Heavy handed leverage. That’s what a retired real estate lawyer said.
And Radnor Township is trying to wield the ultimate thug tool against with Wayne Presbyterian Church, eminent domain. And given this is for the Wayne Business District, this in my humble opinion, this makes it eminent domain for private gain. That’s bollocks.
Can we talk about how combative and rude Commissioner Jack Larkin is? I guess his life experience over the past couple of years has not taught him to be kind or humble. He should discover both qualities, after all pride goeth before a fall, Commissioner Jack Larkin. Try being pleasant and not a bully.
If Radnor Township was acting in good faith, they would not have enacted an eminent domain ordinance, and it is pretty much that god damn simple. And they are doing this against a church.
I have not had such distrust of Radnor Township since Dave Bashore was the manager and that is saying something. Radnor needs to clean house again from commissioners to manager. There are few things that upset me more than eminent domain. I know the realities of it. First hand. We saw it in Ardmore. We saw it Coatesville. We saw it in Long Branch, NJ. We saw it in New London, CT. Just ask the Institute for Justice.
You know what is worse then eminent domain for private gain? Eminent domain for public purpose that really has private gain driving it. And THAT is what Radnor is attempting which is why I categorize as really being about private gain. And in Radnor’s meeting last week, the Wayne Business Association said they support the actions of Radnor Township.
I can tell you as long as an eminent domain ordinance lurks against a church in Wayne, no one I know will be going to Wayne to even buy a cup of coffee.
A relatively newer resident spoke up, after hearing this. Not sure why he was at the meeting, but hooray for common sense:
And then there was Commissioner Jack Larkin’s grandfather I guess it is. Even HE said eminent domain was wrong. So Larkin listens to no one except himself on this it seems, so will grandpa’s thoughts matter?
This is another bad plan from Radnor Township. They seem to be making these bad plans more and more consistently.
Radnor residents and supporters of Wayne Presbyterian Church and haters of eminent domain? The clock is ticking. get those card and letters and emails and calls going and attend the meetings. This is wrong, and what is not wrong after all these decades is the church wanting to see more revenue.
And oh by the way? This meeting also had some updates about the Willows? Radnor Township should take the neighbors’ noise concerns seriously and so should the caterer in residence. I don’t think much of them anyway. I won tickets to a pop up dinner with them once, and they never honored it. I won it during COVID, end of 2019, early 2020 and it ultimately got postponed and then they essentially ghosted me. Actually I think the Willows is a hopeless mess and that is a subject for another day and it is so sad. And what about the cottage? No one ever wants to talk about that debacle and waste of a one time restoration.
Back to Radnor Township being a municipal bully. Here is the SAVVY or it all plus an article from Main Line Times. Read both and remember: eminent domain is a thug tactic, not a form of negotiation. No more Wayne for me until this is settled. Eminent domain has no gain.
Radnor Township has taken the first step toward seizing by eminent domain the parking area it leases from Wayne Presbyterian Church (WPC), a sizable section of the large Station Ave. municipal lot.
Radnor Commissioners voted 4 to 1 at their Oct. 14 meeting to move forward with an ordinance (below) that would authorize the township to file a “declaration of taking” in the Delco Court of Common Pleas in November.
It’s Friday so time for yet another jihad on your faithful blogger here.
Gosh, the Twatwaffles for Trump defense is out! (Guess they didn’t like the last post mocking them?) But please remember they are perfect ladies sipping tea and spreading it, so we’ll get to other thoughts in a minute. Suffice it to say it is genuinely a marvel to live in their heads so constantly. I mean WHY? Are their lives so little that they can dish it out @everyone @everyday and seem surprised when anyone questions their ridiculousness? Long live the legends in their own minds middle school lunch table, I suppose.
The whole post: @everyone Meet the “Twatwaffles For Trump”…no apologies will be forthcoming. While I was taken aback by the lack of authenticity, unlady-like language, and obvious cultural appropriation and disrespect in the use of the word “Twatwaffle”…it comes as no surprise that the most “popular”, and by popular I mean at least 3 “likes” on her posts, our favorite rambler in ChesCo it at it once again. Per usual, she is publicly espousing her unwavering hate against other women like a school girl’s diary. Imagine being that woman standing in a beautiful garden filled with diverse plants and flowers. Instead of appreciating the beauty and variety, she focuses on a few plants she dislikes, proclaiming that those should be removed for the sake of the garden. Her actions might initially seem to come from a place of personal preference, but in reality, they harm the entire ecosystem. The removal of certain plants can disrupt the balance, ultimately affecting the growth and survival of other species in the garden. Not realizing her hate, negative energy, and intolerance damages the entire community’s overall harmony and vitality. Just as a garden thrives on its diversity, so too does a society flourish when it embraces and celebrates its differences. This is EXACTLY what is wrong with the keyboard warriors who lead the cancel culture hate filled movement. The hypocrisy of the Queen of “Hate Has No Home Here” and “Be Kind” mantras outshines her obvious lack of substance in the latest attack against Moms for Liberty members, namely Yours Truly, and anyone who supports the Republican party. Yes, we know, it is election season so we have come to expect that the vitriol from the “hate has no home here” crowd will be at its peak against those with opposing views. I was delighted to be referred to as a “Blondie” and “Barbie” as we Barbie types appreciate natural beauty, including our luscious, golden locks, and we also appreciate that Barbie can do anything she sets her mind to. Most of my Barbie friends, especially the Blondies, just happen to be intelligent, successful, beautiful, self-confident, happy, loving, and caring promoters of LIBERTY! LIBERTY in simple terms is FREEDOM AND MORALITY. Us Blondie Barbies who promote LIBERTY seekbeing free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views. LIBERTY encompasses Personal, Political, and Social FREEDOM. The right to make choices about one’s own life, including beliefs, lifestyle, and expression, without undue interference. The ability to participate in the political process, including voting, running for office, and expressing political opinions. The ability to interact and associate with others, as well as to form relationships and communities without discrimination or coercion. Those who oppose LIBERTY and LIBERTY promoters are fundamentally against the core principles of this great Nation. Those who hate LIBERTY promoters are simply against FREEDOM AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. Those who hate LIBERTY promoters are constantly pushing socialist and communist ideas and lack the ability to be happy, productive members of a society that respects individuality and FREEDOM. Some People Are Just Destined To Be AWESOME…no apologies will be forthcoming. So WHO Are The “Twatwaffles For Trump”? We are moms, active community members, teachers, coaches, business women, advocates for children but obviously we were the despised popular, pretty girls in school. Everyone knew us terrible Blondie Barbie types in high school. Prior to my brain fully developing and becoming a full-fledged adult I was crowned Miss Pre-Teen Pennsylvania, 1993 Homecoming Queen, Voted “Prettiest”, “Most Athletic” and “Most Versatile”, carried a 5.2 GPA, was the #1 high school track recruit in the Nation and earned a FULL scholarship…not by watching mindless TV shows like the Stepford Wives, honestly I have no idea what the reference even means, or pumping myself up with Ozempic to look good…it meant a daily high school schedule – up at 5:30am to train, 7:30am-2:15pm school, 2:30-4:30pm practice, 5-9pm work at pizza shop, 10pm-midnight study, and studying most of the weekends. As a fully formed adult, this “Twatwaffle For Trump” happens to own a HOT PINK racing bike, aptly named “The Barbie Dream Machine” and I sure did crank that baby to 4 TOP 10 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINISHES…oh but the fun does NOT stop there! As fully formed adults, stacks of “Twatwaffles For Trump” STOOD UP FOR OUR CHILDREN AGAINST GOVERNMENT TYRANNY! At our core, we “Twatwaffles For Trump” focus on creating strong foundations for our children and families by providing unconditional love and support. “Twatwaffles For Trump” are resilient, fierce advocates for our children and community-focused leaders. We are JOYFUL WARRIORS and powerful role models for our