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Local Commentaries

‘Cross-Pollination’ Of Ideas Is Valuable

CHAUTAUQUA—The mantra that Americans are more divided than ever is way past the point of being tiresome. Have those repeating the mantra never heard of: ¯ The War of Independence and all that led to it? ¯ The War Between the States and all that led to it? ¯ What happened to Native ...

Buyer Beware With Health Insurance

Question: My friend insures with the same Health Insurance Company as I do, but she pays less than I do. Why is that? How can I get that cheaper pricing? Answer: This is a question with many answers. I will begin with an analogy. My friend, Amy and I both have Toyota’s. We love our ...

Puff The Magic Dragon

Back in 1963, at the ripe young age of 10, I was finding a liking of certain music and musical groups to put in my mental cache and focus on while listening to our local radio stations, or while watching American Bandstand on Saturdays. One of the groups that I took a liking to was the folk ...

Devils In Details Of Rest Of Story

Paul Harvey was one of the last great American journalists. Those who remember him will agree. His firm but staccato voice, his conservative but sensible opinions, radiated throughout our lives for decades, reaching millions of listeners on hundreds of radio stations. He was a midwestern boy, ...

The Captain Who Was An Irrepressible Clown

Rod was everyone’s idea of what an airline captain should look like. He was tall, good looking in an “aw-shucks” sort of way, with a crooked, always-ready smile. A teensy bit of gray hair was sneaking into his temples. The hero pilots in books are often described with “steely blue ...

The Perils Of Canning

Last week I did a history of canning jars. This week I will concentrate on what went into the jars. There were several trying times. I really cannot remember which event came first, although if I looked back in my diaries I could find out. I have kept a diary for close to fifty years with ...