“Sometimes the hidden is more effective,” world-renowned artist Jamie Wyeth told the Daily Local News during a press tour of the exhibit earlier this year.

The Unsettled exhibit features more than 50 works that trace a persistent vein of intriguing and often disconcerting imagery over the career of artist Jamie Wyeth, revealing fascinating insight into this artist and the art of visual storytelling, said Nicole Kindbeiter, marketing director for the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.

Wyeth, a third-generation artist, is the son of legendary American realist painter Andrew Wyeth and the grandson of N.C. Wyeth, the famous illustrator.

When asked to share his advice for young artists in 2024, Wyeth said: “What you do is work at it.” For instance, he paints between four and six hours every day.

“It couldn’t be a better time for artists right now,” Wyeth said. “It’s wide open. Things are popping all over the place in various forms of art.”

As for the Unsettled exhibit featuring so many big pieces of his artwork on display, Wyeth said, “It’s almost overwhelming.”

“Across the decades, Wyeth has honed his attention onto unnerving phenomena, zeroed in on uncanny experiences, and delved into a world of unsettling imagery,” said Amanda Burdan, senior curator at Brandywine and curator of the Unsettled exhibition.

“With consummate skill, marshaling a wide range of disconcerting elements — subjects, compositional approaches and techniques — within his works, Wyeth has developed skillful, cinematic evocations that can induce anxiety in the viewer,” Burdan said.

“One of the unique things about this exhibition is how much the works in the show rely upon the visitors for their meanings,” Burden said.

She continued: “There are very few clear explanations from Jamie Wyeth about what an image ‘means,’ so we are left to think for ourselves and imagine a narrative. It’s interestingly very different from the work of an illustrator, like N.C. Wyeth, whose paintings so closely related to a very specific text. The works in this exhibition are as unsettling as you make them for yourself.”

Wyeth is the son of artist Andrew Wyeth. He is the grandson of N.C. Wyeth.

“Jamie Wyeth is a renowned American painter who has created his own legacy and redefined what it means to be a Wyeth. This exhibition takes a fresh look at the artist’s oeuvre and with remarkable nuance plumbs a rich vein of the uncanny throughout Wyeth’s six-decade career,” said Thomas Padon, the James H. Duff director of the Brandywine Museum of Art.

“As the title suggests, Unsettled focuses on a single through line in Wyeth’s work—one in which ominous stillness, post-apocalyptic skies, frightening shifts in scale, and strange vantage points seem to highlight the vulnerability of the human condition,” Padon said. “With his startling compositions and a masterful use of media, color and texture, Wyeth creates an immersive, synesthetic experience that both engages and upsets visual and emotional equilibrium.”

The Brandywine Museum of Art is at 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, off Route 1, on a picturesque property that spans both Chester and Delaware counties. The Brandywine Creek runs through the forested landscape and the campus is also home to the Brandywine Conservancy, the sister branch of the institution.

The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art preserves and promotes the natural and cultural connections between the area’s beautiful landscape, historic sites, and important artists, as previously reported. The conservancy protects the lands and waters throughout the Brandywine Valley and other priority conservation areas, developing sustainable approaches to emerging needs and assuring preservation of majestic open spaces and protection of natural resources for generations to come.

The museum is open now through Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is closed once a week on Tuesdays.

After Monday, the Unsettled exhibit next travels to Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, followed by exhibitions that flow into 2024 at Greenville County Museum of Art in South Carolina, Dayton Art Institute in Ohio and Frye Art Museum in Seattle, Washington.

“It’s a public witness to people in the borough,” said Michelle Cherry, a borough resident of West Chester and member of the St. Agnes Parish. “God is still present among us. We should really turn back to him and follow his word and the moral compass he provides.”

More than 1,000 people attended a daytime prayer with Eucharistic Benediction June 3 at St. Agnes, which is the Mother Church in Chester County for Catholics. The service began with the arrival of the Eucharist into the church. The Eucharist is traveling along the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Route en route to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis on July 16. The pilgrimage began on May 17 in Connecticut.

Monday’s event at St. Agnes marked the final stop of the pilgrimage in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. This pilgrimage moves westward.

Concurrently, there are three other pilgrimages taking place nationally; and all will converge together in Indiana next month.

Monday, people traveled as far as New Jersey to attend the Eucharistic Benediction at St. Agnes.

Among those processing along the Seton Route is Amayrani Higueldo, one of the two young women from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who are participating in the Pilgrimage as perpetual pilgrims. This small, dedicated group of young adults is traveling full-time from May until July 2024, accompanying Jesus as he draws near to countless communities across the nation on his way to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s second perpetual pilgrim, Sarah Cahill, will be processing along the Marian Route.

Higueldo is a member of St. Patrick Church in Norristown — and the Montgomery County parish was well-represented Monday with friends, family and fellow parishioners who made the trip to Chester County to inspire Higueldo. The Rev. Thomas Viviano, a resident priest at St. Patrick’s, said he wouldn’t be anywhere else Monday.

“One of the perpetual pilgrims that’s making this trip for two months all the way to Indianapolis is from our parish: Amayrani Higueldo,” Viviano said. “So of course we want to participate in the event, but also to support her.”

And the guiding force, he said, is faith.

“Faith is giving my whole life to our Lord Jesus Christ, trusting that he is the way, the truth and the life. And following him to heaven,” Viviano said.

Higueldo is originally from Acapulco, Guerrero Mexico, and now lives in Norristown. A first-generation college graduate, she recently earned a nursing degree from Montgomery County Community College. Higueldo loves to hike and loves watching sports, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which added that she chose to be a Perpetual Pilgrim because she knows first-hand the power of encountering Christ in the Eucharist and wants to share the joy and healing that comes with a Eucharist encounter with as many people as possible.

Higueldo is sharing the experience on social media. She shared in reflection via a Facebook video posted by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia “I’m very humbled and very honored,” she said. “I ask for your prayers.”

Toni Schanp is from Trooper in Montgomery County. She traveled with friends Anita Pietrzykowski and Lucy Landingin. The women all attend different parishes in the Norristown region including St Francis of Assisi Church, Visitation BVM Parish, and Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Church.

JoAnn Friel is from Branchville, New Jersey, near Newtown.

“We wanted to be part of this,” Friel said as the church bells rang at noon. “They are coming from all four corners of the United States,” she said of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage.  “I came with my dear friends Rita and Patrice.”

They drove three hours to West Chester on Monday. The friends are members of Our Lady of Queen Peace in Frankford Township, New Jersey.

“It’s just so wonderful to see the strength of the Eucharist and the blessings that it brings,” Friel said. “And to see families, seniors, little children, newborns — we hear so many times that our faith is not alive, from the media, but it is. And it’s strong. People from all over, all over, are being witness to this. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful moment.”

She said her faith inspires her. “It’s all goodness. God is good. And that’s what you see here. It’s all goodness,” Friel said.

“Faith to me is having hope of things we don’t see in the physical, but we may,” said Camille McQuillan of Glen Mills. “We do believe in the Eucharist — that’s the way we’ve been trained — and I think we’ve all experienced that deep, deep love for Our Savior in the Eucharist. He’s changed us through the Eucharist. It’s the change in the person who establishes the faith as a deep connection with Our Lord.”

She is a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Glen Mills. “Coming today helps us to celebrate that he is truly alive and, I’m going to say, a force to be reckoned with,” she stated.

Gerry Seymour said faith is taking the first step when you don’t see the staircase in front of you. “It’s hope and belief in God and a better world,” Seymour stated.

Dee Delaney traveled with McQuillan and Seymour to West Chester. The women are part of a Eucharistic Disciple Ministry at the St. Thomas parish.

“This pilgrimage is expanding my heart,” Delaney said. “It’s making it beat faster. I have been following the progress of the Eucharistic Pilgrimage and also the whole movement that’s been happening. Jesus is here. I know it as I stand here, because of my faith. He’s gazing upon us as we’re gazing upon him. It gives me chills.”

For those who may have been away from church recently or for many years, Delaney encouraged people to reach the Gospels and to read about the Saints. “Something will work within you, will work within your heart, to make you want to experience what the holy people that you’re reading about experienced. And you will. You will. It’s a different age. It’s a different time. But you will experience a beautiful awakening.”

“This is a great witness for everything going on in the world. I think there is a lack of faith and presence of God,” said Amy Hunt of Phoenixville. “It would be a more peaceful place if people embraced God in their lives and acknowledged that. We’re not God. He is.”

