another curious case of conduct unbecoming a public or elected official in west whiteland?

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Sent to a random person on Facebook last evening.

When you run for elected office you become not only a politician but a public figure. Some are better than others.

Last evening was a West Whiteland supervisors meeting. Other municipalities pretty much run their meetings fairly civilized these days, but West Whiteland is swirling in controversy, so they’re a bit rocky.

Last evening’s meeting (3/9/22) was the most civilized they’ve had in a while. And mostly it was civilized because one supervisor, Theresa Hogan Santalucia, for once didn’t act out. Well that is not quite true, she spouted off on why they shouldn’t get a camera in the West Whiteland board room to record PUBLIC meetings. Something about distorted view, can’t see faces, etc. She referenced West Goshen Township which was kind of funny because unless they are having technical challenges, you can see everyone clear as a bell: supervisors, staff, even people who go up to speak at the podium. Ditto with East Goshen Township and East Whiteland Township, and a whole host of other municipalities whose meetings I have seen either live streaming or recorded. I think she just doesn’t WANT meetings recorded because it is easier to pretend bad behavior doesn’t happen at public meetings and not all resident comments are positive, can’t you agree?

Theresa Hogan Santalucia does act out for lack of a better description, kindly reference an apology tour screenshot from the not so distant past:

And yes Theresa, we all can have opinions on you, how you govern, how you behave because you are a PUBLIC official, a politician/elected official. I can also have the opinion that I think you are unsuited for public office and should resign for any number of reasons.

My reasons go back as far as sidewalk chalk, or when someone was made to feel bad (and publicly skewered) for putting sidewalk chalk drawings on a sidewalk outside the township building on Election Day. I will note back then that I don’t recall any signage saying “no sidewalk chalk.” Is there such signage today? I don’t know. I never knew in suburbia there were rules on sidewalk chalk.

Then we have the recent occurrences of making a unilateral decision to send out a fairly large check to someone who’s contract or agreement or whatever you want to call it hadn’t been renewed, correct? You’ve been a sitting supervisor in a fairly large municipality for not a year, but several years yet you oopsies it and claimed you didn’t know you could do that? Municipalities and businesses alike always have a system of checks and balances for checks over a certain dollar amount or should, correct? I think with 2nd Class Townships like West Whiteland, this is something the board has to decide and vote upon as a governing body, correct?

Doesn’t that just beg the question of what other things she has done that maybe she shouldn’t have done but she claims she didn’t know you couldn’t do as an elected official? And again, she’s a public official, an elected official, a politician so anyone can ask these questions.

And do not forget, this politician makes a big hairy deal about going to PSATS things. PSATS is the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. Don’t they offer seminars to help elected officials and appointed officials and employees in municipalities learn to be better?

Here is what Theresa has had to say on social media about PSATS things:

And then there’s the whole thing of performing Rights to Know on your fellow elected officials using your West Whiteland email address and that also meant private citizens and their rights were being targeted? And how about invading the privacy quite literally of your fellow supervisors with that and why is that? Are they not allowed to have friendships and relationships outside of the township building?

We live in communities where we elect our community members to represent us and elect local government so once you get there or you’re not supposed to have any friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, co-workers?

Which brings us to last night. For once Supervisor Theresa Hogan Santalucia made an effort to look fairly presentable for the meeting. Another opinion anyone can have. A screen shot was taken and it was posted with a tongue in cheek quip about a “glam squad.”

Truthfully, it wasn’t a very active post, only a few people saw it and about five or six people laughed at it because when you mention a local politician and a glam squad it is actually funny. Women use glam squads for so many things today. Wedding makeup, party makeup, pre-photos makeup, just for fun with friends. But I think why people laugh at it is if you watch any of the reality TV shows on Bravo, I think every single one of those women on the majority of those shows have a glam squad. And they talk about their glam squads like it’s a regular everyday thing…you know when they have their people call your people?

So yes, poor me the evil blogger made a funny. I made a funny about a local politician who hasn’t been very nice all of the time, has she?

Fast forward to today when I logged onto my computer and I had a message from one of the people who thought the post was funny and left a 😂. Literally that is ALL they did. No comment, just a laughing like to the post. Here is the message to me (and no they didn’t respond to this, what would be the point?):

The person’s query to me after receiving and unsolicited message from a West Whiteland Supervisor they do not know.
The initial message sent to this person. By a local politician no less.

