Caln Community Day enjoys surplus of sunny skies, smiles
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Jeff Cerra (left), sons Cameron, 3, and Gavin, 1, and his wife, Christy Cerra, pose with Sparky the Firedog.
When Caln Township Board of Commissioners President Vincent Rose saw the threatening skies yesterday morning, he called his accountant and threatened to withdraw his tax work unless his financial wizard could “make the clouds part.”
Commissioner Joshua Young used a different tactic, convincing himself that “as long as you take an umbrella, it won’t rain.” For extra insurance, Young grabbed three.
Tony Scheivert, the township’s assistant manager, relied on negotiations. “The weather can do whatever it wants as long as it’s after 2 o’clock,” he said.
No one much cared which strategy prevailed since the rain never came. To the delight of hundreds, the annual Caln Community Day accommodated a wealth of activities under mostly sunny skies.
Caroline Fritschle said her 2½-year-old daughter, Edy, particularly loved the pony rides and petting zoo. “It’s our first time here, and it’s been great,” she said.
Fenton Mhone, 7, and his mother, Susan Mhone, feed the animals in the petting zoo, a popular, new attraction at Caln Community Day.
Seven-year-old Fenton Mhone was also drawn to the animals, especially the llamas. “It’s a lot of fun for the kids,” said his mother, Susan Mhone. “We’re having a good time.”
Rose said the township tries to add a new attraction each year, and this year’s debut feature was the petting zoo, which entertained a constant stream of young visitors. Some families endeared themselves to the animals by purchasing $1 bags of food pellets.
Children also enjoyed a row of moon bounces, a magic show by Kevin Joyce, face-painting, a flea market featuring a great selection of outgrown children’s clothes, and the acoustic folk rock of Moondawgs.
Some of the entertainment even managed to sneak in some safety messages. Members of the Caln Police Department were on hand to do free fingerprinting of children, and Sparky the Firedog – the alter ego of Marlene Taylor, the wife of Thorndale Fire Chief Don Taylor – made lots of new friends and posed for countless photos.
Anai Morton Jennings gleefully “escapes” from a fire safety trailer doubling as a burning house as her mother, Latoya Morton Jennings, snaps a photo with her phone.
Another popular attraction was the “Fire Safety House,” a trailer featuring a small kitchen, living room and bedroom that was borrowed from the Northern Chester County Fire Chiefs Association. Inside, Kimberly Mattson, the fire and life safety education for the Thorndale Volunteer Fire Company, gave safety tips to families.
For the wide-eyed children, the highlight came at the end of the presentation after they had crowded into the bedroom just before a fire alarm sounded. They learned the importance of keeping doors closed, got to feel how warm the door got, and then saw smoke billowing in the living room right before escaping out the back window.
