Tag Archives: Downingtown

let’s give them something to talk about…

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Sometimes you have to giggle at how ridiculous certain people are in Chester County. Take, for example Tits for Trump or Klanned Karenhood or Stepford Wives for Totalitarianism. Of course, this year, a lot of these “ladies“ want to be known as “Women in Red”, which just sounds like a Tampax ad if you ask me.

Suddenly, in the last couple of weeks, they have been regurgitating posts from that magical person in Downingtown who likes to think she’s Jane Austen.

And when I say regurgitating, I literally mean regurgitating because it’s from 2022. I wrote about it back then because it made me laugh out loud back then at the sheer absurdity of these literal trolls.

the “lady” doth protest too much, methinks

So recently, the gas mask wearing sainted mommy head of ChesCo Klanned Karenhood has been busy posting a two year old post from whatever pretentious twit wrote it targeting me. I have never known nor cared who writes the blog and it’s amusing but one comment back when they stated that they supposed I was writing it. Of course why that cracked me up the most is, I’ve never put anything out that was so pretentious or poorly written. And at the end of the day, they are so not my country not my people.

Bloggers come and bloggers go….it’s what bloggers do. I’ve been a blogger for a long time. I am an OG blogger. So what? Why did they literally care so much about what I maybe had for breakfast? I have never understood the fascination. I’m hardly the only one that thinks they’re ridiculous.

But I have to ask just out of simple curiosity why are they digging this up again because I haven’t even really bothered with these people in quite a while because what’s the point? It’s always the same old story isn’t it? They’re always pitching a fit at some school board meeting, usually DASD. Or they’re endorsing candidates, who then lose. What they achieve most often is continuing the fractured fairytale of the Chester County Republican Party, because real Republicans are tired of them.

These people are political extremists. And quite honestly they are like local political terrorists.

One thing they always obsess about is I banned some of them from my blog or my blog’s Facebook page. They never seem to understand that I don’t have to be their platform. But they can’t make it on their own, can they?

And about that post back then. The people who left comments were very amusing.

One was at that point not quite a failed politician in West Whiteland, but a sitting elected official.

The other is a woman who has been going to move to the Netherlands or something for a few years, but I guess they don’t want her anymore than people at a TESD School Board Meeting? This was also the woman that went digging through the Internet until she came up with a photo of me in a hospital gown as I was facing breast cancer surgery years ago, like it was supposed to make me cry.

It’s always something from them. It’s like I say the sky is blue and they respond “A-ha she’s horrible!”

They crack me up because these are still the people that are first in line to complain about kids being bullied in school, etc. etc. yet they never look in the mirror. However, if they did look in the mirror it might crack. You know, kind of like their faces do in between Botox injections?

I mean come on people, how can you take anyone who wears this get up to a school board meeting seriously?

Let’s review this is who they worship:

Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, husband of Moms for Liberty cofounder, accused of sexual assault by alleged menage a trois lover

And then there is this other thing from earlier this year where they kind of went after a small business?

If you can’t tell the truth sit down and be silent wearing your gas mask would you please? It was no secret this meeting was being held at this coffee shop, it was on the Klanned Karenhood website.

Anyway I looked for comments at that time and found only one. It wasn’t threatening. If you like that extremist group it wasn’t nice, but threatening ? Not so much.

Personally I wondered if this business simply had a change of heart and Klanned Karenhood was blowing it out of proportion?

I don’t know this coffee shop and I rarely go to Downingtown because of the political vibes.

I am all for eradicating extremism groups like Klanned Karenhood and this is yet another reason why they are ridiculous. The “safety” of their members? That’s rich considering how their members behave, isn’t it? That group always leaks like a sieve so HOW secret will any location be ever, drama queen? How about doing small businesses a favor and get takeout and meet in your basement like a good bunch of radicals, right? That way the business gets the benefit of selling goods without the drama of the reputation your group cultivates? Maybe hold a ménage a trois party instead like your national co-founder because wow you sound stressed out🤣

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/03/us/moms-for-liberty-scandal-opposition?cid=ios_app

So now they are off of coffee shops, and back on me. Must be a slow news cycle in Downingtown.

