Also at the West Marlborough meeting on June 6, the township supervisors created a Code Appeals Board to review any situations in which the zoning officer finds that a proposed construction plan does not comply with the Universal Construction Code (UCC), and the resident submitting the plan disagrees. The fee to appeal a finding will be $500 for residential cases and $750 for nonresidential ones.
Named to the board were Richard Buchanan, Skip Powell and Conrad Somers. Township supervisor Bill Wylie remarked the township was fortunate to have residents who were both familiar with construction matters and willing to serve in a volunteer capacity.
The next township meeting will be July 3, due to the Independence Day holiday.
Thursday, June 8, 2017
LANDOWNERS: Finding missing people
Reader Daniel
Schwendeman, who works with a nonprofit K9 search-and-rescue group called the ChesCo Search Team, wrote and said he wants to get in touch with "any private land owners or
conservancy groups in the area in search of places for my team to train our
members and our dogs. . . . Might you know anyone that owns any land or trail
area that might be willing to allow us access to train one night a week/weekend
every now and then?" He said the group can provide proof of insurance if needed.
Readers, can you help him out?
ChesCo Search Team is on Facebook and their website is http://chescosearch.org.
Readers, can you help him out?
ChesCo Search Team is on Facebook and their website is http://chescosearch.org.
STAPLES: Impressive service
If you've ever worked with the public, you know how challenging it can be. Yet a young woman, Jennifer, at Staples seems to have a genius for keeping customers happy.
I went in the other day after lunch to have some family photos printed out from a disc. As she was loading them onto her computer, an older gentleman came up and asked for help making photocopies of a Pearl Harbor lecture he was giving. He didn't know how to use the self-service kiosk. A woman wanted to return the notary stamp she'd bought because she had ordered the wrong size. Meanwhile, the large-format printer was spitting out somebody's logos.
Jennifer was suddenly so busy that she left her Venti Starbucks drink sitting on the counter, untouched. But she dealt with the onslaught calmly and efficiently, without becoming the least bit flustered. She showed the gentleman how to use the copier, even joking a little with him about their odds of winning the Powerball lottery. She processed the complicated paperwork for the custom notary stamp replacement. She scooped up the freshly generated logos and put them on the counter.
And not only did she print out exactly what I wanted, and perfectly, but she spotted an error on my invoice that saved me about $30.
I went in the other day after lunch to have some family photos printed out from a disc. As she was loading them onto her computer, an older gentleman came up and asked for help making photocopies of a Pearl Harbor lecture he was giving. He didn't know how to use the self-service kiosk. A woman wanted to return the notary stamp she'd bought because she had ordered the wrong size. Meanwhile, the large-format printer was spitting out somebody's logos.
Jennifer was suddenly so busy that she left her Venti Starbucks drink sitting on the counter, untouched. But she dealt with the onslaught calmly and efficiently, without becoming the least bit flustered. She showed the gentleman how to use the copier, even joking a little with him about their odds of winning the Powerball lottery. She processed the complicated paperwork for the custom notary stamp replacement. She scooped up the freshly generated logos and put them on the counter.
And not only did she print out exactly what I wanted, and perfectly, but she spotted an error on my invoice that saved me about $30.
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Under the speed limit
I was driving home from breakfast on Sunday and found myself behind a slow-moving hay rake. When we both turned on to my road, the considerate driver (from one of our local farms) pulled over so I could pass.
I pulled up alongside him, rolled down my window, and told him that he didn't need to pull over, that I was in no hurry at all.
He chuckled and said many motorists are furious at what they consider to be the glacial pace of farm equipment.
"People don't understand where their food comes from," he observed.
I pulled up alongside him, rolled down my window, and told him that he didn't need to pull over, that I was in no hurry at all.
He chuckled and said many motorists are furious at what they consider to be the glacial pace of farm equipment.
"People don't understand where their food comes from," he observed.
Monday, June 5, 2017
KENNETT SQUARE: It's called "Kennett Squared"
A friend asked me to explain the meaning of the metal sculpture that has replaced the kiosk in the Genesis Walkway in downtown Kennett.
I asked Kennett Borough Council member Doug Doerfler when I saw him on Sunday afternoon, and he told me it's called "Kennett Squared" -- see the "K" and the superscript "2"? -- and was created by local metalworker and farrier Rob Sigafoos. It was dedicated the evening of June 2.
.
I asked Kennett Borough Council member Doug Doerfler when I saw him on Sunday afternoon, and he told me it's called "Kennett Squared" -- see the "K" and the superscript "2"? -- and was created by local metalworker and farrier Rob Sigafoos. It was dedicated the evening of June 2.
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| The base of the "Kennett Squared" sculpture. |
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| See the "K" and the superscript "2"? |
Sunday, June 4, 2017
UNIONVILLE: Support for a beloved jockey
A wise neighbor of mine likes to say, "There are many measures of a man." I would argue that the stunning success of the GoFundMe fundraising drive for injured Unionville jockey Paddy Young speaks volumes about how loved and respected he is: in less than two weeks, people have donated more than $120,000 to help him and his family.
