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Cracking the Code: Go make a difference!

Recently in Morgantown, Lynnda and I had dinner with Dr. T, an old dear, friend and mentor. We were there to see our granddaughter run in a college track meet the next day. She goes to college in Pennsylvania. Dr. T and I communicate periodically by phone. We have not connected in person and had a meal together in several years. Dr. T is 86 years old and active in industry, church and community. He recently lost his wife of 68 years. It was a last-minute decision for us to come early for the track meet. An in-person visit is better than just a sympathy card. Dr. T was born in India and ...

The way I see it: Marietta native landed impossible flight

Robert Schornstheimer climbed into the pilot seat of a Boeing 737 on April 28, 1988, unaware that his routine flight between the Hilo International Airport in Hawaii and Honolulu would end up being the No. 1 news story in the world by the end of the day. The Marietta native and 1963 ...

The Way I See It: Fire devastated Ohio Pen in 1930

The Ohio State Penitentiary fire of 1930 took more than 300 lives after it swept through the locked cells of the Columbus facility. Two of those killed were from Washington County. The large facility had been an imposing presence in downtown Columbus since 1834. If you have had fun ...

Living Democracy: Voting matters!

The United States Constitution opens with the famous words, “We the People,” which gives power to the voices of American citizens. In a Representative Democracy the people have the right to vote to let their elected officials know if they approve or disapprove of the job they have done over the past two, four or six years, or to vote for a new person to represent them. Now, is the season for “We the People” to vote! It is primary election time in Ohio. That means you must ask for a certain ballot when you go to vote, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or Issues Only. A voter can ...

The Way I See It: Sweetgums: The tree that makes a point

When I was a child, my dad planted a sweetgum tree in our Florida backyard. The tree quickly grew in the sandy soil and became a great tree to climb. The many branches provided easy-to-reach “rungs” on which I could climb higher than the house. Decades later I had my own house in western ...

The last men

I've often read stories about the "last person killed" in a conflict. If only they hadn't been present at that time and place, their families must have thought. So it was with two early settlers, both named Sherman. One warm, humid June day in 1794, Abel Sherman went out to find his missing ...