DENTISTS: An unpalatable policy

If you read this column regularly, you know that I'm not crazy about making changes in my life. For instance, when I see a "new and improved" label on my cereal or detergent, I'm not a happy camper.
But I said good-bye without a bit of hesitation when my dentist, whom I've seen faithfully twice a year since the late 1980s, announced that I was no longer welcome in the practice unless I submitted to yearly x-rays.
I've had one cavity in my entire life, and suddenly they claim they really can't treat me adequately without annual x-rays? Hmmmm. And they found that one tiny cavity how? By poking it with a pointy stick. No x-rays involved.
It makes you wonder what's behind this new and apparently widespread policy: concerns about liability and lawsuits? dicta from insurance companies? Even the American Dental Association recommends x-rays only every two or three years for those of us with good teeth and good hygiene.
Not to mention the radiation involved, and, yes, the cost. I absolutely don't mind spending time and money on preventive care that I consider valuable. But I think this is unnecessary overtreatment, and the whole situation makes me feel used. I also don't like the fact that the dentist delegated to the hygienist the onerous task of informing patients about this policy change.
As consumers we're told that an important part of containing health-care costs in this country is asking questions and making informed choices about treatment rather than submitting to cookie-cutter-style medicine (or dentistry). Well, that's what I'm doing.
Let me know if your dentist's office has instituted a similar policy, and what your reaction is. Based on the reactions I got on social media, dentists are at risk of losing a lot of patients over this:
1. "We left our family dentist for the same reason; also because so many of the heavily pitched services seemed to be designed to generate income."
2. "They did same thing at my dentist's office. I told them I would not come in if they required that. Dentist agreed that it would not be required. Really, once a year is just too much!"
3. "My longtime dentist retired a few years ago. The new guy installed tons of new equipment, started charging more for everything, and insists on panoramic x-rays, which I have avoided thus far. I'm looking for a new dentist before my next appointment, too."
4. "Sad when Drs and dentists do hard-sell one-size-fits-all work," said another friend, whose husband and kids joined her in leaving their dentist after he insisted on yearly x-rays. "We don't go to a dentist to pay off the equipment debt," she said. 

LONGWOOD: Nightscape is closing soon

Just a heads up that Longwood Gardens' amazing Nightscape light-and-sound show ends at the end of this month. If you haven't gone, I recommend it highly: we thought it was really magical and a great couple's night out. You'll hear a lot of people talking about the big display by the lake, where the projected lights make it look like that the trees are progressing through the seasons, but I thought the trippy indoor Palm House display was just as cool and a lot more intimate.
My favorite part of the show, though, was the more playful topiary garden display, where the bushes seemed to change into yurts, stone idols, rotating tractor tires, and then ranks of blaring horns, all set to the rhythm of pulsing tribal music.
Don't miss taking a look at the main fountain renovation project. I knew it was a major work in progress, but somehow it didn't occur to me the massive amount of earthmoving that would be involved. There's an information kiosk on the terrace overlooking the fountain garden that tells you all about the fountain project, which is slated for completion in 2017.

INJURIES: An unfortunate return to the saddle

A friend reports that she was getting her mail at the Unionville post office when she encountered a fellow customer walking with a crutch. The postal employee told the patron that her black eye looked much better than the last time she'd been in.
"Let me guess," said my friend to the injured woman. "A riding accident?"
The woman looked amazed.
"How did you know?" she gasped.
"Oh, just a wild guess," said my friend.
The woman shared the story of what happened: THE VERY FIRST TIME she'd gotten on a horse after a 20-year hiatus, she'd gotten bucked off and broke her pelvis.

TOUGHKENAMON: Three cheers for New Garden!

My friend Joan is looking for information about this handsome "Toughkenamon" pennant that someone donated to the New Garden Historic Commission.

"I want to get it framed to hang in our history room In the NG Twp. building and would like to be able to put the information with it.I thought if you would mention it in the Tilda Tally Ho column we might have a good chance that someone will recognize it and provide its history."
Readers, does anybody have any information? Let me know at uvilleblogger@gmail.com if you do!

SPORTS: A scholar, an athlete and a gentleman

Yesterday afternoon I watched the Young Relative win a Patton Middle School athletic competition (I don't want to "out" him by being more specific). He did an awesome job, came up and gave me a sweaty hug after the race, and I didn't think any one human being could possibly be any prouder of another -- until I saw him go up to the boy who finished behind him, shake his hand, and say, "You gave me a run for my money!"
Sportsmanship is alive and well, at least in the amateur leagues.
While walking across the field to the competition, I passed the middle-school football team practicing. They had to do a bear crawl up a steep slope, in their full gear, while the coaches stood at the top watching.
"Come on!" called out one coach. "You can dog it when you're old!"
I can't wait to share that one with my Y teacher.

LIBRARY: A Curiosity Creates grant for children's programs

While the Bayard Taylor Library's Board may be dysfunctional, the library staff is soldiering on nonetheless and still managing to provide excellent services to the public.
In fact, the library recently received a "Curiosity Creates" grant from a program that Disney funds through the Association for Library Service to Children. Seventy-nine grant applications were funded out of more than 400 applications. Other Pennsylvania winners were the Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls; the Free Library of Philadelphia's Kensington Neighborhood Library; the Lillian Marrero Neighborhood Library; the Monroeville Public Library; the Reading Public Library; and the Widener Neighborhood Library.
(I couldn't help noticing that the grant was awarded in the name of the "Bayard Taylor Memorial Library" rather than the "Kennett Public Library.")

