Thursday, May 30, 2019

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Cemetery update

Here's an update on the story I wrote in April about the old Mount Olive AME Church cemetery on Upland Road, where at least six African-American Civil War soldiers are buried. A neighbor who has been quietly maintaining the small site has discovered that there are two massive dead oak trees on the property that need to be taken down. If left to fall on their own, one will hit a house and the other will go across the road, and some of the graves could be disturbed. He said the project is "beyond volunteers" and has gotten a quote from local tree surgeon Dean Madsen of $3,000 to take down both trees. He said that was more than fair, considering that a crane will need to be brought in. He asked me to write about the situation in hopes that readers might offer contributions.
A few days after my story ran, I received an email from another local man who is part of a Civil War Roundtable and, coincidentally, had been doing research on that very cemetery. I put the men in touch with each other, and both attended the May West Marlborough Township meeting to ask the supervisors if they'd be interested in financing the project.
Supervisors chairman Bill Wylie said the township could not spend taxpayers' money on a private site, but he would ask the township solicitor whether the township could take over the abandoned property (the last burial there was in 1944). Another possibility mentioned was that perhaps local African-American churches might want to get involved in the preservation effort.
Civil War veteran John Dorsey and his wife are buried at the Mount Olive cemetery.



TORNADOS: Death and destruction

With all the tornado alerts that have kept our phones buzzing this past week, I wanted to find out more about the major tornados that have hit our area. Here's what I came up with, after 45 minutes of research online (the National Weather Service's website and Tornado Project Online) and in the basement archives of the Kennett Library:
1. On Sunday, March 21, 1976, a twister lifted the roof off a 150-year-old barn at Paul and Debbie Mahoney's farm on Route 842, west of Unionville. Part of the roof blew across the road, but another part fell on the couple, who had been cleaning stalls. Paul was killed and his wife suffered a broken neck. The couple had four daughters and had moved to the farm only about six months before.
2. At about 10 p.m. Sept. 5, 1979, James W. Boyer, 62, was killed when an F3 tornado, part of Hurricane David, hit his trailer on Penn Green Road in New Garden Township and hurled him out of it. He had worked for the Pizzini mushroom farm for 37 years and was set to retire shortly; in fact, he and Leone "Sonny" Pizzini had an appointment at the Social Security office the very next day. According to a newspaper account, the storm "cut a line through the township from the Delaware line near Newark Road where the Charles Wilkinson home was destroyed through Laurel Heights Road and north to the Penn Green Road location."
3. On July 17, 1992, an F2 tornado blew out the side of the Stone Barn Restaurant on Route 842 in West Marlborough. It then crossed Route 842, raced across Newark Road, destroying many trees in the process, lifted the roof off Bruce Davidson's indoor arena on Route 82 and then hit Scott Road, Route 162 and Kelsall Road before lifting at Cannery Road. The storm interrupted a wedding rehearsal dinner at the Hazzard farm on Route 82, but the wedding of Beth Gosnell and Douglas Abraham went on as planned the next day, thanks to a generator and the debris-clearing efforts of friends and neighbors.
4. On July 27, 1994, an F3 tornado ripped through the White Clay Creek Preserve, destroyed six houses in the Hunter's Run development in London Britain Township and damaged 23 others, injuring 11 residents. It then hit mushroom houses at Starr and Ellicott Roads; buildings along Newark Road, near the New Garden Airport; and more mushroom houses and a workers' trailer at the Joseph D'Amico farm along Penn Green Road in New Garden Township. The tornado then traveled north through East Marlborough Township, damaging a home and buildings at Line and Byrd Road at New Bolton Center, ripping down power lines and trees at Route 926 and Wollaston Road, damaging the roof and breaking windows at Unionville Elementary School and destroying a cement block garage at the Freemans' house across the street. It ended in Newlin Township, damaging more houses and trees. It was part of the same storm that killed a couple and their baby in Limerick 50 minutes later.
I owe a big thank you to Kennett Library reference librarian Paul Sapko for showing me where the bound volumes of the "Kennett News & Advertiser" and the "Kennett Paper" are stored. What an amazing resource!

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Snapper time

I was taking a break from planting my flower garden (finally!) and glanced over at the marsh across the way. Next to the little creek was an unusual-looking black item, and I walked over to take a closer look. It was a snapping turtle, about 16 inches long. I couldn't get too close to him -- I was already sinking into the soggy ground -- but he glared at me and opened his jaws as a warning. I retreated to the garden, and no more than 30 seconds later, when I glanced back, he was completely gone. He must have burrowed into the mud, leaving not a trace.

