The Greater Philadelphia Area
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Roxborough Manayunk Wissahickon Historical Society will feature guest speaker Nicholas Stamps “Video Documentary of the History of Roxborough, Philadelphia”. The event is free and open to the public.
April 26th
To be held at:
Journey’s Way
403 Rector Street
Philadelphia, PA 19128
@ 7 PM
Guest Speaker — Mr. Nicholas Stamps – Local Roxborough Historian and Videographer
“Video Documentary of the History of Roxborough, Philadelphia”
WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA — The West Chester Borough Council illegally enacted an unconstitutional law that restricts:
acting, singing, playing musical instruments, pantomime, juggling, magic, dancing, reading, puppetry, sidewalk art, and reciting.
In July, September and August of 2016, Borough Council held public hearings to discuss a proposed busking ordinance.
After much discussion and debate, the Borough’s legal council stated many changes had been made, including:
However, the new ordinance was not advertised and was incorporated into Borough Code without incorporating the voted upon changes.
Read the West Chester Busking Ordinance (pdf)
The ordinance completely bans performance art without a permit. For instance, if you allow a 5-year-old to color with chalk on the sidewalk without a license, you both will be breaking the law. If you obtain a license to perform music and kids start dancing, they will be breaking the law. If you write music without a license and kids start dancing, you all will be breaking the law. Should you and your friends attend a peace rally or sporting event and sing the “Star Spangled Banner”, you will be breaking the law. You are not allowed to read the busking ordinance without a permit.
Many performances are even banned if you have a permit. Under no circumstances can you read within a 100 feet of a library. Choirs are banned from singing within 100 feet of a church. No pantomime or magic is allowed near a hospital.
Two businesses (Penn’s Table Restaurant and Malena’s Vintage Boutique) along with the West Chester Business Improvement District (BID) appear to be behind the illegal passing of the unconstitutional law. Concerned citizens are boycotting these establishments.
On March 27, 2017, Borough Manager Michael Cotter stated, “The correct version is in the process of being posted.”
Related Articles:
West Chester Borough Busking Ordinance
Saturday, July 9th, 2016
West Chester Busking Ordinance Borough Council
Saturday, July 16th, 2016
West Chester Borough Petition Against Busking Ordinance
Saturday, July 16th, 2016
West Chester Busking Public Hearing
Monday, July 25th, 2016
West Chester Busking Ordinance
Monday, September 19th, 2016
by Daniel Brouse
WEST CHESTER, PA — The office of State Representative is up for election in Chester County. State Representative Dan Truitt is running for re-election against West Chester Mayor Carolyn Comitta. The 156th Pennsylvania House of Representatives District is located in Chester County and includes the following areas:
Birmingham Township
East Goshen Township
Thornbury Township
West Chester
West Goshen Township (PART, District North)
Westtown Township
Truitt and Comitta are on opposite sides of the “West Chester Busking and Street Performance Ordinance.”
Mayor Comitta is behind a proposed ordinance that would limit a citizen’s ability to sing, dance, play music, perform magic, juggle, read aloud or recite. The original ordinance would have required children to have a license to draw with chalk on the sidewalk. So many residents and lovers-of-the-arts showed up to this public hearing that another public hearing was added. Then, so many people showed up to protest the ordinance at the second meeting, yet another public hearing is scheduled. Though the ordinance has been watered down, it is still in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Mayor Comitta is also embroiled in allegations of police misconduct, police corruption, hate crimes and civil rights violations. Mayor Comitta’s West Chester Police Department arrested and assaulted two street musicians under the guise of the noise ordinance. Without grounds, scores of citations have been issued to other performers. One artist was cited three times, though he was not making noise. The artist won all three court cases but is now forced to sue in Federal Court (to obtain damages and challenge the noise ordinance under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.)
Mayor Comitta has been unresponsive to all requests both written [1, 2, 3] and verbal.
On the other hand, Dan Truitt met with and supported the West Chester artists that perform at Gay and Church Streets in West Chester. Dan’s office provided research on the constitutionality of the proposed ordinance and the existing noise ordinance. Dan said, “The proposed ordinance violates the Constitution.”