Received an e-mail this morning from an old (Wait. No. He's the same age as me. Make that "longstanding") friend who asked me to write an item about his mother, Mary Larkin Dugan of East Marlborough Township.
I'm very glad to do it. Mary is a very smart, literate and amusing woman -- she used to teach English at the Unionville Middle School -- and her business now is researching "house histories."
"People commission her to research the history of their property. She delivers a nice report on past owners, when transferred, etc." said her son.
Mary also runs the Kennett Underground Railroad Center and has written a charming history of East Linden Street in Kennett Square (her co-author was Ella Sestrich, who used to own the much-missed Sestrich's Market in Unionville).
Mary's website is http://marylarkindugan.com/
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Civil discourse
On Facebook this morning a friend and neighbor said she is tired of the snarky mud-slinging and name-calling that so often passes for political discourse, and she is omitting from her list of Facebook friends people who engage in this kind of bad behavior.
Good for her! You may dislike a candidate, but please don't call him or her "an idiot." Totally inappropriate. Show some respect and civility. Every day I see otherwise intelligent people, of all political persuasions, using just plain mean terms that would get the Young Relative in trouble for bullying at his school.
And before you share sensationalist, scare-mongering malarkey about "war" on this, that, or the other group or "he will gut" this, that, or the other program ... please remember that most of it's trumped-up spin concocted by highly paid political operatives.
I've been "on the inside" in a few community controversies and I'm always astonished and appalled at how much total balderdash is put out there as fact, and how many people believe the hyperbole without questioning it.
All that the nasty slogans and immature caricatures (say, making fun of President Obama's ears or comparing Paul Ryan to Eddie Munster) do is contribute to poisonous polarization and mask the truth that most of us, actually, agree on quite a lot of the issues.
And why do so many folks quote TV comedians, actors and celebrities as if their opinions are gospel? Since when are they experts? They're entertainers, people! HELLO!
OK. Carry on. Less than three months til the election.
Good for her! You may dislike a candidate, but please don't call him or her "an idiot." Totally inappropriate. Show some respect and civility. Every day I see otherwise intelligent people, of all political persuasions, using just plain mean terms that would get the Young Relative in trouble for bullying at his school.
And before you share sensationalist, scare-mongering malarkey about "war" on this, that, or the other group or "he will gut" this, that, or the other program ... please remember that most of it's trumped-up spin concocted by highly paid political operatives.
I've been "on the inside" in a few community controversies and I'm always astonished and appalled at how much total balderdash is put out there as fact, and how many people believe the hyperbole without questioning it.
All that the nasty slogans and immature caricatures (say, making fun of President Obama's ears or comparing Paul Ryan to Eddie Munster) do is contribute to poisonous polarization and mask the truth that most of us, actually, agree on quite a lot of the issues.
And why do so many folks quote TV comedians, actors and celebrities as if their opinions are gospel? Since when are they experts? They're entertainers, people! HELLO!
OK. Carry on. Less than three months til the election.
Meadow
What a pretty wildflower meadow at Folly Hill and Lenape-Unionville Roads in Pocopson! I saw it this weekend while driving home from The Bakers at Red Lion (where I bought baps still hot from the oven, dripping with butter). I always thought those "meadows-in-a-can" were just a clever marketing idea to get rid of leftover seeds that didn't sell, but this one was beautiful, with lots of cosmos and black-eyed susan.
Latest from the Island of Unionville
Coming home from a family breakfast at the Longwood Family Restaurant late Saturday morning, I spotted a bright-red truck pulling a horse trailer along Route 82 in downtown Unionville.
"Oh!" I thought. "That must be my pals P & S coming back from hound-walking. Hope they had a good morning."
Then I looked at the trailer and realized, nope, it's not them; they don't have a yellow trailer.
It's a really small world when you recognize not only people's vehicles but also their horse trailers.
"Oh!" I thought. "That must be my pals P & S coming back from hound-walking. Hope they had a good morning."
Then I looked at the trailer and realized, nope, it's not them; they don't have a yellow trailer.
It's a really small world when you recognize not only people's vehicles but also their horse trailers.
Friday, August 17, 2012
The Dambro plan
What's with all the zoning hearings recently?