CHATHAM: Revised plans

On Tuesday at 4 p.m. I was stuck at the Chatham village intersection for a full six minutes, according to my ever-vigilant Google Timeline app. As soon as northbound traffic ceased, southbound traffic started up again.
That busy crossroads is the subject of a meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at Stillwaters Presbyterian Church, 643 Coatesville Rd. (Route 841), sponsored by PennDOT. On display for review and public comment will be the latest versions of the state's plans for improving traffic flow at the intersection. They're saying that the project is being planned for 2022.


 

UHS: Indian Post

Even if you don't have a child or other relative at Unionville High School, reading the student newspaper, the "Indian Post," is a great way to find out what's going on at UHS from the students' point of view. If you remove the mentions of the latest apps, bands and catchphrases, the overarching issues seem to be pretty much the same as they were back in my high school days: the administration and the student body rarely see eye to eye (Example A: the controversial parking pass policy), and students are still stressed out and overworked.
You can subscribe to the Indian Post by sending $20 (cash or check) to UHS Activities, Indian Post, at the high school. They'll mail you eight copies. I've already renewed my subscription. I'm happy to support student journalism and extend my best wishes to the plucky editors-in-chief, Catherine Odum and Jenna Ahart.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

LONGWOOD: Fireworks display

How do the pyrotechnicians at Longwood Gardens keep coming up with new fireworks? The display on Sunday evening was spectacular. I confess that the sky-filling, booming ones remain my favorite, but the fizzy gold ones, the squiggly blue-and-gold ones and the red ones that hang in the sky for seemingly seconds are great fun, too.
Although we are longtime Longwood members, we avoid the crowds, the scramble for seats and the fees by watching the displays from the parking lot of the Longwood shopping center. The only downside is that you miss the music and some of the fireworks lower to the ground.

KENNETT SQUARE: Memorial Day parade

Kennett Square's Memorial Day parade was just amazing. We were struck this year by the sheer variety of the participants. For instance, after a solemn military color guard marched by carrying the Stars and Stripes, a marching band struck up Gary Glitter's party anthem "Rock and Roll Part 2" -- followed by a bagpiper playing "Scotland the Brave." The diversity was almost dizzying: Mummers from the Ferko String Band; military reenactors from all eras; martial artists; Uncle Sam on stilts; vintage cars; Aztec dancers; a Viking ship; penny-farthing bicycles; Shriners on minibikes; church groups; Scouts; marching bands; bluegrass bands; a barbershop quartet; ladies in hoop skirts; Step dancers from Wilmington; two guys in light-up Transformers costumers; old military vehicles; the Kennett High School robotics team; huge wreckers; a guy on a unicycle; a fife-and-drum corps; shiny tractors; gleaming ambulances and fire trucks. I'm sure I'm forgetting something; the parade went on for two full hours.
Military veterans received special attention, and the grand marshals of this year's parade were Korean War Veteran Harry Collins, a veteran of the Korean War, and World War II veterans Al, Guy, and Tony DiNorscia.
We enjoy the parade immensely every year. Bill Taylor and his committee do a fabulous job.
 

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Rent, don't buy

West Marlborough resident Dick Hayne, co-founder and chief executive of Urban Outfitters, was mentioned in the May 22 "Wall Street Journal." This summer the firm will roll out a clothing rental business called Nuuly, run by Mr. Hayne's son, David. For $88 per month, customers can rent six items a month, and after keeping them for a month can either buy them or return them and receive another six.
Clothing rental, according to reporter Khadeeja Safdar, is "one of the fastest-growing areas of fashion." Other companies include Rent the Runway ($89 a month for four items), Le Tote ($60 a month for five items), and Haverdash ($59 a month for three items).

Thursday, May 23, 2019

NEWLIN: Indian Deep Farm

I'm grateful to RoseLynn Malarek, president of the Newlin Historical Society, for sending along a copy of the group's latest newsletter. It contains an interesting article about the history of Indian Deep Farm, established in 1730 by Phillip Taylor on the west branch of the Brandywine. Among its owners over the years have been noted Chester County names like Humphry Marshall, Thomas Buffington, Isaac and Thomazine Meredith of Underground Railroad fame, Robert Lamborn (founder of Lamborn Park in the 1870s, which featured dancing and swimming), and Paul and Norman Roberts. The farm, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now owned by Chet and Muriel George (Muriel is the historical society's V-P).
The society is also looking for new members and financial support so they can get their website up and running. As RoseLynn writes, "If reason, justice, tolerance, generosity, and a belief in moral and ethical values are to be woven into the fabric of our civilization, it will begin in places like Newlin and with organization like the Newlin Historical Society."

