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Events for grown-ups at MCL

The library’s summer reading program is coming to a close. Here are a few things going on for grown-ups if you are looking for things to do. Before July ends, please come into the Mifflin County Library in Lewistown and see the wonderful patriotic artwork our patrons made. We call it our favorite American Art collage. Eleven artists and library users participated. They each were given a small canvas to work on. The canvases are on display and people are encouraged to come and view the artwork but also vote on the artwork with spare change. This is also a small fundraiser for ...

You don’t need permission to care

Every community has a "somebody" problem. We've all heard these familiar lines or similar ones and perhaps have even spoken them. Somebody should clean up that park. Somebody should rehab that old building. Somebody should organize an event. Somebody should create a space for kids to gather. Somebody should help our senior citizens. Everyone agrees that something should be done. The problem is that everyone assumes somebody else will do it. Communities don't change because everyone identifies the problems. They change because individuals decide to become that "somebody." I learned ...

The World Cup reminds us of America’s beauty

Our country has spent far too long focused on what divides us. We have become so accustomed to hearing what is wrong with America that sometimes we forget to notice what is right. Who would have guessed it would take the FIFA World Cup to stitch us back together? I recently heard someone sum it up perfectly: “Who knew all the USA needed to begin healing was inviting other countries over for a giant sleepover to watch their favorite movie: soccer.” It made me smile because, in many ways, it feels true. Like so many others, I have enjoyed not only watching the World Cup matches but ...

America’s history woven into the fabric of family

In 1976, during our nation’s Bicentennial year, my brother and I were newspaper carriers for the Lewistown Sentinel. Our route covered both sides of West Fourth Street in Lewistown, from the 500 block near what is now the auto parts store through the 800 block, where Hess’s gas station once stood. One of my favorite memories from that year was the summer tip we received from one of our customers: Bicentennial Kennedy half-dollar coins. Those silver-colored 50-cent pieces are still special to me today—not because of their monetary value, which is only about face value, but because ...

Wide open spaces, wild adventures: Yellowstone National Park’s glory

(Editor’s note: This column is part two of a two-part series.) Next stop: Yellowstone. Honestly, I doubted anything could top the awe-inspiring beauty of the Grand Tetons, but I was wrong. Yellowstone exceeded every expectation I had. I think I pictured it as overly commercialized and overrun with tourists, an impression that may have been shaped by all those childhood episodes of Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo stealing picnic baskets. Speaking of picnic baskets, our first surprise in the park came when we watched a woman stop her car in the middle of the road, jump out with camera in ...

Wide open spaces and wild adventures: The Grand Tetons

(Editor’s note: This column is part one of a two-part series.) I had two songs playing in my head throughout this past week, and soon you’ll understand why. The first was the song made famous by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash entitled “Jackson.” The second was “Wide Open Spaces” by The Chicks. Together, those songs perfectly sum up my latest adventure. In our quest to visit as many national parks as possible, my husband, Blain, and I recently packed our bags and headed to the airport, bound for Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. I wasn’t quite sure what to ...