Tag Archives: west chester

chester county has sadly lost one of our last remaining print reporters

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Michael Rellahan, Facebook photo

Michael Rellahan has passed away.

I have no details, it happened I think at the end of last week. He was in his late 60s. 67 or 68 would be a guess. He came to work for The Daily Local in West Chester, PA in 1982, and he would have just celebrated 43 years with the paper.

Let that sink in: 43 years.

How many print reporters can say that today?

He and I were definitely not friends, more like oil and water. He did not care for me, probably because there will always be old school print reporters who just don’t like those who have only been bloggers. Or it could simply be I am outspoken and an acquired taste.

While some might find it odd for me to write anything, I am saying something out of respect for his craft. He could write. And old school newspaper guys? They are a dying breed as hedge funds etc. continue to gobble up our papers. Newspaper reporting is an art form. I know my dearly departed friend of some years, Tom Murray, whose last job was editor at The Daily Local for a while, respected Rellahan’s abilities. He told me and I remember.

Rellahan brought the stories of Chester County, in particular the courts, to life for us for decades. Court reporting is not fun, I know and have known a few court reporters for print and broadcast and it’s hard work. It’s multiple personalities and egos commingled with hard, horrible, and heartbreaking aspects every single day.

I did really like and dug into quite a few of his stories over the years. He told what a long ago English teacher would have called “word stories.” You could definitely tell when a topic interested him in the courts.

A reporter can’t color crime and justice. A reporter is not a blogger, who may like myself write, but hey opinion is part of the blogging equation. It’s just not necessarily something that old school newspaper guys will appreciate.

I found out he was gone a couple of hours ago when all of sudden a few people messaged me. I was told it was verified by folks in West Chester? I was also told nothing nefarious, just sadly his time.

Rellahan was literally a veteran reporter, one of the very few voices we had left at our local paper The Daily Local. His last article by my count was October 22nd.

Chester County pharmacy fined, put on probation by state
Possibly his last article?

I know nothing about his life other than the stories he wrote, but from his own Facebook profile, he was originally from the Cincinnati, OH area and went to Earlham College in Indiana. That was a Quaker oriented institution as per his old blogger profile. He came to this area (he wrote) three years after graduating college. So that would have made him graduating college around 1979 and high school around 1975 I guess right?

https://www.blogger.com/profile/14702729717291479649

He also went to a rather prestigious public high school in Cincinnati called Walnut Hills High School.

Apparently he was a columnist before he was the courts/crime guy. I found some good stuff on his old blogger site:

https://michaelpcolumns.blogspot.com/?m=1

http://michaelrellahancolumns.blogspot.com/?m=1

https://michaelrellahancolumns.blogspot.com/?m=0

As per his own musings he was a columnist until 2007, and after that point he went back to being a reporter. I wonder which he preferred?

Also according to that old blogger account, he liked Dylan, The Beatles, and Wilco. He liked the great outdoors

Here are his article links on Muck Rack:

https://muckrack.com/chescocourtnews/articles

Anyway, that’s all I have got. I am honestly sorry he’s gone as I know he leaves friends and family behind who will miss him and cared for and loved him. If somewhere they post funeral information or a formal obituary, I will of course share it.

Rellahan was an old school newspaper guy. There aren’t enough of those left. Again, he wasn’t someone I knew personally, but I will miss his articles. On Muck Rack they list 8900 articles. That is a body of work one has to respect.

Life is short. Live it well.

Pax

the system is broken and pennsylvania kids deserve better.

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https://www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio/news/local/west-chester-couple-charged-neglect-malnourished-son

The news broke recently about this West Chester couple who have been charged with abusing their own flesh and blood to the point that I’m sure this kid has a long road ahead of him to even be healthy, physically, and may never be healthy mentally because of what he has endured, correct? The parents’ names are Leticia and Mark Cox and they are from West Chester.

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/parents-charged-teen-malnourished-dental-decay-chester-county/4286366/

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/westchester/amp/33090207/chesco-parents-severely-neglected-emaciated-son-near-fatality-da

Parents of Chester County youth headed for trial in malnutrition case

It reminded me of Malinda Hoagland’a case. Only it didn’t take as long for authorities to act and the 16 year old is still alive.

