.

What was the inspiration for the business? My sister Jennifer, who I opened Chefanti with, is an engineer, but she’s also a mother of three. She was sick of takeout and wanted a way to feed her family good food despite being super busy. We wanted to give people an opportunity to have a healthy meal waiting for them when they come home from work or the kids’ soccer practice.

And how does it work? Ideally, since we live in such a busy world, you go to our website, create an account, and view the menu, which changes each month. Decide what you want, when you want it, then add it to the cart, and we will prepare it and have it ready for you, pickup or delivery.

And what does the menu look like for October? Our menu changes based on the availability of seasonal ingredients, plus we’ll be transitioning to heartier foods. Just visit www.chefanti.com to check it out.WCP

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

The Take-home Chef Chelsea Durning is a cook by trade, and she’s not shy about sharing her wisdom with our readers Being that I spend my days (and nights) preparing food at Harvest Season Grill and Wine Bar, this issue came to me pretty easily.

At Harvest we base our menu on seasonally available ingredients, so of course, the fall season is perfect for pumpkin recipes! The following recipes are definitely crowd pleasers.

Pumpkin Fluff Dip 16 oz Cool Whip, thawed, 1 5oz package instant vanilla pudding, 1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice In a large bowl mix the instant pudding, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Fold in the Cool Whip until well combined.

Pumpkin Chili 2 lb ground beef (90/10) or ground turkey, 1 chopped onion, 1 tbsp oil, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 can drained kidney beans, 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, 1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce, 1 cup beef broth, 2 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 2 tsp brown sugar, salt and pepper, sour cream (optional), cheddar cheese (optional), green onions, sliced thin (optional) In a large pot or Dutch oven, saute onion in oil for 2 minutes.

Brown beef or turkey with the onion. Add in all the remaining ingredients and stir well to mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes 1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¾ evaporated milk 2/3 cup flour, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda 1 pint heavy cream, ¼ cup honey Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup or 24-mini-cup muffin tin with aluminum cupcake wrappers (easier to remove the cupcakes than paper liners). Mix the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and evaporated milk in a large mixing bowl.

Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the pumpkin mixture. Fill each cup 2/3 with the mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes for large and 10 minutes for mini. Chill the cupcakes completely at room temperature. In a separate bowl whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the honey.

Garnish the cupcakes with the honey whipped cream. cdurning@thewcpress.com

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

Farm to Table

NG I C R U O S O T E A GUID E F A C S T O O R H T I W Y L L A C LO story

sourcing all your produce locally is difficult. There’s a reason many restaurants place their bulk orders from US Foods and other commercial distributors: it’s cheaper and definitely more convenient. But do you really know where your food is coming from?

Restaurants like Roots Café take on this struggle to provide us, the consumer, with the freshest food that is both good for us and good for the environment.

Not only does the restaurant’s owner and executive chef Dan Cellucci know where he’s getting his food, he knows the farmers that grew the food, the butchers who slaughtered his meat and the cheese-makers who, well, made the cheese. There are no mystery ingredients, bizarre additives, or chemicals, just good, honest food. Here’s where it’s coming from…

kristin didusch

It’s no mystery:

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

SEAFOOD

OD MARKET

O GADALETO’S SEAF

HIA FISH HILADELP

P

MARKET

Seafood is unique because, while Roots sources from Gadaleto’s Seafood Market, a familyowned joint here in West Chester run by chefs, Gadaleto’s sources from Philadelphia.

The reason is obvious: West Chester doesn’t have an ocean, but Philadelphia is a major hub for the best edibles the Atlantic Ocean has to offer. Gadaleto’s crew journeys to the docks of Philadelphia every morning to pick up their sea critters and bring them back to West Chester. They also source from members of My Gulf Wild, an organization that supports local independent fisherman who practice sustainable fishing, where they only fish seasonally and in much smaller quantities than commercial farmers.

1.68 miles | 32 miles

PRODUCE

THORNBURY FARM Thornbury Farm, a local, organic CSA [find out more about them on page 34] is the primary source for all of Roots Café’s produce. Roots purchases a number of shares from the CSA at the beginning of the year before the season begins. This way, Roots helps Thornbury Farm with the planting costs associated with organic farming. “The cool thing about working with Thornbury Farms is that we have direct ties to the farm there.” For example, this year Dan asked them specifically to grow purple basil and lemon thyme. It’s this flexibility and personal touch that makes working with CSAs so appealing. That, and the cool 4.95 miles the produce has to travel from the farm to the table.

4.95 miles OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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Sunday Brunch 11am-2pm ramsheadbarandgrill.com 40 East Market Street 484-631-0241

Try our breakfast burrito with tots (and a Bloody Mary)

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the wc press | voice of the borough

MEAT

LAPP’S MEATS Lapp’s Meats provides the protein that makes its way onto plates at Roots. “We’ll get their chicken and their pork, both of which are from Chester and Lancaster counties. And they break it down for us —they’re butchers.” Some providers supply whole-animal meats, which means they must be butchered in the restaurant, but because Lapp’s Meats handles the cutting, the entire process is easier … especially for a busy small business owner like Dan. Plus, they’re family owned, which contributes to the local economy.

