Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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Pennsylvania, which ranks fourth in the nation in its emissions of climate-altering carbon dioxide, took a much bolder stance in addressing climate change in 2019, at least in words. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled four separate actions aimed at curbing climate change, each bolder than the one before. Wolf started off in January 2019 by issuing an executive order that set the first statewide goal for greenhouse gas reductions. The target is a 26 percent reduction by 2025 and an 80 percent decrease by 2050 from 2005 levels. The primary means...
To the Editor: In this critical election year, the most important work is done at the local level by your local political party. This grassroots organization will determine how well the ground game is organized, the preparation and recruitment of volunteers, and other “get out the vote” functions. You will be barraged with political ads and requests for donations. None of this really impacts the work of the local party. It’s the willingness of volunteers to step up and do the important work of political outreach that makes the diffe...
A long, long time ago, I asked a high school wrestler if he could hear people cheering for him while he wrestled. "No," he said, "the only person I can hear is Coach." Not being any sort of athlete myself, this was confounding. How, in a noisy, crowded gym full of cheering and screaming people, can a person only hear one voice? He was surely mistaken. Twenty years later, when I went into labor, I found out that he was speaking the pure truth. When it got down to the nitty gritty, the only voice...
Scriptures to Read: Acts 22:24-25 Acts 22:26-29 St. John 16:31-33 Hebrews 12:1-3 Acts 21:37-40 Acts 16:35-39 Philippians 2:12-18 It seems Paul's whole life is filled with troubles and sorrows, conflict and contention. He lists the challenges he faced in II Corinthians 11:23ff. We see just a couple of examples in our Scripture studies here. He is the center of a near riot through no fault of his own. Those who accused him were mistaken in their assumptions. Almost immediately he is taken...
On Jan. 9, 2020, U.S. Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), released the following statement opposing the House Democrats’ War Powers Resolution: “The Iranian Regime is no friend of the United States. Attempting to strip our Commander-in-Chief of the ability to protect American lives – during the week of an attack on our troops – is the wrong move. Congress should be standing together against Iranian threats and provocations. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States has eliminated some of the most gruesome terrorists and dangero... Full story
Non Fiction can be fun! Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of "reeducation". Challenging what most of us assume to be rock solid truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature and more, The Book of General Ignorance is a "gotcha" of how little we actually know about anything. It'll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school. Here are the whats of some things you...
In the mid 1940s, 4-H came to Bedford County. A very young John Holbert was the Penn State Extension agent. There were activities for both genders but males predominated the showing of animals at the fair. The girls did more tedious things like sewing or knitting. There was much excitement in the small town of New Enterprise when a cow/calf show was announced. It was held in the schoolyard at Replogle and, for a first-time event, there was a good participation My brother took a Holstein calf....
“Nothing is unchangeable but the inherent and unalienable rights of man.” – Thomas Jefferson Protection of civil liberties and civil rights is the most fundamental of all political values in American society. Yet it is hard to imagine that only 56 years ago, American citizens of all races, ages, sexes, colors, creeds, religions and those with disabilities were not entitled to equally harvest the benefits they were entitled to. In a country established under republican legal methodology so the majority could never disenfranchise the minor...
Executrix Notice Notice is hereby given that Letters of Testamentary have been granted by the Register of Wills of Blair County, Pennsylvania, upon the Estate of David C. Gorman, late of Roaring Spring, Blair County, PA, deceased. All persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment, and those having claims against the estate shall present them without delay to Executrix Wanda L. Smith 113 W. Julian Street Martinsburg, PA 16662 Attorney Kathy J. Mauk, Esq. Evey Black Attorneys, LLC 401 Allegheny St. Hollidaysburg, PA 16648... Full story
Impeachment update: For those who may not be able to stomach the constant, three-years-long-now obsession to undo the 2016 election ... here's the latest: On Dec. 18, the Democrat-controlled U.S. House rushed to impeach President Trump for abuse of power and for contempt of Congress before they went on their Christmas break. They claimed it had to be done as soon as possible because Trump represents a clear and present danger to our country and must be removed as soon as possible. The contempt...
