Column: Pennsylvania’s fastest-growing county shares what it’s learning from expanded data collection
By Gary Smith, President & CEO, Chester County Economic Development Council
& Michael Grigalonis, COO & EVP, Chester County Economic Development Council
Gary Smith
Chester County is projected to be the fastest growing county in southeastern Pennsylvania, with growth of more than 25% anticipated by 2050. With a 2020 population of just over half a million people, the county is expected...
Democrats throwing mud in primary may hurt efforts in the fall
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
For a number of weeks, I’ve been wanting to write a column about the dysfunction in the Democratic race for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania — but every time I’d be poised to do so, the Republicans in either or both the gubernatorial or U.S. Senate race would do something so out there it could not be ignored.
But the fact of the matter is while the GOP...
Op/Ed: Ditch forever chemicals forever
By Kristine Howard, State Representative, 167th District
State Rep. Kristine Howard
Since the 1940s, the use of a group of toxic man made chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been increasingly used in numerous consumer goods and industrial processes. From degreasing pots and pans to making pants stain-resistant, PFAS use has proliferated over the past eight decades.
While...
Op/Ed: Parents should be concerned about moves to oust school board members
By Charlotte Valyo, Chair Chester County Democratic Committee
Charlotte Valyo
Every parent in Chester County should be concerned by the latest effort from the far right to take control of local elected offices outside the process of fair and open elections.
The latest example is the petition filed in Judge William P. Mahon’s Court of Common Pleas by 10 residents bent on ousting West Chester School...
Letter: We need wildlife corridors to protect local species
To the Editor:
Living on a farm means watching life bloom, especially in spring. Spring in the Commonwealth is when our natural heritage comes back to life. But this is also an important moment to recognize that our wildlife is much more fragile than it used to be because we are losing habitat at a staggering rate. To make matters worse, we keep chopping up the nature we do have for roads and suburbs....
Move to remove WCASD board members is an attack on democracy
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
Court of Common Pleas Judge William P. Mahon vacated his order Friday removing five members of the West Chester Area School District Board of Education — but the case and the possibility that duly-elected public officials could be removed from office remains a possibility.
So for now, Sue Tiernan, Joyce Chester, Kate Shaw, Karen Herrmann and Daryl Durnel...
Letter: Coatesville VA will continue to serve local vets
To The Editor,
I would like to assure your readers, especially Veterans in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties that the Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) is here to serve you. You may be aware of the recommendation by the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission to replace Coatesville VAMC with a multi-specialty community-based outpatient clinic and move the medical center’s...
Op/Ed: The new PA State redistricting is the fairest it’s ever been
By Matt Han, Special to The Times
Even in today’s polarized and tense political climate, almost all Americans regardless of political party/orientation agree that fair maps and the elimination of gerrymandering are vital in creating a fair and democratic country. While most issues require opposing viewpoints and often cannot be resolved, the issue of fair representation is one that is not impossible...
McSwain brings shame on Chester County when he attacks kids
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
It’s still a little rare that you see a politician be such a hateful jerk — and rarer for that politician to be from Chester County.
But here we have West Chester’s Bill McSwain — a gubernatorial candidate — bringing shame to the other 550,000 residents of our county by trashing middle school kids in a Tweet that went viral, until he deleted...
We’re overdue for a time out for the tyrant toddlers
By Mike McGann, Editor, the Times @mikemcgannpa
When my kids — twins — were toddlers, it was kind of challenging, as is the case with most two year olds. They were easily convinced of things that were not true and acted out. Thankfully, this was a brief period that they grew out of quickly, especially as we were pretty firm when they did act out and it never got them what they wanted.
I remember...
