West Chester Weekly News Roundup: Jan. 17, 2025

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It’s Friday, Jan. 17, 2025: It was not that long ago that downtown West Chester was a mess. Storefronts were empty. Crime was high. Now it’s a vibrant business community with new establishments opening left and right. As the Business Improvement District begins its 25th year, I speak with Executive Director John O’Brien on whether revitalization is still needed and what’s next for Downtown West Chester. Plus, ooh la, la, a sneak peek at West Chester’s new French restaurant which opens today, and ready or not, the Y, and their fitness truk, is coming for you. 

Who’s ready? Let’s catch up.

West Chester has Arrived - So, Now What?

In 2000, West Chester was at a crossroads, but no longer a crossroads. Route 3’s expansion in the 1950s and 202’s opening in 1971, had routed much of the regional traffic away from the Borough. With motorists gone, businesses fled to meccas of vehicular access and abundant parking lots (cough) Exton (cough).

The Warnings.

A West Chester man is sentenced in child sexual abuse case. This week, Lucino Ochoa-Mena, 41, of West Chester, was sentenced to 40 to 80 years in prison for sexually abusing a child from five years old until fourteen years old. Mr. Ochoa-Mena was convicted in June of fourteen different criminal offenses—including two counts of rape of a child. All involved in the case commended the girl's bravery. “Thanks to the courage of a child and great work by investigators, this dangerous predator received a de facto life sentence,” Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said.

West Goshen officer seeks his day in drug court. This week, West Goshen police officer David Maurer waived his rights to a preliminary hearing on charges of possession and theft of a controlled substance among other things. Officer Maurer is accused of stealing from the township’s drug collection box and keeping the substances for personal use. Waiving his right to a hearing is likely an indication he intends to apply to the county’s Drug Court program. This program allows qualifying individuals to undergo drug treatment while under court supervision. If the program is successfully completed, the individual is eligible to have the charges dismissed. Entry to the program, however, is at the discretion of the District Attorney’s Office and not guaranteed. 

You’ll need to find an alternate route. West Goshen township is working to replace a corrugated metal pipe that collapsed causing a sinkhole on Kirby Dr. between Goshen and Owen Rds. So far the township has replaced about 40 ft of pipe with more to go. They estimate the work will take another couple of weeks to complete. In the meantime, avoid the area if you can. 

Tampering with the mail, and its carriers is a serious offense. On Dec. 18, West Chester Police responded to a disturbance on Highland Rd in East Bradford. Upon arriving they found Michael McKean of West Chester, to have threatened a U.S. postal worker. Mr. McKean was taken into custody and charged with making terroristic threats and simple assault. 

Legal troubles continue for former Jackass star. Early aughts reality TV star Brandon “Bam” Margera was expected back in Chester County court last week but the hearing was delayed after Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Verwey recused himself from the case. This time the charges were not (directly) drug-related, but instead concerned an accident that occurred during a 2019 party at “Castle Bam.” Judge Verwey recused himself out of an “abundance of caution” noting he too was involved in litigation over Bam's former home. You can read more here. No word yet on when a new court date will be set. 

No more free bathroom breaks. In case you missed it, Starbucks will no longer allow individuals to hang out inside or use the bathroom without a purchase. The goal of the change according to corporate is to make the stores more “welcoming” to paying customers. I don’t know if that is a problem here, but I do know it was one of my go-to's when I had kids with tiny bladders. To make it up to you starting Jan. 27, Starbucks will provide free refills on hot or iced coffees sipped in-store.  

Last call for Christmas trees. If you live in West Goshen, you have less than 24 hrs to get rid of that Christmas tree.

The Accolades.

Know someone who should be recognized? Let me know: [email protected].

Hello.

This Friday, a swanky new French restaurant is opening on Gay St. 

Goodbye.

In some concerning news reported this week by the Daily Local News’s Bill Rettew, the St. Agnes Day Room’s ability to feed the area’s hungry has been hindered since August. That is when Chester County Health Inspectors began enforcing a rule that bans the distribution of homemade meals. 

“CCHD’s public health policy has never allowed home-cooked meals to be accepted and distributed by non-profit, religious-based, and other organizations that receive donated food – for food safety reasons,” Chester County Public Information Officer Rebecca Brain told me this summer

The practice may have been on the books but it was not enforced. According to St. Agnes officials they have been serving meals this way for the last 32 years. “Community chefs,” or 157 neighbors cook meals at home and bring the food to St. Agnes to distribute. That food is used to feed up to 1000 individuals a week but since the August decision, home-cooked meals have stopped. Food distribution continues in a more limited capacity with commercially prepared pizza, fried chicken, and Wawa Sizzli donations. 

