Tag Archives: chester county

don’t pitch or push, not your freebie phoebie.

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I think I have to draw a line in the sand. I get tons of private messages, and is happening more. Just like people who want to raise their profile by commenting on my blog’s Facebook page and really not really commenting to participate but instead to self-promote.

I write what I want to write about. Sure there are things that people have alerted me to that I take an interest in, and life is about learning, and I’m grateful for those people sending me things to check out. And they’re not necessarily sending me things that are bad that are happening, a lot of times it’s someplace they went to had I been there yet and that kind of thing. Now because of some of these readers, I’ve discovered businesses I didn’t know existed and historic sites I didn’t know existed and so on.

Sometimes the private messages are looking for direction. How to find something. Do I know of any resources for whatever they are checking out? And when I can help, I am happy to pay it forward.

But then there is the growing amount of private messages that are starting to get on my last nerve.

What are some of these messages?

OK, how about product pitches? As in they’re making something and they want me to promote it for free. When you hear me talk about a product it’s because I tried it and that means no company sent it to me telling me to try it for free and write about it, it means I searched it out and bought it.

I think that’s the best way to write about things you buy etc. This is why I don’t like the whole thing in life about social media influencers and it’s not that all of these influencers are bad people doing bad things, but companies are giving them stuff and asking them to put them on their socials but if you think about it, don’t you always wonder at the end of the day are they products these “influencers” would actually purchase on their own if they had to spend their own money?

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250107-why-the-pushback-against-influencers-is-growing

A friend of mine was talking about stuff their teenage daughter had to have. And why did they have to have some of these products? Oh because her daughter saw teenage and older influencers on social media were promoting them. She remarked about a couple of the articles of clothing that basically fell apart after being worn a couple of times that were purchased because her teenager had seen them on Instagram and TikTok.

https://msselo297.medium.com/5-toxic-and-entitled-influencers-on-the-internet-and-my-piece-of-advice-to-them-part-1-3f8360778aa3

And then we have the more local and regional version of “influencers” in this area. They’re being paid or being given free access to things like new restaurants. And you see them when people are talking about restaurant openings and I’ve seen it with my own eyes. You never see them there a second time you just see them for the opening. I like learning about new restaurants and products from legitimate food writers and that includes folks like Marilyn from Philly Grub.

To me picking a new eatery to check out doesn’t include looking at pictures on Instagram of people who are influencers with like bits of food falling out of their mouth and them posing in the restaurant in a dress or outfit they should’ve thought twice about wearing. And then there are the influencers that you suspect may have not even eaten in a place at all. I mean, how hard is it to say I haven’t been there yet to try XYZ place out but my friends have loved it?

And then there are the people that just send me random YouTube videos because they think if they send it to me, I will share it. Recently that random list has included self published authors whom I have never heard of.

People pitch me a lot, and I am not enamored. Please don’t pitch me. And that’s not to say I don’t enjoy getting messages from people who give me information on things that I find interesting. I’m talking about the hard sell/passive aggressive sell people. I’m not your woman for this. I’m not an influencer and I have no desire to be.

And some of the people that pitch me more than they should are politicians. There’s one in particular for the upcoming election season who’s really starting to get on my last nerve. And the sad thing is some of what he’s speaking of I don’t necessarily disagree with. But he’s so freaking pushy, it’s a turn off. I understand drive is something very much needed in a political campaign, but you have to balance it out or nobody wants to talk to you.

No, I don’t endorse politicians. I never have. It’s like I don’t contribute to political campaigns. I don’t even do lawn signs anymore.

I will tell people about politicians I like and why, and that includes people I am friends with who are running for public office. I know it’s hard to run for public office so I like to be supportive of my friends, especially when I think they are doing something for the right reasons or the greater good. But telling people who I like and who I would vote for and who I wouldn’t vote for, is not an endorsement per se and at the end of the day I mean come on I’m a blogger, not some head of some big local company or power broker.

Now, while we’re talking politics, there are people who have turned me off to nonprofits they have started that I think are a wonderful idea because of their personal politics getting in the way. It’s hard to like and support their nonprofits when they are not nice to people who don’t want to be part of their personal political nonsense.

I guess I’m just getting tired lately of the pushy private messages or the pushy comments to push their platforms and products on my blog’s Facebook page. It’s like the people who friend you personally only to try to sell you something.

