Parkesburg Resident Named Coach Of The Year

Coach Gene Lambert

Kudos to Parkesburg native and current resident Gene Lambert for being named 'Coach of the Year' by Chester County's The Daily Local.

Lambert led Octorara's boys basketball team to a 23-6 record and a run at a state championship all the way to the quarterfinal round of the Class AAA PIAA playoffs before losing to eventual state champion, Neumman-Goretti.

The money quote from the Daily Local News article below:

Lambert is quick to point out that the Braves' success is a team effort and he did not deserve all the praise for this season's triumphs.

"Without my assistants there is no me," Lambert said. "Jason Ralston, Chris Henly, Kendell Dixon and Jim Kaufmann all did a great job preparing the kids. I cannot say enough about them, and they all played at Ocotara at one time or another. We worked together as a team." 

 Here's the article:

Lambert guides Braves to lofty heights

By PETER DiGIOVANNI, Staff Writer
 
To be a successful coach at any level, one must stay the course and be confident and cool during the lean times and not let his players feel any extra pressure. It takes someone who is focused on the long term goal and strong enough to believe his group is heade in the right direction.

Octorara boys basketball had some losing seasons during the early 2000's but the Braves talented coach, Gene Lambert, kept building the program, encouraging his players and telling them that better days are ahead. Well, those better days came in the 2010-11 season.

This season Octorara finished with a 23-6 mark, captured the Class AAA District 1 championship and advanced all the way to the quarterfinal round of the Class AAA PIAA playoffs before losing to eventual state champion, Neumman-Goretti.

It is for building the Braves program into one of the better ones in District 1 and leading Octorara to its best season ever that Gene Lambert is the Daily Local News Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

"Gene did a great job with his kids and to win a district title at any level is a great thing," Rustin coach Keith Cochran said. "His kids played hard every game and that is a sign that he had them ready to play."

Lambert is quick to point out that the Braves' success is a team effort and he did not deserve all the praise for this season's triumphs.

Read the entire article here.

Parkesburg Baptist Celebrates 125 Years This Weekend

This from Saturday's Daily Local News:

This weekend, the Parkesburg Baptist Church will mark a significant milestone in its history. On May 2, 1846, the church began as a mission of the Glen Run Baptist Church of Penningtonville and on May 1, 1886 gained its independence as a member of the North Philadelphia Baptist Association.

On Saturday, the celebration will begin with a 125th anniversary dinner at the church's Crane Fellowship Hall, which 220 will be attending. The hall was named for the Rev. Foster G. Crane, pastor of the church from 1949 to 1984. A service on Sunday will honor the church's 50-year members.

Read the entire article and watch a video of Rev. Robert Coats describing this weekend's planned celebration here.

Visit Parkesburg Baptist home page here.

Parkesburg Library News

Parkesburg Book is here! - Bruce Mowday’s book (pictured above) uses 225 early 20^th century photos, most from the library’s collection, to tell Parkesburg’s history.  Buy a copy at the library!

Fund Raiser!  Funding is greatly reduced. Please help so we can provide the materials & services you appreciate. Goal: $35,000 to make up the loss.  $11,002 raised so far.

Homeschoolers!  Sign up for one on one training on how to find items in the library.

Book Sale – Saturday, May 14, 8:30-3:30, in park next to library.  Rain date is May 21.

Story Time!  Ages 3 to 4, Thursdays, 1:00-1:30, May 5, 12, 19, 26.  Please register.

Golf Outing – Monday, June 20, 11:30 at Tanglewood.  $90 Fee includes lunch, dinner, carts, greens fees, prizes.  Benefits the library.  Call Linda Jones, 610-857-4339 or the library.

PAWS for Reading – Kids read to a friendly dog!  Improves reading skill.  It’s fun!   Sign up for a 15 minute session.  Every Tuesday 5:00-6:00.  These Thursdays 6:00-7:00: May 5 & 19.

Music with Miss Sue – Miss Sue leads her class with guitar, kids sing and dance.  Friday, May 13^th, 9:30-10:45.  $3 per child/$6 per family, infants under 6 months free.  Register at library.

Play & Learn: Parent-Child Workshop – (Formerly “Family Place.”)  Ages 12 – 36 months. Wednesdays, 9:30 – 10:45, May 4th thru 25^th.   All children must be registered.

American Girl Club – New girls & dolls welcome!  2^nd Monday each month, 4:00-5:00.  Next meeting, May 9^th, is the last until September. 

