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Remember to be respectful during Christmas concerts To the Editor: The Christmas concert season is fast approaching, a time when family and friends are invited to hear what their students and their teachers have been preparing for many weeks. For concerts to be rewarding experiences for everybody, music teachers (this writer included) would like their audiences to remember these respectful behaviors: • Please turn off or silence all cell phones for the duration of the performance. • We know that you are excited to see your student on stage, and want him/her to know that you ...

Addressing tuition costs should be priority

Editorials

Though a well-trained, well-educated and skilled workforce is more important than ever, students seeking a higher education to prepare them for their careers are having a harder time being able to afford it. Sure, many people still believe having a college degree will translate to higher earnings, but students are increasingly challenged to decide whether the expense of that education (or the long-term debt they may incur) is worth the risk. According to WalletHub, the cost of attending a four-year public college has risen by an average of 30% over the past 20 years. And that cost ...

Bipartisan legislation should become law

Editorials

While the acronym might have been a bit of a stretch, the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) for Veterans Act is still a long-overdue piece of legislation, introduced last week by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Given all this country — and particularly our region — has been through because of the substance abuse epidemic, it is a bit of a surprise no one has worked toward such a measure for those who have served. This one would expand veteran access to non-opioid alternatives by creating pathways for Food and Drug ...

Drilling in Alaska right step for affordable energy

Editorials

We are reassured by the White House’s decision to finalize plans to permit more oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s North Slope. Our editorial board has frequently warned the public that the hostility to conventional sources of energy would leave our region and our nation without the affordable energy necessary for our workplaces and families. We can see evidence of that at this time in the likelihood of higher utility bills. The proposal would allow lease sales on a 1.5 million-acre tract — for context, Alaska comprises 365 million acres. “It is encouraging to see ...

Readers' opinions

Letters to the Editor

Equal opportunity must be ensured in sports To the Editor: We are writing to express our deep disappointment that the Burnham Bulldogs special needs football team was denied the opportunity to play their Super Bowl game at the same time as the Central Keystone League teams. It was a wonderful celebration of youth football at the beautiful new Chapman Field at Mifflin County High School on Nov. 8 and 9. Unfortunately, the special needs players, who have participated in the event for years, didn’t get to enjoy their time in the sun. This decision sends an unfortunate message to ...

Saving black-footed Ferret takes a village, and a Prairie Dog town

Editorials

The black-footed ferret exhibit at American Prairie’s National Discovery Center in Lewistown, Mont., just opened to the public on Nov. 14. When I went to Montana in September to visit American Prairie, their newest ambassador had just arrived from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado, and I got to see it. Black-footed ferrets are one of North America’s most endangered mammals, so they are bred and prepared for reintroduction through a National Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program. In addition to the Colorado Center, ...