What does it mean to be an American? This morning I want to present my views. First of all, I am proud to be an American. I love this country and all it stands for. The Constitution was written more than 200 years ago, but is still pertinent today. Our system of three parts of government ...

An observation. Gratitude. A possible metaphor. I regularly walk the uphill roads that take me to the Warren Area High School. It’s a lovely, challenging climb that I’m grateful to be able to do. I share the air and earth up there with birds, bunnies, chipmunks, a singular cat, and ...

It has recently irritated me to have to be careful when backing out of our driveway not to collide with the car parked in the street opposite from where our driveway ends. It’s not that the car’s owner has parked his or her car in a way that seriously impedes my exiting since there is ...

Last week I talked about the Depression. I complimented the two women in my life who had lived through it and taught me a lot. Today I have other thoughts. I read a piece called “I Like the Depression.” The man had this perspective on how the Depression enhanced his life. How could ...

This morning a doe and her fawn showed up in the yard. That is not unusual up here.What was unusual is that she seemed to be saying to the young one, “This is a safe place to eat. See I am grazing here.” Animals are nothing but amazing. They teach their young without words. They teach ...

I recently spent about 15 minutes inside a Warren-area convenience store awaiting a sub to be made. While there, approximately six customers entered the store without masks, despite the highly visible signs on the doors requiring them. I asked the staff if that was common, thinking of how ...

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s press conference on Aug. 6 was coming to an end when a question was posed regarding high school sports. Wolf did not delay in responding. “The guidance is we ought to avoid any congregant settings,” he said. “And that means anything that brings people ...

John Denver has a song that I love called “Some Days Are Diamonds, Some Days Are Stones.” The song describes how to determine whether your day is a diamond or a stone. Interestingly, the best days of your life are the “diamond days” while the days that are not so good are the “stone ...

Over the past three months, our organizations have proudly come together in an unprecedented fashion to address the enormous challenges we have faced as a community due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This public health crisis is unlike anything most of us have ever experienced ...

Well, Major League Baseball is underway but it certainly is different. Every team is trying its best to keep players healthy but despite their best efforts, some players have tested positive for COVID-19. The stadiums are empty except for essential personnel. Even the commentators are ...

Among the 40,345 residents in Warren County, in 2017, 97% were white and less than 1% were black. This letter focuses on the blacks, though Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and others experience ill will as well. First some history: slavery, 1619 to 1865; Jim Crow Segregation era, ...

In July, I wrote a letter pertaining to the proposed hotel complex that some people think that tax dollars, aka grant money, aka manna from heaven, should be used to fund some “developers’” dreams. It doesn’t work. These people are just here for a handout at our expense. Here are my ...

Although the coronavirus has canceled the Warren County Fair for this year, it does not stop me from thinking about it. I served on the board of directors for 19 years — all of that doing the publicity and advertising. It is very much a part of my summer. Last summer my husband and I ...

Pray for our president Dear Editor, Evangelicals who wince at some of the words our president uses need to take stock. Should the passion and energy spent on critiquing be better put into prayer for the man God has in office and studying the Bible? Consider: King David, small in stature, ...

Land is one of those words that can either be a noun or a verb. It usually shows up as a noun. Like the listing of land transfers published in the newspaper. A place. Something solid. Space on which to stand. But sometimes it’s a verb. As in what a plane does when the wheels appear and ...

It certainly seems to be daylily season in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Everywhere you look day lilies are blooming profusely and the colors of choice seem to be yellow or orange. Happily, day lilies come in many colors and can bloom at different times during the summer season. It is possible to ...

Many of the television shows are being done as “at home editions.” We are seeing the interior of the stars’ homes as they are interviewing and interacting with others. What we are seeing is the part of their home that they want us to see. Television newscasters are also doing their ...

We are both blessed and cursed that the most significant tree to grow along our area of the Allegheny River south of Warren is rooted between the riverside porch of our cabin and the 10-foot slope leading down to the river. As I have noted before, this linden, or basswood, apparently ...

My niece posted pictures she took while she was picking cherries with her dad. That evoked strong memories for me. We often went near Forestville to pick cherries. When we moved to Hickory Heights there were a lot of cherry trees growing here. They did not produce much, but I usually got ...

As a lifetime resident of Warren, I continue to be amazed by our strong community. A community that stands united and pulls together during the most challenging times. Independence Day goes well beyond our city, but we sure know how to overcome adversity. The ideas were simple and just ...