A year ago today, my friend Jamie shared the following post:
ABANDONED PROPERTY ADVENTURE: We explored the abandoned Sleighton Farm School, which was a reformatory school for girls in Glen Mills.
Originally the Philadelphia House of Refuge, founded in 1826–kind of a reform school. Children at the school, which was first coeducational, had lessons and worked the farm. Eventually this became a girls school.
The school has been closed since 2001 and the buildings are in disrepair. Many of these are old dorms, which they called “cottages”—a misnomer, because many of these buildings are large.
The cottages were designed by Cope and Stewardson (1885-1812), a Philadelphia architectural firm that created many major additions to college campuses, including the Quad at Penn and many buildings at Bryn Mawr College. (Oakwell connection: They were buddies with architect Frank Miles Day, architect of Oakwell structures, and collaborated with him when he designed the Penn Museum).
There is a chapel which was built in the 1960s. A few months ago, one of the cottages burned down in an arson.
Eventually, this property will be demolished. Its fate is up in the air. I fervently hope it doesn’t become something like “The Estates at Sleighton Farm School by [XYZ developer].”
So in a sense this is like a sister school to that horrible Glen Mills School. And I feel almost compelled to go down the rabbit hole of this Sleighton Farm School after looking at a couple of other oddly related things…..
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has reached a settlement agreement with the Clock Tower Schools, clearing the way for the entity to operate at the site of the former Glen Mills Schools….DHS has granted the Clock Tower Schools a provisional two-year license to operate its residential and day treatment programs. The state is also mandating the Clock Tower Schools pay for an independent monitor, Justice By Design.
Yes, I did a little segue here to the old Glenn Mills school now known as something like Clock Tower. But back to Sleighton. And another interesting segue.
Sleighton has a weird connection because of architects’ connection to another cool old house I recently discovered because of the people restoring it putting it on Instagram. It’s called (or was called) Binderton and it’s in Chestnut Hill.
Binderton was built between 1903 and 1906 by Cope & Stewardson Architects. Like Sleighton School. Now I know this is a total tangent, but this house in Chestnut Hill is so cool. It also posts gardens that were designed by the Olmsted Brothers, which in turn ties it also to Stoneleigh and Oakwell. Cool, right?
So yes …..Sleighton….in 2021 the place was being discussed in conjunction with a plan for like 193 townhouses. And remember the property is part Edgemont, part Middletown.
Recently an article about a novelist taking inspiration for her book from Glen Mills/Clock Tower and Sleighton seems to lead me to believe they haven’t started anything much at Sleighton yet?
Now this property seems to be originally about 300 acres? The Sleighton Farm property was originally given to Henry Sleighton by William Penn. So it was also a Penn Land Grant? Newspaper archives have tons of articles about Sleighton ranging from problems, fights, fairs, and astounding amounts of money they got from the county and state.
It’s kind of crazy how much money these institutions used to get right? On July 15, 1957, the Delaware County Daily Times reported that Sleighton was getting $765,000 and Glen Mills School got $770,000! Think of what that would equate to in today’s dollars, right?
In 1970 from the same paper in 1970 I found a notice of an auction of “surplus goods.”
They had fairs, plants sales, and more. In 1974 they had the now deceased Judge Lisa Richette as a speaker and advertised for a farmer.
Like a decade or so ago there was a website post about a “school fixer upper.”
A multi alarm fire at Sleighton according to the Delco Times in June, 2024:
An incendiary fire at the long abandoned Sleighton Farm School for Girls in the 400 block of Valley Road in Middletown and Edgmont townships kept county firefighters busy Sunday night into early Monday…Edgmont Township Fire Marshal Al Mancill said the first call came in at 10:14 p.m. from a neighbor on Forrest Lane who saw flames. Firefighters arrived and found a 100-year-old abandoned dorm on fire and called for additional assistance.
It eventually went to two or more alarms, he said….Nobody was injured in the blaze, which took 90 minutes to control….
There have been numerous large fires over the years at the property, which has been closed for over 20 years.
Elwyn, which now owns the property, has a security patrol, with those members and state police patrolling the property and often making arrests, Mancill said.
Ok that is interesting right? And there were other articles from another fire on the Sleighton property in 2102 which said it was possibly due to a lightening strike…as in a storm.
A public notice posted in Monday’s Daily Times has drawn a rebuttal from Middletown Township.
Middletown Township is disputing a public notice Elwyn of Pennsylvania and Delaware and Rocky Run Development LLC published saying that a tentative plan for a proposed planned residential development submitted to the township in September 2021 has been deemed approved…..
Back to June 2024. Pennsylvania State Police Investigators deemed the fire arson after an investigation. At that time anyone who knew anything was asked to contact Pennsylvania State Police Master Trooper John Stewart at 610-558-7085.
