PARKESBURG: All in a day's work

There are good people in the world, and some of them are at the Keystone Valley Fire Company in Parkesburg. During a recent snowstorm a car skidded off Route 10 and crashed into a utility pole. The driver was taken to the hospital, and the firefighters-turned-dogsitters kept his companion (a hound mix) until family could pick him up.

SPCA: Protecting Nibbles

Were you as disgusted as I was by that story in last week's paper about a local dog-fighting ring? Please join me in helping these poor creatures by supporting the Brandywine Valley SPCA, which is nursing them back to health.

“It is beyond comprehension that animals could be forced to suffer like this for entertainment,” said Adam Lamb, the SPCA's executive director. “We’re grateful for the diligence of the State Police in pursuing this case, and we’ll support them in every way possible to find justice for these animals and prevent future suffering.”

The SPCA sent out this heart-wrenching message:

"The Brandywine Valley SPCA took six dogs and four rabbits into its care on Wednesday February 21, following their seizure by Pennsylvania State Police at a residence in Coatesville City. The dogs were seized as evidence in the case against a man now facing charges that include cruelty to animals and possession of dog fighting paraphernalia, including treadmills and medical supplies affiliated with training and treatment, as well as drug and weapons charges.

The animals were immediately transferred to the BVSPCA West Chester Campus for evaluation and care. BVSPCA medical staff assessed the dogs to be in fair condition and the rabbits to be in poor condition related to inadequate housing and lack food and water. All ten animals will remain in the care of the BVSPCA as evidence as the case goes through the judicial process.

This case developed over several months following a traffic stop by State Police in Avondale on November 12, when a dog with severe wounds was found in the car. The driver, now the suspect in this case, identified the dog as a stray, at which point the BVSPCA took possession of the dog.

The adult mixed breed dog had extensive and recent wounds on her face, legs and chest that BVSPCA veterinarians identified as consistent with bite wounds. The dog, now named Nibbles, required two months of medical care, including reconstructive surgeries for her jaw and several surgeries to treat her wounds. A BVSPCA surgery technician has been fostering Nibbles, and she is now available for adoption into a forever family.

The BVSPCA asks for the community’s help meeting the significant cost of medical care for Nibbles and what is likely to be a long period of care and rehabilitation for the other ten animals while the case works through the judicial process."

SHOPPING: Leases are signed

The months of social media speculation are over: there will be no Trader Joe's, no Whole Foods, no cinema, no bowling alley, no LA Fitness in the former Superfresh on Baltimore Pike east of Kennett Square. Instead there will be a Ross Dress for Less, a state liquor store, an Ulta beauty-products store, and a Carter’s OshKosh B’gosh kids' clothing store. Construction will begin in April and the new stores are expected to open in the summer of 2019.

CAR WASH: Worth its salt

It is a matter of considerable excitement in some circles that the new automatic car wash near the Kennett Walmart takes pickup trucks (other car washes don't permit them).
I don't have a pickup, but I did take my filthy, salt-encrusted Honda CR-V there the other day and it came out wonderfully clean and shiny. And while you're being pulled through there are flashing colored lights to entertain you, turning the white suds a pulsating psychedelic green. You also get to use the high-powered vacuums for free when you're done.
The car wash is called "Go Clean N Green" and the entrance is not well marked; in fact, I drove right past it the first time. The entrance is on Onix Drive between the Hilton Garden Inn and the Walmart.

POLITICS: Dinniman on the Constitution

State Sen. Andy Dinniman gave a fascinating yet discouraging insider's view of how Harrisburg operates (or doesn't) during his talk at West Grove Friends Meeting on March 15.
Andy's topic (no disrespect; everyone calls him "Andy") was the Pennsylvania Constitution, and he spoke about a wide range of issues that have constitutional implications: the election of judges, the funding of education, the growth of national school curricula and testing like Common Core and No Child Left Behind, the no-receipts-required per diem payments for members of Congress, gerrymandering and the pervasive, toxic role of money in politics. With refreshingly bipartisan candor, he didn't hesitate to point out the faults of both parties.
He spoke at length and with evident frustration about how the state is not doing nearly enough to monitor the Mariner pipeline project, which he said is having negative effects on nearby properties, like creating sinkholes and drying up wells. Its safety risks -- what if there is an explosion? -- have not been assessed adequately; he described an elaborate system of roadblocks he encountered by agencies debating who should do the safety report and then refusing to make it public.
Again, the overarching role of money came into play: he explained that unions are backing the pipeline project because it creates jobs, and unions are big campaign contributors. That, he concluded, seems to outrank Section 27 of the Constitution's Article 1: "The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment."
Andy noted that although legislators take an oath to uphold the Constitution, he wonders whether some of them have actually read it.

PROMS: A rite of passage

After dinner at Floga Bistro on Wednesday we stopped by the Giant a few doors down to pick up a couple of items. A young man holding a big bouquet was at the customer service desk buying a yellow balloon, and while the clerk was inflating it with helium he told us that he was going to ask a girl to the prom and decided to put his best foot forward by presenting her with flowers and a balloon.
I hope she said yes!
By the way, when we were at Joseph A. Bank a few weeks ago I noticed that they already had a long list of when all the local proms, for both public and private schools, were being held. Why, yes, they do rent tuxedos.

YMCA: Age is just a number

On Thursday morning a friend and I had just finished an aerobics class at the Kennett Y and were walking down the corridor to the locker rooms. We paused to let a long single-file line of adorable preschoolers leave the gymnasium.
"Look at all those cute little ones!" I said fondly to my friend.
A girl looked up at us and said indignantly, "I'm FOUR AND A HALF!"

PENNSYLVANIA: The new slogan

As I was returning to Pennsylvania from today's trip to Wild Birds Unlimited in Hockessin (my backyard crew gobbles Supreme Blend by the 20-lb bagful) I noticed a sign on Route 41 with what I found out is the state's new slogan: "Pursue Your Happiness."
Well, that's kind of bland, was my first reaction. Couldn't they have made some reference to our rich history?
Then it hit me: They did! As in "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" from the Declaration of Independence.
I like it!

KENNETT: An auction gaffe

This weekend we attended a standing-room-only fundraising banquet at the Red Clay Room in Kennett Square, and after the prime-rib dinner there was a live auction. One of the items on the block was a copy of the best-selling book "13 Hours," about the attack on Benghazi, Libya, signed by one of the survivors.
The bidding was not proceeding as briskly as the auctioneer wanted, so he stopped and demanded, "Show of hands: How many people have read this book or seen the movie?"
Several people dutifully raised their hands, then quickly lowered them as they heard the crowd guffawing and realized they were in the middle of an auction. 
I always make a point of sitting on my hands at those things lest I inadvertently make a gesture while talking and find myself caught up in the bidding.