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Editorials

Mamdani’s victory strut Is premature

Yes, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's socialist picks just knocked off some Democratic incumbents in New York City. They included surprising defeats, especially that of Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Espaillat lost to Darializa Avila Chevalier, whose social media swims with past calls to abolish the police, free prisoners and stop deportations for any reason, presumably including murder. It's not like Espaillat's district was dominated by the young professionals who flocked to Mamdani. His electorate is 52% Hispanic and includes such non-hipster ...

‘40 acres and a mule’ — black reparation

To the Editor: Have you ever heard the story of the phrase “40 acres and a mule?” Although I enjoy history, I couldn’t recall this story. This was the first attempt to provide a form of reparations to newly freed slaves after the Civil War. Astonishingly radical, it called for the federal government to confiscate 400,000 acres of private property from Confederate landowners and methodically redistribute it to former black slaves. How did this all come about? Gen. Wiliam T. Sherman and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton met with 20 leaders of the black community, mostly Baptist ...

‘Top-notch’ officers’ lauded after flawless performance

Anyone who ever has harbored the foolhardy notion of trying to smuggle an illegal substance or item into the Blair County Prison was dealt an “eye-opener” by way of the June 5 Altoona Mirror article “Warden commends work to halt smuggling.” The lesson was that, to be successful, it will take a plan much more sophisticated than the one hatched to “funnel” illegal items to an inmate who was at the Station Medical Center on Ninth Avenue in Altoona for an appointment — and that an even-more-sophisticated plan is likely to be doomed to failure, with additional criminal charges ...

The hidden value of area senior centers

The idea of a senior center can feel stuffy and old. It brings to mind bingo and bridge. It shouldn’t. A senior center can be like “Cheers,” the place where everyone knows your name. That’s a good thing in so many ways. Sure, it’s comforting. It feels like home — and that’s something that shouldn’t be undervalued. We all need to have relationships. For some seniors, their family members might have moved away. Friends have died. Health and mobility issues can make it harder to go places and do things. Senior centers can help maintain networks and keep routines. ...

Insurance policy holders need to read the fine print

Thousands of insurance policies are bought each day in America, and the people who have purchased those policies usually feel some semblance of peace of mind, believing they will be protected if they are victimized by an event such as an accident, fire or weather disaster, including a hurricane or flood. After completing the purchase, most of the new policyholders most likely tuck away the policy in a safe place, determined that they’ll read it “when they have the opportunity to sit down with it” — an opportunity window that, for many, never becomes available amid the hustle ...

Juvenile crime more opaque by design

As Williamsport and Lycoming County debate juvenile crime and misbehavior, we must remind the public how difficult it is to understand how extensive or not these problems can be. Juvenile court records are sealed — unlike our reporting on felonies and misdemeanors for which adults are prosecuted, officials are prohibited from releasing the affidavits, sentencing reports and other documentation that sheds light on crimes in our region committed by adults. Thus, details about crimes committed by juveniles — regardless of whether neighbors are concerned about the teenagers circling ...