The Abandoned Online post has interesting history on the place. So however many acres are left is owned by Elwyn and they say that was a result of Elwyn merging with Sleighton:
The Sleighton Farm School began as the House of Refuge in Philadelphia in 1826. 1 4 It was founded by the Quakers, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Prison Society, on the basis that juvenile offenders should be treated differently than adults…Male offenders were moved to Glen Mills in Delaware County to the newly formed Glen Mills School in 1889, while the female offenders remained at the House of Refuge. 1
The House of Refuge sought land in the rural Delaware County countryside in 1906 in a shift of curriculum. 1 14 The reformatory school found the belief that students would be better served in a setting that emulated a large family, where the therapeutic power of growing things on a working farm would be better than keeping them in the inner-city hardscape……On April 17, 1931, the school split into two, one for boys and one for girls. The boys’ school kept the Glen Mills name while the girls’ school became known as the Sleighton Farm School for Girls. 1 4 12 By 1949, Sleighton had grown to 350 acres, housing 350 to 360 females. 4…..In 1993, the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board purchased the easement to 120 acres owned by Sleighton for $1.62 million. 5 The easement purchase program, introduced in 1989, was designed to protect prime farmland from being developed by selling development rights to the state.
Sleighton merged with Elwyn in February 1998.
And there’s a lot more in that post so people should read it. It’s very interesting. But it’s very convoluted and confusing as to what is actually going on there. The only thing I seem to be able to find is that there is security on the site and I guess walking trails aren’t really open to the public?
I found something on social media from this year. That includes photos from I guess some kind of a firefighter who was on site for some kind of training exercise.
So what happens now? Who knows? Time will tell. As of June 4th unless I am reading this wrong the Justia site says “AND NOW, this 4th day of June, 2025,Elwyn of Pennsylvania and Delaware d/b/a Elwyn and Rocky Run Development, LLC’s appeal is quashed.”
So it seems there is an actual park area that is public, and where the buildings are rotting is private? But I am not sure? I am not going there, but it is an urban explorer favorite apparently, and again, who knows what happens now?
I have to ask, and I’m allowed to ask this question, but did Chester County get pipeline propaganda money for some reason?
So when did they get a plan? And is it still run for your life for half of a mile uphill or downhill?
Am I being sarcastic? Why yes I am because in my opinion this is some kind of bulltwaddle. Here’s what Ginny Kerslake has to say (and I quote) :
“hosting three (3) pipeline preparedness workshops to support Chester County’s comprehensive plan to ensure readiness for, response to, and recovery from pipeline incidents.”
How are they going to ensure readiness when they’ve barely advertised these workshops and have not notified residents living in the blast zone at the very least? So how are you going to ensure readiness given the very nature of the product flowing through Mariner East and a densely populated area?
It will be interesting to see what 700,000+ tax dollars bought in this planning
And it’s very interesting that the link at the bottom of their notice is for the pipeline safety advisory board, which had almost no input on this emergency planning aside from vague updates at their quarterly meetings. Speaking of the pipeline safety advisory board, there are no minutes posted since 2023 because they have not had a quorum since 2023. Most members don’t show up for the quarterly meetings. On top of that most of the seats allotted to members of the public are kept vacant.
I mean seriously, Chester County, how long are we going to keep having this fake conversation?
Let’s review.
I like many, many others live in a blast zone. Thank you Ginny for commenting.
Many years ago now (July, 2018) when she and I had recently met, we had that meeting with a PR person from a particular pipeline company (not the usual suspects) in my living room. I remember when we asked safety questions then. I seem to recall the answer then she would have to ask and get back to us? Did we ever get an answer? I seem to recall polite crickets after that point.
And I also seem to recall a more recent thing with a plan in West Whiteland to essentially put assisted living on top of pipelines where this very safety issue came up, yes? And if I recall incorrectly, please correct me if incorrect, but wasn’t it in fact the truth that the county didn’t really have a plan? And a certain man who can’t seem to retire from things there who seems to be on this board didn’t really have a plan? And he was at those meetings over this plan, right?
So remember, West Whiteland denied this plan because of the lack of safety plan having to do with the pipelines correct?
It’s still in court it seems.
What I remember most from those meetings is nobody really had a safety plan including the county, so how can the county magically say they now have a plan? Because how are they going to work a notification system? How many first responders would it take to respond to a pipeline disaster in this area? How many first responders are we willing to lose along with everyday people if there’s a pipeline disaster in this area?
I mean, can we just get real about pipelines? If one of those goes kerpluey it’s game over isn’t it? This crap can literally kill us and is poisoning our water sources, wells, etc. And so why does no one talk anymore about how much of what these companies rape our land for goes literally to other countries?
Chester County has been playing the ultimate like shell game in my opinion in all the years I’ve been following the pipeline stories.
I’m just not expecting a credible plan. I think this is a whole lot of bulltwaddle and yeah, I am saying that out loud.
Allow me to share an old NBC 10 report :
That reality hasn’t changed in that video has it? Nothing has changed except for more sinkholes on occasion, right?
Chester County owes us more than lip service and so does the state. These upcoming meetings which nobody really knew about until this random post showed up from the county is lip service in my opinion.
