In his introduction to singer/songwriter Francis Dunnery on Friday, Kennett Flash manager Andrew Miller talked about what's new at the performance venue, located on Sycamore Alley behind La Verona in downtown Kennett.
He said he was pleased to announce that the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts has committed to provide some funding for shows for the next five years. Andrew is the only full-time employee, and he emphasized that donations and volunteers are very welcome as the income from ticket sales doesn't cover all of their expenses. He also said they're starting a music-related film series and trying to do more outreach to community groups.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
NOTTINGHAM: Nature and history
On Saturday we enjoyed a winter walk through the 651-acre Nottingham County Park in the far southwest part of the county.
We parked at McPherson Lake just as another couple was getting out of their car next to us.
"You're gonna need your coat," I said to the Dearest Partner. The woman in the next car thought I was talking to her and replied, "Oh, I know; it's in the trunk!"
We took the wet Feldspar Trail to the "Mystery Hole" and another smaller abandoned quarry, then followed the Buck Trail downhill to the ruins of a chromite ore processing plant along Black Run that was built during World War I. All that's left of the plant are some concrete foundation piers and an overgrown pile of tailings (with "no horseback riding" signs prominently placed on the pile).
We noticed a lot of cut-down trees in a few places in the park and learned that there's a tree harvest going on.
On the way to the park we took a meandering route and went through the Linton Stevens Covered Bridge over the picturesque Big Elk Creek. The 102-foot-long bridge was built in 1886. We couldn't help noticing how many roads down that way are named after the Elk Creek, either the Big one or the Small one.
We parked at McPherson Lake just as another couple was getting out of their car next to us.
"You're gonna need your coat," I said to the Dearest Partner. The woman in the next car thought I was talking to her and replied, "Oh, I know; it's in the trunk!"
We took the wet Feldspar Trail to the "Mystery Hole" and another smaller abandoned quarry, then followed the Buck Trail downhill to the ruins of a chromite ore processing plant along Black Run that was built during World War I. All that's left of the plant are some concrete foundation piers and an overgrown pile of tailings (with "no horseback riding" signs prominently placed on the pile).
We noticed a lot of cut-down trees in a few places in the park and learned that there's a tree harvest going on.
On the way to the park we took a meandering route and went through the Linton Stevens Covered Bridge over the picturesque Big Elk Creek. The 102-foot-long bridge was built in 1886. We couldn't help noticing how many roads down that way are named after the Elk Creek, either the Big one or the Small one.
Friday, December 28, 2018
CVS: New hours
Starting Jan. 13, the CVS drugstore on Baltimore Pike at Bayard Road will no longer be a 24/7 operation. The store hours will be 7 a.m. to midnight every day (which I guess means 17/7). The pharmacy hours will remain the same: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
POLITICS: Not under my roof
Our hostess for Christmas Eve dinner is a laid-back, mellow woman, but all that changed when, as she was boxing up leftovers in the kitchen, she heard bits and snatches of the after-dinner grown-up conversation in the living room: words like "Congress" and "tax cuts" and "interest rates."
"THERE WILL BE NO POLITICS IN THIS HOUSE!" she announced.
Conversation came to a halt. One of us feebly protested that we just talking about the stock market, but wisely we moved on to safer topics, like what cookies to leave out for Santa that evening.
"THERE WILL BE NO POLITICS IN THIS HOUSE!" she announced.
Conversation came to a halt. One of us feebly protested that we just talking about the stock market, but wisely we moved on to safer topics, like what cookies to leave out for Santa that evening.
MAYORS: A new house
At a Christmas Eve party we had a chance to catch up with Biff and Brenda McNeil, who recently moved from downtown West Grove to downtown Parkesburg. Biff's father, Robert, served as West Grove's mayor in the 1960s and 1970s, so it seemed like fate when the couple discovered that that their new house was formerly owned by J. William Stroup, who served five terms as Parkesburg's mayor during the same era.
