Monthly Archives: July 2012

the historic village of yellow springs is falling apart.

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I do not want to upset anyone. Or deliberately offend any volunteers.  But Historic Yellow Springs Village is falling apart. And there was a lot of activity not so many years ago.  I know Congressman Jim Gerlach got money for the village around 2009. And he honored the village around then too.

Not to be blunt, but WHAT HAPPENED?

Take for example, what is known as “Vaughn House”.  It is at the end of the village right before the West Pikeland Township Building.

It had a fire at least two years ago.  I have been digging around on the Internet and in 2009 I found a reference in some West Pikeland report:

K.  H istoric Yellow Springs Vaughn House – Mrs. Matthews reportedthat the Township has not received a response from Historic Yellow  Springs regarding the current status of repairs needed to the  abandoned Vaughn House. A discussion ensued regarding the need   to have the property secured by fencing to assure public safety.

Maurie Kring offered to allow Historic Yellow Springs to use fencing from his recent demolition. The Township Public Works  employee will transport the fence for Historic Yellow Springs.

Then I saw this report which mentions it:

February 12, 2010.

1.Mr. Ross stated he has spoken to Prudence Haines, Director of Historic Yellow Springs in regards to the fire damaged Vaughn House. Ms. Haines informed Mr. Ross that Historic Yellow Springs has secured the facility and does not have funds for maintenance and repair and would consider selling the property.

Then I find another reference from June of this year, 2012:

PERSONS WISHING TO BE HEARD

Barbara Miller of Art School Road stated that she has observed two properties damaged by fire; one being the Vaughn House owned by Historic Yellow Springs and the other a private home located in the eastern most portion of the village. Ms. Miller stated that the properties are blighted and are unattractive and asked if they were going to be repaired. The Board informed Ms. Miller that the private home has been sold and is plans are presently being made for renovation. Eileen McMonagle of Historic Yellow Springs was present and stated that Historic Yellow Springs is currently working on a solution to restore the property.

I dug a little more and this is what Historic Yellow Springs has to say on it’s website today even as Vaughn house is all boarded up and half covered by tarps:

Connie’s, Vaughn, Jenny Lind, and Yeaworth Houses

Connie’s House dates to the late 1800’s and was originally a post office and general store. It is now owned by the Chester Springs Studio and is used for exhibitions and artists’ residencies. The building was given to the Studio by Yellow Springs Founder Connie Fraley, hence the affectionate name. The Vaughn House, named for its last resident, is a charming small farmhouse built in the 1830’s. Historic Yellow Springs completely restored the house in 1989 and it serves as a tenant residence.

Mrs. Holman, the retiring owner of the Yellow Springs Spa property, built the Jenny Lind House in the early 1840’s as a boarding house – it has eight bedrooms!

The Yeaworth House, also named for its last resident, was built in 1899 as an infirmary for the Soldiers’ Orphans School. It was converted to a residence in the 1950’s, extensively renovated in 1987-88, and now serves as another tenant residence.

The English actress Fanny Kemble describing her visit to Yellow Springs during July 1843 in her book Records of Later Life, 1882:

“This morning the children took me up a hill which rises immediately at the back of the house (the Jenny Lind House), on the summit of which is a fine crest of beautiful forest trees, from which place there is a charming prospect of hill and dale, a rich rolling country in fine cultivation – the yellow crops of grain, running like golden bays in the green woodland that clothes the sides and tops of all the hills, the wheat, the grass, the variegated patchwork covering of the prosperous summer earth.”

Vaughn House is no charming tenant property now.  I took a good look at it on Sunday.  It is a wreck after a fire, and how embarrassing that Historic Yellow Springs can’t be honest about it.

I dug around and was told Historic Yellow Springs  did collect insurance post-fire,but it was not enough to effect historic preservation repairs.   Given the June 2012 meeting minutes I quoted above, I would say they are in a fair pickle when it comes to this property.

Someone I know who looked at the house recently said it was not beyond redemption but would be soon if they did not get busy.