children and communities. While we are continuously name-called, many childish things such as “Twatwaffles For Trump” and “Stepford Wives”, stood up to absurdity of face diapers while ensuring our children weren’t harmed by asinine politicians attempting to impose reckless mandates onto the People, especially our children. While some still believe wearing a face diaper while sucking in 32,000 PPM of carbon dioxide and hiding from people and air inside their homes makes them healthy…what can I say…just another example of “Democratic” ideas that is Darwinism on FULL DISPLAY! Queen “Twatwaffles For Trump”…no apologies will be forthcoming. If I could be invited to a hair braiding sleepover party with “Twatwaffles For Trump” it would definitely be amazing if Melania and Lara Trump were the hosts. We could share stories and braid each other’s hair, maybe they bring their stylist to do it but who cares those ladies are STUNNING and hair is always ON point! Nice hair is an absolute requirement for any “Twatwaffle For Trump” and extra bonus points if you are a BLONDIE! It’s been a pretty well-established fact that blondes do have more fun! Life Tips for HATERS of “Twatwaffles For Trump”…no apologies will be forthcoming. Practice Mindfulness Techniques such as; Breath Awareness, Daily Exercise, Loving-Kindness Meditation, Gratitude Blogging (blog about things you are grateful for, shift your focus from hate to appreciation), Eat Clean, and Drink Mostly Water. Practice Joyful Warrior Techniques such as; Resilience, Perseverance, Fierce Advocacy For Your Children, Empathy, Strength, Resourcefulness, Leadership, Community-focused, and Be Loving and Nurturing. Embrace A Growth Mindset such as; Embracing Challenges, Positive Self-Talk, Adaptability, Acquire New Skills, and Step Out of Comfort Zone. I recommend experimenting with various techniques and finding what works best for you. These characteristics foster the ability to develop and grow as a kind, positive human, leading to greater achievement and fulfillment in various aspects of life. While we know it’s not easy comparing yourself or even becoming a “Twatwaffles For Trump” you too can work to not only MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN but MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN! *This post is not paid for or endorsed by any political candidate #MAGA #TRUMP2024ToSaveAmerica #Trump2024 https://chestercountyramblings.com
I have all of the screenshots because as always their groups are one leaky boat after the other. Sharing the unaltered verbiage makes it easier.
First of all (again), whom exactly is it who needs writing lessons?
While I was taken aback by the lack of authenticity, unlady-like language, and obvious cultural appropriation and disrespect in the use of the word “Twatwaffle”…it comes as no surprise that the most “popular”, and by popular I mean at least 3 “likes” on her posts, our favorite rambler in ChesCo it at it once again. Per usual, she is publicly espousing her unwavering hate against other women like a school girl’s diary.
I am shocked she is taken aback. After all this author is one of the wunderkind (not really it just amused me as a description) who literally was on video how many times inside and outside Downingtown Area School District during COVID acting like a horse’s ass?
They don’t like it that people follow my blog. I don’t pay attention to stats much except when someone like her has to talk about it like they are an authority, but that has never been WHY I write. My raison d’être has never been to be an influencer, prom queen, cheerleader, or sit at their absurd proverbial middle school lunch table. I write because I want to, I write because I can, I write because I have something to say, and that is part of my inalienable rights as an American.
I loathe absurd, ridiculous, limited, and obnoxious women. The Twatwaffles for Trump are not joyful except when they feel they have an upper hand in their unending quest to make anyone not Stepford-matching-thinking-like-them feel bad. These broads (would they prefer that description?) dislike anyone who they can’t control or understand and above all else don’t give a good god damn what they think of them. They are all about control, and it’s ironic that as purported independent and powerful women they are literally subservient to a malignant narcissist like Trump. I have always wondered why they don’t wear “He grabbed me by the pussy” T-shirts?
Imagine being that woman standing in a beautiful garden filled with diverse plants and flowers. Instead of appreciating the beauty and variety, she focuses on a few plants she dislikes, proclaiming that those should be removed for the sake of the garden. Her actions might initially seem to come from a place of personal preference, but in reality, they harm the entire ecosystem. The removal of certain plants can disrupt the balance, ultimately affecting the growth and survival of other species in the garden. Not realizing her hate, negative energy, and intolerance damages the entire community’s overall harmony and vitality. Just as a garden thrives on its diversity, so too does a society flourish when it embraces and celebrates its differences. This is EXACTLY what is wrong with the keyboard warriors who lead the cancel culture hate filled movement. The hypocrisy of the Queen of “Hate Has No Home Here” and “Be Kind” mantras outshines her obvious lack of substance in the latest attack against Moms for Liberty members, namely Yours Truly, and anyone who supports the Republican party.
Someone like this author would never be invited to my home or garden. If they have been skulking about, that is trespassing. What I write about is up to me, not her/them, therefore it is my personal preference. If this verbal diarrhea social media post author doesn’t like what I write, why is she sooo fixated? It’s a big world, and an even bigger internet, why so obsessed with me? You know how Kamala says time to turn the page? This chick is like an old fashioned album with a needle stuck in a groove so all it does is skip and repeat in one spot. I can’t help her with her fixations. But hey calling ridiculous jihads on me gives her a way to fill her empty life, in spite of her having to verbally vomit how wonderful and talented she is.
The irony that the author of the Ultimate Neurotics Guide to Wearing Gas Masks in Public can prattle about seeing diversity in society, when she in fact belong to a cult that is anything BUT embracing and welcoming of anyone not in their Stepford-like image.
And obvious lack of substance? Projecting again much? I guess the difference is I don’t have to toot my own horn, and they all do. And clarity moment: I don’t actually hate these ridiculous women, I hate what they stand for and what they do to others. She’s not that important except to herself, which I guess also makes her a narcissist?
Can we talk about the irony of someone who literally defends Donald Trump talking about understanding Hate Has No Home Here? Homophobic, Transphobic, Drag Queen phobic, anything different phobic and she probably has one of those tacky assed “Be Kind” cheap pillows or wood plaques somewhere.
These women are not actually Republicans, nor are they true conservatives. They are more like living spam meets a virus. The real Republican party, the party of Lincoln, no longer exists. That is the long and short of it.
As a fully formed adult, this “Twatwaffle For Trump” happens to own a HOT PINK racing bike, aptly named “The Barbie Dream Machine” and I sure did crank that baby to 4 TOP 10 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINISHES…oh but the fun does NOT stop there! As fully formed adults, stacks of “Twatwaffles For Trump” STOOD UP FOR OUR CHILDREN AGAINST GOVERNMENT TYRANNY! At our core, we “Twatwaffles For Trump” focus on creating strong foundations for our children and families by providing unconditional love and support. “Twatwaffles For Trump” are resilient, fierce advocates for our children and community-focused leaders. We are JOYFUL WARRIORS and powerful role models for our children and communities. While we are continuously name-called, many childish things such as “Twatwaffles For Trump” and “Stepford Wives”, stood up to absurdity of face diapers while ensuring our children weren’t harmed by asinine politicians attempting to impose reckless mandates onto the People, especially our children. While some still believe wearing a face diaper while sucking in 32,000 PPM of carbon dioxide and hiding from people and air inside their homes makes them healthy…what can I say…just another example of “Democratic” ideas that is Darwinism on FULL DISPLAY! Queen “Twatwaffles For Trump”…no apologies will be forthcoming. If I could be invited to a hair braiding sleepover party with “Twatwaffles For Trump” it would definitely be amazing if Melania and Lara Trump were the hosts. We could share stories and braid each other’s hair, maybe they bring their stylist to do it but who cares those ladies are STUNNING and hair is always ON point! Nice hair is an absolute requirement for any “Twatwaffle For Trump” and extra bonus points if you are a BLONDIE! It’s been a pretty well-established fact that blondes do have more fun!
