For me, one of the highlights of a recent family reunion was a newspaper account that somebody brought about a previous reunion, all the way back in 1929. The "Daily Local News" story ran for more than a column and detailed family deaths and births, the new officers, the songs and poems that were performed, and one woman's account of her trip to Europe (she liked Switzerland best). There was also a spirited discussion about why some attendees had chosen to remain single: one woman explained that "she found she could make a better living for herself than any man could make for her." Because of the heavy rain, the usual baseball game was replaced by quoits in the wagon shed.
On the same page of the newspaper there was a story about a "booze raid" at a Pomeroy home ("25.5 cases of beer, alleged to be high-powered home brew, three bottles of whisky, a bottle of gin and a dime slot machine in good working order" were seized).
And this "looking back" item discussed the Chester County weather on Aug. 4, 1879: "This weather is severely hot and debilitating in its character. For over a week the mercury has daily risen into the nineties and each day the heat becomes more intense. Yesterday was a sweltering Sabbath, and to-day the thermometers show only a change for the worse. Where this is to end we know not, but have faith in Christmas helping us out by way of the North Pole."
Friday, September 9, 2016
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Dividing Doe Run Village
The September meeting of the West Marlborough supervisors focused mostly on the future of Doe Run Village at Route 82 and Wilson Road. Nancy Truitt, who lives on and owns the 15-acre property with her mother, Ruth, submitted a plan to the township in which the village would be split into individual parcels, one for each house and one larger building lot. A homeowners' association of some sort would be responsible for maintaining the common water and sewer systems.
Nancy Truitt said she believes that dividing up the village would be the best way to keep it well maintained, which she said is her family's overriding goal.
The township is considering zoning the village as a "historic district" so the owner won't need to seek zoning relief for everything that doesn't meet the current zoning code, like lot size and setbacks.
The village, which was entered onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, is of particular importance to the West Marlborough supervisors because the township rents its office, meeting and garage space there from the Truitts. (According to Thomas E. Martin Jr.'s invaluable 1985 monograph "Brief History of West Marlborough Township," the supervisors formerly met in home of the supervisor who served as the township secretary.)
Nancy Truitt said she believes that dividing up the village would be the best way to keep it well maintained, which she said is her family's overriding goal.
The township is considering zoning the village as a "historic district" so the owner won't need to seek zoning relief for everything that doesn't meet the current zoning code, like lot size and setbacks.
The village, which was entered onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, is of particular importance to the West Marlborough supervisors because the township rents its office, meeting and garage space there from the Truitts. (According to Thomas E. Martin Jr.'s invaluable 1985 monograph "Brief History of West Marlborough Township," the supervisors formerly met in home of the supervisor who served as the township secretary.)
WEST MARLBOROUGH: A Labor Day tradition continues
Baz Powell gave me a wonderfully vivid account of the 50th annual Labor Day get-together at her West Marlborough farm. She said the tradition started 51 years ago when some of her Hood College classmates got together (the event was canceled once due to a hurricane).
Over the years, her friends have married and had children and grandchildren, and everyone has such a great time that they just keep coming back. This year there were 37 people, stretching over four generations and ranging from a seven-week-old baby to two 93-year-olds (not to mention six dogs).
Some guests camped overnight in tents or an RV, and Baz said backgammon and "cross-country boccie" were this year's popular games.
Over the years, her friends have married and had children and grandchildren, and everyone has such a great time that they just keep coming back. This year there were 37 people, stretching over four generations and ranging from a seven-week-old baby to two 93-year-olds (not to mention six dogs).
Some guests camped overnight in tents or an RV, and Baz said backgammon and "cross-country boccie" were this year's popular games.
DONATION: All on the west side of town
One of my readers is baffled by the placement of those charity donation boxes. She writes:
"Today I gathered some clothing for charity and had no luck on the East side of Kennett in finding a container to place them. I continued to the west side of Kennett where I found a plethora of containers of various charities. Wondering why just one side of town has containers???"
That's a question I can't answer, but this may be useful information for other people who are doing fall cleaning or downsizing their establishments!
"Today I gathered some clothing for charity and had no luck on the East side of Kennett in finding a container to place them. I continued to the west side of Kennett where I found a plethora of containers of various charities. Wondering why just one side of town has containers???"
That's a question I can't answer, but this may be useful information for other people who are doing fall cleaning or downsizing their establishments!
EAST MARLBOROUGH: Planting the roundabout
The other day I received an email from a reader, Janet, who is volunteering for the task of planting and, just as importantly, maintaining the Unionville roundabout.
