BrandywineBrandywine hosts annual faculty and staff awards luncheonRegional Chancellor Marilyn J. Wells spoke at Penn State Brandywine's annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation and Awards Luncheon on May 1. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons — Penn State Brandywine hosted its annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation and Awards Luncheon on May 1 The event recognizes faculty and staff who have done extraordinary work for the campus ‘All things are possible in May.’ If you take yourself back to a year ago today think about what you wanted to accomplish for this year in your career,” said Regional Chancellor Marilyn J it might have been a particular award you were striving for The following faculty and staff received the Connections Award for establishing connections between Brandywine students The following faculty received the Equity Award which recognizes exemplary work performance and achievement throughout the past year in diversity The following faculty and staff received the Sustainability Award which recognizes those who have shown their commitment to promoting a resilient campus The following staff were recognized with the Brandywine’s Best Award innovation and excellence of staff members to the greater Brandywine community: The following faculty and staff members were recognized with awards: The following faculty members who are retiring were recognized for their contributions to the campus: You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience NILES — The Brandywine school district is looking to apply for a $300,000 grant this year to add sidewalks to the 17th Street and Bell Road intersection near Brandywine Middle/High School       Superintendent Travis Walker and student body representative Alleyna Volman both spoke about the project at Monday’s Board of Education meeting This was the first meeting for Volman who the board selected last month to be the student representative on the board       Walker said the district is looking to apply for a $300,000 Safe Routes to School grant in partnership with Niles Township and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department He said there are currently no sidewalks in the area of the 17th/Bell intersection and the goal is to have sidewalks on at least one side of the two roads to address pedestrian safety concerns       Volman said that a committee has been formed to work on the grant and that the issue has just recently been brought to students’ attention She said that students are being surveyed on how they get to school-whether they walk       “More kids than you think walk to school,” she said It brings to light the fact that we really do need sidewalk because it’s really dangerous to be walking on the road in the snow and dark       The Safe Routes to School program is a state program supported by federal funding School districts can apply for both mini grants of up to $15,000 per school or major grants of up to $300,000 per school for infrastructure improvements board members approved the contract for one of the bond issue projects being done this summer Brandywine voters approved a $22 million bond issue last May to fund a variety of projects over the next three years such as a new performing arts center and career technical education center at the middle/high school       The work approved Monday is for the construction of secure entrances at three district school buildings The district had anticipated that it would cost $275,000 per building to put in the secure entrances and the winning bid came in at under $628,000       Walker said that there are a number of vendors involved in the secure entrances project including Midwest Glass & Mirror LLC Vork Brothers Painting and Electrical Maintenance & Construction The only other bond work to be done this summer will be resurfacing of the high school track       Todd Champion of Christman Construction reported on the project to the school board at Monday’s meeting He said it has been extremely helpful to see the bids coming in under budget He noted that renovations will start as soon as school is out this June with ceilings       “We will be removing part of the vestibule at the middle/high school and the elementary school with a little more work at Merritt Elementary,” he said “We will be adding a sidewalk and replacing both vestibule doors there The main goal is to create a secure entrance for visitors and screen who is allowed into the building.”       Monday’s board meeting featured discussion on a number of topics including the possible addition of a personal finance course for high school seniors and making it a graduation requirement       Middle/High School Principal Evan Winkler spoke about the proposal and answered board members’ questions Board members appeared to like the idea of adding the course but debated whether to make it a graduation requirement The matter will be brought back for action at the May 12 meeting       Board members approved the second budget amendment of the 2024-25 year       Assistant Superintendent Ray Wilburn reported last month that general fund revenue is now expected to be between $17.4 million and $17.5 million That budget deficit is smaller than the first budget amendment last fall where expenditures exceeded revenue by $525,000 He said if nothing changes by the end of the fiscal year in June the district would have a fund balance of $3.8 million and a fund equity of $21.7 million He said the district has enough funds on hand to cover three months of expenditures if no revenue was coming in The fund balance as a percentage of expenditures is at around 20 percent which Wilburn and Walker said is a healthy level NILES – The Brandywine school district is looking to apply for a $300,000 grant this year to add sidewalks to the 17th Street and Bell Road intersection near Brandywine Middle/High School Among the best players to keep an eye on when the Los Angeles Kings play the Chicago Blackhawks… will be on the ice Monday against the Los Angeles Kings at… Ryan Donato and the Chicago Blackhawks will play on Monday at 8:30 PM ET meet the Los Angeles Kings on Monday at 8:30 PM ET NILES—The girls tennis teams from Allegan and Brandywine met for a SAC/Lakeland match on Monday 2 doubles were fierce.And while the teams split those flights—Allegan’s No 2 team of Madison Cook/Ireland Dewey won 4-6 1 team of Taylor Fuller/Hanna Kievit lost 6-3 7-3—it was the Tigers who prevailed overall by a 5-3 score.“Just like in years past this match was very competitive,” Allegan coach Damien Arthur said.Also winning for Allegan were No 3 doubles Sophia Augustine/Emma Scheffler (6-4 Allegan traveled to Grand Rapids for the seven-team Mustang Invitational at NorthPointe Christian the tourney also featured two other teams ranked in Division 4: No 6 NorthPointe.And despite missing four of its top 14 players the Tigers tied Elk Rapids for the most matches won and ended up in fourth place.NorthPointe won 3 doubles Augustine/Scheffler had the best showing for the Tigers 4 doubles Kelley/Kaylee Haas were runner-up.Two days before that the Tigers swept league rival South Haven 8-0.At singles 3 Augustine/Haley Mellon both dropped just one game 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN) today reported its financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31 we made excellent progress on our 2025 business plan highlighted by achieving 92% of our speculative revenue target based on the midpoint of our guidance.” stated Jerry Sweeney President and Chief Executive Officer of Brandywine Realty Trust “We continue to experience positive mark-to-market rental rate increases of 8.9% and 2.3% on an accrual and cash basis as well We have also executed approximately 306,000 square feet of forward new leasing commencing after the first quarter Our Schuylkill Yards residential development project Avira is now 96% leased and we anticipate stabilizing this project later this quarter We remain in an excellent liquidity position with $65 million outstanding on our $600 million unsecured line of credit and no unsecured bonds maturing until November 2027 Based on the progress we have made on our 2025 business plan we are narrowing our FFO range from $0.60 to $0.72 per share to $0.61 to $0.71 per share.” Results for the Three Months Ended March 31 Net loss attributable to common shareholders totaled ($27.4) million in the first quarter of 2025 compared to a net loss allocated to common shares of ($16.7) million or ($0.10) per diluted share in the first quarter of 2024 FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders in the first quarter of 2025 totaled $24.7 million versus $41.2 million or $0.24 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2024 Our first quarter 2025 payout ratio ($0.15 common share distribution / $0.14 FFO per diluted share) was 107.1% our NOI excluding termination revenues and other income items decreased (2.6)% on an accrual basis and increased 2.3% on a cash basis for our 62 same store properties which were 86.4% and 86.5% occupied on March 31 We leased approximately 235,000 square feet and commenced occupancy on 327,000 square feet during the first quarter of 2025 The first quarter occupancy activity includes 232,000 square feet of renewals 65,000 square feet of new leases and 30,000 square feet of tenant expansions We also have an additional 306,000 square feet of executed new leasing scheduled to commence subsequent to March 31 our highest total in eleven quarters which will offset this quarter’s negative absorption totaling (146,000) square feet of which 38% is already preleased First quarter rental rate growth increased 8.9% as our renewal rental rates increased 9.3% and our new lease/expansion rental rates increased 6.8% our core portfolio of 63 properties comprising 11.9 million square feet was 86.6% occupied and 89.2% leased (reflecting new leases commencing after March 31 our Board of Trustees declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per common share and OP Unit that will be paid on April 17 Based on current plans and assumptions and subject to the risks and uncertainties more fully described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings we are adjusting our 2025 loss per share guidance from $(0.60) - $(0.48) per share to $(0.56) - $(0.46) per share and our 2025 FFO guidance from $0.60 - $0.72 per diluted share to $0.61 - $0.71 per diluted share This guidance is provided for informational purposes and is subject to change The following is a reconciliation of the calculation of 2025 FFO and earnings per diluted share: Except as outlined in our 2025 business plan included in the Supplemental Information Package our estimates do not include (1) possible future gains or losses or the impact on operating results from other possible future property acquisitions or dispositions (2) the impacts of any other capital markets activity (3) future write-offs or reinstatements of accounts receivable and accrued rent balances EPS estimates may fluctuate based on several factors including changes in the recognition of depreciation and amortization expense impairment losses on depreciable real estate and any gains or losses associated with disposition activity Management is not able to assess at this time the potential impact of these factors on projected EPS FFO does not include real estate-related depreciation and amortization or gains or losses associated with disposition activities or depreciable real estate For a complete definition of FFO and statements of the reasons why management believes FFO provides useful information to investors see page 40 in our first quarter supplement information package There can be no assurance that our actual results will not differ materially from the estimates set forth below Looking Ahead – Second Quarter 2025 Conference Call We expect to release our second quarter 2025 earnings on Wednesday after the market close and will host our second quarter 2025 conference call on Thursday We expect to issue a press release in advance of these events to reconfirm the dates and times and provide all related information This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “will,” “strategy,” “expects,” “seeks,” “believes,” “potential,” or other similar words Because such statements involve known and unknown risks actual results may differ materially from the expectations plans or predictions of the future expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements including our 2025 Guidance and our 2025 Business Plan are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies many of which are difficult to predict and not within our control among others: risks related to the impact of other potential future outbreaks of infectious diseases on our financial condition results of operations and cash flows and those of our tenants as well as on the economy and real estate and financial markets; reduced demand for office space and pricing pressures changes to tenant work patterns that could limit our ability to lease space or set rents at expected levels or that could lead to declines in rent; uncertainty and volatility in capital and credit markets including changes that reduce availability of capital or that delay receipt of future debt financings and refinancings; the effect of inflation and interest rate fluctuations including on the costs of our planned debt financings and refinancings; the potential loss or bankruptcy of tenants or the inability of tenants to meet their rent and other lease obligations; risks of acquisitions and dispositions including unexpected liabilities and integration costs; delays in completing and cost overruns incurred in connection with our developments and redevelopments; disagreements with joint venture partners; unanticipated operating and capital costs; uninsured casualty losses and our ability to obtain adequate insurance including coverage for terrorist acts; additional asset impairments; our dependence upon certain geographic