Community news of Delaware County
NETHER PROVIDENCE — The Community Arts Center will feature Kimpedro's Nu Gruv Network (KNGN) as its next performer in its live music series, Friday Night Live.
KNGN — featuring jazz, R&B, soul, and more — will be the featured entertainer at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 in the Duke Gallery at the CAC, 414 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The band will perform two sets, with a brief intermission.
Attendees are welcome to bring their own food and beverages. All ages are welcome. Minors must be accompanied by an adult and guests must be 21 to bring or consume alcohol. Indoor, single-person restrooms will be available during the event. No pets are permitted on the property.
"It is a joy to present live music in a community setting," said CAC Executive Director Paul Downie. "We are very fortunate to work with some incredibly talented musicians who make each Friday Night Live event special."
KNGN traverses a wide variety of musical landscapes and combines the collective experiences and influences of its members, using past and present concepts in creativity to develop new musical possibilities and presentations. Kimpedro Rodriguez is a drummer, composer, bandleader and visual artist who has been an active and respected member of the Philadelphia music scene for decades.
Other members of KNGN include Tim Ragsdale, bass; Marcell Bellinger, trumpet; and Derrick Baldwin, keyboard.
Additional events in the upcoming Friday Night Live season include Lisa Chavous' Tribute to Tina Turner on Friday, Nov. 22.
Admission to Friday Night Live is $15 per person, but $10 for Community Arts Center members, and free to CAC benefactors. Children 12 and under cost $5. Advance ticketing is strongly recommended.
For driving directions, more information, or tickets, go to: or call the CAC office at 610-566-1713.
Middletown Free Library craft beer fest is Thursday
Middletown Free Library is hosting its annual craft beer fest fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are still available.
This year's event will take place at the Library at the Roosevelt Community Center, 464 S. Old Middletown Road, Middletown Township.
Tickets, which cost $60, include a selection of seasonal craft beers provided by 2SP Brewing Co., Conshohocken Brewing Co., Sterling Pig Public House, State Street Pub Media, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Ship Bottom Brewery and a variety of other local breweries, plus wine by local wine maker E Cooke Winery, Philadelphia Mead Co. and Pennsylvania Distilling Co.
Fun games on site will include axe throwing, corn hole, Wii bowling and more. Food will be provided by Wayside Market. Other perks include a photo booth, live music and a commemorative Middletown Free Library tasting glass.
For tickets or information, go to www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MjEyOTk2.
Deadline looms to apply for The Community's Foundation scholarships
The Community's Foundation is currently accepting applications for its scholarships. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Nov. 12. Students may now apply for the following scholarships:
• Health Professions Scholarship: These scholarships are awarded to selected individuals who will major in a human health profession and who reside in the Interboro, Ridley, Southeast Delco, Wallingford-Swarthmore and Springfield School Districts.
• Henderson Nursing Scholarship: These scholarships are available to students from Penncrest High School who plan to pursue a career in nursing.
Heath Professions and Henderson Scholarships will provide up to $7,000 in total for undergraduate coursework, with $3,500 to be distributed in the first year of education and $3,500 to be distributed in the final year of education. Funding will begin with the 2025-26 academic year.
• Isiah and Tommie Lee Jones Scholarship: Isiah and Tommie Lee Jones were lifelong residents of Chester who were mentors and role models to the young people of Chester. Up to five $1,000 scholarships will be awarded this year in their memory. The scholarships will be paid directly to each student's college/university/trade school.
• TGJ Shine On Scholarship: These scholarships are available to female student-athletes from the greater Philadelphia area. The TGJ Shine On scholarship will award $1,000 scholarships to one female scholar athlete from Ridley High School, one female scholar athlete from Springfield High School and one female scholar athlete from elsewhere in the Greater Philadelphia area. And possibly more than one from each category. Funding will begin with the 2025-26 academic year.
• Dora and John Brown Scholarship: These scholarships are available to graduating seniors who maintain a 3.0 average as of the time of application, reside in Chester, engage in community service, and plan to attend a not-for-profit undergraduate educational institution in the 2025-26 school year. Dora and John Brown were longtime residents of Chester who were active in their community and believed in the promise of young people from Chester. At least one $1,500 scholarship will be awarded this year in their memory. The scholarships will be paid directly to the student's college, university or trade school.
• Lawrence Murray Sr. Scholarship: This $1,000 scholarship is for any graduating senior who is African American, resides in Chester, and has a focus on community service. Lawrence Murray Sr. was the founder and driving force behind the creation of Green Lawn Cemetery in Chester Township. A former slave, Murray, his wife, Mollie, and with their two sons settled in Chester, where he became a highly respected community leader. They purchased the land for Green Lawn Cemetery, creating the only cemetery in Chester and surrounding areas at that time for African Americans. Today, Green Lawn is the final resting place for approximately 250 veterans who represent each branch of the country's military and served in every major conflict from the Civil War to the war in Vietnam.