On Monday, Jan. 6, Blair County swore in two new commissioners and one incumbent. Republican Amy Webster and Democrat Laura Burke joined second-term Commissioner Bruce Erb at the table to begin four years of leading county government. Once again the board is made up of two Republicans and one Democrat, but in county government, party affiliation should not matter. November’s election clearly showed that voters wanted a change at the county level. While Commissioner Terry Tomassetti chose not to run for another term, Commissioner Ted Beam, f...
Libby Jones. She's an ordinary young woman working the ordinary mundane job living in the typical ordinary apartment. Libby knew she was adopted and had a decent life with her adoptive family. However, once she turned 25, her world was turned upside down when she began learning of her birth parents. The truth about her birth family is revealed to the reader over the course of the entire book, the writer only providing a few details at a time. Libby finds out about her family's past over the...
The Pennsylvania legislature is considering legislation that is anti-safety and anti-driver, the Speed Trap Bill SB 607. This bill is part of the enforcement-for-profit-not-safety racket that has infected Harrisburg: their desire to give radar to municipal police (Page B6 of the Jan. 9, 2020, edition of the Herald). Radar should be banned in Pennsylvania and not extended to municipal police. There is no epidemic crisis of speeding, only an epidemic crisis of highway engineering malpractice allowing well-meaning but misinformed politicians to se...
To the Editor: Born during the Truman Administration, I grew up under Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, politically active but unsure about either party. In the ensuing half century, I've seen flaws in each of our presidents, but ultimately believed they had the best interests of our country at heart, no matter how strongly I disagreed with their policies. Tragically, today we can no longer believe that, since Trump's motivation for his every word, every act, is merely short-term personal financial gain and the massaging of his monstrous ego...
In my previous column I discussed how every day is a holy day and should be seen as a gift from God. We should be grateful for each day we wake up and can work, play, help others and worship the Lord. Though it is nice to celebrate Christmas and other special holidays we should embrace each day as a holy day as we walk with the Lord. There is one day a year that some people cannot wait for and others could live without acknowledging. Some even dread seeing the day come. If you have not already g...
Scriptures to Read: Acts 21:37-40 Acts 22:1-3 Acts 22:4-11 Acts 22:12-21 Acts 22:22-23 St. Matthew 7:1-6 St. Matthew 23:33-39 Way back on Nov. 21 I said: "We will pick up this portion of Scripture next time (Lord willing)" This is the time we pick it up. The passage is Acts 22. Remember, Paul had come to Jerusalem to bring a gift to the Jews suffering famine, from the congregations Paul had planted among the Gentiles on his missionary journeying. Paul was attacked by a mob who had seen him in...
The Pennsylvania legislature is considering legislation that is anti-safety and anti-driver, the Speed Trap Bill SB 607. This bill is part of theenforcement-for-profit-not-safety racket that has infected Harrisburg: their desire to give radar to municipal police (Page B6 of the Jan. 9, 2020, edition of the Herald). Radar should be banned in Pennsylvania and not extended to municipal police. There is no epidemic crisis of speeding, only an epidemic crisis of highway engineering malpractice allowing well-meaning but misinformed politicians to...
To the Editor: Born during the Truman Administration, I grew up under Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, politically active but unsure about either party. In the ensuing half century, I've seen flaws in each of our presidents, but ultimately believed they had the best interests of our country at heart, no matter how strongly I disagreed with their policies. Tragically, today we can no longer believe that, since Trump's motivation for his every word, every act, is merely short-term personal financial gain and the massaging of his monstrous ego...
Your life is a valuable gift, a gift from God to you. Your life should be cherished and protected. God has acted in a wonderful way to create you, to create all of us-each and every person. In some magnificent way, God created you in His own image and likeness. Do you know that God loves you? God cares for you. God even knows how many hairs are on your head! Before you were born, God knew you. In fact, in the first week of your life, just after your conception, your body was smaller than a grain of sugar, but all the instructions were present...
Exciting news: this year for Christmas, I got a new Bible! This probably doesn't sound quite as exciting to you, but it makes the Bible nerd in me giddy with joy. It was the only thing that I really, truly wanted. It's been on my radar for a year and a half. But before I tell you about it, we must go back in time together so that you may gain some context as to why this new Bible is so special. A few years ago in our adult Sunday School class, we were in a discussion on how things get lost or...