It may be time for the pipeline activists in this region to dust off their protest signs once again. I mean, how many battles affecting our literal existence are we supposed to fight on a daily basis out here? If it’s not wanton unwelcome development, it’s a data center, or the threat of a data center, the threat of a hydrogen hub, or monster warehouses, or pipelines.
Chester County in my opinion is woefully lacking in truly supporting her residents in any of these areas. My last word is who comprises the board of this county pipeline whojamabobby. It’s hard to tell who’s on and who’s off below here are the names.
Sign me shaking my head once again over “pipeline safety preparedness.“
It is no secret that runs for something everything candidates on both side of aisle are individuals I find ridiculous. Usually in Chester County they are Republicans but this year it’s Erica Deuso out of Downingtown. A Democrat.
The 2023 article always amused me because it said (and I quote):
📌A Downingtown resident making her first foray in elective politics in Chester County is hoping to accomplish two challenging goals in the 2024 race for the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives.📌
But it wasn’t her first foray since she ran for Downingtown Borough Council unless a magic mulligan decreed it not to be trying to run for elected office?
So now she is running for mayor? Well good for her except is it just making her a runs for something / anything / everything candidate?
I still have no horse in this race. Downingtown has some unpleasant politics rather regularly, and I haven’t paid attention to the mayoral race since Josh Maxwell was Mayor. I started paying attention then because I respected a younger guy stepping up for his community, which he now does on a county level.
But this race I heard was getting interesting and well I figured it out. SOMEONE put up a FAKE website MISrepresenting Rich Bryant.
So why is Erica Deuso sharing screenshots of a fake website that was taken down because it was fake??
Erica, Erica, Erica. Is this like desperate is as desperate does? Shame on you. You want people to think you are the better candidate? Then be better.
A postscript to all of this are first a handful of screenshots from the defunct website:
Next is a little more unpleasant in my humble opinion. Screenshots of his Twitter feed. This is where this candidate probably now loses me. Why put this on Twitter or X? And why didn’t he clean this up before he announced his candidacy for Downingtown Mayor?
I am glad I do not have to decide between these two candidates. And it’s sad because when I first heard Rich Bryant interviewed a few months ago he seemed like just a regular guy and very pleasant. He seemed real. And I’m not saying he can’t have his First Amendment rights to post however he chooses, but the message in the postings is not pleasant.
Well, we shall see what happens with this race. It ought to be interesting and I think it’s going to get dirtier and uglier before November.
So we all know it’s a hot race in Honey Brook because the thug politics cabal is terrified of a normal Republican or anyone NOT from their inner circle running against their chosen bobblehead. And yes, I can have that opinion. So yeah, hope y’all tuned in or listen later online or now online. https://953wche.com/
So I went to rewatch Valerie Shultz’s video. It gave up this message:
Naturally, I went nosing around because it was available over the weekend. So I don’t know if this is a tall tale but apparently the thug political cabal was so upset that they did their usual round of emails, phone calls, etc and so predictable right? Are they also still doing drive-bys like no one sees that truck or trucks? I guess politics is harassable in Honey Brook Township?
So is it true that the went to the PA State GOP and Chester County GOP put pressure on the individual who merely recorded it because that is part of what he does in Honey Brook for the residents NOT as a committeeperson? As in this wasn’t official anything, was it? It was shooting a video. So this begs the question of what did OTHER supervisors in Honey Brook Township know? Are current elected officials there trying to add the pressure of undue political pressure? Is that even ok?
In my humble opinion this but a pyrrhic victory. In case you are unfamiliar with the term a pyrrhic victory is defined as:
a triumph achieved at such a tremendous cost that it is tantamount to a defeat, leaving the victor in a worse state than they were before.
And guess what? I have the verbiage of the empty hoodie/chair debate. Yes, yes I do. Here you go:
And yes, yes I have the video. I took a screen grab of the publicly recorded empty chair debate. Also note this was advertised for weeks, so nothing was done leading up to this event to stop it. It’s not the first video you see next, it’s at the bottom.
Listen to this video at end of this post. There is nothing wrong with it, except that Valerie Shultz is a Republican running on Democrat ticket because Democrats in Honey Brook Township want representation. These individuals CHOSE to do this because as they noted in a public meeting (in above video), they did not feel they essentially had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting a Democrat elected which means they did their own self-chosen groundswell of support and wrote Valerie in. They chose to do this. See video grab above, for the Democrat who spoke up.
Now my opinion is the Republican Party of Chester County and PA made a critical error. Also my opinion is if the Democrats in Chester County had a collective brain, they would capitalize on this because is this not attempting to deprive someone of their First Amendment rights? Honey Brook Township is sunshine unfriendly in my opinion and they are scared of having, well, what we used to know as a normal Republican on the board and she is respected enough that Democrats wrote her in to get her on the ballot and what does that say?
The residents of Honey Brook do not have to settle for less. And no one decides whom to vote for except for the individual in the voting booth. If Honey Brook wants to start to improve, it starts here.
