Authors of book on 1975 Marple murder set for book signing
Toy, food donations needed for Delco Veterans Memorial holiday drive
MARPLE » Marple Township natives Mike Mathis and Joanna Sullivan will do an author meet-and-greet and book signing of “The Kidnapping and Murder of Gretchen Harrington: Suburban Philadelphia’s Loss of Innocence,” on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in the Lawrence Park Shopping Center, Broomall.
The co-authors wrote the book about the 1975 unsolved murder of Gretchen Harrington and how the tragic crime affected their lives.
Friday, Aug. 16, 1975 began as a typical summer day in the suburbs. Young children played with their friends, adults prepared for work or planned for their vacation at the Jersey Shore. That all changed in the hours before noon, when Gretchen Harrington, the 8-year-old daughter of a Presbyterian minister and his wife, was kidnapped while walking to a Vacation Bible School less than a quarter-mile from her house. Her body was found by a jogger in a state park nearly two months later.
The crime forever changed the lives of the children who were about Gretchen’s age and their parents, many of whom chose to live in Marple Township because they considered it a safe refuge from the crime-ridden streets of Philadelphia.
Mathis and Sullivan examine the kidnapping and murder and the nearly five-decade investigation through rare access to police files in what is still considered an open investigation. They also discuss how the crime affected Gretchen’s contemporaries and shaped their adulthoods.
The authors were only 10 years old when Gretchen disappeared, but they never forgot about it. The Mathis family moved to Marple in 1966 and the Sullivans came to Marple in 1975, shortly before the crime.
“When Gretchen Harrington was kidnapped and murdered, life changed for us, our friends, our parents, and all the adults in the community,” Mathis remembers. “We were no longer allowed to walk to friends’ houses or the swim club by ourselves. Our parents and our friends’ parents watched over us more closely.”
The crime made local children more wary of strangers, which made them more cautious as they parented their own children as they grew up. They were also perplexed that the crime has not been solved nearly five decades after it happened.
In the spring of 2021, Mathis and Sullivan began writing the book that had been in their discussions for about 10 years. The authors said that they wrote the book as a tribute to Gretchen and to all of those whose childhoods were forever changed and whose adulthoods were shaped by her murder.
The authors met when they were in seventh grade at Paxon Hollow Junior High School. Mathis went to Loomis Elementary School and Sullivan went to Russell Elementary School. They are both 1983 graduates of Marple Newtown High School.
For more information about the book or to purchase a copy, visit https:// bit.ly/3GUhJVN
Drive through and donate toys, food and clothing at Delco Veterans Memorial
The Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association
will host a drivethrough toys, food and clothing drive on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the memorial, 4599 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square. The community is asked to drive through with their donations and help fill a bus.
Santa will be on site to say hello to donors. For detailed information on acceptable toys, clothing and food items being collected, visit www.DelcoVeteransMemorial.org. To volunteer at the event, email Karyn@ delcomemorial.org or call 610-400-8722.
Penncrest Class of ’73 searches for classmates to attend reunion
The Penncrest High School Class of 1973 is searching for classmates to invite to the 50th high school reunion on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at the Springhaven Country Club in Wallingford.
Classmates are asked to update their e-mail and home address at https:// www.Penncrest73.com, or reach out on the “Penncrest High School Class of 1973” Facebook page for more details and information.
Delco Festival of Lights and Delco Holiday Village start Friday
Delaware County’s cherished annual Festival of Lights and the newly created Delco Holiday Village debuts today.
Santa Claus and the Springton Lake Select Choir will join county council, county Parks and Rec and residents to celebrate the opening of the 2022 Festival of Lights at 5 p.m. in Rose Tree Park, 1671 N. Providence Road, Media.
Following the opening ceremony, the Delco Holiday Village will be open for business.
Residents are invited to shop and support local merchants at Rose Tree Park. Local vendors and food trucks will participate in the Holiday Village on Dec 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17, the county said.
Each night will feature different vendors and food, so residents are encouraged to visit the Holiday Village multiple times this season. Check this website for updates regarding weather and possible changes in the schedule: www. holiday village del co. com, the county said.
“The Festival of Lights has been a treasured Delco tradition for more than four decades for residents across the county and we are thrilled to be holding the second annual Holiday Village this year as well,” said Delaware County Council Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaefer. “Rose Tree Park is the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit and enjoy the beautiful displays, shop local, and enjoy some local cuisine.”
Council commends Parks and Rec Director Marc Manfre and his team, which worked for weeks to set up the display and Delaware County Commerce Center Director Laura Goodrich Cairns and Delaware County Chamber of Commerce President Trish McFarland for spearheading the Holiday Village.