Saturday, October 27, 2018
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Road closed
Not that it will affect too many people, but the lightly traveled Runnemede Road in West Marlborough is closed until the township finishes repairing a crumbling bridge just west of the former railroad trestle. Township road crew chief Hugh Lofting, who has ample experience dealing with fickle motorists, posted on social media, "Please don’t drive past the three 'road closed' signs."
LUIGI'S: Pizza and pasta
If you're in Hockessin and have a hankering for Italian food, try Luigi's Café on Route 41 in Hockessin. It's a casual family place, in the same strip mall as Five Fat Guys and Okura, sandwiched between a liquor store and a sports bar.
Luigi himself, a young, energetic, friendly fellow, was our waiter (and a very busy guy: he was also slicing pizza and organizing to-go orders). I ordered capellini with garlic and broccoli and Dearest Partner had tortellini with mushrooms and crabmeat; both dishes were very tasty. Though we were both hungry, neither one of us could finish the more-than-ample portions. Salads and delicious fresh rolls with sesame seeds came along with dinner.
And how great was it to hear Frank Sinatra as background music!
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Luigi himself, a young, energetic, friendly fellow, was our waiter (and a very busy guy: he was also slicing pizza and organizing to-go orders). I ordered capellini with garlic and broccoli and Dearest Partner had tortellini with mushrooms and crabmeat; both dishes were very tasty. Though we were both hungry, neither one of us could finish the more-than-ample portions. Salads and delicious fresh rolls with sesame seeds came along with dinner.
And how great was it to hear Frank Sinatra as background music!
.
TBI: Much love to Paddy
Sending out our best wishes to Paddy Young, his family and everyone at Young Racing.
In May 2017 Paddy, a champion jockey and a much-loved horseman, suffered a traumatic brain injury in the Radnor Hunt Races but had recovered to the point that he could ride again. His barn is down the road from me, and it made my day the first time I saw him riding out.
Unfortunately, in early October, he had another fall. Although it was less serious that the first, it sent him back to Bryn Mawr Rehab. Here's hoping that he's back home soon.
In May 2017 Paddy, a champion jockey and a much-loved horseman, suffered a traumatic brain injury in the Radnor Hunt Races but had recovered to the point that he could ride again. His barn is down the road from me, and it made my day the first time I saw him riding out.
Unfortunately, in early October, he had another fall. Although it was less serious that the first, it sent him back to Bryn Mawr Rehab. Here's hoping that he's back home soon.
RUNNING: UHS boys are going to states!
On Friday the Young Relative's cheering section (mother, father, grandmother and aunt) headed north to Lehigh University for the District 1 cross-country championships. The Unionville High School boys did a fantastic job in a hard-fought, very fast race, taking first, fifth and sixth places and earning the right to compete against the best youths in the state in Hershey on Nov. 4. We'll be there!
I was so proud that I could hardly speak as I watched the Y.R. talk to the press (he's a natural; I wonder why), joke with his teammates and shake hands with kids from other schools.
At the awards ceremony in Goodman Stadium, four spiked shoes were prominently displayed in front of the podium. Runners had lost them out on the course and, rather than stopping and losing seconds, had simply continued with one shoe. The P.A. announcer drew attention to them several times, looking for their owners (as well he might, given the cost of these special shoes)!
Just an FYI that the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is being widened between the Lansdale and Quakertown exits. Workers in giant excavators and backhoes are cutting through layers of red stone and dump trucks are hauling it away -- all in close proximity to turnpike-speed traffic.
I was so proud that I could hardly speak as I watched the Y.R. talk to the press (he's a natural; I wonder why), joke with his teammates and shake hands with kids from other schools.
At the awards ceremony in Goodman Stadium, four spiked shoes were prominently displayed in front of the podium. Runners had lost them out on the course and, rather than stopping and losing seconds, had simply continued with one shoe. The P.A. announcer drew attention to them several times, looking for their owners (as well he might, given the cost of these special shoes)!
