A local woman named Tracy shared this lovely story about "an unbelievably good experience" she had at the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on West Cypress Street in Kennett on Aug. 21. She writes:
"I have had a long week...and with no food in the house and 3 guys at home trying to do a truck repair all day, nobody had time to grocery shop while I was out today. Empty cupboards, stressed-out men, and a 6-year-old child with a friend who needed to be driven home all culminated in a trip to the Kennett Square KFC for a bucket of fried chicken.
"Unfortunately, after placing my rather large order I realized I had NO form of payment. No credit/debit card or cash. I quickly drove to the pick-up window and told the employee that I would need to cancel my order and why.
"After a few minutes she came back and told me that the manager had paid for my order and to enjoy my night.
"Wait. What? Seriously...THAT. JUST. HAPPENED. KFC on West Cypress Street. Thank you!"
Friday, August 26, 2016
OLYMPIANS: Rails, ales and medals
The amazing Olympic gold medal winner Cierra Runge made a stop at The Whip here in West Marlborough the evening of Aug. 22 after visiting the Jennersville YMCA, where she started her swimming career.
I wasn't at The Whip that night, but the photographs are funny: the Cochranville native is six-foot-four and towers over everyone. I don't realize how tall she is because I usually see her next to her similarly tall teammates.
The following night I ran into Chester County Fire Marshal John Weer, who met her at The Whip, and he said she was great fun and happily posed for photos with her gold medal.
"What's funny is that Boyd Martin was having dinner there and just left before she showed up!" he said. (Boyd Martin, of course, is a local Olympian equestrian who was also on Team USA in Rio.)
I wasn't at The Whip that night, but the photographs are funny: the Cochranville native is six-foot-four and towers over everyone. I don't realize how tall she is because I usually see her next to her similarly tall teammates.
The following night I ran into Chester County Fire Marshal John Weer, who met her at The Whip, and he said she was great fun and happily posed for photos with her gold medal.
"What's funny is that Boyd Martin was having dinner there and just left before she showed up!" he said. (Boyd Martin, of course, is a local Olympian equestrian who was also on Team USA in Rio.)
NEW BOOK: "Mermaid in Rehoboth Bay"
My friend Nancy Sakaduski's new children's book is called "The Mermaid in Rehoboth Bay" and it looks adorable.
Here's a synopsis: "A storm has hit coastal Delaware and washed a young mermaid named Nibi across land and into Rehoboth Bay, separating her from her family, friends, and ocean home. Terra, a young girl who lives nearby, is afraid of the water, so she misses out on swimming with her friends and wading in the bay to collect shells. The two discover each other, become friends, and find a way to solve their problems together."
It's available at The Growing Tree, 114 W. State St., Kennett Square; the Hockessin Book Shelf, 7179 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin; Oranges & Lemons, 3856 Kennett Pike, Greenville; and Captain Blue Hen Comics, 280 E. Main St., Newark.
Here's a synopsis: "A storm has hit coastal Delaware and washed a young mermaid named Nibi across land and into Rehoboth Bay, separating her from her family, friends, and ocean home. Terra, a young girl who lives nearby, is afraid of the water, so she misses out on swimming with her friends and wading in the bay to collect shells. The two discover each other, become friends, and find a way to solve their problems together."
It's available at The Growing Tree, 114 W. State St., Kennett Square; the Hockessin Book Shelf, 7179 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin; Oranges & Lemons, 3856 Kennett Pike, Greenville; and Captain Blue Hen Comics, 280 E. Main St., Newark.
HOOD'S: Get your ribs while you can
Hood's BBQ in Unionville will be closed from Monday, Sept. 5, through Friday, Sept. 9. They'll be reopening on Saturday, Sept. 10. The nerve of the Hood clan: they are actually taking a family vacation! Like they don't spend enough family time together running the restaurant six days a week!