Yawn. Everything old is new again…Lady Turditha of Downingtown will undoubtedly have a new post forthwith…whatever….stay klassy.

gad zooks! lady dog whistle is in a lather!

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I have to giggle because Lady Dog Whistle is at it again. She is our fearless and full of forsooth Mistress of Downingtown area manners. And egads! Apparently she has a girl crush on the fake professor running for Downingtown school board, so she is here to be his erstwhile champion. (I also secretly think she wishes she could be me, but that’s a topic for another day!)

First of all, what makes this so funny is all these people that love to say I am so anonymous, etc. etc. have nothing to say when Lady Dog Whistle surfaces.

I wrote about her about a year ago and truthfully, don’t follow her because she’s somewhat predictable in her repertoire of passive aggressive slut shaming. She loves to lecture on what she perceives to be the ills of people basically objecting to any politician, or extremism, and politics, that she personally supports.

the “lady” doth protest too much, methinks

So Lady Dog Whistle of Downingtown, she’s doing her Lady Whistledown encore, and shockers I am the target. And super duper shockers I am a bad bad person:

Gosh! They wound me to the core! actually, they have provided a great deal of amusement on a Sunday for me. Let’s break it down.

First of all, this was not an inappropriate photo I posted it was a political lampoon/meme. It was directed at a politician, Chris Bressi, running for school board. Bressi as you know is the co-opt king of any local issue, buzz word, or trendy phrase that might get him a vote.

Yes Chris Bressi, we see you. I will leave it to you to decide if it’s the Royal We or just we as in everyone in general.

This was an event that this politician went to two co-op for his own gain. I have nothing to say about the event, or the people who threw the event other than it was their event not Bressi’s event and he rolled up looking like he was ready for a Godfather or Goodfellas revival. I did not cover the other person’s face to mock their heritage or their celebration, I covered his face because it wasn’t this person‘s fault that a subpar slimy sleazeball of a politician rolled up for photo ops. It was a smiley face, not a “derogatory emoji.”

I still think that politician “professore” Bressi is a horse’s ass. And it doesn’t make me a racist and it doesn’t make me a proponent of micro aggression or whatever Trendy, Wendy term Lady Dog Whistle, and the “professor” care to toss at me.

And given my personal Italian heritage, I can mock him all I want since he’s choosing to conveniently play up his now. He’s a joke and he’s an embarrassment to Italian Americans everywhere. Yes, I did say that out loud and I will again I am sure.

Expressing opinions about a subpar politician desperately seeking relevance and attention in order to get on the school board after scrubbing, his original social media profiles is not exhibiting “hate.” It is in fact me using my first amendment rights which are not subjective.

So Bressi wishes to wax poetic about his Italian American heritage? That’s fine if he’s actually telling the truth, because you only have his word for it. So now, in order to gain sympathy, all of a sudden he’s going to say that his family members were targeted by mafioso? Dude, that is so early Sopranos.

But let’s talk about Lady Dog Whistle for a moment. Apparently, she had an interview with a good “professor”? So that means she is one of his contemporaries. People are always tossing about who she might or might not be, and truthfully, I’ve never cared because she doesn’t matter to me. She is a nut bag who surfaces for little hatchet job attempts and then evaporates into her beige, beige world.

Poor Lady Dog Whistle must be really hard up. I think she’s written about me three times now. And every time she does it just brings me more readers and that’s delightful. This is what the second or third election cycle where she’s tried to make me an election issue in Downingtown? It’s kind very amusing that they are so fearful of me that as a non-politician, just one woman with one voice is a threat to their well being. They really need to get out more.

Essentially, if you are a person who believes in book banning, have issues with anyone whose sexual identity doesn’t match your narrow view of the world, extremism in politics, etc. Lady Dog Whistle is your gal. Kind of like Bressi, but I don’t think he’s anyone’s gal and he is just an extremist tarting himself up as the second coming of Christ to get himself elected so he can fill the Downingtown Area School District with fake inspirational posters from Staples.

My last word on this for today is something that is just cracking me up right now. Chris Bressi loves to post when they go low, we go high. So I’m guessing that phrase is also very subjective or he just lets other people do his dirty work for him.

