Saturday, September 14, 2013
Hay fire
Wow, what a sad sight: there was a big hay fire at the Hicks family's Meadow Springs Farm on Newark Road here in West Marlborough. I heard that between 1,500 and 2,000 bales were involved, and part of a barn. It started at about 2:30 Saturday afternoon (Sept. 14), and when I drove by at 5:30 p.m., the fire was still intense, and Newark Road was shut down between Spencer Road and the Route 1 bypass. Of course, all the local fire companies were there, supplemented by others from farther away. Tanker trucks were filling up with water at one of the housing developments along Street Road west of Willowdale and ferrying it to the scene. Curious motorists had pulled over on 926 near Sportsmen's Lane to watch the blaze.
When I drove by again at 9 p.m. flames were still visible from Route 926 and tankers were still hauling water to the fire. I could see the grand finale of Longwood Gardens' fireworks in the rear-view mirror and ahead of me was the brightly lit cloud of smoke.
On Sunday at suppertime smoke was still billowing from the hay piles, and I could smell it all along Route 926, past New Bolton Center to the east and almost to Lamborntown Road to the west. A keen-nosed friend who lives in Kennett Borough said he thinks he smelled the smoke Sunday morning.
It's sad to think of all the hours of hard work that have literally gone up in smoke. I saw a Meadow Springs truck Sunday morning on Chapel Road and wished there were a gesture I could make out the car window expressing "I am so sorry."
Friday, September 13, 2013
Too loud and too late
There's been a fair amount of grumbling -- some justified, some not -- over the lavish and loud fireworks display that occurred at 11:30 p.m. Sept. 7 following a wedding reception at the Stone Barn on Route 842. Unfortunately I slept through it, but I'm told it was quite a show, and people from near and far heard it or were awakened by it.
Many of the comments on social media the next day were along the lines of "rich Unionville people doing whatever they want, the heck with the rest of us" and "Bet they didn't have a permit!"
It's not my place to comment on the 1% remarks -- but yes, they actually did have a permit. The father of the bride, who lives outside of West Chester, spent months before the wedding jumping through all kinds of hoops to get permission for the display from the West Marlborough Township supervisors. The supervisors were quite worried that the noise might scare the high-dollar horses that live on neighboring farms and actually created the township's first-ever fireworks ordinance to ensure that neighbors would have fair warning.
Unfortunately, those heads-ups apparently didn't go as far as the sound did: the bangs and booms traveled far past just the adjoining West Marlborough farms, as far away as Longwood Gardens and way up to Stargazer Road. One Newlin Township resident reported that her horses were scared by the racket.
The timing of the display was also a problem. We are used to Longwood Gardens setting off its fireworks shortly after dusk, and they're over by 9:30 or so. This display was considerably later in the evening.
Perhaps the supervisors might want to bear these factors in mind the next time someone seeks a fireworks permit?
Many of the comments on social media the next day were along the lines of "rich Unionville people doing whatever they want, the heck with the rest of us" and "Bet they didn't have a permit!"
It's not my place to comment on the 1% remarks -- but yes, they actually did have a permit. The father of the bride, who lives outside of West Chester, spent months before the wedding jumping through all kinds of hoops to get permission for the display from the West Marlborough Township supervisors. The supervisors were quite worried that the noise might scare the high-dollar horses that live on neighboring farms and actually created the township's first-ever fireworks ordinance to ensure that neighbors would have fair warning.
Unfortunately, those heads-ups apparently didn't go as far as the sound did: the bangs and booms traveled far past just the adjoining West Marlborough farms, as far away as Longwood Gardens and way up to Stargazer Road. One Newlin Township resident reported that her horses were scared by the racket.
The timing of the display was also a problem. We are used to Longwood Gardens setting off its fireworks shortly after dusk, and they're over by 9:30 or so. This display was considerably later in the evening.
Perhaps the supervisors might want to bear these factors in mind the next time someone seeks a fireworks permit?
