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Local Commentaries

View from Hickory Heights: Television is older than you think

Are you old enough to remember when television channels signed off for the night? I recall them playing the national anthem, then shutting down. There was no television to watch during the night. The next morning the process worked in reverse. They played the national anthem, then were up and ...

Teachers’ focus remains on history, not ‘indoctrination’

Just about every adult in America who attended a public school has passed through a history class, and maybe they had an aptitude for the subject, had a teacher who inspired them to dig deeper, or were turned off completely by a clock-punching instructor who offered little more than a dry ...

Rounding Third: A concert grand piano produces grand concerts

I had a love affair with a piano. A great big piano. For 11 fascinating years, I was the executive director of the award-winning, historic Struthers Library Theatre here in Warren. One of my best takeaways is how much I learned on that terrific job. And I got to know our piano – a splendid ...

Savoring cheese month

I recently discovered that October is National Cheese Month. I must admit I do like cheese. There are so many kinds of cheese that it is impossible to list them all. In my refrigerator now I have mozzarella, pepper jack cheese, American cheese, sharp cheese, and dill Havarti. I use them all ...

Rounding Third: There’s a high price for procrastinating

A month ago, I spent a morning planning finances for 2025. Social Security hasn’t told us if we’re getting a raise, and I was already creating my spending plan for the new year? I was definitely looking for an area to save some bucks. The expenditures were chugging along as anticipated, ...

View from Hickory Heights: Time for apples

I love the fall. Apples are my favorite fruit. Usually, I pick one out of the basket and eat it before I leave the orchard. The orchard I go to has samples to eat so you can pick out the type you want. One thing that I really appreciate about apples is their versatility. You can use them in ...