Category Archives: current events/news

things we should be talking about: daycare nightmares like in oaks in july

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Photo of Catalina Baldwin from Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office July 2025

Press_20Release_Teacher_20Arrested_20For_20Aggravated_20Assault_20of_20Two_20Infants_5B46_5D.pdfDownload

Yeah so this blew up the news recently. A 37 year old woman named Catalina Baldwin from Phoenixville who was an employee of Oaks Early Learning Center in Oaks on Egypt Road.

The Oaks Early Learning Center used to have social media, it seems to have disappeared? Same owners as some place called Hopwood School and Camp (https://montco.today/2021/06/hopwood-school-and-camp-lansdale-sold-lower-merion-school-district/) Yes I verified it on the state website.

Here is some of what I saw on Compass, a PA website which has gotten rather cartoonish:

This is horrible. Parents want answers. Human beings in general want answers. Who hurt babies?

In early July, baby was taken to hospital from the daycare in what media reports tell us were dire circumstances. As this was unfolding, we all learned that something else happened to another baby in May.

WHPO DOES THIS?

https://www.fox29.com/news/montgomery-county-child-care-teacher-charged-assaulting-infants

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/lowerprovidence/new-details-emerge-montco-teacher-who-brutally-abused-2-babies-da

Montco teacher charged with aggravated assault of two babies at childcare facility

This woman who I am not sure is in or out of jail at this point was a teacher in the infant room. So parents who have to put kids in daycare, who are they entrusting their kids to here? Also concerning? If there was some other sort of incident in MAY why was she still there in JULY? Is she still employed?

Also interesting? She has a Bill Cosby lawyer, doesn’t she? But then again he is one of the best.

docket 2Download

I had shared story links to this when it first happened and then I randomly saw a comment today that made me wonder:

It was not the she is still employed comment as that has popped up here and there already, it was about the parents of kids there. Are they really and truly being shall we say discouraged from discussing this? So the owners don’t want kerfuffles in their Main Line existence? OK totally get this is their business in an uncertain time, but umm who are they hiring and wouldn’t they WANT their families to be able to talk about this an also to allay the fears of parents with kids there?

Truly I hope that is a misperception, misunderstanding, don’t you?

Also, this woman who was charged seemingly left a review of the daycare on Google? What kind of hot mess situation is that and why haven’t the owners contacted Google to have it removed?

So reading this you have to ask is this Catalina Baldwin who was charged a MOM? If so, where is her child right now?

I do not and never will understand people who hurt children. I was discussing this topic with a friend today. And we are old enough that we come from the dark ages of being a kid where stuff just wasn’t discussed or acted on a lot of the time.

Why aren’t we doing better today?

I just can’t with this and would be interested to see real reports of this daycare. But I don’t know any of us will get that because this is a criminal investigation now. So I guess that means no one will hear from daycare owners either, right?

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This is just horrible all the way around.

“cold” feds in lincoln court in east whiteland township chester county this morning.

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Earlier this morning in Lincoln Court Shopping Center Chester County. Apparently that was the second time today?

Yes. ICE. I did NOT take the photos. Others who work there in the shopping center did.

Yes police know they are around. They are here on things based on active warrants. That hypothetically means it could be a more traditional criminal type of warrant or a warrant for expired visas, or someone who was previously deported and came back illegally.

Since this surfaced today, I will admit that it is a very odd feeling when it’s a place you specifically know. There are small businesses here, the driver’s license center, a Giant supermarket, state liquor store, oh and a Mexican restaurant that is a community favorite.

I get that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers AKA ICE have a job to do but seeing it in our home communities? It strikes a sad, odd, uncomfortable, horrible chord.

This combined with Washington DC seeming to morph into a police state the past few days? What is our country becoming ironically as we prepare for the Semiquincentennial?

Purportedly, 2026 marks a time to celebrate the birth of American independence and democracy, but who and what are we now?

I just don’t know. It makes me sad.

is it time for suffragettes to be reborn in 2025?

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I don’t write much these days about national politics. In some aspects I think women have to be careful because we’re being targeted. That sounds paranoid, but is it really?

So there’s a headline that’s been bothering me and it concerns the seemingly pickled Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

It started with a sub stack post by Heather Cox Richardson.

Then I followed her links to NPR and The Guardian.

https://www.npr.org/2025/08/09/nx-s1-5497226/women-pastor-pete-hegseth-vote

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/09/pete-hegseth-video-pastors-women-voting

So Hegseth has reposted and shared an interview from some Christian Nationalist pastor or minister of some militant Christian church who says women shouldn’t be able to vote. Essentially it should be up to our husbands. And there are other cuckoo ministers who seem to agree with this man.

