I have felt since I came to Chester County that Great Valley School District doesn’t see all kids equally. And that includes the immigrant population.
They should. It’s a diverse community, just as we in Chester County are a diverse population. So blondie the principal should know better. But instead I feel she is ruling with a heavy, even petty hand.
I shared before the school stuperintendant’s recent love letter to parents:
This school district doesn’t treat everyone equally and they are thuggish. They are allowing a club that represents a lot of the negative these kids see, and we all see at this point. But they won’t consider other things?
These kids are upset and unnerved by this world. They see kids being separated from their parents in this terrifying era our country finds itself in. So imagine my disgust in reading the following missive from Dr. Seems Like a Hard Ass:
What. A. Bitch.
Let’s get real. Does anyone feel safe protesting these days? Nope. But these kids are feeling like they need to be heard. Why does this principal not get that? Why can’t she find a happy medium like Rustin High School did?
Rustin which is part of WCASD managed a student desired walk out with minimal fuss. They set boundaries and parameters and it was mostly ok. Ironically the “club” which is not about indoctrination that Great Valley just approved has a sister chapter over in West Chester Area School District. They didn’t like it that Rustin worked this out with students. Have a listen and note this post was public:
So I leave it there. I think Great Valley needs to do better. And in the end when a principal rules with an uneven and heavy hand, it doesn’t work so well, does it? Instead of ferreting out whom they deem “bad kids” maybe they should do a listening tour instead?
Great Valley isn’t so great these days.
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PS please note BS below and then tell me again which group is the greater danger?
I was sent photos this morning. Look at that claw reach into the house? She’ll be dust in no time. Or it might take them a while, because these historic stone houses were so well built.
I remember standing there with tears running down my face in front of the gates of La Ronda in Bryn Mawr as that was torn down years ago taking photos. Through the tears that day I had some amusement because her stone walls were so well built, it took time to tear them down.
This is so sad and heartbreaking. I am also told they are in that little field around back on this property and there’s a little spring house or something and there’s some kind of fencing there. Who knows if they’re putting the fencing up around the perimeter and who knows if the little springhouse will survive in the end, shall we start the odds on the tree out front?
RIP “Breeze Hill” at 400 Leopard Road. This house was constructed by Joseph W. Sharp for his younger sister, Rachel.
By 1857, Joseph was so successful in business that he had a imposing Victorian house built and thus the country estate “Hawthorne,” which has been restored and is located today at 521 Leopard Road in Berwyn, just down the street from Breeze Hill.
He was the first gentleman to commute from Berwyn into Philadelphia each day utilizing the newly-constructed “Main Line” train, and was a partner in what eventually became Hajoca Corporation, an early leader in the nascent indoor plumbing industry.
In 1865, Joseph married Sidney Serrill Bunting. Oral family history indicates that Sidney and Rachel did not get along well, so Joseph commenced the construction of Breeze Hill (so named for its location and the presence of a refreshing breeze during this non-air conditioned era) for Rachel some time before his wedding. As the home was on the Sharp family property, it didn’t receive its own separate deed when built, but was shown on Pennsylvania Railroad maps dating to 1873.
Rachel Sharp and other family members lived at Breeze Hill until 1888, when Joseph Sharp’s eldest daughter, Mary Bunting Sharp, married William Morris of Villanova in 1888, the young couple moved into Breeze Hill, where they lived until 1942.
Joseph Sharp and his wife subdivided Breeze Hill from their larger property and deeded it to their daughter for “$1 and her natural love and affection” in 1901, when it became legal for a married woman to own property in her own name in PA
To be fair, someone who has seen the plans for the new house I guess on Easttown’s website said that the little spring house will survive, but the garage which had been a stable will not. Now, if I was doing a new build on this site, I would actually see if an architect could incorporate the old stable section somehow into the new design- it could be accomplished.
I will also note again that I didn’t think the place was salvageable after the second fire. Especially with all of the time she stood open to the elements. Which couldn’t be helped because of the ensuing investigation. And that’s not pointing a finger at anyone. If you know anything about insurance work when it comes to arson, it takes a long time. If people add a public adjuster, it can take longer because that person is yet an additional layer.
