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Our opinion: Council’s naming change makes sense

In the end we think the naming ordinance approved by the Warren City Council, and recommended by the city Planning Commission, is a good ordinance. The ordinance creates a standardized application and review process for future naming requests involving city-owned parks, facilities, structures and infrastructure. City Council member Maurice Cashman suggested an amendment prohibiting the renaming of streets and alleyways while still allowing honorary dedications, such as commemorative signs or plaques. Under the revised language, streets and alleyways may receive honorary ...

Families in state still waiting for paid leave

Another Mother’s Day has come and gone, and once again too many Pennsylvania families marked it with gratitude for the mothers in their lives—and frustration at what our state still fails to provide. As the sponsors of the Pennsylvania Family Care Act, we introduced this legislation because we have seen firsthand what it means when a family life collides with a paycheck. In our districts, we hear from workers who are doing everything “right” and still facing impossible choices when illness, childbirth, or caregiving needs arise. These are families trying to hold it all together, ...

Our opinion: A weekend for U.S. remembrance

Sadly enough, many Americans unintentionally will disrespect the true meaning and purpose of today's solemn national holiday. After all, ever since 1971 when Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be observed on the fourth Monday in May, for many, the holiday is simply the final day of a long weekend dedicated to the start of summer fun and frolic. For far too many of us, Memorial Day's primary purpose has been corrupted. The day has become a day to fire up that shiny new grill for outdoor barbecues, a day to catch some rays at the beach or simply a day off work to sleep ...

Readers' Speak

More than numbers Dear Editor, “War is hell,” stated General Sherman with the obvious. Then why do wars continue? Why are populations slaughtered? How can human beings do this to one another? The answer lies in dehumanization. The most frequently cited is the German holocaust of the Jewish people. How could they mentally deal with plucking neighbors from the populace, stealing their belongings, and shipping them off to be exterminated? By changing them from humans to numbers. Dehumanization. The first step is to control the media. And the Nazis did. They convinced the fellow ...

Honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice

As the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of its founding, on this Memorial Day, let’s remember and honor the men and women whose sacrifice made this country possible by finding ways to serve and give back. Memorial Day gives us a chance to acknowledge the shared values that hold us together amid our different backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. It’s a time to express gratitude for what has been given so that we might have the freedoms we treasure. At its core, it’s a day that honors service. This Memorial Day, let’s renew our commitment to service, in ...

Our opinion: School start time worth talk

Rep. Jill Cooper, R-Export, is pushing pretty hard to get high schools to start their day later in the morning. It’s a topic that has been researched for decades, with experts at two virtual Rested and Ready forums convened by Cooper recently speaking about the possible benefits of a later start time for schools and how Cooper’s House Bill 2152 could help schools begin to move their start times. Cooper proposes state grants to schools that move their start times later into the day. There are several studies that show too many adolescents aren’t getting enough sleep, with that ...