School board continues its affront to electorate
But aggrieved taxpayers can – and should – continue pressure for change
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Entrenched members of the Coatesville Area School Board thumbed their noses at the community once again on Saturday by defiantly ignoring not only the sentiments that citizens voiced at meetings but the ones that they expressed at the ballot box.
Regrettably, the decision...
Costello-DiGiorgio battle could have wide-ranging impact
Gerlach’s decision not to seek reelection touches off primary fight
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
That shattering and creaking sound you heard this week wasn’t from the extreme cold (unless you were near my nearly half-century old bones), but what would appear to be the shattering of a fragile unity among Chester County Republicans.
When Jim Gerlach announced Monday that he would not seek...
Letter: Chester County shows strong support for Coatesville
To The Editor,
I experienced firsthand the pride of the Coatesville community when walking in their Christmas Parade a few weeks ago.
More important than my personal participation, though, has been the continued support by Chester County of Coatesville organizations. Specifically, through our Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation this year, the Chester County Commissioners have awarded...
Op/Ed: Chester County worked together for a successful 2013
By Terence Farrell, Chester County Commissioner
Terence Farrell
Happy New Year! ¡Feliz año nuevo! And best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.
As we transition from 2013 to 2014, it is worthwhile to look back at the year that just ended to assess how Chester County government is doing to meet the needs and expectations of its constituents, and to make plans to do even better in...
Rehiring Ellison begs a lot of questions
Why just tops the list of explanations needed by CASD board
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
As you probably know, we do get our share of reader comments. Many are supportive, encouraging and enlightening. Some are nasty and pointless (we tend to remove those without editorial or commentary value) and some are humorous.
Once in a great while, even when clearly wearing a troll hat, a commentator will...
Letter: thanks Pitts for recommending Healthcare.gov
To The Editor,
Thank you, Congressman Pitts, for recommending HealthCare.gov!
Our Congressman Joe Pitts has been an outspoken critic of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and so I was wondering what he would advise a constituent who did not have health insurance. So I emailed him through his website and asked this question:
‘I do not have health insurance and I want to get it. I do not want...
Ellison is out and so is the Tea Party
One — the former Democratic power-broker — knows he’s done, the other is oblivious
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
As we head into the holiday season — and hopefully, a couple of weeks of relative quiet — a few notes and thoughts on local political stuff and other news items.
Maybe the topline item this morning is that James Ellison is out at Rhoads & Sinon — meaning he will no...
Roundtable on poverty a start, but more is needed
Until there is a collective will to really address poverty, things won’t get better
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
COATESVILLE — With wealth bordering on abundance at times in Chester County, it can be difficult to confront the truth that for many here — arguably far too many — poverty remains a stark reality and a reality that in recent years has gotten worse.
This past week, six state...
Letter: Supports anti-human trafficking bill
To The Editor:
Human trafficking doesn’t happen only “somewhere else.”
“You don’t mean here, right?” I hear that question more than 100 hundred times per year in conversations about human trafficking, modern slavery and sex trafficking in southeastern Pennsylvania—especially in the beautiful, well-off suburbs and countryside surrounding Philadelphia.
My answer is always the same. “Yes,...
Letter: concerns about link between pollution and cancer
To The Editor,
I have four daughters, all young adults now. But I still worry about their health and well-being as much as I did when they were living at home with me. Lately I have heard much about an alarming increase in the number of women diagnosed with lung disease. According to the American Lung Association, the rate of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases over the past 33 years has dropped...