19.57 miles

PRODUCE/MEAT/DAIRY/GRAINS

ATIVE

OPER LANCASTER FARM FRESH CO Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, also known as Lancaster Co-op, is another source for produce, as well as many other goods. “A co-op,” Dan explains “is a collection of small-scale family farms working together to compete with the big suppliers.” Lancaster Co-op acts as the hub, where restaurants place orders for what they need. The co-op then goes out to the numerous smaller farms and purchases the goods. “We’ll get a list, say on Sunday for Wednesday, of all the things that are available at that time. Then they’ll go out and do everything from picking it up from the farmers to delivering it to the café.” The co-op provides Roots with pork, chicken, duck, “funky cheeses, like blue and chavroux,” heirloom tomatoes, beans, onion and carrots, microgreens and gluten-free bread.

35.25 miles

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10am-6pm Tuesday, Thursday 10am-7pm

Sunset Hill Jewelers

Custom designed wedding rings with quick turnaround times

(one to three weeks!)

23 North High Street West Chester, PA 610-692-0374 sunsethilljewelers.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

DAIRY

DOE RUN DAIRY T R O P L L I M

roots

Doe Run and Millport Dairy are the two main providers of dairy products for Roots, and–sorry for my clear bias–if you haven’t had a cheese board at Roots, you’re missing out. Both Doe Run and Millport Dairy make their cheese with milk from grass-fed cows. The difference between the two is in the pasteurization — or the lack thereof. While Doe Run utilizes some form of pasteurization, Millport Dairy does not. This leads to differences in flavors, hence the need for two suppliers. “And here’s what’s so cool,” says Dan. “They use local bacteria to make their cheese so you could literally use the exact same method and be, like, a mile away and not have the same cheese. That’s how touchy cheese is. You can definitely taste the difference. It’s like twerking. One person is going to twerk one way and the other person is going to twerk another way.”

14.94 miles | 42.41 miles

cafe 133 E Gay St

Roots takes local to a new level, with no food traveling more than 50 miles to the café and ultimately, to your plate. They prove that sourcing locally isn’t just aspirational; with a bit of effort, it’s attainable, and it’s worth it. “Food is what nourishes and sustains our bodies, and community is the force that ties together our souls,” explains Dan. “When we create a strong network of people who are farming sustainably and working in harmony with the world around them, we begin to develop not only a healthier lifestyle, but also strengthen the harmony between one another.” Even if the food didn’t taste better when it comes from right around the corner (which it does), I think that’s a philosophy we can all get behind.

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

Bartender of the Month From the back of the house to the front, Joe Godio knows Doc Magrogan’s Story Dan Mathers Photo Luke Darigan So, you’ve got a Philly-area phone number. How’d you end up in West Chester? I go to school at WCU–I’m a senior. I’ve been living here for about four years now, and a little over a year ago I moved in above Doc Magrogan’s. That’s how I ended up working there. I started in the kitchen as a cook, then worked my way up to bartending from there.

People don’t usually transition from back of house to front of house. How’d that happen for you? Well, I’d cooked before, so that’s how I got started here, but I knew there was more money to be made front of house. At the time my roommate, Mike Kemske, was already serving and just getting into bartending. So, when I asked if I could make the move to front of house, they said it was a go, and it’s been great chemistry behind the bar ever since.

What’s it like working with Mike? It’s great, you know? We read each other, feed off each other and communicate so easily. But, it’s not just with my roommate–we have a

great core group behind the bar, and we all work well together.

Having cooked, served and tended bar, do you think you can definitively say what makes Doc’s different? Lots of other restaurants don’t focus on the back of house– they focus too much on steps of service and taking customer service above and beyond.

And, while that’s really important, it’s not gonna matter if you’re putting terrible food in front of those customers. Doc’s understands that it’s about putting out amazing food then having the service to match.

Would you say there has been a large change at Doc’s since reopening? Well, yeah. We changed the menu–we’ve gone with healthier food, low calorie stuff–we had uniform changes, steps of service changes, some design changes. Really, from A to Z there were changes, and I could go on about them for days, but that would be boring.

Well let’s not do that then. Instead, what’s the most exciting that’s ever happened while you were working? My roommate and I were working one night, and it was pretty packed, and some drunk kid slammed the DJ’s laptop shut, all the music stopped, everyone turned to look and this kid took off running. We thought he’d taken the laptop, so my roommate jumped over the

bar without hesitation and sprinted down the street after him. Me and the third bartender both looked at each other like, “What are we supposed to do?” then proceeded to follow Mike over the bar and chase the kid down the street. We caught him. He never took the laptop.

But it’s not always that crazy there, right? No. Of course not. Our main focus is providing a great dining experience for everyone who comes in here. Sure, every Friday and Saturday night we have a pretty busy late-night crowd, but that’s not our focus.

What’s the dinner crowd like? People usually come in Friday, Saturday nights a little later. It’s a lot of middle-aged couples.

They often come in just expecting to have a drink at the bar while they wait for their table, but they end up striking up a conversation with one of us behind the bar and then just staying at the bar to eat. It can be a lively, upbeat dinner atmosphere, but it’s still a quality, high-end dining experience.

