At breakfast the other day I was bragging to a friend that I'd received a nice compliment from a business associate: he said I was always incredibly prompt at responding to emails, even if I just send a confirmation that the email has been received.
Then I got home and found an email from my friend Amy: she "just wanted to check" if I had received the email she'd sent the previous week about RSVPing to a social event. I had received it. I hadn't replied.
I thanked her for shrinking my ego back to a more appropriate size.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
LIBRARY: Study shows a profound mistrust of the library board
I've gotten some complaints that I've been too hard on the Bayard Taylor Library board: after all, they're volunteers, doing their best, the argument goes.
Compared to some of the comments made in the feasibility study commissioned by the Board, I sound like a fawning yes-woman.
"People who move into an area have their own opinions and seek to impose their beliefs without much in-depth sensitivity as to what the BTL meant to the community. They don't have a clue," said one person who was interviewed.
"People love a winner. And the library has loser written all over it," commented another.
Even the firm that did the survey, MacIntyre Associates, said, in an underlined paragraph, "The comments we recorded point to a perception among respondents that the Kennett Public Library's volunteer leadership has not kept in touch with its base of support and has not partnered with the communities it serves to fulfill the "public" part of its mission and its societal contract."
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping sentence came in the recommendations section of the report: "The current Board President and Vice-President need to consider withdrawing from Board leadership."
Wow. That's a gutsy statement to make to the people who are signing your paycheck!
The Board, in its cover letter to the study, said that people who wanted to read the report would have to come into the library and read a copy that was there; it emailed a copy only to the municipalities in its service area. So much for the consultant's strong recommendation for "a massive communications strategy" with the public! However, I managed to get a PDF copy and put it up online for your convenience: https://www.scribd.com/doc/283377453/Kennett-Public-Library-Feasibility-Study-Redacted
(The "redacted" means they took out people's names.)
Compared to some of the comments made in the feasibility study commissioned by the Board, I sound like a fawning yes-woman.
"People who move into an area have their own opinions and seek to impose their beliefs without much in-depth sensitivity as to what the BTL meant to the community. They don't have a clue," said one person who was interviewed.
"People love a winner. And the library has loser written all over it," commented another.
Even the firm that did the survey, MacIntyre Associates, said, in an underlined paragraph, "The comments we recorded point to a perception among respondents that the Kennett Public Library's volunteer leadership has not kept in touch with its base of support and has not partnered with the communities it serves to fulfill the "public" part of its mission and its societal contract."
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping sentence came in the recommendations section of the report: "The current Board President and Vice-President need to consider withdrawing from Board leadership."
Wow. That's a gutsy statement to make to the people who are signing your paycheck!
The Board, in its cover letter to the study, said that people who wanted to read the report would have to come into the library and read a copy that was there; it emailed a copy only to the municipalities in its service area. So much for the consultant's strong recommendation for "a massive communications strategy" with the public! However, I managed to get a PDF copy and put it up online for your convenience: https://www.scribd.com/doc/283377453/Kennett-Public-Library-Feasibility-Study-Redacted
(The "redacted" means they took out people's names.)
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| Oh, the irony! The Board is trying to strip "Bayard Taylor" from the Library's name. |
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
WELL-SHOD: Upscale shoes for the fashion-forward
Shoe designer Mary Alice Malone, a Unionville native, got a nice mention in a recent "Wall Street Journal" story about New York Fashion Week. She is the founder of Malone Souliers, which sells fancy high-heeled shoes that are a far cry from paddock boots.
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| The founder and creative director of this shoe company is Unionville native Mary Alice Malone. |
Sunday, September 27, 2015
ANSON B. NIXON: Love Seed Mama Jump rocked the park
Based on the size of the crowd at Sunday's fundraising concert, the Kennett Area Park Authority should be able to plant MANY trees at Anson B. Nixon Park.
The cover band Love Seed Mama Jump (which donated its fee to the cause) attracted families, rock fans, and park fans, along with its own fan base. They played everything from Credence Clearwater Revival to the Clash to the Monkees to the Ramones. During the first set, the gravel space in front of the stage was taken over by kids running around and doing acrobatics. After intermission, though, the lively grown-ups filled the dance floor.
I think everyone was surprised by the large turnout, including the food vendors.
We got to the park at about 4:15 and were lucky enough to buy a piece of quiche and a steak and mushroom pie (both delicious) from the Nomadic Pie truck, because they sold out shortly afterward. There was a long line at the El Ranchero Mexican-food truck the entire time. We spent the entire intermission waiting in line for ice cream at the Punk'd Pineapple truck. A pizza delivery guy carried in a stack of pizzas in at intermission and they were being sold by the slice.
Victory Brewing had beer and root beer on tap, and we had fun watching people carefully bring cups of beer back to their friends. One especially dexterous couple was carrying four beers apiece.
The band's sound guy was controlling the audio via tablet. For a while he was working right in front of us so we could see him adjusting the little sliders on the screen. He had to jump into action twice, though: first when the sound went out abruptly near the start of the show and next when one of the musicians' monitors died.
Everyone I talked to said they were more than glad to contribute $10 toward the park, especially those who attend the free Wednesday evening concerts all summer. Perhaps this fundraiser could become an annual event?
