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Six-year-old offers lesson on citizenship

Vanessa Zelczak-Waryas probably doesn’t see herself as the future of community leadership. After all, she is just 6 years old. She’s not even in first grade yet. How can you make a difference when you still have a bedtime? But in Ligonier, Vanessa is not just learning a lesson. She’s giving one. The master plan for development of the historic Ligonier Beach recreation area will invest more than $15 million into everything from grading and drainage to parking and trails. It’s a six-phase project that prioritizes different aspects and aims to give new life to a 100-year-old ...

Remember family safety as world burns

We’ve seen the news around the world throughout the summer. Wildfires in Washington state, Canada, North Africa, Spain and France, among other places. While much of our region’s summer has had enough rainfall to keep our risks lower, Pennsylvania will have dry days ahead, at some point, for certain. The American Red Cross advises families to be aware and be prepared — for any natural disaster. If evacuation orders are given, being able to respond quickly can improve the odds of keeping your family safe. The organization’s website advises families to keep a “go-kit” — ...

Electric bills cause concern

Across Pennsylvania, rising rates for electricity are creating problems for numerous households. This week, the Altoona Mirror reported, a progressive new campaign, dubbed Building a Brighter PA, brought a call for protections to lower consumer electric bills while generating more power from renewable energy sources. “Electric generation rates have also increased between 18%-52%, depending on where you live in the state,” said Elizabeth Marx, executive director of the Public Utility Law Project. “The combined impact is severe, with roughly one in four state families reporting ...

Human verification essential to operating all municipalities

Municipalities in this part of Pennsylvania generally feel insulated from the problems affecting big cities. For the most part that is true, especially regarding crime and the challenges — financial and otherwise — associated with providing needed municipal services. Even the issues of cities such as Altoona and Johnstown are of minor scope compared with those being dealt with by New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta, for example. Municipalities large or small and those of any size in between have one thing in common, though, the need for an adequate amount of revenue to prop ...

Lessons from a vacation in the Hudson Valley

(Editor’s note: This column is part two of a two-part series that picks up in a cottage owned by First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt). For me, however, the most moving moment came when I stood before Eleanor’s writing desk. I couldn’t help but imagine the thousands upon thousands of letters and articles written there.At one point she received nearly 130,000 letters each year, and she insisted that each one deserved a response. Looking at that desk, I found myself wondering how many lives had been touched by Before learning about everything Eleanor Roosevelt accomplished, it helps ...

Mifflin County makes history, and Ray Wilde brings it home

Mifflin County’s 15-16-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars have already given this community something worth celebrating. They’ve reached the final four of the Babe Ruth World Series in Missouri, becoming the first Mifflin County team to reach that stage since Babe Ruth expanded this level to international competition. They got there by winning their pool and then beating Central California 5-0 on Thursday behind Haven Bridge’s one-hit shutout. That achievement belongs first to the players. They’ve handled the pressure of a World Series, the long trip to Missouri, and opponents ...