CLUELESS: The path not taken

Apparently some people manage to reach middle age without the experience of pushing an injured or ill friend or relative in a wheelchair. We were at an event last night and the woman behind us said peevishly to her friend, "Why are those people being allowed to take a shortcut?"
To his credit, my companion turned around and said, "Because they're in wheelchairs, and wheelchairs have a hard time on gravel."
"Oh," she said, possibly aware of how insensitive she was being. "Oh. Well then that makes sense, I guess."

WEST MARLBOROUGH: A fundraising party for young adults at the Stroud Center

The Young Friends Committee at the Stroud Water Research Center hosted "Stroud Uncorked" this past Friday night. Emily Scott, one of the organizers, told me that the goal of the event was not only to raise money for freshwater research but also to "introduce a younger demographic to the world of freshwater research and stream restoration. It was a celebration of environmental stewardship and the amazing scientific work being done by the Stroud Center."

The Stroud Center in West Marlborough held a fundraiser on Oct. 9.

As they arrived, guests got their very own Klean Kanteen stainless-steel drinking cup in an effort to cut down on waste at the party. Dave Arscott, Ph.D., the center's assistant director, gave an introductory talk before the guests tucked into the food and drink.
Emily sent along a mouth-watering list of the refreshments. Food was from Archie’s, Buck Run Farm, The Cake Crafter, Eclat chocolates, Landhope Farms, Sovana Bistro, The Whip Tavern and Yo’r So Sweet. Beer and booze were from Dogfish Head Distillery, Evil Genius Brewing Company, Galer Estate, Kennett Brewing Company, Victory Brewing Company, Yards Brewery and Tito's Handmade Vodka.
Sponsors for the party were Labware, Fusco Enterprises, Legal Internet Solutions Incorporated, Studio 882 Furniture + Design, and Gross Realty.

DOWN EAST: Reading another weekly newspaper

My friend Emily, who keeps Dr. Renny Sardella's optometry office humming in Willowdale, spent part of her summer Down East and brought me back a charming weekly paper from Damariscotta, Maine, full of homey news, minutely detailed reports from the police and courts, and ads from upscale art galleries and seafood restaurants. The photos of the Midcoast Maine "cottages" for sale are especially impressive.
Emily said she thought one particular column in the paper would amuse me. It's written by a woman who lives in a retirement home and chronicles her every activity, mostly related to doctor's appointments, ailments, and meals. She refers to her husband "my sweetheart," which I found endearing.
At the other end of the spectrum, one of her fellow columnists is a retired economist who writes an erudite column about investing and economic history. It's so well written and lengthy it's hard to believe he cranks one out every week.
There's also a cooking column called "Ponder and Stir" that blends nostalgia and recipes. In the column I read, the author shares her mother's "kitchen motto": "Cast your bread upon the water -- and it may come back with peanut butter and jelly."

UNIONVILLE: Congrats to one of Po-Mar-Lin's own

Congratulations to Unionville's own John "Jackie" Weer, who was named Chief Fire Marshal by Chester County's Department of Emergency Services. John is a past chief and a current trustee of the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Company (Station 36).
According to the press release from the county, John has served since 2008 as the county's assistant chief fire marshal. "His responsibilities have included assisting Chester County fire and police departments, along with the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police with fire scene investigations. John also supervised and administered the Chester County Juvenile Fire Setters program. John started his career with DES in 1988 as a Hazardous Materials Response Team member. In 1994, he went on to serve as Fire/Rescue Training Coordinator where his primary role was the coordination of all training logistics for fire first responders in Chester County."
John's father is East Marlborough Township supervisor Bob Weer.

 

PLUMBING: An indoor rain shower

My pal George tends to be something of an alarmist. I get texts from him saying he's worried about a bad weather forecast, or he's feeling symptoms that might indicate a cold is coming on, or his favorite gym class was cancelled at the last minute.
But this one seemed to indicate a true calamity: "Had big leak from upstairs condo. Bathroom ceiling wrecked."
I envisioned a gaping hole in the ceiling with soggy rubble, or worse, all over his bathroom. But as I questioned him further, it turned out things were not as bad as expected. By extremely good fortune, the leak had sprung directly over top of George's bathtub, and minimal replastering was the only repair that would be needed.
"Their landlord came to see the damage," he wrote in a follow-up. "He's put me in touch with his insurance people. He was very apologetic."
I'll bet he was!

SEASONS: Sure signs that autumn is here

I don't know what this bodes in terms of the harshness of the coming winter, but I have never seen so many pine cones falling from the white pines in my back yard. Last autumn there were very few; this year I'm tripping over them and bringing sticky, turpentine-smelling sap into the house on my shoes.
Black walnuts are hammering down on my roof, and I've seen a few yellow-green Osage orange fruits on the road ready to be run over.
Another sign of fall is stink bugs, but there have been just a few of them inside my house. They are so logy that it's easy to trap them (I use the Zip-Loc bag method).

NEWLIN: Dog, found

On Sunday morning at Foxy Loxy, I ran into a very relieved Carol McHarg. She had just located her Yorkshire terrier, Stuart, who had gone missing on a walk at the Cheslen Preserve.
Carol told me that after Stuart ran off she returned to her car, thinking maybe he had headed there. No luck. She asked two passersby if they had seen Stuart, and one of them said yes. They retraced their steps to a wooded area where he'd been spotted, and indeed the terrified Stuart was still there. The black-and-tan dog was barely visible because he blended in so well with the background.
As they walked back to the parking lot, Carol learned that the woman who helped her find him was a professional dog tracker.
"What are the odds?" Carol marveled.
Carol's other canine, William, is just the opposite of the tiny Yorkie: he is a Scottish deerhound!