Op/Ed: Ambulance companies are sending 911 call for funding help

By A.J. McCarthy, Chief, Longwood Fire Company A.J. McCarthy The severe fiscal plight of ambulance services across Pennsylvania was highlighted this week in an editorial in neighboring Lancaster County. That same editorial could have been written about ambulance services in Chester County as the same frightening facts are applicable. Dean Bollendorf, president of the Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania,...

Chesco United Way holds financial stability forum

Combined group effort of Chester County legislators and social services organizations addressed the under and unemployment challenges in Chester County at the annual United Way of Chester County Financial Stability Forum. DOWNINGTOWN – United Way of Chester County hosted its fifth annual financial stability forum, connecting representatives from ten legislative offices alongside twenty-six non-profit...

Op/Ed: Municipal funding decisions for fire/EMS putting public at risk

A.J. McCarthy (Times’ file photo). By A.J. McCarthy, Chief, Longwood Fire Company The decision by Oxford Borough Council to decrease funding for Union Fire Company and its EMS service is endangering its constituents’ safety. Also, the reported comments by Borough Manager Brian Hoover are infuriating and misleading the citizens of Oxford. Fire companies and EMS units in Chester County struggle...

Grab a No. 2 pencil and underline this: the Keystones are unfair

While the legislature fiddles, teachers and students suffer By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times The good news is that the kids got to sleep in a bit on a school day. And while it’s becoming increasingly clear that our teens don’t get enough sleep — and a movement to delay the start time in Chester County high schools is slowly gaining momentum — that my twins, freshmen at Unionville High School...

Letter: Longwood chief backs dedicated funding efforts

To The Editor, Longwood Fire Company has been seeking dedicated funding from governmental entities for many years. I was encouraged to see four companies in our region form a funding coalition to reach that goal and have offered them my support. The Berwyn, Paoli, Radnor and Malvern fire companies formed the T-E Fire Companies Funding Coalition. They are combining efforts to reach out to residents...

Forget the fact-finding; its time to go to court

Teachers, district pitted needlessly by state’s negligence (or worse) By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Earlier this month, word got out that both the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and its teachers’ union, the Unionville-Chadds Ford Education Association, both will seek fact finding on their ongoing, and apparently stalled contract negotiations. Maybe its spending a week in the wilds...

Hogan, area DAs push for PreK to cut crime

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan speaks at a legislative breakfast Wednesday in support of expansion of funding for pre-kindergarten programs. KING OF PRUSSIA — Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan and other southeast Pennsylvania prosecutors came out strong this week to support an initiative by Gov. Tom Wolf to fund pre-kindergarten programs as a long-term way to boost high school...

Letter: Looting horsemen no way to pay for schools

To The Editor, My background is that of an ‘Army Brat” who traveled the world — Turkey, France, Okinawa — with relatives in England, Australia, and New Zealand.  My grandfather in England used to call his bookie and enjoy making small bets from home and take me to the race courses in the 1950s. I love horses and always have from riding carriage horses in Turkey to now owning...

Pocopson says county should pay share of fire protection

Township objects to prison, Pocopson Home residents included in share funding By Kelli Siehl, Staff Writer, The Times POCOPSON — Township officials say that local residents should not be asked to pay for the fire-protection cost of residents at county-owned facilities, which now threaten to eat up one-third — or more – of the municipal budget, were the township to comply with funding recommendations. At...