Chances are all of my readers know what "Hoagiefest" is, but for those who don't, it's Wawa's annual summer sales promotion. Even though the event is purely commercial, the clever Wawa marketing people have turned it into something lighthearted and even communal. You hear people talking about Hoagiefest and, frankly, it's just plain fun to say "Hoagiefest."
This year they've added something new: a soundtrack. I first noticed this at the Gap Wawa. While waiting for our subs to be made, I heard the words "touchscreen" and "turkey" in the song playing on the store's PA system and suspected this was not your standard top 40 hit.
I finally got around to asking about the theme song at the Avondale Wawa.
"Yeah, there are actually four of them," said the clerk. "And he's memorized them all (pointing to his coworker) and SINGS them!"
His colleague laughed and didn't deny it. The 2019 Hoagiefest playlist: "Love at the Wawa," "I95," "Ya Ya," and "Hoagiefest."
Friday, August 9, 2019
VOCATIONS: Muscular Christianity
The "Cycling Seminarians" pedaled their way through the Philadelphia suburbs last week in an effort to encourage young people to think about pursuing a Roman Catholic religious vocation. The first stops for the eight cyclists, from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, were at St. Maximilian Kolbe on Route 202 in West Chester and St. Joseph on Manor Avenue in Downingtown. After that they visited St. Teresa of Avila, Norristown; St. Eleanor, Collegeville; St. Rose of Lima, North Wales; St. Agnes, Sellersville; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Doylestown; St. Andrew, Newtown; St. Catherine of Siena, Horsham; and St. Genevieve; Flourtown.
The seminarians posted Facebook updates ("Philly Vocations") and photos along the way, including their stop at the Stroud Preserve on Creek Road in East Bradford Township.
The bicyclists were accompanied by Father Chris Cooke, the director of the seminary’s Spirituality Year program, as well as a support crew of more than a dozen other seminarians and volunteers.
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The seminarians posted Facebook updates ("Philly Vocations") and photos along the way, including their stop at the Stroud Preserve on Creek Road in East Bradford Township.
The bicyclists were accompanied by Father Chris Cooke, the director of the seminary’s Spirituality Year program, as well as a support crew of more than a dozen other seminarians and volunteers.
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NEW GARDEN: Festival of Flight
This coming weekend, Aug. 17 and 18, is the annual air show at the New Garden Flying Field, 1235 Newark Road, Toughkenamon. You'll be able to see vintage military planes as well as an aerobatics performance, a parachute jump team, a Coast Guard rescue demonstration, a military jet trainer flyover, a Chinook helicopter and lots more. There's also a car show. Gates open at 9 a.m. each day. Tickets are available online (including weekend packages, hangar passes and VIP parking) or at the gate.
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| Descending from a helicopter: one of the demonstrations scheduled for the New Garden Air Show. |
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
WEST MARLBOROUGH: Paying for emergency services
The West Marlborough supervisors' August agenda included routine business like the minutes, the treasurer's report, and a list of correspondence, but probably the most interesting discussion concerned an upcoming emergency services report.
For the past year a township task force has been exploring how West Marlborough should fund the volunteer emergency services companies (fire and ambulance) that serve the township. The group has been gathering financial and operations data from the companies, such as their yearly budgets and the percentage of their calls that occur in West Marlborough. Supervisor Jake Chalfin, a task force member, said the amount of information they've analyzed has been "mind-boggling": "it's some complicated stuff," he said.
According to supervisors' chairman Bill Wylie, the task force is "close to finalizing" a funding formula for the companies. The group is expected to make its report before the supervisors need to begin working on the 2020 budget. The supervisors will also need to decide the method by which the companies would be funded, whether a dedicated millage tax or a fluctuating yearly contribution from the general fund.
For the past year a township task force has been exploring how West Marlborough should fund the volunteer emergency services companies (fire and ambulance) that serve the township. The group has been gathering financial and operations data from the companies, such as their yearly budgets and the percentage of their calls that occur in West Marlborough. Supervisor Jake Chalfin, a task force member, said the amount of information they've analyzed has been "mind-boggling": "it's some complicated stuff," he said.
According to supervisors' chairman Bill Wylie, the task force is "close to finalizing" a funding formula for the companies. The group is expected to make its report before the supervisors need to begin working on the 2020 budget. The supervisors will also need to decide the method by which the companies would be funded, whether a dedicated millage tax or a fluctuating yearly contribution from the general fund.
CONSERVATION: A statewide honor
Congratulations to Pownall Jones, who received the Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director Excellence Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts at their July convention in Williamsport. According to the Association, the award "is given to a conservation district director or associate director for his or her outstanding volunteer efforts which have furthered the activities and accomplishments of conservation districts on a statewide basis."
Mr. Jones, who grew up on his family's dairy farm in New Garden Township, joined the Chester County Conservation District's board in 1955, chaired the board from 1991 to 1993, and served as a director until 1998, when he became a director emeritus. The association said that he "was one of the earliest adopters of no-till farming, led by example and frequently hosted farmer tours to see his no-till fields with multiple years of crop residue visible."
Mr. Jones, who grew up on his family's dairy farm in New Garden Township, joined the Chester County Conservation District's board in 1955, chaired the board from 1991 to 1993, and served as a director until 1998, when he became a director emeritus. The association said that he "was one of the earliest adopters of no-till farming, led by example and frequently hosted farmer tours to see his no-till fields with multiple years of crop residue visible."
CLOUDS: A long tradition
Dearest Partner belongs to the Clouds, a Chester County clan that traces its lineage back to colonial days. This year they gathered at the East Goshen Township Park for their 137th annual summer reunion.
During the business meeting, one family member idly wondered whether anyone had attended the majority of the reunions. I thought that was unlikely, but an elderly gentleman immediately raised his hand. He said, with a measure of pride, that he was 86 years old and had been at 84 of the gatherings; the two he missed were (1) because he was in the Army and (2) because his wife was ill.
During the business meeting, one family member idly wondered whether anyone had attended the majority of the reunions. I thought that was unlikely, but an elderly gentleman immediately raised his hand. He said, with a measure of pride, that he was 86 years old and had been at 84 of the gatherings; the two he missed were (1) because he was in the Army and (2) because his wife was ill.
Monday, August 5, 2019
NEW GARDEN: What is Qfix?
I was curious about a business sign I saw while driving on Church Road near Avondale yesterday evening: "Qfix, positioning patients for success," it read. Qfix, I learned online, designs and manufactures used to position patients receiving radiation therapy to optimize alignment between the radiation beam and the tumor. In the words of its website, "Qfix is an innovative medical device company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing technology-driven solutions for radiotherapy patient positioning." Damon Kirk is the company president.
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