Saturday, June 30, 2018
GIRLS: Intro to Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania is holding an "Introduction to Girl Scouting" program for all girls entering kindergarten or first grade in the Kennett Square and Unionville-Chadds Ford School Districts on July 11 and 12 from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 415 W. State St, Kennett Square. Preregistration is required; RSVP to Colleen at csienkiewicz@gsep.org by July 6. You can call 215-564-2020 for more information.
BRIDGE: Reopening is welcome
"Night and day!" That's how a friend who lives in downtown West Grove describes the volume of traffic before and after the June 21 reopening of the State Street bridge in Avondale. Although the State Street bridge was tiny, closing it for repairs cut off a key route to schools and many neighborhoods, forcing motorists to find detours through West Grove and beyond. My friend said her street is noticeably quieter and the backup at Oakland and Evergreen due to left-turning cars is much diminished.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
SPAWN: A new hobby?
Residents of the Mushroom Capital of the World will be interested in a June 12 story in the "Wall Street Journal" about backyard mushroom growers.
Reporter Anne Marie Chaker writes that "More than 400 food products featuring mushrooms were introduced in 2017, up 22% from a year earlier … The rise of the mushroom comes as more consumers seek so-called functional foods that promise to do more for the body than just provide nutrition."
She interviewed "hobby" gardeners in Maryland, Pittsburgh and Florida who grow chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, shiitakes, morels, wine caps, and lion's mane, as well as people who offer mushroom-cultivation classes.
Reporter Anne Marie Chaker writes that "More than 400 food products featuring mushrooms were introduced in 2017, up 22% from a year earlier … The rise of the mushroom comes as more consumers seek so-called functional foods that promise to do more for the body than just provide nutrition."
She interviewed "hobby" gardeners in Maryland, Pittsburgh and Florida who grow chanterelles, oyster mushrooms, shiitakes, morels, wine caps, and lion's mane, as well as people who offer mushroom-cultivation classes.
SAFETY: Blinded me with headlights
In my driver's license renewal packet was a list of safety tips for, ahem, "mature" drivers (thank you for that euphemism, PennDOT). Some of them hit home, like "Aging eyes become more sensitive to bright light or glare." So darn true! I was driving home through a light rain the other evening and it was a challenge indeed when the oncoming cars were equipped with those dazzling LED headlights.
I smiled at another one of the safety tips, which my dear old Dad stressed to me while teaching me to drive: "Avoid looking directly into headlights of approaching vehicles." Look down at the white line on the edge of the road, he'd counsel me.
I smiled at another one of the safety tips, which my dear old Dad stressed to me while teaching me to drive: "Avoid looking directly into headlights of approaching vehicles." Look down at the white line on the edge of the road, he'd counsel me.
NEWLIN: Sewage in the Brandywine?
Janie Baird, who chairs the Newlin Township Board of Supervisors, gave me a heads-up about an important hearing that the state Department of Environmental Protection will be holding about the fate of the old Embreeville sewage treatment plant on Strasburg Road.
At the hearing, which will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17, at the Marshallton United Methodist Church, 1282 W. Strasburg Rd., the DEP will "take testimony concerning the Department's intent to renew NPDES Permit No. PA0029912 to Embreeville Redevelopment GP, LLC for the discharge of treated sewage from Embreeville Complex STP to West Branch Brandywine Creek located in Newlin Township, Chester County."
According to Janie, "The old plant is a stream discharge system discharging treated sewage into the west branch of Brandywine Creek just past the canoe launch at ChesLen Preserve."
She said that "Newlin residents and environmental organizations petitioned DEP for a hearing regarding the renewal of the STP’s permit for another 5 years. Obviously, no one wants it to discharge into the Brandywine."
As I'm sure readers know, Embreeville Redevelopment is the group that bought the former Embreeville Hospital property and proposed a housing development and strip mall for the 200-acre site. After years of hearings, controversy, and protests from residents, West Bradford Township rejected the plan earlier this year.
Janie provided some key background: "The plant is in Newlin Township but was never owned or used by Newlin. It was part of the old Embreeville Hospital grounds. After the hospital was closed, it was used by the State Police barracks and the PennDOT garage until about 4 or so years ago when these folks joined in with W. Bradford’s modern lagoon/spray irrigation sewage plant just down the road from this old (1930-1940 era) sewage treatment plant located in Newlin. . . . Part of the developer’s plan was to open up the old sewage plant and use that for the development. There is no way the developer could bring the plant up to modern standards like what is available about 1/2 mile down Rt 162 in West Bradford."
At the hearing, which will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17, at the Marshallton United Methodist Church, 1282 W. Strasburg Rd., the DEP will "take testimony concerning the Department's intent to renew NPDES Permit No. PA0029912 to Embreeville Redevelopment GP, LLC for the discharge of treated sewage from Embreeville Complex STP to West Branch Brandywine Creek located in Newlin Township, Chester County."
According to Janie, "The old plant is a stream discharge system discharging treated sewage into the west branch of Brandywine Creek just past the canoe launch at ChesLen Preserve."
She said that "Newlin residents and environmental organizations petitioned DEP for a hearing regarding the renewal of the STP’s permit for another 5 years. Obviously, no one wants it to discharge into the Brandywine."
As I'm sure readers know, Embreeville Redevelopment is the group that bought the former Embreeville Hospital property and proposed a housing development and strip mall for the 200-acre site. After years of hearings, controversy, and protests from residents, West Bradford Township rejected the plan earlier this year.
Janie provided some key background: "The plant is in Newlin Township but was never owned or used by Newlin. It was part of the old Embreeville Hospital grounds. After the hospital was closed, it was used by the State Police barracks and the PennDOT garage until about 4 or so years ago when these folks joined in with W. Bradford’s modern lagoon/spray irrigation sewage plant just down the road from this old (1930-1940 era) sewage treatment plant located in Newlin. . . . Part of the developer’s plan was to open up the old sewage plant and use that for the development. There is no way the developer could bring the plant up to modern standards like what is available about 1/2 mile down Rt 162 in West Bradford."
WORK: Separated by a common language
My most recent project is right up my alley: I'm translating a "British English" book about undergraduate research skills into "American English." It's not just a matter of changing "analyse" to "analyze" and "behaviour" to "behavior." I also have to be on the lookout for "flatmates," "tutor," "straightaway," and "tick" (in the sense of a check mark). British English also uses single quote marks where we would use two, and they put commas and periods ("full stops") outside of the quote marks rather than the reverse. So far the authors have been pretty good about avoiding "one" and "oneself," as the text is supposed to be written in a colloquial style.
KENNETT: Anson B. Nixon concerts
The iffy weather kept a lot of people away from the second concert in the Anson B. Nixon Park summer series, which is too bad: the predicted rain did not manifest itself and the high-energy Carlos Santana tribute band, The Inca Band, was very enjoyable. They ended their show with two of Santana's biggest hits, "Evil Ways" and "Oye Como Va."
At these shows we always enjoy watching the energetic kids who run around on the steps leading up to the stage and dance in the gravel area in front of the bandstand. At one point a band member gave one boy a pair of drumsticks, and the little guy drummed along with them on the steps the rest of the show. If he becomes a superstar rock percussionist, he's got a great anecdote about how he got his start.