The trade-off seems to be nutrition for food safety. 

“The Chester County Health Department is not interested that we serve nutritional and healthy meals. Their only concern is the risk associated with how they are cooked,” St. Agnes Director of Outreach Services Barbara Kirby told the paper.

For their part, the Health Department says they are working with the church to review “proposed alternatives.” Until then many will be forced to skip a meal or settle for Wawa leftovers. You can read more about the changes and their effect here.

Goodbye, farewell, best of luck. In hopes the right on-air mix will quell falling profits, West Chester-based QVC has spent the last several months adjusting its talent lineup. 

Out: Unlucky, number 13. Early morning host Jennifer Coffey and Saturday Morning Q host Kerstin Lindquist both stepped down last month after 13 years on air. 

In: John Battagliese. The West Chester native joined the hosting crew in October after an intensive interview process (you can read more about that in his Rolling Stone interview) and is now on air four days a week. 

Up: Ali Carr, a QVC regular since 2018, will take Kerstin’s place, and join Alberti Popaj as co-host of Saturday Morning Q. On their first show together they talked Duraflame heaters, skincare, and Skechers shoes. Sounds about right. 

Finally, goodbye resolutions. Hellooooo, cookie season. Hit me up if you need a fix, I have a Brownie who is desperate to earn a prize this year. 

Pay it Forward.

After 80 years, I can’t imagine it’s easy to break giving records but the Woman's Exchange of West Chester has done it again raising $50,000 for community partners in 2024. 

“Our dedicated volunteer staff, the Masons, consignors, and donors help us serve our West Chester community,” said volunteer Melissa Bailey.

Happy to count myself among the customers supporting those efforts!

Fun fact: the Woman’s Exchange celebrates its 80th birthday this year. The consignment shop was opened after World War II “for ladies who wanted to sell goods they no longer had a use for, in a reputable venue.”

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The Freakin’ Weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? We have recently been refreshing a few rooms in the house. So, now that the paint in the kitchen is dry I am eager to hang up some new artwork including a framed print of Cezanne’s fruit dish I picked up this week at the Women’s Exchange. Also, on Saturday we are going to check out the Future City competition at John Carroll High School. Some Pierce middle schoolers have entered and I am curious to see how they tackle the world’s problems. Then, of course, Sunday, go Birds!

If you’re around this weekend, West Chester is hosting its fourth annual Birthday Party for Betty White complete with hot dogs, martinis, and dog rescue donations. The festivities take place tonight from 4 to 6:30 at 9 Prime. Also, Junie B. Jones is back at Uptown. Snow’s in the forecast again for Sunday which could be a good way to distract the kids for an afternoon.  Speaking of snow, maybe try manifesting some warm vibes with these cute sun plates and cups from Pine and Quill? Then on Sunday, Levante is hosting an Eagles Watch Party with drink specials starting at 3 p.m. (then again, who isn’t), and on Thursday the West Chester Film Festival is hosting a “Best of the Fest” event at Side Bar. $10 gets you an exclusive screening of last year’s award winners. Food can be purchased from 6 to 7 p.m. Showing starts at 7 p.m. 

Who says there’s nothing to do in January?  

Finally, a very special thank you to this week’s Community Sponsor Something’s Awry Productions. Something’s Awry is an animation and VFX studio that built its reputation finding beauty and humor in the unexpected. Don’t believe me? Just watch their brand-new VFX reel. It includes some of their most popular videos from 2024 with over 162 Million combined views! If you want more behind-the-scenes and exclusive content you can subscribe to their new Patreon page. 

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Mark Your Calendars:

Jan. 15, 16, 17 - WC Co-op Dine and Donate, Two Birds Cafe, 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Stop by Two Birds Cafe for breakfast or lunch Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday and 10 percent of your bill will be donated to the West Chester Food Co-op.

Jan. 16 - Book Discussion - 1493: Uncovering the New World that Columbus Created (Hybrid event), Chester County History Center, 10 - 11 a.m. Meet at the CCHC or join via Zoom to discuss this Charles Mann best-seller. This is a pay-as-you-wish event.

Jan. 17 - Betty White Birthday Party Happy Hour, 9 Prime, 4-6:30 p.m. Now in its fourth year, this uniquely West Chester event is moving to 9 Prime but it will feature drinks specials and hot dogs. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to local animal shelters.

