Gosh East Pikeland, your slip is showing…again. I will note that this is a document that is filed with the courts and not a state secret. And this attorney and his firm? They don’t play.
Grab the popcorn. Happy Friday!
I feel the need to point that out since they didn’t like that I posted something else not a state secret…in November.
Let’s be clear about the data center here. What was originally approved and allowed by East Whiteland you’re not going to cancel that BUT given the size and the expansion they want to do on something that is not yet open and proves it needs. It is like a whole other plan and shoukd be treated as such, right??
Now the data center developer wants to upgrade some technology and move some stuff around. If that is hypothetically beneficial to his plan and would be beneficial to the residents that’s one thing but that does NOT mean the developer should just get a gimme supersizing prize of a half built project not up and running, does it?
And I hear that East Whiteland is putting a live stream on for this very heated topic. Their reticence with that is they don’t want to be hacked again (happened with Zoom) and have to see porn but you know what? how many other municipalities still do Zoom every week? Maybe their Internet safety protocol isn’t strong enough? The planning commission is but the opening salvo here.
Anyway as per East Whiteland’s website:
The Applicant for the proposed Data Center on Swedesford Road will attend the upcoming Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 7:00pm (Livestream Available via Link Below)
The Applicant for the proposed Data Center on Swedesford Road will attend the upcoming Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 7:00pm to present an Amended Plan for the project. In addition to in-person attendance, the meeting will be available to Livestream via the Township Website using the link below. Public comment may be submitted via email to bcarosello@eastwhiteland.org. Please submit comments by 4:00pm on Wednesday.
People need to make sure that they tell every single supervisor and Township staff (politely) if they don’t want this. And they can’t just do it on social media. You have to zoom into the meetings, go to the meetings, send emails. Call media you know to cover it. Residents and those concerned need to make the time, not excuses.
If residents had paid more attention around 2022 when this whole thing was going through initial approval process, maybe we wouldn’t be here today but we will never know as that ship sailed. What hasn’t sailed is the developer does not have the Divine Right of Kings to make his project bigger, does he? That wasn’t what was approved, and it has to go through a whole new planning process from top to the bottom or it should right? I mean a 629,830 square foot increase is not smidge larger is it? “1,026,800 s.f. to 1,656,630 s.f. (along with related increases in building coverage and impervious coverage)” is quite a bit larger, yes?
And people from East Whiteland are contacting East Whiteland about the 55+ development that was approved years ago unavoidably in West Whiteland. Again, that ship sailed. I told people here and people told people other places about all those meetings, and the residents did not pay attention. And the problem with that project is under the Municipalities Planning Code so it was approved. And until that weighty outdated tome in Harrisburg is comprehensively updated to protect our communities, they are going to be targeted by developers for whatever is going to make them the most money in that minute and that is the truth isn’t it?
Also to be noted is there are many many West Whiteland residents who are concerned about the potential supersizing of this data center. They had to deal with this developer when he wanted to put a hydrogen hub right next to their park right in the same area. And that didn’t happen because the residents and supervisors stood up and took action.
In my humble opinion, the supervisors in East Whiteland need to be on the same page as the residents when it comes to data centers. If that developer wants to improve technology, that is mutually beneficial to all or tweak design on plan size approved, that is one thing, and it’s something they should want to do for their bottom line in the future, right? But we are already seeing changes in our power grid from data centers. We run the risk of having well water polluted by these data centers. There are other ways it is harmful to the environment and then there is the sheer noise. So East Whiteland approved a data center and it’s not up and running yet so there is no actual proof that is supersizing is needed at this juncture, is there? It is a developer want, it is not a developer need in my opinion and I’m allowed to have that.
I also of the opinion that we cannot depend on the planning commission to say no to this. I don’t think they have the knowledge necessary to do anything other than pass it along with a rubber stamp. In my opinion, I think they are all going to say unless people turn out and protest that “oh it’s OK. It’s better for people. It’ll bring lots of business and tax revenue” or whatever platitudes get blown up people’s rear ends and there’s no proof that it will do any of those things, but that’s what they’re told isn’t it?
This is who is on the planning commission:
Deborah Abel, Chair Todd Asousa, Vice Chair Bob Logan Bill Wrabley John Laumer Tim Kelly Jaime Damiani
Go to https://www.eastwhiteland.org/ for more information on this project and for telephone numbers and email addresses, etc.
This was a superfund site – EPA- Foote Mineral. The planning commission should know that you can’t just come in with a resubmission like this- it has to start the clock again with a resubmission- where is the impact study? What is the complete feasibility? Planning needs to restart the clock if the developer wishes to expand, isn’t that a truism? Who inspects? Who is the monitoring agency? So many variables.
