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Just one well-aimed snowball did the trick

Frankly, I don’t throw a snowball very often these days. Occasionally I might toss a mischievous handful at Richard in the driveway. I do remember though, back when I was first aware that a good snowball is a weapon. I’ll never forget what happened: I was in the fourth grade. In the winter we couldn’t wait to blast out of school and race home for snow play. My classmate, Nancy, and I built a tall snow fort behind the front yard low hedge. It was a fun place to snuggle out of the wind and we kept fortifying and smoothing its sides with each new snowfall. We dug out peep holes so ...

Growing government eats away at paycheck

The latest political rage is the “Affordability Crisis” – which basically means inflation is eating away at your paycheck. Ironically, the people who most loudly proclaim the Affordability Crisis are usually the ones who caused the problem in the first place by supporting over-spending and over-regulation by the Government. They also think the answer is (curiously) more spending and more regulation. Under President Joe Biden, inflation averaged over 5% per year, with one year being over 9%. By comparison, Trump 47 reduced it to 2.7%, but still more must be done to reverse the ...

Runaway energy costs are just the beginning

The energy statistics in the U.S. have not changed: Pennsylvania remains the second-largest producer of natural gas in the country. If the Appalachia Basin region (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia) was its own country, it would be the fourth largest producer in the world. From century-old “conventional” wells to far-larger Marcellus and Utica “unconventional” shale wells, these resources have supported grid reliability, driven industrial competitiveness, and supplied relatively affordable and reliable energy to millions of Pennsylvanians. How crazy is it to think, then, ...

Lake Placid is small town with big triumphs

The tiny village was named after its tranquil little lake. My dictionary defines placid as serene, gentle, calm. Writing last week’s column about the 1980 Olympics brought back memories that were anything but peaceful. The downtown streets were loud, crowded and fun. It doesn’t seem possible that four and a half decades have slid by since easy-going Lake Placid played host. I was reminded of those many years as Scott Hamilton remarked about this year’s figure skating competition in Italy. When we saw his Olympic debut in Lake Placid, he was 21 years old and stood at his ...

Community involvement can boost Warren

As a member of Warren Redevelopment Authority, Warren Blighted Property Committee and the Comprehensive Plan task force, I see opportunities everywhere and every day in Warren. Here are my thoughts. Warren, look in the mirror. What do you see? Do you see the historic buildings downtown, the parks that are slowly getting better, and the potential this town has? Or do you see the spaces that still need care and attention? Liberty Street and Pennsylvania Avenue are full of opportunity, but the truth is, real change does not come from a grant, a plan, or a consultant. It comes from ...

Surviving Olympic glories from the past

The Olympics have barely begun and I’m almost comatose. Coverage from Milan and Cortina during the afternoon, prime time, and late night have my eyeballs operating in the glued position. Holy biathlon. I’d forgotten how many events are covered. For the first time though, while watching these Olympic Games, I realized that I don’t envy any of the beautiful young athletes anymore. I absolutely, positively cannot imagine attempting any of those death-defying sports. Every surface they challenge is hard. My firm mattress is as far as my imagination can take me. Either they are ...