Mother-of-five Katie Kinuthia traveled with her three young children to St. Agnes from her home in Phoenixville. Her older children were in school.

“Faith is everything,” Kinuthia said.  “It’s our joy. It’s the center of our family.”

“I want to be part of acknowledging that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist and hope that this will encourage people to join us,” Schanp said.

Faith is the focus of her life, she said, “the center of my life — it always has been.”

Schanp said many people have taken the wrong path and followed advice from things they are learning or experiencing in the world — but they’re not finding happiness.

“They need to open up and try to go back to their faith,” Schanp said. “And trust in God. Spend time with Jesus.”

Bob Meenen, of Concord Township in Delaware County, attended the special event on Monday afternoon alongside his wife, Marge.

“It was beautiful, just beautiful,” she said.

Her husband concurred.

“God is the answer. Jesus is the answer,” Meenen said. “It’s been the answer for us our whole lives. We all go through pain and suffering — the world is a difficult place. Jesus is always the answer.”

The Rev. Randy Kraft just finished his first year as a priest; he was ordained last May and assigned to St. Agnes. Prior to ordination, Kraft served as a deacon at St. Patrick’s Church in Norristown. He and Higueldo worked together with youth ministry programs in the parish.

“It’s beautiful to be in a place that so many faithful Catholics built so many hundreds of years ago,” said Kraft, who was born in Huntingdon Valley, Montgomery County. “That faith has continued to live on today. And even though I’m new, I’m a part of that community that stretches all the way back. I’m just trying to do my best to serve the people that are here.”

He continued, “It’s beautiful to be in a place that so many faithful Catholics built so many hundreds of years ago. That faith has continued to live on today. And even though I’m new, I’m a part of that community that stretches all the way back. I’m just trying to do my best to serve the people that are here.”

Of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, Kraft said this is a new initiative with different processions beginning at multiple starting points and all ending in Indianapolis. “All the pilgrims from different parts of the country are going to meet up there for prayer,” he said.

“It’s a wonderful way to put our faith on display,” he said. “And to witness that faith to the people in the neighborhood and especially the people of our parish … We just want to provide that spark of faith. What inspires me is seeing the faith of my people here. I’ve realized as a priest is that there are so many people who are holier than me who are here — who are just living their life in holiness day in and day out. My job is just to serve them and help them grow in holiness.”

On Monday, prior to the prayer service and benediction at St. Agnes, which closed the National Pilgrimage’s time in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a procession and mass took place at Saints Simon and Jude Church in Westtown Township.

The Reverend Louis Bellopede is the pastor of St. Agnes Parish.

“The Eucharist is the body, blood and soul and divinity of Jesus Christ present in the consecrated host. And that consecrated host will go into a vessel called a monstrance” Bellopede said. “That monstrance is carried throughout this archdiocese all centered upon what is called an Eucharistic Revival.”

Bellopede continued: “In other words, to let people rekindle their love, their understanding, and their knowledge of the Eucharist. And so why are we doing all this? For a rekindling. Re-energizing ourselves. To understand what we truly believe as the source and summit of everything we do. It’s Christ.”

After the prayer and benediction ended, the Eucharist left St. Agnes and its caravan departed West Chester en route to Harrisburg.

“Jesus loves everyone,” said the Most Reverend Efren V. Esmilla while greeting parishioners outside St. Agnes. Esmilla is a Filipino-born priest of the Catholic Church and serves as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

“Jesus is here,” Esmilla said. “Jesus loves you.”

2024 marks A. Duie Pyle’s 100th anniversary. The company’s 2023 revenue reached $775 million.

“When my grandfather, A. Duie Pyle, purchased a used 1918 International Harvester truck from his neighbor in Coatesville on April 1, 1924, the number of employees totaled just one — himself,” said Peter Latta, chairman and chief executive officer of A. Duie Pyle.

“On second thought, maybe there were actually two if you count his boss, my grandmother, who kept the books.”

Her name was Mary Ellen Pyle. She married A. Duie in 1920.

The business’ first bill of sale took place on April 1, 1924.

Today, the company employs more than 4,300 employees.

“The key to our success has been the Pyle People, who have over the years risen to and overcome the multitude of challenges any business, particularly a family-owned business, faces over the course of 10 decades,” Latta said.

Transit niche

The headquarters of this family run and operated business is at 650 Westtown Road.

Focused on transportation and distribution, A. Duie Pyle delivers solutions for LTL, dedicated contract services, port services, truckload warehousing and integrated solutions. Industries served include agriculture, automotive, building and construction, chemical, food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail.

LTL is an acronym for “less than truckload” which is a type of freight that doesn’t need the space of a full truck when shipped out. Pyle employs 2,000 LTL drivers, and this division of the parent company spans locations across the Northeast — from Maine to Ohio and from West Virginia to New York and beyond.

Even so, the company continues to grow.

When the motor carrier industry began to deregulate 44 years ago, the company was able to expand from a 50-mile radius around West Chester, to an area “today that stretches from the Canadian and Maine border south to the North Carolina and Virginia line and west to include West Virginia and eastern Ohio, with service to and from all points in between,” Latta recalled.

The business has grown its warehousing services to include more than 4 million square feet of Pyle owned-and-operated distribution centers in New England and Mid-Atlantic states, Latta stated.

A. Duie Pyle also has partnerships with southern, midwestern and West Coast businesses for shipments with final destinations beyond the Northeast.

“In 2013, we started a dedicated transportation services business that today includes over 600 Pyle drivers,” Latta said. “We also provide truckload transportation management services for our customers, in addition to operating our legacy flatbed steel hauling business where we still serve our very first customer when the business started in 1924, Lukens Steel in Coatesville.”

Recent challenges

A. Duie Pyle survived the 2020 COVID shutdown and was deemed an essential business, allowing for operations to continue.

However, Latta said that in the span of four weeks at the start of the pandemic, the company’s daily shipment-count in its LTL operation plummeted more than 40%.

“It was only through the grit and determination of our Pyle People that we were able to endure the depths of the pandemic and emerge an even stronger company,” he said.

After schools and non-essential businesses began to reopen fully, costs for supplies skyrocketed across industries worldwide in 2021.

“Inflation and escalating costs have certainly presented challenges,” Latta added.

The disruption of the country’s supply chain that carried over from the pandemic compounded the challenges, he noted.

“Until recently, for example, our fleet equipment and parts suppliers had customers on order allocations so we could not procure all the rolling stock desired, and this was further exacerbated by long order lead times and delays on promised delivery dates.”

In February 2022, the company implemented a plan that provided a weekly payment to employees to help defray the impact of gasoline prices and employees’ escalated commuting cost.

Humble beginnings, local love

Latta grew up in Chester County.

Across the years, four generations of the Pyle-Latta family have run the business.

“My mother’s family lived on a farm near Valley Forge and was displaced during Washington’s encampment in the winter 1777-78, relocating to Mifflin County before returning to live in Chester County,” Latta said. Her father, Latta’s grandfather, was A. Duie Pyle.

Latta’s paternal ancestors emigrated from Ireland in 1737 and settled in Elkton, Md., before establishing a family farm north of Parkesburg, Latta said.

Technology empowers

Latta called technology a real game changer for A. Duie Pyle.

He said the business comprises a lot of small transactions and managing all the information and logistics associated with any of the 13,000 LTL shipments handled daily is essential to supplying the reliable on-time delivery and damage-free service that the customers of A. Duie Pyle expect.

“Whether it be on-board data communications in our trucks that allows electronic delivery signature capture and real-time visibility shipment tracking in our trucks and across our docks and warehouses, technology is a great enabler of both operating efficiency and enhanced customer service performance,” Latta said.

All the Pyle trucks now have road facing forward cameras, he added. And side and backup cameras are currently being installed across the entire fleet.

Sincere thanks

“I have learned many lessons as a leader. At the top of the list is the value and importance of earning the trust of the people you lead, your customers and the suppliers who help us deliver on our customer promises,” Latta said.

“Another important lesson has been that in a family-owned business — there are two businesses that both require attention: the business-of-the-business and the business-of-the-family.”

Both have mutual dependencies, he said, and neglect of either will derail both.

This spring, the company surprised Latta with a 1951 Autocar, with hundreds of employees coming together to share the moment in celebration of A. Duie Pyle’s 100th anniversary.