OK, I’m going to curse here and if you don’t like it, turn away from this blog now, but what the actual F people?

None of this is OK. Even having to talk about it is not OK for all that the suffragettes went through with all of the people involved in the suffragist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries I can’t even believe we are here again? This guy actually has said out loud in an interview for CNN that women shouldn’t vote and the Secretary of Defence for the United States of America in 2025 re-shared this which is his implied agreement and consent.

And this tool also says things that women are people that people come out of, yet apparently according to him we all shouldn’t do that either because I guess he must have parameters on how women should spawn?

It doesn’t really matter what your political persuasion is. I think we can all agree that we all should have the right to vote in this country as US citizens.

Until the National Park Service is forced to take it down, they have a nice list of suffragists we should know. (CLICK HERE)

People we are not all Mississippi on this bus. Why do I mention Mississippi? Simple – Mississippi didn’t ratify the 19th Amendment or woman’s right to vote until 1984!

I guess people take for granted that English common law saw a woman with no legal status of her own and women was legally considered indistinct from their husbands.

The demand for women’s suffrage has roots in the 18th century, but it really didn’t take hold until the 19th century.

The first women’s rights convention was around 1848. It was called the Seneca Falls convention and was an upstate New York in the finger lakes region. Then there was the Rochester Women’s Rights convention the same year also in New York State. In 1850 there was the Ohio Women’s Convention. Also that year there was the first National Women’s Rights Convention in Massachusetts.

The Civil War interrupted suffrage movements in the United States. After the war was over, there was another National Women’s Rights Convention. In the 1870s the suffragist movement grew.

In the 1870s Susan B Anthony was taken to court for trying to cast her vote in a presidential election. Susan B. Anthony was arrested for violating the Enforcement Act of 1870 by casting a vote in the 1872 presidential election.

During Susan B Anthony’s trial, the judge apparently instructed the jury to find her guilty.

According to a Wikipedia page on women’s suffrage:

When [the judge] asked Anthony, who had not been permitted to speak during the trial, if she had anything to say, she responded with what one historian has called “the most famous speech in the history of the agitation for woman suffrage”.[120]She called “this high-handed outrage upon my citizen’s rights”, saying, “… you have trampled under foot every vital principle of our government. My natural rights, my civil rights, my political rights, my judicial rights, are all alike ignored.”[128] The judge sentenced Anthony to pay a fine of $100, she responded, “I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty”, and she never did.[120]However the judge did not order her to be imprisoned until she paid the fine, for Anthony could have appealed her case.[126]

So how ironic is it really the Donald Trump during his first administration pardoned Susan B Anthony? Yep it’s true, On August 18, 2020 he pardoned her on the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment. The ones so-called women’s suffrage amendment was introduced Congress in 1878. It was not ratified until it became the 19th amendment in 1919.

So now Trump’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is supportive of a minister who wants to roll back the clock on women? Is this a drinking game or something?

No one should be OK with this.

For more information on what it took to get women the right to vote I found many interesting pieces to read. Here is one that’s stuck with me:

Women’s Suffrage @100

#Suffragettes2025

what do you think about this potential rock ’em sock ’em robots situation in downingtown?

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Publicly Posted by @abbers6520 approximately 8/5/25

I have no dog in the race and no horse in the race for Downingtown Borough Mayor. The guy they’re talking about in this TikTok video is one of the candidates.

This video seems to be making the rounds enough in the past couple of days, that I do want to say something.

I want to be super clear: I am NOT siding with either party, this is a public video, the creator is obviously soliciting feedback, and I’m sharing my perspective.

What I think is this is a neighbor dispute. It sounds a little Hatfields and McCoy to me to be honest, and I don’t know that this is really a legitimate reason to not vote for someone…unless where there is smoke there is fire? And to be even more clear, there is no record of issues other than this video.

Further an to make an important point, if this young woman if she thinks that he’s doing something unsavory with his security cameras, she needs to file a police report. If not, this mayoral candidate and his neighbors need to sit down and have a powwow with a mediator (AKA disinterested 3rd party) and work it out.

I’m guessing this mayoral candidate is going to be pretty pissy that I’m sharing this video, but I have to remind him that this has been PUBLICLY posted for like three days. On the Internet that’s kind of forever. People need to remember that the girl posting this IS young, I would guess early 20s if that. Her perspective is not going to be the same of an older person. She might not get her neighbor’s position and this could be resolved without further fuss.

