West Chester Weekly News Roundup: Nov. 21, 2025

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It’s Friday, Nov. 21, 2025: With just days to go until Thanksgiving, this issue is filled with holiday joy. We meet the new family behind West Chester’s beloved Monkey Fish Toys. “A lot of people thought we closed,” said new owner Laura Wallace. Well, they most certainly have not. We chat about the challenges of running a toy store in 2025 and all the things that make it the best job in the world. Plus, top toys for the holiday! Also, West Goshen releases its 2026 budget, West Chester approves the sewer plan - which is paving the way for a new - wait for it - chicken restaurant, and West Chester has a surprise, new family-friendly Christmas dining extravaganza. It opens today, and we have the first look. It’s a lot. 

But before we get started a great big thank you. 

Giving thanks. As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to take a moment to share my thanks to all the people who have helped this little newsletter grow (now over 6500 strong!). Margie Swart, who joined this summer as my first-ever regular contributor and has since faithfully kept us up to date on all the West Goshen happenings - even when it requires digging through six years of back budgets - oh yes, she did. Sophie Stair, my amazing WCU intern who has kept the socials going all semester and this week, contributed for the first time to the newsletter with an exclusive scoop on West Chester’s newest Christmas bar! And Victoria Dow, my tireless proofreader who not only catches my misspellings - and there are a few - but keeps me in check - reminding me I am no longer writing for hundreds, but thousands. (And my husband, who does his best when she needs a week off and from time to time offers free IT support) Finally, thank you to all you readers, new and old, who offer support and insights - and keep those open rates up! Putting this newsletter together each week is no easy feat, but this community not only makes it possible but totally worth it. Thank you.  

Ok, I’m done. Back to our regularly scheduled newsletter.

Correction: In last week’s newsletter, I wrote that the West Chester Public Arts Commission Chair was Jimmer Green. That should have read, Jimmer Breen. I am blaming autocorrect for that error, because I certainly know better. My apologies, Jimmer.

Now, can Amazon do that? Monkey Fish Toys Gets Holiday Ready

Plus: An inside look at the hot toys for 2025!

For Ralphie and his brother, it was the Higbee’s Christmas window display piled high with fake cotton snow and the season’s top toys. For me, it was the day after Thanksgiving, when the Milford Mall would magically turn into a twinkle-light-encrusted winter wonderland. For hundreds of West Chester kids, it’s when a waving Santa rides up Market Street with his elves atop a crepe paper and candy cane-covered float. It’s that moment when you know the holidays are here. 

For decades now, however, those defining moments have been blurred. And, the holiday spirit has yet to be adequately captured by a website and is certainly not helped by the slow August rollout of Christmas decorations and near-constant promotions. They are not-so-subtle reminders that the season of commercialism will soon be here. There is, however, one West Chester family looking to recapture that holiday magic amid a foray into the confusing, not-so-whimsical world of international tariffs, micro-trends, and brand awareness. They are holding fast to the post-Thanksgiving reveal, perhaps more out of necessity than a rigid adherence to tradition.  

“I’ll get you that Santa date by Thursday,” Monkey Fish Toys (MFT) co-owner Laura Wallace tells me when we meet on Monday morning. Laura and her husband, Mike, became the official owners of the beloved Bradford Plaza toy store in June, roughly six months after the then-owners, KC and Mike Olafsson, announced their retirement, leaving a community of parents (and their children) heartbroken over the impending loss of their local toy store. 

“We were devastated… We were in the store every week. We got to know the employees. And it was just such an important part of their childhood,” Laura says of her and Mike’s three young girls. Seeing it close seemed like such a loss for their family and the community, so they decided to do something about it. Sometimes life veers.

This time last year, Laura, a nurse educator, was preparing for a career change, just not the one that came. She has just completed her PhD in medical research, when fate - or maybe it was a little of that toy store magic - sent plans bearing hard left. 

“Hard left for sure,” says Laura. 

Top Toys 2025  

Design Series: Make the Most of the Home You Love

In and around the Borough of West Chester, one of the most common projects we undertake at Spring Creek Design is a “first-floor scramble.” It’s just like it sounds: reworking the first-floor plan to make it more useful (and fun!) for the way families live now.

A first-floor scramble usually involves connecting the kitchen and dining areas, automatically making the house feel more open and spacious. When we do this, we often find ways to add a powder room or move an entry door to accommodate a mudroom.