I just saw this photo (minus the X) posted elsewhere. I feel compelled to address it because it’s the kind of messaging that is counterproductive to protecting our communities and the environment.
It’s the kind of messaging we get from some politicians talking out both sides of their mouth, and from the industry itself, giving false assurance that they won’t pollute or deplete our resources because there are strict environmental regulations in place.
It’s false.
We don’t HAVE anywhere close to adequate rules in place to protect our air and water from this buildout of AI data centers and power plants to fuel them – not to mention protect climate and communities.
Workers? These hyper scale data centers create very few jobs once built – and the intent is to eliminate workers.
And we have a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that has a history of turning a blind eye to violations by certain industries. And it’s led by a Secretary who has been engaged in backroom dealmaking with these corporations and has promised to deliver Amazon with the “highest level of service, accountability and urgency to meet their project needs”. (See letter in comments obtained through a RTK request.
Let’s not pretend the situation in Pennsylvania is anything different.
And what Ginny said was similarly said by a dear friend today who keeps asking Harrisburg WHO is responsible for watching Data Centers? WHO is the monitoring agency? I mean those who live with the PA DEPs inconsistency in their communities know this is a problem. WHO watches and who watchdogs the entities who are supposed to watch?
Also from Ginny:
Oh, and my opinions are bought to me by the First Amendment. They haven’t repealed that yet as far as I know.
So last week, I told you all how one of the penultimate Chester County Maga Hags (that’s #MAGAHAGS to you) was trying to raise her profile by gaslighting and literally lying about me. I am very amused that there is like this convention of one trick ponies and Klanned Karenhood yakking about me. I mean seriously ME? One woman? Lordy they are limited. And yes, one of them called me “Head Karen in Charge” because you know, when all else fails call a woman a slut, bitch, C word, or a Karen.
(Well honey, I did not grow up in your gutter, but been here a spell. You calling me hideous is consider the source/high praise indeed.)
And then there is the Mensa (heavy sarcasm) who literally spent a couple of years trying to friend me or follow me everywhere she could. Like whackamole, every time she pops up, I block her. She gave herself away…again and WHO WRITES OUT LAUGH OUT LOUD??? And “girls”? Mmmkay maybe mostly with a side of menopause.
Then there are the rest of them, including the tutu queen of the Downingtown laundromat who decided my husband must be on dating apps being married to me. Now you see doll, I didn’t have to hunt my husband like big game so…. jelly much? And all I ever did with regard to you and your ilk was defend myself. But keep waving your bible, it makes a fan and a billy-club, right?
And here are some others including the woman all had hoped had moved to the Netherlands by now, but apparently they closed the borders or something? I mean it would surprise me given her choice of “King”:
And not everyone is a fan of these #MAGAHAGS:
Oh and speaking of kings, not so #AnonymousAda posted this yesterday:
You see, I have a theory about not so #AnonymousAda the QAnon Princess. She needs meand others to raise her profile. She’s a failed politician, vice chair of West Goshen Republicans (not saying much), was a Hispanic mom when running for school board, now she is a revolutionary patriot descendant. (That’s pretty funny) She is sometimes on some fakakta radio show that is I am sure a delightful potpourri of fake news and amateur hour gaslighting. This week she is spicing it up with the Chair of the West Goshen Republicans, Felice Drama Queen Fein. Remember Felice form their election day AR-15 raffle a few years ago?
Of course we all know how that raffle ended…but I digress.
So Ada wants to raise her profile? Well here are some of her greatest hits and more recent foibles:
As a daughter of the American revolution is she now trying to be a WASP? She no longer identifies as Hispanic? I mean it really doesn’t matter, but she did make a big deal out of it when running for office. Also, we all come from something.
But there is something serious I must discuss along with this latest stupidity from the #MAGAHAGS. What you ask? My opinion on what I see as a deliberate attempt to debase a non-profit radio station so they can attempt to wreak havoc again within their political party at a county level.
I am on WCHE in West Chester once in a while. I am on Barry Dee’s show All Politics Are Local to be specific. Sometimes I call in on the morning show. WCHE is Chester County’s only radio station and it is for everyone. These people are literally gaslighting me, the radio station, Chester County Republicans, and Barry when they say dumb ass sheit like they can believe a Republican platform lets me on the air.
“All Politics Are Local” and WCHE are NOT a Republican platform or Republican sponsored program! We do it as VOLUNTEERS. The point of the show is ALL as in ALL politics are local…that is all parties. It is also about the local news that matters to residents. Barry is a bright, articulate, and convivial host. They work hard on the show and yes I donate my time every couple of weeks too.