markets; changes in governmental regulations tax laws and rates and similar matters; unexpected costs of REIT qualification compliance; costs and disruptions as the result of a cybersecurity incident or other technology disruption; reliance on key personnel; and failure to maintain an effective system of internal control including internal control over financial reporting The declaration and payment of future dividends (both timing and amount) is subject to the determination of our Board of Trustees as well as any applicable laws and contractual covenants and any other relevant factors Our Board’s practice regarding declaration of dividends may be modified at any time and from time to time Additional information on factors which could impact us and the forward-looking statements contained herein are included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31 We assume no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events except as required by law We compute our financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) Although FFO and NOI are non-GAAP financial measures we believe that FFO and NOI calculations are helpful to shareholders and potential investors and are widely recognized measures of real estate investment trust performance we have provided a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure We compute FFO in accordance with standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) which may not be comparable to FFO reported by other REITs that do not compute FFO in accordance with the NAREIT definition or that interpret the NAREIT definition differently than us NAREIT defines FFO as net income (loss) before non-controlling interests and excluding gains (losses) on sales of depreciable operating property impairment losses on depreciable consolidated real estate impairment losses on investments in unconsolidated real estate ventures and extraordinary items (computed in accordance with GAAP); plus real estate related depreciation and amortization (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs) and after similar adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures the GAAP measure that we believe to be most directly comparable to FFO includes depreciation and amortization expenses extraordinary items and non-controlling interests To facilitate a clear understanding of our historical operating results FFO should be examined in conjunction with net income (determined in accordance with GAAP) as presented in the financial statements included elsewhere in this release FFO does not represent cash flow from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) and should not be considered to be an alternative to net income (loss) (determined in accordance with GAAP) as an indication of our financial performance or to be an alternative to cash flow from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of our liquidity nor is it indicative of funds available for our cash needs including our ability to make cash distributions to shareholders We generally consider FFO and FFO per share to be useful measures for understanding and comparing our operating results because by excluding gains and losses related to sales of previously depreciated operating real estate assets impairment losses and real estate asset depreciation and amortization (which can differ across owners of similar assets in similar condition based on historical cost accounting and useful life estimates) FFO and FFO per share can help investors compare the operating performance of a company’s real estate across reporting periods and to the operating performance of other companies NOI (accrual basis) is a non-GAAP financial measure equal to net income available to common shareholders the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure plus corporate general and administrative expense non-controlling interest in the Operating Partnership and losses from early extinguishment of debt gains on sale from discontinued operations income from unconsolidated joint ventures and non-controlling interest in property partnerships In some cases we also present NOI on a cash basis which is NOI after eliminating the effects of straight-lining of rent and deferred market intangible amortization NOI presented by us may not be comparable to NOI reported by other REITs that define NOI differently NOI should not be considered an alternative to net income as an indication of our performance or to cash flows as a measure of the Company's liquidity or its ability to make distributions We believe NOI is a useful measure for evaluating the operating performance of our properties as it excludes certain components from net income available to common shareholders in order to provide results that are more closely related to a property's results of operations We use NOI internally to evaluate the performance of our operating segments and to make decisions about resource allocations We concluded that NOI provides useful information to investors regarding our financial condition and results of operations as it reflects only the income and expense items incurred at the property level as well as the impact on operations from trends in occupancy rates operating costs and acquisition and development activity on an unlevered basis particularly to make comparisons of NOI between periods meaningful it is important to provide information for properties that were in-service and owned by us throughout each period presented We refer to properties acquired or placed in-service prior to the beginning of the earliest period presented and owned by us through the end of the latest period presented as Same Store Properties Same Store Properties therefore exclude properties placed in-service held for sale or in development or redevelopment after the beginning of the earliest period presented or disposed of prior to the end of the latest period presented it takes at least one year and one quarter after a property is acquired for that property to be included in Same Store Properties Our core portfolio is comprised of our wholly-owned properties excluding any properties currently in development Speculative Revenue represents the amount of rental revenue the company projects to be recorded during the current calendar year from new and renewal leasing activity in its core portfolio that has yet to be executed as of the beginning of the year This revenue is primarily attributable to the absorption of core portfolio square footage that was either vacant at the beginning of the year or the renewal of existing tenants due to expire during the current year Of the 64 properties owned by the Company as of March 31 a total of 62 properties ("Same Store Properties") containing an aggregate of 11.8 million net rentable square feet were owned for the entire three months ended March 31 The Same Store Properties were 86.4% and 86.5% occupied as of March 31 The following table sets forth revenue and expense information for the Same Store Properties: Tom WirthEVP & CFO610-832-7434 tom.wirth@bdnreit.com Heather CrowellGregory FCA215-316-6271heather@gregoryfca.com EAST LANSING, Mich. ― Nobody can deny coach Josh Hood's passion for Brandywine athletics, especially his girls basketball team Thursday was the fourth time he had guided his Bobcats to the Division 3 state semifinals. For the third time in a row, Brandywine’s season ended to a private school the same one as last season 27-game winning streak ended with a 31-29 loss to Ypsilanti Arbor Prep in the Breslin Center at Michigan State University Hood had a message before discussing the contest From Tuesday: It's back to Breslin for Brandywine girls basketball. A familiar foe awaits “We’re really proud of our two-time defending public school state champion,” Hood said but I’m going to say it: we’re the only school since the regional championship to beat private schools We’re the only public community school since the regional finals in our division to beat private schools “It’s not sour grapes ― (Arbor Prep) has a great program Scott (Stine) is a phenomenal coach; he does an unbelievable job ― but we’ve got 13 girls that are hurting really bad that we’ve had since kindergarten We don’t wait until their freshmen to go get them or for them to show up and play the game at a level.” Hood pointed out that of 16 fall sports championships won in Michigan's smaller divisions 13 were by private schools — with 12 others finishing runner-up That means 25 of the 32 trophies handed out went to private schools We needed to make shots; I’m not talking about the game itself I’m just talking about the real problem we have here what we’ve got is girls from our community who have busted their tail for 12 or 13 years to get to the pinnacle two-time defending public school state champions because they’re the last public school standing.” Controversial call seals Arbor Prep victoryAs for the game Arbor Prep (16-12) held for the final shot Angela Meggisson lost the ball driving to the basket before corralling it Meggisson sank two free throws with two seconds I need to knock these down,’” Meggisson said Brandywine's desperation shot came after time expired “It’s not the official’s fault,” Hood added “Tough call to decide a state semifinal game But that’s not the reason why Brandywine lost the game We lost the game because we didn’t make enough stops and we didn’t make a couple crucial three’s against their really long Tremendous season comes to a close for BrandywineThe Bobcats led 17-9 at halftime before Arbor Prep took its first lead with an 11-1 run Mackenna Price's 3-pointer gave the Bobcats again before a Jalaya Banks shot put Prep ahead Brandywine took its biggest lead of the quarter at 27-24 on junior Karleigh Byrd's free throw near the five-minute mark but the Bobcats didn't score after senior Adeline Gill layup with 3:56 left Miley Young and Niyah Mason finish as one of the winningest classes in Brandywine history having led the program to its first back-to-back state semifinal appearances Follow Austin Hough on X (formerly Twitter) @AustinRHough and on Facebook at "Austin Hough - South Bend Tribune." Hough can be emailed at ahough@gannett.com Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Brandywine Realty Trust from $6.00 to $5.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Thursday Get Our Latest Stock Report on BDN Brandywine Realty Trust stock traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Thursday 1,262,353 shares of the stock were exchanged compared to its average volume of 1,988,304 The company's fifty day moving average is $4.25 and its 200-day moving average is $4.98 The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12 a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 2.26 Brandywine Realty Trust has a 52 week low of $3.41 and a 52 week high of $6.54 The firm has a market cap of $701.32 million Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday The real estate investment trust reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.15 by ($0.01) Brandywine Realty Trust had a negative net margin of 38.46% and a negative return on equity of 16.40% The business had revenue of $114.43 million during the quarter compared to analysts' expectations of $119.45 million sell-side analysts forecast that Brandywine Realty Trust will post 0.66 EPS for the current year 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BDN bought a new position in Brandywine Realty Trust in the 4th quarter valued at $16,617,000 Kawa Capital Management Inc purchased a new position in Brandywine Realty Trust in the 4th quarter worth about $14,713,000 Penn Capital Management Company LLC purchased a new stake in Brandywine Realty Trust in the 4th quarter valued at about $13,300,000 grew its stake in Brandywine Realty Trust by 193.7% in the 4th quarter now owns 2,812,200 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $15,748,000 after acquiring an additional 1,854,749 shares in the last quarter boosted its holdings in shares of Brandywine Realty Trust by 5.4% in the fourth quarter now owns 28,503,532 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $159,620,000 after purchasing an additional 1,459,236 shares during the period 87.