Holiday entertaining can be done without stress

A few steps can take the hassle out of hosting By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times The holiday season is in full swing!  Entertaining family and friends can be festive AND stress free if you do it the right way…   Although I looooove the idea of a printed, mailed invitation…let’s be honest, it ain’t happening.  The website “Paperless Post” (www.paperlesspost.com) has a ton...

Observing National Influenza Vaccination Week

County to offer free flu shots Monday at Exton library Don’t take chances with your health, urges the county, which is offering free flu shots on Monday, Dec. 9. In observance of National Influenza Vaccination Week (Dec. 8-14), the Chester County Health Department will offer the free vaccinations – recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older – at the Chester County Library in Exton...

Holiday Super Six: shop well, do good

Great gifts, great causes to consider By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times It’s DECEMBER 1st, everyone!  Time for my Holiday Edition of the Sunday Super Six!  In the spirit of the season, I wanted to feature gifts that give back and found some really incredible things…enjoy! 1. Family Service of Chester County is a non-profit agency providing professional counseling to people of all...

Progress seen in plan to end homelessness

County officials applaud collaborative Decades to Doorways initiative By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell (right) discusses the Decades to Doorways initiative, with its administrator, Michael Hackman. For nearly 10 years, 77-year-old Pedro lived in the Kennett Square shadows: hidden in a ramshackle, makeshift structure he called home....

I have many things to be thankful for

And so do my kids, nieces and nephews By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times My memories of Thanksgiving as a child are some of my most precious.  Our (not so large) extended family would gather at my Great Aunt’s house for food (including tons of desserts…my grandfather and his brother owned a few bakeries!) laughter and love. We would play touch football with our cousins and then come...

County to smokers: Be a quitter

Free assistance being offered to help kick the habit In observance of the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 21, the Chester County Tobacco-Free Coalition will be distributing 1,000 free “quit kits” to work sites and community-based organizations in Chester County, a news release from the county Health Department said. Quit kits, tobacco prevention information, and smoking cessation...

Shopping on Thanksgiving a real turkey

Stores open on the holiday, mess with the holiday and hurt Black Friday By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times By now, it is evident how much I love to shop.  In fact, hunting for bargains may be one of my favorite things to do…but NOT ON THANKSGIVING. Black Friday was traditionally the kick-off to the shopping season frenzy.  Remember how people would line up at 3:00am for a Cabbage Patch...

Free child safety seat checks scheduled

State police urging parents, caregivers to have equipment inspected  Every day, about two children aged 12 or younger die and 325 are injured in motor-vehicle accidents across the country, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Research also shows that three out of four children are not as secure in the car as they...

What were all those dentists doing in New Orleans?

Annual American Dental Association Meeting highlight tech, learning By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times Just last week more than 24 thousand dental professionals gathered in New Orleans for the Annual meeting of the American Dental Association.  That’s a lot of dental people in one place.  What makes these meetings so important? As a private practice dentist, I believe it...

County fire marshal offers winter safety tips

Extra precautions recommended with space heaters  With winter approaching, the Chester County Fire Marshal’s Office is urging all residents to be extremely careful when using any auxiliary heating device. Recently, the Fire Marshal’s Office has investigated fires that involved space heaters.  “Check the electrical cord and unit for any damage; do not use if any damage is found,” Chief Fire Marshal Harrison Holt said....