At 16 years of age boys are what? Looking to get their driver’s licenses? Maybe going to a school formal? Dating? Hanging with friends? Playing sports? Playing video games? What did this boy have?

Media reports and an obituary indicate that there are older siblings? People on Facebook said the husband coached little league? If the parents are 59 and this kid is 16, the mother was 43 when she had him? That means the siblings are slightly older? How did they not know what was happening or that it was so wrong? How did everyone turn their heads on this if true?

I also have questions about the common denominator to another tragedy also in Chester County. The Malinda Hoagland case.

Why? Slow Child Line action and homeschooling, perhaps? Is homeschooling now the ideal way to hide abuse in not only Chester County but Pennsylvania?

Ok so we have another system failure in my opinion in Chester County. Chester County officials are busy hiring executive types (COO, CEO, CFO etc) so where are the actual people who do the work?

I would never ever know how overwhelmed county level children and youth departments can be if I had not known someone once upon a time who was a children and youth social worker in Montgomery County. She lasted a decade before she couldn’t take it anymore. And I will never forget her stories of what her days were like. She reveled in the small victories she would get on behalf of kids who were her cases, be torn in half by most of it. The brutal realities of child abuse and an often cumbersome system and that? That was the late 80s and early 90s and judging from all of the media reports year after year, it hasn’t improved in Pennsylvania, let alone Southeastern PA.

Here is the verbiage of the press release from the Chester County District Attorney’s Facebook page:

NEWS RELEASE: JUDGE UPHOLDS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST WEST CHESTER COUPLE CHARGED WITH FAILING TO PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE TO A CHILD VICTIM

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office, the West Chester Borough Police Department, and the Chester County Detectives jointly announce the arrest of Leticia Cox, 59, and Mark Cox Sr., 59, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, for neglecting to provide basic care to a child.

Letitia Cox, the child’s mother, is charged with Aggravated Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, Recklessly Endangering Another Person and Tampering with Evidence. Mark Cox, the child’s father, is charged with Endangering the Welfare of Children and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. After a multi-hour preliminary hearing earlier today, Judge Lieberman bound all charges for both defendants over to the Court of Common Pleas. This means that the case will proceed forward and will later be assigned to a Chester County Court of Common Pleas Judge in the near future.

The criminal complaints (the Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty) filed by law enforcement indicate that on April 15, 2025, a ChildLine report was made indicating that a child was severely underweight, malnourished, and had severe dental decay. The 16-year-old male victim was brought into a local healthcare office on April 15, 2025, for a routine physical and noted to be visibly emaciated and dehydrated. He was 5’4” tall, weighed approximately 74.8 pounds, noted to have sunken eyes and was nervous and reluctant. Defendant Leticia Cox brought the child to the appointment and informed the staff that she wanted to reestablish medical care for the child.

On April 16, 2025, after being urged by law enforcement and child protective services to get the child immediate medical care, Mark Cox, Sr. took the child to Chester County Hospital. The child was transferred and admitted to the Nemours Children’s Hospital, where doctors certified his condition as a near fatality.

Though the investigation revealed that the child was covered by medical insurance, investigators have not found any evidence indicating that the child victim was ever seen by a doctor or dentist prior to the visit on April 15, 2025. Phone records revealed that both Defendants were aware, to varying degrees, of the deteriorating condition of the child victim, but they neglected to seek any legitimate medical care for the child. Investigation further established that the child victim was homeschooled and had little to no in-person contact with adults outside the family.

Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe stated, “Unlike many people who struggle to provide for their children, these Defendants had every resource available to them. Instead of seeking medical care, ignored their legal and moral responsibilities and prolonged this child’s suffering until he was on the brink of death.”

West Chester Borough Police Department Police Chief Joshua Lee stated, “The West Chester Police Department fully supports the investigation led by County Detectives and recognizes that protecting our most vulnerable, especially our children, is everybody’s duty and obligation.”