The irony is everyone knows there is some serious money in and around Yellow Springs, so why can’t some of those people rescue this house and preserve it?  What happened was a tenant fire, I am unsure of the timeline, but I noticed on West Pikeland’s website a last name that is the same as that general store, or Harold M. Hallman III.   From what I have been told years ago, this family has been around forever and own a lot of land?  Couldn’t a family like this help Historic Yellow Springs?

See this is what I do not get about this place: those who can’t don’t.

Yellow Springs has an amazing history and still has three mineral springs: magnesium, sulphur, and iron.  The whole village grew up around the medicinal value of these springs. There are references to them in Colonial Times and Washington hung out there…and they can prove it.  People used to travel up the Schuylkill by packet boat from Philadelphia to Pottstown/Phoenixville and then by coach to the Inn for taking the waters in the springs.

On their website, the iron spring gazebo is in a field neatly cut.  It is practically drowned by brush and rushes right now.  There used to be these amazing walking trails that you could take to check out the springs.  I could not see any of the trails this weekend, as things are that overgrown.

I totally get Historic  Yellow Springs  currently seems to be  swinging toward a more public revenue stream with using the village for  weddings, rentals,  and sponsored events. I have done enough work with small non-profits to know non-profit funding is there but grantors want specific results over the long-term.  However, when I say the place needs donor angels I am not kidding.  They are advertising the old inn “The Washington” as being event ready, and maybe it is o.k. but I have heard from people who inquired that you have to bring in a kitchen to do an event, there is no longer a kitchen. That adds significantly to what you have to rent.

This place is like a ghost town now.  The life comes from the restaurant in the Jenny Lind House, The Yellow Springs Inn.  But that is privately owned, and the care taken to do a restoration there is obvious.  So should Historic Yellow Springs consider selling some of the properties provided they can ensure they can, and will be preserved?

This is the list of HYS board members as per their website and if it is not current that is their issue:

Mark Ashton, President

Anne M. Congdon

Stephen P. Cottone

Polly Gable, Secretary

Karin E. Gedge

Rita Kaplan

William LaCoff, Vice President

Edward A. Meltzer, Treasurer

Terri Moran

Moira Mumma

Matthew E. Roberson

Brendan J. Sherman

Robert C.F. Willson

I do not know any of these people but is this board active?  Or are they a board that treats their non-profit as a private club?

Here is the staff list:

Heidi Brett, Arts Program Manager – 610-827-7414 ext. 16 hbrett@yellowsprings.org
Callie McGlone, Office and Events Manager – 610-827-7414 ext. 10   cmcglone@yellowsprings.org

Eileen McMonagle , Executive Director – 610-827-7414 ext. 14 emcmonagle@yellowsprings.org

Sandra S. Momyer, Moore Archivist – 610-827-7414 ext. 19 smomyer@yellowsprings.org

Diane Peterson, Business Manager – 610-827-7414 ext. 17       dpeterson@yellowsprings.org

John Shaw, Volunteer Coordinator jshaw@yellowsprings.org

I have been told the Executive Director is fairly new and very nice and really into preserving the historic village.  Maybe they need some new board members then?

The history from the springs, the Revolutionary War Hospital, the who artist colony history makes Yellow Springs cool.  But it does not matter how many volunteers it has if no movement is occurring.

They used to do so many events, and that has dwindled.  You need events to bring people to town, not just putting the event for rent sign out on the village.  Bring back the antiques show, for example.  That drew thousands to the village.

They could host re-enactment events.  There are tons of people who live to come to these things in correct period costume and share their knowledge of particular periods in United States History – I have seen it at places like Historic Goshenville.  I have seen it at various Civil War re-enactments.  Also things like Farmers’ Markets will draw people to a community – look no further than the markets we all go to every week in Chester County during growing seasons. Or flower shows.  Or old-fashioned things like quilt shows.  Open air antiques and crafts markets.  Partner with local farms for farm table dinners in the Village or haunted hay rides in the fall. People love those too. There are a lot of things that can be done, but the people controlling this historic village need to want to do things to better the lot of the village.