At the season opener (with Minnesota singer/songwriter Jake Armerding and his band) we ate sandwiches from Kennett Brewing Company, and at the Inca Band show we brought chicken pot pies from Nomadic Pies in downtown Kennett.
At this year's shows so far I've noticed that some of the smokers in the crowd have started using e-cigarettes, which produce only water vapor instead of smoke. Those of us who dislike cigarette (and especially cigar) smoke are most grateful!
The free concerts continue every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m.
At these shows we always enjoy watching the energetic kids who run around on the steps leading up to the stage and dance in the gravel area in front of the bandstand. At one point a band member gave one boy a pair of drumsticks, and the little guy drummed along with them on the steps the rest of the show. If he becomes a superstar rock percussionist, he's got a great anecdote about how he got his start.
At the season opener (with Minnesota singer/songwriter Jake Armerding and his band) we ate sandwiches from Kennett Brewing Company, and at the Inca Band show we brought chicken pot pies from Nomadic Pies in downtown Kennett.
At this year's shows so far I've noticed that some of the smokers in the crowd have started using e-cigarettes, which produce only water vapor instead of smoke. Those of us who dislike cigarette (and especially cigar) smoke are most grateful!
The free concerts continue every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m.
REUNION TIME: Good stories and good food
Last weekend we traveled to Lafayette Hill, near Conshohocken, for a family reunion, one of two we attend each summer. After four years of these get-togethers, I'm finally starting to remember a few names and hobbies, although tracing family relationships with any degree of accuracy remains far beyond me.
As part of this reunion every family member shares what's been going on in his or her world since the prior summer. I was amused to hear that one youth who had some disciplinary problems in high school has found his niche as a whiz kid with a cybersecurity firm. It reminded me of a high-school friend who became a hugely successful boarding school teacher because he knew all the tricks the boys could get up to; he'd done them all, plus some.
Two men reported that they had undergone the same type of knee surgery: one was out of work for a leisurely six weeks, the other was expected to be back at work in three days. The man with the shorter recovery time remarked wryly that he guessed it all depends who you work for. His boss, sitting next to him, made a point of ostentatiously pretending not to notice the comment.
I always enjoy talking to one regular attendee about her garden pests. Last year she was battling groundhogs; this year it's chipmunks. She is both serious and ruthless about protecting her vegetables: Let's just say that the population of those cute little critters in the Wagontown vicinity has been seriously diminished.
As part of this reunion every family member shares what's been going on in his or her world since the prior summer. I was amused to hear that one youth who had some disciplinary problems in high school has found his niche as a whiz kid with a cybersecurity firm. It reminded me of a high-school friend who became a hugely successful boarding school teacher because he knew all the tricks the boys could get up to; he'd done them all, plus some.
Two men reported that they had undergone the same type of knee surgery: one was out of work for a leisurely six weeks, the other was expected to be back at work in three days. The man with the shorter recovery time remarked wryly that he guessed it all depends who you work for. His boss, sitting next to him, made a point of ostentatiously pretending not to notice the comment.
I always enjoy talking to one regular attendee about her garden pests. Last year she was battling groundhogs; this year it's chipmunks. She is both serious and ruthless about protecting her vegetables: Let's just say that the population of those cute little critters in the Wagontown vicinity has been seriously diminished.
Saturday, June 23, 2018
UHS: The class of 1958
What an honor it was for me to attend the 60th reunion of the Unionville High School class of 1958 at Hood's BBQ on June 20.
Bill Heyburn gave a heartfelt speech after dinner, saying how wonderful it was to see everyone, even if they were all walking a little more slowly, and reminiscing fondly about his and his classmates' youthful hijinks. He spoke about how fate's twists and turns have made him appreciate life more these days.
Among the guests were Sue Smith Dreisbach and George Dreisbach Sr. (high-school sweethearts who have been married for 59 years), Roland Riggins and wife Velma; Janet Darlington Haldeman and John Paul Haldeman; Janet Hassett Kane; Charles "Chuck" Lawrence and wife Arlene; Victor "Vick" Brinton and wife Nancy; Joan Madron; Judy Reed Harvey; Shirley Lyng Annand (who went on to serve on the school board); and Susie Washburn Spackman. (I apologize if I didn't get everybody's names.)
I heard lots of conversations about kids, grandkids and the drastic changes that have taken place in the school and the once-rural area. Several people brought their yearbooks. Bill mentioned Skip DeHart, a classmate who did all the artwork in the yearbook but suffered serious burns in an accident his senior year and never got to graduate. Someone suggested that as he still lives locally, perhaps the school board could issue him a belated diploma.
Thank you, class of '58, for your kind welcome!
Coincidentally, a few members of the class of 1963 (among them Helen Martin and Lou Mandich) met at Hood's for lunch on June 19 to plan their upcoming 55th reunion.
Bill Heyburn gave a heartfelt speech after dinner, saying how wonderful it was to see everyone, even if they were all walking a little more slowly, and reminiscing fondly about his and his classmates' youthful hijinks. He spoke about how fate's twists and turns have made him appreciate life more these days.
Among the guests were Sue Smith Dreisbach and George Dreisbach Sr. (high-school sweethearts who have been married for 59 years), Roland Riggins and wife Velma; Janet Darlington Haldeman and John Paul Haldeman; Janet Hassett Kane; Charles "Chuck" Lawrence and wife Arlene; Victor "Vick" Brinton and wife Nancy; Joan Madron; Judy Reed Harvey; Shirley Lyng Annand (who went on to serve on the school board); and Susie Washburn Spackman. (I apologize if I didn't get everybody's names.)
I heard lots of conversations about kids, grandkids and the drastic changes that have taken place in the school and the once-rural area. Several people brought their yearbooks. Bill mentioned Skip DeHart, a classmate who did all the artwork in the yearbook but suffered serious burns in an accident his senior year and never got to graduate. Someone suggested that as he still lives locally, perhaps the school board could issue him a belated diploma.
Thank you, class of '58, for your kind welcome!
Coincidentally, a few members of the class of 1963 (among them Helen Martin and Lou Mandich) met at Hood's for lunch on June 19 to plan their upcoming 55th reunion.
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| The UHS Class of 1958 yearbook. |
ENGLISH: A few pet peeves
It would make Tilda very happy if people would stop saying and writing "brutal murder" or "brutal assault." Murders and assaults are by their nature brutal. It's redundant.
Another thing that drives Tilda crazy is the increasingly common use of "around," as in "a discussion around immigration." Who started this usage anyway? When you talk "around" something, you avoid the topic. Why not just say, "a discussion about immigration"?
Another thing that drives Tilda crazy is the increasingly common use of "around," as in "a discussion around immigration." Who started this usage anyway? When you talk "around" something, you avoid the topic. Why not just say, "a discussion about immigration"?
AVONDALE: The bridge is open!
Jubilation reigned across southern Chester County as motorists realized that the State Street bridge in Avondale has been reopened after nearly a year.
I was invited to an impromptu celebration at the bridge at 6 p.m. June 21, just minutes after the barriers came down, and drivers were honking their horns, whooping and pumping their fists in delight.
