Saturday, July 16, 2016
AVONDALE: Shooting range opens Aug. 1
The "soft" opening is scheduled for August 1 for Target Shooting Solutions, the indoor gun range and firearms store in Avondale, with a grand opening set for this fall. TSS is located in what was formerly Boomers (too bad they couldn't keep the name) on Route 41 between Perkins restaurant and the Pennsylvania State Police barracks. Memberships are on sale, and the owners are looking to hire cashiers and firearms salespeople.
TOM MUSSER: A life well lived
Tom Musser, who died July 9, will be missed by not only his friends and family but by the whole community. A 1952 UHS graduate (and a Wall of Fame honoree), he was chairman and founder of The Tri-M Group.
Rather than just enjoying his success, he put his business savvy, community connections, and personal energy and charm to work for the benefit of a whole host of local organizations. To name one project dear to my own heart, he chaired the Kennett-Unionville YMCA's capital fund drive in 1996-97 and raised $5.2 million to build the Y on Race Street. Then he again chaired the capital campaign in 2011-12 that raised $3 million to expand the Y. As anyone who has every participated in a capital campaign knows, these were huge undertakings and turned out to be wonderful success stories.
Among the many tributes in the wake of his death was a heartfelt one from my friend Berta, a longtime Doe Run resident who now lives in Florida: "Losing larger-than-life people like Tom Musser creates a major void in the community as well as in his family. It seems so very strange that he is gone."
My condolences to his wife of 52 years, Bonnie, and his family.
Rather than just enjoying his success, he put his business savvy, community connections, and personal energy and charm to work for the benefit of a whole host of local organizations. To name one project dear to my own heart, he chaired the Kennett-Unionville YMCA's capital fund drive in 1996-97 and raised $5.2 million to build the Y on Race Street. Then he again chaired the capital campaign in 2011-12 that raised $3 million to expand the Y. As anyone who has every participated in a capital campaign knows, these were huge undertakings and turned out to be wonderful success stories.
Among the many tributes in the wake of his death was a heartfelt one from my friend Berta, a longtime Doe Run resident who now lives in Florida: "Losing larger-than-life people like Tom Musser creates a major void in the community as well as in his family. It seems so very strange that he is gone."
My condolences to his wife of 52 years, Bonnie, and his family.
DREAM: Live and let live
The other night I dreamed that I was covering a township meeting (NOT West Marlborough!), and three residents were in the audience griping about a driver whom they saw taking a nap in his work truck while parked at a convenience store.
They took great pride in informing the township supervisors that they had called his employer to report him, and they outlined in detail the layers of employees they went through to lodge their complaint. They even had a photograph of the poor tired guy's work truck and emailed it to me (how thoughtful).
I woke feeling disgusted. And unfortunately, some people really would behave like that.
They took great pride in informing the township supervisors that they had called his employer to report him, and they outlined in detail the layers of employees they went through to lodge their complaint. They even had a photograph of the poor tired guy's work truck and emailed it to me (how thoughtful).
I woke feeling disgusted. And unfortunately, some people really would behave like that.
HOSPITALS: Meeting the deductible
On Friday evening I was delighted to run into two friends of mine from Landenberg. They were smiling and looked great even though they had just been through a rocky few days. Between the husband's heart attack, stenting procedure and then a bad reaction to blood-pressure medication, they had visited three hospitals -- Jennersville, Brandywine and Christiana -- in the space of a week.
"And the week's not over!" joked the husband.
His wife, who of course has been terribly stressed out, shot him SUCH A LOOK.
I shouldn't have been surprised by his fatalism; this is a guy who has the Grim Reaper tattooed in green on his forearm.
"And the week's not over!" joked the husband.
His wife, who of course has been terribly stressed out, shot him SUCH A LOOK.
I shouldn't have been surprised by his fatalism; this is a guy who has the Grim Reaper tattooed in green on his forearm.