Would you say it’s all about the dining at Doc’s? Here’s the thing: we used to be really busy in here late-night, but then we took a small slump. In that time Doc’s got a reputation for not being that fun a crowd, but lately things have turned around. Doc’s has become a really fun atmosphere as the night goes on. So, really, if I could make one thing clear in this interview, it’s that Doc’s isn’t boring. WCP

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

In Pursuit of Food Dan Mathers takes over our resident foodie’s column for a month and samples some classic comfort food WHEREVER I TRAVEL IN THE US, I judge that town based on a single food item: the cheesesteak. A good cheesesteak doesn’t have lettuce, tomato and mayo (sorry, Los Angeles). It doesn’t have sautéed peppers (good try, Albany). And nothing made me angrier than Park City offering up a “Philly Cheesesteak” that came with marinara sauce.

A good cheesesteak requires only four ingredients: a bun, some steak, a bit of cheese and fried onions. So, when you’re crafting such a simple dish, it’s imperative each ingredient’s handled perfectly, and that’s exactly what Benny’s Pizza does. Their rolls are delivered fresh daily. They’re soft and delicious. And, there’s not a bit of gristle to the meat. It’s all perfectly cooked, tender beef that’s juicy, not dry. The friend who accompanied me on this tasting once worked as a cook at a West Chester-area pizza shop. Both the shop and my friend will remain nameless because of the quote I’m about to attribute to him: “I was a line cook who primarily made cheesesteaks every day for a year, and I don’t think I ever made one this good.” That’s some high praise.

Of course, I’ll have to admit some of that may be hyperbole inspired by the fact that it was a Monday following a particularly long weekend for our whole crew. We were starving, and we wanted good, classic, comfort food that was delicious, regardless of the calorie count.

That’s how we found ourselves among the crowd at Benny’s Pizza.

Every time I’ve been in Benny’s it’s been full of police offers, sheriff’s deputies, students filtering out of St. Agnes, and business people in need of a soda and a slice. And, every time I bump into Joe Inzone and his brother Sal, the owners of Benny’s, they’ve always got an idea for a new community fundraiser they want to run by me. They say Benny’s has been this way since the shop opened in 1959.

There’s another thing they assure me hasn’t changed in 54 years: their Stromboli. Made with ham, cappocollo, cooked salami and American cheese, their Stromboli was exactly what we were craving.

What makes it stand out? According to Joe, it’s the flour they use in the dough–it stays fluffy and crisp like a good loaf of bread, rather than going soft and limp. But while the crispy crust was a major selling point for me, I was most impressed with the thick chunks of meat that filled that crust, rather than the thin slices you’ll find most places.

How different is it from what you’ll find elsewhere? Well, Joe tell’s a story about a customer from New York who purchased a Benny’s Stromboli to go, then asked his pizza shop back home to recreate it.

They couldn’t do it. That’s how original their ’boli is.

I finished off the meal with a cannoli and left feeling bloated but gloriously happy. Heck, for the past six months I’ve had nothing but Herbalife meal replacement shakes for lunch, and I can think of no better way to cheat on that diet.

I’m no foodie–just the guy filling in this month. All I’m doing is lending my two cents on a topic I have a small bit of experience with. But, if there’s anyone else out there who is travelling the country making broad judgments about locales based on inane standards like mine, I hope they drop by Benny’s when they visit West Chester. dan@thewcpress.com

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

in early september,

I made a trip to Thornbury Farm, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organization located in Chester County’s Thornbury Township.

As I drove down New Street towards the farm, owner Randall Spackman gave me directions over the phone. “Make a right in the driveway,” he instructed, “and you’ll see a tractor with eyes.” I turned to my passenger, and we both gave each other a look that undoubtedly said, “Did he really just say tractor with eyes?” Our question was answered soon enough; when we pulled up to the farm, we were greeted by none other than TowMater from Pixar’s Cars. Spackman created the piece by refurbishing an old tractor. “This is what farmers do in the winter,” Spackman joked.

I quickly learned, however, that for Spackman, creative projects aren’t confined to the off-season. His energy and ingenuity stem from a deep connection to Thornbury Farm. The property was purchased by his family nearly 75 years ago. Although they rented out the main house and barn for a period of time after the death of Spackman’s grandfather in 1969, Spackman spent enough time on the farm in his youth for it to make an impression on him. He now lives in Thornbury Farm’s main house and directs his passion towards making his home an exciting destination for all West Chester residents. story

Molly Herbison

photos

Luke Darigan OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

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“

Make a right in the driveway, and you’ll see a tractor with eyes.

Now that fall is in full swing, the farm’s obvious appeal lies in its produce. As a CSA, Thornbury Farm offers full and half memberships for the harvest season. Each week (or bi-weekly for those with half memberships), members flock to the farm to pick up their allotment of produce. A tour of the crops, led by Spackman and his three year-old daughter, revealed some of the treats members can expect to receive this fall: broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, and celery. Of course, typical autumn fare like pumpkins and squash can be added to that list, along with numerous herbs and flowers–what Spackman calls the “Martha Stewart section.”

As a small-scale, family-run farm, Thornbury depends on memberships for stability. The revenue from memberships ensures that Spackman has the funds to continue planting and maintaining crops. When the farm does well, members do well.

Additionally, memberships come with certain perks: discounts for Thornbury Farm’s events and classes, and discounts for stores

”

and restaurants that use Thornbury Farm products. Such establishments include Brandywine Prime and Shoo Mama’s Farm Fresh Café.