During a celebration on April 1 at the company headquarters in West Goshen, John Luciani, chief operating officer of LTL Solutions, presented a centennial plaque to Latta, in addition to unveiling the restored 1951 Autocar.

While there are endless factors in a business’s ability to achieve centennial success, the Latta-Pyle family today consistently praised one consistent factor above all else.

“The key is people,” said Jim Latta.

Jim Latta is Peter Latta’s brother. He retired from the family business in 2015. Both brothers attended the celebration.

“It was really special,” Latta said, who became chief executive officer in 1992. In 1995, he became chairman following the death of his father.

After the unveiling of the antique Autocar, Peter Latta expressed his thanks to everyone and paid tribute to both his grandfather, A. Duie, and his father, Jim.

“We’re a people-oriented company,” he said. “As a family-owned business, we don’t make financial quarterly decisions — we make lifetime decisions.”

Inspiration and legacy

“The Pyle People inspire me,” said Latta.

With every challenge that has come up through the company’s history, “the Pyle People have always embraced and overcome the challenge at hand and grew stronger and even more resilient,” Latta said.

Latta also expressed thanks and appreciation to Pyle’s customers and the company’s suppliers.

“And finally,” he said, “to the Pyle People, both those who are here today and those who came before us. I extend my eternal admiration, respect, and appreciation for making Pyle what we are today, and what we will become tomorrow.”

Kayli Finn, a barista working behind the counter of Farmer & Co. in Unionville near the state police command center at Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company, called the event “lucky day 14.”

“We feel much more hopeful and safer in our community,” Finn said.

Ella Arnold of Quarryville was outside the popular local business, selecting flowers for a boutique.

Arnold said what surprised her the most was how long Cavalcante could elude law enforcement on the run and how localized the crisis was to the community.

“I’m just glad that it’s over,” Arnold said.

Law enforcement captured Cavalcante shortly after 8 a.m. in northern Chester County, bringing the 14-day manhunt to a close.

He escaped from Chester County Prison in Pocopson on Aug 31. For 10 days, law enforcement focused its manhunt efforts on Longwood Gardens, where he was spotted at night on camera footage multiple times.

“Longwood Gardens wishes to express our deepest gratitude to law enforcement, authorities, and government officials for their tireless work in apprehending Danelo Cavalcante,” said Patricia Evans, spokesperson for Longwood Gardens.

“We are grateful for the peaceful conclusion and thank all those involved in the search for their unwavering dedication. We look forward to our community returning to normal activity and look forward to welcoming guests back to the serenity and beauty of our gardens.”

Another resident, Robin Marcello Lubitsky, former Chester County clerk of courts said, “I am extremely grateful to our law enforcement and their K-9s.

“I will continue to pray for the victims’ friends and family. The residents of Chester County came together to support one another during an event that we, hopefully, will not have to face ever again.

“We should always remain aware of our surroundings, even in places where we feel the most comfortable.”

Appreciative businesses

In Unionville, Farmer & Co. donated coffee to law enforcement at the command center throughout the episode.

“It’s had a really big impact on Chester County,” said Jessie Mooberry, owner of Farmer & Co., “with those who felt unsafe in their home and had to leave — to those who hunkered down and didn’t sleep very well for 13 (nights).”

During this experience, Mooberry has also been inspired “to see the community come together and take care of one another,” she said.

Meanwhile at Landhope Farms in Willowdale, East Marlborough, customers were abuzz with news of the end of the manhunt.

“How much did this cost us?” asked Alex Hundt of London Grove.

“Thank God,” said Jex Campbell. “I feel safe again.”

“I’m glad he’s caught,” added Rebecca Shelton.

“Our community really banded together,” Campbell added.

On Tuesday morning, Landhope provided breakfast to law enforcement stationed at the state police command center at Po-Mar-Lin.

“Landhope Farms has been a mainstay at Routes 82 and 926 in Unionville for a long time and we are glad that we have been here through the hunt for the escaped prisoner,” said Dennis McCartney, director of operations for Landhope. “We have enjoyed being a stop for the state troopers and local law enforcement.”

McCartney said the Kennett Square-Unionville area “is a united community.”

Officials react

The efforts of every single law enforcement officer have been stellar, especially given the intense weather conditions that they experienced during the two-week search, said Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz.

“The logistics at the command center were impressive, and I also thank the county’s department of emergency services and sheriff’s office staff for their efforts,” Moskowitz stated. “Even before the manhunt was over, we were reviewing many aspects of this incident, making some immediate security changes at the prison, and working through more permanent modifications to bolster security.”

“One key lesson learned relates to the emergency communication process, and we are preparing very specific messages for all county residents to let them know the differences in emergency communication levels, and how they can ensure they have the most up to date information registered for those emergency messages.”

Wednesday morning, residents received a reverse 911 call informing them that Cavalcante had been captured.

“Like everyone, Kennett Township is thrilled to see that Cavalcante was apprehended without injury to law enforcement officials or area residents. The professionalism of the search was incredible, and we are proud of the hard work of all first responders to keep our communities safe as he was brought back into the criminal justice system,” said Eden Ratliff, township manager for Kennett Township.

“We would like to thank and congratulate everyone that was involved with the search including the Pennsylvania State Police, Border Patrol, and other federal partners. In addition, we want to thank those who were involved but seldom named. This includes the tireless efforts of the Longwood Fire Company who provided logistical support, and Kennett Township Police who provided on the ground support to the search crews and tactical teams,” Ratliff added.

“A search of this magnitude requires assistance from many different sources, and we are proud of the commitment and professionalism shown by our local first responders,” he said. “Investing in emergency services is a critical role of local government and one that Kennett Township takes seriously.  The escape and pursuit of Cavalcante is a recent example of why communities need to be prepared with resources to respond to emergencies prior to them occurring. Professional police, fire, and emergency medical services at the local level are a critical ingredient to having a safe community where all can live, work, play, and prosper.”

Elaine DiMonte, chairwoman of the Pocopson Township supervisors, said there was a huge sense of relief in the community.

“This manhunt had a significant impact on all Pocopson residents and their sense of security and safety. Pocopson Township has questions regarding prison operations and security that it will continue to work cooperatively with Chester County officials to have addressed for residents,” DiMonte said.

“We are pleased to hear that Chester County officials are already undertaking reviews of prison security, as well as communication protocols to nearby residents, in order to keep our local citizens safer, and more informed. At a local level, this process has been a good reminder of the importance of cooperation between law enforcement and residents.”

There were similar thanks from Neil Lovekin, manager for East Marlborough Township.

Lovekin said that Sgt. Kevin Urbany led the East Marlborough’s recapture efforts. He added that Kennett Fire and the EMS Regional Commission continues to provide exemplary service shared by three fire companies: Longwood, Kennett and Po-Mar-Lin.

Longwood Fire Company

A.J. McCarthy, chief of the Longwood Fire Company in Kennett Township was also relieved that the manhunt was over.

“First responders are trained to work in environments with hazards, but in this situation, they had to constantly maintain a heightened state of awareness of this extra level of danger. It added an element out of the normal for us. Our crews in station had to be extra vigilant to ensure bay doors were closed after going en route to calls and to make sure — since Longwood Fire Company was in the perimeter — that doors were locked,” the fire chief said.

“The bigger impact was to our volunteers and staff at Longwood Fire Company. On top of providing service — every day at least four times a day, we sent crews out to ensure the troops on the ground were nourished and cared for,” McCarthy said, adding: “Our EMS unit provided staging for any potential medical emergencies. One of our EMS lieutenants even supported the effort in his capacity as a tactical medic. I want to thank them and their families for the sacrifices they made through this response.”

McCarthy said that events like these — while painful and exhaustive — help show and remind people of the caliber of emergency services in southern Chester County.

“Our crews don’t do this for praise, but that does not mean they don’t wholeheartedly deserve it,” the chief said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of my team. I also want to thank the families and the police officers who showed gratitude and appreciation for our efforts.”

McCarthy said the next community town hall on the work of local first responders in the region would be postponed considering recent happenings. It had been scheduled for Sept. 14.

Danelo Cavalcante escaped Chester County Prison in Pocopson on Aug. 31 and he’s been on the run ever since.

Lt. Col. George Bivens is the commander on the ground for the Pennsylvania State Police, the lead agency in charge of capturing Cavalcante.

