House Bill 809 would further cut local control

Bill would let state make housing, zoning choices instead of local communities By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times Along with about 50 other people, I attended a hearing at West Chester Borough Hall on July 20 about House Bill 809 proposed to the PA House of Representatives. On the positive side, we have a democratic process that allows citizens to find out what our legislators are doing and...

Letter: Longwood chief backs dedicated funding efforts

To The Editor, Longwood Fire Company has been seeking dedicated funding from governmental entities for many years. I was encouraged to see four companies in our region form a funding coalition to reach that goal and have offered them my support. The Berwyn, Paoli, Radnor and Malvern fire companies formed the T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition. They are combining efforts to reach out to residents...

Op/Ed: Fictionalizing history

By Bruce Mowday Bruce Mowday The history Americans know, or think they know, is increasingly coming from polluted sources. Last week I was in Gettysburg digging into original historical documents at the Adams County Historical Society and Gettysburg National Military Park for information on my next book, J. Howard Wert’s Gettysburg. I had several interesting conversations with curators and historians...

Sunday Super Six: Food & fashion with a patriotic twist

Happy Fourth of July weekend! This is easily one of my favorite holidays. Fireworks on the beach with family and friends, what could be better? In the spirit of patriotism, I have created a red, white and blue Sunday Super Six that I looooooove! Here are the details:

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...

On Stage: Rock, indie-pop & bluegrass hit music scene 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 his old way of...

On Your Table: Spark-up a July 4th party with red, white & blue dishes

Think festive and delicious, incorporating red white and blue into your presentation is easy! By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Watermelon is a staple of Fourth of July Celebrations. On a patriotic holiday like the Fourth of July, families and friends gather to celebrate our national heritage,  liberties and the sacrifices made to preserve our way of life, and of course, a big...

A time for joy and a time for justice

Same-sex marriage ruling makes America and Chester County a fairer, better place to live By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times SAN FRANCISCO — On this cool, cloudy Sunday morning, this may well be the happiest place on earth, Disney notwithstanding. Today’s Pride Parade, here, looks to be little short of a city-wide explosion of celebration of Friday’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that same-sex...

Victoria’s Secret-ish…

Embracing fabulous YOU   By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times   Did you happen to read about the group of “regular” women who tried on Victoria’s Secret bathing suits and then replicated a photoshoot? If that is not the epitome of bravery, I don’t know what is. The article does contain some profanity and is meant for an older audience. Parents, monitor accordingly. Click...

Supreme Court ruling means rights for all

Same sex marriage ruling affirms individual rights when legislative action is stalled By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times It is well worth downloading the full Obergefell v. Hodges decision at http://www.supremecourt.gov/.  The pdf is rather exciting reading.  As taxpayers we paid for it, so let’s read it for free! The 5-4 ruling on both questions before the Court (which it could have...