6 minute read
Musings
musings Honoring Our Super Store Workers
BY FRANCINE FULTON
During the pandemic, we honored medical workers, including doctors and nurses, first responders and those in related fields. Many Chester County hospitals placed a sign outside their buildings that read, “Heroes Work Here.”
There is another group of people who should receive our accolades, and that is those who work as stock clerks, cashiers and managers at local grocery stores. Despite being short-staffed and experiencing supply chain issues, they did their best to keep their stores up and running.
I remember during the shutdown when the highlight of the day would be grocery shopping. We could not go the movies or walk the mall, but we could go to Walmart and shop the aisles - following the arrows that asked us to travel in one direction. And even though many of the shelves that held essential items like toilet paper and hand sanitizer were empty, we still had a place to go.
Recently, nearly all of the grocery stores have made the transition to self-serve checkouts. At the beginning, shoppers rejected the technology. There were generally four or five lanes reserved for self-checkout and one that had an actual cashier, and that was the line that generally wound its way around the store.
The self-service lane can be a fast and efficient way to check out, unless there are glitches. Sometimes, the scanner doesn’t read the prices correctly and shoppers have to call over the person who monitors the self-checkout lanes.
And then there is the dreaded “price look-up,” when people have to weigh a produce item in order to purchase it, like a head of cabbage or a bunch of bananas. I saw a man in a grocery store who had one green bell pepper. When he could not figure out how to weigh it, he simply dropped it in his bag when the store worker wasn’t looking. Add “security guard” to grocery store workers’ long list of job duties.
I have a special affinity for grocery store workers. I worked in a grocery store part time to help pay my way through college. We did some crazy things back then like “turkey bowling,” which is when we rolled frozen turkeys down the aisle to knock down bottles of soda. The customers were also fodder for our fun. We nicknamed a few for their eccentricities like “Speed Shopper,” who took forever to pick out her groceries, and “Silver Slippers,” who always wore them when shopping.
Today, many grocery stores are multipurpose, offering restaurant areas and coffee shops where people can meet friends, eat lunch or use free Wi-Fi. The larger superstores may also include an auto shop, hairdresser, gas station and bank. You can get your oil changed while shopping for groceries, deposit your paycheck, get a haircut and a manicure and fill up your tank - all in one location.
So the next time you are in a grocery store, you may want to share a smile with the workers instead of a complaint about the high prices or shortage of items. And, if you have a bunch of bananas, a head of cabbage or one green bell pepper, you may want to skip the self-checkout lanes.
VALUABLE CHESTER CO. REAL ESTATE Rustic One Story Log Cabin on an 8 Acre +/Mostly Wooded Lot with Stream 612 Icedale Rd., Honey Brook, PA 19344
Honey Brook Twp. – Twin Valley Schools Thursday, July 21, 2022 • 6pm
H WHITE HORSE AREAH
VALUABLE LANCASTER CO. REAL ESTATE Bi-Level with One Story In-Law Addition and a 20’x50’ 2 Story Garage/Barn on a 2 Acre +/- Lot with Fenced Pasture 118 Springhead Road, Gap, PA 17527
Salisbury Twp. – Pequea Valley School Tuesday, July 12, 2022 • 6:00 pm
“SAFE” Program
continued from page 7
In less than a year, the SAFE partnership helped 255 Chester County Youth Center juveniles fulfill community service hours and transition out of the facility. This service was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic when other community service opportunities were restricted.
The NACo Achievement Awards are given in 18 categories that reflect the vast, comprehensive services counties provide. The categories include children and youth, criminal justice and public safety, county administration, information technology, health and civic engagement.
People involved in the Chester County Youth Center’s partnership with Brandywine Valley SPCA’s “SAFE” program include (from left) Donna Jordan, BVSPCA; Matt Howard, Chester County Youth Center program coordinator; Kristi Washington, Chester County Youth Center case worker; Amy Mason and Lisa McQuilkin from BVSPCA; and Deb Maccariella, Chester County Youth Center director.
PUBLIC REAL ESTATE AUCTION
35 ACRE FARM, 2-STORY FARMHOUSE WITH BANK BARN THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2022
AT 6:00 P.M.
110 N. Bonsall Road, Coatesville, PA 19320 Directions: From Compass, take 340 East 4 miles to N. Bonsall School Road, turn left, property is on the right.
Rustic One Story Log Cabin on an 8 Acre +/- Mostly Wooded Lot with Stream. Living/Kitchen Cathedral Ceiling with Skylights and Ceiling Fan/Light, 2 BRs, Updated Full Bath with Handicap Shower,
Enclosed Side Porch, Attached Heated Greenhouse to Rear, Small Fish/Frog Pond. Propane Stove in Living Room, Onsite well/ septic.
Open For Inspection: 6/21/22 • 4-6pm & 6/26/22 • 1-3pm TERMS: 10% Down at auction. Bal by 8/31/22. Buyer pays all realty transfer tax. FOR: Elizabeth B. Purring
(717) 442-9221 (610) 384-8433
Real estate consists of a bi-level home with 2 BRs, 1 full bath plus roughed in half bath, living room, country kitchen, lower-level family room and shop, covered rear deck, oil hot water heat. One story in-law quarters with 2 BRs, living room, kitchen, full bath and shared laundry facilities. Enclosed rear porch, oil h/w radiant floor heat and split heat pump system w/ central a/c. 20’x50’ 2 story barn/2 car garage with 2 box stalls, shop area and 2nd floor storage. Large 2 acre +/- corner lot with 1 acre +/- fenced pasture. Above ground pool included. Property is seriously for sale – don’t miss it! Total taxes $4,755
Open For Inspection: 6/15/22 • 4-6pm & 6/18/22 • 1-3pm TERMS: 10% Down at auction. Bal by 8/26/22. Buyer pays all realty transfer tax. FOR: Edward S. McQueen
(717) 442-9221 (610) 384-8433
Property Description: 35 Acre Chester County Farm with 2 story, 2-unit, stone farmhouse, and bank barn. Unit #1: 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, eatin kitchen, family room, living room, and a finished walk-up attic. Large, covered porch and stone patio in rear. Unit #2: one bedroom, one bath, with kitchen, dining room and family room. Comes with a large, restored bank barn. Lower level of the barn has been remodeled and upgraded with electricity and a frost-free water hydrant. Upstairs of the barn comes with a separate garage area and the main largest part of the barn which has a large overhead door making it convenient for larger equipment and feed/hay storage. Great southern exposure! Perfect opportunity for farming, horses, and other animals. Approximately (8.5 acres of fenced pasture, 7 acres tillable and 18 wooded acres). Within minutes of Hibernia Park and Chambers Lake. Lots of Potential! Bring your dogs, cows, horses, etc. Auctioneer’s Notes: Farm has been in the family for over 120 years. Currently brings in $1750 per month in rent. • Chester County, West Caln Twp, Coatesville School District, In Ag Preservation and Act 319. • Annual taxes +/- $5,264 (2022), 35 +/-acres. Terms: Down payment of $75,000.00 required day of auction. Settlement on or before September 30, 2022, Transfer taxes to be paid by buyer. Real Estate taxes shall be prorated Attention Realtors: 1% Broker Participation offered to registered Realtors. Broker participation terms and forms are available at www.beiler-campbellauctions.com For more pictures go to: www.beiler-campbellauctions.com or www.auctionzip.com or www.GoToAuction.com
Auctioneers: Christ Taylor (717)-371-1915 AU# 005421 Elvin Stoltzfus (610)-333-5447 AA# 019514 Seller: S. A. Baldwin Attorney: Kling, Deibler and Glick 717-354-7700