I have had several people send this TikTok to me now. (link https://www.tiktok.com/@abbers6520/video/7535128157519760671 ) And as I said to one person who was curious about it and doesn’t actually live in Downingtown who sent it to me, I said for the record I have neighbors who play music outside with little speakers. Two of the neighbors I absolutely am in sync with their taste in music and I love it because it makes doing outside chores go much faster. And further away on clear Sunday mornings, I can hear the amplified music from a Christian church in West Chester. One person from somewhere close-ish by plays really bad country music sometimes.

And security cameras? Who doesn’t have them these days? Like the woman on the video, I looked up the camera. It’s not super expensive. I don’t know what kind of reach it has, but I imagine there is more than one camera in the guy’s yard? And do these properties back on any kind of an alley or something like that? A lot of these in town in the borough properties have cheek to jowl narrow back yards, much like a lot of homes in West Chester Borough. Translation? Not a lot of room to work with.

I would rather hear music than endless fireworks, personally. Security cameras and street cameras are part of our world, there could be a simple explanation.

Work it out people.

This is the guy they are talking about: https://richbryantformayor.com/

And he seems to have a second website, or this could be a parked site for if he gets elected? The site is https://downingtownmayor.com/

I actually heard him speak once on WCHE. He doesn’t sound like the guy this gal is dishing on, but hey, that could be down to neighbor relations, right?

So in the best interest of neighbor relations, can’t they work it out? Rock Em’ Sock Em’ Robots is so 1964.

“monument” to ugliness looks bedraggled and messy in 2025

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A few years ago meetings were packed as residents made it pretty clear they didn’t want giant billboards in the community. This one is at Route 29 and Route 30 in East Whiteland Township, Chester County.

Digital billboard company makes pitch to East Whiteland residents

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/malvern/east-whiteland-discuss-lancaster-avenue-electronic-billboards

https://www.eastwhiteland.org/418/Off–Premises-Signs-Electronic-Billboard

There was all sorts of wrangling that seemed to go on forever.

In 2021 I think it was, a settlement reached between East Whiteland and the then billboard company Catslyst. Permits were issued. Residents and the township were stuck with it.

https://www.eastwhiteland.org/DocumentCenter/View/3464/Letter-to-Melissa-Noyes-10-3-2022-03660984x9DAE0

Residents still did not want the billboards. But honestly? The residents didn’t fight as hard in my opinion as they did in other cases. And then there was COVID to factor in at the time.

People get all fired up about issues where they live. But there isn’t the same staying power as there used to be. I don’t know how else to say it. Residents all say something is terrible, but if they don’t get instant gratification after a couple of meetings, interest wanes. A few diehards will keep going to meetings, but as my friends and I learned from the Institute for Justice when fighting eminent domain all those years ago in Ardmore, when government officials only hear from the same people they start to tune them and the issue out. It’s not ignorance, it’s kind of human nature. When it’s the same person time in and time out it’s just blah blah blah after a while.

After a settlement was achieved, the “monument” to ugliness was erected. Now we remember that people were told how it would be good looking and landscaping maintained, right?

Wrong.

It’s a weed pit.

Meanwhile there were all of the issues with clear cutting of trees at the “monument” location in East Whiteland on 202. The worst of it was around 2022.

For that, residents rose up and stayed with the issue. It showed results. Citizen outcry combined with East Whiteland Township resulted in PennDOT getting seriously pissy with the billboard company.

After that there were issues with the display on the 202. They did work on it for a long time. I guess the sign is viable but a lot of times when we go by it’s off.

So the Routes 30 and 29 billboard is active. Garish and distracting visually, I think the ugliness of the display is increased by the unkempt and weedy appearance of the property.

A little over a year ago this time the media was full of stories about the original billboard company and its owner. Financial woes. But he doesn’t own these billboards in East Whiteland any longer I guess? Why do I say that ? The billboards both now say OutFront.

Well the monument to ugliness is a hot mess but the billboard slum overlords do not care. I have been hearing that the East Whiteland Route 30 one is not the only one needing property tending. Apparently along 202 at least one of those is super weedy too.

I still hate these things. Why couldn’t Pennsylvania be a state that doesn’t have them?

Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont, and Maine prohibit the construction of new billboards to preserve their natural beauty and scenic landscapes. Oregon has a “cap-and-replace” law, so new billboards can only be built if existing ones are removed.  Visit Scenic America to learn more about reducing billboard ugliness.

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yo penndot, stop messing with our bbq and other businesses’ access.

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Welcome to Hell on Earth by PennDOT.

This is Route 29 in East Whiteland Township Chester County.

Forget about the fact for a moment that we’ve lost track of how many times they’ve remediated this sinkhole already, and concentrate on every single time PennDot comes to do work, they almost put businesses out of business and who knows how many businesses actually failed over time because of their construction?