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on.. and Brandywine Realty Trust wasn't on the list While Brandywine Realty Trust currently has a Hold rating among analysts top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys View The Five Stocks Here Need to stretch out your 401K or Roth IRA plan Use these time-tested investing strategies to grow the monthly retirement income that your stock portfolio generates Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools going to the zoo is a summer tradition we look forward to every year From watching lemurs and tamarins swing from branch to branch to feeding goats and alpacas right out of our hands both kids and kids at heart are itching to see their favorite animals and embark on yet another exciting visitors can make lasting summer memories through a wide variety of events One such happening is the Sip & Stroll a family-friendly happy hour series event that’s fun for kids and adults alike Adult patrons can take a relaxed and leisurely walk around the zoo with a cup of craft beer or wine Families also can enjoy trying a tasty dish from a featured local food vendor and jamming out to live music For those looking for an adventure that’s a little less expensive, Family Fun Night offers visitors the chance to explore the zoo at reduced ticket prices Members and children ages two and younger enter for free In addition to $1 hot dogs and soft beverages visitors also can enjoy Hy-point ice cream More summer fun: Delaware State Parks guide: Amenities, parking, passes and all the fun you can get into Family Fun Night is slated for July 10 from 5 to 7 p.m Tickets for this event must be purchased at the gate Brandywine also will host Sensory Hours throughout the summer from 9 to 10 a.m This event will allow for guests who may have or experience sensory sensitivities to “enjoy self-guided sensory-friendly stations” throughout the zoo More information regarding dates and registration is available on the Brandywine Zoo website the Philadelphia Zoo also has a bunch of summer fun activities lined up One such event is a Sensory-Friendly Day from 9:30 a.m These days will feature “designated quiet spaces” and maps for visitors to make mornings at the zoo “as low impact as possible,” said marketing director Patrick McMaster Adventure awaits: Longwood Gardens crowned 'Best Botanical Garden.' Look at how it's grown Sensory-Friendly Day will take place on June 8 and August 2 Tickets and additional information can be found on the Philadelphia Zoo website The zoo will also host the adults-only Summer Ale Festival on Saturday Patrons can pick their poison from over 100 top-rated craft beers and other beverages – from hard seltzers to iced teas – and take in all the sights the zoo has to offer Attendees also can enjoy dishes from local food trucks and live music throughout the night Tickets are available exclusively online on the Zoo’s website General admission tickets cost $84 per person and early access tickets – which allow entrance for select patrons at 6 p.m – cost $99 per person.Both tickets include a souvenir tasting cup and unlimited beer sampling throughout the event Guests will be given a free bottle of water at the event entrance Ticketholders will be allowed to enter the event at 6 p.m if accompanying early access patrons or 7 p.m All guests must be 21 years of age or older with valid identification to attend Summer concert fun: Kingfish, Lyle Lovett, more Delaware concerts revealed for summer 2025. How to get tickets Members also can see their favorite animals an hour early before gates open for Member Morning Strolls Strolls this summer will take place on June 15 Additional events and further details can be found on the zoo’s website Last fall, the zoo announced it would be breaking ground on the largest exhibit in over a decade: renovating and expanding Bear Country Plans for the exhibit include a new exploration trail and habitats for breeding and raising bear cubs will return following the project's conclusion Due to project construction, visitors will need to take alternative pathways to visit the African Plains and other habitats from January 2025 to April 2026 The exhibit is scheduled to open in April 2026 The zoo is also building a new walk-through flamingo habitat near the McNeil Avian Center (This story has been updated to correct the time of the event.) Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com BrandywineBrandywine students attend and speak at math conferencePenn State Brandywine students who are members of the Math Club recently attended and spoke at a math conference in Mechanicsburg using the opportunity to expand both their knowledge of the field and their networking skills – Penn State Brandywine students who are members of the Math Club recently attended and spoke at a math conference in Mechanicsburg The Spring Meeting of the Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware section of the Mathematical Association of America was hosted by Messiah University The meetings occur twice every year across eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware for math professionals and college students to congregate about mathematical topics First-year engineering major Thomas Stauffer and second-year biomedical engineering major Nevaeh Sisco presented at the conference Stauffer discussed the connection between music and mathematical concepts such as group theory and topology while Sisco talked about color theorems on interesting mathematical surfaces and displayed original hand-made crocheted models that exhibit the properties “I went to the meeting with Sam Pezzimenti associate teaching professor of mathematics and I presented a different crocheting project and I knew I wanted to do it again this year,” Sisco said “I was able to combine a topic I really love with an art medium that I’m still learning This presentation also doubled as my final so I thought combining it with math would be a great topic to present,” Stauffer added I knew I wanted to share it with other people at the conference.” who is the faculty adviser for the Math Club was one of the faculty attending the meeting and also presented during a session about a class she taught this spring called the Art of Mathematics she noted how proud she was of the students who presented “Both students gave fantastic presentations highlighting applications of mathematics and the arts Presenting their work at a regional mathematics conference is a huge accomplishment and they represented what makes Brandywine great,” she said “It was also great to have so many additional Brandywine students come to support their peers and get inspired to present at a future meeting.” Sisco mentioned how beneficial attending the conference was as she was able to get exposed to different people with different perspectives “Attending these conferences allows me to get exposed to different applications of math and see where different people are coming from in their perspectives It’s an experience everyone should have at least once,” she said “Attending conferences like this should be more normal for students rather than a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” When advising students who are interested in attending the conference in the fall “For students who want to attend in the fall I feel like it’s not nearly as nerve-wracking as it seems Whether you’re presenting or just going to support your friends going to the conference can come off as intimidating,” Sisco said “I really liked meeting new people at the conference from other schools Take advantage of the opportunity and go to the conference.” because even if you find math a little bit interesting there are going to be some cool topics covered that will intertwine math with something else,” Stauffer added “You’ll learn some new things and make so many new connections with students and faculty from other universities.” The top track and field athletes in the Leaderpub area have been putting on a show this season Leader Publications is listing the top five girls event leaders through 12 p.m. April 30. This listing reflects times and distances shown on athletic.net The Leaderboard: Boys track and field performance list for April 30 NILES, Mich. ― Brandywine girls basketball did not play a perfect game Wednesday night The Bobcats had numerous turnovers in the first half They missed nine of their first 12 free-throw attempts relative to the lofty standards its set all season The Bobcats showed championship DNA in grinding out a 45-32 win over Kalamazoo Christian in an MHSAA Division 3 regional title game in front of their home fans It’s a second straight regional crown for Brandywine “These girls haven’t had a lot of close games but they showed a ton of poise,” Brandywine coach Josh Hood said “That’s what you get with leadership and experience How they advanced: Dominant wins set up Brandywine vs. Kalamazoo Christian rematch Indiana girls basketball: What's next for Steve Reynolds? 'It will impact our entire family.' The Bobcats advance to the state quarterfinals against Grandville Calvin Christian (20-6) Tuesday at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo The Squires upset previously unbeaten Pewamo-Westphalia Nobody demonstrated what the Bobcat program is all about Wednesday more than Miley Young The senior was critical on offense and defense holding Comets senior Jordyn Bonnema to 14 points forcing a five-second violation on her late in the first half not watch them do all the moves back and forth,” Young said “Get up in their grill and try to make them work hard Kalamazoo (21-5) rallied a 13-point deficit to pull within 38-32 with 3:03 remaining When the Comets started fouling in an attempt to extend the game After she missing her first four free-throw attempts of the contest the Lake Michigan College signee sunk five of six down the stretch to ice the game sharing the team lead with sophomore Lily Gill “She’s the best defender and hardest worker that I’ve probably come across in a long and that’s why I think she got all-state (last year) You don’t see many all-staters at eight points per game but Miley Young impacts the game in every way possible.” More than 800 fans packed into the “Bobcat Den” Wednesday “It’s special,” said Hood of the crowd. “These people rally around us. They always support us. … It is our little slice of heaven here at Brandywine that a lot of people don’t know about. After last year and now this year Last season: Brandywine is no longer a 'hidden gem' in Michigan. 'It's just a gem.' It was the second time Brandywine has hosted regionals “It’s a big-circle moment because I remember we had the regionals on this court,” Young said It was the first time being in the regionals and winning it — Penn State Brandywine students who have impacted the campus through their service and leadership were honored at an awards banquet on April 21 The annual leadership banquet celebrates the achievements of students who are involved with clubs This award recognizes a student whose outstanding qualities of character leadership and citizenship have been directed into programs and services that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of their campus and the University as a whole Rees has been involved with Brandywine athletics since her first year at Brandywine in 2021 as a catcher on the softball team She also served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and was a peer mentor for first-year seminar courses One of her nominators wrote: “Karly is a student that you don’t come across often Karly’s list of achievements during her time here at Penn State Brandywine is astonishing From the moment Karly stepped foot on campus She is graduating in May and has already secured a job at a top-four accounting firm in the country She is the best representative of a student we have at Penn State Brandywine and I am so proud to have had her represent Brandywine athletics these last few years.” Individual leadership awards were presented to the following students who demonstrated leadership qualities and contributed to the campus community and student organizations: The Student Worker/Employee of the Year Award was presented to students for doing exceptional work in their on-campus job: The Student Organization President of the Year Award was presented to the following students for their exceptional leadership in advancing the organization’s goals: The Student Commitment to Equity & Inclusion Award was presented to a student who highlighted their dedication to promoting equity and inclusion within the campus community: The Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award was presented to advisors for their guidance and support in fostering organizational growth and individual leadership development: The Student Organization of the Year Award was presented to a registered student organization that has impacted and contributed to student life through programming The Student Organization Program of the Year Award was presented to a registered student organization that held an event program or activity that impacted and contributed to student life and the student experience: The Outstanding Service to Student Affairs Award was presented to a student who during their time at Penn State Brandywine has contributed to the work and success of the Office of Student Affairs: Residence Life presented the Resident Assistant of the Year Award: Brandywine’s Center for Social Impact honored its student interns: Student Affairs recognized the following students for their involvement with the Student Government Association: Tejas Chigurupati and Madison Ferguson were inaugurated as the Student Government Association president and vice president for 2025-26 BrandywineBrandywine hosts third annual Mental Health and Wellness FairPenn State Brandywine hosted its third annual Mental Health and Wellness Fair on April 2. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons — Mental and physical health are important for everyone to maintain Whether it’s therapy resources or local healthy food options students need access to the tools to help them succeed Penn State Brandywine hosted its third annual Mental Health and Wellness Fair on April 2 Planning for the mental health and wellness fair was a year-long effort Campus nurse Faith Cella and Director of Counseling Services Ed Dixon headed the planning committee “The Mental Health and Wellness Fair is an incredible opportunity to connect our students with valuable local resources that support their overall well-being adding more community partners and seeing more students excited to attend,” Cella said “What I enjoy most about the fair is building relationships with our community partners allowing me to better guide students toward the specific support they need Planning this event with the Mental Health and Wellness Committee is especially rewarding because it brings together a network of care ensuring our students know they’re not alone and have access to the right tools for their mental and physical health.” mentioning how the Mental Health and Wellness Fair is a great opportunity to provide students with essential resources “The Mental Health and Wellness Fair is meaningful to me because it is an opportunity to bring mental health and wellness resources within and outside of Penn State Brandywine together to support our students,” Dixon said “I have enjoyed seeing the event evolve into a community gathering where the Brandywine community is becoming more integrated with our local community.” The mental health and wellness fair was sponsored by Health Services and the Office of Counseling Services BrandywineBrandywine welcomes new enrollment services specialistTimothy Holahan Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons — Timothy Holahan joined Penn State Brandywine as the enrollment services specialist Coming from Apple as a genius administrator Holahan said he is looking forward to getting to know the faculty staff and students and becoming involved in the Brandywine community “The Brandywine Enrollment Management team is thrilled to have Tim on board He has already contributed in a myriad of ways the first by being a smiling face for our current and prospective students,” said Nicola DiFronzo-Heitzer regional senior director of enrollment management “His attention to detail and spirit of innovation are incredibly welcome as is his warm and friendly nature and I know he will bring meaningful contributions to the Brandywine community.”  