GIFT CARDS: Enjoying the generosity of my friends and family

I found myself disagreeing with a writer the other day who claimed that gift cards are somehow a more gracious present than cash. I find both more than acceptable, but I will say I'm having fun spending the gift cards I received for Christmas. The Wawa one took care of two tanks of gas; the Giant one paid for a week and a half's groceries. With the L.L. Bean one I replaced a lost gym skirt (that one will be an unsolved mystery for the ages) and a worn-out pair of their Wicked Good slippers (bald patches are fine for the Velveteen Rabbit, but not for slippers in a 60-degree house). And I know I'll have no trouble spending the cards for the Foxy Loxy and the Half-Moon, either.

ASTRONOMY: Did you know that WCU has a planetarium? Nor did I!

I didn't realize, until a kind reader informed me, that West Chester University is home to the Sandra F. Pritchard Mather planetarium, 750 South Church Street, and they present public astronomy shows. Here's the schedule:
Feb. 6: The Expanding, Accelerating Universe; Feb. 13 and April 24: Movie, "Black Holes--The Other Side of Infinity"; March 6: Venus, the Evening Star; March 27: Movie, "Astronaut"; April 3: Walking on the Moon; April 10: Movie: "Oasis in Space"; and April 24: Pluto Demoted.
For more information, contact Associate Professor Dr. Karen Schwarz, the Planetarium Director: planetarium@wcupa.edu or (610) 436-2788. The website is www.wcupa.edu/geology.
They also put out a newsletter that this month featured the star Canis Major, Orion's hunting dog. Much to its credit, the little cross-disciplinary article references Sirius Black of Harry Potter fame and Sirius XM radio.

JENNERSVILLE Y: A new fitness center, just in time for the resolution-makers

The Jennersville Y just unveiled its amazing new fitness center. They moved the weightlifting equipment into the former fitness center and moved the treadmills, exercise bikes, and so forth into a brand-new, large, sunlit room on the west side of the facility. There are all kinds of new toys to play with, including an adjustable jump-up platform and a little trampoline that lets you play catch with yourself with medicine balls. I'm impressed!
And a hearty welcome to the New Year's Resolution folks whom we always see this time of year at the Y, looking a little lost. Get into the habit of exercising and it'll become part of your life.
Speaking of the Y, a preset playlist for one exercise class included not one but two songs familiar to those of us of a certain age: "Let the Sunshine In" (from the back-then-racy Broadway musical "Hair") and "Spirit in the Sky" (from that one-hit wonder Norman Greenbaum). A few of us exchanged surprised glances, as the usual fare is more contemporary songs whose lyrics we don't understand ("Turned Down For What" and "Let's Get Ridiculous" continue to baffle me, for instance).

COLDNESS: This has been one long spell of cold temperatures

Seeing the photos of the firefighters hard at work in single-digit temperatures at the Jan. 8 house fire in Kennett Township, I reminded of how gutsy these folks are. Can you imagine getting out of your warm bed, before dawn, to rush to the firehouse, head to the fire scene and then work outside -- with water, no less?
Hats off, although that might not be an apt phrase, to the farmers, horse trainers, waste oil collectors, cops, crossing guards, and everyone else who works outside no matter what the weather. I could barely work up the gumption to go outside and put out seed and suet for the birds.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Getting the annual township formalities out of the way

As required by state law, the West Marlborough Township officials held their annual reorganization meetings on Jan. 5.
Bill Wylie will remain as chairman of the board of supervisors for 2015, with Jake Chalfin as vice-chairman. Hugh Lofting Sr., the third township supervisor, will remain as the roadmaster and emergency management coordinator. Shirley Walton will remain as township secretary/treasurer, Dwight Yoder as township solicitor, Yerkes Associates as township engineer, and Eddie Caudill as building inspector.
Elizabeth Powell and Wayne Grafton were reappointed to the township's Zoning Hearing Board.
Tom Brosius will chair the township planning commission, with Nancy Swayne as vice-chair and Anna Myers as secretary. Tom Roosevelt joined the planning commission, filling the vacancy left when Jake Chalfin became a supervisor.
The planners will continue to meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m., with the supervisors' meeting to follow. The only exception is November, when the meetings will be on the evening before because of the general election.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: You no longer need a permit to replace your hot-water heater

