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Local Commentaries

Big Brother is always listening

Paranoia is not one of my problems. I have never thought that “they” are out to get us. Cheat us. Control us. I hear a lot of political discussions about “they” and it’s always about the government and how they are using their records, their knowledge, to “keep us in place.” ...

It’s wrong to cancel William Penn

William Penn lived an incredible life during his 73 years on Earth. At a young age in England, Penn became a Quaker, was disowned by his father, overcame homelessness and was imprisoned several times for sharing his Christian faith. He wrote more than 40 books and pamphlets on Christianity, ...

Flower perfect to grow in season

The amaryllis is one of the most beautiful plants of the holiday season. The lovely bell shaped flowers brighten our window sills for many days. We often see the box containing the amaryllis bulb, container and soil in grocery stores, hardware stores or garden centers. Amaryllis are easy to ...

View from Hickory Heights: Decisions for new year

As we begin 2024 there are always decisions to be made. How can we make our life different? What do we carry forward and what do we leave behind? Can I be a better person? How do I accomplish that? I came across something that I think deserves a mention here. It is a different way of looking at ...

People Watching is a spectator sport

People Watching is one of the greatest pleasures of traveling. If the traveling happens to be in the flying mode, People Watching is the only pleasure left. Today’s air travel can be grueling. For decades, I’ve been flying in and out of Buffalo, mostly to Boston. It’s just under a ...

Warm memories of crackling ice

As we now enter the depths of another winter, there is one sound of the cold season that I recalls from my youth that I am quite certain that I will never hear again There are many sounds of nature that are very distinctive … the howls of wolves, the crack of lightning, the calls of loons ...