NORTHBROOK: Pasta buffet plus bluegrass
Thursday nights from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. there's a BYOB Italian pasta buffet at Northbrook Marketplace on Route 842 east of Unionville. And reader Bette from Unionville was nice enough to write and let me know that in addition to the "family night" food, a band "has become a fixture at Thurs. dinner time. They are a bluegrass group of about 7 in
number...no name for the band since they just show up and have a jam
session. Their performances are
very professional and entertaining."
FADS: The latest craze
I'm not a Pokémon GO enthusiast, but it seems that plenty of locals are playing the game, where participants try to "catch" virtual creatures using their smartphones. In technical terms the international craze is a "free-to-play location-based augmented reality mobile game."
Apparently your phone vibrates when you are near a Pokémon, and you have to throw virtual balls at the creature to catch it. The phone records the number and types of Pokémon (that's both the singular and plural form) you have captured, like Pikachu and Poliwag.
The Young Relative, who is not usually one to exaggerate, says he has been playing Pokémon GO "every single hour of every single day" since it was released July 6. He notes that the game decimates his phone's battery life but doesn't use up much data (though I did overhear a conversation between him and his father about a recent data overage charge).
A friend tells me that Longwood Gardens is "chock full of PokéStops and gyms!" I mentioned that to the Young Relative and quickly realized I had touched on a very sore spot as he covered his eyes with his hand. He was well aware of the wide variety of Pokémon to be found at Longwood, but alas the server that controls the whole game was down the entire time he was there on Saturday morning (hackers apparently were to blame).
Lynn Sinclair, owner of the Sunrise Café in downtown Kennett, reports that her café has been dubbed the "Big Chicken Gym" and she says players "have been buzzing around with their hand-held games."
On Friday evening, in the parking lot of the Jennersville Shopping Center, we heard some youths hollering, "We got it!" I was alarmed for a moment and then realized that, yes, they had found and captured a Pokémon.
Apparently your phone vibrates when you are near a Pokémon, and you have to throw virtual balls at the creature to catch it. The phone records the number and types of Pokémon (that's both the singular and plural form) you have captured, like Pikachu and Poliwag.
The Young Relative, who is not usually one to exaggerate, says he has been playing Pokémon GO "every single hour of every single day" since it was released July 6. He notes that the game decimates his phone's battery life but doesn't use up much data (though I did overhear a conversation between him and his father about a recent data overage charge).
A friend tells me that Longwood Gardens is "chock full of PokéStops and gyms!" I mentioned that to the Young Relative and quickly realized I had touched on a very sore spot as he covered his eyes with his hand. He was well aware of the wide variety of Pokémon to be found at Longwood, but alas the server that controls the whole game was down the entire time he was there on Saturday morning (hackers apparently were to blame).
Lynn Sinclair, owner of the Sunrise Café in downtown Kennett, reports that her café has been dubbed the "Big Chicken Gym" and she says players "have been buzzing around with their hand-held games."
On Friday evening, in the parking lot of the Jennersville Shopping Center, we heard some youths hollering, "We got it!" I was alarmed for a moment and then realized that, yes, they had found and captured a Pokémon.
RULES: "Don't text Jen"
On Friday evening I was amused to see a sign posted on a little swinging gate at a local ice-cream place I frequent. "Please keep this closed!" it said. "It is for our own safety as well as our customers' safety. If you have any questions, don't text Jen. Just do it, because."
The reason I could read it is because the little swinging gate was, in fact, open.
The reason I could read it is because the little swinging gate was, in fact, open.
GRAD SCHOOL: From Unionville to Shanghai
Peter Geleta, son of Peter and Clare Geleta of Unionville, is headed to China in September: the UHS and Pitt graduate received a full scholarship to pursue a Master's of Finance degree at Shanghai University of Economics and Finance.
His father says that all of his son's classes will be conducted in Mandarin. "He is much more brave than I ever was at his age," says Pete. Congratulations to Peter and his parents!
His father says that all of his son's classes will be conducted in Mandarin. "He is much more brave than I ever was at his age," says Pete. Congratulations to Peter and his parents!