Fellow jockey Willie McCarthy started the drive on May 23, writing, "Paddy needs no introduction, but I can honestly say he's the most respected man inside and out of the jockeys' room, a champion on & off a horse!"
The first goal set was for $10,000. That was met in maybe a half-hour.
They raised it to $100,000, and that was surpassed within a week. When I last checked (June 4), 730 people had contributed, everywhere from $5 to $1,000.
That's because in addition to being a champion jockey and a legendary horseman, Paddy is a great human being. His hilarious Facebook videos of himself and his kids are classics. His barn is down the road from me, so I used to see him riding out most mornings, in all weather. He always would give me a cheerful wave and greet me in his Irish accent. I miss that so much, and I have rejoiced at the remarkable progress he seems to be making thanks to his own toughness, his family's support and love, and the skilled professionals at Paoli Memorial Hospital.
Fellow jockey Willie McCarthy started the drive on May 23, writing, "Paddy needs no introduction, but I can honestly say he's the most respected man inside and out of the jockeys' room, a champion on & off a horse!"
The first goal set was for $10,000. That was met in maybe a half-hour.
They raised it to $100,000, and that was surpassed within a week. When I last checked (June 4), 730 people had contributed, everywhere from $5 to $1,000.
That's because in addition to being a champion jockey and a legendary horseman, Paddy is a great human being. His hilarious Facebook videos of himself and his kids are classics. His barn is down the road from me, so I used to see him riding out most mornings, in all weather. He always would give me a cheerful wave and greet me in his Irish accent. I miss that so much, and I have rejoiced at the remarkable progress he seems to be making thanks to his own toughness, his family's support and love, and the skilled professionals at Paoli Memorial Hospital.
GARDENS: I can dig it!
After the cold spring we've had, I'm sure a lot of folks, like me, were very tardy getting their gardens planted. I finally headed out to the nursery to buy my annuals and had fun browsing through all their greenhouses, in addition to the large shaded area where they display a dizzying variety of hostas. (As a bonus, there are also sweet little cats wandering around the greenhouses.)
In addition to the usual signs about whether the plants like the sun or shade, when they flower, and whether they tolerate heat and drought, the owners of this place share useful bits of information. For instance, a sign hanging over the holy basil plants informs us that new-age celebrity Deepak Chopra starts his day with a cup of holy basil tea. Good to know.
I always have to laugh when I see lamium, pachysandra and lemon balm actually being sold at nurseries when I spend hours cutting it back or yanking it out. It should come with a warning sign!
In addition to the usual signs about whether the plants like the sun or shade, when they flower, and whether they tolerate heat and drought, the owners of this place share useful bits of information. For instance, a sign hanging over the holy basil plants informs us that new-age celebrity Deepak Chopra starts his day with a cup of holy basil tea. Good to know.
I always have to laugh when I see lamium, pachysandra and lemon balm actually being sold at nurseries when I spend hours cutting it back or yanking it out. It should come with a warning sign!
UHS: The show must go on!
On Saturday evening we went to "Selections From Broadway" presented by the UHS May Play Society.
A week before showtime the kids found out they didn't actually have the legal rights to perform "Sweeney Todd," as they had planned, so in the timeless theatrical tradition of "the show must go on," director David DeMarco and his team scrambled and completely revamped the production.
The first act comprised most of the "Sweeney Todd" songs. Troy Macie played the murderous Demon Barber with spirited malice; Dina Spyropoulos was his accomplice, the inventive pie-baker Mrs. Lovett; and Jeremy Do and Alex Koban-Hogue were young lovers Anthony and Johanna (Jeremy got a raucous cheer from his friends in the audience at their first kiss).
We were astonished at how professionally the kids handled the Stephen Sondheim songs, notoriously some of the most challenging in musical theater. We also loved the clever set (designed by stage manager Megan Belgam and moved by the quick, silent ninjas of the stage crew).
The mash-up of "Johanna"/"16 Going on 17" was hilarious, an instant classic.
Act 2 consisted of songs from "Phantom of the Opera," "Annie," "Sound of Music," and "Les Miserables." It was so wonderfully done that if you didn't know the back story, you'd never have known that it was pulled together in only a week, complete with costumes and choreography.
Jeremy Do, this time as Valjean, sang a moving, show-stopping "Bring Him Home" from Les Miz. After the show a parent told me that it was Jeremy's first time on stage. I almost couldn't believe it: his first show EVER, and he comes out on stage for a solo completely poised and absolutely nails it. Magic!
It was my mother's first time ever at a UHS show. She had read my reviews over the years and thought I was just being kind with my generous praise. But after the first act, she said she was shocked at how talented the kids were and what fabulous voices they had.
"I feel like I'm at a Broadway show," she said. "I can't believe these are high-school kids!" She was still talking about the show at breakfast the next morning.
I was pleased to note that there were a number of freshmen in the cast, so we can look forward to more of these wonderful shows for years to come.
A week before showtime the kids found out they didn't actually have the legal rights to perform "Sweeney Todd," as they had planned, so in the timeless theatrical tradition of "the show must go on," director David DeMarco and his team scrambled and completely revamped the production.
