Saturday, August 13, 2016
SCHOOL: Sold at auction
The former George Fox Friends School property on Route 41 sold at auction on July 28 for $460,000, according to the Beiler-Campbell Auction Services website. The 8,490-square-foot building in Cochranville, Londonderry Township, sits on 10.6 acres.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
FOOD: Kaboburritos has opened!
Two enthusiastic thumbs up for Kaboburritos, the new Mediterranean/Mexican restaurant in the Market at Liberty Place! My taste-testing buddy and I stopped by on one of the first days it was open and had a fantastic lunch.
I had three falafel tacos, the absolute best I have eaten this entire century, and my friend had a Mexican chicken dish with rice, beans, sour cream, guac, and cheese. They have burritos and bowls, tacos, salads, platters and a kids' menu; you choose whether you want the Mexican or Mediterranean version with your choice of chicken, falafel, pork, beef or shrimp.
The owner, Carlos Vargas, was bursting with pride as he chatted with customers and asked for feedback.
Kaboburritos is at 148 West State Street in downtown Kennett. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The place is a welcome addition to the Kennett restaurant scene, and I can guarantee I'll be back often.
I had three falafel tacos, the absolute best I have eaten this entire century, and my friend had a Mexican chicken dish with rice, beans, sour cream, guac, and cheese. They have burritos and bowls, tacos, salads, platters and a kids' menu; you choose whether you want the Mexican or Mediterranean version with your choice of chicken, falafel, pork, beef or shrimp.
The owner, Carlos Vargas, was bursting with pride as he chatted with customers and asked for feedback.
Kaboburritos is at 148 West State Street in downtown Kennett. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The place is a welcome addition to the Kennett restaurant scene, and I can guarantee I'll be back often.
KENNETT: Anson B. Nixon concerts
"OH MY GOD! Karen! Were you here tonight?" shrieked a woman across the parking lot at Anson B. Nixon Park after the final concert of the summer series on Aug. 10.
Karen happened to be standing a few cars away from us.
"What?" she replied to her friend. Either she was mocking her friend's high-volume greeting or she'd been sitting WAY too close to the speakers.
The final show of the free Wednesday night concert series was by Shytown. I especially liked their covers of Beatles, Rolling Stones and Van Morrison songs, and they closed with an terrific version of David Bowie's "Jean Genie."
The concerts were great fun and well organized, as always -- a wonderful community event. Amazingly, none of them got rained out.
Several of us agreed that the most memorable moment of the series had to be when Kid Davis and the Bullets did a rockabilly version of Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" from "Dark Side of the Moon." It was a completely unexpected and delightful twist on this 1970s classic.
Karen happened to be standing a few cars away from us.
"What?" she replied to her friend. Either she was mocking her friend's high-volume greeting or she'd been sitting WAY too close to the speakers.
The final show of the free Wednesday night concert series was by Shytown. I especially liked their covers of Beatles, Rolling Stones and Van Morrison songs, and they closed with an terrific version of David Bowie's "Jean Genie."
The concerts were great fun and well organized, as always -- a wonderful community event. Amazingly, none of them got rained out.
Several of us agreed that the most memorable moment of the series had to be when Kid Davis and the Bullets did a rockabilly version of Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" from "Dark Side of the Moon." It was a completely unexpected and delightful twist on this 1970s classic.
WAWA: Avondale is a pilot store
While buying a peach mango smoothie the other day at the Avondale Wawa, I learned that the store is the test site for a new check-out system. Usually at Wawa you order your food using a touchscreen, take your receipt to the cashier, pay, and then present your slip with "paid" stamped on it when they call out your order number.
No more. With this new system, the fact that you paid is automatically transmitted to the person responsible for making your sub or smoothie before he or she even starts preparing it.
One of the clerks told me the new system is designed to prevent sandwiches from "walking out the door," as he put it. He was very proud his store was chosen to pilot the program.
Coincidentally, while I was waiting a clerk came around with a platter full of smoothie samples. The woman next to me tried one: "Needs rum," she commented.
No more. With this new system, the fact that you paid is automatically transmitted to the person responsible for making your sub or smoothie before he or she even starts preparing it.
One of the clerks told me the new system is designed to prevent sandwiches from "walking out the door," as he put it. He was very proud his store was chosen to pilot the program.
Coincidentally, while I was waiting a clerk came around with a platter full of smoothie samples. The woman next to me tried one: "Needs rum," she commented.
CONCERT: Charlie Zahm & Tad Marks
Local favorites Charlie Zahm and Tad Marks will be performing an outdoor concert of traditional songs on Sunday, Aug. 28, in the walnut grove at Primitive Hall, 830 N. Chatham Rd. (Route 841), in West Marlborough Township. Bring your lawn chairs, blanket and picnic and visit the historic Pennock homestead, built in 1738. Admission is free but a donation of $20 is requested. Grounds will open at 3 p.m., and tours of the Hall will run from 3 to 5. The concert, rain or shine, will begin at 5 p.m.
