Focus on the good for this most unusual Christmas

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa It’s easy to be hung up on all of the bad things we’re living through right now. I’m not going to list them all, you know them all too well and don’t need me to remind you. So, as we head into Christmas week, I want to focus on the things we can celebrate – and yes, there are things. With all of the difficulties, we’ve learned to appreciate...

What Do To: A holiday season like no other

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times This is a December like no other. Normally, this is the time of year that your brain gets battered into submission by being exposed to an endless array of men and women ringing bells while standing next to donation baskets, traffic jams caused by mall-bound shoppers and the non-stop playing of Christmas carols everywhere. In 2020, your brain is also getting...

MacKenzie Scott donates $20M to Lincoln University

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY —Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU), announced Wednesday that it has received a $20 million gift from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Scott’s gift is the largest from a single donor in Lincoln’s 167-year history. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Ms. MacKenzie...

Taste of Phoenixville pivots to take-out, expands to 5 days for 2020

PHOENIXVILLE — Organizers of the 19th Annual Taste of Phoenixville event won’t let COVID-19 stop them. With a pivot to take-out, Good Samaritan Services empowers the community to take their health into their own hands while they still have an exciting and engaging event to raise money for Good Samaritan Services, a Phoenixville organization that serves the community’s homeless and at-risk individuals. “This...

On Stage: Sellersville returns to live streaming-only concerts due to COVID

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Deb Callahan Up until about a week ago, the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) was holding down the fort in the battle to keep indoor performances with live audiences featuring national acts on the local schedule The venue was able to present live music and comedy at 10% occupancy to live performances...

Big storm likely to hit Chesco Wed. — as much as 2 feet possible

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa Chester County is going to get hit hard by an early winter storm — but how much snow you get may just depend on how far north you live in the county and where the rain/snow line ends up falling. The storm is expected to hit the Chester County area Wednesday afternoon according to the National Weather Service, with total snow accumulations in parts of...

Libertarians gather to clean up Bournelyf Special Camp

Last weekend was the final volunteer cleanup effort at Bournelyf Special Camp in West Chester, Pa. Members of the Libertarian Party of Chester County arrived to straighten up the grounds of the camp before Winter sets in. The Chester County Libertarians support volunteer initiatives to help organizations in our community, and Bournelyf is a favorite of ours. “Bournelyf is a unique operation,” explained...

CCIU thanks Dinniman for his service on behalf of education

Dr. George F. Fiore, executive director of the Chester County Intermediate Unit presents a resolution of behalf of the CCIU thanking state Sen. Andy Dinniman for his decades of work on behalf of education in Chester County. The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) Board of Directors passed a resolution at its November 2020 meeting honoring Senator Andrew Dinniman’s lifetime of public service and...

With 1st major snowstorm of season bearing down, PUC offers tips to be prepared

Based on the forecast and Winter Storm Watches issued by the National Weather Service, it appears a fairly major snowstorm is likely to hit Chester County on Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. The impact of the storm is expected to be felt harder in the northern portions of the county, with snow estimates in the 5 to 9 inches range at this point. With the temperature expected to hover around the freezing...

Not content with taking your vote away, apparently Republicans also want you to die

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa This was going to be a column about the non-trivial issue of politicians seeking to disenfranchise millions of voters literally because they didn’t like how the election went, but COVID-19, being COVID-19, the virus pushed itself back to front and center in the headlines again Thursday. With cases spiraling — especially in the central part of the...