While memberships are an important aspect of CSAs, Thornbury Farm offers other ways for the public to get a piece of the action. The Farm Market, open year-round on Saturdays from 11-4, offers up the surplus crops that have not already been distributed to members.

Spackman realizes people are used to going elsewhere for produce. “We are out of the way, and that’s the problem. Everybody can get everything at Giant and Acme.” But, one of the pluses of supporting local farms like Thornbury is the incomparable quality. Produce from supermarkets often travels thousands of miles to our tables, losing freshness and taste along the way. Conversely, the four miles I travelled from the borough to Thornbury Farm led me to some of the best-looking produce I’d ever seen. What’s more, the trip allowed me to put friendly faces to the people

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

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who grow my food–a unique experience that just can’t be found in the aisles of the supermarket.

The Farm Market gains further appeal by offering local honey, candies, soaps, jellies, milk, cheese and countless other distinctive products. Spackman is testing out Friday hours during the fall season so visitors have more chances to check out the Market.

Children tagging along with their parents can visit Thornbury’s collection of animals. “Moolinda,” a recent addition to the farm, is a calf the Spackman family has been “walking like a dog” so she will become comfortable around humans.

Moolinda is joined by her many other animal friends, making Thornbury Farm an adventure for both the young and the young at heart.

So, Spackman’s gotten us out of Acme and onto the farm. We’re wowed by the abundance of fresh produce, the adorable farm animals, and the local Farm Market.

But why should we go to Thornbury instead of a more corporate farming enterprise?

For starters, Thornbury Farm is located on the site of the Battle of Brandywine.

Tours of the battlefield reveal just how significant Spackman’s patch of land was to the Revolutionary War. The tours, led by Spackman himself, are offered to groups of school students or casual history buffs.

Professionals have spent countless hours mapping the property with radar, determining facts otherwise left out of history books. The tours create what Spackman says is “almost like a Battlefield CSI” for intrigued visitors.

The battlefield becomes an especially

But forget ghosts and spirits–what’s truly scary is the immense amount of work that goes into running all of the programs Thornbury offers.

chilling component of the farm as Halloween approaches. A 1980 study by Duke University’s Parapsychology Laboratory revealed nine separate “identities” on Thornbury Farm; some were said to be spirits of soldiers killed in battle, while others are spirits of the farm’s original residents.

In 2009, Duke’s claims were put to the test when Thornbury Farm was featured on the Season 5 opener of SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters.” Spackman hosted the episode, taking viewers on a tour of the property.

The experience was thrilling for Spackman, who has experienced the farm’s unexplainable phenomena throughout most of his life. He and his family have noticed light switches flicking on and off, and objects moving of their own accord. The Spackman’s share this ghostly wealth during the month of October by giving ghost hunting tours and hosting classes about the spirit world.

But forget ghosts and spirits. What’s truly scary is the immense amount of work that goes into running all of the programs Thornbury offers. Spackman relies on a full-time staff of just three people to take care of farming and market operations. The farm can’t support Spackman’s family on its own, and he reports the paradox that he and many other small farmers face: “I have to hire people to manage the farm, so that I can do my [landscaping] business to make money to run the farm.”

It’s a complicated system that ultimately relies on volunteers and interns. “People think we want interns to come out and pull weeds,” Spackman explains. “But it’s much more than that.” The farm’s diverse attractions allow for a greater range of jobs that volunteers and interns perform. People interested in education can teach history classes or bread-making classes, while those interested in communications can film videos and work on the farm’s website. Without these volunteers, the farm can’t survive. If only those darn ghosts were able to pull weeds…

Despite its obstacles, Thornbury Farm appears to be in good hands with Spackman. His unique approach to farming emphasizes community by bringing people together to enjoy the unique history, culture, and bounty of Chester County. As the farm prospers, so too does West Chester. All we have to do to help it is head on down to Thornbury and check it out. Just look for the tractor with eyes. WCP

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

Beyond Books & Booze Clare Haggerty is a WCU student who knows there’s much more to West Chester than drinking and studying For some reason, Halloween costumes are as important to college students as they are to elementary schoolers. Before coming to college, the last costume I can remember putting effort into was during seventh grade. My friends and I wore costumes to school on Halloween my senior year of high school to be silly, but I stopped going out in costume when I stopped collecting candy for doing so.

But during my freshman year, when I wasn’t prepared with a costume, my friends were horrified. “But what are you going to wear to the Halloween parties?” they asked incredulously.

I ended up buying a costume in a bag–a scarecrow, to be exact– but I was surprised when I realized how short a hemline and how lowcut a neckline it had, because the photo on the bag didn’t do it justice.

It covered a lot more of the model’s skin than mine; clearly, she was significantly shorter. However, my friends and I were still some of the most modestly dressed girls at any party we attended.

I see more skin on the weekends surrounding Halloween than the average beach-goer sees on a 100-degree day in August. And, with Halloween falling on a Wednesday last year, the parties raged from the previous Thursday (when college students start their weekend), straight through the first weekend in November. Over the course of that extravaganza, it seemed like I saw every barely-there costume on the market. There were hula girls wearing bikinis and grass skirts, prep school girls in midriff-baring shirts, naughty nurses in skintight dresses, and some costumes that looked like they belonged in a Victoria’s Secret catalogue.

