back to demolition by neglect at 310 lancaster avenue malvern, pa (the rotting clews and strawbridge house)

I took this photo in March, 2025. It continues to rot.

Let’s go back to East Whiteland. To 310 Lancaster Avenue in Malvern, you know where Clews & Strawbridge Boats is?

Once upon a time that farmhouse looked normal. It is part of 3 separate parcels of land totaling about 5 acres. Main Line Watercraft Realty is the name, but looking into the deeds and mortgage, a name emerged. I will post those documents and you can look for yourselves. But hey, this man sits in a very nice house on pricey real estate in the region (not Chester County), while one of Chester County’s historic assets just ROTS and that is so truly terrible isn’t it? And if this property owner cared about the house and historic barn, wouldn’t they be better looked after? Now I am not writing this man’s name, although he has appeared in many public facing media things, especially for his day job so to speak right? No he’s not a real estate developer is he?

All I know is this historic house was once owned by artist Margaret Strawbridge Clews, who died at 91 in 2010. She must be turning over in her grave at the condition of that house, right?

I found her obituary. Here is a link and allow me to share from it:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/seacoastonline/name/margaret-clews-obituary?id=24425566

HANOVER – Margaret Strawbridge Clews died August 6th at the age of 91 – just six days after she warmly welcomed each of her children, grandchildren, and all eleven great grandchildren as well as nearly 100 friends to the opening of her one-woman art show at the Howe Library in Hanover, NH. Born into the postwar debutante world of Philadelphia in 1919, the year women got the right to vote, she was a life-long activist and artist – devoting much of her art to her favorite causes of women’s rights and peace.

Mrs. Clews was the granddaughter of the founder of Philadelphia’s landmark department stores, Strawbridge & Clothier. With Mancha Madison Clews, her husband of 66 years, she was the proprietor of their family boat business, which thrives to this day in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Their company, Clews and Strawbridge, was the only combination marine & Saab automobile dealership in the USA.

She was a graduate of The Shipley School and of Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Exhibiting her first work at the age of 16

Do we think Margaret would love this decay? The decay of a once lovely 18th century farmhouse? She came up in a post I wrote in 2019:

Here is Margaret’s engagement announcement from the New York Times in 1940:

Here are some more clippings including Margaret’s husband’s death in 2006:

Here’s a post about Margaret’s in-laws and their French Chateau:

Another bunch of posts written by one of her children, and Mr. Clews’ obituary:

https://www.snodoglog.com/Margaret-S-Clews.html

https://www.snodoglog.com/10-Family-Photo.html

https://www.fosters.com/story/news/local/2006/12/19/mancha-clews/52554614007

https://www.snodoglog.com/M-Madison-Clews.html

Now Lincoln Highway/Lancaster Pike/Lancaster Ave was laid out in 1732 according to the Tredyffrin-Easttown Historical Society. This farmhouse I was told years ago was built in 1734. And the current property owner just lets it sit and rot? And the rest of the property looks pretty shabby too, doesn’t it? I remember how nice it once looked because years and years ago when the Saab dealership was there, I had friends who got their Saabs there.

I found a brochure advertising the property from a realtor. Don’t know if this is still being marketed by this person or not. So who else is concerned about this property? It narrowly escaped being a very dense residential development a few years ago correct? So now what?

The house COULD be saved, but not unless the owner sees the light right? He lives far enough away he doesn’t drive by it every day so it’s just something in an investment portfolio, correct?

Is there anyone who can encourage him to see it as the valuable historic asset that it is? Maybe he can make an old house call? Do the right thing?

To follow are the deed and some other things found on public records. Perhaps some reporter somewhere will be inspired to write a real story about the history of this house and the current ownership?

If not, tick tock East Whiteland. It’s time for this guy to respect Chester County’s historic architecture, right? And yes I can have that opinion.

so many municipalities with pooper…err…sewer problems?

