What a tasty -- and free -- breakfast we had on Saturday, courtesy of the administrators of the Kennett and Unionville-Chadds Ford school districts. We arrived for the annual community breakfast at the UHS cafeteria at about 8:30 and filled our plates with pancakes, sausages, scrapple, bacon and eggs (scrambled or over easy), pastries and fruit. Plus there were boxes of soft pretzels left over from the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life," which was just wrapping up at the track.
Sitting at a cafeteria table brought back memories of school lunches -- but the food was much better than in my day.
In addition to the school administrators -- who proved to be excellent servers -- we saw several local journalists (free food, after all); Beverly Brookes, who told us some amusing stories about her methods of persuading reluctant jurors to serve during her days as jury commissioner; and Danielle Chamberlain, the president of the Unionville Community Fair.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Thursday, June 4, 2015
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Batteries stolen from the cellphone tower
The West Marlborough supervisors heard two police reports at their June 2 meeting.
Lieut. Richard D'Ambrosio, commander of the Pennsylvania State Police at Avondale, said in the past three months there had been 54 incidents in West Marlborough, a slight increase over the same period in 2014. Only two of the incidents were criminal in nature: one was a case of harassment and the other was the theft of backup batteries at the cellular phone tower off Route 926 at Vince Dugan's equestrian training facility. The trooper said such thefts are "very common" and the thieves "know what they're doing."
He said there were 11 crashes in the township, only three that were reportable, and five drunken-driving arrests, eight false alarms, five calls for debris on the road and five calls for animals on the road, and one warrant served.
"This is a very safe community," he said of West Marlborough. "You always, always have the lowest numbers."
Chief Robert Clarke, who patrols the township for 40 hours a month, reported that he handled 15 incidents in May, issuing 11 speeding tickets and four warnings.
Lieut. Richard D'Ambrosio, commander of the Pennsylvania State Police at Avondale, said in the past three months there had been 54 incidents in West Marlborough, a slight increase over the same period in 2014. Only two of the incidents were criminal in nature: one was a case of harassment and the other was the theft of backup batteries at the cellular phone tower off Route 926 at Vince Dugan's equestrian training facility. The trooper said such thefts are "very common" and the thieves "know what they're doing."
He said there were 11 crashes in the township, only three that were reportable, and five drunken-driving arrests, eight false alarms, five calls for debris on the road and five calls for animals on the road, and one warrant served.
"This is a very safe community," he said of West Marlborough. "You always, always have the lowest numbers."
Chief Robert Clarke, who patrols the township for 40 hours a month, reported that he handled 15 incidents in May, issuing 11 speeding tickets and four warnings.
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Zoning, paving, and mowing in a rural township
In other business at the June meeting of the West Marlborough Township supervisors, township engineer Al Giannantonio reported that he issued two zoning permits in May: one for a shed extension at a farm on Doe Run School Road and one for an addition to a farmhouse on Route 82.
Roadmaster Hugh Lofting said the township road crew has been busy mowing road banks. They plan to tar and chip Bartram, Line, Chapel, Rokeby, and Doe Road Station Roads, as well as the paved part of Doe Run Church Road, and the hill on West Road near Route 82. Road crew member Hugh Lofting Jr. said he will be trying out a new, larger kind of gravel this year.
The supervisors scheduled a hearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, at the township hall/garage to get the public's comments about revisions to the township's zoning ordinance. A copy of the revisions is available from the township office.
Roadmaster Hugh Lofting said the township road crew has been busy mowing road banks. They plan to tar and chip Bartram, Line, Chapel, Rokeby, and Doe Road Station Roads, as well as the paved part of Doe Run Church Road, and the hill on West Road near Route 82. Road crew member Hugh Lofting Jr. said he will be trying out a new, larger kind of gravel this year.
The supervisors scheduled a hearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, at the township hall/garage to get the public's comments about revisions to the township's zoning ordinance. A copy of the revisions is available from the township office.
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Vacant house is once again a problem
Street Road resident Elizabeth Smoker told the West Marlborough Township supervisors that the deteriorated condition of the vacant house next door to her is "very problematic to me" due to the thick weeds and lack of maintenance. The house, at Sportsmen's Lane, was formerly the property of the Raimatos but has been empty for seven years after the mortgage company foreclosed on the subsequent owner.
When Mrs. Smoker brought similar concerns to the township last year, the supervisors asked township engineer Al Giannantonio to contact the mortgage company that owns the property. He volunteered to do so in hopes they will once again send out a maintenance crew.
Mrs. Smoker had her own, tongue-in-cheek suggestion for what the township should do: "Fine them a million dollars!"
When Mrs. Smoker brought similar concerns to the township last year, the supervisors asked township engineer Al Giannantonio to contact the mortgage company that owns the property. He volunteered to do so in hopes they will once again send out a maintenance crew.
Mrs. Smoker had her own, tongue-in-cheek suggestion for what the township should do: "Fine them a million dollars!"
Monday, June 1, 2015
BIRDS: Feed me! Feed me! is the baby birds' chorus
Every few minutes, it seems, one chickadee parent or the other is bringing a beakful of food to the nestlings inside the bird house out back. I'm not sure how many babies are inside -- I don't want to approach the house -- but they are both vocal and voracious. I was a little concerned that the strong wind during last night's series of thunderstorms might knock the house down, but no, it's still there this morning, with the nestlings still squawking.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
DEATHS: Two people who will be fondly remembered
Two deaths this week have touched a lot of people in our community.
Seema Sonnad, who was very active in the three-day eventing world, died of a cardiac arrhythmia that she suffered while running a 100K ultramarathon in Washington State. She was 52. I met Seema only a few times, while fence-judging at equestrian events, but her competence shone brightly in everything she did. I didn't realize that she had such a distinguished career -- she was Director of Health Services Research at Christiana Care’s Value Institute -- or that she lent a helping hand to so many young riders.
And of course you hear that Vice President Joseph Biden's son Beau died on May 30 at age 46 of brain cancer. Given that the Biden family is from Greenville, he had lifelong connections to many southern Chester County residents. I've read on social media many fond remembrances of Beau as a boy, a student, a public servant and a parent.
Seema Sonnad, who was very active in the three-day eventing world, died of a cardiac arrhythmia that she suffered while running a 100K ultramarathon in Washington State. She was 52. I met Seema only a few times, while fence-judging at equestrian events, but her competence shone brightly in everything she did. I didn't realize that she had such a distinguished career -- she was Director of Health Services Research at Christiana Care’s Value Institute -- or that she lent a helping hand to so many young riders.
And of course you hear that Vice President Joseph Biden's son Beau died on May 30 at age 46 of brain cancer. Given that the Biden family is from Greenville, he had lifelong connections to many southern Chester County residents. I've read on social media many fond remembrances of Beau as a boy, a student, a public servant and a parent.
WAWA: A story straight out of a blues song
We were wrapping up a hot summer Saturday with an evening stop at the Wawa to purchase a lottery ticket and a half-gallon of milk and were standing in line when one of the deli guys started bringing around a large platter full of "free samples" -- the subs and sandwiches that people had purchased and never picked up.
What wretched timing! We had just come from a delicious late dinner at El Ranchero Mexican restaurant in Kennett (steak fajitas, a bean taco and a cheese quesadilla) and were too full to even think about eating.
What wretched timing! We had just come from a delicious late dinner at El Ranchero Mexican restaurant in Kennett (steak fajitas, a bean taco and a cheese quesadilla) and were too full to even think about eating.
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