Boys, on the other hand, either didn’t dress up at all or they were things like “baseball players,” which constituted adding a hat to a regular outfit, or “football players,” which meant wearing a jersey instead of a t-shirt. There were some boys who were in full costume, but they were few and far between.

But not everyone uses Halloween as an excuse to show a lot of skin–plenty of us put a lot of effort into our outfits. Last year, I was Posh Spice. A group of my friends and I dressed up together to create the Spice Girls, and when we made an appearance at parties, we would all yell “Spice up your life!” as a way of announcing ourselves. We had agreed to these costumes weeks in advance so we could adequately prepare. But even though I put a lot of thought into my costume, one wasn’t enough. After wearing our Spice Girl get-ups on Friday, my friends and I dressed like the Powerpuff Girls on Saturday–which is completely absurd when I think about it. Did it really matter if we wore the same outfits two days in a row?

Dressing up for Halloween has regained some of the fun that it lost when I stopped trick-or-treating. While I admit that some costumes can get too skimpy for my taste, finding a costume is a lot of fun, especially if you do it with friends. But it you’re looking for me on All Hallow's Eve, you’ll have to start your search early, because no matter what costume I’m wearing on Thursday night, I have classes to worry about the next day. chaggerty@thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

Children In Tow Jennifer Ozgur is a mother, wife and teacher who still finds time to get out and about with the family The word “harvest” fills my mind with images of Indian corn (can I still call it that in today’s PC world?), cornucopias, pumpkin picking, and hayrides. I hear multicolored leaves crunch under my feet as I imagine raking the yard while wearing a cozy sweater. I smell spiced cider and feel the first frosty nip in the air after the hazy days of summer have passed.

All those associations leave me feeling wistful and nostalgic.

Maybe it’s recalling the details of my plastic (and highly flammable!) Wonder Woman Halloween costume from the ’70s or the shortening of daylight, but I can’t help but feel a little sentimental this time of year. There’s a touch of loss that comes along with that emotion. A twinge of grieving for what has gone. This year, it hit me a bit harder than usual.

This will be my second autumn since moving out of the borough, and I feel it. This time last year, I was engrossed with my newborn; this fall, however, my son magically transformed into a giant nerve ending that craves outings in his stroller. While I am happy where I currently live, I dearly miss the ability to walk out my front door, turn the corner onto Walnut Street and be just a five minute walk from the center of town.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but there are times when I’m behind the wheel running errands and I make a last minute change to my route so I can check out the scene on Gay, Market and High Streets. I actually hope I get stuck at a red light for a few extra moments of sightseeing in my own zip code. I always take note of the banners to keep abreast of the upcoming 5Ks and festivals, and I longingly gaze at the couples dining al fresco as I pass an animal cracker to my son in his car seat.

Sometimes, my daughter will be along and she’ll ask if we can drive by the old house. If we’ve got the time, I’ll usually oblige. She and I make a few comments about the college kids walking down the streets (“Mommy! That girl should be wearing a sweater; she looks cold!") We check to see if our rain barrel is still there (it is) and if our old neighbor is sitting on her porch so we can slow down to honk and wave. But the past few times, she wasn’t out.

I found out a few weeks ago that she died in May. She was in her 80s and cranky as the day is long, but she also had an unmistakable laugh and loved spirited conversation. She’d reminisce about the times when the young co-eds used to walk up from the train station to go to class wearing coats and ties and dress shoes.

She taught me that hobos had a system to mark houses on our street so they knew which ones paid for day laborers in food or cash. She’d complain about the police, but also listened to their radio. She was a unique individual, and I will miss her.

“To harvest” means to acknowledge the end of a cycle. Almost twenty years in the borough, and I’ve stumbled upon mine. Time to reap. jozgur@thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

photos and story Jesse Piersol

It’s a perfect Tuesday in September. Fat orange pumpkins dot the roadsides and suburban yards on the outskirts of town. Overhead is an expanse of brilliant blue sky that makes a person quite sure that Chester County is the most exquisite place on earth.

Highland Orchards Fall Festival It’s a perfect Tuesday in September. Fat orange pumpkins dot the roadsides and suburban yards on the outskirts of town. Overhead, an expanse of brilliant blue sky makes a person quite sure that Chester County is the most exquisite place on earth.

Art Whitehair, Events Coordinator for Highland Orchards, agrees with my opinion. “Folks on the shuttle get to ride through the rolling hills of Chester County, and it’s beautiful here. We get lots of people who come out from the city just for that experience.”

Every weekend from mid-September through the end of October, the shuttles run nonstop, ferrying apple and pumpkin pickers through the 300 acres of Highland’s property. By late September, the cornstalks that reach seven feet tall, row after row

swaying in the afternoon breeze, will have transformed into decorations for Highland’s annual Fall Festival.

On this Tuesday, Whitehair and I bounce along the dirt roads that wind through the orchard in one of Highland’s four green diesel-driven shuttles, but the festival’s roots go back 20 years, to when a single 1951 International model transported families from the surrounding cities and suburbs through the bucolic magic of Highland’s countryside. Originally started as an apple extravaganza to celebrate the fall pick-your-own season, the festival has expanded over the years to include a unique collection of other harvest-themed activities enjoyed by thousands of participants every weekend.