And I will note that NO one is saying Honey Brook Township is a horrible place (like the talking hoodie yes man bobble head always says), what IS being said that the politics are creating issues in a community as in the thug politics of those currently in office and how is that so difficult a concept to grasp? Honey Brook Township is not the thug politics cabal’s fiefdom or personal sandbox. What has happened with the empty chair debate video in my opinion is a CLEAR example of why residents need to NOT vote for the candidate that the current board wants, right? I mean do you want representative government or not? Or do you want a guy who runs his entire campaign off of Facebook, sort of at the recent supervisors meeting, or from a lawn chair in a random driveway?
Here is the video. Hope all watch and learn and hope regional media wakes up to what is going on. This is at the end of the day a glaring example on a more local level of what is wrong in politics today.
I can’t even begin to explain how this hit me when I saw these photos from the Devon Fall Classic. I mean seriously, what in the Sam Hell, Devon?
If you put the number on the sign into social media and Google, this is what comes up:
Ok so now that this is sinking in I respectfully ask Easttown Township and Devon Horse Show to explain. People are saying puppies may also have been being sold along with the snuggles being sold? And it’s not a rescue in there, it’s this rando breeder? Puppies are standing on wire mesh in crates? For real? You know that hurts their little paws? And this has been happening the entire fall classic?
People said shih tzus and mini poodles on Thursday? Friday also had miniature dachshunds? Today and Saturday a bunch of breeds? They keep the blinds closed and this woman stands in the door collecting the money so you really have to pay to play?
Seriously what IS going on? Are pet shops allowed as boutiques now?
Shame on you and are you that in need or desperate of filling the selling / retail huts?
I am sure there are people thinking I am making this up. Please see photos received this morning:
Oh and now more and more people are commenting (just sharing a couple of comments because they were all kind of similar:
I also pulled the vendors that Devon advertised, and can you find puppy anything? So this was a last minute addition? WHO MADE THIS DECISION?
I have to ask did any of the other vendors there say anything? How can anyone think this is OK?
If I had to hazard a guess since quite a few of the names are familiar with me, most did not know this puppy thing was happening. However, the chair is all over the events all of the time, so what does he know? Will he address it? And there are TWO show managers listed on Devon’s website, and one would think they had knowledge? Will they address this? And who was on the volunteer committee putting this together this year? I mean if you have worked on volunteer committees, and I have, aren’t you kind of told what is going on and who is going where?
How can ANY of these people have thought it was OK? This is NOT OK!!!
Devon Horse Show thought this was OK? Who brought these people in? This is so not OK in my opinion. Puppies in crates for random people to paw and even possibly buy? Like they are a plastic souvenir from the event?
Seeing these photos took me back to 2010 when the state dog law people busted the guy with puppies at the then Zerns Market which used to be in Gilbertsville. Zerns closed a few years back. And I actually saw the puppies there at Zerns which were essentially on display in things that looked like aquariums. For real. And back then the puppies were stressed and suffering from the unbearable heat in the place and their containers. That was actually one of the only couple of times I went to Zerns because the place always had a creepy vibe. My one friend and I went there only because there was a dealer who sold Minnetonka moccasins.
One article from the fall of 2010. There were a few at the time
All I know is seeing things like this makes me sad and wish for the Devon a lot of us knew as kids. Where did that organization go? The organization that recognized the value in adopt don’t shop?
Even Radnor Hunt stopped having rescue dogs at their events many many years ago because it’s stressful for them to be at large events like this didn’t they?
So I guess the Devon Fall Classic is literally almost over for 2025 as I publish. That however, does not negate the fact that Devon and the Chair and the Fall Classic committee have explaining to do. And apologies to make. I also wonder if anyone went to them even when the show started about this? I mean did they think people would all just look the other way?
My sources tell me area rescues are not happy about any of this and can you blame them?
Another source told me that the puppy booth as they called it appears to have been shut down. I have no other information – they just happened to be there – they were visiting some other business with one of those other booth/huts at the show. And for those giving me a hard time about how it was my job to call the SPCA about this a couple of points to note including the fact that the SPCA can’t do anything here. It’s the dog law enforcement people and well are they still awake and active?
But Devon leadership and the Fall Classic committee? You have explaining to do and PUBLIC apologies to make in my humble opinion. Of course my other opinion is this is another reason why maybe it is time for new leadership at Devon?
I would like to hope Devon is worth saving, but when crap like this happens, it makes you wonder. But when you seem to focus on adult beverages a lot at these family friendly events, who knows? If Devon goes forward into the future it would be nice if they gave rescues a table or something near the shops and food where rescues could rotate in and out with volunteers and literature (not animals.)
Very sad turn of events. And I am sure Devon doesn’t care for my opinions and the opinions of others, but they really shouldn’t just try to ignore this and hope it goes away, yes?
Ahh yes you aren’t supposed to feed trolls on the Internet by reacting. But hey now, it’s your reputation so you can keep an eye out and react as needed. Part of the reason is these people are the types who lurk in the shadows. They want to live in your head rent free, because whomever you are, you live rent free in theirs. They hate being pulled out of the shadows.