AVONDALE: Baths for dogs


Hooray for the good folks at Pet Supplies Plus on Route 41 in Avondale. Not only do they offer great products and cheerful service, but I just found out that officers from K-9 unit of the Chester County Sheriff's Office can take their furry partners there for baths, free of charge. A photo on social media showed the handsome German Shepherd Nero in one of the large dog-washing sinks being scrubbed by his apron-clad partner, Cpl. Matthew Mendenhall. Said the grateful Sheriff's Office, "The support of businesses like this enables the CCSO to provide the unit's invaluable services to the community."

LIQUOR: Referendums approved

West Marlborough Township was mentioned in a May 22 news report on KYW News Radio 1060 after residents voted to allow liquor sales in the township, reversing the township's decades-long "dry" status. The vote was 91 to 43.
As I wrote back in March, the West Marlborough referendum was spearheaded by the folks at the Thomforde family's Stone Barn on Upland Road, which has been operating for 51 years. The Foxfire Restaurant there is now a BYOB, and alcohol is served at the Stone Barn's banquets and receptions. The family feels that having a liquor license would allow them to have more control over the liquor that people bring to the facility. They also want to be able to serve locally produced cider, beer, wine and spirits, in keeping with their farm-to-table philosophy.
Franklin Township was mentioned in the same news report for passing a similar liquor referendum; there the vote was 659 to 183.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

DOE RUN: Bus tour is August 1

Earlier this year I wrote an item about a guided bus tour of Doe Run Village that was in the planning stages, and I now have all the details. It's going to be on Thursday, August 1, with 50-minute tours starting at 4, 5, 6, and 7 p.m. at South Brandywine Middle School at Route 82 and Strasburg Road. The bus will make several stops in the Doe Run area and the former King Ranch.
The tour is free, but reservations are required and can be made online at Eventbrite.com (search for "Doe Run Village Bus Tour").
The day of the tour, Triple Fresh Market will be offering a BBQ supper from 3 to 7 on "the Green" in the village of Ercildoun.
The Doe Run Village tour is part of the Chester County Planning Commission's annual Town Tours and Village Walks series. Other tours this summer are in West Chester (June 13), Ludwig's Corner (June 20), Warwick Village (June 27), Lionville (July 11), Yellow Springs (July 18), Marshallton (July 25), Malvern (Aug. 8), Johnsontown (Aug. 22) and Brandywine Meadows Farm (Aug. 29).
In addition, a series of supper lectures and armchair tours will be held at Historic Yellow Springs: the topics are Sadsburyville (Aug. 15), Sugartown (Oct. 10), and the German Christmas tradition of "the Belsnickel" (Dec. 12). Reservations are required, and cost for the lecture and supper is $20.

UHS: The Prom and After-Prom

What a fabulous job the talented UHS After-Prom committee did! The theme for this year's event was "A Voyage Thru Time"; the misspelling was deliberate and incorporated the Unionville "U" logo. The adventure started with the Stone Age (the restrooms were labeled "Cavemen" and "Cavewomen") and progressed through Ancient Rome, the Wild West, a 1920s casino (with real dealers at the tables), a 1950s soda shop, a dimly lit 1960s crash pad (loved the lava lamps), a 1970s disco (yes, of course there was a mirrored ball), and a 1980s video arcade. Plus there were escape rooms, and inflatables were set up in the gymnasium.
We visited as part of the community walk-through early in the evening -- the After-Prom went on until 2 a.m. -- and saw lots of family members and friends doing the same thing. Everyone commented on how much work, and how many hours, it must have taken to pull everything together.
As for the actual Prom, I'm told that the venue was awesome and the DJ, student Wes Saunders, was of professional quality and knew exactly what music to play. The dance floor, I understand, was rocking!