TRACK: UHS cross-country
The Young Relative started his UHS running career on Aug. 25 at the Bayard Rustin High School in West Chester. The brand-new cross-country course takes the runners all over the sprawling campus in a loop that they ran twice. The Tally-ho family support crew -- as usual, five strong -- got a great view of the competitors as they ran across a distant hilltop, emerged from the woods and scaled a steep, long bank that looked like it belonged in the Plantation Field equestrian competition.
"Wow, I want to try that hill," I remarked idly.
"So go ahead!" replied my brother, a certain note of challenge in his voice.
At that point I was very glad I had chosen to wear sandals instead of sneakers.
"Some other time," I said. "Definitely. For sure."
The Y.R. is now competing against some very fast youths who are seniors, which means that all of us have to shift our attitudes a bit. For one thing, we got used to the locations of all the middle-school track sites; now we have to learn where the high-school competitions are!
"Wow, I want to try that hill," I remarked idly.
"So go ahead!" replied my brother, a certain note of challenge in his voice.
At that point I was very glad I had chosen to wear sandals instead of sneakers.
"Some other time," I said. "Definitely. For sure."
The Y.R. is now competing against some very fast youths who are seniors, which means that all of us have to shift our attitudes a bit. For one thing, we got used to the locations of all the middle-school track sites; now we have to learn where the high-school competitions are!
BARNARD'S: Help save this farm!
I got the nicest hand-written thank-you note -- and a big refrigerator magnet -- in return for the check I sent to the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County to support their efforts to preserve Barnard's Orchards in Newlin Township.
The conservancy is trying to raise $38,000 to cover the legal costs, filing fees and other expenses it is incurring in the process of establishing an agricultural easement to protect this beloved, iconic family farm against development.
Please join me if you can:
1. Send a check to The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, 541 Chandler Mill Rd., Avondale PA 19311.
2. Donate online through the Land Conservancy's website.
Thanks.
The conservancy is trying to raise $38,000 to cover the legal costs, filing fees and other expenses it is incurring in the process of establishing an agricultural easement to protect this beloved, iconic family farm against development.
Please join me if you can:
1. Send a check to The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, 541 Chandler Mill Rd., Avondale PA 19311.
2. Donate online through the Land Conservancy's website.
Thanks.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
MENDENHALL: "Jesus Is My Prozak"
Tilda does not often wander into the minefield that is religion, but today she was sufficiently ticked off to do so.
On Aug. 25 Bethany Presbyterian Church in Mendenhall posted a sign, "Jesus Is My Prozak," in front of its Kennett Pike building.
Not only is that slogan morally offensive and theologically dubious, it's also misspelled (it's "Prozac"). Depression results from a problem with brain chemistry, not a lack of faith in Jesus Christ. Would they say "Jesus Is My Insulin" or "Jesus Is My Chemotherapy"? I don't think so.
All I could think of was how a person suffering from depression, already feeling miserable, exhausted, useless and guilty, would react upon seeing such an insensitive message. The church is the last place that should be perpetuating the myth that depression is some kind of a personal failing rather than a medical illness.
I was angry enough to send an email to the pastor, the Rev. Ann Dickey, and she responded promptly. Very much to her credit, she fully understood my concerns about equating Jesus Christ to an antidepressant and promised the sign, which had been put up by a church member, would be taken down immediately. She also assured me that future slogans would be vetted more carefully, apologized to those who were offended, and asked for my forgiveness.
I was extremely impressed by Rev. Ann's graceful, intelligent and honest response to this situation, and perhaps that's the lesson we all should take from this unfortunate episode.
On Aug. 25 Bethany Presbyterian Church in Mendenhall posted a sign, "Jesus Is My Prozak," in front of its Kennett Pike building.
Not only is that slogan morally offensive and theologically dubious, it's also misspelled (it's "Prozac"). Depression results from a problem with brain chemistry, not a lack of faith in Jesus Christ. Would they say "Jesus Is My Insulin" or "Jesus Is My Chemotherapy"? I don't think so.
