The staff at the Kennett Square Post Office is looking for a pigeon fancier who might be missing one of his or flock. Alas, they have some bad news for you. It seems that a pigeon was hanging out in the parking lot behind the post office for a while and on Thursday met its demise underneath the tires of a large mail delivery truck.
A friend who works at the P.O. told me the staff noticed that the bird had a white band around one of its legs with the letters "LPC," and a red band around the other leg. They just wanted to try to track down the owner.
"We do ship homing pigeons for a customer on a regular basis. Wonder if one got loose and thought the PO was his home?" speculated my friend.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
LIBRARY: Using Bayard Taylor's name to try to raise money
I received an annual appeal letter the other day from an institution calling itself the "Kennett Public Library." You'll recall that earlier this year, the library board changed its name from the "Bayard Taylor Memorial Library," prompting much outrage from the public (and from this columnist). I still have people coming up to me and saying how upset they are about the change, and some have even said they will refuse to give any money for that reason alone.
The board said they changed the name partly to reflect a forward-looking image instead of looking backward. Nonetheless, in their fundraising letter they mention Bayard Taylor several times, even stating that "A favorite son from the 1800's, local literary Bayard Taylor, would appreciate our efforts."
And was your letter personalized? Mine wasn't. I know when I was on the library board, we spent hours writing little personal notes on appeal letters, especially if the recipient was someone we knew and who had donated in the past.
The next library board meeting is Tuesday, September 15, at 7 p.m. at the library. No agenda has yet been posted online, but perhaps they'll discuss (1) their negotiations with the borough of Kennett Square to site the proposed new library on the Weinstein property on East State Street, just a few doors east of the current library, and (2) the results of the board's recently completed feasibility study assessing the likelihood that they'll be able to raise millions of dollars for the new library.
The board said they changed the name partly to reflect a forward-looking image instead of looking backward. Nonetheless, in their fundraising letter they mention Bayard Taylor several times, even stating that "A favorite son from the 1800's, local literary Bayard Taylor, would appreciate our efforts."
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| It seems he's good enough to use in the fundraising letter. |
And was your letter personalized? Mine wasn't. I know when I was on the library board, we spent hours writing little personal notes on appeal letters, especially if the recipient was someone we knew and who had donated in the past.
The next library board meeting is Tuesday, September 15, at 7 p.m. at the library. No agenda has yet been posted online, but perhaps they'll discuss (1) their negotiations with the borough of Kennett Square to site the proposed new library on the Weinstein property on East State Street, just a few doors east of the current library, and (2) the results of the board's recently completed feasibility study assessing the likelihood that they'll be able to raise millions of dollars for the new library.
KENNETT YMCA: An upgrade for a heavily used facility
Doesn't the Kennett YMCA look spiffy? During the annual "shutdown week," among a lot of other upgrades, new lockers were installed, the wooden floors in the gym and the aerobics studios were resurfaced and the signage in the parking lot was tweaked (the directional arrows were repainted, but I'm sure people will still ignore them). The new blue lockers are nice, and I didn't realize how well worn the floors had gotten until my sneakers, knees and hands experienced the pristine, gleaming new surfaces.
LONDON GROVE: Part of the SECCRA landfill is being capped
Several local people have asked me what is going on at the SECCRA landfill in London Grove Township: huge black tarps are being laid down along the steep slopes and held in place with white sandbags.
What I learned is that a portion of the landfill is being "capped" or sealed off. The tarps, which block rainwater from getting into the full garbage "cells," will be covered with a layer of soil, and then grass and other plants with shallow roots will be planted. Underground pipes collect the methane gas that the decomposing garbage produces.
There is a lot more information online about the capping process for those who are curious, including a 700-page document, dense with legalese, that was prepared for the SECCRA project bidders.
I drive by the landfill frequently and am always amazed at how talented those heavy equipment operators are, piloting their giant machines along the landfill's terraces and steep slopes.
