I’m one of those annoying people. When many of you may be dragging yourselves out of bed, stumbling to get that desperately needed first cup of coffee, I’m hopping up, putting on my walking shoes and heading out the door. I’m not only a morning person but I’m an ...
Though his life concluded nearly three decades ago, the words of the journalist-turned 1978 Noble Prize winner in Literature still ring true today. “The bitter truth is that we know what a person thinks not when he tells us what he thinks, but by his actions,” said Issac Bashevis Singer ...
Culturally informed service was the focus of great discussions this week within the boundaries of Marietta. “We want you to pause that instinct to rush to plan a project and think about what is the issue you’re trying to address first,” said Maribeth Saleem-Tanner, to her students in ...
Do you remember the early morning, night before the first day of school, the nervous stomach feeling? I sure do! That feeling of jitters in the pit of my stomach. A hybrid of excitement and edgy anticipation. An eagerness to return, yet the slightly apprehensive feeling that you weren’t ...
Editor’s note: The following is part one of a two-part guest column in which one of the players on the ground at the beginning gives his account of the effort to preserve and restore the Armory. Part two will appear next week. The following is accounting of the 30-year history/evolution of ...
“You have 30 minutes, well really 25 because the Congressman ran late.” With these words we were ushered into a room with Rep. Bill Johnson and two staffers. Rep. Johnson interrupted me half way through my ten minute presentation on sensible gun legislation to remind me again of the time ...
In many circles, the topic of aligned interests and leveraging is brought up. It’s framed as a funding strategy in government meetings. In other arenas, it’s described as finding allies or wingmen. And the last two weeks have offered our community concrete examples of wins that come ...
The saying goes that you are your brother’s keeper. There is also an idiom about turning a blind eye. Out of sight out of mind. I experienced firsthand all of these things recently and the experience was shocking, scary, life-affirming, head-scratching, sad and eye-opening all at ...
Recent city public hearings have left many scratching their heads. Some left disheartened after hearing the word “no.” Some left frustrated saying words like “should,” “would” and “could.” And some in the following days took heat for their delivery. But the wins from ...
By David E. Ballantyne I have, in the recent past, heard many people express the phrase; “I believe in an all of the above approach to energy policy.” It is mostly those persons who self-identify as Conservatives who use this phrase. I fall into that group. I support the phase. It is ...
By George Banziger, Ph.D. Just as sea levels and global temperatures are rising, public opinion is rising in the direction of greater support for the idea of human-caused climate change. In 2016, 57% of Americans believed that climate change is real and that it is caused by human activity; ...
Collaboration. What does that mean? Is it the same as cooperation? Is it a product? A process? A concept? A notion? Or just a buzzword? At United Way, we build our success on solid and positive collaborations. We know it’s something much bigger than an industry buzzword. We know it is both ...
As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, I want to share the following information as we observe National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. More than 145,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and an ...
At United Way, we are so grateful to have 11 corporate campaign sponsors this year. What is a corporate campaign sponsor, you might ask? Well officially, this is a local business partner who invests part of their sponsorship or media and advertising budget with us. Their dollars help to ...
Christmas miracles come when you least expect them! This week started out like any other in our office. It’s approaching year end, we have less than 100 days until the annual campaign closes, we have 2 major fundraising events on the near horizon, the agency funding cycle is about to begin ...
By Stacy DeCicco United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley By definition it is someone who sets the pace at the beginning of a race or competition- someone who takes the lead or sets the standard of achievement for others. At United Way, Pacesetters are those donors who make their gift in ...
Challenging, painful, tragic, horrific, and devastating are some of the headlines pulled from media outlets from across our country in recent weeks. There is no secret that we as a country are hurting from all that we have and continue to endure—violence, intolerance, and disparity. There are ...
On Sept. 3, 2009, my husband and I were living our everyday lives when we received a phone call that our son had taken his life. What happens to the mind and body is inexplicable. There are no words in the English language to describe it. Because suicide is a taboo word, the surviving family ...
For decades, the U.S. administrations had mumbled about welcoming China’s “Peaceful Rise.” What, in fact, the previous administrations really meant was that Washington did not know how to stop Beijing from becoming a great power, great enough to challenge America’s global ...
Marietta residents and those who live in our lovely, historic city are being asked to give the administration more tax money. Perhaps it would be wise to examine some of the ways the city could raise needed income or save money rather than asking those on minimum wage salaries, fixed incomes ...