Letter: take a moment to celebrate our dairy farmers
To the Editor
There is certainly no better time to enjoy a few scoops of ice cream or a refreshing glass of milk than in June during National Dairy Month. While celebrating can be delicious and fun, it is also an opportunity to take time to reflect on our farms in Chester County and what impact dairy farms have on our lives.
Our 280 dairy farms and 18,900 cows produce enough milk for our 500,000...
Op/Ed: Smart justice begins with smart sentencing
Better guidelines needed to reduce number of prisoners, cut costs
By Terence Farrell, Chester County Commissioner
Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell
Local lockups, county jails, state prisons and federal correctional institutions are filled and overflowing across the United Sates. The cost of housing all of the offenders is staggering, especially in this time when many needed social programs...
Can there really be ‘Smart’ growth? Yes
Tax discount program adopted by Caln could be used to manage growth, get ratables
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
CALN — Driving down Lincoln Highway the other day, I was a little shocked to note how many businesses were either struggling or shuttered, and I was thinking to myself, “man, I hope there’s something that can be done about that.”
As it turns out, there is, and Caln is doing...
Two Kennett supervisors let ax fall unconditionally
By rushing Longwood demolition permit, they undermined planners, public
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
An ax fell Tuesday night on preservationists’ hopes that three Longwood Gardens bungalows along U.S. 1 could be saved.
Two of the three Kennett Township supervisors not only granted Longwood a demolition permit with no conditions attached, but they also solicited approval...
AR-15 controversy hides real discussion
Battle over gun highlights left, right more interested in scoring points than solving problems
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
I’ll spare you the bad gun puns — we’ve certainly seen more than enough of those in Chester County the last few days.
In case you missed it, there’s an uproar of righteous indignation that Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh’s office is auctioning...
Letter: New Pines owners not meeting responsibilities
To The Editor:
I have a deep concern about the condition of an old home known as The Pines located on East Baltimore Pike where it joins US 1. This historic building was a prominent station on the Underground Railroad in the 1850s. Many years later it was the birthplace of my grandfather, Richard Morton Pennock.
The property on which The Pines sits was bought around 2007 by a group that erected...
Letter: ‘shameful’ attempt by legislature to end jury commissioners
To The Editor:
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives joined the Senate of Pennsylvania in a shameful attempt to circumvent a ruling of the state Supreme Court and unlawfully, once again, eliminate an elected office that has protected the public’s rights in the selection of juries for 145 years.
We, the members of the Pennsylvania State Association of Jury Commissioners, are...
Letter: Commissioners hiding anti-union legal, consultant costs
To The Editor,
The Chester County Commissioners do not believe they are accountable to County taxpayers. The County is currently embroiled in a labor dispute with the employees at the Department of Human Services. On numerous occasions the Commissioners have refused to disclose how much taxpayer money they are paying the anti-union attorneys and consultants they have hired to assist them in this...
Don’t pop that bubbly just yet
State Senate appears likely to water down liquor privatization beyond recognition
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
You might just want to hold that celebration over Pennsylvania privatizing liquor sales.
Despite smiles and warm assurances, the state Senate doesn’t appear to be on board with the bill that passed the state House of Representatives and has support of Gov. Tom Corbett.
In fact,...
Commissioners take aim at Chester County’s elderly and disabled, again
To The Editor:
The Chester County Commissioners have once again demonstrated their disregard for the county’s elderly population and residents with special needs, not to mention county taxpayers. On Friday, March 15th the Commissioners continued their ongoing and disturbing pattern of taking advantage of the hardworking men and women at the Department of Human Services.
DHS has many departments,...