The bridge is a tiny one but is on a key road leading to schools and new developments, so during the reconstruction drivers had to take lengthy detours and traffic backed up in unexpected "downstream" places like downtown West Grove and even Jennersville. Everyone seems to have a story of how the closure inconvenienced them, from dealing with an onslaught of cars on their normally quiet road to allotting more time for daily errands.
I was invited to an impromptu celebration at the bridge at 6 p.m. June 21, just minutes after the barriers came down, and drivers were honking their horns, whooping and pumping their fists in delight.
The bridge is a tiny one but is on a key road leading to schools and new developments, so during the reconstruction drivers had to take lengthy detours and traffic backed up in unexpected "downstream" places like downtown West Grove and even Jennersville. Everyone seems to have a story of how the closure inconvenienced them, from dealing with an onslaught of cars on their normally quiet road to allotting more time for daily errands.
UNIONVILLE: Rescue Dog Parade
I had the pleasure of stopping by the third annual Rescue Dog Parade, held at noon on June 20 at Plantation Field. This year 22 rescued dogs took part in the parade, with prizes for the biggest, smallest, oldest, youngest, and hairiest and the dog that was rescued from farthest away.
Among the winners were Ginny, a half-bearded collie/half-border collie, rescued from Chicago (hairiest), and Daisy and Duncan, a 12-year-old brother and sister half-English bulldog/half-pug pair (oldest). The dog rescued from farthest away was from New Mexico!
Sponsors of the parade were PetValu and Penn Vet. Proceeds benefited All Mutts Matter and the Rescue at Greenmore Farm.
Among the winners were Ginny, a half-bearded collie/half-border collie, rescued from Chicago (hairiest), and Daisy and Duncan, a 12-year-old brother and sister half-English bulldog/half-pug pair (oldest). The dog rescued from farthest away was from New Mexico!
Sponsors of the parade were PetValu and Penn Vet. Proceeds benefited All Mutts Matter and the Rescue at Greenmore Farm.
KENNETT: Clifton Mill bridge closed
This is going to cause problems for the folks who use Old Kennett Road to commute to Delaware. Due to "structural concerns," on June 22 PennDOT mandated the immediate and indefinite closure of the Clifton Mill bridge, the small bridge over the Red Clay Creek where Route 82 and Old Kennett Road meet (the Clifton Mill antique shop is in a big red barn right at the crossroads). Detours will be posted.
COCHRANVILLE: BBQ and wine news
I'm told that Cochranville will soon have its own BBQ joint. Sullivan's Heritage BBQ is supposed to be opening at Routes 10 and 41; you can keep track of their progress on their website.
In other Cochranville news, the 10 & 41 antique shop has received permission to sell wine, and they are featuring "a variety of varietals" made by and bottled at Manatawny Creek Winery, a 90-acre family-owned farm in Douglassville, Berks County.
In other Cochranville news, the 10 & 41 antique shop has received permission to sell wine, and they are featuring "a variety of varietals" made by and bottled at Manatawny Creek Winery, a 90-acre family-owned farm in Douglassville, Berks County.
VACATION: Summer break starts
An Avon-Grove elementary school teacher friend who was eagerly counting down the days until the end of school now finds herself bored and tired of "doing nothing" during the day. She has already applied for a waitressing job.
Friday, June 22, 2018
ABVM: Reusing a former church
The former Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic church in the middle of West Grove has been sold, remodeled and turned into a performance and event space. The religious artifacts have been removed, and the columns have been given a faux-marble finish.
On the announcement board out front that used to list the times of Masses, Confessions and Rosary recitations is the new name, the "West Grove Chapel." It's now available for parties or receptions.
On the announcement board out front that used to list the times of Masses, Confessions and Rosary recitations is the new name, the "West Grove Chapel." It's now available for parties or receptions.
TRAFFIC STUDY: Cruise control
So, Tilda, how's that driving-the-speed-limit thing going? A few weeks ago I mentioned a suggestion made at the June West Marlborough township meeting that we should all drive the speed limit in an attempt to discourage motorists from using our quiet country roads. I decided to try abiding by the speed limit (I know, a radical act) just to see what would happen.
I would wager that I have done my share to frustrate the drivers behind me by sticking to 40 mph on Newark Road, 45 mph on Routes 841, 842 and 926, and 25 mph through downtown Kennett. On the Route 1 bypass I was "passed by" everybody when I set the cruise control at 55 mph. Somebody actually passed me on Hood Road, shooting me a dirty look, when I slowed for horses. I was nearly rear-ended when I braked for that sharp curve on southbound 841 near Laramee Road.
On Route 82 out here in the country, vehicles were on my tail from out of nowhere.
I found that the stretch of road where it was hardest to obey the speed limit was on Newark Road near the New Garden airport, where the limit is 25 mph for quite some distance.
I would wager that I have done my share to frustrate the drivers behind me by sticking to 40 mph on Newark Road, 45 mph on Routes 841, 842 and 926, and 25 mph through downtown Kennett. On the Route 1 bypass I was "passed by" everybody when I set the cruise control at 55 mph. Somebody actually passed me on Hood Road, shooting me a dirty look, when I slowed for horses. I was nearly rear-ended when I braked for that sharp curve on southbound 841 near Laramee Road.
On Route 82 out here in the country, vehicles were on my tail from out of nowhere.
I found that the stretch of road where it was hardest to obey the speed limit was on Newark Road near the New Garden airport, where the limit is 25 mph for quite some distance.
WEST GROVE: Momma Fox 1, George Fox 0
This June 24 event was on my schedule, but it looks as if the West Grove Friends were outfoxed. In their words:
CANCELLED - Summer Solstice Celebration & Worship
Please note, we have had to cancel this event due to unusual circumstances. We will NOT be meeting at New West Grove on Sunday as originally announced. It turns out a family of foxes have made their home in the basement and Momma fox brings dead things for the babies to eat, emitting some odors which waft through the air and upstairs. Between the possibility of odors and the heat, we decided to cancel the planned solstice-time worship at New West Grove. We can try again for the Fall equinox . . . the fox family should have moved on by then.
CANCELLED - Summer Solstice Celebration & Worship
Please note, we have had to cancel this event due to unusual circumstances. We will NOT be meeting at New West Grove on Sunday as originally announced. It turns out a family of foxes have made their home in the basement and Momma fox brings dead things for the babies to eat, emitting some odors which waft through the air and upstairs. Between the possibility of odors and the heat, we decided to cancel the planned solstice-time worship at New West Grove. We can try again for the Fall equinox . . . the fox family should have moved on by then.
Friday, June 15, 2018
NEWLIN: Improving safety
In last week's column a reader mentioned that she was involved in a near-miss at the intersection of Route 842 with Cannery and Marlboro Springs Road and wanted to alert others that Route 842 motorists have the right-of-way.
Immediately after the item appeared, Newlin Township supervisors' chairman Janie Baird emailed me that the township has installed "Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” signs below the stop signs on Cannery and Marlboro Springs Roads (both are township roads) as well as “Stop Ahead” signs further back from the actual stop signs. Route 842 is a state road, and the township has asked PennDot to install "intersection" signs in both directions near the crossroads.
"We are hopeful that these efforts will improve the safety in this part of our township," Supervisor Baird wrote.