Your eyes do not deceive you, she contacted someone who laughed at the post. I have no way of knowing if it’s a constituent or not, but if any of you received these messages I’d be interested in hearing about it. It’s just downright odd, isn’t it?

One of Saint Theresa’s biggest issues as a politician isn’t just the lack of playing well with others in public, it is how she is on social media. No one is being mean if they suggest least said, soonest mended to her. She has in fact a nasty flannel mouth as one of my grandmothers would have said.

Also….No politician likes being lampooned. But that’s actually an age-old tradition in this country. Like Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall. The Boss Tweed lampoons still resonate today.

They lampooned and cartooned and generally poked fun of people, royalty, etc. in the 18th century here when we were divorcing ourselves from the United Kingdom during the revolution.

They did it in Europe when Bonaparte was waging war in Europe.

Before I finish up this post, allow me to circle back to that PSATS conference. I don’t know if Saint Theresa will be attending, but there are definitely some seminars which might be good for her. One is even being led by her Township Solicitor’s law firm in fact. You know that guy she said was so terrible at the reorg meeting? The same reorg meeting where she said terrible things about new Supervisor Brian Dunn? Anyway, some of the following may be helpful to here:

So here we are. I have to ask did any of these politicians or public figures back in the day write letters to people laughing at these lampoons historically? Do you know any others who do so now? Do you know any other politicians locally or otherwise who private message people well into the evening about what they’re liking on Facebook?

Theresa Hogan Santalucia, like it or not, is a politician. She has a choice. She can own her political mistakes and whatever else as an elected official and move on, or she can do West Whiteland a favor and resign. I say resign. As a politician she has gone well past tsk, tsk she shouldn’t do that. And it actually is sad, because when there are women like this in politics, even in such a local capacity, it makes it harder for women in general to run for office no matter what their political persuasion.

#ResignTheresa

happy monday, sounds like a scam dinner….at red lobster

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So we got this postcard in the mail. It was a no obligation event limited to a select group of timeshare owners. Only one problem, we’re not timeshare owners. No one in our family is a timeshare owner.

I love a good scam, don’t you?

It did not list company and we all get these postcards in the mail all the time for insurance, brokerage, money managers and so on. It’s a come on to sell you something. It’s Marketing 101. So I wanted to know what company was doing this. And yes, I am that consumer who will call and say Whatcha’ Talkin’ ‘Bout ‘Willis.

So I called the phone number which is 1-800-245-8993. Here’s the first woman (give it listen, very entertaining):

She was special, yes?

So she says they are calling on behalf of Molfetta Law in Langhorne, PA. There is not Molfetta Law in Langhorne PA. There is one in California. So I called. They didn’t know what I was talking about.

So I called Red Lobster in King of Prussia. Poor kid who answered phone was just confused by what I was asking. Couldn’t find any large reservations for the dates and times on the post card. She was kind enough to give me the number of Red Lobster Corporate. So I called. They could find any large reservations in their system so they said if was probably a scam.

I found another post card on the internet listed as a scam:

Then I did a little Facebook searching. Found another one:

So I do not know what the thing is using Red Lobster, but it seems to be the fake timeshare dinner of choice.

So I called back number on post card. Here is call #2:

IMS in Scranton is some marketing place. So how whomever found these people to call and send out a coupon escapes me.

I found a video from yesterday about this someplace else, again at a Red Lobster:

The toll free number when you put it into Google says it is a scam. That is 1-800-245-8993. Of course, it all comes back to one small detail: we don’t time share and no one in our family or extended family does.

So happy Monday, this is your scam entertainment for the week.

Is there a scamalot song? And they are cheap scammers. Red Lobster is all they can do?

so whose wires are these in frazer?

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Reported this to PECO a couple/few weeks back. It is near the Home Depot in Frazer, PA. This is in East Whiteland Township.

Reported this to PECO again, and someone in the community says they may be Verizon’s wires?

So I don’t know whose wires they are, but this is dangerous.

Whomever is responsible can they just take care of it please?

Utility companies expect us to pay our bills promptly, so maybe they can actually take care of things regarding safety promptly too?

If it ends up being Verizon, it doesn’t surprise me because they have old wires from one of their poles up in a neighbor’s tree. They are sloppy.

portuguese influence: cod stew

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When I was little we knew this wonderful Portuguese lady named Belmira. Sometimes she would cook us these amazing Portuguese dishes. She lived somewhere in Philadelphia’s Olney section which had a big Portuguese section in the early 1970s, the time when we knew her.

