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Learn from questions

We are on our January Florida vacation for the last two weeks, with some work mixed in. Shale Crescent is taking part in a U.S. Commercial Services Roadshow in Turkey in early February. We are making travel arrangements and scheduling meetings separate from the event with Turkish companies we are already working with. In addition, we continue to work with Canadian Roadshow and SelectUSA contacts, a dialog important to continue while we are in Florida. A couple Lynnda and I have known for decades is vacationing with us this week. Relaxing after dinner one evening, I asked everyone, ...

Hazardous Duty

How many 15 year-olds would run away from home to join the army? John Mathews did in 1780, serving in the Revolutionary War under his uncle, Rufus Putnam, with “remarkable fortitude and endurance.” His next adventure was life-changing: he left his native Massachusetts and joined the 48 ...

MOV Climate Corner: Pass the torch

I feel ancient when I think about being born in the 1900s. Then I remind myself that growing old is a privilege not all people are given. I also remind myself that older does not automatically mean wiser. Although experience is important, no one can deny that aging takes a toll on both mind and body. For this reason, I prefer that the individuals involved in decisions that affect my and my grandchildren’s futures be in the prime of their youth and trained in the most updated knowledge of their specialties. For me, this includes all elected government officials at the federal, state or ...

Snowbirds are onto something with annual migration

After graduating college in the 1980s I worked for a short period in Mesa, Ariz. When I arrived, my co-workers told me I was just in time for the snowbird season to start. In my head I pictured some type of large white bird that would migrate from colder climates, something along the lines ...

The 26th Amendment

By Jacqueline Richey The 26th Amendment lowers the voting age from 21 to 18. After being approved by Congress, it was ratified in just 100 days, the shortest ratification time of any amendment. It reads, “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age … The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” The idea of lowering the voting age was introduced after the draft age was lowered to 18 when Congress amended the ...

Real power is ability to lead

By Greg Kozera We just celebrated the feast of the Three Kings (the Magi) also called Epiphany. The kings saw a star at its rising and followed it to find baby Jesus, the Savior. For some religions, Jan. 6, the feast of Epiphany, is bigger than Christmas because Jesus Christ was introduced to the Gentiles (the rest of the world, not just the Jewish people). The story of the Magi is one of our oldest son Corey’s favorite Bible stories. As a child, Corey liked stories before bedtime. The Magi visit King Herod in Jerusalem to ask where the new king is. “We saw his star at its ...