The Chester County Detectives led the investigation and received assistance from the West Chester Borough Police Department. First Assistant District Attorney Erin O’Brien is the assigned prosecutor. As a reminder, if you have concerns about the safety of a child, say something. Call 911 and call Childline at 1-800-932-0313.

West Chester Borough Police Department

CpDocketSheet (1).pdfDownload
CpDocketSheet (2).pdfDownload

Click on the dockets above, read what the Chester County District Attorney said. How did no one else notice or seem to care, even in the case of their OTHER children who may or may not be mostly legally adults?

The family is not some poor backwoods family if you check out the real estate records alone are they?

And it all goes back to homeschooling in part being the perfect way to hide in plain sight doesn’t it?

Where are the checks and balances?

I think that homeschool kids and their parents should be subject to on-site visits don’t you? Physical brick and mortar schools and academic institutions have standards or all sorts, so how do people really know it’s all ok with homeschooling?

I am NOT saying homeschooling shouldn’t be allowed. Not in the least, but I am saying the system needs serious help. At the state level and county level, no excuses, no political BS.

Do we really want to live in a world where child abusers hide in homeschooling?

Kids deserve better. So do we as residents.

asked and answered: former prothonotary debbie bookman was charged by pa ag

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Saw this from Facebook in May- Public Post

The other day, I asked the following:

Dumb question but election season means whatever happened to Debbie Bookman the former prothonotary? She resigned under a cloud, and I will note unfriended me on Facebook sometime when that happened which kind of made me laugh, but then we’ve heard nothing haven’t we? Are the Democrats burying this? Or is there some kind of investigation going on that they can’t talk about but maybe they want to say that there is an active or not active case?

Now maybe when that cloud broke, she simply exited Facebook, that would also make sense. Don’t know. All I do know is I voted for that woman so when the news broke in October, 2024 I was gob smacked and as a voter felt in a sense, betrayed.

Don’t know where that person went. So this was who I thought she was:

Here she is in a Melton Center video from 4 years ago:

Then this from a year ago with something sone by the Chester County Community Foundation:

And something State Senator Carolyn Comitta put out after visiting CYWA in Coatesville:

Then came the headline no one expected, let alone people who voted for her in October, 2024:

Chester County official under investigation by financial watchdog resigns, citing personal reasons

EXCERPT:

WEST CHESTER — Debbie Bookman, who made history in 2019 by becoming the first Democrat to be elected prothonotary in Chester County and then by winning a second term in 2023, has abruptly resigned from her position, citing personal reasons.

“It has been one of my greatest honors to serve the public as your prothonotary,” Bookman said in a statement sent to the MediaNews Group on Thursday evening. “However, this year has been extremely difficult for me on a personal level and I honestly can no longer give my best to this position.”….Her decision, however, comes in the wake of an investigation by the county Controller’s Office — the county’s elected financial watchdog —  into financial irregularities in the Prothonotary’s Office. Bookman alluded to those matters in her statement. She acknowledged that she had made purchases of a personal nature using the credit card issued to the office for official business.

Then came this article:

Controller referred prothonotary case to Chester County D.A. in August, statement says

EXCERPT:

WEST CHESTER — The Chester County chief financial watchdog confirmed on Tuesday that her office had some months ago referred the matter involving potential misuse of a county credit card by the former county prothonotary to the District Attorney’s Office.

Controller Margaret Reif said in an email that she had sent word of her office’s investigation to the D.A. in late August after she had uncovered potential wrongdoing by Debbie Bookman, who was in her second term as the elected official responsible for civil court case documents and filings.

“As required by county code, our office is obligated to report any potential instances of fraud to the District Attorney’s office,” Reif wrote. “In compliance with this requirement, we reported the personal use of county credit cards to the District Attorney’s office on August 28th.

Then this appeared in the spring of this year:

Chester County officials mistakenly leave prothonotary off primary ballot
Error in Chester County keeps prothonotary off primary ballot

EXCERPT:

WEST CHESTER — An error by officials inside Chester County government has resulted in the now vacant office of county prothonotary being left off the ballot in the May primary election, leaving the county’s political parties without candidates who would go before the voters until November.

