At the Jennersville Giant the other day, the "paper products" aisle was absolutely chockful of paper towels. Not only were they on the shelves, but there were stacks of them piled up in the middle of the double-wide aisle. What a difference from the early days of the pandemic, when the shelves were bare!
Apparently another shopper had the same thought: he was taking a photo of the surplus with his cell phone.
As avid restaurant-goers, we have been doing all we can to support our local restaurants. Just days after the most recent dine-in ban was lifted, we enjoyed a terrific meal at one of our favorite Indian places, Rasa Indian Cuisine in the Painters Crossing shopping center.
We arrived on the early side. Although we were the only diners there for a while, the place was bustling with customers picking up their takeout orders. The waiter made frequent trips from the kitchen to the front desk lugging to-go bags.
The owners went out of their way to thank us for our business, but really the pleasure was all ours. I started enjoying Indian food only a few years ago and I now relish every flavorful bite. I even splurged (trying not to think about the carbs) and ordered their amazing garlic naan. Plus, their portions are so large that I had enough lamb biryani for the next few days!
Highly recommended.
His responsibilities at St. Michael will include playing the organ and directing the Adult Chancel Choir, the Matins Choir, the Jubilation Ringers, and all youth and children’s vocal and bell choirs.
"Ryan is arriving at an interesting time, when we are not yet meeting in our sanctuary for worship services," read a letter sent by the Music Director Search Committee to the church members. "We look forward to his direction in continuing the virtual music that can be incorporated into our worship services, until such time as it is safe to have choirs singing the sanctuary again."
Ryan earned his Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance, with a Minor in Music Education, at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and went on to earn a Master of Sacred Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Notre Dame.
Well, here is some happy news: The 28th running of the Willowdale Steeplechase is set for Saturday, May 8. However, the organizers caution that the number of spectators may need to be limited based on Pennsylvania's mandates in place at the time: "Please check back for the latest updates concerning ticketing on our website and social media," they advise.
Race director is Leslie Carpenter. Proceeds benefit the Stroud Water Research Center and New Bolton Center.
As far as the season-opening Cheshire Point-to-Point is concerned, the date is Sunday, March 28, but I haven't seen any updates about whether spectators will be permitted. Here's hoping!
A man who lives along Route 82 came to the West Marlborough township meeting on Jan. 4 to let the supervisors know that noisy tractor-trailers hauling cattle to the feed lots at the former King Ranch were making his family's life miserable.
He played a recording he made of a trucker applying his Jake brakes and said the "obnoxious" noise goes on around the clock, making it difficult to sleep or concentrate. It sounded a lot like this YouTube clip:
Township supervisor Jake Chalfin said he sympathized, as loud trucks hauling road materials sometimes use Springdell Road near his house.
Township supervisor Bill Wylie said he believes the cattle at the feed lots are brought there for a period of quarantine before being shipped overseas. He suggested that the township could contact the farmer running the operation and notify him of the problem with the trucks. If that doesn't work, he said, the second step might be to contact the Pennsylvania State Police and ask them about their truck inspection protocol.
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| Holsteins at the feed lots, Jan. 5. |
By state law, each township board of supervisors has to "reorganize" at the beginning of the year. West Marlborough did so on Monday, Jan. 4:
Two notable changes did take place. Township employees (other than the supervisors) received a 3% raise across the board. And the head of the road crew, Hugh Lofting Jr., took over his father's position as township roadmaster and emergency management coordinator. Residents won't notice any changes: "He handles most of it now," explained supervisor Hugh Lofting Sr. in nominating his son for the position.
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| Hugh 2 and Brother Wilson got a raise. |
Happy New Year, friends!
Our celebration was a little different this year. Instead of attending Midnight in the Square (aka the Mushroom Drop) in person on New Year's Eve, we watched the two-hour video at home the next afternoon. (The video is available on Midnight in the Square's Facebook page (1) Facebook.)
Because of the pandemic, the organizers moved the site of the Mushroom Drop from the middle of Kennett Square down to the big parking lot in the 600 block of South Broad Street. Spectators were encouraged to stay home and watch the livestreamed event.
The Mushroom was escorted to the site by fire trucks, sirens blaring, and was raised at 9 p.m. New Year's Eve. The livestream started at 10:15 p.m. In the time-honored spirit of "the show must go on!" the usual Mushroom Drop emcee, Tom Lafferty, handled the challenge masterfully. During the two-hour show, he did a super job of integrating his live announcements with photos from past Mushroom Drops and virtual musical performances.
This year's entertainers were Kevin Pierce, William Rose (we enjoyed seeing the dog sleeping on the sofa behind him), and two members of the Funsters, the oldies band that traditionally warms up the Mushroom Drop crowd. Kevin Pierce was a wonderful and truly engaging singer that made us smile with his versions of classics like "The Way You Look Tonight" and "What a Wonderful World." We Googled him and found that he is a former state trooper (Bio - Vocals By Kevin)!
As midnight approached, Mr. Lafferty spoke from the heart about how he hoped 2021 would be a better year for all. And then he counted down as the lighted mushroom was slowly lowered to the earth.