Regina George signing out.

🤣Kiss 💋 kiss 💋 haters 💋 🤣

gosh the “professor” is pithy…

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No, I don’t want to miss a word so allow me to quote the “professor”:

Today I was sent, what I consider, a very racist and sexist “blog article” apparently aimed at me… Oh well… Friends… In all seriousness. In a world filled with diverse perspectives and experiences, it’s inevitable that we encounter individuals who may not share our values or exhibit the same level of respect that we strive to maintain in our own lives. Such encounters can be challenging, especially when they involve hurtful comments or actions, such as racism or derogatory remarks. However, it’s during these moments that our capacity for forgiveness and a positive outlook can truly shine. Folks, you might think I am crazy, but I urge you to still treat these people with RESPECT and dignity. They are human… It’s OK… We do NOT need more screaming and insults… We need more forgiveness and understanding… Let’s talk and reason with each other and set a good example for the children/students. Now…Have a wonderful evening.

Gosh I love it when the “professor” opines. He’s a busy guy. When he’s not trying to co-opt issues like Save Lionville Station Farm, he loves his word salads.

Before we get to the “professor” and his latest word salad, a brief check in with the issue co-opt express. Bressi says he wants to save Lionville Station Farm from mega warehouses, and loves to use this issue for his personal political gain, but dude has been so busy tossing and serving up word salads that he has not even signed the pledge and taken the questionnaire put out by the Save Lionville Station Farm folks to politicians and elected officials. I mean, I know he likes to think big thoughts and ponder his navel but he’s had that long enough to get off the proverbial pot already, right?

So let’s get back to the “Professor“ at hand. Chris Bressi loves nothing more than trying to piggyback on an issue or social issue or whatever. I don’t think he has an original thought in his body. He acts like a Hallmark card yet this is the guy who wants to ban books and more so allow me to point out the latest which I believe is aimed at me? Political candidates love to keep up with trends, right? And now I am a sexist ? Duuude, that is truly hysterical 🤣🤣🤣

Apparently he seems like wants to call me a racist because I made fun of him posing for a photo op at a recent public event. What I said had zero to do with the event, and a person he was posing with from the event was blocked out because it wasn’t his fault Professor Smarmy wanted a photo op.

What I said was, I couldn’t decide to look that the “Professor“ was going for. Was he trying for goodfellas or the godfather?

So a fun fact “Professor“ is I am of Italian heritage. So if you’re saying I’m being racist to other Italians by poking fun at your outfit on a hot summer day I can’t help you, It is just another typical word salad from you to try to seek an advantage or attention.

And I’m not poking fun at the lovely event that a community threw, it’s all about how ridiculous and disingenuous you are…along with the Handmaidens of Donnie who help run your social media. I mean in for a penny, in for a pound, how come you didn’t pose with the one who likes to wear a gas mask to school board meetings? Would her gas mask clash or something?

It also wasn’t a blog post, it was a social media meme of a bad politician so maybe there’s something else out there that I’m missing? It was merely something a lot of us found funny because dude your outfit. I guess now I understand why you are actually kind of camera shy for a political candidate? and when you do get in a photo, you always seem uncomfortable/smarmy and why is that?

I also have to ask, did you think the Gilligan’s Island reference was racist? And if so, how so?

What’s really funny is the “professor” loves to quote Martin Luther King Jr. and Michelle Obama like farting, yet out of the other side of his mouth loves to chat about things like the evils of CRT, a favorite Trojan Horse of extremism politics which even a third grader knows isn’t taught in the public schools?

I could go on, but I won’t. It’s just too easy. I will also say out loud that the “Professor” give off the same ICK factor as county commissioner candidate David Sommers so I am surprised that they are not besties yet?

Whatever “professor”, you just keep flying high. If the voters of the Downingtown Area School District are very, very lucky you’ll hit a satellite or something and end up someplace else. 🤣

Anyway, I thought maybe he would like to sing better so enjoy “professor” smarmy, the musical.

what would george elliot have thought?

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Quotes. People love putting quotes out there on social media. But part of the context of quotes is not the quote borrower, but the quote originator. Like George Elliot. But I am getting ahead of myself. First we need to consider the borrower of a George Elliot quote, a politician running for DASD school board named Professor Christopher Bressi formerly known as Christopher Bre on Facebook.

