Last month, this column referred to Protestant theologian Walter Brueggemann's expression, "the colonized imagination." This month, in the wake of Earth Day last Sunday, I would like to reflect with you about how this idea might apply to our relationship with the Earth.The name of the film ...
Not all readers of this column are Christians, I know, but the Christian solemnity of Holy Week approaches and I am offering some thoughts of relevance to everyone, Christian or not.Next Thursday, the institution of the Eucharist at the last Supper will be celebrated. Walter Brueggemann is a ...
Whether it be insect pests, fungal diseases or simple decline, many tree problems can be traced to the tree's root zone, to what's happening beneath the soil surface.We tend to overlook this fact, first because the root zone is hidden and it's only natural to focus on what we can see and, ...
Bill O'Brien has just completed a collection of his Chronicle columns these past four years. You can purchase it on Amazon.com. Key in "Wise Guyde: The First Forty-Five Columns."In just a few days, families will gather, laughter and old stories and gifts will be exchanged and, if your family is ...
Three lawsuits have been filed regarding the recent redistricting of the West Virginia House of Delegates.One lodges a general complaint that the entire plan is unconstitutional. The others are specific charges by three counties (Monroe, Mason and Putnam) that they were not treated in a ...
At the legislature's October Interim Committee Meetings Jorea Marple, West Virginia's State Superintendent of Schools, suggested to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability that we are past time for significant changes in our state's K-12 school calendar.As I am a member ...
With all the political games taking place in Washington, I know West Virginians are losing confidence because they believe that no one Democrat or Republican intends to pass anything. But I didn't go to Washington to be part of the problem or to play blame games, I went to be part of the ...
You all are the heros of the day. For those of you who volunteered or ran Freedom's Run, I hope you all have warmed up. And to the volunteers, it is easier to run than to work a cold, rainy race. At least you are generating body heat while running.Despite the cold rain that greeted us race ...
Three weeks ago we talked in this space about the role of West Virginia University as our state's flagship institution of higher learning. I've gotten some interesting feedback.Several people questioned my assertion that while WVU is a strong performing school, it is perceived as being weak ...
Right now our nation is facing two grave economic threats: a jobs crisis and a death spiral of debt, and we simply can't ignore either one. While our first focus should be on job creation and putting people back to work, I do not believe we can try to accomplish that by simply handing out money ...