Immediately after the item appeared, Newlin Township supervisors' chairman Janie Baird emailed me that the township has installed "Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” signs below the stop signs on Cannery and Marlboro Springs Roads (both are township roads) as well as “Stop Ahead” signs further back from the actual stop signs. Route 842 is a state road, and the township has asked PennDot to install "intersection" signs in both directions near the crossroads.
"We are hopeful that these efforts will improve the safety in this part of our township," Supervisor Baird wrote.
WEST GROVE: Welcoming summer
West Grove Friends Meeting will be celebrating the arrival of summer by holding Quaker Meeting for Worship on Sunday, June 24, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at "New" West Grove Meeting, 609 West State Road.
The "New" meetinghouse, built in 1831, is not regularly used. It lacks electricity, plumbing, and bathrooms but has a wonderful, rustic ambiance. Ann Preston (the first female dean of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania) is buried in the burial ground.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
The "New" meetinghouse, built in 1831, is not regularly used. It lacks electricity, plumbing, and bathrooms but has a wonderful, rustic ambiance. Ann Preston (the first female dean of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania) is buried in the burial ground.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
POLITICS: Serving as a proxy
I was on my way to a gym class on Tuesday when I got a rushed phone call from a friend, a local political organizer. She needed a registered voter from my township to attend a county political meeting in West Chester that very evening. Was there any possible chance I could go?
Sure, I said.
So after my gym class I cobbled together a clean outfit from the Y's lost-and-found box and the emergency clothes that live in my car. Still not sure what meeting I was going to or what I was supposed to do, I drove to Fugett Middle School.
My host welcomed me at the door with relief and explained that this was the party's county convention, and my duties were simply to vote as a proxy on two proposed changes to the bylaws. You'll be out of here in half-an-hour, she assured me.
Famous last words. The proposed changes, dealing with the terms and gender requirements of local committee persons, sparked heated debate. I haven't heard so much talk about parliamentary procedure and "suspending the rules" since my time with the students' union in college. Opponents demanded that a secret ballot rather than a voice vote be taken and then, after the fact, disputed the committee's judgment about who had won an earlier voice vote.
While we were waiting for the blue paper ballots to be collected and counted, a man running for office took the stage and gave what I imagine is his standard speech.
The seasoned political operatives next to me kept apologizing for the furor, saying with disbelief, "This never happens."
Honestly, I didn't mind. It was actually entertaining, and far from a typical Tuesday evening.
Sure, I said.
So after my gym class I cobbled together a clean outfit from the Y's lost-and-found box and the emergency clothes that live in my car. Still not sure what meeting I was going to or what I was supposed to do, I drove to Fugett Middle School.
My host welcomed me at the door with relief and explained that this was the party's county convention, and my duties were simply to vote as a proxy on two proposed changes to the bylaws. You'll be out of here in half-an-hour, she assured me.
Famous last words. The proposed changes, dealing with the terms and gender requirements of local committee persons, sparked heated debate. I haven't heard so much talk about parliamentary procedure and "suspending the rules" since my time with the students' union in college. Opponents demanded that a secret ballot rather than a voice vote be taken and then, after the fact, disputed the committee's judgment about who had won an earlier voice vote.
While we were waiting for the blue paper ballots to be collected and counted, a man running for office took the stage and gave what I imagine is his standard speech.
The seasoned political operatives next to me kept apologizing for the furor, saying with disbelief, "This never happens."
Honestly, I didn't mind. It was actually entertaining, and far from a typical Tuesday evening.
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Prize-winning cattle
Congratulations to our neighbors at Cherry Knoll Farm, who took home "Premier Breeder" honors for the second year in a row at the Atlantic National Super Point Roll of Victory Angus show in Timonium, Maryland, in May. Cattle manager Tim Fitzgerald and his team also won six championship and five reserve championship titles. Margaret and Bob Duprey own Cherry Knoll.
WEDDING: Lots of love
On Saturday we went to Stephanie Bernasconi and Jeff Nelson's wedding at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. The short ceremony was held outside behind the museum, followed by a cocktail reception (during which a museum employee made the rounds carrying a ball python and a bearded dragon) and a buffet dinner.
The food was amazing. Among the hors d'oeuvres were noodles in take-out boxes, complete with chopsticks. The waiter was mobbed every time he brought a fresh platter of them from the kitchen.
For dinner, we feasted on the make-your-own tacos in the dinosaur room and the muffalettas and other Cajun food by the undersea exhibit. Only later did we discover that there was a third food station: salad, pulled pork and mac-and-cheese (we managed to find room in our bellies).
The guests were a colorful mixture. I spotted the bride's cousin, model Rana McAnear, who portrays the science-fiction character Samara at comic-book conventions. One man was wearing a kilt with his family's tartan, and his wife was wearing a kimono (she said she would need to loosen her obi for dinner). Dearest Partner ran into a high-school classmate.
The groom's brother gave the toast to the newlyweds and brought tears to this guest's eyes with one of the sweetest, most loving speeches you can imagine. He spoke tenderly of his siblings and how Stephanie, over the years, had become a vital part of their tight bond. He recalled that during a health crisis in his family, the bride, while still in college, immediately offered to drop everything, go anywhere and do anything that was needed to help.
The venue was great, there was plenty of food, and all the "business" of the event was handled perfectly. But the most beautiful and important part of the evening was the way the bride and groom simply sparkled when they looked at each other. It was just so obvious that they were delighted to be united in wedlock. All best wishes to them!
(I should mention: Stephanie's parents are Steven Bernasconi and Karen D'Agusto of East Marlborough, and Stephanie went to Tower Hill and Dickinson.)
The food was amazing. Among the hors d'oeuvres were noodles in take-out boxes, complete with chopsticks. The waiter was mobbed every time he brought a fresh platter of them from the kitchen.
For dinner, we feasted on the make-your-own tacos in the dinosaur room and the muffalettas and other Cajun food by the undersea exhibit. Only later did we discover that there was a third food station: salad, pulled pork and mac-and-cheese (we managed to find room in our bellies).
The guests were a colorful mixture. I spotted the bride's cousin, model Rana McAnear, who portrays the science-fiction character Samara at comic-book conventions. One man was wearing a kilt with his family's tartan, and his wife was wearing a kimono (she said she would need to loosen her obi for dinner). Dearest Partner ran into a high-school classmate.
The groom's brother gave the toast to the newlyweds and brought tears to this guest's eyes with one of the sweetest, most loving speeches you can imagine. He spoke tenderly of his siblings and how Stephanie, over the years, had become a vital part of their tight bond. He recalled that during a health crisis in his family, the bride, while still in college, immediately offered to drop everything, go anywhere and do anything that was needed to help.
The venue was great, there was plenty of food, and all the "business" of the event was handled perfectly. But the most beautiful and important part of the evening was the way the bride and groom simply sparkled when they looked at each other. It was just so obvious that they were delighted to be united in wedlock. All best wishes to them!
(I should mention: Stephanie's parents are Steven Bernasconi and Karen D'Agusto of East Marlborough, and Stephanie went to Tower Hill and Dickinson.)
LONDON GROVE: It's a black-and-white issue
If you are driving north on Route 41 near the SECCRA landfill, don't miss the whimsical new graphics at Walmoore Holsteins. Several of the silos at the dairy farm have been painted with a black-and-white Holstein pattern!