Dear Professor Politician changed his profile before running for DASD school board. As in his old profile was made to poof disappear.

He talks about censorship, yet he censors comments he doesn’t like and yet he’s a politician running for public office? Quite amusing, yes?

Above is something the learned professor candidate posted yesterday. Ironic statements are highlighted. Why? Again….because before he launched his public page he deleted his old profile so that none of his old comments could come back to haunt him. So yeah funny ironic that he talks about hiding and trust, etc?

In this post are some screenshots his old profile, Christopher Bre. See how he talks about censoring in the one, which is also ironic given that he picks and chooses the comments he allows to post on his public politician page, right? And why is it politicians think that they can censor and ban although case law now dictates otherwise? Have they met Montgomery County’s Joe Gale?

Gosh and check out above for that old post, a classic, right? And again, what could be said about nouveau politicians who delete their old profile immediately prior to launching a campaign for school board? Below screenshot on the left was taken prior to him deleting his old profile. The one on the right is from today. His comment is gone because he deleted his old profile and made an entirely new one before he launched.

Now my personal favorite about this political candidate for Downingtown’s school board isn’t just new profiles and censorship. It’s who he quotes at the top of his “group” which to me is an amusing conversation in and of itself.

George Elliot was prolific writer of the Victorian era. Only George was not a George, that is to say he was a she. Mary Ann Evans. George Elliot was her pen name or pseudonym. She was a writer and poet. Creator of 7 famous novels : Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, Felix Holt, The Radical, Middlemarch ,and Daniel Deronda. A lot of these books have been movies or PBS series.

She was born on the estate where her father worked as a miller. She was born Mary Ann Evans but wrote as George Elliot? Was that merely because in Victorian times it was unseemly for a woman to be a writer?

Before she became a writer, amusingly Evans/Elliot was the editor of what was then a radical left wing periodical called the Westminster Review, which existed to promote political and social reform. She was born the same year as Queen Victoria, so this was definitely not the era of women of independent thought.

Now here’s why I find it interesting other than this school board candidate is quoting a Victorian author who was a woman but masqueraded under a male pseudonym. Evans/Elliot also did not adhere to the rules of the day with acceptable relationships.

Evans/Elliot actually created scandal in the accepted mores of society. Her first relationship was with a guy who contributed to that Westminster Journal named George Lewes. Mr. Lewes was in an open marriage with a woman named Agnes Jervis. It was Victorian England so open marriages? Most definitely NOT a thing. Lewes was not divorced and could not get a divorce because although he and wifey on paper hadn’t lived together for years, he condoned her adultery after a sense because he allowed all of her illegitimate children to have his name and have their birth certificates all have his name, not the actual baby daddy’s name.

Following? Ok so messy non-divorce means that Evans/Elliot lived in sin with Lewes until he died.

Evans/Elliot was a fascinating writer. She called out anti-semitism before it was talked about for example. That was evident in her novel Daniel Deronda. But she was a writer who hid her true self from the public at large because society would not have approved or accepted her truth, would they?

So is this why this political candidate for school board seemingly hides who he is? Perhaps he is not even what his Stepford Wives for Totalitarianism fan base thinks he is?

Color me amused that this guy quotes George Elliot. Because if you follow the pretzel logic of these people, one would expect that her books would be on a banned list and her lifestyle and life would not fit their narrative.

Truthfully I am not sure George Elliot books are in public school libraries any longer. By the time I hit high school she was mostly taught in private schools, and if George Elliot were alive today you would probably find her writing about topics that are part of why banned book lists are popular with certain segments of society, right? So yup, a politician pandering to extremist groups who represent some of the worst theories of bigotry and hatred is quoting George Elliot, a dead Victorian author who was a woman named Mary Ann Evans who lived a lifestyle they would not approve of along with her belief system and writing subject matter.

Food for thought. Food for thought.

christmas vandals.

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Truly, I have limited words for people who vandalize a Church at Christmas. I am not going to delve into armchair psychology of why this happened, it’s just that it happened, period.