"They probably knew each other!" Biff said.
"They probably knew each other!" Biff said.
CHRISTMAS: Batteries included
At one point on Christmas Day, I was watching a six-year-old maneuver a remote-controlled racecar through a set of Zoomtubes (like the old Habitrail hamster tubes). In front of the track was a battery-operated vortex (like the old Lava Lamps) that changed color every few seconds. Three battery-operated Christmas figurines would start shimmying and singing every time the little car passed them: I am not sure how many times I heard "Ice Ice Baby" in the space of a few hours.
Meanwhile, the racecar driver's little sister, dressed in a pink tutu, was holding her talking Fancy Nancy doll and pirouetting to a Nutcracker tune played on a music box inside a ceramic gingerbread house. The lights on the roof blinked in time. You guessed it: doll and music box were battery-operated.
Jokingly, I asked the parents if they have a dedicated storage drawer for batteries. As it turns out, they do, and it also contains little screwdrivers.
"Pretty much everything in our house runs on batteries," acknowledged the dad. He shops for the best price on Amazon and buys them in bulk.
"We're talking multiple times a year," added the mom.
The merry cacaphony reminded another family member of his parents' house. They are clock collectors and deliberately stagger the times so that the chimes sound consecutively throughout the house.
"It goes on for like 20 minutes," he said. "Drives me crazy!"
Meanwhile, the racecar driver's little sister, dressed in a pink tutu, was holding her talking Fancy Nancy doll and pirouetting to a Nutcracker tune played on a music box inside a ceramic gingerbread house. The lights on the roof blinked in time. You guessed it: doll and music box were battery-operated.
Jokingly, I asked the parents if they have a dedicated storage drawer for batteries. As it turns out, they do, and it also contains little screwdrivers.
"Pretty much everything in our house runs on batteries," acknowledged the dad. He shops for the best price on Amazon and buys them in bulk.
"We're talking multiple times a year," added the mom.
The merry cacaphony reminded another family member of his parents' house. They are clock collectors and deliberately stagger the times so that the chimes sound consecutively throughout the house.
"It goes on for like 20 minutes," he said. "Drives me crazy!"
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
EAST MARLBOROUGH: Speed limits
At a Christmas party I had a chance to talk to some folks who are upset about motorists along West Locust Lane in East Marlborough who do well over the 25-m.p.h. limit. They went to the township supervisors and learned that slowing traffic isn't as simple as just erecting a stop sign, installing speed bumps or having the police write tickets. The first two options would involve expensive traffic studies and traffic engineers to protect the township from potential lawsuits. And township police are hamstrung by the fact that state law forbids them from using radar; they can only use the older VASCAR system, which means motorists would be more likely to contest their tickets in district court (meaning court time for police officers).
The neighbors aren't sure what their next step should be.
"I just want to ride bikes with the kids," said one mom, "and you can't do that."
The neighbors aren't sure what their next step should be.
"I just want to ride bikes with the kids," said one mom, "and you can't do that."
Monday, December 24, 2018
CAROLS: Cognitive dissonance
I know, I'm a stick-in-the-mud when it comes to Christmas songs, but some musicians are seriously misguided when they mess with the classics. On the radio I just heard a depressing version of "Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays" done in a minor key. Earlier in the week I heard a lugubrious "Joy to the World" and a presto rendition of the usually peaceful "Silent Night." Why?
GIANT: Busy shopping day
When I volunteered to bring roasted vegetables to our Christmas dinner, it didn't occur to me that, for freshness' sake, this would entail grocery shopping on one of the busiest days of the year. The Giant parking lot was jammed, and the produce section could have used someone directing traffic, but all in all my fellow shoppers seemed either festive or only slightly frazzled.
It was fun to see types of people I don't normally see in the grocery store, like a Lucius Malfoy lookalike purchasing a ham (oh, please! Lucius would doubtless send his House Elf) and a man with a gruesome neck tattoo of a skull and a dagger pondering whether to buy cream cheese or the lower-fat variant, Neufchatel.