The Chester County Republican HQ has ZERO to do with how “All Politics Are Local” is run. Neither do the Chester County Democrats. This show is about local politics and local news, not run by political parties, so for the village idiot collective of #MAGAHAGS to say they can’t believe the Republicans are platforming me, I say stay away from the magic mushrooms and beer combo or whatever.
Also they like to call me a liberal. I am actually more of a moderate, not that this is their business. I was a life-long regular Republican until 2016. Then I went Independent. But when I had friends who were Democrats running for office I was a Democrat for a few years so I could vote for them in primaries. But when I realized how Grandma Charlotte and her crew were manipulating the primaries with their premature ejaculations…err endorsements, I realized where I belonged was as an Independent. That way I could continue as I always have: choosing my candidates on what they were about and who they were, not solely based upon a political persuasion. Also as a blogger and equal opportunity political offender THAT made more sense.
These people are destructive malcontents who want to run the world but would not know what to do if they got there. They like to try to make everyone else around them miserable, and every nasty thing they actually are, they attempt to project onto others. Much like the thug politics cabal of Honey Brook Township, right?
All of these people represent noise and static. Until this latest pathetic scene unfolded, I had honestly forgotten they existed. Why? Because they do not matter in the big picture of my life, or anyone else’s. But they need to, once again, take their bullshit to go.
So yeah, not so #AnonymousAda, I see you. I always have. And your ilk. And Chester Count is still not a “sanctuary county”, but Sanctuary A Witch’s Tale is a great series to stream. Bless your heart, and suck on your bible verses…TTFN
The woman shot dead by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis has been identified as Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who had just moved to the city.
She was a prize-winning poet and a hobby guitarist, who city leaders have said was there as a legal observer of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.
But the Trump administration has called her a “domestic terrorist”….She had two children, who are now teenagers, with her first husband. Speaking to US media on condition that his name was not used, he said that Good was not an activist and that she was a devoted Christian who went to Northern Ireland on youth missions when she was younger.
She hosted a podcast with her second husband, Tim Macklin, who died in 2023. They had a son together, who is now six years old….Her third marriage was to Rebecca Good, with whom she moved to Minneapolis just last year, from Kansas City…. “On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns,” Rebecca Good said in a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday…..Several state leaders have said that Good was at the scene of an ICE raid in the south of Minneapolis as a legal observer – a volunteer who monitors police and security forces at protests and operations…..Good “weaponised her vehicle”, Noem told reporters, and then tried to run over one of the officers “in an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to agents, an act of domestic terrorism”.
The ICE agent feared for his life, Noem said, and “fired defensive shots”….But the city’s mayor said the agent who shot Good had acted recklessly.
“Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly: that is bullshit,” Jacob Frey said. “This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed.”
So Renee Good was just a mom. She was also apparently a legal observer of protests, etc. She was literally a community volunteer. A volunteer. Let that sink in.
Why was she shot? Very good question. I don’t have any answers but I have to wonder is a woman who is a mom married to another woman driving a not brand new Honda Pilot with a big old lab looking dog in the backseat really a threat to national security?
Personally I am appalled. Carrying a weapon is a responsibility, and these ICE agents? I can’t wrap my head around these people who are behaving like thugs under the guise of law enforcement can you? Ok sure they have a job to do, but look at how they do it? Look at all these crazy incidents and how they are ratcheting up including to anything other than accidental death and aren’t you horrified? So do you not see parallels between this and World War II Europe?
This. Is. Not. O.k.
So the country has erupted into more protests. Now my feelings about protests have nothing to do with the ability to protest, it’s the way it has changed an evolved today because there are problems. And sometimes violence. It’s scary and hard. And whenever you hear about somebody going to a protest, you hold your breath until you know they’re all home safe and sound.
And the rhetoric being tossed everywhere from Washington DC after the unnecessary violent death of Renee Good is appallingly predictable, isn’t it? And again, it’s like political state propaganda.
Literally, it is turning into all Pravda on this bus. They are creating a narrative to defend the indefensible which is quite possibly murder, right? They are creating a narrative to suit their needs. And it’s not truthful and it’s horrible and somewhere in the back of my head because this woman was living an alternative lifestyle compared to what many of those people are comfortable with, did that have something to do with it?
It’s so hard to write about this. Because even if you’re trying to process it, someone’s going to take you to task and some of the comments have been downright crazy. And ugly. And these comments you see on social media are driven by the Washington D.C. rhetoric to fit the uncomfortable narrative of what actually happened.
This is not our country. And yet somehow it is becoming the new normal. It’s not acceptable normal. It’s a terrifying normal.