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| Holstein silos at Walmoore farm on Route 41 |
CENSUS: Way more than 20 questions
On Saturday morning a U.S. Census interviewer knocked on my door to collect information for a "Survey of Income and Program Participation" they were doing. It wasn't a complete surprise, as I'd received a "Dear Resident" letter a week before saying I'd been picked to be interviewed and I would be hearing from them.
So I sat down with the fellow, who asked about everything from whether I received assistance from any government programs, to my investments and income, to how often I visited the dentist.
I declined to answer quite a few of the questions (it's none of the government's business whether I own a boat or how much money is in my checking account), but I was delighted to share with the government all the information I could about the outrageously high health-insurance premiums that I pay as a self-employed person.
The final part of the half-hour interview dealt with domestic issues like whether I have a working hot-water heater and whether I feel safe in my neighborhood (yes to both).
I told him that I really didn't think I was very representative of most Americans, but he said that everyone, no matter how much of an outlier, is still part of the population.
During the interview we were sitting on my deck, with Clarence the cat snoozing on my lap, the breeze blowing through the trees and the pasture, and the goldfinches flying around and chirping merrily.
"Are you bothered by street noise?" the interviewer asked. "Umm, I'm guessing I don't have to ask that."
So I sat down with the fellow, who asked about everything from whether I received assistance from any government programs, to my investments and income, to how often I visited the dentist.
I declined to answer quite a few of the questions (it's none of the government's business whether I own a boat or how much money is in my checking account), but I was delighted to share with the government all the information I could about the outrageously high health-insurance premiums that I pay as a self-employed person.
The final part of the half-hour interview dealt with domestic issues like whether I have a working hot-water heater and whether I feel safe in my neighborhood (yes to both).
I told him that I really didn't think I was very representative of most Americans, but he said that everyone, no matter how much of an outlier, is still part of the population.
During the interview we were sitting on my deck, with Clarence the cat snoozing on my lap, the breeze blowing through the trees and the pasture, and the goldfinches flying around and chirping merrily.
"Are you bothered by street noise?" the interviewer asked. "Umm, I'm guessing I don't have to ask that."
KENNETT: She's the group's new president
Kennett Square's Danielle Chamberlain has been named president of the Pennsylvania Land Title Association, the trade association for the state's title insurance industry. Danielle is an assistant VP and agency representative with Fidelity National Title Insurance Company in Blue Bell.
In her non-title insurance life, she's a wife, mother of two, and a board member and past president of the Unionville Community Fair.
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| Danielle Chamberlain |
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UNIONVILLE: Kindness at the post office
Chuun Ok, who was back at the Unionville Post Office substituting for Postmaster Brian this past week, made Melissa Grafton Marino's day on June 14.
Melissa writes:
"Unionville is small, sometimes too small, but days like today make me love where I live! Today (at 8 a.m., before she opened) she saw me open my boxes & started yelling, “Hold on!” I thought maybe she had some more mail for me."
No: she had a gift for Melissa's baby daughter, Devyn, along with a handwritten note.
"I don’t get caught off guard very often, but this small act of love and kindness is something that is too far and between nowadays," Melissa said. "I just wanted everyone in Unionville to know what a special person Chuun Ok is."
Melissa writes:
"Unionville is small, sometimes too small, but days like today make me love where I live! Today (at 8 a.m., before she opened) she saw me open my boxes & started yelling, “Hold on!” I thought maybe she had some more mail for me."
No: she had a gift for Melissa's baby daughter, Devyn, along with a handwritten note.
"I don’t get caught off guard very often, but this small act of love and kindness is something that is too far and between nowadays," Melissa said. "I just wanted everyone in Unionville to know what a special person Chuun Ok is."
Monday, June 11, 2018
SPRING: Tilda's nature notes
It's almost the end of this peculiar spring.
Everything seems late to me, although orchard-owner Lewis Barnard told me that his fruit trees flowered right on schedule. I don't even have my pumpkins or potatoes planted yet (there are some potato volunteers coming up in the garden, despite my best efforts to harvest all of the purple spuds).
My deck is covered with little fuzzies from the white pines, and tiny maple saplings seem to be sprouting at random all over the garden.
The pollen was rampant this year, coating the dashboard of my car even when the windows were rolled up (I keep a Swiffer cloth in the glove box). The yellow stuff represented yet another novelty of country life for our Manhattan friend who recently moved to Chadds Ford: "There's pollen on my Mercedes!" he spluttered in mock-outrage. I mean, how dare it?!
Six brown wren eggs are waiting to hatch in a nest inside my bird feeder, and I see the mama wren frequently hopping in and out. I'm eager to check on their progress, but don't want to disturb her. The goslings at the Stone Barn pond are starting to lose their adorable fuzziness, though they are still dutiful about following their elders in single file as they cross Upland Road.
In the pasture behind my house, big purple thistles are outgrowing the rest of the grasses, and on the road banks the orange daylilies are about to bloom.
On the way home the other night we spotted lightning bugs hovering over a pasture. I've gotten my first mosquito bites, and I'm sure my first poison ivy blisters are on their way soon.
Everything seems late to me, although orchard-owner Lewis Barnard told me that his fruit trees flowered right on schedule. I don't even have my pumpkins or potatoes planted yet (there are some potato volunteers coming up in the garden, despite my best efforts to harvest all of the purple spuds).
My deck is covered with little fuzzies from the white pines, and tiny maple saplings seem to be sprouting at random all over the garden.
The pollen was rampant this year, coating the dashboard of my car even when the windows were rolled up (I keep a Swiffer cloth in the glove box). The yellow stuff represented yet another novelty of country life for our Manhattan friend who recently moved to Chadds Ford: "There's pollen on my Mercedes!" he spluttered in mock-outrage. I mean, how dare it?!
Six brown wren eggs are waiting to hatch in a nest inside my bird feeder, and I see the mama wren frequently hopping in and out. I'm eager to check on their progress, but don't want to disturb her. The goslings at the Stone Barn pond are starting to lose their adorable fuzziness, though they are still dutiful about following their elders in single file as they cross Upland Road.
In the pasture behind my house, big purple thistles are outgrowing the rest of the grasses, and on the road banks the orange daylilies are about to bloom.
On the way home the other night we spotted lightning bugs hovering over a pasture. I've gotten my first mosquito bites, and I'm sure my first poison ivy blisters are on their way soon.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
NEWLIN: Dangerous intersection
Apparently some motorists don't realize that Route 842 traffic has the right-of-way at the intersection with Cannery Road and Marlboro Spring Road.
Reader Terry Kinter of Unionville narrowly avoided a crash there at 8:25 a.m. June 8 and asked me to alert readers to the danger.
Terry writes: "Traffic on 842 does not have to stop at this intersection. I was traveling on 842 toward Northbrook and the driver coming from Cannery approaching Rt. 842 toward Marlboro Spring was traveling at high speed and seemed to wake up as he was halfway into the intersection. I saw him heading to broadside me, then heard the brakes screeching and narrowly missing me. Fortunately the car behind me was far enough behind that the errant driver threaded the needle between us."