While enjoying an ice cream cone at Landhope one recent evening, I spotted on the bulletin board a notice that the East Marlborough Zoning Hearing Board is going to be reviewing plans submitted by Anthony and Shirley Dambro, who want to build a three-story, 24-unit apartment house ("multifamily dwelling," in zoning-speak) along the south side of Route 926 just east of Willowdale (122 E. Street Rd.). They are coming before the board because they need variances "to allow for disturbance of wetlands and associated inner and outer riparian buffers," according to the notice.
They've faced opposition in the past from neighbors concerned about the stormwater runoff and erosion that the development could produce; in fact, scrawled across the bottom of the notice at Landhope were the words "We Don't Want This in Willowdale!"
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, at the East Marlborough Township building on Route 82 north of Willowdale (721 Unionville Road).
(Parenthetically, while eating my dessert I overheard an unexpected conversation at the picnic tables about inflation in South American and how Ayn Rand predicted the coming economic collapse.)
While enjoying an ice cream cone at Landhope one recent evening, I spotted on the bulletin board a notice that the East Marlborough Zoning Hearing Board is going to be reviewing plans submitted by Anthony and Shirley Dambro, who want to build a three-story, 24-unit apartment house ("multifamily dwelling," in zoning-speak) along the south side of Route 926 just east of Willowdale (122 E. Street Rd.). They are coming before the board because they need variances "to allow for disturbance of wetlands and associated inner and outer riparian buffers," according to the notice.
They've faced opposition in the past from neighbors concerned about the stormwater runoff and erosion that the development could produce; in fact, scrawled across the bottom of the notice at Landhope were the words "We Don't Want This in Willowdale!"
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, at the East Marlborough Township building on Route 82 north of Willowdale (721 Unionville Road).
(Parenthetically, while eating my dessert I overheard an unexpected conversation at the picnic tables about inflation in South American and how Ayn Rand predicted the coming economic collapse.)
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Curing leg cramps
I was getting a pedicure at Polished Salon in Kennett this afternoon and chatting with the pleasant woman next to me, Jean, and the two nail techs. Jean commented how good it felt to get her calves massaged and added that she suffers from horrible charley horses at night. Immediately Angela, the young woman working on my feet, suggested she put a bar of Ivory soap at the foot of her bed. Angela said it cured her awful leg cramps like a charm.
I can't imagine how it works, but I looked it up on the myth-busting website, Snopes, and the worst it had to say was that the efficacy was "undetermined."
"Skepticism aside," said Snopes, "this bit of folk wisdom is clearly worth a try."
I can't imagine how it works, but I looked it up on the myth-busting website, Snopes, and the worst it had to say was that the efficacy was "undetermined."
"Skepticism aside," said Snopes, "this bit of folk wisdom is clearly worth a try."
Variance by Estoppel
A few weeks back I ran a brief item reporting that Chester County Court of Common Pleas Judge David F. Bortner overturned the West Marlborough Township Zoning Hearing Board's ruling last summer forbidding The Whip Tavern from using the house next door for business purposes.
Well, I finally got a copy of the 18-page decision and plowed through the legalese. It's interesting reading. I'd be glad to forward a PDF of the document to anyone who wants it; just send me an email at uvilleblogger@gmail.com.
Well, I finally got a copy of the 18-page decision and plowed through the legalese. It's interesting reading. I'd be glad to forward a PDF of the document to anyone who wants it; just send me an email at uvilleblogger@gmail.com.
Gone
Many, many locals are sad to see the "for sale" sign that has gone up in front of the former Unionville Feed Store on Route 82. The store moved to Pocopson. Driving the few extra miles isn't much of a nuisance for me, because I don't shop there all that often, and when I do I stock up on ample supplies of pet food and bird seed. But some of my friends who live on farms made nearly daily trips there, popping in as needed.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Tabata
The annual end-of-summer shutdown week at the Jennersville Y starts Aug. 20, and my fitness instructor there gave us a send-off workout today that I suspect will stay with us the whole time. It featured something called a "tabata," which is a four-minute-long, high-intensity interval training that's supposed to be amazing for fat burning. It's very simple: you do one exercise -- say, good old jumping jacks -- for 20 seconds. Then you rest for 10 seconds. Then mountain-climbers, again for 20 seconds, and another rest, and then a different kind of jacks, rest, and another kind of mountain-climbers. Repeat. By the end of the eight exercise segments I was gasping for breath and the woman next to me was light-headed.
