I see that the old Barnwood Restaurant on Baltimore Pike, west of Kennett, has been painted twice this past week: first a base coat of rusty orange, and then olive drab.
What a great spot the Barnwood was! I can't count the number of times when suppertime would roll around and we'd head over there for a relaxing, tasty and reasonably priced meal. And remember Sandy, the friendly barmaid?
Also, I also noticed that a new ice cream shop is going in at the former Citgo gas station at the intersection of Baltimore Pike and Route 41. A man was inside painting this morning as I drove by, and there are two large banners announcing that the new store is "comming."
Friday, April 27, 2012
Life is good
A friend of mine just became a grandfather for the first time, and in our long and event-filled friendship I have never for one moment seen him at a loss for words -- until now. He told me he simply could not describe what it felt like to hold the precious little boy in his arms, less than 12 hours after he was born. The first photos of this wonderful new person went out immediately via text message.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Out of town
Some locals are not happy about the imminent move of Unionville Feed to its new site in Pocopson. One friend said that because of the increased distance from her farm she is now going to have to make a list of what she needs instead of popping in spontaneously for whatever her horses, dogs, cats or chickens need.
"I'm actually going to have to think!" she said, only half in jest.
I stopped into the feed store for pet food this morning and Ed was behind the counter catching up on the "The Horse of Delaware Valley"; unfortunately, his cat had decided to take a nap on top of the very article he had been reading.
"I'm actually going to have to think!" she said, only half in jest.
I stopped into the feed store for pet food this morning and Ed was behind the counter catching up on the "The Horse of Delaware Valley"; unfortunately, his cat had decided to take a nap on top of the very article he had been reading.
Trolleys
A trolley line used to run along the east side of Route 82 into Kennett, and you can still see part of its path near Willowdale and the Kennett Country Club. I learned this and many other interesting things about early-20th-century trolley lines at a wonderful talk given by Ray McKay to the Southeastern Chester County Historical Society on April 25.
He showed photos of the trolleys operating in downtown West Chester, Lenape, Downingtown and Kennett, with then-and-now comparisons of what the sites look like today. There was a trolley barn on South High Street, near Market Street, in West Chester; a power plant to keep the trolleys running where Lenape Forge is today; and another barn on Birch Street in Kennett. The arched bridge that crosses the Brandywine near Lenape Park didn't exist when the trolleys were running; they used a bridge just north of it that no longer exists.
He said it's a tricky business tracing the old routes because the lines have been pulled up, stations have been torn down and in some cases roads have even been moved.
He said that originally the trolley cars were not labeled with signs, and they all looked alike, causing confusion as to which car was going on which route.
In the more-chairs-needed audience at the Kennett Friends Home I saw Mary Dugan, Marjorie Kaskey, Karen Halstead, Baz Powell, and former Kennett Square borough residents Janice and Dick Taylor, and Mary Sproat introduced Mr. McKay.
After the talk my friends and I walked down the street and had a tasty supper at El Ranchero, a Mexican restaurant in the little West State Street shopping center where the card shop Papier used to be.
He showed photos of the trolleys operating in downtown West Chester, Lenape, Downingtown and Kennett, with then-and-now comparisons of what the sites look like today. There was a trolley barn on South High Street, near Market Street, in West Chester; a power plant to keep the trolleys running where Lenape Forge is today; and another barn on Birch Street in Kennett. The arched bridge that crosses the Brandywine near Lenape Park didn't exist when the trolleys were running; they used a bridge just north of it that no longer exists.
He said it's a tricky business tracing the old routes because the lines have been pulled up, stations have been torn down and in some cases roads have even been moved.
He said that originally the trolley cars were not labeled with signs, and they all looked alike, causing confusion as to which car was going on which route.
In the more-chairs-needed audience at the Kennett Friends Home I saw Mary Dugan, Marjorie Kaskey, Karen Halstead, Baz Powell, and former Kennett Square borough residents Janice and Dick Taylor, and Mary Sproat introduced Mr. McKay.
After the talk my friends and I walked down the street and had a tasty supper at El Ranchero, a Mexican restaurant in the little West State Street shopping center where the card shop Papier used to be.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Finance
I am very glad this Wall Street Journal story didn't carry a Unionville or Kennett Square dateline.
It seems that Rita Crundwell, the comptroller for Dixon, Illinois, is accused of embezzling $30 million from the city, using it to pay for her horse farm (she breeds and sells quarter horses), a $2.1 million motor home, a $60,000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, and $2.5 million in credit card charges, including $339,000 for jewelry. The photo that accompanies the story shows Ms. Crundwell, wearing a white cowboy hat, with one of her horses at a competition. The fraud, which allegedly stretched back to 2006, came to light when a city worker filling in for Ms. Crundwell "raised questions about the city's bank statements."
