Community

We spent a few hours at Anson B. Nixon Park in Kennett yesterday evening and we feel considerably more cheerful about the future of our diverse country. Grade-school kids were kicking around a soccer ball, undeterred by the heat; in the next field some uniformed guys in their 20s were doing the same at what looked like a semi-pro level. Toddlers were playing on the jungle gym. Folks we used to call hippies were languidly playing Frisbee games. Soaking-wet guys were jogging along the trail. And our family was enjoying a pizza from Floga Bistro in the pavilion.
No matter was their race or age, people smiled at each other. They put their trash in the trash can. It just -- worked.

To Let

What's going to happen to the former Acme shopping center on the west side of Kennett? The Acme and the Taqueria Moroleon moved out and remain vacant, leaving only Big Lots and a few small stores in a giant sea of asphalt. How does the proposed NVF-site development hope to attract commercial tenants if this already existing shopping center can't?
Then again, I'm not a highly paid marketing person, what do I know.

Hi Ed!

We saw Newlin resident Ed Brown of Maresfield Farm lunching at The Whip today. What a charming, urbane, friendly fellow he is! Among Ed's real-estate development projects: The Waterworks in Philadelphia.

Country rodent vs. city rodent

Your blogger is on the mailing list for a way-out New Age retreat center in Rhinebeck, NY, and was amused to receive an e-mail showing visitors sharing their lunch with groundhogs on the patio. The earnest campers -- who I can only assume are from some large metropolis -- were enthralled at this evidence of harmony between nature and humans.
Let them move to Chester County and have groundhogs destroy their lawn and landscaping. They would quickly learn the ways in which we show groundhogs love -- namely, shotguns and traps.

Who knew?

Soybean oil is what the township road crew uses to keep dust down on our gravel roads.

Thanks, Obama!

This may be more considerably more than a stone's throw from the Po-Mar-Lin Fire House -- but what on earth is going on at Jackson and Fernwood Roads in Londonderry Township? Acres of trees have been removed, there's huge yellow construction equipment sitting around, and it looks like much earth moving has been going on. The rumor we hear is that the landowner, a polo player, received some government stimulus money to relocate a stream bed on his property. Quite an undertaking!

Tough cookies

A jockey was in the waiting room at the Fitchett Chiropractic Center the other day, filling out the little slip where you describe your pain. She seemed unable to quantify her pain and just said, "I hurt all over." Dr. Jenna came out, took one look at her and said, "Oh my." When a jockey actually admits that he or she hurts, you know it's BAD.
As in this piece by Kathy McKenna about jockey Jody Petty: http://www.pennsylvaniaequestrian.com/news/Jody-Petty-0509.php

Maybe next time

Three East Marlborough residents recently travelled to NYC to audition for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" but -- alas -- to no avail. That tells you how tough the questions were, as all three are masters of trivia. Sample questions concerned the breed of dog that Queen Elizabeth II has, and the three items that the little Muppet girl on "Sesame Street" went to the store to buy.

Ventral side up?

What happened to the plans for a health center at Newark/Line Roads? There was a sign there, and the site was cleared, and then a sort of gateway was built -- but nothing since. Rumor has it that the site was up for sheriff's sale but I never heard any follow-up.

Newlin

What a nice-looking website!
http://www.newlintownship.org/index.htm