Opinion by Christopher Bradley Fighting addictions comes from personal place The first time I ever used an e-cigarette I was in line at a bar. I remember the stark contrast of the humid evening to the deep cool inhale of mint flavor that effortlessly filled my lungs. The rush to my head after I exhaled made my knees turn to Jell-O, almost sending me to the ground. That rush coupled with the social nature of the device fueled my desire…
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Columns - Page 58
Opinion by Elizabeth Chloe Erdmann Telling a story of hope in an age of emotions These days deep emotions seem to burst forth at unexpected moments. While in the car between visiting a pumpkin farm owned by friends and the local cider mill, I decided to pull out a crumpled paper with my brief presentation on the history of Crete. “Does anybody want to hear a story?” I asked my captive audience of one of my best friends and her…
Opinion by Kevin Limiti Why do we cover protests? People have them Protests, demonstrations, angry people yelling about something or other. What does it all mean? Why does something like that happen? I’ve been covering protests for almost 10 years. Protests were my vehicle for getting into journalism. In Occupy Wall Street, I was a protester, and then made the decision to be a journalist instead. Why? I didn’t like the coverage. Since then, I’ve covered Black Lives Matter protests…
Opinion by Richard Sternberg M.D. Maybe God wants people to be vaccinated During Hurricane Katrina more than 1,800 people died primarily from flooding caused by the hurricane and by the levees breaking in New Orleans. Many of those who died lived in the city’s ninth ward. Initially a mandatory evacuation order was sent out but many people ignored it and stayed in their homes. A man, who we will call John and who was very religious, was at home. As…
Opinion by Patricia Kennedy Service providers need more state support Springbrook, the organization I am proud to lead, has always found strength by looking to our mission and values. We are a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable people in our society. That mission hasn’t changed because we face a pandemic. We have learned on the fly, and with clarity, we continue to navigate this storm. Springbrook’s direct support professionals, who do the hand-to-hand work of supporting residents, students,…
Life Sketches by Terry Berkson Cultural differences can be bridged with care In December 1965, I and 1,400 other soldiers set sail from Brooklyn on the USS Darby, the last troop ship ferrying our soldiers over to Germany. After that, the military used planes and an eight-day voyage was reduced to an eight-hour flight. During the frigid crossing, there was little to do and we were shown a lot of frivolous movies. Looking back I see this would have been…
Up on Hawthorn Hill by Richard deRosa Finding a retreat from totalitarianism We are beginning the process of bedding down most of our gardens for the winter. I am reminded of what Robert Frost so sagely stated in his poem “After Apple-Picking,” that there comes a time when the harvest we so looked forward to has run its course and a new desire has arisen: to step aside, rest up a bit, and move on to other tasks — or…
The Old Badger The badger takes flight with the aviators First published in The Freeman’s Journal on Aug. 16, 1978. TonyYackey – that’s not a name that falls easily from one’s lips. However, it is a name that fell frequently from the lips of Cooperstown residents during the summer of 1919. Lt. Tony Yackey was a decorated aviator, an honored veteran of the air war in France and one of the convalescents at the Army Hospital here. Tony was from…
Life Sketches by Terry Berkson An egg layer with a taste for egg eating I have a problem with at least one of my chickens. She’s been eating eggs out of the laying boxes. It’s hard to determine which one is the culprit, but if left unchecked, the habit will be contagious. Egg eaters are aggravating. I’ve already consulted local experts, Vaughn and McNulty, who told me the problem is likely because of a calcium deficiency. “If you don’t have…
Opinion by James Herman and Wayne Mellor Local ag pollution is down, but so is farming One can read all manner of truly dire reports about the global use of agricultural chemicals. Billions of dollars have been set aside to settle lawsuits alleging agricultural chemicals caused claimants’ cancers. Millions have been awarded, but we still do not have enough science to fully back up the claims. So where does Otsego County stand in relation to these reports?…