Every now and again, I have one. I have had them in the past. Eventually they all reveal themselves. I can say that because the last one, who was spurned on by someone else’s gaslighting, ended up exposing themselves to law enforcement and was it actionable? Yes it was and they have a second chance to get on with life but there are certain things they agreed to in front of a judge to do so (which was my idea incidentally as a kindness they didn’t deserve.) Part of their agreement is no contact with me in any form, and the same goes for friends, relatives, internet acquaintances. I never knew this person to begin with, don’t care to now.
But that person? Shall we say inspired to act by the gaslighting of someone else? Yup, and it tracks. So careful what you read on the internet, eh?
You are only as good as your word in this life, and I act with that in mind. And the actual truth.
So the truth is, some don’t like me. That includes people who know me, but basically that’s life as we know it. I can’t be responsible for them, only myself.
A lot of the “haters” or trolls, feel they can just do whatever without impunity. Meh, that may or may not be true.
Now the latest one who is oddly obsessed with me is a woman. She’s a lurker on my blog and blog’s Facebook page. She has a warped view or perception on what reality is, and reading comprehension? Not so good as she seems to miss a lot.
She started a thread about how super horrible terrible I am. She’s not the first, she’s not the last. She thinks taking it out on me other than on Facebook protects her. It doesn’t. See she lurks on my blog’s Facebook page because if she posted on my page, I would just remove her. She knows that is what I do with trolls. And she knows I screenshot to expose bullying and trolling sometimes. Not all of the time, but I do actually do it because bullies don’t like attention upon them, no matter what their often feigned bravado is.
She first exposed herself when I made a public comment about who she might be. I knew she wasn’t that person because it is someone she comments on per her own comments among other things. And yes, I did block that person because they were freaks during COVID and just found a new personal and blocked that too. I ended up ridding myself of lots of people on both sides of the argument then and now.
You can block people on social media. You can remove them from your groups and pages. There is no law on earth that says you have to wear a social media hair shirt and take abuse. Or even mansplaining.
So yeah, I clean up my internet homes on occasion, so what? I choose not take abuse. As a woman, my latest “admirer” should understand that. But she doesn’t and she’s rather self righteous.
She exposed herself again in addition to the anti vaxxer type she hates. This time as a Chester County Democrat etc. and has done that twice so far. She’s all bothered that I don’t like Fauxmer Jawn. She’s also concerned about someone who posts on County Commissioner Josh Maxwell’s page and comments how she can’t believe that person doesn’t have a restraining order against them yet. I guess she doesn’t know in PA that only works with family members or former intimate partners? I am sure the comments are watched by law enforcement…just like honestly there is a lot of law enforcement who watch my socials.
Apparently this woman says her last straw is I posted about the man who killed his wife and injured his son in a one vehicle DUI related crash on Ship Road a couple of weeks ago now. Claims I callously posted photos of child. I did post a screen shot from the You Tube of the funeral that was posted with the Go Fund Me I shared for the now motherless child’s benefit because someone else commenting on my page kept saying two fatalities with the accident which was not true as per what police released. Then she defends her post saying I will probably take my post down because of her thread, but she has screenshots. i haven’t removed squat, and won’t. I did nothing wrong, except in her opinion which isn’t law.
Does she hear herself? I am not a public figure, I do not play one on Instagram or Facebook. Yes I blog, and blog’s are opinion based a lot of the time. So duh, Mrs. Drool Cup, lurk someplace else if I am so terrible. But she doesn’t because she suffers from social media FOMO (fear of missing out.)
Of course with her post comes the predictable clown circus of comments, plus quite a lot of comments this time asking her what her problem is.
Her problem is simple: I am not her, I probably don’t think, look, act, etc. like her. To the narrow minded social media puritans that is worse than being a Trump lover. And apparently they all categorize me as a cat mommy and gerbil owner. The mental gymnastics it took to come up with that must be something, right?
These people are utterly self righteous. Their narrow view of the world is the only one they are comfortable with. One of the commenters there is a probation officer somewhere. He gave himself away too. Others on that thread have as well, and they also lack reading comprehension based on what they have written.
So it is what it is. Do I keep screenshots of this stuff? Yes, not always, but yes I do and do I expose people bullying me online? Yes I do and yes I have.
These people feed on one and other and it is malicious gossip and mob mentality. They don’t have to like me, that’s just silly that anyone would expect that. I still think my biggest crime with a lot of these people is I choose not to know most of them. I mean why would I? When I first started on Facebook one of the first things I ever did was give myself peace by proactively blocking people I did not care for and those I knew who did not like me. My rationale was simple: I chose not to interact with them in the real world, so why do I need to know them in a virtual world?
So yes, dear readers, another troll. This one is a lurker because she is all keyboard warrior except to address me on my own page. Whatever. Take a ticket and stand in line. I don’t ever say why can’t we all get along, because quite simply put, I have never believed that.
So I got to do something totally FUN the other day and exciting for me. I got to preview Frazer Antiques new store in their new location further east from where they were on Route 30/Lancaster Avenue in Malvern/Frazer.
