Opinion by Julie Dostal, PH.D. Prevention comes in many forms for LEAF Prevention is a common word in our culture. We use it in a variety of contexts, such as prevent heart disease, prevent bug bites, or prevent kitchen fires. It’s good that it is common, because, at the root, prevention simply means, “to stop a problem before it ever starts.” That’s the work we do at the LEAF Council on Alcoholism and Addictions. It is at the heart and…
Online home of The Freeman's Journal and Hometown Oneonta
Advertisement
Columns - Page 59
The Dog Charmer by Tom Shelby How to help an anxious new puppy stay home by itself Dear Tom, She came to us at 12 weeks at the start of pandemic lockdown. Well, I know it’s my fault for taking her everywhere with me, for putting her in her crate at night and staying until she settles, etc. With three adults in the household, she focuses on me ALL the time. If I go out without her, she’s a mess…
Up on Hawthorn Hill by Richard deRosa: While popping beans from the vine, thoughts come to mind Thoreau was determined to know beans well. Over the past several days I, too, have come to know beans well, black beans that is. We harvested our first black bean crop last week, hung the plants in the barn to finish up the drying process (too much rain to leave them in the ground), and are now popping the hard black beans out…
Life Sketches by Terry Berkson: A silo salesman striking with a sledgehammer Over the years, Paul Sarafin had come to believe that silos were like barometers. “When the economic weather for farming was good they went up” he says. “And when it was bad, they often came down, sold secondhand to someone looking for a buy.” Sarafin, 78, lives near Richfield Springs, and had been in the silo business for almost 50 years. At first, he built them for the…
Best Bets by Larissa Ryan: Ride for Sept. 11 To commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, ride your motorcycle with the Legion and the Red Knights, Chapter 44. All proceeds go to scholarships for the children of veterans since the 9/11 attacks. Cost is $20/participant. At the American Legion, Post 259, 279 Chestnut St. in Oneonta. Registration is from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., with kickstands up at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. For info: 607-547-0494 or visit https://www.alrpost259.org/legacy.…
Opinion by Charles Hyman, M.D. Delta variant or not, vaccines are best option There is a lot in the news about the Delta variant of COVID-19 that is now spreading across the United States, threatening to move us back to a time of lockdown, universal masking and social distancing. With all this buzz, I wanted to offer my friends and neighbors some helpful background information. Namely: What is this Delta variant and how did it occur?…
Dog Charmer by Tom Shelby Stories from a working dogs life My two working dogs were Michelle and Mike, both Dobermans. Michelle found two people alive and some not alive. Mike tracked a woman 11 miles. They were search and rescue dogs. Readers, as you’re reading this you are dropping about 40 thousand dead skin cells a minute. You and I have about five million olfactory cells in our noses, Michelle had more than 200 million.…
High School Sports by Nate Lull Now more than ever, September holds a year’s worth of promises The last 18 months have been hard for all of us, but it has been especially difficult for high school athletes. The coronavirus pandemic ended playing careers early, dashed championship dreams and changed local record books forever. However, as this fall season begins, it feels like maybe we are getting a fresh start. Sure, we know it could all come to a crashing…
Life Sketches by Terry Berkson: Watching progress from the nearby bench Stewart’s Shops convenience store and gas station in Richfield Springs was moving to the center of town because its location didn’t provide enough parking. To make space, the building that was previously occupied by Kinney Drug Store and Patterson’s Chrysler and Oliver Dealership before that, had already been demolished and cleared off. All of this activity took place under the watchful eye of Lenny Homes, a retiree who spent…
Editor’s Notes by Greg Klein: Taking a vacation from COVID, but not for long About six weeks ago, we went on our first vacation since 2019. The teen has the benefit of a summer birthday and the best parenting idea we ever devised was birthday trips. Not only do we get to schedule some summer fun (and summer time off) but we have gotten to see the Empire State. And as a bonus, or perhaps this was by design, we…