And what can the West Pikeland Township people do that is positive for the village to encourage and entice people to support the village.

I know so many areas that would kill to have history like this.   Don’t squander it Historic Yellow Springs.   People care about the village.  I watched a guy cutting really long grass just to make things look better.  I asked someone if he worked for the township.  The answer was no, he is just a resident who cares about the land.

Look at the historic homes inventory in and around Yellow Springs Village. (Mind you one thing I found interesting on that list was the 1083 Bodine Road owned by The Barnes Foundation.)

If Chester Springs is supposed to be one the most affluent sections of Chester County, then I wish some of them would wake up and see that Historic Yellow Springs gets a shove.

No one wants to write a donation check in this economy that is not going to be accounted for, I get that.  So what about targeted donations?  Or very specific fundraising efforts?  Like how much needs to be raised to restore Vaughn House?

What kind of special events (not just recurring ones)  can the board of Historic Yellow Springs bring to the Village?  If those people want to sit on the board then are they responsible for helping raise a certain dollar amount in donations?  Face it, this place needs not only an active board, but a proactive board.  And if these board members aren’t bringing in a certain amount of donations each year, or giving it themselves, they need that board freshened up a little more often.  Who can they partner with in neighboring communities or other areas of historic interest to raise awareness?

And the walking trails.  People love walking trails, especially when there is not only beauty, but a lot to look at.  And face it, those springs are still cool a couple of hundred years later!  But the trails seem to be lacking maintenance.  Why not invite boy scout troops from Chester County to adopt the trails as service projects?  Maybe let them camp once in a while  in one of the fields like the one being used for parking of studio vehicles.

O.k. rant over.  Sorry, but I think this is worth saving and the people in control do have the tools to do so.  Only I can’t figure out what they are waiting for.

chester springs

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why the petty?

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UPDATE:

I just received a note from someone named Megan Ebersole:

Hello- This post was brought to my attention because there is a screen shot of my images being used without my permission which is infringing on my copyright. I kindly ask that you please remove the screen shot of my images as I really don’t want this post or anything like it associated with my business.

So I have edited my screen shot from a public Facebook page to honor her request.   As for her not wanting to be associated with my blog, hey that is fine as we all know I generally take and use my own photos.   I am sorry she got caught in the crossfire so to speak.

One last question: ummm who had permission from Twitter to use their trademarked tweetie bird and symbol on cupcakes? And photograph and advertise with it?  That is what is in the image in question  (cupcakes with Twitter tweetie birds and twitter symbols) and  I looked and saw nothing.  If that photo is for anyone’s financial gain, they might wish to have a care with photos like that – the bakery in Media that produced them for AML (A Sweet Mess Cakes in Media), the photographer that shot the cupcakes and contacted me, and of course AML. I made an unintentional error, because I just wanted to show a screen shot of what I was talking about on a public Facebook page, but that whole twitter of it all? Seems a few of us had a learning curve here, yes?  I wouldn’t wish to run afowl of twitter, so I am almost glad this woman contacted me……

Original Post:

So it is a big brave world out there and every day many of us like different pages on Facebook.   Only sometimes the page owners are odd and even petty.

There is this one page called AroundMainLine.com. (“AML”) The owner is a woman named Sarah Lockard, who I have seen here and there at social events.  She doesn’t remember who I am half of the time, and that is fine – truly that doesn’t bother me.  We’re not friends, just sometimes go to the same things.

But what I do not get is why I like her AroundMainLine page  (“AML”) and a couple of weeks later I will go look at something because I will see her feed on someone’s page and I have to like the page all over again.  I have had my like unliked by her as page administrator twice today.  And oh yes, although I can’t remember ever posting anything on this page, for some reason I am not allowed to post a comment on the page even when I like it. .