And then we had to do a non-cardio segment, and then back to the tabata. For a half-hour.
Grueling. But it certainly took my mind off the hassles of the day.
("Tabata," by the way, is the name of the Japanese exercise physiologist who developed it.)
(For those of you who don't know what mountain-climbers are, here's an illustration. You have to drive your knees in toward your arms, alternating legs, as quickly as possible. By about 10 seconds your thighs are screaming.)
And then we had to do a non-cardio segment, and then back to the tabata. For a half-hour.
Grueling. But it certainly took my mind off the hassles of the day.
("Tabata," by the way, is the name of the Japanese exercise physiologist who developed it.)
One a day
He wanted me to alert the Giant produce people that they are losing the chance to sell him 365 bags of Mann's mixed vegetables a year (366 in leap year, he adds).
Dental et al.
Earlier this week I called to schedule an appointment at the dental practice where I've been a patient for probably 25 years, and the receptionist answered the phone in a different way. I hesitated and asked her if I had the right number.
She laughed and explained that one of the dentists had just retired, so they hired somebody new and took the opportunity to rejigger the office name. She also said, rather proudly, that she had not messed up on announcing the name ALL DAY LONG, probably because she had it written out in front of her on her desk.
I told her I hoped I hadn't jinxed her.
Update: While at my appointment the hygienist complimented me on my oral health but suggested that I "keep an eye on the recession." This stopped me in my tracks. What on earth did she mean? I wondered to myself. Did I now have to bone up on the financial news before appointments so I could appear intelligent? Was she concerned that my business might be suffering?
Duh. Clearly I hadn't had my coffee. I quickly realized that what she meant was gums receding from the teeth.
She laughed and explained that one of the dentists had just retired, so they hired somebody new and took the opportunity to rejigger the office name. She also said, rather proudly, that she had not messed up on announcing the name ALL DAY LONG, probably because she had it written out in front of her on her desk.
I told her I hoped I hadn't jinxed her.
Update: While at my appointment the hygienist complimented me on my oral health but suggested that I "keep an eye on the recession." This stopped me in my tracks. What on earth did she mean? I wondered to myself. Did I now have to bone up on the financial news before appointments so I could appear intelligent? Was she concerned that my business might be suffering?
Duh. Clearly I hadn't had my coffee. I quickly realized that what she meant was gums receding from the teeth.
The Sermon! Live
Rob Mastrippolito asked me to mention that his band, The Sermon!, will be debuting its third studio album, "Get In," in a concert at World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington on Friday, Sept. 7.
"Get In finds the West Chester organ-centric quartet at their most retrosonic, as the record brims with an array of vintage electric pianos and guitars," says the press release written (and rather well) by the band. "Reminiscent of a modern-day Booker T & the MG's, The Sermon! offers Get In as an album rich with the pleasures of late 60s instrumental organ-jazz and funk, and steeped in the classic warmth of analogue recording technology."
To buy tickets online, visit http://queentickets.worldcafelive.com.
(That's Rob upper right in the photo.)
"Get In finds the West Chester organ-centric quartet at their most retrosonic, as the record brims with an array of vintage electric pianos and guitars," says the press release written (and rather well) by the band. "Reminiscent of a modern-day Booker T & the MG's, The Sermon! offers Get In as an album rich with the pleasures of late 60s instrumental organ-jazz and funk, and steeped in the classic warmth of analogue recording technology."
(That's Rob upper right in the photo.)
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sunday drive
Today (Aug. 12) may have been one of the nicest days this summer. It was in the low 80s, with low humidity. I took a walk in the Laurels Preserve, where I saw a magnificent great blue heron and forded the Doe Run (Query: Who failed to replenish stock of dry socks and shoes in my car trunk?). I noticed that a lot of folks were out taking what we used to call "a Sunday drive." I saw a bunch of convertibles, some vintage cars and even a red Ferrari on Route 82 in "downtown" Unionville.
I also saw a Ford Fusion whose passenger tossed a soda can out the window along Route 82 near the Route 1 bypass at about 1:50 p.m. What a slob! If any of my readers should happen to have access to PennDOT's database, I got the tag number...
I also saw a Ford Fusion whose passenger tossed a soda can out the window along Route 82 near the Route 1 bypass at about 1:50 p.m. What a slob! If any of my readers should happen to have access to PennDOT's database, I got the tag number...
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