Sunday, July 10, 2016
BRANDYWINE: A day on the river
There were some "city folk" ahead of us as we tubed down the Brandywine this weekend, and there was definitely some culture shock going on.
I don't think they'd ever been in a body of water that wasn't chlorinated and surrounded by concrete. As soon as she stepped into the water one woman shrieked: "Oh my God! This is disgusting! It's all muddy!"
I suggested that she might not want to take her phone with her on the river -- she had it tucked in her bikini top, along with her cigarettes -- and she gave me a blank stare and said, "Why not? I want to take pictures!"
All righty...
She and her friends had trouble figuring out how to get onto their rafts and tubes -- much swearing ensued -- and they didn't seem to much care for the plants and fish they encountered in the creek.
At the end of the day, back on dry land, I happened to see them again, and asked how they'd enjoyed tubing.
"Loved it," said one of them with enthusiasm.
I don't think they'd ever been in a body of water that wasn't chlorinated and surrounded by concrete. As soon as she stepped into the water one woman shrieked: "Oh my God! This is disgusting! It's all muddy!"
I suggested that she might not want to take her phone with her on the river -- she had it tucked in her bikini top, along with her cigarettes -- and she gave me a blank stare and said, "Why not? I want to take pictures!"
All righty...
She and her friends had trouble figuring out how to get onto their rafts and tubes -- much swearing ensued -- and they didn't seem to much care for the plants and fish they encountered in the creek.
At the end of the day, back on dry land, I happened to see them again, and asked how they'd enjoyed tubing.
"Loved it," said one of them with enthusiasm.
UNIONVILLE: A very patient clerk
At the Unionville post office Saturday morning, the line was steadily lengthening as the customer at the counter took her time selecting stamps. First she peered at the different stamp designs in the display case and finally asked for some that showed trees, even though she complained that the number of stamps on the sheet wasn't to her liking.
After the clerk handed them to her, she rejected them, saying they looked prettier in the display case. Weren't there any stamps that were more exciting? she asked.
I looked at the man behind me. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Exciting."
I was so busy trying not to laugh that I didn't even notice which stamps the customer eventually chose -- if she did.
After the clerk handed them to her, she rejected them, saying they looked prettier in the display case. Weren't there any stamps that were more exciting? she asked.
I looked at the man behind me. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Exciting."
I was so busy trying not to laugh that I didn't even notice which stamps the customer eventually chose -- if she did.
STARGAZER ROAD: Another housing development
A faithful Tilda reader from Newlin Township wrote to me in dismay, asking what is going on along Strasburg Road at Stargazer Road. He writes, "There is a huge construction project at the top of Stargazer Road. It looks like a square mile of countryside has been laid waste!"
Sixty-three acres, to be exact. A housing development called "Stargazer Village" is being built on West Bradford Township site. It will include 95 single-family houses and 39 townhouses. A traffic circle will be built at the main entrance off Strasburg Road.
In the words of the development's land planner, Thomas Comitta Associates of West Chester:
"Stargazers is an extension of the Village of Romansville complete with a diversity of dwelling types, an integrated street and alley network, a neighborhood commercial hub, and open space in the form of greens and natural areas."
By the way, although it's just down the road, this is NOT part of the controversial development proposed for the former Embreeville State Hospital property.
Sixty-three acres, to be exact. A housing development called "Stargazer Village" is being built on West Bradford Township site. It will include 95 single-family houses and 39 townhouses. A traffic circle will be built at the main entrance off Strasburg Road.
In the words of the development's land planner, Thomas Comitta Associates of West Chester:
"Stargazers is an extension of the Village of Romansville complete with a diversity of dwelling types, an integrated street and alley network, a neighborhood commercial hub, and open space in the form of greens and natural areas."
By the way, although it's just down the road, this is NOT part of the controversial development proposed for the former Embreeville State Hospital property.
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| The plan for Stargazers Village. |
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