The May 10 Vezelay auction has been called off and the sign has been taken down: the 52-acre Newlin Township estate is now under contract. "[The buyers] understood the value of the estate and were willing to step forward with an acceptable offer in order to negate the risk of losing it on auction day," said Laura Brady, Vice President of Marketing for Concierge Auctions, in an April 20 press release. "Everyone is looking forward to moving smoothly and quickly towards the closing table."
The amount of the "acceptable offer" was not disclosed, but the asking price for the Hilltop View Road property was $4,480,000. I'm told that the buyers are a family with young children who wanted to settle in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District -- and they paid cash for the property.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Career change
On Saturday I was delighted to run into a former newspaper editor of mine, Bettinita Harris, at the Kennett Area YMCA. She is now a personal trainer at the Y, certified by the American College of Sports Medicine! The move makes sense: she was always in much better shape than the average journalist (and also had much better fashion sense). She looks very fit, and I'll bet she delivers one challenging (and elegantly phrased)workout.
Sun King
My friends Bob and Sheryl Willson are avid entertainers, so when Earth Day rolled around they saw it as a perfect excuse to throw a party. It was also a chance for Bob to show off his new, state-of-the-art solar electricity-generating system. He took us on a tour of his basement, pointing out the neatly labeled meters that show how much power the solar panels generate each day and how much CO2 was saved. There's also a PECO meter that essentially runs backward, showing how much power the farm "sells" back to the utility.
Bob says the experience has helped in his law practice assisting municipalities craft their new green ordinances (solar, wind and geothermal) and helping clients contract for their own green installations.
Oh, and the party? Great company and great food, especially Bob's classic mac-and-cheese.
Bob says the experience has helped in his law practice assisting municipalities craft their new green ordinances (solar, wind and geothermal) and helping clients contract for their own green installations.
Oh, and the party? Great company and great food, especially Bob's classic mac-and-cheese.
Unexpected
Late yesterday afternoon I encountered one of those newspaper vendors who stands out there in the middle of traffic. It was a chilly, drizzly, gray day, and I felt sorry for him, so I rolled down the window and gave him a smile and a wave.
He came over and handed me a paper, and I reached for the change dish between the front seats.
"No," he said firmly. "It's Friday, it's raining, and we're off tomorrow. It's a good day for a free paper."
He came over and handed me a paper, and I reached for the change dish between the front seats.
"No," he said firmly. "It's Friday, it's raining, and we're off tomorrow. It's a good day for a free paper."
A well-regulated life
My friend Dave was telling me about the rules of the development where he lives: no clotheslines, no on-street parking, no gardening, no awnings, no RVs, front doors must stay their original color, holiday decorations can be up for only 2 weeks, garage doors can be open for only 30 minutes ... the litany went on and on. When his dog died, he couldn't even bury the creature out back ("no digging").
Shortly after he moved in, a friend dropped him off and they sat in the driveway for a few minutes chatting. Before they finished their conversation, the police showed up: a neighbor had reported that "two bearded terrorists in a pickup" were checking out the neighborhood.
Of course, Dave gets the huge new house rent-free as part of a benefits package from his employer, so he's not complaining too loudly.
Shortly after he moved in, a friend dropped him off and they sat in the driveway for a few minutes chatting. Before they finished their conversation, the police showed up: a neighbor had reported that "two bearded terrorists in a pickup" were checking out the neighborhood.
Of course, Dave gets the huge new house rent-free as part of a benefits package from his employer, so he's not complaining too loudly.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
May Dates
Sunday, May 1: May baskets, May poles, May apples, it's all good. Also the monthly Unionville Community Fair special at Fox's Pizza Den.
Tuesday, May 3: West Marlborough Township meeting, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 5: Cinco de Mayo.
Saturday, May 7: London Grove Friends Meeting Plant Sale.
Sunday, May 8: Mother's Day.
Tuesday, May 10: A Busy Day! Aggie O'Brien is scheduled to plead guilty in federal court on extortion charges. Also: The Whip hearing continues at the West Marlborough Township building, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 14: Kennett Run.
Tuesday, May 17: Primary election.
Monday, May 30: Memorial Day.
Tuesday, May 3: West Marlborough Township meeting, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 5: Cinco de Mayo.
Saturday, May 7: London Grove Friends Meeting Plant Sale.
Sunday, May 8: Mother's Day.