Ok that above? Where does one start? Insecure much? That’s great if she raced a pink bike, but why would I care? Was she in the Olympics? And stood up to the government? No babe, you cost taxpayers and school district countless piles of money with your bullshit during COVID. Face masks during a global pandemic were not “face diapers” they were a small thing to do and only people like yourselves were bothered. No one liked wearing masks, no one liked staying home, but as someone who lives immunocompromised with elderly relatives, why was it a big deal? The answer was it wasn’t but they were the selfish ones, projecting their tyranny on everyone under the guise of standing up to imaginary tyranny.
Does she really wish to talk Darwinism? Rich coming from a prime example of the gene pool needs more chlorine. And she wants to lament being called names? Ironic since that is rather hypocritic of her. And them in general.
Now the whole idea of them having a slumber party with Melania and Lara Lee Trump. Can you imagine? Melania would glare and stand alone with stay away body language and maybe Lara would sing? And bring their stylists to do their hair? Are they living in a Real Housewives of New Jersey episode?
But most importantly do blondes have more fun? I won’t pretend to be an authority, I am neither blonde nor do I pretend to be. And I suppose on point is a matter of LuLaRoe meets Slipada taste. These are people I have never had a desire to know, so I get they are their own mutual admiration society and hey that’s cool, they can trade their Barbies too.
Practice Mindfulness Techniques such as; Breath Awareness, Daily Exercise, Loving-Kindness Meditation, Gratitude Blogging (blog about things you are grateful for, shift your focus from hate to appreciation), Eat Clean, and Drink Mostly Water. Practice Joyful Warrior Techniques such as; Resilience, Perseverance, Fierce Advocacy For Your Children, Empathy, Strength, Resourcefulness, Leadership, Community-focused, and Be Loving and Nurturing. Embrace A Growth Mindset such as; Embracing Challenges, Positive Self-Talk, Adaptability, Acquire New Skills, and Step Out of Comfort Zone. I recommend experimenting with various techniques and finding what works best for you. These characteristics foster the ability to develop and grow as a kind, positive human
Again offering me blogging advice. I write about what interests me, moves me, inspires me, means something, and what I find too ridiculous not to mock….like these “Joyful Warriors.”
I had to laugh at the suggestion to drink mostly water. Always have. Thanks for caring.
Once again I also smell a whiff of fat shaming. That’s a common thread for her. It makes her feel better. It’s predictable, yet hardly supportive of women as she claims to be. Ozempic was mentioned why? No I don’t actually, but is she criticizing those who do?
At it’s most basic, what these women like her can’t stand is when you stand up to their hypocrisy. So they project. And if it’s not them, it’s the pseudo granny squad version of them, who like to say they were on the scene before Stepford Wives for Totalitarianism, “Moms for America.”
I have little respect for women as limited as they are, as well as being mean as snakes. (So they understand, the phrase “mean as a snake” is a slang term used to describe someone who is treacherous, deceitful, or backstabbing.)
Their biggest problem with me is I don’t goose step lock step with them. I neither need nor want to know them. I am just myself, and that is simply not acceptable in their Stepford world of an echo chamber. So their Friday fun is another attempted jihad on me, their brand of cancel culture. Whatever. I survived breast cancer and ten years on Tamoxifen, do they really matter? Nope.
Why am I pointing this out? Because I can. Just like I pointed out the like minded thing in 2021 this exact time of year who posted a photo of me in a hospital gown from some part of 2011 and the beginning of my journey with breast cancer. Either before my surgery, or before I started radiation. That person posted it as a typical bitchy female shaming move, much like the recent fat shaming…and again it was for similar reasons. And also same time of year…
They do not like what I have had to say about any of them or their hate spewing Chiquita Bananas, but I am entitled to my opinions like anyone else. Sure they have their First Amendment rights to their opinions, but no law says I (or anyone else) has to group think agree with them and the First Amendment is not actually subjective is it?
Bless her heart, and I thank her for the additional validity that people like me think people like her and her ilk are just wrong. And super weird to boot.
So girl, bye. At you’re core y’all as a collective are a very ordinary bevy of wannabe Ann Coulters. Whackadoodle elsewhere, or run in place, it’s your party, only I am not attending.
Kiss 💋kiss 💋 for now….and y’all are about as authentic as a plastic bag.
LOL LOL LOL LOL the Twatwaffles for Trump must be peeved. There has been a swivet storm. They are polishing their gas masks and fake golden lassos and all of it. Keyboard warriors saddle up!
I am a predictable and inevitable blogger, like an elementary school playground script, yet she barely gives me a glance? Yet she gave it an @everyone post?
Alrighty. Come on now we know y’all pore over every word. Every word. And that cracks me up.
The woman who wears gas masks to school board meetings and is known for ummm…behaviors calling me a bully? Yet when she and they (meaning plural people not a pronoun because we all know how weird they get about those, right?) name call and bully and malign, they are “Joyful Warriors of Chester County”? That is actually as hysterical as her Wonder Woman garb.
So she basically is also saying I am fat without saying I am fat as well in her little passive aggressive rant. Yeah ok, next. I mean what do we expect of the Twatwaffles for Trump? Actual normal behavior? Nope. Just narcissistic nasty hypocrisy. If you aren’t like them, you are against them etc. etc.
They don’t live rent free in my head because most of the time I forget women like this exist because I do not have these types as friends. They also aren’t actual conservatives, they aren’t real Republicans, they are just and assortment of coast to coast nutters under the umbrella of a woman who likes threesomes in Florida, but hey they are all Good Christians, right?
Now they have moved from book banning (or they are quieter about it) onto trans kids. They are such lovely inclusive people, aren’t they? Yet they always include me regionally because well…I always live rent free in their heads…weird, right?
Oh wait sorry. Yellow flag for overuse of the world weird….
But hey, I’m the problem it’s me. Talk about a yawn. I have a need for mindfulness techniques and apparently they wish to teach me how to write. I guess I should start capitalizing Region? I have “deep issues” because I think they are ridiculous and embarrassingly ignorant women? Mmmmkay.
Oh but wait…that’s bullying the in their minds.
The bottom line is I still chose not to know these people, and I am good with that. They can live in their echo chambers of hate projecting who and what they are on everyone else….that is what is truly predictable. If you aren’t like them and in in their Psycho Stepford, you’re bad.
Then dayummmm, I must be bad to the bone and damn glad of it.
Neil Young’s campaign is tanking, in part thanks to Twatwaffles for Trump. That is why a lot of Republicans who could help him, avoid him, and won’t help him. It’s why his campaign is essentially fund free.
But hey Shann-O, I don’t actually have a need to have friends like you and I am beyond cool with that. You do you, it provides endless entertainment when you surface and demand attention, because that is what that screenshot is about isn’t it?
