Local residents, business owners, community activists and some elected officials from the southern Chester County region gathered in support of good government on Sept. 19.

Shelley Meadowcroft and Paul Andriole, members of the Oxford Good Government group, explained that the event, which was held at the WayVine Winery and Vineyard in Nottingham, was to support bipartisan lawmakers and candidates who are in favor of open, transparent, and honest government.

Distinguished guests included Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell, former state rep. Art Hershey and his wife Joyce, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan, county Register of Wills Terri Clark, and a number of township supervisors and commiteepeople from the area.

The Oxford Good Government Group honored Congressman Lloyd Smucker for his service during the last four years. The boundaries of Pennsylvania’s congressional districts have been redrawn, so Smucker is currently running to represent the 11th district, which will include Lancaster County and a small portion of York County. Andriole said that Smucker was very attentive to the southern Chester County constituents.

“Congressman Smucker has really been a great representative for us,” Andriole explained. “He has been a hands-on, constituent-serving representative. The people of York will be lucky to have him.”

Smucker was unable to attend the event because of his duties in Washington, D.C., but his district director, Zach Peirson, was on hand to accept a plaque that the Oxford Good Government group had prepared for him.

Hogan was supposed to deliver some remarks at the event, but he was pressed into duty when he was notified about the tragic shooting in East Goshen Township.

State Rep. John Lawrence stepped in to talk about some of the work that state lawmakers are doing in Harrisburg.