And then you wonder even for me as a blogger, trying to wrap my head around this, am I going to be punished somehow or attacked or threatened or harassed for writing this?
I just have one last comment and it’s a simple question: is this the country we want to live in?
I am always curious when things seem odd, aren’t you?
I will admit I have always been a little curious about East Pikeland because it always seems a little off, doesn’t it? Is it as simple as too many crystals and soy based candles or something?
And then there’s the Kimberton Fire Company, which is like part of the heartbeat of that community, isn’t it? so the first question is why is somebody suing the fire company?
For real:
So then I have to ask is why is the Kimberton fire chief trying to I don’t exactly know do what to a 41-year-old widow with three kids? I mean, I have to ask do we really think a 41 year-old widow with three kids is a threat to the Kimberton fire chief?
And why am I allowed to ask that question? Is it simply because there is a public criminal complaint and a publicly posted court docket?
And is this how residents who speak out in this municipality are treated? Is it just me or is this kind of twisted?
So yeah, that’s all I’ve got. And my questions and my opinions are brought to me by the First Amendment. And why I’m asking is posted below in screenshots.
She is being represented by Samuel C. Stretton, Esq. of West Chester.
So guess what? My husband‘s provisional ballot is one of the ones that apparently does not count.
I have covered up the number of his ballot for privacy sake for the screenshot above, but I can tell you I am still checking it and his vote is nowhere to be found.
NOWHERE. It’s like it didn’t exist, like he didn’t exist as an Independent on Election Day. It is like they ate his provisional ballot.
Am I surprised? Nope.
Of course, you also can’t get anybody on the phone in voter services let alone the esteemed director who has been invisible since the election day debacle. If it’s not a fluffy, self-aggrandizing media interview, she’s invisible and to date, unapologetic so whom is she in the process of blaming?
So this is kind of why litigation is being filed, isn’t it?
Here’s the link to the county’s bogus press release:
I personally don’t have faith in voter services at this point. And Karen Barsoum the department head and she needs to go.
She can’t hide behind the county commissioner she hides behind, which is Josh Maxwell. I think he’s trying to be kind and be fair because that’s totally the way he is, but Barsoum is doing Josh Maxwell a great disservice. IMHO she is damaging his political credibility.
I do not blame Josh Maxwell for this, but I so do blame Karen Barsoum.
This photo is from a Google search and it’s just a screenshot
Well, it’s no secret that election day was a total study in incompetence, gross incompetence, on the part of the Chester County Director of Voter Services Karen Barsoum. I am starting this post reminding the knee jerk reaction chorus in the rear of the attention span auditorium that I am not an election conspiracy theorist. I am not a voting conspiracy theorist I am not saying there was malicious intent, what I am saying is there was gross incompetence.
I am really, quite honestly tired of the people defending this woman. She’s been here long enough and worked in another voter services department in Berks County prior to this that she should not have screwed things up this election or the spring primary where she actually left an entire row office race off of the ballot.
This is something procedurally that it remains the same. There’s one procedure in the spring, there’s another procedure in the fall. Epic fail, pure and simple.
I have mentioned before the crazy amount of turnover in that office. That’s because people don’t want work with her, in my opinion. People need jobs, so if they aren’t taking jobs in that department or constantly leaving, there’s a reason.
Basically, we have heard from everyone, except Karen Barsoum. Her socials are suddenly quite quiet and seem scrubbed as well.
She should’ve been front and center at the county commissioners meeting yesterday, even if just to make a brief statement and leave the room. Everyone has been apologizing for this situation except her. And to be honest given how much she loves the sound bite going back to Berks County, I find that odd.
Obviously to stand up and own is not as fun as being on 60 Minutes or quoted in USA Today or whatever, but you have to have a accountability for the good and the bad and she doesn’t ever seem to have accountability and it’s time for her to be accountable. Then it’s time for her to go.
This is right off the social media of certain Democrat state representatives. I didn’t imagine this out of thin air.
I’m glad they see things the way average people do because I had some toadstool from Easttown or close to that vicinity basically accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist today over this whole debacle with voter services.
I’m not. I never have been.
This is a simple case of incompetency at the top of that department. The director is Karen Barsoum. This is on her.
And then there was the woman who said the only one I was impressing with my independent status was myself, and I should just shut up. Oh yeah, for real see below screenshot :
Now let’s review: I’m pretty sure if I remember what people told me in the past once they are ready to get the “books” printed for the election they have to check over everything and I’m sure there are all sorts of things that they have to check in some kind of a computer program, right?
At that point, they first have to generate the books in-house and then they go to an outside printer, correct?