"The funds Ms. Crundwell is accused of misappropriating amount to nearly $2,000 for each of Dixon's roughly 15,700 residents," the WSJ reporter calculated.
It seems that Rita Crundwell, the comptroller for Dixon, Illinois, is accused of embezzling $30 million from the city, using it to pay for her horse farm (she breeds and sells quarter horses), a $2.1 million motor home, a $60,000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, and $2.5 million in credit card charges, including $339,000 for jewelry. The photo that accompanies the story shows Ms. Crundwell, wearing a white cowboy hat, with one of her horses at a competition. The fraud, which allegedly stretched back to 2006, came to light when a city worker filling in for Ms. Crundwell "raised questions about the city's bank statements."
"The funds Ms. Crundwell is accused of misappropriating amount to nearly $2,000 for each of Dixon's roughly 15,700 residents," the WSJ reporter calculated.
Apology
The structures at Dick Hayne's Doe Run Farm are beautifully designed and built. His artisanal cheese wins awards for its high quality. His workers are meticulous about keeping the estate grounds in impeccable condition. And I'm told that he is a very hands-on owner, involved in every decision.
Why, then, is the company he founded, Urban Outfitters Inc., continually being accused of selling tasteless and offensive products?
Just today a friend forwarded a Philadelphia Inquirer story about how UO was selling a $100 T-shirt with a six-pointed star on the pocket that resembled those that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany.
According to the Inquirer story, the Philadelphia chapter of the Anti-Defamation League "last week sent a letter to Urban Outfitters chairman and CEO Richard A. Hayne demanding `an immediate apology'.”
The company "said Monday it never stocked or sold" the T-shirt and the shirt’s "Danish manufacturer said a photo featuring the embroidery on Urban’s website `must be an early sample' of a prototype that was never, ultimately, made."
Philadelphia newspapers have previously reported that UO got in hot water for selling St. Patrick's Day T-shirts invoking offensive Irish stereotypes. Not to mention the Christmas-tree ornaments in the shape of guns, and the "Ghettopoly" game...
"Another day, another Urban Outfitters controversy," observed the website "Fashionista."
Why, then, is the company he founded, Urban Outfitters Inc., continually being accused of selling tasteless and offensive products?
Just today a friend forwarded a Philadelphia Inquirer story about how UO was selling a $100 T-shirt with a six-pointed star on the pocket that resembled those that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany.
According to the Inquirer story, the Philadelphia chapter of the Anti-Defamation League "last week sent a letter to Urban Outfitters chairman and CEO Richard A. Hayne demanding `an immediate apology'.”
The company "said Monday it never stocked or sold" the T-shirt and the shirt’s "Danish manufacturer said a photo featuring the embroidery on Urban’s website `must be an early sample' of a prototype that was never, ultimately, made."
Philadelphia newspapers have previously reported that UO got in hot water for selling St. Patrick's Day T-shirts invoking offensive Irish stereotypes. Not to mention the Christmas-tree ornaments in the shape of guns, and the "Ghettopoly" game...
"Another day, another Urban Outfitters controversy," observed the website "Fashionista."
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Race day
It was an outdoors weekend for me. Saturday I was weeding in shorts and sunscreen; Sunday I spent in the downpour at the Fair Hill Point-to-Point in Maryland. Yes, we certainly needed the rain, but what a shame that it had to choose Sunday.
Still, I saw lots of nice die-hard and still cheerful racing fans (it was as if Unionville just relocated south of the Mason-Dixon Line for the day), watched Ivan Dowling on Sally Reed's Monsooned Malabar win the very exciting Roy Rector Memorial Heavyweight Race, and had an excellent lunch prepared by Buck's Restaurant/Blue Marlin Catering of Rising Sun, MD (crab bisque, crabcakes, chicken marsala, pasta salad, green salad and chocolate mousse). So sad that the carriage parade got rained out, though.
One friend put it perfectly: "We are wet, but we are proud supporters of Fair Hill Races and all the people who work so hard to put it together and ride in the pouring rain!!"
Still, I saw lots of nice die-hard and still cheerful racing fans (it was as if Unionville just relocated south of the Mason-Dixon Line for the day), watched Ivan Dowling on Sally Reed's Monsooned Malabar win the very exciting Roy Rector Memorial Heavyweight Race, and had an excellent lunch prepared by Buck's Restaurant/Blue Marlin Catering of Rising Sun, MD (crab bisque, crabcakes, chicken marsala, pasta salad, green salad and chocolate mousse). So sad that the carriage parade got rained out, though.
One friend put it perfectly: "We are wet, but we are proud supporters of Fair Hill Races and all the people who work so hard to put it together and ride in the pouring rain!!"
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