West Vincent was described by a friend who lives in Chester Springs a few years ago as "Mayberry". I say Mayberry is a little warped...it's more like the strange town on that ABC Show Once Upon a Time. I think Clare Quinn would make an excellent evil queen/mayor like the show, right?
Seriously, I have been digging around and today alone West Vincent Supervisor and Executive Director of the French and Pickering Creek Trust Executive Director Clare Quinn is quoted in the Daily Local Today most interestingly:
Published: Thursday, December 08, 2011By ERIC S. SMITH
WEST VINCENT — The French and Pickering Conservation Trust opposes the condemnation of the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show grounds, which goes against the decision its executive director has made.
Clare Quinn, who serves as both a West Vincent supervisor and the executive director of the trust, voted to condemn the show grounds in late November, but was not present when the trust’s board voted to express its opposition. Quinn told the trust board about the decision to condemn the grounds and why the supervisors chose to do so, but recused herself from the board’s final discussion and vote on the matter.
“I am not on the (trust) board,” Quinn said in a recent interview. “I can recommend policy, but I don’t set it. The board chose to take the action they did.
“I don’t condemn land as part of the trust. It’s not in my job description. But (as a supervisor), it doesn’t mean I can’t take action that I believe is in the best interest of the township. They are separate roles.”
Dang but don't she just look all Green Acres folksy in that photo from 2009 (below)? Yes, this is Claire Quinn. In 2009, a paper called "The Phoenix" did a "Meet Your Neighbor" piece and said:
There's no denying the natural beauty of Chester County, particularly the countryside surrounding the borough of Phoenixville and nearby townships. A leisurely stroll along the Pickering Creek in Charlestown or French Creek could make even the most adamant city-dweller dream of owning country property. Development on area land, however, has an impact on the surrounding environment, particularly the 69,770 acres of land encompassed by the French and Pickering Creek watersheds.
That's where Clare Quinn, Executive Director of the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, comes in. Quinn has been an active member of the community for decades. After living in West Pikeland Township, Quinn moved to West Vincent in 1994, where she worked for six years as a West Vincent Township Supervisor. During her tenure as Supervisor, she was also a member of the township's planning commission, of which she is the current Chair.
Quinn, who graduated college with a degree in English, came into her current role as a land conservationist after seeing fellow members of the community back down from a land-use disagreement in West Vincent. The land at stake, a parcel in Ludwig's Corner that was slated for development by Hankin, was a source of unease for Quinn, primarily because of the lack of public opposition it was facing from local residents.....
Wow, shucks, she sounds as sweet as honey on cornbread don't she? Then flash forward (jumping around a bit) to an article in the Pottstown Mercury January 2011:
Call me crazy, but suddenly Et tu, Brute comes to mind.A series of announcements in the past 11 days has served to highlight the central role the venerable French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust has assumed in the preservation of open space in northern Chester County.
In just that many days, news of nearly 300 acres of preserved property in East Pikeland and West Vincent now being under the protective oversight of French & Pickering has been made public
Fully 222 of those acres are the result of the decision by the West Vincent Land Trust to transfer all of its easements to French and Pickering....But the land will not be held by the township.
Instead, the French and Pickering trust, which was a party to the final easement agreement, will serve as the "steward" for the property, conducting annual site visits to ensure the property remains in compliance with the conservation values identified in the agreement.
These values include its scenic quality, wildlife habitats and protection of natural features, such as wetlands and riparian buffers.
"It's a great kind of growth boundary around Spring City and the family, which has held the farm for about 100 years, was very thoughtful about how they wanted it preserved," said Clare Quinn, the executive director of French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust.....That accomplished, she said the board at the West Vincent Land Trust, which is appointed by the township supervisors, began to consider whether the land it oversaw might be better entrusted to an entity less subject to political influence, Quinn said.
She would know.
Quinn is also a West Vincent Township Supervisor, as is Zoe Perkins, who chairs the West Vincent Land Trust. Continued..."The West Vincent Land Trust is not immune to politics, with the supervisors appointing its members, and we began to feel it might be better to have these properties and easements held by a third party that is not vulnerable to the political winds," Quinn said.
Ok check out this video from May 2011:
Mrs. Green Acres ain't so universally loved is what this observer is learning. I am also learning West Vincent seems a little off - check out the Truth for West Vincent blog . Not that Clare Quinn doesn't cluck back on her own website. And there was also a lot to say it seems in West Vincent this recent election cycle? I learned that interestingly enough, Madam Claire lover of eminent domain is a Democrat so how the hell does she survive in Chester County? Clare's CV is listed on her own website . She looks good on paper..but...then there are her current actions.
