Monthly Archives: June 2025

is it wawa, pizza and a tuggy next door in paoli?

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Photo from today

This is in Paoli. Locals have been asking about the Joanna now Rising Sun Spa again. Seems like the “extras” for men are all over online?

The issue for me with these places is the potential of underage girls and the potential of trafficking, because with the world’s “oldest profession” it will always exist somewhere right?

The property is in Tredyffrin Township

Remember years ago when they busted one of these places around a similar area and Radnor ? Also note, that a couple of women were found guilty recently of human trafficking out of massage parlors in central PA.

https://local21news.com/news/local/2-women-found-guilty-after-human-trafficking-investigation-into-pa-massage-parlors

See below for things discovered online. (Including old article links from similar places which were busted years ago.) This is now Rising Sun but was Joanna? Seems to be same people/contact different businessnames?

Is it pizza, WaWa and a tuggy next door in Paoli? Neat!

Feds, local cops bust Swan Day Spa brothel

https://6abc.com/main-line-massage-parlor-shut-down-2-women-in-custody-raid/1187580/

https://www.ampreviews.net/index.php?threads/review-joanna-spa.11398/

No semi truck parking but it’s the Main Line so bring your Tesla truck, right?

These places exist in all sorts of communities- Malvern too- along Route 30.

They have also existed further east on the Main Line. Years ago there was one that was notorious in Wynnewood – it was near the Whole Foods. Then it was gone. But then it looks like it popped up in Bryn Mawr (yes Bryn Mawr let that sink in) and it was busted?

Bryn Mawr Massage Parlor Arrests Uncover Possible Human Trafficking

https://6abc.com/spa-raid-kobe-bryn-mawr-asian-raided/5211828/

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/brynmawr/bryn-mawr-spa-raid-nets-2-arrests-report

https://6abc.com/main-line-massage-parlor-shut-down-2-women-in-custody-raid/1187580/

And then there was the West Chester place which made the news cycles and a splash for being a brothel…

West Chester Massage Business Prostitution Arrests. What About the Sex Buyers?
West Chester massage parlor busted for prostitution

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/westchester/massage-parlor-manager-west-chester-charged-prostitution

Of course when you put brothel and West Chester into Google you also get something I did not click on:

https://ondate.com/united-states/pennsylvania/west-chester/female-escorts

In the past there were similar issues in Caln:

Caln spa workers busted for prostitution

There have been busts in King of Prussia as well, including this splashy bust a few years ago :

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/westchester/west-chester-man-arrested-kop-prostitution-sting-da

There is actually a Chester County anti- human trafficking group?

https://www.endslaverynow.org/chester-county-anti-human-trafficking-coalition

Oh and then there is this link:

https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-Seehermans_Brothel-Philadelphia_PA-site_25346996-282

What in the Sam Hell is that place? These places again are everywhere…even in communities which would deny, deny, deny. They pop up, get caught, perhaps change their names and location, or just their name and they are up and running again.

They are often more of a cash business, so like nail salons absentee landlords love these tenants at times especially when they can’t rent spots, don’t they?

To say this was a post against sex workers would be too simplistic. The problem is the potential for underage girls being exploited and the potential for human trafficking isn’t it?

how to throw an old school garden party fundraiser/friendraiser

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When Bryn Clovis is the setting any party immediately gets a leg up, but add the magic of a Surrey Services for Seniors fundraiser/friendraiser and the result was magical!

Surrey Services threw their annual garden party recently and the back drop was Willistown’s Bryn Clovis and a Scottish Highlands theme…complete with bagpipers!

It was a crazy summer night and the thunderstorms held off long enough to enjoy the party. It was humid and warm but there were a few breezes and really good fans in the event tent. There were tables and other seating areas dotting the landscape, so one could enjoy the splendor of the surroundings and the planted fields in the distance.

Inside John Serock catering and the volunteers of Surrey Services created magic and no detail was overlooked. Truly, this was a wonderful event with guests who were simply enjoying a garden party in Willistown. The event was the way events used to be, devoid of social climbing, camera aping wannabe “influencers” and other assorted human detractors.

If you have the opportunity to support Surrey Services by attending one of their events, you really should. It’s a ticket worth having! They had a lovely buffet, a silent auction, and even a scotch tasting in keeping with the Scottish theme. And they also had a friendly floral competition between local floral designers.

I love supporting Surrey Services and I was also a photographer volunteer for them at this event because that is fun for me to do for them. Event photographers are expensive, so I was happy to do this.