I am not now, and never will be someone who responds to a hard sell or a push. I like to check out things on my own and that’s the long and short of it. One of the things I have discovered is if something seems too good to be true it very well might be.

I mean, we all know I don’t like door-to-door salesman right? So why does anyone think I like the Internet variety?

People I’m not a 1950s housewife. And just because I am not a compensated blogger doesn’t mean I’m your Freebie Phoebie every day either. So kindly stop knocking on my virtual door as well as my real door. Keep the sales pitch for those who have that jam in mind.

“monument” to ugliness looks bedraggled and messy in 2025

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A few years ago meetings were packed as residents made it pretty clear they didn’t want giant billboards in the community. This one is at Route 29 and Route 30 in East Whiteland Township, Chester County.

Digital billboard company makes pitch to East Whiteland residents

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/malvern/east-whiteland-discuss-lancaster-avenue-electronic-billboards

https://www.eastwhiteland.org/418/Off–Premises-Signs-Electronic-Billboard

There was all sorts of wrangling that seemed to go on forever.

In 2021 I think it was, a settlement reached between East Whiteland and the then billboard company Catslyst. Permits were issued. Residents and the township were stuck with it.

https://www.eastwhiteland.org/DocumentCenter/View/3464/Letter-to-Melissa-Noyes-10-3-2022-03660984x9DAE0

Residents still did not want the billboards. But honestly? The residents didn’t fight as hard in my opinion as they did in other cases. And then there was COVID to factor in at the time.

People get all fired up about issues where they live. But there isn’t the same staying power as there used to be. I don’t know how else to say it. Residents all say something is terrible, but if they don’t get instant gratification after a couple of meetings, interest wanes. A few diehards will keep going to meetings, but as my friends and I learned from the Institute for Justice when fighting eminent domain all those years ago in Ardmore, when government officials only hear from the same people they start to tune them and the issue out. It’s not ignorance, it’s kind of human nature. When it’s the same person time in and time out it’s just blah blah blah after a while.

After a settlement was achieved, the “monument” to ugliness was erected. Now we remember that people were told how it would be good looking and landscaping maintained, right?

Wrong.

It’s a weed pit.

Meanwhile there were all of the issues with clear cutting of trees at the “monument” location in East Whiteland on 202. The worst of it was around 2022.

For that, residents rose up and stayed with the issue. It showed results. Citizen outcry combined with East Whiteland Township resulted in PennDOT getting seriously pissy with the billboard company.

After that there were issues with the display on the 202. They did work on it for a long time. I guess the sign is viable but a lot of times when we go by it’s off.

So the Routes 30 and 29 billboard is active. Garish and distracting visually, I think the ugliness of the display is increased by the unkempt and weedy appearance of the property.

A little over a year ago this time the media was full of stories about the original billboard company and its owner. Financial woes. But he doesn’t own these billboards in East Whiteland any longer I guess? Why do I say that ? The billboards both now say OutFront.

Well the monument to ugliness is a hot mess but the billboard slum overlords do not care. I have been hearing that the East Whiteland Route 30 one is not the only one needing property tending. Apparently along 202 at least one of those is super weedy too.

I still hate these things. Why couldn’t Pennsylvania be a state that doesn’t have them?

Alaska, Hawaii, Vermont, and Maine prohibit the construction of new billboards to preserve their natural beauty and scenic landscapes. Oregon has a “cap-and-replace” law, so new billboards can only be built if existing ones are removed.  Visit Scenic America to learn more about reducing billboard ugliness.

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ego and ignorance in local politics seems out of control in honey brook township?

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Let’s talk about ego and ignorance in local politics. Is it out of control in Honey Brook Township? I think so. It started because quite frankly, Valerie Shultz didn’t roll over like an obedient dog and be a good little girl. She has had the temerity, the audacity if you will, to want better for her community than the status quo. She is on the ballot as a second Republican running because the Democrats wrote her in. That simple fact speaks volumes, and signals she would be a community unifier except where the current political cabal is concerned. But nothing except world domination, or in their case, fishbowl domination matters, does it?

Valerie does not come to mind when you dish ego and ignorance in local politics. She is doing this because she cares. It’s not about literal or even perceived personal gain. She does not have to keep saying she is a good person, because people know she is. She has a moral compass and is bright and hard working. We have come to know each other through mutual friends. Do I support her? Yes, I believe in what she is trying to accomplish and I haven’t seen such a crazy municipality since the late Andy Lewis and others rolled up their sleeves to disinfect Haverford Township and if you aren’t familiar it was a doozy of a time over there.

