Art Watch: The Bizzigirls

Spotlighting local good stuffs for the good of our locals By Lele Galer, Columnist, The Times This week’s Art Watch highlights Bizzigirls, a non-profit community marketing cooperative that has monthly art shows to benefit small local non-profits that provide services to local people in need.  Bizzigirls a wonderful group of high energy women who get together to raise money and awareness...

Ice storm aftermath: the good, the bad and the unacceptable

Chester County Emergency Services stands out for praise, PECO gets hit on many fronts By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times For most of us, the worst is over. As of Monday morning, just about 10,000 Chester County homes and businesses were still without power, according to PECO, down from about 200,000 Wednesday — while others wait for restoration of phone and Internet service from Verizon and Comcast. Schools...

100K still without power, PECO says fix could take days more

Some schools reopen, but trees, power lines still down around county Updated: 11:20 a.m.,adds water info, warnings Days into recovery efforts, this large tree branch rests on power lines — blocking southbound traffic — in East Fallowfield, Friday. Although power has been restored to more than 80,000 PECO customers in Chester County, as of Friday morning, more than 130,000 were said to...

County officials: Best not to venture outside

Mother Nature puts most of area in lockdown – save for borough trash pickup Updated at 3:30 p.m. with report from Kennett Township, shelter information At least two trees down completely block Route 82 in East Marlborough. Trees and branches are down across the county, closing roads and making travel hazardous. An icy coating on trees and roadways has wreaked havoc with travel and power...

County offering citizens free emergency training

Course to enable residents to provide aid to themselves, others in crisis The county is inviting citizens to become life-savers by receiving free training that will enable them to help themselves, their families,  neighbors – even first-responders  – in an emergency. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is designed to prepare residents for a catastrophic event, potentially...

More of the same: snow closes schools, county offices

Forecasts of nasty weather Monday morning turned out to be accurate, as wet slushy, heavy snow has closed virtually every school in the area and all Chester County offices. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Winter Storm Warning early Monday, calling for accumulations in Chester County of between four and eight inches. The snow started just before the morning rush Monday and produced slick...

Groundhog, NWS agree: nasty weather inbound

4-6 inches of snow seen Monday; heavy rains, flooding possible Wed. While groundhogs may be seeing an extended winter, the National Weather Service says Chester County is in for a hairy week of wintery weather. It appears that the world most famous groundhog — Punxsutawney Phil — and the National Weather Service are on the same page: there’s lot more winter headed for Chester County. Although...

Art Watch: Sara Bleemer

Photo images from the heart By Lele Galer, Columnist, The Times Sara Bleemer is a local Chester County art photographer who has been taking photographic images for as long as she can remember, but as her children have grown older, she has been able to spend more time focusing on this artistic passion. For the past four years Sara has shown regularly in most of the local art shows and she has a...

A rush to bipartisanism amid a few intra-party battles

Is getting along to get ahead back in fashion? By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Let’s face it, bipartisanism is the new black. If you listened to a lot of political types in Chester County this past week, candidates and elected officials across the political spectrum were working to show their ability to make nice with the other side. But roiling below the surface are a handful of intra-party...

Galer Estate Winery honored again

Awarded 2 Double Gold Medals and designated as best wines in Pennsylvania The gang at Galer Estate celebrates even more honors for their Chester County grown wines. EAST MARLBOROUGH — Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery was recently awarded two “Double Gold – Best in Appellation” designations from Appellation America in Napa California.  Galer Estate 2010 Cabernet Franc and 2012 Pinot Gris...