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 battles...

Letter: for kids sake, we need to fight for clean air

To The Editor, Lately, I’ve been thinking about the quality of the air we breathe.  The World Health Organization recently labeled all outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic.  Several decades worth of industrial and vehicle emissions have poisoned our air.  And I can’t help but wonder what this means for my children and for all children exposed to these toxins.  Contaminated air just can’t...

Op/Ed: Protecting patients from one-size-fits-all healthcare

By Mian A. Jan, M.D. Mian A. Jan As a board certified cardiologist and a practicing physician for over 25 years in Chester County with a diverse group of patients from a variety of different backgrounds, I believe no two patients are the same. I strive to give the very best care depending on the patient’s specific case. I apply a one-on-one relationship model to the treatment and care of all my patients. It...

Letters to the editor and the greater conversation

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times We get letters and then sometimes, we get letters. Some praise the acts of others (once in a while, even us), some take various public and elected officials to task (including us). All of them have one thing in common: they represent the opinion of our readers (you’ll note by looking just above the headline, on this column, the word ‘opinion,’ denoting...

Letter: Sanville must go

To The Editor: At the School Board’s Special Meeting on October 28, 2013, I asked four questions about students attending Unionville-Chadds Ford Schools while they resided in their parent’s primary residence that was outside of our district’s boundaries. UCF Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Sanville stated in a letter to me dated Nov. 4,2013. that he decided to treat my queries as a...

Costello-DiGiorgio battle could have wide-ranging impact

Gerlach’s decision not to seek reelection touches off primary fight By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times That shattering and creaking sound you heard this week wasn’t from the extreme cold (unless you were near my nearly half-century old bones), but what would appear to be the shattering of a fragile unity among Chester County Republicans. When Jim Gerlach announced Monday that he would not seek...

Op/Ed: Chester County worked together for a successful 2013

By Terence Farrell, Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell Happy New Year!  ¡Feliz año nuevo! And best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous new year. As we transition from 2013 to 2014, it is worthwhile to look back at the year that just ended to assess how Chester County government is doing to meet the needs and expectations of its constituents, and to make plans to do even better in...

Letter: thanks Pitts for recommending Healthcare.gov

To The Editor, Thank you, Congressman Pitts, for recommending HealthCare.gov! Our Congressman Joe Pitts has been an outspoken critic of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and so I was wondering what he would advise a constituent who did not have health insurance. So I emailed him through his website and asked this question: ‘I do not have health insurance and I want to get it. I do not want...

Ellison is out and so is the Tea Party

One — the former Democratic power-broker — knows he’s done, the other is oblivious By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times As we head into the holiday season — and hopefully, a couple of weeks of relative quiet — a few notes and thoughts on local political stuff and other news items. Maybe the topline item this morning is that James Ellison is out at Rhoads & Sinon — meaning he will no...

Roundtable on poverty a start, but more is needed

Until there is a collective will to really address poverty, things won’t get better By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times COATESVILLE — With wealth bordering on abundance at times in Chester County, it can be difficult to confront the truth that for many here — arguably far too many — poverty remains a stark reality and a reality that in recent years has gotten worse. This past week, six state...