Just an FYI that the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is being widened between the Lansdale and Quakertown exits. Workers in giant excavators and backhoes are cutting through layers of red stone and dump trucks are hauling it away -- all in close proximity to turnpike-speed traffic.
Friday, October 26, 2018
BIRTHDAY: A twinkle in his eye
A happy belated milestone birthday to my friend Ed Fahey, the former mayor of Kennett Square who now lives in the Jenners Pond community. His daughter Sue told me that even though her dad has reached 90, he is "still going strong." No one who knows Ed will have trouble believing that!
FOCUS GROUP: Not a roundtable discussion
The other evening I attended a focus group in West Chester sponsored by a local organization looking to raise its profile in the community. If people want to pay to listen to my opinions AND feed me dinner, who am I to say no?
One of the first questions was how we would describe Chester County. What a divergence of opinion! People from the southern part of the county mentioned diversity in terms of race and income; those from the Main Line described the county as almost entirely white and affluent ("Yeah, there's a lot of diversity -- in terms of hair and eye color," one man said).
I know little about market research, but I had to wonder about the choice of focus group participants. Are folks who are already committed members of the organization in question really the right people to be interviewing? Shouldn't they be seeking the opinions of people who aren't familiar with the group?
And the physical setup of the room wasn't conducive to a comfortable, natural conversation. The leader sat at the end of a very narrow table, with us guests on either side. This would have been an OK arrangement except for the fact that the end of the table was teardrop-shaped, which meant the leader was sitting off to the side and nobody had a good direct view of her. I had to keep craning my neck to look around the other participants. If I ran into the leader today, I'm not sure I'd recognize her.
One of the first questions was how we would describe Chester County. What a divergence of opinion! People from the southern part of the county mentioned diversity in terms of race and income; those from the Main Line described the county as almost entirely white and affluent ("Yeah, there's a lot of diversity -- in terms of hair and eye color," one man said).
I know little about market research, but I had to wonder about the choice of focus group participants. Are folks who are already committed members of the organization in question really the right people to be interviewing? Shouldn't they be seeking the opinions of people who aren't familiar with the group?
And the physical setup of the room wasn't conducive to a comfortable, natural conversation. The leader sat at the end of a very narrow table, with us guests on either side. This would have been an OK arrangement except for the fact that the end of the table was teardrop-shaped, which meant the leader was sitting off to the side and nobody had a good direct view of her. I had to keep craning my neck to look around the other participants. If I ran into the leader today, I'm not sure I'd recognize her.
KENNETT: Pancakes, art, gratitude
Three upcoming events of interest in Kennett Square:
1. The brothers of the Kennett Masonic Lodge 475 are holding another of their famous pancake breakfasts on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $8 for adults, $4 for kids under 12. The lodge is at 121 Center St. (FYI, the pancakes are very good.)
2. Also on Saturday, Nov. 10, the Episcopal Church of the Advent, 401 N. Union St., is hosting its annual artisan fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Among the artwork for sale will be jewelry, pottery, paintings, glass art, woodwork, photography, and fiber/textile art.
3. At 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Unionville Presbyterian Church, the First Baptist Church of Kennett Square, and the Episcopal Church of the Advent will co-host an interfaith Thanksgiving service at St. Patrick's, 212 Meredith St.
1. The brothers of the Kennett Masonic Lodge 475 are holding another of their famous pancake breakfasts on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $8 for adults, $4 for kids under 12. The lodge is at 121 Center St. (FYI, the pancakes are very good.)
2. Also on Saturday, Nov. 10, the Episcopal Church of the Advent, 401 N. Union St., is hosting its annual artisan fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Among the artwork for sale will be jewelry, pottery, paintings, glass art, woodwork, photography, and fiber/textile art.
3. At 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Unionville Presbyterian Church, the First Baptist Church of Kennett Square, and the Episcopal Church of the Advent will co-host an interfaith Thanksgiving service at St. Patrick's, 212 Meredith St.
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