As always, I am NOT a compensated blogger.

it’s a mystery in easttown along lancaster avenue.

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This old house sitting right at the edge of Lancaster Avenue in Berwyn in Easttown Township, on the border of Tredyffrin I believe across the road, has never looked good in my memory. But before this, the property was at least somewhat tidy.

But the property changed hands and then the chatter was maybe Mercedes of Devon was going to do something with it? But obviously that never happened. 

For months, it had cars, I think even a camper van, and a boat at one point sitting there. Obviously somebody was renting it or something at that point in time.

Well now it’s just sitting there and the weeds are getting bigger. There are weeds growing up through what’s left of the driveway and it’s just sitting there. There are viable things on either side of this property so I imagine it’s starting to get difficult being able to see to get out because of the weeds and that’s a very busy stretch of Lancaster Avenue anyway.

The address is 1038 Lancaster Avenue.

Anyway, it has an absentee landlord and/or property owner it seems? it would be nice if they could keep the weeds and stuff cut while they decide whatever it is they are doing with that property.

I think there is also some debate as to whether that is a dilapidated historic structure underneath all the bad asphalt or asbestos siding whatever it is.

When you look the address up on Google and you pull up photos of this house over the years, it’s been failing for many many years. Is it salvageable? I don’t know. Could it have a viable use? Again I don’t know. All I do know is while the property owner from Saratoga Springs, NY or whatever decides what they’re doing, it would be nice if they took care of it .

Much like the property that was supposed to be developed further east I guess it is where Handels originally was, these people that own these properties need to keep them somewhat tidy while they are deciding what they are doing. I totally get that.

This is a very weird economic time and must be really weird for commercial property owners or people who want to build anything, but there is no harm in properties staying tidy is there?

The screenshots are from former real estate listings. There is nothing current that I could see. And although I do believe somebody lived there on the property at one time I think it was also some kind of a store at one time.

Stay cool thanks for stopping by.

one year

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A year ago today I got a phone call that no one wants to get and I almost flooded my kitchen because of it. The phone call was that one of my oldest friends in the world had passed away.

It was nothing nefarious, it was simply her time. I just always thought we would have more time but then when you’ve known someone since you were about 12 years old, you always think that.

Today it has been a year since you left us, my dear. Maybe it was your time, but a year later I still say that there is not enough time ever for a lifelong friendship is there?

It’s hot as hell out today and you were one of my first thoughts this morning because we always used to talk about crazy weather and say oh my God, what kind of little old ladies will we be? Well my dear missed friend, I will be the old lady some day who will still miss you even then.

Heaven is your stage now.

RESOLVED: west whiteland police are dealing with a situation

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UPDATE: situation is resolved, and no one was hurt as per my information.

✅

Wherever Southern Drive is, other than West Whiteland Township, please stay out of the area and if you are in the area stay in your homes, there is serious police activity, and an emergency alert went out that is the equivalent of a shelter in place. My late father always said crazy things happen in extreme heat. Please be careful everyone.

behold the original barn!

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Now we can see what was underneath the faux barn that was Stevens antiques once upon a time in Malvern/Frazer. So freaking cool!

is a barn again happening in east whiteland?

is a barn again happening in east whiteland?

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Reader photo 6/19/25

When I first moved to Chester county, the cool old barn at the foot of Phoenixville Pike and route 30 by the Home Depot was the Stevens Antique Barn. The address is 627 Lancaster Ave. Frazer. Of course now they’re saying Malvern but it’s really Frazer.

Stevens Antiques always had lovely things. I think once upon a time many years ago, my mother actually sold the owner chairs she wasn’t using any longer. What I remember of the dealer from that store is how frosty she was at the Chester County Antiques Show. I just couldn’t ever understand how someone who sold such beautiful antiques could be so standoffish. But then again, I was just a regular person going through her booth not a checkbook toting serious collector.

Eventually, the business closed, and the property was for sale seemingly forever. Then it’s sold to a high-end contracting and renovation business. They were putting their offices there.

so over the last, I don’t know 23 years. There’s been a lot of cleaning up of the property itself and removal of debris and stabilizing the bank and now it seems like another barn has been discovered underneath the barn we knew?

This is definitely like an archaeological restoration when you drive-by. I don’t know what’s happening. I’m hoping someone goes and talks to the property owners because that’s definitely not a teardown and that seems really exciting.

If you know what’s going on here, please drop me a line!