PLANTATION FIELD: Rescue dog parade

Kathleen Crompton of Unionville asked me to mention that the annual schooling show for the benefit of dog rescues will be held on Wednesday, June 19, at Plantation Field. All the entry fees from the horses go to several rescue places, and at noon there's a parade of rescue dogs, with prizes given for the oldest and youngest dog and also for the dog that comes from farthest away. Anyone can bring his or her rescue dog; you don't have to be entered in the horse show.
This is always a charming, low-key event, and it's remarkable the variety of canines that show up.
Plantation Field is off Green Valley Road between Route 82 and Apple Grove Road.

LEFTOVERS: Mashed potato candy

My item in last week's column about mashed potato candy brought back memories for one reader, who sent me this nostalgic email: 
"Growing up, we loved having mashed potatoes for dinner because mashed potato candy was always coming for dessert!
"Mom made a dough with mashed potatoes and confectioner’s sugar, rolled it out into a sheet, spread peanut butter on top, then rolled it into a log and cut it into pinwheels. This is the only variation I’m aware of because I’ve never heard of anyone else making it or even mentioning it!
"Mom grew up in far western Ohio, where there were a lot of settlers who had settled in Pennsylvania for a generation or two before moving further west."
She said that if mashed potato candy is in fact added to the Unionville Community Fair baking competition, she will definitely enter hers.


 

SCAPULA: Fresh ink

At the Jennersville Y this afternoon, a friend was wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and I noticed that he had what looked like a fresh tattoo, an abstract tribal pattern, on the back of his shoulder. After class I asked him about it, and he said he just turned 41, had always wanted to get a tattoo, and figured the time was right. In fact, he got another one on his other shoulder as well, an elaborate compass like you might see on an old map.
He likes them very much, but there is a downside: "I can never take my shirt off in front of my mom again."

COATESVILLE: Let's get rowdy

At the PIAA District 1 track and field competition at Coatesville High School's stadium last weekend, I was sitting in the stands behind a large group of spirited Garnet Valley parents. They cheered especially loudly during one of the girls' relays; their team put up a good showing against a formidable Strath Haven foursome.
At the end of the race, one of the moms, hoarse and emotionally spent, turned to another and asked, "I've got three more years of this?!"

Thursday, May 16, 2019

MEMORIAL DAY: Honoring the heroes

Memorial Day is just around the corner. Here are the details on three parades in our area. They're on separate days, so die-hard fans could actually attend all three.
1. West Grove's parade starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 25, at the Avon Grove High School. It proceeds down Prospect Avenue (Route 841) and ends with a ceremony at the memorial plaza in the middle of town. It's organized by the folks at Ruffini's Barber Shop.
2. Marshallton's parade starts at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26. Registration for the kids' decorated bicycle contest starts at 12:45 p.m. in the Goddard School parking lot. The parade starts at the alley by the Merchant of Menace, proceeds east on Strasburg Road and ends at the Marshallton United Methodist Church. Sponsor is the Marshallton Conservation Trust. 
3. Kennett Square's parade kicks off at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Kennett High School. The parade route is East South Street; South Union Street to East Cypress Street; South Broad Street to West State Street; West State Street to North Union Street, ending with a ceremony at Union Hill Cemetery. If it's anything like prior years, this spectacular parade, organized by Bill Taylor and his committee, includes local veterans; antique cars, trucks, farm equipment and military vehicles; marching bands and color guards; historical reenactors; local civic groups and politicians; unicyclists; Mummers from Philadelphia; Scouts; Little Leaguers; and fire trucks.

KENNETT SQUARE: Teenager Policy

The Market at Liberty Place has enacted a new and in my opinion very sensible "Teenager Policy," suggesting that teens behave as if their parents are sitting as the next table. The rules state that youths "must purchase and consume food" and can't bring in outside food or beverages; must use headphones when listening to music (or keep the volume low); can't treat the market as a gymnasium; and can't use the charging stations at the wine bar. "Loud, disruptive behavior, horseplay, significant public displays of affection or foul language will not be tolerated and you will be asked to leave." 
The Market owners say they are glad to provide a welcoming place where youths can hang out; "However, you must follow the rules and act as a young adult."

KENNETT: All in the borough

Just a reminder that the annual Bayard Taylor Home and Garden Day is Saturday, June 1, and tickets are on sale at the Kennett Library. Usually the tour focuses on either "Chateau Country" in northern Delaware or the horse farms of Unionville, but this year all the houses and gardens are actually within the borough of Kennett Square. It's a delightful and unusual tour, and the money ($40 a ticket) goes to an excellent cause.
By the way: we stopped in to pick up our tickets Wednesday evening and I couldn't help notice that the library is bustling and looks terrific.