What I learned is that a portion of the landfill is being "capped" or sealed off. The tarps, which block rainwater from getting into the full garbage "cells," will be covered with a layer of soil, and then grass and other plants with shallow roots will be planted. Underground pipes collect the methane gas that the decomposing garbage produces.
There is a lot more information online about the capping process for those who are curious, including a 700-page document, dense with legalese, that was prepared for the SECCRA project bidders.
I drive by the landfill frequently and am always amazed at how talented those heavy equipment operators are, piloting their giant machines along the landfill's terraces and steep slopes.
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| This is the part of the SECCRA landfill that is being capped. |
Thursday, September 3, 2015
LONGWOOD GARDENS: Local clubs are sponsoring a flower show
Laurie Reynolds Taylor asked me to mention that her garden club, Spade and Trowel, along with The Country Gardens, Four Seasons Garden Club, and the Garden Class of the Woman’s Community Club of Uwchlan will be sponsoring a flower show at Longwood Gardens on September 19 and
20 in the Conservatory’s Exhibition Hall.
Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 19, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, September 20. "Don’t arrive before 1 pm on Saturday because the panel of judges will still be judging," she cautions.
Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 19, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, September 20. "Don’t arrive before 1 pm on Saturday because the panel of judges will still be judging," she cautions.
There will be a class of "fascinators," those charming mini-hats that we love seeing at British weddings and royal events. There is also a Horticulture Division, a
Design Division, a Photography Division, and a Youth Division called “Disney
Land.”
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Police news and zoning permits
Not a lot happened at the September meeting of the West Marlborough Township board of supervisors. Supervisor Hugh Lofting Sr. said that the maintenance crews have been busy mowing the road banks and trying to keep the dust down on the township's gravel roads.
Township police officer Chief Robert Clarke reported that there were 14 incidents in the township in August (11 speeding tickets, two stop sign violations, and one unregistered vehicle), and he issued seven warnings.
Township engineer Al Giannantonio reported that the township's Zoning Hearing Board approved the installation of a generator at a house in the 500 block of Upland Road. Those homeowners also obtained permission to put in a three-car garage.
He also approved zoning permits for the construction of (1) a one-car garage at a house at Greenlawn Road and Route 841; (2) an addition to a Mosquito Lane house; and (3) a run-in shed, a farm shop, and a storage building at a Bartram Road farm. That homeowner's request to install three windmills is pending.
Township police officer Chief Robert Clarke reported that there were 14 incidents in the township in August (11 speeding tickets, two stop sign violations, and one unregistered vehicle), and he issued seven warnings.
Township engineer Al Giannantonio reported that the township's Zoning Hearing Board approved the installation of a generator at a house in the 500 block of Upland Road. Those homeowners also obtained permission to put in a three-car garage.
He also approved zoning permits for the construction of (1) a one-car garage at a house at Greenlawn Road and Route 841; (2) an addition to a Mosquito Lane house; and (3) a run-in shed, a farm shop, and a storage building at a Bartram Road farm. That homeowner's request to install three windmills is pending.
WEST MARLBOROUGH: This township meeting was bugged!
Thankfully, the West Marlborough Township supervisors meeting on Sept. 1 was a brief one. Because it was hot, the township garage in Doe Run (which serves as the board's meeting place) had its doors wide open. As soon as it got dark, thick swarms of gnats -- I mean, thousands of them -- invaded the place, attracted by the overhead lights, and crawled all over those of us in the audience. I flailed around with my reporter's notebook trying to smack them. Baz Powell, normally the gentlest of Quakers, pointed with pleasure to the pile of corpses she had swatted. The normally stoic mushroom farmer sitting next to me left early, and all the gnats that had been crawling on him turned their attention to me.
The instant the meeting ended, I escaped to the comparative darkness of the parking lot. Bizarrely, my first thought was of Erich Fromm's psychology book "Escape From Freedom," in which he contrasts negative freedom ("freedom from") with positive freedom ("freedom to"). Most definitely the former, in this case: freedom from gnats!