While I was weighing the tahini options, a man with a store nametag came up to me and asked if I was finding everything OK. I told him I was and complimented him on how smoothly everything seemed to be running: all the cash registers were open and workers were busy throughout the store restocking the shelves. He thanked me and explained that he was the district manager paying a visit. Just then the store manager, wearing a headset, came rushing up and beamed when I told him I'd been saying nice things about his store to his boss. He in turn praised his hard-working associates and shared his hard-earned wisdom: the key to managing a hectic shopping day, he said, is having enough workers and enough product on hand.
It was fun to see types of people I don't normally see in the grocery store, like a Lucius Malfoy lookalike purchasing a ham (oh, please! Lucius would doubtless send his House Elf) and a man with a gruesome neck tattoo of a skull and a dagger pondering whether to buy cream cheese or the lower-fat variant, Neufchatel.
While I was weighing the tahini options, a man with a store nametag came up to me and asked if I was finding everything OK. I told him I was and complimented him on how smoothly everything seemed to be running: all the cash registers were open and workers were busy throughout the store restocking the shelves. He thanked me and explained that he was the district manager paying a visit. Just then the store manager, wearing a headset, came rushing up and beamed when I told him I'd been saying nice things about his store to his boss. He in turn praised his hard-working associates and shared his hard-earned wisdom: the key to managing a hectic shopping day, he said, is having enough workers and enough product on hand.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
KENNETT TOWNSHIP: Bridge out
The state Department of Transportation reports that plans are proceeding to demolish and then rebuild the heavily used bridge on Route 82 at Clifton Mill, which has been closed due to structural problems since June. In their lingo:
"PennDOT is finalizing the engineering plans for the rehabilitation of the Route 82 bridge. The general contractor, who will repair the bridge, is investigating lead times for the fabrication of the new, galvanized steel beams and steel grating for the deck. The timeline for the fabrication and delivery of the steel beams and steel grating will be the critical path, schedule-wise, on this project."
Demolition is expected to start this winter, depending on how soon the beams and decking can be obtained. As demolition approaches, the department says they'll provide firmer dates for the project.
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"PennDOT is finalizing the engineering plans for the rehabilitation of the Route 82 bridge. The general contractor, who will repair the bridge, is investigating lead times for the fabrication of the new, galvanized steel beams and steel grating for the deck. The timeline for the fabrication and delivery of the steel beams and steel grating will be the critical path, schedule-wise, on this project."
Demolition is expected to start this winter, depending on how soon the beams and decking can be obtained. As demolition approaches, the department says they'll provide firmer dates for the project.
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KENNETT SQUARE: The falling fungus
The other day someone on Facebook, obviously a newcomer, was asking whether there were any local New Year's Eve festivities. Folks were quick to point out that Kennett Square has a unique way of ringing in the New Year: the Mushroom Drop!
The sixth annual "Midnight on the Square" celebration in the middle of town starts at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, with a laser light show. At 6:30 The Garage Youth Center on South Union Street opens for children's entertainment with Dan & Galla (you know them from the Unionville Community Fair). Performances by dancers and musicians on the street also start at 6:30, and the lighted mushroom is raised via crane at 8:45 p.m. The Funsters will perform from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on South Union Street. And the fungus, of course, descends at the stroke of midnight.
Remote parking with shuttle buses (from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.) is available at Exelon and at Kennett High School.
The sixth annual "Midnight on the Square" celebration in the middle of town starts at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, with a laser light show. At 6:30 The Garage Youth Center on South Union Street opens for children's entertainment with Dan & Galla (you know them from the Unionville Community Fair). Performances by dancers and musicians on the street also start at 6:30, and the lighted mushroom is raised via crane at 8:45 p.m. The Funsters will perform from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on South Union Street. And the fungus, of course, descends at the stroke of midnight.