Imperial Moth
Look at this handsome green caterpillar! Knowing my interests in critters, my neighbor brought it over to me at lunchtime today. I snapped its photo and posted it on Facebook, asking if anyone could identify it. I'm proud to say that within moments a recent environmental-science grad from my own alma mater chimed in: it's the larva of an Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) and will develop into a brown-and-tan moth. Based on the Wikipedia description and images, I believe it's a female, as they have more yellow-green coloration and are fatter.
Speaking of critters, I think the stinkbugs are realizing it's time to seek a warm home for the winter. I had five on the screen door the other day.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Before the storm
I'm spending some late-summer quality time in my backyard hammock on this hot afternoon. There's a storm threatening, and I can hear rumbles of thunder to the west (around Holtwood, according to the weather map). The breeze is picking up, the crows are circling around and cawing and for some reason the wind chimes are playing a jaunty version of the "Final Jeopardy" tune. And what is that worried-looking white rabbit doing checking his pocket watch?
Newlin meeting
The Newlin Township supervisors are at odds with the township's Planning Commission over a proposed ordinance that would change the way horse farms are regulated in the township.
At their Sept. 9 meeting, all three supervisors took issue with the planners' review letter that recommended keeping the ordinance the way it is and having residents go before the Zoning Hearing Board for permission to have outside horses boarding at their farms (which is an extremely common practice).
Supervisors' Chair Janie Baird said the "Riding School, Horse Boarding Facility" ordinance proposed by the supervisors, in contrast, would make boarding "lawful and regulated."
Supervisor Rob Pearson agreed, calling the controversial ordinance "appropriate."
"It's pretty simple," he said. "Eighty-five percent of people under the proposed ordinance will meet the requirements and be grandfathered in. The other people are the ones who will have some issues and will go before the Zoning Board ... No ordinance will make 100% of the people happy."
He said that if the current ordinance were enforced across the board, many residents would need to go before the zoning board, to achieve the very same end result, and that would be "almost ludicrous" in terms of time, effort and expense. Although the applicants do need to pay a fee for a hearing, it doesn't come close to covering the township's expenses in terms of legal and court-reporter fees.
The third supervisor, Bill Kelsall, said he believes the when the planners rejected the proposed ordinance, they were working from incorrect information about the number of people who would have to request special permission.
The Planning Commission's two-page letter (the Commission members are Robert Shippee Jr., Bill Steuteville, Jack Bailey, Barbara Forney and Lee Trainer) gives three reasons why it objects to the proposed ordinance:
1. "The unique nature of the township and these particular facilities makes any single, by-right ordinance necessarily too inflexible."
2. Making stables a use-by-right "stands in stark contrast to all other commercial uses in the township. The Planning Commission questions the defensibility of offering by-right status only to commercial facilities involving horses, particularly in the heart of horse country."
3. The number of facilities not in strict conformity "may be considerably smaller than previously considered."
The Commission, realizing full well which way the wind was blowing, also predicted in its letter that the supervisors would reject its recommendation.
The whole dispute started earlier this year when some new residents bought a horse farm on bucolic Hilltop View Road. They brought in additional boarders, to the point that some neighbors are claiming they are operating a commercial equestrian business instead of a private stable (those definitions are germane) and are bringing additional traffic to their quiet one-lane road, only the southern part of which is paved.
The residents asked the township supervisors to enforce the ordinance and issue a cease-and-desist order to limit the commercial use of the farm unless the owners apply for permission from the township. The township supervisors, however, responded that if they strictly enforce the ordinance, they'd have to shut down many such equestrian operations in the rural township; they also say that the use has not changed significantly enough from the prior one to warrant a township hearing. That's what led the supervisors to develop the new ordinance.
Because the supervisors have not received any comments yet from the Chester County Planning Commission, which is also reviewing the proposed ordinance, they delayed taking action until their Oct. 14 meeting. Meanwhile, many township equestrians are confused and worried as to whether the new regulations would apply to their stables.