WEST CHESTER: Just pay your five bucks already

A few weeks ago I attended the prestigious Hoka One One Henderson Invitational track and field meet to watch the Young Relative and his Unionville High School teammates compete. Taped to the table at the stadium entrance where they were selling tickets was a sign that read: "If you are just dropping something off, or if you just need to talk to someone quickly, IT'S STILL $5."
I laughed out loud and asked the ticket sellers if the sign was having its intended effect. They said that it had greatly decreased, but not eliminated, the problem.

KENNETT: A sweet treat

On May 15 we made our inaugural visit of the season to the La Michoacana Ice Cream shop on State Street in downtown Kennett Square, where (as probably most readers know) they sell an amazing variety of flavors of homemade ice cream. In fact, "corn" ice cream is one of their bestsellers, and they even produce mushroom ice cream each year for the Mushroom Fest.
The woman ahead of us, after trying a couple of samples, ordered a cone with one scoop of mamey flavor (a Central American fruit) and one of pineapple cream. Her companion ordered vanilla and chocolate. She shot him a look of utter disbelief and dismay.

LONDON GROVE: It's also a social event

Although my garden, alas, is still too soggy to till, of course we went to the London Grove Friend Meeting Plant Sale anyway on the morning of May 11. The weather was perfect, and we got to catch up with so many friends, both Meeting members and shoppers.
I had to stop myself from purchasing my usual annuals because it looks like it's going to be a while before the garden will be dry enough for planting. I did go home with a very healthy-looking catnip plant that should interest Miss Tina the cat.

RINGTONE: Still young at heart

I was sitting in a waiting room the other day when a woman's phone started ringing, the defiant, era-defining opening chords of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze." She fumbled through her Vera Bradley bag to silence it but didn't seem at all embarrassed. What was unexpected is that she was probably in her seventies and dressed conservatively. It reminded me of like my (now retired) dental hygienist who liked to reminisce about seeing Black Sabbath in concert at the Spectrum.

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

HONEYMOON: Exercising for two?

Before our workout the other day, a newlywed friend informed me that she wouldn't be doing any high-impact exercises. My gaze immediately strayed to her belly, and then I looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"NO!" she declared, rolling her eyes and showing me a big softball-induced bruise on her ankle. "Honestly! NEVER get sick or hurt the first few months after you're married. Everybody thinks the same thing!"

PENN: Coyote sighting

A Jenner's Pond resident reports that a coyote has been sighted roaming around the retirement community. One neighbor even snapped a photo of the creature with a rabbit in its mouth. My friend is worried about her outdoor cat but claims that he is "too old" to change his ways and stay indoors.

Thursday, May 9, 2019

GIANT: A robot named Marty

The Kennett and Longwood Giants now have a beeping, 6-foot-tall gray robot gliding down the aisles. I encountered "Marty" on his first day on the job at the Kennett store, and he was the talk of the supermarket. His purpose is to detect spills, obstructions and hazards; when he does so, he doesn't clean it up himself but alerts a janitor. A friend reports that Marty spotted an olive on the floor and called for reinforcements.


"Marty," the Kennett Giant's new robot.


HILLENDALE: Fly Eagles Fly

Some pupils at Hillendale Elementary School recently took a field trip to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, motivating one sports-fan father to apply immediately for his school clearances so he could go along "as a chaperone." His wife was amused at his sudden eagerness to get his approvals: "He was dragging his feet for four years!" Social media photos showed the Dad in full Eagles regalia soaking up the atmosphere on the field.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Bluegrass at London Grove

Sam Lam and his bluegrass band, the White Clay Creek Tributary, will be performing at London Grove Friends Meeting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18. Concertgoers are asked to carpool because of the limited parking space at the meetinghouse. There's no set admission fee but donations will be taken at the door.
London Grove Friends Meeting is at the intersection of Newark Road and Route 926.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: First past the post

Overshadowed by the Kentucky Derby controversy was the Virginia Gold Cup Timber Stakes win on May 4 by Andi'amu, owned by Ballybristol Farm, ridden by Jack Doyle and trained by Leslie Young. Leslie's barn is here in West Marlborough, so I'm sure I've seen Andi'amu jogging along the road many times without even realizing who he was. Huge congratulations to Team Young!

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

COMPETITIONS: Spuds for dessert?

