Community news of Delaware County

MEDIA — The Phillies Rally for Red October Bus Tour is back and headed to Media on Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 5:15- 6:15 p.m. in the southern part of Veterans Square between Baltimore Pike and State Street in the center of the borough business district.

Phillies fans are invited to greet the bus in Media and to celebrate the team's return to the playoffs with special guests and exclusive swag.

The Rally for Red October Bus Tour is sponsored by local tri-state Toyota dealers and is held in partnership with the Phillies, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC10 and Telemundo62.

The Phillies Red October Rally Bus will appear earlier that day at the Comcast Center Plaza in Philadelphia at 11:30 a.m., then at Philadelphia City Hall at 1:30. The bus will then travel to Conshohocken to make an appearance on Fayette Street before rolling into Media.

Drexel Neumann Academy receives transformative gift from Howley Foundation

The Howley Foundation, led by founders Nick and Lorie Howley and foundation board member Andy Howley, have announced a significant pledge to Drexel Neumann Academy.

This pledge will provide scholarship assistance to 15 students annually and will be awarded to select students in grades 5, 6 and 7 this year, and in grades 6, 7 and 8 beyond. This funding will academy students through their time, and the foundation has committed to financial support for the students through their high school years.

The academy, established in 2007, is a PreK through 8th grade independent Catholic school in Chester. It has a rich history of providing a rigorous education to an underserved community. The school is dedicated to educating the whole child, to foster the moral, spiritual, intellectual, cultural, emotional, social, and physical development of each individual student.

Admittance is offered to any child who resides in Chester and no one is turned away due to an inability to pay. The academy operates on the belief that education is the cornerstone of a brighter future for its students, and the foundation has a track record of success to prove it.

Academy board Chairman H. Edward Hanway stated, "We are excited for the support of our students by the Howley Foundation, a recognized leader in funding institutions focused on educating under-resourced youth."

Alice Sylvester, academy president, said "We are thrilled that the Howley Foundation has chosen to partner with DNA to assist our students and families with significant scholarships."

Nick and Lorie started the Howley Foundation in 2003 to offer access to high-quality education to students who could not get it otherwise due to their financial situation. Since the first days, the foundation has grown steadily to now distribute over $30 million per year to schools, mostly in the Philadelphia and Cleveland areas as well as a few national networks.

"Our Foundation looks at philanthropy a lot like investing," Nick Howley said. "We seek out great opportunities with institutions that support their students and communities, and then assess the outcomes."

Howley, a graduate of St. Joseph's Prep, Drexel University and the Harvard Graduate School of Business, is the chair and founder of TransDigm Group Inc., a N.Y. Stock Exchange-listed company and one of the largest global producers, designers, and suppliers of engineered aerospace components, systems and subsystems with approximately 15,500 employees and 100 worldwide locations.

His business success has enabled him the ability to support a cause near to his and Lorie's heart: Access to a high-quality education to those who would not otherwise be able to afford it. The Howleys firmly believe that education is one of the most important catalysts to promote positive change in individuals and society as a whole.

Newlin Grist Mill's director to give talk on water system restoration

Newlin Grist Mill Executive Director Tony Shahan will present "Protecting the Heart of Newlin Grist Mill: Restoration of a Historic Water System," at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17.

The free presentation will be held in the log cabin at Newlin Grist Mill as part of the Newlin Series.

The water system at Newlin Grist Mill is more than just the mill's power source. In operation for over three centuries, it's also central to the park's programs and is a defining feature of the site.

Shahan will talk about the history of the water system, how it has changed over time, the work that has been done to restore and protect it, and discoveries that were made during the process of restoration.

Seating is limited, so pre-registration is recommended by emailing or calling 610-459-2359.

The talk will also be taking place during one of the site's weekly happy hour events with Deer Creek Malthouse, and attendees are encouraged to come out starting at 5 p.m. to enjoy alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages by the stream before the program.

Support for the 2024 Newlin Series provided by Team Toyota of Glen Mills. More information can be found at

U.S. News ranks Neumann University among best in region for social mobility

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Neumann University among the Best Regional Universities in the North for social mobility in its Best Colleges 2025 issue.

Neumann has been ranked annually among the best for social mobility since the magazine first included rankings for the category in 2021.

The ranking identifies colleges that are successful at enrolling and graduating significant proportions of economically challenged students who are eligible for Pell Grants.

Among first-year fall 2024 students at Neumann, more than 60 percent received Pell assistance. For 2025, U.S News analysis placed Neumann #99 in the North and #13 in Pennsylvania in this category.

"This ranking reflects the positive reality of the Neumann experience: career-oriented and high-quality higher education," said Dr. Chris Domes, president of Neumann. "We are especially proud of our social mobility ranking because of the large number of first-generation college students that we serve."

In the fall of 2024, 65 percent of Neumann's freshmen were first-generation college students. Neumann was also recognized as one of the Best Regional Universities in the North.

According to Francesca Reed, vice president for enrollment management and marketing, "The rankings reflect Neumann's meticulous focus on personal attention and academic quality to help students achieve their educational and career goals."