Reader submitted photo 6/19/25

the schiffer of it all: east whiteland has officially saved 52 acres in perpetuity

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There is a major article in the Philadelphia Business Journal about West Chester being given the Schiffer Farm at 1469 Morstein as a monumental donation and East Whiteland buying 52 acres at $4.7 million for open space. That is why East Whiteland voters passed the open space referendum last fall. That means dear readers, that saving this land is officially done and dusted!

The article mentions how West Chester University Provost Jeff Osgood said “West Chester did not want to engage in development for the sake of development” but isn’t that confusing given the back and forth in the past about what was it? 15 acres of this property that are mostly in West Whiteland and a wee bit in East Goshen? You know the land that backs up to where is it? Old Phoenixville Pike? Was that land sold before the rest was donated? (I never asked that before, did you?) West Whiteland is about preservation, but East Goshen today? Who knows as that township has changed.

This property straddles more than one municipality, and the thing I find sad is Durango Farm which has operated out of there for years will be relocating. It was in the article, but I had heard that a couple of months ago, elsewhere. I loved seeing the horses swishing their tails on the hill of the front field on Morstein. What East Whiteland acquired is called Ridley Springs, something else I didn’t now since we all just know it as “Schiffer Farm.”

The horses I am guessing will have to be relocated by or before renovation of the land occurs in 2026. Some buildings are reported as decrepit on the site, so while some structures I am guessing will be preserved, some will be removed… or that is what I was told when I asked a while ago. I will miss the horses, but it perhaps was not as easy having horses over there given the people who treated them like a petting zoo and would just wander up and neighbors in the past also told me people would try and feed them which you never do without permission, just like you don’t wander onto land with horses or live stock without permission.

The Philadelphia Business Journal also reported that this land in transition would present learning opportunities for students as well. Something about a collaborative process between the West Chester University kids and East Whiteland to transform a farm into a nature preserve and park. That’s pretty cool.

(An aside is Philadelphia Business Journal is well worth a subscription, although expensive.)

What would also be cool? Since there is open land not wooded, wouldn’t it be a great place for an observatory and wasn’t there one around the area once upon a time?

Also as I am a big gardener, I am a fan of what has happened at Bondsville Mill Park thanks to David Culp. I also would like to see organic community garden plots. That property has tons of deer, so that would require fencing.

West Chester University will use proceeds of the land for scholarships and financial aid, which as well all know for colleges and universities across the country is under attack courtesy of the current administration in Washington D.C.

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2025/06/17/west-chester-university-gift-land-preservation.html

Here is the full text of Chair of The East Whiteland Supervisors speech. I asked for it because it is such a great thing to have happened in an ugly world and thank you East Whiteland Township for getting it:

Good afternoon,
I’m Scott Lambert, Chairman of the East Whiteland Township Board of
Supervisors. Today, I’m honored to stand before you and share this truly
exciting news, a process that began 2.5 yrs ago which for municipal time
lines is a fast turnaround …news that reflect the very best of what can
happen when a community comes together with a shared purpose.


East Whiteland Township is proud of the forthcoming acquisition and
permanent preservation of a truly special piece of land—RIDLEY SPRINGS FARM.

This milestone is not just about preserving open space, it’s about
legacy, vision, and above all, it’s about Improving our community.
In 2023, the generous anonymous donor approached the Townships of
East Whiteland, East Goshen, and West Whiteland with an opportunity to preserve over 52 acres of beautiful countryside. After thoughtful
discussions and deep consideration, East Whiteland Township stepped
forward as the only municipality ready to commit to preserving this land for the public good……….. But we couldn’t do it alone.


Thanks to a vital partnership from the West Chester University
Foundation—who graciously stepped in to temporarily acquire the
land—we were able to act swiftly while securing funding for long-term
stewardship. And thanks to the strong support of the Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Chester County, our
County Commissioners Marion Moskowitz , Josh Maxwell who graciously cleared their calendar for a hastily arranged meeting that helped turn the tide.

To our state representatives of Senator Katie Muth and Representative
Kristine Howard, The staff at Carolynn Comita’s office that offered some
good advice and most importantly the 4044 residents of East Whiteland
Township, who voted in favor of the new Open Space Tax, we secured
nearly $1.87 million in grant funding to make this dream a reality.
This isn’t just about protecting open space, it’s also about creating a
vibrant, lasting resource for generations to come …. Our vision for the
property reflects a mission deeply rooted in conservation. We will honor
WITH THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY the original wishes of the anonymousfamily….. that this land is not developed for commercial, residential, or industrial use. Instead, we’re transforming it into a public nature preserve and park— a place where all are welcome to enjoy …..the best of our ability includes our fierce opposition to pending state House Bill 502 which would strip local government of the power to make land use and zoning ordinances decisions related to large scale energy production facilities -handing it instead to a 7 member politically appointed board in Harrisburg .

