With so much going on around town. Catch up on what you may have missed.
It’s Friday, February 8, Chinese New Year year is underway – welcome to the year of the pig – the mayor wants to meet you, and the weather continues to baffle. Come on, let’s see what people are talking about this week.
The Mayor’s borough tour. Late last week Mayor Dianne Herrin announced she would be making her way through a series of town hall style meetings stopping at each one of the borough’s seven wards. On the agenda the Earned Income Tax Increase plus whatever else, you and your neighbors would like to discuss. All meetings are scheduled for 7 p.m. at Borough Hall. Ward one held their chat on Monday, the dates for the rest of us are below. Not sure what ward you are? You can find that here.
- Monday 2/11 – Ward 2
- Monday 2/25 – Ward 3
- Tuesday 2/26 – Ward 6
- Thursday 2/28 – Ward 7
- Tuesday 3/5 – Ward 3
- Wednesday 3/6 – Ward 5
And if that’s not enough government for you, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlihan will be holding a town hall in Coatesville on Saturday (2/9) at 11 a.m.
Pill mills. Last week we all learned what a pill mill was, when the U.S. Attorney’s office announced the bust of 14 -area doctors, including Physician Assistant Jason Dillinger of West Chester, in an illegal opioid distribution scheme involving fraudulent prescriptions.
What color is your graduation gown? Superintendent James Scanlon sent a letter to parents, students and staff apologizing for the districts hasty decision to change the color of the graduation gowns, and back pedaling a little on the initial decision. The original plan was to have graduates all wear the same color gown. Previously girls and boys had worn different colors. The new plan: 2019 graduating seniors can now choose between three color options — a dark colored gown with school’s lighter color as an accent, a gown in the school’s dark color (no accent), gown in the school’s light color (no accent). Senior selections are due today.
Why all the fuss over a graduation color you may wonder? Dr. Scanlon shares his thoughts:
“This isn’t just about the color of a gown. It’s about what we decide to say about ourselves as a community.”
Discussions on this will continue next year.
Those who risked their safety during the Barclay Friends’ fire. The Mayor has announced there will be a plaque commemorating first responders, emergency personnel and the community for their brave efforts to save residents from the devastating fire. The plaque is located in the lobby of Borough Hall. Also, if you would like to see the ATF’s full report on the fire you can submit a Freedom of Information Act request here.
Well, aren’t you cute? West Chester wiggled its way onto Curbed Philadelphia’s list of 22 cute small towns you (read: Philadelphians) need to visit.
In other accolades West Chester’s Westtown School was ranked seventh among private high schools in the Philadelphia area, according to rankings by Niche.com.
And he’s #1 – Amateur gamer and East High School Senior Cormac “Doolsta” Dooley, 18, won the eMLS League Series One tournament in Los Angeles – and took home a $5000 prize. Who’s says video games is a waste of time?
There’s a new pizza place. La Forno pizza has taken the place of Nova’s on West Nields Street. Early reviews are positive although this is a tough pizza market to succeed in – I wish them luck!
In more business updates: Bryn Mawr Running Company is opening a West Chester location in conjunction with Chester County Running Store, at the CCRS high-street location and they’ll be keeping the CCRS group runs and other events. The store will however, be getting a face-lift.
Want to get in the West Chester running scene? Here’s a good place to start.
Finally, in a little reverse migration, Bar Avalon is opening a new Main Line location. We wish you luck with your expansion but don’t forget who loved you first.
The freakin’ weekend. So here we are again. What are you up to this weekend? We have a couple of birthday parties including one for West Chester’s favorite mascot. Did you know, Rammy hit the scene in 1946 after taking over for the University’s goat? A variety of activities are planned at Hollinger Field House. Happy birthday Rammy!
Also at West Chester University this weekend is a sustainability filmfest. Free and open to all ages, it’s a combination of family-friendly fare think Lorax and Walle as well as a series of documentaries on various environmental issues. Movies start at 10 a.m.
If you can’t get enough festing, Westtown school is hosting Winterfest on Saturday. Described as a morning filled with science, art, reading, and fun. The event is free and open to kids 3-7 years old. Pre-registration is required.
If you are looking to do some adulting this weekend? The future stars of opera will be at Uptown on Saturday.
That’s it. Thank you for another great week. The Roundup will be back next Friday. In the meantime, you can find last week’s round up here and stay tuned for our look at West Chester’s efforts to reduce it’s environmental footprint and 5 Instagram accounts we love. (That’s in addition to the 18 we’re already addicted to.)
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