A testy exchange early in the meeting symbolized how divisive this issue has become in Newlin and how some residents are suspicious about the process that has been followed to write the proposed ordinance. During the public comment session, a resident stood up and accused the township supervisors of holding a private meeting in violation of the state's Sunshine Law. Mrs. Baird said it was not in violation because the board met with township solicitor John Good to discuss pending litigation -- the lawsuit that some residents are filing in connection with the matter -- and that is permitted under the Sunshine Act.
The resident, unsatisfied, asked if there was any reason why he shouldn't file a complaint about the meeting in district court "tomorrow morning."
Replied Mr. Good: "Feel free to."
At their Sept. 9 meeting, all three supervisors took issue with the planners' review letter that recommended keeping the ordinance the way it is and having residents go before the Zoning Hearing Board for permission to have outside horses boarding at their farms (which is an extremely common practice).
Supervisors' Chair Janie Baird said the "Riding School, Horse Boarding Facility" ordinance proposed by the supervisors, in contrast, would make boarding "lawful and regulated."
Supervisor Rob Pearson agreed, calling the controversial ordinance "appropriate."
"It's pretty simple," he said. "Eighty-five percent of people under the proposed ordinance will meet the requirements and be grandfathered in. The other people are the ones who will have some issues and will go before the Zoning Board ... No ordinance will make 100% of the people happy."
He said that if the current ordinance were enforced across the board, many residents would need to go before the zoning board, to achieve the very same end result, and that would be "almost ludicrous" in terms of time, effort and expense. Although the applicants do need to pay a fee for a hearing, it doesn't come close to covering the township's expenses in terms of legal and court-reporter fees.
The third supervisor, Bill Kelsall, said he believes the when the planners rejected the proposed ordinance, they were working from incorrect information about the number of people who would have to request special permission.
The Planning Commission's two-page letter (the Commission members are Robert Shippee Jr., Bill Steuteville, Jack Bailey, Barbara Forney and Lee Trainer) gives three reasons why it objects to the proposed ordinance:
1. "The unique nature of the township and these particular facilities makes any single, by-right ordinance necessarily too inflexible."
2. Making stables a use-by-right "stands in stark contrast to all other commercial uses in the township. The Planning Commission questions the defensibility of offering by-right status only to commercial facilities involving horses, particularly in the heart of horse country."
3. The number of facilities not in strict conformity "may be considerably smaller than previously considered."
The Commission, realizing full well which way the wind was blowing, also predicted in its letter that the supervisors would reject its recommendation.
The whole dispute started earlier this year when some new residents bought a horse farm on bucolic Hilltop View Road. They brought in additional boarders, to the point that some neighbors are claiming they are operating a commercial equestrian business instead of a private stable (those definitions are germane) and are bringing additional traffic to their quiet one-lane road, only the southern part of which is paved.
The residents asked the township supervisors to enforce the ordinance and issue a cease-and-desist order to limit the commercial use of the farm unless the owners apply for permission from the township. The township supervisors, however, responded that if they strictly enforce the ordinance, they'd have to shut down many such equestrian operations in the rural township; they also say that the use has not changed significantly enough from the prior one to warrant a township hearing. That's what led the supervisors to develop the new ordinance.
Because the supervisors have not received any comments yet from the Chester County Planning Commission, which is also reviewing the proposed ordinance, they delayed taking action until their Oct. 14 meeting. Meanwhile, many township equestrians are confused and worried as to whether the new regulations would apply to their stables.
A testy exchange early in the meeting symbolized how divisive this issue has become in Newlin and how some residents are suspicious about the process that has been followed to write the proposed ordinance. During the public comment session, a resident stood up and accused the township supervisors of holding a private meeting in violation of the state's Sunshine Law. Mrs. Baird said it was not in violation because the board met with township solicitor John Good to discuss pending litigation -- the lawsuit that some residents are filing in connection with the matter -- and that is permitted under the Sunshine Act.
The resident, unsatisfied, asked if there was any reason why he shouldn't file a complaint about the meeting in district court "tomorrow morning."
Replied Mr. Good: "Feel free to."