It’s a lot of familiar faces that we all love from the original store plus some new faces, some which are already familiar to me. It was just the most positive wonderful thing to see. For example, Daisy Cottage Antiques from Morgantown is coming!
I was very sad, as were so many, when we heard after decades in one location, they literally lost their lease and were getting the heave ho. Well everything happens for a reason and this is a much better space with wonderful flow.
They are loaded with all sorts of interesting things and I think the store is going to be fabulous and it’s a good location because the parking is much easier, among other things.
(If you need an artisanal chocolate gift that will knock your socks off, they will be carrying some of the Ben Wollenberg Chocolates from Canton, OH.)
The soft opening is Monday, September 8 as far as I know.
179 Lancaster Avenue is the address and down the same driveway as Tague Lumber and Malvern Collision.
I hope you love it as much as I do. #shoplocal #vintage #antiques #lovelocal
Dumb question but election season means whatever happened to Debbie Bookman the former prothonotary? She resigned under a cloud, and I will note unfriended me on Facebook sometime when that happened which kind of made me laugh, but then we’ve heard nothing haven’t we? Are the Democrats burying this? Or is there some kind of investigation going on that they can’t talk about but maybe they want to say that there is an active or not active case?
Now maybe when that cloud broke, she simply exited Facebook, that would also make sense. Don’t know. All I do know is I voted for that woman so when the news broke in October, 2024 I was gob smacked and as a voter felt in a sense, betrayed.
Don’t know where that person went. So this was who I thought she was:
Here she is in a Melton Center video from 4 years ago:
Then this from a year ago with something sone by the Chester County Community Foundation:
And something State Senator Carolyn Comitta put out after visiting CYWA in Coatesville:
Then came the headline no one expected, let alone people who voted for her in October, 2024:
WEST CHESTER — Debbie Bookman, who made history in 2019 by becoming the first Democrat to be elected prothonotary in Chester County and then by winning a second term in 2023, has abruptly resigned from her position, citing personal reasons.
“It has been one of my greatest honors to serve the public as your prothonotary,” Bookman said in a statement sent to the MediaNews Group on Thursday evening. “However, this year has been extremely difficult for me on a personal level and I honestly can no longer give my best to this position.”….Her decision, however, comes in the wake of an investigation by the county Controller’s Office — the county’s elected financial watchdog — into financial irregularities in the Prothonotary’s Office. Bookman alluded to those matters in her statement. She acknowledged that she had made purchases of a personal nature using the credit card issued to the office for official business.
WEST CHESTER — The Chester County chief financial watchdog confirmed on Tuesday that her office had some months ago referred the matter involving potential misuse of a county credit card by the former county prothonotary to the District Attorney’s Office.
Controller Margaret Reif said in an email that she had sent word of her office’s investigation to the D.A. in late August after she had uncovered potential wrongdoing by Debbie Bookman, who was in her second term as the elected official responsible for civil court case documents and filings.
“As required by county code, our office is obligated to report any potential instances of fraud to the District Attorney’s office,” Reif wrote. “In compliance with this requirement, we reported the personal use of county credit cards to the District Attorney’s office on August 28th.
WEST CHESTER — An error by officials inside Chester County government has resulted in the now vacant office of county prothonotary being left off the ballot in the May primary election, leaving the county’s political parties without candidates who would go before the voters until November.
The mistake was discovered Wednesday and reported by commissioners’ Chairman Josh Maxwell to the media that day, as well as by the commissioners and their staff to the county’s two main political party leaders.
One of the county’s so-called “row offices,” the prothonotary is in charge of overseeing the filings for civil and family court cases. It has been vacant since October, when Debbie Bookman, who had held the office since 2020, resigned after it was discovered that she used a county credit card for personal expenses.
Of course this whole thing was described in the media as a “good faith mistake” by the Chester County CEO, and at the time Charlotte Valyo, head of Chester County Democrats (still and oh grandma please, but I digress) I do not recall commenting at all.
But until this morning all that has been heard about Debbie Bookman is motivational speaking stuff. Yes there is a website:
Yeah ok, I bet she is good at that. No digs, truly.
But hey now some watchdog lovelies from Coatesville sent me news through someone I know this morning that answers (for now) the question of what happened with the whole exiting the prothonotary’s office of it all last October and wowza:
Well damn, BOOM there it is. The PA Attorney General has charged her. Her formal arraignment is September 18, 2025 unless it moves. I do not see an attorney listed yet as of this morning.
What really and truly blows my mind is this started in 2023.
Bet that anonymous poster who posted in some random Facebook groups will be posting again soon… and yeah before the incorrect rumor mill starts, not my posts don’t know who posted, don’t care.
(Hey traditional media? You are very welcome! And it’s now your story to flesh out. This was just a dusty curtain raiser.)
End screenshot is from Rep. Pielli. Wonder what he will be thinking now? Not being snarky, as I just can’t believe all of this myself, yet here we are, right? And you have to wonder if Chester County Democrats will be holding onto county row? Time will tell.
