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Opinion

Affordable housing a necessity

Editorials

Finding affordable housing in Frederick County and indeed all of Maryland can be difficult and frustrating, and political leaders have identified it as a major problem. The solution, as any economist will tell you, is to build more homes. The affordability issue is caused by a shortage of housing. Scarcity equals higher prices in housing as in any other product. A state report published this month says Frederick County should produce 16,000 new housing units in the next four years to meet demand. The county is doing its own study, with results expected later this month, but the ...

Readers' opinions

Letters to the Editor

Thank you for making the Chip Drop a success To the Editor: We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Chip Drop event a success. This community celebration would not be possible without the time, effort, and generosity of so many individuals, organizations, and businesses. Volunteers • Maddie Norman • Brenda Bender • Randy Rauch • Chad Johnson • John Walters • Courtney Frank • Raymond Kohler • Home Planet Press • Ryan Cherry • Chamber of Commerce • Juniata River Valley Visitor’s ...

Stay alert to utility scams before they hit home

Editorials

Scammers never take a day off, and this winter they have turned their sights toward Pennsylvania’s utility customers. The state Attorney General’s Office is warning residents to be wary of fake websites, misleading ads, and fraudulent phone numbers pretending to represent legitimate utility companies. It’s a reminder anyone can be a target, especially when the bill is due, and the fear of losing heat or lights makes people act fast. Attorney General Dave Sunday said his office has seen a rise in impersonation scams that prey on urgency and confusion. “We are hearing of ...

Can we talk? Colleges invest in civil discourse

Editorials

Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh are spending nearly $5 million to teach students how to talk to one another. IUP received a $2.29 million federal grant to create a Center for Dialogue and Civic Life. Pitt was awarded about $2.7 million to build a regional model for civil discourse and civic leadership. Both efforts are multiyear and staff-heavy. Faculty say they are responding to a growing problem: Students increasingly avoid disagreement, not because they lack opinions, but because they fear engaging at all. Those investments may be smart. They ...

Readers' opinions

Letters to the Editor

Thank you to ‘Twelve Days of Christmas Angels’ To the Editor: I would like to thank the wonderful “Twelve Days of Christmas Angels.” Our family was chosen to enjoy such a great blessing for the holidays. Each night of the twelve days of Christmas, we had a package anonymously delivered to our front door. The gifts correlated to the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and were so very delightful and thoughtful. This tremendous act of kindness not only made the holiday more enjoyable for me, but also made our entire family look forward to what was coming next. When ...

Businesses deserve clarity in regulations

Editorials

In Wednesday’s edition, we addressed the contrary approaches or tones taken by our federal and state governments regarding environmental policy. As has historically been the case, we reiterated our belief that responsible development of domestic energy sources — including natural gas and oil — is a key factor in delivering the affordable energy needed to reduce the pressure on families’ budgets and to allow enterprises — businesses, school districts, local governments and more — to devote fewer resources to their own utility bills and more resources to investing in their ...