A copy of the UHS student newspaper, the "Indian Post," came my way recently, and I'm delighted to see that the young journalists are not shying away from controversy.
The lead story, with an accompanying editorial, was about the administration's unpopular decision to require all seniors to take final exams, a decision that "has prompted an outcry from the student body." I'm hoping there is a follow-up story with quotes from the unhappy students.
And there was a full-page story about the recent suspensions of "a number of" students (how many?) who are accused of smoking and drinking at a football game. The reporters did their homework, interviewing not only the principal, James Conley, but also the assistant principal, Amy Jenkins, the Student Council president, Ian Quain, and two seniors.
The paper also featured a point-counterpoint about whether the high school team name (the Indians) should be changed, and both the pro and con sides were excellently and cogently argued.
And I see that dress codes remain a hot topic, just like they were in my high school days.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
UHS: Field hockey seniors
The Unionville High School field hockey team held a ceremony to recognize its 12 seniors on the evening of Oct. 9, just before the game against Coatesville. The underclassmen formed two rows, holding their hockey sticks aloft to form a sort of arch, and each senior walked down the middle with her parents (and sometimes a sibling) as family members in the bleachers cheered and applauded. The announcer shared each girl's favorite hockey memory and future plans.
I thought it was very sweet that the team also recognized the seniors on the Coatesville squad.
I thought it was very sweet that the team also recognized the seniors on the Coatesville squad.
UNIONVILLE: German visitors
A group of firefighters from Cologne, Germany, stopped in at the Po-Mar-Lin Fire Co. on their recent tour of fire stations across America. After showing the visitors around the fire house, the volunteers from Station 36 treated them to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Ricky Tuel's house. I'm told that the camaraderie among the firefighters went a long way toward overcoming the language barrier.
GAP: The Cheese Shoppe
We had passed the Town Clock Cheese Shoppe on Route 41 in Gap many times, but either we were in a hurry or it was closed or about to close. But the stars aligned this past Saturday afternoon and we were finally able to stop in.
Unlike the completely empty cheese shop in the famous Monty Python sketch, this one is full of all sorts of very local, domestic and imported cheeses, as well as lots of snacks. The affable owner, Bill Houder, is immensely knowledgeable about his wares, loves to talk about cheese and is happy to provide you with samples and to suggest wine pairings.
On the walls are lots of old photos and news clippings about the shop, and the owner's collection of antique milk bottles is on display.
We made two purchases: Cromwell Double Gloucester cheese with chives and onion and Kerrygold Dubliner, imported from Ireland.
The shop is open on Wednesday from 3 to 6 p.m. and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Next time I visit I will sample some of the dessert cheeses (sticky toffee cheese was one of them)!
Unlike the completely empty cheese shop in the famous Monty Python sketch, this one is full of all sorts of very local, domestic and imported cheeses, as well as lots of snacks. The affable owner, Bill Houder, is immensely knowledgeable about his wares, loves to talk about cheese and is happy to provide you with samples and to suggest wine pairings.
On the walls are lots of old photos and news clippings about the shop, and the owner's collection of antique milk bottles is on display.
We made two purchases: Cromwell Double Gloucester cheese with chives and onion and Kerrygold Dubliner, imported from Ireland.
The shop is open on Wednesday from 3 to 6 p.m. and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Next time I visit I will sample some of the dessert cheeses (sticky toffee cheese was one of them)!
Sunday, October 8, 2017
HARRISBURG: A mini-Lady Liberty
Next time you are heading to State College, don't miss the 25-foot-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty sitting in the middle of the Susquehanna River. It's near the Route 443 exit of Route 322, just north of Harrisburg. It's wholly unexpected and a wonderful sight! I saw it for the first time on Saturday, when we took a day trip to Sunbury.
According to the Weird US website, "A local lawyer and activist-artist named Gene Stilp put together the first statue with some friends for a bit of a lark to celebrate the original Statue of Liberty’s centennial in the 1980s. When the ersatz replica was finished, they displayed it the closest thing they could find to the plinth on Liberty Island—an old railway bridge piling in the middle of the river.
"There it stood for years, raising a smile from motorists, until wind and weather finally carried it off in the 1990s. People missed it so much that Stilp and his team built a more durable replacement of wood, metal, and fiberglass, moved it onto the piling by helicopter, and lashed it securely to the plinth with cables."
According to the Weird US website, "A local lawyer and activist-artist named Gene Stilp put together the first statue with some friends for a bit of a lark to celebrate the original Statue of Liberty’s centennial in the 1980s. When the ersatz replica was finished, they displayed it the closest thing they could find to the plinth on Liberty Island—an old railway bridge piling in the middle of the river.
"There it stood for years, raising a smile from motorists, until wind and weather finally carried it off in the 1990s. People missed it so much that Stilp and his team built a more durable replacement of wood, metal, and fiberglass, moved it onto the piling by helicopter, and lashed it securely to the plinth with cables."
UNIONVILLE: The Community Fair
It's been many years since I've seen so many vegetable entries at the Unionville Community Fair (aka the Farm Show). The display table was jammed, and the peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, herbs and other garden produce looked spectacular. The judges for the competition were students in the Longwood Gardens professional gardener program, and they said they had fun and were delighted at the high quality of the entries.
Another category with standout entries was preserved foods: there were almost 60 entries, everything from pepper jelly to raspberries to grape juice. After tasting some of the spicy salsa entries, the judges were calling urgently for bottles of water!
Anne Nuse and I were the directors of the baked goods competition. Our judges, Randy, Al, and Elaine, had superhuman constitutions, as the judging took almost three sugar-packed hours. Best of show in the adult contest went to a round loaf of white bread with a chewy, beautifully browned crust. Judge Elaine declared that it could have come from a hallowed South Philadelphia bakery. In the youth contest, the top prize went to a spice muffin that the judges deemed superior to most of the adult entries.
I enjoyed seeing my Fair friends -- Terry, Anne, Dave, Debra, Karen, Berta, Bonnie, Ray, Martin, Danielle, and all the rest -- and thank goodness the weather was perfect and dry for a change.
I've been participating in the Fair for almost 30 years, and I'm so glad the community continues to support this 93-year-old event that hearkens back to the time when Unionville was a largely rural area.
Another category with standout entries was preserved foods: there were almost 60 entries, everything from pepper jelly to raspberries to grape juice. After tasting some of the spicy salsa entries, the judges were calling urgently for bottles of water!
Anne Nuse and I were the directors of the baked goods competition. Our judges, Randy, Al, and Elaine, had superhuman constitutions, as the judging took almost three sugar-packed hours. Best of show in the adult contest went to a round loaf of white bread with a chewy, beautifully browned crust. Judge Elaine declared that it could have come from a hallowed South Philadelphia bakery. In the youth contest, the top prize went to a spice muffin that the judges deemed superior to most of the adult entries.
I enjoyed seeing my Fair friends -- Terry, Anne, Dave, Debra, Karen, Berta, Bonnie, Ray, Martin, Danielle, and all the rest -- and thank goodness the weather was perfect and dry for a change.
I've been participating in the Fair for almost 30 years, and I'm so glad the community continues to support this 93-year-old event that hearkens back to the time when Unionville was a largely rural area.
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