One of the things she made was a codfish stew. Belmira used bacalao which is dried and salted cod. She would soak it a couple of days in milk. I loved her codfish stew but she is the only one who I have ever known to make the bacalao palatable. My mother tried but it was always too salty.

Yesterday I was wondering what to make for dinner. I had gotten yet more potatoes in my vegetable box. (We always seem to get so many kinds of potatoes this time of year.) I also had a bunch (a little over two pounds total) of flash frozen cod in the freezer my husband had bought. Ash Wednesday was the other day, and I randomly remembered Belmira would make codfish stew.

I couldn’t find quite the right recipe. I looked at a couple of recipes, but then decided to wing it. Codfish stew is essentially tomatoes, cod, potatoes, onions, bell or sweet peppers, herbs, spices and white wine.

I decided I would make the stew part of it without the cod at first. I remember when you’re doing fish stews you only add things in like the last 20 minutes or so you’re cooking it so it doesn’t get over cooked. Cod is a great fish for soups and stews because it holds up and doesn’t disintegrate.

First I sliced thin a red onion and a white onion. I decided it would be prettier sliced than chopped. I put that into the bottom of a big pot with olive oil, five cloves of garlic sliced very thin, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning. To that I added a cup of white wine.

All the onions and garlic were starting to do their thing and white wine I also took two red bell peppers I had. I sliced them into thin rings. I also had three zucchini which I sliced into thin discs, and about six medium red bliss potatoes as well. I did not peel the potatoes. Finally I had a bag of spinach in the refrigerator so I cleaned that and drained it.

I added all of the other vegetables to the onions and garlic and white wine and started to let it cook down. then I added two 14 ounce cans of Mutti Baby Roma tomatoes. They are small, a little bit larger than the grape tomatoes you can buy in the supermarket. I just opened the cans and put them in juice and all. If you can’t find these tomatoes, you can use a regular 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes but you will have to break up the tomatoes because they will be too big. These Baby Romas are little so they just sort of pop open as they cook and they aren’t too large.

To this I added a little more salt, sweet Spanish paprika, basil, a little more Italian seasoning blend. The blend I use contains no salt, by the way.

I added another half cup I believe of white wine, a few tablespoons of tomato paste (maybe four), and then I just kept an eye on everything and let it cook on a low flame until the vegetables were tender and the flavors were right I don’t know how else to describe it.

About 20 minutes to half an hour before serving, I chunked up in two rather large chunks of the thawed codfish. I added it to the stew and bought the heat slightly. When the fish was cooked and flaking slightly at the chunk corners, I served it. It was really good!

I would say that you might have to add a little more liquid if you didn’t add spinach. And spinach as well as zucchini wasn’t part of what Belmira cooked when I was a child. I just had them to use up.

I will make this again. I imagine I could use other meaty white fish and even add shrimp to this dish. Alternately, the dish without the fish would make a good vegan dish. If I made it vegan, I might add capers.

Happy Saturday!

from willistown to west whiteland: wche 1520 am is covering chester county today

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What is new and newsworthy this morning? Honestly, nothing to do with me, two juicy podcasts from WCHE 1520 AM. Listen below:

(File under As The West Whiteland Turns some more) Audio Courtesy of WCHE 1520 AM from 3/3/2022

(File under Wildflower Farm, Willistown and the unending saga of the NOFIMBY neighbors of Castlebar lane) Audio courtesy of WCHE 1520 AM

The first video concerns West Whiteland Township and the next chapter of As The West Whiteland Turns.

The second video spotlights the NOFIMBY debacle in Willistown Township. The unending saga of Wildflower Farm.

Many thanks for WCHE 1520 AM for bringing Chester County’s issues to light.

things you can’t unsee

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Something found it’s way to me. A copy of something terrible in my humble opinion. It involves a school I have always thought highly of: Malvern Prep. I know no one who works there. I checked around and this missive which I am about to make public was mailed to people. I have no clue how many. So it’s therefore public already.

I have thought about this, and no disrespect to anyone, but as a community we need to talk about yet another thing we can’t unsee. As in TALK, not scream at each other, threaten each other, hate each other.

When will hate actually not have a home here, there, or anywhere?

I have always been a realist. There is no way we can all like each other and all get along, but why can’t we co-exist better?