Remote parking with shuttle buses (from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.) is available at Exelon and at Kennett High School.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
CAP WEIL: A life well lived
Services are set for Saturday, Jan. 12, for Carlos "Cap" Weil, Jr., who died on Dec. 1 at age 78.
Cap was an enthusiastic and gregarious advocate for whatever group he was involved with. He was active with the Chadds Ford Historical Society and Tick-Tock Early Learning Center, and I had the pleasure of working with him on the Bayard Taylor Memorial Library board for a few years. At one point a couple of trustees weren't on board with one of his ideas (I forget what), and he was determined to bring them round to his point of view.
"What we're gonna do is have a come-to-Jesus meeting!" he declared, excited at the prospect
My condolences to his dear wife, Sally, and his family. He will be missed.
Cap's memorial service will be held at Unionville Presbyterian Church at 11:30 a.m., with time to greet the family beforehand starting at 11 a.m.
Cap was an enthusiastic and gregarious advocate for whatever group he was involved with. He was active with the Chadds Ford Historical Society and Tick-Tock Early Learning Center, and I had the pleasure of working with him on the Bayard Taylor Memorial Library board for a few years. At one point a couple of trustees weren't on board with one of his ideas (I forget what), and he was determined to bring them round to his point of view.
"What we're gonna do is have a come-to-Jesus meeting!" he declared, excited at the prospect
My condolences to his dear wife, Sally, and his family. He will be missed.
Cap's memorial service will be held at Unionville Presbyterian Church at 11:30 a.m., with time to greet the family beforehand starting at 11 a.m.
WiLMINGTON: Dinner at Ubon
On Saturday four of us got together for dinner at Ubon, a Thai restaurant along the waterfront in Wilmington. Our dinner companions, a delightful young couple, live within walking distance but decided to drive because it was raining. Unfortunately they hit a pothole, blew a tire, put on the spare and arrived at the restaurant a little late.
We had fun catching up and hearing about their recent day trip to a dozen trendy art galleries in the Chelsea section of Manhattan (the female half of the couple is a graphic artist). One piece that stuck in their heads was a statue of a man, toppled over and broken, with human beard hair Scotch-taped to it in appropriate places. Price tags were routinely in the high five figures.
"I can't figure out their business model," said the male partner of the couple (he is in the IT field). "The employees are sitting there, immaculately dressed, and I felt like going up to them and saying, `How do you pay the rent?!"
After dinner, they checked on their puppy via a monitoring app: "Aww! He's listening to David Bowie!" We followed them back to their apartment to make sure their car was okay and nothing else had been damaged.
Dearest Partner checked the dinner receipt the next day and was amused to find that Ubon indicated our requested "heat levels" as Peppercorn (1 on a 1-to-5 scale), Tabasco (2), and Jalapeno (3). "One wonders what 4 and 5 are called," he mused. "Cinders and ashes?"
We had fun catching up and hearing about their recent day trip to a dozen trendy art galleries in the Chelsea section of Manhattan (the female half of the couple is a graphic artist). One piece that stuck in their heads was a statue of a man, toppled over and broken, with human beard hair Scotch-taped to it in appropriate places. Price tags were routinely in the high five figures.
"I can't figure out their business model," said the male partner of the couple (he is in the IT field). "The employees are sitting there, immaculately dressed, and I felt like going up to them and saying, `How do you pay the rent?!"
After dinner, they checked on their puppy via a monitoring app: "Aww! He's listening to David Bowie!" We followed them back to their apartment to make sure their car was okay and nothing else had been damaged.
Dearest Partner checked the dinner receipt the next day and was amused to find that Ubon indicated our requested "heat levels" as Peppercorn (1 on a 1-to-5 scale), Tabasco (2), and Jalapeno (3). "One wonders what 4 and 5 are called," he mused. "Cinders and ashes?"
