The speed limit on Schoolhouse Road, 35 mph (25 by Wal-Mart), is clearly posted, but this was obviously of no consequence to the woman in a huge black SUV tailgating me on the afternoon of July 7. She honked at me impatiently and then, at the intersection with Route 1, pulled alongside me in the turn lanes, glared at me, passed me on the right when the light changed, and swerved back in front of me to turn left into the shopping center. Was there some kind of a family emergency? No. She parked and went into Staples!
In other traffic news, I received a useful brochure from State Senator Andy Dinniman (formerly a Chester County commissioner) about progress on the Route 202 reconstruction project up near Malvern. You can follow the day-to-day progress of this roadwork (whoops, sorry, "infrastructure improvement"), including travel advisories, at http://www.us202-300.com/.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Learning Japanese
The Bayard Taylor Library in Kennett is offering a four-session "Introduction to Japanese" program on Tuesday afternoons starting July 19 and running through Aug. 9. It's from 4 to 5 p.m. and it's for ages 13 and up. Registration is required; drop an e-mail to Library Director Donna Murray (dmurray@ccls.org) or call 610-444-2702. Girl Scouts can even use the lessons to earn part of their Language Interest Project badge!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Beer and squabbles
The West Marlborough Zoning Hearing Board heard the tortuous (if not torturous) case, which stretched over hours of testimony and cost the township taxpayers almost $50,000 in legal fees.
On July 6, after reviewing all the testimony, the zoning board ruled that the Whip does NOT have permission to use the house next door for storage and business purposes. Although it was formerly used by the Country Deli, the Whip's predecessor, that "permissible nonconforming" use was "abandoned" for three years, from May 1, 1999, to May 1, 2002, which means it's no longer allowed.
J. Clayton Bright, who chairs the zoning board, said the decision "pained us" but "we have to uphold the ordinance." He stated that the Whip's owners are welcome to apply for a variance to use the neighboring house once again.
I chatted with K.C. Kulp, one of the owners, when I had lunch at the Whip on July 8. He said it's business as usual for the tavern; for now, they plan to rent some portable storage units instead of using the space next door.
Where will the storage units go? In the parking lot, taking up limited parking spaces, which means more people will park illegally on the road.
Which was one of the neighbors' complaints in the first place.
Junk mail
Say goodbye to the time-honored tradition of dumping your Landhope coffee cups and other accumulated car rubbish into the trash cans at the Unionville post office. There's a new sign up next to the lobby trash bin stating that it's FOR PAPER ONLY because the post office is now a 100% recycling facility.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Next generation
A reader sent me a charming account of the 2011 Cheshire Foxhunting Camp, attended by 16 children, ages 6 to 12. "Some were members' children or grandchildren, some came from other hunts, some had only ridden in a ring, and two were from the Work to Ride program. These last two were a great addition to the camp--unfailingly polite, good riders, interested in the foxhunting information, and thoughtful of the other children."
The campers learned about "the different kinds of hounds, how to go cross-country, learning the calls of the horn, what happens when you are hunting, how to do off a pony, and correct etiquette and dress for hunting." Singled out for special thanks were Huntsman Ivan Dowling, Barn Manager Leasa Dowling, Whipper-in Steph Boyer, and of course "Stevie Hayes, our all-around Hunt helper."
The children were divided into three groups: "non-jumpers, two-railers, and more advanced. The non-jumpers gained confidence in riding in big fields, and the jumpers had a blast jumping their hearts out. In the tack room sessions it was a delight to see how much the children learned."
The campers learned about "the different kinds of hounds, how to go cross-country, learning the calls of the horn, what happens when you are hunting, how to do off a pony, and correct etiquette and dress for hunting." Singled out for special thanks were Huntsman Ivan Dowling, Barn Manager Leasa Dowling, Whipper-in Steph Boyer, and of course "Stevie Hayes, our all-around Hunt helper."
The children were divided into three groups: "non-jumpers, two-railers, and more advanced. The non-jumpers gained confidence in riding in big fields, and the jumpers had a blast jumping their hearts out. In the tack room sessions it was a delight to see how much the children learned."
Long way home
A friend attended a recent afternoon Phillies game and suggested stopping by my house afterward and going out for an early dinner. "Delighted!" I said.
He called at the end of the game, 4:16 p.m., and said he was on his way.