This is yet another thing about current society that makes me truly sad. This is horrible, and wrong. This happened at St. Joseph’s in Downingtown.

From the church:

Father Leva’s statement:

Dear Parishioners,

As you arrive for Mass today, you will see that the statues around the church were vandalized overnight. St. Anthony, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Lourdes and the Holy Family Statue all suffered damage. Police have already been on-site and we are confident in their investigation.

Please keep the persons responsible for this vandalism in your prayers. We ask that God touch their hearts. For ourselves, we take a moment to thank God for the opportunity to practice forgiveness. His mercy is unending and as Christians, we are called to forgive as He forgives.

I am especially grateful that the Nativity was not harmed. Even in our cynical world, the miracle of the Nativity remains untouched.

In Christ,

Fr. Steve Leva

Surely, we can do better than this? Here’s hoping some local stone masons donate their skills to righting this wrong.

there is right and there is wrong. this is wrong. time to say “enough already”

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NO. This is WRONG. Hassling a small business over their policies is wrong. It’s not OUR business it’s THEIR business and when we enter THEIR business we are a GUEST.

If we don’t like their policies, and that includes businesses which never required masks or encouraged people to take them off, we don’t patronize them we quietly go elsewhere but we don’t try to ruin them because they feel masks are still prudent.

People like to talk a good game about supporting small town America and her businesses, so trying to DESTROY a business over their mask policy which is within their rights is wrong.

I am not a rock climber, so I don’t patronize Downingtown Rock Gym personally, but I respect their right to try to do what is best for their business, their employees, and their patrons. If you are a climber and a rational human being, I encourage you to support their business.

Our forefathers granted us freedoms and fought and bled and died for them so we had the freedom of choice among other things. And freedom of choice does not mean destroying a business because you disagree with their masking policy, it means just going someplace else.

And I have been told this person has family members with businesses in Downingtown and is that correct? How would this person feel if people started posting about those businesses in this manner? It would be wrong too, so not encouraging that AT ALL, but asking HOW it would make them feel?

COVID19 has been long enough and terrible enough for all of us, no matter what you feel about masking and shots, and some of the people who have felt this the hardest are small business owners.

We need to respect small business owners and what they choose to do with masks versus no masks until COVID19 is but a nasty memory.

Business shaming over mask requirements is wrong. Plain and simple.

Enough already.

#supportlocal

when will hate have no home in chester county?

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So if it is not making a scene at school board meetings over masks, shots, book lists and whatever else, these people are also all about hassling local businesses? Really?

I thought I had run out of Welcome to Crazier Town posts, but no, no apparently not.

A slightly related aside before I dive in.

Historically, the Republican party was about supporting, not destroying business. But enter the age of Trumpublicanism. All of a sudden, January 6th, 2021 as per the G.O.P. otherwise known as the attack on the US Capitol, which left people dead and injured as well as terrified, was “legitimate political discourse.”

Take Trumpublican politics to the new heights of groups defending “freedom” and “patriotism” where THEIR rights supersede everyone else’s. They have inalienable rights, ours do not matter. It’s their constitution, not anyone else’s.

You go against them and you are vile and horrible. Everyone who disagrees with them are terrible people. Just ask me I get comments ALL of the time. And yes, these are the people that made me decide once again that leaving the Republican party after being a Republican since I was old enough to vote was the right decision. I am not overly liberal. I would be what you call fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I am in truth, a moderate. Of course, that doesn’t matter in this post, it’s just part of my thought process.

So enter groups like Stepford Wives for Totalitarianism (and their man-servants.) They are the avenging angels (in their little minds) of truth, justice, and the American way. They are the avenging whatever the hell they think they are of saving us all from whatever their pea brains think up that week. Except they aren’t saving any of us, they are just trying to control how everyone else thinks. They are bullies. When we were in middle school they were taking over lunch tables and calling you out for fights behind the gym. It appears they haven’t evolved much. Hence, why they are the future handmaids of the totalitarianism point of view.

to·tal·i·tar·i·an·ism

/tōˌtaləˈterēəˌnizəm/

noun — a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.”democratic countries were fighting against totalitarianism”

What is another term for totalitarianism?