Holahan worked in a college setting as an undergraduate he wanted to work at Penn State Brandywine to go back to his roots “I worked in the financial aid department in college and I really missed working in that college setting I knew I wanted to get back into the academic setting and thought a role in admissions at Penn State Brandywine would be a great opportunity to get back into that,” he said Holahan said his main goal is to support the offices on campus as much as he can “I really want to master my role and learn the craft in admissions I also want to see how I can support financial aid advising and admissions because each of those are so vital to the University,” he said “Once I learn the ins and outs of Penn State Brandywine I feel like I’ll be able to start collaborating with other departments to ensure we’re successful.” Holahan is a sports photographer for the Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Union teams as well as a concert photographer for various festivals around the country He also has a passion for cycling and rides around 150 miles per week Demolition crews have knocked down a significant section of the old Stow Manufacturing complex in Binghamton Workers with LCP Group of Vestal have been busy with the big demolition project east of the Brandywine Highway over the past several weeks Most of the site has been unused for decades since Stow closed its facility EMS Technologies continues to occupy a small section of the property Christina Pierce of LCP Group said the goal is "clean up" the entire site which includes parcels which had been occupied by Pa's Woodshed store and New York State Department of Transportation facilities The old DOT Equipment Management Shop at the corner of Frederick and Montgomery streets remains standing but it's scheduled to be removed soon Pierce said the project to clear the site - including environmental work - could be completed by mid-summer The old Stow site along with a nearby property to the south once occupied by Phillips Foundry will be available for a redevelopment project That would make about 19 acres available for future use Local officials and property owners have spent nearly two decades discussing potential options for sites along "The Brandywine Corridor." Any major project for the former Stow Manufacturing property likely will hinge on improvements for the intersection at the Brandywine Highway and Frederick Street Southbound traffic on the Brandywine cannot access the site because no left turn is permitted at the intersection The accessibility issue would have to be addressed before redevelopment plans could go forward WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A visit to the former Stow Manufacturing property on April 28 MORE WNBF NEWS VIDEO: Here's a flashback to what we observed during a previous visit to the blight site Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz Demolition crews have knocked down a significant section of the old Stow Manufacturing complex in Binghamton.\nRead More CLEARING THE BLIGHT: Take a look at what the demolition crews have done over the past month at the old Stow Manufacturing site in Binghamton. Watch the video and read the WNBF News story for more details: https://t.co/LsoH0fxwqQ pic.twitter.com/O1SBdlSEp7 THIS IS BLIGHT: Stow Manufacturing is part of Binghamton's proud industrial heritage but the place was abandoned decades ago. Here's a look at part of the dilapidated complex now expected to be torn down. Watch the video and read the WNBF News story: https://t.co/FgmtoYTPLS pic.twitter.com/ymn9HW4a49 Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter - Project type: scripted show- Roles: --- Bea (lead, female, 18-25)--- M (lead, male, 27-40)--- Skylar (supporting, male, 22-30)- Average hourly rate: $62- Casting locations: New York City- Learn more about the scripted show here ― Josh Hood is not afraid of displaying his emotions on the sidelines It was a reaction he had after the game Tuesday that told a bigger story than what had just happened on the basketball court the prior 90 minutes Hood pumped his fists when he heard the news that Ypsilanti Arbor Prep had beaten Jackson Lumen Christi in an MHSAA Division 3 state quarterfinal girls basketball game This meant Hood’s Brandywine Bobcats girls basketball team ― fresh off a 43-25 victory over Grandville Calvin Christian in its own state quarterfinal game ― would get its wish. It will be getting a rematch with Arbor Prep, the team that beat it in the state title game last year in this season’s state semifinals Thursday at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing “Not a lot of motivation needed,” Hood said “We talked about it last year: it was a tough loss We played phenomenal defense against a really good team We’ve got 11 girls back out of 13 in that locker room that will not be intimidated by the name on the jersey.” From last week: How Brandywine girls basketball repeated as MHSAA regional champions VOTE: YMCA South Bend Tribune Athlete of the Week, March 10-16, 2025 the Bobcats put on another vintage performance Eight players both scored and grabbed at least one rebound in the contest seven of them recorded steals and at least four had one assist “When you play 11 different conference champions and you give up 24.5 points per game to them that says a lot about these girls,” Hood said “When you can shift a focus of young kids to worry more about defense and care more about that end than the offensive end Brandywine never trailed in improving to 27-0 The offense was sluggish for both teams in the first half after the first quarter and 20-9 at halftime The game-sealing surge for Brandywine came in the final minute of the third Senior Adelyn Drotoz drained a ‘3’ to push the lead to 13 with senior Miley Young finding classmate Nyiah Mason for an easy bucket Brandywine closed the frame with a driving layup by senior Adeline Gill It gave the Bobcats a 33-17 lead going in to the fourth quarter “I feel like it gave us a lot of energy to finish the game off,” said Gill of the late-third quarter run with junior Karleigh Byrd at nine points and sophomore Lily Gill six The other five players to score recorded between two and five points while helping to force at least 25 Calvin Christian turnovers “That is championship-caliber basketball,” Hood said “I’m really proud of (my players) taking the opponent out of what they wanted to do.” From last year: Time runs out for Brandywine in MHSAA Division 3 girls basketball championship game The Gators battled ups-and-downs in the regular season as they enter Thursday’s rematch with a 15-12 record “I think we’re all really excited to play them,” Adeline Gill said Executive Director at Brandywine by Monarch has been named a 2024 Frontline Honors honoree by Senior Housing News Senior Housing News recently caught up with Halle to discuss their time in the senior housing & senior living industry Halle: What drew me to this industry was my passion to care for others I played doctor with my dolls and my sister I would wrap their knees and heads and nurse them back to health This need to help others drove me to this industry and it fulfills me everyday SHN: What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in the industry Halle: The biggest lesson I’ve learned working in this industry is to never forget your purpose and compassion SHN: What’s your favorite part about your job Halle: The favorite part about my job is being part of the resident’s life journey and listening to their life stories SHN: What do you want the general public to better understand about your job and the industry you serve Halle: How wonderful it is to do the work we do I wish people took more time to appreciate and understand the assisted living industry and how beautiful and enriched we help our resident’s lives become by living in our communities SHN: What’s something that you wish other people in your organization — particularly leaders who don’t work on the front lines — understood better about your job Halle: What I wish people understood is how hard it is when a resident passes away We love each and every one of them and experience losing them very deeply To view the entire Frontline Honors Class of 2024, visit https://frontlinehonors.com/ Senior Housing News (SHN) is the leading source for news and information covering the senior housing industry. SHN is part of the Aging Media Network 2025Tower Health has sold the shuttered Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville (WPVI) -- Tower Health has sold the shuttered Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville Action News has learned that Tower Health has reached an agreement to sell the property to Mill Farm The firm is affiliated with Dover-based Regal Builders There's no word yet on the future plans for the site Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBROOME COUNTY road closures occurred due to spilled debris Debris was spilled in both directions in the area of Brandywine Avenue the Binghamton ramp has all its lanes blocked on Tompkins Street (SR-7) near Robinson Street A Department of Transportation crew is on the scene The alternative route is Tompkins Street (SR-7) — For Penn State students across Pennsylvania one year of fundraising to support children fighting pediatric cancer culminated Feb no-sitting dance marathon at University Park in the Bryce Jordan Center Penn State THON raised a record $17,737,040.93 for Four Diamonds an organization at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital that covers 100% of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance Philippe Latour and Joey Pretti had the honor of representing the campus as dancers during THON Weekend no sitting and a whole lot of dancing for 46 hours straight until the $17.7 million reveal on Sunday afternoon said she’s wanted to support and dance at THON since she first learned about the organization in fourth grade “I was first introduced to THON by my teacher in fourth grade I’ve always been so moved by the organization and I knew I wanted to be a part of the change,” D’Orazio said a second-year corporate innovation and entrepreneurship major said his experience at THON last year influenced him to dance this year “THON last year filled me with so many emotions and I was moved by all the families’ stories,” he said a first-year student in the Division of Undergraduate Studies said he wanted to dance at THON because one of his good friends was a dancer I went to visit my friend who was a THON dancer I went to visit when families were sharing their stories about their pediatric cancer experiences It made me want to become a dancer,” he said Brandywine’s assistant director of alumni relations and one of the advisers of Brandywine Benefitting THON attended the event and noted how proud she was of the organization for meeting all three of its goals for the year “THON Weekend is the celebration of what can be accomplished when an entire community unites for a cause greater than themselves It is a powerful reminder that every cent raised every supporter and every Four Diamonds family's story contributes to something truly life-changing,” she said “Seeing Brandywine Benefitting THON reach all three of its goals this year — having three dedicated dancers adopting a Four Diamonds family and raising over $25,000 — is an incredible achievement teamwork and unwavering support for one another exemplify the true spirit of THON we could not be prouder of this group and the impact they have made in the fight against childhood cancer!” Contact: Pamela Barnes Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go BrandywineBrandywine welcomes new campus registrarStayce McMackin Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons – Stayce McMackin joined Penn State Brandywine as the campus registrar in January after serving as the interim registrar for four months Coming from Penn State Abington as the assistant registrar McMackin is looking forward to getting to know Brandywine students Brandywine: What is your background and previous experience McMackin: I started my career at Penn State Abington and worked there for 18 years I worked part-time in the registrar’s office there and then I was moved to a full-time position and was there until I transitioned to Penn State Brandywine Brandywine: What was your deciding factor in coming to work for Penn State Brandywine When I saw the opportunity come up at Brandywine I’ve really enjoyed my time here since I started as the interim registrar in September Everyone I’ve met here has been really nice Brandywine: What are you looking forward to most during your time at Brandywine McMackin: I’m looking forward to getting to know the students and the campus better I want to be able to attend some student-led and academic events Brandywine: What are some goals you would like to accomplish during your time at Brandywine McMackin: One goal I have is to see all of the classrooms so I can get a gauge on how to schedule classes in the best spaces for the faculty and students I started talking with the information technology services team about it Another goal I have is to try to find ways to get students to register for classes earlier Registering for classes on time will save students money in the long run Brandywine: What are some of your interests Brandywine: Is there anything else you would like to