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Ken Burns’ Delaware Valley Roots: How His Mother’s Battle with Cancer Forged a Passion for Storytelling
Before Ken Burns became the United States’ most admired documentary filmmaker, he was a quiet boy growing up in Newark, Delaware, the son of a University of Delaware professor and a mother whose long struggle with breast cancer defined his childhood. Long before The Civil War, Brooklyn Bridge, Vietnam War, or Mark Twain cemented his…
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Montgomery County Leadership: Jaime Simpson, Dean of Academic Programs, Manor College
Jaime Simpson, Dean of Academic Programs at Manor College, spoke with Montco Today about growing up in a blended family in Bucks County, where she learned to prioritize education, independence, and looking to the future. Simpson attended Harcum College to become an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA), but discovered another passion while serving as a…
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The Greatest Event Since the Birth of Christ? Ken Burns Says It Began in the Delaware Valley
When Ken Burns, the celebrated documentary filmmaker behind The Civil War and The Vietnam War, calls the American Revolution “the most important event in world history since the birth of Christ,” even seasoned historians blink. It’s a breathtaking claim, but look around the Delaware Valley, and suddenly it doesn’t feel far-fetched. From Philadelphia’s Independence Hall,…
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Untangling a Revolution: How Ken Burns and His Team Brought America’s Revolution to Life
Everyone thinks they know the story of the American Revolution including the midnight rides, the musket smoke, George Washington at Valley Forge. But filmmaker Ken Burns saw something deeper waiting beneath the marble myths. In his new documentary series The American Revolution, premiering this month on WHYY, Ken Burns and longtime collaborators Sarah Botstein and…
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The Revolution Happened Here: 10 Philadelphia Area Battles That Shaped the Fight for Independence
Before the world called it the American Revolution, it began right here along the Delaware River, across the rolling farms of Chester County, and in the cobblestoned streets of Philadelphia. From Brandywine River to Germantown, the British Army and General Washington’s American forces fought for control of a region that would determine the fate of…
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Across All 6 Episodes, Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Take Center Stage in Ken Burns’ The American Revolution
The Revolution that changed the world was born right here in the Delaware Valley, in the muddy crossroads of Chester County, the meeting houses of Germantown, and the narrow streets of Philadelphia. This month, PBS premieres The American Revolution, a sweeping six-part, 12-hour documentary directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, and written…
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Revolutionary November: PBS Docuseries Brings The Revolution Home to Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley
Before the world called it the American Revolution, the fight for independence began right here, in the fields, taverns, meeting houses, and muddy crossroads of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. The ideas that lit the world on fire were born on our streets, debated in our pubs, and signed in our halls. This month, as…
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Montgomery County Leadership: Maryanne Parsons, President and Founder, Partners in Outreach
Maryanne Parsons, President and Founder of Partners in Outreach, spoke with MONTCO Today about growing up in the small-town community of Ridley Park, where she participated in community events, worked a variety of summer jobs, and learned leadership in student government. After a background in athletic training and a career in the insurance industry, Parsons…
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Montgomery County Leadership: Jeff Bierlein, Director of Commercial Real Estate Banking, S&T Bank
Jeff Bierlein, Director of Commercial Real Estate Banking at S&T Bank, spoke with MONTCO Today about growing up in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Sports were the focus of his childhood, from traveling for Little League games to learning leadership as a basketball camp instructor. After establishing a banking career for himself at PNC Bank, Bierlein transitioned to…
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Can You Name Pennsylvania’s Longest Bridge? It’s in Our Neighborhood
Pennsylvania boasts 25,400 state-owned bridges and one of its longest happens to be right in our backyard, writes Rob Amend for AZ Animals. The Commodore Barry Bridge over the Delaware River connects Chester with Bridgeport, New Jersey. Not only is it the state’s longest bridge, but it is also the fourth-largest cantilever bridge in the…
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MONTCO Careers: Sales Executive Assistant with American Community Journals
Are you looking to break into sales with a company that’s growing fast and making a difference across the Delaware Valley? American Community Journals (ACJ), publisher of PHILADELPHIA Today, MONTCO Today, DELCO Today, BUCKSCO Today, and VISTA Today, is seeking a Sales Executive Assistant to join its all-remote team. ACJ reaches more than 325,000 subscribers and…
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Montgomery County Leadership: Tim Hamill, Director of Athletics, Holy Family University
Tim Hamill, a Philadelphia native who grew up in Mayfair and graduated from Father Judge High School, is the director of athletics at his alma mater, Holy Family University. Hamill recently spoke with MONTCO Today, reflecting on what it means to lead the athletics program at Holy Family, the growth and achievements the department has…
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Two Phillies Stories, Two Lessons, and Why MONTCO Today Chooses to Share the Positive
These days, it feels like we live in a world pulled apart by arguments. Politics. Social media. Even conversations with coworkers and neighbors. Polarization and divisiveness seem to meet us at every turn. That’s why the stories we share here on MONTCO Today, and the ones we choose to focus on, matter more than ever.…
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The Beatles’ “Yesterday” Turns 60 This Week: Paul McCartney’s Dream and Lessons on the Power of Words
Sixty years ago this week, on September 13, 1965, The Beatles released “Yesterday” in the United States. It went straight to No. 1 and has since become the most recorded song in history, with over 2,200 cover versions. But what fascinates me more than the stats is how the song came into the world. Paul…
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Montgomery County Leadership: Peggy Lee-Clark, Executive Director, Pottstown Area Economic Development
Peggy Lee-Clark, Executive Director of Pottstown Area Economic Development (PAED), spoke with MONTCO Today about growing up in King of Prussia, singing and acting in school plays, and exploring the fields of retail, restaurants, and hospitality. Although Lee-Clark did not take to higher education easily as a new high school graduate, she continued pursuing formal…
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Wall Street Journal: Tiny Norristown Company Makes the World’s Best ‘Cult Status’ Hoodies
Camber USA has reached cult status among true fans of hoodies who believe that the Norristown apparel manufacturer makes some of the best sweatshirts in the world, writes Jacob Gallagher for The Wall Street Journal. And while its name may not be universally known, the company has been selling its comfortable and thick – but…
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Montgomery County Leadership: Laura Taylor, Founder and CEO, Mingle Mocktails
Laura Taylor, Founder and CEO of Wayne-based Mingle Mocktails, spoke with MONTCO Today about growing up in San Diego, where she started her first business selling fruit door-to-door and dreamed of a future in entrepreneurship. Taylor is frank about her troubled history with alcohol, dating back to fifth grade and continuing into her early career.…
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Montgomery County Leadership: Todd Williams, PhD, President and CEO, Cairn University
Todd Williams, President of Cairn University, spoke with MONTCO Today about growing up in Middletown, Pa., embracing Christianity and theological studies in his early teens, and discovering his love for teaching while giving horsemanship lessons at a local summer camp. After a forklift accident derailed his military ambitions, Williams eventually enrolled in what was then…
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