Return to cabin full of surprises

June 17, 2023

One never knows what might be encountered on returning to a cabin on the Allegheny River or in the surrounding wild area after an absence of a full season or longer. One year, a limb had fallen from high in the linden tree that towers over the structure and punched a hole in its metal roof. A replacement panel had to be installed. Last year, we found that an improperly drained pipe leading up to the shower head in the shower stall had burst and had to be replaced in a clever plumbing maneuver. Then there was the year that mice had chewed a large hole in a plastic bird food ...

More nurses part of solution to staffing levels

June 10, 2023

By REP. KATHY RAPP We all want hospitals to have fully staffed nursing teams to ensure patients are receiving proper care. Nurses are the backbone for any well-run hospital. Canadian physician and founder of Johns Hopkins University Dr. William Osler once said, “the trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.” The only problem with the nursing situation in the Commonwealth is that there are not enough of them. House Bill 106 would mandate strict nurse staffing ratios in hospitals across Pennsylvania. If ...

Impact of wildfires are part of climate change

June 10, 2023

I am writing this the evening of June 7. Today, the skies were choked with smoke from burning forests in Quebec and Ontario, forests not unlike our own. At times today, it was impossible to see a tree 300 yards away, let alone the hills above town. The great fires of Australia and California have finally made their way east. The contrarian position of denying climate change continues to render itself more and more as a funny, if awful and far too powerful joke. Yet, at this point, those that cling to the fading phantasy exist as something of a dwindling yet dominant, vocal minority. ...

Look in the dreaded drawer, if you dare

June 7, 2023

Editor’s note: This column was first published in July 2012. I have no idea what possessed me to clean out the junk drawer in the kitchen – maybe the frustrated search for a Rolaid at 2 a.m. Luckily, I found a partial roll within the jammed jumble of stuff. Re-examining the drawer in the cold light of day, I realized it had gotten away from me. I laughed, thinking that if I died tomorrow some lucky soul would clean this out and while making a sanity judgment about the corpse. They’d probably just upend it into a dumpster, not realizing the treasures within its corners. When I ...

True colors in nature

June 2, 2023

I have always liked observing nature. This week I have had a marvelous display. This morning as I walked down to get my newspaper out of its box the sun was a beautiful orange orb. It was unusual. The day evolved into one of those bright sunny days. I saw my first fawn about three days ago. I think it was a newborn because it was so tiny. It was not even a foot long and was also very short-legged. I watched as mother cared for it, then it took off following her. Each day she has brought it back for me to see. Yesterday I let my dog out when he was barking and he nearly got ...

Sunny, beautiful with a light breeze

June 1, 2023

“Wait five minutes and it will change.” I’ve heard that kidding weather forecast since I was a child. It’s true of more places than not. The only place I ever lived that didn’t change much was San Diego. Late spring through early fall, the San Diego Bay forecast could have been a recording: “Sunny morning, high 50s, 75 degrees midafternoon, light breeze, beautiful.” Every day. The same. In winter, fog rolled in during the evening and burned off in the late morning. The afternoon forecast was “70s, light breeze, beautiful.” Every day. The same. But who would want ...