add Anything you would like others to know about you McMackin: I’m located in the advising suite in the Main Building; if you’re looking for me I’m always listening to music in my office The Brandywine and Edwardsburg girls basketball teams added hardware to the trophy case Friday night by winning Michigan High School Athletic Association district championships Brandywine has made things look easy all season in a semifinal game Wednesday before triumphing over White Pigeon Paige Krisler paced the offense Friday with 15 points More: 'Toughest road' awaits Brandywine girls basketball after unbeaten regular season The Bobcats carry a 24-0 record into regionals starting with a semifinal game against Bronson (22-2) at 7 p.m The first regional semifinal game will feature Kalamazoo Christian (20-4) against Watervliet (11-14) at 5:30 p.m in the semifinals Wednesday before beating district host Berrien Springs Friday to earn the District 47 championship Maddie Pobuda 14 and Kya Shier 10 to provide the bulk of the Eddies' offense Edwardsburg (15-9) will now face a familiar foe in the regional semifinals in Vicksburg (22-2) The Wolverine Conference members played twice in the regular season The winner will face the Paw Paw-South Christian winner in Wednesday's final NILES, Mich. ― Brandywine girls basketball has already made history this year it’s the most wins without a loss for any Southwest Michigan girls basketball team all time Five teams total in the state finished undefeated in the regular season Brandywine is searching for one thing: redemption After finishing as Division 3 state runner-up last year the Bobcats are hoping to finish the job this time around The postseason journey begins in the MHSAA District 79 semifinals at 5:30 p.m More: Michigan high school girls basketball playoffs 2025: Predicting state title winners “It’s awesome for our girls to be ranked number one,” veteran Brandywine coach Josh Hood said “When you think about it: there’s no city of Brandywine; it’s a little community in the southwest corner of Michigan I told the girls (Monday) about the Detroit Free Press picking us to win state … picks and rankings have never meant anything Dominant regular seasonIt’s not just that Brandywine is unbeaten They’ve been impressive in doing so as well 17 of them have been against either Division 1 or Division 2 schools with the closest being by 10 over Sturgis Jan It did not take long for the players to realize this could be a special season “I think our first opening game (against White Pigeon) gave us a preview of what we’d look like,” senior Adelyn Drotoz said VOTE: YMCA South Bend Tribune Athlete of the Week, Feb. 24 - March 2, 2025 using a suffocating full-court press to aid them “Our discipline,” said Drotoz is the key to the defense Especially on rebounding; we could get outrebounded Indiana: As IHSAA sectionals begin, who makes final South Bend area boys basketball power rankings? Balance is key for the Bobcats on the offensive side of the ball averages double-digit scoring at 12.5 points per game Senior Miley Young is at nine points per game sophomore Lily Gill 7.0 and junior Karleigh Byrd 5.9 “We’ve just improved in a lot of facets,” Hood said “I think we’re tough to defend this year because of our ability to spread it out.” Of the eight valedictorians for the school this year three are on the girls basketball team: Drotoz “Academics always comes first,” Drotoz said pushing each other to make sure we’re up to that standard.” A difficult path to the state titleBrandywine will have earned its state title should they get it, as the bottom half of the Division 3 bracket features stout competition Should the Bobcats take care of business this week that would set up Brandywine to face Bronson ― a team that’s 20-2 and has not lost since playing the Bobcats on Jan A potential championship game would be against whoever wins District 77 which features four teams with 14-plus wins and there’s a chance one of the other unbeaten teams in the state The Bobcats must get through all of that just to earn a return trip to Michigan State University’s Breslin Center “We’re not good enough to just walk out and beat anybody,” Hood said “I told the girls: this is my 23rd varsity season as a coach and 16th at Brandywine and this is the toughest road we’ve ever had … These girls have been there; they got a taste of what it’s like to play in a state championship game They don’t need many reminders to take things not for granted.” The latest news and information from the world's most respected news source BBC World Service delivers up-to-the-minute news The Brandywine Museum’s exhibition of Barbara Shermund’s cartoons aligns with the New Yorker magazine’s 100th anniversary In advance of the Philadelphia Flower Show a pop-up display at King of Prussia Mall envisions a future where flowers rule all Shermund’s take on the lives of modern women was global The wall text of the exhibition states she was the most well-traveled of the New Yorker cartoonists which could drive her editors nuts: She traveled so much that she often had no permanent address filing cartoons from hotel rooms and making it difficult for the magazine to track Shermund down McGurk first stumbled upon Shermund’s work about 13 years ago in the archives of Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum thought for sure it had to be from the ‘60s or ‘70s because the humor was so contemporary and feminist and queer,” she said it’s from the late 1920s and early 1930s.” Two women in a modern art gallery pondering a blobby-shaped sculpture: ”Of course it’s a woman — they don’t make landscapes in marble.” A shopgirl brightly asks a man browsing a perfume counter: “Does she like to smell strange?” The free spirit lifestyle of her cartoons — where one young lady laments to another “I guess the best thing is to just get married and forget about love” — was in many way Shermund’s life After the death of her mother due to the flu pandemic of 1918 her father remarried a woman 31 years his junior and 8 years younger than his own daughter The cartoons on view include several May-December couples with the older gentlemen as the butt of the gag Shermund’s last cartoon for the New Yorker was in 1944 She continued to illustrate for major magazines like Esquire and LIFE and in advertisements for clients like Pepsi-Cola and Frigidaire but clearly without the freedom she enjoyed at the New Yorker In the 1940s and 50s she had a syndicated newspaper cartoon She ultimately retired to the Jersey Shore “spending pretty much all of her time swimming and playing with her dogs,” according to McGurk When she died in nursing care in 1978 at age 79 in Middletown Township She was cremated and her ashes remained on the shelf of a funeral home for nearly 35 years The survey by Councilmember Rue Landau was launched in the wake of the closing of the University of the Arts It took the diligent work of a distantly related descendant cold-calling funeral homes in the greater Monmouth County area in 2011 to discover Shermund’s cremains After a GoFundMe campaign in 2019 to raise burial costs the cartoonist was laid to rest in Northern California next to her mother “This fundraiser was fueled by cartoonists and feminists and people from all over the world who just felt like this isn’t right,” McGurk said especially our women artists who deserve to be recognized.” At the time of Shermund’s death in 1978, there was a general newspaper labor strike in New York City that shut down all the major papers in the city for three months. Her passing was never reported by the press until 2022, when the New York Times featured an obituary of Shermund as part of its Overlooked project recognizing significant people whose deaths went unnoticed at the time “Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins” will be on view at the Brandywine until June 1 The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. Did political cartoons contribute to American nation-building This exhibition at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania shows how The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum in New York collaborate on the largest exhibition of the iconic American artist Photographer Velvet McNeil describes being at ground zero to document the day the twin towers fell Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY BrandywineBrandywine hosts Youth STEAM event for high school studentsMore than 130 high school students from eight local high schools attended the event to learn about physics, entrepreneurship, robotics and more. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons MEDIA, Pa. — The Brandywine LaunchBox held a Youth Science Arts and Math (STEAM) and Startup Day for high school students on March 12 More than 130 high school students from eight local high schools (Chester Charter Scholars Academy in Chester The Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School in West Chester Upper Darby High School in Upper Darby and Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne) attended the event to learn about physics “It was great to see such a large turnout for our annual high school program for STEAM and Startup Day The student engagement in workshops and the excitement on our campus was electrifying,” said Tony Mattei director of entrepreneurship and digital marketing at Brandywine and coordinator at the event “Our startup workshop and keynote empowered our youth to create their own path to success This program could not have been possible without the support of our campus!” Mattei collaborated with six Brandywine faculty and CTDI to facilitate activities and workshops for the event Lecturer in Engineering Megann Hedgecock hosted a prototyping workshop Assistant Teaching Professor of Physics Shruti Shrestha held a session exploring the speed of sound Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics Apoorva Mate held a mathematics tiling workshop Lecturer of Information Sciences and Technology Nannette D’Imperio held a workshop featuring coding with bolt robots Science Lab Coordinator Tracy Lea-Dorsey hosted a biochemistry workshop and Associate Teaching Professor Samantha Pezzimenti hosted a workshop about the surface area of bubbles CTDI presented an engineering workshop using Arduino code to activate a motor and LED to perform functions that included blinking the LEDs or pulsing the motor startup workshop presenters included Eric Smith who hosted a workshop on empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs said he enjoyed seeing the high school students excited about entrepreneurship “The next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders aren't waiting for permission — they’re taking aim at the world’s toughest challenges with bold ideas relentless drive and a vision that refuses to accept the status quo,” Smith said “Launch Point Labs is proud to stand alongside Brandywine LaunchBox as they provide students with the resources mentorship and support needed to turn their ambition into reality.” Brandywine’s Youth STEAM and Startup Day was sponsored by the Meridian Fund and Halliday Properties Youth Programs Grant 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN) today reported its financial and operating results for the three and twelve-month periods ended December 31 “We accomplished or exceeded many of our full year 2024 business plan objectives including speculative revenue our same store NOI results and rental rate mark-to-markets,” stated Jerry Sweeney we completed over $300 million of dispositions exceeding our initial $90 million midpoint business plan target Our recent sales activity puts us in an excellent year-end liquidity position with no borrowings on our $600 million unsecured line of credit one 2025 maturity totaling $70 million and no unsecured bonds maturing until 2027 all of our development projects are now complete and in various phases of lease-up with our life science project located at 3151 Market Street in Philadelphia having been completed during the fourth quarter we recently announced 783,000 square feet of commercial leasing including 130,000 square feet of commercial signed leases within our developments commencing in 2026 within those projects demonstrating continued momentum in our leasing pipeline Our 2025 FFO guidance range of $0.60 to $0.72 per diluted share reflects increased expenses due to the expiration of the capitalization periods on several of our recently delivered developments including the expensing of the return on our partners’ preferred equity investments.” Results for the Three and Twelve-Month Periods Ended December 31 Net loss available to common shareholders totaled $(43.3) million or $(0.25) per share in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to a net loss of $(157.4) million or $(0.91) per share in the fourth quarter of 2023 Our fourth quarter 2024 results include a $(23.8) million non-cash impairment charge primarily related to our unconsolidated joint venture properties located in the Metropolitan D.C Our fourth quarter 2023 results include a $(152.6) million or $(0.89) per share non-cash impairment charge related to four wholly-owned operating properties and unconsolidated joint ventures FFO available to common shareholders and units in the fourth quarter of 2024 totaled $29.9 million or $0.17 per diluted share versus $47.2 million or $0.27 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2023 Our fourth quarter 2024 FFO payout ratio ($0.15 common share distribution / $0.17 FFO per diluted share) was 88.2% Net loss totaled $(195.6) million or $(1.13) per share for the twelve months ended 2024 compared to a net loss of $(197.4) million allocated to common shares or $(1.15) per share in the twelve months ended 2023 Our full year 2024 results include impairment losses totaling $(191.3) million and non-cash income related to the reversal of the negative investment balance in an unconsolidated joint venture totaling $53.8 million Our 2023 full year results include non-cash impairment charges