Poetry Group!  Read & discuss poetry.  Meets every third Saturday at 10:00 in Westminster Place Community Room, 320 West 1^st Ave., Parkesburg.  Call Jeffrey Bullock, 484-321-1630, for more info.

Science in the Summer – Bioscience.  July 11-14.  More information at the library.

Summer Reading Program  - starts June 20^th.

Knitting Group – 2^nd & 4^th Mondays, 6:30-7:45, beginner or advanced, any hand work.

Special Computers for Kids - We have 2 computers for kids 2-8 years old.  These PCs have easy to use games that help with spelling, reading, math, writing and typing.

Tumblebook Library is an online collection of TumbleBooks - animated talking picture books that teach kids the joy of reading!  Go to www.ccls.org, once there click on TUMBLEBOOK LIBRARY.

Learn Microsoft Office and Other Programs Online!

Go to www.ccls.org, Databases, I to P Online Databases, Learning Express Library.

Library Board Meetings: 4^th Monday of the month (except July, Aug. & Dec.), 7:00 pm, Parkesburg Borough Hall.

105 West St., Parkesburg PA, 610-857-5165  www.ccls.org

Hours: Monday-Thursday: 12:00-8:00, Friday: 12:00-6:00, Saturday: 9:00-4:00 (10:00-2:00 July & Aug.)

Parkesburg Lions Club Bingo Night

The Parkesburg Lions Club will be holding its annual Basket Bingo Saturday, May 14, 2011, at 7 p.m. at the Octorara Primary Learning Center. 

Both Longaberger Basket and Celebrating Homes products are being featured. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with an Early Bird Game at 6:45 p.m. for Advance Ticket Holders Only. Raffles and door prizes will be awarded, and refreshments available.  

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased from any Club member or reserved by calling 484-288-0809 or emailing Jill Scott at cats3j@comcast.net. 

All proceeds benefit the community through scholarships to Octorara students and support of local charities, including the Chester County Association for the Blind, the Parkesburg Library, Parkesburg Fire Company, and Canine Partners for Life, among others.

Octorara Alumni Stages Major League Comeback

Giants' Vogelsong beats Pirates 5-2

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- After almost five years of playing in Japan, Salt Lake, Lehigh Valley and other spots, simply being announced as a starting pitcher in the majors once again was quite the thrill for Ryan Vogelsong .

"It was a sense of accomplishment for me before the first pitch had even started," he said. "I was fighting it a little bit not to find myself getting too relaxed, you know?"

He settled in just fine.

Vogelsong won while making his first big league start in almost seven years, pitching effectively into the sixth inning against his former team and leading the San Francisco Giants over the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 Thursday.

"Thousands of times," Vogelsong said, "I wondered if i was ever going to pitch in the big leagues again, let alone get a chance to be a starter again and win a game."

Vogelsong (1-0) made his first start since Sept. 29, 2004, when he was with Pittsburgh. He spent three seasons in Japan after last appearing in a game for the Pirates in June 2006, then spent last season playing for the Triple-A teams of the Philadelphia ... (read the entire article here)

And Ryan's very own Wikipedia page here.

1/2 Priced Philadelphia Union Tickets

Alex Carrington, a friend of the Octorara Soccer Club and an intern with the The Philadelphia Union soccer team, is having a competition to see who can sell the most tickets for their April 30th game against San Jose.

Tickets are half price. If you haven't been to a game it is a lot of fun and there are no bad seats.  

If you are interested contact Alex Carrington directly.  Alex's contact information can be found at the bottom of the flier above.

Parkesburg Yesterday

Click to enlarge

Recognize the intersection in this grainy 1968 photograph?

If you do, count yourself as an old timer!

The 30 East and West sign on the right side of the picture give the location of the intersection away as the Route 10 and 30 crossroads where Walmart, Wawa, Verizon and of course Hershey Motors sell their wares.

Imagine getting through that intersection today with only a Stop sign controlling traffic!

It was no better in 1968 when this picture appeared in the Post Ledger.

Just like today, longtime Parkesburg residents can remember countless accidents, fender benders and fatalities where these two busy roads cross.

As much as things change, they remain the same don't they.

Thanks to Gerry Treadway for the newspaper clipping.

March 2011 bi-Monthly Bills

As reviewed and approved by Borough Council at last week's meeting.