Yesterday we saw this image from the screenshot above all over TV news stations. The backstory? A 15 year old boy named Kevin Donohue, a sophomore at Malvern Prep in Malvern PA ( public source on this is NBC10 Philadelphia.)
“It is with deep sorrow and profound sadness that we share the tragic news of the passing of Kevin Donahue, a beloved student of Malvern Preparatory School, who was tragically killed in a fatal car accident. Kevin’s untimely departure has left a void in our community, and our hearts go out to his family, friends, and all who knew him during this difficult time,” school officials said in a statement. “Kevin was known for his bright spirit, kindness, and positive attitude. As a student at Malvern Prep, he was admired not only for his academic dedication but also for his genuine compassion and friendly nature. Kevin’s presence was a source of joy and encouragement to peers, teachers, and staff alike. His infectious smile and warm personality made him a beloved member of the school community, and his loss is deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Kevin was transported to the hospital, but did not survive his deer related injuries. The was on Route 322 in West Bradford. We can’t say deer alley because well Chester County is overrun with deer. Young Kevin’s sister apparently survived and I can’t imagine what this family and his school community are experiencing. I do know Malvern Prep parents who were devastated by this news.
As the media has reported, including our own IrishEyez in Chester County, the deer was hit by a vehicle traveling the other direction (eastbound 322) and was literally thrown onto this car (traveling westbound 322.) The other vehicle has not been located and police would like to speak with the person. They were possibly driving a black Toyota Sienna. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Embreeville barracks at 610-486-6280.
Malvern Prep is I am told asking for people to respect the privacy of the family, classmates, and school who have suffered a great loss. To that end, be wary of clicking on crap on social media. I have personally reported innumerable and ghoulish predatory Facebook pages today on this. It is click bait and if you click who knows what will happen to your device, computer, etc. Here are few examples so you can avoid them:
This horrible event also prompts a conversation we need to have in Chester County. development has eradicated and drastically condensed not only native habitat for deer, but the predators of deer. I mean yes we have plenty of coyotes, but they seem more intent on what we as humans leave behind, and even our pets.
Deer herds need to be culled, drastically. And humans should want that, not feeding them because they are cute bearers of deer ticks and Lyme disease. I don’t want to hear about BS of deer birth control that will occasionally crop up. We need to cull those herds. All over the county. It needs to be done legally, but it needs to be done. This year there seem to be more deer than ever.
Development. All of the development county-wide, gobbles land like a Pac Man. Why can’t we get Harrisburg to update the Municipalities Planning Code and even allow moratoriums on development? It’s NOT sustainable.
I am so sorry for what people and family of this young man are experiencing. I hope the driver who hit the deer first comes forward. It was a freak accident but their input is needed. Media reports put the accident on 322 near Romig Road.
Before I dive into politics to the west, that is very truly oddly Pennsyltucky at this point I will start with Chat GPT can design a better new logo than Cracker Barrel itself.
Of course I don’t understand what the hubbub nationally has been about this because it’s Cracker Barrel not some Michelin Guide starred restaurant. But hey they seem to use the same graphic designer as Chester County, right?
But I digress. And somehow, mentioning Cracker Barrel fits with the political nonsense out of Honey Brook.
The politician running against Valerie Shultz seems to talk talk talk on Facebook a lot (and nowhere else- doesn’t want to debate or even do meet and greets and why?)
This guy and his handler who is a current supervisor of Honey Brook Township started ramping up this campaign weeks ago. You know when no one is dishing the most local of politics and candidates because it’s literally like summer vacation?
So the primary season out there was nasty. These people who represent literally the existing political cabal and status quo did not want Valerie Shultz running. Heaven forbid a Republican that actually made sense ran for office, was always my thought. She’s not extreme, she’s even and measured whenever you speak with her whenever you hear her speak in public and she researches what she’s going to talk about so she doesn’t shoot from the hip or misinform.
She is also just a nice person who cares about her community. She volunteers quietly because it is right, not so she gets self stated accolades. Yes we have become friends because that’s just the way life is, you encounter someone that you respect and you think is kind of interesting. Oh and we started to get to know each other rather a good bit of time before she ever wanted to run for supervisor.
As this campaign season in Honey Brook Township ramps up, they literally are crazed and mostly inappropriate keyboard warriors. The new politician AKA talking hoodie, especially. He can’t stay off of his campaign Facebook page. And his behavior online seems to be deteriorating, which is never a good look for a politician whom you never hear from in public. Ad hominem attacks with nothing but rumors to back it up? Check, they have you covered!
And then there is the talking hoodie’s handler. He’s also interesting online. Women who disagree are a favorite target, but can it be said if you disagree with his version of reality in general male or female or house cat), which isn’t necessarily the truth you are bad, bad, bad?
Yep, the He Man Women Haters Club is now in session.
These adult men children want to screen shot my every thought, so I must be truly fabulous, yes?
WHY THANK YOU!
I can’t control their behavior and lack of couth, but I can and will take notes. So they want everyone who makes them uncomfortable feel bad about themselves? Stay in your lanes, buckaroos.