So I'm making small talk with a fellow the other night, and he tells me, out of the blue, that he is a certified potato judge for Pennsylvania state agricultural fairs.
Marveling to myself at the unusual hobbies people have, I told him I've been involved with the baking competitions at the Unionville Community Fair for many years. Well! He was off and running. It seems that one of his major goals has been to get "mashed potato candy" approved as an official category in the competitions across the state.
I'd never heard of this treat. He explained that it originated among frugal Lancaster County farmwomen who didn't want to waste leftover mashed potatoes. They'd add powdered sugar and roll the dough into pinwheels.

MARKETING: "Ask your doctor"

Why do doctors have daytime TV playing in their waiting rooms? The programs are tedious enough but the barrage of "ask your doctor" advertisements for medications is appalling. I sat through two hours of it the other morning; I wasn't even a patient and it was making me queasy! Constipation, heart failure, cancer, diabetes: nothing is off limits. And all the ads, by law I suppose, include a laundry list of ominous possible side effects ("Tell your doctor if you experience …").
My fellow waiting-room inmates seemed to be utterly ignoring the blare of the TV, so why have it on at all? Silence would be much preferred and surely more soothing to already jangled nerves.

EAST MARLBOROUGH: Ulta is open

Hooray, I can stop rationing my Paul Mitchell shampoo: the new Ulta store is open in the Longwood shopping center. I stopped in on May 5, only two days after they opened, and the place was fully stocked with makeup, perfume, skincare, hair products and all kinds of beauty gadgets. I noticed a prominent display of cosmetics by Kylie Jenner, the makeup maven who, according to Forbes magazine, is at age 21 America's youngest ever billionaire.

GLEN MILLS: Another auto dealership

The former Turf Club on Route 1 in Glen Mills (before that, it was a movie theater) is being turned into a CarSense dealership. They have a big banner up, the website says "opening soon," and they're running newspaper and online ads looking for sales staff and techs.

RIP: A long life

Our area has lost a notable resident: on May 2, Margaret "Peg" Barnard Chalfant passed away at the age of 107. She grew up in Pocopson on the Barnard farm. Her great-grandfather, Eusebius Barnard, and her grandfather, Enos Barnard , were active in helping runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. Margaret was Penn State's May Queen in 1934 and was the first female elder at West Chester's Presbyterian Church. She lived at 102 S. High Street in West Chester for 79 years.
A Barnard relative of hers, Loraine Lucas, sent me this 1918 photo of Margaret when she was six years old in front of Pocopson Schoolhouse (c. 1882). She is standing third from the right. Today the building is Lenape Village Kitchen & Bath at 1414 Lenape Road (Route 52), next to Lenape Pizza.

Margaret "Peg" Barnard Chalfant and her classmates in front of the Pocopson Schoolhouse, 1918.
 

Friday, May 3, 2019

KENNETT: History of Longwood Gardens

A reminder that Colvin Randall will be discussing the history of Longwood Gardens in a free lecture from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at the Kennett Township building, 801 Burrows Run Road, Chadds Ford. His talk will cover "the complete story of Longwood Gardens over the past century from the planting of the original arboretum by a Quaker family, to Pierre du Pont’s creation of the gardens, conservatory and fountains, to its transformation from a private estate to one of the world’s greatest horticultural showplaces."
The lecture is sponsored by the Kennett Township Historical Commission.

Thursday, May 2, 2019

MUDDER: It's epic

The trucks and equipment have arrived at Plantation Field at Route 82 and Green Valley Road, and the workers seem to be making good progress building the two dozen obstacles for the annual Tough Mudder event on May 18 and 19. If it's anything like last year, you can expect to see lots of athletes in soaking wet, filthy clothes running all over the 10-mile course, clambering up slick ramps, slogging through freezing mud pits, carrying their teammates on their backs, and swinging from ropes across swamps. I have friends who can't wait to fork over their money to register each year.
I stopped by the staging area off Apple Grove Road the other day to check out the progress and noticed stacks of metal pipes, a large crate labeled "nets," stacks of huge plastic tanks to transport water, some large pre-made wooden corners, a stack of railroad ties and two utility vehicles.
Water tanks at Plantation Field.