They can’t just tell State Senator Katie Muth’s office and other elected officials that they have put in a lane so people can turn it’s not as simple as that and the traffic is horrendous.

And once again with PennDot, the project started late and it won’t finish anywhere near on time. FarmBoy BBQ and the other businesses around here need our support. And complaining to Penndot about their projects and how long they take and how the roads are also doesn’t hurt.

Seriously it’s bad. I took this video as a passenger in a car today on a weekend day because I would not be on the stretch of highway Monday through Friday. It’s horrendous.

I’m not saying this project didn’t need to happen, I want to be clear about that again. Of course it had to happen. There’s a sink hole again. But PennDOT announces these projects, tells you when they’re going to start, then they don’t start on that date like they are supposed to, and then they never finish on time…. and it’s endless.

These businesses and their employees are struggling. Actually people in developments I don’t like right around here are also struggling. Anybody who has to use this stretch of road for whatever reason is struggling, and that I am told it even includes the tow truck people who have to respond to accidents. Since they are being held up because of this construction. and since they help first responders at accident scenes, that’s kind of bad news, right?

PennDOT has a job to do, but they need to do it better and they need to care about the residents, commuters, and the small businesses they are affecting over on Route 29 a.k.a. Moorhall Road.

I’m hoping that when people see this, they will actually complain to Penndot as well as supporting the businesses along here who are affected. We got firsthand experience as to what this was all about today when we went to FarmBoy barbecue for a delicious lunch.

seeking spare keys trespassing guy?

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I am sharing this because I just got a call from a local farmer in Willistown who called the police about this guy who showed up while he was doing something and his farm hands had to deal with this guy.

Unfortunately, by the time the farmer knew this guy had been there, he was gone, but a police report was filed.

Apparently this guy showed up on some kind of a scooter or hoverboard thing to them. But the reality is he came uninvited down a driveway that is really long. A place that can’t be any more clear about having security and posted private property don’t trespass.

And when the guy was discovered, he was nosing around the cows on the farm.

He didn’t seem to get the concept of private property, which couldn’t be posted any clearer at the beginning of the really long driveway. This guy has also shown up at other people’s s properties in Willistown and several other municipalities in Delaware and Chester Counties.

And he got caught on ring camera in a video posted yesterday to NextDoor. I’m about to show where he’s not only knocked on the door. He seemed to be checking for spare keys.

Now this is a common enough occurrence in the summer months, these random people who just show up. Either they’re selling something or you just find them wandering around your property. We had it in my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods with the random driveway resealing guy who ignores no trespassing signs and every year acts like you didn’t tell him the year before to get off your property.

But this guy seems to be off from the way people describe him and also seems to be looking for spare keys. So that somebody who’s trying to figure out when people are on and off of their own properties and in and out of their houses. opportunistic? Definitely and for what reason? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to find out.

People are calling the police about this individual, which is not wrong, what he’s doing is wrong.

another case of animal saviors are animal abusers?

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A friend of mine sent me a news report and a Facebook post from an animal rescue this morning. It blew me away and made me want to throw up at the same time.

At the end of May, the news in the region was filled with the horrible site of a barn, full of animals in Montgomery County, up in flames. It was known as House of Wiggle.

We all shared the articles and the GoFundMe raising money for the injured animals and family affected. The GoFundMe is up still and active.

https://gofund.me/2a2e84e7

The problem is the owner of this sanctuary or rescue or whatever the heck it was has just been charged with felony animal abuse.

For real.

Of course, a couple of weeks ago the person doing the GoFundMe had to put up a defend post because I guess things were starting to circulate?

Yeah so wonder what this Shaina thinks now?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15k4dGgbM3/

I just don’t understand animal abuse. And these people have a lot of children as well as per the wife’s testimony in 2024:

The testimony says 11 children, and implies some special needs, are they OK? What happens to any animals on this farm now?

I guess I am incredulous to an extent of the amount of media coverage that these people got after their fire and now they’re facing a whole other level of public scrutiny, aren’t they?

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/lowerprovidence/fire-hits-farm-animal-sanctuary-montgomery-county

So they said the cause of the fire was electrical, which is not unusual in old barns is it?

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/philadelphia/news/house-of-wiggle-goats-animal-rescue-fire-montgomery-county/

But again, disbelief.How could they? How could they do this? How could they take money from people after this fire knowing how they treated the animals?

I guess once again this is a case of know your rescue?

This is horrible and tragically sad.

It looks like all the social media accounts for this rescue have disappeared.

https://nbcphiladelphia.app.link/7Mk636wNgVb

http://www.facebook.com/HouseofWiggleGoats

have you checked out white horse farm in berwyn yet?