Good government is not about these guys. They have their own love language that is well, rather outdated. It’s a whole Tammany Hall in a Corn Field, and they should learn about what happened to Boss Tweed back in the day.
I like to clear up misperception. They like foggy with a side of thug. One of their favorite things is saying that Valerie Shultz is a Democrat and the latest is they seem to be inferring she was thrown out of the Republican party? Oh come on, that is hysterical, isn’t it? She is on the ballot for the fall because she got written in on the Democrat ballot BUT as a Republican.
A current sitting supervisor politician doesn’t get it does he? (See below ) I am not part of “Team Val” as he likes to phrase it, but I am proud to know Valerie Shultz for Honey Brook Township Supervisor personally and call her a friend.
Like all of these items it is an attempt to denigrate, intimidate, and bully falls flat, doesn’t it? He likes to attempt belittling me by calling me a babbling blogger, but all that tells me is himself is a little touchy about things, especially things he doesn’t want people looking into, right? It also tells me that he has a problem with women saying what he doesn’t want said, yes?
No part of Valerie‘s campaign is “self imploding”, but the cracks are showing on his bully politics side, aren’t they ?
I haven’t “ripped into” Tel Hai Retirement Community in the least, but I have pointed out how thug politics tries desperately to control the narrative being spewed at a senior citizen community vis-à-vis shall we say deliberately skewed misinformation , and is that a bad thing? That’s a lovely community and there are lots of nice people and they deserve better from local government. So let’s put that to rest (for at least five minutes because they just rotate and regurgitate the same old thing don’t they?)
The Honey Brook Facebook page is just a Facebook page and the admin got caught playing politics after she said there was to be no politics in her group. And that group is used to spread the disinformation that thug politics wants out there isn’t it?
I’ll notice he or his talking hoodie hasn’t said anything about Honey Brook Community Library yet, has he? Probably because the talking hoodie and he as his handler have made quite the hash up over there and that was exposed yesterday, wasn’t it? They should be apologizing to the library, or is that asking a lot from them? oh an is it true they now want a Republican only meet and greet? I man pass the drool cup, again, Valerie Shultz might be an inconvenient Republican as far as they think, but she is still a Republican, yes?
I have never denigrated the first responders out there or ripped into them in the least. I don’t care for the politician talking hoodie this politician is handling because it’s just a way to keep the thug politics cabal intact and that is at the expense of residents and taxpayers and even that candidate isn’t it? And one of the only comments I have made in the area of first responders is there is something to be said for local policing and that isn’t anything bad is it? And when I refer to Pennsyltucky, I am referring to the thug politics he eschews, not mocking the community at large. There is a distinct difference which he knows.
Candidate Bobble Head Politician and the current Board of Supervisors want residents to be seen and not heard, and to never question anything. I will not apologize for saying that is wrong along with thinly veiled attempts at resident intimidation especially on social media and am I wrong? Forget that semi-rhetorical question you know it’s not wrong to question things that aren’t right, correct?
The only divisiveness that is happening in Honey Brook is caused by this man, his handler, and the thug politics cabal.
Of course he wants people to stick with the “status quo“, it means he’s never questioned, and a politician who isn’t willing to work with all people even involving being questioned about things is not one you really want in office is it?
And if anyone has “invited” the outside in for heightened scrutiny, it’s the current regime, and he acts like an absurd HOA president who wants to gate off the entire community.
The more he blathers the more people wonder what is being hidden from the residents, and it is that simple, correct ? He doesn’t like sunshine and transparency I guess? Remember how he was when he was running? Butter couldn’t melt in his mouth, right? Flash forward to him getting his skirts in a bunch because I stumbled across that old news report about puppy mills in that area and posted it. Why would he care unless he supports puppy mills? I have zero issue with responsible dog breeders. I do have an issue with puppy mills, as do most people with a heart and a brain. So it’s pretty funny. He says I’m against all dog breeders. Alrighty then. But the best is stumbling upon his election pledge so to speak. He’s really “leading by example, not by the tongue, making a difference by getting your hands, dirty not your keyboard” And remember his “community is about representation, caring, kindness and respect….” aaand puppy mills, thug politics, corn field Tammany Hall, denigrating women, and SO much more!!!
The handler politician’s blathering also can be potentially construed in the fact that he doesn’t really have faith in the politician he has chosen to run, yes?
Been saving this gem (below, next screenshot.) From the spring. The supervisors of Honey Brook Township using a community group as an official channel? They didn’t use official township channels, but posted here to try to skate around things, didn’t they? They can have their own opinions, BUT presenting things like it’s official township anything? Yeahhhh do they have a bridge they want to sell us? And next time this guy who so loves his community opens his mouth, remember this and wonder who is this guy, really?
Whatever. Just another day with thug politics. The elected one needs to remember his behavior might be it’s all Good to Be King, but he’s not. The other one? Well the saddest thing of all is he totally doesn’t get these people are literally using him, but he doesn’t get a lot of things, does he?
It’s time to end the Tammany Hall Corn Field and the thug politics cabal in Honey Brook Township. These gents are a little too obsessed with why people, not just me, are watching.