The mistake was discovered Wednesday and reported by commissioners’ Chairman Josh Maxwell to the media that day, as well as by the commissioners and their staff to the county’s two main political party leaders.

One of the county’s so-called “row offices,” the prothonotary is in charge of overseeing the filings for civil and family court cases. It has been vacant since October, when Debbie Bookman, who had held the office since 2020, resigned after it was discovered that she used a county credit card for personal expenses.

Of course this whole thing was described in the media as a “good faith mistake” by the Chester County CEO, and at the time Charlotte Valyo, head of Chester County Democrats (still and oh grandma please, but I digress) I do not recall commenting at all.

But until this morning all that has been heard about Debbie Bookman is motivational speaking stuff. Yes there is a website:

https://leadingfromtheinside.life/about-me

https://leadingfromtheinside.life/gallery

https://leadingfromtheinside.life

Yeah ok, I bet she is good at that. No digs, truly.

But hey now some watchdog lovelies from Coatesville sent me news through someone I know this morning that answers (for now) the question of what happened with the whole exiting the prothonotary’s office of it all last October and wowza:

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Deborah Bookman Aug 2025Download

Well damn, BOOM there it is. The PA Attorney General has charged her. Her formal arraignment is September 18, 2025 unless it moves. I do not see an attorney listed yet as of this morning.

She seems to be facing 1 charge:

M2 04/21/2023 1 1 18 § 4113 §§ A Misapply Entrusted/Govt/Fin Inst Prop

Original Offense Date: 04/21/2023 K 1013764-3

What really and truly blows my mind is this started in 2023.

Bet that anonymous poster who posted in some random Facebook groups will be posting again soon… and yeah before the incorrect rumor mill starts, not my posts don’t know who posted, don’t care.

But now there is an update.

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/CpDocketSheet?docketNumber=CP-15-CR-0002608-2025&dnh=%2BQdfoAz%2BYmDnv1%2BnCRWdTA%3D%3D

(Hey traditional media? You are very welcome! And it’s now your story to flesh out. This was just a dusty curtain raiser.)

End screenshot is from Rep. Pielli. Wonder what he will be thinking now? Not being snarky, as I just can’t believe all of this myself, yet here we are, right? And you have to wonder if Chester County Democrats will be holding onto county row? Time will tell.

police back at krebs house in east whiteland this afternoon

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So we still don’t know really why, but law-enforcement had a play date at the Kreb’s house in East Whiteland again today on Conestoga Road. I have been told that today’s visit were the Chester County Detectives.

We first noticed earlier this afternoon this notice on East Whiteland‘s Facebook page:

Then this showed up as an update:

6ABC was out at the scene and I caught it on the 5 PM news. I don’t know if anyone else is covering this or not so I know residents are grateful for 6 ABC being there. more importantly residents are very grateful in East Whiteland for law enforcement and their handling of this. It has been a little unsettling for residents near that house, which is understandable.

Kevin Krebs has TWO separate court dates coming up.

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/MdjDocketSheet?docketNumber=MJ-15401-CR-0000163-2025&dnh=V9anssomRR3EPv2Ei3Sddg%3D%3D

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/Report/MdjDocketSheet?docketNumber=MJ-15104-CR-0000125-2025&dnh=8noIvGulk6ZZlDUl5i5umA%3D%3D

I still haven’t seen anything posted to state whether or not Mr. Krebs will be facing Federal charges as well since the media reports also report the involvement of Federal law-enforcement agencies.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more media on this. And when I listened to the 6ABC reporter, I was somewhat gob smacked at the number of guns that the family turned in to law-enforcement that belonged to this man.

Also a related issue is I am sure we would all like to know why West Chester Borough Councilmen Bernie Flynn and Brian McGinnis allowed the Mayor of Downingtown to speak at a June meeting, but did not allow West Goshen Sunshine to ask a couple of simple questions?