Scriptures to Read: Proverbs 3:5:8 Romans 8:26-28 Romans8:25-39 St. John 14:1-6 Philippians 1:18-22 Philippians 3:8-14 I Corinthians 15:50-57 I am writing this on Thanksgiving Day. I am thankful. We all get surprises (unexpected happenings). I am certainly not an exception. This is not a surprise in the normal sense of the word. I have seen this coming for quite a while. My cardiologist tells me I have a combination leaking heart valve and an aneurysm because of it. He says it needs to be cared...
To the Editor: I read with interest the column in the Jan. 2, 2020, edition of your fine weekly newspaper. (I look forward to reading it every week.) Columnist Dave Scott Jr., in a somewhat sarcastic tone, asked legitimate questions about a locally discussed civil war in America. I would offer to answer those questions that he posed to people who seemed to him to be enthusiastically anticipating the horrific event. He asked: Who will you shoot? About three years ago, as I was planting trees with some helpers to form a riparian buffer at our far...
By LEE H. HAMILTON Not long ago, I was in a meeting to talk about a public policy issue. It was a little complex, and as we considered the various angles I began to think about what it would take to translate talk into change on the ground. I wasn’t analyzing the politics of it – I was focused on the types of people who’d have to roll up their sleeves. What I came away with was a list of skills, none of them unusual, but all of them vital to getting things done in the increasingly complicated world that government faces. Here’s some of what it...
Pity the commuter or trucker who must steer his or her vehicle onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike to get to work each day – the toll rates that critics say are already exorbitant are about to get even worse. Reeling under massive debt payments that were supposed to be covered by tolls on Interstate 80, the ailing turnpike administration is set to roll out even higher toll rates starting Sunday, Jan. 5. For a passenger vehicle traveling from the westernmost toll plaza in Warrendale, just outside Pittsburgh, all the way across the state to the e...
By SHERYL HART Williamsburg Area Public Library Thanks to the generosity of the Williamsburg Lions Club, our library can offer a wide variety of large print editions of bestsellers, non-fiction and biographies. Each month we receive a shipment of surprises from a company specializing in large print editions. Mary Higgins Clark's "Kiss the Girls" and "Make Them Cry" delves into the timely topic of sexual misconduct in the world of network news. A young woman, who offered her story of harassment...
By SHERYL HART Williamsburg Area Public Library Did you know the library has a large selection of paperbacks of many genres? Sometimes there are occasions when we all need reading material for vacations, doctor's appointments, dining alone, etc. This is when a paperback fills the bill. Sometimes we look through the stacks of the library and can't find the title or the author we are in the mood to read. Check out the paperback section. Just maybe what is needed is in that section. This paperback...
A new year means making resolutions, those weak promises you make to yourself that you have no intention of keeping. You're probably not going to exercise more, or lose the weight, or watch less TV, or spend more time with family, etc. I hate to burst your well-intentioned bubble, but if you didn't make all the lifestyle changes you had on your list last year, you're not about to fulfil those wishes this time around. But go ahead anyway. There's no harm in making an effort toward...
To the Editor: I held my tongue throughout the month of December as comments filled TV, the internet and newspapers claiming that Mary, Joseph and Jesus were refugees, comparing them to the Syrian crisis and the influx of illegals crossing our borders daily. Sorry, just can't hold it any longer. The Holy family was not fleeing a civil war. They were returning home for a government-mandated census. (Luke 2: 1- 7) Mary and Joseph were not turned away from inns because they were refugees. There were simply no more rooms available in Bethlehem as i...
The ball has dropped in New York. The confetti is cleaned up. Folks who drank too much are finally feeling better. Most unwanted Christmas gifts have been returned. Very few Christmas trees or light displays remain up. The credit card bills are in the mail. Children around the world have gone back to crying and pouting and are not being good for goodness sake. Why? I'm telling you why. Except for the Greek Orthodox, the holidays are over. The long, dark, bleak mid-winter January days are upon...
Scriptures to Read: Romans 5:8 Romans 6:23 Isaiah 7:14 St. John 1:1-5 & 12 St. Matthew 7:28-29 Daniel 3:20-25 Revelation 5:11-13 "Why do you suppose adults don't play with 'Jack-In-The-Boxes'"? The answer is obvious: grown-ups know exactly what will happen when the handle is turned! Now stop for a moment and consider if you know anyone approaching their relationship with God in that same manner. They read the Bible, attend Church and pray, expecting their "God-In-The-Box" to do exactly the...