Last summer's concert with Charlie and Tad at the Hall was delightful -- even though I am hardly objective, being a member of the Hall's board of directors! In fact at the end of last summer's concert we immediately booked them for this concert.
Last summer's concert with Charlie and Tad at the Hall was delightful -- even though I am hardly objective, being a member of the Hall's board of directors! In fact at the end of last summer's concert we immediately booked them for this concert.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
SENIOR CENTER: Community Cuisine
My friend Bill Turner, who is on the board of directors of the Kennett Area Senior Center, asked me to get the word out about the center's 11th annual fundraising dinner and silent auction, which is called "Community Cuisine." It will be held Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Mendenhall Inn. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres start at 5 p.m., with dinner and the silent auction from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $60. For information about the event and all the good work that the Senior Center does, you can visit their website.
WASPS: The kind that burrow in the yard
This is the time of year when you might see Eastern cicada-killing wasps (Sphecius speciosus) digging their unsightly burrows in the yard or next to steps or the driveway. I've seen about a dozen of these burrows in the front yard this past week, and I caught a glimpse of a wasp entering her burrow.
They have an interesting life cycle. The female wasps first dig the burrows using their strong jaws and hind legs. They then hunt for cicadas, paralyze them with a sting, and haul them back to the burrow. Finally, they lay their eggs. Male eggs require only one cicada carcass, but the bigger females require two or three.
The grubs hatch in one or two days, use the cicadas as food, and spend the winter in the burrow as larvae before developing into pupae in the spring.
The adult wasps die off in September or October.
Although the male wasps don't sting and the females are not likely to, one friend said in her experience she had been stung and it was painful.
.
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| Burrow of an Eastern cicada-killing wasp. |
They have an interesting life cycle. The female wasps first dig the burrows using their strong jaws and hind legs. They then hunt for cicadas, paralyze them with a sting, and haul them back to the burrow. Finally, they lay their eggs. Male eggs require only one cicada carcass, but the bigger females require two or three.
The grubs hatch in one or two days, use the cicadas as food, and spend the winter in the burrow as larvae before developing into pupae in the spring.
The adult wasps die off in September or October.
Although the male wasps don't sting and the females are not likely to, one friend said in her experience she had been stung and it was painful.
.
HOPEWELL: An historical iron forge
If you're looking for a late-summer family day trip, I highly recommend Hopewell Furnace in Elverson, just over the Chester County line into Berks County and near French Creek State Park. A village based around an iron forge thrived there in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, producing iron for cannons, ammunition and stoves. It's now a national historic site and they do a great job of interpreting the restored village and the iron-making process.
We especially liked the furnace demonstration, even though it was a hot, humid day already. The guides showed us how the stove plates were cast and asked for volunteers to help pack the sand around the molds using heavy wooden pounding devices. As my companion said with amusement, "You were out of your seat before they stopped talking." (It was a great bicep workout!)
The first floor of the ironmaster's house is open and furnished in Victorian style, and the ironmaster's garden is planted with culinary and medicinal plants (I noted that their nasturtiums were doing no better than mine this summer).
In the visitor's center there are interesting displays about the village and a short, professionally produced movie (as a tour guide at a historic house myself, I was beyond envious).
We rolled our eyes at the mandated safety signs warning us that the old stone steps around the site are irregular and not up to modern standards and that the crucible in the furnace is hot. Yes. Thank you.
We especially liked the furnace demonstration, even though it was a hot, humid day already. The guides showed us how the stove plates were cast and asked for volunteers to help pack the sand around the molds using heavy wooden pounding devices. As my companion said with amusement, "You were out of your seat before they stopped talking." (It was a great bicep workout!)
The first floor of the ironmaster's house is open and furnished in Victorian style, and the ironmaster's garden is planted with culinary and medicinal plants (I noted that their nasturtiums were doing no better than mine this summer).
In the visitor's center there are interesting displays about the village and a short, professionally produced movie (as a tour guide at a historic house myself, I was beyond envious).
We rolled our eyes at the mandated safety signs warning us that the old stone steps around the site are irregular and not up to modern standards and that the crucible in the furnace is hot. Yes. Thank you.
HOSPITAL: Extraordinary people
One of the senior Tally-hos spent some time recuperating in Chester County Hospital this week, and without regard to pay grade, everyone we encountered there was kind, helpful, patient, professional, genuine, competent and compassionate.