West Goshen Sunshine attended this public meeting and got up and tried to speak at public comment to inquire as to the timeline of events at the No Kings Rally. She was interested in when Mr. Krebs was detained and arrested, and where that was in the whole scheme of the event that day. She also wondered when elected officials and event organizers were told about this?

Allow me to quote her:

The irony is hard to ignore: in the same town that held a “No Kings” rally, I was silenced at the Borough of West Chester meeting last night. Councilmen Bernie Flynn and Brian McGinnis have clearly crowned themselves gatekeepers of free speech–deciding who gets to speak and who doesn’t. That’s not leadership. That’s arrogance.

Fortunately, not every official in West Chester in as bombastic as Flynn and McGinnis.

https://www.dailylocal.com/2025/06/18/mayor-council-thank-police-for-response-at-no-kings-rally/ West Chester Borough Police Department

Edit Council member Nicole Scimone tried to let me speak but was drowned out by Flynn and McGinnis even though she was presiding over the meeting. Thanks for trying Nicole Scimone!

West Goshen Sunshine is well spoken and polite. I am appalled, but not necessarily surprised by the behavior of these two gentlemen in West Chester Borough.

I am not some Luddite, and I understand there are certain things the public are not going to be privy to at this stage of an investigation, and the same goes for West Goshen Sunshine. However, lots of people want to know what the timeline is for notification concerning this incident. Let’s face it if someone hadn’t blown up the original social media video so that we all saw it , how long would it have been before we knew this incident even happened?

I have felt since this happened that politics, not necessarily law enforcement tried to keep a lid on this.

Now to me, it would’ve made sense that the event organizers wanted everything to remain calm that day, because face it if lots and lots of people there on that day had known they just arrested a man with weapons it might have been chaos. And law enforcement did a tremendous job in a huge crowd.

However, I also wonder if politics kept this from getting out until that social media video from TikTok or whatever was released everywhere so we all saw it? And along those lines until people like myself and others started publicly thanking law enforcement, it seems like a lot of politicians weren’t.

Law enforcement has been amazing through this.

Anyway, if you listen to the media reports, it looks like there was at least one more weapon seized today and computers and who knows what else. People are still asking questions like was Krebs egged on by some group or something like that or did he always act alone on his own?

This has been a sad and scary situation. I hope that as Krebs has been a guest of the county that he has perhaps been getting mental health treatment? Because anyway you slice it, what almost happened that day and what they found in his house after that is not the act of a rational human being.

we flood in part because water has no place to go.

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Phoenixville….yesterday

I really get tired of the simpletons who tell me I must not have lived here long and that certain places have flooded for decades. Yes, a lot of places have flooded for decades and does that make it OK and do these people ever look beyond the edge of their own noses to see what is all being built and developed around these flood locations that just make it worse?

West Chester

Development and climate change play a big part in our flooding during storms. And the developers develop these projects and they say they’re going to do stormwater management but is it ever enough?

And while Harrisburg and Josh Shapiro are trying to shove HB-502 down our throats, do they do anything ever proactive like enact and act of the State Constitution to overhaul the Municipalities Planning Code to protect us?

And what is HB-502?

As Ginny Kerslake explains after East Whiteland publicly objected to it:

Thank you East Whiteland Township for standing up for your residents and local government. We need every township to do likewise:

East Whiteland Township recently issued letters to local legislators opposing PA House Bill 502, which would strip local governments of the power to make land use and zoning decisions related to large scale energy production facilities—handing it instead to a politically appointed board in Harrisburg.

Local officials know our communities best. We use careful planning and resident input to protect our environment and quality of life. This bill threatens that balance and could open the door to unchecked development—even on preserved land.”

How can you help stop this bad bill?

✅ Urge your Township Supervisors to follow East Whiteland’s lead.
✅ Contact your State Rep and State Senator and urge them to vote NO on HB502. (Find your legislators: https://www.palegis.us/find-my-legislator).

So back to stormwater. These storms with freakish amounts of water keep happening and in part that’s climate change.

The flooding is increasing. There IS also a connection to development, and it doesn’t mean development right where the flooding occurred but adjacent to it. Water seeks its own level.