I was a little surprised that the fencing came down yesterday and yet this started a little while ago. It’s a good thing no one tried to go in it while the fence was down overnight. I will also mention a certain wanna-be influencer posted about this house like they actually know from historic preservation with their McMansion mindset, which I found endlessly amusing, don’t you? But hey, for people like that it’s all about the clicks isn’t it? But oddly, I am told they did not allow comments on this post about an old house being torn down, which doesn’t even make any sense does it?
I hope the fire bug is happy. Yeah I know that’s a little obnoxious, but what happened here didn’t need to happen, did it? This was a historic asset and it was quirky and cool and it had lots of local history and now it’s just dust.
Yep, it is like a bad Lifetime TV movie, only it is real. I had heard about this at the beginning of the month at some point, only nothing came of it…until yesterday when NBC10’s Deanna Durante broke the story:
Dammmmmnnnn, it was fact, not fiction.
So let’s discuss: an elementary school age basketball team. 2nd grade I think? Like that is barely above pee wee. Were the bookies hot on these little people match ups or something? Do adults have so little control at kids’ games that it becomes this horrifying gaper delay watching scenario?
I am told the way this works for the Malvern Basketball League is you enter the league with an entire team. A lot of basketball recreation programs you enter just your child —pay the fee and then a coach is assigned to you. With Malvern, you pay the whole fee for a team of 10 and enter all the kids as one team. So are the “coaches” vetted like anyone else even volunteering in schools these days?
Her mugshot is total Elvira face. Who taught her to do lip liner like the crazy babysitter of one of my sister’s elementary school friends years ago? (Yeah seriously, this woman would do lipliner when driving kids around and it went everywhere.) Someone on X formerly known as Twitter had this to say about pops who is a financial services professional – “toupee should be charged seperately” , making this all the more ludicrous meets Lifetime insane and where’s his chapstick???
Oh and better yet? Her sister was one of those “alternative” code for cuckoo school board candidates in Tredyffrin Easttown School District – she was the blondie “diversity” candidate because yeah that is so diverse, right?
Overall I just can’t with these people. This was a second grade basketball game. So that is what? 7 and 8 year olds?
When I was growing up it was the ice skating moms who I thought were the worst. I had friends who were competitive skaters so I used to watch the momzillas in action over at the Humane Society in Ardmore. They were vicious. To each other, to their own kids, to other people’s kids. Then as we aged and friends had kids playing baseball and soccer –wowza. Then of course there were the high school ice hockey parents in recent past. I remember being embarrassed how my friend’s son’s high school team (and parents) were treated in Great Valley a few years ago.
Amazingly this happens – see Staten Island recently:
People wonder why kids fight and bully in school? Look at the fine examples being set by the adults? Anger management, fines, long and humbling community service, and no more youth sports for the win.
So Goffredo the Superintendent who I have felt should be replaced back in the TikTok of it all is at it again. The TikTok of it all made international news. Essentially there was zero accountability on the part of the parents or offending students IMHO. Of course it is also my opinion that the teachers’ union should have been more supportive of the teachers talking to law enforcement, but hey can’t un-ring that homeroom bell, right?
In a time when our country is fraught with strife and anger and divisiveness and violence, Goffredo is allowing a club that is not some normal high school kids’ political club.
Let the not so subtley veiled attempts at indoctrination begin – the failed political Sabo duo want to “train” your kids and isn’t that special? If you have a problem with this: hcapetola@gvsd.org dgoffredo@gvsd.org jwexler@gvsd.org sotoole@gvsd.orgScreenshot
If this was a regular Republican or Democrat or even Independent or Libertarian political club, I personally wouldn’t give a damn. But this? This is something unlike all of the rest and well, even if in the end allowed, it puts forth a group think that is not actually peaceful or inclusive.
Someone commented on my blog’s Facebook page:
I recall similar groups throughout history who used to pass around flyers and recruit people. I think their activities were a little different but I’m sure the end goal is the same here. I don’t see this as a unifying club. Pretty clear how the language starts off with “Identify…” The only thing missing is a symbol and the letters. How about we start a club called “society” where EVERYONE is included and works together to find common ground and solutions that make sense rather than continuing to file every into Red or Blue and spreading hate while we all get fleeced by those in power.
