LIBRARY: What do you want to see?

Jeff Yetter, the vice president of the Kennett Library's board of trustees, asked me to mention that the library will be holding open meetings all day Tuesday, Oct. 13, to find out what people want in a new library. The meetings will be held at the Kennett Fire Co. on Dalmatian Street in Kennett Square.
The schedule is as follows, although people can stop by whenever it's convenient: 8:30 to 10 a.m., caregivers of children; 11 am to noon, seniors; 1 to 3 p.m., business and community; 3 to 4 p.m., persons with disabilities and special needs caregivers; and 4 to 5 p.m., young adults. 
At 7 p.m. the architects will convene to report what they heard.

Jeff writes:  "Please tell us what you would like to see in a new regional library center in Kennett Square. We are gathering insight and opinions to guide our architects in their planning. What's important to you? Easy access as a senior or parents with kids? Better research tools? More meeting rooms and study space? Community event space? Longer hours? Training? Games? Vending machines? Parking? Tell us what matters to you, big or small. During these sessions there will be architects, planners and our vision team to listen and ask questions. It’s casual, quick and important."

 

LITTER: Buck & Doe Trust's cleanup

At lunchtime on Sept. 27 I joined the Buck & Doe Trust's trash cleanup along Route 82. The group of maybe eight of us met at the Brandywine Conservancy's office in Doe Run at noon. After eating a slice of pizza from the new place at Route 82 and Strasburg Road, we set off in pairs, walking along Route 82 armed with gloves and trash bags. I even got to try out a pincer-like trash-picking-up gadget, which I loved.
In 90 minutes, walking from Doe Run up to Dupont Road and back, my litter-mate Pam and I filled two-and-a-half garbage bags. Our finds included lots of water, beer and soda bottles and cans; a baby's pacifier; three hubcaps (near the singing bridge), all from different vehicles; and a mostly-full bottle of Clamato juice (near Blow Horn corner).
We also saw the driver of a huge horse van dealing with the major challenge of trying to make a right turn onto Route 82 from Dupont Road. He had to get out of the truck and check out the intersection to ensure he could make the turn safely. Traffic backed up nearly to Doe Run.
All in all, the group collected 17 garbage bags of litter. The Buck & Doe Trust has these cleanups several times a year, and not only are they fun (you never know what you'll find!), but they let us show our appreciation for our beautiful countryside.

INTERNET: The speed of technology

Whenever I'm dealing with a tech support person, I have a mental picture of a much younger person, a member of the generation who grew up with the Internet and has an innate understanding of all things digital. Sometimes, though, I'm wrong.
The other day I was on the phone for 20 minutes with Anton, a hugely competent Verizon Fios guy who was straightening out my account: it seems my Internet speed had never been upgraded over the years and was now slower than even their entry-level version.
Anton seemed distressed by this and asked with wonder how I had put up with it for so long. I laughed and, flipping easily into old-codger mode, told him about the early days of the digital age, circa 1992, when I could brush my teeth in the time it took for my computer to connect to the Internet (via a noisy external modem), and how even a rainstorm would sever the connection. Compared to that, even my current speed was a marvel.
I told him about how prior to cell phones, if you wanted privacy you had to drag the telephone phone into your bedroom.
Very much to my surprise, he could relate -- he was one of "us" dinosaurs! In fact, he said he used to get in trouble for stretching the phone cord of his family's kitchen phone so far and so often that it hung down to the floor.  

UNIONVILLE: Horses, hounds and hospitality

What a beautiful fall day it was for the annual Cheshire Hunt Conservancy open house on Sunday. New huntsman Barry Magner and first whip Mary Taylor Miller took us on a tour of the kennels. We especially enjoyed seeing the puppies and were impressed by how the hounds quieted down as  soon as Barry approached them (although Edna required a bit of extra encouragement!). Barn manager Kelley Merette and one of the Hunt Masters, Sanna Neilson, showed us around the spotless stables, where the staff horses live. Both of them expertly fielded questions from the guests.
After the tours we enjoyed a terrific meal of pork and lamb, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw (we found the other Hunt Master, Anne Moran, busy dishing out the roasted pork). For dessert, the folks in the pink Punk'd Pineapple mobile ice-cream truck dished up flavors like coffee fudge almond and fudge brownie.
We saw lots of friends and neighbors and were amused by the name tags: guests were classified based what day the hunt visits their territory. We were "Saturday Country" and "Friend of Saturday Country."
As we walked to our car at the end of the event, we saw a circle of youngsters playing a game of catch in the field in front of the Kennels. The sun was sinking, and they were all glowing in the backlight: a lovely, happy end-of-summer sight.