Development in adjacent areas, even the next community over can affect where we live. Radnor residents in Wayne have learned that lesson the hard way, for example. In part because of development in Radnor Township and then other things like Church of The Savior upstream along the Gulph Creek in Tredyffrin.

Yesterday was yet another example as to why mankind needs to change the way we do things. Overdevelopment and climate change are real. Together they cause us more and more issues.

where’s the beef, wego and wcasd?

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https://chester.crimewatchpa.com/wegopd/53548/post/rustin-high-school

So last week everybody finds out the guy who was the principal of Rustin resigned.

why is it buh byes principal at bayard rustin high school in the west chester area school district??

First, I felt like I was the only person that published anything and then all of a sudden it hit the media.

https://www.fox29.com/news/former-principal-chester-county-high-school-under-law-enforcement-investigation-district-says

https://www.inquirer.com/education/rustin-high-school-principal-michael-marano-west-chester-police-investigation-20241220.html

West Chester Area principal under police investigation after resigning last week

But since then, it’s kind of been crickets. At least from official channels. The school district isn’t talking and the police / DA aren’t talking.

And in the rest of the local world the rumors are flying fast and furious. So people probably just want to know I think what is fact and what is fiction.

And yes, people know that investigations take time but what did they think was going to happen when all of a sudden a principal up and resigns in a BIG school district and the district sends an email to parents essentially saying he’s out but don’t mind the police visiting the school?

Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police I have heard media have stopping in to visit and are being polite…. I don’t think there’s any way that their entire department can be on vacation so why didn’t they just direct them to this listing they slid up on Crime Watch ? and what does this listing they have up mean exactly? Are teachers or students at risk? or is that something to say but not necessarily true?

Also, how is whatever is going on affecting Marano’s wife? Doesn’t she work at East? And then there is the whole connection both Maranos have to Neumann University in Delco, right?

Whatever the case may be, I wonder how long West Chester Area School District and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the police can keep a lid on this before they have to talk about it?

What a crazy year 2024 has been.

why is it buh byes principal at bayard rustin high school in the west chester area school district??

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Well gang, here’s some breaking news right? Last time there was a Rustin explosion was circa 2012-2013 for coach touchy feely right?

So what did Marano do? Any takers? Police are involved?

Here is the verbiage of the message if the screenshot doesn’t look clear enough:

Dear Rustin High School Families,

As you may be aware, last Friday Dr. Michael Marano resigned as principal of Rustin High School.

Local law enforcement is involved and is on site today speaking with individual members of the Rustin school community. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and will share more
information when we are able.

We are aware that rumors may be circulating, and we recognize the concern this situation creates. We ask for your patience as we work through the investigation.

Our top priority is ensuring the safety of our school community. We take this situation with the utmost seriousness and appreciate your partnership.

Best regards, David Christopher
David Christopher, EdD I Superintendent
West Chester Area School District
782 Springdale Drive, Exton PA 19341
484-266-1018 1484-266-1175 (fax)

Here is Marano’s LinkedIn:

The internet is not teeming even with photos. Think he lives in Delco? Here are a couple of photos and he has been removed from Rustin directory already.

So what did he do?

west goshen adaptive reuse retail gem on pottstown pike: melangell antiques

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I have been writing about Melangell Antiques since they opened. They are located at 1133 Pottstown Pike, West Chester, PA 19380 in West Goshen Township.

This business is in an old estate hunting lodge. A rather famous one to local history buffs. Also known as “Wrangley Lodge”, in an amazing century-plus old Arts and Crafts style designed by Charles Barton Keen as part of the original Greystone Estate. This is special to me because one of my very close friends and honorary other mothers is his granddaughter.

And those who know me know I love a good adaptive reuse, and some of my favorite antique stores have been in restored old houses! (You know like another favorite business down in Chadds Ford, Brandywine View Antiques.)

Anyway, I stopped in this past weekend because I knew that the store had some strands of vintage mercury glass garland, which I use on my trees.