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White Horse Farm Photo

Real farms. Real farmers. Locally sourced. Heritage breeds.

A lot of us look for these things, and Chester county used to have lots of options. Today development is growing in farms are shrinking.

It’s tough going for farmers in a county once known for farms and agriculture. It’s very sad.

Then there are the people that want to make you believe their Emperor’s New Clothes and a couple years later they’re still empty every time you drive by, but I won’t mention them any further. This is a post about real farmers doing their thing, beautifully.

We recently discovered White Horse Farm quite by accident. Someone I know had shared on social media that she had gone to one of their open farm days for their farm stand. I remember when this farm was in a magazine article a few years ago. (See Philadelphia Magazine, 2018.)

So these are the new stewards of the land of this farm and it’s gorgeous. And they have cows, ask my friend who has a cow named Norman, and you will know I love cows. Actually, my husband will tell you I like farm animals in general. I will also admit that I talk to the chickens on a neighbors property. They are so happy and their laying songs are peaceful to me.

But you have so many things that go by on social media where you can supposedly buy great food raised well, sustainable practices, regenerative farming, and so on. White Horse Farm in Berwyn is actually doing this, and I think they deserve a lot of new customers and Chester County love.

Once again, I will stay for the record. I am not a compensated blogger, and I am writing this post after picking up my first order that we paid for from White Horse Farm. Now obviously we haven’t tried everything, but I can tell you I had their yogurt for breakfast this morning. Their yogurt is a thinner kind almost like Seven Stars and I think it makes a great drinking yogurt. We also have a gorgeous chicken, a small pork roast, ground pork, Italian and breakfast sausage.

White Horse Farm photo

So I thought I would write a little post about them, because it’s an all of our best interest that small farms like this survive and thrive. They not only have their own dairy stuff that they are doing, but they raise chickens and Berkshire pigs. they are a medium size pig, and I believe they were originally bred in England. They are a true heritage breed, and their meat is highly sought after for cooking if you’re a foodie. The meat from these pigs I have learned is known as the “Wagyu of pork.”

White Horse Farm Photo

All of these animals on this farm are humanely raised. Actually, I’d like to live on this farm. It’s so pretty. The pigs are able to forage in woods on the farm like nature intended, so they’re not just kept in a pen and fed pig kibble. (I’m not saying pigs get kibble, but you know what I mean.)

The chickens are pasture raised, which essentially is free range. I like their chickens because they’re not huge. The one I bought is about 3 pounds. Honestly, there are a few things as good as small batch raised chicken.

And if you join their club, you can order as you go, and you have access above the farm stand days.

Here is my actual receipt for my first order:

My receipt and notice I also signed up for a membership because this is kind of a membership farm. Yes they will be having farm stand days, but the benefits of a membership is you can order more to your individual needs.



It was simple enough to pay via Venmo, and you can also pay them with cash. I also like what they raise seems to be heritage breeds. It’s kind of like in my garden, I like planting heirloom things.

I know people like raw milk and they do sell that. I also noticed they have some goats. I don’t know what they’re doing with goats, but I remember my cousin Suzy was allergic to cow’s milk when she was little and they substituted goat milk.

Now another reason why I’m writing this post today other than I’m a very happy new customer is they are having a farm stand day from 9 AM to 12 noon this coming Saturday, July 19th. The address is 8 Barr Road Berwyn. This farm is located in Willistown Township.

I hope people patronize them this weekend and going forward. If you go to their farm this weekend, please respect that this is a working farm. That means leave your dogs at home, and make sure your children understand it’s a working farm not a petting zoo. I am not trying to be offensive to people, but I have friends who are farmers, and I have seen what I mentioned with my own eyes. It’s like when I cringe when I see people pull over the side of the road to randomly pet and feed other people’s horses.

Anyway, sign me very happy that I discovered another local farm thanks to someone. I know discovering this farm on a farm stand day.

Stay cool and thanks for stopping by.

furor over the mall: super packed house in west whiteland over exton mall

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I just received a message from a friend:

“I’m attending the West Whiteland Township meeting abt Exton Mall.

Haven’t started yet. Tech difficulties. Full house I would say at least 130 people, standing room only!

Some are local businesses owners impacted by this, I can tell by their badges etc they are in the mall, but most are residents”

https://www.westwhiteland.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07152025-1483

You can watch the meeting on Zoom – but right now they’re having serious technical difficulties again and they need to fix the audio for Zoom and there are people waiting to get on.

This is the planning commission meeting this evening and below are the rest of the photos my friend took a few minutes ago of the revised drawings, I guess they are.