Now look, I don’t have time for petty.   I get that some people are fairly ambitious social climbers, love to pretend their roots are more Main Line than they are and just need a touch up,  and at heart insecure, but this is just silly.  I hate to pile on with the haters out there, but I am just too old for this stuff.

The irony is a LOT of people have a LOT to say about her and her “work” that is not too flattering.  I really haven’t.

I discovered I was not allowed to post a couple/few weeks ago when I happened to go to this page while searching for a store on Facebook.  I saw this beautiful photo and thought “wow how pretty”.  I went to leave a comment to that effect and found I could not comment.

So I am putting it out there that this is pretty childish stuff from a purportedly seasoned p.r. chick.

Not everything she does is my cup of tea, but every once in a while I see something cute or whatever.

Grow up, precious.   Or pick up your Barbies and go home.

And incidentally, *IF* this ends up to be a total misunderstanding, I will take this post down.

kendall’s gazpacho…the secret is out

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Once upon a time there was a rather cool woman who liked to travel.   While in Spain in the 1960’s she twisted the arm of the waiter at the Hoteles Melia in Cadiz, Spain to give her their top secret Gazpacho recipe.

This recipe has been treated like a state secret stolen by the CIA for decades.  But now, you lucky things, the recipe is out.

I made it just like I was instructed.  It is aging in the fridge for a future meal this weekend.  Let me tell you, it is the best Gazpacho I have ever had….and I can make good Gazpacho on my own.

Here mortals, take note:                                   

Gazpacho/Hoteles Melia – Cardiz, Spain

Serves 4 people

1 cucumber

3 cloves garlic

4 tomatoes (I used red and yellow tomatoes from Blueberry Hill Farms at the EGFM)

3 green bell peppers (yeah, o.k. well the green bell peppers I saw today at the grocery store looked like they walked from Mexico and I don’t mean that to be flattering so I used red and orange bell peppers…I forgot to see if there were any at the farmers’ market )

4 oz. bread soaked in wine vinegar (I figure they didn’t mean Wonder Bread in 1960’s Spain so I bought a 4 oz Portugese roll and tore it to shreds and got it drunk on wine vinegar)

1/2 wine glass of olive oil  My everyday wines are about 8 oz so I did about half a glass.

salt and pepper to taste

The instructions continue thusly: “Slaughter the vegtables in the food processor.  Mix everything together and refrigerate.  Serve cold.”

I accepted my stealth Gazpacho recipe assignment and completed it.

Best damn Gazpacho I have ever had.

If you tell anyone you have this recipe you will be in big trouble…I undoubtedly am for blogging it….if you use the recipe, please do not change it’s name….

This Gazpacho is apparently from what I have been able to research is a variation of classic Andalusian Gazpacho.

 

pasta sauce and rainy evenings

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Since the swelter fest has taken a break today, I decided it was for some pasta.  And a fun sauce.  And before we get to that can someone please tell me why people were wearing sweaters today like it was cold?

So the sauce.  I took my Bolognese and changed it up.  First I sautéed a huge Vidalia onion with 3 cloves of garlic in olive oil with salt in the bottom of a Dutch Oven.

Then I added some chopped fresh oregano and a couple of bay leaves off my bay leaf tree.

Then I chopped up into fairly small, yet uniform pieces two giant Portobello mushrooms.  I tossed their stems – too tough.

Then I tossed in a pound of ground veal and half a pound of sweet Italian sausage no casing.  Cooked it through, added about a cup of milk, cooked that off. Then I added about half a cup of Rose wine (it was what was opened), cooked that off.  Then I chopped into smallish pieces but not tiny about 2/3 of a cup of roasted red sweet peppers and tossed them into the pot.

Next a can of chopped tomatoes, a can of crushed tomatoes with tomato puree, and a couple of squeezes out of an open tube of tomato paste.  And oh yes, salt and pepper to taste and basil and a little more oregano.

Cooked it through for about another hour, prepared some cavatelli and introduced sauce to cavatelli.

Perfect rainy evening meal.