She writes: "A beautiful village like Unionville deserves a much better "gateway" than the empty, weedy traffic circle we have now. After talking to my gardening friends, there is a lot of enthusiasm for planting and maintaining this. Who is responsible for this? Who can we contact? I would love to create a beautiful entry to Unionville!"
I suggested she talk to the East Marlborough supervisors or the township manager. More power to her!
She writes: "A beautiful village like Unionville deserves a much better "gateway" than the empty, weedy traffic circle we have now. After talking to my gardening friends, there is a lot of enthusiasm for planting and maintaining this. Who is responsible for this? Who can we contact? I would love to create a beautiful entry to Unionville!"
I suggested she talk to the East Marlborough supervisors or the township manager. More power to her!
HOCKEY: He shoots, he scores!
Remember those tabletop hockey games? My brother and I, who grew up during the 1970s "Broad Street Bullies" era, used ours so much that the metal players dug little trenches in the cardboard "rink" and the plastic covers on the controlling handles got worn down. I think one player became irreparably bent over.
Well, according to a "flyer" on the Unionville post office bulletin board, the Carr Family is starting a tabletop hockey league. Email them at CarrFamilyHockey@gmail.com.
Well, according to a "flyer" on the Unionville post office bulletin board, the Carr Family is starting a tabletop hockey league. Email them at CarrFamilyHockey@gmail.com.
FEAR-FREE: Reducing the stress of vet visits
Brandywine Valley Veterinary Hospital, 2580 Strasburg Road in East Fallowfield, has just become a "certified Fear-Free practice," the office manager, Anne Moss, tells me.
The goal of the program is "to reduce or remove anxiety triggers in pets and their owners" and includes "gentle pet control techniques and the creation of calming environments, both of which lead to a more rewarding and safer veterinary experience for all – pets, their owners and the animal healthcare team."
Cats have their own reception area and exam room, with calming pheromones. The cats are enticed out of their carrier with treats and can hide in fabric tunnels while acclimating to the environment. They can even be examined in the vet’s lap instead of on the exam table if that's more comfortable for them.
Dog owners are asked to arrive at the office ten minutes early so their pet can adjust to the surroundings. The dogs receive positive reinforcement in both voice and body language and treats.
The goal of the program is "to reduce or remove anxiety triggers in pets and their owners" and includes "gentle pet control techniques and the creation of calming environments, both of which lead to a more rewarding and safer veterinary experience for all – pets, their owners and the animal healthcare team."
Cats have their own reception area and exam room, with calming pheromones. The cats are enticed out of their carrier with treats and can hide in fabric tunnels while acclimating to the environment. They can even be examined in the vet’s lap instead of on the exam table if that's more comfortable for them.
Dog owners are asked to arrive at the office ten minutes early so their pet can adjust to the surroundings. The dogs receive positive reinforcement in both voice and body language and treats.
Monday, September 5, 2016
NYT: Doin' the meta
(Blog readers, this is an entry just for my fellow solvers of the WSJ Friday Crossword Contest. It has nothing to do with Unionville.)
Dear Fellow Muggles,
I thought it might amuse you to see some of my "rabbit holes."
1. I took synonyms of the phrase "that's why" like "reason" and "explanation" and tried crossing out the letters from the key answers and seeing what remained.
2. I tried looking for synonyms of "that's why" in the key answers -- found "reason" in waynesworld, "intent" in tenniscourt and "aim" in macadamia nut.
3. After I noticed the scrambled "Seattle" in thenleast, I really thought I was on to something: Maybe all the cities had the same newspaper name, and a key one would be missing! (As it happens, it's the Seattle Times.) I found "Tucson" in tenniscourt, "Acadia" in macadamia and "Newsday" in waynesworld.
4. The Y! Must somehow use the Y! Thought of "net" from tenniscourt, added "y" and got "nyet." Pravda! Needless to say that went nowhere.
5. I finally got it on Day 2 when I started thinking about the meaning of the key answers rather than their letters. Not being a baseball fan, I had Googled the teams of the NL East when filling in the grid, so I had "NAT" in the back of my head. I think "NET" was the next, and then -- long shot -- nit as in nit-picking. When I noticed the vowels were in alpha order, I had my epiphany.
Awesome puzzle, Matt. Thank you!
Dear Fellow Muggles,
I thought it might amuse you to see some of my "rabbit holes."
1. I took synonyms of the phrase "that's why" like "reason" and "explanation" and tried crossing out the letters from the key answers and seeing what remained.
