My Way

March 25, 2023

He lived a life that certainly was full. For someone who was born before the turn of 20th. Century, it is unusual to survive to 90 years of age. He saw two World Wars. He served in the World War I and became a refugee during the World War II. In Latvia where he was born, he was a prosperous businessman whose wife was a schoolteacher. The owner of a local Dairy, his wife and he raise twin son, Olgerts and Richard. Both of the sons served in United States Army. Mr. Paulis Kubulins was a man who always stood tall even in the evening of his life. He was my late sister Vera’s’ ...

Thanks for successful Blues Festival

March 23, 2023

On behalf of the board of the BJFM (Blues, Jazz, and Folk Music) Society of the Mid-Ohio Valley, we want to thank everyone involved with making our 30th River City Blues Festival a great success. As always, we had wonderful support from our volunteers who helped in so many ways to make each yearly festival a success. Without them, we could never have had such a smooth-running festival. We have had wonderful support from many, many local businesses in the past. This year we had outstanding support from a great set of sponsors. Our heartfelt thanks to Dr. David George and The ...

Republicans need to broaden their knowledge

March 3, 2023

The United States is the only country in the world that has the problem of “mass shootings” on a regular and escalating basis. The guns of choice are those that do the most damage, and kill the most people, in the least amount of time. The Republicans are on the wrong side of this issue, even though most Americans want Congress to ban these weapons and pass common-sense legislation. Likewise, most Republicans are on the wrong side when it comes to strengthening the EPA, and holding large companies accountable for the damage they do to the environment. With Republican help, ...

Reflecting on high school plays

March 2, 2023

My sister (Mary Antons) and I saw the show yesterday afternoon (Sunday, February 26). Was truly remarkable. (If a bit long.) A testament, in my opinion, to what remarkable achievements our youth are capable of, given the opportunity. Both the message of the musical, the staging, the lighting, the sets, the small live band accompaniment in the orchestra “pit” plus the performers themselves. And, such a pleasant way for our families to spend a Sunday afternoon together! When my sister and I arrived about 15 minutes before the 2 p.m. showtime, streams of families were arriving ...

The dangers of vaping

March 1, 2023

Vaping devices date back to 2003 and were originally invented as an alternative to conventional cigarettes for adult tobacco users trying to quit. However, they did not gain popularity until more recently, and instead of attracting adults looking to quit smoking, they are responsible for why e-cigarettes have been the most used tobacco product among youth since 2014. With vaping being a more recent trend, there is still so much we don’t know about their potential health impacts. However, we know enough to declare it a nationwide public health crisis. So, what exactly is a vape? Vapes ...

Across-the-board accountability needed for Northfolk Southern tragedy

February 28, 2023

The corporate bombing of East Palestine is one of the most damning indictments of our entire political system that I have ever witnessed. There are no partisan divisions to delineate who is at fault here, but rather, a clear and stark dividing line between those at the top, and those at the bottom in our society. The most obvious culprit here is, of course, Norfolk Southern. They’ve invested over $18 billion in stock buybacks over the past five years, deliberately choosing to rake in obscene profits instead of updating their Civil War-era braking systems. Rules in place under the ...