The highest branch of state law enforcement in the Commonwealth has set up its command center at Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company in Unionville, East Marlborough Township.

Bivens told the press during a tour of the incident command post that as of Friday, as many as 400 law enforcement officers have assembled in Chester County to assist in the search for Cavalcante.

Working alongside state troopers to bring the escaped killer to justice include U.S. Marshals, U.S. Border Patrol agents with tactical expertise, Chester County Detectives, local law enforcement and first responders. The FBI is also on the scene.

“He’s a very dangerous individual,” Bivens said.

Bivens said investigators have connected with law enforcement in Brazil, Cavalcante’s native country. There, law enforcement has accused him of murdering a man in broad daylight and then fleeing to the jungle. From there, he fled to America.

‘We will secure justice again’

Last month, Cavalcante, 34, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Deborah Brandao, his former partner, whom he killed in April 2021. She was 33.

Cavalcante stabbed Brandao 38 times outside her home in Schuylkill Township in front of her son and daughter. Her children survived.

“Law enforcement is working around the clock to bring this man to justice,” said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan on Friday.

She spoke to the Daily Local News from the state police’s command center in Unionville at Po-Mar-Lin.

“We just want everyone to be mindful that they need to continue to be vigilant, monitor their surroundings — lock their doors. Lock their homes,” Ryan said.

“We found people who have kept their homes unlocked, still, during this manhunt,” she added. “We just want to make sure everyone is safe. We know we are doing our jobs. We are close. And we believe we will get him into custody very soon.”

Ryan successfully prosecuted the state’s case against Cavalcante for the murder of Brandao.

“As a community now, we’re rallying together to ensure that the right thing happens,” Ryan said. “This is all about, at the end of the day, what happened to Deborah Brandao. She received justice. Her family received justice — but now they’re living through a terrible nightmare.”

Ryan continued, “With the community’s help and with all of these outstanding law enforcement officers out there, day-in-and-day-out, we will secure justice again for this family.”

‘No stranger to hardship’

Bivens said Cavalcante grew up poor in Brazil.

“He’s no stranger to hardship,” Bivens said. “He can probably endure.”

Yet he’s facing the might of nearly 400 law enforcement officers united in their mission to find him before he has the chance of hurting anyone else ever again.

Friday morning, Bivens said he’s deployed mounted detail, many tactical units, and K-9 officers — coupled with aviation teams searching for Cavalcante from above.

“We’re giving this a very hard push today,” Bivens said.

The lieutenant colonel said mushroom houses were being searched.

There have been several sightings of Cavalcante on Longwood Gardens property during the last nine days.

Bivens encouraged people to use common sense during the duration of this manhunt.

“We’re here for you,” he said.

Nearby, final preparations for the 38th annual Mushroom Festival are underway. The event continues Saturday and Sunday.

William Holdsworth, chief of the Kennett Square Police Department, shared reassurance to the Kennett community and southern Chester County region that the Mushroom Festival will be a safe event.

“As always,” Holdsworth said, “we have significant security measures in place to provide public safety for all in attendance.”

The event draws thousands of people each year to the region and takes place in the heart of the borough along State Street. In recent years, festivities have expanded onto additional streets and alleys.

Lt. Col. George Bivens, commander for the Pennsylvania State Police who is leading the search to find fugitive Danelo Cavalcante, said that law enforcement is doing everything possible to keep the public safe.

“It is very important we keep the pressure on him as we continue this hunt,” said Bivens.

“We want to end this as quickly as possible,” he said.

Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison in Pocopson on Aug. 31. Earlier last month, he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Deborah Brandao, 33, whom he killed in April 2021.

“The borough is not located within the current search perimeter, and we are confident that our residents and visitors will have a safe environment in which to enjoy the festival,” said William Holdsworth, chief of the Kennett Square Police Department.

“As always, we will have uniformed and non-uniformed officers throughout the festival areas monitoring the crowds and proactively addressing any concerns,” Holdsworth stated on Thursday.

“We have substantial safety measures in place, but I am not able to discuss the specifics of those measures,” the chief said.

“My role is primarily that of public safety and to help the festival organizers have a great event. We put a significant amount of time and energy into preparing and planning,” the chief said.

‘Safe and enjoyable’

“I love anything that showcases how incredible Kennett Square is and will always be,” said Holdsworth.

He asked for the public to be patient as traffic around Kennett Square will be heavy this weekend.

“Allow plenty of time to get to your destination,” he said.

“I encourage everyone whether in attendance at the festival or simply driving through the area to report anything suspicious to 911,” the police chief said.

Kennett Square Mayor Matt Fetick said he is looking forward to “a successful and well-attended festival.”

“The Mushroom Festival is not only a celebration of an important industry to our community, it also benefits many different nonprofit organizations. The festival has a huge impact,” said Fetick.

“I’m a huge supporter and advocate,” the mayor noted.

He said the festival benefits dozens of different nonprofits. It makes a huge impact on social services, literacy, public safety, the Arts, among other initiatives for public good.

“We want all attendees to enjoy their time and observe all safety requests,” he added.

“In the past we’ve seen over 100,000 people enjoy the weekend at the festival. Even with all of these guests and vendors, it is fun, safe and enjoyable,” Fetick said. “We never have problems and it’s great to see both local residents and guests from afar come together and have fun.”

“It is wonderful to see the thousands of people from near and far who get to here and experience the beauty and sense of community we have for Kennett Square and the surrounding area,” said Kennett Square Councilman Bob Norris. “And who wouldn’t love to get a plateful of mushrooms for lunch?

“Come solo, with a friend, or with the family,” said Kari Matthews, owner of Clean State Goods, a boutique shop on State Street. “The Mushroom Festival has something for everyone and is truly worth the visit.”

Gale Ferranto is the Mushroom Festival coordinator. She took over recently for Kathi Lafferty, who held the leadership role for years.

“Our local mushroom industry is a tight-knit family in our community,” Ferranto said. “ Our theme this year is Harvesting Hope. My mother, RoRo Ferranto, was a founding member of the Mushroom Festival, so being involved in our festival is important to our mushroom community, our family mushroom farm, and me personally.”

She said volunteers spend countless hours in planning and coordinating to bring the Mushroom Festival to fruition each year.

“The whole town talks about mushrooms, eats mushrooms, and even wears mushroom clothing. This year we have more vendors than ever before, selling everything from boutique food products and crafts to home services and artisan soaps,” Ferranto said.

Ferranto said she is looking  forward to seeing this year’s growing exhibit, watching a mushroom picking contest, and checking out new  mushroom souvenirs.

“Kennett Square is the Mushroom Capital of the World,” Ferranto said. “Join us.”

With what appears to be an ease of agility and precision of strength, the convicted killer scales up both sides of a brick wall in a narrow walkway, whilst crawling up backwards, and within seconds disappears, having reached the building’s rooftop.

From there, according to authorities, the fugitive broke through barbed wire and scaled fencing that encircles the prison’s outer perimeter.

That was a week ago. He’s been on the run ever since.

“We will find him,” said Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens during a press conference at the Chester County government building in West Goshen on Wednesday afternoon.

In August, Cavalcante was sentenced to serve a life term in state penitentiary. A jury convicted him of killing 33-year-old Deborah Brandao, his ex-partner, in front of her two children outside her home in Schuylkill Township. He stabbed her 38 times. The brutal murder took place in 2021. Both children survived.

Cavalcante broke free from Chester County Prison in Pocopson on Aug. 31.

Seven days later, on Sept. 6, state troopers were densely lined along Route 926 in both Pennsbury and  Pocopson townships, and in some places, law enforcement was stationed less than 100 yards apart.

Vehicles were being routinely inspected and searched, as on Tuesday at Hillendale Route and Route 52 in Kennett Township, just shy of the Delaware state line, and around the intersection of Route 52 and Route 926 in Pennsbury where searches were heaviest over this holiday weekend.

John Cerami lives just shy of KARCO Gas Station, the vicinity where Cavalcante has been spotted over the holiday weekend.

John Cerami lives a mile from the gas station. He’s the wine specialist for Fine Wine & Good Spirits at the Shoppes at Longwood Village in East Marlborough Township.

Cerami said he witnessed around 15 troopers “zooming” Route 926 just shy of his home in East Marlborough Township, near the meadows of Longwood Gardens. And as the manhunt continued into day 7, Cerami said he continued to be curious while seeking information on what was happening. Concurrently, he’s locking doors, shutting the garage, and checking for broken windows.