Click to enlarge

Note: Redacted payees are names of Borough employees who received healthcare reimbursements.

March 2011 Fire Report

Click to enlarge

As reported by Fire Chief Richie Klinger at last week's Borough Council Meeting.

March 2011 Ambulance Report

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As reported by Fire Chief Richie Klinger at last week's Borough Council meeting.

New Emergency Generator Installed Behind Borough Hall

The new diesel powered generator behind Parkesburg's borough hall provides the Borough's police headquarters, government and the district court with electrical power and climate control in an emergency.

The $60,000 CAT generator, paid for by the Borough with help from a $30,000 grant from Pennsylvania's Community and Economic Development Agency, has capacity to power the entire building at 315 First Avenue for up to 24 hours.

With the generator in place the police department can now remain open and in full operations even in the event of a prolonged power outage.

Additionally, borough residents with special medical needs can now come to borough hall to 'plug-in' whenever a power outage leaves them without electricity to power required medical equipment.

Octorara Senior Places First in State Occupational Health Competition

Pictured (from left to right) is Rachael Mendenhall, Octorara High School senior, and Stephanie Holcomb, Avon Grove High School senior, in the health science lab at TCHS.

This story from Monday's Daily Local News:

WEST GROVE — Chester County students are slated to compete in a national health competition in June in California.

Chester County Technical College High School students Rachael Mendenhall and Jenn Larkin will participate in the national Health Occupations Students of America competition after Mendenhall placed first and Larkin placed second at the state-level competition.

The state conference was hosted March 2 to 4 at the Lancaster Hotel Resort & Conference Center. Students from all over Pennsylvania had the opportunity to demonstrate their grasp and aptitude of the knowledge they have gained from their health care programs.

A senior at Octorara High School and a health occupations student at Technical College High School, Mendenhall competed in medical assisting.

Mendenhall said she and her fellow competitors took a written test and a practical test to demonstrate their skills at obtaining a patient's medical history, positioning patients, putting on sterile gloves and sterilizing equipment.

"The competition started off with a 50-question written test," Mendenhall said. "From there, the top scorers moved on to the hands-on portion."

Read the entire article here and more about the Chester County Technical College High School here.  The program affords high school students like Rachel the opportunity to become a Certified Nursing Assistant while still in high school.

Library Tees Off Annual Golf Tourney

The library is looking for golfers, sponsors and program advertisers to participate in their June golf tournament.

Individuals, groups and businesses wishing to participate can call Tom Knecht at the Library (610-857-5165) or Linda Jones at 610-857-4339. 

Extreme Makeover: Lancaster Style

Linda Harrower talks with builder Gary Kunkle in front of the house. (Published by Lancaster Online)

Local handyman Marcus Dienner, who lives on First Avenue in Parkesburg, assisted many other tradespeople in a Lancaster County version of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

When a fire last September killed her husband and destroyed her home, Linda Harrower of East Cocalico Township found herself and her 6 children homeless.

When Gary Kunkle, a custom builder from Leola, learned the Harrowers' insurance would not be enough to pay for a new house, he recruited area tradesmen, including Mr. Dienner, and went to work.

Read more about the Harrower's new house and Dienner's participation in Lancaster Online.

Local Art Teacher Hosts Twin Brook Exhibit

Picture left to right is Roma Reel, Betty Lou Warren, Jane Stoltzfus, John Esworthy, Anita Gordon Palmer.

Twin Brook Winery on Strasburg Road will host an Art Show with exhibits by the students of John Esworthy on Sunday, May 1st from 3 to 5 pm.

Students of local art teacher John Esworthy exhibiting their original art at the show include Ruth Hickman, Fred Jarvis, Janet Messersmith, Heather Feiguera, Ivy Kempf, Joseph McGraw, Marian Perez, Roma Reel, Jane Stoltzfus, Betty Lou Warren, Anita Gordon Palmer, Anita Taylor,Terry Miller, Angelo Porecco, George Reynolds and Megan Przychodzien.

Pictured left to right is John Esworthy, Terry Miller, Anita Taylor, and Angelo Porecco

Along with the art exhibit John Esworthy will have original stained glass items for sale.  In addition Jane Stoltzfus will have her book "First Farm on the Right" for sale and signing.  

Anita Gordon Palmer will have raffle tickets for sale to win the quilt she made to benefit the Christiana Lions Club.

