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Water, water everywhere!

The indigenous people of our land know well their slogan, “Water is Life.” Of course, we all know that we are largely made up of water, as is our planet, so we cannot keep on polluting our precious source of life. This month, I would like to talk about another level of meaning to water. I ...

Cicadas in review

What has all the racket been about this summer? That high-pitched whine heard most frequently on the hottest days, sounding like a dentist’s drill or the call for the college semester to begin. Recently, that would be the male dogday cicada, singing for a willing mate. Somewhat unusual in ...

Jefferson County population growth slows considerably

The county-by-county population figures the Decennial Census released a couple of weeks ago showed that the growth in Jefferson County over the last 10 years has been seriously underwhelming. The growth rate for the decade was 7.9 percent over the 2010 population of 53,498. That’s the lowest ...

Greetings from Blue Bell, Pa.

Linda and I arrived weary, but relieved, on Aug. 14. Family members graciously rose to the occasion and helped us unload the Pennske and move our stuff into storage. Blue Bell, Pa. is a bustling suburb of mostly congenial go-getters. The density and pace of traffic takes a little getting used ...

Landscape artworks

Stumped whether to take down the tree that died last winter or grind out the resulting remnant remaining in your landscape? Well, if that dead tree isn’t threatening your house or your neighbor’s, leave the snag standing. If the stump isn’t blocking your driveway or causing too much ...

It’s his money, but $25 million could be put to better use

Brad Smith lives in Huntington. He was CEO of Intuit for a number of years, and has endeavored to help his native state, to which he returned quite wealthy after his retirement. I commend Smith heartily for his efforts. Among his other works, he’s donated quite a bit of money to West ...

The soul of a nation

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, herself a Pueblo Native American, has launched an investigation into atrocities committed at Indian Boarding Schools. This government policy affected thousands of Native American children for a century of our history, beginning in 1879 with the first ...

Studying summer hydrangeas

What could remind me more of summertime visits to Grandma’s house than hydrangeas blooming in the landscape? Watching her spread the morning’s coffee grounds and citrus peelings around vivid blue mopheads — all while still in her cotton nightie — was a sight to cherish. Her efforts ...

Danish agency criticizes Rockwool

Last month, the Danish Mediation and Complaints-Handling Institution for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP Denmark) cited Rockwool’s Ranson facility for violating the rules of the Organization for Economic and Community Development (OECD). OECD is an international body consisting of about 40 ...

Cooper Captures captures cosmos

If you cannot get out in nature today, the next best thing is to experience Cooper Captures at 107 East German Street, next to Town Run. There you will enter a world of fine art, canvas and prints depicting nature’s wonders, and especially, but not exclusively, our feathered friends. You ...