2. I tried looking for synonyms of "that's why" in the key answers -- found "reason" in waynesworld, "intent" in tenniscourt and "aim" in macadamia nut.
3. After I noticed the scrambled "Seattle" in thenleast, I really thought I was on to something: Maybe all the cities had the same newspaper name, and a key one would be missing! (As it happens, it's the Seattle Times.) I found "Tucson" in tenniscourt, "Acadia" in macadamia and "Newsday" in waynesworld.
4. The Y! Must somehow use the Y! Thought of "net" from tenniscourt, added "y" and got "nyet." Pravda! Needless to say that went nowhere.
5. I finally got it on Day 2 when I started thinking about the meaning of the key answers rather than their letters. Not being a baseball fan, I had Googled the teams of the NL East when filling in the grid, so I had "NAT" in the back of my head. I think "NET" was the next, and then -- long shot -- nit as in nit-picking. When I noticed the vowels were in alpha order, I had my epiphany.
Awesome puzzle, Matt. Thank you!
Sunday, September 4, 2016
WAWA: It was free coffee day
The Nottingham Wawa has reopened after being closed for a month for renovations. To celebrate, the store offered free coffee on its first day of reopening. A particularly ethics-minded friend of mine who's a regular at the store worried whether it would be okay for her to go back for seconds on coffee. I told her if she spends anywhere close to as much as I do at Wawa, between sodas, subs and soft pretzels, she should be in the clear!
WEST BRADFORD: Celebrating Trimbleville
My friend Linda Kaat asked me to mention that the Friends of Martin's Tavern (of which she is president and founder) will be unveiling a "Trimbleville Historic District" marker at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, at 311 Broad Run Road in West Bradford Township.
Trimbleville takes its name from Irish immigrant James Trimble. During the Revolutionary War, on Sept. 11, 1777, the British troops crossed the west branch of the Brandywine at Trimble's Ford, then turned east at Trimbleville en route to their victory at the Battle of the Brandywine.
Trimbleville takes its name from Irish immigrant James Trimble. During the Revolutionary War, on Sept. 11, 1777, the British troops crossed the west branch of the Brandywine at Trimble's Ford, then turned east at Trimbleville en route to their victory at the Battle of the Brandywine.
BRANDYWINE: A day on the river
We spent Saturday afternoon tubing on the Brandywine, floating, paddling and wading from Embreeville to Northbrook. Our choice of day was perhaps not the best -- the water level was very low and the creek was so slow that what is normally a two-hour trip took almost four hours. Even so, it was a glorious day to be outside in the sun.
We used the services of Northbrook Canoe Co. this time instead of relying on a friend's ramshackle pickup truck to take us to the launching spot. The Northbrook people were marvelous. Even though it was a very busy day for them -- there were dozens of customers waiting to set out in tubes, canoes and kayaks -- the employees handled everything safely, efficiently and with good humor. Even the guys loading tubes into the truck were pros and seemed to take pride in how precisely and quickly they tossed, caught and stacked the tubes.
We used the services of Northbrook Canoe Co. this time instead of relying on a friend's ramshackle pickup truck to take us to the launching spot. The Northbrook people were marvelous. Even though it was a very busy day for them -- there were dozens of customers waiting to set out in tubes, canoes and kayaks -- the employees handled everything safely, efficiently and with good humor. Even the guys loading tubes into the truck were pros and seemed to take pride in how precisely and quickly they tossed, caught and stacked the tubes.
EAST MARLBOROUGH: Help "the bunny people" get back on their feet
You probably heard about, or saw, the serious house and garage fire at Route 926 and Schoolhouse Lane the afternoon of Sept. 2. It's the house that used to have the amusing large rabbit statue out by the road.
The residents, Officer Robert Detweiler of the West Whiteland Township Police Department and his family, are looking for temporary housing, and West Whiteland is collecting money and gift cards to help the family rebuild. The address is Joseph M. Catov Jr., Chief of Police, West Whiteland Police Department, 101 Commerce Drive, Exton PA 19341. (I'm making my check out to Robert Detweiler and mailing it to the chief.)
The residents, Officer Robert Detweiler of the West Whiteland Township Police Department and his family, are looking for temporary housing, and West Whiteland is collecting money and gift cards to help the family rebuild. The address is Joseph M. Catov Jr., Chief of Police, West Whiteland Police Department, 101 Commerce Drive, Exton PA 19341. (I'm making my check out to Robert Detweiler and mailing it to the chief.)
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