EAST MARLBOROUGH: Help "the bunny people" get back on their feet

You probably heard about, or saw, the serious house and garage fire at Route 926 and Schoolhouse Lane the afternoon of Sept. 2. It's the house that used to have the amusing large rabbit statue out by the road.
The residents, Officer Robert Detweiler of the West Whiteland Township Police Department and his family, are looking for temporary housing, and West Whiteland is collecting money and gift cards to help the family rebuild. The address is Joseph M. Catov Jr., Chief of Police, West Whiteland Police Department, 101 Commerce Drive, Exton PA 19341. (I'm making my check out to Robert Detweiler and mailing it to the chief.)

SMELL: The first cranial nerve

The other day in the Y locker room I told the woman next to me how nice she smelled. Well, it turns out that her olfactory nerve doesn't work very well (she can't taste very well, either), and she often worries that she smells bad. She couldn't stop thanking me for reassuring her.
What are the odds!
I told her how a scent can instantly take me back to a specific time and place, and she said yes, smell and memory are closely linked. Indeed, the first thing the doctors tested her for was memory loss or incipient Alzheimer's (negative).

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Not in my back yard

Tilda hosted a few urbanites this week who were definitely out of their element here in West Marlborough. One of them criticized what she assumed was an unmown lawn -- a serious lapse, in her eyes.
I replied that it was in fact a hay field, and the hay, after being cut, would be used to feed horses. Hmmph! She still thought it would look far better mown.
I couldn't wait to tell a friend about this, and we had a good laugh.
"Evidently not a country gal," she said.

IN PERSON: The woman behind the name

Local balladeer Charlie Zahm and fiddler Tad Marks played a lovely outdoor concert in the walnut grove at Primitive Hall in West Marlborough on Aug. 28, and I was there as a board member and tour guide.
During intermission I was walking over to talk to friends and eat their food when I overheard some people wondering if Tilda was there (I had given the concert a blurb in my column).
"I wonder who she is?" one woman said.
I stopped and said, "Umm . . . that would be me."
The three of them, two ladies and a gentleman, were so kind and said the nicest things about my column. Apparently it is the first thing they read in the paper, and they even discuss it afterwards!
They asked me how I manage to fit so much into my schedule (a question I'm asking myself after my four-state extravaganza of the past few days). One woman even said she hopes the Young Relative has a successful cross-country season: "He is doing so well," she commented.

DETOURS: No date set for roundabout work

There is a great deal of interest in the roundabout involving Stargazer, Strasburg, Romansville and Shadyside Roads that's proposed as part of the "Stargazer Village" development, as the detours during construction will affect a great many people.
Construction on the roundabout was supposed to start Aug. 15, but the state Department of Transportation realized that its detours weren't going to work due to the weight restrictions on some of the roads.
Here is the latest from West Bradford Township's website:

1. Developer continues to work with PennDOT to revise the detour plans to minimize impact on the community and traveling public.
    
2. At this point, PennDOT has not approved a revised detour route, so a date for closure has not yet been established.
    
3. Sewer main extension on Romansville Road will be coordinated with the road closures for the roundabout.  Residents who are to receive laterals will be sent letters via USPS mail once a date certain for construction is set.  At that point, placement of the green flags for lateral location will be required.

**PennDOT requires that construction closures on State roadways are posted a minimum of TWO weeks in advance of the closure.  Be alert for signage announcing proposed closure dates in the near future.

Please keep in mind that all of this is subject to changes and/or updates as PennDOT works through the detour planning.  As we receive updates, we will share them."

SKY TOUR: Things are looking up

Pete Kennedy asked me to mention that the Chester County Astronomical Society is hosting a Sky Tour starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 10, at the Tino Leto Athletic Fields on Walnut Street, Kennett Square. "Several telescopes will be set up for viewing, and celestial wonders will be pointed out using a green laser light."

LIBRARY: Donna Murray resigns

There were a couple of news items from the Bayard Taylor/Kennett Library this week.
First, Library Director Donna Murray resigned to take a job with the Ridley Township Public Library in Folsom, Delaware County. Her last day will be Sept. 16. I feel sorry for Donna, who had to do the best she could to keep the library going through all kinds of turmoil, including a toxic former library board that made all kinds of very public gaffes. The stress of the ensuing uproar would traumatize even the toughest of us. Donna has been library director since 2003, when Joe Lordi retired. The library board is forming a search committee.
Second, the library will be unveiling its new signage and logo on Sept. 15. While keeping the "Bayard Taylor Memorial Library" sign in place on the front of the library, "Kennett Library" signs will be added to the front and side doors. I've seen the new logo but was sworn to silence until it's officially revealed.