In some cases, a formal living room gives way to a larger, more open family room with easy access to the kitchen and dining areas. One client told us the result was “like finding a new home in the house we already live in!”

Ready to make the most of the home you love? Give us a call at 610-273-9194.

**This is a sponsored post.**

The Warnings.

Beware of the gummies. Last week, West Chester Police announced the findings of its investigation into the sale of illegal marijuana products in the Borough. The investigation led to the search and seizure of illegal marijuana products at Clout Gallery at 106 S. High St. and Creep Records at 133 W. Gay St. According to a report from the WCPD, illegal marijuana products were being marketed as legal THC alternatives. Both cases remain under investigation. Customers are advised to use caution when purchasing THC products.

Burglary suspects captured. West Chester police reported the arrest of two men wanted in connection with a burglary and assault that occurred on Nov. 5 at 12:45 p.m. on the 100 block of N. New St. Both suspects were transported to Chester County Prison for arraignment.  

Election investigation continues.  On Monday, Chester County commissioners announced West Chester-based law firm Fleck Eckert Klein McGarry would conduct an independent investigation into the Election Day lapses that left the names of more than 75,000 voters off the voting rolls. The investigation began Monday with a written report due by Dec. 19 and a public presentation being planned for January. 

Have your alternate ready. PennDOT announced this week that a pipe replacement project will close a section of Route 52 (Bradford Avenue) in East Bradford Township beginning Dec. 1 and running through Dec. 24. During this time Bradford Ave. will be closed between Tracie Lynn Dr. and Rosedale Ave. Price St., Route 842 (Miner St.), Birmingham Rd, and Route 52 (Lenape Rd/Bradford Ave.) are your alternates. Note this is a 24/7 closure; however, local access will be maintained. The closure is part of a $15.9 million project to upgrade stormwater management facilities in the area.

The Sunshine Report.

Your inside look at local government at work. This week, we are looking at the West Goshen 2026 budget, the Greystone effect, and fund transfer clarity. (Plus, a holiday invite.)

1. The Greystone Effect. With only two building permits remaining by next year, the Greystone subdivision will have added 589 households to West Goshen Township. 

Here's how this growth has directly boosted Township revenue:

• Real Estate Tax: 2019 = $3,747,420 → 2026 = $4,225,838 (13% increase)

• Earned Income Tax: 2019 = $8,030,878 → 2026 = $10,805,883 (34% increase)

• Total General Fund Revenue: 16,318,454 → $20,747,887 (27% increase)

The Greystone development materially strengthened West Goshen's financial position without any tax increases. 

2. Sunshine improvement recommended: Show fund transfers separately. Township budgeting should openly reflect this growth. With more money available, the Township is moving significant revenue between funds. For example, in 2025, the township moved $5,542,000 from the General Fund into the Capital Reserve Fund. 

However, West Goshen includes interfund transfers inside the revenue and expenditure calculations, which is a major transparency problem because transfers are not revenue. Transfers are not expenditures. They are simply money moved internally from one Township pocket to another. When transfers are inserted into revenue or expense columns, they distort the true financial performance of each fund. This is exactly what causes false deficits and false surpluses.

When you look at the budgeted Ending Fund Balances for 2021 compared to 2026, a very different story emerges than the one told by the annual deficits. In 2021, the Township closed the year with $19 million across all funds. By 2026, that number jumps to $33.1 million, an increase of more than $14 million, but here's the important part: both 2021 and 2026 show multi-million dollar operating deficits. So the higher 2026 ending balance isn't the result of healthy year-to-year budgeting; it's the result of starting the year with significantly more money already in the bank. 

In short, the balances went up, but the underlying budget performance did not. Sunshine is needed to understand why.

Budget takeaway: Greystone strengthened Township revenues significantly, but accurate (and transparent) budgeting requires that transfers be presented separately, so residents can see the true performance of each fund.

The 2026 Budget Presentation and Proposed Budget can be found here.

Holiday invitation. West Goshen will hold its inaugural Winter Wonderlights celebration on Friday, Nov. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. at West Goshen Park. There will be snacks and hot beverages available for purchase, a performance by Lenape Brass, and photos with Santa in front of the light-draped gazebo.

Hello.

Goodbye.

The Accolades.

Welcome to West Chester. Last week, we shared the artwork for some new welcome signs the Borough is considering. The signs are being updated to better match the new parking signs. On the front, they each say, Welcome to West Chester, Pennsylvania and on the back, Thank you for visiting. 