She is Executive Director of a place which supposedly has a land preservation mission, yet she can't live that mission where she is an elected official and is supposed to look to the best interests of where she lives??
Clare Quinn thinks it's O.K. to steal land from a well known and beloved horse show that brings shitloads of money in locally every year and develop it into a little city like a mini West Chester or whatever? West Vincent said on their own website:
West Vincent Township decided to exercise its right of eminent domain after extensive deliberation and after being unable, following several years of discussion, to achieve a conventional real estate purchase from the Ludwig’s Corner Horseshow Association. The acquisition will enable the Township to permanently protect this open land from commercial and residential development and provide an easily accessible public center for sports, leisure, and community activities that will benefit all Township residents and the surrounding community.
How are they protecting anything if they are planning to turn the land into exactly what they claim they are protecting it from??? And there sits Clare Quinn.
I don't know the woman, I don't want to know the woman. But I think that every donor should stop giving to French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust. You can't trust a non-profit with money if their executive director can't live it's mission.
And I think Clare Quinn should be removed from her public office too for this. Is there a way to do that?
In case you want to contact Clare about this her work e-mail is cquinn@frenchandpickering.org and the phone there is 610-933-7577. I reiterate my comment the other day that the West Vincent Supervisors need some fine smelling horse presents on their lawns....
People aren't buying West Vincent's brand of Happy Horseshit as per the Daily Local and I am glad. And West Vincent residents, trust us Main Liners, you don't want your communities to be theme park versions of ours - we got issues. And given all the people driving into store fronts and road rage issues, why allow yourselves to have our issues? You live in a pretty place, and truthfully the nouveau Main Line has taken the area around Radnor Hunt and Valley of the Dolled it up, so save Ludwig's Corner.
It's an awesome place....except for the fact that you seem to have a very sleazy local government.
Just say no West Vincent residents and give these people the boot. And oh yeah, who is your congressman? Maybe roll up and ask him what he thinks?
One last thing? Country Clare sure is a You Tube star for being such a country gal:
Whatever CluckBack TV is, CluckbackTV LoOOOOOOOOOOves her! Visit Cluckback by CLICKING HERE
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5 comments:
This is snarktabulous justsnarky! Thanks for supporting the horses!
snarky...we are hearing there is news on this Clare today are you?
HA!
Too bad you only have two comments that support you and the majority cannot be published because they think you're disgusting.
I hope soon to publish a blog slandering you, your friends, and community members!
Your lack of intelligence, your bias information on the matters you speak of, and your awfully boring "wit" is ASTOUNDING!
Hello: I am Tom Helwig, the Republican committeeman that represents the voting district in West Vincent Township where the LCHSA is located.
The West Vincent Board of Supervisors Ken Miller, Zoe Perkins, and Clare Quinn have learned nothing from the past weeks eminent domain debacle. If there were any great detriment brought on our community, it was brought by the Board of Supervisors.
As to their assertion that residents of the Township,” were intimidated by the din” it would be worthwhile to note that it was the supervisors who employed an overwhelming police presence at the Township two Sundays ago. This was clearly an attempt by the Township supervisors to intimidate the LCHSA community. The real intimidation in this Township has been visited by the Township supervisors upon lawful private landowners. I cannot count the number of residents who have asked me,” whose property is next’.
As an elected Republican official in the Township I can state unequivocally that the vast preponderance Township residents vehemently opposed this outrageous overreach of government authority.
Their attempts in this article to justify their position are just further proof of how out of step they are with the residents of this Township.
After being duly dressed down by the Township residents, the County residents, virtually every politician and involved organization in the area they still don't get it. They still want to force demands upon LCHSA. They still want to needlessly spend the West Vincent Township resident’s tax money on something the residents are against.
Those who know me know that I have lived and worked in over 20 states in this great country. I have lived and worked in many foreign countries. I have been involved in politics to one degree or another all of my life. In all of that time and in all of those locations I have never seen such egregious behavior of local government officials. These supervisors have broken the public trust and should be ashamed of their despicable actions.
P.s. Newly elected Township supervisor David Brown has remained strangely silent concerning this incident. His silence is tacit approval of the current Board of Supervisors positions. After all, he campaigned stating that the Township was well run.
This is amazing... you know more about what is going on than most of the people in West Vincent Township... your take on the situation and your investigative skills are truly an inspiration. You may want to do a little digging on the TDR issue with the "Conservation Director" of French and Pick Trust, Pam Brown. Chickenman has spent some time on the subject.
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