What to do: Hometown fun, fireworks & festivals

  By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times   The Philadelphia Museum of Art sets the backdrop for the annual Welcome America fireworks display. Independence Day has arrived and that means it is time for two of Chester County’s longest-running and most popular Fourth of July events — Downingtown Good Neighbor Day (Kerr Park, Downingtown, 610-285-1119, www.goodneighborday.com) and Freedom...

On Stage: Rock, indie-pop, bluegrass & more this week

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times   Two major factors a band needs to achieve success and longevity are the ability to write good songs and the maintenance of a high level of friendship among band members.     Lloyd Cole Three bands who will be performing in the area, over the next week, have met this criteria along with solo artist, Lloyd Cole, who went back to old friends and...

A new day dawns in Coatesville

As city celebrates 100 years, a real rebirth takes shape By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times COATESVILLE — The future of the city roared past, an Amtrak train blasting down the track toward Harrisburg, as hundreds of folks gathered to celebrate the city’s 100th birthday Monday morning, just outside the abandoned old Coatesville train station. The skies were a near perfect blue and while some of the...

Hatred can’t be justified by faith

It was wrong to use the word of God to discriminate 160 years ago, and it’s wrong now By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times We live in an increasingly extreme world. The Internet, for all of it’s blessings, tends to confirm the fictional, outlandish and wacky as truths, when anything like a careful analysis of facts would shred them into little more than a cloud of dust. One day, you may hear from...

Op/Ed: A tale of two high schools

Growing gap between urban, suburban schools is unconscionable By Sen. Andrew E. Dinniman, State Senator, 19th District Sen. Andrew E. Dinniman “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It’s almost like Charles Dickens was describing public education in Pennsylvania. Today, the disparity between the academic services, technology and basic resources available to students in inner city...

Op/Ed: Why UCFSD is not redistricting

By Vic Dupuis, President, Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Board of Directors Victor Dupuis The Unionville ChaddsFord school board has decided not to change boundary lines for our elementary schools. Since there has been a great deal of discussion about it among our parents and some misinformation in the media, we are writing to clarify the reasons for our decision. More than a year ago, the...

What would MLK think of Knecht’s comments?

Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is never right By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As we approach the weekend of celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we will undoubtedly hear the inspiring quotes of his famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech. Even now, more than five decades later, the word resonate — I get a little chill every...

Op/Ed: 2015 offer many opportunities for Chester County

By Terence Farrell, Chair, Chester County Board of Commissioners  Terence Farrell The citizens of Chester County have a myriad of opportunities as we begin 2015 and close out a successful 2014. As the newly elected chair of the Chester County Commissioners, I’m looking forward to making sure we meet the goals we’ve set in our strategic plan that will enhance our already excellent quality of life...

Chester County’s Mike Piazza belongs in the Hall

Lunkhead sportswriters may keep him out, but we know the truth By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Chester County’s Mike Piazza belongs in baseball’s Hall of Fame. The game never saw a better hitting catcher. More than likely, sometime Tuesday morning, we’re going to see that Chester County’s own Mike Piazza, hands down the best hitting catcher in baseball, just missed getting elected...

New Years’ resolutions — for others

A few ‘helpful’ suggestions for a better 2015 By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times With another year slipping away – and 2014 seems to have gone by in a blur — it is time to take a bit of time to make those New Year’s resolutions. Now, obviously, I could make mine, but they’d take up more than just one column to complete and they’d be boring like needing to play golf more often (and...