2019: Calendars and Friends
Winter officially started on Friday, Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice. Putting a positive spin on that news, the hours of daylight have already started expanding, if only by a few minutes a day.
As a guide at a historical house in West Marlborough built by a prominent early Quaker, I'm sometimes asked why Friends traditionally used numbers instead of names for the months of the year and days of the week.
The Tract Association of Friends, which publishes a calendar each year, provides a good explanation. Names like March and Friday were derived from "non-Christian sources" (for example, March from the Roman god Mars; Friday from Frigg, Saxon queen of the gods). Thus, using them is "inconsistent with the tenets of the Christian faith."
"Although general custom can, in the long run, determine the correctness of language and vocabulary," the group declares solemnly, "it cannot pass upon right and wrong."
As a guide at a historical house in West Marlborough built by a prominent early Quaker, I'm sometimes asked why Friends traditionally used numbers instead of names for the months of the year and days of the week.
The Tract Association of Friends, which publishes a calendar each year, provides a good explanation. Names like March and Friday were derived from "non-Christian sources" (for example, March from the Roman god Mars; Friday from Frigg, Saxon queen of the gods). Thus, using them is "inconsistent with the tenets of the Christian faith."
"Although general custom can, in the long run, determine the correctness of language and vocabulary," the group declares solemnly, "it cannot pass upon right and wrong."
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| What January 2019 looks like on the 2019 Friends' Calendar. |
HOCKESSIN: New hours
Customers of Harvest Market Natural Foods in Hockessin will be pleased to learn that the health-food store is now open on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That's in addition to its Monday through Saturday hours, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Founder and owner Bob Kleszics always has new products in the store to try, including many from local farms, and friends who follow vegan or gluten-free diets love the selection.
Saturday, December 15, 2018
EAST MARLBOROUGH: Carol sing
Just a reminder that Marlborough Friends Meeting's annual carol sing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23. The meetinghouse is at 361 Marlborough Road, Kennett Square.
This simple and peaceful event is a highlight of our Yuletide season. The description that the Meeting sent out rings absolutely true: "The Spirit of Christmas never fails to visit as the Marlborough community gathers for a time of song and fellowship. Harp and guitar music blend easily into centuries old woodwork. Candlelight creates an authentic holiday atmosphere as children shake sleigh bells and sing Rudolph’s story."
This simple and peaceful event is a highlight of our Yuletide season. The description that the Meeting sent out rings absolutely true: "The Spirit of Christmas never fails to visit as the Marlborough community gathers for a time of song and fellowship. Harp and guitar music blend easily into centuries old woodwork. Candlelight creates an authentic holiday atmosphere as children shake sleigh bells and sing Rudolph’s story."
VETERINARIAN: Clarence on the mend
Thank you to the good folks at Brandywine Valley Veterinary Hospital, who took such good care of our beloved rescue cat Clarence when he had surgery recently. They did everything they could to make sure he was happy and comfortable throughout. They even had a heated cushion all ready for him when I brought him in.
Dr. Carol Schaefer phoned me with the good news as soon as the operation was over, and both she and Dr. Toni-Ann Vidal kept me updated when his lab results came in. I've received two follow-up phone calls from the practice since, just checking on him. I was delighted to tell them that our elderly purr-boy has been returning to his normal self, eating more, jumping into the bathtub, and gaining weight. It does my heart good to see him snuggled up on his cozy fleece blanket.
Dr. Carol Schaefer phoned me with the good news as soon as the operation was over, and both she and Dr. Toni-Ann Vidal kept me updated when his lab results came in. I've received two follow-up phone calls from the practice since, just checking on him. I was delighted to tell them that our elderly purr-boy has been returning to his normal self, eating more, jumping into the bathtub, and gaining weight. It does my heart good to see him snuggled up on his cozy fleece blanket.