Here is what I am talking about from quite a few years ago now:

Haverford commissioner indicted; fallout begins with township manager’s resignation
Moran guilty of extortion in Haverford State dealings
BREAKING NEWS: Haverford official indicted

https://law.justia.com/cases/pennsylvania/supreme-court/2014/39-map-2011.html

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/pa-supreme-court/1684638.html

https://www.poconorecord.com/story/opinion/editorials/2007/12/01/thumbs-up-thumbs-down/52723944007


Let’s talk about what is actually bullying by politicians, one elected and one a poor sad politician puppet of the elected politician, shall we? This is happening in an area which falls into the Pennsyltucky category at times for political behavior JUST like this. Yep, Honey Brook Township…again.


When you say they are practicing thug politics and bullying people and basically in a passive aggressive and not so passive aggressive way, trying to intimidate people, they subsequently project that if you are saying they do any of these things you must be the ones who are actually doing it, and really?


Most of us know that’s not the case, but if you are a woman who speaks out about ANY of this garbage chucking in Honey Brook Township, they want to pummel you into the ground. And this is the Internet so they also want to cancel you on social media. They want you to be afraid. It’s also gaslighting and attempted intimidation, isn’t it?


So I ask all of you out there isn’t that the true clear hallmark of bad thug politics? Doesn’t that show quite clearly that they have such little respect for women?


You have to wonder how do they treat women who have been assaulted or are victims of other crimes?


As women are we all supposed to be hung up with Scarlet letters because we don’t toe the line the way we are told? Are we all supposed to be bullied ends justifies the means because we don’t see them as a solution to anything?


Go ahead, you read these comments shared below (just a couple examples of many questionable things on their part in my humble opinion) and you tell me if women are being harassed and bullied here? Are women safe in this world we are living in if this is considered normal behavior towards women?


And most despicable of all in my mind as a breast cancer survivor is this is how you treat another breast cancer survivor? These men need to check themselves at the door.
Chester County Republicans and others? It’s time to get your Honey Brook Township House in order because they are also embarrassing all of you behaving like this.


Conduct unbecoming.

Writing about this leaves me at sixes and sevens, but I don’t think what they are doing is right. Have they attacked me as well for talking about the Honey Brook Township of it all? Kind of, yes, including nasty comments from a supervisor’s wife thinking she is witty. (Sorry her comments are well…just basic and I can have that opinion.)

Isn’t it true that there are certain lines politicians and elected officials can’t cross? Wouldn’t this behavior count? Isn’t it true supervisors are expected to protect confidential information and not use it for personal gain? So where is one getting his information? And how? Supervisors are also supposed to treat all individuals with respect and courtesy, is this behavior that? Supervisors must exercise their powers responsibly and avoid abusing their authority, correct?

So can we just ask WHY Honey Brook Township Supervisor Salvatore DiGiacomo is constantly on the attack? Is he running for office? I thought that was politician and Upper Uwchlan Police Department member, Steven Jones?

Now speaking o Upper Uwchlan Township, they do indeed have a social media policy so is their officer who is also a politician and political candidate in Honey Brook Township adhering to it? https://upperuwchlan-pa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1417/Social-Media-Policy

Upper Uwchlan employees from what I can glean from their policy should be respectful in their online interactions, avoiding personal attacks, offensive language, and discriminatory remarks, so is this happening? Like many other municipalities, this policy which is not something thought of years ago, extends beyond the official township social media profiles, doesn’t it? Also is it not in there that their policy addresses confidentiality, privacy, and intellectual property, ensuring employees understand responsibilities regarding sensitive information, right? The policy seems to not smile upon personal attacks against other commenters, Township staff, or elected officials, so this extends to things done personally, right?

SocialMediaPolicyFINALDownload

I think it’s time for the dirty politics in Honey Brook Township to end. Residents need to be brave because these unpleasant folks only have the power you allow them to have. I fully expect more nastiness because I am expressing my opinion. They refer to me as Val’s babbler, etc, etc. Yawn.

Stop the madness. It’s time. We should all want better from our communities. We all don’t have to agree, but how these politicians seem to approach everything leaves a lot to be desired.

It’s a long way to election day. It’s been a long hot summer. Why is Valerie Shultz such a threat? I ask because we all know this is what this is about. That’s why a certain supervisor and his pal are in such a lather isn’t it?