 

 

another devon disaster to report

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Bad week to say you are from Devon.  Hookers near the horse show in that Marriott, Waterloo and Chapter 11, and now a major as in M-A-J-O-R drug bust.

Poor Devon, always in the shadow of Strafford, always a little odd, and now a hot bed of bad publicity:

Main Line Suburban Life > News

Tredyffrin man suspect in $2.5-million drug bust

Published: Friday, July 20, 2012

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office announced   Friday the arrests of James Lippert of Tredyffrin and David Eisenstadt of Philadelphia for allegedly possessing over $2.5 million worth of marijuana.

According to a press release from the DA’s Office, federal and local law enforcement agencies raided homes in Philadelphia and Tredyffrin Township. The arrests and raids were coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the Chester County DA’s Office,the Tredyffrin Township Police Department, and the Philadelphia PoliceDepartment.

District Attorney Tom Hogan stated, “When federal and local law enforcement work as a team, drug dealers do not stand a chance. These two drug dealers thought they were smart to be running drugs and money between Philadelphia and Chester County. Now we have their drugs and money, and they have been arrested andlocked up.”

Defendant James Lippert, 49,  lived on the 100 block of Colket Lane, Devon.

Defendant David Eisenstadt, 50, lived on the 4000 block of Chester Ave., Philadelphia.

waterloo gardens files for bankruptcy protection

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Waterloo Gardens , Exton PA 2008 (T.Bemis photo)

In March, I wrote a post called digging in the dirt. I mentioned then that Waterloo in Devon looked a little off.  Someone from Waterloo left a comment after the post went live:

Tracy Smith on March 26, 2012 at 10:19 am said

At Waterloo, we are gearing up for April weather – with a forecast of 20′s and 30′s at night, ther are just certain plant material that is not ready to ship.  Planting during 70 degree weather is great but now we are back to reality with temps. in the 50″s and cold nights again.  We aim to ensure planting success and receive material when it is timely.  Thanks for the insight though.  We really value your opinion and take comments quite seriously. Take care, Tracy Smith

It still kept looking not quite right every time I drove past the Devon store.  I kept hearing stories from people around that they were in dire straits.  Then in June came news they were indeed closing Devon.

Today comes the news they are filing for bankruptcy protection. You know, everyone is ballyboohoohooing this calling the Devon property “a landmark property” and sorry, that just makes my eyes roll.  It is 6 1/2 acres or thereabouts, but it is not landmark anything.  It is just commercial.

Patch is reporting rumors of a Terrain being built there, another nursing home (nursing homes along Route 30 in Chester County are the new nail salon, apparently), or a car dealership. They quoted Bobby LeBoutillier as he being the one to recount the rumors.

Look it is a major bummer to many that Waterloo is closing.  However, they still have Exton and quite frankly people should take a drive to Malvern to check out a smaller, family owned nursery Woodlawn Landscaping and Nursery.  Or Somerset Nursery in Glenmore.  They have or can get anything a gardener would want and yeah I bet they can help you plant too.

Waterloo over-extended themselves.  They should have just stuck to what they know and kept it in Devon and Exton.  But they did not and they are paying the piper doubly bad due to the economy.

They told me today via Facebook that gift cards would be honored at the Exton store.

I have a friend from high school who owns a nursery in another state, her name is Tina Bemis.  Here is what she had to say today:

I happen to own a garden center in another state, and know that are garden centers are struggling right now.  We WANT to have the cool, different stuff, but as less and less people are real gardeners and more “plant decorators” it’s hard to carry cool stuff that just sits there, when the majority of people just want big flowers.

Also, we don’t WANT to be more expensive, but the big box stores often use our products to lure you into the store so they can then sell you other stuff.

You see those prices, and think we are expensive.  But they NEVER carry the cool, unusual stuff that you seek, and we are keeping those plants watered every day for when you come in.  And when you only choose to come in on the after Christmas sale, what are we supposed to do the rest of the year?