Child Care / Learning Center Opens On First Avenue

A well known proverb says, "It takes a village to raise a child."

Director Jodi Mincer

To Jodi Mincer, founder and director of Nu Creationz Child Care and Learning Center at 418 First Avenue, the proverb reminds her of the need to leverage community resources and values to foster an environment where children, staff, and families enjoy friendly and meaningful relationships and where children are free to learn and develop appropriately.

Mincer's vision for Nu Creationz is that children at the center will enter kindergarten well prepared for the challenges ahead.

Nu Creationz offers all day as well as before and after school care in facilities that are spacious, full of bright colors, beautiful hardwood floors and sunlight with plenty of room for children to move around.

Rooms at the center include a:

• Learning and Play Center – This is the large room at the main entrance of the facility.  
• Arts and Crafts Room –  In addition to functioning as a space for children to create visual art, it also provides access to our outside play area.  
• Social Play Room – Stocked with child-sized replicas of real-life appliances, the social play room allows children to “play house” and other “grown up” activities.   
• Healthy Lifestyles Room – Half carpet and half hardwood this is a multipurpose room.  It is used as the primary place for serving snacks and meals.

 Nu Creation is offering flexible hours and grand opening specials including 25% off first month rates.  Check them out and learn more about Jodi at Nu Creationz web site

Message Of The Empty Tomb

Garden Tomb of Christ

On this Easter Morning with its gray skies and rain-filled forecast, this editorial in Salt Lake's Deseret News, captures the essence of the holiday and the eternal and temporal hope Christ's resurrection offers.

The money quote:

If the soul lives forever, then what genuinely matters is how souls relate to one another, not what they possess or command. If the soul lives forever, then not only might we have to account for our indifference to strangers or mistreatment of enemies, but we may actually have to interact with them as distinct beings, then with the recognition that they possess the same worth and dignity as friends and family.

The entire editorial can be found here or read in its entirety below:

Not far from the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem's old city, pinched on all sides by the bustle and noise of urban life, sits a small, well-tended garden surrounding an ancient empty tomb.

The Garden Tomb dates from the time of Christ. As a lovingly cared for archeological site, it possesses many of the elements of the tomb described in the New Testament as the resting place for the body of Christ following his crucifixion.

Some question whether the Garden Tomb is the actual spot of Christ's entombment. But none can dispute the power of the message of hope conveyed by the symbol of this empty tomb.

It requires faith to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was resurrected following his brutal and inhumane execution.

It requires faith to believe that his resurrection paved the way for humankind's immortality. But once that seed of faith is planted, the message of the empty tomb places significant requirements on us, requirements of hope and charity.

Each day this paper prints the news of a broken and fallen world. Far too many contemporary events entail tragedy, betrayal and loss. Each day we publish obituaries, acknowledging the profound loss of loved ones.

But because of what led to an empty tomb on that first Easter Sunday, all can have genuine hope that what has been lost in this world — even life itself — can be lustrously restored in a better world.

Some have felt that this transcendent message of hope, that the soul will live forever, can somehow justify mistreatment and exploitation in this life. What a strange contortion of the message.

If anything, the message of the empty tomb intensifies one's obligations to behave ethically by universalizing and making eternal the reverberating consequences of behavior here and now.

If existence ended with the natural biological span of the body then the span of ethical obligations feels similarly truncated. Although it might make sense to improve the immediate material and moral conditions around oneself while the body lives, why think beyond immediate kin and community?

But Jesus Christ, understanding the immortality of the soul, taught that being a neighbor was not about the proximity of our dwellings, but about how we treat and care for one another.

He taught that charity was not about community recognition, but instead about quiet genuine acts of love to the least among us, and even to enemies.

If the soul lives forever, then what genuinely matters is how souls relate to one another, not what they possess or command.

If the soul lives forever, then not only might we have to account for our indifference to strangers or mistreatment of enemies, but we may actually have to interact with them as distinct beings, then with the recognition that they possess the same worth and dignity as friends and family.

Christ, knowing that he would break the bands of death and hell, and wanting all to follow him, wore out his life trying to teach the heavenly law of charity so that men and women could begin to live and love after that pattern here and now.

This Easter Sunday, as we contemplate the message of the empty tomb, may we all gain a brighter hope of the better world to come.

But let us not forget the world we now inhabit. Indeed, let us improve upon it by embracing our obligation to live with greater faith, hope and charity.