Developer Eli Kahn at 12/1/25 Tredyffrin Supervisors Meeting

So this is an interesting one at the end of the supervisors’ meeting last evening, Tredyffrin Township’s bumbling and inefficient zoning officer (I am entitled to my opinion and I’m being understated because I don’t understand why she has a job, but I digress) pops up rather nervously to announce to the supervisors that are developer was there with essentially a problem.

What was the problem? Something to do with the sewer and how his workforce housing project was essentially being potentially charged too much if it goes forward the way it is for sewer capacity they’re not going to use, right?

Here is the recording of that portion of the meeting:

I don’t understand how it was just sort of popped on the agenda like this do you? I’m not saying he shouldn’t be heard because he should be heard, and this is a developer whose projects I am not generally speaking fond of, but when you listen to this meeting snippet, do you really think he’s wrong? I actually don’t. (Shocker, right?)

This project was introduced at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025:

So this is a trend we’ve seen being proposed in other municipalities and not just by this developer. It’s all about redeveloping these old commercial properties and these office buildings that have become obsolete whales and making them into living units, and in some cases, schools?

So I have to ask are we potentially replacing one problem with another problem? To be clear l, I’m not saying I’m against workforce housing if it actually happens. But I also look at these plans for this housing and so many of the units are these little itty-bitty things so what about workforce housing for families?

But I’m not going off on that tangent today that’s just something I think about. We definitely need affordable housing for all stages of life, but do we really need more apartments? I keep asking that question.

So the reason Eli Kahn went to Tredyffrin has to do with sewer. And sewer capacity and what he is paying for. It’s an interesting conversation. Listen to the video. So he’s telling the supervisors that they have problems in their sewer fee structures I guess? Basically he’s saying it’s not a one-size-fits-all?

I find it interesting, just like I find it. Interesting how it all kind of got plopped at the end of this meeting.

What is it with sewer fees and sewer capacity and municipalities out here so you have the thing that West Goshen Sunshine uncovered that’s on her Facebook page about fees paying health insurance bills of supervisors?

And then, of course, we have West Whiteland Township, trying to do the right thing for residents being sued by the Exton Mall developer and why? If there isn’t really sewer capacity, how should they be able to build as much? I don’t understand. it’s not like that’s the only problem on that site is there? Not enough parking correct? Too many houses for the area because of the density already existing correct?

https://vista.today/2025/11/exton-square-mall-redevelopment-plans/

https://www.phillyvoice.com/exton-square-mall-redevelopment-lawsuit-west-whiteland-board/

Anyway, I found it interesting because here there are these three municipalities with issues involving sewer so what does that say?

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. It’s a lot of poopy problems, yes?

things that make you go hmmmm…in east pikeland township maybe?

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.

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

hey karen barsoum, where is my husband’s provisional ballot?

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:

https://www.chesco.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1685

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.

#firekarenbarsoum

where’s karen barsoum, chester county?

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.

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/11/chester-county-pennsylvania-pollbook-error-provisional-ballots-elections/

She needs to show her face to apologize to all of us residents in Chester County, and then she should go.

#firekarenbarsoum

From Barsoum’s time in Berks County
From her socials when she was crowing about being on 60 minutes

Snippet from Info Wars

good afternoon chester county!

Hello Chester County! Welcome to the nastiest race in Chester County! The Honey Brook Thug Politics Cabal is in a FULL ON swivet because people like Valerie Shultz and they want better in local government than those people.

Sadly, every day these pathetic humans are harassing people including the executive branch of the Chesco GOP in West Chester, aren’t they?

I mean, I guess this is a step up and intimidation and harassment tactics from some rando truck following people around in Honey Brook Township on occasion, including somebody’s kids right? But how you know it’s Honeybrook there’s nothing to see here, right?

What’s next? Mythical complaints to voter services about campaign signs without a disclaimer or whatever? Note to cabal: buy better readers at The WalMart because they are there, however where bubba was a hoodie is concerned what is it with him referencing a benefactor on his signs yet say something like paid for by the candidate?

And is he taking down his own signs to say they are being stolen? Or is he placing them on private property where he doesn’t have explicit permission to post his lame signs?