We MUST go for the plants with the biggest profit dollars (not necessarily margins).  That’s what businesses do.  They must, actually, or someone else will do it better, and they will go out of business.  Believe me, most garden centers are just barely staying alive right now.  There are so few of you real gardeners left, and our businesses got big with the baby boomer demographic.

As the older folks downsize, move to retirement homes, or pass on, the next generation is a) much smaller in numbers and 2) even further removed from the land.  In order to justify our own existence, we must also downsize, and that is probably exactly what Waterloo did.  I would love to carry only what I call “geek plants.”  But they won’t put food on my table. I appreciate your thoughtful comments.

Mind you, Tina and her nursery in my opinion is probably more like a slightly larger Woodlawn Landscaping and Nursery in Malvern or like a Somerset Nursery.  And I have known Tina since I was a teenager (we were Shipley Sprouts together only she was MUCH MUCH better!) so I know she has a care with her clients.  Most of us ceased to get that care or feeling of caring in Devon years ago.  I do find that however, at the two nurseries I have mentioned in this post.

People can still visit them in Exton, which truthfully has been the best of their stores for years.  I stopped going to Devon years ago not only because of the prices, but because (as alluded to none too smoothly above) there existed in the Devon store an attitude that quite simply put, was not worth the money.  Devon as someone said to me to day was a glorified gift shop.  Certainly not the Waterloo of years ago.

So dry your eyes.  You might have to drive a little farther out but you still have one Waterloo if you must Waterloo.   And it is the best of the Waterloos, always has been. And if you are open to trying new things, it’s a big world out there with additional choices.

News : Waterloo Gardens files for Chapter 11

Waterloo Gardens files for Chapter 11;  Landscaping company files same day

Waterloo Gardens has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following plans to shut down its Devon location.

The garden center and Waterloo Landscaping, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 June 26.

Waterloo announced earlier in the month that it will be selling the original store and consolidating business at the 50-acre Exton location.

“I think the Exton store, out of the two, has a much better layout,” said longtime President Bobby LeBoutiliier of the announcement. “There is more room for cars to park, more coverage space for annuals shopping, and if it’s time to consolidate, out of the two, this is the one we want.”

Management had originally planned to keep the Devon location open through the end of the year, and possibly into spring of 2013. The store is now scheduled to close July 15.

The garden center, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in April, opened two new locations in 2007 – one in Wilmington, Del. And one in Warminster, Pa. The Warminster location closed in 2008. The Wilmington location closed in December of 2011.

Waterloo Gardens, Inc. on busbk.com says they filed June 26th.  Here is some other info:

Debtor

Waterloo Gardens, Inc. 200 N. Whitford Road Exton, PA 19341-2099 CHESTER-PA Tax ID / EIN: 23-1911696

Represented By

ALBERT A. CIARDI, III Ciardi Ciardi & Astin, P.C. One Commerce Square 2005 Market Street Suite 1930 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 557-3550 Fax  : 215-557-3551 Email: aciardi@ciardilaw.com

JENNIFER E. CRANSTON Ciardi Ciardi & Astin, P.C. One Commerce Square 2005 Market Street, Suite 1930 Philadelphia, PA 19103 215 557 3550 Email: jcranston@ciardilaw.com

