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Small town adventures make big memories

Local Columns

Recently, I promised two of my grandchildren, Oliver, 5, and Sloan, 6, that we’d go on an adventure. I was barely out the door when Oliver exclaimed with an impatient grin, “Nana, hurry up, you are taking for ages!” With that gentle nudge, I picked up the pace and off we went. I expected a day filled with laughter and discoveries. What I didn’t expect was to come home feeling more grateful than ever to live in a place where kindness is a way of life and people go the extra mile. Our first stop was Asher’s Chocolates, where the kids took their time choosing the perfect ...

Main Street Matters brings opportunity to Lewistown

Editorials

When a town finds its second wind, it doesn’t come with fireworks or grand pronouncements. Sometimes, it arrives in the form of a letter from Harrisburg, or the hopeful shake of a neighbor’s hand. This week, Lewistown has been chosen as a Main Street Matters community, and while the paperwork may seem routine, the opportunity it brings is anything but. Lewistown’s new designation isn’t a government gift—it’s an act of faith in the people who call this place home. The Main Street Matters program offers money, yes, but more than that, it offers a chance to prove what a ...

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Letters to the Editor

Welcome back to common sense To the Editor: I am so glad we are returning to common sense in our country. We are passing the uncomfortable confrontations of gender, men in women’s sports and bathrooms, DEI, CRT, 1619, BLM, frivolous lawsuits, impeachments, definition of a secure border, definition of peaceful protest, parents rights to guide their children and returning to a country I, and many others recognize. I identify as American. There is no need to remark on my skin color, my sexual identity, or be branded with any color privilege. Seriously... who needs to do that? I realize ...

Rapp’s right, budget bill is lacking

Editorials

On the surface it would seem the state House of Representatives’ passing a state budget proposal and moving the process to the state Senate is a step forward. But we have to agree with state Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, who disagreed with both the amount of time Republicans were given to review the proposal as well as undecided issues that make the House plan essentially useless. Rapp’s first criticism is purely political. The party in the minority often gets short-shrift in the budget-making process. Republicans in the New York state Legislature levy the same complaint year ...

Government could learn from Steelers

Editorials

The boys are back in town. On Wednesday, Saint Vincent College in Unity became the center of the Pittsburgh Steelers universe as players arrived on the scene for their annual training camp. This is where the players begin the process of becoming a team. Sure, they all have numbers and jer- seys and contracts — even T.J. Watt, who just slid that three-year, $123 million extension deal in under the wire. But training camp is where everyone learns to work together. It’s where veterans like Watt and Cam Heyward find out how they jell in the locker room and on the field with ...

It’s important to take precautions against ticks

Editorials

There has been no shortage of news stories warning of ticks and the dangers they pose to both humans and their four-legged companions. No one is immune to the unwanted stowaways that latch on during a long hike through the woods or a quick stroll through the back yard. All it takes is momentary contact in tall grass or shrubs, and the tiny pests will dig in, questing for their next blood meal. Pennsylvania is among the top 10 states in the country for the disease, with the State Department of Health reporting 16,620 confirmed cases last year. The most common variety, the ...