KENNETT: "Friends Not Foes" run

A reader who wants to remain anonymous asked me to mention the inaugural "Friends Not Foes" 5K run scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m. at Anson B. Nixon Park. Perhaps you've seen the signs for the race along the roadside (they stick out among the clutter of political signs).

The "friends not foes" are the Kennett and Unionville high school cross-country teams, which are coached by John Ramagano and Bob Anthony (Kennett coaches) and Mark Lacianca (Unionville head coach).

My reader writes: "Whether the student is the fastest runner or just gets their own PR (personal record), running is one sport that can promote a lifetime of fitness--not only giving physical but psychological benefits as well."

As a giant fan of exercise, and as someone with a personal stake in one of these XC teams, I agree! You can register online at runsignup.com; online registration ends Friday, Nov. 11. 

 

DOGS: The importance of a rabies shot

A friend of mine suffered a dog bite while she was running in the 400 block of South Walnut Street in Kennett Square on Oct. 18.  Unfortunately the dog that bit her was not up to date with its rabies vaccination, so not only does she have a painful bite, but she has to undergo a whole regimen of preventive shots.  She reported the situation to the police and the SPCA and asked me to urge dog owners to PLEASE have their animals vaccinated for rabies.

SCHOOL: Hail to the bus driver

Students in the Unionville-Chadds Ford district received a compliment from an unexpected source: a school bus driver I was chatting with the other day. He told me that the kids on his bus routinely thank him and wish him a nice day.
"They're being brought up right," he said -- although, he acknowledges, sometimes the Friday afternoon run can be a little rowdy!

GIRL SCOUTS: "The Lion King" on Broadway

My friend Karen D'Agusto of East Marlborough accompanied 56 Girl Scouts and their parents on a bus trip to see "The Lion King" on Broadway. It's an annual tradition in the Brandywine Valley Girl Scout Service Unit to visit the Big Apple to see a Disney musical. Karen writes that they were all "mesmerized" by this show and "for some girls, trips to the American Girl and M&M stores were an added treat!"

BRIDGE: Shhh! Frog Hollow Road is open again.

Five years after it was heavily damaged by an oversized truck, the Speakman #1 Covered Bridge on Frog Hollow Road is open again!
To mark the occasion, workers, neighbors and covered-bridge buffs gathered for an informal luncheon on Oct. 19. Tables were set up inside the bridge, and Triple Fresh Catering brought the sandwiches. There was a refreshing lack of the traditional ribbon stretched across the bridge, an oversized pair of scissors, and local dignitaries in hardhats grinning for photos.
The rebuilt bridge over the Buck Run looks wonderful. Eastern Highway Specialists is the contractor who dismantled and then rebuilt the bridge, and the timbers were restored over the winter by Lancaster County Timber Frame. At the opening-day party I met Bob Field, who owns Eastern Highway, and told him how wonderful the rejuvenated bridge looks.
Several residents told me they feel bittersweet about the reopening. Although they'd spent years urging East Fallowfield and West Marlborough township supervisors to act on the project, and they won't miss the lengthy detour up to Strasburg Road, they're not looking forward to the increased traffic and litter.
"It's like we've had a private road," said one.


Triple Fresh catered the bridge opening festivities.



During the opening ceremony, John McKenna (in blue shorts) offers his opinion about where traffic signs should be placed.

GOODBYE: Rest in peace, Leon

Godspeed to Leon Rowe, who died Oct. 19 after living with prostate cancer for many years. Leon, a native of West Grove, was the quintessential history buff: he taught social studies at Avon Grove High School for 30 years and, with his wife Dolores, collected old postcards and political campaign memorabilia.
Whenever I ran into Leon, whether having breakfast at Perkins or at a social get-together, I could be certain I'd hear a funny story or an interesting tidbit of local information. I've never forgotten how, during a period of grief in my life, Leon and Dolores reached out to me and took me out for a very nice dinner.
Rest easy, my friend. My heart goes out to Dolores, whose love and excellent caregiving kept him going for so long.
Visitation is 9 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at Kuzo and Grieco Funeral Home, 250 W. State St., Kennett Square, with a memorial service there at 11:30. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be sent to Neighborhood Hospice, 400 E. Marshall St., West Chester, PA 19380.

