GARDEN: A mudfest

With all the rain we've had, the lower part of my garden has become a swamp. I was removing dead sunflower stalks and the ground was so wet that I could pull them up with little more than a simple tug; usually it takes brute force and kicking with a sturdy boot. The holes filled up immediately with water.
Despite the mud, my fall crop of carrots seems to be thriving.

ORGANIC: A Gala choice

A friend reports that he inadvertently purchased an organic Gala apple at the Acme, recognizing his mistake only when he entered the code number at the register and realized it had five digits rather than four. He said it was delicious, but at $3.50 a pound -- meaning about $1.75 an apple -- he's going to stick with the regular kind for his lunchbox.

LAWYERS: Temple and Teti recognized

Two attorneys, L. Peter Temple of Kennett Square and Louis N. Teti of West Chester, will receive the Chester County Community Foundation's "Super Door Opener Award" at the philanthropic foundation's annual meeting in West Chester on Oct. 22. Mr. Temple is a partner at Larmore Scarlett and Mr. Teti is a partner at MacElree Harvey. The award marks "their distinguished efforts in opening doors to legacy philanthropy," according to a press release.


Louis N. Teti (left) and L. Peter Temple (right).

STAR: From UHS to FBI

Huge congratulations to Zeeko Zaki, Unionville High School class of 2008, who stars in the new CBS series "FBI" as Special Agent Omar Adom "OA" Zidan. In the runup to the Sept. 25 premiere, he's been busy doing publicity for the show, and you can watch any number of interviews with him online. The show is about the "inner workings" of the FBI's New York office. Zeeko's previous credits include the TV series "Valor," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "24: Legacy," and "Six." 

Poster for the new series.

 

Zeeko Zaki and his "FBI" co-star, Missy Peregrym.

UNIONVILLE: Fire company open house

The Po-Mar-Lin Fire Co., Unionville's own Station 36, is hosting an open house from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 15. Come out and meet these brave, dedicated men and women who train hard and are willing to drop everything, at any time of the day or night, to go out and save lives and property. They've got some pretty cool hi-tech equipment that I'm guessing they'll be more than happy to demonstrate, too.

EAST MARLBOROUGH: More new houses

A sign has gone up advertising "Unionville Walk," the new Toll Brothers development on Route 82 south of Willowdale. The plan calls for 42 single-family houses to be built on the 62-acre parcel, which is across Route 82 from RP Nurseries, between the Willowdale Chapel complex and the Blackshire development.

BANK: A minimum balance

The person who used the Wells Fargo ATM just before me left his or her receipt sticking out of the slot. Concerned about those ever-inventive hackers, I always either take my receipt or have it emailed to me. But when I looked at the slip of paper, I realized that this customer had nothing to fear from hackers. He had just transferred $75 from his savings to his checking account, leaving a grand total of 21 cents in his savings account and $133.25 in his checking account.
It would hardly be worth their while.

PENN TOWNSHIP: Ward's is for sale

Ward's Restaurant is on the market. The homey little place on Old Baltimore Pike between West Grove and Jennersville, with its "Ice Cream Coach," was built in 1935 and is a throwback to an earlier era of family-run roadside attractions. It sits on an acre; asking price is $229,000.
Tom Biedekapp of Beiler Campbell has the listing. "You could operate your own restaurant business and live on the second floor. With some TLC and your customization, this property is a great opportunity," he writes, optimistically.

Sign for the former Ward's Restaurant.

 


The property at 494 W. Baltimore Pike.

REUNION: Clouds descend on Mendenhall

The Texas-based Cloud Family Association held its biannual family reunion at the Mendenhall Inn this past weekend. The attendees, from all across the country, attended seminars about DNA testing, how to track down difficult-to-find ancestors (hint: think like they did), and the 1777 Battle of the Brandywine. A full-day bus trip on Sunday, with a boxed lunch from Whole Foods, took them to many churches, Quaker meetinghouses and other spots that played a role in the family's history. In 2020 they'll convene in Nashville.

GIANT: A big policy change

Did they think we wouldn't notice?!
For the past few weeks, in its weekly circular, Giant has increased the amount of money you need to spend before you get double gas points. It used to be $50; now it's $75.
While I was shopping on Monday, a friend came up to me in the produce aisle and showed me the coupon, wondering whether I had noticed this sudden 50% increase as well.
Oh, yes. I noticed.