(also tsarism or tzarism), despotism, dictatorship, totalism, tyranny.

Synonyms for totalitarianism

absolutism, autarchy, authoritarianism, autocracy, Caesarism, czarism (also tsarism or tzarism), despotism, dictatorship, totalism, tyranny
Words Related to totalitarianism

monarchism, monarchy, monocracy
Big Brother, Big Brotherism, Communism, fascism, Nazism
domination, oppression

So yea. That. Wearing his Trump shirt proudly (which is his right), this guy goes and hassles a small business employee over their masking policies (which is not his right.) The Downingtown Rock Gym. With his little kids in tow. Yes the video is grainy. Took it off of social media.

But this is wrong. Small businesses have had it hard enough since BEFORE COVID-19 hit, and this is this guy’s town and this is how he supports local businesses? By harassing employees doing their jobs?

So what if say, people went to another local Downingtown business like Creekside Antiques Downingtown on the Brandywine and did a similar thing? What if they went in and said they were horrible people that didn’t care about their community because no one has to wear masks? Do you think that would be right? I don’t.

Why am I choosing this other store (which I love, by the way)? Because that is a store that I know does NOT require masks to enter, so again what if someone was upset by that and went in and harassed their front desk and took a video and posted it? After all they went through getting reopened after Hurricane Ida wouldn’t you think that was awful? I would. Just like I think it was awful for that guy to do that to the front desk guy at Downingtown Rock Gym.

Look if you don’t like the business policy on masking or anything else, you DO NOT, I repeat, you DO NOT have to go inside. But right now whether it is WEAR a mask or DON’T WEAR a mask, that is up to the business, it is not up to the rest of us. They are doing what they feel is best for their customers, employees, and business.

That grainy video is a HORRIBLE example of how to treat ANY small business during this time. First we all had lockdown, and all of these small businesses had to close for a while. Then they had to get creative opening up and adjusting like the rest of us to the new normal. And they had to try to pay their rent, mortgage, employees, and survive. Now we are in the in between where some things are masks required (hospitals, medical offices as two examples), some things will be masks for a little while longer (schools), and then there are small businesses who have to do what THEY feel is best for their business, employees, customers.

DO NOT TARGET a small business because you don’t want to wear a mask. CHOOSE another business you are more comfortable with.

Personally, I know how hard the pandemic has been on businesses like this rock gym, so I APPLAUD them for the courage of their convictions. It is EASY to do NOTHING, it takes COURAGE to act in what you feel is the best direction for your employees, your customers, your business.

I am also appalled that a grown man took his small children to watch him essentially yell at this poor employee of the Downingtown Rock Gym. To each their own on parenting, but I also kind of think that was mean to the kids.

We can’t even say Hate Has No Home Right now because I feel (right or wrong) that this world is so crazy, we can’t say it. That makes me sad.

For the love of anything you believe that is holy, people, just stop this crap. Respect the decisions of these small businesses. If you don’t agree with them, go someplace more to your comfort level. But if they want us to wear a mask for a little while longer, so what? Masks aren’t forever, even if they are for now.

norfolk southern please do something

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That is a very grainy photo that was sent to me today it shows a person up on that trestle bridge in Downingtown. Consider this a follow up to yesterday’s post about Norfolk Southern’s essentially abandoned property.

This is dangerous, crumbling, and could become an adaptive reuse and at a minimum have public access removed until such time they decide.

It kind of makes you wonder why the media isn’t covering this doesn’t it?

Having lived in communities that have “orphaned“ railroad bridges, railroad tunnels, railroad trestles I know there is a process. Which is probably why although everyone has heard talk of making this part of a bike trail and made safe nothing has happened. Norfolk Southern has to sign off on it, possibly deed it to the county, state, or whomever.

However getting anything to happen can take years. And a life was almost lost the other day which is why the petition started. We don’t have more years to waste on this.

https://www.change.org/p/do-something-abouttrestle-bridge

Everyone is afraid to talk about this location because they’re afraid more people will be drawn to it who have thoughts of suicide. But I think we have to draw attention to it because if we don’t nothing will happen and no change will occur.