totaling $(168.7) million or $(0.98) per share related to our wholly-owned operating properties and unconsolidated joint ventures FFO available to common shareholders and units for the twelve months ended 2024 totaled $148.9 million or $0.85 per diluted share compared to $198.3 million or $1.15 per diluted share for the year ended 2023 Our full year 2024 FFO payout ratio ($0.60 common share distribution / $0.85 FFO per diluted share) was 70.6% bad debt expense and other income items decreased (1.6)% on an accrual basis and increased 0.5% on a cash basis for our 62 same store properties which were 87.6% and 89.0% occupied on December 31 We leased approximately 486,000 square feet and commenced occupancy on 198,000 square feet during the fourth quarter of 2024 The fourth quarter occupancy activity includes 101,000 square feet of renewals 73,000 square feet of new leases and 24,000 square feet of tenant expansions We have an additional 246,000 square feet of executed new leases scheduled to commence occupancy on currently vacant space subsequent to December 31 We achieved 76% tenant retention ratio in our core portfolio with net absorption of 32,000 square feet during the fourth quarter of 2024 Fourth quarter rental rate growth increased 5.9% as our renewal rental rates increased 5.4% and our new lease/expansion rental rates increased 8.0% our leasing activity totaled approximately 1,306,000 square feet and commenced occupancy on 1,023,000 square feet Our year end 2024 occupancy activity includes 597,000 of renewals 297,000 of new leases and 129,000 square feet of tenant expansions our core portfolio of 63 properties comprising 11.9 million square feet was 87.8% occupied and we are now 89.9% leased (reflecting executed leases commencing after December 31 our Board of Trustees declared a quarterly dividend distribution of $0.15 per common share that was paid on January 23 2025 to shareholders of record as of January 8 we are providing our 2025 loss per share guidance of $(0.60) - $(0.48) per share and 2025 FFO guidance of $0.60 - $0.72 per diluted share Except as outlined in our 2025 business plan see page 41 in our fourth quarter supplement information package Looking Ahead – First Quarter 2025 Conference Call We anticipate we will release our first quarter 2025 earnings on Tuesday after the market close and will host our first quarter 2025 conference call on Wednesday 2023 and our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30 NOI (accrual basis) is a financial measure equal to net income available to common shareholders Of the 64 properties owned by the Company as of December 31 a total of 61 properties ("Same Store Properties") containing an aggregate of 11,518 million net rentable square feet were owned for the entire three months ended December 31 three properties were recently completed/acquired Average occupancy for the Same Store Properties was 87.6% and 89.0% during the three-month periods ended December 31 BRANDYWINE REALTY TRUSTSAME STORE OPERATIONS – TWELVE MONTHS(unaudited and in thousands) a total of 61 properties ("Same Store Properties") containing an aggregate of 11,518 million net rentable square feet were owned for the entire twelve months ended December 31 Average occupancy for the Same Store Properties was 87.6% and 89.0% during the twelve-month periods ended December 31 Educators in Brandywine schools have lodged a formal complaint against their own school board president for unfair labor practices The charge was filed Tuesday with Delaware's Public Employment Relations Board, a quasi-judicial agency that mediates and enforces collective bargaining laws between public employers and their unionized employees It's levied against President Ralph Ackerman and his board for "acting in bad faith" by making derogatory comments about the union's bargaining team and suggesting financial bonuses if parties reached agreement This comes as union negotiations have stalled since May 2024 Educators have walked out of multiple school board meetings clad in union-red shirts since November. Teachers picketed outside their schools in early morning hours Brandywine School District has already filed for no-cost mediation with the same employee relations board Why? Some 1,000 teachers and other educators in Brandywine School District have been working under an expired contract since the school year started, according to the Brandywine Education Association. Those contracts – extended in summer 2023, to get past an ultimately successful referendum – expired in June Brandywine School District did not provide comment by time of publication Ackerman apologized for any "misunderstanding." "I also am genuinely sorry this negotiation has dragged out as long as it has," Ackerman said in an email "It was not my intention to disparage anyone I further pledge that I will not speak to any BEA member about negotiations and let those discussions be solely with the respective teams." District officials say they've made offerings to keep teachers among the highest paid in New Castle County Educators say options have so far come at a cost to certain working conditions this charge claims Ackerman visited such picketing sites – and crossed a different line Delaware education: Brandywine teachers start picketing outside schools, continuing call for union contract they must keep any demonstration outside of contractual hours That's because teacher strikes are illegal in Delaware lest public employees face fines determined by a court The longtime board member and president of the Delaware School Boards Association made comments against the union's bargaining team and suggested perhaps "a nice Christmas/holiday bonus" could be possible if negotiations were resolved Alleged comments also included telling teachers "you should pick better negotiators next time." Ackerman acknowledged he spoke with teachers outside the school but he did not see his comments as disparaging as he added he holds "great respect and admiration for all of our teachers." Ackerman approached members who were picketing and made comments about the BEA Negotiations Team and the ongoing negotiations which caused our members discomfort and concern BEA investigated the incident and collected written statements from several members present at the picket site," the local union said in a statement to Delaware Online/The News Journal "After reviewing the statements and consulting with legal counsel Ackerman's actions and statements violated Delaware law." That question is now in the hands of the board It folds into continued mediation with this board Unfair labor practice is further defined in Delaware code as when employers "interfere with restrain or coerce any employee" from exercising their rights within a labor organization employers are also supposed to carry negotiations "in good faith with an employee representative which is the exclusive bargaining representative." The board will soon decide whether Delaware law was violated it could call for a public hearing on any factual disputes or a nonpublic conference between counsels on legal disputes the board's executive director will ultimately issue a decision the board could officially order Ackerman to "cease and desist" and award damages or other remedies deemed fit Delaware's largest educators union got right to the point "DSEA and its member unions will not tolerate any attempt to interfere restrain or coerce our members in violation of state law," the Delaware State Education Association said in a statement to Delaware Online/The News Journal "We strongly encourage school boards and public-school employers to both familiarize themselves with fair labor practices as clearly defined in Delaware Code." Some teachers holding the line probably remember other comments from their board member as Delaware was still grappling with the ultimate decision to keep education virtual the coming school year Ackerman penned an email to an elementary teacher “Teachers are first responders to our future,” the then-board member wrote to a fifth grade teacher hesitant about any return. “If they cannot handle the risk, seek a new career." About a month later, the official apologized for the remarks I have always had a profound respect and admiration for teachers." Brandywine School District posted a public statement as picketing began including one that did not involve any changes to working conditions All the district's financial proposals would ensure that Brandywine's teachers will maintain their position as the highest paid educators among the five comprehensive New Castle County school districts," the system posted to its website “While we delivered on our end of the bargain the Brandywine School District has so far put forward proposals that would either degrade our working conditions or cause our salaries to slip further behind our neighboring districts,” said Steve Rulon representing roughly nine out every 10 teachers and specialists in the district According to previous reporting based on state data Brandywine had roughly the second-highest average educator salary in Delaware last school year the average educator salary in Delaware was $71,186 This doesn't dig into specifics on salary schedules and local contributions Educators and the Brandywine School District have a mediation session planned at the end of January which union leaders said "will proceed as scheduled." Editor's note: This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available Contact Kelly Powers at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191 BrandywinePenn State Brandywine community is invited to celebrate GivingTuesday 2024Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons Penn State will be kicking off the celebration early on Monday EST — to commemorate the year the University was founded Brandywine’s campaign is included in this year’s early fundraising window 18 through the official start of the event The three funds are a part of a campus-wide network and culture of support for Brandywine students: “GivingTuesday is a special day at Penn State Brandywine where we’re able to come together as a community with a focus on raising funds for the programs our students use so often,” said Regional Chancellor Marilyn J “We really care for our students and want to give as much as we can to make sure they reach their highest potential.” BrandywineBrandywine student pursues passion for school counselingCredit: Penn State. Creative Commons a fourth-year human development and family studies major reflected on her Penn State Brandywine experience so far and how professional experiences have helped her succeed “I chose to attend Penn State Brandywine because I was recruited to play softball I was on a recruitment team and Mark Caserta saw me play and offered me a spot,” she said “I toured the campus and went to Maple Zone to see where we would be playing DeFazio knew she wanted to major in human development and family studies in order to become a school counselor She developed her dream of becoming a counselor when she was in twelfth grade I was really adamant about going to school for education; I even student-taught my senior year of high school so I decided to go down the therapy route and fell in love with school counseling That’s why I wanted to major in human development and family studies when I came to Brandywine.” In addition to pitching and playing infield on Brandywine’s softball team DeFazio is currently interning in the guidance counseling office at Northley Middle School in Aston she works with the sixth-grade guidance counselor to help students who are facing challenges in school “I reached out to schools in the area to see if anyone was looking for an intern in the guidance counseling office and Northley was one of the schools that got back to me and offered me a position,” she said “It seemed like a great fit from the start It’s close to my apartment and I really like the middle school age group school counseling helped me immensely at that age.” DeFazio noted how she has benefited greatly from her internship at Northley stating how she’s gaining hands-on experience that’s going to help her in graduate school and her career I was really nervous because I was afraid I wouldn’t like it I realized this is exactly what I want to be doing in my career It’s so rewarding to have students know who I am now,” she said “I’m getting hands-on experience before going into graduate school I’m getting one-on-one experience with students I feel like everything I’m learning at Northley through the counseling program is so beneficial I’m going to take everything I’m learning with me for a really long time throughout my career.” “As I’ve gone through Brandywine and met different people experienced different friendships and made so many connections it made everything fall into place and made my experience at Brandywine so great.” DeFazio said the most valuable lesson she’s learned during her time at Brandywine is that everything happens for a reason “I’ve always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason As I’ve gone through Brandywine and met different people it made everything fall into place and made my experience at Brandywine so great,” she said “Everything I learned really taught me that everything does happen for a reason but you’ll take a step back one day and realize that everything played out that way for a reason.” NILES, Mich. ― Brandywine faced one real moment of tension Monday but Bronson had made a pair of three-point shots to start the third quarter It was the loudest the Vikings fans had been all night A weaker team may have started to fold in that moment then immediately stole the ensuing inbounds pass and was fouled putting up another shot She’d make one-of-two at the free-throw line but it was three points in three seconds to re-assert Brandywine’s dominance in the game It would lead by 22 at the end of the frame on its way to a 60-32 triumph over Bronson in an MHSAA Division 3 girls basketball regional semifinal contest on Brandywine’s