Jan. 17 - The Brit Pack, Uptown, 226 N. High St, 7:30 p.m. British rock music from the 60s to today. Tickets: $40

Jan. 18 - West Chester Grower's Market, corner of Church & Chestnut Sts, 10 a.m. to Noon

Jan. 18 - Learn Chi Walking, West Chester Senior Center, 12:30 p.m. Join Carol Bilek, certified Chi Walking instructor for free Chi Walking demonstrations, open to public. Questions? Email Carol

Jan. 19 - Event Showcase & Open House, Chester County History Center, 1 - 4 p.m. Newly engaged and looking for a venue and various other support items? CCHC has the largest event space in West Chester. (Editor's note: We had our wedding their and it was great.) Plus, 30 other local vendors to support your big day.

Jan. 20 - MLK - School's Off Day Camp, First Presbyterian Church of WC, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Drop off opens at 8:30 a.m. ) The theme for the camp is games! From musical games to board games to obstacle course maze building, kids will spend the day simply playing and having fun. Open to grades K-5th. Cost: $30. Registration required.

Jan. 21 - West Chester University Spring Semester begins

Jan. 21 - Virtual Lecture: Making Sense of the Molly Maguires, Chester County History Center, 7 - 8 p.m. Join NYU historian Kevin Kenny as he investigates the true nature of Pennsylvania's 19th century Molly Maguires. This is a pay-as-you-wish event. Registration is required.

Jan. 22 - Learn Chi Walking, West Chester Senior Center, 12:30 p.m. Join Carol Bilek, certified Chi Walking instructor for free Chi Walking demonstrations, open to public. Questions? Email Carol

Jan. 22 - The Perfect Old Fashioned Cocktail Class, Kildares, 7 p.m. Tickets include one classic old-fashioned, one original old-fashioned, one engraved whiskey glass, and two charcuterie boards. Cost: $55.

Jan. 23 - Ladies of History: Vera Atkins, Spymistress, Mimi's Tea Cottage, 30 S. High St., First show - 2 p.m., Second show - 4 p.m. Join for afternoon tea and inspiration as you learn the history of Vera Atkins, WWII Spymistress. Reservations required. Vintage attire encouraged.

Jan. 23 - Best of the Fest, Side Bar, 10 E. Gay St., 6 -9 p.m. Grab dinner at Side Bar than watch as selection of films from the 2024 West Chester Film Festival including all the winners and a curated selection of favorites. Tickets: $10

Jan. 23 - 'Split the G' Competition, Kildare's Pub, 7 p.m. Curious what all the fuss is out? Well, here's your chance to try and split the G. That's when you drink just enough Guiness on your first slurp to land the foam line in the middle of the letter "G" in the Guinness logo on the glass. You must buy your pints, but should you win, your third is on Kildare's.

Jan. 24 - Better Than Bacon, Uptown, 226 N. High St, 7:30 p.m. West Chester's original improv group - a unique, hilarious experience everytime. Tickets: $25

Jan. 24 - Designer Handbag and Power Tool Bingo, Melton Center, 501 E. Miner St., doors open at 5 p.m. Games start at 6 p.m. Tickets: $35 in advance; $40 at the door. Food will be available for purchase

Jan. 25 - Discovery in the Dark: A Children's Event, Chester County History Center, 5 - 7:30 p.m. Ever wonder about what life was like at night before electricity? Bring your flashlight to the Chester County History Center to explore the museum in the dark while completing a scavenger hunt. Best for ages 6 -12. Admission is $8/kids; $10/adults

Jan. 27 - Film for $5: Sing, Uptown, 226 N. High St, 7 p.m. Complimentary popcorn included.

Jan. 28 - Teen & Tweens CPR Training, West Chester Public Library, 3:30 - 5 p.m. Cost is $3. Registration required.

Jan. 28 - Dementia & Alzheimer’s Support Group, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 10 W. Pleasant Grove Rd., 6 - 7:30 p.m.  Living with or close to someone living with dementia, please join others for a monthly support group. Contact Ann Hatfield at [email protected] to join virtually.

Jan. 29 - It's Always Sunny Trivia Night, Kildare's Pub, 7 p.m.  Call if you are interested. This event may, or may not, be sold out.

Jan. 30 - Dueling Pianos - The Philly Keys, Uptown, 226 N. High St, 7:30 p.m. The Philly Keys know what it takes to deliver an outstanding dueling piano performance. There’s an art to this dynamic, and they have mastered it. Tickets: $35

Jan. 31 - The Music of Chicago, Uptown, 226 N. High St, 7:30 p.m. Experience the electrifying energy of Chicago’s legendary hits in a spectacular, family-friendly celebration. Tickets: $45

Looking for more event ideas? View the full calendar here.

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That’s it. Stay safe, stay happy, and thanks to everyone who helped make this week’s issue possible. I’ll see you next week!

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