On June 12 Nick Cohen a CEO of an energy company, testified in
Harrisburg in support of this bill had these comments about local elected
officials:


X They should stick to chicken coop and garage decisions
X They did not get in the business of local government to make decisions
about land use.

Perhaps Mr. Cohen should review the PA MPC /SALDO …
this type of overreach further under scores the importance of this
transaction. And I hope our voting representatives will not approve this bill
in the current state and respect the importance of local municipal input.

While we have much planning to do to prepare this space for public use,
here’s a look at what’s ahead:

  • A beautiful network of scenic hiking and walking trails
  • A brand-new trailhead and pocket park for rest and recreation
  • Designated spaces for community events—like 5K races, family fun
    days, nature walks, and wellness programs…. these details will
    include input from our community/stakeholders
  • This land will be a sanctuary and a place where future generations can
    explore, learn, and thrive. On behalf of the East Whiteland Township Board
    of Supervisors, I want to thank a who’s who of super people (everyone ) who helped bring this vision over the finish line -the anonymous family,
    our Township team, Chester County Commissioners, Senator Muth,
    Representative Howard and Chris Pielli, State Senator Comitta, the West Chester University Foundation, our grant partners at DCNR and Chester County, West Whiteland for agreeing to the annexation of 1 acre of their property and our 4044 residents or 56% of the voting community that supported the preservation of open space.

Thank you all for your commitment to helping preserve this land for public
enjoyment for generations to come.

I close with saying everyone should thank East Whiteland Supervisor Scott Lambert. He doesn’t take enough credit for the mountains he moved to get this done.

Ciao for now.

what didn’t happen should be celebrated by west chester…and beyond.

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Screenshot

We have seen this scene of the opening screenshot so many times now. It’s captured in time. It’s a tragedy that didn’t happen, but could have.

The law enforcement, a lot of whom were local, did an amazing job. There are people who went to the protest who have sort of fluffed this off as not being a big deal, and they need to get their head out of their asses because it could’ve been a very big deal. It could have been horrible beyond imagination here in our corner of the world.

And while I have seen article after article and TV story after TV story, talking about the perpetrator and what he was carrying, and then last evening they conducted a search of his house and found more things, but I haven’t had to read about, and I think there should be some public officials standing up and really praising those who keep us safe in our communities.

Law enforcement was simply amazing here. It might be their jobs, but they are heroes.

So you have from the date of the protest which was Saturday, June 14th, West Chester Borough Police Department, Chester County Sheriffs office, FBI. Then yesterday add East Whiteland Police Department, the county and a bomb squad, which would be the one from Montgomery County that Chester County has access to – they serve Montgomery , Chester and I think Bucks Counties. I think they are then part of a larger task force, so after things were discovered where the man originally arrested from Saturday lives, who knows who all else was there, which had to include ATF at this point and Chester County Detectives and more.

My point is all of this law enforcement did this smoothly and by the book, avoided serious catastrophe, death, injuries, mass panic and where please are the elected officials? One would have thought a presser would have at least occurred by yesterday given maybe by Mayor Lillian DeBaptiste of West Chester Borough and perhaps the Chester County Commissioners, since this happened literally in the county seat with say a backdrop of the Old County Courthouse or in front of the Chester County Justice Center thanking these brave law enforcement folks for living their training so excellently, right? But where is it?

Where is the Governor of Pennsylvania or State Senators and State Representatives serving the area, including East Whiteland where the defendant lives praising law enforcement for doing something so amazing and preventing catastrophe that you quite frankly don’t see enough do you?

Law enforcement on any level doesn’t do their job for glory, it’s what they are trained to do. But people need to say thank you, and what their actions has averted and by “people”, I mean elected officials. On the TV interviews every day residents and people are all saying thank you, but where are those folks elected to public office and I do not mean local supervisors and borough officials because they do say thank you. I mean the state, county, and higher.

I am saying thank you but I am just a blogger. So time to step it up officials, as our men and women in our corner of the world have done something amazing.

Now onto other things. The accused as far as I can tell is still out on bail and one of the TV reports said his whereabouts are unknown, which after all that has happened is not comforting. I was told he made bail because bond was posted. It was high bail ($250,000), it was made. We don’t have to be comfortable with this, but that is the system, and maybe for certain kinds of arrests, the system needs to change? I don’t have those answers.

