On Stage: Beloved local improv troupe ‘Better Than Bacon’ to debut at Colonial

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Better Than Bacon What is Better Than Bacon? With breakfast in mind, some will say “nothing.” Some will say sausage or pork roll — or even scrapple. An Amish person might say “Pannhaas” (ponhoss/panhaus) but that breakfast meat dish is definitely an acquired taste (look it up). On the flip side, Hindus, vegetarians, Jews, pollotarians,...

ReFirement at Any Age: The season of renewal

By Gail Supplee Tatum, Columnist, The Times Did the warm winds ever leave? In our area, if felt like the season of winter never showed up, at least weather-wise. Regardless of the lack of snow and consecutive cold days, there were more hours of darkness to contend with, which affects our mood. Gloomy days lead to gloomy ways of thinking, so in spite of the mild weather, we had to work extra hard...

Inner Nature: Shapes of animal bodies

By Vidya Rajan, Columnist, The Times The study of animal form and function is both illuminating and fascinating, panning from simple to complex forms. The morphing started 750-odd million years ago. At this time, the Earth was not young by any means! It was already about 3.5 billion years old (80% of its age today, which is about 4.3 billion years old) and populated by cyanobacterial mats, and...

What To Do: Holiday weekend events are, uh, hoppin’

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  West Chester Railroad Easter weekend has arrived and special Easter activities – big and small — are happening all over. The Easter Bunny is known for hopping around — but not always. Sometimes, instead of bouncing along the ground, Peter Cottontail opts to ride a train. The holiday bunny has already embarked on his holiday spree...

On Stage: Some of Broadway’s best shows come to Philly

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times  Into The Woods Easter events and outdoor activities on pleasantly mild days will provide plenty of options for family events this weekend. But there are also attractive indoor options – especially theater shows. The Kimmel Cultural Campus (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, www.kimmelculturalcampus.org) has presented a steady stream of top-flight...

Coatesville to launch First Fridays, starting in May

This week, the Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance announced a new event: First Fridays in Downtown Coatesville. Beginning in May this year and running through August, the monthly special event will be a celebration of Downtown Coatesville’s shops, restaurants, and rich cultural heritage. From 5:00 to 8:00pm on the First Friday of each month, downtown businesses will host special events, offer refreshments...

What To Do: ‘Spring’ into outdoor activities

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Nemours Estate Spring has officially arrived, and things are coming back to life. Flowers are blooming and outdoor attractions are beginning to open for the 2023 season. April 1 is “Opening Day 2023” for Nemours Estate (1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, Delaware, nemoursestate.org). The entrance is located on the campus of Nemours Children’s...

On Stage: Entertaining, but always a mystery — The Residents

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Residents There are not many bands that can go out on a 50th anniversary tour – and there are not many bands like The Residents. On March 31, The Residents headline a show at the Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com) as part of their 2023 50thanniversary tour. The Residents...

ChristianaCare announces plans for ‘micro-hospital’ on Jennersville Hospital site

An emergency room and some limited hospital services will return to the site of the former Jennersville Hospital — which closed in 2021 — hopefully before the end of 2024, company officials said today. ChristianaCare provided new details about its plans to restore health care services to the southern Chester County community at its West Grove Campus, formerly Jennersville Hospital. ChristianaCare...

It’s not about ‘parental rights,’ it’s about greed

By Mike McGann, Editor, the Times @mikemcgannpa You’ve probably heard a lot about “woke” “CRT” and “DEI” relating to public schools. And like most people, you may not be entirely sure what these terms mean and how they might impact your kids. And maybe this might be a good time to offer a primer on what these terms mean, as it seems increasingly likely they will be thrown around a...