This Week's Poll Results

If this week's poll results are to be believed, Parkesburg's drivers spread their gas money around evenly at several of the areas gas stations.

Of the 56 people participating in this week's poll, 11 people or 19% said they buy their gas at the Wawa at Route 10 and 30 followed closely by the area's two Turkey Hill stations both of which received 9 or 16% of the votes cast.

Express Stop in Parkesburg and the Gap Wawa followed with 7 votes each with the Sunoco station at 10 & 30 receiving 6 votes, 10% of the total votes cast.

Seven people said they bought their gas at stations ofter than the six stations listed.

Parkesburg Yesterday - Continued

This picture from Kerry Glenn provides additional background on the 1968 fire where seven children perished:

"This house was built in 1917 by Horace A. Beale, Jr. at 430 Maple Street and was then known as the "Parkesburg Community House." It was used by the Red Cross and other support agencies during World War I. Following the demise of the Parkesburg Iron Co. in 1926, the house - along with multiple other facilities owned by P.I.C.O. - was sold and was converted into a dwelling. In the subzero predawn hours of January 5, 1968, a kerosene-fired space heater which was connected to the chimney shown here overheated and set the house ablaze. A westerly breeze quickly spread the fire eastward and destroyed four other dwellings as well. Seven of the eight Hoover children tragically perished in the catastrophe; the eldest (Mary) escaped out one of the second-floor windows on to the roof in the rear and jumped to the ground and survived."

Community Yard Sale

The sign says it all.

Next Saturday is Parkesburg's annual community Yard Sale.

Call Wendy Keegan at Borough Hall to place your yard sale on her official map.

Wendy will publish the maps on Thursday  (4/28) or Friday (4/29).

Where In Parkesburg - The Winner

And the winner is...

Earlier this week and earlier today I asked for the street address of this building.  The Ford dealership and the gas pumps are long gone but the building remains and is in active use today.

In fact over the years the building has served as a

• car dealership (1923 - 1947)
• a snack food factory (1948 - 1956)
• a district court office
• business offices and storage (1981 - 2000)
• a warehouse (present)
• a food bank (present)
• a youth center (present home of The Point youth center)

The structure itself was built in 1922 by Charles and William Kalber on land purchased from E. H. Keen & Son.

Once construction was complete the father and son duo opened up a Ford dealership selling cars, tractors and trucks.  The business remained open until 1947.

And the winner is...

First thanks to the many who participated.  Getting and reading your emails was fun.

365 Main Street as in looks today

While some sent me just the address (365 Main Street) or pinpointed the building as being at the bottom of the steps under the Parkesburg School or across the street from the Methodist Church, others went further and shared memories and recollections of the building and the Ford dealership.

Kerry Glenn talked of the building being at 400 Main street and noted the building had a 1922 date stone at one of the corner before being covered over in stucco.


Suzzanne Groff remembered being a school safety in front of the building in the '60's.

And the winner is . . .

Francis Underwood identified the building and wrote the following:

"The garage in the picture was owned and operated by William (Bill) Kalber (His brother had a Chevrolet agency across the street from the Wilde Funeral Home.  Bill sold Ford cars (only one or two in the showroom at a time) and sold Esso (now Exxon Mobil) gasoline.  The garage was located just opposite the steps leading up the Parkesburg School.  My dad was a mechanic there for many years along with Marshall Crawford.  The garage was later the home of a snack food producer.  I believe the product was called "Corney-Cues" (sp)."

Francis, thanks for sharing your memories of the building and your dad's service.   You memories propelled you to the first place slot and the winner of our first ever 'Where in Parkesburg? contest.

And thanks to Gerry Treadway whose unrivaled treasure trove of Parkesburg memorabilia and history made this thread possible.

Do You Know?

Just a few hours remain to identify the location of the first 'Where in Parkesburg' feature.

Hard to believe given today's mega-dealerships with acres and acres of new and used cars, but Parkesburg once had two car dealers.  The picture above , taken in the early 1930, is of Parkesburg's only Ford dealership. 

The other, a Chevy dealership, was run out of the garage at the corner of Main Street and Culvert Street across from Wilde Funeral Home.

Readers have until noon today to send a guess via email.  Put your answer in the subject heading of the email and any description or memories you have of the building pictured within the email. If no one guesses the exact location, proximity counts.  

Email entries to parkesburgtoday@gmail.com. 

The first correct answer wins a free large pizza from Rocco and Anna's.  