The instant the meeting ended, I escaped to the comparative darkness of the parking lot. Bizarrely, my first thought was of Erich Fromm's psychology book "Escape From Freedom," in which he contrasts negative freedom ("freedom from") with positive freedom ("freedom to"). Most definitely the former, in this case: freedom from gnats!
UNIONVILLE: A story about doing the right thing
Reading the news can get really depressing: violence, dreadful behavior, destruction.
And then there's a story like this.
Stephanie Boyer, who whips for the Cheshire Hunt, was in the Unionville Post Office the other day and found an envelope on the floor. It contained about $2,500 in cash. She immediately turned it in to Postmaster Bill, who was able to trace the owner through a check that was inside the envelope.
The customer, who was incredibly relieved, was an elderly gentleman, a military veteran who still pays a lot of his bills in cash. He told Bill that recently a bank teller had given him twice the amount she was supposed to, and when he discovered the error he promptly returned the money. She, too, was incredibly relieved, as the error could have cost her her job.
This pair of vignettes kind of makes you think that there is something to the notion of "paying it forward," doesn't it.
Well done, Stephanie, and well done, elderly veteran. Kudos to Postmaster Bill for doing the legwork and sharing the story.
And then there's a story like this.
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| Stephanie Boyer, in the blue coat, leads in the foxhounds before a Hunt Meet. |
Stephanie Boyer, who whips for the Cheshire Hunt, was in the Unionville Post Office the other day and found an envelope on the floor. It contained about $2,500 in cash. She immediately turned it in to Postmaster Bill, who was able to trace the owner through a check that was inside the envelope.
The customer, who was incredibly relieved, was an elderly gentleman, a military veteran who still pays a lot of his bills in cash. He told Bill that recently a bank teller had given him twice the amount she was supposed to, and when he discovered the error he promptly returned the money. She, too, was incredibly relieved, as the error could have cost her her job.
This pair of vignettes kind of makes you think that there is something to the notion of "paying it forward," doesn't it.
Well done, Stephanie, and well done, elderly veteran. Kudos to Postmaster Bill for doing the legwork and sharing the story.
Monday, August 31, 2015
COATESVILLE: Accordion and fiddle at an Irish music concert
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| Traditional Irish musicians Paddy O'Brien and Nathan Gourley. |
We were lucky enough to see accordion player Paddy O'Brien and his protégé, fiddler Nathan Gourley, perform at the Coatesville Cultural Society on Sunday evening as part of the Coatesville Traditional Irish Music Series. The contrast between the two -- generation-wise and culturally -- is striking, but when it comes to the music the older gentleman from County Offaly, Ireland, and the younger one from Madison, Wisconsin, are completely in sync.
The concert was full of lively reels, jigs, hornpipes and even polkas (Paddy quipped that you have to be in good health to either dance or play Irish-style polkas). Paddy and Nathan preceded each selection they played with stories about the piece's history, where it came from, and who had popularized it. One hornpipe was called "The Drunken Sailor" -- or, as Paddy said he liked to call it, "The Inebriated Mariner."
One of the many pleasures of hearing live music is that unexpected things happen. Paddy was playing an emotional, dramatic solo piece about a soldier dying on the battlefield when the building's air conditioning kicked in with a rumble just as the music was swelling to a crescendo. Perfectly timed.
Thanks to Frank Dalton and Emily Fine of Embreeville who keep this music series going. About 30 people came out to hear Paddy and Nathan on Sunday night -- a very enthusiastic audience.
HOMEVILLE: An old Quaker meetinghouse opens its doors
On Sunday we attended silent worship at the 176-year-old Homeville Friends Meetinghouse, one of the now-inactive Quaker meetinghouses that opens its doors once a summer. The meetinghouse and its adjoining burial grounds sit along Route 896 in Upper Oxford Township, near the Lancaster County line, and the rural view looking west is stunning. In addition to motorcycles and trucks, we heard several Amish buggies passing by.