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| Clarence living the good life. |
STAPLES: Winding down
As I've written before, the Staples store in the Longwood shopping center is closing on Jan. 4. They're having a clearance sale (so there's less inventory to pack up and move), and the place looks distinctly woebegone. A sign on the door point out that other Staples stores will remain open, like the ones in Glen Mills, Wilmington (on Concord Pike), and West Goshen. Nonetheless, Tilda, who has been a good Staples customer at this location for years, is not happy.
Meanwhile, next to Staples, work continues on the former SuperFresh supermarket, which is being divided into Oshkosh B'Gosh, Ross Dress for Less, and Ulta Beauty. They're expected to open in spring 2019, along with a state liquor store.
Meanwhile, next to Staples, work continues on the former SuperFresh supermarket, which is being divided into Oshkosh B'Gosh, Ross Dress for Less, and Ulta Beauty. They're expected to open in spring 2019, along with a state liquor store.
EAST MARLBOROUGH: Tree removal
Some people who live near Green Valley Road are unhappy with what they consider to be overly aggressive tree removal by PECO. In the past month or so the electric company's contractor has cut down many trees and sawed off branches along both sides of the winding rural road, from the Plantation Field driveway south to Route 82, near the Cheshire kennels. The tree-removal company left many branches and logs sitting alongside the road (which, I'm told, residents were allowed to collect for firewood). I drove through that stretch of road the other morning, and the change is certainly dramatic. I also noticed some wire rings and paper blobs still stuck in tree branches from the "Lights Festival" lantern launches at Plantation Field.
KENNETT: A walk in the park
To clear our muddled heads, Dearest Partner suggested a walk in Anson B. Nixon Park. Even though it was cloudy and freezing, we had a pleasant time -- as long as we kept up a brisk pace rather than a leisurely stroll.
The park wasn't entirely empty. We saw folks walking their dogs, kids playing on the playground equipment, and a young couple who I assumed were on a date -- she was holding a bouquet wrapped in plastic. The only critters we saw, other than the dogs on leashes, were geese and one stock-still squirrel. Ice was starting to form on the ponds.
As we walked past the amphitheater, we couldn't help but notice how different the wintertime park is from the Wednesday evenings in the summer, when the park hosts free concerts: there were no little kids dancing in front of the stage, no musicians taking a break out back, no merch table.
The park wasn't entirely empty. We saw folks walking their dogs, kids playing on the playground equipment, and a young couple who I assumed were on a date -- she was holding a bouquet wrapped in plastic. The only critters we saw, other than the dogs on leashes, were geese and one stock-still squirrel. Ice was starting to form on the ponds.
As we walked past the amphitheater, we couldn't help but notice how different the wintertime park is from the Wednesday evenings in the summer, when the park hosts free concerts: there were no little kids dancing in front of the stage, no musicians taking a break out back, no merch table.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
KENNETT SQUARE: Irish tenor
Being a celebrated Irish tenor isn't all Guinness and Jameson's, Mark Forrest told us during his Dec. 8 concert at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Kennett Square. Sure, he has a degree in musical theater, another in liturgical music and a third in international marketing, but nobody really cares, he said: "All they want to know is, 'Do you sing "Danny Boy"?' "
Mr. Forrest's voice was wonderful -- yes, he did "Danny Boy," as well as other traditional Irish songs, songs of Christian faith, and Christmas carols. He asked veterans in the audience to stand and be recognized and in their honor sang Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." He did a thrilling duet of "Ave Maria" with young St. Pat's parishioner Leah Owens, who has a stunning future in vocal performance ahead of her.
Mr. Forrest also spoke about his deep belief in the sanctity of life and told the audience about his eight children, one who died as an infant of a heart defect and two others who have a severe metabolic disorder. His experience led him and his wife, Muriel, to found the Faith and Family Foundation. It supports Wheatland Farm in Purcellville, Virginia, which provides equestrian programs for special needs children.