Then of course we had these treasures who escaped from the echo chambers of hate:
Sigh…can’t even explain the difference between group and page to them, or point out their general ignorance. To not wish to live in the US when it feels like 1930s Germany with social media in the year of our country’s 250th anniversary is a very real feeling. Here we are loving our country, yet wondering why it has deserted her people in favor select factions, and yes this is a real feeling. Conflicted. Sad. Somewhat disgusted that freedom is only if you tow the party line.
So there is a school board meeting this evening. Great Valley School Board won’t do anything, honestly because I don’t know that they can or have the courage to do? However, they can get a new superintendent and exit Daniel F. Goffredo, Ed.D. and assistant superintendent Stephen O’Toole, Ed.D. (whose contract is up for renewal and is supposedly on agenda this evening?)
Below is the activities application which is tearing apart a high school….and community.
Oh and speaking of Great Valley? Kids upset with the new “club” who ripped down posters for it received detention and a fine? And rolling into this…
This “club” which does not have at it’s core an actual desire a real desire to embrace diversity of any sense of the word in a high school that does have a diverse population is really upsetting the KIDS. Not just parents. And the kids need to be taken into consideration here. Fair is fair and if that club gets a chance with this administration, why so punitive on kids upset about frozen feds everywhere? What is it that this school district doesn’t *get* about kids worrying that because of the shade of their skin or perhaps nationality that they will be safe going to school or going home from school?
Maybe Goffredo it is time to take your jackass self on out of this school district?
Today the bulldozers have arrived at 400 S. Leopard Road in Berwyn, Chester County and Easttown Township. We have been living this since the first fire in 2024. Charged with arson in one fire here is still Kathryn Calmus Frankel. She was charged in the new year with a dangerous fire in York County, PA. She was also charged with some sort of fire in Delaware County (Radnor Township.) I am uncertain as to which prison she is located in – I presume York County which is county of latest arson.
Frankel has not been tried in any of these cases as of yet, although I did notice this on the Delaware County, PA docket:
Is there a chance she pleads on all of these cases? Who knows. The media down here has not followed up and we haven’t heard anything out of the various District Attorneys’ offices about that have we?
I am so sad that this quirky old house is becoming something we will maybe remember for a while and then forget as ashes to ashes dust to dust…and we know a McMansion shall replace part of our Chester County history, but two brutal fires have killed this piece of history.
This is yet another reason why this country needs better mental health services.
Here is one more photo and then to follow current dockets from 3 counties and a couple of prior posts.
Bye house. You were once beautiful, quirky, and loved even by strangers driving by.
That moment when you see a friend post something totally scary.
This is a big warning to everybody who drives a car please look before you go through a green yes green light! at about 2:00 today I watched a very large heavy recycling/trash truck fly through a red light doing about 45 MPH at the intersection of Valley Hill Road and 401 the truck was heading towards RT 202 I was on Valley hill heading towards Bodine road a very small car in front of me was making a rt on a green light and it had not just changed it had been green as I was heading towards the light the car was inches from getting T boned and rear ended this person I hope knows how lucky they were, I my self slammed on my brakes sent all my groceries flying all over the back seat of my truck. For me I was also lucky 2 seconds sooner it could have been me. This light has a warning light telling drivers that the light is red way before they get to the light, there is absolutely no excuse to blow a red light there and at a fast speed in such a large truck. Please tell your kids to always look both ways before going through a green light never never trust another driver will be stopping. Now to try and get my heart rate back to normal. Be safe !!
This company sucks. Even with new owners they suck.
They fly in and out of my street and some weeks I wonder if they are going to end up in our front yards if not worse. I don’t use them. We use Opdenaker and they are terrific and not sloppy dangerous crazy.
My friend went and literally knocked on doors to get security camera footage and she got video. I will share it.
She said to me:
I have a video but it does not look as fast as he was going and you can’t see it was a red light. In the video it took me 6 seconds to cross because I totally stopped and looked at the light to make sure I was not going through a red light. Then I crossed super careful but I was rt behind the car that almost was hit.
She continued:
I am the white truck.
At the point the video catches him he was slamming on his brakes.
Also when I got home I found our recycling can emptied and a bunch of recycling all over the road and also our neighbors recycling the same like 7-9 pieces of trash.
I wonder if it was the same truck.
Well probably at least the same company because that is their usual M.O.
I told my friend to also call the PA State Police because 401 and Valley Hill where this happened is Charlestown Township and well they don’t have local police, they have Staties.