At 4:50 p.m. I got a text message, "I'm still in the parking lot. Ugh."
At 6:12 p.m. he phoned again. This time he was on Route 322 approaching Route 1.
Finally, just before 7, he arrived here and pretty much collapsed on my deck, poor guy.
Turns out that not only was the Phillies game letting out, but it was rush hour AND the day before the start of a long holiday weekend -- AND President Obama was in town for an event, which always wreaks havoc with traffic flow.
So the "early dinner" turned out to be tuna subs at Landhope at 7:45 p.m.
He called at the end of the game, 4:16 p.m., and said he was on his way.
At 4:50 p.m. I got a text message, "I'm still in the parking lot. Ugh."
At 6:12 p.m. he phoned again. This time he was on Route 322 approaching Route 1.
Finally, just before 7, he arrived here and pretty much collapsed on my deck, poor guy.
Turns out that not only was the Phillies game letting out, but it was rush hour AND the day before the start of a long holiday weekend -- AND President Obama was in town for an event, which always wreaks havoc with traffic flow.
So the "early dinner" turned out to be tuna subs at Landhope at 7:45 p.m.
Labels
I was amused to read a newspaper story about how counterfeiters have gotten so good at faking "designer" handbags from Chanel and Hermes that even experts poring over the stitching and leather are fooled. Where's the tipping point at which the quality of a fake becomes so good that you're paying hundreds of extra dollars just for the questionable thrill of owning a real logo?
You may have gathered that I don't sport company names all over my clothing, handbag or jewelry (ahem, cars don't count). As far as I'm concerned, fashion designers and clothing stores should pay me to wear their emblems; I'm not a walking advertisement for their wares.
It was not always this way. In the early 1980s, my then-beau would buy me a certain logo'd short-sleeved shirt as a way to apologize each time he committed a relationship infraction. I amassed quite a collection before parting ways with him; after all, a $32 shirt was a luxury on a reporter's salary.
Now he buys me an expensive dinner every time he's in town.
You may have gathered that I don't sport company names all over my clothing, handbag or jewelry (ahem, cars don't count). As far as I'm concerned, fashion designers and clothing stores should pay me to wear their emblems; I'm not a walking advertisement for their wares.
It was not always this way. In the early 1980s, my then-beau would buy me a certain logo'd short-sleeved shirt as a way to apologize each time he committed a relationship infraction. I amassed quite a collection before parting ways with him; after all, a $32 shirt was a luxury on a reporter's salary.
Now he buys me an expensive dinner every time he's in town.
A sad story
A friend who is a true-crime fan reports that he watched a new documentary about Wilmington murderer Tom Capano on the "Behind Mansion Walls" series on the Investigation Discovery channel. His disappointed verdict: "Nothing new and show is about 12 minutes of footage and re-enactments and 18 minutes of commercials."
Coincidentally, the program aired on July 4; on that date in 1996, a fisherman along the Jersey shore recovered the cooler that Capano, once a prominent Delaware attorney, had used to dump his unfortunate girlfriend's body overboard.
Capano is in prison for life without parole at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna.
Coincidentally, the program aired on July 4; on that date in 1996, a fisherman along the Jersey shore recovered the cooler that Capano, once a prominent Delaware attorney, had used to dump his unfortunate girlfriend's body overboard.
Capano is in prison for life without parole at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna.
Cut to the chase
Two friends who live right on Newark Road reported some excitement the evening of July 1. My friend who lives south of the dangerous S-curve said she spotted a guy screeching north, with five state police cruisers hot in pursuit. Shortly afterward, one of the troopers returned south on Newark Road. Another friend who lives north of the London Grove intersection said two state troopers zoomed past her house.
The story is that the guy being chased had been stopped on Route 1 (what for, we don't know) and took off north on Newark Road, turned right onto Route 926, and then went down Mill Road and hid. The police found him and he took off again, ending up at 926 and 841, where the troopers put down spike strips and a bunch of emergency flares (little piles of ash are still there). Despite the spike strips, the guy still got away. The police ran his tags and learned that he lives in West Grove. They had found his car, but not him, as of Tuesday morning.
(Tilda sends her best journalistic thanks to everybody who helped flesh this story out.)