Honey Brook, stop the badness and the madness with these people and #vote4val

My disclaimer: I’m exercising my first amendment rights. I am not part of any campaign. I do not donate financially to political campaigns and never have. I believe in paying it forward and that is what I am doing here.

Honey Brook deserves better than the thug politics cabal which also extends to the Twin Valley School Board. Vote for change; break the cabal with a #vote4val

while chester county was sleeping, the chester county constable applied to help ice out in honey brook? why?

I will open this post with saying if a randomly promoted post on Instagram had not found its way into my Instagram feed, I wouldn’t have gone down this wild rabbit hole.

I generally speaking, try to avoid ICE stories because as a person descended from those who immigrated here a few generations back, I find it like a parallel universe because we are a nation founded by immigrants at a time that if you counted the Native Americans as the original inhabitants, well who actually was legal vs. illegal back then? And then of course there are the history lessons of World War II?

But I suppose I digress…

This is truly seeming like fifty shades more of Honey Brook Township crazy is it not if all true?

Why is the Pennsylvania State Constable of Chester County applying for an ICE 287(g) Agreement for Honey Brook Township Precinct 1?

So also very interesting? The Republican committee people for this precinct had zero clue this was happening! If they didn’t sign up for it then why is it in Precinct 1 ? Why not all of Honey Brook Township? Why this sole precinct? Is it because it is Valerie Shultz’s home precinct where she was a committee person?

This sure seems like more Cornfield Tammy Hall doesn’t it? Thug politics at work? I mean Chester County is a big county, so if this guy is the one constable for our entire county, why apply for it out there?

And what does Honey Brook Township get out of of it? Federal funds? If so, how would said funds get applied and for what purpose?

And is it really just a wild conspiracy theory to wonder about connections?

Seriously, this is just kind of insane isn’t it? I mean, is this all happening because they current power brokers are so incredibly threatened by the idea of a woman who is a Republican that Democrats thought enough of to put on the Democrat ballot for the fall as a registered Republican so upsetting their comfortable status quo that this is happening in that particular precinct?

Maybe HONEY BROOK TOWNSHIP has some explaining to do? See screenshots, links and a spread sheet from ICE governmental website.

And more importantly, I simply don’t understand how a municipality without a police force can help ICE arrest immigrants, anyway? And everything says Honey Brook Township Precinct 1, it doesn’t say Honey Brook Borough.

Also are there that many illegal immigrants in Honey Brook? So (again) does this mean if he gets approved for this that Honey Brook Township itself gets Federal funds to round up illegal aliens? What are they going to use the money for?

https://www.wesa.fm/courts-justice/2025-07-08/pennsylvania-police-law-enforcement-collaborating-with-ice

Don’t residents deserve answers? In Honey Brook and throughout the county?

Also, I looked on the already approved list and don’t see any other Chester County municipalities? So for like the umpteenth time, why choose Honey Brook Township? Wouldn’t you see logically that if this were to happen and be applied for it would be other municipalities in Chester County?

Now I have also been told that this guy is the Constable for Honey Brook Borough which only has one voting precinct (295), right? So why mention it other than to bait the Valerie Shultz campaign and to attempt to sow division and chaos in Honey Brook Township? And if he is the Constable for Honey Brook Borough is he stepping on the toes of a local police force?

Is this application in fact for Honey Brook Borough and not Honey Brook Township?

Constables are elected. Pay for all of their own equipment and must be self-insured so seriously will this guy’s insurer cover this? Sounds like an underwriting nightmare doesn’t it?

I don’t understand any of this. So many questions.

Signing off.

https://www.ice.gov/doclib/about/offices/ero/287g/pendingAgencies10032025am.xlsx

https://pahb1.org/

https://www.ice.gov/doclib/about/offices/ero/287g/participatingAgencies10032025am.xlsx

there’s a pipeline plan chester county? or another pipeline fairy tale?

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.“

is freedom of speech subjective if you are a republican in pa and chester county or just in honey brook township?

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.

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

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

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

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.

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?

This is just horrible all the way around.