Once again, when I walked in the door, I marveled at the sheer beauty of the place. And it’s not just what the business owner sells, it’s the restoration. This place really has been transformed. It’s a beautiful serene space. The building glows inside and out. No not literally, it’s just a feeling you get when you go inside and it’s lovely.

And what I also realized this weekend is they’ve never been honored or commended publicly by West Goshen Township or any of those supervisors there for what they have done. This is an adaptive reuse business that works in a historic asset.

I guess West Goshen doesn’t do historic preservation awards? Do they even celebrate local small businesses or are they only about Target and Chick Fil A? I mean, I like both stores, but they need to celebrate their small businesses too.

I also decided to research the name. Melangell is Welsh and was the name of a Saint. That I already knew, but the rest of the history was fascinating. 

The name Melangell has its origins deeply rooted in Welsh culture and language. In Welsh, mel translates to dear, while angell relates to angel. Combining these elements, the name Melangell signifies Dear Angel. This name has a rich and intriguing history, closely tied to the story of Saint Melangell herself.

Saint Melangell was the patron saint of hares and rabbits. She was a Welsh hermit and abbess. She possibly lived in the 7th or 8th century, although the precise dates are uncertain. According to her hagiography, she was originally an Irish princess who fled an arranged marriage and became a consecrated virgin in the wilderness of the Kingdom of Powys.

According to legend, she was known for her devotion to nature and for providing sanctuary to a hunted hare (rabbit) , thus earning her saintly status. As time passed, the name Melangell became associated with this valiant, compassionate figure, and it found its place in Welsh folklore and traditions. The Shrine Church of Pennant Melangell is reported to be one of the most beautiful little churches in the UK.

Anyway, this store is filled with wonderful treasures if you’re looking for a gift or something for your home or something for the holidays. Art, antiques, and fun. The place is just simply beautiful and I think we can all use a little more beauty in our lives and they definitely have Christmas magic.



You can follow them on Instagram.

Their hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11 AM until 6 PM .

1133 Pottstown Pike, West Chester.

610-624-4577

west chester parking hell…there is even a you tube song

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Now I knew that West Chester Parking authority was bad enough that there are even Reddit threads about it. But I didn’t know that there was a song on YouTube until today.

So some parking attendant told someone to “take it up with Ramsey” the other day. I thought I’d send an email and help out. But all emails I sent the screenshots to apparently block email. Here’s whom I tried to email:

bmcginnis@west-chester.com

rreiner@west-chester.com

smetrick@west-chester.com

parkingdepartment@west-chester.com

So then I thought that this will instead make a great blog post. So here it is.

We all have heard or actually have stories of the parking authority in West Chester Borough. And of course, there is the favorite story of the prior director, when he left?

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/westchester/fired-west-chester-parking-director-charged-theft

Like that whole thing went on for so long it was one of the biggest untold stories in West Chester Borough. He got a smack on the wrist for his theft basically, in my opinion. 

Hello West Chester has written about the insanity. Cara is just more politically correct about it compared to me. I just think it’s bullshit and have for years.

West Chester’s New Parking Director Wants Consistancy and an End to “Shark Week”

Back to this new thread popped up in a Facebook group about someone having a serious problem with one of the parking attendants within the past few days.

I’m giving you all the screenshots, names redacted.

If there’s something wrong with their equipment, they need to deal with it. Obviously these borough employees also need to be taught how to properly and professionally and politely deal with the public. You know, basic manners.

Of course another interesting aspect of the story is the fact that the head of the parking authority or whatever they call it in West Chester used to be township manager in New Garden Township . Why would you go from being a township manager to take a job like this?

New Garden Township manager resigns

NEW GARDEN — The first woman township manager in New Garden unexpectedly resigned from her high-powered municipal leadership role over the summer.

Ramsey Reiner left the role of New Garden Township manager on Aug. 22. She was hired in April 2020 to fill that position during the height of the pandemic shutdown.

Still there are more changes ahead.

Chris Adamek, the New Garden zoning officer, is also departing from his leadership role with the municipality. His last day is Sept. 30. Adamek answers questions and addresses concerns regarding property zoning, code violations and building permits.

……As for why Reiner resigned, there are no answers available for the public at this juncture.

