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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 ...

‘That dog won’t hunt?’ — or will he?

I am not sure why, but I just love the adage “That dog won’t hunt.” Of uncertain origin, but often said to originate in the southern United States, “That dog won’t hunt” literally means that an ill-suited or poorly trained dog will never catch its prey. By extension, the saying refers to something that is never going to work or be successful, The saying “This dog won’t hunt” is often considered an axiom, that is, a self-evident truth that requires no proof. Today, I would like to introduce to you to a different kind of dog, a dog who can be counted on to hunt ...

Standing with UPS workers to deliver safe workplaces and fair wages

Pennsylvania’s history is the history of organized labor. Our fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, and generations beyond literally risked their lives to stand up against the robber barons and their corrupt allies in government that put the rich above the people. They shed their blood in dangerous mines and factories. They died in preventable accidents caused by greed and indifference toward the plight of working people. They led the fight for the things we take for granted today: 40-hour workweeks, paid holidays, health insurance, a chance to retire, and so much ...