The cover band Love Seed Mama Jump (which donated its fee to the cause) attracted families, rock fans, and park fans, along with its own fan base. They played everything from Credence Clearwater Revival to the Clash to the Monkees to the Ramones. During the first set, the gravel space in front of the stage was taken over by kids running around and doing acrobatics. After intermission, though, the lively grown-ups filled the dance floor.
I think everyone was surprised by the large turnout, including the food vendors.
We got to the park at about 4:15 and were lucky enough to buy a piece of quiche and a steak and mushroom pie (both delicious) from the Nomadic Pie truck, because they sold out shortly afterward. There was a long line at the El Ranchero Mexican-food truck the entire time. We spent the entire intermission waiting in line for ice cream at the Punk'd Pineapple truck. A pizza delivery guy carried in a stack of pizzas in at intermission and they were being sold by the slice.
Victory Brewing had beer and root beer on tap, and we had fun watching people carefully bring cups of beer back to their friends. One especially dexterous couple was carrying four beers apiece.
The band's sound guy was controlling the audio via tablet. For a while he was working right in front of us so we could see him adjusting the little sliders on the screen. He had to jump into action twice, though: first when the sound went out abruptly near the start of the show and next when one of the musicians' monitors died.
Everyone I talked to said they were more than glad to contribute $10 toward the park, especially those who attend the free Wednesday evening concerts all summer. Perhaps this fundraiser could become an annual event?
NIXON PARK: Astronomy group is hosting a "sky tour"
As I'm writing this on Sept. 27, I'm looking forward to tonight's full moon and lunar eclipse. If you too love gazing up at our night skies, you might want to join the"sky tour" that the Chester County Astronomical Society is going to host at Anson B. Nixon
Park on Saturday, October 10, starting at 7 p.m.
"Bring a small flashlight (light pollution), dress for the weather, and meet at the Tino Leto Athletic Fields, North Walnut Street, about ¼ mile north of the main Nixon Park entrance. Several telescopes will be set up for viewing, and celestial wonders will be pointed out using a green laser light. We will also discuss keeping the sky dark (reducing light pollution) for better viewing. For more information, call Pete Kellerman at 610-444-4479 or Don Knabb at 484-888-1831."
"Bring a small flashlight (light pollution), dress for the weather, and meet at the Tino Leto Athletic Fields, North Walnut Street, about ¼ mile north of the main Nixon Park entrance. Several telescopes will be set up for viewing, and celestial wonders will be pointed out using a green laser light. We will also discuss keeping the sky dark (reducing light pollution) for better viewing. For more information, call Pete Kellerman at 610-444-4479 or Don Knabb at 484-888-1831."
SUBSCRIPTION: A plea to keep supporting local journalism
This past week I talked to two people who were upset about the significant price increase for a year's subscription to The Kennett Paper. I too was taken aback when I went to write my renewal check.
I don't know what went into the increase, but as a columnist I'd appreciate it if you'd renew. In the scheme of things, thirty-nine dollars for a newspaper every week is not a whole lot of money. In addition to the local news and features, you get letters to the editor, ads and coupons.
And, more abstractly, you're supporting a valuable and increasingly scarce commodity: local journalism. Really, where else would you read who got a building permit to put in a new garage and how the rumor about the cart corrals being removed from the Giant parking lot is completely false?
I don't know what went into the increase, but as a columnist I'd appreciate it if you'd renew. In the scheme of things, thirty-nine dollars for a newspaper every week is not a whole lot of money. In addition to the local news and features, you get letters to the editor, ads and coupons.
And, more abstractly, you're supporting a valuable and increasingly scarce commodity: local journalism. Really, where else would you read who got a building permit to put in a new garage and how the rumor about the cart corrals being removed from the Giant parking lot is completely false?
EAST MARLBOROUGH: The 2015 Unionville Community Fair
This week is the 91st annual Unionville Community Fair & Farm Show, and I'm sure you'll read lots more about it elsewhere in this week's paper. The full schedule is available on www.ucfairinc.org. The Fair is a great Unionville tradition, and it has been a special part of my life for many years. I'm looking forward to seeing my "Fair Friends" like Debra, Dave, Berta, Karen (actually two of them), Jayne, Terry, and Bonnie.
The Fair president, Danielle Chamberlain, asked me to share two last-minute bits of information with my readers:
1. There will be a truck from the Kennett Area Community Service accepting donations of nonperishable foods. The truck will be parked near the gray barn, where you enter off Route 926 for public parking.
2. Volunteers are needed to help with parking throughout the week, but especially on Saturday night (for the Willowdale Pro Rodeo). Call Berta Rains at 610-283-9091 to sign up for a time slot.
The Fair president, Danielle Chamberlain, asked me to share two last-minute bits of information with my readers:
1. There will be a truck from the Kennett Area Community Service accepting donations of nonperishable foods. The truck will be parked near the gray barn, where you enter off Route 926 for public parking.
2. Volunteers are needed to help with parking throughout the week, but especially on Saturday night (for the Willowdale Pro Rodeo). Call Berta Rains at 610-283-9091 to sign up for a time slot.
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