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

~ Mark 12;31

What has happened to us as Americans, friends, neighbors, colleagues? Aren’t you all tired of the Divided States of America?

Why are the seeds of hate sown so thickly?

So, it’s about this below, and it is shocking – and again, it is circulating around – so who knows HOW many people have seen it? This is the most distressing whisper down the lane of 2022 so far around here isn’t it?

We have seen so much of these issues buzzing around the public schools, I guess I shouldn’t be shocked it has reached the private schools, but I actually AM shocked. And so incredibly sad. I mean, this is a Catholic school no less.

I will freely admit although raised Catholic, I find it hard to identify with Catholics today. I know my God, I know my faith but this above? How does anyone who says they are even a Christian do this? HOW? Do these people remember how Catholics and associated nationalities were persecuted in this country along with others? “Irish Need Not Apply” early 20th century and late 19th century and German and Italian owned businesses having to change their names in World War II so no one questioned their patriotism because of ethnic last names?

Deep breath….I am not super liberal, and never have been no matter what my critics might think. But as a human being, I know the difference between right and wrong. This is wrong. It’s hateful, and yes racist. People don’t have to like my opinion, but I am allowed to have it. Pesky thing called the First Amendment.

When I read things like this, I have an overwhelming sense of despair. Because I can’t speak for Jesus, nor would I presume to, what would Jesus do? Not send out a letter like that, maybe?

I actually don’t blame Malvern Prep for this. I feel for them and the students and staff and teachers. I just think they are caught in this swirling vortex of soul sucking hate like other schools. I want to believe they are trying to do right by their students, staff, teachers, and in this case in God’s eyes. But we, as humans, seem to live with a parallel universe these days that is so full of self righteous hate, that it’s like none of us can catch a break…and that includes the people who put this hate out into the world.

My other problem here is a misplaced sense of entitlement. Paying tuition doesn’t mean you own the schools and teachers like your own private Idaho. I went to private school , so I am well aware of this trait. It’s not new. But as the private school tuitions have climbed into the ridiculous stratosphere over the years, I think expectations have changed?

We live in a world I simply do not understand a lot of days.

Today is Ash Wednesday.

Sign me sad.

Lord,
Lead us from death to life,
From falsehood to truth.
Lead us from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Let peace fill our hearts, our world and our universe.
Let us dream together, pray together and work together,
To build one world of peace and justice for all.

~Author unknown
it is thought to be either an adaptation of a Hindu prayer or of a hymn. The first time that it was known to be publicly spoken was by Mother Teresa in 1981.

travails and trivialities

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in another episode of “as the west whiteland turns”

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I received a message the other day with some new Right to Know requests in West Whiteland from my friend Tom:

“The following pages contain right to know requests from
a West Whiteland trying to get personal information from a private
citizen.
The first one was filed prior to the Wednesday 2/23/2022 board
meeting.
The second was filed on Friday 2/25/2022 after I confronted
this supervisor in a public meeting about the attempted illegal
transfer of taxpayer dollars. This is a direct violation of my 1st
Amendment rights under the PA Constitution which guarantees
privacy.“

~Tom Casey, resident of chester county pa

To say I am aghast is a gross understatement. Appalled is more like it.

It begs the question if this elected official,, Supervisor Theresa Hogan Santalucia is familiar with five important things contained within the First Amendment? The five freedoms it protects are: speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government, correct?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

~first amendment

So when you speak at public comment during a public government meeting, is that not a form (depending up the situation) petitioning government for a redress of grievances? Should you not be protected from petty reprisals on the part of potentially aggrieved politicians?

I did Supervisor Theresa Hogan Santalucia a courtesy by covering up her personal home address, but because West Whiteland Township neglected to redact her email address used in one case, can one assume they want that out there?

Let’s talk about the email address. The Right to Know Request came in on her OFFICIAL West Whiteland Township email. It begs the question of harassing appointed officials, fellow elected officials, and private citizens does it not? Wow Democrats of Chester County, have you censured her yet? Are y’all O.K. with this? And who coached her to write this because I have heard her speak and this does not read in my opinion how she speaks does it?