home floor “For Karleigh to get that layup and then the steal that really calmed us down,” Brandywine coach Josh Hood said VOTE: YMCA South Bend Tribune Athlete of the Week, March 3-9, 2025 How they advanced: Brandywine, Edwardsburg girls basketball claim MHSAA district titles The majority of the game looked like what had allowed Brandywine to be 25-0 this season It’s blistering defensive pressure created several Vikings turnovers often leading to easy baskets for the Bobcats They built an 11-0 lead in less than three minutes off that “We had a couple-week stretch where our starts were not great,” Hood said “… The emphasis for the last week has been all about the fast start Three-point shooting was also key for the Bobcats who made five shots from beyond the arc to give her a team-high 15 points Both Byrd and sophomore Adeline Gill added 10 points as nine different players scored for the home team Indiana boys basketball: Konieczny, Daniel claims top honors from Northern Indiana Conference It’s the second time the Bobcats have hosted a regional They won the regional title that year before losing in the state quarterfinals “It doesn’t get much better than these fans right here,” Hood said the energy in this building can be electric but when you play the fight song and the team runs out – it doesn’t get much better than that.” Brandywine will face Kalamazoo Christian (21-4) in the regional final at 6 p.m in the regional final last year on their way to finishing state runner-up “We know what we’re getting into,” Hood said “It’s all the fixings: multiple all-state players back for them We beat them in the regional championship last year The other Michigan girls basketball team from the South Bend Tribune coverage area playing Monday night dropped a 49-30 decision to Vicksburg in a Division 2 regional semifinal game It was the third time this season the Eddies lost to its Wolverine Conference counterpart Ella Zache had nine points to lead Edwardsburg BrandywineBrandywine student travels to Nashville for NCAA ConventionPenn State Brandywine Director of Athletics Bobbi Caprice and Penn State Brandywine student Karly Rees recently made the 700-mile plane ride to Nashville with Regional Chancellor Marilyn J Wells and Director of Athletics Bobbi Caprice to attend the NCAA Convention allowed thousands of NCAA student-athletes across Divisions I As a former softball player and current president of the Penn State Brandywine Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) Rees was thrilled to represent the campus and the United East Conference “It was super cool to be able to talk about how athletics departments work on each of our campuses issues we might be having and how the whole conference or division handles certain topics Having insight on the business part of how those things work on the back end was very informative as a student,” she said “I’m the first from Brandywine to go to a conference like this which is only the beginning for our campus I’m hoping this experience will help expand SAAC so student-athletes can see what opportunities they can take advantage of if they join.” Rees first learned she was able to attend the NCAA Convention in the fall at a United East SAAC meeting where it was mentioned that students could apply to be delegates at the conference “When I was told that I could apply to go to the NCAA Convention I explained in my application that I would love to represent Brandywine I have so much care for our Brandywine Athletics and wanted to see SAAC succeed on our campus,” she said Some of the highlights from Rees’ trip to the NCAA Convention included a Division III student mixer and an event with the Special Olympics She said she enjoyed spending time with the kids from the Special Olympics and playing cornhole “One of the highlights from my time at the NCAA Convention was definitely the Special Olympics We were able to hang out with the kids for a couple of hours playing games with them and making bracelets I had never done anything like that before which was fun because that was a bonding experience for all the athletes in that division It was a really unique event because I was able to connect with student-athletes from all over the country.” “One of the biggest benefits I got from going to the NCAA Convention was how many people I met and the relationships I was able to build.” Rees noted she benefited greatly from the conference saying she was able to form relationships with so many people in the United East “One of the biggest benefits I got from going to the NCAA Convention was how many people I met and the relationships I was able to build I met a lot of students in the United East and now we’re all friends,” she said “We really bonded over the experience and I really enjoyed connecting with them at and outside of the convention I now have a bigger network of friends and people I can reach out to BrandywineBrandywine welcomes new academic advising specialistJami Grosser Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons — Jami Grosser joined Penn State Brandywine as the new academic advising specialist in December Coming from Sonoma State University in California as a professional academic adviser Grosser is looking forward to getting to know Brandywine students and providing them with the tools and support they need to succeed Grosser: This is my 25th year working in higher education I majored in pre-optometry in college and decided that I didn’t want to go to optometry school so I got a job as an admissions counselor at my alma mater I recruited students and attended college fairs and that led me to find my passion for working in higher education That position led me to jobs in LGBTQ+ and cultural resource centers at other universities Grosser: My wife is originally from central Pennsylvania We relocated to the Media area last summer when she got a job working at the University of Pennsylvania I continued working remotely at Sonoma State until they wanted me to come back to campus it was an easy decision to take a job here I’ve spent all my professional career at public universities are a part of the California State University system Penn State Brandywine has a similar approach which is what made me interested in working here Grosser: I’m looking forward to getting to know the students here and helping them succeed but that always is dependent on students’ identities and experiences and I want to see how my knowledge in a completely different state and university can be useful here I felt like there were a lot of faculty and staff who were really committed to helping students succeed There was immediately a feeling of community when I came here Brandywine: What are some goals you’d like to accomplish during your time at Brandywine my goal is to rebuild Brandywine’s advising office after the departure of three experienced advisers has been doing a great job managing the office with support from advisers from other University units I’m looking forward to understanding what the University’s priorities are and implementing them in ways that will best serve our students Grosser: I have four-and-a-half-year-old twins so a lot of my time is spent parenting them we spend a lot of time at indoor trampoline parks to get our energy out Anything you would like people to know about you Grosser: I take a holistic and equitable approach to student success I think working in California for as long as I did with the level of diversity that’s present made me realize that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work with student success I want people to know that my approach is always holistic and I’m always looking at things in a more equitable and efficient lens BrandywineBrandywine welcomes new information sciences and technology instructorPamela King Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons — Pamela King joined Penn State Brandywine as a lecturer in information sciences and technology in January She received her bachelor’s degree in law and justice from The College of New Jersey and her master’s degree in criminal justice from Holy Family University With previous experience as a full-time faculty instructor in computer science and information technology at Chestnut Hill College King said she is excited to be teaching at a renowned Brandywine: What courses are you teaching this semester I’m teaching Networking and Telecommunications (IST 220) Cyber Incident Handling and Response (CYBER 342W) and Overview of Information Security (SRA 221) Brandywine: What made you interested in teaching at Penn State Brandywine King: Penn State has such an amazing reputation which is why I’m excited to be teaching here I’ve been teaching at a private institution but I’ve always liked Pennsylvania’s public colleges I think they better service a population than a private school All three of my best friend’s kids went to Penn State They say such amazing things about it that when I saw the job opening Penn State has such a great reputation and is really unique in how it encompasses the entire state through having so many campuses I think it's a tremendous resource for Pennsylvania and it has such a good reputation that draws people in from outside the state King: I have quite a twisted path on my way to academia I started in law enforcement; I did digital forensics and computer analysis for active law enforcement investigations for the Department of Justice and My job was collecting and extracting evidence from digital storage media to be used in prosecutions I was in law enforcement for quite a while and then I decided to take an opportunity to go to private industry and later started my own business Colleges eventually were interested in running programs for digital forensics and cybersecurity so they were reaching out to subject matter experts and practitioners to serve as adjunct professors I started as an adjunct professor and then just started teaching more and more Brandywine: What are your research interests King: I’m very interested in researching cybercrime things related to digital forensics and how technology changes can make digital forensics harder or in some cases actually provide more data I’m also interested in how you raise awareness of where that data is how to find it and what legal authority you need to get it I’m interested in any research on the intersection between law and computer science Brandywine: What made you interested in pursuing a degree in the criminal justice field and pivoting your career to cybersecurity King: I was a first-generation college student so I didn't have a source of funding for tuition and decided to go to community college and then to a state school to finish my degree and I started doing criminal intelligence analysis before computers were prolific we benefitted greatly from using computers to analyze data It became obvious that other people were finding computers useful including criminals and criminal enterprises and law enforcement officers and agents began investigating crimes where the evidence was stored on computers and other devices Brandywine: What do you enjoy doing in your free time I also love traveling — I love connecting with people who have travelled and getting ideas for where to go and what to see A foggy Tuesday morning at Mount Pleasant High School brought students hustling in buses rolling up – and about a dozen teachers picketing out front winter coats and hand-made signs gathered ahead of the school day while a similar demonstration planned to unfold at Talley Middle School "My working conditions are my students learning conditions." "Contracts matter too." These and more signs waved from the roadway median in front of the school greeted by passing honks on a four-lane street and wet weather pushing 40 degrees Some 1,000 teachers and other educators in Brandywine School District have been working under an expired contract since the school year started according to Delaware State Education Association Delaware's largest educators union commented on these ongoing negotiations while the Brandywine Education Association remains in independent throes of renegotiations with their district That contract – already extended in summer 2023, to get past an ultimately successful referendum – expired in June “Our members are fighting to keep both our working conditions and our salaries competitive – not one or the other,” the chemistry teacher at Brandywine High School for 21 years continued Back in late November, some 100 teachers walked out of a Brandywine School District board meeting in a similar show of solidarity and frustration Brandywine School District spokesperson said the system has filed for no-cost mediation with the Public Employment Relations Board to "reach a swift resolution." The district said it has offered proposals that "would ensure that Brandywine's teachers will maintain their position as the highest paid educators" among New Castle County districts More in Delaware education: Ousted superintendent sues Christina school board for millions over 'destroyed' reputation Teachers holding the line Tuesday had talking points that echoed their president "We are holding firm on the position that we will not accept a proposal that asks all of us to give up rights related to our working conditions in exchange for a pay increase that would only benefit a few," said one building represenative a fifth-grade special education teacher at Mount Pleasant Elementary "Our working conditions are our students learning conditions Her gloved hands gripped this prepared statement on a clipboard before she began offering coffee to fellow picketers and grabbing her own sign The rep said two packages are currently on the negotiating table but that the district will not approve the union's preference without pulling previously approved language Picketers did not go into greater detail on the impasse Brandywine School District pointed to a statement posted over the weekend when reached for comment Tuesday According to previous reporting from Delaware Online/The News