Carry on.

did you know historic yellow springs got beaten up by storms recently?

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I’ve been meaning to write about this and I just have had time get away from me, and not enough hours in the day. Historic Yellow Springs is one of my favorite places in Chester County. I was introduced to the village many moons ago by my late father who loved this little piece of Chester County. (He also loved the antique show they used to have that they should bring back.)

Anyway, it’s no joke that we keep having these series of thunderstorms with accompanying winds and more that are wreaking havoc on places. And the ones just after Fourth of July did significant damage to Historic Yellow Springs.

They are working their way through it, but I never saw any local media pick up the fact that this beautiful historic village was a storm victim. They showed lots of other storm damage, why not Historic Yellow Springs Village?

For example, the poor library experienced damage from a storm in February, it sustained more damage in early July.

According to what they wrote, and I will share screenshots and their photos more than 100 trees were damaged or destroyed. That’s a significant amount and this is a place with very old growth trees as well. Cleanup is going to take months, and they are in a township that I think leaves a lot to be desired as far as being clear about anything, and if West Pikeland can’t be trusted with keeping a police force, how can they be trusted with the village?

So I think Yellow springs is doing a marvelous job of navigating the process of doing what they have to do to take care of the structures that were damaged and storm cleanup, but I’m sure that right now they could use a little extra help in the donation department because as homeowners we know how expensive this work is, let alone being responsible for an entire village of historic assets.

Chester County has a lot of deep pockets who could help one of our county treasures, so I’m putting this out there with their words to follow in the hopes that people can even give a small contribution.

https://yellowsprings.org/support/donate/

Now to follow, is life in the village in their own words published on their socials yesterday after this storm in early July:

Storm Impact Update

Having climbed the fields of shattered and fallen trees, and listened to the chainsaws for days on end, we feel incredibly fortunate for the relatively limited damage to buildings that occurred with the dangerous storm on July 7th. Additionally, I am incredibly thankful for the forethought of our programs team to heed weather warnings, and decide to cancel classes proactively, likely saving lives, given the severity of the event.

This storm tore through our property with extraordinary force. Estimates are showing nearly 100 trees were destroyed or badly damaged, with cleanup efforts likely to continue for months.

The days following the storm were focused on safety assessments and clearing access. Staff and volunteers mobilized quickly, working tirelessly to make the village safe again. Every tool in our arsenal was leveraged just to try to move enough limbs to uncover all corners of the village and reach some sense of normalcy.

Once paths were cleared, hidden structural damage began to emerge:

  • The glazing space behind the old studio barn was smashed.
  • The courtyard fountain, power supply, and roofing on the Washington Building suffered major hits from a fallen sycamore limbs.
  • The Chester Springs Library, sustained new roof damage that allowed water infiltration.

As you may recall, a previous extreme weather event in February, led to structural damage to the roof of the Library. Since then, HYS and the Library have worked closely with insurers, engineers, and contractors to bring this historic structure up to code and safely reopen the Library. We empathize with the public for the loss of resources during the library’s closure and have offered alternate village spaces for free programs whenever possible.

While the temporary protection applied to the roof after the February event held up impressively, wind torn limbs and the fierce rain from the most recent storm punctured new holes on the opposite side of the roof and allowed water to reach inside the building. Within a day of forging a path through the storm debris, we had professional carpentry crews on site ensuring the roof was watertight and not in danger of falling, and commercial-grade air handlers and dehumidifiers were added to move out moisture. Cleanup continues and collaboration between HYS, the Library, engineers, and insurers is ongoing with the goal of getting this historic building bustling again.

During this recovery period, programs continue in unaffected buildings across the village, and we maintain a robust calendar of events to keep our community engaged and inspired. We are constantly discussing new opportunities with partners, and looking for creative ways to make programs happen.

We are deeply grateful to those who have already offered time, talent, and funds. We will keep you informed about progress and ways you can help as we restore every facet of the village for a vibrant future.

Now I’m going to show you the screenshots I took today off of Facebook and everything is from the village’s social media, including their photos. This place is a little slice of heaven, and if you can help them out with a small donation, it would be great. You can also maybe let the county commissioners know when they’re finished designing bad logos, and hiring lots of people that this is a historic asset worth supporting. (sorry not sorry, sometimes I think they need to get out of the Borough of West Chester more.)