Out of date
If you haven't cleaned out your medicine cabinet for a while, here's your chance: the East Fallowfield Police Department will be collecting unused and expired medications on Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Fallowfield Township building, 2264 Strasburg Road. The police will safely dispose of the medications. No "sharps" or syringes, please.
Feeling old
I would say that the average age of the athletes in one of my gym classes is mid-40s, so the perky 14-year-old girl who came to class on Monday certainly stood out. Toward the end of class we did a Pilates move called the Ironing Board (it involved leaning backward with a straight back while kneeling), and as an aside our instructor said to the girl, "I'll bet you don't even know what an ironing board is."
"Sure I do!" she said brightly. "My grandmother used to have one!"
"Sure I do!" she said brightly. "My grandmother used to have one!"
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
As opposed to ...
Just sayin': We love our one-lane roads and our gravel roads!
Two Clocks
A lecture on the Nottingham/Octorara school of furniture drew upwards of 150 people to a meeting of the Oxford Area Historical Association the evening of Sept. 10. Two furniture experts from Winterthur -- Wendy Cooper, Curator Emeritus of Furniture, and Mark Anderson, senior furniture conservator -- discussed the creative cabinetmakers who flourished in the southwestern part of Chester County in the eighteenth century.
Ms. Cooper explained that the craftsmen were influenced by their peers in Philadelphia and by period architectural styles but put their own spin on the furniture they created, in one instance adding a little drawer for a tall-clock key. She argued that criticism of the non-urban furniture makers as being unsophisticated is wholly unfounded: "It's great," she said. "They were great craftsmen, and very creative."
The two curators used two locally made tall clocks as examples to highlight the characteristics of the school of design, such as Greek-key designs, dentil and drill patterns, fretwork, thick wood (usually walnut) and ogee feet. One slide showed a sketch in white chalk that they found inside one case, apparently an attempt by the maker to experiment with a vine pattern that he was planning before carving it.
Ms. Cooper also showed two letters, one a bill from clockmaker Benjamin Chandlee for 12 pounds for the clock movement. The other was from the casemaker, Jacob Brown, to the client, explaining that "the fever" had struck both his shop and his family and caused a delay in the process.
Ms. Cooper explained that the craftsmen were influenced by their peers in Philadelphia and by period architectural styles but put their own spin on the furniture they created, in one instance adding a little drawer for a tall-clock key. She argued that criticism of the non-urban furniture makers as being unsophisticated is wholly unfounded: "It's great," she said. "They were great craftsmen, and very creative."
The two curators used two locally made tall clocks as examples to highlight the characteristics of the school of design, such as Greek-key designs, dentil and drill patterns, fretwork, thick wood (usually walnut) and ogee feet. One slide showed a sketch in white chalk that they found inside one case, apparently an attempt by the maker to experiment with a vine pattern that he was planning before carving it.
Ms. Cooper also showed two letters, one a bill from clockmaker Benjamin Chandlee for 12 pounds for the clock movement. The other was from the casemaker, Jacob Brown, to the client, explaining that "the fever" had struck both his shop and his family and caused a delay in the process.
Monday, September 9, 2013
I got one right
OK, so I slept through the fireworks at the Stone Barn on Saturday night, even though I've been writing about our township's new fireworks ordinance for months. And I missed the launching of the moon rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia. But at least I witnessed the spectacular sight of Venus right next to the crescent moon in the western sky on Sunday evening as I was driving home. Magnificent!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
A walk in the park
Congratulations and thanks are due to the management and the staff of the Anson B. Nixon Park in Kennett. I became a regular visitor there this summer and clocked many laps of the walking trail. It wasn't until this past week, though, that I noticed this very appropriate memorial plaque on one of the park benches. I have fond memories of Marshall Newton -- a great guy.
Oh well
This may be an apt time to quote from Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." The large, handsome pumpkin I bragged about in my column a few weeks ago? It has unmistakably started to rot. So much for my hopes of a large-vegetable ribbon at the Farm Show.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)