Journal based on state data music teacher Mason Lucas showed up just after 7 a.m "We have really amazing BEA representatives and I'm really excited to be part of this," the second-year teacher at Mount Pleasant Elementary said He highlighted similar calls for upped wages and no sacrifices in working conditions “Members of BEA have shown tremendous patience throughout this protracted negotiation process,” said Stephanie Ingram “We urge the Brandywine School Board to act in good faith by moving toward an agreement that respects the commitment and dedication of their teachers and specialists before these negotiations enter yet another calendar year.” Brandywine's union is one of 40 locals that make up DSEA Picketing will continue before and after school this week Prinkey expects higher turnout in the afternoon at her Mount Pleasant Elementary – with both Brandywine teachers and some from surrounding districts – as well as other schools Thursday An injunction could come down from Chancery Court with noncompliance leading to fines against "such violating party an amount on a daily weekly or monthly basis without limitation as determined by the Court," per state code That applies to all public school employees carry their signs back through school doors and start another day of school ICYMI: After meeting walkout, Brandywine School District educators still await union contract BrandywinePenn State Brandywine lovebirds share their storiesCouples whose love stories began on campusCredit: Penn State. Creative Commons Penn State Brandywine is recognizing couples whose love stories began on the campus Four couples — Vinny and Bobbi Gallo (class of 2013) Terry and Leslie Montgomery (class of 1985) and Myeisha Matos and Dionna Aggie (class of 2015) — shared how they met and how Penn State Brandywine impacted their relationships Vinny and Bobbi’s love story began in 2009 “The first time I saw Vinny was in the gym at a volleyball game I joined the volleyball team halfway through the season because they needed more players I saw him in the gym working the volleyball game before I was even on the team,” recalled Bobbi recalled a completely different story of how the two of them met “The first time I saw Bobbi was in the gym and women’s basketball was getting their uniforms while we were turning ours in,” said Vinny who is now Brandywine’s head baseball coach “Bobbi was wearing a Marple shirt at the time so I asked someone on my team who went to Marple Newtown High School who she was was in the former cafeteria in the Commons/Athletics Center.” They said some of their favorite memories together during their time at Brandywine are going to Commonwealth Campus Student Government meetings at University Park hanging out in the former Lion’s Den in the Commons/Athletics Center and Vinny announcing Bobbi’s basketball games Terry and Leslie’s love story began in 1980 The two shared an English class in their first year of college The class was held across the street at the Delaware Valley Christian Church because there wasn’t sufficient classroom space on campus at the time,” Terry recalled we were just good friends for about two years until we went to University Park in our third year Terry recalled some of his favorite memories with Leslie during his time at Penn State “One memory that sticks out was going to football games up at University Park It was really fun going to those games and hanging out with all the friends we made up there,” he said Terry and Leslie got married in 1985 a few months after they graduated They have five children together; their second son went to Penn State to receive his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in mechanical engineering Esteban and Ami’s love story began in 2015 The two were on the men's and women’s soccer teams and they met when a mutual friend was hosting a gathering for both teams one of our mutual friends on the men’s team was hosting a gathering That’s how we first met and got to know each other,” Ami recalled One of their favorite memories together during their time at Brandywine was traveling to the National Soccer Championship each year  “We have a lot of great memories together but one that really sticks out is going to Nationals We went a lot during our time at Brandywine,” Ami said "The men’s and women’s teams would always travel together down to Virginia Beach for Nationals but because we were also with all of our friends from the teams." One space at Brandywine that holds special meaning to Esteban and Ami is the fitness center in the Commons/Athletics Center who transferred to a nearby university after her second year to complete her degree in education “I worked in the fitness center during my time at Brandywine Those were some great memories for sure,” Ami said Esteban and Ami got married in 2019 and have four sons Myeisha and Dionna’s love story began in 2013 in the Tomezsko Classroom Building The two shared an English course together in their second year of college “We met while we were doing ice breakers during the first week of class,” Dionna recalled who is currently Brandywine’s athletic recruiting coordinator and since we had exchanged contact information during our icebreaker Dionna sent me what I needed for an assignment Dionna and Myeisha said their favorite memories together at Brandywine included hanging out in the Lion’s Den in the Commons/Athletics Center and going out to eat at Olive Garden and Chick-fil-A Myeisha also enjoyed having Dionna in the stands at her basketball games “Even when I transferred to a nearby university Her mom and I would hop in the car and go on our little road trips together,” Dionna said Myeisha and Dionna got engaged at Brandywine in 2017 during the campus’ 50th anniversary celebration Myeisha proposed to Dionna in front of the Tomezsko Classroom Building where their love story began All of the couples noted that if it wasn’t for Penn State They all said that Penn State Brandywine holds significant meaning in their love stories Did you and your significant other meet at Penn State Brandywine? Tell us about your love story for a chance to be featured in a future "Lovebirds" campaign A 67-year-old woman was critically injured and two dogs were killed in a Friday afternoon fire in Brandywine Hundred Brandywine Hundred Fire Company personnel were called to the home located in the first block of Ridgeland Road they found smoke coming from the roof and windows of the house Several other fire companies were asked to help extinguish the blaze Firefighters removed the woman from the home and paramedics rushed her to Christiana Hospital where she was listed in critical condition She has since been transported to Crozer-Chester Medical Center's burn unit in Pennsylvania READ: Stanley cup water bottle used as weapon in fight at New Castle-area middle school: Police A search of the home found two dogs that died in the blaze Fire investigators are still working to determine how and where the fire began Damage to the house is estimated at approximately $100,000 Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com The thermometer (and calendar) say it is time to hang up the skis and snowboards at Summit County's two ski resorts Vail Resorts has announced that this weekend will be the last of the season at Boston Mills and Brandywine resorts the snow on the slopes will be "soft." But with bases as deep as a foot and several feet in key spots they will be able to make it through the weekend with the chilly winter and the most snow in a decade it was a great season at the Summit County resorts and at Vail's Alpine Valley ski resort "This season was exactly what we love to see in Northeast Ohio — consistent cold temperatures through January and February paired with natural snowfall that kept winter top of mind for our guests," he said "We saw many visitors who hadn’t skied in years as well as first-timers experiencing the slopes for the first time." Sunday will be Boston Mills and Brandywine's final day of the season 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN) announced today that its Board of Trustees has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per common share and OP Unit payable on April 17 The quarterly dividend is equivalent to an annual rate of $0.60 per share 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brandywine Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN) announced today that the Company will participate in a roundtable presentation at the Citi 2025 Global Property CEO Conference The presentation will take place on Tuesday Eastern Time and will last approximately 35 minutes Brandywine’s presentation can be accessed live via webcast at: https://kvgo.com/citi/brandywine-march-2025 The webcast replay will be available within 24 hours after the conclusion of the live event and will expire Friday, April 4, 2025. In addition, the webcast can be accessed via a link on the Investor Relations page of our website at www.brandywinerealty.com Company / Investor Contact:Tom WirthEVP & CFO610-832-7434 tom.wirth@bdnreit.com BrandywineBrandywine professor receives professional development grantThe grant was funded through Penn State's Opportunity Grant Professional Development ProgramLaura Evans Credit: Laura Evans MEDIA, Pa. — Laura Evans, teaching professor of human development and family studies at Penn State Brandywine, recently received a grant through Penn State’s Opportunity Grant Professional Development Program. The program which just launched and distributed funding for spring 2025 who were teaching and clinical non-tenure-line faculty The Opportunity Grant is supporting Evans in a project that allows faculty to explore how instructor flourishing well-being and experience teaching "HDFS 108: The Art and Science of Human Flourishing" might impact student learning and well-being As part of a study being conducted by researchers at University Park Evans and other grant recipients will interview course instructors to more deeply understand their experiences and their role in student outcomes The grant also supports Evans’ education and training in contemplative sciences as an instructor of the course so she can share knowledge with her students and colleagues It funds her enrollment in a two-year intensive Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher training program offered by the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California “This grant provides me with an opportunity to both enhance the teaching I already do as well as become certified in a new way of teaching,” Evans said “I’m honored to have the support to do this and grateful that Penn State created this funding for teaching-line faculty.” The Opportunity Grant Professional Development Program is supported financially by the Office of the President and is administered by the Penn State Office of Faculty Affairs – Networking is a necessary skill for students to learn while in college to help make connections for internships Knowing how to eat in a professional setting such as a job interview or a networking event To teach students how to network and dine in a professional setting Penn State Brandywine’s Housing and Food Services Development and Student Affairs offices collaborated to hold “Pass the Plate” on March 25 “Pass the Plate” began with 45 minutes of networking where students were able to talk with Brandywine faculty alumni and Advisory Board members about their career paths The event continued with a three-course meal where students learned proper etiquette when eating soup was the emcee at “Pass the Plate.” With her many years of experience in the food industry she was excited to teach students how to eat while talking with professionals “I have enjoyed participating in this event over the last two years and facilitating the presentation I love how by the end of the evening students are relaxed at tables confident in what they are doing and having meaningful conversations,” said Kearns “I want students to have the basics of dining etiquette so that they can focus on the real goal Collaborating with the Advisory Board has also been a highlight of the program I so appreciate how they are willing to share their experiences and provide meaningful insight and guidance as students are heading off into their careers.” a series of events held in the spring semester to aid students in career readiness BrandywineBrandywine welcomes new academic adviserAmanda Atkinson Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons — Amanda Atkinson joined Penn State Brandywine as an academic adviser in January where she served as the director of residential communities Atkinson said she is looking forward to getting to know Brandywine students and helping them with their academic planning Q: What is your background and previous experience Atkinson: I have worked in academic advising in the past; I did that at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California I worked in residence life at Swarthmore College Q: What was your deciding factor in coming to work for Penn State Brandywine so Penn State has always been a significant part of my life When I saw a job opening at Penn State Brandywine I was very excited and knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity I also just really enjoy academic advising and working one-on-one with students to help them figure out their academic plans Q: What are you looking forward to most during your time at Brandywine Atkinson: I’m really looking forward to meeting with students and having conversations about how I can help them in their college journeys I know a lot of our students are from the surrounding area so it’ll be nice to connect with them about things we have in common Q: What are some goals you would like to accomplish during your time at Brandywine Atkinson: My goal is to help students as much as I can with figuring out their next steps academically whether they want to declare or change their major transition to another Penn State campus or decide what they want to do after graduation