Signing off happy that I make such a difference in the limited little lives of Twatwaffles for Trump. I am bummed however that there will be no sleepovers, sharing of confidences, and hair braiding…..oh well….
Eight years ago yesterday, my husband and I asked a structural engineer who specializes in historic properties (among other things) to look at the ruin of Ebenezer AME on Bacton Hill Road in Frazer/East Whiteland Township. He reviewed the exterior. It’s not safe to go into the ruin – very unstable.
In 2023 I lamented the state of the ruin and said everything had the engineer told me a few years ago now that I passed along to East Whiteland Township and East Whitehead Historical Commission was sadly happening. The walls have never been shored up, and the development going along around it is taking a toll. Time, weather, and circumstances are not friends to this site.
I also had said then that before COVID hit, there was a lady from the National Trust for Historic Places I had connected with who seemed interested. Her name was Lawana Holland-Moore. I have tried following up since, but nothing, not even a reply. (Sigh.) Who knows? Maybe she will see this post and renew her former interest. There are so many historic places and structures at risk, but I just wish this place would matter for more.
Then last year (September, 2023), East Whiteland erected a local historic marker. It made me hopeful. It was at that ceremony that some members of a local AME Church (Mt. Zion AME in Devon, PA) helping out with saving Ebenezer thanked me for my activism efforts over the years. No one had publicly done so ever at that point. Pastor April Martin and Bertha Jackmon. Coming from them that really meant something special to me.
At the recent October 10th, 2024 East Whiteland Township Board of Supervisors meeting, I was also thanked in absentia by the East Whiteland Historic Commission and the Chair of the Supervisors, Scott Lambert, for my efforts dating back to 2013 or so. These comments occurred in the midst of an update I never thought would happen: funding for stabilizing the ruin of Ebenezer has been found between the township and the AME Church. It sounds like the project will start soon.
I couldn’t zoom or attend the meeting, so it was just today I watched the video of the meeting. I literally started to cry when I heard about stabilization becoming a reality. And I admit to being a little misty eyed over being recognized by my township. I am neither thanked nor recognized positively very often. Usually I am chided and berated and more for daring to blog and have opinions.
Ebenezer is very personal to me. When I first moved to Chester County to be with my husband, I quickly became obsessed with the ruins of Chester County. We drove past Ebenezer often. It was overgrown and tumbling down. I thought it was a farmhouse in decay. Then one day when we were headed towards Elverson to see friends, my husband told me to bring my camera and we would stop for a few minutes.
Stopped we did. I still remember walking through the dead weeds to the rear of what I thought was a farmhouse ruin. Then I saw Joshua. I think I held my breath at first. He was a Civil War soldier. Then I started to look in the weeds around some more, and I realized this was a burial ground. Then it hit me: this must be a church ruin. How could people not care?
That was 2013. And that is when I started looking into what I would eventually learn was Ebenezer AME.
The origins of the AME Church go back to the Free African Society which Richard Allen, Absalom Jones, and others established in Philadelphia in 1787. Richard Allen was born a slave in 1760 in Delaware. He was owned and then freed by Benjamin Chew, who was a prominent lawyer and Chief Justice of the Commonwealth from 1774-1777.
Ebenezer was a very early AME church, and Bishop Richard Allen was still alive (he died March 1831) when the Quaker, James Malin, probably decide he would deed the land to the AME Church so Ebenezer could be built (June 1831.) Ebenezer is quite literally perhaps the second oldest AME site in the country, except for Mother Bethel AME in Philadelphia. So you can see given the age of Ebenezer AME in East Whiteland, Chester County, PA that it is truly part of the early days of a church and religion founded in Philadelphia. Bishop Richard Allen died in 1831, just months before Ebenezer came to be after Joseph Malin deeded the land. According to the deed transcript, it was for a church and a burial place. My research indicates the first church was built (or finished) by 1835.
Members of this community have been documented as former slaves. Their ability to construct this church demonstrates the prosperity and commitment of this community.
The trustees of the Ebenezer AME church purchased the land in 1831 from James Malin. The oldest gravestones found in the cemetery date from the early 1830’s. The congregation disbanded for a time between 1848 and 1871 during which time the building fell into disrepair. By June 22, 1873 the church had been rebuilt and rededicated. It continued to be used until 1970…Now it is abandoned.
A stone building, dilapidated and crumbling from the outside in, still stands on Bacton Hill Road….The gravestones which surround the building clearly show that it was a church. Nearly all the headstones have fallen downhill and lie, face up crumbling from the wind and rain.
Records show that this church, formerly named the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church, was built in 1832 on what was originally known as the Yellow Springs Road. A celebrated gospel church, it was regularly attended by Negroes who lived and worked on Bacton Hill. Very few of the lives of these people, who were once a great part of the history of East Whiteland, have ever been chronicled.
Early tax records for Chester County show a listing of “free men”. Actually these “free men” were colored slaves who had been given their freedom from bondage when they reached the age of 38. Later on, the age of freedom was lowered to 23 years of age and finally a state law granted that any person born in the state of Pennsylvania was a guaranteed free man.
The farmers of Valley Hills would often give these free men, after their term of bondage was up, a small plot of land for their own upon the hills in Bacton. On these, the former slaves built small log cabins or stone buildings. Many ran small farms while still working during the day timbering the summit of Bacton Hill and carting lumber down to the Great Valley for the lime kilns.
Think about it: these free and freed men who lived and worked around Bacton Hill built a church, and eventually a stone building was built. In 1989 when the paper was written, 80 graves were documented. When the next Eagle Scout documented graves, I believe he only documented 26. Some of the graves disappeared. Sinking into the murky and often swampy land (several springs are underneath apparently, and there are also interestingly old clay pits somewhere way off to the rear of the graveyard on another property), and it would also sadly not surprise me if other headstones had simply been removed. Yes, people steal from the dead and that includes headstones. That’s why East Whiteland PD has kept an eye on the headstones and grave yard in the past.
Anyway, riots and “disturbances” between 1848 and 1870 caused the church to not be used as much and it apparently fell to ruin the first time. But in 1872 the old church was brought back to life and reopened December 8th, 1872. “Important” clergymen were reported as having been present, and in June of 1873 the church was re-dedicated as Ebenezer African American Methodist Church.
At this point the church remained in use until 1910. Then the church may not have been used again until the 1940s. In the 1940s it was reported to have been some sort of a big thing at the church to celebrate it’s history. It was said people from all over Chester County gathered with “prominent” members of the A.M.E. Church. It is believed that is when the church was electrified. After the church stopped being used, and the woods and swampy marsh grass grew up around it, and a mobile home ended up next to it.
Some of the family names on the gravestones are the same as families still living in Malvern Boroughand in Chester County!
For the past many years at this point, I have been writing about this. I see the importance of this site intertwined with its 184 years of individual history combined with the 200+-year-old history of the AME Church founded by freed slave Richard Allen. (The AME Church as all know celebrated its 200th anniversary this year in Philadelphia.)
The parcel’s 1832 deed of trust transfers ownership of the land from James Malin, a prominent Quaker farmer involved in the Underground Railroad, to three African Americans – “Samuel Davis, Ishmael Ells, and Charles Kimbul” – for the purpose of constructing a church with a burial ground in East Whiteland.
Ebenezer’s floor was a raised platform on stone piers, according to research by archival consultant Jonathan L. Hoppe, for the Chester County Historical Society. Its single room had a door facing the road; opposite was the raised pulpit. The interior walls were covered in wainscoting.
