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Another disappears

People often ask me where I get the ideas for my column. I tell them sometimes they come from conversation with others. Sometimes they come from reading things. Sometimes they come from life experiences. Sometimes they come from exposure to something. Today’s column comes from something that came across my desk recently. I saw a picture of cloth diapers blowing in the breeze. I used cloth diapers for my little ones. The disposable ones were new at the time. They were paper, but they did not have plastic on the outside. I took them with me when I went out of town or visiting. That ...

Rounding Third: New rides in the big old city

Small town living seldom requires the services of Uber or Lyft. But I was in New York City last week and had the opportunity to be a newly savvy traveler. I became an Uber user. I am a verified rider. I am so cool. It was fun, it was safe, and I enjoyed my drivers. And yes, it is fairly expensive. But, in New York, with all the traffic, toll bridges, tunnels, and parking there is no wallet-friendly way to get in and out of Manhattan. I stayed with my BFF, Ginger, who has lived in leafy Forest Hills, N.Y. for decades. Forest Hills is in Queens, the other side of the East River from ...

Decisions not siding with sentiments of area

I wish to speak about democracy in our region. What is the problem? We have lost it. It used to be that the majority ruled but that is not the case anymore. We now have two instances of this loss. One is the school system. Those in charge rule regardless of what the majority wants. Closing a school in any town is detrimental to any town. I think they are doing all of this backward. Leave the students where they are. They claim they cannot afford this. Way back in an earlier meeting when this was stated, I heard a man say “That’s a lie.” Also, I saw two editions of ...

View from Hickory Heights: Life goes on

When I was cleaning out one of my drawers, I came across this little folder. Of course, I took time to see what it was. It said it was favorite quotes from “Good Old Days” books. There were quotes from many noted people. One, interested me. It was from Robert Frost. It said, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life – it goes on.” For anyone in my age bracket that is particularly certain. We have all experienced many losses. We have lost parents, siblings, children, and spouses. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a spouse has been through ...

Stay-at-home mom sees social benefits of cyber schooling

People often think that cyber school students lack socialization. As the mother of a student who attends a public cyber school, I can attest: that has not been our experience. I am a stay-at-home mom with three children. My oldest is a second grader who has been enrolled at PA Cyber since kindergarten, and my two younger children are not yet school-aged. Prior to becoming a stay-at-home mom, I utilized my psychology degree, most recently as a supervisor for a team that coordinated care for disabled individuals. My husband and I made the choice, after our youngest was born, for me ...

School board plans dismiss needs of children

This is an open letter to the Warren County School District Board of Education. Just who are you helping with your program of consolidation? You certainly are not helping the children of the county. I am a retired elementary teacher, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Youngsville High School is more centered for travel than Eisenhower. You are causing children to travel long distances and times to reach Eisenhower. They will have longer bus trips. They will have to get up earlier and lose time after school for other activities. If they have homework, they will have less ...