The concert, sponsored by the church's Knights of Columbus, was funny, moving and magical, all at once, and was a memorable prelude to what will be the parish's 150th anniversary in 2019.
Mr. Forrest's voice was wonderful -- yes, he did "Danny Boy," as well as other traditional Irish songs, songs of Christian faith, and Christmas carols. He asked veterans in the audience to stand and be recognized and in their honor sang Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." He did a thrilling duet of "Ave Maria" with young St. Pat's parishioner Leah Owens, who has a stunning future in vocal performance ahead of her.
Mr. Forrest also spoke about his deep belief in the sanctity of life and told the audience about his eight children, one who died as an infant of a heart defect and two others who have a severe metabolic disorder. His experience led him and his wife, Muriel, to found the Faith and Family Foundation. It supports Wheatland Farm in Purcellville, Virginia, which provides equestrian programs for special needs children.
The concert, sponsored by the church's Knights of Columbus, was funny, moving and magical, all at once, and was a memorable prelude to what will be the parish's 150th anniversary in 2019.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
HARRISBURG: Good service
The bureaucracy in Harrisburg often gets a bad rap, so I was amazed at the good service I received the other day from the Department of State.
The Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations had sent me a stern letter accusing me of sending in an unsigned registration document -- followed by two ominous paragraphs about applicable fines and deadlines.
Well, I knew that I had gotten the document signed and had returned well within the deadline. In fact, I had made a special trip to get it signed because the signer in question was about to fly off to Europe on vacation.
So, full of righteous indignation, I phoned Harrisburg.
My first pleasant surprise was the Miles Davis jazz as hold music. A clerk got on the line after not too long of a wait, pulled up my account and informed me, with some measure of surprise, that "Oh. Yes. There IS a signature."
She apologized, told me that she had approved our account and told me she'd send out the confirmation letter that very afternoon.
And then she apologized again.
The Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations had sent me a stern letter accusing me of sending in an unsigned registration document -- followed by two ominous paragraphs about applicable fines and deadlines.
Well, I knew that I had gotten the document signed and had returned well within the deadline. In fact, I had made a special trip to get it signed because the signer in question was about to fly off to Europe on vacation.
So, full of righteous indignation, I phoned Harrisburg.
My first pleasant surprise was the Miles Davis jazz as hold music. A clerk got on the line after not too long of a wait, pulled up my account and informed me, with some measure of surprise, that "Oh. Yes. There IS a signature."
She apologized, told me that she had approved our account and told me she'd send out the confirmation letter that very afternoon.
And then she apologized again.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
HARD NEWS: Rocks by Lars
Kennett Square friend Lars Farmer has turned a hobby -- painting and hiding rocks around town -- into an avocation -- decorating, shellacking and selling custom rocks. On his Facebook page, I saw one of his creations, an oval rock painted with the lighted mushroom that is dropped every New Year's Eve in the middle of town. I thought it would be a perfect gift for an overseas friend (I try to send him something Kennett-related every Christmas). I contacted Lars, and he told me he could print a label with a personalized message and paste it on the back.
When I picked up the completed rock at his house the next day, Lars gave me a tour of his basement studio. Outside the door were two boxes of flat, smooth river stones that he had just collected. Inside on tables were rocks of various sizes, painted with everything from flowers to Kennett scenes to a fully loaded shish kebab. He's been doing a lot of seasonal designs like wreaths and pine cones; one page of his tablet was full of poinsettia sketches.
You can contact Lars through Facebook (LarsRocks) or by phone (302-299-2111). My personalized rock cost $25.
When I picked up the completed rock at his house the next day, Lars gave me a tour of his basement studio. Outside the door were two boxes of flat, smooth river stones that he had just collected. Inside on tables were rocks of various sizes, painted with everything from flowers to Kennett scenes to a fully loaded shish kebab. He's been doing a lot of seasonal designs like wreaths and pine cones; one page of his tablet was full of poinsettia sketches.
