On Stage (Extra): Cirque du Soleil crawls into area

Also: Jersey Boys come to Playhouse on Rodney Square By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Cirque du Soleil’s OVO comes to Philadelphia this week. The entertainment calendar is looking good for next week with two blockbuster shows heading to the area for multi-day runs — Cirque du Soleil and “The Jersey Boys.” Many traditional circuses have relied on their animals as major draws. One...

Flowers by Jena Paige blooms in Downingtown

Downingtown High grad lives dream of opening hometown shop By Lauren Parker- Gill, News Editor, The Times Flowers by Jena Paige is Downingtown’s newest business on Lancaster Avenue and features floral arrangements, floral designs for weddings and events and an elegant gift shop. Photo credit: Flowers by Jena Paige DOWNINGTOWN – New business, Flowers by Jena Paige, is taking the borough by storm...

What To Do: Winterthur’s Point To Point

Also: Ideas for a fun day with Mom By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times Without a doubt, there will be a bustle of activity this weekend at Winterthur” (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-888-4600, www.winterthur.org) with the climax being the Winterthur Point-to-Point Races — an event that has become one of premier attractions in the Brandywine Valley each year. This year’s 38th annual...

On Stage: Sticky Fingers brings the swagger

Emerging acts in Delaware Valley spotlight this week By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times  Sticky Fingers There used to be just two main meanings for “sticky fingers.” There was the literal translation and there was the slang meaning. Someone with sticky fingers was prone to stealing on a regular basis — especially shoplifting. In 1971, another meaning for the phrase entered the vernacular....

Don’t retire, Refire: Implement a plan

Retirement doesn’t mean the end of schedules, just new priorities By Gail Supplee Tatum, Columnist, The Times So…we’ve all realized that rather than letting our days of retirement fall away unfulfilled, we wish to have our days of ReFirement ignited.  How do we make this happen? As Stephen Covey once said, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ...

Art Watch: Gallery Walk in West Chester

Entire borough turns into an art party for one thrilling night By Lele Galer, Columnist, The Times This Friday is “Gallery Walk” in downtown West Chester, which is “First Friday” on a huge celebratory scale. Every “First Friday” of the month galleries and local businesses have special art openings in Kennett Square, West Chester and Phoenixville, but only twice a...

All About Connecting: Make your own luck

It’s about preparation and strategy, for the most part By Nancy Plummer, Columnist, The Times We’ve all been sold on the idea that successful people are just lucky. We are always complaining that we too could have been a millionaire like our brother-in law who made it big by being “lucky enough” to get in at the right time with a great start-up firm, or we could have a husband like our...

On Your Table: Lighten up for Cinco De Mayo

Tasty Mexican dishes don’t have to be calorie-heavy By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times Many Cinco de Mayo dishes are calorie-laden but there are lots of healthier options like a taco wrapped in lettuce leaves (Photo Courtesy of Anne Lawton. Most people have the wrong idea about the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo. It actually celebrates the Battle of Puebla which took place 100...

Group makes accusations against CASD’s Taschner

Hits admin over test scores; Taschner cites lack of prep, years of previous mismanagement By Lauren Parker- Gill, News Editor, The Times  Dr. Cathy Taschner and the board of directors for the Coatesville Area School District held a school board meeting Tuesday night, in which their practices were again called into question by parents and tax payers in Coatesville. CALN – Another contentious school...

Op/Ed: Community health centers betray pro-life trust

Congressman claims federal funds used to pay for abortions By Joe Pitts, U.S. Rep., 16th District U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts (R-16) There are 237 Community Health Center sites in Pennsylvania. Their umbrella organization, the National Association of Community Health Centers, declares that their mission is to serve over 23 million people at more than 9,000 sites to address the widespread lack of access to...