Tuesday, May 10: A Busy Day! Aggie O'Brien is scheduled to plead guilty in federal court on extortion charges. Also: The Whip hearing continues at the West Marlborough Township building, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 14: Kennett Run.
Tuesday, May 17: Primary election.
Monday, May 30: Memorial Day.
What town is this?
I was in line at the Unionville post office the other day and a very frazzled young man was talking on his cell phone. From what I could gather, a friend in Florida needed to have a cell phone shipped to him, and somehow the phone was not in this young man's possession, and his car wasn't working, so he needed to be picked up ... it was all very confusing. At one point he turned to the woman behind him in line and asked abruptly, "What post office is this, Avondale?"
She stared at him, left a perfectly timed little pause and said in an icicle-laden voice, "Unionville."
Then she turned and looked at me incredulously as if to say: Imagine, not knowing you're in Unionville!
She stared at him, left a perfectly timed little pause and said in an icicle-laden voice, "Unionville."
Then she turned and looked at me incredulously as if to say: Imagine, not knowing you're in Unionville!
Plant Sale
"We'll have flowers, herbs, bulbs for sale, some of which are out of our local gardens - always the best,"
Stefi notes, adding that the sale "is a great place to run into your friends."
Spade and Trowel, Four Seasons, and Seedlings are the local garden clubs that sponsor Kennett beautification. Proceeds from the sale help these civic-minded gardeners to keep the downtown looking so nice with flowers and trees.
There is free parking in the parking garage, and you'll have a chance to win a container of potted herbs with your purchase.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Roads closed
According to PennDOT, local traffic will be allowed to drive as far as the bridge from the Northbrook side and down from Marshallton. "Through traffic will be detoured between Brandywine Drive and Bragg Hill Road in West Bradford and Pocopson. Bridge traffic will be detoured over Route 842, Route 82 and Route 162."
Speaking of detours, did you hear that Baltimore Pike will be shut at Bancroft Road for three weeks this summer, from July 22 until August 16? Road improvements will be made to improve sight lines at the intersection, which will only get busier when the new Bancroft Elementary School opens this autumn.
Cash Cab
A friend had been telling me about this entertaining TV game show called "Cash Cab," so when she fell ill last week I shamelessly timed my just-checking-on-you-dearie visit to coincide with its 3 p.m. airing time.
What a hoot! The cabbie/host, Ben Bailey, picks up unsuspected passengers in New York and then informs them that they are in the Cash Cab. While driving them to their destination he poses increasingly difficult questions, and they win money for each correct answer. If they're stumped, they can call a friend or ask a passerby on the sidewalk. If they get three wrong answers, they are unceremoniously booted out, no matter where they may happen to be.
Between the two of us we knew most of the answers. It was fun to watch the interactions between the contestants, and I was surprised at how well informed the random passersby were: when called upon they knew the name of the Hawaiian shell necklaces (puka) and the news anchorman assaulted in New York (Dan Rather).
At the end of the cab ride, the winners are given a video double-or-nothing option. Two middle-aged sisters and the daughter of one of them opted to go for it, and they actually won, identifying what a bartender was doing as "mixology." We cheered.
We watched two back-to-back episodes, and it was a great way to cheer up an invalid.
What a hoot! The cabbie/host, Ben Bailey, picks up unsuspected passengers in New York and then informs them that they are in the Cash Cab. While driving them to their destination he poses increasingly difficult questions, and they win money for each correct answer. If they're stumped, they can call a friend or ask a passerby on the sidewalk. If they get three wrong answers, they are unceremoniously booted out, no matter where they may happen to be.
Between the two of us we knew most of the answers. It was fun to watch the interactions between the contestants, and I was surprised at how well informed the random passersby were: when called upon they knew the name of the Hawaiian shell necklaces (puka) and the news anchorman assaulted in New York (Dan Rather).
At the end of the cab ride, the winners are given a video double-or-nothing option. Two middle-aged sisters and the daughter of one of them opted to go for it, and they actually won, identifying what a bartender was doing as "mixology." We cheered.
We watched two back-to-back episodes, and it was a great way to cheer up an invalid.
What Do Neighbors Want?
Knowing that I've been covering the ongoing, and highly technical, Whip Tavern hearings, a friend asked me in some confusion, "What exactly do the neighbors want?"
It's a FAQ, because the hearings focus on arcane legal points like who used the next-door office and when, rather than the basic issues that led to the dispute. It's all rather an expensive muddle.