U.S. Trustee

United States Trustee Office of the U.S. Trustee

833 Chestnut Street Suite 500 Philadelphia, PA 19107

(215) 597-4411

Docket

Jun 26 #1 Chapter 11 Voluntary Petition. Fee Amount $1046 Filed by Waterloo Gardens, Inc.. Government Proof of Claim Deadline: 12/23/2012. Statement of Corporate Ownership due 07/10/2012. Corporate Resolution due 07/10/2012. Matrix List of Creditors due 07/3/2012. (CIARDI, ALBERT) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 Receipt of Voluntary Petition (Chapter 11)(12-16080) [misc,volp11a] (1046.00) Filing Fee. Receipt number 12089552. Fee Amount $1046.00. (U.S. Treasury) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 #2 Corporate Resolution Filed by JENNIFER E. CRANSTON on behalf of Waterloo Gardens, Inc.. (CRANSTON, JENNIFER) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 #3 20 Largest Unsecured Creditors Filed by JENNIFER E. CRANSTON on behalf of Waterloo Gardens, Inc.. (CRANSTON, JENNIFER) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 #4 Matrix Filed. Number of pages filed: 2, Filed by JENNIFER E. CRANSTON on behalf of Waterloo Gardens, Inc.. (CRANSTON, JENNIFER) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 #5 Document in re: Verification of Creditor Matrix Filed by JENNIFER E. CRANSTON on behalf of Waterloo Gardens, Inc. (related document(s) 4 ). (CRANSTON, JENNIFER) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 #6 Document in re: Statement of Parties with Interest in Cash Collateral Filed by ALBERT A. CIARDI III on behalf of Waterloo Gardens, Inc.. (CIARDI, ALBERT) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 #7 Expedited Motion to Use Cash Collateral Motion of the Debtor and Debtor-in-Possession for Order Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §363 to (I) use Cash Collateral and Provide Adequate Protection to Parties with Interest in Cash Collateral, (II) Pay Prepetition Wages and requests (III) an Expedited Hearing, Reduced Notice Period and Limited Notice Pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9006(c)(1) And E.D. Pa. L.B.R. 5070(f) Filed by Waterloo Gardens, Inc. Represented by ALBERT A. CIARDI III(Counsel). (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A# 2 Proposed Order (Expedited)) (CIARDI, ALBERT) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 #8 Application to Employ Ciardi Ciardi & Astin as Counsel to the Debtor Filed by Waterloo Gardens, Inc. Represented by ALBERT A. CIARDI III(Counsel). (Attachments: # 1 Declaration# 2 Proposed Order # 3 Service List # 4 Notice) (CIARDI, ALBERT) (Entered: 06/26/2012)
Jun 26 #9 Amended Document Amended Declaration in Support of Debtor’s Application to Employ Ciardi Ciardi & Astin Filed by ALBERT A. CIARDI III on behalf of Waterloo Gardens, Inc. (related document(s)8). (CIARDI, ALBERT) (Entered: 06/26/2012)

 

 

 

beautiful fences make happy everybody

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I love Wayne because it has some superbly wonderful and unique 19th century homes.

One is owned by the family of someone I know named Greg Pritchard.  Greg is part of the Radnor Historical Society and incredibly knowledgeable.  He was of great help to me a couple of years ago when I was researching the Wayne Natatorium to submit to the state for it to get a historical marker.

The Pritchards recently did something super cool: they researched and re-created the original fence to their home from the 19th century with the help of a guy named Stephen Zook of Rocky Ridge Cedar Work in Christiana, Pa. I assume Mr. Zook is either Amish or Mennonite.

I just think the fence is beautiful and unusual and thought I would share in the hopes of inspiring fence creativity! Below is Greg’s family home when it was built.  This wasn’t a requirement, they just did it.  That is preservation in action, people. How very cool!

calling all helicopter parents

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I am not a regular reader of The Philly Post, but this particular post which I will share  caught my eye.  In essence it is on continued helicopter parenting.  The term refers to parents who so manage their kids lives they are literally like hovering helicopters.  They parent to such a degree that they literally strive to solve every issue or problem a kid might encounter –  even fairly innocuous and regular things we all dealt with growing up.

These parents are creating legions of future mammoni except male and female.  Kids unable to truly cope on their own and problem solve and reason effectively.

I have heard stories for years and seen parents that if I was their  kid they would have driven me cuckoo because they so did everything.  The problem is these kids don’t know anything different, so they have never learned how to reason out issues in some cases, or problem solve.  I think although done out of love, it does kids a disservice.  Some kids rely on it so they can work their parents – I have seen that too.

Any problems at school, parents wade in.

Any social problems outside school, parents wade in.

They go to college, parents still wade in.

