Christmas parade traffic

My sister and her husband were involved in a traffic accident at North Matlack and Marshall Street in West Chester during the Christmas Parade Friday night.

A car ran the stop sign and plowed into them so I had to do a lot of walking on Marshall, Matlack, Franklin and East Virginia streets.

I was almost hit by speeding cars several times.

They were stuck on Marshall Street with a badly damaged car, they were yelled at by passing cars, people got out to yell at them, the car was badly damaged, and my sister managed to drive it to North Franklin with parts hanging off.

It was a complete zoo on the streets, at least the north end of town.

I don’t know what it was like on other streets.

Cars were parked on both sides of the streets.

Emergency vehicles did not have easy access to homes and buildings without backing up on the streets as only one car could get through.

Cars were speeding and running stop signs.

The whole event is now too large for the borough and the planning was poor by borough council.

There should have been cops at intersections, and it was a disaster waiting to happen.

The planning for traffic control was poor, and I shudder to think if the fire at Barclay Friends had happened at the same time as this parade as no one would have been able to save anyone.

The borough council, the mayor, and the borough manager need to rethink the Christmas parade.

Parking is a nightmare and the fact that more traffic accidents have not happened is pure luck.

If there had been a fire, the trucks could not get through.

I am surprised at the poor planning in these times of terrorism.

Let’s hope this gets some attention for future planning, because 40,000 people coming into town is no small number of cars and people, kids were on the streets.

Either move it or do something for the parking.

I am astonished to see how this parade was able to be approved by council. Libby Maxim West Chester

Voters want common sense gun laws

Do elected officials ever listen to what voters ask for?

The answer is “no” with regard to developing common sense gun regulation.

Polling this fall shows 95% of U.S. voters, including 94% of those living in houses with guns, want a background check before every gun purchase (Quinnipiac University, 11/17).

Polling also shows a majority of Americans believe there should be a licensing requirement before a gun owner can “conceal carry” a loaded gun.

These results included majority support by gun owners. (Pew Research Center, 6/17.)

And yet, following two massacres this fall – Las Vegas and Sutherland Springs – the House of Representatives is poised to vote on HB 38 -- a bill that would result in more guns in more places.

This bill, Concealed Carry Reciprocity, would force every state to recognize the concealed carry rights of gun owners from every other state.

As 12 states have no licensing requirement, this is the opposite of what Americans say they want.

Concerned about gun violence in the U.S.?

Call your U.S. Representative and ask they vote against Concealed Carry Reciprocity HB 38.

Don’t be fooled by the action to glue “Fix NICS”, which would enhance the gun purchase background check database, to HB 38.

This is an attempt to provide cover for an unpopular vote to further loosen gun regulation. Ann Colby-Cummings Chairperson, Gun Sense Chester County