Cerami said Cavalcante must be a survivalist with the ability to live off the land.

“He’s been all over the place. He’s been doing a lot of zigzagging around dusk and through the night,” Cerami said of Cavalcante.

“We’ll see what happens,” Cerami said. “It’s anybody’s guess.”

John D’Amico was in Kennett Square on Wednesday ordering dinner at Liberty Place along State Street. He’s the vice president of J.D. Mushroom of Avondale.

“It’s crazy they haven’t found him,” D’Amico said. “It’s tough.”

D’Amico continued, “There are cops everywhere, they are closing roads — they’re flying helicopters overhead, and I hear they’re using infrared — but it’s what? 90-something degrees out there. How much differentiation is there at the moment?”

Kennett Square resident Sarah Griffith has been hearing helicopters overhead from the beginning of this crisis.

“Labor Day was interesting,” Griffith said. Her daughter, who attends kindergarten in Kennett, has had school canceled for the last two days.

Given the heat and the pressure of more than 200 law enforcement officers conducting the manhunt, Griffith said her biggest surprise is that Cavalcante remains at large.

“It’s a conundrum,” she said. “Is he a survivalist? How is he surviving?”

She added, “I personally have not felt unsafe. It is more of an uneasy feeling.”

Griffith works at Club Pilates in East Marlborough. “I’ve not felt like I can’t go out,” she said. “Obviously, we’re here. We’re at work. My daughter and I have been home. She’s still playing with the neighbors. I’m still making sure — double checking — lock the doors, lock the cars.”

Chester County Deputy Sheriff Darren Smith continued to keep watch at a road closure on Route 926 at Parkerville Road in Pennsbury — day seven of the manhunt for escaped killer Cavalcante.

Smith said community members in the area have been bringing him and fellow members of law enforcement snacks and water throughout this ordeal.

“The people here have been incredible,” Smith said.

Elsewhere in the region, Wednesday’s slated government meeting held by the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors was canceled.

Kennett Township Manager Eden Ratliff said township police have been assisting in the manhunt since Cavalcante first escaped prison on Aug. 31.

“We certainly want to see this brought to a prompt conclusion and encourage our residents to cooperate with law enforcement and follow their guidance. Our hope is that the search is concluded without any injuries or death to members of the search team or area residents,” Ratliff said.

“As the search continues, its stress is impacting no one more than those involved on the front lines,” he said.

Commissioner Josh Maxwell lauded the efforts of law enforcement including local departments who’ve stepped to the plate in the quest to apprehend Cavalcante.

“We’re extraordinarily appreciative of all the law enforcement pulling together to protect the Chester County community. We realize this is a very stressful time,” Maxwell said on Wednesday.

“All those folks are doing everything they can to keep the community safe,” the commissioner said. “Our job right now is to share the state police message — if you see somebody that looks like this individual, immediately call 911 so we can get him back in custody.”

Cavalcante is wanted in Brazil, his native country, regarding another murder case.

As of Wednesday night, there is a $20,000 reward for his capture.

Cavalcante, 34, is approximately 5 feet tall, thin and has black hair.

To make a tip, call 1-877-WANTED2 (1-877-926-8332).

As COVID made it tougher for nonprofit organizations in southeastern Pennsylvania to do everything from serving clients to raising funds, the pandemic also made it clear just how much those charities were needed.

People whose lives were upended and finances hurt turned to nonprofits in higher numbers than ever, and in most cases received the help they sought.

And now two years after the pandemic started, and with COVID cases at their lowest totals since its beginning, there are still more people in need than before, with charitable groups still finding ways to assist them.

Olivet Boys & Girls Club of Reading & Berks County, for example, is providing more services than pre-pandemic, such as launching Hubs of Hope, an initiative to serve youth and families by connecting multiple local services, including clothing closets, mental health services and academic support.

That program was necessary as the pandemic created added academic challenges and mental health issues for students as evidenced by the increase in phone calls from parents seeking help, said Chris Winters, club president and CEO.

“We now have better relationships with the kids than ever,” he said.

What has allowed Olivet and other nonprofits to meet the higher demand is that they are working together, officials said.

Olivet got better at collaborating with community partners including Berks Community Action Progran, the Reading School District, the Reading Recreation Department, the Daniel Torres Hispanic Center and Safe Berks, Winters said.

“We have to keep doing it this way, working with each other and making sure we’re not competing,” he said. “Too many kids need help, and we can’t keep doing it by ourselves.”

Stronger together

The increased need for help with necessities like housing, food, mental health counseling and child care will continue as people rebound from losing jobs and income and adjust to the new normal of post-pandemic society, said United Way of Berks County President Tammy White.

For instance, the pandemic led to higher housing costs that prompted some local landlords to give tenants short notice that the home they’d been renting was now for sale, leaving them displaced, she said.

White spoke about United Way’s resource hotline, where those needing to connect with help can call 2-1-1 for guidance.

Since the pandemic began there have been almost 15,000 calls on the hotline in Berks, with almost half of the calls involving housing assistance and about 20% related to utility bills.

Most of those requests were met, White said, thanks largely to agencies working with one another.

“How everybody has come together is absolutely phenomenal,” she said. “COVID taught us that we are stronger when we work together. We already had a desire to collaborate, but the pandemic reinforced that and also showed how resilient we can be.”

Food solution

Helping Harvest food pantry works with more than 320 partners to distribute food in Berks and Schuylkill counties, and officials there also believe the increased need is long term.

Before the pandemic, Helping Harvest was distributing about 6.5 million pounds of food per year in Berks and Schuylkill, but in 2020 that almost doubled as it handed out 11 million pounds.

While that amount has dropped somewhat, the demand is still far above pre-pandemic levels as many have still not recovered financially from the pandemic, said President Jay Worrall.

Some had their savings decimated or got deeper into debt during the pandemic and turned to Helping Harvest for the first time, he said.

As those people continue to recover financially they still rely on the pantry, knowing that while help with other bills may not be available, at least their food insecurity has a solution, he said.

Helping Harvest has been able to feed them all thanks in part to the generosity of its donors, whose help it will continue to need going forward, he said.

Blood donors adjust

Another nonprofit that has experienced a long-term shift in its operations is Miller-Keystone Blood Center, which provides blood products to 28 hospitals in eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, said President and CEO Peter J. Castagna Jr.

While Miller-Keystone formerly got about 70% of its blood donations from mobile drives at schools, colleges and workplaces, the pandemic made those events impossible for a time, and a shortage of employees increased the challenge, he said.

But now almost 70% of donations are being made at Miller-Keystone’s seven centers and satellite locations set up once per month, Castagna said.

Blood supplies had fallen to crisis levels locally in December and January as COVID cases rose and depleted the number of donors, leading to concerns hospital patients could die due to a lack of available blood.

The supplies are now in better shape, though, not only because fewer people have the virus but because many have adjusted to donating blood at the centers.

“People have responded,” Castagna said. “They’re coming to us.”

Personal contact returning

Fundraising has changed so much for nonprofits since before the pandemic when face-to-face fund drives and office presentations were a big source of contributions.

The switch to online pleas just wasn’t as effective, charity officers said, so the organizations are working to transition back.

With so many employees still working remotely, though, office solicitations have dwindled, meaning personal presentations are going to be crucial, Winters said.

“You can’t just rely on emails to solicit donations,” he said. “You need more personal contact, and more one-on-one meetings, which the pandemic didn’t allow. But now we’re getting back to sitting at tables and telling our stories.”

United Way officials in Berks said it’s been more difficult to secure donors since the pandemic began despite the organization’s efforts to use virtual meetings to promote payroll deduction pledges.

“People give to people, and nothing replaces in-person contact,” White said. “It’s harder to connect on a screen.”

Like a tsunami

Carrie Freeman, chief executive officer of United Way of Southern Chester County, said the biggest change was moving to virtual meetings for all of the nonprofit’s board and volunteer work.

“The camaraderie among volunteers working together for our common cause definitely suffered moving to the virtual meeting format,” Freeman said. “However, for convenience’s sake, we will probably retain the convenience of these virtual meetings.”

The most impacted people during the pandemic were the direct services group who are also the lowest paid, she said.