With the United States having a big birthday in 2026, and Chester County being a big focus, we want this jewel shining bright and strong.

seeking spare keys trespassing guy?

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I am sharing this because I just got a call from a local farmer in Willistown who called the police about this guy who showed up while he was doing something and his farm hands had to deal with this guy.

Unfortunately, by the time the farmer knew this guy had been there, he was gone, but a police report was filed.

Apparently this guy showed up on some kind of a scooter or hoverboard thing to them. But the reality is he came uninvited down a driveway that is really long. A place that can’t be any more clear about having security and posted private property don’t trespass.

And when the guy was discovered, he was nosing around the cows on the farm.

He didn’t seem to get the concept of private property, which couldn’t be posted any clearer at the beginning of the really long driveway. This guy has also shown up at other people’s s properties in Willistown and several other municipalities in Delaware and Chester Counties.

And he got caught on ring camera in a video posted yesterday to NextDoor. I’m about to show where he’s not only knocked on the door. He seemed to be checking for spare keys.

Now this is a common enough occurrence in the summer months, these random people who just show up. Either they’re selling something or you just find them wandering around your property. We had it in my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods with the random driveway resealing guy who ignores no trespassing signs and every year acts like you didn’t tell him the year before to get off your property.

But this guy seems to be off from the way people describe him and also seems to be looking for spare keys. So that somebody who’s trying to figure out when people are on and off of their own properties and in and out of their houses. opportunistic? Definitely and for what reason? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to find out.

People are calling the police about this individual, which is not wrong, what he’s doing is wrong.

who is the FOUND dachshund which is a LOST dachshund??

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This is not Bella who was lost near Grove Road. She was found and her owners never took the PawBoost down. This is another old dachshund who has one tooth incidentally – if you know whose dog this is please call 484-485-0706 ASAP – this is an emergent situation- old dogs do not do well and last long at shelters. Right now she is in someone’s house and is safe.

have you checked out white horse farm in berwyn yet?

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White Horse Farm Photo

Real farms. Real farmers. Locally sourced. Heritage breeds.

A lot of us look for these things, and Chester county used to have lots of options. Today development is growing in farms are shrinking.

It’s tough going for farmers in a county once known for farms and agriculture. It’s very sad.

Then there are the people that want to make you believe their Emperor’s New Clothes and a couple years later they’re still empty every time you drive by, but I won’t mention them any further. This is a post about real farmers doing their thing, beautifully.

We recently discovered White Horse Farm quite by accident. Someone I know had shared on social media that she had gone to one of their open farm days for their farm stand. I remember when this farm was in a magazine article a few years ago. (See Philadelphia Magazine, 2018.)

So these are the new stewards of the land of this farm and it’s gorgeous. And they have cows, ask my friend who has a cow named Norman, and you will know I love cows. Actually, my husband will tell you I like farm animals in general. I will also admit that I talk to the chickens on a neighbors property. They are so happy and their laying songs are peaceful to me.

But you have so many things that go by on social media where you can supposedly buy great food raised well, sustainable practices, regenerative farming, and so on. White Horse Farm in Berwyn is actually doing this, and I think they deserve a lot of new customers and Chester County love.

Once again, I will stay for the record. I am not a compensated blogger, and I am writing this post after picking up my first order that we paid for from White Horse Farm. Now obviously we haven’t tried everything, but I can tell you I had their yogurt for breakfast this morning. Their yogurt is a thinner kind almost like Seven Stars and I think it makes a great drinking yogurt. We also have a gorgeous chicken, a small pork roast, ground pork, Italian and breakfast sausage.

White Horse Farm photo

So I thought I would write a little post about them, because it’s an all of our best interest that small farms like this survive and thrive. They not only have their own dairy stuff that they are doing, but they raise chickens and Berkshire pigs. they are a medium size pig, and I believe they were originally bred in England. They are a true heritage breed, and their meat is highly sought after for cooking if you’re a foodie. The meat from these pigs I have learned is known as the “Wagyu of pork.”

White Horse Farm Photo

All of these animals on this farm are humanely raised. Actually, I’d like to live on this farm. It’s so pretty. The pigs are able to forage in woods on the farm like nature intended, so they’re not just kept in a pen and fed pig kibble. (I’m not saying pigs get kibble, but you know what I mean.)

The chickens are pasture raised, which essentially is free range. I like their chickens because they’re not huge. The one I bought is about 3 pounds. Honestly, there are a few things as good as small batch raised chicken.