The past couple of years in particular I have heard stories of friends in human resource jobs and who just work for companies where parents have weighed in with their now adult children – and it is not like their golf buddy or their friend from The Junior League owns the company.

Granted, there are situations where any parent should weigh in, but as hard as it is, we were all kids once, and there is some truth that kids will not learn some stuff unless they experience it.  And then after a point they need to learn to be responsible and accountable for their actions. And face it, the kids want to be.

The helicoptering I see a lot of has to do with kids not actually doing their own homework, or if a teacher suggests a child might say behave better in school, the parent go all postal on a school and a teacher.  (Remember the infamous story a few short years ago about the teacher at Baldwin?)

The author here mentions a book with an absurd premise called The Case Against Homework. According to these authors what is wrong with kids today is homework. Homework causes obesity and probably cancer too according to them.  Who knew?   (My eyes are rolling on THAT one.)

Anyway, vroom, vroom.  Read this:

Philly Post: Today’s Overprotected Kids Are Tomorrow’s Nightmare Employees

Maybe they’ll be able to take their parents to work.

By Alexandria Barbadoro   7/17/2012 

was it extreme heat or malfunction today at limerick nuclear plant?

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UPDATE – my friends at PECO connected me to the Limerick Generating Station  because apparently since deregulation PECO has not owned generating facilities – including Limerick.  The facilities are owned and operated by Exelon
Nuclear.  Here is the press release from their media person:

This morning I learned via Phoenixville Patch (they really do try to keep abreast of news and having dealt with interim editor Tom Sunnergren I know he has a nose for news) that Limerick Patch was reporting a shut down at the nuclear plant in Limerick. (and yes that is my photo from a friend’s deck outside Pottstown.) The cause, as per Patch and other Philadelphia media like 6 ABC is an electrical fault.

The very ODD thing is that the Morning Call via Reuters  seemed as if they were implying the shut down was part of a multi state shut down at other nuclear plants due to heat.

Seriously check it out:

Limerick among four nuclear power reactors shut down Wednesday

By Scott DiSavino, Reuters11:35 a.m. EDT, July 18, 2012

Several nuclear plants on the U.S. East Coast, including Exelon’s Limerick nuclear plant, were shut down early Wednesday and New York’s Consolidated Edison power company reduced the voltage in parts of Manhattan as the obsessive heat wave stressed the region’s power system….A unit at Exelon’s Limerick nuclear plant in Pennsylvania shut early Wednesday, according to power traders. Officials at the company and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission could not confirm the Limerick shutdown.

So which is it? Or is it both?

Here is Limerick Patch, and unfortunately if you live in PA, you hear about this and no matter what the reason, you think about Three Mile Island.  I was in high school when Three Mile Island news broke.  As a matter of fact I was outside of PA in  Washington, DC visiting friends and researching a term paper at The Library of Congress (it was an obscure topic and as good excuse as any to explore The Library of Congress which is really, REALLY cool! )  I remember when the news cut in and they flashed up shots of the reactors at Three Mile Island and reported the accident at first – it was very scary to hear about at the time.

Government, Business

Unscheduled Shutdown at Limerick Nuclear Plant

NRC: Electrical fault in transformer was impetus for manual shutdown.

By David Powell Email the author 10:37 am

The Unit 1 nuclear reactor at Exelon’s Limerick Generating Station was shut down at 8:15 Wednesday morning following an electrical fault in a transformer, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a statement sent to area media outlets.

The reactor was manually shut down from the power station’s control room following the fault, according to the NRC.

“The NRC is closely monitoring the shutdown, with our Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant gathering information from the control room and sharing it with NRC staff. There do not appear to be any complications at this point. We will want to know more about Exelon’s root cause evaluation ….” NRC spokesperson Neil Sheehan said.

….Exelon company spokespersons did not immediately return calls seeking comment Wednesday morning.

Hmmm, I have a couple PECO contacts, so I wonder what is going on?  Maybe in the end it is nothing, but being perceived as secretive or furtive is not the card to play I think.