So I e-mailed the neighbors and asked: "What do you want?" And here is what they said:
Neighbor #1: "My goal is not to close down The Whip. But I want The Whip to stop using the neighbors' property (particularly MY property) to pursue their business plan. ... The prior establishment operated their business entirely on their own property, as it should be. It is NOT OK to use our property for parking, turnarounds, trash disposal, bright lighting, trespassing, and loud noise .... My farm and the properties of my neighbors should not be FORCED to be used for The Whip's business purposes.
I also want to safely drive the streets. There are many near misses on a daily basis. Many patrons leave The Whip after many drinks. There have been several high profile accidents of cars leaving The Whip and even more that go unreported."
Neighbor #2: "We want the intolerable noise, traffic, parking, all-night lights and late-night bad behavior, all of which are inconsistent with where we live and wouldn't be tolerated if they were going on elsewhere, to stop. The Township has already passed ordinances which, if enforced, would take care of most, if not all, of those problems in large measure, so all they want is for The Whip to play by the rules and if it won't, for the Township to enforce its own laws."
Neighbor #3: "We want the cars off the road; we do not want to hear the rowdy patrons on the patio - at all, ever; we do not want to see the glare of their lights all night, every night; we do not want the greatly increased trash and traffic; we do not want Whip patrons turning around in our driveways and on our lawns; we do not want to see guys [urinating] outside........please!"
Neighbor #4: "Any business is responsible for providing adequate facilities/parking for their clientele. The Whip has not done this and the township has shown no interest in enforcing this. ... We moved here because of the lifestyle this Township offers and we only want those rules applied uniformly to protect that way of life."
Neighbor #5: "My complaints are the same as my neighbors but I do feel that we need to show that there are more than just the "small" group that are complaining... We feel that the patrons of The Whip Tavern do not understand that there is basis in our complaints. We want The Whip Tavern to operate on their property, be a good neighbor, and respect the beauty of West Marlborough township."
It's a FAQ, because the hearings focus on arcane legal points like who used the next-door office and when, rather than the basic issues that led to the dispute. It's all rather an expensive muddle.
So I e-mailed the neighbors and asked: "What do you want?" And here is what they said:
Neighbor #1: "My goal is not to close down The Whip. But I want The Whip to stop using the neighbors' property (particularly MY property) to pursue their business plan. ... The prior establishment operated their business entirely on their own property, as it should be. It is NOT OK to use our property for parking, turnarounds, trash disposal, bright lighting, trespassing, and loud noise .... My farm and the properties of my neighbors should not be FORCED to be used for The Whip's business purposes.
I also want to safely drive the streets. There are many near misses on a daily basis. Many patrons leave The Whip after many drinks. There have been several high profile accidents of cars leaving The Whip and even more that go unreported."
Neighbor #2: "We want the intolerable noise, traffic, parking, all-night lights and late-night bad behavior, all of which are inconsistent with where we live and wouldn't be tolerated if they were going on elsewhere, to stop. The Township has already passed ordinances which, if enforced, would take care of most, if not all, of those problems in large measure, so all they want is for The Whip to play by the rules and if it won't, for the Township to enforce its own laws."
Neighbor #3: "We want the cars off the road; we do not want to hear the rowdy patrons on the patio - at all, ever; we do not want to see the glare of their lights all night, every night; we do not want the greatly increased trash and traffic; we do not want Whip patrons turning around in our driveways and on our lawns; we do not want to see guys [urinating] outside........please!"
Neighbor #4: "Any business is responsible for providing adequate facilities/parking for their clientele. The Whip has not done this and the township has shown no interest in enforcing this. ... We moved here because of the lifestyle this Township offers and we only want those rules applied uniformly to protect that way of life."
Neighbor #5: "My complaints are the same as my neighbors but I do feel that we need to show that there are more than just the "small" group that are complaining... We feel that the patrons of The Whip Tavern do not understand that there is basis in our complaints. We want The Whip Tavern to operate on their property, be a good neighbor, and respect the beauty of West Marlborough township."
Sunday, April 17, 2011
An Idea!
A loyal reader reports that he bought an old-fashioned sticky fly trap for $3.95 at the Embreeville Mill and hung it in his attic, with a 40-watt light bulb just over it. "In the week it has been up, we captured about 100 stink bugs. I'm going to put a new strip up today and see if we have put a dent in the population."
I'm going to try this!
I'm going to try this!
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