The custodian discussed why she liked her particular dust mop. The physician's assistant scheduled appointments to accommodate my parents' travel plans. The nurses were so kind and -- how can I say this without sounding hokey? -- present and concerned with the patient as an individual, not just a diagnosis. The first person we encountered in the ER said, with immense compassion, "Let's get you a wheelchair." The people who wheeled our patient around to various parts of the hospital for tests (did I mention how thorough the workup was?) were soothing and incredibly strong but gentle as they helped the patient stand and sit. The physician answered my many questions patiently and clearly. And absolutely everyone knocked on the room door before entering and introduced themselves and their purpose for being there.
It seemed to be a team that functioned extraordinarily well. As I overheard one ER nurse say to another, "Can I help you with that, or are you OK?"
By the way: that large structure they're building in the hospital parking lot is a parking garage. During construction, the hospital is running a shuttle bus for employees back and forth to the nearby Lasko Products parking lot.
The custodian discussed why she liked her particular dust mop. The physician's assistant scheduled appointments to accommodate my parents' travel plans. The nurses were so kind and -- how can I say this without sounding hokey? -- present and concerned with the patient as an individual, not just a diagnosis. The first person we encountered in the ER said, with immense compassion, "Let's get you a wheelchair." The people who wheeled our patient around to various parts of the hospital for tests (did I mention how thorough the workup was?) were soothing and incredibly strong but gentle as they helped the patient stand and sit. The physician answered my many questions patiently and clearly. And absolutely everyone knocked on the room door before entering and introduced themselves and their purpose for being there.
It seemed to be a team that functioned extraordinarily well. As I overheard one ER nurse say to another, "Can I help you with that, or are you OK?"
By the way: that large structure they're building in the hospital parking lot is a parking garage. During construction, the hospital is running a shuttle bus for employees back and forth to the nearby Lasko Products parking lot.
VIETNAM: A visit from the Memorial Wall
On Sunday, July 31, we went to the East Brandywine Township Park, near Guthriesville, to see the Traveling Wall, a portable, smaller-scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.
Walking past the thousands of names is a sobering, moving, thought-provoking experience and should provide a check on our unfortunate tendency toward Realpolitik, seeing war as an abstract, bloodless intellectual game -- remember that our country first got involved in Vietnam to prevent Southeast Asian countries from falling to communists "like dominoes."
At each stop the Wall makes around the country, the organizers highlight the local people who died in the war. It's utterly heart-rending to see the little tributes that their family members leave behind: letters giving news about the family, a baseball cap, a little Penn State toy car.
Screens show the faces of deceased members of the armed forces who had birthdays on the day that you're visiting, and another one shows photographs of local people who died later in life of the wounds or illnesses they suffered in Vietnam.
Almost all of the casualties are men, but there's also a list of the women who were killed during the war, mostly nurses who died in plane or helicopter accidents.
I overheard one man grumble that he hadn't heard that the Wall would be in our area until the last minute. I checked the schedule for the rest of the year and saw that the closest it will be is in Georgetown, Del., Sept. 1 through 4. I'm sure they will have the 2017 schedule posted soon online.
The Wall is well worth a visit, especially for people too young to remember the nightly news reports giving casualty counts.
Walking past the thousands of names is a sobering, moving, thought-provoking experience and should provide a check on our unfortunate tendency toward Realpolitik, seeing war as an abstract, bloodless intellectual game -- remember that our country first got involved in Vietnam to prevent Southeast Asian countries from falling to communists "like dominoes."
At each stop the Wall makes around the country, the organizers highlight the local people who died in the war. It's utterly heart-rending to see the little tributes that their family members leave behind: letters giving news about the family, a baseball cap, a little Penn State toy car.
Screens show the faces of deceased members of the armed forces who had birthdays on the day that you're visiting, and another one shows photographs of local people who died later in life of the wounds or illnesses they suffered in Vietnam.
Almost all of the casualties are men, but there's also a list of the women who were killed during the war, mostly nurses who died in plane or helicopter accidents.
I overheard one man grumble that he hadn't heard that the Wall would be in our area until the last minute. I checked the schedule for the rest of the year and saw that the closest it will be is in Georgetown, Del., Sept. 1 through 4. I'm sure they will have the 2017 schedule posted soon online.
The Wall is well worth a visit, especially for people too young to remember the nightly news reports giving casualty counts.
KENNETT: Joe Hillman Band
A friend reports that she had a great time listening to local favorites the Joe Hillman Band at the Kennett Brewing Co. on July 29. She added, with justified pride, that she attended the show only after doing a tough evening exercise class at the Kennett Y. She also had praise for the KBC's crab mac-and-cheese.
We had planned to see the band outdoors at the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance (formerly the BVA) the previous night, but the show was rained out. We'll catch them sometime this autumn, I'm sure.
We had planned to see the band outdoors at the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance (formerly the BVA) the previous night, but the show was rained out. We'll catch them sometime this autumn, I'm sure.
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