Three options were presented. The first was a gold and black option with blue accents and a cutout of the Borough flag above, the second was a mainly blue option with a cutout of the Borough’s founding date 1799, on top, and the third was black with gold script and a cutout of the Borough skyline on top. 

The Parking Committee reviewed the options and unanimously selected design #1. We decided to put the choice to the public, and it turns out, their collective decision was the least popular option in our poll. Residents overwhelmingly preferred option #2. 

As one resident put it, “The blue one is the only correct answer.” 

The majority would agree. 72 percent of those who participated in the poll selected option #2; 20 percent liked the gold script, with one reader calling it the “classiest.” Just 9 percent agreed with committee members in selecting option #1. However, those who did deemed it the easiest to read.

Residents weren’t the only ones with suggestions for the signs. The rest of Borough Council couldn’t come to agreement either. Three new designs are being requested. 

Other things we are celebrating this week: 

A good run. And with that, this year’s fall high school sports season is officially over. The last two teams we were tracking, the Henderson Boys’ Soccer team and Rustin’s Football team, have put their gear away for the season. After weeks of domination, the Golden Knights’ offense found itself held in check by Chester’s defense in Saturday’s District 1 5A tournament semifinal match. Final score 27-13, Chester.  

For Henderson soccer, the end came when the final whistle blew in the PIAA Division 4 state championship match on Friday morning. It was not the outcome they wanted, a 3-1 loss to an aggressive Abington team, but it was also not a place they thought they’d be.  

“Nobody expected us to be here. It stings a lot right now, but in the grand scheme of things, these boys learned a lot and proved a lot to themselves,” Henderson head coach Chaz Wilson told the Daily Local New’s Neil Geoghegan. You can read more about the game here. 

WCU recap. After a disappointing loss in the semifinals of the PSAC tournament, the West Chester University Women's Soccer team is ready to put the past behind them. They play West Virginia State today at home in the first round of the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Tournament. Also, ready for the national spotlight is WCU’s Women’s Field Hockey team. WCU will face Newberry College today for a chance to advance to the finals of the NCAA Division II Field Hockey tournament, and WCU Women’s Rugby faces American International in the championship game of the NIRA Division II tournament. 

Most clicked. Perhaps not surprisingly, the highest click rate is when violations carry the potential of a court date, but changes to the Borough Trash ordinance were the most clicked item in last week’s newsletter. Catching-up still on your to-do list? Here’s a link to the full ordinance, and our version with the changes highlighted.

Pay it Forward.

Spread the word. For the last couple of weeks, and with good reason, we have been highlighting asks. This week, a shout-out to those responding.  

Earlier this month, Gadaleto’s Seafood Market made an announcement on its Facebook page. 

“Today was the first day of community meals,” it read. “We were able to provide food assistance for children that needed it. We will not let 16 million innocent children not have access to food.” 

Working with the St. Agnes Dayroom, over the course of the first week and change, they provided more than 100 kid’s platters to children in the area, and then they announced they were expanding the program. 

“Given the success of our kids platter… and the observations and reflections on what is needed, we have realized the struggles are of hungry families not just hungry kids,” the next post read. “So moving forward… we will provide family meals to those expressing need.”

Last week, they began offering free meals with enough spaghetti and meatballs, cookies, apples, and juice boxes to feed a family of four to six. Know of a family in need? They can call 610-430-7777 to request a family platter. 

Also, stepping up, Station 142. Starting this week and running through the end of the year, the performance venue and restaurant will be offering free holiday dinners to families in need. Menus will vary by day, but those interested in participating simply need to ask for the “holiday dinner” when ordering. Meals can be picked up between 3 and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

“Whether you stop in or call ahead, just ask for the “Holiday Dinner” and we’ll take care of the rest—discreetly and with love,” Station 142 posted on Instagram this week. Note, you do need to show your SNAP card upon pickup.  

Ways to give back this week: 

Join a West Chester Board or Commission. It’s that time of year again when the West Chester Borough sees a significant turnover in Board and Commission members. If you can help or have expertise in a needed field, consider volunteering your time. Open commissions include just about everything from the Library Board to the Recreation Committee to the Public Arts Commission. Resume and letter of interest due Dec. 5. You can find a complete list of open positions and how to apply here. 