Reader Terry Kinter of Unionville narrowly avoided a crash there at 8:25 a.m. June 8 and asked me to alert readers to the danger.
Terry writes: "Traffic on 842 does not have to stop at this intersection. I was traveling on 842 toward Northbrook and the driver coming from Cannery approaching Rt. 842 toward Marlboro Spring was traveling at high speed and seemed to wake up as he was halfway into the intersection. I saw him heading to broadside me, then heard the brakes screeching and narrowly missing me. Fortunately the car behind me was far enough behind that the errant driver threaded the needle between us."
Saturday, June 9, 2018
SEASONS: Summer solstice
If you, like Daisy Buchanan in "The Great Gatsby," always miss the "longest" day of the year (meaning the most hours of sunlight), take note: the summer solstice this year is on Thursday, June 21. After that, the hours of daylight will start to diminish here in the Northern Hemisphere.
If you want to celebrate the solstice, a labyrinth walk is being held from 6 to 7 p.m. June 21 at the Delaware Art Museum's labyrinth.
If you want to celebrate the solstice, a labyrinth walk is being held from 6 to 7 p.m. June 21 at the Delaware Art Museum's labyrinth.
CVS: A handy hack
I was picking up a prescription at CVS the other day and noticed that the busy pharmacy tech had a bar code stuck to the back of his hand. I asked him about it (curiosity is deeply embedded in the Tally-ho genetic makeup), and he explained that he has to enter his identity into the computer system so often that he finds it most efficient to just have it right there on his hand.
I've certainly seen people use the ID cards on their neck lanyards to scan in before, but never their hands. Soon we will all be microchipped like our pets.
I've certainly seen people use the ID cards on their neck lanyards to scan in before, but never their hands. Soon we will all be microchipped like our pets.
MARLBORO: Quaker picnic
The annual Marlborough Friends Meeting picnic on Sunday, June 3, drew worshippers of various faiths as well as people from the village and the surrounding neighborhood.
After a peaceful Meeting for Worship we headed into the social room, where lunch was laid out: BBQ chicken, ham, deviled eggs, chili, hot dogs and baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, fruit, brownies and cake. Much more extensive fare than the standard potluck, and all very tasty.
At lunch we had the chance to catch up with old friends like Martin and Sandy Reber and Lewis Barnard (of Barnard's Orchards) and met some new ones. One fellow had, like us, gone on the library's Home and Garden Tour the day before, and we shared our impressions of the houses.
After lunch we explored the burial ground, where generations of Clouds, Martins, Bailys and Barnards (good old Chester County names) are buried.
Thank you to Chip and Penny Thomas and all the Friends at Marlborough for keeping up this tradition.
After a peaceful Meeting for Worship we headed into the social room, where lunch was laid out: BBQ chicken, ham, deviled eggs, chili, hot dogs and baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, fruit, brownies and cake. Much more extensive fare than the standard potluck, and all very tasty.
At lunch we had the chance to catch up with old friends like Martin and Sandy Reber and Lewis Barnard (of Barnard's Orchards) and met some new ones. One fellow had, like us, gone on the library's Home and Garden Tour the day before, and we shared our impressions of the houses.
After lunch we explored the burial ground, where generations of Clouds, Martins, Bailys and Barnards (good old Chester County names) are buried.
Thank you to Chip and Penny Thomas and all the Friends at Marlborough for keeping up this tradition.
KENNETT: Vacuum store
Rave customer reviews have been coming in on social media for John Kuder's new store, House of Vacuums, at 305 West State Street in downtown Kennett. He sells new vacuums and parts and also repairs vacuums and sewing machines.
To grab the attention of passersby, he built an oversized "Mega-Vac" and displays it in the parking lot. Every time I drive by it reminds me of Graham Greene's novel "Our Man in Havana," where a reluctant spy -- a vacuum cleaner salesman who accepted the side job just so he could pay for his daughter's horse -- submits to his superiors what he claims are top-secret plans for military installations but are actually just greatly enlarged drawings of vacuum cleaner parts.
To grab the attention of passersby, he built an oversized "Mega-Vac" and displays it in the parking lot. Every time I drive by it reminds me of Graham Greene's novel "Our Man in Havana," where a reluctant spy -- a vacuum cleaner salesman who accepted the side job just so he could pay for his daughter's horse -- submits to his superiors what he claims are top-secret plans for military installations but are actually just greatly enlarged drawings of vacuum cleaner parts.
POST OFFICE: Goodbye to Mini
Mini has left the Unionville Post Office, transferring to another branch. She posted a sweet farewell letter on the bulletin board, saying how much she had enjoyed her two years at Unionville and praising her boss. We will miss her. The post office sometimes gets very busy, and her smile and patient, unflappable temperament were welcome.
LIBRARY: Community calendar
The Bayard Taylor/Kennett Library has added to its website a community calendar that is impressively comprehensive, listing not only library programs but also local concerts, plays, sporting events, book signings and polo -- and that was just on the first page! The website is kennettlibrary.org.
I also noticed that the library will be closed on Friday, June 15, though the video game club will still be held at 6 p.m.
I also noticed that the library will be closed on Friday, June 15, though the video game club will still be held at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
KENNETT: Which church is that?
Alfredo Corchado's June 2 op-ed piece in the "New York Times" about the vital role that Mexican immigrants play in small towns like Kennett Square has sparked a lot of local comment, pro and con.
The reporter made some excellent points about the impact that deportations and the ensuing worker shortages are having on mushroom farms and landscaping companies (not to mention horse farms), and he talked to a lot of knowledgeable people, like Chris Alonzo and Loretta Perna. The accompanying photograph shows the "Mushroom Capital of the World" water tower.
But I was left with one nagging question: What exactly was Mr. Corchado thinking of when he wrote, "Then and now, the most compelling sight in the town was its white steeple church"?
The reporter made some excellent points about the impact that deportations and the ensuing worker shortages are having on mushroom farms and landscaping companies (not to mention horse farms), and he talked to a lot of knowledgeable people, like Chris Alonzo and Loretta Perna. The accompanying photograph shows the "Mushroom Capital of the World" water tower.
But I was left with one nagging question: What exactly was Mr. Corchado thinking of when he wrote, "Then and now, the most compelling sight in the town was its white steeple church"?
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Dangerous drivers
During a discussion of reckless driving at the June 5 West Marlborough meeting, a lifelong township resident proposed a novel idea: all of us "locals" should strictly obey the speed limit in an attempt to discourage outsiders from using our roads as shortcuts.
Others in the audience doubted whether that would have any impact. They pointed out that the impatient motorists would just pass us anyway, as they seem completely undeterred by double-yellow lines, speed limits, stop signs and blind hills.
Inspired by his suggestion, I have resolved to drive the speed limit for a week and see what happens. I will share my experiences with you in my next column. So far the biggest challenge has been sticking to the speed limit on East Doe Run Road, from Unionville to Red Lion.
Others in the audience doubted whether that would have any impact. They pointed out that the impatient motorists would just pass us anyway, as they seem completely undeterred by double-yellow lines, speed limits, stop signs and blind hills.
Inspired by his suggestion, I have resolved to drive the speed limit for a week and see what happens. I will share my experiences with you in my next column. So far the biggest challenge has been sticking to the speed limit on East Doe Run Road, from Unionville to Red Lion.