And if you join their club, you can order as you go, and you have access above the farm stand days.

Here is my actual receipt for my first order:

My receipt and notice I also signed up for a membership because this is kind of a membership farm. Yes they will be having farm stand days, but the benefits of a membership is you can order more to your individual needs.



It was simple enough to pay via Venmo, and you can also pay them with cash. I also like what they raise seems to be heritage breeds. It’s kind of like in my garden, I like planting heirloom things.

I know people like raw milk and they do sell that. I also noticed they have some goats. I don’t know what they’re doing with goats, but I remember my cousin Suzy was allergic to cow’s milk when she was little and they substituted goat milk.

Now another reason why I’m writing this post today other than I’m a very happy new customer is they are having a farm stand day from 9 AM to 12 noon this coming Saturday, July 19th. The address is 8 Barr Road Berwyn. This farm is located in Willistown Township.

I hope people patronize them this weekend and going forward. If you go to their farm this weekend, please respect that this is a working farm. That means leave your dogs at home, and make sure your children understand it’s a working farm not a petting zoo. I am not trying to be offensive to people, but I have friends who are farmers, and I have seen what I mentioned with my own eyes. It’s like when I cringe when I see people pull over the side of the road to randomly pet and feed other people’s horses.

Anyway, sign me very happy that I discovered another local farm thanks to someone. I know discovering this farm on a farm stand day.

Stay cool and thanks for stopping by.

furor over the mall: super packed house in west whiteland over exton mall

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I just received a message from a friend:

“I’m attending the West Whiteland Township meeting abt Exton Mall.

Haven’t started yet. Tech difficulties. Full house I would say at least 130 people, standing room only!

Some are local businesses owners impacted by this, I can tell by their badges etc they are in the mall, but most are residents”

https://www.westwhiteland.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07152025-1483

You can watch the meeting on Zoom – but right now they’re having serious technical difficulties again and they need to fix the audio for Zoom and there are people waiting to get on.

This is the planning commission meeting this evening and below are the rest of the photos my friend took a few minutes ago of the revised drawings, I guess they are.

worth noting: trying to find traffic solutions in bryn mawr and haverford in haverford township.

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Before I moved to Chester County many years ago now, I lived in Lower Merion Township. I was in the Haverford neighborhood sandwiched between Montgomery and Lancaster Avenues near the Haverford School, which was across Lancaster Avenue as a matter of fact, it had a nickname called “the island.”

This wasn’t the north side (as in other side of Montgomery Avenue or the Merion Cricket Club side) of Haverford neighborhood I grew up in that had then, and still has today insanely soaring real estate prices. This was just a pretty transitional neighborhood close to the Haverford train station, where you could easily walk to both Ardmore and Bryn Mawr.

The neighborhoods across Lancaster Ave from me were actually in Haverford Township. That used to confuse people to think Haverford Township came to there, but it did and it still does. It’s a county and municipal line, and five points in Bryn Mawr is also two counties, but three municipalities.

One of the best things about my then neighborhood was you could walk a relatively short distance to get access to the Haverford Nature Trail. It was awesome. I used to walk myself and my dogs over there once, if not twice a day. When I first moved into the neighborhood, you had to move quickly but you could safely cross Lancaster Avenue via North Buck Lane (Lower Merion) on my side and Buck Lane (Haverford) on the other side. By 2007, it really wasn’t safe to do that. Traffic was bad but unwanted development was starting to march through, which would ultimately increase traffic in my opinion.

Rugby Road: Another Main Line neighborhood at risk

In 2007, we watched as lovely houses were torn down for McMansion-ish dwellings on Rugby Road in the Haverford Township side of Bryn Mawr. It was when many of us started talking about the need for the Municipalities Planning Code of the Commonwealth of PA (MPC) to be comprehensively overhauled to help protect suburbs and exurbs.

Rugby Road plan clears another hurdle in Haverford
Our neighborhood doesn’t need to be developed
Neighbors ‘furious’ about proposed development

The day after Christmas in 2008, or Boxing Day, my neighborhood watched as a developer tore down houses, including one of which was technically historical. It was initially for a condo building. Eventually it became “carriage homes” / townhouses. I will note that even today, the structures don’t truly fit into the neighborhood and in my opinion still complement nothing much. Oh, and they still overlook Classic Auto Body. I still can’t imagine paying Main Line prices to overlook a couple of body shops as there is still one I think across Lancaster Avenue from Classic Auto Body.

