Last Thursday evening as I came home from an appointment, I heard that the 17-year cicadas had appeared as close as Perkiomenville, so I checked our maple tree before going in the house. Sure enough, two of the larvae shells were clinging to the trunk, and one of the newly emerged winged creatures was already working its way higher up the bark. My previous experience with these short-lived insects was not pleasant, so I got the willies just looking at it. But the truth is, they don’t hurt much besides the tree foliage, and they only live 3-4 weeks. The one danger is allowing pets to eat the little carcasses that will soon be littering the ground. Cicada exoskeletons don’t digest well, so critters allowed to ingest too many of them will be suffering greatly as they exit. Please be aware of what your pets are eating for the next month.

The new shopping mall in Revere is taking shape, and Glen Neebe’s doing a nice job on the building. Local baker Lori Gaul may be locating her Rolling Pin Pastries business there if things work out. She says there’s also the possibility of a liquor store, a pizza restaurant, a Curves workout spot for women, a dollar store and a few others. Looks like we’ll be welcoming lots of new neighbors.

It’s sad to hear that Palisades High School may be laying off staff and teachers. It’s always a shame when budgets are balanced on the backs of those doing the important work directly with our children. I’d sure like to know how that budget got so out of whack so suddenly. In my house, if we don’t have the money, we don’t spend it. But cutting vital education services doesn’t seem the smartest thing to do.