Much as we would like to think that holiday traditions are the things we do every year, they really aren't. Our traditions do a constant metamorphosis. The very best Christmases of most of our lives are those when we are children. The anticipation, the joy, will never be matched. Growing up on the farm, Christmas was so special. There was a lard can full of homemade cookies, shopping in Altoona for the big day, the Lions Christmas party, the very special children's service at the Methodist Churc...
Insider's Guide to Quality, Affordable Healthcare: Practical Strategies to Navigate our Complex System and Save Money By Lawrence Lazarus, MD and Jeffrey Foster, MD These two seasoned doctors have put together a book with practical advice on how to navigate the healthcare system and keep costs down. They teach you how to ensure you are getting the best quality healthcare, the right kind of medical professional care, reduce your out-of-pocket expenses and help older family members cope with end...
To the Editor: Pity poor, pathetic Donald Trump. The man has been a fraud and a cheat for his entire life but has always managed to avoid paying the consequences for his serial lawlessness. Oh, sure, there were the $2 million fine he paid for misusing funds of his phony Trump Foundation (fact) and the $25 million fine he paid for fraud committed by the equally bogus Trump University (fact). But he managed to stay out of jail thanks to the, literally, thousands of lawsuits that his legal enforcer, Michael Cohen (who now sits in jail) filed or th...
Many years ago my husband gave me a 3,000-piece puzzle of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" for Christmas. Excited, undaunted, and armed with clueless naivety, I immediately began the task of assembling it, or rather, TRYING to assemble it. The way I usually put puzzles together is to find the edge pieces, put them together first, then fill in the middle. It soon became apparent that this puzzle had other ideas. You see, the edge pieces of this puzzle were so similar that I'd THINK I was...
Scriptures to Read: St. Luke 1:46-56 St. Luke 2:1-7 St. Luke 2:8-12 St. Luke 2:13-14 St. Luke 2:15-20 Galatians 4:4-7 Revelation 4:11 & 5:11-14 Vance Havner, a well-know gospel preacher of yesteryear, said that verse gave him great confidence when facing troubles and trials. He said, "It didn't come to stay, it came to pass." The phrase is actually used in Luke's Gospel alone more than three dozen times. It basically means "In the sequence of events." Often the phrase will indicate some...
Let's review, shall we ... we were told that Donald J. Trump would never get the nomination, that he would never win the election, that the stock market would crash when he took office, that he colluded with Russia (Comrade Schiff even promised repeatedly that he would soon reveal the proof!), that Flynn-Papadopoulos-Cohen-Manafort-Stone were all going to testify against Trump, that he obstructed justice, that he committed crimes in the Southern District of New York, that a recession was...
The Line Between By Tosca Lee Wynter Roth was 7 years old when her mother took her and her sister, Jaclyn, to the New Earth Enclave. There they were required to give up all their worldly things. The New Earth cult was centered around their leader Magnus Theisen. Magnus started a company called TG+ Hybrids and sold it for $53 million. He later claimed that he heard God talking to him to abandon the GMOs and start the New Earth where they sell seeds produced from rare and ancient seeds. He is...
I am not one of those parents. For years proud parents have sent out Christmas letters (or posts) with updates on their family and all the accomplishments of their children. My sons are fine young men, but I know better than to brag about them. So I won't mention that my oldest son was one of the stars of his high school musical. Why would I even state that my younger son is one of the best players on his basketball team? Maybe I am a little like one of those parents. Imagine what Jesus'...
Scriptures to Read: St. Luke 1:26-38 St. Luke 1:39-45 St. Luke 1:46-56 Isaiah 7:14 & 9:2-7 St. Matthew 1:18-25 Philippians 2:5-11 St. Luke 2:25-38 Our second couple is not yet married when we meet them. They are what we might call "engaged." The Israelite system differs from ours in a number of ways. We might call theirs an "arranged marriage." Many times the couple did not do the choosing of each other, parents did. As simply as I can: There is the engagement when first agreements are made....