Donate your “free turkey.” Here’s a good tip from the West Chester Food Bank. You know that free turkey coupon you get from the grocery store each November? If you can’t use the turkey, donate it.  “We cannot accept free turkey coupons because they are linked to your store card. You must redeem the coupon, and then donate the frozen turkey to us directly,” the WCFB shared on Facebook recently.

Encourage an early interest in politics. Know a high school junior interested in government, public policy, and the legislative process? State Sen. Carolyn Committa is accepting applicants for her Student Advisory Council. Now in its fourth year, the council is open to high school juniors residing in the 19th PA  Senatorial District. Students learn about the roles and responsibilities of a state senate office while getting a chance to share their views and craft legislation to address issues facing our communities - and I bet it looks pretty darn impressive on a college application. Learn more about the program, including how to apply, here. 

The Freakin’ Weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? We have one final soccer tournament to end the fall season, which can’t come soon enough, as winter events are already in full swing. Then we are taking some quiet time to prepare and enjoy the Thanksgiving season, before it is whisked away by the holiday rush. There will be no Roundup next week. I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy a meal with family or friends, and maybe both. If you are bored and behind, don’t forget about the archives. Lots of things going on that are worth a catch up.  

If you are around this weekend, West Chester University is putting on Little Women, The Broadway Musical, at the Main Stage Theatre. Based on the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, performances are tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Also, this weekend, East High School is performing Pride & Prejudice, evening shows at 7 p.m. with a 1 p.m. Saturday matinee. Also on Saturday, West Chester Growers Market is hosting its annual Thanksgiving Market. Vendors will have a full selection of locally grown holiday favorites available. There will also be a raffle and a food drive in support of the West Chester Food Cupboard.

And don’t forget Wednesday is Thanksgiving Eve. If you are thinking of braving it, plan accordingly (and send me pictures of the line snaking out of Baranby’s and down High St.)

Finally, a special thanks to this week’s Community Sponsor, First Presbyterian Church. Located at 130 W. Miner St., they are a family-oriented church that cares for little ones, their parents, and people in all stages of life. A community-oriented congregation, they are energized by all the ways it is possible make a positive impact in West Chester. Visit their website to learn more or join them on Sundays in fellowship and worship.

View a list of all our amazing Community Sponsors here.

Business leaders: Want exclusive access to this amazing community? Of course, you do. There are only three spots an issue so each one gets a lot of attention, and from what I hear, responses. Placements are filled first come- first served. Send me an email if you are interested.

Mark Your Calendars:

New Holiday Event Guide coming next week! (Fingers-crossed!)

• Nov. 21 – And Now: A Word From Our Friends, WCU Ware Family Recital Hall, 11 a.m. West Chester University’s jazz lecture series featuring esteemed guests from the world of jazz. This is a free event. Tickets are not required. RSVP to [email protected] if you need a parking pass.

• Nov. 21-23  – Little Women, The Broadway Musical, WCU  E.O. Bull Center for the Arts, various. See the beloved classic come to life.

• Nov. 22 – West Chester Growers Market, corner of Church and Chestnut Streets, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

• Nov. 22 – Better Than Bacon Gives Back, Uptown Theater, 7:30 p.m. Bacon Gives Back fundraising show supports Act in Faith and Safe Harbor. Opening act Hot Breakfast

• Nov. 25 -Dementia Alzheimer’s Caregivers’ Support Group, Westminster Presbyterian Church,  6 p.m.  Don’t go it alone! This support group gives caregivers and others impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia a place to connect and share with one another. Contact: [email protected] for more information.

• Nov. 27 – 2nd Annual Turkey Trot, Market and Church St., 8 a.m. 5K fun run through West Chester before the big midday meal! 

• Nov. 28 – $5 Movie: Elf, Uptown Theater, 7 p.m. includes complimentary popcorn

• Nov. 28-30 – Small Business Weekend, Downtown West Chester. Shop small celebration in a picturesque holiday setting.  

• Nov. 29 – West Chester Growers Market, corner of Church and Chestnut Streets, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

• Nov. 29 – Chester County Craft Show, Sturzebecker Health Science Center, 855 S. New St., 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 200 local makers onsite. Tickets required.

Reader tip: If you have trouble with these emails going to spam or promotions, reply to this email. Nothing particular, even a random letter will do, but that should keep them coming to the inbox.

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!

Hello, West Chester Community Sponsors