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Rokeby Road project done
The project to shore up the eroding banks of Buck Run along Rokeby Road is officially completed, supervisor and roadmaster Hugh Lofting Sr. announced with relief at West Marlborough Township's June 5 meeting.
Hugh said he and his son, road crew chief Hugh Lofting Jr., looked back through the township records and discovered that they posted "Road Closed" signs on Rokeby Road all the way back in 1999.
"We will never be accused of being impulsive in West Marlborough Township," quipped Supervisors' Chairman Bill Wylie.
For years the residents along Rokeby Road and Richard Wilson Drive have regularly attended township meetings and expressed their concerns about how the pavement was collapsing down the bank. (Lofting Jr. noted that they want the "Road Closed" signs to stay in place.)
The next roads department project will be fixing a crumbling bridge on lightly traveled Runnemede Road. PennDOT specifications call for installing a wider pipe under the bridge, but Mr. Wylie said it and the new guard rail will be well camouflaged and will have an "aesthetically pleasing" appearance.
The supervisors also discussed whether they should require permits for events held in the township's agricultural zone, such as the recent Tough Mudder competition at Plantation Field (part of which is in West Marlborough). Mr. Wylie said that unlike the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup, for instance, the Tough Mudder event "is not a charitable thing." He suggested looking into how other townships regulate similar events and getting advice from the township's land-use planner.
In other business:
1. Mr. Wylie noted with pleasure that 92% of the township tax bills had been paid before May 31, the end of the discount period.
2. Building and zoning officer Charles Cutlip reported that he issued two building permits, one for a new stable at Olympic equestrian Phillip Dutton's Hood Road farm and one for a generator at the Fralicks' home on Clonmell-Upland Road.
3. West Marlborough residents Nancy Truitt, William LaMotte, and Dr. Phoebe Fisher were appointed to the new committee set up to study how the township should fund fire and ambulance services. They will be joined by supervisors Jake Chalfin and Hugh Lofting and will begin meeting this summer.
4. Mr. Lofting reported that the road crew oil-and-chipped Wilson and Hood Roads on June 4 and Lamborntown Road on June 5. They have also been busy mowing road banks and cleaning up after storms.
Hugh said he and his son, road crew chief Hugh Lofting Jr., looked back through the township records and discovered that they posted "Road Closed" signs on Rokeby Road all the way back in 1999.
"We will never be accused of being impulsive in West Marlborough Township," quipped Supervisors' Chairman Bill Wylie.
For years the residents along Rokeby Road and Richard Wilson Drive have regularly attended township meetings and expressed their concerns about how the pavement was collapsing down the bank. (Lofting Jr. noted that they want the "Road Closed" signs to stay in place.)
The next roads department project will be fixing a crumbling bridge on lightly traveled Runnemede Road. PennDOT specifications call for installing a wider pipe under the bridge, but Mr. Wylie said it and the new guard rail will be well camouflaged and will have an "aesthetically pleasing" appearance.
The supervisors also discussed whether they should require permits for events held in the township's agricultural zone, such as the recent Tough Mudder competition at Plantation Field (part of which is in West Marlborough). Mr. Wylie said that unlike the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup, for instance, the Tough Mudder event "is not a charitable thing." He suggested looking into how other townships regulate similar events and getting advice from the township's land-use planner.
In other business:
1. Mr. Wylie noted with pleasure that 92% of the township tax bills had been paid before May 31, the end of the discount period.
2. Building and zoning officer Charles Cutlip reported that he issued two building permits, one for a new stable at Olympic equestrian Phillip Dutton's Hood Road farm and one for a generator at the Fralicks' home on Clonmell-Upland Road.
3. West Marlborough residents Nancy Truitt, William LaMotte, and Dr. Phoebe Fisher were appointed to the new committee set up to study how the township should fund fire and ambulance services. They will be joined by supervisors Jake Chalfin and Hugh Lofting and will begin meeting this summer.
4. Mr. Lofting reported that the road crew oil-and-chipped Wilson and Hood Roads on June 4 and Lamborntown Road on June 5. They have also been busy mowing road banks and cleaning up after storms.
LIBRARY TOUR: Houses and gardens
We made it to only three of the six stops on the annual Bayard Taylor House & Garden Tour on June 2: a DuPont house modeled after Mount Vernon and a 21,000-square-foot former MBNA conference center, both off Old Kennett Road; and a Baneswood Circle house with a charming garden.
The Mount Vernon lookalike had a beautiful broad terrace leading out to the pool, and in the formal dining room, big teddy bears were sitting around the elaborately set table.
At the former conference center, a shuttle bus was available to take guests from the parking area at the caretaker's house up to the main house (we walked). In the basement were a game room, a video arcade, a theater room, and a pub. The doors to some of the mechanical rooms were open, letting us see the industrial-sized heating and water systems that such a mansion demands. People were saying that they'd be more than happy to live in just the pool house.
In the kitchen of the Baneswood Circle home, the owners of Portabello's Restaurant were serving up their delicious mushroom crepes. After we finished eating, we had a nice chat with artist Roe Murray, who was painting in the garden.
Happily, our timing throughout the day was impeccable: the crowds arrived either before or after us, according to the parkers and guides. Among the tourgoers we saw library director Megan Walters and library board members Bill McLachlan (with wife Carol), Jeff Yetter, and Tom Swett and many friends from the library's Special Events Committee, which organizes the tour.
Although torrential rain was predicted, it held off until later afternoon, just after the end of the tour.
The Mount Vernon lookalike had a beautiful broad terrace leading out to the pool, and in the formal dining room, big teddy bears were sitting around the elaborately set table.
At the former conference center, a shuttle bus was available to take guests from the parking area at the caretaker's house up to the main house (we walked). In the basement were a game room, a video arcade, a theater room, and a pub. The doors to some of the mechanical rooms were open, letting us see the industrial-sized heating and water systems that such a mansion demands. People were saying that they'd be more than happy to live in just the pool house.
In the kitchen of the Baneswood Circle home, the owners of Portabello's Restaurant were serving up their delicious mushroom crepes. After we finished eating, we had a nice chat with artist Roe Murray, who was painting in the garden.
Happily, our timing throughout the day was impeccable: the crowds arrived either before or after us, according to the parkers and guides. Among the tourgoers we saw library director Megan Walters and library board members Bill McLachlan (with wife Carol), Jeff Yetter, and Tom Swett and many friends from the library's Special Events Committee, which organizes the tour.
Although torrential rain was predicted, it held off until later afternoon, just after the end of the tour.
KENNETT: Concert series lineup
The schedule for the Anson B. Nixon summer concert series has been released!
June 20: Jake Amerding
June 27: Edgardo Cintron and the Inca Band (Santana tribute band)
July 4: Hoppin' John Orchestra
July 11: Hurricane Hoss
July 18: Matt Cappy Quintet
July 25: Will Power (Tower of Power and James Brown tribute band)
August 1: Apache Trails
August 8: Radio Free Honduras
All shows are free and start at 7 p.m.