I first photographed Ebenezer in 2013. Then a few more times after that times including in June 2016 when the Inquirer article was in process. Then a second time, October 1, 2016. i placed the Philadelphia Inquirer articles. They are among my favorite articles and Kristin Holmes did an amazing job.
Inquirer reporter Kristin Holmes with former Chair of the East Whiteland Historic Commission and neighbor, Tim Caban. Tim was instrumental in the early days of my ruin obsession. And he has always remained a sounding board and wealth of knowledge.
And we have to speak about Hiram. Hiram Woodyard was a Township resident and former slave who served in the Union Army as a teamster. He was a leader in the African American community and is buried at the Ebenezer AME Church. His home still stands on Congestoga Road. Other homes he built still stand. He was an inhabitant of Bacton Hill.
And we have to talk about friends I made along the way who died before they could see Ebenezer get this far. The late poet A.V. (Ann) Christie and Al Terrell.
Ann I met shortly after I started my vision quest on Ebenezer. She had been battling breast cancer but showed up at my door one day with a boy scout report and the Conestoga Turnpike book written by my friend author, artist, and historian Catherine Quillman who is a true Chester County treasure who shares her knowledge so freely and with an open heart. It is because of Catherine I was able to prove my suspicion that although the property had been abandoned, it really wasn’t and the AME Church and more specifically probably Mother Bethel still owned it.
Ann died in April, 2016. She was so wonderful a human. I actually do have some of her poetry in my personal library. In her obituary story in the Philadelphia Inquirer, John Timpane wrote:
Poet and friend Leonard Gontarek offered a poetic remembrance of Ms. Christie by e-mail: “Like the poet herself, A.V. Christie’s poetry is precise, elegant and generous. In her poems she gives us a model of the universe: If we possess integrity and trust the world, truth will come through. If we know the world deeply enough, we will see the logic of happiness and sorrow. If we listen carefully, we will hear the music coaxed from the dusk and fallen magnolia flowers, the pond, the clouds, and her beloved robins. It will be the music we hear as knowledge becomes wisdom.”
This is a poetry of grace and holy light.
Ann loved Ebenezer, and had at one point lived quite nearby. She grew frustrated with trying to engage people about Ebenezer. She was responsible for organizing and often paying for a few clean ups.
Then I met Al Terrell. He also lived nearby. We became friends after bonding over the same black Civil War Soldiers. He visited Joshua and Hiram too. When and said he was going to get Boy Scouts and volunteers in there to clean up AND would get the AME Church to say OK, I was so glad to hear it, but didn’t hold out much hope. The Boy Scouts were from the Willistown Troop. And there were others. Bible study folks from Al’s bible study and Lee’s Lawn Service. And more. And this was just the beginning. Al threw himself into this the last couple of years of his life. He helped get the Veteran’s Day ceremony November 19th, 2016.
November 19, 2016 is when we held the Veteran’s Day Ceremony at Ebenezer to honor the black Civil War Soldiers there and others. It made front page news of The Daily Local. That was such an emotional day for me at that site, I cried. And I have no ancestors buried there, just my black Civil War Soldier Joshua Johnson whom I discovered one day many, many years ago in a pile of weeds that I thought were surrounding an abandoned farmhouse.
EAST WHITELAND >> During a humble autumn afternoon, a small ceremony paid homage to a long since abandoned graveyard housing African-American Civil War veterans, and others whose names have been lost to time and erosion.
For Bruce Reason and Al Terrell, the sight of the cleaned up Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church cemetery on Saturday was a welcome one.
Reason, 56, of East Whiteland pointed to one of the legible headstones bearing the name of one African-American Civil War veteran, Joshua Johnson, 1846-1916, and said he was related.
“It feels great,” he said about the site of the cleaned up cemetery. “I waited years for someone to come along (and clean up the graveyard).”
The person who came along and led the clean-up effort was Henderson High School sophomore Luke Phayre.
Phayre, a member of the Willistown Boy Scout Troop 78, had been looking for a project to complete so he could become an Eagle Scout….And Terrell, himself a former assistant scoutmaster working on rejoining the troop, suggested to Phayre that he clean up the graveyard as his own son, Andrew did almost two decades earlier.
“I thought it was a great thing to do, to honor the soldiers buried here,” Phayre said. “You couldn’t even see this (gravesite) from the street.”
The gravesite and the ruins of the old church sit alongside North Bacton Hill Road, near where the road intersects with Route 401.
Starting in August, Phayre and other volunteers worked to figure out who technically owns the abandoned property, get permission from the owners, and to clean up the graveyard and crumbling stone church laden with overgrown nature.
His efforts were recognized Wednesday when at 1 p.m., a ceremony led by the commander of the West Chester American Legion Post 134, retired Air Force Capt. Howard Crawford.
The ceremony also served as a way to honor the dead. It included a color guard presentation, gun salute, and memorial prayer.
Members of several different organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Marine Corps League participated in the ceremony. Three East Whiteland police officers were also present.
On that day I do not recall any members of the then East Whiteland Historic Commission or township supervisors, but I will always remember the members of East Whiteland Police Department who showed up to be part of the honor guard and keep the traffic in check…on their own time.
Then things slowed down, and Al Terrell died. I knew that November of 2016 that he knew something was not right with his health but he didn’t speak about it. And then shortly after Christmas that year, Al contacted me and said he wanted me to promise not to ever give up on Ebenezer. He was insistent, and that was not his way. Then one day in January, 2017 when I was sitting in my living room talking with my friend Tom Casey, my phone rang. It was Kimberly Boddy, a wonderful woman I have since lost touch with, but who at the time had helped with research because of other research she was doing.
And Kimberly has a really cool Chester County heritage as she is the granddaughter of the late Lee Carter, who was a self-taught Chester County artist who also had what I think was called the Road To Freedom Museum at one time. The Daily Local wrote about an exhibit of Lee Carter’s paintings in Coatesville in 2015.
I still remember sitting in my living room and saying to Tom, “I can’t believe it. Al can’t be gone.”
Al and I had been talking about trying to get someone with special radar equipment into the graveyard to properly map the graves once and for all those last times we spoke. Ground Penetrating Radar.
I still miss Al. And Ann.
Al in November, 2016 saluting our soldier, Joshua.
Things kind of slowed for a while until new blood and energy on the historic commission reinvigorated them as well as real interest from the supervisors in East Whiteland. Now I will freely admit it has been touch and go with the East Whiteland Historic Commission and me for years. Some people like me, some merely tolerate me, and a couple I have felt quite clearly dislike what they perceive as my interference on their patch so to speak. Then Pastor April Martin and AME historian Bertha Jackmon also had more time for Ebenezer, and now here we are. A historic marker and money for the ruin stabilization. This is a God is Good thing. I spent a lot of years feeling quite despondent about this site, until things started to happen.
I will note that to date I have never ever had a reply to any of the many emails (and some phone calls) sent over time to Philadelphia Mother Bethel’s Mark Kelly Tyler. Shame on him because before Mother Bethel, as one of his callings was Bethel AME in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He has talked a good game in interviews with the Inquirer, etc., but he has apparently never thought humble Ebenezer AME at 97 Bacton Hill Road in Frazer was important enough in spite of the inextricable and irrefutable links to Mother Bethel? Pity. But hey, he’s got his plum now as a newly elected officer of some importance in the AME Church as per the Inquirer this August and allow me to quote with some feeling of irony:
The Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, pastor of Mother Bethel AME Church in Society Hill, was elected as an officer of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) at its General Conference this week in Columbus, Ohio.
