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If Ohio can improve education, so can Pennsylvania

There is a big lie recited as gospel: Giving parents educational choice drains money from public schools and ultimately destroys them. Teachers union lobbyists recently shifted this blatant myth into high gear as neighbor states, Ohio and Pennsylvania, debated their respective annual budgets—in which both involved heated talks over educational choice. The two states have fiscal years that end on June 30 and require an annual state budget to distribute taxpayer funds to budgetary priorities. Ohio — led by Gov. Mark DeWine — rose to the challenge, increasing public school funding ...

Why I voted no on playground bill

I believe children with diverse abilities are some of the most precious children in our society. My daughter is legally disabled as she is deaf. I believe she and all children with diverse abilities should have the same opportunities and attention as any other child. This is important as we just marked the 33rd Anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I have no concerns with HB 1173 from a strictly legislative perspective. My primary concern is the implementation of HB 1173 by the career bureaucrats in Harrisburg who far too often disregard Legislative Intent ...

COVID-19 — back to normal or a Summer surge?

In late spring and early summer this year, COVID-19 in the U.S. was at its lowest ebb since the first months of the pandemic. Life seemed to be back to normal for most people. Even the more cautious among us resumed in-person shopping, dining out, attending church services, going to movies and concerts, and gathering for parties and other social events. Mask wearing became increasingly rare. It felt wonderful; it was liberating. We were ready to move on! We didn’t completely forget COVID. You never forget fighting for breath through congested lungs or watching a loved one die, but ...

Are you going to your class reunion?

I just attended my 45th high school class reunion. Williamsport Area High School Class of 1978. I had a blast. What new and great memories! I reconnected with lifelong friends and acquaintances - I took advantage of the opportunity. It was a two-day event at separate venues in Newberry and in downtown Williamsport. The reunion committee put together a fantastic agenda … door prizes, a program, a list of classmates we’ve lost (and a moment of silence), memorabilia, music, food … and friendship. We plan to have another gathering in two years (we turn 65!), then on to our ...

Bidenomics doesn’t add up —for Pennsylvania or America

President Joe Biden recently returned to his birth state to pitch his newly branded economic vision: Bidenomics. Though Biden seems eager to paint a rosy economic picture, the numbers show that Bidenomics is, at best, a mixed bag. Yes, the national unemployment rate is below 4%, where it has remained for more than a year. “The last time our nation had such a long stretch of low unemployment was in the 1960s,” Biden boasted. But the official unemployment rate tells only part of the story. It doesn’t count those who have dropped out of the labor force and aren’t seeking ...

Days of Remembrance important

David Jacobson, treasurer of Days of Remembrance, along with board member Cliff Rieders, were present at the meeting of the Williamsport Area School District Board of Directors held the 11th of July 2023. The members present and the solicitor listened politely and with interest to the appeal designed to encourage involvement in this important program. David Jacobson explained the work of the organization and its purpose. The Days of Remembrance Organization was started, not by members of the Jewish faith, but rather by teachers who taught students on military bases and were shocked ...