A popular attraction is the build-your-own-scarecrow event,

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

If you go...

Highland Orchards Fall Festival

Where:

Highland Orchards 1000 Marshallton-Thorndale Road, West Chester, PA 19380

When:

Weekends September 14 through the end of October. Shuttle rides out to the pick-your-own fields: 9-5 on Saturday, 10-5 on Sunday. Kid Korral and Daytime Hayrides: 12-5 Saturday/Sunday

What:

Hayrides, apple and pumpkin-picking, giant inflatable apple, wooden cow milking, scarecrow-building, three little pig

OT

?

WH WH ?

For more info: www.highlandorchards.net

HIGHLAND ORCHARDS FALL FESTIVAL

WHAT?

Back out in the fields, a mom and three towheaded kids pick the last remnants of summer from the red raspberry bushes, making way for the bounty of the upcoming harvest.

gine. “Mutsu is becoming more popular, too.” For pear fans, the Bartlett variety becomes available by the first or second week of the festival.

The addition of the new fleet of diesel shuttles isn’t the only change that Highland has seen during its lifetime. One of the most dramatic shifts that Whitehair has noticed is the difference in the way people relate to the pick-your-own movement.

“People used to pick tremendous amounts of apples for canning. Now, you can buy that produce all year around, so people don’t need to preserve as much.”

Even without the demand of mass canning, the orchard and its resident market bustle with customers looking for locally grown produce. “We sell to grocery stores like Giant and Wegman’s. People seek out local products today, and the ability of those stores to offer our produce has helped people make that choice,” he explains.

The orchard tours are busier than ever, too, with families coming out to participate in this quintessential autumn experience. “The shuttles have been a big improvement over our old wagons, where only one person could get off at a time. It’s a lot faster now to move people around,” he says. Indeed, on the busy festival weekends, the shuttles maintain order in the orchard by relieving customers of the need to drive their own cars out to the picking areas.

Our shuttle rattles, squeaks, and bangs with just the two of us sitting in the front, but Whitehair assures me the ride becomes quieter when it is filled to its 50-person capacity. Another way that Highland Orchards keeps its business at capacity is through community outreach. In one of the fields, he stops the shuttle to point to a grove of small trees with filmy white sheets tied around the trunks. “We have ‘growing tours,’ where school groups come help out around the orchard,” he tells me. The filmy 

IF YOU GO:

where individuals or families receive a shirt, straw, pants, string, and pantyhose, along with a place to assemble their harvest-season mascot. A giant inflatable apple offers kids (“and adults, if they behave themselves,” chuckles Whitehair) the chance to bounce off some energy. Hayrides through the orchard are a staple for families and couples alike.

Highland also offers a “silvery moon hayride” on Friday and Saturday nights, where participants weave through the moonlit orchards and then enjoy hot apple cider by the campfire afterwards. “We started the silvery moon hayride last year, after a couple of slow years, and it took off,” says Whitehair. “People really enjoyed it, and we also offer groups the opportunity to rent a private wagon for a longer tour and campfire evening.” In fact, the silvery moon hayride is Whitehair’s favorite event. He cites the appeal of a quieter, peaceful tour of the orchard with mostly families and young couples in attendance. “They come more in October than September, when there is the crisp chill in the air.”

Apples, however, remain the central focus of the festival, and a cornerstone of Highland’s offerings. “The most popular varieties are Fuji and Granny Smith,” asserts Whitehair over the din of the shuttle’s en-

bell striker, giant worm hole, farm animals and Silvery Moon Hayrides (Friday and Saturday evenings)

Cost:

Daytime Hayrides: $4 Kid Korral: $3 for kids (free for adults)

More Info:

highlandorchards.net

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

If you go...

EAST GOSHEN Pumpkin festival

Where:

East Goshen Township Park 1661 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380

When:

Saturday, October 19, 10am-1pm Rain Date: Sunday, October 20

What:

OT

?

WH WH ?

WHAT?

For more info: www.highlandorchards.net

For Director of Recreation Frank Vattilano, East Goshen’s Pumpkin Festival is far more than just the culmination of a fun day in the park with hayrides, miniature train rides, and the election of the Pumpkin Queen. “It fills the need for that sense

HIGHLAND ORCHARDS FALL FESTIVAL

East Goshen Pumpkin Festival

of community spirit. People rub elbows with their neighbors, and feel fortunate to live in this community together.” He clasps his hands and steeples his index fingers in front of his face, eyes closed. “We want kids to get away from the video games and get dew on their shoes. Experience life.”

With record attendance of around 1,500 participants in the last few years, it seems that the festival is fulfilling Vattilano’s vision, attracting families from East Goshen and the surrounding communities. New this year are pony rides and a petting zoo, which join perpetual favorites such as face painting and a hay amphitheater, all hosted in East Goshen Township Park on October 19.

Proud to showcase the members of the community as well, he notes that in previous years, “there wasn’t one piece of litter on the ground at the end of the evening.

These people in our community are conscious of that.” He is passionate that participants enjoy an “unstructured day to be together.”

Vattilano tells me a story about a young girl who was at the zoo with her mother, standing in front of the slow-moving Galápagos tortoise. “The little girl asked her mother why the zoo needed a real tortoise that just sort of moved around slowly like that,” Vattilano relates. “She thought a robotic version would be an improvement over the real thing.”