As I said to someone today the issue of this bridge draws attention to the fact that Chester County is about to be in a true mental health crisis if it isn’t already with Brandywine Hospital being closed by Tower Health January 31. It was the only mental health facility outside of Philadelphia. I really don’t understand what Tower Health has done with all their money number one, and number two they got a lot of cares act money how did they spend it? Why couldn’t the state help Chester County keep at least Brandywine Hospital open?

The other thing about drawing attention to this dangerous and crumbling trestle bridge is it IS dangerous and Norfolk Southern is culpable. It IS a suicide bridge and not talking about it won’t make it better or go away. It simply means that more families will suffer the tragedy of suicide from this location and do we wish that on any human being? I certainly do not.

So let’s make this bridge a big public issue. The more we can talk about it the more it helps our elected officials draw attention to it and the need to solve a problem here immediately not a few years from now if at all.

I am asking my readers if you have photos of this bridge especially with people up on it please send them to me. We need to make this public. I am also asking for all of you to take the time to not only contact your elected officials but contact Norfolk Southern and CC your elected officials and even media contacts if you have them.

social.media@nscorp.com

alan.shaw@nscorp.com

media.relations@nscorp.com

ATLNOCSID@nscorp.com

alan.shaw@exchange.nscorp.com

You can also contact Norfolk Southern through their social media page on Facebook and they also have Twitter of not more.

They could pay to make the safe, they could pay to secure it until the plan is agreed-upon for a trail or whatever, basically they have the money to make this right. So it all should not come out of the taxpayer monies of Chester County residents.

We can’t afford to monkey around with this, even if we don’t live in Downingtown. and no matter what our political persuasion addressing this issue is something that is just a good thing to do, it’s for the community, it will help families, we can come together shortly and put our differences aside over this I would hope. It’s very core at a minimum it’s a public health, safety and welfare issue.

So Norfolk Southern, come on now, we know you know, it’s time to act. Stop the jumping off #suicidebridge starting with securing the location to keep people off, followed by making this something #SAFE and more #POSITIVE .

Stay warm today readers and thanks for stopping by.

#suicideprevention #talkaboutit #fixthebridge

norfolk southern needs to realize there are things we can change to make things better. (petition link attached)

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We’ve all been under this railroad trestle if we live in Chester County. It’s is the one over 322. It’s a smidge west of Bradford Avenue in Downingtown. It’s a suicide bridge. It’s tall, dangerous, rotting, and owned by Norfolk Southern. (see neat photo array here: https://thesilentcamera.com/blog/2013/03/10/downingtowns-trestle-bridge// )

I thought it was supposed to become part of a trail. But I am guessing time, politics, COVID and money have put a lot of things like this on hold. The irony is Norfolk Southern makes LOTS of money. Surely they could donate this money to turn it into a trail? No I am not nuts, in the 3rd quarter of 2021 alone they reported a significant increase in revenue.

Now this is a historic trestle. It was built in the early 20th century – around 1903 I think. The Downingtown Historical Society has a page on their website devoted to the history complete with photos – really interesting. The Library of Congress designates it as a historic resource. But it’s just trouble waiting to happen to me. It hasn’t been used since the late 1980s.

It’s dangerous. Crap falls off it like a Philadelphia highway bridge, and it is a suicide place. Life is precious. We need more mental health resources, which is why Brandywine Hospital closing in 10 days is so devastating for our county. But this bridge? Norfolk Southern needs to step up and help be part of a solution.

Why this post? Something that stopped me in my proverbial tracks today on NextDoor:

Here is the petition: https://www.change.org/p/do-something-abouttrestle-bridge

Here is the narrative from the petition:

On May 24, 2021, we lost another young member of our community to suicide. This abandoned bridge presents a dangerous opportunity for our children in crisis. Ever since I moved to West Bradford township, I’ve driven under the Trestle Bridge and think about my own kids going up there to explore when they get older. There have now been two suicides and several attempts that I know of. Locals tell me there are many more that weren’t reported in the media.

This bridge is DANGEROUS. My husband grew up in West Bradford and tells me stories of kids (including himself) going up there all the time. I’ve spoken with local teens who have confirmed that it is still a place they visit, and they regularly document it on social media. 