“They had to go out to work every day and didn’t have the luxury of working from home sitting at a computer,” she said. “They assumed the most risk and many lost jobs due to having to quarantine or stay home with children who had no child care available to them. Many of these folks who were just starting to restabilize have now been hit with inflationary pricing on basic goods. So the need is still out there.”

A Child’s Light, which has Chester County offices in Malvern and Unionville, helps vulnerable and abused children locally and around the world and started right before everything shut down, said founder Leslie Holt.

“A Child’s Light is about supporting kids in an ongoing, substantial way so that not only do they heal but our communities are healthier,” Holt said. “And we cannot do that without happy, healthy children.”

She said the need to help children is not merely greater since the pandemic began, but more like a tsunami.

“The isolation of the pandemic exacerbated every crack in court agencies and more importantly, every dysfunctional family household,” she said. “Thank heaven for our amazing and loyal contributors such as Blue Beards for Charity, The Demos Family Foundation and every friend, family member and community member who recognize how essential A Child’s Light is for abused children.”

Focus on community

Kennett Collaborative, a nonprofit that works to boost Kennett Square and its economy, decided that when tourism died down during the pandemic it would focus more on the people who live in the community and make Kennett a better home, said Bo Wright, executive director.

“Making Kennett a great place attracts visitors. We’ve seen this over the past few years as both residents and visitors alike have enjoyed our placemaking initiatives like the Light Up the Square tree lights and Kennett Blooms plantings and parklets,” he said.

“In addition to the Small Business Response Fund, which distributed over $270,000 in grants to 61 small consumer-facing businesses in the summer of 2020, helping to foster a sense of community to support local businesses has been a key part of our initiatives over the past few years,” he said. “These include everything from stories on local businesses and nonprofits in our weekly Around the Square newsletter to working on street closures for outdoor dining and providing safe and fun outdoor spaces for people to gather.”

He said the organization is looking forward to a full season of events that will bring people to Kennett Square now that people are more able to congregate.

Community support

Manna on Main Street is a Lansdale nonprofit with a reach across most of Montgomery County.

Sheldon Good, director of development and strategic direction, said the nonprofit helps 5,000 individuals each year.

Good said the nonprofit has been offering double the amount of food needed now prior to pre-pandemic times.

“We estimate that we assist about 5,000 individuals in the course of a year,” Good said.

The nonprofit helps people who are food insecure, including seniors.

He said more than 4,000 individuals live below the poverty line in the North Penn region, which includes 100,000 people, meaning those living in poverty represent 4% of the population.

“We serve low-income seniors who are on a fixed income, we serve working families, we serve persons experiencing homelessness. We serve anyone who is in need of our services,” Good said.

“We have learned that Manna has significant capacity and that our staff are resilient and we have an incredibly generous supportive community,” Good said. “We couldn’t do our work without the support of this community.”

Investing in nonprofits

Frances M. Sheehan is president of The Foundation for Delaware County on East State Street in Media, Delaware County.

The foundation worked recently to create an independent county-run health department while partnering with Delaware County Council, which the state approved in March.

“When there is an emergency,” Sheehan said, “if you do not have a strong public health structure, you can just see what can happen to the economy. You can see how dramatically it can impact people’s lives — and we are still not out of it.”

The foundation has distributed funds to regional nonprofits since 2020 to support the missions of the charities to help people in need. Also during the last two years, Citizen Corp of Delaware County organized a volunteer force of 3,000 which Frances praised as being unique to the area.

The nonprofit also focuses on services to help women in maternity.

The foundation funds fellow nonprofits to make a difference while also offering services on the ground. The nonprofit has 10,000 clients, including children, in Delaware County each year.

“By providing direct services we have front line staff that have a really good understanding of what the community needs and that really informs our grant writing philosophy,” Sheehan said. “Further, this is about investing in the nonprofits that are on the ground making a difference.”

Over the coming weeks, we will be taking a look at the way forward and how change has transformed our communities in every way — schools, health care, politics, policing, entertainment, religion, nonprofits and business.

Stories by a team of local reporters will be published periodically over the next several weeks and online at delcotimes.com/tag/coronavirus/

With apologies to Prince, it appears like it’s time to party like it’s 2019.

The COVID Pandemic hit the theater crowd hard. From getting ready to put on a full week of Les Misérables at the Kimmel Center Campus to quiet concert tickets being sold to foot traffic around the city, the shutdown 2020 shutdown came as a shock to the business.

Now, things are getting “back to normal,” but there still might be a few changes that will stick.

“As fans prepare for what is on track to be one of the biggest summer concert seasons in history, there are a few measures that were introduced last season that will continue to be in place, particularly in Camden at the Waterfront Music Pavilion, and several other venues,” said a spokesman for the venue, mentioning things like clear bags to enter and cashless transactions.

“All points of sale including parking, merchandise, food & beverage will only accept debit, credit or mobile pay (Apply Pay or Google Pay). For fans that wish to use cash, cash to card conversion will be available on-site. To reduce staff contact with guest belongings, the venue has implemented the following bag policy: we will allow clear plastic, vinyl or PVC tote bags no larger than 12” x 6” x 12” and/or small clutch bags (4.5”x 6.5”). No other bags of any type will be allowed.”

The summer concert season is back to a full schedule. Such musical heavyweights such as Judas Priest, Pearl Jam, Norah Jones, Bonnie Raitt and Robert Plant will be performing around the region.

“Nothing replaces the live music experience,” said the spokesman. “It’s a magical moment when those lights go down and you see your favorite artist singing your favorite song live. Judging by early response to the recent announcement of our summer concert series in the Philadelphia-region, people are excited to attend a live show this summer. We have an amazing line up of outdoor shows coming to our area this summer at Waterfront Music Pavilion, the Mann Center, Lincoln Financial Field, and Citizens Bank Park.”

Meanwhile, Broadway plays at the Kimmel Cultural Campus have been selling out since ‘Hamilton’ took over the Academy of Music in October. Shows such as ‘Rent,’ ‘Oklahoma!’ and ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ has been playing to packed, albeit masked, crowds since.

Coming up later this year will be the show ‘Waitress,’ as well as the critically acclaimed ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and the award-winning ‘Dear Evan Hansen.’

Also hit hard were museums. Everything from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Franklin Institute to The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University went from a full schedule of events to nothing. Now, many are still not open a full seven days.

“One of things that we did was it launched digital programing in ways we really hadn’t embraced at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Lisa Miller, the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at the The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. “I think those things were super well attended at the beginning, then, as with COVID, people started to get tired of those things. I think what we found is there is definitely a place for those digital programs going forward. And, having a good mix of in-person, on-site programing and virtual programming is here to stay. It’s exciting, because people who haven’t been able to attend programming over the last number of years for any number of reasons, began to take advantage of some of that virtual programming.”

Some of the programming includes podcasts, virtual visits to the museums and videos.

Now as some of the masking and mandates are being removed, attendance at the museums is starting to pick up.

We are starting to see in-person visits start to pick up as well as memberships,” Miller said. “Which is super exciting. We love to see the people look at our exhibits here at the museum.”

While many of the indoor museums and theaters are still requiring masks, many believe that will be lifted in the next few months.

Theatre Philadelphia announced this week it will kick-off the Fifth Annual Philadelphia Theatre Week with an event on the rooftop garden of the Kimmel Center March 30 at 5 p.m. Audiences can see preview scenes, songs, and interactive performances from participating Philly Theatre Week companies at Theatre Philadelphia’s first in-person event since 2020.

“Philly Theatre Week continues to be a special time of year when the entire theatre community, from audience, to solo producers to our Center City theatre institutions, get to pointedly celebrate our world class sector,” said Executive Director LaNeshe Miller-White. “We are thrilled to see the ongoing commitment of audiences and producers to make space for this annual event. Our kick-off event marks the first in-person event for Theatre Philadelphia since 2020. We are so excited to be able to gather again with the artistic community.”

Just as the Philadelphia area is enjoying a rebirth post-pandemic, much is the same across the region.

Santander venues going at full tilt

At Santander Arena and its nearby sister venue, the Santander Performing Arts Center, an 1,800-seat theater in downtown Reading, things have largely returned to the “old” normal.

“We had a 16- to 18-month lull,” said David Farrar, general manager of the ASM Global-managed facilities, “and once this fiscal year started in July we started ramping back up.”

Farrar said masking is now recommended but not required unless a particular performer requests it, which he said hasn’t happened for a while. Vaccination cards are not required.