To Vattilano, the value of the “real thing,” whether it be the tortoise or a community event like the Pumpkin Festival, is “to remind everyone to feel lucky to be together. Feel that sense of community. We’re happy to show off East Goshen. Everybody is welcome.”

Indeed, whether it is square dancing in the hay at East Goshen’s Pumpkin Festival, or a shuttle ride through the fields of Highland Orchards to pluck apples off a tree, West Chester’s harvest season teems with life and community spirit. WCP

IF YOU GO:

cloth pieces are fabric softener sheets, the scent of which deters deer from munching on the young bark. “Kids on the growing tour tied those on for us. They had fun doing it, and it really saved the trees.”

During the week, school and other community groups can also do tours of the orchard, where they go on a hayride, pick apples for themselves and a pumpkin for the group, and then learn how to make apple cider. The program culminates with participants using the apple press to extract the juice from their freshly picked apples.

In addition to school students, the program is popular with assisted living facilities and even office workers. Afterwards, everyone gets cider and a donut.

Which brings us to the apple cider donuts. Recipient of a “Best in Philly” award

by Philadelphia Magazine, the sugar and cinnamon-coated treats keep the bakery workers, including 24-year veteran Shirley Moore, busy during festival weekends. “People line up out the door,” says Moore. “I make hundreds of dozens on a festival day.” As famous as the donuts are, Highland’s apple pies command almost as much local attention. Longtime customer (and now employee) Judy Brandenberger dreamily recites the four varieties: apple, apple crumb, apple caramel walnut, and apple cranberry. “The icing on top of the apple cranberry is the best, though.”

Back out in the fields, a mom and three tow-headed kids pick the last remnants of summer from the red raspberry bushes, making way for the bounty of the upcoming harvest season.

Cost: Free!

More Info:

eastgoshen.org

Petting zoo, Pumpkin Queen, dancing, hay amphitheater, trackless train rides, face painting and hay rides

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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FESTIVAL OF GARDENS

9.7

The annual Barclay Friends’ Festival of Gardens is a West Chester garden tour held each September that features the private gardens of the residents of West Chester Borough photos Annie Tennyson

Christy Maurer

Bethany Morley, Lauren Earle

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the wc press | voice of the borough

Carolyn Lea, Tracy Lea-Dorsey

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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CHESTER COUNTY ART ASSOCIATION GALA

The Chester County Art Association hosted a cocktail fundraiser to kick off their Invitational Exhibition in which around 70 artists were selected by a small arts committee and invited to take part photos by Rachel Crew

Jackie, Liz , Heather

Joseph Riper, Kathi Cozzone, Jim Lennon

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the wc press | voice of the borough

Chris and Mary-Ellen Allen, Erin and Mike Reese

Phyllis and David Moser

9.7

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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CHESCO RESTAURANT FESTIVAL

9.15

Traffic shut down and Market and Gay Streets filled with food vendors, live music and good times as the whole county (and beyond) poured into the borough photos by Rachel Crew

Mike Katzmire

The Lumineers

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the wc press | voice of the borough

Family owned and operated for 57 years!

703 East Gay Street | 610-696-4678

fan the st try r e o mu hak u li ks in yo n M pk pki Pum m g u ium a P rythin y em range e o r j ! v P n d e zar e e ve our l O om ou lo bliz ry rigina ight t C e e w ! y om the O s in ith son d. If ng ne C a e e i ! r s z a lius and com ed w a. the izz ma or ie bl our a nge Ju thies lend boost anan f b o b a ack n P Or t smo Each an be and start s b mpki g i r n h c . i ies r u ie ig d de offe ies, L blen rs and pow mooth 170 n P the P i k w t s p e, No ooth Juliu flavo rotein ight s at jus ories!

Pum avorit L p sm f cal

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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Guess the Hero

All the cool kids will be dressed as super heroes this Halloween, but are you cool enough to name all 15?

Email your answers to contests@thewcpress.com

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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the wc press | voice of the borough

We are proud to offer up a print version of everyone’s favorite bar game... and you won’t have to pay 50 cents. You can actually WIN money.

Compare the two photos at right.

They may look the same, but there are seven subtle differences between the two.

Find those seven differences and identify the items that have been changed. Then send an email to contests@thewcpress.com listing those items. You’ll be entered to win a $25 gift card to a local business.

Winners will be chosen at random, and their name will be posted to Facebook along with the solution at the end of the month. So make sure to like us and follow along if you want to play. Enjoy!

Can you spot the seven changes to this photo of a classic Pennsylvania harvest?

Facebook.com/thewcpress

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OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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playhard. sleepwell.

Best Steak House In West Chester Live Music on Weekends, Patio Dining Fabulous Martinis, Seasonal Menu

125 W Market Street West Chester, PA 484.760.6100  PietrosPrime.com pietrosprime.com/facebook

Talk to your neighbors, then talk to me.

Nancy Ellis, Agent 1515 West Chester Pike West Chester, PA 19382 Bus: 610-692-4398 nancy@nancyellis.net

1001174.1

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See why State Farm® insures more drivers than GEICO and Progressive combined. Great service, plus discounts of up to 40 percent.* Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® CALL FOR QUOTE 24/7.

