Curious motorists like me are wondering what the final configuration will be of the Route 796 exit off the Route 1 bypass. A new medical center, Penn Medicine Southern Chester County, is being constructed at the intersection, and as part of the approval the developer was required to make road improvements. The exit ramp off Route 1, the entire length of which backs up during the evening rush hour, has been widened and is now divided into two lanes, one marked for right turns only. And given the orange construction barrels on the site, it looks as if the short stretch of Route 796 between the bypass and Woodview Road is going to be widened, and a concrete base was installed that could hold a traffic signal.
More will doubtless be revealed. The medical center is slated to open in the summer of 2015.
Farther down the Route 1 bypass, residents are objecting to a giant digital billboard proposed to be built near the Route 10 exit in Lower Oxford Township. There's already an online petition asking the township supervisors not to rewrite the township's zoning ordinance to permit the installation of this sign, which would be even bigger than the one on Route 202 (Concord Pike) south of Route 1.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
CAROLS: A merry noise at local Quaker meetinghouses
Three local Quaker meetings are hosting community carol sings: Bradford Meeting at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21; Marlborough Meeting at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21; and New West Grove Meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22.
Bradford Meeting is on Strasburg Road in Marshallton; Marlborough Meeting is at the intersection of Marlboro and Marlboro Springs Road in East Marlborough Township; and New West Grove Meeting is at 609 West State Road in West Grove (this is NOT the main meetinghouse in the town of West Grove).
Bradford Meeting is on Strasburg Road in Marshallton; Marlborough Meeting is at the intersection of Marlboro and Marlboro Springs Road in East Marlborough Township; and New West Grove Meeting is at 609 West State Road in West Grove (this is NOT the main meetinghouse in the town of West Grove).
Saturday, November 22, 2014
ESCAPE: Paying to be "Trapped in a Room with a Zombie"
I am always the last to hear about trends, so perhaps "Trapped in a Room With a Zombie" will not be news to you. A Unionville mother and her daughter were telling me about it at breakfast on Friday, and as best I can figure out it's a sort of audience-participation murder-mystery event for the video-game crowd.
After you buy your ticket, you and a group of strangers are escorted into a room where an actor dressed as a zombie is chained to a wall (now there's a resume builder).
You have an hour to escape, and to do so you must solve cascading puzzles and riddles that allow you to unlock padlocks, open safes, locate keys and such.
I asked for an example and my friend recalled that there was a piece of cloth with holes in it that, held over a sheet of numbers, highlighted the ones that formed a lock's combination. In another case, a rebus showed a web plus a hand stirring something -- which meant the next clue could be found in the Webster's Dictionary!
(Thankfully, there are staffers on hand to offer assistance for the less clever.)
Meanwhile, every five minutes the zombie's chains grow by a link, allowing him to get closer to the participants' brains and doubtless increasing their motivation to escape.
My friends did this in California, and obviously they managed to escape, but they say there's also one of these events in Philadelphia. What a fun birthday party it would be for the right person!
After you buy your ticket, you and a group of strangers are escorted into a room where an actor dressed as a zombie is chained to a wall (now there's a resume builder).
You have an hour to escape, and to do so you must solve cascading puzzles and riddles that allow you to unlock padlocks, open safes, locate keys and such.
I asked for an example and my friend recalled that there was a piece of cloth with holes in it that, held over a sheet of numbers, highlighted the ones that formed a lock's combination. In another case, a rebus showed a web plus a hand stirring something -- which meant the next clue could be found in the Webster's Dictionary!
(Thankfully, there are staffers on hand to offer assistance for the less clever.)
Meanwhile, every five minutes the zombie's chains grow by a link, allowing him to get closer to the participants' brains and doubtless increasing their motivation to escape.
My friends did this in California, and obviously they managed to escape, but they say there's also one of these events in Philadelphia. What a fun birthday party it would be for the right person!
LUNCH: Chicken salad sandwiches at the "Quaker Fare"
We just had a tasty meal at the Kennett Friends Meeting's "Quaker Fare" luncheon. Their chicken salad is always the best, and the cranberry salad, mushroom soup, and apple crisp were excellent too. They seemed to have a good turnout--we recognized several Quakers from Kennett and London Grove, including Pat Horrocks, Jessie Cocks, Betsy Walker and Jean Tennant-- and as we walked in we were greeted by our pal Lars Farmer, who did a great job of publicizing the event.
GRATITUDE: A shout-out to my wonderful readers
With the approach of Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude to my readers and to my family, friends, neighbors, gym mates, Facebook friends, and total strangers who contribute "Tilda items" to this column, willingly or not. I try really hard to feature in "Unionville in the News" as many different circles of our community as I can, and I absolutely couldn't do it without your help.
I also greatly appreciate all your nice comments about the column over the years (I started writing it in 2007). As you can probably tell, I have a lot of fun with it.
I also greatly appreciate all your nice comments about the column over the years (I started writing it in 2007). As you can probably tell, I have a lot of fun with it.
LOCKDOWN: Bomb threats disrupt the day at school
I overheard some local schoolgirls talking the other day about the bomb threats at their school (they didn't say which). The threats seem to have become frequent, so much so that the girls seemed completely unfazed about the situation. Their main concern seemed to how the lockdowns and searches wreak havoc with their classes and their lunch.
I suppose it's the equivalent of the "duck-and-cover" atomic bomb drills they had in schools during the Cold War, but there was nothing like that in my generation.
I suppose it's the equivalent of the "duck-and-cover" atomic bomb drills they had in schools during the Cold War, but there was nothing like that in my generation.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
THE LOOK: And yet I can't help wondering, what does she look like?
In recent days two women, on meeting me and learning that I write this column, have said that I didn't look the way they thought I would.
One said she thought I would be heavier, given the number of times I write about going out for meals and taking advantage of the food at parties and fundraisers. She's quite right, of course, but I also reminded her how often I write about my exercise classes!
Another woman told me she thought I'd be tall and blonde. I didn't get a chance to ask her what about my column made her think that, although no doubt there are a lot of tall, blonde (and skinny) women in Unionville.
For those of you who don't know me, I am not tall; in fact, the Young Relative points out regularly that he is now taller than I am even without his shoes on, and doubtless he will soon be towering over me.
As for the blonde part: those streaks in my hairdo were definitely not put there by nature.
One said she thought I would be heavier, given the number of times I write about going out for meals and taking advantage of the food at parties and fundraisers. She's quite right, of course, but I also reminded her how often I write about my exercise classes!
Another woman told me she thought I'd be tall and blonde. I didn't get a chance to ask her what about my column made her think that, although no doubt there are a lot of tall, blonde (and skinny) women in Unionville.
For those of you who don't know me, I am not tall; in fact, the Young Relative points out regularly that he is now taller than I am even without his shoes on, and doubtless he will soon be towering over me.
As for the blonde part: those streaks in my hairdo were definitely not put there by nature.
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