MISSING KEYS: That's right, blame the cat

This local friend's social media account of domestic non-tranquility made me laugh out loud. I thought you might enjoy it, too, and asked her for permission to share:
So as I’m trying to get to work early because I have to leave early . . . where’d the car keys go? Ah! 14-year-old had them last. Thank God for cell phones: I texted her on bus. What would they have done in the old days?
After much struggle she remembers she left them on the laundry pile.
I ask, "What are they doing on the laundry pile?" No one, I mean NO ONE, in this house folds laundry!
She says, “Oh, I found the cat . . . she needed a snuggle.”

GUN SENSE US: Gun control meeting

I ran into my friend and West Marlborough neighbor Starr Bright the other day and on the spot she e-mailed me a press release about an upcoming gun control meeting. It will be at 7:15 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at Westminster Presbyterian Church (at Route 202 and Pleasant Grove Road), West Chester. The topic will be the "BET strategy" that the Gun Sense US group is advocating: background checks before every firearm purchase, extreme risk protection order (temporary removal of firearms from a person who is a threat to himself or others), and mandatory training before a firearm purchase.
Starr has some skin in the game regarding this issue: she was a gunshot victim 30 years ago and has been dealing with the after-effects ever since.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: EMS report to be presented

Just a reminder that West Marlborough Township's EMS Task Force is expected to present its report at the Tuesday, Oct. 1, township meeting. For the past year the group has been meeting with members of the local fire and ambulance companies to try to hammer out a fair funding mechanism. At the September meeting, supervisor Bill Wylie warned that expenditures could have significant implications in terms of taxes.
The township supervisors meet in the township building/garage in Doe Run at the end of the planning commission meeting, usually about 7:30 p.m.  

OLD AND OLDER: Antique cars in Unionville

The 20th century and the 18th century met last weekend as Model T enthusiasts gathered at Primitive Hall on North Chatham Road, West Marlborough, as part of their fall outing. After touring the Hall, built by Joseph and Mary Pennock in 1738, the Delaware T's group motored through the scenic countryside, stopped for lunch at Fallowfield Friends Meeting and the People's Hall in Ercildoun, then toured the National Iron & Steel Heritage Museum in Coatesville. After spending the night in Exton, on Sunday they visited Doug and Pat Mooberry's Kinloch Woodworking and Lou Mandich's Last Chance Garage, both in downtown Unionville.

KENNETT: Under the pavement

Workers found a surprise while installing the new traffic island in the middle of Route 82 on the north side of Kennett Square: the remains of the old trolley tracks. The trolley ran from Kennett Square to West Chester, a trip that took about 55 minutes, according to Joe Lordi and Dolores Rowe's book "Greetings from Kennett Square." The trolley operated from 1904 until 1929, when it was replaced by a bus route.



"Blizzard of Jan 28, 1922. Trolley stuck on North Union St. at Linden St., Kennett Sq." This is near the site of the new traffic island. (Postcard is on p. 59 of the Lordi & Rowe book.)

SERVICE DOGS: CPL gets some press

Canine Partners for Life got a nice mention in a Sept. 16 "Wall Street Journal" article about medical-alert dogs. The article includes a sweet photo of Sarah Vible of Delaware with her CPL-trained yellow Lab, Rosebud, who alerts her to her epileptic seizures. Too bad the reporter misspelled CPL's location as "Cochraneville."

ALLOWANCES: Fiscal responsibility

A Jennersville friend shared her clever strategy for instilling fiscal responsibility in her young teenagers. She gives each kid $20 a week, but if beds aren't made, chores aren't done, the kitchen is left untidy or other infractions are committed, she charges them $1 per offense.
"So how's it working?" I asked.
She said the kids tend to be a little lax in the beginning of the week, but as the money dwindles toward the end of the week, they up their game. She said they're starting to realize that in order to afford Starbucks trips with their pals (to "do homework"), they need to save every dollar.
My friend said her husband initially thought this would be a losing effort but is impressed with how effective it has been.

KENNETT: Kennett Florist closing

Kennett Florist, 405 W. State Street, is closing at the end of September. The owner, Alice Berstler, is retiring after 18 years. Customers have filled the shop's Facebook page with congratulations, best wishes and fond memories of the floral arrangements she did over the years, including those honoring the racehorse Barbaro when he was at New Bolton Center.

 

 

 

VACCINE: It's flu shot time

The Chester County Health Department is offering flu shots in our area. Here's the local schedule:
-- Oct. 3, 3 to 7 p.m., Unionville High School
-- Oct. 10, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., Kennett High School
-- Oct. 14, 2:30 to 6 p.m. Octorara Senior High School
-- Oct. 24, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., Fred Engle Middle School.
(There are more sites; I included just the very local ones.)
The shots are for people age 6 months and up. Bring your insurance card, although the Health Department says shots will be given free for those without insurance.

KENNETT: Urban gardeners

Shout-out from Tilda to the garden club members and the watering crews who are responsible for the wonderful plantings in downtown Kennett. The oversized planters along the streets look especially beautiful this year, particularly the dramatic, towering caladium leaves. 

EAST MARLBOROUGH: It's time for the Fair!

The 95th annual Unionville Community Fair and Farm Show is coming up October 4 through 6! This Unionville tradition includes so many fun activities, like the vegetable, baking, and arts and crafts competitions, goats and cattle shows, food and live music, kids' games and the always popular milking contest (who will win the milk can this year?). This year they've added a car and truck show, a food truck festival, a haunted tent, an escape room and a "tech tent."
I've been involved with the Fair for many years. It's a terrific family event, and the volunteers put so many hours into making everything run smoothly.
The Fair is held at the Landhope Farms property at Routes 82 and 926. The full schedule, including the rules for all the competitions, can be found on ucfair.org.

NEW GARDEN: Old liquor store closes

Now that the fancy new state store has opened in the Longwood Village shopping center, the old, smaller one in the New Garden shopping center has closed its doors, and the space is up for lease. Who remembers when the state store on State Street in downtown Kennett moved out to New Garden? It must have been 30 years ago.