Check Back later today for the winner.

Unsweetened Reality, Octorara Style

Octorara Intermediate School

 

The questions from parents flowed last night as Octorara's Superintendent Dr. Newcome and his administrative team continued their "It is what it is" tour to address questions about the district's ongoing efforts to restructure district programs and get to a balanced budget.

It was a friendly, albeit small, gathering of about 10 to 12 parents and had none of the edge seen in earlier Town Hall meetings.

The questions and answers we're straight forward and blunt; the message, Octorara will adapt.

A very quick summary of the hour long discussion:

Q: What research is there regarding the impact of full-day, every other day kindergarten?
A: Not much

Q: What is the anticipated class size of the all day, every-other-day kindergarten?
A: The goal will be 20 students per class.  Current class size runs 16 to 24 students per class depending on the needs of the students and busing schedules. 

Q: Is sports funding going away?
A: Eventually.  Over time booster clubs will assume the financial burden for fielding teams and district funding for sports will be reduced and eventually eliminated.  Octorara's band has leveraged this model successfully for years.

Q: Will 7th graders and 12th graders be in the same school together:
A:  For the most part no.  There will be some mixing of middle and high school students, but no more so than happens now.

The money question:

Q:  What do you see as the solution to school funding long term?  Are we going to have to go through this every year?
A:  There is no political will to change the way public schools are funded in Harrisburg.  Act 1 of 2006 restricted the ability of school districts to tax.  Pennsylvania may eventually go to a tax referendum just as New Jersey does.  Until that happens Octorara has no other choice but to find a way to play in this environment.  One of the ways Octorara plays is create more ‘rateables,’  in other words grow the tax base by attracting more commercial development to our area. 

Parkesburg on Facebook

• 

  Earlier this week Parkesburg Today traveled back in time to a bitterly cold February night in 1968  when seven children perished in a house fire on Maple Avenue.

  
  

  After posting the Post Ledger newspaper clipping describing the incident to the blog, I created a link to the story in Facebook's Parkesburg Local group.

  
  The vivid and heartfelt memories of the disaster left on Facebook by Parkesburg natives, all children at the time of the blaze, provide new details of the fire itself, the generosity of Parkesburg residents after the blaze, and the untold (and uplifting) story of families and a town moving on.

  
  

  Visit the Parkesburg Locals group on Facebook.  All sorts of old pictures, mementos and most importantly memories from Parkesburg's past are posted nearly every day.
  
  You can join the group by doing a search on Facebook or sending an email to ParkesburgLocals@groups.facebook.com.  

  
  

  Mega kudos to Kathi Rendell, Lynn Guidetti and Patricia Prange-Smith for starting the group.
  
  Thanks to their efforts, Parkesburg has a new town square!

  ____________________________________

  
  Here are the unedited Facebook comments posted in response to the Hoover Fire story seen earlier this week on Parkesburg Today:

  
  Ann Marie Grenko Ken, thank you for posting this. I went to school with Mary Hoover and remember this sad event.
  

  April 17 at 9:16pm ·
• 
  

  Lynn Thomas Guidetti Same here --
  

  April 17 at 10:29pm ·
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  Rick Hoskins I cried when I read this article. I worked with Ralphie, and saw his scars. He was fun to work with. He was good to me and Brian. He had a very big heart!! The Rodgers family treated me like their own. Danny stayed with me for awhile out here. and lived here before heading south.
  

  Monday at 6:49am ·
• 
  

  Suzanne Groff Remember it well & think of them ever time I pass Maple St. My
  mother (Mrs. Keim) Had one of the children in her class that year
  

  Monday at 8:59am ·
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  Kerry Glenn Does anyone know the whereabouts of Mary Hoover now?
  

  Monday at 9:01am ·
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  Kathi Rendall This is another thing I had the unfortunate luck to watch from my bedroom window. I remember them saying that the fireman had icicles hanging from their faces. It was a very bad night.
  

  Monday at 10:41am ·
• 
  

  Pat Welsh Mary Hoover was in the restaurant several months ago. She lives somewhere local. I remember that night too. Watched from the bedroom window. Horrible. Also remember watching the sewing factory burn and Keens lumber. Could see a lot from that window.
  

  Monday at 11:48am ·
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  Jack Mariano The second worse loss of life fire occurred on 1/18/98 on Strasburg Ave. just off of Main St. when two children died after being pulled out of a second and third story window. My cousin Dean Hoopes pulled one of those kids out and onto a ground ladder and brought the child down, Dean remembers this night well.
  