The majority of Neumann's undergraduate classes have fewer than 25 students, and the student-faculty ratio is 13:1.

U.S. News defines Regional Universities as those that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's programs but few doctoral programs. Neumann offers more than 40 undergraduate programs, nine master's degrees, and two doctoral programs with a Doctor of Nursing Practice starting in fall 2025.

In addition to its academic majors, Neumann requires that students complete an internship or field experience related to their field of study and offers extensive opportunities for community service. Domes cites service learning and internships as critical components of undergraduate success for first-generation students.

Extracurricular activities at Neumann include 19 Division III NCAA athletic teams and more than 30 student clubs. For more information about Neumann, visit www.neumann.edu.

Artist Rinal Parikh to speak in Rotary's speaker series at PAC

The Park Avenue Community Center, 129 Park Ave., Swarthmore will present artist Rinal Parikh as the featured guest in its acclaimed speaker series, Rotary Arts Conversations, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18.

Everyone is welcome to the in-depth discussion with Parikh as she discusses the inspiration behind her artwork, which reflects the heritage and vibrant culture of her native India, and the processes she employs to create intricate nature motifs.

Trained as a biochemist, Parikh draws on a childhood fascination with color and composition, portraying spontaneity and energy with saturated color in various media.

Using meticulous attention to detail, she creates unique narratives celebrating the beauty and complexity of Indian life. Highly influenced by Indian folk art and employing traditional techniques that she has adapted to her own signature style, Parikh creates exquisite artwork focusing on subjects such as floral motifs, animals and birds and evocative landscapes, almost always with a story in mind.

Parikh has won several awards for her artwork, including the Loos Award for Works on Paper at the Philadelphia Sketch Club and a first-place award for watercolor paintings at the Art Association of Harrisburg.

Her work has appeared in magazines such as Philadelphia Stories and Rathalla Review, and has been featured in numerous juried exhibits, including those at the Demuth Art Museum, Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, The Plastic Club, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, Main Line Art Center and Chester County Art Association.

The Rotary Arts Conversation Series is open to the public.

Tickets are $10 and include a wine-and-cheese reception. Advance tickets can be purchased at Walk-ins are welcome as space permits.

The monthly series is a collaboration between the PAC Center, Swarthmore Rotary and The Swarthmorean.

Ridley Creek State Park inducted into Old-Growth Forest Network

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' State Parks Director John Hallas celebrated the induction of Delaware County's Ridley Creek State Park last week into the national Old-Growth Forest Network, an organization that connects people with nature by creating a national network of protected, mature, and publicly accessible native forests.

Ridley Creek's woodlands are the 32nd forest in Pennsylvania to join the network as it works to preserve at least one forest in every county in the U.S. that can sustain a forest. The network's mission is to identify forests, ensure their protection from logging, and inform people of the forest locations.

"Ridley Creek's induction into the Old-Growth Forest Network underscores the importance of protecting areas of scenic, historic and ecological significance, whether or not these areas are in a traditional forest setting," Hallas said. "Designations like these, especially in a park with this much natural history, show the importance of maintaining public spaces that provide educational and recreational access. I am hopeful that visitors from all over, especially those in nearby Philadelphia looking for a quick getaway, are able to visit this old-growth forest and experience all that Ridley Creek has to offer."

The park occupies more than 2,600 acres in Delaware County. The park contains some of the largest trees in this part of Pennsylvania, including American beech and black gum that are likely to be the largest of their species in the northeastern United States.

Other species present include black walnut, and many hickory species, including mockernut, pignut and shagbark. Several of the hickories are the largest recorded to date in Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania leads the nation in the quantity of protected old-growth forests inducted into the network," said Brian Kane, network mid-Atlantic manager. "With 32 Pennsylvania forests, the commonwealth shows a continued commitment to the preservation of old-growth forests and belief in their values. Many people will be able to come and visit this remarkable forest, and appreciate its maturity and its role in a healthy regional ecology. We could not grow the old-growth network without our volunteers who assist us in our work, and help us to document the forest's qualities. Environmental Education Specialist Gary Stolz did the groundwork for this nomination, and for his ongoing efforts and institutional knowledge, we are very grateful."

The gently rolling terrain of the park is bisected by Ridley Creek and is only 16 miles from center city Philadelphia, making it a destination for visitors looking to experience its peaceful pastures. Prior to European settlement, the state park lands were the homelands of the Lenni-Lenape peoples.

The park is home to Sycamore Mills, and includes a miller's house, office, library, and several small mill workers' dwellings. The park office is in the Hunting Hill Mansion, built in 1915. The mansion was built around a 1789 Pennsylvania stone farmhouse that forms the core of the building and serves as the reception center.

All forests are important to a healthy ecosystem, however, old-growth forests are especially important because of their unique structure. Old-growth forests retain more carbon and nitrogen than in forests of other age classes, and are superior for improving water and air quality.

Founded in 2012 by Dr. Joan Maloof, the network currently has more than 257 forests across 39 states. It also educates the public about the extraordinary ecological benefits of old-growth forests, and speaks out regarding immediate threats to specific ancient forests. Learn more at

Readers can send typed community news press releases and related photos to Peg DeGrassa at