Here are those bits of public comment that this politician probably did not like. Note you have to actually record them yourself, because West Whiteland seems distinctly sunshine adverse when it comes to maintaining recordings of meetings:

And these public comments are referring to:

RTK-follies-1Download
text-messages-of-wwt-officialsDownload

Supervisor Theresa Hogan Santalucia is a supporter of PA State Association of Township Supervisors, right? Don’t they offer education on a number of topics? Like what is Executive Session and how can it be used? Or say the basics of how monies are dispersed in a 2nd class township? Or how you can’t use Right to Know Laws in your capacity as an elected official to throw shade on fellow elected officials and as potential reprisal against regular folk questioning government?

Ok that is all I have got. Seems mighty irregular to a mere mortal and a female like myself. People are entitled to relationships OUTSIDE the scope of politics and townships, even with plain old ordinary residents, right?

Also see Daily Local article I was polite and waited for it to publish so as not to scoop the reporter:

Mimi Gleason: ‘They fired me without warning’

By BILL RETTEW | wrettew@dailylocal.com | Daily Local News
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2022 at 5:08 p.m. | UPDATED: February 28, 2022 at 5:08 p.m.

On the article I will comment that the manager contract was not re-upped. It was not renewed. That is not as simple as saying someone is “fired” is it? However the real story in this article is Supervisor Theresa Hogan Santalucia, isn’t it?

Curious and curiouser…..we all continue to tumble down the rabbit hole in West Whiteland, don’t we?

just call me hester prynne…only b for blogger.

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Hester Prynne. I bet most don’t know what I am referring to. Some will recognize the reference to The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. And before I get into the crux of this post, allow me to reflect on why many wouldn’t understand the Nathaniel Hawthorne reference. The Scarlet Letter as a novel is about shaming and social stigmatizing of Hester Prynne. But do students even read it any longer? Are they allowed to?

I wear my scarlet letter as B for blogger.

The Scarlet Letter is about 17th century New England. Today one could say the similar behaviors portrayed in this novel (written in the 19th century about life in the 17th century) is sort of life imitates art and art imitates life…and today it plays out nearly every day on social media somewhere. The masses used to whisper behind their hands to their pals in the market square, now they just vomit their word salad thoughts all over social media.

This novel by Nathanial Hawthorne also can be distilled down to a society punishing a woman for refusing to conform to what they determined the acceptable standards to be. Judgement of women. Nothing new there. It takes different forms as time progresses, but it comes back to Different = Bad and one of the Sheeple = Good.

You see these parents who don’t want masks, vaccines, and whatever else the flavor of that particular week is, they are also busy, busy, busy trying to ban books. The dumbing down of their children and turning public education into a circus side show act. So this book might no longer be taught, which is of course rather ironic because if you look at fiction today, even television and movies, where and what are the roots? No new breaking of ground, unless based upon fact, they take their cues from classic literature and plays. Just like current events take their cues from history, another thing they don’t want their kids subjected to — actual history.

At the bottom are screenshots from some of the Downingtown Area School District people. I call them crazies because in my opinion what else can you call them? Rational, normal human beings? They hate everyone who is not in their limited world view, they judge everyone and everything the least bit different from them. They are brainwashed and led around by groups outside the area who simply manipulate them. These are people who as individuals are afraid to have opinions that differ from the next mom in the car rider line.

I am their sworn enemy (as in all of this ilk) most probably because I am at the most simple of trying to understand pretzel logic, just different from them. And I dare think and process differently from them. I don’t speak in emojis and weird text abbreviations so I don’t have to write the actual words, and form actual sentences. With these people, no matter who and where they are, they are the kind of people that Different = Bad.

The theory of Different = Bad is why someone else whom I don’t know (or care to know) posted a photo of me in a hospital gown from over a decade ago when I was about to start treatment for breast cancer after having one half of my left breast lobbed off during surgery. I still think that was supposed to ultimately shame me, and it did not. But it sure did piss off a lot of people I did not even know who either knew someone currently being treated for breast cancer or had been, along with breast cancer survivors themselves.

Of course, slightly different topic, but undoubtedly why they have such a hard time with sexual preference and gender identity. And I do not pretend to be an expert on either topic, or even understand all of the gender identity terminology (there is a lot of it and it is simply just new to me and I admit I am learning) , but I do know that these people deserve love, understanding, and respect. And I have quite a few friends whom are with same sex spouses and partners, always have had. They are just my friends and I love them. People like this are also giving someone whom I don’t know in West Chester the business because she must find their views on same sex relationships and gender identity lacking. That screenshot is included with the ones I am referring to. Also interesting to note is one of the commenters is the wife of a big builder in Chester County, so it makes you wonder how will their customers react to her perspective? And is it just me or does it feel exceptionally distasteful?