Part of the staging area for the Tough Mudder at Plantation Field.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

BABY BOOMER: Feeling my age

At the Y I occasionally take a class called CycleBeat, a 45-minute indoor cycling sweatfest in which you match your bike's RPMs to the tempo of the music, switching between low, middle and high gears. Sometimes you sit in the saddle and other times you stand upright. Sometimes you do fast pushups on the handlebars. Did I mention there are also disco lights flashing around the room?
Obviously, the music is a vital part of the class, so the instructors take pains to put together fun playlists. Yesterday we rode to a 1980s soundtrack that included "Material Girl," "Danger Zone" and "St. Elmo's Fire." "I Think We're Alone Now" started up and the teacher called out, "Who sang this?" It was on the tip of my tongue to respond, "Tommy James and the Shondells, of course!" but someone beat me to the punch: It was popstar Tiffany, doing a remake.
Another reminder of my demographic came in an online questionnaire I received from my alma mater asking about my undergraduate studies overseas and how they affected my career and later life. It was timely, as I am working on a project that requires me to "translate" American English into British English (think "whilst," "practise" and "behaviour"), something I probably couldn't have done without studying abroad. There were many questions asking about dates, with each year in the 21st century offered as an option -- and then a catchall category "Before 2000." As if it was prehistory.

UNIONVILLE: Signs of spring

So far I've seen the first foal (at a farm off Newark Road), the first gosling (in the pond in the Southridge development), and today the first squiggly black tadpoles (in the little creek by my vegetable garden). At a friend's farm for breakfast the other morning I saw my first hummingbird of the season. I put out my own feeder as soon as I got home (recalling that the proportions for nectar are1/4 cup sugar to a cup of water), but no luck yet.
The viburnums at my brother's house were in peak bloom last weekend, and they were so fragrant we felt like we might be overcome, like Dorothy and her friends in the poppy field in "The Wizard of Oz."
Last Saturday morning there was a bike race through our area, and the participants came down my road in droves. Problem was, there had been a downpour earlier in the morning, and the creek had overflowed its banks, flooding half the already narrow road. The chaos and jockeying for position was especially comical (for us spectators, at least) when a horse trailer appeared, traveling the opposite way.

NEWLIN: Brandywine Creek Road closed

Brandywine Creek Road has been closed to westbound traffic since March 2017, and now it's closed in both directions so that crews can install a retaining wall along the steep slope down to the creek, reconstruct and protect the streambank, and replace the pavement and guiderail. Construction is expected to last until the summer of 2020. The state-funded $5.6 million project is being done by Road-Con Inc. of West Chester and the detour takes motorists on Route 162 and Strasburg Road.
Residents who live on the road regularly document on social media that foolhardy bicyclists ignore the prominent "no bicycles" sign and ride along the uneven, perilous road.

 

NEW GARDEN: People and their hobbies

On April 27 we went to the Backyard BBQ competition, a fundraiser for the Boy Scouts at the New Garden Township Park, and were surprised at first that although there were lots of grills and smokers in evidence, we saw no food being prepared anywhere but the food trucks.
Dearest Partner, who has a laudable natural curiosity, approached one of the competitors, who was sitting under a canopy with his family and dog, and asked him what was going on. The man explained that the cooking had been done that morning, and the entries had already been submitted and were in the (doubtless sticky) hands of the judges.
He said that he participates in several of these contests each summer for fun, although there are other chefs who take it more seriously -- like one guy he knows who competed 37 weekends in a row! The winners receive a cash prize. The New Garden competition had only chicken and ribs categories, but larger contests, like the Boooo-BQ Festival held each October in Indian River Inlet, also include brisket and pork shoulder.
Also at the New Garden festival we enjoyed talking to a guy from the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources, who showed us a display of scat (replicas, of course), animal footprints and pelts. He also had a lively frog in a big glass water-filled jar and a snake, who was napping.

MEXICAN: A spicy sauce

When I first earned my driver's license, one of my favorite errands was picking up takeout for the family, usually subs, cheesesteaks or pizza. The Young Relative is following in my footsteps. The other evening he brought home dinner from his favorite Mexican place, Red Sombrero in the Longwood shopping center. After admonishing his father to use only the milder green sauce, he poured the red sauce lavishly on his own tacos.
Having proudly "made my bones" the other night by ordering my lamb biryani at spice level 6 at an Indian restaurant, I felt more than ready to try the red sauce. He handed it over, but with some hesitation -- and for good reason. It was so incredibly hot that I cried out, doubled over and grabbed for my ice water. Of course the Y.R. and his father were in hysterics as they simultaneously proclaimed, "Tilda item!"