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Aging is just another word for living

According to the words of David Bowie, “Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.” The older I become, the more I believe that to be true. We are the sum total of our life experiences. I once heard a motivational speaker who put it this way, “You will be the same person in five years that you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet.” Even though many years have passed since I first heard that statement, I have never forgotten it. Everyone we meet along the way becomes part of who we are. I think that is ...

Some ‘sweet’ Easter memories

I recently spent an evening making pysanky, Polish-Ukrainian Easter eggs with some of my friends at an art workshop. These eggs are intricately decorated (mine not so much) by using wax. You draw the designs on the egg using melted beeswax and a stylus. The egg is then dipped in colored dye, repeating the process over and over. It was especially meaningful to experience this tradition due to the war in Ukraine. As I designed my egg with sunflowers and a symbol of peace, my thoughts went out those suffering. In the car on the way home from that workshop, the conversation quickly ...

CEO: Turnpike editorial wrong on transparency

The Sentinel’s April 2 editorial regarding Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission efforts to operate transparently was just plain wrong (Pennsylvania Turnpike needs more transparency from its officials). To insinuate that PA Turnpike leaders chose to be less than transparent is inaccurate as well as unfair. In fact, the Turnpike willingly complied with a 2021 request to provide revenue data — data which wasn’t previously available because the commission only just converted to All Electronic Tolling (AET) a year earlier. The decision to convert to AET was a measured one that began a ...

Celebrating the library this week

Today is the last day of National Library Week. National Library Week was first introduced in 1958 as a time to celebrate our libraries and the people who work in libraries. Yay us! It’s also a time for me to ask you to use and support the library. I have great news. Today is also the last day of our mini book sale. So I’m saying MINI as in tiny. It’s a tiny book sale, not the big book sale you are used to. It’s in the adult nonfiction area and covers about two tables as well as the normal mini book sale area with the children’s books and book bundles and the adult books ...

Nothing costs more than free: the difference between print and digital books

Did you know that with your Juniata County library card you can get more than 20,000 free digital books? eBooks are books that you can read on a tablet or smart device. eAudio titles are like books on CD but you can listen to them through your tablet or smart device. I often say that nothing is more expensive than free. Here is a glimpse into how we get those 20,000 free digital books available to you. When we pay for a print book, it’s a one-time fee for it and we own it forever. When we pay for a digital book, we get limited access to it and do not keep it forever. A print book ...

As a phoenix rising from the ashes

In ancient and medieval literature, the phoenix is depicted as a vibrant and majestic bird that is destroyed by fire, but through determination and perseverance rises from the ashes to become even more powerful and effective than before. The phoenix is the perfect personification of tenacity, persistence, and rebirth. As I contemplated the amazing things happening right now in our community, this is the symbol that immediately came to mind. Our Juniata River Valley, as well as the rest of the world, has been through the fire these last two years. We have experienced great loss, both ...