We cannot sit by and allow this bridge to decay any further. The netting underneath has collected a large amount of debris and heavy rocks. I’m afraid someone driving underneath the bridge after a heavy rainstorm will be its next victim. 

Trestle Bridge either needs to be removed entirely or updated and used as a routinely monitored space in our community. One option that has been discussed in the past is a bike trail. Adding a bike path with high rails and security cameras will make Trestle Bridge a safer place.

While we can’t always prevent how a person ends their life, the community of Downingtown does not want history to continually repeat itself. It’s been trending on Google how to access the bridge due the the most recent tragedy. Trestle Bridge can no longer be a tempting and dangerous place for our children…….

JAN 21, 2022 — 

Dear Community Members,

I’ve spoken with two local officials now and they have assured me that acquiring the bridge and creating a bike trail is the plan. I am not going to give up on this until we get something in writing. Norfolk Southern owns the bridge and ultimately needs to sign off. If you have a personal experience that documents the danger of Trestle Bridge, please email me your story at

msmonahan1@gmail.oom

Keep sharing the petition please. Our community has spoken and we are being heard! 

Caitlin Reinert 

May 24, 2021. I wrote about that tragic teen suicide. And it is not the only one from that location. There have been too many. There should not be access to this thing except for when railroad personnel need to get up there. And again, not active, but Norfolk Southern has responsibility for it. Is it technically orphaned when you know who owns it? When it comes to railroad bridges and trestle that seems to be a constant query.

Here is a video from 2012:

OI think signing the petition is a great idea. I also think contacting Norfolk Southern is another great idea. They have a media relations email: media.relations@nscorp.com and I found this one too:  ATLNOCSID@nscorp.com and webmaster@nscorp.com .

They have a new CEO come May. He is currently President. I do not know if this email works but I found:

If they made this part of a trail with proper safety precautions, that would be terrific. But at a minimum, Norfolk Southern needs to cut public access off. They can at least do that. Their executives make buckets of money. The company is profitable even when they whine.

Railroads in general climb on my nerves. They make money, we need them. But needing them doesn’t mean we should put up with all of their orphaned and obsolete trestles, bridges, buildings and whatever other UNSAFE structures exist as ghostly reminders of their past and history from coast to coast.

I commend Caitlin whom I do not know, for trying to do something positive and proactive. So now let’s try to see what can happen. Sign the petition, contact Norfolk Southern and also contact elected officials additionally for better mental health resources and even school boards for better services for kids.

But for the Grace of God go we.

Photo courtesy of rlsycle on Fickr

jackass season has returned to chester county

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Jackass season has returned to Chester County. I thought today’s jackass award was going to go to an award winning anti masker champion from the West Chester area of QAnon school board candidates in West Chester when she surfaced in NextDoor complaining about the misuse of taxpayer dollars on COVID testing and talking about all the Delco COVID testing sites and none in Chester County. (Umm yeah, doesn’t like masks but whines about tests?)

But no, another jackass far surpassed her. Right outta Downingtown we have a real Mensa candidate:

I am sure they will be crushed that they are blocked. We’ll call him “Brandon”. And “Brandon” quite simply put: I don’t subscribe to your brand of bullsheit. Mar A Lago is looking for chamber maids and bus boys, so why not move? And if I am such a deplorable surely you have a good comic book you can dig into? No one makes you read this blog.

Today’s super fan is of that ilk still posting offensive sheit including the OTHERS you see keeping up their January 6th, 2020 posts like a badge of honor (or dishonor?) Tomorrow is that somber anniversary. What happened a year ago tomorrow was terrifying, and some days it is like we are in the midst of another Civil War in this country that doesn’t have specific borders like North vs. South. It’s like an insidious disease more deadly that the COVID-19 virus.

Also sad? That one of the people charged/sentenced in the attack on the Capitol January 6, 2021 was an 81 year old US Army veteran from West Chester PA. Yep literally someone’s grandpa.

What has happened to this country is sad and disgraceful. The crap still going on in our own area is equally so.

Oh and all threats are reported. And yes, law enforcement watches this blog. A fact, not fiction.

Thanks for stopping by.