The story is that the guy being chased had been stopped on Route 1 (what for, we don't know) and took off north on Newark Road, turned right onto Route 926, and then went down Mill Road and hid. The police found him and he took off again, ending up at 926 and 841, where the troopers put down spike strips and a bunch of emergency flares (little piles of ash are still there). Despite the spike strips, the guy still got away. The police ran his tags and learned that he lives in West Grove. They had found his car, but not him, as of Tuesday morning.
(Tilda sends her best journalistic thanks to everybody who helped flesh this story out.)
On the condition that...
Two conditional-use hearings are coming up in West Marlborough.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, July 21, Dennis and Bambi Glaccum will be presenting their plans to enlarge their barn along Route 82 and add an apartment upstairs.
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And at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 25, billionaire Urban Outfitters founder Richard Hayne (or more likely someone representing him, as he has never appeared at any township meeting) will be seeking approval for his cheese-making facility (see photo) and extensive greenhouse complex in Springdell. Although residents were previously assured that the artisanal cheese would be for the Haynes' personal use only, there's a resident cheese-maker and the cheese is being sold at Terrain (an Urban Outfitters store). The creamery was even the site of a recent farm visit from the Philadelphia group Fair Food.
I took a trip to Terrain in Concordville on Saturday so that I could buy some of the cheese and describe it for you (I hear it's very tasty), but alas, I was told there was none in stock this week.
I'm guessing the supervisors will be very interested in hearing how the greenhouses will be used. Residents were previously told they were built just so that the Haynes could tinker with orchids and tomatoes as a retirement activity.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, July 21, Dennis and Bambi Glaccum will be presenting their plans to enlarge their barn along Route 82 and add an apartment upstairs.
I took a trip to Terrain in Concordville on Saturday so that I could buy some of the cheese and describe it for you (I hear it's very tasty), but alas, I was told there was none in stock this week.
I'm guessing the supervisors will be very interested in hearing how the greenhouses will be used. Residents were previously told they were built just so that the Haynes could tinker with orchids and tomatoes as a retirement activity.
On the roof
Somebody on Facebook mentioned that the top level of the Kennett Square parking garage provides a primo perch for watching Longwood's fireworks.
This seriously piqued my interest. But none of my friends was at all interested in making the expedition (they're a stodgy lot), so at dusk on the evening of Sunday, July 3, I headed into town by myself. After a stop at La Michoacana for a small dish of Brownie Delight ice cream, I walked over to the parking garage and by 9 p.m. was up on the roof, on eye level with the town clock and the air-conditioning unit for the Genesis building.
Probably 30 fireworks enthusiasts were already there, babies, energetic kids, teenagers, parents, grandparents and a contingent of lively folks in their 20s who, I got the feeling, were just starting out their evening.
We got an amazing view of not only the Longwood fireworks, but the displays coming from every direction, close and far away. You could rotate a quarter-turn every 10 seconds and view a different burst of color.
It was great, but I have to say, I missed the noise. The few miles between Longwood and Kennett were enough to mute all but the loudest booms.
This seriously piqued my interest. But none of my friends was at all interested in making the expedition (they're a stodgy lot), so at dusk on the evening of Sunday, July 3, I headed into town by myself. After a stop at La Michoacana for a small dish of Brownie Delight ice cream, I walked over to the parking garage and by 9 p.m. was up on the roof, on eye level with the town clock and the air-conditioning unit for the Genesis building.
Probably 30 fireworks enthusiasts were already there, babies, energetic kids, teenagers, parents, grandparents and a contingent of lively folks in their 20s who, I got the feeling, were just starting out their evening.
We got an amazing view of not only the Longwood fireworks, but the displays coming from every direction, close and far away. You could rotate a quarter-turn every 10 seconds and view a different burst of color.
It was great, but I have to say, I missed the noise. The few miles between Longwood and Kennett were enough to mute all but the loudest booms.
As meetings go...
If all committee meetings were like the one I just attended, nonprofits would have no trouble recruiting volunteers. Three of us met outside on a heavenly summer day, on the porch of one of the most beautiful farms in Unionville, overlooking a pond with a pair of swans, ducks and gigantic Mongolian Pond Carp. Hummingbirds buzzed around the two feeders and a barn cat crawled onto our laps. With our coffee we had berry scones, cheese and strawberries from Talula's Table.
I'm not sure it gets any better.
I'm not sure it gets any better.
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