You can contact Lars through Facebook (LarsRocks) or by phone (302-299-2111). My personalized rock cost $25.
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| This is the rock that Lars made. Fork for scale. |
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Raise for employees
West Marlborough Township residents will see no tax increase, either in the real estate tax or the earned income tax, under the proposed 2019 budget, which the supervisors discussed at their Dec. 4 meeting.
Supervisors' chairman Bill Wylie said that the proposed budget is "very much like last year's budget," although the supervisors are keeping a close watch on two items that could affect expenditures in the future. The first is possible increases in financial support for the fire and ambulance companies that serve the township. The second would be part of the supervisors' ongoing efforts to discourage speeding and through traffic, which, as Mr. Wylie put it, "could involve some expense."
A vote on the 2019 budget will be taken on Thursday, Dec. 27, at 7 p.m. at the township office.
Township employees will get a 3 percent raise in 2019, prompting an amusing exchange between the board and longtime township secretary-treasurer Shirley Walton. She told the board that rather than a raise, she'd rather replace the township's aging Quicken software with QuickBooks.
Mr. Wylie, chuckling, said he was sorry, but she had to take the raise.
"Can I still get the software package?" Mrs. Walton quickly asked. He agreed.
Supervisor Hugh Lofting Sr. looked out at the audience in wonder.
"Only in West Marlborough," he said.
The township's annual reorganization meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. (not the usual Tuesday night, which is New Year's Day).
Supervisors' chairman Bill Wylie said that the proposed budget is "very much like last year's budget," although the supervisors are keeping a close watch on two items that could affect expenditures in the future. The first is possible increases in financial support for the fire and ambulance companies that serve the township. The second would be part of the supervisors' ongoing efforts to discourage speeding and through traffic, which, as Mr. Wylie put it, "could involve some expense."
A vote on the 2019 budget will be taken on Thursday, Dec. 27, at 7 p.m. at the township office.
Township employees will get a 3 percent raise in 2019, prompting an amusing exchange between the board and longtime township secretary-treasurer Shirley Walton. She told the board that rather than a raise, she'd rather replace the township's aging Quicken software with QuickBooks.
Mr. Wylie, chuckling, said he was sorry, but she had to take the raise.
"Can I still get the software package?" Mrs. Walton quickly asked. He agreed.
Supervisor Hugh Lofting Sr. looked out at the audience in wonder.
"Only in West Marlborough," he said.
The township's annual reorganization meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. (not the usual Tuesday night, which is New Year's Day).
GROCERIES: Postprandial chore
After having a tasty dinner at Mi Cocina Mexicana in Jennersville (chicken fajitas and pork quesadillas), we walked over to the Giant supermarket -- and spotted four other diners who had done exactly the same thing.
"Wait, I recognize you!" I said to one of them in front of the milk case.
He laughed. "It's never a good idea to go to the grocery store hungry," he said.
"Wait, I recognize you!" I said to one of them in front of the milk case.
He laughed. "It's never a good idea to go to the grocery store hungry," he said.
RADIO: 1980s marathon
WXPN, the Philadelphia radio station, has spent the past 2 weeks playing songs from the 1980s, in alphabetical order. As I'm typing they are up to the letter "S." Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me," which I heard this morning, seemed prescient with its lyrics "People call me on the phone I'm trying to avoid. Well, can the people on TV see me, or am I just paranoid?": after all, in the 1980s we didn't have cell phones, Facebook, or much of the technology we take for granted now.
I shared the playlist with a buddy in Havering, England, and he texted me that he was listening to it at that very moment, via Alexa and TuneIn Radio. Pretty amazing, considering the FM station on my car radio went all fuzzy as I drove through downtown Kennett.
I shared the playlist with a buddy in Havering, England, and he texted me that he was listening to it at that very moment, via Alexa and TuneIn Radio. Pretty amazing, considering the FM station on my car radio went all fuzzy as I drove through downtown Kennett.
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