Homeville meeting is a simple, well-maintained building, with a pot-belly stove and wooden benches without cushions. It was a warm day, but the breeze through the open windows kept everyone comfortable. For me it's always a pleasure visiting these old meetinghouses and thinking about the generations who have sat on those same benches before me.
Homeville meeting is a simple, well-maintained building, with a pot-belly stove and wooden benches without cushions. It was a warm day, but the breeze through the open windows kept everyone comfortable. For me it's always a pleasure visiting these old meetinghouses and thinking about the generations who have sat on those same benches before me.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
PLANTATION FIELD: Pre-party for a big equestrian event
Wednesday evening was the annual BBQ pre-party for the big Plantation Field International Horse Trials coming up in September. This is always a marvelous picnic, for three reasons: the setting, the people and the food. From the top of Plantation Field, you can look completely around 360 degrees and see nothing but our beautiful countryside. You also get to see plenty of friends and neighbors, including lots of kids running around enjoying themselves. One woman at our table, a first-time visitor, didn't hesitate to introduce herself to everyone, and soon she and the woman next to her were deep in conversation about tack, or the price of orchard grass, or something equine-related.
Oh, and the food! Victory Brewing did the catering and served up BBQ pork, coleslaw, chicken, burgers and hotdogs, and salad, along with their popular beer and root beer on tap. And there were two tables full of desserts brought by the party-goers, including cookies, brownies, candy, and an amazing Hershey's chocolate cake. (A friend of mine enjoyed a good-sized slice and then walked home to work off the calories!)
Thanks to Katie Walker for throwing such a nice party, as always. And maybe I missed them, but there were NO speeches -- in my book, always a plus for an event.
The Three-Day Event at Plantation Field is September 18 through 20. It's a three-star event, which means it is a top-echelon competition that attracts major world-class riders. Dressage is Friday, show jumping is Saturday and cross-country is Sunday.
Plantation Field is along Route 82 west of Unionville in East and West Marlborough Townships; entry to the event is off Green Valley Road.
BACK TO SCHOOL: Another year starts at Patton Middle School
On Saturday night we had a family dinner at Giordano's in Kennett Square to wish the Young Relative well as he starts the 2015-16 year at Patton Middle School. It's a profound pleasure watching him grow into a kind, amusing, polite, and smart young man (and so handsome to boot). Even if he does run over his two-gigabyte data allowance each and every month.
Tilda: "TWO gigs? I only have one, and I never run over!"
YR: "Yes, but I have a social life."
Sitting next to him last night at dinner, I remembered an assignment he had years ago as a pupil at Hillendale Elementary. The kids had to complete a list of fill-in-the-blank sentences, one of which was "I like to eat..." The Young Relative's classmates all said things like "pizza" and "tacos." His response? "At the Half Moon."
Tilda: "TWO gigs? I only have one, and I never run over!"
YR: "Yes, but I have a social life."
Sitting next to him last night at dinner, I remembered an assignment he had years ago as a pupil at Hillendale Elementary. The kids had to complete a list of fill-in-the-blank sentences, one of which was "I like to eat..." The Young Relative's classmates all said things like "pizza" and "tacos." His response? "At the Half Moon."
WEST MARLBOROUGH: A cabin emerges from under the vines
On Saturday morning, driving along one of my favorite back roads, I was delighted to notice that somebody is cleaning up and shoring up the old stone Boy Scout cabin. It has been in serious disrepair as long as I can remember, covered with vines and graffiti. Whoever is doing the work has made major progress in a short time.
A friend of mine recalls hiking from Unionville to the cabin for camping trips when he was a member of Troop 22 some 50 years ago. He was surprised to find that the cabin, which they called Primitive Hall, is actually much smaller than he remembers it.
A friend of mine recalls hiking from Unionville to the cabin for camping trips when he was a member of Troop 22 some 50 years ago. He was surprised to find that the cabin, which they called Primitive Hall, is actually much smaller than he remembers it.
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