He was elected to become one of nine general officers: executive director of the Department of Research and Scholarship and historiographer of the AME Church, which has its headquarters in Nashville.
The election took place on Monday. The Tennessee Tribune posted the results, noting that six new bishops and nine general officers were elected. (There are at least 20 bishops in charge of geographical districts.)
“As I step into the role of historiographer / executive director of the Department of Research & Scholarship of the global AME Church, I find this moment to be bittersweet,” Tyler wrote in a text from Ohio Wednesday afternoon….In an interview earlier this month, Tyler said the new position would require him to resign as pastor at Mother Bethel AME, at 419 S. Sixth St., where he was appointed the church’s 52nd pastor in 2008.
He said he would remain at Mother Bethel for at least two to three months until a new pastor is appointed by the church leadership.
In his new role, he will have two offices, one in Philadelphia and one in Nashville…Tyler said he has always loved history, and he hopes to create a major documentary film about the church, possibly with PBS.
Gosh Rev. Tyler, history? Imagine that. So, a reminder that some of the earliest history of your church is here in East Whiteland Township at 97 Bacton Hill Road in Frazer, as well as elsewhere in Chester County. Maybe now you will have time for those emails? Return phone calls? Sadly I have my doubts, but hey, that’s on you. (And yes I am being deliberately pissy and unapologetically so.)
Now I knew that West Chester Parking authority was bad enough that there are even Reddit threads about it. But I didn’t know that there was a song on YouTube until today.
So some parking attendant told someone to “take it up with Ramsey” the other day. I thought I’d send an email and help out. But all emails I sent the screenshots to apparently block email. Here’s whom I tried to email:
So then I thought that this will instead make a great blog post. So here it is.
We all have heard or actually have stories of the parking authority in West Chester Borough. And of course, there is the favorite story of the prior director, when he left?
Like that whole thing went on for so long it was one of the biggest untold stories in West Chester Borough. He got a smack on the wrist for his theft basically, in my opinion. 
Hello West Chester has written about the insanity. Cara is just more politically correct about it compared to me. I just think it’s bullshit and have for years.
Back to this new thread popped up in a Facebook group about someone having a serious problem with one of the parking attendants within the past few days.
I’m giving you all the screenshots, names redacted.
If there’s something wrong with their equipment, they need to deal with it. Obviously these borough employees also need to be taught how to properly and professionally and politely deal with the public. You know, basic manners.
Of course another interesting aspect of the story is the fact that the head of the parking authority or whatever they call it in West Chester used to be township manager in New Garden Township . Why would you go from being a township manager to take a job like this?
NEW GARDEN — The first woman township manager in New Garden unexpectedly resigned from her high-powered municipal leadership role over the summer.
Ramsey Reiner left the role of New Garden Township manager on Aug. 22. She was hired in April 2020 to fill that position during the height of the pandemic shutdown.
Still there are more changes ahead.
Chris Adamek, the New Garden zoning officer, is also departing from his leadership role with the municipality. His last day is Sept. 30. Adamek answers questions and addresses concerns regarding property zoning, code violations and building permits.
……As for why Reiner resigned, there are no answers available for the public at this juncture.
“That’s a personnel matter. That’s between the township and Ramsey. That’s not something that we can really comment on,” said William Christman, board and township solicitor, on Friday.
Christman said the Daily Local would need to file a Right To Know request to view the separation agreement signed by Reiner and approved by the board.
Christman said the township supervisors approved a resolution to appoint John Granger as interim manager following Reiner’s departure.
Granger recommended to the board that a forensic audit be conducted in New Garden.
I remember being in West Chester a few years ago with a friend who got a ticket although they literally still had time on the meter when we got back to their car. My friend tried to get a hold of someone to ask about the ticket and could never get anyone on the phone or via email so they ended up just paying the ticket. I still think that was wrong.
West Chester Borough is a strange beast at times, all while being such a charming town full of history. It just always seems like dealing with that borough depends on who you know doesn’t it?
Maybe it’s time for that to stop?
The parking authority in West Chester Borough never really changes, does it ?
I also don’t understand what’s going on with West Chester Borough email and why they would block a legitimate email address? But hey I tried.
Duane Milne, much like the rest of the ChesCo GOP, is out of touch. He is now sending text messages, which is rather ironic at this point because no one has heard much of anything from him, and when we do he’s stuck in a time warp…again… hence the Rocky Horror video.
📌Hi, this is Duane Milne.
Thank you for voting by mail in this election.
If you’re like me, you want to restore the principles of compromise, civility and centrist leadership guiding our governments.
My commitment to you as Senator is to be independent and lead from the center.
Please join me in rejecting the extremes in politics.
I’d be honored to earn your vote for State Senate. Thank you.
Paid for by Friends of Duane Milne.
Reply STOP to unsubscribe📌
(Yo’ Duane we never signed up for your drivel in the first place.)
Photo I took years ago at Schiffer Farm on Morstein Road.
When I first moved to Chester County, one of my early favorite roads was Morstein Road from West King Road until Waterford Road. To me it was just so pretty. Houses on generous lots, and a big farm with horses swishing their tails. The Schiffer farm. But anything pretty and bucolic here seems to attract predatory developers.
If you live in the vicinity of the Schiffer farm, you have held your breath for years as various nearby parcels fell to developers. Like what was 1536 Morstein. A pretty little farmette. Just a few acres. Now McMansions on Red Barn Lane. First it was sold. Then the trees came down and the lot was wiped clean. Parcels over on Hershey’s Mill Road nearby as well.
The houses are predictable and these people have like NO trees. No real gardens. How do you live like that?
However, the problem is, places like the Schiffer farm is simply a lot of salivating acreage. To a developer that is dollar sign after dollar sign. That is a cram as much in as possible take the money and run and we as residents of anywhere are left holding the bag. Higher school taxes, higher everything (infrastructure including the human variety of township/EMT/police costs.)
When we all heard that Nancy Schiffer was donating her farm on Morstein as in the entirety of it to the West Chester University Foundation, we were filled with dread. Common sense dictates they wouldn’t keep the land, but would sell it. And sure enough as this land transfer started to happen and developer began sniffing around on about 20 random acres that we mostly in West Whiteland and partially in East Goshen. I wrote about that a few times.
Then we heard something almost miraculous: East Whiteland Township was interested in a nice chunk of acres acres of Schiffer Farm for OPEN SPACE. That would mean a beloved Viet Nam vet and his wife would not have their beautiful 18th century farmette surrounded by development among other things. So some sort of agreement was reached with Nancy Schiffer. Land was donated to West Chester University Foundation with an agreement for East Whiteland to acquire acres.
At first East Whiteland thought their sewer sale proceeds would be the key to purchase. Then the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) filed their litigation against PUC to undo sewer sales to AQUA. East Whiteland Board of Supervisors was disappointed and the board said that the ruling would delay local initiatives and increase sewer rates. One of the local initiatives was this land purchase, sadly. This case is at present tied up in the PA Supreme Court, as a quasi related aside.
So now East Whiteland had to seek alternatives so as not to give up on the idea of some very unique and truly beautiful open space being lost to more plastic mushroom development. In May, Chester County Commissioners awarded East Whiteland a grant of $870,000 towards this goal (see Chester County press release dated May 27, 2024. I think there was another grant but I lost the reference.) But because the sewer sale proceeds are in limbo because of the court case, comes the referendum.
