News from the Noteworthy Celebrating Each And Every Life I just returned from a trip to visit family. While away, I had the opportunity to celebrate a milestone — my grandson’s graduation from fifth grade. At his ceremony, he shared that his goal throughout school was to “make his parents proud.” His sincerity has me thinking about Springbrook at this time of year — summer at Springbrook feels charmed. In June, we celebrated the accomplishments of ten exceptional graduates of…
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Columns - Page 45
Column by Rachel Frick Cardelle Oneonta Through the Eyes of a Newcomer “And suddenly you know. It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”Meister Eckhart Throughout our lives, we can choose or have thrust upon us new beginnings. The past several years of a global pandemic, causing the shutting down and then slow reopening of our institutions and communities, has led to many of us ‘suddenly knowing’ it was time to start something new. I have…
Ted has some questions Commentary by Ted Potrikus The Goodyear Lake Dam How many of you, when you’re driving past the Goodyear Lake dam on Route 28, want to push those dead trees right over the edge? How long have they been there? How long will they stay? Doubleday Field of Dreams Major League Baseball and, I presume, its media partners, sunk a boatload of cash into redeveloping an Iowa cornfield to build from scratch a fictional baseball field from…
The importance of the long game Commentary by Ted Potrikus Here’s how I picture Mitch McConnell in his college days: “Hey Mitch!” call his pals. “There’s a big protest march down in the quad. Posters, bullhorns, and everything! C’mon!” “Nah,” says Mitch. “You guys go on ahead and have fun. I’m gonna stay in and study this book I found by a guy called Machiavelli.” A few years later, there’s Mitch McConnell, local lawyer and burgeoning politician. “Mitch,” says his…
The primary thing: vote Commentary by Ted Potrikus Otsego County and the whole of New York stand on the cusp of an eventful election season that begins with the June 28 primaries for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, and state Assembly. Because we can’t have nice things in the Empire State, we’ll have a second round of primaries on August 23; those are for state Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. And also a special election on August…
Dad jokes: A Father’s Day Commentary By Ted Potrikus Hello to all my fellow dads, and a Happy Father’s Day to you. Advertising tropes these days tend to portray dads as bumbling oafs who make questionable fashion choices, fumble with modern technology, snore, and barbeque a lot. My wife and I were watching television over the weekend, and a commercial came on advertising a big Father’s Day sale at a department store. “Find all of your dad’s favorite brands!” they…
Mental health emergency 988 number coming in July By: Bill Hayes LCSW-R (ret.), NAMI Delaware and Otsego [Editor’s note: Bill Hayes submitted this important column with details about the new ‘988’ telephone number for mental health emergencies.] In mid-July, there will be a new option for getting help with urgent mental health situations. While 911 will continue to be the key number to call for medical and crime emergencies, a different number will connect callers to a specialist in mental…
We saw him standing there Commentary: Ted Potrikus Fair warning: I’m about to go large on the name-dropping thing. My wife, Angie, and I drove to Syracuse last weekend to see Paul McCartney in concert. We’re big Paul fans – our first date, in fact, in London, England, in November 1984 — was to see his not-great movie “Give My Regards To Broad Street” not long after its premier. The guy turns 80 years old in two weeks. Eight-zero. If…
Thoughts and prayers vs. hopes and dreams Commentary by Ted Potrikus I’m scared of guns. I’ve never held one and I don’t want to. With the dual murderous massacres in Buffalo and Uvalde still sickeningly fresh in what’s left of our nation’s conscience, I’m foursquare behind calls for more gun control. Governor Hochul and others are right, in my opinion, looking to prohibit the sale of automatic weapons to anyone under the age of 21. I’m nutty enough to go…
Hey, hey — we’re the Monkeypox Commentary by Ted Potrikus Full disclosure: I’m finding it challenging to give any gravity to something called “monkeypox.” It sounds like a vintage video game, like “Donkey Kong,” and I half-expect the symptoms to include an uncontrollable urge for a banana. I don’t want to think about monkeys being anything that carry a nasty Pox that apparently can do some pretty ugly damage to those who contract it. Says the Associated Press: “Monkeypox typically…