The venues kicked off their 20th anniversary season in August and have had one of the busier years in recent memory, according to Farrar, including 30 events in February and 36 events this month.

“I think people are glad that we’re back,” he said. “The crowds have been really good overall.”

Both venues will be hopping for the foreseeable future, with highlights including Mark Anthony on Thursday, a sold-out Slipknot show on April 2, comedian Bert Kreischer on April 7, Christian pop duo For King & Country on April 24, Breaking Benjamin on April 30 and Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live on May 21. The full schedule is at santander-arena.com.

Reading Symphony Orchestra perseveres

The Reading Symphony Orchestra, which presents its subscription concert series at the Santander Performing Arts Center, came through the pandemic very strong, said David S. Gross, executive director.

They pivoted to livestreaming concerts beginning in January 2021, with the first one resulting in 7,500 views from people in 36 countries. In April 2021, they were the first orchestra in Pennsylvania to welcome back live audiences, and offered repeat performances so they could limit capacity and allow for social distancing.

Gross said they came within about $7,500 of their pre-pandemic subscription cash level, which was gratifying.

“I think we’ll always look at the idea of being able to offer some of our programming as a livestream or pre-recorded,” Gross said. “I think there is some value in that. On a targeted basis, we’ll be able to reach some of our patrons and supporters who are no longer able to come out and attend a concert on a Saturday evening.”

Gross said the first in-person concert last April went beyond an entertainment experience.

“I think it was as much therapeutic as it was anything,” he said. “It was for me. Being able to hear our orchestra perform live again kind of signaled that we were going to get through this.”

The first three concerts of 2021-22 season averaged around 1,200 attendees per concert. There are two more classic concerts (April 9 and May 21) and a pops concert (April 23) still to come this season, and the orchestra has already announced a full slate of concerts for the 2022-23 season.

“I feel like we’ve come through it well,” Gross said. “Every arts organization is going to continue to have some challenges until everything is back to normal, but I have a high degree of confidence in the long-term viability of the Reading Symphony, and that it’s going to be a strong arts organization and there will be a strong arts community in Berks County for a long time to come.”

A buzz in the air at the Miller Center

At Reading Area Community College’s 500-seat Miller Center for the Arts in downtown Reading, a sold-out Three Dog Night concert in September marked the return to live events.

“There was just a buzz in the air (that night),” said Megan Schappell, house manager and box office coordinator. “People were so excited to be back. I do think a sense of community and a sense of people being together is going to be our biggest takeaway from this. People are just excited, so there’s more of a bond when we’re all together now.”

Masks are no longer required at the Miller Center, nor are vaccination cards.

Schappell said ticket sales have been up compared to prior years.

Upcoming event highlights include the family-friendly, circus-type act, The Great DuBois, on April 22 and a couple of expected sell-outs: the Pink Floyd tribute act The Machine on April 23 and singer-songwriter Josh Ritter on May 7.

Also on the horizon is a concert by Mary Chapin Carpenter to kick off the Miller Center’s 15th anniversary season on Aug. 16. Schappell said more big anniversary-season announcements are forthcoming, including a children’s series.

GoggleWorks finds new avenues

A block away at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, president and executive director Levi Landis said the pandemic prompted an entirely new approach focused on small groups and outdoor activities.

Now, things are beginning to return to normal at the campus, formerly home to a safety-glasses manufacturing facility that has been converted into an arts facility housing several galleries, more than two dozen artists’ studios, eight teaching studios and the 125-seat Boscov Film Theatre that focuses on art films.

“It’s 145,000 square feet where art happens,” Landis said of the site. “It’s a whole super-block.”

During the pandemic they offered highly curated experiences called Art Explorer packages to small groups, private screenings in the film theater, micro-weddings in their event spaces and digital art classes that attracted students from across the ocean.

In the summer, they hosted drive-in movies in the parking lot, which Landis said they are planning to continue this summer. And this winter’s art classes and workshops attracted their highest enrollment ever.

“It says to me that there’s something bigger in terms of people at least wanting to find normalcy and wanting to find their way back to the arts,” Landis said.

On the schedule at the GoggleWorks are an exhibit that runs through Sunday featuring works by Halim Flowers, a renowned artist and activist who taught himself art while serving 22 years in prison after a wrongful conviction, and an outdoor Forge Festival on April 30 that features an iron pour at dusk, blacksmithing demonstrations, live music and food vendors. The annual Arts Festival Reading will return in December, and some other major announcements are soon to come, Landis said.

Berks Jazz Fest ready to roll

Downtown Reading and its suburbs will be buzzing in early April as the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest returns for its 31st year. It’s been a tumultuous two years for the festival, with March 2020’s 30th anniversary festival being postponed twice due to COVID before finally being held in August 2021. But festival general manager John Ernesto said thanks to strong support from the community and the participating artists, the festival remains on firm footing.

“Given all the challenges and the constant rescheduling, the fans stuck with us, and I think at the end of the day the (August) festival was successful,” he said. “Was it as successful as some other ones? No. But given the challenges and COVID that we had to hurdle, we were satisfied with how the festival worked.”

Running April 1-10, with downtown Reading’s DoubleTree by Hilton hotel serving as the hub, this year’s festival boasts more than 40 ticketed events featuring nationally known artists, plus approximately 60 free events in local bars and restaurants.

Ernesto said more than 20,000 people typically attend the ticketed events, with 65 percent coming from out of town, and an estimated 15,000 more people take in the free events.

In normal years, tickets sells well right out of the gate, but this year’s on-sale date coincided with the surge of the omicron variant, which gave people pause, so Ernesto said they had to adjust their marketing strategy.

“As things got better, we saw an uptick, and every week ticket sales are getting stronger and stronger,” Ernesto said. “So we’re cautiously optimistic that we’re going to have a strong finish with a lot of sales leading right up to the festival and during the festival, which is not our normal business model. I know the hotels are doing very well; their reservations are very strong.”

Ernesto said masks will be optional for attendees and vaccination cards are not required.

For the lineup and additional information, visit berksjazzfest.com.

Theater, cinema returning to normal

Vicki Haller Graff wears two hats in the local arts scene, serving as artistic director for the community theater group Reading Theater Project and executive assistant of Fox Theatres, which operates Fox Berkshire, a multiplex cinema in Wyomissing, Berks County. On both fronts, she said, things are returning to pre-pandemic normal.

Not having its own theater space, nor the expenses that go with it, proved beneficial for Reading Theater Project, which adapted to the pandemic by trying ZOOM performances and outdoor performances at the Reading Pubic Museum Arboretum, and also launched an every-other-month program on Berks Community Television called “Reading Reading” (as in “Reading reading”) featuring interviews with playwrights and readings of new plays. Another performance at the Arboretum is planned for July 10, and the TV show will continue, as well, with the next one airing May 17.

Reading Theater Project returned to indoor performances with “Mixed MESSages” in the fall and “5 Minute Fringe Fest” last month. Audiences were masked but the performers were not.

“We didn’t have any issues,” Graff said. “We all felt safe and healthy and felt like it was still a great theater experience for audience and performers.”

She said audience members were excited to be out seeing live theater again, although they did get some feedback from people who just weren’t ready for that yet, and were grateful for the BCTV show.

Up next for Reading Theater Project is “Shakespeare at the Symphony,” in conjunction with the Reading Symphony Orchestra, on April 9. As for masking, Graff said, “We’re really just trying to follow the CDC guidance and follow what our peers are doing, here and in Philly and even New York.” To keep updated, visit readingtheaterproject.org.

Graff said the Fox Berkshire multiplex has been seeing a steady rise in attendance, especially for bigger films like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “The Batman.”

“‘Batman’ really helped us feel like things are getting back to normal,” she said.

During the pandemic, Fox Wyomissing tried some new things, such as private screenings to small groups, curbside popcorn and special events. Now, they are back to full capacity, and masking is optional.

The movie industry is still reeling a bit with fewer new releases due to pandemic-induced production delays, but Graff said there are still some high-profile films on the horizon, including “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” on May 6, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” on May 20 and “Top Gun: Maverick” on May 27.

“We’re excited,” Graff said. “We love seeing people back. People get so happy to come to theater, whether it’s a horror movie where you’re scared together or a comedy where people are laughing together. Like live theater, I guess, it’s different when you’re with a group.”