Now cue the referendum on the ballot in East Whiteland, November 5th. It’s for like 30.5 some acres (I might be slightly under, not sure.) The grants and other things will go towards the remaining acreage. The end goal is 50+ acres.
My ballot. I just voted yes proudly.
This referendum seems to be like some giant surprise to people and the misinformation being spread around is staggering. People can’t have it both ways. The can’t constantly bitch about municipalities not doing anything to preserve open space and up comes a once in our lifetimes opportunity and the great uninformed wish to throw the baby out with the bathwater and they make these sweeping pronouncements without doing one iota of research. It’s maddening.
In 2018, the Township began work on a Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan to guide efforts for creating an enhanced system of recreation and open space facilities throughout the Township. The Plan, which was adopted in 2022, contains a Chapter specifically dedicated to Open Space Preservation (see Chapter 4 beginning on page 33). In addition to encouraging the pursuit of the remaining open space opportunities, the Plan recommends that the Township consider a dedicated source of funding to acquire and maintain open space through the adoption of an Open Space Tax (OST).
Process:
On May 8, 2024, the Board of Supervisors held a public hearing to consider an ordinance which would authorize an OST Referendum to be placed on the ballot for the upcoming General Election on November 5, 2024. Following the hearing, the Board of Supervisors approved the ordinance, thereby placing the referendum in a position to included on the ballot.
The referendum would allow individual constituents to vote directly on the question of whether to adopt a “blended” tax increase to both the Earned Income Tax (EIT) and the Township’s portion of the Real Estate Tax (RET) – also known as “property tax.” These funds would then be used to finance the acquisition of properties, ensure long-term maintenance, and cover costs associated with an open space program. The referendum will pose the following question:
“Do you favor the imposition of a tax on the earned income of Township Residents at a rate not to exceed five one-hundredths (5/100th) of one percent (.05%) and an increase in the real property tax at a rate not to exceed 0.45 mills ($0.45 per $1,000 assessed valuation) for the purpose of preserving natural resources, maintaining wildlife habitat, protecting environmentally sensitive areas, and providing recreational lands by the Township of East Whiteland to be used to retire indebtedness incurred in purchasing interests in or acquisition of real property for natural resource protection, open space preservation, and public recreation?”
Stated another way, if the referendum passes, the local Earned Income Tax rate would increase from .75% to .80% and the Township Real Estate Tax rate would increase from .445 mills to .895 mills.
Reports from County and Regional Planning Agencies:
Return on Environment: The Economic Value of Protected Open Space in Chester County, PA (Chester County Planning Commission, 2019)
Webpage (see tabs for Property Value Impacts, Environmental Benefits, Recreation and Health, Economic Activity, Community Const Savings, and Case Studies)
If you have any questions about the OST Referendum, please contact Catherine Ricardo, Assistant Township Manager for East Whiteland Township. Catherine can be reached by phone at 610-897-4280 or by email at cricardo@eastwhiteland.org
Again, for the back of the room: The money raised would also go to existing open space and into a fund for other purchases. It would go to maintenance and improvements on parks and open space already owned. It would allow for a municipal bond offering capability and muni bonds sell in part on their “story” which is open space preservation, which would sell well. And East Whiteland is not buying the entire farm, that is fake news, literally. This referendum is far less expensive than some other Chester County municipalities, and the bottom line is it would be far less long term than if a developer builds because that affects taxes vis a vis infrastructure costs, school districts being over burdened etc.
It’s pretty simple: East Whiteland is trying to do something proactive. Everyone complains they don’t do enough. Can’t have it both ways. Go ahead vote no. It means instant development which costs us more in the end on so many levels. It’s a .445 to a .895 increase. The median appraised value of homes in East Whiteland is still around $200K so that would mean around $90.00 a year. The wording for both the notice and the explanation is based upon some PA law. This would also mean improvements on existing parks and open space and improvement. It would mean a fund that was dedicated to these open space things, a dedicated and distinct fund to allow East Whiteland to compete sometimes in the race for preservation against developers.
If people vote NO it means instant development, more infrastructure stresses, and in the end higher school taxes to keep up with development. You can be pennywise or pound foolish, not both. This is de minimis.
Allow me to share the words verbatim from a gentleman named Tim Phelps who resides in East Whiteland:
Supporting East Whiteland’s Open Space Tax Referendum: A Smart Growth Strategy for a Sustainable Future
On November 5, 2024, East Whiteland Township residents will have the opportunity to decide on the future of their community by voting on the Open Space Tax (OST) referendum. This critical measure will provide much-needed funds to preserve the township’s last remaining parcels of open land for future parks, conservation efforts, and community recreation spaces. By adopting the OST, East Whiteland will secure its place as a leader in sustainable growth while protecting the natural environment that contributes to the quality of life for all its residents.
Why the Open Space Tax Matters East Whiteland has grown into a regional corporate hub, attracting businesses and residents alike with its balanced approach to development and green space preservation. However, with neighboring municipalities starting to adopt their own Earned Income Tax (EIT) structures, East Whiteland could see an impact on its EIT income, which funds much of the township’s operations. A dedicated OST fund would not only help offset these financial pressures but also enable the township to continue investing in green spaces and natural resource preservation, ensuring the long-term health and attractiveness of the area.
The OST referendum proposes a slight increase in both the EIT and the township’s Real Estate Tax (RET). This blended tax will create a sustainable revenue stream, enabling East Whiteland to acquire additional open space properties and ensure they are maintained for future generations. These funds will be dedicated to purchasing land for natural resource protection, wildlife habitat preservation, and public recreation areas—key elements in the township’s Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Plan adopted in 2022.
Learning from Chester County’s Open Space Success Stories East Whiteland is not alone in recognizing the value of open space preservation. Several other communities in Chester County have successfully implemented similar OST programs, creating lasting benefits for their residents. For example, West Goshen Township used its open space fund to expand local parks and enhance conservation efforts, while East Bradford Township acquired critical lands for public use and natural habitat preservation. These townships have found that maintaining a balance between development and nature is essential to their long-term sustainability.
Chester County, according to data from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), is part of a region where open space investments yield significant economic, environmental, and social benefits. The DVRPC’s studies on open space value demonstrate that these preserved lands generate substantial returns through ecosystem services such as improved air and water quality, reduced stormwater management costs, and increased property values.
DVRPC data also highlights the importance of recreational spaces, which boost community health by providing residents with opportunities for physical activity and relaxation in natural surroundings.
Community Health and Social Benefits Beyond the environmental and economic benefits, the social and health advantages of preserving open spaces are undeniable. Access to parks and natural areas has been shown to improve mental health, reduce stress, and foster social cohesion. East Whiteland residents will benefit from additional green spaces that promote an active lifestyle, encourage outdoor recreation, and serve as gathering points for community events. Families will have more options for leisure activities, and future generations will inherit a township that values sustainability and environmental stewardship.
A Vote for Smart Growth and a Sustainable Future Supporting the OST referendum aligns with the principles of Smart Growth, which emphasize sustainable development while preserving natural resources. As development pressures increase, the township must act now to preserve its remaining open spaces. The OST provides a financial mechanism to do just that, ensuring that future generations can enjoy the benefits of well- maintained parks, protected wildlife habitats, and cleaner air and water.