• Janet Bollinger Doherty Law School Scholarship: This $5,000 scholarship, funded by TCF's Happy Soles Fund, is available to current or former residents of Delaware County, who are pursuing a law degree. The scholarship honors the legacy of Janet Bollinger Doherty, a beloved mother, friend, attorney, cancer survivor and community leader. Janet embodied a philanthropic spirit, scholastic excellence, athletic involvement, and a deep connection to music and the arts. To honor her memory, the scholarship will be awarded to a student who also exemplifies these values.
Applications for each of these scholarships may be obtained online at or by contacting TCF by phone at 610-461-6571 or by email at Community's Foundation based in Ridley Park provides grants to nonprofits, scholarships to students, and services to community-minded groups across Delaware County. TCF's aim is to empower everyday citizens to take philanthropy into their own hands.
Anyone interested in launching a scholarship or other charitable endeavor, or wishing to donate to TCF to make a difference in the local community, can visit www.TCFHelps.org or call TCF at 610-461-6571.
Chester High School grad enshrined in Basketball Hall of Fame
Bo Ryan, a Chester High School alumnus, was recently enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Ryan officially took his place alongside basketball royalty when he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2024 at events taking place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13, in Uncasville, Conn., and Springfield, Mass.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction marked the ninth hall of fame that Ryan has been enshrined in, including his induction into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
Ryan's coaching career began in the fall of 1972 at Brookhaven High School, where he was hired as a history teacher and head basketball coach. After just one year at Brookhaven, Ryan began his collegiate coaching career in 1973 at Dominican College of Racine in Wisconsin as an assistant under Bill Cofield.
In 1974, Ryan moved back to the Delaware County area to serve as the head basketball coach at Sun Valley High School. Ryan moved back to the collegiate coaching ranks for good in 1976 when Cofield again hired him as an assistant, this time at Wisconsin. Ryan spent eight seasons (1976-84) working under Cofield and Steve Yoder before taking over as head coach at UW-Platteville in 1984.
From there, he coached at University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee and finally Wisconsin for the final 14 seasons of his career. Ryan spent 32 seasons as a collegiate head coach before retiring in 2015. He finished his career 26th on the NCAA's all-time wins list with a record of 747-233 (.762), including a mark of 364-130 (.737) in 14-plus seasons at Wisconsin.
Author of the most wins in UW annals and the best winning percentage in Big Ten history, Ryan led the Badgers to seven Big Ten titles, back-to-back Final Fours in 2014 and 2015 and an appearance in the National Championship game.
Folk singer performs concert at Upper Darby Sellers Library
The community is invited to enjoy an evening with folk singer Mary Roth for an interactive one-hour concert of World Music at the Sellers Memorial Branch of the Upper Darby Township Library, 76 S. State Road, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25.
The musical adventure will include engaging chants of Swahili, Celtic, indigenous peoples and more on her Celtic bodhran drum.
Roth will also weave a tale of gypsies with a Celtic ballad along with the Spanish "Gracias a la Vida" and other tunes from around the world. From the rich cultures of Appalachia, Mary will perform "Shady Grove" and "Wayfaring Stranger" on her Appalachian mountain dulcimer, guitar and/or bouzuki to complement a lively musical journey.
Roth has performed in a variety of venues from large festivals to libraries to small cafes. She has appeared at the Philadelphia Flower Show, Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, Fonthill Castle, Tyler Arboretum, Philadelphia Fold Festival and Historic Cold Springs Village. Roth has been the host of the radio show "Artists with a Purpose" for 10 years.
The concert will be held in the adult library. The doors will open at 6:45 p.m. Call the library at 610-789-4440 for more information. Registration is requested but not required.
Wallingford Presbyterian to hold Trunk or Treat
The annual Trunk or Treat fundraiser at Wallingford Presbyterian Church, 110 E. Brookhaven Road, Wallingford, is Oct. 27 at 3 p.m..
The upper parking lot will be filled kids and adults in costume and cars, trucks and SUVs decked out with treats galore.
Register to host a trunk at . The lot will open at 2 p.m. for set-up. There will be prizes for the best decorated.
Pease bring canned goods to support local food pantries. Wallingford Presby makes regular donations to Chester Eastside, LifeWerks and Media Food Bank, and Trunk or Treat families generously give several hundred items each year to augment the church's ongoing efforts.
The event will be held rain or shine. For more information .
Readers can send typed community news press releases and related photos to Peg DeGrassa at