*Discounts vary by states.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL

the wc press | voice of the borough

west chester

300 E. Marshall Street West Chester, PA 19380 610-793-3300

east goshen

1323 W. Chester Pike West Chester, PA 19382 610-696-6600

yourMetropolitan.com

The Country Mix DJ Romeo curates a country playlist with the help of his free-spirited brother-in-law Andy Hunger When I hear the word “harvest,” I think farms. Farms make me think of cows, horses and cowboys.

Cowboys remind me of my brother– in–law Andrew Hunger–he actually wore a cowboy hat the day he married my sister. Andy’s a firefighter today, but I’m convinced that, had he lived during the Reconstruction Era, he’d have roamed the Wild West with his Colt revolver and a ten–gallon hat.

Personally I’m no advocate of country music, but my yee– hawing brother-in-law certainly is. Whenever he’s anywhere with a microphone, he jumps on stage to croon a country tune. The following is the list Andy’s most–likely to sing...

142 e MArKet st | theNOtewc.cOM

OctOBer cALeNDAr 1

DOORS 7PM | 18+

GHOST TOWN

LONG MILES

HER BRIGHT SKIES, OH NO FIASCO

CHEEZY & THE CRACKERS

4

5

DOORS 5:30PM | ALL AGES

DOORS 6PM | ALL AGES

A LOSS FOR WORDS JONNY CRAIG HAND GUNS, MAJOR LEAGUE, THE SHED 7

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Andy sings a duet of “Pretty Good at Drinking Beer” on his wedding day with his father Bud Billy Currington – “Pretty Good at Drinking Beer” Luke Bryan – “Country Girl (Shake it for Me)” Toby Keith – “Drinks After Work” Old Medicine Crow – “Wagon Wheel” Darius Rucker – “I Don’t Care” Zac Brown Band – “Chicken Fried” George Straight – “Give it All We Got” Jason Aldean – “Big Green Tractor” Kip Moore – “Up All Night” Taylor Swift – “Love Story” Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue” Robert Earl Kean – “Walkin’ Cane” Little Big Town – “Pontoon” Kenny Cheney – “Beer in Mexico” Brooks and dunn – “My Maria” Eric Church – “Springsteen” Dierks Bentley – “Am I the Only One” Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl” Kenny Cheney – “Pirate Flag” Garth Brooks – “Beer Run” Blake Shelton – “Some Beach” Luke Bryan – “That’s My Kind of Party” Florida Georgia Line – “Cruise” Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffet – “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” Toby Keith ft Willie Nelson – “Beer for My Horses” Romeo@thewcpress.com

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DOORS 6PM | ALL AGES

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WILLIAM BECKETT, KYLE LUCAS 10

DOORS 7PM | 18+

DOORS 7PM | ALL AGES

LOCAL H

DIZZY WRIGHT

MONKEY PAW, ALRIGHT JUNIOR

EMILIO ROJAS, MARCUS MOODY, C4

FREEWAY

DOORS 8PM | 18+ PERFORMING WITH

GROUND UP

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DOORS 8PM | 18+

DOORS 7PM | ALL AGES

BLOCKHEAD

SAINT VITUS

LITTLE PEOPLE

PALLBEARER, THE HOOKERS 19

DOORS 8PM | 21+

DOORS 6PM | ALL AGES

EXILE PARADE STRAY FROM THE PATH BACKTRACK, GIDEON, RESCUER

THE NOVOCAINES, THE COPPER GAMINS 20

22 DOORS 7PM

SENSES FAIL

LIL DEBBIE 23

FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS, EXPIRE 24

DOORS 7PM | 18+

WILD LIGHT, DJ VADIM 26

DOORS 7PM | ALL AGES

DOORS 7PM | 18+

BALLYHOO! & PASSAFIRE

THE POLISH AMBASSADOR 25

DOORS 6PM | ALL AGES

DOORS 8PM | 21+

MY NAME IS DREW

NINE DAYS

JONAS SEES IN COLOR, NOBODY YET

LIKE CRAZY

30

DOORS 7PM | ALL AGES

HUEY MACK KURT, DJ COUTURE

NOVEMBER 1 DOORS 8PM | 21+

DADA OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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A P S Z SINCE 1948

BEVERAGE A West Chester Tradition Locally owned and operated since 1948, Spaz Beverage has been providing Chester and Delaware Counties with a great selection of imported, specialty and domestic beer. We also offer a variety of soda, mixers, spring water, mineral water and non-alcoholic beer.

ICE, LOTTERY, CIGARS, CO2 TANKS, PROPANE, GIFT CARDS

ChECK OuT OuR CRAFT BEER SELECTION

HOURS:

Mon-Thurs 8:30am-9pm Fri & Sat 8:30am-10pm Sunday press | voice of10am-6pm the borough 62 the wc

LOCATION:

1015 West Chester Pike (610) 696-6320 www.spazbeverage.com

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DAY

Chester County HOUSE TOUR

A tour of Chester County’s most beautiful homes, exquisite gardens and historical landmarks.

ALWAYS THE FIRST SATURDAY IN OCTOBER

October 5, 2013 The 2013 house tour will feature homes in the northwestern section of Chester County.

Tickets may be purchased online @ www.chestercountyhospital.org.

More information @ 610-431-5301.

OCTOBER 2013 | thewcpress.com

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