The bottom line is I can’t control their behavior, I can only control my own behavior, but they don’t seem to grasp that in reverse. I thought I left this petty behavior behind with the days of eminent domain in Ardmore. I mean do these people from their beige, beige worlds really think this is the first time anybody’s called me out by name? Or that people don’t know my name?

Heck, I had two business owners in Ardmore once upon a time write a letter to the editor of the Main Line times that was published. It was literally a pre-cancel culture letter talking about how horrible I was… and naming me, just another community member, by name.

This is their big “Aha” moment. Only I haven’t been hiding. If I was hiding, I would not be signing my name to each post.

These people and people like them are doing this to others all over our communities. They do it everywhere. They think that their behavior is justifiable and decreed by God in the heavens above. Their God must be different from mine as theirs is rather hateful. Oh and on the topic of God, I do indeed mock faux Christians. You see, when you know the real deal actual Christians, you know the difference between them and the ones who perform exorcisms at school board meetings in bad pearls.

And then there are those who harass small businesses about their mask policies as a privately owned company and they video them as they are harassing them. Neat trick when one of the people who makes videos of these things has a mother who owns a very popular business in Downingtown. A business I might add that suffered catastrophic damage during Ida and we all (myself included) supported them when they reopened. Sadly, some of my friends and I will no longer feel comfortable patronizing that business at least for the time being. No that isn’t a boycott, it’s personal choice for the time being. That business was not judged for their masking policies were they?

These people like to essentially project their behaviors onto everyone else. And again I ask you how they don’t understand how their kids learn bullying and other bad behavior they blame school districts and everyone else for?

It’s time to take back our communities from these people. Stand up for yourselves, they only have the power we allow them to have, don’t they? They are mean, they say mean things, they do mean things. They live little lives they try to project upon all of us, every day. It is O.K. to say you think they are wrong. No one needs any of these people as friends, and the fact I say that is yet another thing they don’t like…..bless their hearts.

Well, I must Hester Prynne along now and wear my scarlet letter B, so below here are the screenshots and have a wonderful sunshine-y day. Don’t let the little bitches get you down.

happy anniversary devon horse show!

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Devon Horse Show is celebrating their 125th birthday! It’s a great milestone considering all the hoopla the past few years, right? (You still have to imagine what we didn’t hear about and continue to not hear about, don’t you?)

And yes, technically it is year 126. COVID19 etc. caused the actual anniversary year to get canceled.

But oh my gosh and by golly, those platinum ticket prices are extraordinary, aren’t they? It’s being held at Merion Cricket Club? Better be some gold plated filet mignon, eh? Can they pay in bitcoin?

From then125 in 2021 that got COVID canceled

But there is limited availability, so best snap up those tickets. $450 for the big kids and $400 for young friends under 35 ? Young Friends tickets are usually more reasonable in price with more of a price gap between them and regular tickets, traditionally. Guess the Molly Mark-up who set the price gouging here is hoping for lots of corporate tables at $10,000?

Who would have thunk it: Academy Ball prices for a horse show gala and it’s not even white tie. It’s just plain old black tie. And as of now, we all know what happened to the Academy Ball, remember? Sadly went the way of the dinosaurs for now, didn’t it ?

And Wayne G? Buddy, Merion Cricket always offers valet for events.

For these prices, here’s hoping Devon Horse Show & Country Flailing has planned a nice matching platinum sponsored forensic audit covering the last couple of decades of finances and spending, eh?

If I were on the committee for this gala event, I would not hold it at Merion Cricket Club. For an event like this, it is out of the element of the actual horse show and horse. And rather pedestrian, even if lovely for a party.

If I were on the committee, my first choice would to put up tents in the oval and have this gala AT the horse show. That provides so many more options, like bringing the extra special VIP guests to the party via carriages, which would meet them slightly away from where valet would be (so as to not spook the horses since people seem to have forgotten how to act around horses when in a vehicle). Or I would hold such an event at The Radnor Hunt, which is the perfect setting as well for such a gala. And in that case, it would also benefit another beloved equestrian location/tradition. That is win-win.

I would also adjust the ticket prices. It might be a gala, but better to adjust down so not to offend supporters in a time where the economy has been up and down.

Have a swanky party Devon, and one last question: are horse show boxes for the upcoming season the party favors?

Cheers!