June 20: Jake Amerding
June 27: Edgardo Cintron and the Inca Band (Santana tribute band)
July 4: Hoppin' John Orchestra
July 11: Hurricane Hoss
July 18: Matt Cappy Quintet
July 25: Will Power (Tower of Power and James Brown tribute band)
August 1: Apache Trails
August 8: Radio Free Honduras
All shows are free and start at 7 p.m.
Friday, June 1, 2018
COOKING: Feeling the burn
This morning I made a nice pot of hearty chili for a potluck we're attending this weekend, put it on the stove on "low," and returned to my editing work at the computer.
Moments later, an angry, hot, red patch developed on the back of one hand and my palms and fingers started tingling.
Who knew! That age-old advice about wearing gloves while dicing hot peppers has a sound basis in fact: the same jalapenos that give your food a nice kick can also irritate your skin. ("It stands to reason," as my old friend George Turner would have declared.)
I looked online and found that it's a common problem. One blogger listed a litany of household products that failed to relieve the burning before she got around to stating to the one that actually worked: a two-year-old bottle of mustard! I mixed some ground mustard with water to make a paste and applied it -- a mustard plaster! -- and it cut the worst of the irritation right away.
Or, of course, the capsaicin may have just timed out.
Update: My palms felt sunburned and sensitive to warm water the rest of the day.
Moments later, an angry, hot, red patch developed on the back of one hand and my palms and fingers started tingling.
Who knew! That age-old advice about wearing gloves while dicing hot peppers has a sound basis in fact: the same jalapenos that give your food a nice kick can also irritate your skin. ("It stands to reason," as my old friend George Turner would have declared.)
I looked online and found that it's a common problem. One blogger listed a litany of household products that failed to relieve the burning before she got around to stating to the one that actually worked: a two-year-old bottle of mustard! I mixed some ground mustard with water to make a paste and applied it -- a mustard plaster! -- and it cut the worst of the irritation right away.
Or, of course, the capsaicin may have just timed out.
Update: My palms felt sunburned and sensitive to warm water the rest of the day.
HAMORTON: Encore on vacation
The Encore consignment shop at Routes 1 and 52 in Hamorton will close for the summer at noon on Friday, June 15. Consigners who want to pick up their unsold items must do so by 2 p.m. Thursday, June 14.
The summer break will be preceded by a sale. On June 11 through June 14, everything is 20% off, and on June 15 from 9 a.m. until noon, the remaining merchandise is 70% off.
The store will reopen on Tuesday, September 4.
The summer break will be preceded by a sale. On June 11 through June 14, everything is 20% off, and on June 15 from 9 a.m. until noon, the remaining merchandise is 70% off.
The store will reopen on Tuesday, September 4.
KENNETT SQUARE: New marchers
Due to deadlines I didn't get a chance to write a full account of the always amazing Memorial Day parade in Kennett Square, but I did want to mention just some of the new participants in the latter: a handsome K9 named Bico from the Concord Police Department; Kennett Library board chair Tom Swett in his yellow-and-white Nash Metropolitan with library director Megan Walter; a troupe of Aztec dancers; two undulating dragons on poles; a guy in a Transformer-style costume with articulated panels that lit up; the Sin City Band, singing its famous "Chester County" song; the Oscar Mayer Weiner-mobile; the Leif Ericson Viking Ship; the Chester Clippers marching band, led by a caped fiddler playing "Heart and Soul"; veterinarian Dr. John Moss and his wife Anne on horseback in Western frontier regalia; and a Family Promise of Southern Chester County float with a "Wizard of Oz" theme (Unionville Presbyterian pastor Annalie Korengel was Dorothy, cuddling two Bichons).
LONGWOOD: It's fireworks season
How do the pyrotechnicians at Longwood Gardens do it? They keep coming up with new types of fireworks to amaze us! At the first display of the season, on May 26, there were fireworks that filled the sky with dense gold dust; others seemed to depict a flower opening up between leaves. Still others reminded me of multicolored Christmas tree lights, all suddenly lighting up at the same time.
COCHRANVILLE: The worst possible day
On May 31 we attended a sobering presentation by Pennsylvania State Trooper Reginald Easterling Jr. about what to do if we found ourselves in an "active shooter" situation. He used the words "unfortunately" and "God forbid" frequently during his talk.
It seemed utterly surreal: there we were, sitting in the comfortable sanctuary at Manor Presbyterian Church in Cochranville. Pastor Dan Perrin had just given us a warm welcome, and the idea of any kind of violence seemed completely foreign.
Yet the trooper was listing places just as peaceful, just as unlikely, where mass shootings have taken place recently. Chills ran down my spine when he explained that these shooters have one goal: to kill as many people as fast as possible.
He showed a video illustrating the three recommended alternatives for action -- "Run, Hide, Fight" -- and stressed that taking some kind of action increases your chance of survival. He backed up that assertion by showing that the death rates during the Virginia Tech shooting were higher in classrooms where the students simply huddled together versus when they escaped or barricaded themselves in.
Escaping is the preferred strategy, and he urged us to be mindful of our surroundings at all times and think about possible exits and plans of action.
Hiding means keeping the lowest profile possible, barricading yourself in a safe place (the video showed an office worker pushing a photocopier against the door), turning off the lights and silencing your phone.
And fighting means taking action to throw the shooter off -- anything from sounding a horn to discharging a fire extinguisher at him.
Trooper Easterling was an excellent presenter, spoke from experience, and handled difficult questions tactfully. I'd recommend that if you're part of an organization or institution, you should get in touch with him at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Avondale and invite him to present a similar seminar.
It seemed utterly surreal: there we were, sitting in the comfortable sanctuary at Manor Presbyterian Church in Cochranville. Pastor Dan Perrin had just given us a warm welcome, and the idea of any kind of violence seemed completely foreign.
Yet the trooper was listing places just as peaceful, just as unlikely, where mass shootings have taken place recently. Chills ran down my spine when he explained that these shooters have one goal: to kill as many people as fast as possible.
He showed a video illustrating the three recommended alternatives for action -- "Run, Hide, Fight" -- and stressed that taking some kind of action increases your chance of survival. He backed up that assertion by showing that the death rates during the Virginia Tech shooting were higher in classrooms where the students simply huddled together versus when they escaped or barricaded themselves in.
Escaping is the preferred strategy, and he urged us to be mindful of our surroundings at all times and think about possible exits and plans of action.
Hiding means keeping the lowest profile possible, barricading yourself in a safe place (the video showed an office worker pushing a photocopier against the door), turning off the lights and silencing your phone.
And fighting means taking action to throw the shooter off -- anything from sounding a horn to discharging a fire extinguisher at him.
Trooper Easterling was an excellent presenter, spoke from experience, and handled difficult questions tactfully. I'd recommend that if you're part of an organization or institution, you should get in touch with him at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Avondale and invite him to present a similar seminar.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Inspecting poles
Last week on a back road in Newlin Township I saw a crew of Osmose Utility workers digging around utility poles, and when they were on my road yesterday morning I stopped and inquired what they were doing.
The pleasant fellow explained that they're inspecting the underground portions of the poles. He said told me they've found several rotten ones that will be replaced by PECO in the next few months.
The pleasant fellow explained that they're inspecting the underground portions of the poles. He said told me they've found several rotten ones that will be replaced by PECO in the next few months.
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