Let the not so subtley veiled attempts at indoctrination begin – the failed political types want to “train” your kids and isn’t that special? If you have a problem with this contact:
I think in the unpleasant political environment of this country at present, I find it foolhardy for this to be a school sanctioned activity. I would love to know why a health and physical ed teacher is doing this? Will this be monitored?
Using the word “train” has very unpleasant implications. It’s very 1930s Germany of Great Valley School District isn’t it?
Dustin Kasper is the advisor. Why are they meeting in a weight room? I mean, I get that he’s a health and physical teacher. What are they going do sets in between the indoctrination sessions? Kasper went to West Chester University with graduate work at Immaculata. He also apparently served in the military unsure of what branch. He’s also listed as a Realtor at Keller Williams.
So is somebody else leading this group? Or is it an essence led by the faculty advisor?? Sorry I don’t know I’m asking because when I was in high school I did sports and I was on the student newspaper. I never had a desire to be an Alex P. Keaton. I also belong to a service club and we used to do things like beautification projects around the community.
I think if this was just a high school Republican club or a high school Democrat club I wouldn’t care. It’s that other component and I don’t know Turning Point is not my jam and it has a religious component and if this is supposed to model that this is a public school and how does that work?
I have no problem with the restoration of a veterans memorial but where is this veterans memorial? But a weightlifting competition for a pseudo religious political organization? Isn’t that a little odd?
I just think it sounds a little vague. And it’s powered by a group that I don’t really believe promotes good as much as it promotes assimilation, but those aren’t mutually exclusive.
Whatever. The parents who are of a certain political bent will be delighted. I wonder if they will all have cute little uniforms?
I received some very interesting text messages this afternoon. And for those who will try to figure out who it is, it’s a reliable source and it’s not in my usual cadre of contacts.
I forgot all about the Chester County Democrats endorsement convention or whatever the heck they call it. Under the current leadership it has turned into an engineered circus. In my not so humble opinion, utterly defeating the purpose of PRIMARIES.
Anyway it seems the kids are starting to revolt on Grandma Charlotte and some of the others given the messages also passed to me.
This. Is. VERY. INTERESTING no?
Then the next question is, after will Charlotte Valyo resign before the end of her tenure and is she going to try to run unendorsed after drubbing it into people’s heads for the last 4 years that you can’t run unendorsed when of course that is the point of a primary, yes? If she tries to run unendorsed, she needs a T-shirt that says HYPOCRITE.
Now Brian McGuinness is on West Chester Borough Council. He was also at one point in time head of the Chester County Democrats – he had replaced Michelle Vaughn who is currently Register of Wills. But he had some political scandal time circa 2014, didn’t he?
Hans is I presume referring to Hans van Mol, a fairly newly minted Tredyffrin Supervisor with seemingly endless political aspirations. He even had a little campaign for state committee video. I loved his carefully chosen photos in said video , although I don’t know if having Cherelle Parker in the mix was good but it was at least A+ for obvious right?
At one time Hans ran for State Rep, and Warren Kampf defeated him which I still find amusing for many reasons.
And newly minted Downingtown Borough Mayor, Erica Deuso, was not endorsed as well. As of 38 minutes ago however, Ms. Runs for Everything is still trying to get on the ballot for state committee… although she absurdly says something to the effect of just because you get me on the ballot, doesn’t mean you have to vote for me. (Mmkay and I am the tooth fairy.)
I’ll be honest I’m still not an Erica fan and it’s solely because she’s always running for something. It’s not about service, it’s about her. So I guess we call that political narcissism, huh?
Deuso ran unsuccessfully for Downingtown Borough Council. Then with I still believe was Charlotte Valyo’s blessing she tried to primary Danielle Otten and well?
Those who were actually endorsed in the end, I am not certain of at this point in time. I guess I am just sort of stunned that the status quo didn’t just get a hall pass. And I think that is what’s important here.
Democrats in Chester County are sending other Democrats in Chester County a message, as well as the rest of the state. So I think this is interesting and is well worth watching. I am taking this as a positive.
Of course, the next thing I’m wondering is will Charlotte finish out her term? I think it ends at some point this year, right? Or does she have other ambitions? What are the ambitions of the others not endorsed this week?
Tick tock. Politics is a dance meets a multi act play, is it not?