When I grew up in the 1970s, my father often sat in an alcoholic or drug-induced stupor. When he was left in charge, the TV served as the “adult” in the room for us. As a toddler, I thought of Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, and the other residents of Sesame Street as my pseudo-family. Sesame Street, now celebrating its 50th year, transported me to a place that felt safe and familiar. My actual family moved at least a dozen times before I started kindergarten. Given our poverty and my father’s frequent encounters with the p...
Representative democracy is based on a simple premise. It’s that ordinary citizens can make satisfactory judgments on complex public policy and political issues – or at least grasp them well enough to decide who should be dealing with them. But the significance of that premise isn’t simple at all. It means that our country’s future depends on the quality of democratic participation by its citizens. Collectively, we have to make discriminating judgments about politicians, policies, and issues. Not just once, but repeatedly and consist...
"But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom will never end." ~Luke 1: 30-33 (NIV) On the first Sunday of Advent, our pastor gave the children's story based on "The Most Boring Chapter of...
Scriptures to Read: St. Luke 1:5-10 St. Luke 1:11-17 St. Luke 1:18-25 St. Luke 1:39-45 St. Luke 1:57-66 St. Luke 1:67-80 St. Luke 3:2-20 Two couples figure very prominently in the Christmas story. I'd like to look at them with you. First is the senior couple. Their names are Zachariah and Elizabeth. Both were descendents of Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel. Through Aaron the priesthood descends. At the time of King David, the priesthood was divided into twenty four courses or sub-families....
“The Dark Side” is the latest novel from Danielle Steel and is a classic love story with a major twist. While out of character from what we typically expect when picking up Danielle Steel, her take on a modern day psychological thriller is not to be missed. In her new novel, Danielle Steel tells a riveting story of the dark side of motherhood. Zoe Morgan’s childhood was marked by her younger sister’s tragic illness, watching as her parents dedicated themselves completely to her final days, and then later divorced. As a young woman, driven by th...
Thomas Wolfe once proclaimed, "You can't go home again." And, to be frank, I've always felt that he was mistaken. If you've ever logged on to my site, you can plainly read my thoughts on that matter. In 2005, Jon Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles teamed up together for a megahit duet, where they asked my very question, "Who says you can't go home?" I was relieved to learn that others felt like I do in that regard. Personally, I've found the path to return there and I make a homecoming trip multiple...
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Daryl Albright of Roaring Spring on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. Daryl worked at the Morrisons Cove Herald from 2002 to 2011 as a van driver and newsstand delivery person. His job was to pick up the bundles of printed Herald newspapers from the printer and return them to the Herald office. He did that on Wednesday. On Thursday, he then took the sorted and re-bundled Herald editions to the various newsstands around the Cove. He also delivered sacks of labeled Heralds to the area post offices for mailing. Daryl w...
To me, it was a thunderclap. Years ago, when I was in Congress, we were in the midst of a tense, contentious debate. Members had gotten irritated, levying charges back and forth, and tempers were rising. It was starting to look like we might just go off the rails. Then one member stood up, asked for our attention, and said to us, “Let’s remember: trust is the coin of the realm.” His statement at that moment hit me broadside: If we were to have any hope of progress, we had to have some faith in one another — even our opponents. Apparen...
It is a sickness which somehow comes with every tyranny: to place no trust in friends. – Aeschylus, "Prometheus Bound" Maybe it was a case of too much feasting during the Thanksgiving break. It could have something to do with overdosing on football. And there's the desire to find somewhere else to be rather than listen to another family argument over whether it's "stuffing" or "dressing." Whatever the cause, I found myself searching Google for any little distraction that could help clear my m...
All Manner of Things By Susie Finkbeiner When Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know. In Mike's absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike's safety overseas, letter by...
My dad is a carpenter who is approaching the door to his 60s. He is the last of a dying breed. Every morning he gets up before dawn, around 4 o’clock when most are still sleeping. He goes about his routine, packs his sandwich and chips like he has for the last forty years; he never buys lunch. He fills up his 10-year-old, two-gallon, Igloo jug that he won’t throw away because there is nothing wrong with it. He gets in his rusting truck with his thermos of coffee and heads to the job site. In his lunchbox along with his sandwich and chips, you...