  Monday at 7:55pm ·
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  Anna Mowrey Baker That was a sad day. I remember it well. We went to school with every one of those families. How awful.
  

  Monday at 8:37pm ·
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  Lynn Thomas Guidetti Mary went to Coatesville, but I never heard where they ended up. Ralph was in Rob's class.
  

  Monday at 8:41pm ·
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  Betsy Wilde Benner I was 10 yrs. old and we lived on main street. I remember standing outside in the cold looking towards Maple Avenue the night of the fire. Still makes me sad thinking about it.
  

  Monday at 9:44pm ·
• 
  

  Kathy Herr I remember hearing about it and seeing the horrible scene and the ice and I cried so hard that night. I felt so sorry for Mary (my classmate also) and her parents for their loss-can't even imagine-think we were all in shock.
  

  Monday at 10:09pm ·
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  Joanne Diem Kennel Always think about it whenever I go past .. so sad
  

  Tuesday at 12:05am ·
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  PatriciaLee Prange-Smith Mary graduated from Coatesville High School in 75 and married Jim Davis.
  

  Tuesday at 6:45am ·
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  Craig Underwood I remember waking up to the sirens and going upstairs to my parents bedroom, looking out the window and seeing the glow in the sky. I also remember my Dad going down to the Post Office to make sure the Post Office wasn't burning. It was a very quiet and sad day in school that day.
  

  Tuesday at 6:34pm ·
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  Kerry Glenn I should ask my Brother for more details on this, but a day or two after the fire, a huge crane was brought in with a clamshell drop-bucket to dig through the ruins of the Hoover's house to find the bodies of the children. Maple Street was blocked off because the huge crane pretty much filled the whole street. Remeber the cars parked along there being coated with what seemed like ice a foot thick.
  

  Tuesday at 7:13pm ·
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  Betsy Wilde Benner I was in Mrs. Norris's 4th grade class when the fire happened. I remember we had a container on Mrs. Norris's desk to put money in for the Hoover family.
  

  Tuesday at 7:28pm
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  Kerry Glenn Betsy - Was that the collection that was used to buy the glass display case in the Parkesburg Library that was dedicated in memory of the Hoover kids?
  

  22 hours ago ·
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  Pamela Chesnet

  whew! A lot of emotions reading all these comments and looking at the picture. Everyone in my family survived the fire (we lived in the last house of the row). I should say we survived physically, but mentally it is something we will nev...er forget. For me (10 years old a the time) I will never forget looking at my mom standing there crying. Mom ran back into our house to get Mary 'Sissy' Hoover a blanket and the amazing thing was that her mom 'Pete' returned that blanket to us about a month later! Can you imagine that after losing 7 of your children you would remember to return the blanket? I would always see 'Pete' and Ralph over the later years and he was always joking and laughing. A lot of people helped us get back on our feet. I will always remember Sidney Altman let us come to his store and get some new clothes! We stayed several places and then the Bethany A.M.E. Church let us rent their parsonage. We made a lot of lifetime friendships living 'on the hill'
  As kids we had a lot of fun on Maple Street. I was talking to Ronnie Hoopes last week at the Wawa (small world) His brother Davey died about a month ago. We were talking about all the fun playing kick the can, hide and seek, etc. We stayed out till dark and later till our moms would come out screaming for us to get in the house! Not a care in the world that someone would take us or hurt us. The best of times and the worst of times. Thanks for listening! Pam Rodgers Chesnet.See More

  
  

  20 hours ago ·
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  Kerry Glenn Pam - Are you related to Elmer Rodgers?
  

  20 hours ago
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  Pamela Chesnet No, our name is from the area of Martins Corner, via Sarah Patton my grandmother who married John Rodgers. My mom was Gail McGinnis, brothers, Don and Bill, all of who are now deseased.
  

  20 hours ago
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  Betsy Wilde Benner Kerry - I don't remember if the money was used for that or not. I don't seem to have your memory for things of long ago.
  

  15 hours ago
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  Kathi Rendall Pam, your post brought tears to my eyes. It is so incredible to know these things now after all those years. I knew your family lived in that row, but hadn't thought about it since then and the impact that had to have on the lives of everyone back there. I am glad you all survived, so glad.
  

  13 hours ago