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center

From the Kennett Flash to Longwood Gardens, live events are in full swing this spring. Yet from West Chester to Philadelphia and elsewhere, much has changed for the Arts during the last 24 months.

“We miss our audiences,” said Carol Flannery, marketing director of Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, 226 N. High St. in West Chester.

“Our doors are open and we are very ready to welcome them back. We know what having access to the performing arts means to Chester County and we are working very hard to bring back drama, music, dance, comedy and film in a way that is entertaining, exciting and new,” Flannery said. “Keep an eye on us — we have surprises in store for this year.”

Twenty-four months ago, theatres across the country shutdown. Parades then canceled. No live events with music or even weddings. For weeks, as spring arose.

And two years later, now that the fear of an unknown pandemic has subsided, people are uniting around the world with music and events together.

“Audiences are very ready to return to live performances,” Flannery said. “They want to do so safely and they want to know that we’re looking out for them, but they want to get out to enjoy the performing arts — theatre, music and dance. “

Bands are touring again

Ethan Chambers is a sound engineer.

The East Nottingham native leaves home often to tour with bands across America and around the world. In 2019, Chambers’ work kept him quite busy.

As a sound engineer, he reaches out to 50 venues to secure logistical plans for a tour.

Right now he’s in Detroit, Michigan, on tour with Circles Around the Sun.

“I’ll be with these guys for about a month,” Chamber said.

And then he’s set to leave home again for a nationwide tour with Grateful Shred.

Chambers began supporting local theaters with sound support in Southern Chester County while still in high school.

In 2016, and after attending Prom, he left Oxford High in pursuit of music and the art of sound engineering at live events.

In 2019, “I worked all over the world,” Chambers said.

He worked hundreds of shows. In a month, he might have four days off.

“When you’re on tour, it’s very hard to keep track of time,” he said. “It’s very bizarre.”

Some bands tour for three months. Other gigs are brief.

In February 2020 Chambers said he was on an East Coast tour as news of the unknown pandemic first broke.

“I remember being on the tour bus,” Chambers said. “Sure enough the tour ended in DC. I took a train up and within four days – an entire year – everything was canceled.”

To go from $80K to $90K in scheduled work to zero, he recalled.

Chambers said the greatest lesson he learned in 2020 was simple.

“Just how fragile things are,” Chambers said. “Everything’s fragile.”

“For me in 2020, I think I did three actual days of production work,” Chambers said of 2020 after March, including two live stream events and one event for Biden in Wilmington in which Chambers provided equipment.

When tours began again, they were close to home even in 2021.

Going on tour is very expensive, Chambers said, but bands kept playing to connect with people and do something.

Rules varied venue to venue. Some had circles on the ground to showcase where people were supposed to stand.

Red Rocks outside Denver, Colorado, had venue rules that varied from elsewhere.

“It was wild,” he said of shows last year.

He’s now on his first tour of 2022.

Chambers talks to every single venue to connect with the plan of the show. He said only three venues thus far this year have mentioned Corona.

“Almost seemingly, it’s done.”

And then there’s the power of music.

“People want it. Even when the pandemic was in full swing, people wanted it,” Chambers said. “And really the only thing that stopped it was all the rules.”

Since the dawn of time, music’s been around, Chambers said.

“I don’t think it’s going anywhere.”

The iconic flagship destination in Southeastern Pennsylvania suffered an estimated $6 million in damages from floodwaters on September 1 during Hurricane Ida, which hit the region as a tropical storm.

“We’ve had floods before — but never like this,” said Virginia Logan, executive director and chief executive officer of the Brandywine River Museum of Art.

The Brandywine River Museum of Art had been temporarily closed after the remnants of Hurricane Ida brought historic flooding to Chadds Ford, impacting the museum and conservancy’s 15-acre campus, which includes acreage in both Delaware and Chester counties.

“Ida was like no other storm,” she said. “Floodwaters were four feet higher than the all-time record in the history of recorded floods in the Brandywine.”The museum sits along the banks of the Brandywine Creek.

The museum reopened to the public on Friday, inviting visitors to enjoy the Brandywine Railroad holiday train display as well as highlights from its permanent art collection featuring the works of the Wyeth family including iconic American artists N.C. Wyeth and Andrew Wyeth.

This holiday season, the museum is now open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. seven days a week. The venue will be closed on Christmas day.

The museum’s O-gauge model train display will be on view now through January 9.

Since 1972, the museum has featured each holiday its acclaimed Brandywine Railroad which features an array of toy and scale model trains made by Lionel, Williams, Atlas, Mike’s Train House, and K-line, among others. The trains run on a on 2,000 feet of track with more than 1,000 pieces, including locomotives, passenger and freight trains, and trolleys that pass through a small village, a farm, factories, a carnival and a drive-in movie theater, according to the Brandywine River Museum of Art in a press release on the venue’s reopening.

Visitors can also enjoy viewing traditional whimsical critter ornaments decorating the holiday trees in the museum’s atrium.

Volunteers have created the critter ornaments, composed only of natural materials such as teasel, pinecones, acorns, eggshells, flowers and seed pods, every year since 1971.

These handcrafted, artisan ornaments shall be available for purchase during an annual holiday critter sale at the Chadds Ford Historical Society from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 4 and December 5.

More than 8,200 critter ornaments were destroyed by floodwaters.

Although the art in the galleries at the Brandywine River Museum of Art were unharmed by the storm, the museum’s lowest level — containing a lecture room, classroom, offices — incurred significant flood damage. Ida’s floodwaters also damaged an additional 10 buildings on the Brandywine historic campus.

Logan said everyone has been working diligently and around-the-clock to repair and restore the museum and grounds in order to reopen the facility back up to the public.

“We’re thrilled,” she said of reopening the museum this holiday weekend. Logan began her leadership role at Brandywine in 2012.

Logan said the staff and organization have been resilient during the last three months working together to repair and reopen the facility to the public.

Logan said more than 700 people have donated to the museum to support its repairs and reopening since the storm brought more than $6 million in damages to the campus.

No sculptures on the grounds of the museum were damaged from Ida. “No art was damaged, inside or outside,” Logan noted.

Besides being home to an art museum, the campus includes the Brandywine Conservancy, dedicated to the conservation of cultural gems, such as American Revolutionary War sites, and protection of natural resources including land and water. The conservancy is an ongoing leader and steward of the area with staff working continuously to permanently preserve countless forests and wetlands, open space and flourishing creeks as well as historic farms while strengthening existing watersheds from the Christiana to the White Clay and beyond.

“Our campus is planted with native plants which are by nature resilient,” Logan said. “We expect things to be in full bloom with very little damage to the landscape by the time (the flora specimens) emerge in the spring,” she said.

The museum held virtual events during the last three months, as the organization also did in 2020 during the statewide shutdown of “non-essential” venues across Pennsylvania.

Yet ultimately art and nature are meant to be experienced in-person, not merely observed virtually.

“This organization has built itself in overcoming odds,” Logan said. “We are deeply committed to our mission including being able to have our doors open to the public and to our members.”

Art inspires

In addition to the museum doors now again open to the public to view great American works as well as the annual holiday train and ornament exhibits inside, the landscape of the Brandywine campus is itself a form of art.

As the poets wrote at the dawn of the industrial age: Nature, the essence of art.

Being in nature does something that on one hand is nurturing, said Logan, but also the opportunity to be “taking in the beauty and just taking a moment to be quiet and reflect and absorb the presence of what’s around you; nature.”

There’s also the benefit of breathing in fresh air while walking through a meadow or in a forest, a concept some call forest-gazing, Logan said.

“When we open up ourselves to that experience of nature, that can be quite similar to what people experience when they are in front of a great work of art,” Logan added.

Further, she said, “The way we experience art is as different as we are as people.”

Logan continued, “The ability to immerse ourselves in great works of art and in the beauty of unspoiled nature is at the core of what we do in our mission. And we think that it is important to people. The way people have been rallying from the woodwork to help us shows us that what we do matters to them. And that is very heartening to us.”

Nicole Kindbeiter, a spokeswoman for the conservancy and museum, said Chadds Ford Township Manager MaryAnn Furlong, along with township supervisors, and officials U.S. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania Rep. Craig Williams, and State Senator John Kane were instrumental in helping the Brandywine Conservancy & Art Museum secure public assistance ahead of its reopening to visitors this holiday weekend.