Unless they changed it it’s not a magical overnight process is it it’s a process that would occur probably the week before the election last week right?
So who checked the work before it went to the printer? I mean with a problem this big if they even sampled random “books“ from around the county wouldn’t they have found this mistake? One of my sources told me they did not reprint the spring books so this is just a colossal screwup, isn’t it?
So working on the theory that the books would have been sent to be printed last week and delivered last week why didn’t anybody check them when they first came back in final printed for him to make sure they were correct?
Now I get that this department is now short staffed but wouldn’t a reasonable procedure be to check a sampling of the books to make sure they were correct?
So they’re going to be a lot of questions that need to be answered in the days ahead, but if the PA Attorney General gets involved, remember he’s having months long issues with some database, isn’t he?
My new hashtag is #firekarenbarsoum
I also have to ask is Chester County going to be able to certify these elections?
This is a huge debacle.
And it’s Karen Barsoum‘s fault this is her department. She’s made a big deal how she’s such a leader. A leader and competent manager would have checked her department’s work.
Judge Rovito has extended voting until 10 PM. The only issue I have with that is the Democrats and Republicans as far as registered voters weren’t disenfranchised today. It was those who are Independent or unaffiliated. So really why should Republican and Democrat registered voters get extra time to vote when it was in Independents and other unaffiliated who were in effect disenfranchised?
I am so angry as an Independent Voter in Chester County right now. According to Chester County Voters services, we don’t count. Yes, for real, for real. Chester County has now acknowledged somewhat insufficiently they ALL poll books at all precincts THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF CHESTER COUNTY currently do not include the names of “third-party voters”!
First of all we matter. We are not insignificant, and quite frankly the numbers of Chester County Independents is sizable.
This is bullshit and yes I am cursing.
Karen Barsoum has one job: to protect the voters of Chester County. She’s not doing it. She has incredibly high staff turnover for one. Why is that? Well watch this video:
Karen Barsoum has ONE job as head of voter services , to keep voters and their votes safe. To maintain integrity of our elections. This is an inexcusable mistake. It is wreaking havoc county wide.
She needs to GO. Whether she resigns or is let go, it needs to happen.
I mean why in the actual hell are there so many overlords in Chester County Government if they can’t seem to keep tabs on this woman? She isn’t doing her job. Elections and voting are bad enough, we don’t need Karen Barsoum continually making it worse. Period. Full stop.
Freedom of speech is freedom of speech so he is certainly allowed to do whatever he wants but the pledge isn’t the place for his opinion. Just my 2 cents.
This all comes courtesy of West Vincent Supervisor Bernie Couris.
Now Bernie is an interesting cat. He was the most devoted of Republicans when he was all those years on West Conshohocken Borough Council then he moves to West Vincent and becomes Nouveau Bernie the Born Again Democrat.
I am a traditionalist when it comes to certain things and I don’t think you should mess with the Pledge of Allegiance do you?
If you think Bernie should apologize to the residents and anyone else who might hear this, please email him at:
Oh and let us not forget the mysterious evaporation of whomever the forager woman was whom they initially tapped to replace Sara Shick who passed away in August? I can’t remember the woman’s name but she literally lasted like four or five meetings and disappeared. She was done.
Why that is interesting because of the sheer lunacy of whom they replaced the disappearing woman with. This is none other than Jim Wendelgass. Yes, isn’t that a fantabulosa thing? First he’s a manager then he comes back as an interim manager and now he’s a politician.
Why is this important?
Wendelgassbag was the manager that a bunch of years ago they chose not to renew his contract so he kind of went bye-bye and then went over to West Pikeland as manager because that place is very Pennsyltucky and problematic as far as government (we’ve heard about them in recent months because they keep trying to get rid of their police department and because they don’t record meetings a lot of stuff doesn’t get out.)
Wendelgassbag was at West Pikeland until he retired I guess a couple of years ago now? Then he was brought back to life like Lazarus rising from the dead in West Vincent, as like some kind of interim manager. (See the link to the old post on this blog discussing that at the very bottom of this post. )
West Vincent is one of those places that you don’t pay attention to for a while and then you go back and look and then you shake your head because every time you think things can’t get more sketchy there, they do.
And other things that I always find curious when it comes to West Vincent are little things like this open records appeal from 2024 I think it was:
Interestingly enough they’re no longer seems to be a Township Secretary at West Vincent Township and why is that? What did they do to the last one?
You know it can get shady in certain municipalities in Chester County and West Vincent, well, it is definitely a place in need of sunshine and good government.
Don’t mess with the Pledge of Allegiance that’s like burning the flag IMHO.