All I could think of was how a person suffering from depression, already feeling miserable, exhausted, useless and guilty, would react upon seeing such an insensitive message. The church is the last place that should be perpetuating the myth that depression is some kind of a personal failing rather than a medical illness.
I was angry enough to send an email to the pastor, the Rev. Ann Dickey, and she responded promptly. Very much to her credit, she fully understood my concerns about equating Jesus Christ to an antidepressant and promised the sign, which had been put up by a church member, would be taken down immediately. She also assured me that future slogans would be vetted more carefully, apologized to those who were offended, and asked for my forgiveness.
I was extremely impressed by Rev. Ann's graceful, intelligent and honest response to this situation, and perhaps that's the lesson we all should take from this unfortunate episode.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
SUNFLOWERS: Where are they this year?
So where are the sunflower fields this year?
People keep asking me this, so I drove around yesterday looking and spotted two fields.
There's a border of sunflowers already in bloom around a cornfield on the east side of Route 841 just south of the village of Chatham. And there's a giant field of sunflowers on the south side of Route 842 at Byrd Road, west of Unionville, but it will be some weeks before they bloom.
If anyone spots any others, let me know and I'll pass along the word.
People keep asking me this, so I drove around yesterday looking and spotted two fields.
There's a border of sunflowers already in bloom around a cornfield on the east side of Route 841 just south of the village of Chatham. And there's a giant field of sunflowers on the south side of Route 842 at Byrd Road, west of Unionville, but it will be some weeks before they bloom.
If anyone spots any others, let me know and I'll pass along the word.
SPEAKMAN: The timbers return
It has been fascinating to watch the progress on the Speakman #1 Covered Bridge over the Buck Run near the West Marlborough/East Fallowfield Township border. As part of a state project, the bridge, closed for years after it was seriously damaged by a truck, was carefully dismantled in December. The timber trusses and other structural timbers were taken to the warehouse of Lancaster County Timber Frame (LCTF) for rehabilitation.
The old abutments were removed and new ones, concrete with stone on the exterior, were built. Steel beams were installed on top of them to serve as the base for the bridge.
The refurbished timbers are now being re-installed. You can see the original graffiti on the timbers and the small red tags that the craftsmen used to label the exact placement of each timber.
It's going to look beautiful, and I'm sure the long-inconvenienced residents of Frog Hollow Road will not miss their daily trips north to Strasburg Road.
The old abutments were removed and new ones, concrete with stone on the exterior, were built. Steel beams were installed on top of them to serve as the base for the bridge.
The refurbished timbers are now being re-installed. You can see the original graffiti on the timbers and the small red tags that the craftsmen used to label the exact placement of each timber.
It's going to look beautiful, and I'm sure the long-inconvenienced residents of Frog Hollow Road will not miss their daily trips north to Strasburg Road.
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| The partially reconstructed Speakman #1 Bridge, looking north. |
 |
| The temporary diagonal timbers are supporting the sides of the bridge. Note the steel beams that span the creek. |
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| View from the west side of the bridge. |
KENNETT: Housing Truck 24
Kennett Fire Company No. 1 will be officially welcoming its new piece of firefighting apparatus in a housing ceremony starting at noon Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Dalmatian Street fire house. The new "Truck 24" has a 95-foot-ladder that will enable firefighters to reach the top of any building in the area.
If you've never been to a housing, it's quite an event, and everybody is welcome. Sirens will blare, lights will flash, and if they're doing it the traditional way, the new truck will be ceremonially "pushed into" the garage by the firefighters. If your kids are of the age when they adore big trucks, you might want to put this on the schedule.
If you've never been to a housing, it's quite an event, and everybody is welcome. Sirens will blare, lights will flash, and if they're doing it the traditional way, the new truck will be ceremonially "pushed into" the garage by the firefighters. If your kids are of the age when they adore big trucks, you might want to put this on the schedule.
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