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Middletown Life

Making a difference in Middletown...and around the world

Jan 01, 2015 01:32PM ● By Kerigan Butt

As our writers and photographers prepared this issue of Middletown Life, the wonderful people of Middletown and the surrounding areas took us along with them on some amazing journeys. One thing that became obvious to us is that there are many people in the area who are making a difference.

Consider, for example, Brennan McAllister, a senior at Middletown High School who earlier this year traveled to India as part of the Delhi Bible Institute's mission. The McAllister family has helped with the ongoing effort to bring much-needed medical and dental services to people in India. McAllister talks to writer Richard Gaw about how trips to India have helped put his life here at home in perspective.

Stacy Flora Roth takes us on a trip through history as she prepared for the upcoming program, “Revolutionary Tea,” which will be held in the Collins Sharp House in Historic Odessa. It's an opportunity to spend a day in the 1700s over a fine cup of tea.

We also report about Chris Klebl, a 1990 graduate of St. Andrew's School, who won a gold medal at the Sochi  Paralympics.

Speaking of the St. Andrew's School, the subject of the Q & A is Daniel T. Roach, Jr., the headmaster of the school for the last 17 years. We sat down with Roach and Will Robinson, a 1997 graduate of St. Andrew’s and current dean of students, to talk about the changing role of education in the 21st century.

We talk to John Schoonover, one of the original organizers of the Diamond State Masters Regatta, about the two-day event, which has grown over the years into a tradition on Noxontown Pond.

In June, the 15th annual Relay for Life in Middletown took place. While covering this event, we met many inspiring people who are dedicated warriors in the fight against cancer. This Relay event has raised more than $200,000 in a year, just one indication of its success.

This issue also features a story about Operation Homefront, a national organization with an office in Middletown. Operation Homefront helps to connect veterans with goods and services that can make a big difference in their lives.

This issue also includes stories related to burgeoning commercial activity in and around Middletown. We look at efforts by the Middletown Chamber of Commerce to promote and strengthen the business community. We also profile Joyce Dungee Proctor, a speaker and author who has more than 20 years of experience providing career consulting and executive coaching to people in Delaware and neighboring states.

The past meets the present in the photo essay “Then and Now,” which found us taking pictures of local landmarks and recognizable buildings and placing them alongside old postcards and photographs of those same places.

We hope you enjoy these stories and, as always, we welcome your comments and suggestions for future stories. Enjoy the rest of 2014 and we look forward to the spring of 2015 when we will be bringing you more stories about how Middletown residents are making a difference.

Sincerely,

Randy Lieberman, Publisher ([email protected], 610-869-5553)

Steve Hoffman, Editor ([email protected], 610-869-5553, ext. 13)


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