East Coast Happenings

[Diane Amberg]

The storms came rumbling through last night and broke the heat wave. It's supposed to be nice all this week. Mid 80's and less humidity, but maybe a few little pop up storms. 
I see the manure is still being tossed on a certain thread. Perhaps one there should muck out a bit more often and it wouldn't pile up. Sure does take liberties with less than a year on the forum
So Newark Charter came out with great state scores again this year. The local daily paper even mentioned them... Very nice.
Congrats to all the 4-H kids, both in Kansas and here in Delaware for their hard work. Our state fair caught the awful heat last week and had to have cooling tents and water stations for the animals as well as the people.
I guess the 'gators couldn't handle the heat as the food folks were selling grilled alligator on a stick. No snappers though...didn't want to accidentally get hold of any Elk County residents.  Some of them are snappy enough as it is.   I won't mention any IQ's. Pizza and our garden salad for dinner tonight.

[Diane Amberg]

So, today we are celebrating our 43rd anniversary.
Ham, fresh green beans and red skin potatoes for dinner. Al added two more pearls to my necklace that he has been doing since our wedding. It's nice and long now. He's going to start a bracelet to match it.
Tomorrow night we are going to Wesley's in Maryland for their once a week summer seafood buffet. YUM
So far our ambulance fund drive is doing very well. I think promoting our fire company's 125th anniversary has helped.
Now I need to finish up the fire fund drive letter that goes out about September 15.  Again, I'll be emphasizing the 125th and a bit of history of how the fire company came to be.( a big woolen mill fire that put about a third of the residents out of work. I think I'll add a little about what some of the original gear and equipment cost. The first seven rubber coats cost $3.50 each. In those days the church bells were rung if a fire was found.

[Nancy]

Congratulations to both of you. It is always nice to hear the news from East.  Wish we had a good seafood place around here.   Nancy

[Diane Amberg]

Thank you.

[Diane Amberg]

Dinner last night was great. Lots of good seafood choices and tender rib roast too. I finally got to have a nice piece of broiled local Rockfish. Hadn't had any yet this s were super good.There were local clams and local Del. Bay and MD oysters on the half shell, but I will not eat them that way in the warm water months. I made up for that with fried and broiled oysters and clams, and clams casino.  Lot's more choices too.
A nice cool front came in. It's low 60's and a nice break from the heat. Have a beautiful morning.

[Diane Amberg]

Now I can rest.  Al and I finished writing the fall fire company fund drive letter. After one more time editing and proofing, I can send it off to the printer. It goes out about Sept.15th. Anybody want one? No? Well, imagine that! Just funnin'.
Don't worry, I won't say how much we get, so I won't be accused by "the grumps" of bragging.

[Diane Amberg]

 It's a beautiful day. 78 and dry. The fire company family picnic is this afternoon, with the chief and the officers manning a big brick grill next to a large pavilion in a wooded setting. One of our farmer members grows a block of sweet corn just for the picnic so it's always just right and fresh. There will be the usual picnic stuff, with the main event being several bushels of steamed blue claw crabs. Picking crabs and joking around with long time friends is a great way to spend an afternoon. The kids aren't left out either.There will be three bounce houses, pony rides and a few games.

[Diane Amberg]

Just finished listening to WVUD" Scratchy Grooves" and ready to see another episode of  Masterpiece Theater.

[Diane Amberg]

Ah...Another beautiful day after pouring rain yesterday afternoon and night... refreshed the air and made it a great day to start the first day of the two week Newark "Safety Town" day camp. The kids had  fun with our police officer and went "out on the town'' behind the parks and rec. building where the camp is held. It's a miniature town with lines painted for cross walks and RR tracks, various traffic signs and a red light. There are a number of buildings representing Newark. The kids have little cars to drive aound in and also practice being safe pedestrians. They learn about all kinds of safety....water, guns, trains, strangers, abuse and more.
I took my 9-11 call simulator and the kids will learn to make practice emergency calls. I'm always amazed at how many do not know their own address and phone number.  Don't parents teach that to their kids anymore? Very odd.
This will be my 33rd year with the kids... two more years and that's it...I'm retiring. I've done them all since the camp started  many years ago.
I also had one of my regulars call me to schedule her preschool for their annual kids' fire safety class at school and a tour of the firehouse, as well as a CPR class for her teachers.  With a lump in my throat, I told her this will be the last CPR I'll do for them. I'm giving up my instructor's certificate in 2014. That will give them two years to make other arrangements...if she hasn't retired and closed the school herself by then.

[Diane Amberg]

It poured again today.We're on flood watch again. I wish some of the states having drought could share in this.
We spent several hours working at the New Charter School. My job today and again tomorrow was/will be to find sloppy work, dings, scuffs, wall gouges, improperly installed sprinklers, missing parts, and outlet covers, cracked windows, plumbing that doesn't work etc. Now that was in areas that were to have been completed, finished, done, two weeks ago...or more.
  I blue taped it all and there was plenty. Much of the workmanship was fine, but the things that were poorly done were awful! Closets with no shelves, badly damage ceiling tiles, plaster drips, missing base boards, no water in one sink in the art room, but the other three in there were fine.
I met with the nurse, who was setting up her rooms and we worked through some problems with missing outlets. There was no ceilng in her closet and missing base boards in her lav. They had left an open "pass through" type window between her office and the outside waiting areas. Nope, no security that way. We had the window man come down and he designed a solid secure window with a speaking opening like some movies used to have and some stores still do.  It will look good, she can see and hear the kids in the seating area and talk them too, with no HIPPA privacy problems, plus have security in her office. She already has lockable drug cabinets and we found one that wouldn't lock properly.  A few days ago the Staples rep came to see the school. Staples has been great about giving good discounts and help when we needed it. He was amazed how beautiful the big entry lobbies are...One for Jr high and one for Sr.high. Looks very expensive but wasn't at all. No taxpayer money was used to build it. Rather modern, yet retro. One can't tell it was ever an old manufactoring plant for car seats.  More to do tomorrow.