West Marlborough Township now has a revised permit fee schedule. Supervisors' Chairman Bill Wylie explained at the Jan. 5 meeting that the new schedule eliminates the requirement that homeowners obtain township permission for minor work like installing a new hot-water heater.
It also breaks the fee into three parts: an application fee when the application is submitted; a plan review fee to cover the costs of the township engineer and building inspector if required; and a building permit fee, which is based on the value of the proposed construction project and covers the work of the building inspector.
Mr. Wylie noted that issuing permits "is not a money-making venture for the township." He also noted that the schedule calls for a significant increase in fees if the work is done before obtaining a permit.
In other business at the meeting, the supervisors discussed a motor home that apparently is being lived in behind a house in the 200 block of Clonmell-Upland Road. The township's zoning officer, Al Giannanotonio, reported that he alerted the Chester County Health Department because the occupants don't seem to have a permit to discharge their sewage into the system on the property. He told the supervisors that he would send a letter to the landlord in an attempt to resolve the situation.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Year-end reports for zoning, building and law enforcement

Also at the January West Marlborough Township meeting, the supervisors received year-end reports from Al Giannantonio, the township's zoning officer, Eddie Caudill, the building inspector, and Lieut. Bob Clarke, the township's part-time police officer.
Mr. Giannantonio said that in 2014 he issued 10 zoning permits and no subdivision/land development permits. (The most recent zoning permit was issued in December for a sign at 798 West Street Road. The Rothmans' application to build a house, barn and garage on their Apple Grove Road property is still pending.)
Mr. Caudill reported that he issued 26 building permits: 15 renovations, four demolition permits, two sheds, and one each for an addition, a house, solar panels, an antenna, and a sign. He also issued 13 certificates of occupancy.
Lieut. Clarke said he spent 62 days (480 hours) on patrol and handled 166 incidents, including three accidents. He issued 95 traffic citations (74 for speeding, 14 for parking violations, five for driving without a license, and two for driving with a suspended license) and 51 warnings.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Yes, but at least the sun isn't setting quite so early

Overheard in the locker room at the end of winter break:
Girl 1: Yuck, we have to go back to school on Monday.
Girl 2: But you're smart! You should LIKE school.
Girl 1: It doesn't work that way.

PRIMITIVE HALL: The Pennock family tree is a very leafy one

As I've mentioned before, I occasionally give tours at a local 18th-century house, and on Saturday morning it was my pleasure to show a couple from Cincinnati around the place. The husband proudly told me that he was descended from Joseph Pennock, who built the house, and showed me on his smartphone a list of seven generations of his ancestors.
They loved the house, as does everyone. But he was practically jumping up and down with excitement when he saw a sampler stitched by Hannah Pennock and a portrait of William Pennock as a boy, because both "Hannah" and "William" were mentioned in his family tree. He took oodles of photos and forwarded them immediately to his family members back in Ohio.
I didn't have the heart to tell him that "Hannah" and "William" were extremely common names, and given the huge families people had back then, the odds that those two were his direct forbears were pretty slim.

MEXICAN FOOD: Another great meal at a very busy La Pena

It's a good thing they were playing upbeat dance music in the kitchen of La Pena Mexicana on Saturday night, because the waitress and the chef were incredibly busy. Every table was full. Groups of friends, families (some with little kids), and couples were having dinner, plus there was a steady stream of people picking up their takeout orders.
At the table behind us were some first-time visitors who weren't familiar with Mexican food, and a family member was patiently explaining the menu for them.
As busy as the restaurant was, though, our food arrived very promptly and was completely delicious, as always (I had shrimp tacos, my date had sausage quesadillas).
It's great to see a deserving place doing such a good business.
La Pena is on West Cypress Street in Kennett Square, across from the Wawa.