 

GREYMAN: Stray cat blues

Add this one to the "no good deed goes unpunished" file.
A couple of Saturdays ago a handsome gray cat showed up on my back deck, and as soon as I opened the storm door, he quickly scooted inside. He endeared himself to all and sundry and proved to be affectionate, good-tempered and tidy. His prime activity was napping in the sun on a pillow.
After no one claimed him on Facebook, and I saw no signs posted on telephone poles around here, I decided to give him a home myself and scheduled an appointment with the vet.
The vet checked to see if the cat was microchipped, and I was stunned and saddened to find out that he was. I left the cat at the office and they alerted the owner, who came and picked him up that afternoon.
I returned home with an empty cat carrier. I'd quickly gotten used to the dear critter waking me up, napping with me, and generally keeping me company around the house. And what shall I do with all the cat food, treats and paraphernalia I purchased? (Yes, that's a rhetorical question. We all know where this is going.)

POW-WOW: Native American Harvest Fest

On Saturday we took advantage of the beautiful autumn weather and went to the Native American Harvest Festival in Hibernia Park. As newcomers we didn't know what to expect, and it turned out to be pretty amazing and moving. There were a lot of people dressed in Native American clothing, what they called their "regalia," but those of us outsiders wearing humdrum jeans and fleece were more than welcome to enter the dance circle and join in (yes, we did so).
During the inter-tribal dances, done to the accompaniment of drumming and chanting, the dancers moved in a slow circle around a smoldering log. At one point, one of the dancers felt moved to approach the drummers and "honor the drum," and we were asked to put away our cameras during this sacred moment.
The performance by Cenzontle Cuicatl, an Aztec dance troupe from Philadelphia, was nothing short of electrifying. They were amazingly vigorous and athletic dancers, and the muscular drummers who kept the beat had wonderful strength and stamina. Just when I thought they'd gotten as intense as they could (one even broke a drumstick), they took it up another notch.
We also watched a skilled hoop dancer, Matt White Eagle, who linked a few dozen hoops (smaller than hula-hoop size) to create globes and flapping wings, not missing a beat of his dance in the process. I would have been tripping all over myself.
It was incongruous to see a man wearing a full animal headdress lighting up a cigarette, another in Mohawk face paint using a baby-blue cellphone, and an intimidating man with an elaborate silver nose ring wearing orange sunglasses.
I wasn't aware that there was so much overlap between the Native American participants and the veterans' movement. There was even an official "Head Veteran," John Ironhorse. Several of the men wore costumes that combined Native American elements with their U.S. military badges and honors and POW/MIA emblems. There was a prominent booth raising money for Iron Warriors, a nonprofit that provides veterans with special service dogs to help them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. And pow-wow proceeds were going to support David's Drive 831, a local nonprofit that helps homeless and hospitalized veterans.
Outside of the dance circle were vendors selling Native American jewelry, clothing and other paraphernalia. One food vendor had an apparent electrical problem with her truck: a pow-wow participant wearing suede moccasins, and standing on wet ground, informed her that he suffered a painful shock when he touched the truck's metal serving hatch. She immediately shut down operations.

MUSHROOMS: A maitake moment

Some weeks, especially if I've been editing until my eyes are bleary and haven't gotten out, I get a little concerned that I won't come up with enough items to fill this column (much less interesting ones).
Then something like this happens.
I was driving on a wooded back road on Friday when I saw a white pickup stopped on the side of the road and a man walking out of the woods carrying what looked like a brain.
You do not know me very well if you have to ask whether I stopped and asked him what was going on.
It turns out he is a mushroom forager named Jason, and what he was carrying was a maitake mushroom he had just harvested from the base of an oak tree. The friendly forager -- he was wearing a "Morel Whisperer" sweatshirt -- was happy to discuss his find and explained that the Latin name of the maitake, Grifola frondosa, comes from the fact that the large fungus does actually appear to be divided into fronds.
Jason displayed an impressive knowledge of mycology. He knows how long it will take for certain mushrooms to appear after a rainstorm, and he knows the frequency with which various species grow in our area. When I asked him how he spotted the maitake (aka hen of the woods), he said that he estimates they grow on one of every three oaks, so when he saw two maitake-less oaks, odds were good he'd find one on the third.
Jason kindly gave me a large portion of the maitake, saying he had 30 or 40 pounds back at the office, and the first thing I did was to smell it. The fragrance was mild, earthy and pleasant and could have been the distilled essence of a moist woods.

A wild maitake mushroom found by Forager Jason.