County conventions leave May questions
Few primary battles were settled at either county convention
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
There was a little high drama at the two county party conventions, and in many ways the status quo was largely maintained.
There were just a handful of endorsement battles at the meetings — and maybe only one vote there changes the landscape for May.
We’ll get to the Democratic endorsements, which amount...
Hope for revitalization may finally bear fruit
Community Benefit Agreements could be a win-win for developers, Coatesville
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
COATESVILLE — For nearly two decades, revitalization has been the ongoing refrain in the city. With a handful of notable exceptions, it is the failure of that effort — especially as similar efforts in West Chester, Phoenixville and Kennett Square have taken root — that has left some in...
Letter: Fracking ruling restores power to locals
To The Editor,
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has rejected Tom Corbett’s request to reverse the Act 13 decision, which struck down key provisions in the natural gas drilling laws as unconstitutional.
Locally, Newlin Township, the little township that could, stood up, fought back and won in 2012 when these provisions of Act 13 were first struck down. Now all of Pennsylvania has won because of the...
Op/Ed: County has strongly supported Coatesville
Terence Farrell
By Terence Farrell, Chester County Commissioner
I was intrigued by the reported remarks of Senator Andrew Dinniman at the recent Coatesville City Council meeting, stating that he has “…seen what the county has done to the city…” and that he’s going to change that.
The Senator’s remarks were made as he and City Council members, along with representatives of faith-based organizations...
Pennsylvania deserves better than Kick-The-Can
To The Editor,
We have a pension crisis in Pennsylvania. It was created by Governor Ridge and the legislature, when the passed Act 9 of 2001, then kicked down the road by Governor Rendell and the legislature for the 8 years that he was in office. In 2011 the pension crisis was addressed by Act 120, a balanced bipartisan solution to a long-term problem that moves the state toward paying off the bill.
...
Op/Ed: CVS creates public health game-changer
By Harold P. Wimmer, American Lung Association
Harold P. Wimmer
For the past 30 years, I’ve fought for lung health with the American Lung Association. Our organization has been a leader in the battle against tobacco, which is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the U.S. Over the years, this battle has experienced dramatic highs and disappointing lows. CVS Caremark’s...
Op/Ed: Commissioners praise county workers for storm efforts
By Ryan Costello, Kathi Cozzone, & Terence Farrell, Chester County Commissioners
Chester County Commissioners (from left) Kathi Cozzone, Terence Farrell and Ryan Costello.
Chester County’s winter weather certainly qualified as an extreme emergency this year. Residents endured multiple huge snow storms and devastating ice storms that made county roads dangerous. Schools and businesses were closed...
Plot thickens in 6th District race
Can populism change the math in the 16th District race?
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
The race for the Sixth Congressional District got more interesting this week on a couple of fronts.
First, Manan Trivedi, who ran unsuccessfully against Jim Gerlach in 2010 and 2012, announced he would run again. Then, Mike Parrish, the other Democrat in the race, got the endorsement of U.S. Rep. (and Philly political...
Ice storm aftermath: the good, the bad and the unacceptable
Chester County Emergency Services stands out for praise, PECO gets hit on many fronts
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
For most of us, the worst is over. As of Monday morning, just about 10,000 Chester County homes and businesses were still without power, according to PECO, down from about 200,000 Wednesday — while others wait for restoration of phone and Internet service from Verizon and Comcast.
Schools...
Op/Ed: New citizens embrace the spirit of United States citizenship
By Terence Farrell, Chester County Commissioner
Terence Farrell, Chester County Commissioner with U. S. District Court Judge Juan Sanchez, a former Chester County Court of Common Pleas judge.
The Chester County Commissioners’ meetings always begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. The pledge was composed in 1892 by Francis Bellamy and adopted by Congress in 1942, the dark days of World War II.
We take...