Then people are talking about why his house wasn’t searched completely after Saturday? Again, from what we can tell from media reports, law enforcement at first only had a warrant to search his personal space with the home, his bedroom I guess? It is not solely his home, and public records show the home is owned by family member, probably parents? And from the 6ABC report Leland Pinder did last evening where the accused’s brother was interviewed, it is in fact a family home so they would have had to have obtained a second warrant to search the whole house as far as my research would indicate.

Then as to the gotcha armchair warriors on social media talking about the accused’s 2nd Amendment rights, the answer is pretty clear: no concealed carry permit. Take a gun safety glass, it’s one of the things people are taught. This will undoubtedly raise a back and forth on guns in this area again, but the thing is this: there needs to be better mental health requirements surrounding gun ownership. And for things like this when people are out on bail, would it be the worst thing to have the people accused of things like this to be on ankle monitors?

For sure, this sequence of events has indeed shaken Chester County and various municipalities up. But let’s take a moment to THANK law enforcement for what they have done with no loss of life, etc. It’s remarkable in today’s world.

Thanks for stopping by.

can someone explain what happened in west chester yesterday?

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Allow me to preface what I am about to show you with this was a public post. It was sent to me then I found it and all little 🌎 globe meaning all public. I’m not infringing upon anyone’s copyright and you can see who posted it. I do not know if the same person who posted it was the same person who took the video.

Now I can answer that question above for this woman whom I don’t know about no media reports yet, and I will say based upon what she posts, her political views in the majority are completely different from mine. And that’s fine, to each their own, but she’s not wrong in questioning was this guy planning.

Now back to her asking why no media picked it up so far. That’s a simple answer because there are two reporters for the Daily Local. One does courts and crime, and the other does more generalized stories and has occasional overlap with the aforementioned crime reporter. But people, as far as a local paper, that’s it for the entire county. The paper is owned by a hedge fund that owns a mash up of a bunch of other local papers, and they miss a lot. Simply put, all of what is left of these local papers are lacking feet on the street and it’s not the editors’ fault there are NOT ENOUGH feet on the street. It’s because they’re owned by a hedge fund. A hedge fund in my opinion is not in it for the news, they’re in it because these are like distressed assets or something, aren’t they?

As for regional and television media, I think they were more interested in major metropolitan cities/areas because that’s where they expected a problem which is common sense in a way. Honestly, I don’t think they expected anything like this to turn up in West Chester. However, I’m jaded and I expect things like this to turn up anywhere.

I was not at the protest yesterday. And I had a feeling about all of these protests and figured this was simply not my scene. Maybe I just watch too many Nordic noir and ITV/BBC crime dramas. I actually asked a friend in her upper years to stay home. I know that probably annoyed her on some level, but she is treasured by me so I told her how I felt.

Anyway we don’t know why this happened or who this male person was. None of us are medical health professionals, so we can’t opine on that, and you hear about that in the video I’m about to share. I will say, however, in defense of whomever that was speaking in the background, that political extremists on either side are gaslighting things on message boards and social media in my opinion. It is also my opinion they are artificially inflating at times what is happening politically in this country, and honestly, the truth is bad enough.

We don’t know what political persuasion this person who was arrested was, or what they were doing there. But is this a first time people have exhibited extreme and potentially dangerous behavior like this? No, it is simply that social media didn’t exist in those times.

We don’t know what they were carrying other than what you could hear the police discussing on the video. And what you could see them removing from his person.

Either way that’s kind of something that really gives you pause doesn’t it if we can’t even have our inalienable right to a peaceful assembly, what are we coming to in this country?

And do I believe that this was a person on the same side as the people peacefully exercising their right to protest yesterday in West Chester? Honestly, no. I think it falls into the same category of the people who turned up at the protest in Philadelphia and then trashed the city. Individuals and seperate groups like this are more opportunistic or separatist. Perhaps I’m not explaining that eloquently enough, but that’s my gut check on it. This was ONE person yesterday as far as anyone knows.

All I do know is this puts regular people and law enforcement at risk.

Above all else it makes me sad to think that occurred in West Chester.

A little shout out to West Chester‘s public information officer. He deserves much credit for not ignoring this and addressing it. So many public information officers in municipalities everywhere today like to pretend things like this don’t happen. They only want to share the happy fluffy things and we definitely don’t live in a happy fluffy world.

Please be safe out there. Once again as Americans we are relearning the lesson that liberty and freedom aren’t necessarily free.

UPDATE ⬇️