Haverford neighbors fear a demolition for Christmas

In 2007, the then editor of Main Line Media News who before his death was editor of The Daily Local penned an editorial that still resonates today about development:

Moratorium on development needed on the Main Line

Neighbors of these developments came together, organized, and attended so many meetings during the early to mid 2000s. In some ways it helped, but in other ways it was soul crushing to see development that had little to do with the area itself taking over and not necessarily being harmonious with the neighborhood invaded. In late 2007, I wrote an editorial for Main Line Media News celebrating these neighbors groups:

It was the year of the neighborhood group

In case you missed it, this is why I get upset about a lot of the truly wanton development in Chester County. I lived it, in part, before. This is in part why I know in my heart Malvern Borough has made a mistake with that absurdly named Duffryn Mawr across King from the Flying Pig.

But I digress.

Why am I revisiting this? Because in my opinion, traffic issues we saw before the development projects I have mentioned in Bryn Mawr and Haverford even happened, have now morphed into a need for Haverford Township to rethink the configuration of what will always be small streets to protect the community and pedestrians.

I don’t pay close attention to Main Line and just off of the Main Line stuff like I used to, but this newsletter from 5th Ward Commissioner of Haverford Township Laura Cavendish:

https://mailchi.mp/havtwp/july122025?e=f434c78b67

Allow me to share the excerpt that caught my eye:

July 13, 2025

Dear Neighbors,

The Board of Commissioners will hold its monthly public meeting on Monday, July 14. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few updates and reminders from around the Township.

Safe Streets Demonstration Project on Buck Lane

Within the next few weeks, Haverford Township will begin a Traffic Safety Demonstration Project on the 800 block of Buck Lane (between Railroad Avenue and Panmure Road), as part of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. 

Key features include:

  • Converting Buck Lane to one-way northbound travel (Railroad to Panmure) to reduce southbound cut-through traffic and improve pedestrian and bike safety.
  • Reconfiguring the roadway for one lane of traffic, a buffer, and a protected multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Temporarily eliminating on-street parking on the block during the project.

During peak times, 65–75 vehicles per hour will be rerouted, but traffic studies suggest minimal impact on surrounding roads. The Township is coordinating with local schools to adjust transportation routes.

A community feedback survey will be shared about three months after the project begins. You can find the Brynford Safe Streets Study here. For questions about this demonstration project, contact Jaime Jilozian at jjilozian@havtwp.org or 610-446-1000.

Here is the link to what she referred to on Haverford Township’s website:

Click to access FINAL_Brynford_Bicycle_and_Pedestrian_Safety_Study_91423.pdf

It’s so weird to think that part of Buck Lane will be one way, but I applaud Haverford Township for seeking solutions. When we tried to get traffic calming in our Lower Merion neighborhood back in the late 90s to early 2000s before the development projects I have discussed here were begun, we only got so far and we got a municipal smack back.

The impetus was a hit and run of a neighborhood dog back then, and subsequent realization of how many little kids we had as well as pedestrians. We pushed for a traffic study and I believe that my then small street had a crazy number of something like over 1200 vehicle trips per day clocked.

Our neighborhood back then was a big cut through between Lancaster and Montgomery Avenues, and probably still is. We had neighborhood meetings called parlor meetings with township officials including the police in our living rooms. I remember this well, because I hosted the first meeting at that time in my own living room.

We looked at surrounding areas, and were particularly interested in something Radnor Township was doing back then: speed humps. As opposed to speed bumps. This was before 2006, but I don’t remember the exact date. It was before the current 10th Ward Lower Merion Commissioner in Lower Merion was elected. (He’s still there)

I remember speaking with traffic safety folks in Radnor to get speed hump information. They even gave me PennDOT information at that time.

But Lower Merion was having none of it. It got to the point where the Lower Merion Commissioners then introduced an ordinance to prohibit speed humps. They seemingly erased all evidence of this today because more recently they have selectively introduced speed humps in the township since that time. But I personally know that this happened as during the course of this all those years ago, I received a letter in the mail basically warning me off from asking for speed humps in my then neighborhood.

So because of all of this, I am glad Haverford Township is trying new traffic calming measures. But, this remains a cautionary tale in my opinion, of what happens when too much development comes to an area over time.

Take a look at what Haverford Township is trying to do here and I welcome comments from neighbors in the area if they read this post to learn their thoughts.