“That’s a personnel matter. That’s between the township and Ramsey. That’s not something that we can really comment on,” said William Christman, board and township solicitor, on Friday.

Christman said the Daily Local would need to file a Right To Know request to view the separation agreement signed by Reiner and approved by the board.

Christman said the township supervisors approved a resolution to appoint John Granger as interim manager following Reiner’s departure.

Granger recommended to the board that a forensic audit be conducted in New Garden.

Granger of course was the manager in West Vincent who was moonlighting in New Garden while manager there remember? Of course Granger also did that when he was working in Bucks County with Radnor Township didn’t he? And then left West Vincent?

But I digress.

I remember being in West Chester a few years ago with a friend who got a ticket although they literally still had time on the meter when we got back to their car. My friend tried to get a hold of someone to ask about the ticket and could never get anyone on the phone or via email so they ended up just paying the ticket. I still think that was wrong.

West Chester Borough is a strange beast at times, all while being such a charming town full of history. It just always seems like dealing with that borough depends on who you know doesn’t it?

Maybe it’s time for that to stop?

The parking authority in West Chester Borough never really changes, does it ?

I also don’t understand what’s going on with West Chester Borough email and why they would block a legitimate email address? But hey I tried.

When West Chester gets $1 million+ from parking violations annually—can the borough afford for drivers to follow the law?
West Chester Parking Authority Corruption

will chester county residents rise up to save the west chester growers market?

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As I posted yesterday, the West Chester Growers Market is once again at risk from a developer and West Chester Borough.

As I said yesterday, it’s literally like Groundhog Day.

it’s groundhog day in west chester borough

So there’s this developer who presented the same plan about developing affordable (“attainable”) housing to West Goshen like the day before they made a pitch to West Chester Borough.

And again in West Chester Borough, it’s a developer drooling after that Church Street lot where the West Chester Growers Market is. One of the longest standing and truly wonderful farmers markets in our region, and they’re threatening it again. What is it about the church street lot that makes every developer have to have it ?



Also interesting about this other than the fact that the in my opinion back door presentation was done the day before West Chester Borough in West Goshen. Very interesting that both municipalities share the same solicitor, right? That’s kind of a coincidence that really isn’t, isn’t it?

So yeah, this developer is shopping. This idea all over the place correct? Give them the land they’ll build you supposed affordable housing. I have a bridge I can sell you.

And I know the solicitor isn’t going to like my opinion because they haven’t liked my opinion for years, have they? But the one thing they can’t remove are our constitutional rights to have an opinion and ask questions, correct?

And they said West Chester Borough has to make a decision in four days? Four days for a life, altering decision for residents, and one of the oldest farmers markets in the area? Most reasonably intelligent elected officials would walk away from such a proposition, but who knows what will happen with the Borough of West Chester, because that place is perennially slightly shady about stuff, right?

This is not about truly building affordable housing. This is just another way for developers to get projects built.

Look no local government should be assisting a developer with financing, correct? In the end is this all just to support the developers and those developers support?

And  regarding the numbers of “needed” units, no one has asked them to produce the data that lead them to that number, have they?

If West Chester Borough or West Goshen really needs/wants “accessible housing” then apply for the state funding to do it . Or get a 3rd party 501c3, like SELF Inc. purchase an appropriate spot and create housing – same BS is happening in Montgomery County and Bucks too.

Supposedly, there are West Chester Borough Council meetings this week. Their website isn’t very good but I know this will be discussed, and people are entitled to public comment. People should check the agendas carefully because this is also something that would have had to have been properly advertised ahead of time, and have you seen it properly advertised anywhere? 

https://west-chester.com/

I will close this post with another snippet from the West Chester meeting this week. Listen and decide for yourselves. If I lived in West Chester Borough, I would get all my friends and neighbors at every public meeting this week to protest this. if I was running the West Chester Growers Market, I would be consulting with attorneys to make sure rights were protected, can’t you agree?

Thank you to West Goshen Sunshine for making us all aware of this, and also thank you to Cara at Hello West Chester for her coverage as well.