In closing, East Whiteland residents should consider to vote in favor of the Open Space Tax referendum on November 5. This referendum is for the future—one that balances growth with environmental preservation, protects the township’s financial health, and creates a legacy of sustainability. By supporting this measure, East Whiteland has the opportunity to remain a thriving, vibrant community for generations to come. Let’s come together to protect what makes our township a special place to live, work, and play.
For more information about Open Space planning in the Delaware Valley, please visit DVRPC’s website at www.dvrpc.org/openspace/.
Tim Phelps Resident
You know what I see at Schiffer in part? I see a spot for community gardens, something people have asked about for years. Allotments and community gardens do build community. It’s a wonderful thing. This investment on the part of East Whiteland residents will reap dividends long after any of us walk the earth. THAT is a legacy worthy of this referendum.
Please don’t spread false information. If you have questions, the township and supervisors are HAPPY to talk to you. There are THREE supervisors to speak with, and they are all quite approachable. Here is where you go to find emails etc. if you don’t know them: https://www.eastwhiteland.org/214/Board-of-Supervisors
Look it’s a simple equation: a NO vote = instant development. This is a chance to do something worthy in the East Whiteland community. This is East Whiteland LISTENING to residents about preserving open space. VOTE YES!
My last word is if people do not see the forest for the trees here, there are in fact developers waiting to swoop in. These developers (multiple) would be happy to back end run to the West Chester University Foundation and run over East Whiteland. This land is as delectable as a big box of expensive chocolates. Also my opinion has not been particularly delightful when it comes to the West Chester University Foundation because well can you say there is NO emotional attachment to the land, they are just in it for the money honey?
This is actually something where you know for a fact where the money is going. It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican, Democrat, or a member of the Purple People Eater Party, this is something that benefits everyone.
PLEASE EAST WHITELAND RESIDENTS, VOTE YES ON THE REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT NOVEMBER 5, 2024
Let’s git’ r’ done. Land is not free, and this won’t be available forever.
I was noodling around on Twitter, because I am researching quite honestly how many people are still harassing our local Chester County and beloved farm business Sugartown Strawberries.
And I saw someone respond to this lone-haired freak of nature. Now I don’t follow Scott Presler, and I think I can only count on one hand the number of posts I’ve actually ever seen from him, so I was curious. I clicked and up came the block.
I shall wear it as a badge of honor. I mean who in their right mind would think dude who needs a Wella Balsam hair commercial (and a hairbrush) would worry about a female blogger who’s 60 years old from Chester County, PA?
If I followed him or paid much attention to him, that would be one thing, but I literally don’t. So this is truly funny.
Alice down the Air BnB and VRBO rabbit hole continues. Mostly Chester County and crazy to reasonable prices, so many municipalities. Most, but not all municipalities, have provisions for these “short term rentals.“ However, I still think that in a lot of cases, they don’t know where all of these “short term rentals” are within their municipalities.
Then you have to wonder if municipalities are leaving money on the table? Do they charge these “short term rentals“ annual fees? Are there more frequent inspections? Do they see if these properties are carrying extra insurance that one would think they would need?
It’s not just a cottage industry for people who don’t know what to do with properties, you also have the speculative don’t you? So how does this affect the overall health of the community? I’m not saying they’re bad, but it seems like there is a glut of them doesn’t it?
They are limiting Air BnBs and VRBOs in Europe. They’re doing it to preserve the character and history of places among other things.
I found an interesting BBC article from this past July:
And that’s the thing isn’t it? These are another form of flipper these people that do these short term, rental places, and they are competing with families and individuals looking for a place to live that’s somewhat affordable.
I think, given the glut of these short term rentals on the Main Line and Chester County and other places like Chadds Ford or Edgemont, etc. we probably need some rules. Could short term rental properties like this also be yet another reason why the Municipalities Planning Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania might want to be updated since it hasn’t really been done since 1969?
Well, this is just some more to think on. At the bottom are the two other posts I have written this week on this topic.
This was a topic of discussion, apparently in Harrisburg this summer :
Policy hearing examined impact of short-term rentals on housing availability, tourism
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus July 29, 2024 | 2:44 PM
PITTSBURGH, JULY 29 – The number of short-term rental properties are on the rise in Pennsylvania, and testifiers at Monday’s House Majority Policy Committee hearing on the topic detailed the need to introduce regulations to address ongoing concerns.
The hearing, hosted by Rep. Lindsay Powell (D-Allegheny), examined the increase of short-term rental properties and its impact on tourism and housing availability. In 2022, there were 107 active short-term rental properties in Lawrenceville, but that number has since doubled and continues to increase. This increase in rental property ownership comes amid a housing crisis facing residents across the state.
“We have a growing need to make sure we have affordable, accessible, and dignified housing. We also have a need to expand our tourism efforts in Western Pennsylvania,” said Powell. “We need to explore ways we can expand tourism while creating more opportunities for affordable housing in a way that they are not diametrically opposed.”
Testifiers noted a disturbing trend of out-of-town entities purchasing homes for the sole purpose of turning them into a short-term rental properties. A recent Corporate Housing Studyshowed an 18% increase in houses sold to corporate entities in Allegheny County.
“There’s strong evidence that short-term rentals exacerbate our affordability crisis by reducing the overall supply of rental housing through conversions into short-term rentals and by boxing out prospective homebuyers,” said Dave Breingan, Executive Director of Lawrenceville United. “This will disproportionately impact low-income and elderly homeowners, families with children and first-time homebuyers.”
Testifiers agreed that local, responsible short-term rental operators can and have helped positively impact the area. However, many out-of-town entities purchase property for short-term rental use, then neglect their responsibilities. This has led to massive late-night parties that come with disruptive noise, public drunkenness, fighting and littering.
With the impacts on housing affordability, public safety and tourism, testifiers detailed the need for more regulations on short-term housing ownership. Recommendations include preserving housing stock for traditional homeownership, introducing efforts to minimize public nuisance complaints and reducing heavy concentrations of short-term rentals in residential areas.
I don’t know why our communities aren’t having more conversations about the short term rentals. Actually, I do know because look what happened in Willistown when they were almost discussed a while back, and it’s like everything goes underground. It’s a very contentious in West Chester borough right now. It was an issue in West Vincent.
This is a curious issue. I think perhaps it would be less curious if communities would discuss this openly. And I don’t think it’s for in a lot of cases a lack of residents trying. I really think it goes back in the end to each municipality, and how they are approaching the topic, if they have approach the topic, and maybe if they need to discuss the topic some more. 
I have had yet another USPS experience from hell. And I paid for something to be sent Priority Mail. It was perishable. Now it’s just rotting somewhere thanks to USPS.
It went from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia. Then it went from Philadelphia to Chicago. Then it went to Harrisburg, PA. Then it went to Philadelphia again. Then it went to Wilmington Delaware. Right now it’s in Salt Lake City Utah thinking about going someplace else.
The order was placed September 27.
You can’t get anyone from USPS to help you. USPS has been disemboweled and eviscerated ever since Donald Trump appointed Louis De Joy. He was of course, a major Trump and GOP donor and fundraiser. So if you want yet, another reason to #DumpTrump look no further than the United States Postal Service.
I also saw a post go by recently in a local group about someone speaking to their mail carrier to find out where their mail was and priority is being given to political mail. You know those glossy pieces of crap that clog your mailbox.
It’s absolutely ridiculous. And this is something that truly is an election issue that no one is talking about.
And yes, these articles go back to 2020 because people have forgotten about it. Everyone knows that the United States Postal Service continues to fail, but everyone is forgetting how it started and it started with Trump appointing DeJoy. 