The first act comprised most of the "Sweeney Todd" songs. Troy Macie played the murderous Demon Barber with spirited malice; Dina Spyropoulos was his accomplice, the inventive pie-baker Mrs. Lovett; and Jeremy Do and Alex Koban-Hogue were young lovers Anthony and Johanna (Jeremy got a raucous cheer from his friends in the audience at their first kiss).
We were astonished at how professionally the kids handled the Stephen Sondheim songs, notoriously some of the most challenging in musical theater. We also loved the clever set (designed by stage manager Megan Belgam and moved by the quick, silent ninjas of the stage crew).
The mash-up of "Johanna"/"16 Going on 17" was hilarious, an instant classic.
Act 2 consisted of songs from "Phantom of the Opera," "Annie," "Sound of Music," and "Les Miserables." It was so wonderfully done that if you didn't know the back story, you'd never have known that it was pulled together in only a week, complete with costumes and choreography.
Jeremy Do, this time as Valjean, sang a moving, show-stopping "Bring Him Home" from Les Miz. After the show a parent told me that it was Jeremy's first time on stage. I almost couldn't believe it: his first show EVER, and he comes out on stage for a solo completely poised and absolutely nails it. Magic!
It was my mother's first time ever at a UHS show. She had read my reviews over the years and thought I was just being kind with my generous praise. But after the first act, she said she was shocked at how talented the kids were and what fabulous voices they had.
"I feel like I'm at a Broadway show," she said. "I can't believe these are high-school kids!" She was still talking about the show at breakfast the next morning.
I was pleased to note that there were a number of freshmen in the cast, so we can look forward to more of these wonderful shows for years to come.
UNIONVILLE: The library tour
I invited two companions to go with me on this year's Library Home and Garden Day tour around Unionville, but I also put them to work: after each stop, I asked them for their impressions (the companion with legible handwriting was assigned the role of scribe). It was surprising how different our reactions were. The house that one called "magnificent" was dubbed "too angular" by another. One preferred a simple woodland path with deer-eaten hostas to the perfectly in bloom, weed-free bed nearby. The senior-citizen member of our group greatly appreciated the places where there were sturdy railings to hold on to.
Because we took our time and asked questions, our merry band made it to only half of the stops: two farms on Hilltop View Road and the two "sister houses" formerly owned by longtime Master of Foxhounds Mrs. Hannum and her sister Mrs. Walker (now owned by Nancy and Crosby Wood and Cuyler Walker).
We greatly enjoyed the family portraits and foxhunting photographs but felt sorry for the guides who had to try to explain all of the complicated Hannum/Smith/Harriman/Stewart/Davidson family connections.
We were delighted to chat with two of the homeowners, Mike Rotko and Nancy Wood. One member of our party is a dog lover (dogs reciprocate the feeling, too) and had a wonderful time getting to know the canines at several of the houses. At Rotkos', my scribe noted, "There were carrots in the horse barn. We could feed them!"
Also at Rotkos' we had the pleasure of meeting the new library director, Megan Walters, who went on the tour in the company of Tom Swett, president of the library's Board of Trustees.
This year's tour took visitors on some narrow, winding back roads like Green Valley and Hilltop View that normally see little traffic. We saw one car pulled over on Mill Road shortly after it became a gravel road; the driver was studying his map and looked quite concerned, as if he must have taken a wrong turn somewhere (he hadn't).
The members of the library's Special Events Committee and their helpers did a beautiful job, as always, getting visitors parked safely (a definite challenge in a few of the sites with long driveways) and in and out of the houses efficiently. They even took down all the directional signs shortly after the end of the tour (politicians, take note!).
Because we took our time and asked questions, our merry band made it to only half of the stops: two farms on Hilltop View Road and the two "sister houses" formerly owned by longtime Master of Foxhounds Mrs. Hannum and her sister Mrs. Walker (now owned by Nancy and Crosby Wood and Cuyler Walker).
We greatly enjoyed the family portraits and foxhunting photographs but felt sorry for the guides who had to try to explain all of the complicated Hannum/Smith/Harriman/Stewart/Davidson family connections.
We were delighted to chat with two of the homeowners, Mike Rotko and Nancy Wood. One member of our party is a dog lover (dogs reciprocate the feeling, too) and had a wonderful time getting to know the canines at several of the houses. At Rotkos', my scribe noted, "There were carrots in the horse barn. We could feed them!"
Also at Rotkos' we had the pleasure of meeting the new library director, Megan Walters, who went on the tour in the company of Tom Swett, president of the library's Board of Trustees.
This year's tour took visitors on some narrow, winding back roads like Green Valley and Hilltop View that normally see little traffic. We saw one car pulled over on Mill Road shortly after it became a gravel road; the driver was studying his map and looked quite concerned, as if he must have taken a wrong turn somewhere (he hadn't).
The members of the library's Special Events Committee and their helpers did a beautiful job, as always, getting visitors parked safely (a definite challenge in a few of the sites with long driveways) and in and out of the houses efficiently. They even took down all the directional signs shortly after the end of the tour (politicians, take note!).
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